Yesterday, not one, but two people accused me of having poor Hebrew.
First it was the bus driver.
היית בישראל שנה והצי?! באמת?
את ץריכה לדבר יותר
"You've been here a year and a half? Really? You need to speak more."
Then a prof over heard me get flustered with a wrong number I dialed (I was expecting an English speaker) and told me with a straight face that I need to improve my Hebrew.
And now I sit here, working on my impossibly difficult homework for my FIFTH completely unnecessary Hebrew course.
I would like to remind the world that I am a WASP from Canada where the official languages are English and French. I get a maximum four years here before I get the boot. That is it.
My grandfather spoke some Gaelic, my father some Ojibway, and so I feel I am merely continuing the family tradition of learning half dead -or returned from the dead- languages.
And contrary to popular belief, languages are very difficult, especially for me, and I have to work hard at them.
So I am sorry that I haven't dedicated my self completely and now speak fluent Hebrew.
Now I must go back to memorizing completely useless words like "flow" "to hang" and "thinness."
12 years ago
2 comments:
Bitterness can eat your soul, Janet. The Hebrew God is testing your ability of becoming a great warrior. Be strong!!
How do you say go ($%^ yourself in hebrew? Your hebrew is amazing Janet. I was extremely impressed with how much you have learned -- especially since you are there, you know, to do science and not learn hebrew full time! You have also immersed yourself in culture and traveled that country from top to bottom. I wonder if your critics would be such fine diplomats and ambassadors for their country ? I doubt it.
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