Nothing exciting has been going on because well, class has started. Sigh. We have our first quiz in Hebrew this week so that means I actually have to do homework this week.
Since I only had about ten minutes worth of Hebrew homework, my friend and I decided to go shopping at the mall (don't worry dad, I didn't buy that much clothing). The mall we went to has the best name in the world, HaGrand Kenyon. "Kenyon" means mall which is why the name is so awesome. When Americans say the name of the mall they say "The Grand Canyon" and the Israelis don't get it.
We took the 37 to Horev where we needed to switch buses. So I needed to ask for a transfer ticket (Caritisia Ma'avar, in case you're wondering, Mom) and did so by using my nifty Hebrew skills. This was just the beginning of the Hebrew I was going to use. When we got to Horev, we couldn't find the stop where the 23 would pick us up and take us to the mall, so I asked some people. The first lady didn't speak English so I went to my default, an Israeli soldier. It took three people to tell us where the bus stop was. Once at the Grand Kenyon, we walked through various stores and salespeople would ask us in Hebrew if we needed help, and I would either say "lo" or ask if they spoke English because there is no way I can say "do you have sweaters?" in Hebrew. Most of them spoke English so it was no problem, but at one store I wanted to ask if there was a discount, but the lady didn't speak any English. Most people who say they don't speak English can actually form a sentence or few to say so, but this lady was just like "no English". She got someone from another store to translate for her. The answer to my question was yes, so me and my friend each got an Israeli skirt for 5 dollars. Then in Hebrew she started telling us, or I guess me because my friend doesn't speak any Hebrew, how today was the last day of the sale. And that everything in the store was half off. She said she was sorry for not speaking English. She was Russian not Isreali. For some reason though, it took her a long time to say just that and yes, I'm sure that's what she was saying. But it was exciting that I could understand what she was saying. We also went into Tower Records and the guy asked if we needed help and then I got really excited when I saw that they sold posters. My walls are white and have nothing on them so I bought a Green Day poster and my room now looks a little more homey, with just that one poster. Anyway, I asked how much it was, in Hebrew, and he answered, and I understood and then he asked me something else and that was the end of my Hebrew, but he was like "Oh, you speak English too." He must not be a Native Israeli. All the Madrichim make fun of us Americans for our accent when trying to speak Hebrew. I say Americans and not another nationality because some of the Danes, French, and Brazilians, can pull off the "r" sound.
Today I felt very Israeli (read: pushy). For homework in my psych seminar, we had to email the professor our homework and tell him who we were. So I received an email back saying that I (still) wasn't on the roster and to figure everything out by the end of this week because Thursday is Final Registration. Today, I finally got a chance to go see the director of the International School and told her my problem:
me: Hi. I sent you an email about this at the beginning of semester. I'm Jill...Weiner. I wanted to know if I was in the honors psych program because my teacher says I'm not on the roster, but it's ok if I'm in the class as long as I'm in the program.
her: you sent me an email?
me: yea, at the beginning of the semester.
her: Ok, hold on a second.
she leaves for five minutes while I awkwardly stand in her tiny office.
her: Are you in Psych of Conflict?
me: yea
her: Unfortunately, we can't let you into the program. You have only taken 4 psych classes and you need 6.
me: Even if I understand everything that's going on?
her: We say 6 classes because we want it to maintain an honors level
me: Because when I went to the class, I understood what was going on and I learned some of the stuff last year.
her: Wait, you went to the class?
me: yea, I didn't know if I was in the program or not so I just went.
her: ok, hold on.
she leaves and comes back.
her: It's going to be a while. Why don't you sit outside.
me: Ok. Oh, I also took 5 classes. I took a class over the summer
her: we don't have that. So can you send the transcript when you get a chance.
me: yea
So I wait for like ten minutes and then go back into her office.
her: We're going to make an exception for you.
me: thanks
her: I want to let you know that if you weren't in the class it would have been much more difficult to be in the program. Because you have taken five psych classes, we're going to make an exception.
me: thanks so much!
Personally, I think she let me in because she didn't remember the email I sent her, the conflict class that I'm taking counts as a 6th class, and the psych department is run by someone else. I'm glad I was persistent.
