I haven’t written in a while because I have been busy writing papers (Disclaimer: the first one will be published soon and the second one should be sent out by the end of the week!).
I said many the good things about this country but to be honest, it drives me crazy a lot of the time. Lately, I don’t think there was a day when I didn’t want to shout/cry/bite/punch-someone-in-the-face because of the frustration of how things do not work here.
For example this morning, arriving at the train station two minutes before the train enters, I cannot access the platform, my card haven been inactivated without warning. No other choice than to buy a (much more expensive) regular ticket and try to fix this at the university. I thus have to wait half an hour for the next train – leaving me just enough time to share with you my frustration.
Should I talk about the three visits to Ikea because some pieces were missing every time, even though their website said that they had them in stock, and that after an hour of negotiation on the phone they agree to ship it to you but you will probably wait for a month? Or that an oven is delivered in a huge box, left in the middle of the kitchen for more than a week by a delivery guy who barely speaks any language but knows how to ask for money, and you have to wait for an technician who will take 30 seconds to plug it (and ask for more money) just to find out that it is not the size that was ordered? Or maybe should I mention the architect who forgot to connect the apartment to internet? I can tell you, one month without internet at home in the start-up nation feels just like Africa. Who knew it was so entertaining to make soup?
I wish I could be more like Israelis, especially those working in service, and just DO NOT CARE!! I am not. Not yet at least. I keep being frustrated, upset, nervous and aggressive although being nice would probably work better. But I have never been known for my diplomatic manners, and being used to Swiss service where things work and people are sorry to cause you trouble, I am afraid that it won’t be getting better anytime soon. Maybe after few more years here, I will become a Zen master. Until then, there is a long way to go…
At the threshold of a new life 