Garage Sale - the Final Episode

Penguins in Cape Town -- they were sooo much fun to watch -- such comical animals!

Today we held the final garage sale installment. Sweetie's daughter, her boyfriend and I had held one for 5 hours on Wednesday, but with few results and one really, really horrendous incident. Today we had even fewer results. So, that's it. What is left is going to charity or the trash.

Back to the horrendous incident -- during the sale, I went inside briefly to make a salad while Sweetie's daughter Sweedle manned the sale. I was quite a distance away (the garage is detached) and had the house door closed. But, even so, I suddenly heard a commotion coming from the garage. So, I rushed out, and watched in complete horror as this very tall and big-boned middle-aged Israeli lady walked around the garage kicking things and generally wreaking havoc for no apparent reason. I was shocked!! I didn't know what to do. I imagined that if I tried to intervene, she would become even more destructive. At one point, she picked a very heavy electrical transformer off the floor and set it down on some delicate Japanese decorative sushi plates!!! I nearly screamed.

She couldn't carry everything she bought (probably because she shoplifted one item and hid it in the double baby stroller she had with her, unbeknownst to us until she left), and came back the next day to pick up the rest. I had her ticket and knew she would try to have a second go at the garage. So, I had her items ready at the front gate and used them as a barrier when she tried to push her way in. I told her everything was gone.

Horrible.

These sorts of experiences really sour us on life here.

Would you believe....

Thank you dear readers who have sent your sympathies! You've put smiles on my face -- no easy task these days!

Well, things just go from bad to worse.

For example, the local police had put a note in our mailbox while we were on vacation, stating (in Hebrew, of course) that they stopped by and we weren't home, but we could call them with any questions. My Hebrew teacher encouraged me to do so, and so that is what I did yesterday. Well, "Roni" of the local police said that if there was anything they could do, to let them know. And I wasn't quite sure what the police would be willing to do -- for example, would they increase patrols on my street? Or keep an eye out for my car? Or maybe add some lights to the alley behind our house? I didn't know, so I asked. And do you know what he said? He said that if I needed to BUY some INSURANCE, that he could help me.

Yeah.

Can you say "Corruption"?

Absolutely appalling.

Israelis out there -- you need to start speaking out about this if you care about the future of your country. Not only are the police horribly corrupt, but theft is incredibly rampant. Pretty soon, people are going to have to put up electrified and/or barbed wire fences.

AND, yesterday (just before calling the helpful policeman), I spotted a man standing on a dumpster in the alley behind our house. He had a camera pointed toward our basement patio doors. Hmmmm... When he saw that I spotted him (he was literally only 7 feet away from me even though I was in the middle of our kitchen and he was outside our yard wall), he brushed me off with a hand motion, but I raced out the back and confronted him. He claimed to be taking pics of "the roof next door." Ahyuh. And that's why he was standing on a dumpster with his camera pointed at our patio doors? I raced back into the house and got my camera, but he had split by the time I got outside.

Needless to say, I am now completely terrified that they are coming back for what they didn't get the first time.

Anyway friends, sorry for the dearth of pictures lately. I've taken my camera equipment to a "safehouse." Sad:-( But, I am feverishly applying for jobs in small, quiet towns back in the US, so wish me luck that I can move to a kinder, gentler place very soon!

Open Letter to the Nasty Person Who Took Our Stuff

This is to the person who broke into our house while we were on vacation and took "all the important stuff" (as a former fellow burglary victim put it).

What exactly are you going to do with my 4-year-old Japanese hard drive that requires a transformer (which I noticed you took) and plug adaptor? It's only 100GB -- completely obsolete by today's standards. Why bother? You've managed to take all my photos, my iTunes, and other things too large to back up on discs. I hope you're happy.

And how much money are you going to get for my 2-year-old laptop? A hundred dollars maybe? Is that really worth the time it will take to clean the drive and the gazillion programs I had installed?

You can have my brand new 250GB hard drive, but could you at least transfer the vacation photos on it to a DVD and drop it in the mailbox?

I'd like you to know that the ribbon was out in my fax machine. Good luck finding a new one.

As for my jewelry, including the custom-designed necklace with diamonds from my parents' wedding rings, I hope karma comes back to haunt you. Those can't be replaced. I also can't replace the jewelry Sweetie gave me because the series is discontinued. So, instead, I'll be treasuring the memory of my joyful reaction when I opened the boxes of the diamond necklace and later, earrings, that he gave me.

Regarding the other diamond jewelry you stole, you can have it. It was from an ex-boyfriend, so enjoy.

