09.07.06
The Socratic method or how to turn Daniela Beinish to my new best friend
Hello everybody, I hope you all are nice and warm in that holy land of yours.
I have moved to the dorms a few days ago. It’s a huge building with lots of little Asian people coming and going all the time. I have a nice room, all to myself, it’s a bit empty but I do feel silly to put money into it if it’s only for four month. And everything is super expensive, I feel like I spend a small fortune every day. That’s why I try not to eat to much, you know, so I can buy some nice boots when winter comes. I have a nice bathmate (we like share the same bathroom), she’s Chinese, and after some feeble attempts from my side to pronounce her name, she just told me to call her Victoria. Which I did. She on the other hand really put her heart into her room, with a refrigerator, and a TV and a microwave and even a little cooking thingy. And she cooks for herself, while I sit in my empty room and starve. And then I go outside to smoke, alone, in the cold.
But that’s life I figure. Some people can cook and the others have blond hair… What to do.
Yesterday I had my first class, it was Telecommunications and it was really good, the subject is interesting (at least to me) and the professor is nice and cool. And today I had another cool course, in which I actually participated in class. The professor asked me my name and then said out loud “So, what’s Ms. Simsky is telling us is…” and that was rather cool. Not many people refer to me as Ms. Simsky. That would be a good place to say a few words about the Socratic method: The thing is that you are actually supposed to read all the material to each class you have, the professor has a list of all the students and he picks a name and asks Mr. Whatshisname about the reading for the class. It’s as scary as hell. So I figure if the professor notices me from day one, he’ll ask me less. A fool’s hope of course, but better then no hope.
Daniela Beinish is in my class, she is very nice, we’ll see how long will it take me to turn her into my best friend. With my social skills it might take some time. But at least she’s polite. To all of you who wonder who the fuck she is, you can just Google it and then try and realise the importance of vitamin P in the overwhelmed lawyer market in Israel.
I went to some siteseing, a tour in the city hall, the Liberty bell (which is still a mystery to me), the first supreme court in the country (just a room, with some tables) and the something of the constitution. It’s nice. Still have the old city to go to, and of course China town, which is always cool.
Today, me, Michal and some other guy had a lunch with the Dean (no less), he was very nice, I told him about myself, he payed for the food, great deal. We should have more of these…
So this is it, so far. The room is a bit cold, the evenings are a bit lonely. The days are good and I have tuns of reading to do. Ah, and there is a phone line in my room, to those of you who can’t stand the separation, it’s:(code of US) 215-417-6036. Sometimes I’m in my room so it might actualy work.
HaventDecidedOnaNameYet said,
7 September, 2006 at 5:23 am
Hey….
good post….
enjoyed reading very much…
(what about people who cant cook and dont have blond hair? )
Alinush said,
7 September, 2006 at 8:26 am
Hello Ms. Simsky
it seems that you are getting used to the situation. Good for you.
I think you and your social skills will do just fine – go for that “vitamin P” girl!
Btw, i saw pink boots yesterday and thought of you… Do you want me to send them to you?
Well hang in there, go and read your stuff
Bye
Asaf said,
8 September, 2006 at 12:16 pm
Hey
good to hear things are going well
and good luck with Daniela Beinish… especially now that her mother is the first female president of the supreme court
how does Ms. Simsky – supreme court judge sound like?
himmelroman said,
8 September, 2006 at 1:27 pm
oh god…
you people are too fucking nice and righteous…
Poeple can not be encouraged by being told that they do feel good when they don’t.
It’s like agreeing with them that it’s shit, and telling them to feel good anyway – not gona’ work.
You need to emphasize on two things to make a person feel better:
1. Explain how bad you feel (TZARAT RABIM, HATZI NEHAMA) – people are terrible creatures, IT DOES make you feel better.
2. List all the cool things you could do or feel if the tables would turn.
darling… these are for you:
for another year and a half. by the time you finish your pity semester and travel the fucking world, have amazing sex with some amazing JOHN that you’ll meet in mexico, come back and find a cool job…
1. I’m in the army.
I will still be in the army. oh… and it’s fucking hot, and I have no AC! :
2. I will quote Ms. Fitzgerald:
“Autumn in new york
That brings the promise of new love
Autumn in new york
Is often mingled with pain
Dreamers with empty hands
They sigh for exotic lands
Its autumn in new york
Its good to live it again”
Just find some quiet place to look on the city… close your eyes, and forget the bad coffee, the expensive prices, the loneliness, the cold…
Embrace the moment… if you do it right… you will feel alot stronger… you can handle everything. and if you do it really good… you will remember that moment for the rest of your life.
I us… we will all envy you for that moment for the rest of ours
babe… I believe in you.
me.
