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Sunday, March 22, 2009

I’ll know I’ve become an Israeli if and when I learn how to ask…

  • a) Which party did you vote for in the last elections?
  • b) How much did your new purchase cost?
  • c) Why didn’t you ask me to recommend someone who could’ve done the same job for much less than you paid?
  • d) All of the above.

If you guessed (d), you are well on your own way to becoming an Israeli…

smile_teeth

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With the possible exception of (b) – which, theoretically, I may have asked when YZG and I were considering buying something or another - I can’t recall ever asking any of these questions. But even if I did scrounge up the necessary courage to ask such a question, I certainly wouldn’t be able to do it with a straight face. Also, I’d feel the need to add an apologetic justification – such as, “I’m Israeli now, and so I’m allowed to ask…” :-)

7 comments:

  1. So true. I've been here so long, I'm always afraid that I'll be too foward when visiting the states. Luckily, I generally see only family and very close friends. Yes, I guess that's it. Israelis think of everyone as family in a way.

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  2. I get (C) all the time from a "real Israeli"- who of course had to ask first how much I paid. Last week when I tried to "lehakdim Maka Latrufa" - (How do you say that in English?) it did not work. Before going to buy an appliance I asked my Israeli friend where should I look. Of the 2 stores she told me - one doesn't exist and at the other the price was more expensive then the regular stores we went to. We also spent over an hour looking for these places, as she couldnt give exact street addresses.
    Of course when she tells me I could have gotten it for less, I'll still feel bad.:)

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  3. you have to come up with some algorith, of combinations for those people who might have two out of three - how Israeli are you if you have a+b, a+c, b+c, etc...

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  4. Don't forget:
    Why isn't your baby in day care? Aren't you worried about his hitpatchut (development)?

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  5. Batya - Good point.

    Miriam - So, you thought you could outsmart the system, i.e. "lehakdim Maka Latrufa"? (Great expression, by the way!)

    Rafi G. - LOL!
    Any takers among the mathematicians and software developers who make up a significant portion of our regular readership?
    :-)

    SuperRaizy - You're right. I should've included that question, which is generally accompanied by a, "It's cold/hot. Put a sweater/hat on your baby..."

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  6. (c) made me laugh. I've gotten that here, in New Jersey, from an Israeli.

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  7. Leora - Your experience once again proves that you can take the Israeli out of Israel, but you can't take Israel out of the Israeli...
    :-)

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