…specifically Ramat Aviv, a suburb of Tel Aviv. Tel Aviv University spans 170 acres of the small suburban town with its shopping malls and family homes. Despite being away from the city, it is very easy to get into town center. You take the 24 or 25 bus for about 30 minutes and you’re there. As a student, we get discounts using a Rav Kav (similar to Clipper Card in the Bay Area) in which you can load and reload money. The system was a bit confusing at first, especially since the website is only in Hebrew. I finally deduced that there are a couple of different options for students. One, you pay a monthly flat rate to use the card an unlimited amount of times (only worth it if you ride the bus 8 times or more a week). Option two, you pay upfront and get a third of the cost off. For instance, 75 NIS for 50 NIS. Within walking distance, there are buses and trains that will take you pretty much anywhere in Tel Aviv. Last weekend I took a train to the central bus station in Tel Aviv where a bus awaited that goes to Jerusalem (and you pay for it all using Rav Kav)! Though I have explored Israel a bit, I’ve spent the majority of my time since classes started in my room reading. I live in the Broshim dorms, which is housing reserved for graduate students and their families. It is one of my favorite places I’ve ever lived. Broshim dormitory is more like a complex of studio apartments than dorm rooms, fully furnished, full size refrigerator, stove top, and bathroom all to myself. (I'll have to post some photos in the future of how I personalized this room.) There’s a gorgeous lawn and pond in the center of the complex. Some other residents of Broshim and I had Shabbat dinner there, enjoying one of the last of the warm summer nights. I cannot stress enough what a gift it is to be surrounded with such a diverse group of people. In addition to my fellow Conflict Resolution Master's program students, I also get to interact with the students from the International MBA, Archeology, Security and Diplomacy, Trauma and Crisis Management, Middle Eastern History, etc. programs who also live in Broshim. I've met people from all over, including China, Austria, Lithuania, Switzerland, Ghana, and New Zealand. Hearing about their experiences adds even more to this eye-opening adventure. For instance, I was talking to a man from China. Growing up under communism, he glorifies the US. He believes that cultures are always evolving and the natural spread of Western culture through globalization is a good thing, even peace-promoting. Maybe he’s right, but what price are Americans paying by being part of a hegemonic culture? The common language between all of the international students is English which, as a native English speaker has its pros and cons. A pro is I can go almost anywhere in the world and be able to verbally communicate with almost anyone. The con is it makes it really challenging to immerse myself in a new culture and learn a new language. Though I know basic reading, writing, and speaking in Hebrew (and am taking a class as well), I find my go-to when I'm out in public is "?אתה מדבר אנגלית" (Do you speak English?). Perhaps it would be easier to pick up the language and culture if I was surrounded only by Israelis who don't speak English. I have gained a huge respect for people who do not speak English and move to the US or another English-speaking country because chances are they won't easily find someone who speaks their native language and are forced to learn English in order to communicate. Yes, it is stressful at the time, but they gain a really useful skill. I know people here who speak four or five language fluently because they moved around the world! So as an English-speaker, I am being humbled and challenged in completely new ways. When I am accustomed to being of the dominant language and culture, how do I intentionally immerse myself into Israeli life? The closest I've come was a yoga class I went to last night. It was taught only in Hebrew and I felt completely out of place...so it's a good start. תנשפי ,תשאפי (breathe in, breathe out). |
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