Update From The Field
moocowinthecity I’m on security detail day five of eight on a base up north. It’s quiet, cold and raw at the moment. I’ll be back on my base by Monday afternoon. Right now it’s me, an M16 and a whole lot of nothing.
2011
Update From The Field
I’m on security detail day five of eight on a base up north. It’s quiet, cold and raw at the moment. I’ll be back on my base by Monday afternoon. Right now it’s me, an M16 and a whole lot of nothing.
I have just spent the better part of a week
in bed with a fever…I have been coughing so much that my abs have had an amazing workout…back to base tomorrow…and in theory, a week of guard duty starting Sunday…after which, regular emails and blogging can occur as we mark the beginning of the end of my time in the IDF.
*hackcaughspit*
I have just spent the better part of a week
in bed with a fever…I have been coughing so much that my abs have had an amazing workout…back to base tomorrow…and in theory, a week of guard duty starting Sunday…after which, regular emails and blogging can occur as we mark the beginning of the end of my time in the IDF.
*hackcaughspit*
“There are giants out there in the canyons…”
So tomorrow officially marks the beginning of the end of this chapter of my life…I’m excited…we’re past the phase where excited means wanting to hug the toilet (…I hope).
However, first a bit of a rewind:
On Thursday I finished my second language course in the IDF (and my third language course in Israel). I passed the course successfully and moved up a level. I’m now officially at level ד (Dalet). Hebrew levels in Israel are measured on a scale:
1. (א) Aleph – Introductory
2. (ב) Bet – Basic
3. (ג) Gimmel – High
4. (ד) Dalet – Very High
5. (ה) Hey – University
6. (ו) Vav – University
One of the course commanders has offered to provide me with private lessons weekly, which I accepted. I’ll also be studying on my own as well. It’s my goal to increase my level to the highest level possible before heading stateside for what will remain an undetermined period of time.
Right now, outside of my responsibilities in the Foreign Relations Branch, the only things I’ll be doing until I land back in New York are studying Hebrew and working out (…and just a little bit of teaching).
Tomorrow (Sunday) I turn in my letter to the head of my branch (a Lt. Colonel), letting him know that I won’t be signing a contract and extending my time.
While he already knows (my direct commander informed him, and then I called him to let him know as well) he has been handling the news with both the grace and tact of a three year old, and the standard operating procedure of an ostrich – going back and forth between throwing a tantrum and pretending that everything is okay and that it’s business as usual.
This letter, which has already been given to my division’s administrative officer, my social welfare NCO and her commander (in order to outflank him) will be handed to my direct commander, the commander in charge of building manpower within the branch and Information Security (who has to find someone to replace me within the branch) and then will wind up on his desk as its final destination sometime in the afternoon…at which point since I’ve followed protocol, I’ll be able to post things like:
“WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE ONLY 147 DAYS/105 WORK DAYS UNTIL I’M DONE WITH THE ARMY”
on facebook.
Tomorrow I finish the last part of my M.A. application. I’ve decided to apply to the Open University of Israel and work on my M.A. from New York (and later Israel, when I come back to do the seminar portion of the M.A.). While I would love to do an M.A. in Forensic Linguistics, I can’t afford Hofstra at the moment. Open University will only run me around 7,000.00USD and I’ll be receiving 15,000NIS from the IDF as part of my Honorable Discharge Package to use towards my education. Even if they – for whatever reason – canceled the package, I’d still be able to afford it. Cost is, sadly, a huge consideration for me at the moment. I’ll be doing my M.A. in Cultural Studies, focusing on the Middle East.
There’s a ton of problems in my apartment with my roommates at the moment (I’m a bystander…for now), but I’ll get into that tomorrow…I have to wakeup at 04:45 so I can be at base by 06:30 to teach a student that I’m looking forward to getting rid of (that will also be in another post).
Anyway, more later on tonight.
Peace, Love & Hummus,
– M
“There are giants out there in the canyons…”
So tomorrow officially marks the beginning of the end of this chapter of my life…I’m excited…we’re past the phase where excited means wanting to hug the toilet (…I hope).
