Setting Up House

While I wait for Marns to log back onto IM so we can catch up, I'm going to complain for a second. Today, I thought about the Sex and the City episode where Carrie Bradshaw registers for a pair of Prada shoes and spends the episode bemoaning the fact that since she's never gotten married she never had a shower, so she has to pay to furnish her apartment, etc. I felt like Carrie Bradshaw today when I ran all over Tel Aviv to start furnishing my apartment. This will be the FOURTH time I am basically building a home. I had to furnish my part of the the apartment I lived in when I was at the Westmont, then I had to put a few things in when I moved in with Zaydie on the Lower East Side, and again when I moved to my awesome apartment on 74th and Columbus and now here we go again. I know I always said I hate showers, and to be honest I still do, but you really NEED the gifts cause setting up house is really expensive!

OK, I'm done complaining now.

Today was my errand day. I spent three hours at the banks this morning and I can finally say that I am all paid up for the first three months rent on the apartment. That is a huge weight off of my shoulders, so I'm happy that's done. Then I walked back up to Halper's to pick up a book of short stories for Tamara. On my way back to my apartment, I stopped into the store where I ordered the microwave/convection oven and decided to save a few hundred shekel and take it home in a cab. It was worth it, much cheaper to spend 20 shekel on the cab ride than 250 shekel on delivery fee. It was heavy and I struggled with it, but I managed to make it into my apartment no problem. Next, it was time to eat something so I actually did something I've NEVER done before. I went to a restaurant and ate outside by myself. Now, I'm a very independent person but I've never actually gone to a restaurant and eaten alone. Without any chairs in my apartment, and no fridge, I had no choice. It's hard enough to sit on the floor and work, I wasn't going to do that with eating either. I was really proud of myself for being a grown up and eating alone so I practically skipped down to Dizengoff where I went to buy my fridge and TV.

Here's a picture of my new fridge.



It's stainless steel and from Whirlpool, and they gave me a good deal because I bought the fridge and TV together. I just hope that my measurements are accurate. I used inches because I didn't have a meter tape measure. We'll see on Wednesdsay when they come to deliver everything together.

So, Wednesday is a big day. My bed and fridge are being delivered and then the Hot cable guys are coming (Hot is the name of the company, not an adjective to describe the guy who comes although who knows, he could be a Chatich). I'm praying that by Wednesday night in Israel, my VOIP will be all set up and I can call the States. That will make me the happiest person in the world! This cell phone/calling cards experience is really not fun and mucho expensive.

I took a cab back from the store with my TV and got into a really sad conversation with the cab driver. He told me it would cost 35 shekels because I put the TV in the trunk. He claimed it was a moving fee and that it was standard.With a meter, it would have cost me 15 shekels to get home. He claimed it was a moving fee and that it was standard. BS. I told him that it was a bracha I didn't make Aliyah because Israelis can be pretty awful people looking to screw you anyway they can. He was offended and then asked if I came to that conclusion just because of the cab ride. I told him it was a culmination of situations but that I've learnt a lot since I got here. I can honestly say that I had this idealistic version in my head about Israel and it really is a fantasy. I still am a Zionist and love the country, but I can do without some of Her people. He said it's really hard to live in Israel. I said it didn't have to be so hard and that Israelis shouldn't wonder why people don't like them. He was silent, as if contemplating this for the first time. Then he said that the people of Israel are bad people, himself included. I told him before I came to this Country I was never ashamed of being Jewish and Israeli. I told him in America I was so proud of being Jewish and Israeli, and how I came to love my Israeli name and was honored by my heritage. Since I've been in Israel, however, I've been ashamed. There are so many people here I never want to be associated with, and the fact that we are all Jews is even worse. Jews screwing Jews. How terrible. And with Rosh Hashana less than a week away, you would think people would want to be different with the New Year coming. Nope. Doesn't matter to them at all.


And when we got to my apartment, he still charged me 35 shekels, even after the whole conversation. I wasn't expecting any less from him.

So that's really it for me. Nothing too exciting to write about today, just pretty mundane and boring activities. I have to pick up my cleaning, buy some supplies for my bathroom (like a toilet bowl brush because the workers in this apartment stained my toilet and it's gross) and hit the gym tonight for some lifting. It's so nice that the gym is now only 10 minutes away as opposed to 35 minutes away.

Miss you all!

Song of the day is I Will Survive by Cake, because it's a great remake of the original song!