Below are 20 journal entries, after skipping by the 20 most recent ones recorded in efratti's LiveJournal:

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Monday, June 23rd, 2008
2:52 pm	TEREM, more thoughts Thank you to loyal reader and Ma'aleh Adumim dweller, Almoni, for the links below regarding TEREM: http://www.terem.com/eng/aboutE.php http://jpost.decenturl.com/terem-jerusalem-post As indicated, the clinics provide full lab and radiologic services, and promise to discharge walk ins after two hours.  My general practitioner is at the family-based Terem in Katamon. A second thought: I have recently become a fan of "Scrubs", a hospital-based comedy.  Btw, as an Israeli viewer I'm at least two or more seasons behind the American viewers, so no spoilers please.  Anyway, in last night's episode there were two characters admitted, one who stepped on a rusty nail and one who was in a bar brawl.  If this were an Israeli (or Jerusalem-based?) drama, neither character would have been admitted to a hospital, b.c the cases qualify as urgent care without any need for hospitalization.  Hmmm...  What would American medical-related TV series look like if there were real health care reform? (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Sunday, June 22nd, 2008
3:15 pm	Blogging: Book Three As my blog entries become more infrequent, I've come to realize that I have entered a new phase of aliyah.  This is my third era, or if my blogs were published as a book, it would be Book Three. Book One is obviously the period in which I lived in Beit Canada, From Nation's Capital to Nation's Capital: Living in Government Housing. Book Two began when I moved seven months later to housing on the free market, my first days as the Azza Street Spy. If I had to put a date on it, Book Three officially began after I returned to Israel after spending Pesach in the US.  However, January to April was probably the transition period in which I was easing out of Book Two ready to begin Book Three. Recently, I've been pondering the reasons for my fewer blog entries.  The obvious, banal reasons might be true in a general sense, but they do not explain changes in my blogging: 1. Now that I am more situated in Israel, I am having fewer adventures.  Definitely, not true.  Sure, the conversion of my driver's license is behind me and I don't expect to live in government housing again, please God.  But, as I get more situated, I arguably have more adventures.  I am now more exposed to Israeli society, interact with more individuals and organizations, and Israel is not the place to move if you are looking for boring and tranquil. 2. "I'm more busy."  Well, of course, I'm busy.  But isn't everyone?  And, wasn't I busy when I posted more frequently?  Perhaps I am "more" busy now, but not enough to account for the difference. 3. The therapeutic value in writing blog entries is not as powerful as it was in my previous aliyah eras.  This, I believe is the real reason.  In my previous eras, composing and editing the blog entries provided me with a therapeutic benefit.  This is no longer really true, perhaps because I am feeling more comfortable and confident in my surroundings.  Even while the adventures keep coming, my skin is getting thicker and I don't need the blogs in order to reflect and ponder the greater meaning.  I've been sidestepping the "greater meaning" and the adventures, if you will, are becoming mundane.   Beginning in January, I hit a few milestones.  I was entering my fourth month as a full-time researcher.  I was beginning a semester at Touro college in which I committed to teaching two classes, and I accepted responsibility to manage my apartment building, or the Va'ad HaBayit, as it is called in Hebrew.  In addition, I had already started performing the role of Hebrew Book Club Coordinator.  Of course, simultaneous to these commitments I go to dance classes at least once a week, have a membership at the Jerusalem Cinemateque, and had a membership to that horrible gym that has since expired.  Social and spontaneous leisure activities also belong on this list. As I spread myself thinner and stop pondering the big issues, like "will I make it as a school psychologist in Israel? [answer: most likely not; definitely not, if I don't marry wealthy]" and "can I continue to afford market-value housing in Jerusalem? [answer: only if my landlady doesn't jack up the rent at the lease renewal; this one I've stopped pondering it out of denial]," I've been less inspired to write.  I need to ponder this one more.  Maybe there are other reasons as to why the therapeutic value is not as powerful.  Nonetheless, regardless of the reason, my motivation to publicly record my adventures while maintaining my busy and active lifestyle is diminished and manifests itself in my less frequent entries. This is unfortunate, as I think my adventures are stories of interest to myself and others.  Perhaps I need a new writing strategy or general blogging strategy. Comments welcome. ********************************** Get updates of my blog entries! Subscribe to efratti-subscribe@yahoogroups.com (2 Comments |Comment on this)
Saturday, June 21st, 2008
11:17 pm	A Consumer's Review of Jerusalem's Urgent Medical Care Center Intro When sick this past January, I waxed, waned and pondered the meaning of living in a society with socialized medicine and employers that require sick notes from doctors.  I can now add to this commentary as I spent some quality time this past weekend in an Urgent Care Clinic.  Spoiler alert: Despite feeling uncomfortably ill and distraught, it was a positive experience.  In light of the US presidential elections this November, I hope Americans can have an intelligent debate on health care reform.  While Israel's system has its own flaws, the Urgent Care Centers is one example of superior care.  Friday Afternoon, Not Too Exciting Late June in a Mediterranean climate is pretty hot.  This past week, it reached or exceeded 90 degrees every day in Jerusalem (one of the cooler Israeli micro-climates).  I spent the day running errands, armed with a bottle of water, and most likely not drinking enough.  I drank more when I came home, so in all likelihood I was not severely dehydrated.  Although, it is definitely possible that I was somewhat dehydrated. The delicate reader is advised to skip the following section and resume at the next one. Feeling Sick on Friday Night The moment I left the building of my Friday night dinner hosts, I instantly regretted that I did not ask them for one last drink before hitting the road.  I was feeling only slightly thirsty when leaving their home, but I had a half-hour walk ahead of me.  In the last 10 minutes of the journey, I began to feel nauseated.  Once I reached home, the nauseated sensation realized itself into a bona fide episode.  Fortunately, my festive shabbat clothes were unaffected.  It was pretty gross, but I was feeling better afterwards. But then, it started to get out of control.  I went to bed promptly, b.c I was exhausted by the hour and the physical exertion involved in such activities.  I woke up 15 minutes later for another episode that fortunately left my pajamas unharmed.  While I could not admire my dinner and its ingredients in the toilet bowl this time, it was still largely food-based.  Again, I returned to sleep, was already dozing, and within 10 minutes I was running back.  This is when I realized that the distance between my bed and toilet was a "high alert, concrete" risk and that three episodes in under 45 minutes was objectively concerning: My body did not seem capable of soothing itself and spontaneously recovering. In approximately two hours I had at least six distinct episodes.  The last ones involved heaving and florescent-colored bile.  Medical intervention definitely seemed warranted. TEREM: The Urgent Care Medical Center As indicated by my check-out form, I was admitted to TEREM, a Hebrew acronym for tipul refu'i mi'yadi, or Urgent Medical Care [Center], in the Romema neighborhood of Jerusalem at 3:55 am.  I was accompanied by two loyal escorts, sister and roommate.  The center recently relocated to a glamorous new office building across the street from its previous home.  The building was well-marked on the outside as housing TEREM and inside the signage directing one to the clinic was beyond adequate.  A good start. When I arrived there was no one in the waiting room, and I was seen by the admitting doctor seconds after checking in at the front desk with my HMO card.  My sister, one of my loyal escorts, claims that my horrible heaving down the hallway was audible to all and would have enabled me to beat out potential competition had there been any.  Perhaps.  Nonetheless, the zero-second wait was appreciated.  The admitting doctor asked me how I was doing, and I told him that I was about to die.  He persisted with more specific questions in order to elicit a more precise description of my symptoms.  