At home, in my own country, I would hardly call going to see a movie an adventure. But here, in a different country, alone, its certainly exciting. Today I had a self-date, hopefully my first and last since I look forward to making friends once my program starts.
I went to see the movie "The Artist". I looked up the theater and movie times and got directions on Google maps and found out it was only a 15 minute walk away. Well, with these killer quads... I'm sure you wont be surprised to find out that I made it in 12.
One thing I've already learned about myself on this trip is that, believe it or not, I can be terribly shy. I get so embarrassed that my Hebrew is not up to par, that I just avoid speaking at all. Well tonight, I knew I had to speak up, since I was going out alone. And I am very pleased to report that I had an almost flawless night of short sentences!
Here are the things I said:
1) Once I got to Dizengoff Center, where the movie theater is, I realized the structure has several floors, any of which can house a theater. So I walked into a store and said to the sales clerk, "Excuse me, where is the movie theater?" "Slicha, eifo ha kolnoa?" (Note: All "ch" sounds are pronounced like you are clearing your throat and have severe phlegm. Second note: "phlegm" is pronounced "flem".) I also understood her very clearly when she told me it was "le mata", "downstairs". Liar... it was 4 stories above me. Moving on...
2) When I got to the theater, I asked the clerk, "Can I have one for 'The Artist'?", "Echad le 'Ha Artist'?" She then loudly asked me, "Rak echad?" "Only one?!" Thanks for bringing attention to me! Only one. Do you see me standing with someone? I actually only replied, "yes." "Ken." Then she said a whole bunch of mumbo jumbo that I couldnt really understand, so we spent some time looking at eachother and just asking, "MA?!" "WHAT?!" Finally I remembered that in Israel, the movie theater seats are assigned, and she was asking me which row I wanted. I was just barely able to tell her that I wanted to be "not close". "Lo karov." So, she put me in the second to last row, and the screen isn't so big. So I was very far away. No matter.
3) You can't see a movie without popcorn, which is exactly what I got when I asked for "one small popcorn and a water please." "Echad popcorn ve maim, bevakasha."
4) When I gave the guy my ticket before entering the theater, I dropped my gum wrapper on the floor by accident. He asked, "Ma ze?" "What's this?" And I forgot how to say, "trash". So I just brashly yelled at him "ze lo chashoov!!!", "its not important!", picked it up, and ran into the theater.
5) A man asked me where the numbers on the seats where and I cleverly pointed to the numbers and said, "po", "here".
6) And then right before the movie started, I found a phone on the floor. So I picked it up, and I went back to one of the workers, thrust it in her hand and said, "matzati et ze". "I found this."
People in Israel must think I'm crazy, because I try not to look at anyone when I speak. And although my sentences come out fine, I don't always understand the response I get.
This is certainly not characteristic of me, as anyone who knows me would agree. But like I said, this is a new adventure, and I am learning that the comfort-zone Jessica needs to break free...
I went to see the movie "The Artist". I looked up the theater and movie times and got directions on Google maps and found out it was only a 15 minute walk away. Well, with these killer quads... I'm sure you wont be surprised to find out that I made it in 12.
One thing I've already learned about myself on this trip is that, believe it or not, I can be terribly shy. I get so embarrassed that my Hebrew is not up to par, that I just avoid speaking at all. Well tonight, I knew I had to speak up, since I was going out alone. And I am very pleased to report that I had an almost flawless night of short sentences!
Here are the things I said:
1) Once I got to Dizengoff Center, where the movie theater is, I realized the structure has several floors, any of which can house a theater. So I walked into a store and said to the sales clerk, "Excuse me, where is the movie theater?" "Slicha, eifo ha kolnoa?" (Note: All "ch" sounds are pronounced like you are clearing your throat and have severe phlegm. Second note: "phlegm" is pronounced "flem".) I also understood her very clearly when she told me it was "le mata", "downstairs". Liar... it was 4 stories above me. Moving on...
2) When I got to the theater, I asked the clerk, "Can I have one for 'The Artist'?", "Echad le 'Ha Artist'?" She then loudly asked me, "Rak echad?" "Only one?!" Thanks for bringing attention to me! Only one. Do you see me standing with someone? I actually only replied, "yes." "Ken." Then she said a whole bunch of mumbo jumbo that I couldnt really understand, so we spent some time looking at eachother and just asking, "MA?!" "WHAT?!" Finally I remembered that in Israel, the movie theater seats are assigned, and she was asking me which row I wanted. I was just barely able to tell her that I wanted to be "not close". "Lo karov." So, she put me in the second to last row, and the screen isn't so big. So I was very far away. No matter.
3) You can't see a movie without popcorn, which is exactly what I got when I asked for "one small popcorn and a water please." "Echad popcorn ve maim, bevakasha."
4) When I gave the guy my ticket before entering the theater, I dropped my gum wrapper on the floor by accident. He asked, "Ma ze?" "What's this?" And I forgot how to say, "trash". So I just brashly yelled at him "ze lo chashoov!!!", "its not important!", picked it up, and ran into the theater.
5) A man asked me where the numbers on the seats where and I cleverly pointed to the numbers and said, "po", "here".
6) And then right before the movie started, I found a phone on the floor. So I picked it up, and I went back to one of the workers, thrust it in her hand and said, "matzati et ze". "I found this."
People in Israel must think I'm crazy, because I try not to look at anyone when I speak. And although my sentences come out fine, I don't always understand the response I get.
This is certainly not characteristic of me, as anyone who knows me would agree. But like I said, this is a new adventure, and I am learning that the comfort-zone Jessica needs to break free...
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