As for the car, in case you care (which I know you don't), it was NOT insured for theft (unbeknownst to me), so we just lost that money, and contrary to what you might think, money does not grow on trees for us. I will be walking to the grocery store for the hot summer months to come. And when I move back to the US, I'll be riding a bicycle. Thanks for keeping me fit.

As for Sweetie's cufflinks, tie tacks, and watches: low blow. As for ALL my costume jewlery (except for one pair of earrings and some tarnished silver bracelets), another low blow. As for all the change Sweetie had in his car and desk drawer, LAME. And that half-empty bottle of Chanel perfume, who do you think is going to buy that???

[Side note to the Israeli government: I am completely appalled that you are now going to charge us HALF the value of our stolen car in taxes simply because it was stolen and is no longer in our possession!!!!!!!! So, a citizen of YOUR nation steals MY car, and I have to PAY YOU for it???????!!!!!!!!! How is that acceptable in any version of reality?]

Action Shot

Here's an action shot from my safari park adventure.  Didn't realize what I had captured until we looked at it on the big computer screen.  Obviously animals don't have the same need for privacy that we humans do.

Can I get some sleep?
Life in Israel continues to frustrate.  On Friday, we were awoken at 0430(!) by road crews getting an apparently very early start on their never-ending "tear up the road, over and over again, for 7 months" project.  For some reason, the road workers and the garbage man cannot enter our neighborhood in any gear but REVERSE.  So, for several minutes, we hear, "beep beep beep beep BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP!  BEEP!" as they come all the way down the street and past our house.  It baffles me.  

Also, the dog across the street (or rather his irresponsible owners) has tested our last nerves.  We've asked the neighbors 
kindly TWICE now to manage his barking during the nighttime hours.  His bark is so loud that it pierces right through our shutters and double-glazed windows, jolting us both awake.  We end up sleeping on twin bedrooms in Sweetie's daughter's bedroom on the opposite side of the house about 2-3 nights a week....Any tips or hints on how to get better results from the neighbors are welcome!  It's clear that they do not walk or interact with the dog at all.  He's a huge bull mastiff-type, who doesn't get any exercise, and can't see through the fence and hedges surrounding his yard, so he's barking at EVERYTHING.  And NOTHING.

 

The Hunt

The Hunt for Irises
I have been reading about the legendary "black irises" which apparently can be found in Netanya (a city north of here), Mt. Gilboa (a mountain north of here and very close to the West Bank), and also in the Negev (the south of Israel).  The problem, however, is that newspapers and magazines in Israel are never specific about WHERE exactly things are located.  For example: WHERE  in Netanya, on Gilboa, in the Negev, can I find the irises??  No idea.  Anyway, I wanted to see the irises and decided that Mt. Gilboa was the best bet because there is only one road on it, so surely the irises would be along that road.

So, on Monday, Sweetie and I booked lunch at one of our favorite restaurants (called Herb Farm, located on Mt. Gilboa), and left a bit early so we could do iris viewing on the mountain.

We drove up the mountain and initially stopped off at the spot where I encountered Mr. Lizard last month.  But, everything was parched and the flowers were gone, so we didn't linger.  Sweetie took over driving at that point, because I was not well (the smog/sand that has been around for a week finally did me in) and though I didn't tell Sweetie, I had been feeling like I would pass out during the previous 1+ hour of driving.

We ventured on, with me going cross-eyed as I scanned the roadside for the elusive irises.  We eventually decided to give up and turn around in a parking lot labelled "The Irus Way."  Fortunately, Sweetie is not blonde like I am and he figured out that this was where the irises (with an "i") were.  So, we disembarked and wondered along the path.  We managed to find about four irises (or "iruses," whichever you prefer) and couldn't help but wonder if people had walked off with the rest (a la that Finn recently who knocked an ear off a Moai statue on Easter Island).  

Anyway, I felt a great sense of accomplishment that we found the irises!

A Taste of Israeli Wine; My Favorite Show

Israeli Wine
Ever since I heard about it, I've been wanting to visit the Jerusalem Hills area and check out some of the vineyards there. On Sunday, Sweetie and I visited Tzora Vineyards in Bet Shemesh. I had previously tasted a Tzora bottle, and I have to admit it wasn't my favorite (to be fair - it was a bottle of their "Judean Hills" which is intended simply for everyday consumption - ie: it's nothing special), but Tzora was the only place I called that welcomed us for tasting that day, so off we went.

