Fri, March 26, 2010 4:22:21 AM
via Linda Olsvig-Whittaker
Hi everyone,
It's the run up to Passover here in Israel; the seder is held on Monday night. Most people are busy getting the house cleaned (free of "hametz", e.g leavened goods, dust, anything that might be regarded as fermentation) and on a shopping spree for new linens, tableware, china and other things for this high feast of the Jewish year. Jerusalem is stuffed to the rafters with visitors. There are shiny big black cars on the roads that belong to the "twice a year" visitors (nobody who lives through our summers would have a black car, which would work well as a solar oven round about July), and these black cruisers often don't know where the heck they are going, so driving gets even more nervous than usual.
On Sunday my car actually got hit in the parking lot at Hebrew University while I was at a meeting. Fortunately the woman who did it came in and told me, was willing to pay for the damages. Bashed my front wheel well while trying to park; I still have no idea how she managed that. Got it fixed the next day, no fuss - after the last several months I am on a first name basis with most of the mechanics at the local Mazda garage.....
No sooner got myself sorted out from that than we had our annual "social event excursion" of my department. I hate these things and usually wriggle out of them, but couldn't this time. Actually the excursion itself sounded interesting: the Tower of David at Jaffa Gate, and then a walking tour of the historic buildings in the New City (the vying of the world powers at the time when the Ottoman Empire ruled here, and the English, French, Germans, Italians, Americans, and Russians were all trying to gain a foothold in advance of the empire breaking up.) But I don't like doing things under force, and this was one of those situations where you go or you offend the bosses. So I went dragging my heels, even though I love archeology and history as a hobby.
I wasn't the only one. Halfway through the walk through the exhibits at the Tower of David, I spotted one of our staff members sitting in a corner looking unhappy. I asked the problem and he said he had a headache. I offered acamol, but he wanted a cup of coffee. Okay, this was my window of opportunity, so I whisked him out of there and across the square to Christchurch, the English compound where they have an espresso bar and the best carrot cake in the Middle East. Within five minutes we were in the English garden, sitting under the wisteria with coffee and cake. ESCAPED.
Some other time I will do that walking tour on a voluntary basis.
It must be something in human nature (at least my nature) to hate doing even things we like if we are forced to do it. I've always been that way; even as a kid I would hate being sent to birthday parties (although I liked my own well enough). These social events held at work where you have to play nice to people because they will nail you later if you don't.....well, so far I managed to skip most of them, and that's fine. Does anyone actually enjoy them?
At least now we have a solid week of vacation. I was astonished to learn my office will be closed until the end of Passover (6 April). This is only the second year the organization has done it. I guess with so many people taking their holidays during Passover it didn't make sense to keep the offices open. Of course our nature reserves and parks will be extremely busy as hordes of Israelis and foreigners go on outings, so it's not like the whole organization shut down. I'm really grateful; been sick off and on since last November and need a good solid rest to get my energy back. Once Passover is finished, there will be a lot to do, but for now my main ambitions are to put away the winter clothes and get out the summer clothes, and get to the spa tomorrow.
shabbat shalom,
Linda
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http://shabbat-shalom-jerusalem.blogspot.com/
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