I must mention it because even though it was so gross, I could appreciate it. Although, some friends of mine would have thrown up everywhere and never eat out again in Tel Aviv, I'm sure. I saw three different people; two of them being my taxi drivers, and one of them being a tour guide, pick directly out of the buffet. It wasn't a sneaky thing either; it was in plain view of the workers and no one said a word. I thought it was hilarious, but pretty gross at the same time. It's one thing if people I know are eating off of my plate, but I don't want strangers doing it!
Israelis had a wonderful way of saying what. To them, it's not a short, simple word that accentuates the t at the end, it a long progressional phrase (or so it seems) where the a is accentuated. So it sounds like "whaaaaaaaaaaaaaat?" which increasingly gets higher pitched at you get to the end of it. Towards the end of my trip, I found myself wanting to speak very quietly or very quickly just to get them to say the word, or "phrase" and I had to laugh ever time I heard it. It was a great sound. I told one of the people at the front desk I loved the way they said it, and she said "oh yes we have been told that it's rude to say that, so we have been trying to remember not to say it", so I said, no, really,it's perfectly OK!
I went out one night by myself before Beth arrived , and for dinner, I ordered grilled fish thinking I was being really good. My fish came with a side salad. So, the waiter said he would bring it out for me. Well, my side salad consisted of EIGHT bowls of different kinds of salad. I, ME, I could not finish the salads and could barely eat any of my meal once it came. And, I left feeling absurdly full. So much for healthy eating!
Beth and I had a cab driver who asked us to pic numbers, because he wanted to play the lottery and we were having a lucky day (I think one of his reasons was that we had him for a cab driver, but anyways)... so Beth and I picked, and then he made us write down the exact room information where we were staying so that he could contact us and we could split the winnings if he won. Clever eh? But, we never got a call or a knock at the door, so I guess we're not as lucky as he hoped.
Monday, May 25, 2009
Friday, May 22, 2009
Holidays and weekends!
They sure do take holidays seriously here. I like their style. So we happened to be in Tel Aviv for their Independence Day. The day before the holiday, everything closed by around 3 PM so we so unfortunately had to stop working because there was nothing to work on. Even restaurants were not open the night before the holiday, (have you ever seen that happen?) At 11 am in the morning and in the night (I think) there was an alarm that sounded (an expected alarm) and everyone around the whooole country, (in stores, where I was, on the road driving, at the gym, etc. etc.) stopped what they were doing to assume a moment of silence for the soldiers of Israel. Everything was closed that night because it was typical for people to go to the grave of the soldiers to commemorate them. So, we had a day and a half of no work. Certainly no complaints here. I really admired the fact that they really dedicated the holiday to the soldiers, which is the root of their independence. I wish our independence day was more like this. The pride that people take in their country here is really unlike that I have seen before. There were flags everywhere, and, I could really just feel the vibe of how happy people were to be Israeli. It really made quite an impression.
Beth and I met an American who had become Israeli. He met an Israeli woman, fell in love, served in the Israeli army (as all Israeli men and women must do) and became a citizen. It was interesting to hear his point of view on America; he had become semi-anti-American and through all his ranting and raving I think he had 2 very interesting points. One was that we lack a sense of patriotism (the way we celebrate our independence day as opposed to the way Israel celebrates theirs, as an example, was one of his points), and also how America is so conservative and sends out a "sex is bad" message throughout our society. Which, I think is true, whether this is a good or a bad thing could be argued. I could go on for hours about these two issues, but, I don't want to get political and I must go to bed. I just thought these were two interesting points that left me thinking.