It was very easy to find and Shula who assisted us was really kind and helpful. She explained where the grapes are grown (at three different locations near Jerusalem) and the history behind the vineyard and its founder (who sadly just passed away a few weeks ago). I tasted a Merlot that I really liked, but Sweetie preferred the Cabernet. In the end, I decided to buy a bottle of their dessert wine called "Or" ("light" in Hebrew), which apparently received a tasting score in the low 90s from a renowned wine expert. They don't provide tastings of the Or due to its limited quantity, but I decided to take a chance. I'll let you know how it is. Sweetie picked up a few bottles of the Cabernet. Neither were cheap -- my dessert wine was 119 NIS (over $30). But hopefully the taste will be worth it!

We ate a picnic lunch on the tables outside of Tzora. There was a "sharav" that day -- a weather phenomenon that entails unseasonably hot, sandy weather. So, the views weren't that great. But, we were the only ones there and it was shaded and pleasant.

My Favorite TV Show
I have to confess that I LOVE watching American Idol. This drives Sweetie absolutely insane. He just barely tolerates it when, on Friday nights at 1930, I sequester myself in the bedroom to watch American Idol (while he goes to the basement to watch anything else). But, I LOVE music and I really love the show. This year, I am soooo impressed with the men on the show, and I have to say that at this point, there is not a single one who I think should be eliminated. They are all excellent. Of course, one of my favorites is David Archuleta -- he's just a perfect singer. But I am afraid he might be one who would not be able to sing hits. And ultimately, that's
what the show is/should be looking for.

I've been much less impressed with the women. That said, I did download Brooke White's version of "Love Is a Battlefield" from iTunes. Totally worth a listen if you have iTunes. It's a ready-made hit.

I've had it

Today I am really thinking evil thoughts toward Israel and most Israelis (I say "most," because some truly are nice and this doesn't apply to them). Why? Well, last night at 0230, Sweetie and I were very abruptly woken by an ear-piercing house alarm. We both were jolted out of bed by it and upon investigation, discovered that the house under construction behind us (which has already ruined large portions of our lives/time here in Israel) had a house alarm fitted. And it was going off. And we thought, no wonder because the house has no windows, no doors, no gate, etc. DUH! Anything could get in there (eg: birds, cats, dogs, etc.) and set the alarm off at any time!

It went on for about 10 minutes. Both of us were entirely too disturbed after the alarm finally ceased to get back to sleep. I think I was awake another hour seething with anger at people's complete lack of consideration for others. I was trying to decide how I would handle it -- who to talk to about it, what would be likely to get them to do something about it/care, etc.

Long, irritating story short, our kind, quiet next door neighbors know the lady building the house and told her to turn the alarm off. Apparently, the lady (we call her FB) was going out of town and gave our neighbor the alarm code. But, like us, the neighbors were rudely awoken by the alarm at 0230 and our neighbor said "What, does she expect me to get up in the middle of the night, get dressed, and walk over there and shut it off?? And to have my whole family woken every night?" Indeed. And frankly, anyone who wants to mess with a crappy unfinished house rather than robbing any number of luxuriously appointed, occupied homes in the area has a serious priority problem.

I've just really had it with noise and lack of consideration for others in this country. Our whole neighborhood is a giant construction site. Virtually every third house is being either torn down or gutted and renovated. We might as well be living in the middle of the Big Dig. Sundays are ruined. Every day from 0700 until at least 1500 is just full of noise. We can't wait to leave.

Giving up the veg

I've been vegetarian for about ten years.  And I've decided that I'm going to try to start eating fish again.  I originally became vegetarian for health reasons, but for the past 4 1/2 years, I've found myself getting sick way too frequently.  I'm not sure if this has anything to do with the lack of fish or meat (or even dairy, as I don't consume much of that either), but I'm going to TRY to start eating fish again (I say "try" because after not eating it for so long, it is completely unappealing to me!) and see what happens.   My other possible explanation for my health issues is that I've been living in warm climates (where during a "cold" winter it gets no lower than 50F) the past 4 1/2 years and perhaps there are different bugs in these climates that my body just can't handle.  Not 
sure, but I need to try something different and since I can't exactly up and move right now to a cold place (nor do I really want to!  I'm not a fan of winter).

That said....
That said, I just got my first delivery today from an organic vegetable farm.  Woohoo.  Very exciting.  I was impressed with the assortment -- cucumbers, red bell peppers, beets, yams, onions, beet greens, lettuce, cilantro, tomatoes, fennel, carrots, kohlrabi....all in excellent condition.  And it's a luxury to have enough time to actually plan out how I am going to use all 
these vegetables.  I might as well take advantage of that time while I can!

 For the Israel-dwellers
On our recent trip to the Galilee, we had dinner at Auberge Shulamit -- a restaurant in Rosh Pina that I have read great things about.  I was excited to finally give it a try.   It was lovely -- nice setting, quiet (we were one of only two tables occupied -- great for us, but doesn't necessarily bode well for the restaurant).  It is on the old road to
 Tsfat (nightmarish twisty turny road up and around mountains) -- but not far along that road at all - just enough to get up the hill and see the twinkling lights of Rosh Pina.  