Since I only had about ten minutes worth of Hebrew homework, my friend and I decided to go shopping at the mall (don't worry dad, I didn't buy that much clothing). The mall we went to has the best name in the world, HaGrand Kenyon. "Kenyon" means mall which is why the name is so awesome. When Americans say the name of the mall they say "The Grand Canyon" and the Israelis don't get it.
We took the 37 to Horev where we needed to switch buses. So I needed to ask for a transfer ticket (Caritisia Ma'avar, in case you're wondering, Mom) and did so by using my nifty Hebrew skills. This was just the beginning of the Hebrew I was going to use. When we got to Horev, we couldn't find the stop where the 23 would pick us up and take us to the mall, so I asked some people. The first lady didn't speak English so I went to my default, an Israeli soldier. It took three people to tell us where the bus stop was. Once at the Grand Kenyon, we walked through various stores and salespeople would ask us in Hebrew if we needed help, and I would either say "lo" or ask if they spoke English because there is no way I can say "do you have sweaters?" in Hebrew. Most of them spoke English so it was no problem, but at one store I wanted to ask if there was a discount, but the lady didn't speak any English. Most people who say they don't speak English can actually form a sentence or few to say so, but this lady was just like "no English". She got someone from another store to translate for her. The answer to my question was yes, so me and my friend each got an Israeli skirt for 5 dollars. Then in Hebrew she started telling us, or I guess me because my friend doesn't speak any Hebrew, how today was the last day of the sale. And that everything in the store was half off. She said she was sorry for not speaking English. She was Russian not Isreali. For some reason though, it took her a long time to say just that and yes, I'm sure that's what she was saying. But it was exciting that I could understand what she was saying. We also went into Tower Records and the guy asked if we needed help and then I got really excited when I saw that they sold posters. My walls are white and have nothing on them so I bought a Green Day poster and my room now looks a little more homey, with just that one poster. Anyway, I asked how much it was, in Hebrew, and he answered, and I understood and then he asked me something else and that was the end of my Hebrew, but he was like "Oh, you speak English too." He must not be a Native Israeli. All the Madrichim make fun of us Americans for our accent when trying to speak Hebrew. I say Americans and not another nationality because some of the Danes, French, and Brazilians, can pull off the "r" sound.
Today I felt very Israeli (read: pushy). For homework in my psych seminar, we had to email the professor our homework and tell him who we were. So I received an email back saying that I (still) wasn't on the roster and to figure everything out by the end of this week because Thursday is Final Registration. Today, I finally got a chance to go see the director of the International School and told her my problem:
me: Hi. I sent you an email about this at the beginning of semester. I'm Jill...Weiner. I wanted to know if I was in the honors psych program because my teacher says I'm not on the roster, but it's ok if I'm in the class as long as I'm in the program.
her: you sent me an email?
me: yea, at the beginning of the semester.
her: Ok, hold on a second.
she leaves for five minutes while I awkwardly stand in her tiny office.
her: Are you in Psych of Conflict?
me: yea
her: Unfortunately, we can't let you into the program. You have only taken 4 psych classes and you need 6.
me: Even if I understand everything that's going on?
her: We say 6 classes because we want it to maintain an honors level
me: Because when I went to the class, I understood what was going on and I learned some of the stuff last year.
her: Wait, you went to the class?
me: yea, I didn't know if I was in the program or not so I just went.
her: ok, hold on.
she leaves and comes back.
her: It's going to be a while. Why don't you sit outside.
me: Ok. Oh, I also took 5 classes. I took a class over the summer
her: we don't have that. So can you send the transcript when you get a chance.
me: yea
So I wait for like ten minutes and then go back into her office.
her: We're going to make an exception for you.
me: thanks
her: I want to let you know that if you weren't in the class it would have been much more difficult to be in the program. Because you have taken five psych classes, we're going to make an exception.
me: thanks so much!
Personally, I think she let me in because she didn't remember the email I sent her, the conflict class that I'm taking counts as a 6th class, and the psych department is run by someone else. I'm glad I was persistent.
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