Back to time off... They do weekends right, too. As I mentioned, weekend is Friday and Saturday for Sabboth. Businesses close on Friday around 3/4 PM Fridays (including malls - before sundown) and then don't open again until around 8 or 9 PM on Saturday (after the sun has gone down. During this time, people of the Jewish faith spend their time relaxing, doing things that do not require work or anything electronic. It truly is a day of rest. (Although, I don't really like the fact that some of them take it so seriously they won't even get into a car! I don't think I could take it that far.) OK, over and out. Goodnight
Beth and I met an American who had become Israeli. He met an Israeli woman, fell in love, served in the Israeli army (as all Israeli men and women must do) and became a citizen. It was interesting to hear his point of view on America; he had become semi-anti-American and through all his ranting and raving I think he had 2 very interesting points. One was that we lack a sense of patriotism (the way we celebrate our independence day as opposed to the way Israel celebrates theirs, as an example, was one of his points), and also how America is so conservative and sends out a "sex is bad" message throughout our society. Which, I think is true, whether this is a good or a bad thing could be argued. I could go on for hours about these two issues, but, I don't want to get political and I must go to bed. I just thought these were two interesting points that left me thinking.
Back to time off... They do weekends right, too. As I mentioned, weekend is Friday and Saturday for Sabboth. Businesses close on Friday around 3/4 PM Fridays (including malls - before sundown) and then don't open again until around 8 or 9 PM on Saturday (after the sun has gone down. During this time, people of the Jewish faith spend their time relaxing, doing things that do not require work or anything electronic. It truly is a day of rest. (Although, I don't really like the fact that some of them take it so seriously they won't even get into a car! I don't think I could take it that far.) OK, over and out. Goodnight
Friday, May 15, 2009
Partners in crime, but really, not literally...
It was nice having a partner in crime. In the morning, Beth motivated me to go for a run with her. I don't EVER run, so this was good for me. And I hated every minute of it. But, we ran along the boardwalk in Tel Aviv and it was absolutely gorgeous, so I didn't mind the run too much. Even more pretty than Miami, and the best part of it was that it wasn't super crowded, rather; it wasn't crowded at all, I had all the space I could possibly want. The beaches were not crowded either, despite being in the middle of the city. It was lovely.
Another advantage of a partner in crime was our hotel hopping. We had to get prices for restaurants, dry cleaning, etc. etc. from numerous high-class hotels so during one evening we were FORCED to get a glass of wine or coffee at each. Well, we could have been sketchy and just copied the prices, but it just wouldn't be hotel hopping without getting something fun out of it. It was nice to have someone to conspire with, and of course, enjoy the company over a glass of wine. It was very motivating.
I didn't think the customer service at the hotel was good at all. But then again, maybe again it had to do with the overall culture surrounding the personality of what is Israel. The people at the front desk didn't smile. They didn't ask how can they help you. I actually had one girl say "what" to me. You couldn't get too much more blunt than that. Due to a language barrier I tried to get one of them to make a couple phone calls for prices. After the first one, he said "I don't know if I want to do that again. For all I know you are trying to do something bad against my country." Seriously buddy? To this day I am offended by that statement. It's one thing to say you don't want to make a phone call, but don't try to make me look like a heinous person because you need an excuse not to make the call. Yes, maybe Israel has some serious phobias which stem from a long history of violence, (airport security is NO joke, and I had to convince them to hold something of mine at the front desk - normally they are not allowed to do that for safety reasons - so that I didn't have to make an extra trip up to my room. After all, it was so very likely that it contained a bomb), BUT no, I am not trying to harm your country by asking how much is the price of electricity per KwH.
On the upside, sometimes they were actually helpful. I never got anyone to fix my phone line one of the times, but my request to move my room was fulfilled and I got a much nicer one with an amazing view from my bed (and for Lauren, there is nothing better than an amazing view from bed!) Even another time when we checked back in to the hotel, the guy at the desk upgraded both of us to suites. Not too shabby. So overall, it was nearly impossible to read people. And I had to try my best not to take the bluntness too personally. It was challenging. But, that is what this job is most of the time, which is why I like it so much. Speaking of challenging, I'll have to figure out a way to convince the managers at the grocery store tomorrow why I need to copy prices in their stores for 7 hours.... UGH!!!! Goodnight.
Another advantage of a partner in crime was our hotel hopping. We had to get prices for restaurants, dry cleaning, etc. etc. from numerous high-class hotels so during one evening we were FORCED to get a glass of wine or coffee at each. Well, we could have been sketchy and just copied the prices, but it just wouldn't be hotel hopping without getting something fun out of it. It was nice to have someone to conspire with, and of course, enjoy the company over a glass of wine. It was very motivating.