The food was fine, but I was not overly enthusiastic.  I had chestnut soup, which was lovely, but not exceptional.  My pasta was really good, but not THAT memorable.  And Sweetie's and his sister's chops were rather thin -- they said they would have preferred fewer, thicker chops.  Dessert was just okay.  When I ordered
souffle, I was expecting a REAL souffle, not the typical microwaved one that you can get at any coffee shop in Israel.  So, it was a bit of a disappointment given the amazing reviews I had read.  That said, the service was excellent and I would return.

The sounds of Israel

Here's a pic from the waterfall (yes, a waterfall in Israel! It was a wondrous sight!) at Gamla Nature Reserve in the Golan. A gorgeous place and an easy, fairly level walk to the waterfall.

Noise
Now, let me tell you something.  Israel is not quiet place.  It really isn't.  Rocket attacks and jets and army helicopters flying overhead aside, it's still not a quiet place.

For example, in good times, the sweet sounds of birds chirping in our garden is completely drowned out by either:

1) someone's house alarm, since apparently few people in our neighborhood have actually bothered to hook theirs up to a monitoring company.  The alarms can go off incessantly for hours.

2) someone's car alarm.  You might be surprised to learn that 9 times of out 10 that I hear a car alarm, it was set off by the owner.  For some reason, people here can't seem to figure out the basic workings of a car alarm.  If you've ever had one, you know who utterly simple they are.  Nevertheless, many, I dare say MOST, people in my area can't seem to get in or out of their car without setting off the alarm.

3) a backhoe tearing apart cement and/or blacktop (either a street or a house that's being torn down).  The past 4 days, I have nearly been driven insane by the sound of a little JCB (mini backhoe thing) tearing apart a house 3  lots away with its constant revving and then BEEPBEEP as it backs up.  On good days, I merely have to listen to the posse of diggers that have been tearing up some of the surrounding streets (thank goodness not ours, YET) for some sort of drainage project (mind you -- I have seen no progress whatsoever in the past 5 months of this).

4) Neighbors/workers on houses under construction playing loud music.  Saturday, our neighbors across the street decided to blast Garth Brooks into our house and garden.  There is a time and a place for Garth Brooks and a Saturday afternoon in Israel was definitely neither.

5) Barking dogs.  Our neighbors (not the Garth Brooks ones - neighbors on the other side of the house) have a dog with serious issues.  We have nicknamed him "Buster."  He looks something like a Bull Mastiff and he produces the loudest sound known to the animal kingdom.  He has incredible stamina, too.  Can go on barking for a solid hour.  Needless 
to say, we can hear him through our double-glazed windows and shutters.  Likewise, we can hear him when he is INSIDE the neighbors house with all their windows closed and all of ours closed as well.  He is the bane of our existence.  

We've talked to Buster's owners and the situation has improved somewhat, but that isn't saying much as Sweetie and I had basically permanently encamped in his daughter's room at the opposite end of the house on two twin beds before we spoke to them.  

Something is definitely not right with Buster though.  Sweetie ran into him yesterday in front of our house (the owners just let him roam freely now and then, though unfortunately he doesn't go farther than one block and always comes back.)  Sweetie stepped toward Buster threateningly, and Buster completely cowered.  A dog like that should not be cowering.  So now we wonder if he's being mistreated.  Well, clearly he's not being treated well since he's barking (and howling -- now that's something to hear) all the time, but maybe it's more than that.

Anyway, all this noise makes me really want to go find a quiet island with no cars, no electricity (and no dogs!) :-)

Cha-Chan's Heartattack/Mr. Lizard Hangs on for Dear Life

Over the weekend, we made a brief stop on Mt. Gilboa since we were a little early for our reservation at the Herb Farm restaurant. I was admiring these flowers and took my hand down to the leaves to show Sweetie that we have the same flowers popping up in our garden. It was then that I nearly had a heartattack. It was then that I noticed Mr. Lizard reclining between the two anemone flowers like he was in a Barcolounger. He became very very still and was only moving his eyes (independently of eachother), presumably to gauge whether we could see him or not. He started slipping, losing his grip. But he held on for dear life hoping that we still hadn't noticed him. We left him in peace. (You can click on the picture to see a larger version).

Israel - bombings and beaches

Suicide Bombing
In case anyone is wondering, I am nowhere near Dimona, where the suicide bombing killing one Israeli lady took place today.  Dimona is in the south, whereas Tel Aviv is in central Israel.  That said, as a precaution, Sweetie asked me to cancel my meeting with my conversation partner today in Tel Aviv, just in case there will be a cluster of bombings.  There were two bombers in Dimona, maybe there are others working there way up north.  Who knows.  