However, first a bit of a rewind:
On Thursday I finished my second language course in the IDF (and my third language course in Israel). I passed the course successfully and moved up a level. I’m now officially at level ד (Dalet). Hebrew levels in Israel are measured on a scale:
1. (א) Aleph – Introductory
2. (ב) Bet – Basic
3. (ג) Gimmel – High
4. (ד) Dalet – Very High
5. (ה) Hey – University
6. (ו) Vav – University
One of the course commanders has offered to provide me with private lessons weekly, which I accepted. I’ll also be studying on my own as well. It’s my goal to increase my level to the highest level possible before heading stateside for what will remain an undetermined period of time.
Right now, outside of my responsibilities in the Foreign Relations Branch, the only things I’ll be doing until I land back in New York are studying Hebrew and working out (…and just a little bit of teaching).
Tomorrow (Sunday) I turn in my letter to the head of my branch (a Lt. Colonel), letting him know that I won’t be signing a contract and extending my time.
While he already knows (my direct commander informed him, and then I called him to let him know as well) he has been handling the news with both the grace and tact of a three year old, and the standard operating procedure of an ostrich – going back and forth between throwing a tantrum and pretending that everything is okay and that it’s business as usual.
This letter, which has already been given to my division’s administrative officer, my social welfare NCO and her commander (in order to outflank him) will be handed to my direct commander, the commander in charge of building manpower within the branch and Information Security (who has to find someone to replace me within the branch) and then will wind up on his desk as its final destination sometime in the afternoon…at which point since I’ve followed protocol, I’ll be able to post things like:
“WHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE ONLY 147 DAYS/105 WORK DAYS UNTIL I’M DONE WITH THE ARMY”
on facebook.
Tomorrow I finish the last part of my M.A. application. I’ve decided to apply to the Open University of Israel and work on my M.A. from New York (and later Israel, when I come back to do the seminar portion of the M.A.). While I would love to do an M.A. in Forensic Linguistics, I can’t afford Hofstra at the moment. Open University will only run me around 7,000.00USD and I’ll be receiving 15,000NIS from the IDF as part of my Honorable Discharge Package to use towards my education. Even if they – for whatever reason – canceled the package, I’d still be able to afford it. Cost is, sadly, a huge consideration for me at the moment. I’ll be doing my M.A. in Cultural Studies, focusing on the Middle East.
There’s a ton of problems in my apartment with my roommates at the moment (I’m a bystander…for now), but I’ll get into that tomorrow…I have to wakeup at 04:45 so I can be at base by 06:30 to teach a student that I’m looking forward to getting rid of (that will also be in another post).
Anyway, more later on tonight.
Peace, Love & Hummus,
– M
+/-
I once again have a cold, I’m run down, but I’m doing amazing.
In brief:
– I have a cold.
+/- I finish my advanced Hebrew course this Thursday.
+ At the end of this course my Hebrew will be two levels away from the advanced/academic level.
+ I’ll be able to blog and correspond regularly after I finish the course (especially as I prepare to finish out my army service).
+ I received my retroactive payment from the Ministry of Absorption, so I finally have a surplus in my bank account and after two and a half years I’m not in the red.
– I won’t get my food stamps until next month, because the army is making changes in how they deliver their food stamps…awesome for them, sucks to be a lone soldier until then.
-Yes…there are soldiers who are on food stamps because the army doesn’t meet their basic needs.
+ I’m preparing to finish out my army service.
– The head of my branch is ready to kill me because I’m not signing on more time in the army and he doesn’t know what he’s going to do because there’s no one to take over for half the things I do in the branch.
+ We’ll be getting our language course T-Shirts on Wednesday.
– I still haven’t gotten my sweatshirt from my NCO course…
+ My week long guarding stint has been postponed because I have to speak in front of the Major General.
– My week long guarding stint has been postponed and not canceled.
+ I send out my application to the M.A. program I want most on the 23rd…wish me luck!!!
+/-
I once again have a cold, I’m run down, but I’m doing amazing.
In brief:
– I have a cold.
+/- I finish my advanced Hebrew course this Thursday.
+ At the end of this course my Hebrew will be two levels away from the advanced/academic level.
+ I’ll be able to blog and correspond regularly after I finish the course (especially as I prepare to finish out my army service).