After about three questions he diagnosed me as having a viral infection that has been "going around a lot lately" and the vomiting was causing me to be dehydrated.  I asked the doctor his name, b.c he did not introduce himself.  A nurse enters to takes my blood pressure and temperature.  She does not introduce herself or state the results aloud. The nurse brings me to the treatment room that adjoins the admitting room.  It has three beds that can be separated by curtains, although there are no patients in any of the beds.  When laying on the bed and a male enters with an I.V. bag and hook-up.  I ask him if he is a nurse or doctor, secretly hoping he is a nurse based on the assumption that a nurse can insert an IV bag more skillfully.  Alas, he is a doctor about to finish his studies in three months.  I ask him his name, as he also failed to introduce himself, and realize that he an Arab.  This realization prompts me to ask him in my state of near-death where he studied medicine.  In my own medical bias, a doctor of any race or ethnicity can treat me as long as she or he studied at a Western medical school (or passed qualifying exams in a Western country).  He learned "here" which means at the University Hospital in Ein Karem, Jerusalem.  It then clicks that the admitting doctor and nurse were also Arab. He inserts the IV expertly and within seconds I feel a warm rush in my right arm.  I send one of my loyal escorts to inquire about anti-nausea medicine as the all-too-familiar sensation returns with predictable results.  Such medicine is reportedly in my IV bag, and following this final episode there is no more florescent-colored bile outside of my body for the night.  There was most certainly a sedative in the IV bag as well, b.c I fall asleep seconds after the episode. At around 5 am the I.V. bag is drained and the drip in the tube is finished.  The doctor returns to tell me that I can go home and that he will send me home with medicine.  I cannot understand his verbal directions that accompany the medicine as they are too complex for my brain-dead state.  However, since it is shabbat, I cannot take a cab home (as I best understand it), and I am not feeling strong enough to brace the hour-long walk home.  So, I opt to roll over and sleep some more. (Note: According to my understanding of Jewish law, one can do whatever is needed to get medical treatment on shabbat, i.e., call a cab, ride in it, pay the driver, bring along escorts who are coherent and can protect the sick person's safety and welfare.  However, once the treatment is completed, the options are severely restricted.  If a reader with rabbinic authority or more knowledge on this topic cares to comment, I would appreciate it.) Check Out At 5:30 am my loyal escorts announced to me that they are going to walk home.  I nodded and fell back asleep.  At 7:30 I rolled over again, this time feeling a bit better and realizing that it may be my only possible window to go home.  I walked carrying my empty IV bag to the bathroom, passed an open window, and felt the current temperature to be low to mid-70s outside.  If I fell back asleep, which was another highly viable alternative, I would wake up after walking home would no longer be a reasonable option.  Armed with a 1.5 L bottle of water, I knew that if I didn't dash out right then, I might be committing myself to spending the entire day at the clinic.  Inspired by my epiphany and eager to be home, I requested from the nurse in the nurse's station to dislodge my IV.  I went to the desk to check out and negotiating in my state of semi-coherence, I was understanding that I had a week to pay my bill of 66 NIS (~$19.60).  I am not clear if this is a shabbat policy or standard payment policy.  I did not go home with any medicine.  I'm not sure if that's because I was without advocates at that point, or if the offer for medicine was only valid had I left 2.5 hours earlier. I walked home on the shady side of the street, drank half of my bottle of water, and under an hour later (i.e., 8:30 am) I was asleep in my own bed.  I slept the entire day until 6:00 pm with only brief interludes of awake-ness. Conclusions and Reflections Minor conclusions: **There was good signage for the clinic, including its name written next to the appropriate elevator button. **There is a concerted effort to have non-Jewish staff working in the clinics on Shabbat and holidays. **I did not like the way the doctors and nurse did not introduce themselves, wear gloves (including while inserting the IV), or tell me my BP and temp. The major conclusion: The idea of an urgent care clinic is brilliant.  The medical attention that I got was competent and efficient, warranted and legitimate, but not at hospital-care level.  In the clinic setting, I was the patient in most need and shabbat notwithstanding, I would have been appropriately discharged in approximately an hour.  In a hospital, I would be heaving in a waiting room as they first treat victims of car crashes and heart attacks.  Since I did not need intensive care (note: these clinics have x-ray services), there is no direct benefit by my being treated in that setting or need to be exposed to the germs of those patients.  Instead, I benefited from being admitted and treated by doctors who are used to seeing the aggressive viruses, patients in need of stitches, and kids who stick stuff up their noses.  The hospital-based doctor who treats car accident victims and others without limbs might think differently about my incessant vomiting than the clinic-based doctor. Summary The sorting mechanism created by having an urgent care center increases the quality and efficiency of patient care, clearly in the clinic and presumably in the hospitals, as well.  I would assume that by keeping the likes of me out of the hospital, those presenting with severe medical needs benefit from increased the quality and efficiency of care, too.   Therefore, I will rate my TEREM experience as a big thumbs up. (3 Comments |Comment on this)
Tuesday, May 13th, 2008
4:44 pm	Scrubbing My Streets Clean! Benefits from Bush's Visit Wow, my writing is getting more infrequent with the passage of time.  While some might think that the amount of aliyah-related adventures decrease with longevity, I'm not sure I would agree.  With more time and experiences, I am greeted by new government agencies and culture shocks at a standard pace.   In truth, my fewer postings are due to my butt getting kicked at work, or should I say, my butt getting kicked by virtue of having too many works.  Each one is going fine, but collectively it's all a little insane. My new goal: write shorter posts about minor episodes, rather than waiting for the energy and time to write the appropriate long-winded post about some 15-part, never-ending adventure. Last night while walking home from my gym (I still hate them and only go for their showers' excellent water pressure; I don't need them for their hot water, because we get great hot water in the sunny season through our solar heater), I saw city worker water-blasting my sidewalks!  President Bush arrives tomorrow and will be hanging out in my hood: the PM's residence around the corner, the President's residence two blocks away, and the King David Hotel two blocks the other way.  My sidewalk better be sparkling! This visit has less hype, perhaps because last week was festive and no one could be bothered with all of the preparations.  Or, maybe because Bush is not the focus of this trip, but rather he is coming to participate in a Presidents' conference.  Anyway, they are apparently allowing parking on my block this time (they did not tow my imaginary car last time, so I was going to leave it anyway), although buses are being routed off of my street.  I'm trading in my bus pass for my legs.  They should be able to take me everywhere. I'll be sure to let you know how the disruptions go when the visit is in progress! (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Sunday, April 13th, 2008
11:27 am	Visiting the Old Country Now that I am back at my parents house, I have having the surreal experience of having a vacation at home.  This never happened to me while I actually lived here.  Other than a long weekend or a day off, I was never on vacation while at home.  It was always work, errands, or other things.  This vacation-while-at-home is a bit disorienting. Fortunately, so far my visit has been replete with errands, but none at the pace of the weeks preceding this pre-vacation.  I renewed my Maryland driver's [to be finished later] (Comment on this)
Thursday, April 3rd, 2008