I am pretty sure we have the border break between Gaza and Egypt to thank for this.  When that happened, everyone imagined that some terrorists would go into Egypt and then infiltrate Israel from Egypt.  

Ironically, about 10 minutes before I heard about the bombing, I was opening my backpack for a security guard at the nearby medical center.  I was thinking to myself that a packpack has the be the LAST thing an Israeli security guard wants to see, and I do sometimes feel bad for using one, because even I get scared seeing someone carrying a backpack.    But life goes on.

If it had just been me, I probably wouldn't have cancelled my trip into Tel Aviv this afternoon, because I just don't believe in living like that.  Also, I tend to think that an attack is more likely to occur in Tel Aviv in the coming days, rather than today, because it will take would-be suicide bombers that much longer to surreptitiously make their through the desert up to Tel Aviv.  At any rate, I think I will keep my mall excursions to a minimum until some time has passed and also until the border between Gaza and Egypt is solidly shut again.

Happier times
On the nice-news front, the weather has been spectacular and Sweetie and I ventured to Caesarea for lunch yesterday.  It was lovely -- we sat outside, nestled between the ancient ruins and the Mediterranean sea was practically lapping at our feet.  Lovely.

But it did occur to me that Israel doesn't really take advantage of its coastline like it should.  Okinawa, where I lived for three years, 
had soooo many "destination" restaurants and cafes.  I can think of so many charming seaside places that I would drive anywhere from 15-75 minutes to eat at because they had great food, great atmosphere, and stunning views of the sea.   But here, there is really only one "destination" cafe that Sweetie and I know of, and it's not even on the water.  A real shame.  Israel does, however, have its share of mediocre bars and restaurants here and there along the coast, but nothing like what I wish it had!

Blog Slacker

Sorry I've been a bit of a blog slacker this week. I'm feeling slightly uninspired. Maybe it's the yucky winter weather.

This week's adventures included a trip to Jaffa, which is an older, mostly Arab part of Tel Aviv in the south of the city. I needed to have a microchip affixed to my car's gasoline tank (diplomats used to buy prepaid cards for purchasing gasoline at a reduced rate, but now they are switching to microchips). That took longer than expected, though I have to say that standing around in the bay of a garage in Jaffa was an experience. I saw a horse towing a cart loaded with furniture and two men through the streets, among other things (that's actually a pretty common sight in Jaffa and even in Tel Aviv).

After that I had several hours to kill in Tel Aviv because I was meeting my new Hebrew/English conversation partner in the early evening. Killing time in Tel Aviv is not one of my favorite pastimes. I find the city incredibly unattractive and not especially fun.

Since it was a beautiful day, I decided I'd go sit on the beach and read a book. Bad idea. Basically, every minute some creepy Israeli guy would come up to me and try to start a conversation. I wonder, if you saw someone reading a book, would you think, "That person reading a book really look likes they want to have a conversation with a complete and total stranger right now!" Probably not. Anyway, needless to say, after about 5 minutes, I decided sitting on the beach wasn't working.

I walked back to the center of the city and found a row of benches in a quiet part of the city. There was one woman sitting there with a baby in a stroller, so I took that as a good sign that it would be safe and relatively free of freaky men. It was. Not a single person bothered me in the span of about 80 minutes. It was lovely. I also witnessed someone picking up after their dog.  Wonders never cease.

Car Trouble, Bet Shean

On the final day of our Galilee adventure, we visited Bet Shean -- one of Israel's most impressive sites for Roman ruins. As we were leaving Pilgerhaus, I felt something happen with the car. It stuttered apruptly at the top of a hill. But, it kept moving, so I didn't pay too much attention to it.

Well, after visiting the fantastic ruins at Bet Shean, the car wasn't very happy when I tried to start it. The ominous "check engine" light was lit. Not good. We checked the oil level, consulted the owners manual (which seemed to indicate the problem was something related to emissions), and decided to go on our merry way.

We safely made it home and yesterday I finally took the car into the garage. It took the ENTIRE day. I left at 0730 and didn't get home until 1730. Ug. And though the bill was more than I was hoping it would be, it could have been worse. It turned out to be a "faulty sensor." The car was also in desperate need of an oil change because the previous owner virtually never used the car and so hadn't changed the oil in about 18 months. When I went over the bill with the service assistant, I noticed that the oil itself (not including filter or labor) cost over $100!! Was there gold in that oil or something? When I questioned him on it, he said that's the recommended oil. Indeed. Recommended for their profits, I think. Anyway, the waiting room was pretty luxurious and made my long wait tolerable. I suppose my oil money helps keep those leather sofas in good condition.

