Tonight I was at the Galaxy-San Jose game (I SAW DAVID BECKHAM SCORE A GOAL! AND LANDON DONOVAN!!!!!!), and the person singing the national anthem....well, let's just say that it sounded like it was the person's first time ever hearing the national anthem. I know, I know, our anthem sucks because no one can ever remember the words and it's difficult to sing, but EVERYONE in the stands realized that something was dreadfully wrong with this guy's rendition. He sang some lines using the melody of a different line, changed keys several times (and not in the dramatic, diva-style that can sometimes be really powerful-you know, where you sing the chorus and then change keys only to sing it again....he just flat out was like mid-phrase and OOPS we're in D now.....OH! And now we're in G.), and on at least one occasion it sounded like he was just making words up.
Oh America....
Anyway, so I thought I'd share some more pre-departure thoughts:
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I think it should be said that this is how I felt a couple weeks ago:
"I got my flag, I got my Hebrew book....I'm ready to go to Israel! Get me a bucket hat and some falafel, I'm ready to settle the land via socialist farms!"
But then I finished classes for Winter Quarter at college. I'm done with classes until next Winter Quarter at the earliest. I'm about to take at the very least a year-long break from "traditional" education.
And well, folks....I'm freaking the eff out.
This weekend I was a little bit nervous, and this is kind of how I felt:
*whimper*....*whimper*....
You know, nothing too bad. I just felt a bit like I needed a hug.
But now.....oh jeez.
"GAAAAA!!!!!! FOR THE LOVE OF G-D, DON'T MAKE ME GO!!!!!"
I think I'm turning into a hermit. A seriously freaked-out hermit.
Anyway, people have been asking me, "What are you going to miss about America?" "What are you going to miss about college?" Now, this is a stupid question because I don't know for sure that I'm going to be in Israel beyond November. But since it is a likely possibility that I will be there for longer (indeed, this is my assumption), here is what I will miss about The Good Ol' U S of A during my adventure:
Kraft Macaroni and Cheese.
Heinz ketchup. Not the weird European/foreign kind. I'm talking about the PROPER 'merkin kind!
The Rose Parade. Why? Because I've been several times and when I
don't go I like to watch it on TV. And it is time to recall from one
of my earlier Rose Parade experiences: this one time, during the
future-themed parade, a fucking enormous silver, box-like float broke
down right in front of us. And it sort of opened up and blasted music.
And it was so fucking loud. The bass shook everything. And I thought I
was going to die. I really thought it was the end. And then they fixed
the float. After like 20 minutes. Anyway, that's what I remember. I think I was 8 at the time.
I'm pretty sure the bass did permanent damage to my heart or something...
Maybe I'm just being dramatic.
The 4th of July. But I'm guessing Yom Ha'Atzmaut is pretty cool too.
Christians.
When you're at a baseball game and the lady singing the national
anthem hits the high note. you know? "Land of the
freeeee-EEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!" And everyone goes CRAZY.
On the subject of baseball: The seventh inning stretch.
On the subject of baseball/patriotism: The fact that nobody does patriotism like the Americans. We SHOWBOAT it. Check out Whitney Houston doing the national anthem: What a diva!
Hell, we don't even have to be at a sporting event to be showboating it up: Who loves America? THESE guys sure as Hell do!
Some people say that our national pastime is baseball, but I would argue that it's over-the-top displays of patriotism.
The fact that some people here call Hebrew "Jewish."
How excited I get every single time I see an orthodox Jew in the US.
I'm guessing it'll get old once I've been in Israel for a short time.
Shepard Smith of Fox News. "That is a recipe for disastaaaa!" and
"Anyone who leaves a threatening note in a university building in this
atmosphere....for you there is a special place in hell."
Watching "Soul Train" at 4 am
The following restaurants: Islands, In n Out, Souplantation, and CPK
(to a lesser extent)
Oh yeah, then there's one final thing I'm gonna miss:
Not having a serious language barrier.
Okay. I actually feel strangely better now.
And I'm kind of excited.
1 comment:
Things to bring that you can't get here:
1) English books you want to read (expensive and small selections here)
2) Ibuprofen (not over the table)
3) Tons of extra socks and underwear. Israeli stuff kinda sucks like that.
4) If you're going to be doing ulpan, you should buy the new edition of 501 Hebrew Verbs (yellow book as opposed to the old white one)
5) Ulpan: buy index cards. they also kinda suck here. expensive for not so many.
Lots of things you'll think of later, too!
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