1:19 pm	Feeling Smart: Changes in My Flight Itinerary Who can believe that my trip to the US is so soon! I booked the place tickets seven months ago so that I could use my frequent flier miles for the peak season of Pesach.  Of course, my early timing did not enable me to get my first choice in flights.  I'm pretty skeptical that the Frankfurt to Tel Aviv connection that I wanted was full early September.  I'm figuring that this is the non-customer service they extend to people who pay with miles instead of money. While I resent the United FF for stealing earned miles from me, they have the obvious advantage of participating in the Star Alliance network.  I can earn and redeem miles and loads of useful airlines.  To get home I am flying Air Canada via Toronto to National Airport.  My return trip home is with Lufthansa and Austrian Air with stops in Frankfurt and Vienna.  (You can see that I did not get my first choice: three legs to get back.  Ugh.  And, note my double-usage of the word "home."  Note to all US and Israel dwellers, both places are my home.) Then I had an epiphany.  Maybe the flight information is no longer the same seven months later?  AC insisted there were no changes, other than making the flight a 1/2 hour earlier.  Excuse me, how is this not a change?  Making a flight earlier is always a more significant change that making it later.  My return flight from Washington is 50 minutes early.  A bit annoying, but also nice b.c it makes the connection in Frankfurt a little easier... Even though AC's customer service rep belittled my desire to double-check the info, I'm quite pleased with myself.  There are only so many things in one's control when flying; knowing one's accurate scheduled departure time can simplify things tremendously.   (Comment on this)
Wednesday, April 2nd, 2008
5:20 pm	Packing My Dancing Shoes! I fly to the US in less than a week!  Eeeks!  I'm supposed to have a final draft of my research project completed, grade finals, do basic Pesach cleaning, pack, do 1st of the month va'ad bayit (VB) business...  Where will I find the time? These 10,000 matters of business are placing a big mental block between me and my trip.  It doesn't feel as close as it really is.  But, last night I had an epiphany that made it feel closer.  Sorry for blogging so much about my dance studio drama.  Just appreciate that it's a better preoccupation than work or VB stress. Last night I went to my weekly modern dance class.  As I've mentioned oodles of times before, I don't enjoy dancing modern that much.  But, the class suits my purpose b.c we focus on exercises and series and do very little choreography.  For some reason, last night the teacher felt bad that we do so little choreography and devoted the last 40 minutes of class to the kombinatsiah (i.e., combination).  Not only did this not thrill me, but she is totally violating the unwritten rule of not continuing the same combination beyond three weeks.  We started this one in December, and while we don't dance it every week and she has not extended it much, it's really outlasted its welcome.   Two weeks ago we danced the combination in the last three minutes of class as a refresher.  I walked out b.c I didn't want to dance it and I was convinced that it was its last hurrah and I would never see it again.  Last night during the transition to choreography I made some comment, like "Can't we start a new one?" which offended her.  I did my best to be a good sport: I stayed as she reviewed the old sequences.  But once she started adding, it was all of the annoying steps that modern dancers do that I don't mind watching but really don't have the patience for myself.  (Jumping into a side lunge; leaping up into a semi-cartwheel, etc.  Can't we just be jazz dancers and stay on our feet?)  As a beginner's class, the students don't look too great, either... So, I went home.  It seemed weird to leave 20 minutes early, but it was after 9:30 pm and I had not been home in over 12 hours.  This is adult, amateur dancing; a voluntary hobby.  Once it gets boring and stops being fun, it's time to go home.  While walking home I thought to myself, I totally miss dancing at Joy of Motion.  Next thought: Next week I'll be there!  I get to take dance classes at the best studio ever! My nostalgia was satisfied with the knowledge that I will be in DC next week.  This trip could not be better scheduled to resolve my burst of homesickness.  (Comment on this)
Tuesday, April 1st, 2008
6:53 pm	Two Dramatic Banking Events This Week My loyalty and continued patronage of Bank HaDoar is meant to protect me from the general idiocy known as Israeli banks.  This week I was not nearly so lucky, and it's only Tuesday! Episode One A quarterly bank statement for the condo association (Va'ad HaBayit, VB) arrived in Sunday's mail.  This is the first statement to arrive since my assuming the post of Queen and Dictator.  [More details forthcoming...]  While I've been in this gig since mid-Jan and inherited some of the older statements, this is the first one with transactions that I transacted.  Irritatingly, the statement goes through mid-Feb.   Anyway, I'm scanning the statement and I notice that there is an 8 NIS (~$2.26 at 3.54) fee each time I swipe the ATM card to verify the balance of the account!!!  What?!?!?!?!  Since I am not one of the account holders, the bank tellers won't ever disclose to me the account balance.  However, I have an ATM card that is good for only checking the balance, i.e., no withdrawing funds or *real* activity.  Not that I check the account daily or anything, but as someone managing the money I do need to check occasionally how much is in there.   For example, when I first assumed the post I needed to know if we had enough money to order an oil delivery for heat.  Just last week, one of the delinquent residents who sold the apartment paid his outstanding balance.  He wanted a receipt verifying that he had resolved his debt.  A reasonable request that was executed after confirming that his money had actually reached the bank account. Really.  Is this such a valuable, expensive service?  They're not doing anything.  I'm just going to the ATM machine outside the regular branch to see how much money is in the account.  Jeez. The solution is either 1) take the money and run; find a better bank or 2) set up internet access so that I can monitor the account without the ATM card.   Flaws: 1) This ridiculous fee is most likely due to it being a commercial and not personal bank account.  Not sure if I can get a better deal with another bank.  And, closing the account can be a huge project that will run even more fees.  2) I inquired about setting up internet before.  They wouldn't really talk to me b.c I am not an account holder, but I was told that it's "complicated" to establish internet access to a shared account like this one.  Whatever. Episode Two On Monday morning the pay slip from my day job is in my box at work.  I look at it and realize that they forgot to pay me.  The pay slip was in the amount of ~60% of my regular monthly pay.  Egads!  What good is a paycheck if it doesn't involve money??  After reviewing the relatively incomprehensible pay stub, I conclude that they messed up the tax withholdings.  My very low withholdings due to being a new immigrant notwithstanding, they were taxing me as though I were making the millions.  The payroll person was out for the day, so the best I could do was email an inquiry. Mrs. Payroll replied to my email this morning, acknowledging that too many taxes were withheld and she corrected the error in the system.  I can get my money back with next month's paycheck or get an "advance" issued as a separate check.  Her word choice of "advance" amused me, as paying me my due salary on time is hardly an advance.  Moral: All paychecks should have real money in them.   Discussion This is a lot of money drama in under 24 hours.  But, more significantly, I started to understand the Israeli opposition to fabulous checking accounts like the one offered through Bank HaDoar.  While Americans can float themselves through credit card debt, here the credit cards are tied to the bank.  It's the bank who floats credit to its customers.   Since my bank is a post office and not a bank, there is no overdraft option, paying in installments, or other banking services.  While I might be convinced that I manage my money well and don't need bank loans for monthly transactions, it's really not all in my control.  One month I could get hit with bizarre, unexpected fees.  My employer could mess up and pay me 60% of my salary.  These are not major, anticipated events, like a new refrigerator or getting laid off.  Nothing special happened this month other than payroll making a stupid error.  And, on a more mundane level, paychecks do vary in their amount on a monthly basis, utilities payments are directly withdrawn from the account in variable sums, etc.  These mistakes could really catch someone off-guard and put their bank account in the red. So, I will be more open to the possibility that someone can need overdraft protection not out of laziness, poor planning, or overspending, but being a victim to Israeli money-wielding institutions.  Having a no-frills bank account is not without flaws.  Maybe one day I'll also need something with more service.  But, until then I plan to stay far away from Bank Non-Discount.  An 8 NIS fee is outrageous. (5 Comments |Comment on this)