Back to Israel

After five days in Cairo, we were actually very happy to return to our home and fresh air in Israel.  I checked out our garden, which is continuously metamorphosing due to the mild climate here.  The narcissus is blooming and smells heavenly.  My camellia still hasn't bloomed, but it can't be long.  The parsley was alive and well (thank goodness, because I use it a lot in cooking and it's in a sensitive spot near the construction site behind our house).  One plant, however, was missing from its perch above the herb garden and Sweetie found it smashed up in the detritus of the construction site.  The workers apparently knocked it down and just trashed it.  Sweetie rescued it and replanted it into two pots (since the one it was in was broken).  

Unfortunately, my Cairo cough turned into bronchitis, and after several days of coughing up a lung, Sweetie and I visited the doctor (he was also coughing by then).  Antibiotics and cough syrup with codeine.  Oh happy days.

Two days later, Sweetie's daughter Sweedle came for a two-week visit, so we were sort of forced into recuperation.  I spent the first half of her visit at home, awaiting the delivery and installation of our new dishwasher.  Such is my exciting life.  The dishwasher that came with the house was complete crap and we had suffered with it for 8 months.  Pulling the first load out of our new dishwasher was close to a religious experience for me.  I couldn't believe that glasses can actually have the lip marks removed by a dishwasher.  

We did manage a long weekend to the Galilee to see the sites with Sweedle.  I did all the driving in the luxury sedan.  We began with a visit to Akko (or Acre), which is about 80 minutes north of here.   We walked through the bustling market.  I restocked on Jordan almonds.  We strolled along the seaside.  Then, had lunch at the very famous Uri Buri fish restaurant.  It was a bit of a sacrifice for me, as I had to settle for the vegetarian options (though I was pleased that at least they had some!), but I really thought Sweetie and Sweedle should eat there because it is so renowned.  Sweedle especially loved her St. Peter's fish.  And my dessert - baked pear with marzipan, served with cinnamon ice cream, was heavenly.

After that, we drove east and found our lodging for the next two nights -- Pilgerhaus.  Both Sweetie and I had heard about it from our predecessors and this was our first visit there.  We had reserved a suite with two bedrooms -- it had a balcony with gorgeous views of the Sea of Galilee.  The only problem was that we couldn't get the heat working.  Usually, that wouldn't be a problem in Israel, but it was unusually cold (frost predicted in some parts) and we were all huddled in our coats around a small space heater that was having no impact.  We finally asked to be moved.  We ended up in adjacent rooms in the newer wing of Pilgerhaus -- rooms that had functioning heat.  

We found out when we checked in that we would have to venture off the premises for dinner, because their cafeteria was under renovation and meals at their restaurant had to be booked in advance.  One of the staff referred us to a nearby Lebanese restaurant.

When we arrived at the restaurant, the Arab waiter suggested a selection of mezzes (salads) to us to start with.  This is pretty common practice.  He did say that they were not included in the price of the meal (as they usually are).  That was fine, because usually it's a very minimal charge.  Well, when he brought out the salads, there were at least 12 small plates of salads.  It took up our entire table.  And I felt like something strange might be going on.  So, I asked how much they cost.  He said 35 shekels each.  !!!!!!!  So, for the salads alone, we were going to be paying over $100!!!!!!!!!!!!  We all said: "No.  No. No.  No way.  Take some back."  He said, "I told you they weren't included." Ummm....yeah...that is true.  But we didn't know he was going to try to rip us off in an epic fashion!  He wouldn't give in and then ultimately, another waiter came over and managed to spill a huge class of water all over Sweetie and that was it.  We all stood up and walked out and drove off.  

So....with that very bad taste in our mouths, we drove down the road to a Chinese restaurant Sweetie and I ate at once.  It was delicious and our entire meal for 3 people cost less than 4 of those stupid salads would have.   I had never experienced someone so brazenly trying to take advantage of my foreignness in Israel before.

In Praise of Israel

One very positive thing happened today -- I have been trying to track down a piece of mail I sent from an Israeli post office via registered mail to the US.  In desperation, yesterday I found a spot on the Israel Post website where I could send an email with my issue and someone 
was supposed to contact me.  And guess what, someone called me today!!  And she had tried 
tracking my item on the USPS website (I had tried yesterday to no avail) and she said that there was now a record of my item on the USPS website and that a delivery of it had been attempted.

HOORAY.   It was true and I called the recipient today and they confirmed receipt.  

Huge sigh of relief.  The envelope contained a check representing my entire savings, so it was rather important!

