Mad Gab and Songs

Mad Gab

Hebrew class is suddenly difficult but that's not a bad thing. The first two weeks were mainly review for me but now we are in new territory. Homework tends to take me a while to finish because I read like I am six years old. Look at the word. Wonder what gibberish this is. Decide I am going try to sound it out. Make the noises. Say it out loud slowly and then try to pick up speed. I realized the other week that many words in Hebrew remind me of the game Mad Gab. I have to read it out loud to understand it. These are frequently adopted foreign words but the pronunciation is slightly different than our English equivalents and its not just saying the English word with a Hebrew accent. I have to work harder than that. (fyi, Hebrew is read right to left so really I should put the Hebrew words hugging the right side of the page but that also gives me font problems :)

וידאו = vee-day-oh......Video
מיונז = mah-yoh-nez.......Mayonnaise
שוקולד = shoh-koh-laud.....Chocolate

Here's a fun one:
קוקה קולה = koh-kah koh-lah.....Coca Cola

But these are the worst and they took me the longest:
אלקטרויקה = eh-leckt-row-nee-kah.....Electronics (said kind of like "electronia" but different syllables are emphasized)
קומוניקציה = koh-moo-nee-kahts-ee-ah.....Communication
פרופסור = this one looks like "pah-roh-phos-ur" without the vowels...so it is one of those lovely ones where the vowels have to be memorized (plus where the vowels are IN the word) when you first learn the word because you'll never see the complete vowels in Modern Hebrew. So really, its "pro-phes-ur".....Professor.

Songs

In class yesterday I learned an Israeli children's song. Shawn learned this one over the summer and now its my turn. Click on the title below for translation. I think the song was written to encourage self confidence.

Ani Ohev Chocolat (I Love Chocolate)

Another random Hebrew bit is how to say you've immigrated. "Yosi made Aliah (Ali-AH) 10 years ago" is the same as "Yosi immigrated to Israel 10 years ago." I've only heard this from English conversations but I guess its the Hebrew word...now adopted into English! Or at least Israeli English.