Monday, March 31st, 2008
12:24 am	Daylight Savings Time, Hooray! I recently learned about the value of timely blog entries.  When procrastinating one evening, I did a google search using my blog name and much to my surprise I found that multiple entries of mine were linked to other blogs and sites!  I don't have a reader counter, I don't have ads, and I really have no idea how many hits my blog gets.  Seeing the links made to my blog made me realize that I have a broader audience than I previously thought, and not just b.c it was quoted in the newspaper.  My entries re: Bush's visit, the last one has still not been written :(, got the best coverage.  Some globally-oriented web sites that appeared to be connected, mined the English-language Israeli blogs for local commentary.  My entries were linked to English, Spanish, and Czech sites!  While the moral might be that posting about timely events will increase my readership, it has thus far not been effective in inspiring me to write frequent and timely posts. This entry, in praise of DST, was meant to be written a half-year ago, bashing Standard Time.  Historically, it had been an annual or bi-annual debate in the Israeli Knesset: when should they change the clocks.  The uncertainty and last minute-ness of the decision was harmful to Israeli businesses and citizens alike, impacting stuff like flying abroad, making connections at hubs, organizing one's work and personal life, etc.  In addition, having the same debate annually is also a royal waste of time and resources.  Just in time for my aliyah, the Knesset reached a standing agreement regarding when the clocks would change twice a year.  Unfortunately, I don't think they made the best choice. The move to DST is just fine.  The clocks "spring forward" the last Th night of March, when the days truly get longer.  It fits.  And, for all of the Israeli whining about starting and ending shabbat late in the summer, well it's just a bunch of whining.  Israel is both close enough to the equator and very East in its time zone, which minimizes the range of fluctuation in sunrises and sunsets across the seasons, and keeps both on the earlier side. I love the increased sunlight and we take advantage of it properly by changing our clocks at the right time. However, in exchange for changing the clocks at the *normal* time in the Spring based on the solar, secular calendar, the secularists caved to the religionists and agreed to move the clocks back in the Fall based on the lunar, religious calendar.  We "fall back" the Saturday night before Yom Kippur, in order so that the fast will be easier.  But, might I interject, the fast during Standard Time is not really any easier.  Fine, it might end an hour earlier in the evening.  But, it's still a 25 hour fast.  And, by being in Standard Time, the pre-fast meal is eaten around 3 pm.  How is that helpful?  You can get hungry before the night is even over!  So, I maintain that the fast is no easier by moving the clocks.  I'm really not clear who thinks that it is. And, the more compelling issue.  Other than this one day, it's really dumb to move the clocks back not based on the amount of sunlight.  This year is a Jewish leap year, which means that in Fall 2007 we changed the clocks too early.  It just doesn't make sense to sleep through sunlight in the morning, sweat mid-day b.c it's so hot outside, yet have the sun set before 5 pm.  It wastes energy and is so disorienting to have such short days when the weather is still hot.  However, due to the same leap year, moving the clocks back in Fall 2008 won't be too bad, since the change will happen when it makes sense according to the solar calendar.  I think this mutual "compromise" really needs to be reviewed.  Israelis spend a ton of money on energy for an extended period of time b.c a handful of religious people think their fast goes easier on Standard Time.  Last fall there were articles and editorials about how the timing of moving the clocks is expensive and foolish.  As one who does not actually find the fast easier, again eating dinner at 3 pm will just not last you for 25 hours, I share their dissent. So, welcome to Daylight Savings Time!  We've been waiting for you!  And, glad that we get to keep you around a little longer this annual cycle. (Comment on this)
Thursday, March 27th, 2008
3:25 am	Purim as a Three-Day Holiday Purim is classically a one-day holiday that precedes Passover by a month.  In short, it is a holiday based on the Scroll of Esther, which is read in the evening and morning of the holiday.  For those who are rusty on the holiday, reading the Book of Esther is recommended. Shushan Purim Jerusalem is a Holy City, and arguably a magnet for weirdos.  Lots of weird people show up here and kind of get stuck...  Anyway, it fits that Jerusalemites would be out of sync with the rest of the Jewish world and observe Purim on a one-day delay.  This is due to the Jews of Shushan, the Persian capital, observing Purim on one-day delay.  In recognition of the Jews of Shushan, residents and dwellers of cities that were walled during the Biblical era of Joshua observe Shushan Purim instead of regular Purim.  (All of this reminds me of Christopher Guest's hilarious mockumentary: Home for Purim.)  The list of walled cities includes Shushan (Tehran?), Jerusalem, and Jericho.  Judging by this list, you can see why J-m is the only contemporary place to observe Shushan Purim.  A walled city was an important city; perhaps a modern adaptation would be any capital city.  Hmmm... Maybe the residents of Washington, DC should observe Shushan Purim instead of regular Purim.  Purim Meshulash Since Purim fell on a Friday this year, Shushan Purim fell on Saturday.  This is problematic, as the ritual practices obligated on Purim can't be observed on Shabbat.  The solution: In utmost Talmudic style, Jerusalemites get a three-day holiday.  The Scroll of Esther is read on Thursday night and Friday morning; alms to the poor on Friday; prayers and Torah reading associated with Purim are recited on Shabbat, and mishloah manot (food gifts to friends) and the Purim feast are observed on Sunday.  Effectively, you get a diffused and fragmented holiday split over three days. A friend offered the suggestion that a three-day Purim is meant to give us a taste of the 120-day parties that Achasverosh threw.  If so, one more reason that I'm glad I didn't live back then.  Like I needed another reason. There is definitely something fun about three consecutive days of parties and festivities.  It's the Purim that never ends.  But, unlike other Diaspora holidays that involve three days (i.e., the first days of Passover this year), this one had a different thing going on each day.  The three-day holiday usually involves doing the same thing for three consecutive days.  But, Purim Meshulash is disorienting.  Instead of having the usual Purim feeling of packing it in, this time I kept feeling like I was forgetting something.  Who ever hears the megillah without saying al ha-nisim or hearing the Torah reading in the morning?  What about eating Purim seudah without saying al ha-nisim in the post-meal blessing?  On Friday night, I had a nightmare about messing up the charity for poor people.  (Rest assured: I did it right.) French Toast Brunch-Purim Seudah I was invited to a friend's seduah in the Old City.  However, a good friend wanted to co-host a second annual Purim Seudah Brunch with me.  Due to my apparent lack of activity, I agreed to co-host a brunch seudah that was scheduled to start at 10:30.  Over 20 friends came to enjoy French toast, pancakes with and without chocolate chips, bagels, etc.  Super yummy and very fun!  Looks like we're destined for a third annual next year. Summary While I had fun, I look forward to observing the one-day version next year and for the subsequent 12 years.  After experiencing the drawn-out, each day is different, three-day version, I look forward to the intense, fit it all in, action-packed Purim. (4 Comments |Comment on this)
Monday, March 10th, 2008
12:48 am	The Secret to Longevity Is... ...wearing dance shoes (i.e., jazz sneakers) to a wedding. I'm really not sure why it took me so long to figure this one out.  I've owned different pairs of dancing shoes for a number of years now: jazz slippers, ballet slippers, and tap shoes.  However, I never bought the jazz sneakers.  They are a more expensive shoe and were not appropriate for the dance classes I take. A few months back, someone was selling three pairs of jazz sneakers for next to nothing.  (Her feet grew from pregnancy and they didn't fit her anymore.)  Even though I still don't take dance classes that are suitable for those shoes (jazz, modern, and ballet; my tap days are on hold), I couldn't resist.  This woman wore the shoes folk dancing. I've already worn the jazz sneakers to three weddings.  You can stay on the dance floor the whole night, and your feet don't hurt or feel tired at all.  Much better than dress shoes (obviously), and still way better than gym shoes.  They look more elegant, and it is a better dancing shoes.  Hence, the name "dancing shoes." Too bad it took me this long to uncover the secret... And, mazal tov to Leah and Zev on a gorgeous wedding! (Comment on this)