On the flipside, the USPS was also supposed to contact me regarding the same issue, and they haven't yet:-)

More of Cha-Chan Being Israeli

This evening I was waiting in line at the pharmacy.  I realize that "line" is a difficult concept for some people here.  And low and behold, a Russian couple comes in (they were most  likely immigrants) and this lady proceeds to walk up to the counter, which is occupied with a young woman trying to get her medications in some semblance of privacy, and shoves her paper there.  I immediately walk up to the counter (even though I had appropriately been waiting behind the
"privacy" line) and impose myself between the large Russian lady and the girl being served.  Then, when the girl being served left, Russian Lady put her paper back down yet again, but I swooped in and without making eye contact (very key), defiantly and with aplomb, put my paper down.  And got served. Hooray.  Take that, Russian Lady!

Cha-chan Being Israeli

First, let me begin with a list of my top ten gym pet peeves:

10) People who use their arms to hold themselves up on the stairstepper, rather than using it for its intended purpose in which you use your legs to support yourself.

9) Inappropriate gym wear.  This would include ladies with their pants falling down.  Ladies with their thong underwear sticking out of their pants (which may or may not be falling down).  Ladies who wear thin white stretchy pants.  Men who wear shorts that are entirely too tight (TMI).  

8) People who feel the need to stretch in a location that blocks traffic for everyone else.

7) People talking on their cellphones.

6) People who chat with others while sitting on (and not using) machines.

5) Posers who spend more time checking themselves out in the mirror than they do working out.

4) Guys who drop their weights with a massive crash or thud (I guess 'cuz they are too wimpy to set them down properly).

3) Trainers who would rather oogle at girls than actually help or watch for people potentially hurting themselves on equipment.

2) Trainers who actually watch people hurting themselves (bad squats, buckling knees on the leg press, nearly ripping their arms out of their sockets on the assisted pull-up, etc).

1) People who leave towels on machines to "reserve" them while they're off chatting, posing, strolling, talking on cell phone, or using the restroom.

And along the lines of #1, today I wanted to use the leg press.  There is only one leg press and I wanted to use it.  There was  a towel on it, but I had not actually seen anyone using the leg press for several minutes.  So I moved the towel and hopped on.  Shortly thereafter, some "Mr. Macho" returned.  I did not make eye contact and proceded to finish my set.  Then, I left and did other things.  He got back on and did a set.  Then, he disappeared again.  I was still occupied with other stuff, so he had about 4 minutes of putzing around elsewhere in the gym before he went back to do yet another set.  Then, after that set, he went off again, so I went back and moved his towel again and did a set.  No eye contact.  I went and did other stuff, he did a set and then disappeared.  So, I started going back to the machine and he was there, so I said I only had one more set, so he told me to go ahead.  Oh how generous of him.  

What is more lame than hogging a machine like that is the fact that this moron is resting about 4-5 minutes between sets!  What's the point of that?  No trainer has ever indicated that I might like to do a set and then go have a coffee, for example, before coming back to do another!

Anyway, it was all very Israeli of me to just barge in and move his towel.  So I was proud. 

Somebody Restrain Me

Please stop me before I run outside and go postal on the construction crew building a house adjacent to ours.

LOUD, NOISY, MESSY JERKS who don't know how to work their car alarms.

And due to an acoustic (and evil) act of nature, all their noise is funneled directly down into the room where my computer resides. It sounds like they've broken down the wall and are working on our house instead of the one under construction.

And not a one of them seems capable of opening his car door without setting off the car alarm (this is true for Israelis in general, but that's a completely separate diatribe I will indulge in some other day).

Looking at the glass half-full, I am very glad it's cool and cloudy outside because otherwise they'd be spoiling my pool time.

The latest house repair
I was playing host this morning to yet more fix-it guys -- this time to try to keep our guest shower from allowing GALLONS of water to leak out the door every time its used. The handymen told me there's nothing that can be done. It's a fundamental design flaw. Big surprise.

How is it that builders here can't figure out how to make a shower that doesn't leak?  In my US experience, the only way your shower can leak is if you forget to put the curtain in the tub.  Pretty simple.  And the Japanese just turn the whole bathroom into a shower, so there's really no problem there.

Time to relax
At least yesterday I indulged in a massage at the gym.  I only have one left now of a batch of 10 that I purchased before I quit my job.  Boohoo!  (I must say, I REALLY miss having huge amounts of disposable income from the days when I was working, but I wouldn't trade Sweetie for the world!).