+ I received my retroactive payment from the Ministry of Absorption, so I finally have a surplus in my bank account and after two and a half years I’m not in the red.
– I won’t get my food stamps until next month, because the army is making changes in how they deliver their food stamps…awesome for them, sucks to be a lone soldier until then.
-Yes…there are soldiers who are on food stamps because the army doesn’t meet their basic needs.
+ I’m preparing to finish out my army service.
– The head of my branch is ready to kill me because I’m not signing on more time in the army and he doesn’t know what he’s going to do because there’s no one to take over for half the things I do in the branch.
+ We’ll be getting our language course T-Shirts on Wednesday.
– I still haven’t gotten my sweatshirt from my NCO course…
+ My week long guarding stint has been postponed because I have to speak in front of the Major General.
– My week long guarding stint has been postponed and not canceled.
+ I send out my application to the M.A. program I want most on the 23rd…wish me luck!!!
An Important Announcement
“Do not say, ‘I will study when I have time’; for you may never have the time.”
– Rabbi Hillel
After what has amounted to weeks of introspection, thoughtful conversations with friends and family, email exchanges with advisers and discussions with commanders throughout the Ground Forces, I have taken the multitude of advice I have received and come to a decision.
For many reasons – which I will elaborate on at a later date and time – I have decided to turn down the offer of a contract with the IDF and the future opportunity to attend the Officers Training School. Instead, I have opted to pursue my professional education and to continue forward with my career.
To that end, I’ve decided to return to the United States and to pursue my M.A./Ph.D. there.
I will be retiring from active duty on June 19, 2011. It is my plan to be on Long Island on July 1, 2011 in order to have enough time to study for the GREs. It is my goal to resume my academic studies in August of 2012.
For those of you who have asked me if this is a ‘permanent move’, the answer is that I don’t speak in terms of permanence. I speak in terms of right now. What I do know is that at the end of the day, I want to live in Jerusalem. What I also know is that the only way I will be able to accomplish both my personal and professional goals at the same time is if I return to the United States.
If you’re interested, the schools and programs that I’m applying to are:
A) Hofstra University – M.A. in Forensic Linguistics
B) University of Oregon – Ph.D. in Descriptive Linguistics & Fieldwork
C) SUNY Stony Brook – Ph.D. in Linguistics
D) University of Rochester – Ph.D. in Linguistics
E) The University of Chicago – Ph.D. in Linguistics
F) Indiana University Bloomington – Ph.D. in Sociolinguistics
G) University of Texas at Austin – Ph.D. in Hebrew Studies
I’ll be posting more information in the coming days.
– M
An Important Announcement
“Do not say, ‘I will study when I have time’; for you may never have the time.”
– Rabbi Hillel
After what has amounted to weeks of introspection, thoughtful conversations with friends and family, email exchanges with advisers and discussions with commanders throughout the Ground Forces, I have taken the multitude of advice I have received and come to a decision.
For many reasons – which I will elaborate on at a later date and time – I have decided to turn down the offer of a contract with the IDF and the future opportunity to attend the Officers Training School. Instead, I have opted to pursue my professional education and to continue forward with my career.
To that end, I’ve decided to return to the United States and to pursue my M.A./Ph.D. there.
I will be retiring from active duty on June 19, 2011. It is my plan to be on Long Island on July 1, 2011 in order to have enough time to study for the GREs. It is my goal to resume my academic studies in August of 2012.
For those of you who have asked me if this is a ‘permanent move’, the answer is that I don’t speak in terms of permanence. I speak in terms of right now. What I do know is that at the end of the day, I want to live in Jerusalem. What I also know is that the only way I will be able to accomplish both my personal and professional goals at the same time is if I return to the United States.
If you’re interested, the schools and programs that I’m applying to are:
A) Hofstra University – M.A. in Forensic Linguistics
B) University of Oregon – Ph.D. in Descriptive Linguistics & Fieldwork
C) SUNY Stony Brook – Ph.D. in Linguistics
D) University of Rochester – Ph.D. in Linguistics
E) The University of Chicago – Ph.D. in Linguistics
F) Indiana University Bloomington – Ph.D. in Sociolinguistics
G) University of Texas at Austin – Ph.D. in Hebrew Studies
I’ll be posting more information in the coming days.
– M