Most of my days are flying by. Between the heat, intensive class (and homework, uuuugh) and running around town to look at potential apartments, it is time for bed before I know it. I still haven't actually gone to the beach, which the other students find appalling. I have promised to go this weekend. (If I have time. Shhhhhh.)
Finding an apartment in Tel Aviv is very difficult. No one really uses Craigslist but there are apartment brokers that basically handle the process for you at a rate of about a month's worth of rent for their troubles. Other than that, apartment hunting consists of joining several apartment groups on Facebook and scouring the posts for the location, price and amenities you want. Waaaaay harder than it sounds when everything is in Hebrew. In this town, my deal breaker is AC. At LEAST in the bedroom so I can sleep at night. Luckily at the BBQ in Jerusalem the other day I met an incredibly friendly girl who has lived here seven years. She emailed me more resources not only for finding good apartments (including important questions to ask and things to check before agreeing to take the apartment) but also for learning Hebrew.
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| New friends, having fun at the BBQ |
The learning of Hebrew is taking too long. I know it sounds insane to say that, but after making leaps and bounds of progress by leaning how to read the cryptic letters (both print and script, like English has both print and cursive) in one week, the rest seems as though it is dragging by. I now feel awkward being able to read things but not know what they mean. It is frustrating, and although the teacher insists that we have come a long way, the pace of my learning seems glacial.
I had a definite culture clash today in which mastery of the language would have absolutely come in handy.
I leave class exactly when it ends, and usually am the first one to the cafeteria and grab a table where others will join as they order and receive their lunches. Today I decided to grab something too, and when I turned to go back to the table i had claimed by leaving my backpack on it, I saw someone was sitting at it. No big deal, they had no idea that I was saving it for five people. I am not selfish--- Wait what are they doing?..
As I watched in disbelief, four other grown men flocked to the table with their items, and one picked up my backpack and dropped it on the floor. They didn't skip a beat, just came, saw, and took what they wanted without regard to anyone else. Knowing myself when I am angry, I asked a classmate to retrieve my bag while I sorted out my feelings. I was confused at my own anger, but in retrospect I feel that the pushy and aggressive nature of the country maybe finally got to me for a moment. The inherent disrespect in many little scenarios over the past few weeks finally struck a nerve. Either way I chose not to address it, but another student did. They dismissed her, telling her there was no bag there now, so it did not matter. She explained that perhaps next time they could not take someone else's table, that perhaps they could leave earlier as I did to claim their own, or even look for another as we were forced to. They waved their hand at her. "We are eating, it doesn't matter... go away."
I had a definite culture clash today in which mastery of the language would have absolutely come in handy.
I leave class exactly when it ends, and usually am the first one to the cafeteria and grab a table where others will join as they order and receive their lunches. Today I decided to grab something too, and when I turned to go back to the table i had claimed by leaving my backpack on it, I saw someone was sitting at it. No big deal, they had no idea that I was saving it for five people. I am not selfish--- Wait what are they doing?..
As I watched in disbelief, four other grown men flocked to the table with their items, and one picked up my backpack and dropped it on the floor. They didn't skip a beat, just came, saw, and took what they wanted without regard to anyone else. Knowing myself when I am angry, I asked a classmate to retrieve my bag while I sorted out my feelings. I was confused at my own anger, but in retrospect I feel that the pushy and aggressive nature of the country maybe finally got to me for a moment. The inherent disrespect in many little scenarios over the past few weeks finally struck a nerve. Either way I chose not to address it, but another student did. They dismissed her, telling her there was no bag there now, so it did not matter. She explained that perhaps next time they could not take someone else's table, that perhaps they could leave earlier as I did to claim their own, or even look for another as we were forced to. They waved their hand at her. "We are eating, it doesn't matter... go away."
This of course into a conversation that touched on cultural differences, social norms, the conflict, gender relations and pretty much anything in between. Needless to say, it promises to be a very interesting semester with some of the students I have already met.
A few exciting things to look forward to during my time here are already starting to develop... I just met a girl who is starting work on a documentary of a Sudanese refugee here in Tel Aviv. The graduate students of the University are also already signing up to help starting a preschool/daycare for refugee children here because the current system of childcare for the children of refugees seeking asylum here is so bad that a few babies have died recently IN the childcare facilities.graduate students all have decided to do something about it and want to start a student run childcare facility. Both of these projects promise to put me in touch with more people in the community involved with refugee and migration issues, which could lead to an internship later on this year!
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| A tent city holdout from the housing protests a couple years ago. |
Other than my inability to immediately pick up the language (come on, everyone knows I am not a patient person with myself), the struggle of finding a good apartment being all too real (Tel Avivians have actually had a LOT of protests over the lack of good affordable housing) and the occasional culture...zap (because it's not really a shock)...things are going swimmingly. Oh, it is still confusing to remember that Thursday is friday and Sunday is Monday, but I think that will just take some serious time.We have a group trip to Cesarea this Friday (actual Friday, which is my Saturday. Get it?) and I plan to spend the rest of the weekend getting better at this language.
...And maybe... just maybe I can find some time to visit the beach.
Maybe.
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