Friday, March 7th, 2008
11:20 am	Another Publication: The Travails of Becoming an Israeli Psychologist If any one theme dominates this blog, it is the grueling and oppressive certification processes of becoming a recognized psychologist and PhD.  My ordeal is now getting a wider audience, as the psychology saga is published in today's HaAretz newspaper, AngloFile section!  About three weeks ago the AngloFile journalist contacted me for an interview.  I summarized the sequence of events that started with an application and ended in a license number only after major heartache, tears, and sweat.  When she asked me for contact information for additional psychologists, I offered to send her the relevant links in my blog that detail my experience further, e-mail addresses of two psychologists, and told her that an interview with the former Chief Educational Psychologist and current advocate for abused immigrants is absolutely critical.  Without his interview, her article would be incomplete.  Apparently, the Hero and Advocate of Oppressed Psychologists was abroad, as she followed my instructions, and perhaps others, and waited for him to return before the article would go to press. The link for the article is here (I still need someone to teach me how to do the elegant hyperlinks): http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/961797.html Note that the psychologist featured most prominently is the one I mentioned in my letter to the editor; she has already returned to Canada.  In the article's print edition, she has a profile shot. What is so great about this article is not just that I am quoted and get even more publicity than this blog affords me.  Nothing I said in the phone interview is quoted, presumably because my descriptions were merged with the similar experiences of other participants and are presented as an overview in the beginning of the article.  The coolest part is that mid-article she names me and then, get this: *quotes my blog!*  She quotes my wittier phrases as points of emphasis! So, loyal blog readers, you can say that you saw it first.  You don't have to wait for some journalist to decide that my blog is well-written, captivating, and has important episodes to recount.  (Thanks for indulging this last statement of self-promotion; I am just so tickled right now.) On a sadder note, we are praying for peaceful times for all of Israel, including those in the capital of our Homeland.  May HaShem avenge the blood of our innocent teenage boys. Shabbat shalom. (6 Comments |Comment on this)
Thursday, March 6th, 2008
12:34 pm	Institutionalized Procrastination There are all kinds of stereotypes about Israelis.  Among them are being informal, pushy, securing a spot in the checkout line at the grocery store, post office, etc. and then leaving the line in order to continue shopping while expecting the spot to be reserved, and procrastinating until the last minute.  As with all stereotypes, there is some legitimacy...  In anticipation (and excitement!) for my trip next month to the US for Pesach, the initial preparations are already underway.  This includes freezing my gym membership for the duration of the trip, putting a vacation hold on my newspaper delivery, and shopping for the requested "gifts" when the requests are made rather than waiting for the last days before I depart.  Effectively, I am experimenting to see if I can avoid the last minute crunch of excess errands.  This should not be such a tall order considering that I've had my plane tickets since September.  We'll see.   Amusingly, I booked my tickets seven months in advance in order to use frequent flier miles to get my first choice of flights.  No simple feat considering the peak season, as evidenced by the fact that I had to settle for second choice on the return journey.  Those jerks. Another item on the To Do Early List is ordering overseas health insurance.  I would like to just order it and be done with it, like the aforementioned items.  Before traveling to Budapest I nearly forgot, and ordered it the evening before a 5:30 am flight.  While I had success in obtaining my insurance at the last possible moment, I apparently cannot order it too early.  As the representative told me, insurance can only be ordered 21 days prior to departure date.  How funny that their computers can't find dates more than three weeks in advance.  Seems more absurd than Y2K.  I guess some stereotypes really are justified... (Comment on this)
Tuesday, March 4th, 2008
3:18 pm	Published Article, Hooray! Ages ago (Jan 2007?) I proclaimed my excitement about my manuscript being accepted for publication.  The Journal of Educational and Psychological Consultation is a premier journal in highly specialized area (semi-oxymoron): school psychologists interested in consultation topics.  They publish four issues a year and accepted the article that is based on my Master's thesis.  I am first author on a three-author article; my first to be published in a peer-review journal. The process takes ages.  I reviewed the proofs less than two months ago, indicating that the article would appear in the March 2008 issue.  As first author they are sending me three complimentary copies of the issue.  But, I also need to wait for them to reach Israel... Apparently, the issue has already been released.  This morning the publishing house sent me a secret link for authors so that I can view the article.  Looks good! (2 Comments |Comment on this)
Monday, March 3rd, 2008
3:12 pm	Pet Peeve: Non-Knockers Why can't people knock on the door to the bathroom stall before trying to open it???   I really don't get it.  If the door is open or slightly ajar, it is safe to assume that the bathroom is unoccupied and one can enter w.o any further checking.  But, if the door is completely closed, why not just knock?  Why turn the handle to realize that the occupant locked the door?  Or, possibly open the door on the occupant b.c the lock did not actually take? We can't use the stall simultaneously, there are others, and there are other bathrooms on other floors.  Leave me alone! I work in a white-collar office job where most individuals zoned for our bathrooms have at least a Master's Degree (which is a more significant indicator in Israel where fewer Master's degrees are awarded).  Why doesn't this translate into more bathroom manners? Harumph. (Comment on this)
Tuesday, February 26th, 2008
1:53 pm	The Trial: Epilogue The promised final entry: My PhD equivalency certificate arrived in the mail last week!  Not only do my blog entries testify that the process reached its end, I have it in print as well.  Whoo-hoo!  The 2.5 year ordeal is over!!  (Although we should still hope for the health and safety of the Killer of Zionist Dreams who signed the certificate that we never meet in person.)  Maybe this certificate should be framed alongside the real diploma... In summary, two major battles have been won: I am a licensed psychologist with a PhD.  My squatting, quacking days are over.  A final battle remains, that I may just blow off.  I would like to be recognized by the Board of Psychologists as having extensive education (they're not the ones who recognize the PhD; it's the other ones) and experience in the field.  We'll see how much energy I have left...   (1 Comment |Comment on this)
Monday, February 11th, 2008
3:29 pm	The Trial: Final Chapter While the authorization has yet to appear in print, I am confident that the final chapter in getting my PhD recognized is over.  When that letter arrives, I'll be sure to post an epilogue to this long and tortuous journey. On one of my sick days in January, I got a phone call from my beloved friends in Petah Tiqwa (PT).  The IT company that won the outsourcing bid to do the Ministry of Education's work (and seems to inexplicably run a car garage) was offering me a third meeting for my re-defense.  The date and time were acceptable to me and I was asked me to call to confirm after the actual letter arrives.  The invitation letter arrived within days, and, as requested, I called to re-confirm my attendance.  I mentioned to her that this is the final meeting that I will consent to and if it gets canceled, they must automatically grant me recognition of my degree.  She informed me that since I was traveling from the farthest point I was given the last slot of the day at 13:00, enabling her to give me adequate notice if something goes wrong.  She expected the meeting would take place as scheduled.  And so, my re-defense was scheduled for Monday, 4 Feb.  The day of week and time of day meant that I did not have to ruin my weekend like the last times.  