My mother used to say that the one thing she learned from being a Manchester coal miner was that I should never give anyone everything they wanted immediately, or they wouldn't respect you. Honoring that statement, I'm saving an introduction for next week.
Soldierly Doings:
Let's get real here. I can't really do all that much to prepare for the army while my running shoes, jumprope, and resistance bands are sitting in a suitcase on my kibbutz. I can promise you I have thought about working out quite a bit though, and sometimes I even get sweaty in the stuffy Yeshiva dorms I'm staying in.
General Observations:
While waiting for a bus to take me to the Malcha Mall in Jerusalem today, I reached into my pocket, fumbled around to try to find my iPod to switch songs (the Lord giveth a Blink-182 craving, the Lord taketh a Blink-182 craving away), and apparently dropped a 10 Agorot coin. How do I know this? Soon after said dropping, I felt a light, but persistent tapping on my shoulder. I originally thought it was some very large bug with discerning taste in human landing pads, but upon trying to swat the imagined bug, I inadvertently high-fived the small Sfardi (a Jew of recent middle-eastern descent) man behind me - the source of the tapping. He was holding my 10 Agorot coin and leaning toward me slightly. I thanked him and told him he could keep it; after all, the thing was worth 2 and a half cents and whenever I see them I am strangely reminded of my time at Chuck E. Cheese's.
Mr. Sfardi simply would not have it.
Smiling insistently, he said something along the lines of "אחד ואחד זה שתיים" (echad v'echad zeh shtaim, or one and one is two), and pushed the coin towards my chest. I had the feeling that there was much to be learned from this wizened, mustachioed soul, and took the coin. After taking the coin, he seemed to be more satisfied by the fact I had taken the coin than anything else, as if his fiscal instruction of me was complete. This was probably the fourth or fifth time this sort of thing has happened to me.
Anyone who has spent time in Israel or haggled with an Israeli quickly realizes that Israelis are quite a thrifty bunch. However, it seems to me that it goes way beyond that. It's almost as if Israelis are vicariously thrifty through people. And it's universal. I've seen everyone ranging from Ethiopian kids to Ashkenazi (Jews of recent European decent) college students act the same way in similar situations. I have not been able to understand why this is. However, what I have done is attached tags to the ears of many unwitting Israelis and released them back into their natural habitats, hoping to monitor them and find out what it is that drives this monetary maternalism. I'll keep you, valued reader, posted.
Particularly Good Falafel Balls I have Consumed
Seeing as there are only so many fried bean balls I can consume in a week, this section will deal with restaurants in general. That being said...
Fish 'n' Chips. I had always heard rumors of the mythical reasonably priced cod that could be found in Israel, but I dismissed them right along with the Tremp Angel (the gorgeous driver that picks you up while hitchhiking and immediately demands that you date her) and the bus-without-the-smelly-guy. Oh how wrong I was. 35 Shekel gets you four large pieces of fried cod, a heap of fries, and 4 different kinds of tartar sauce (much to the dismay of Spongebob, I'm sure). Go to there now.
Things I Like
While waiting for a bus to take me to the Malcha Mall in Jerusalem today, I reached into my pocket, fumbled around to try to find my iPod to switch songs (the Lord giveth a Blink-182 craving, the Lord taketh a Blink-182 craving away), and apparently dropped a 10 Agorot coin. How do I know this? Soon after said dropping, I felt a light, but persistent tapping on my shoulder. I originally thought it was some very large bug with discerning taste in human landing pads, but upon trying to swat the imagined bug, I inadvertently high-fived the small Sfardi (a Jew of recent middle-eastern descent) man behind me - the source of the tapping. He was holding my 10 Agorot coin and leaning toward me slightly. I thanked him and told him he could keep it; after all, the thing was worth 2 and a half cents and whenever I see them I am strangely reminded of my time at Chuck E. Cheese's.
Seriously, get out there and defraud your local Chuck E. Cheese. I'm sure they wouldn't even notice.
Mr. Sfardi simply would not have it.
Smiling insistently, he said something along the lines of "אחד ואחד זה שתיים" (echad v'echad zeh shtaim, or one and one is two), and pushed the coin towards my chest. I had the feeling that there was much to be learned from this wizened, mustachioed soul, and took the coin. After taking the coin, he seemed to be more satisfied by the fact I had taken the coin than anything else, as if his fiscal instruction of me was complete. This was probably the fourth or fifth time this sort of thing has happened to me.
Anyone who has spent time in Israel or haggled with an Israeli quickly realizes that Israelis are quite a thrifty bunch. However, it seems to me that it goes way beyond that. It's almost as if Israelis are vicariously thrifty through people. And it's universal. I've seen everyone ranging from Ethiopian kids to Ashkenazi (Jews of recent European decent) college students act the same way in similar situations. I have not been able to understand why this is. However, what I have done is attached tags to the ears of many unwitting Israelis and released them back into their natural habitats, hoping to monitor them and find out what it is that drives this monetary maternalism. I'll keep you, valued reader, posted.
Particularly Good Falafel Balls I have Consumed
Seeing as there are only so many fried bean balls I can consume in a week, this section will deal with restaurants in general. That being said...
Fish 'n' Chips. I had always heard rumors of the mythical reasonably priced cod that could be found in Israel, but I dismissed them right along with the Tremp Angel (the gorgeous driver that picks you up while hitchhiking and immediately demands that you date her) and the bus-without-the-smelly-guy. Oh how wrong I was. 35 Shekel gets you four large pieces of fried cod, a heap of fries, and 4 different kinds of tartar sauce (much to the dismay of Spongebob, I'm sure). Go to there now.
Things I Like
Johnny Cash, the only man I know of who can cover a song by a British rock sensation (the Beatles) and a song by an Angst rock sensation (Nine Inch Nails).
See you soon, faithful reader. Honestly, I simply cannot wait to move to my kibbutz as Drying-Paint-Viewing is rapidly becoming a more and more viable option for me.
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