A Subtle difference: Ties
Many new immigrants from North America have big-time cultural shock when they move to Israel. There are new standards for everything from bank hours to shorter weekends- but the subtle changes take you longer to notice.I knew I was no longer in America after I stood in line at the post office for a package that took two months to get here- did I mention it was shipped overnight express? Things like post offices, doctors and customer service are evident changes in our daily lives in the holy land, but it took me three years to realize that work attire is totally backwards here.
After working in several offices I now know that jeans are acceptable office casual and even formal with the right boots. After a tour of the Supreme Court in Jerusalem I learned that Judges are wearing t-shirts under their robes.
And of course I know that people do not wear ties at weddings, but what I didn’t know was that the ties are being worn by bus drives all over Israel. What a funny little society we are- I mean bus drivers with ties but Knesset members in jeans?
So while the cultural shock is almost all but lifted, I continue to notice the subtle changes in my new world: Every elevator in Israel has a mirror and parking on the sidewalk is completely normal.
You don’t make friends with salad
I am the kinda person who likes to eat a good Shabbat meal. You’re probably like that too. I really enjoy when the challah is warm off the hot plate and table is filled with lots of different salatim, inviting you in for the warm feast that will stretch your stomach to new limits.One of my favorite parts of Israel is the food and more specifically the salatim- matbuha (the red stuff that looks like salsa), eggplant made in every color and flavor, hummus, techina, hilbe (Yemenite) and whatever else you got. Continue reading this entry »
12 hours straight of tv and movies
It’s not often your eyes get the chance to glaze over as you watch 12 hours straight of tv and movies. But now, Contintental has a new on-demand movie system to satisfy your tv cravings guilt-free with shows like Sex and the City, Scrubs, Friends, and The Office, not to mention the 150+ movies at your disposal.
However, I find that the greater entertainment selection there is, the ruder the flight attendants are. As one of the flight attendant’s passed my seat, I sweetly and innocently asked if they had any more of those great noshy chips they handed out earlier. Here’s the response I got: “I don’t know. this is a really packed flight, and I have no way of knowing. If I check for you, then I have to get for everyone else. Oh, I see the bathroom opening up. If I don’t go now, I’ll never get in. ” I have a feeling they’d rather see the latest Weeds episode than be handing out kosher meals.
Leave it to the teachers to teach us how to protest
The teachers may not be in school, but they sure are everywhere. Finally we have a group of people that know how to fight the fight.
Israel may allow a corrupt government to stay in office but the teachers will not let the evil doers get away with destroying our future generation.
Leave it to the teachers to teach us how to protest. Unlike the recent protests of concerts, tents in the middle of the city that no one paid attention too- these protests are the real deal. They are yelling in front of the Knesset, waving their signs on Keren HaYesod and enjoying horn honking citizens sharing in their mission.
I can only hope the protest fever spreads quickly and get us all a little more involved in fighting the frauds keeping us from the better Israel. While the Pioneering days of Israel may be over lets hope the Protesting days are just getting started.
A girl’s right to cheap shoes
I know that Rebecca is in search of a shoe that fits her size 10 feet. And I know she is going to hate to hear this, but my perfect size 8 feet leave me to the burden of picking the right shoe at the right price.I am not really a shoe person. I don’t window shop or think about the next season’s fashion- I just want a pair of shoes that are semi-comfortable and reasonably priced.
Hebrish is one funny language
Over the course of the past few months, I’ve jotted down a list of some of the best Hebrish words I’ve witnessed. I’m sure the list will grow over time as my amusement continues. Many are from my graphic design course, which provides an endless amount of Englew/Hebrish.
- אנדואים Undoim: Undos, as in, I’m using Adobe Illustrator and need to go back a few steps in my design. “Bo na’aseh cama undoim”.
- אונלייניותOnlineiot: Describing your online profile. “Tivdeku at haprofilim onliniot v’offliniot”
- ספוט קולורים – Spot Colorim: Spot colors. As in, let’s look at this color wheel and spot colors.
- לפברק Lefabrek: Can you guess? Not to make a fabric (that’s what I thought). To fabricate. Did you get it right?
- שרקיות-Shrekiut: As in, this picture has two Shrek-like things coming out of its head, so you can feel the shrekiut.
Here are some more that you can figure out on your own:
- פיגורה (figura)
- סילואטה(silhouetta)
- קומפוזיציה(compozitsie)
And I did all this without hebrew letters on my keyboard! Thank goodness for the delete key. Do you have any to add?
Fox News Invasion
To my horror I have just discovered one of Israel’s worst mistakes in history and it is happening in the present. HOT cable has decided to switch from CNN to Fox News for their international news channel.
While I am not a big fan of CNN, I can’t stand the blatantly right-wing news content -and I use the term loosely – that Fox News broadcasts. How will I know what is going on in Iraq with the President’s PR network as my only source of news? Continue reading this entry »
You’re telling me there is a no smoking law in Israel- what did you smoke?
Before I moved to Israel I was forewarned that I might become addicted to cigarettes. My friends informed me that everyone smokes; it is a cultural pastime that is literally addicting.
Turns out I don’t need to even light up a cigarette to smoke a pack a day- instead I just need to hang out in public places and get my free lung cancer from those breaking the law. Like almost everything in Israel, the No Smoking Law is not really enforced. It’s basically a recommendation that people decide not to take. Continue reading this entry »
What? People live outside of Jerusalem?
Guest blogger Rachel currently lives in Haifa and gives The Big Felafel a new perspective on living in Israel. Did you know that busses run on Shabbat in Haifa? Did you know that the anglo group is called Hanglo which sounds a little funny? Just some of the things I imagine you would need to get used to, living all the way up there.
I am that girl who walks around looking a little lost. I am that girl you come up to and ask if she needs help. I am that girl that sits in a lecture taking copious notes, and taping everything with her brand new digital voice recorder. I am the one who comes home and tells her husband they told us this crazy thing X and it was either 9% or 90%, I couldn’t quite catch it, but isn’t that amazing?
Before I began my MA in social work in Israel I knew it would be different than America, and I knew it would be difficult but I still didn’t know what to expect. So far, it is different and it is difficult, but there is a lot of good too.
I moved to Haifa to go to school and I am surprisingly among the minority of people in my class who live in Haifa . Most of them commute, even some from Jerusalem , my former safe haven of English speaking olim. Haifa is great for olim, if you are from Russia. Continue reading this entry »
The Ultimate Felafel Photo Contest
It’s time for a contest. Let’s spice things up and add a felafel ball or two into our empty pita lives.
Announcing the big felafel’s 1st ever Felafel / Falafel Photo Contest to find the most creative felafel picture ever.
It’s time to get out there to your fave felafel stand, stuff yer face or someone else’s and take some funny pictures.
To participate, submit pictures of yourself, friends, family or strangers (with their consent- nothing shady) to win the ultimate felafel picture contest. All pictures will be uploaded to our website and carefully judged by felafel experts from around the world.
Start date: Now, what are you doing reading this? (October 28,2007)
End date: November 30, 2007 at midnight(Israel time)
Rules: Submit unlimited amount of felafel pictures to thebigfelafel@yahoo.com. You must include your first name, age, email address, where you are from, where the picture was taken, and a one line caption for each picture.
By submitting your pictures you give The Big Felafel consent to upload the pictures to our website along with your first name, age and location. Your email address will be kept private.
Winners: The Big Felafel team along with our felafel experts will pick three winners.
Prize: The only prize fit for a Felafel winner- A free felafel at Felafel King in Jerusalem, Israel.
The Big Felafel 