8.31.2006

Shopping Healthy, Speaking B'Ivrit

Pictured below are the results of my first visit to the little grocery store here on Kibbutz Tzuba. The orange one is a bag of Bamba, which are sort of like Cheetos, but they taste like peanuts (sort of) instead of cheese (sort of). The red one is perhaps the greatest development in snack foods since Moses croaked. It is a bar of milk chocolate with flavorless pop rocks in it. Like a Crunch bar, but way better.



--

One part of the program here at EIE is a Hebrew ulpan. The Israeli tradition of ulpan began with the inception of Israel as a state in 1948. Faced with bazillions of imigrants Jewish immigrants from all over the world, Israel created ulpan as a type of class for intensive Hebrew study. It is still utilized today for Jews and other who make aliyah or travel to Israel for a considerable amount of time and wish to learn to speak adequate Hebrew.

Earlier today we took a test to see which level of ulpan we would be placed in. There are several levels taught by different teachers. Each of us has come here with different levels of Hebrew knowledge. I think I did okay on my test. I'll probably be in the second or third level. I hope.

Fun fact to know and tell: In Wales, the local government has instituted a similar program for those who wish to learn Welsh. They call it Wlpan.

--

Several guys just stormed into my room, only one of them a roommate of mine. They want to play tennis. All of them brought tennis rackets to Israel with them, but they seem to be having trouble fidning any actual tennis balls. I do not know how one could bring a tennis racket with one halfway around the world, but not tennis balls.

Curious.

--

Good night and good luck.

--

Expect a big post later today or later this week about the truly interesting history of Kibbutz Tzuba as well as a look at Reuven Kaliphon, a prehistoric flightless bird.

--

As always, email me at d.profound@gmail.com if you'd like to recieve email notices of updates to this blog.

--

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

So glad to see that you are eating healthfully! I'm off to the Omelettry now....

Anonymous said...

I saw you called... sorry I missed it!! I've been crazy busy trying to get all my last-minute college things ready. I leave Saturday morning, early... I'll try to give you a ring eventually, but I'm a bit ignorant of the time difference... if you have a second, call back and I promise I'll pick up ! :)

Anonymous said...

how i miss tzuba...i hope that you're having a great first week!!!

David A.M. Wilensky said...

Thanks Zach. Its good to hear from you. We went to the dig today. I'll have a post about that soon. Shoot me an email and tell me how you're doing.

Anonymous said...

Bissli is better than Bamba

http://www.osem.co.il/Eng/_Articles/Article.asp?CategoryID=41&ArticleID=37