Category: Trying to fit in

Yatzpan - apparently you’re not cool till you quote him

by: Rebecca

My friend Orly in my graphic design class made it clear to me - if I want to pretend to be Israeli and be her friend, the first thing I better do is catch up on my Yatzpan / Yazpan / Yatspan watching and quoting. She couldn’t get over that I didn’t know who he was. Then, other people started mentioning him - you know how it is, once you hear something, you start hearing it left and right. I realized I had some catching up to do. And fast. So, I did a handy dandy search on YouTube and started to watch Eli Yatzpan, the famous Israeli comedian/imitator/joker. You can watch him on Tuesday nights, on his show, “Shalom and Good Evening”. He does mock interviews, like the clip below, that reminds me a little of Borat/The Daily Show. Glad to know the Israelis have gotten on board.

Here’s my favorite so far - Yatzpan goes to Texas and interviews a KKK member, keeping a straight face as he reports his true feelings in Hebrew to the camera. And here’s his interview with Jerry Seinfeld.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6a3WZx4CmY0

January 13, 2008 | Trying to fit in, Videos | 2 Comments

How I Faked It: Breaking Into The Media

by: Molly

dscf0194.JPGI faked it. While the Americans brought their top security guys from America and Israel posted police on every street corner- I managed to sneak into the Press hotel and pretend to be one of them. It amazes me just how lax security was- so much so that I even had a taste of the White House Press-ONLY Buffet.

Besides being an awesome experience, sneaking in made me realize why the Press don’t report the truth. Indeed they are much too busy making friends and networking in the hotel lobby. Add to that complimentary food and drink and you’ve got a group of people that are never going to do their job well.

How did I do it- you ask? How could I have made it past security and not get caught once? It was simple- I faked it. My backup plan was saying I needed to go the bathroom but I never even needed to talk to anyone. Continue »

January 10, 2008 | Easily Amused, Jerusalem Scene, Trying to fit in | 4 Comments

The Coolest Anglo Immigrant of Israel- You Need to Know Her!

by: Molly

lisa.jpgThis girl has me obsessed. She is beautiful, but that’s not why. She is an awesome dancer, but that’s not why.

I am crazy about Lisa Oberman because the girl has guts. If you don’t know who I am talking about then keep reading until you too become a fan.

Lisa, 21 years old, made aliyah from Canada after going on birthright when she was 18. So big deal, there are a bunch of us now with a similar story: from birthright to aliyah.

Lisa is just learning Hebrew yet she is a contestant on one of Israel’s most popular television shows, “A Star in Born: Dancer,” a spin off of American Idol with an Israeli twist and the competition is for the best dancer instead of singer.

The girl is brave! She is surrounded by Israelis, everyone speaks Hebrew, there are even more Israelis in the audience and the whole of Israel gets to vote if she continues in the competition and becomes the next big time Israeli dancer. Continue »

December 23, 2007 | Trying to fit in | 5 Comments

What? People live outside of Jerusalem?

by: Rebecca

Guest blogger Rachel currently lives in Haifa and gives The Big Felafel a new perspective on living in Israel. Did you know that busses run on Shabbat in Haifa? Did you know that the anglo group is called Hanglo which sounds a little funny? Just some of the things I imagine you would need to get used to, living all the way up there.

I am that girl who walks around looking a little lost. I am that girl you come up to and ask if she needs help. I am that girl that sits in a lecture taking copious notes, and taping everything with her brand new digital voice recorder. I am the one who comes home and tells her husband they told us this crazy thing X and it was either 9% or 90%, I couldn’t quite catch it, but isn’t that amazing?

Before I began my MA in social work in Israel I knew it would be different than America, and I knew it would be difficult – but I still didn’t know what to expect. So far, it is different and it is difficult, but there is a lot of good too.

I moved to Haifa to go to school and I am surprisingly among the minority of people in my class who live in Haifa . Most of them commute, even some from Jerusalem , my former safe haven of English speaking olim. Haifa is great for olim, if you are from Russia. Continue »

October 31, 2007 | Trying to fit in | 3 Comments

A girl’s right to shoes

by: Rebecca

gazith.jpgAs Carrie from Sex and the City says, a girl has a right to shoes. So how come I couldn’t find a single pair in my size at Jerusalem’s biggest mall.