Besides, I was too worn out to devote the weekend to prepping like the last rounds. The Big Day: Jam-Packed I started out my day by stalking a dentist, ~9:45 am. Tanget Question: Why, EB, were you stalking a dentist? Answer: I am not merely the Azza Street Spy.  I also run the Va'ad Bayit (~condo association) of my building!  A spy with power!  This is both proof that hell has frozen over and begs for its own lengthy blog entry.  Another time. Short version: As a renter whose lease expires in the end of August (read: desperation on the part of the apartment owners), I coordinate and manage building-related needs.  Despite the fact that the check book is in my possession, I do not have check signing authority.  The building's insurance policy is in need of renewal which requires a deposit-able check.  Duh.  Two of the three account holders who can sign the checks (including my landlady) are AWOL.  The dentist is the third account holder, and I successfully tracked her down and stalked her briefly.  My role requires paying people despite my lack of authority to pay people.  Not easy stuff. The dentist consented to sign all remaining checks in the checkbook.  Don't get excited, potential thieves.  The checks are not good for deposit w.o being stamped.  Also, please do not injure yourself while in my building until after I renew the insurance policy.  The dentist commented, "You know, it's not really a good idea for me to sign all of these checks while they're blank."  To which I replied, "there isn't that much money in the account to get cleaned out.  I would be more worried about someone getting injured and suing the building for 1 million NIS.  That is way more money than the account balance." Back to the Big Day I stalked the dentist whose clinic is conveniently located next door to my doctor's office.  Since I was feeling brutally ill on shabbat and had not yet fully recovered from my two-week illness, I scheduled a doctor's appointment for 10:15 am.  I reach the doctor early, b.c I did not expect their offices to be so close.  A bundle of nerves, I check out the bathroom and miss my turn with the doctor :(  I finally get my turn.  I ask her for a sick note for the whole day, which relieves me from taking vacation for this re-defense idiocy. Journey to Petah Tiqwa In front of the doctor's office is a bus stop where buses stop tand ride all the way to the Central Bus Station.  I wait and wait.  When my moving bus is nearly at the bus station, it occurs to me to call my friends in PT one last time.  After leaving a message for the secretary I usually talk to, I call the second number. Me: Hello.  This is EB.  Can you tell me if my meeting is really happening at 13:00 today? Woman: Of course it is.  Why are you calling us, weirdo. M: Don't call me a weirdo.  You guys are always canceling on me, and I don't want to leave the city until you can reassure me that my meeting is really happening.  W: I can double-check your meeting time.  Yes, it's still at 13:00.  M: Are you guys running on time? W:  I'm pretty sure. M: Well, I hope that I am, too.  Entering the bus station at 11:00 on a Monday was fairly uneventful.  Not like the Friday before when a near-fistfight broke out between two individuals who were among the disorganized mass of people trying to enter the bus station.  The near-altercation drew the attention of all of the security guards present, and they tended to the scuffle.  The disorganized mass grew larger and more disorganized as more people were arriving and no one was allowed entry into the bus station.  But, alas, this was Monday late morning. Since I had my practice run nearly three months before, I totally knew what to do.  I found the platform for the 400-Bnei Brak bus that is nowhere near the other platforms.  I told the driver where I wanted to get off, even though I knew where the stop was.  I re-read sections of my dissertation while on the bus, the first time since the aborted meeting the month before.  And, the handouts for the professors were prepared, also from the aborted session the month before.  It all went smoothly.  After traveling nearly the whole journey, I waited at a transfer bus stop to take me the final two stops.  I waited and waited.  Apparently, at 12:30 not too many buses come by.  Unfortunately, the short distance is not walkable, b.c I'm on a highway and the shoulder ends after the bus stop.  When the bus finally does come, the two-stop ride costs 4.5 NIS. Arrival After alighting, I go straight to the annex which adjoins the car shop, arriving at 12:59.  [Note: I pay more attention this time and see that the car shop is called a "lab."  Whatever.]  I would have liked to be early.  Oh well.  Except, that no one is there and I can't enter the building.  A worker appears, swiping his card to unlock the door.  He does not want to let me in and knows nothing of the re-defenses.  A second gentleman intervenes and informs me that the re-defenses were relocated to the main building diagonally across the street [where I first went on my first attempt].  So now I am late and this non-major change sets me seething, an outgrowth of my general hostility toward these buffoons.  Why didn't they tell me about the relocation, including the secretary who I spoke with two hours before?  I arrived at the main building, presented myself, and the secretary at the main desk verified me against her list.  "Leah Ben Efrat?"  Another nuisance: people who only know me through my National ID card are convinced that my first name is Leah and my last name is Ben Efrat.  Moral of the story: Do NOT put a middle name on your National ID card. She tells me to wait until someone can come down to escort me.  I ask her why no one told me about the change in the meeting's location, and she doesn't really know what I'm talking about.  I wait and wait.  The woman who I spoke to in the morning arrives and asks to look at my National ID card.  I ask her why no one could tell me that they changed the meeting location.  "No one called to notify you?  That is totally unacceptable."  "No kidding.  This meeting was confirmed twice and a third time today.  The location change was never mentioned." This is one of those high security corporate buildings where every worker wears a magnetic worker ID card around their neck and swipes to enter each suite.  The secretary escorts me into a room where two male professors are sitting.  One is bare-headed and bald and the second has a kippah and hair. Me: Excuse me.  I thought she was taking me to a waiting room.  I'm not ready to start now.  I have some personal business first. I dump all of my many bags and heavy coat and scarf (it was cold in J-m, but is nearly beach weather in PT).  I am escorted to the bathroom while she waits outside for me.  She then escorts me to the kitchenette where she serves me cold water from the cooler.  I'm feeling like a high risk visitor/prisoner who can't go anywhere independently.  The Actual Re-Defense At this point it's already 13:20.  According to the invitation letter, the meeting should last 45 minutes.  It's a late start and I'm the last one of the day, i.e., I am the barrier between the professors and their going home/ to their real jobs.  The secretary reads from some formal script: "This is EB who is presenting her dissertation.  Two professors [names them] are presiding over this meeting.  It is being taped for posterity."  She leaves the room and we begin. Prof #1: We've already read your work and there is no need for this to take very long.  Let's be efficient about this and get out of here.  First, please tell us about your educational history. Me: <blah, blah, blah> Prof #2: Please summarize your dissertation for us. Me: Well, I have these handouts prepared [that I made for previous talks, dear readers; do not get too excited]. Prof #1: No need.  Just give us a general summary. Me: <blah, blah, blah>  Brief, clarifying questions are interspersed.  Prof #2: So, tell us how your dissertation can contribute to the field in Israel. Everyone knows that this is a wrap-up question.  I've been sitting with these gentlemen for barely 10 minutes.  As I'm winding down with the answer to his question, the door opens.  I'm surprised that anyone is entering, especially without knocking.  I recognize one individual as my favorite clerk from the Ministry of Education who I haven't seen in nearly two years.  I figure that the second person is his colleague or boss. I'm so excited to see this clerk, my face lights up.  Forgetting that the tape is running, I address him.  How are you?  What's new?  I explain to the professors that we bonded over my 100s of visits to the office and he permitted me to submit papers outside the regular public receiving hours.  As I said, I forgot the tape was running.  And, I hope the other person was not his boss. While I was nearly done answering the final question.  Their entrance brought the whole thing to its abrupt end.  I suppose they needed to collect the papers from all of the day's meetings and review their decisions. Prof #1: We are very impressed with your work.  