It's just so typical

In the shared taxi on the way from the airport into Jerusalem at 3am after a 39 hour journey from the other side of the earth, there is haggling with the driver and I have to direct him around Jerusalem to drop the other passengers off and he gets pissed off with me because I drove him around in a circle as I couldn’t quite remember exactly where one place was, nevermind that it was night and I was very out of it…

Also in the taxi I met this cool guy from Minnesota who works at the community radio station there, and we sat there listening to each other’s iPOD’s which was really cool, and now I am an expert on underground music in Minnesota.

After a frustrating 9 months looking for employment, I started work last Sunday, I hadn’t even met my employer. It was all done via a friend of a friend…It’s all about who you know and not what you know…as it goes. At this place of employment I need to be approved by the Rabbi that I am not going to offend the ‘Kedushat HaMakom’,(holiness of the place) not sure exactly how you determine that, or if my degree covers that.

Walking down ‘the strip’ otherwise known as Emek, bumping into friends, ex-boyfriends that deserve to be castrated and making new friends.

Desperately seeking an apartment so I can sing Ben Kweller’s song and mean it.

People welcome me ‘back home’ and I really feel it for the first time, now that I am working in my profession, which I am so thankful for, it is so good to be working and contributing to society in a way that makes a real difference to people. Also after studying and working to save money in Australia in order to get to this point, the 5 year plan that I used to talk about seems to be coming to fruition, despite a few glitches along the way….I made it….and it feels so amazing, I had to buy myself a present, spoiling myself is such a good pastime.

I walked into a second hand bookshop to see if they had a book that I had been looking for. I requested it in Hebrew and the woman behind the counter answered me in English saying "Why don't you write it yourself? You're not the first person to ask for it dear, and it doesn't exist in Enlgish, so You should do the research and write it yourself"'. I stood in shock for a little while and then sort of turned around to leave and she adds as I am opening the door to get make a get away, "When you are ready for it in Hebrew then let me know"....It's just so typically frustrating...clenching my teeth I turned around to go and get it in Hebrew, which is what I orginally asked for....nevermind that she was wrong and it doesn't exist in Hebrew either.

That and Hamas winning a 'democratic' election made my week.