Sacred and Insane

Week’s end absurdities – 3/11

Fri, 11 Mar 2011 21:14:52 +0000

Sacred and Insane

I’ve decided that on every weekend from now on I will publish a brief list of some of the most ridiculous things I’ve seen, heard or smelled over the past week. Things that don’t warrant an entire post but encapsulate the eccentric world that is Israeli society.

-Monday: I was struggling to carry a six-pack of two-liter bottles of water, some religious-ish teenage "mean girls" decided to block the entrance to the store I was exiting from.

Six months in...

Sat, 05 Mar 2011 21:19:51 +0000

Sacred and Insane

Six months in and still going strong – well, usually.

And boy, am I thankful for that.

Week’s end absurdities – 3/4

Sat, 05 Mar 2011 18:08:43 +0000

Sacred and Insane

-Sunday: My brother and I managed to Skype for 2.5 hours, after not getting to speak for a long time. It was quite fun – though I'm trying to figure out what we possibly chatted about for so long. I do hope he finally comes to visit this spring.

Week's end absurdities – 2/25

Sat, 26 Feb 2011 01:01:41 +0000

Sacred and Insane

-Monday: No matter where you are in the world, you can always find The Very Hungry Caterpillar. I have to admit it was difficult to resist purchasing my childhood pop-up favorite while reporting at the Jerusalem Book Fair that evening. Meanwhile, I not only met a fellow Giants fan, I also met a very lovely couple in their mid-70s who enjoy traveling everywhere from Antarctica to the North Pole to Timbuktu. I'm thoroughly impressed by them and hope to see them again soon!

A refreshing start

Wed, 23 Feb 2011 13:17:25 +0000

Sacred and Insane

My new Hebrew class that I began two weeks ago is a far-cry from the previous one in terms of content, but also, I must admit, in terms of the amount of effort I am putting into it.

One amazing thing about my class at Milah downtown is that you can hardly hope to have an English conversation with the other students, as there are only three Americans. The rest: a Venezuelan, two Brazilians, an Italian, two South Koreans, an Egyptian, a Hollander a Ukrainian and a Belorussian.

Week’s end absurdities – 2/17

Fri, 18 Feb 2011 17:22:33 +0000

Sacred and Insane

-(Last Friday afternoon): Yes, I realize that this qualifies as the end of last week, and not this one, but last Friday's incident was too ridiculous not to add to my list here. My invitation to my friend Cori's wedding finally arrived (keep in mind she lives probably about two miles from me), over a month after it was postmarked, with the envelope torn completely open. Glad to see that someone so desperately wanted the details about my friend's wedding. Beautiful invitation though!

A Shabbat resignation

Mon, 14 Feb 2011 10:41:33 +0000

Sacred and Insane

This Shabbat, I found myself the bearer of big news – not personal news, but big international news.

About 45 minutes after sundown, (now former) Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak resigned, and Shabbat observers all over Israel continued their evenings completely unaware. I, on the other hand, was unashamedly sitting on Gmail and getting ready to leave for a dinner at Beit Jewlicious, when I received an instant message from a friend of mine with a link to Aljazeera.net.

Week's end absurdities – 2/11

Sat, 12 Feb 2011 15:48:39 +0000

Sacred and Insane

'That happens to everyone during the first year here'

Mon, 07 Feb 2011 22:19:25 +0000

Sacred and Insane

I think I've caught more illnesses in the past five months that I've been here than I accumulated during the previous past two years in total.

And for those of you who have spoken to me for more than five minutes, you know that the idea of catching viruses, bacteria or anything of the sort is nothing less than frightening to my loveably germaphobic self.

Week’s end absurdities – 2/4

Mon, 07 Feb 2011 21:30:27 +0000

Sacred and Insane

I’ve decided that on every Friday morning from now on I will publish a brief list of some of the most ridiculous things I’ve seen, heard or smelled over the past week. Things that don’t warrant an entire post but encapsulate the eccentric world that is Israeli society.

Finally, some sun.

Wed, 02 Feb 2011 12:31:16 +0000

Sacred and Insane

I know it's pretty sacrilege to think this way in Israel – but enough with the rain already. The downpours, the muddy puddles, the sidewalk slip-and-slides. I'm so happy to see some sun today (though I probably should take a break from working and leave my apartment to enjoy it).

Week’s end absurdities – 1/28

Sat, 29 Jan 2011 23:07:42 +0000

Sacred and Insane

Ulpan Obama-sha

Thu, 27 Jan 2011 19:19:24 +0000

Sacred and Insane

My friend and former ulpan desk partner Ben decided to initiate a game of ulpan "bingo" about a month and a half ago, in which each tile represents a different ridiculous phenomenon that could take place only within the steamy – and I mean steamy; the heat is always on full blast – confines of our unique Ulpan Morasha classroom.

One of the squares contained an item that comes up daily, without fail, the mention of US President Barack Obama in negative connotation during a sample sentence used to practice Hebrew.

Week’s end absurdities – 1/21

Thu, 27 Jan 2011 19:01:00 +0000

Sacred and Insane

-Monday: an Israeli girl was sporting full-on dreadlocks on the morning bus ride. What's worse – this, or the 'Crocs and socks' phenomenon? Come on, you're an Ashkenazi Jewish girl...

How to survive J'lem's newest traffic

Wed, 19 Jan 2011 19:15:44 +0000

Sacred and Insane

It's good to see that some people still have a sense of humor.

As of Saturday night, as all Jerusalemites are angrily aware, the cities buses were all rerouted from Jaffa Road – where light rail tests are now under way – to the parallel Agripas and Haneviim streets, which were already entirely clogged with traffic.