Please go home. Prof #2: May you have continued success in your integration into Israeli society. Me: Thanks.  Feel free to offer me a position at your respective universities.  (Side note: I am so disgusted by all of the strikes in the university system, I'm not really sure that such positions interest me.)  What happens next? Favorite clerk: You'll get a formal letter in the mail.  But, it's just a formality (i.e., you passed). Summary So that was it.  My anti-climactic  dissertation re-defense that lasted less than 15 minutes.  The results are favorable, so who can complain?  But, the two journies out there, plus the eight months when I had to visit the J-m office submitting obscure and absurd forms each time were cumulatively expensive and taxing. As previously noted, the whole experience is just window dressing and for the purpose of closure.  The M of Ed clerks and secretaries from the outsourced High Tech company keep telling me that after I pass I'll get a retroactive pay raise.  Unless if these folks are the ones giving out the bonus, there is no extra money coming from my employers.  Everything connected to the re-defense process has been declared irrelevant and obsolete, and my former and current employers did not attach any decisions or salary wages to this process.  This includes the municipal government that required the process and the Ministry of Absorption that funds my salary on the assumption that I have a valid PhD.  The two public agencies that are supposed to care don't. Presumably, my passing was a foregone conclusion and they did not want to belabor the point.  I'm sure my being the last one of the day was not irrelevant as per the meeting's brevity.  When reading the paper in advance they of course realized that it matches/surpasses PhDs at Israeli universities and they verified to their satisfaction that I did the work instead of buying it.  I'm sure they also recognized the gravity of rejecting a graduate from a U.S. Research I university.  They belong to the academic community and know that such decisions would really harm them.  Besides, if I did fail I would sue them.   En route home, the local two-stop bus ride costs me 5.3 NIS.  Huh??  I rode the second half of my round trip on the inter-city bus, and I went to jazz dance class that evening.  As an internationally-recognized doctor, I have completed a major aliyah milestone that should definitely not have been this hard.  The formal letter has not yet arrived, but the ordeal is over as far as I'm concerned. Good night and a good week. **************************************** Get updates of my blog entries! Subscribe to efratti-subscribe@yahoogroups.com (2 Comments |Comment on this)
Monday, January 21st, 2008
12:06 pm	At Home, Sick Being at home sick really stinks.  Thank God, I have fairly limited experience being sick (max once a year, and I get to skip some years).  This also means that even though I've been living in Israel for more than two years, I have no real experience being sick while being so remote from my parents.  I am used to living near my parents (local college dorms or downtown DC), and being rescued by my mom when I become sick.  Having her so far away stinks even more than being sick.  I suppose I was starting to get sick on shabbat, when I slept for basically 18 hours, being awake for meals only.  I chalked it up to being sleep deprived, esp b.c I did not get my usual restful Th night the night before.  (Remember: Here Th night is the American Sat night and Fri is supposed to be the American Sunday.  Except that it's not.)  After all this sleep I started feeling even worst on Sat night: My throat and body were sore.  On Sun I woke up with the same crummy feeling. While lying in bed Sun a.m. not feeling well I was faced with a dilemma: Do I sleep one more hour and show up late to work but better rested?  Or, do I dash off to the doctor while they still have walk-in visits, get a throat culture, and get a sick note for the day? I opted for the doctor's visit, reached the office at 8:55, and was seen at 9:25.  (Walk-ins are from 8-9, and I don't know how strict they are about appearing after 9.)  I walk out of the office having given a throat culture, with a prescription for penicillin that I'm only supposed to fill if the results come back positive, and a sick note excusing me from two days of work, Sun and Mon.  En route home, I bought throat lozenges and expensive OJ.  Then I thought, "Man, I'm such a wimp.  I'm just under the weather, not really sick.  Let me spend the day running errands."  Of course getting my long overdue haircut is probably a bad idea, although no one would know that I did not do it before the weekend.  I bring two items of clothing to the tailor, three minutes from my house, and then change my mind.  Capitalizing on my sick note by acknowledging that I may really be sick seems to be a better idea.  I retire to my bed where I effectively sleep the whole day, waking up at intervals, feeling worst each time.  Eight hours later I have high fever, feel miserable, and was awake for about only one hour since my decision to act like a sick person. Today, Mon morning, I was faced with yesterday's dilemma, again.  I wake up feeling under the weather but not horrible.  Do I take advantage of the second day of my sick note?  Or, go into work?  After checking with a loyal friend, she affirms that using the second day of the sick note and recovering is in fact a good idea and does not make me a wimp.  So now I am home for a second, consecutive day with enough brain power to post a mediocre blog entry.  Two major themes emerge from this experience. Urban Living Rocks The doctor's office is less than a 15 min walk from my house.  If I were deathly ill, I would cab.  But, when I'm only slightly sick, I can get there on foot with limited effort.  The mom and pop pharmacy is 5 min from the dr's office, in the direction of my house.  While I could have gone to the grocery store and bought the expensive OJ for less money, I pass a mini-mart between the pharmacy and my place.  The tailor is between the mini-mart and my place, less than a 5-min walk.  While being sick is pretty rough, urban living makes it more manageable.  I really have everything I need within a 15 min walk. (I am still undecided whether I will go to a Tu B'Shvat Seder tonight.  It is being held at a shul only 10 min from my house, which could enable me to turn around right away and go home if I decide it's a mistake.  Another example of quality urban living.) Feeling Sick vs. Going to Work How sick does one need to feel to take the day off from work?  While walking to the doctor I thought to myself, "I'm only going to the doctor b.c I have an office job and there are no major deadlines right now.  If I were still working for the school system, I would definitely be going in today."  School-based work involves too much pressure, too many deadlines, and as a school psychologist I was visiting each school site once a week.  Ergo, missing a day is like missing a week, because all canceled meetings can't be rescheduled until the next week.  Due to the high cost of missing a day, the threshold of how sick one needs to feel to miss work is also raised. In addition, when I worked for the school system in the US, I recall getting way fewer sick days.  Assuming I got one sick day a month, (can someone correct me on this?), taking two consecutive days is pretty risky.  One day is borrowed from a different month, and what happens if you need it at a later date?  I recall during the 04-05 school year having used up all of my sick days for the school year by March, despite that I was never actually sick.  Between a dental emergency, necessary doctor appointments, and used sick days b.c the grievance policy did not allow me to take off following the death of my grandparents (I was only entitled to the day of the funeral), they went pretty fast.  The three vacation days also went pretty fast since I used those as grievance days, too.  (We only got three vacation days, b.c we were supposed to take our vacation during the summer.)  Following the death of my paternal grandmother in March, I had to take Leave Without Pay.  Good thing I never got sick for real...  (To the best of my knowledge, there are loopholes for those who are really sick.  If one is sick for the period of a week along with a doctor's note they do not have to lose pay.  If one participates in the sick bank and is sick for a period of some months, they also can continue to get paid.  But these loopholes only apply to people who are really sick.  If you get a standard 24-hour to three-day virus, you're out of luck.)  In Israel, sick days require the verification of a doctor's note, while in the US they are self-declared by the employee.  While the Israeli requirement of a doctor's note might seem a bit juvenile, they are at risk of being abused due to the large number available.  