Plumbers with degrees
Don’t even ask. We’ve been dealing with a huge home problem the last few days – whenever we turn on our shower or sink, the water flows directly through our downstairs neighbor’s ceiling onto their floor.
To make a long story short, we’re using our mortgage insurance which we pay monthly, and is earmarked for this very sort of problem. Well, it takes a while for the company to send someone, and when they finally did, he didn’t really fix the problem. He returned and again, soon after he left, the leak returned. So now we’re talking a few days since I showered, my downstairs neighbors are pissed off, and I’m spending most of my time on the phone with the insurance company trying to get someone competent to show up.
We’ve been shuttling off to other neighbor to get our kids bathed, and have gotten used to brushing our teeth and washing up at the kitchen faucet – which luckily is connected to another pipe. The final straw was yesterday though, when a flush of the toilet also caused water (I hope it was just water) to flow downstairs.
Finally, this afternoon, the company sent another team – known as the supervisors – to get to the bottom of the affair. Alon, a shaved-headed, earring wearing 30-year-old, and David, a veteran of undertimed age, but vast experience, showed their mettle, and within a couple hours, we had no leaks, running water, and working toilets.
During the course of their work, we got to talking, and as a result, Alon and David have a new title – Plumbers with Degrees. David, it turns out, is a university lecturer on the Torah, and Alon is studying for his masters degree in history. They both supplement their income by being the best darn plumbers in the greater Jerusalem area.
So next time you want to talk Moses, Maimonides, and the Civil War, while at the same time get your pipes cleaned, you know who to call.
Nostalgia Sunday – Elections in Israel, Part 2
Filed under: General, Israeliness, Nostalgia Sunday, Politics, Pop Culture
Elections are coming up on February 10th and now seems the appropriate moment to take a look at how we do it here. The Ministry of the Interior has very efficiently issued a guide in four languages (including English), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has put out a comprehensive backgrounder, and the Knesset has posted an explanation of the Israeli electoral system. But these dry documents can’t possibly convey how much fun voting is here – the bright colors, the block letters, little pieces of paper and funny TV ads.
Okay, that sounds a bit infantile, but look how cute the inside of an Israeli voting booth is! Every one of those letters represents a different political party. So you go in, put a little “petek” in the envelope, seal it, go outside and slide it into the ballot box. And no matter how bad you want to, you mustn’t put in more than one! However, if you are sorely tempted, you can stuff your pockets full of ballots from funny parties you would never vote for, and give them to your friends later in the day, just for laffs.
This past summer, the Ministry of the Interior issued a tender for computerized voting in November’s municipal elections. That’s as far as we’ve gotten with introducing IT into the electoral system and, given the computer crashes that plagued both Likud and Labor’s primary races – which left Silicon Wadi with egg all over its face – that’s as far as we’re going to get right now. But, even without computers, look how far the system has advanced in 60 years.
Okay, maybe not so much.
These two photos are part of a wonderful WZO slide show entitled Celebrate 60 Years with Israel – “Fulfilling the Dream”. Click here for Nostalgia Sunday – Elections in Israel, Part 1.
Give Israel’s “Loli” Organic Sweets to Your Sweet This Valentine’s Day
Whether or not you’re a fan of the overly commercialized holiday of love, Valentine’s Day, we think everyone would agree that when giving your special someone a loving gift you want it to be something that doesn’t cause potential harm to them. Candy and flowers are the traditional Valentine’s Day gifts, so why not show your loved one that you really care with handmade organic candy and a potted flower plant?
The flowers are pretty easy to find, but what about the candy? Enter Loli Natural and Organic Sweets.
Started by two fresh mothers named Liat, Loli grew out of their maternal need to provide a natural alternative to the very unnatural candy options that are already available and which are beloved by most kids. Kids are going to want candy no matter what, so the candy that they eat might as well be natural, made with organic fruit, sugar and chocolate, and locally handmade.
Their goodies are diverse and appeal to a variety of special dietary needs – including gluten free and sodium reduced candy.
Loli’s offerings includes: handmade organic candy in a variety of shapes, organic lollipops, natural jelly candy with real fruit, natural sugar sticks, truffles with natural ingredients, nuts and dried fruit covered in organic chocolate, and crystal candy that comes in special flavors.
Licking your lips yet? Loli Sweets can be reached by phone or through their website Loli Organic.
Read more about other organic, local, and homemade gift ideas from Israel:
Nagaya Organic Gifts: Give the Gift of Sustainability
SAHA’s Fairly Local Trade
Indulgence, Locavore Style: Homemade Strawberry Jam
(This post was written by Karen Chernick, and first posted on greenprophet.com)
Springsteen – Born to play in Tel Aviv
It’s Super Sunday here, just like in the US. Except that ours lasts all the way to 5:00 am, when the Super Bowl is likely to wind down.
This year I have no vested interest in either the Steelers nor the Cardinals, and would not even consider staying up all night, if it weren’t for the half time entertainment. How many times do you get to see Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band perform live, albeit for only 12 minutes?
Apparently, it’s the only way Israelis are going to see them live. Each time a new tour is announced – and the past few years with Springsteen’s prolific resurgence, he’s been on tour all the time – I anxiouxly wait to see the European itinerary hoping that Tel Aviv will finally be listed. The dates for his 2009 tour in support of his new album Working on a Dream have just been announced, and again we’ve been snubbed, with Bruce preferring the tried and true European venues he’s familiar with like Copenhagen and Barcelona.
Granted, the Boss’s Israel connections are a little tenuous. But let’s not forget that an Israeli – violinist Suki Lahav - played on Born to Run’s “Jungleland” back in 1975. And hey – isn’t “The Promised Land” about us? And as my friend Arthur once wrote, seeing Bruce play the song in Sultan’s Pool overlooking the Old City in Jerusalem would probably be one of the most transcendent moments of any concert anywhere.
But to get down to it, the real reason that Springsteen should come here is simple – I haven’t seen him perform since moving to Israel in the mid-80s. After seeing Springsteen a half dozen times in the late 1970s, I’ve been spoiled for life, and no other concert I’ve seen since has compared.
So, c’mon Bruce – hop inside, you know just what we’re here for. Talk to your pals Bono and Paul McCartney, I think they were pretty impressed with Park Hayarkon as a venue and the the enthusiasm of the Israeli audiences. We can take you and Patti out for some humous in Tel Aviv, you can go entertain some Palestinian children like Sir Paul did, and we can even import some of Clarence’s favorite chicken for after the show.
In the meantime, chances are I’ll doze through the first half of the Super Bowl tonight in order to stand at attention for 12 minutes during halftime for the greatest show on earth.
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