I didn't think the customer service at the hotel was good at all. But then again, maybe again it had to do with the overall culture surrounding the personality of what is Israel. The people at the front desk didn't smile. They didn't ask how can they help you. I actually had one girl say "what" to me. You couldn't get too much more blunt than that. Due to a language barrier I tried to get one of them to make a couple phone calls for prices. After the first one, he said "I don't know if I want to do that again. For all I know you are trying to do something bad against my country." Seriously buddy? To this day I am offended by that statement. It's one thing to say you don't want to make a phone call, but don't try to make me look like a heinous person because you need an excuse not to make the call. Yes, maybe Israel has some serious phobias which stem from a long history of violence, (airport security is NO joke, and I had to convince them to hold something of mine at the front desk - normally they are not allowed to do that for safety reasons - so that I didn't have to make an extra trip up to my room. After all, it was so very likely that it contained a bomb), BUT no, I am not trying to harm your country by asking how much is the price of electricity per KwH.
On the upside, sometimes they were actually helpful. I never got anyone to fix my phone line one of the times, but my request to move my room was fulfilled and I got a much nicer one with an amazing view from my bed (and for Lauren, there is nothing better than an amazing view from bed!) Even another time when we checked back in to the hotel, the guy at the desk upgraded both of us to suites. Not too shabby. So overall, it was nearly impossible to read people. And I had to try my best not to take the bluntness too personally. It was challenging. But, that is what this job is most of the time, which is why I like it so much. Speaking of challenging, I'll have to figure out a way to convince the managers at the grocery store tomorrow why I need to copy prices in their stores for 7 hours.... UGH!!!! Goodnight.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Being blond and American has its' advantages...
So while at the mall (before Beth came), I found a young guy working at Tower Records (he was probably about 17...) who was sooo bored that he kept asking and asking if he could help me. So I thought about it, cause I knew I could give him SOMETHING out of my work to keep him busy, (sneaky, right?) So, one of the items on my survey is getting car prices from a magazine. This particular magazine was completely in Hebrew, so unlike some of the European languages, I wasn't able to guess what kind of car was listed, and what price it was listed for. So, gladly I asked him if he wanted to do this for me, and he obliged, so I checked in on my worker every now and again and wallllllllllllah! That part of my work was done before I left the mall. (To all of you who may feel bad that I took advantage of a poor 17 year old who was just CAPTIVATED that a blond American was talking to him, no worries - I paid him 30 USD before I left because, well, I can and of course, I appreciated his very hard work :)
Also, while in the mall there was a pharmacist who was very interested in what I was doing, we chatted here and there in between customers. He was a very nice guy, seemed a little shy, but very nice. He was staying in Tel Aviv with his parents that night and offered to drive me there since that was where I was staying as well (at the time I was in Herzilya, a suburb of Tel Aviv).
As a side note, YES, I am careful of who I get in a car with, who I walk alone with, etc. etc., but in a job like this when you are always by yourself, everything is risky - even getting into cabs alone, so you need to use your best judgement. Many solo travellors hitchhike, stay in hostels with numerous people at a time, no - I couldn't do that, but if hitching a ride with a stranger who I have proof is established is an option, hell - at least I've had a 10 minute conversation with him first, versus the taxi I would have gotten into otherwise!
So, I got a free ride home. We had a nice conversation, and made possible plans to get together for coffee or drinks sometime that week which never panned out. He never called me, versus some other guys I gave my number to (and that, I will admit, I should have been more careful about here) - I had a couple call me NONSTOP, including a guy I met from one of the grocery stores who couldn't speak a word of english but wanted to take me out for coffee. ?? Your guess is as good as mine.
Also, while in the mall there was a pharmacist who was very interested in what I was doing, we chatted here and there in between customers. He was a very nice guy, seemed a little shy, but very nice. He was staying in Tel Aviv with his parents that night and offered to drive me there since that was where I was staying as well (at the time I was in Herzilya, a suburb of Tel Aviv).