In the US, even if one were faking their sick days, they can't be abused b.c they are too few in number.  Ultimately, if one is sick going to the doctor is not a bad idea.  In the circumstance that one is feeling under the weather and does not have the energy or interest in going to the doctor, a doctor who has a pre-existing relationship with the patient will usually write a note without insisting on seeing the patient. While the sick package in the US encourages employees to be stingy w. their sick days, and go into work while feeling somewhat but not horribly ill, the sick package in Israel is much more generous.  I don't even remember how many sick days there are, b.c no reasonably healthy person would come close to using them up.  Overall, I think the Israeli package is much more sympathetic to employees' health.  Had I gone into work yesterday, I probably would have lasted an hour before going home due to feeling completely miserable.  If I had been forced me to go to work today, I would have gone in.  But, who really benefits from that?  Isn't it better to take another day to recover and feel healthy tomorrow? Perhaps I really am a wimp and I'm merely rationalizing my new, coddling approach toward my health in response to the generous sick package I get at work.  Or, maybe I've become smarter and healthier, b.c I do not feel undue pressure to report into work when I am not well. p.s. It still stinks being sick so far away from my mother. ********************************************** Get updates of my blog entries! Subscribe to efratti-subscribe@yahoogroups.com (4 Comments |Comment on this)
Wednesday, January 9th, 2008
12:45 pm	Bush's Visit: Day 0.5 Today is really Day 1 of Bush's visit, but this posting is about his pre-arrival.  Hence, day 0.5.  This city is totally paralyzed.  All of the cops, national traffic police, and other branches of security are in my general neighborhood.  I really hope there are no incidents of domestic violence or car accidents that require police attention; those victims will be totally out of luck.  In preparation for all of the insanity, I programmed the PM's Head of Security's cellphone number into my cellphone.  Hoping I won't actually need to call him...    While Israelis are protesting all kinds of causes in honor of Bush's visit, e.g., a united J-m, continued building in the settlements, releasing Jonathon Pollard, I am waging a campaign on behalf of DC voting rights.  As promised, I am wearing my DC Taxation Without Representation t-shirt [over more appropriate work clothing].  I am faily certain that I am the only individual promoting this cause, making it somewhat lonely and quiet.  Nonetheless, one of the more than 100 security forces I passed when walking to work this morning [the buses are being canceled and re-routed] seemed to take an interest in my t-shirt. Two thoughts: En route to work, I waited at the intersection near the Israel Museum while a very long motorcade was turning left.  Everyone was in this long motorcade that took at least two light cycles to get through: J-m cops, national traffic police, horses in the attached pick-up, Hummers from the US consulate, and get this: limos with DC license plates!  Those vehicles are never in this city.  The US foreign service vehicles have the same white international license plates that all embassies, UN workers and foreign organizations get.  After a quick second of nostalgia, I identified that these are not the DC tags that I miss.  The top of the plate said "Washington, DC" but the botton had the DC government's website.  Where is my "taxation without representation" logo?  I remember federal government vehicles having the same city tags that everyone else did.  Is Bush so anti-DC voting rights that he altered the tags to something more "neutral?" Anyway, there I am standing at the intersection proudly wearing my DC voting rights t-shirt and horrified to see the DC cars going past with the altered license plates.  What an odd reversal. [Sidebar: I couldn't figure out why the motorcade was turning left at the intersection, away from the government buildings.  I read in the paper that he was flying via helicopter to J-m from the airport.  They made a special helipad for his landing at Hebrew U's Givat Ram campus, which is next to my office and near the Prime Minister's offices.  Feeling surrounded.] Second thought: All of the security is kind of making me feel like I'm in Iraq's green zone.  How exactly is Bush promoting peace and negotiations when he requires all of this security?  I debated with a friend if the extreme security is justified or not.  She thinks it is b.c the city's offices and residential areas are enmeshed and the streets are windy and convulated; there is no way to guarantee the safety of a target w.o making the area "sterile."  Nonetheless, the extreme levels of security belie the content of his message: that we can divide the city into two capitals and peaceably co-exist with our neighbors as a sovereign entity.   I will be sure to report more after the actual visit gets underway. (2 Comments |Comment on this)
Monday, January 7th, 2008
2:29 pm	Presidential Visit Everyone is starting to panic in anticipation of Bush's arrival Wed.  This is primarily b.c they are shutting the city down while he is here: no parking allowed on many major streets (as though there is a natural abundance of parking spaces), restricted pedestrian access on a number of streets, mine included, and major streets and through-ways being closed to traffic for hours at a time.  It's worst than Washingtonians preparing for snow.  I'll wait til the visit is over to pass judgment on the whole event.  In the meantime, some thoughts: **Bush is here to promote democracy and move the peace process along.  If he supports a two-state solution with E J-m as the Palestinian's capital, what is his position re: the residents of the new capital's voting rights?   While I do not support dividing the city, I definitely don't support Palestinians getting voting rights in their capital before the residents of Washington, DC.  Bush can start his democracy kick by promoting it in his own country.  What about the ~600,000 residents who pay taxes and join the military, yet have no voting federal representation?  I'm sure Bush would not go to all of this trouble so that the Palestinians can merely achieve identical rights to those of the residents of the capital of the "best democracy of the world." Solution: Wear my DC "Taxation Without Representation" t-shirt during his visit.   (Link to the advocacy site promoting DC representation and a summary of the pending legislation to give DC residents a voting member of Congress.  Statehood is only one option; there are others.  www.dcvote.org) **Bush's visit involves meetings with the Palestinians in Ramallah.  The days he has meetings in J-m, he's sleeping at the King David hotel, not far from my or the Prime Minister's home.  Does that mean he's sleeping in Ramallah the nights of his meetings there?  Of course not!   It always kind of cracks me up that journalists, diplomats, aid workers, and others who work with the local Arab population find refuge on the Jewish side in the evenings.  When their workday is over, they want the safety and comfort of a Jewish, Israeli environment.  Just like Bush is coming back to middle-class, Western society when his meeting is over, so do all of the others.  Only US Foreign Service who work in the E J-m consulate insist on finding housing in E J-m.  Lucky for them, they don't recognize Israel's post-67 borders.  So their consulate workers can live in places like French Hill and Talpiot b.c they consider it Arab.  Good loophole.  Otherwise, which American is willingly going to find lodging in Ramallah or real E. J-m when there is a developed society right next door? **I'm really displeased with the PM's security.  They've come to my apt twice while I've been home to collect info on the residents, wander through our entrance and stairs, and I even reported two episodes to them.  Where's the reciprocity?  In anticipation of the city's paralysis, including restricting pedestrian access on my block, all of my information is from newspapers and the police's website distributed on work email.  Why don't they hang up a sign?  Inform us?  Demonstrate some cooperation and reciprocity by providing information, not merely taking it? Solution: This evening I'll go visit the guys on duty to ensure that I have unfettered access to my home.  Or, they can provide me with a hotel room.  Either way, I am retiring from my officially-sanctioned position as a spy.  Our working relationship is over, and I'm going back to being the underground spy. Which is so much more fun. p.s., At least they are doing a better job of cleaning my street.  It might even be clean for once.  Perhaps this visit is not without its advantages. **************************** Get updates of my blog entries!  Subscribe to efratti-subscribe@yahoogroups.com (5 Comments |Comment on this)