I was on a mission to find no-heeled, moderately comfortable black shoes under 300 shekels to wear to many social networking events this month (Deva, idrink, and wordcamp). Not an easy feat (ha).

I went to many stores and didn’t see anything I liked, because there’s basically 2 options- platform or wide Israeli style or some combination of the two. Things looked up when I entered Gazith and mustered up the courage to try on the sexiest shoes I might possibly ever own. They were perfect for under jeans, a decent price, and most important - no heel. (the boot featured here).

So, when the salesman asked for my size, Continue »

October 26, 2007 | Trying to fit in | 3 Comments

My heart is in Jerusalem, but my hairgel is in America

by: Rebecca

It’s so awesome when parents come to visit for the holidays, bringing with them hugs, delicious meals, and the inevitable requests from America. Oh America, the land of toiletrees from Target and Costco. I think it was David Kilimnick, a Jerusalem comedian, who said something like,”We may have made aliyah, but we’re the only Israelis that live in this country and use toiletrees from another.” Touche.

Here I am, three years into living in Israel, but my superficiality refuses to let me use anything other than Crest with Scope toothpaste, Fructis hair gel, Ziploc bags, and the list goes on. Then there’s books, which are just so much cheaper coming from online sites like half.com. I’m psyched to start reading Bringing Down the House and Business2.0. And finally- clothes. I’ve tried the Israeli malls, but unfortunately, clothing in Israel falls into two tragic categories: the scandalous or the bag. Half the clothes are too skimpy to even figure out how to wear them, while the other half are so modest that I’ve lost any femininity I may have possessed. So, for the first time, I ordered clothes online and they came out pretty good. Continue »

September 21, 2007 | Trying to fit in | 4 Comments

Bargaining - no one wants to be a sucker

by: Rebecca

In Israel, there is a very strong mentality not to be a sucker (friar). Tangent: When I first got to Israel I thought the word friar meant the religious guys in robes that I saw in Italy, but really it means sucker here. No connection that I’m aware of.

In Israel, every minute of every day people are trying not to be a sucker.

So they bargain. Bargain, yell, curse, growl, and make ‘yo mama’ jokes. And then they bargain some more. Until neither side feels like a sucker. Or until one’s body odor overpowers the other’s.

Apparently, every single purchase (maybe with the exception of the supermarket) is subject to bargaining. As Baka Diary points out, everything from kitchen tiles to a scoop of ice cream don’t have fixed prices.

Is it wrong to disagree with the whole bargaining culture? Is this something that we’re proud of? Is this exciting for people?

Making a new purchase can be stressful enough without thinking that someone is trying to rip you off. Not everyone can have a smooth talking Israeli by their side.

Lightbulb.

For every frustration, there is an entrepreneurial idea. Someone should offer their skills as a professional bargainer. Especially for homes, appliances, furniture, and cars. They make a little money, and you pay less.

Or, alternatively, let’s abolish the whole bargaining business and just sell things at normal prices. Yeah right.

September 7, 2007 | The fights, Tips on saving NIS, Trying to fit in | 1 Comment

What’s your mazal? The Israeli obsession with zodiac signs

by: Rebecca

I thought discussing zodiac signs was only done within the presence of the latest Cosmo magazine. You could see if your crush was orbiting Mars or the stars would make him go after your mom. I don’t mean to disrespect, but I never could figure out the point of a horoscope. But apparently, this makes me an outcast among my Israeli friends from the graphic design course I’m taking.

After the second class, three of us were waiting for the bus together and getting to know each other. The first question after where do you live, was, what sign are you? I said Virgo. One of them said, “ooo, same as me”. Well, now that that’s settled, I guess we can be friends.

On another ride home, my friends were talking about getting set up on a date. But, what sign is he? This seemed to play a big role. Possibly enough to not even try a first date. I was really surprised.

Whatever happened to just going with the flow and letting life happen? Since I’ve been in Israel, I’ve been asked my mazal way more than when I was in America. Go figure.

September 5, 2007 | Trying to fit in | Leave a Comment

  •  
  •