Linguistic Landscape

I am taking a class this semester on multilingualism and language policy. As a linguist getting an MA in conflict resolution, this class is perfect for me! One project that I've done so far is to analyze a "linguistic landscape" as a reflection of relative status and dominance of a certain people group based on the languages that appear on street signs, shops, and other public areas.

I went to two mixed areas of Israel, Ramla (mostly Jewish with a minority Arab population), and Oasis of Peace (a.k.a. Wahat As-Salam/Neve Shalom). Oasis of Peace is a cooperative village that is committed to equality between Jews and Arabs.

So, what did the linguistic landscape show?

1. In Ramla - Hebrew is heavily dominant. About half of the stores have English names, but English isn't one of the primary languages in the area. There was some Arabic on official signs but it was not very widespread (at least in the area that I was in). This may accurately reflect the proportions of Jews and Arabs in the town. It was, however, surprising that Arabic wasn't even on the street signs.

2. Oasis of Peace - this place is fascinating!!!!!! They run a primary school for around 1200 students in the area (Jews and Arabs). They teach in each language! In the early grades they have a Hebrew and an Arabic speaker in each class to make sure all students understand. In the later grades there is just one teacher who teaches in their own mother tongue, whether Arabic or Hebrew. Students may study Math in Arabic and science in Hebrew in the same day.

Also, the school has a park called 'Little Lady Loris Purple Playground of Friendship' - best name ever!

The signage around Oasis of Peace alternates between which language appears first - Arabic or Hebrew. Graffiti is in both languages and kids play in both languages. Their commitment to integration is evident throughout the village.

One thing that this project showed me is that it takes some strongly convicted ideologues to create a truly integrated society. I really think that movements like this, though small in number, are where meaningful change occurs. Laws that come from the government may change the surface of an issue but rarely get at the root. Movements that start small and work their way up seem to have a deeper and more long term impact - this village has been consistently growing for almost 50 years.

I have often found myself surveying my environment for languages (even before this class)  - I wonder how many others do this on a regular basis. If you haven't ever done this before I encourage you to start looking around you for what languages are represented in your area.

He Brought Us Home

There aren't many celebrities that if I met them I'd have more to say than, "Hello, nice to meet you." So, it was convenient that I met Dean Cain this past week, I actually had an odd anecdote to share with him!

When my sister Jayme and I were young, maybe 11 and 9, we decided to run away. We didn't want to get in trouble so we asked permission from our parents and told them exactly where we were going to run away to and for how long we would be gone.

We took off, bought supplies, spent the day wandering around the neighborhood, and as the day waned we started setting up camp for the night. Suddenly, we remembered something very important. We ran away on Lois-and-Clark-night. My family would watch that Superman series every week together and Jayme and I did not want to miss out on such an important event! So, we packed up, went home, and watched Dean Cain as Superman with the family.

It was nice to get to thank Dean Cain in person for brining me and my sister back from the wayward lifestyle of runaways.

A Cross-Cultural Surgical Experience

On Thursday during a class I started feeling quite nauseous. I got home from class and was very sick for about 6 hours. I had to miss a class, the first time I've missed a class from being sick, since high-school I think. By Thursday evening I felt sure that I had appendicitis.

I'm currently fully covered by the University's insurance. This meant that I was able to call a doctor to my room to check me out on Friday morning. He immediately wrote me a referral to the ER. In Israel you can't just go to the ER for it to be covered. If you go and it isn't actually a medial emergency, then you pay for the visit. If, however, you have a referral, whether it turns out to be an emergency or not, its 100% covered.

My friend Anna went with me to the ER and waited around with me as they started to run some tests. By the time Anna had to leave my friend Alana was arriving to stay with me. Alana and I lived together in Jerusalem 12 years ago and we've remained close ever since. She came into the ER and immediately started asking the doctors why I had been waiting around for several hours and when the tests would be done. Every 15 minutes she would choose a new doctor to hassle and question in order to get the process moving. While we waited though she painted my finger nails!

Finally, about 6 hours after getting to the ER I had a CT of my abdomen. They said the results would take about an hour. Within 10 minutes, however, they came back and said that the preliminary results showed acute appendicitis and they needed to prep me for surgery immediately. Within an hour of that I was in the operating room.

I really like new experiences and there were a lot for me during this whole ordeal. My first home visit by a doctor, my first IV, my first general anesthesia, my first surgery, my first hospitalization. All of those firsts distracted me and delighted me enough that I really didn't mind the whole thing.

There is a lesson that I need to keep in mind for the future though. I have a high pain tolerance and a cheery disposition. Those two things combined to make it look like I was doing fine even when my appendix was in acute distress. Before the CT the doctors kept saying I looked fine and it wasn't a high priority case. Who knows how long I would have been waiting around if Alana hadn't come and been so insistent that they pay attention to me!

I've always lamented the fact that I've paid thousands of dollars into insurance that I've never needed. I feel a little vindicated at this moment because I've recouped a portion of that money, received pretty good medical care, and didn't even have a copay.

I'm home now and excited to see what it is like to have a body that is recovering from surgery.

Oh, and from my recovery room window, I could just make out the Mediterranean Sea! How nice is that!

Happy Purim!

Israel celebrated Purim last week. This is the holiday that is commanded at the end of the book of Esther. It is a holiday for dressing up, giving candy to others, and going to parties.

This is where my stick-in-the-mud-iness comes out. Creating a clever costume is stressful and intimidating to me, I'm currently not eating sugar, and parties with a bunch of people in close proximity are exhausting for me. So, I escaped to Abu Ghosh for a couple of days to avoid Tel Aviv's party atmosphere.

I returned to Tel Aviv in time for Shabbat. During the 1.5 hour bus ride from my place to Jaffa I passed many parties and thousands of people in costume. The bus gave me just enough distance from the crushing crowds of party-goers.

Shabbat dinner was lovely! There was subtle costuming but lots of music. We played instruments and sang for around 3 or 4 hours. We taught each other songs and even sang "Favorite Things" from Sound of Music. I liked celebrating Purim like that.