Asaf said,
8 September, 2006 at 3:08 pm
Himmelroman,
thanks for the lecture on how to cheer people up.
sorry that some of us are trying to focus on all the positive things Lika was talking about, I guess it disturbs u.
and by the way, another version of that phrase is TZARAT RABIM – NEHAMAT TIPSHIM. a person who feels bad because he lost his job for example, “DOES NOT” feel better when he’s told that some people in china don’t have anything to eat.
sometimes this method works and sometimes it doesn’t, too bad u can’t say what u want to without negating what other people have to say.
Anyway, Lika, maybe some action from this stirring up of your comments list will entertain u
likas said,
8 September, 2006 at 3:55 pm
I think that it all depends on how vigorously you all are prepared to defend your points of view… And how long would it take for it to turn into talkback fight – בגלל אנשים כמוך המדינה שלנו נראת כמו שהיא נראת etc…
Asaf said,
8 September, 2006 at 4:16 pm
Hey, Lika… as supreme court judge to be, aren’t u supposed to make peace?
cut that keyboard into two halves or something like that?
PrinceCharming said,
9 September, 2006 at 1:08 pm
Lika cannot possibly be supreme court judge. She is too indecisive. Smart as hell though, but too indecisive.
So i guess, that the only person who would be able to make some peace around here is …well its me.
So you see guys, u all have your great cosmo-style suggestions for Lika’s wellbeing and you really shouldnt fight about it.
I mean everyone likes Lika. Everyone. Himmelroman just likes her differently than others, so his point of view is quite different as well, u know… no intentions and all… but that is not a reason for criticism, isnt it?
Asaf (guest starring as the bad guy) said,
9 September, 2006 at 10:50 pm
I wonder what intentions u think Alinush and I have…
HaventDecidedOnaNameYet said,
10 September, 2006 at 5:56 am
Whoooo… drama!
popcorn anybody?
HaventDecidedOnaNameYet said,
10 September, 2006 at 6:05 am
So Lika, this is what you guys doing in the US Universities ..
http://www.thepeoplescube.com/red/viewtopic.php?t=818
likas said,
11 September, 2006 at 2:06 pm
STOP PUTTING CRAZY FANATIC WEB SITES IN MY NICE PRETTY BLOG!!!
On a lighter note; you see, this is freedom of speech I’m cramming on with big and expencive books. I could erase your post, I could also erase Prince Charming’s skim attemt to raise provocations, and I could also erase Mr. Bad guy’s meek attemnt to answer him. But I didn’t!
I belive everybody have the right to express themselves, much like Chatami.
On an even lighter note; Let us all protect the freedom of speech and hope for happier days for Mr. Prince
himmelroman said,
14 September, 2006 at 8:27 am
hey…
I’m sorry, I’m not monitoring the blog, so I couldn’t reply fast enough…
I really should reply to mr.asaf’s post and degrade us to deepest abyss of brutal confrontation… but i won’t.
I will say 2 things and hold my peace for… some time.
1. The girl was fucking depressed when I talked to her, and it helped,
so the means are neglectable.
2. People do feel better when others suffer, imagine breaking your leg and then finding out that the guy who fell beside you lost all of his limbs…
now, restrain your lust to pour down your sarcastic replies on me… and try to really imagine that situation… I does make you feel better.
liktopus,
for you, I won’t turn this post into a battlefield.
thus ends my wrath.
me.
HaventDecidedOnaNameYet said,
14 September, 2006 at 7:01 pm
The first step in making friends in a new place is:
1) learn to curse in the new langage
2) share some humor… laughter connect people…
So… lets stick to #2, and teach the american ignorants the beauty of the finest russian humor:
a)
A little boy found a machine gun —
Now his village’s population is none
b)
A boy played in the sandbox with no one to mind him,
When quietly a mixing truck pulled up behind him.
He peeped not a peep, cried out nary a cry —
Just his sandals stuck out when the concrete was dry.
c)
Katie jumped in the river with a plop —
Went in on Wednesday; Saturday floated to the top.
the first person to write them in correct russian will get a headache as a prize….
Asaf (the good the bad and the ugly) said,
14 September, 2006 at 8:00 pm
himmelroman,
must… restrain… lust for… sarcastic… remarks…
can’t… hold on… for much longer…
trying… to think.. about a guy with no limbs… lying next to me…
sorry, but having a guy with no limbs lying next to me somehow doesn’t make me feel better.. maybe I’m supposed to get a kick (oh, the irony) out of it but I don’t.
oh… and again, I appreciate your attempt to determine facts about something as subjective as feeling better from other people’s misfortune…
and how is trying to get the last word, not turning this into battle field?
here, Lika, I think this is enough to qualify as a non meek attempt, right?
and with this I end my attempt to introduce action and conflict into
this talkback… Mr. nice guy is back in town