As a side note, YES, I am careful of who I get in a car with, who I walk alone with, etc. etc., but in a job like this when you are always by yourself, everything is risky - even getting into cabs alone, so you need to use your best judgement. Many solo travellors hitchhike, stay in hostels with numerous people at a time, no - I couldn't do that, but if hitching a ride with a stranger who I have proof is established is an option, hell - at least I've had a 10 minute conversation with him first, versus the taxi I would have gotten into otherwise!
So, I got a free ride home. We had a nice conversation, and made possible plans to get together for coffee or drinks sometime that week which never panned out. He never called me, versus some other guys I gave my number to (and that, I will admit, I should have been more careful about here) - I had a couple call me NONSTOP, including a guy I met from one of the grocery stores who couldn't speak a word of english but wanted to take me out for coffee. ?? Your guess is as good as mine.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Culture and Beth's arrival!
During the day of my first realtor meeting, I felt like I was finally getting a taste of what the culture in Israel was like. Somehow, Israeli people are nosy, blunt, harsh, but friendly. My realtor meeting was awkward. I kept getting frustrated because I wanted to ask a question that I think the realtor just didn't understand and kept answering me as though I was stupid, or that's how I would interpret it in American culture. Then while in the grocery stores, people left and right were asking me what I was doing, even a handful of the customers. That's a whole lot different from so many other countries where the mindset seems to be that it's just not your business. But here, oh here I was everyone's business. I got sick of explaining what I was doing.
Then I had a neurotic cab driver, but it was really funny. Before bringing me to the mall, he asked if I was hungry so I decided to say yes, a little, and of course; he had a great idea. I was taken to a "kibbutz" which was just a lunch place, but use to be part of an actual kibbutz which, with a little help from wikipedia: "a kibbutz is a collective community in Israel that was traditionally based on agriculture. The kibbutz is a form of communal living that combines socialism and Zionism. Kibbutzim began as utopian communities and have gradually embraced a more "scientific" socialist approach." Now, it is a buffet place that is really good, for really cheap, where many of the locals hang out. My taxi driver who I had just met 20 minutes ago felt the need to introduce me to everyone and their mom, and then create all my plates of food for me, which was about 3 full ones by the time he was done. The poor guy couldn't sit still for 2 minutes. He was up and down and on the phone and off the phone, getting me desert, more drink, etc. etc. I found it interesting that he pointed out the Somali refugees from slavery in Egypt that were working in the kitchen.
After lunch, I went to the mall and was just counting down the minutes until Beth contacted me, I couldn't wait for her to get there! It was such a weird feeling to know that someone would be joining me for survey, someone that I would have to make my schedule work with, and would be eating dinner with every night. Looking back, it was just the start of an amazing 2 weeks. So jam-packed with events that I haven't had a minute to post a blog until now!
Then I had a neurotic cab driver, but it was really funny. Before bringing me to the mall, he asked if I was hungry so I decided to say yes, a little, and of course; he had a great idea. I was taken to a "kibbutz" which was just a lunch place, but use to be part of an actual kibbutz which, with a little help from wikipedia: "a kibbutz is a collective community in Israel that was traditionally based on agriculture. The kibbutz is a form of communal living that combines socialism and Zionism. Kibbutzim began as utopian communities and have gradually embraced a more "scientific" socialist approach." Now, it is a buffet place that is really good, for really cheap, where many of the locals hang out. My taxi driver who I had just met 20 minutes ago felt the need to introduce me to everyone and their mom, and then create all my plates of food for me, which was about 3 full ones by the time he was done. The poor guy couldn't sit still for 2 minutes. He was up and down and on the phone and off the phone, getting me desert, more drink, etc. etc. I found it interesting that he pointed out the Somali refugees from slavery in Egypt that were working in the kitchen.
After lunch, I went to the mall and was just counting down the minutes until Beth contacted me, I couldn't wait for her to get there! It was such a weird feeling to know that someone would be joining me for survey, someone that I would have to make my schedule work with, and would be eating dinner with every night. Looking back, it was just the start of an amazing 2 weeks. So jam-packed with events that I haven't had a minute to post a blog until now!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)