20 ways to know you are in Israel

1) There are cats everywhere
2) You want to go to the bank during the day, but it’s closed from 1pm and is not going to re-open, because it’s Wednesday.
3) Instant coffee does not mean soluble
4) Instant coffee is on the menu in coffee shops
5) Everyone tells you that you have to contact the Ministry of absorption as soon as you arrive, so you contact them and they say to you, ‘What are you doing here?’
6) You go on a hike and the tour guide starts without you.
7) The taxi driver says he will drive you for free if you go to the beach with him.
8) Humous is served with every meal.
9) Everyone speaks Hebrew around you, and when you speak Hebrew to them they answer you in English or Russian (Am I really that pale?).
10) No one can answer a direct question directly
11) Everyone that you meet invites you for Shabbat
12) Translations from Hebrew to English include genius such as ‘Buy genes here’
13) You can stand in the old city and hear church bells, the muezzin calling, and prayers at the kotel all at the same time.
14) Everyone thinks your cool because you are Australian and you ride a kangaroo to school
15) Everyone thinks your crazy to move here from Australia and says ‘to visit Australia that is my dream…you know there are a lot of Israeli’s there’
16) Everyone is wearing their mobile phones around their neck including geriatrics and beggars.
17) People wear socks with Naot
18) Everyone smells
19) What took you 15 mins to do in Sydney, took 6 hours, 25 pieces of paper, 8 signatures from different people and a lot of running around. Of course you have no idea what is written on the pieces of paper, but your signature is also on all of them.
20) Your street is named after someone who fought with their lives so you could walk down it, and it feels pretty awesome.

Gila's Big Adventure

So this is a story all about how, I ended up on Kensington High St on Tuesday Afternoon. Whilst at Sydney airport on Monday Afternoon, I was informed that my plane would be delayed by two hours and hence I would miss my connecting flight to Israel in Bangkok, so they are going to send me to London. I thought: cool extra frequent flyer points (I really should have found my frequesnt flyer card before I left).

This meant that I would be travelling an extra day, and I would have enough time in London to meet one of my friends for coffee, browse in TOP SHOP and GAP but not enough time to visit the TATE Modern.

However, I arrived in Israel, too late to get to the key to the apartment I am meant to be staying in, so I checked into a hotel instead at 1am on weds morning, I am now enjoying the wireless internet at the hotel.

Note: Did anyone else notice that Thai security people are a bit perverted? Whilst going through a securtiy check in Bangkok, I walked through the dooby thing and it didn't beep, I went to collect my bag off the belt, and next thing I know someone is lifting up my skirt...apparently they are not familiar with Australian fashion and my only conclusion is that they thought I was hiding drugs or something, underneath a part of my skirt that was bunched together, so just don't wear anything too funky, next time you go to Thailand, if you don't want them to display your legs to the world.

Hmmmm I wonder how my court case went on Monday morning, that I was too busy to attend as it clashed with my facial. Can anyone find out how that went for me? It would be cool to know if I am can drive legally in NSW.

Guess I should go and start my life in Israel now. Will post my photos from the farewell up soon.