upsetting trip to Yeda (the Apple store in Tel Aviv)

(i know what you're thinking...two posts in one day?? no, there was no crack in my yogurt this morning)

so i just got back from my lunchbreak trip to Yeda - the Apple store in Tel Aviv - to see what was to be of my baby (my iPod). He was good to me for about a year or so and then started having issues... :-( While it was still under warranty i brought it in, but of course my iPod was too proud to show that it had any issues during the testing, apparently, and they told me it was fine. Less than three months later the thing is -- as I was told -- pretty much dead. They said that from their experience, when it shows the sad face and tells you to go to the website for support, it's a problem that can't be fixed with downloading the latest programming, etc., and is probably going to have to be replaced.

ok, so being my spoiled self, in my head i'm already freaking out thinking how i'm going to get through the next two and a half weeks (and 10hr plane ride!!!!) without any music :-( and the cheapest mp3 player i've seen around here is 200 sheks (about 45 dollars), which i'm not sure i wanna shell out when i know there will be a nano in my hands in about three weeks...

the options i was given for "upgrading" aren't particularly exciting (the most worthwhile one being upgrading to a video iPod (30G) for 1200 sheckels (~$270) which is still really annoying since i don't particularly NEED the video part. we'll see. i think i'll have to somehow suck it up for three weeks (AHHHH!) and see what i can do in the states with my nonfunctional baby :-(

AND, the OTHER part of this trip that was quite upsetting was this 60-year-old-ish man who walked in about 5 minutes after me and while i was talking to the girl that works there (who now knows me by name after my many visits) he just cuts in and starts going off on how no one is paying attention to him and how he wants to speak to the manager...and while the poor girl is like, just one minute i'm with a customer, he starts talking to someone on his cell phone (yelling, i should say) about how this place is ridiculous, no service, they won't let him speak to the manager, etc etc. It was almost impossible to keep having the conversation with the girl who was trying to help me and telling me pricing and stuff because of this insane (yet all too common in this country) behavior.

Now, no one can accuse me of anything less than loving this country with all my heart, but there are times when i just am appalled at how insane people are in their requests. It seems quite ironic and pathetic that in a country where service is pretty poor most of the time, someone would even consider acting like that and expecting a response. The girl didn't seem phased by the man's behavior and rude commentary and was like, don't pay attention to him this happens all the time. There are not many things I like about American interaction (all the fake hi, i really care kind of bullshit) but sometimes it would be nice if people at least showed a sprinkle of respect for the people around them. No, you are not the center of the world, and everyone would be a lot better off if you remembered this more often. bahh.

Kitzur (in short) I walked out of there pretty depressed and wasn't exactly thrilled getting back to work. but if i'm here i might as well...work.

shuv holechet b'rothschild...

pretty much every day i walk down Rothschild in Petach-Tikva to the bus stop where i take the #51 to Tel Aviv (to work). For the most part I just take what comes first: a bus or a shared taxi since the price is the same and until a couple days ago I didn't have a monthly pass (only good on buses). Then, yesterday morning, I am sitting at work (at which I arrived by bus), and I hear from Riki and then read the news that a young-adult Palestinian man boarded one of these route #51 shared taxis (which are supposidly the "safer option") and started attacking the passengers with a knife.

now, most of you know me well enough to realize that as hard as it is to keep everything in context, I do my best when it comes to these things. In my head I know that the circumstances that drive a culture of people to reach such disgusting and repulsive human behaviors must be beyond awful. At the same time it's moments like this when I think that people are just crazy and that there's no reasoning behind it that can comfort you and make you rationalize the seemingly irrational.

Ahhh...I don't really want to write about this anymore. I just want to say that I am happy I am safe and I will NOT discontinue riding shared taxis or buses or any other form of transportation. I will wake up and walk down Rothschild to my bus station and make my way to work. I will do whatever I can to live life exactly the way I want to until the minute that it's taken from me. It's too short regardless of the craziness of other people, and I'm not about to hand over whatever time I do have just because it's not safe. Nothing's safe. Life isn't safe. And being bored out of your mind from not doing anything because it isn't "safe" isn't living either.

Ok, enough of that. onto GOOD NEWS. My mom is coming on March 19th!!! This year's birthday will most definitely involve a party so that I can invite everyone I love in this country to come celebrate and enjoy my mom being there to celebrate with me :-) Twenty-four may not be such a big year, but i think it will be a fun one for me. Plus, Riki, Oren and Neta all have birthdays around the same time so a big party would be more than appropriate, right? right.

Otherwise, the apt. search continues. I saw a pretty cute place yesterday near tzomet Dizengoff and Gordon (very close to both the beach and my grandmother). we'll see what happens with that.

Yalla, time to get back to work. Just thought I would write a bit to catch up with the world, etc. Hmm, now (thanks to the title of this entry) I'm in the mood for some Miri Mesika :-)

reality bites

and while i love that movie, that's not the point of reference today.

today's attack in Hadera: yeah, after Monday night's affairs, i can't say it's a total surprise, but it just sucks. and it was way more real being here and hearing the sirens and ambulances, etc. it's also just wierd to know that my friends were there two days ago, i've been there, and it wasn't all that long ago...

i think it made me sadder to think that it doesn't really affect people that much anymore than the actual event. but i also had this completely non-realistic hope that things were really going to start changing...and not that they aren't at all, but i think i'm not the only one who's started to hope more, after the whole hitnatkut thing (disengagement from settlements)...but i guess i just have to keep doing that, what other option do i have besides complete and utter cynicism.

ok...time to go listen to some relaxing music and try to chill out...