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Published: March 4th 2007
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Purim in the Mercaz
They had this really big Purim party while I was at work. But this is the entrance made by the little kids that live here. So I almost died last night. And not from gunshots or rockets. From the highway. Trying to get to the bar. For real.
This all innocently started out as an fun trip to the Temple Bar, in Cinema City, which is a healthy 1/2 hour bus ride for
me to get to anyways. The last time I went, it happened to be in a car, so I didn't have to experience the highway of death before. I saw the highway in all it's glory from the relative safety of my friends car.
I say "relatively" because if you think that New York and New Jersey drivers are bad, I invite you to come driving or riding in Israel.
100mph is about the norm.
The "oh shit handle" becomes your friend (if it even exists) or you just try to calmly sit and watch everything go past you in a very fast blur. Let's not even mention parking. I've even been on a bus that comes to a screeching halt at a red light. It's not pretty.
But the funny thing is...they all know they suck at driving and readily admit it. They don't make any
Itai's Face Painting
Here is my savior Itai with his manly face paint! excuses for themselves, they just say they're horrible drivers, accept it and own it. It's hilarious!
But back to dying. So my lovely bus driver Arik (he happened to be really friendly and I
thought looking out for my welfare...) asked me if I wanted to get off the bus stop before or after Cinema city as there was no direct stop itself. I said before, thinking it would be closer...he said to take the later stop because it would be a shorter walk. I
smiled, said "toda raba"
(thank you very much!) and got ready to get my drink on.
So the bus stop comes, he waves for me to get off there and says "Have fun and be careful!" Still thinking what an awesome bus driver I have, I get off and...actually
look out at where I am now. I'm smack dab on the side of the highway!
Now I'm thinking, ok it's not such a long walk, I could actually see Cinema City, but then I stop, thinking
"How the hell am I supposed to get there from this highway?"
And that my dear friends is where all the fun started....
Well logically I tried to follow the sidewalk that
Itan and I
I got my face painted too! Itan tried to tell me it was a penis she painted on my face.
Liar!! was provided to me. That ended in me actually up on the highway itself with cars whizzing past me, blowing hair in my face. So I turned around since I saw a sidewalk on the opposite side of the highway. This would require me to actually
CROSS the highway. 4 lanes, running both ways, not to mention the other 4 lanes coming down to join the previous 8. I nearly had a minor coronary just thinking of what I had to do.
So after praying to G-d and running for my life, thinking today was the day I might die, I made it across! And what do I see???
The fucking sidewalk ended on this side too! I quite literally just risked life and limb to get to yet another sidewalk that ended. So then another bright idea entered my head. I saw this hill that led up to a barbed wire wall, and it looked like there was an opening at the end of it. So here I am climbing up a dirt hill in my nice clothes and shoes and basically humping it along this wall while cars, semi-trucks and who knows what else is
Dublin Pub in Jerusalem
For those of you who say I'm never in any photos...
Inbal, Shay, Me, Yaniv, and I can't pronounce his name... going past me. I must have looked like some refugee trying to escape prison along this cement wall with barbed wire all up top.
And....it never had an entrance and I ended up at you guessed it.
The highway once more.
Now at this point,
I really needed a drink. This was quite possibly, the most effort I have
EVER put into getting an alcoholic beverage. EVER.
So what does any self-respecting girl do when she's stuck somewhere? She picks up her cell phone, calls her friend and tells him to come get her.
And that my lovely readers is how Itai and Itan came and got me from the side of the highway. 😊
About 3 or 4 very strong drinks later, we were laughing it up like nothing had ever happened, had our faces painted for Purim and Itan (my new buddy) even gave me a ride back to Ra'anana like the good Israeli he is! It ended up being the best night I've had here in Israel so far.
So besides that long story....I also found myself in Jerusalem on Friday night at Dublin Irish Pub
Snow?
It was a slice of the Poconos.
Randomly in the middle of Ra'anana, actual REAL snow. with my 3 new friends and Yaniv. Good times. What is it with the Israelis and their Irish pubs??
Oh and they randomly brought in some snow into Ra'anana for the Purim parade. I was walking with Ben to his job and low and behold...there's some snow.
So what do I do?? Oh you got it...I get giddy and run towards it like a 2 year old. Made me feel like I was back in the Poconos for a second. It was nice.
Cue the song: "Memories....Sweet, Sweet Memories" I have my interview with the fire chief of Juda and Samaria tomorrow at the canyon
(mall) Irim tomorrow, and I'm so excited I could pee my pants. Well....not really, but you get the idea.
Ok I'm off to eat my yogurt which is so strawberry tasting, I could eat the actual strawberry bush itself and get the same effect this yogurt is giving me. Sheesh.
Boker tov!
(Good morning!)
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julie
non-member comment
havent met you...
jessi, i came around your blog, while searching about medical ulpanim. and then i realized you also live at the merkaz klitah in raanana. me too, and i havent see you around. my name is julie. i havent been out too much, since i was studying like craaaazy for the medical license exam, which took place tow weeks ago. maybe ill meet you tomorrow in the ulpan. just wanted to say that your blog is very cool and i wish i had the patience to write one as well. keep it up! nice "meeting" you.