Going Native

September 4, 2006 - 11:13 AM by

Sometimes you meet Americans or Canadians who have just moved to Israel, and you worry. They just seem too sweet, too nice, too eager to please and you are sure that the tougher Middle Eastern types are going to walk all over them. I confess that I had these concerns about Yael, one of the pillars of the English-speaking Israeli blogosphere. You’ve never met a nicer girl…and the cat population of the country certainly appreciates her. I remember a year ago, when, in her eagerness to grab a nice apartment, she agreed to pay a full year’s rent in advance, I said, “What, are you crazy???”

When I read this post, I literally sat up and applauded. Yael has definitely toughened up. You go, girl!

I am supposed to renew my rental contract on Wednesday for another year. The lawyer just called and said that since I want to pay by the month (you know like a normal person) instead of in cash up front for the whole year that the rent is going to be an additional $50 a month. He tried to give me some song and dance about how I was getting a discount by having paid in advance and I called bullshit on that because I am paying what it was advertised for. He tried to tell me that paying the full year in advance was the norm and I called bullshit on that too. I got very Israeli aggressive and yelled and bitched about everything from the broken refrigerator to the broken air conditioners and broken oven and told him fine, I’d be glad to move out and moving out is not a problem for me in the least so let’s just cancel the meeting for Wednesday …He did not expect that. He suggested I call Chava and talk to her. I did. She said oh because she loves me so much she’s willing to keep it the same…she is talking to the lawyer. I am going to call him back. If it stays the same, fine I will stay here (I really really don’t want to move but I ain’t telling them that). So we’ll see what happens…

Tags: • Category: Immigrant Moments 

Comments

One Comment on Going Native

  1. David on Mon, Sep 4th 2006 8:01 PM

    2. Unfortunately, the Anglo-Saxon attitude and manners have not been embraced by Israelis generally. There are many excuses given for this, but the essential truth is that there is NO excuse.

    “Please” and “thank-you” may be derided in Israel, but rejecting it, is no different to eating like peasants with one’s hands in a fine restaurant rather than using cutlery.

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