Skyttiquite

When living far from loved ones in a distant land, Skype becomes a helpful tool for remaining in touch, and seeing the faces of friends and family. However, I would propose several rules of public skype ettiquite, for most a more positive skyping experience for you and those seated near you. In no particular order.

1) Wear a shirt that makes it clear you're wearing a shirt. Nobody sitting nearby wants to wonder why you're having naked skype in public.
2) Look at the other person's video feed, not your own. Why would you look at your own picture? For that just go to the bathroom mirror.
3) Please, don't type while you skype. You think you're multi-tasking, really its like beating a snare drum in the ears of your skype partner.
4) Stay in range. There's nothing worse than having a conversation with somebody who sounds like they're sitting on a turntable or merry-go-round.
5) Headphones, not everybody wants to hear both sides of the conversation.
6) Avoid the bathroom. You might be able to get away with a phone call, but remember, you're on video now.

Obviously, these only apply to public skyping. So if you'd like to take your shirt off, sit on a rolling chair, type, and spend some time in a private restroom while staring at yourself in the mirror, by all means. If you've got other ideas, feel free to post.

The Gever

In Israel, one social role is occupied by the gever. The gever (literally, man), is a mythical man who exudes machismo and confidence. A man who wears sunglasses indoors and/or at night, who unbuttons at least two buttons on his shirt. A gever shows very little emotion, and can usually not be bothered with others. He will use any and all ways to prove his gever status over other rival gvarim. Today after my arrival in Israel, I had three gever encounters before putting my head on the pillow for the first time.

The first: My sherut driver could not have cared less about his passengers, their luggage, or the fact that many of them were arriving on international flights that were longer than 8000KM. I never expect patience in Israel, but I do expect mild assistance from a service industry like the nesher (super shuttle equivalent, although much more of an adventure). Of course, I was the last customer to be dropped off. The second to last, a young Israeli woman engaged the driver/gever in an argument about why he didn't help people with their luggage out of the back of the van. She says, we're paying 60 shekel, you could at least help. He says, they're heavy suitcases and I don't want to help. By the way, he had the requisite amount of unbuttoned shirt.

The second: I needed to grab a quick bite to eat. So went to one of the old stand-by schwarma places. The gever in front of me was sure to ask for extra spicy and double meat on his schwarma. He let out a laugh. Then proceeded to order two more of the same, one for his son, and two for him. The employee said, you're a big man to eat so much spicy (loosely translated from the Hebrew). He patted his son on the back and handed him one of the three schwarmas. Gever in training. I wanted to laugh, but I dared not.

The third: Shortly after, the gever from above moved on to eat his doubly meaty doubly spicy food, it was my turn to order. My voice is still a bit raspy and not so strong after my recent and ongoing encounter with strep, as well as the 11 hour trip breathing bone dry airplane air. The man (not a gever) behind the counter told me to be a man and speak up.

There you have it, three gever stories before the day was out. Who knows what tomorrow will bring.

A House Divided

Later this afternoon and evening I will have the pleasure of travelling to Philadelphia where I will board a flight bound for Tel Aviv. In many ways I am going home, and in many ways I am leaving home.

Since returning to the States from Israel in June, I have felt as though I was a guest in a country that is not really mine. But then why did I celebrate the Fourth of July? I obviously have some connection to this land and these places, albeit a different connection that the one I have to Israel, her land, and her places.
I am not a full Israeli either. I have not served in the army, my Hebrew is not fluent, and I am in the country on a student visa, not a teudat zehoot (identity card). It's a very strange feeling to have two homes, to be leaving one and entering another.

Check back soon for updates from the beginning of my second year in Israel.