Last week, my life finally started to pick up speed. Sunday was my first day of teaching and of my Hebrew classes. We had decided to split each grade into 3 groups, with each teacher (or teachers in my case) playing a different ice breaker and then rotating to a new class. The first group wasn't bad, but as the day progressed, the kids became more and more wired and out of control. In our game, everyone stood in a circle and we took turns throwing a ball of string to somebody else in the circle while giving them a compliment. In the end, we were supposed to have created a web of string connecting us all. What actually happened was that the ball of string got wrapped around chairs, people, people's necks, and one girl actually refused to throw the ball of string to the last person because she couldn't think of anything nice to say about him. It was also a struggle to get the kids to speak in English - half of them completely ignored us and carried on their Hebrew conversations with their friends. I know that most of them were testing us, but by the time we got to the 7th graders, I was at my wit's end and actually shouted at the kids. Apparently that is what the Israeli teachers resort to because Israeli kids will do whatever they want and are out of control.
For Wednesday's class, I was prepared to be much more strict, but it was actually a lot easier because I only had 7 kids. We had decided to practice reading English with them. There is a very limited library at the center, so in the end we settled for "The Lost Kitten" and "Questions and Answers," a sort of British textbook. When I told the 7th graders we were going to practice reading, they acted like I had just proposed a 7-day hike across the desert! One girl made such a fuss every time it was her turn, saying that she couldn't do it, but when I had her read one word at a time, she read absolutely fine. By the end of class, people had stopped following the "2 lines per person" rule and they started fighting over the book because they were so eager to read.
My Hebrew classes are progressing a bit slowly at the moment because we are only halfway through the Alef-Bet. I'm really glad that I studied it earlier this year, otherwise I would be so confused. I don't understand why teachers say that "Alef" is "A" because it makes the whole consonant/vowel thing more complicated than it needs to be. We have learned a few verbs, so now I can say where I'm from, where I live, what I study, and that I want chocolate - truly essential phrases for life in Israel.
Thursday, I moved to my new (and hopefully last) room where my Costa Rican friend, Andrea, is already living. We cleaned the apartment (it was a bit grungy from her previous roommate) and rearranged some things, but it was a fairly painless process. My new room is a corner room, so now I am right above King George street and it can get pretty noisy, but I enjoy having two windows and being able to have light from the moment the sun rises til it sets. We are getting a new French roommate in a few weeks, but until then, it's very nice to have this spacious room all to ourselves.
Along with the changes to my schedule and living arrangements, the weather changed overnight from full-summer to full-winter. Thursday night/Friday morning, we had a giant thunderstorm that seems to have brought Winter weather for good. Suddenly, people are wearing sweaters, fuzzy boots, scarves, hats, and ear muffs even though it is only in the low 60s. It rains sporadically throughout the day, sometimes just a drizzle, other times, a full downpour with thunder and lightning! I feel like I'm back in Amsterdam and find it a little hard to convince myself to leave the warm(ish) comfort of my room. But I think things will change once I buy an umbrella.
That's about all the news for me! This weekend I'm going to a seminar in Bet Shean (in the north) to learn more about Jewish culture and explore the area. There may be bike riding and swimming! I am very excited to see a new city and meet some new people. And, of course, I will post pictures after I get back.
Ciao ed un abbraccio,
Daniella
