Haifa University

Today, was a good day that started with yesterday :)

I met a friend from Ulpan and the woman from the Haifa Municipality who has been helping me. She helped my friend as well with answers to questions and contacts. We met at Cafe Neto in Carmel Center, a really nice and funky cafe with indoor and outdoor seating and good food: 11 Moria Ave, Haifa, www.myspace.com/cafeneto. After the meeting, I had a pumpkin soup, whole wheat bread and fresh-squeezed juice as I talked with my parents via video call on my laptop. It was like they were sitting across from me for dinner, but not quiet the same.
After, I went to my friend's place and hung out, had tea, and did homework. I always have a pleasant tired and at the same time happy and calm feeling the day after.
Which is today.
After Ulpan, I went to Haifa University. It's on a mountain-top, almost 1hour bus ride from where I live. Coincidentally, someone I knew got on the bus. She's a substitute teacher for now and we talked about Israeli kids at school and the discipline problems in the classroom which she said was related to society at large, partly to the 'familiar' or 'family' feeling here... that's another discussion. She made a suggestion for my University visit, you'll see below.
At Haifa University, I met with a professor in the Art Therapy program and she was great. On the spot, she looked at my diplomas and the course listings of what I've taken and accepted 3 classes. Which means that now I'll only have to take 3 and not 6 pre-requisite classes: development psych, psycho-pathology, and personality theories. By the way, I am almost decided on studying art therapy as my next step. It's a two-year masters program and I would have to start the pre-req. classes in February, apply to the University in January, take GRE's, and take an entry exam in Hebrew. I think it's going to be a hard road, but I have a feeling that it will be fulfilling. I've always been interested in psychology. I like people and I like to help people, I like art and I already practice art therapy with myself. I think this way / profession will help me to understand myself and others better and G-d willing be able to help. I ask for blessings and support to begin this new road. I always asked myself how art can help people. This is one of the ways. Perhaps I can contribute on an individual level and on a larger scale to this growing profession and do some interesting large projects. For now though, I need to live simply so that I can do this.

The climax of the day was when I followed my friend's suggestion and went to the 29th floor of the Eshkol Tower, the observation floor with all windows allowing almost 360 deg. view of Haifa! I saw Haifa bay, almost all the Haifa neighborhoods, Carmel National Park, the ancient town of Akko, and the white rocks of Rosh-Hanikra. Here are the photos. It was breathtaking.