israelis believe every road is straight, even when it's curvy

today, i made my way to mt. scopus to get myself situated at the student village of hebrew university.  my taxi driver kept talking to about the changes happening, such as the building of the train tracks, traffic, etc.  he dropped me off at the student dorms, when i specifically asked him for hebrew university campus.  he swore this was the right place, dumped my luggage onto the streets and left me with a "מזל טוב" and ran off.  okay.  i'll be fine.  i entered the security office and the guy there didn't speak english and looked dazed when i tried speaking hebrew.  luckily a guy came by and asked if i need help.  i jumped at the chance.  we found the dormitory office.  however, it wasn't that simple.  

they told me to go to the dorm office on the campus in frank sinatra plaza, which by the way isn't a plaza.  so i begrudgingly walked up mt. scopus.  i will never complain how tufts' hill sucks.  mt. scopus beats tufts hill hands down.  then at another security check point, i was reprimanded for not having a student ID.  of course i don't have a student ID yet, it's my first day on campus.  what the hell?  now, everything is in hebrew at this point.  the signs, EVERYTHING.  i think people made fun of me a little because i'm sure i looked confused as hell.  it took me 20 mins to find frank sinatra building.  why is it even called frank sinatra?  he's not even remotely jewish... unless there is some bizarre connection with jews and the italians?  the directions to said building was... not easy.  everyone i asked said go straight, take the stairs on the left and it will be right there.  easy enough.  after i leave the student center (the forum), the road is windy and forks.  what the hell.  i keep walking and i don't see any stairs but some ramp way.  i walk up those things and the road curves elsewhere!  but keep trekking.  gah.  i finally find the office but the person, sivan, isn't there. 

so i went in search of bezalel.  it's a pretty small building but i'm guessing it looks deceiving.  i talked with jennie avery, the program director.  she wasn't helpful and didn't look very sympathetic toward my situation.  FINE.  i got my ID and left to go get the deposit slip to submit to the post office.  pay 100 sh and go back to the dorms again.

after all that, i finally got my room in the 7th building, the 7th floor, 1st apartment, second room.  thank god the people here are nice if not a little bit weird.  all girls.  three are from israel and one is from romania?  i don't remember their names...  oops.

my suitemate and her friend took me to "מסטר זול" (mr. cheap) which isn't very cheap at all.  i need to go to the city tomorrow to buy sheets, comforter, another converter since radio shack is cheap, hangers and pick up my phoneeee.  ahhh.

israel takes some getting used to and i'm nowhere near it.