I had a male masseuse, which was both good and bad.  The male masseuses at the gym are far superior to the women.  HOWEVER, I still am not comfortable with the whole overexposure issue with massages in Israel.  They are really just not that careful about not exposing your butt completely.  In the US or Japan, they are OH-SO-CAREFUL about tucking the sheet (not towel, like they use here) into your underwear so that you're not exposed.  But here, it's all very loosey goosey and I am just not a big fan of that aspect.

To anyone in the Tel Aviv area
I cannot say enough great things about the chef who catered our party last week.  He's fab.  His name is Etai and he works at a restaurant in Tel Aviv called Brasserie.  
We're going next week to  check it out. 

The Party

Sweetie and I hosted our first dinner party last night. It was fabulous (if I do say so myself). People loved our house (yes -- it *looks* fabulous, but looks are deceiving). And they really loved the food. Our chef really knows his stuff, paid attention to the little things, and made it possible for Sweetie and me to drink copious amounts of alcohol and converse with our our guests.

For some reason, Sweetie and I were steaming hot last night while sleeping. Maybe it was the effect of the considerable amount of alcohol we had consumed during the party. I was snuggled up against him and thought I was going to spontaneously combust at any moment. Then shortly after that, Sweetie said, "I'm REALLY hot!" No joke! Maybe it was just due to residual heat from having so many bodies in the house and all the cooking that went on (I've never used both our ovens at the same time, for example, but the chef did).

Speaking of cooking, I was really grossed out by the lingering meat smell after the party. I didn't think I'd have an issue with someone preparing meat in the house -- I'm a pretty relaxed vegetarian about that sort of thing because I do like to peacefully coexist with the non-vegetarian world. But, the smell was overwhelming and there was no breeze the next day, so opening the windows didn't seem to help. I could barely sleep because of it. But, thankfully it subsided after about 24 hours.

At the party, inevitably part of the conversation turned to how much Israel/Israelis drive us crazy. Then someone mentioned that certain behaviors also drive Israelis crazy and they are not shy to admit it. It's all very perplexing to me. I never think to myself, "It really drives me crazy how Americans...." But many (non-irritating) Israelis will freely admit that flying on an airplane with a bunch of Israelis is a complete nightmare, for example. Or that Israeli drivers are impossible, to give another example.

Anyway, it was a great party, the guests seemed to have a great time, and Sweetie and I never thought entertaining could be so easy. Hats off to the chef and his staff!

By the way, I received some blog feedback and apparently, my mom did not entirely appreciate my previous comment about her and my dad's entertaining skills when I was young....

Speaking of driving
I had to go to the DMV the other day to register my car and get new plates.  That place is a complete third-world nightmare.  It could have been Venezuela.  Just TEEMING with people (of all sorts) and it seems to be complete chaos.  No drawing numbers (that I could see).  Just masses of people inside and outside and no one it seemed was getting much service or would be getting served in the near future.

Fortunately, diplomatic types seem to have their own line.  And even though the lady at the counter has a strange way of getting things done, she does get things done. For example, while I was waiting, she was shouting into her cell phone, rolling her eyes, hitting lots of keys on the keyboard (how can you have to hit that many keys to register a car?), etc. Then, she took off with her tea cup and said she was taking a break. Just like that. She returned and while she was helping us, she started helping the guy in line behind us at the same time. It all seemed very strange, but she did get us out of there in about one hour, and by the end of it, I thought she was pretty effective and efficient.

"How do you like Israel?"

This is a question that I and others are frequently asked.

Last night, I attended a dinner hosted by Americans and attended by several Israelis (immigrants) -- the oldest have lived here for 50 years, with the newest arrival having immigrated 3 years ago.

The conversations were very interesting to me. For example, the most recent immigrant told horror stories about trying to seek medical care for a very serious and life-threatening medical problem just 2 weeks after arriving in Israel. In the end, he had to essentially start shouting and hollering to get anyone in the hospital to take him seriously.

This is how I feel about virtually everything here -- if you want someone to do something and take you seriously, you often have to become very confrontational, which is just not something I am good at, or feel comfortable doing.

Later, the conversation turned to the influx of immigrants into Europe. One of the guests was basically saying that the number of Muslims is growing so rapidly in Europe that "Europe is lost." He said the Jews really only have Israel, the US, and Australia left as options for countries to live in. Then he went on to say that even Israel has "the Arabs" and then mentioned "right of return" and the disputed Golan Heights.

What struck me about all this talk was that it was all based on an assumption or belief that Jews simply cannot live in a country with Muslims. If this is the assumption, then how can anyone possibly be hopeful about peace in this region?

Personally, I am not, and never have been, hopeful about peace in this region. I simply do not think it is possible. Every side has legitimate points. Everyone has either already lost, or will lose something that they worked hard for. I don't see a solution that will make everyone happy, or make things any better than they are now.