After a week long hiatus I went running again this morning and I passed a few kids on their way to the bus stop. As I ran by one of them, I saw that he was grinning and saying something to me, and when I slowed down to listen, I heard him chanting, “echad shtayim echad shtayim!” [one, two, one two!] It was really cute… shows, dare I mention it again, how much the military has pervaded Israeli culture. Oh by the way, what do you think his race was?

So later today I was sitting in a study room in the campus center and I overheard I conversation of Hebrew interspersed with Arabic half-sentences. I looked over and saw an Israeli girl (I’m assuming Jewish) and an Israeli Arab trying to explain different things to each other in both languages. It was kind of heartwarming in a sentimental American-movie kind of way. (See, I’m picking up the local expressions! Definition: American Movie: Movie far too sentimental and/or kitschy to come close to the reality of something that would take place in Israel.)

Finally, I went to another computer science lecture and was able to follow everything except the proofs proving why everything else was supposed to make sense. I’m starting to think I’ve bitten off more than I can chew, but I’ve decided if I fail and end up having wasted hours of time in class/note translation, it won’t really have been a waste cause I actually enjoy sitting in the class, listening to the professor explaining in Hebrew and the Israeli students shouting out interpretations. Also hearing the professor say “nu…?” to students’ comments is much more gratifying than hearing “so where are you going with that?” in English. Actually, the lecture is quite diverse, more than the computer science lectures I’ve been to in the US at least. Lots of women, lots of people of all races and religious observances (at least from external appearance). The problem set appears to be impossible so far and it’s due tomorrow, so I should probably try to work through that some time soon. I also saw on the class forum a question from a student asking if we’re allowed to turn in the problem sets in English (since the questions are in English), and an administrator answered with a defiant, “NO.” This means, in true Israeli fashion, that I will still submit mine in English and deny any association to the forum in the first place.

That’s all for now. By the way, the little kid was black, the absorption center where I’m hopefully volunteering is right around the corner from there. He reminded me of one of my City Year kids, really adorable and goofy.