23 August 2006

Everything is going a lot smoother than originally expected. Perhaps a bit too smoothly, but that could be my East Coast neurosis/Jerusalemite superstition.

Apartment: As I last reported, I was going to check out another apartment after the scare that was the Monk's Cell. It's located in a quiet neighborhood called Rechavia, seconds away from cafes and the Israeli equivalent of NYC bodegas. It's on the second floor with two rooms (one containing a mini-kitchen), a lofted space for a bed, bathroom (duh), and a balcony big enough for two people to sit across from one another. The floor is imitation wood paneling (parquet), and the pervious tenant had the place looking like a stereotypical Alpine farmhouse. Not my taste, but it made the place look very warm and inviting. The wood paneling also reminded me of home in DC, so definitely another plus. In the end I decided to take it, even with all my pre-emptive self-persuasion.
The family who owns the apartment is incredibly patient and, for being landlords, nice. The son sat down with me to make sure I understood the contract, even willing to translate it for me if needed (No thanks, I told him). What amazed me even more was that the original asking price was the price written in the contract: all the other places I contemplated taking had considerably upped their price. No need to haggle, the sticker price was the final price.

Bank: Opening an account at a branch nearby my new apartment was incredibly easy. Again, perhaps too easy. For being in an upscale neighborhood, the interior doesn't look like it fits. Granted, they're doing renovations on the place, which became abundantly clear when the occasional sound of something blunt crashing made all the tellers jump from their seats. "Shiputzim (Renovations)," my clerk told me, perhaps trying to reassure the two of us.
I've never signed my name more times on a single piece of paper (I think I counted a total of 25 signatures, most likely more), and more importantly I increased my spending limit before making any deposits. I'm not going to explain the absurdity of the Israeli banking system, plenty of other jangled immigrants have written about it.

Cellphone: TBA

It is hotter than average throughout the country. Because Jerusalem is up in the mountains, it's usually 20 degrees F cooler in the evening – definitely not the case last night. I'm spending as much time inside as possible, allowing me to catch up on one of the best past-times around – Israeli TV. I explain it to others as Telemundo in Hebrew – a combination of telenovelas (Pick your language: Hebrew, Arabic, Spanish, Portuguese, English), less artsy commercials that are even more entertaining (think ads for Fanta Grapefruit and Melon sodas next to Police warnings to stay away from unexploded ordnance in the North) and this one low grade, Japanese anime-looking woman who promotes every product possible, some times being shown in several back-to-back commercials (she's been bought out by so many companies, I want to treat her to a free STD test out of pity).

Hopefully I'll get an appointment with the Absorption Ministry this afternoon or tomorrow, as I have to start getting ready for school. After being scared by my admissions advisor that registration for the fall begins today, I called my department who calmly told me that MA students don't register until next month and that she'd send all the info regarding my departmental advisor and how to create a schedule. Whew! Nice to know that the different offices talk with one another. NYU was good practice for what I'm inevitably up against here.

One last note: Even though I haven't started school (and eventually a job) yet, I'm enjoying how much slower the day seemingly goes by here. The last time I wrote was two days ago, which seems like last week. Space here stays the same (and with the help of international pressure, it gets smaller by the day), but time stretches out like the teeth-pulling saltwater taffy from the East Coast. That is, unless you bump into another American who's so strung out they could use a few hours in the sun to get calm (and color).