Nuts and ropes

Nuts and ropes
Originally uploaded by holylandhipster.

Sometimes you feel like a nut and sometimes, as evidenced by this photo, you really don't. I was starving this afternoon and was, once again, walking around the Dizengoff Mall and so I popped into Super Center to pick up some provisions. Since my eating is still really off, I decided that nuts were a pretty safe item, and picked up a bag of roasted peanuts and cashews. When I got back to my apartment, I opened the bag and pulled out this WAD of rope! If this was America, and that rope was a thumb, man would I be rich.

So today was my first really challenging day here in Tel Aviv. I dragged my exhausted body out of bed and walked back up to my soon-to-be-hood to open up a bank account. After following signs for English, I ended up sitting in the office of a gentleman who deals with International investments. Not the department I want. But he was more than happy to chat and then he sent me downstairs to the right floor. Or so I thought. My helper was some 20 year old Russian/Israeli whose English was horrible and who didn't even ask me the right questions. After filling out forms for 45 minutes, the bank manager told her she couldn't open up a foreign bank account if I was living in Israel. And, since I'm a citizen and will be living in Israel as a student for the next two years, I need to pack my stuff and head down to the Misrad Hapanim (Ministry of Interior) to get a Teudat Zehut (Israeli identity card). So, I thanked her profusely and headed out and over to some "familiar" ground. I have no idea if she told me the right thing, but I will do as directed and hope it enables me to open up an account.

Slightly frustrated, I decided it was time for a friendly face and so I stopped by to see Yoni at Psycho Tattoo at the Dizengoff Center Mall. Yoni was in the middle of a tattoo so I spent some time interviewing another artist for my story, which is coming together nicely. I just need to get it down on paper before class starts next week. Chances are, that won't happen unless I get my act together soon. Yoni came out to get me and brought me back to the room so I could observe him in action. It was really fascinating, the girl was getting the inside of her arm done (i.e. tattoo lingo is sleeve). Apparently, the entire sleeve has taken over 2 years to complete, as Yoni only comes back to Israel every 6-8 months. The colors he used were absolutely blindingly bright and vivid, it looked really nice on her. (Disclaimer: during the course of the day, I did NOT get a tattoo. So Mom, you can relax a bit). Yoni helped me with my cell phone and then I left him to start on another client.

I'm finally able to get into my VM too. I went back to the store where I bought the RAZR and David told me how to access the inbox. I was able to retrieve the five messages, one of which was left by my former client Oren. I represented Oren and his company, Oblicore (now defunct) from 2000-2001 and we had a really nice working relationship. When I got here, I sent him an e-mail and we've been in contact ever since. We're hoping to go out for some sushi either Wednesday or Thursday night, before he heads out East to the Canadian Rockies.

Which brings me back to my apartment and my meeting with Guy, the Yes Man about my VOIP and TV stations. It's essential, for work reasons, that I have my computer working when I move into my new apartment. So, Elon decided we needed to get this process started earlier rather than later, and hence the meeting with Guy. He first stopped by the apartment to meet with Elon about locations and wiring, and then he came down to my apartment to go over the contract and the services. Guy was great, and he used to live in Manhattan, so we had a lot to chat about. I gave him a bit of a hard time when he glossed over the adult packages (hey, just because I'm a woman, doesn't mean you should bring up the porn option with me!). He thought I was hysterical and went on and on about women and porn, which was a great conversation to laugh about. I really needed the laughing, it helped put the frustration of my day in persepctive.

I was too hot and tired to workout tonight, especially after all the walking I did this afternoon, so I'm staying in.

Plans for tomorrow include:
1) Going back to my apartment to meet with Elon and discuss where he's going to put the TV's
2) Meeting Y at Bar Ilan at 4:30 pm for the campus tour. Apparently another guy from the program is going to be there too (and he is bringing his Mother. No comment).
3) Dinner date. (Maybe more on this tomorrow)
4) Laundry (I found the Tide detergent and the dryer sheets, so I think it's time to try my hand at laundry in country. This should be an interesting experience.

PS. Props go out to the great salesman at Spa Siam who sold me this great lemon/grapefruit spreader of essence with tatton sticks from Thailand. My apartment is starting to smell much, much better.