Ulpan begins

Yesterday was my first day of Ulpan, which is the intensive Hebrew learning program I’m doing before starting the actual semester of classes. We meet for five hours every day in very small classes and speak nothing but Hebrew. It’s very intense but incredible how much I feel I have learned in just two days! My class has 13 students, from all over the world: Canada, France, Brazil, South Africa, Korea, Hong Kong, Scotland, and the US. It’s really neat to see how many different types of people want to learn Hebrew! My teacher is wonderful—for the entire five hours yesterday and today she spoke probably 4 words in English, but I completely understood everything that went on simply because she used such great gesticulations and sound effects and props and pictures. I’m in a very very basic level class, with some people who have clearly never heard a word of Hebrew and others who have a little more under their belts like I do. I think I know almost all the vocabulary we learned already, but I have absolutely no knowledge of anything written, so starting from scratch with letters and sounds and reading is perfect, even if I’m a little bit ahead of the class in spoken stuff. I’ve found myself encountering words that I didn’t think I knew until they’re said in class. I guess the language is still embedded somewhere subconsciously and it’s from the depths of my brain that these random words and phrases are springing. I also really love the other people in my class. We’ve already laughed together a ton and I can tell it’s a dynamic group, all of whom seem as enthusiastic as I feel. I just hope that sentiment continues. I’m having an absolute blast so far.
Also, when I was buying my book in the “Academon” (campus bookstore) I saw a whole section of children’s books in Hebrew. One that caught my eye, naturally, was a book of Disney Princess stories. This led me to my new goal for the Ulpan/semester: be able to read the Disney Hebrew book by the end of the semester. Now if that’s not incentive, I don’t know what is.
One thing that I’ve loved about being here is the fact that my name is pronounced correctly every single time it’s said. It’s kind of fun to watch the Israelis I meet struggle with names like Alyssa or Jackie but then hear my name and say “Oh that one’s easy”. That certainly doesn’t happen every day back home.
In the past couple of days I’ve had the chance to wander around campus and found two spots that are just wonderful. One is an ampitheater that has a spectacular view of part of the Jerusalem and the Dead Sea. It was the setting for the dedication of the university in 1925, which lots of really cool people like Freud and Einstein attended.


Another of my favorite places on campus is the botanical garden. There are so many paths criss-crossing and winding through it that I could probably wander through every day I’m here and never follow the same path. Within the garden is every type of plant and herb found indigenously in the state of Israel! There’s even an excavated tomb in the middle. Jerusalem holds so much history, it’s surreal.

I'm about to put more pictures up on facebook too. I haven't ventured into city center Jerusalem too much yet because it's been pretty hectic getting settled and figuring out the bus system and everything, but I'll do that soon and have more for you about what Jerusalem itself is like!! Until then!