Today I signed up for something I have wanted to do for a long time... an Arabic class. I am taking it at Tel Aviv University for three main reasons: first, I feel like knowing Arabic could be really helpful later on in life and I have wanted to learn it for a while. Second, I need a little structure in my day. While the freedom and flexibility of my job is a great perk for week long getaways, I think I would go crazy if I had phone conferences in pajamas every day. And lastly, I figured that it is a great way to meet other people... in fact I have already made a friend with this guy who bought my book when we realized that you actually have to be a registered student to buy books. The book, mind you, was $7... I don't think coffee is that cheap at GW!
Anyway, so here I am sitting in my Arabic class of 15 people in which the teacher is an Israeli Arab. He is speaking in Hebrew, but every so often chimes in with words in English because sometimes he blanks out on the Hebrew word. I am translating his Hebrew in my head and taking notes in a combination of English and Arabic. And then he decides to reference Spanish which put us on a long tangent about how many Arabic words have made their way into Spanish.. turns out something like 3,000. My mind was on language overload! But I had a great time being in an academic environment and learning a new language. I am so excited to go buy my school supplies... yes, I am a nerd and I love it!
No comments:
Post a Comment