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!