Not quite Bayside High...

Time to pack my #2 pencils and Saved By The Bell lunchbox 'cause school started last week! I know what you're thinking...it's about damn time. Even Zack Morris went to class more than Levis. Well, the reason Israeli schools are just starting now (while American universities are already 20 kegs deep into the semester) is that we start after the major Jewish holidays. No point in going to class for a week, then taking a month off.

My courses, for those bored enough to have read to this point, are as follows:

-Hebrew
-Sociological Theories and Israeli Society
-Israeli Society and Politics
-Multiple Voices of Israeli Society
-Consumer Culture and Mass Media in Israel
-Iran's Religious Fighters (which I dropped for reasons you will clearly see in the last picture in this post)
-Political Theories in Israel (which I dropped)

So far, my classes have been excellent. There's a ton of reading, but it's fairly manageable. By the way, I finally figured out where my tuition money is going towards: aesthetics. The campus here is gorgeous...very well manicured and considerably nicer than my alma mater Syracuse (speaking of which, I heard that Darwin's is closing! Now I officially wouldn't recognize Marshall Street anymore. Wait...it is still called Marshall Street, right?)

Anyways, here are some pics of the campus here at Hebrew University:


The Forum, our Student Union. I like palm trees.



The Frank Sinatra cafeteria, which got blown up by terrorists a
few years ago, is on the left. BTW, Old Blue Eyes...BIG fan of Israel's.



The cafe area, aka Procastinator's Corner, outside the Rothberg
International School, where I take all my classes.



Outside shot of Rothberg.



Random campus pic.


Sadly, many of my wild and crazy adventures will have to go on hiatus for the time being. After all, I came here to study (I think). But there's quite a kooky cast of characters in my program so I'm sure the stories will keep pouring out. In the meantime, if you ever feel like your life is confusing, I suggest you take a look at the picture below. Welcome to the wondeful world of Iranian political hierarchy:


Iran 101: This was our professor's attempt at drawing a diagram
of Iran's political structure which is a complicated network of religious
and non-religious authorities. Riiiiiight. This diagram gave me a
migraine. I dropped the class but will attend regularly as a guest "listener."


Jealous??? Yea I didn't think so. Anyways, next post I'll introduce everyone to my four new roommates. Yes, I moved again. And yes, I have new roommates. These guys are just as nutty as the last bunch. Let the games (and studying) begin...

-E