Tuesday 23 June 2015

Packages and Moves

First, let's take a moment to commemorate the first yarzheit (memorial) of one of my favourite living things ever in the whole wide world, my Black Beauty - Benjy the dog, who very suddenly died this time last year,  after being hit by a car.

I still think about him a lot. He was the best (if naughtiest) dawg you could ever wish for, and in this last year I've learned that it's true what they say - the pain you feel may get easier with time, but it will never fade completely.

Boots and Tigger nap together
Talking of beloved stuff and thangs, as most of you know, I have a certain predilection (in lieu of my doggies) for kittens, cats and fluffy animals. As such, I made a (not entirely thought through) decision to foster two little kittens a couple of weeks ago. They were brought into the Tel Aviv animal shelter, having been abandoned by their mother(s) on the street. I'm volunteering with a little grassroots rescue centre, which rescues street kittens, provides them with love and care and gives them to good homes for adoption.

They like to sit in, ahem, odd places
Snuggle time!
Little Tigger and Boots (as they have come to be called) are the sweetest little fluffballs anyone could wish for. I didn't initially fully think through the implications of having two little kittens with my country-wide schlepping schedule, but it has worked out surprisingly well.

They've already been schlepped around the country - first to Jerusalem, then on to Maale Adumim - toilet trained and socialised. in fact, they may even have become a little TOO socialised - people everywhere, seeing two tiny little kitties have to come up and talk to us - bus drivers, passengers, etc, and they simply must - must -  sleep on me at night. Not next to me (although, sometimes, it is amazing to see how a tiny little cat, the size of a hand, can take up a whole side of a double bed) - on me. And, if I don't snuggle little Boots properly, he will let me know about it, until I manage to get him snuggled properly.

Additionally, having seen Meshugana growing increasingly crazy (we've just had her neutered, which should solve part of the problem), we've decided to adopt her a little brother.

But first. because everything has been pretty boring lately (yes, really), let me relay to you one of the fundamental issues of this country - bureaucracy on acid.

A couple of months ago, I ordered some clothes from a UK shop which delivers to Israel. The past few times I've done it, the packages have arrived two weeks later with no issues.

This time, however, something went wrong. Having waited a month to get my stuff, I began making weekly trips to the Post Office, trying to locate where my stuff might be. I could see from the online tracking that it had reached Tel Aviv, but beyond that its whereabouts were unknown.

My weekly visits turned into thrice-weekly visits. I got to know all (and yes, I mean ALL) the women in the PO, and they got to know me. It turned out that my package was in a locally known hell-hole known as meches - Customs.

Meches had stolen my package and hoarded it for themselves. For 6 bloody weeks. Once we located the package, one of my new besties at the PO faxed them, called them - all to no avail, I was told I would have to go down there myself.

I did so the next day. Long story short, a quick ride to south Tel Aviv, 6 different people, a half hour and three phonecalls later, it turned out the package had been sent back to my local PO that very morning.

Ironically, and after all that balagan, I didn't even like what I had ordered, and sent it back the very same day I received it. Meh.

Eurgh.  But never fear. Onto the one exciting (in many senses of the word) thing to occur in my life - I will shortly be moving, yet again.

It's not out of whim, or sudden choice, or anything remotely frivolous. I'll be moving from my amazing place in central Tel Aviv, to slightly less exciting (but still pretty cool, and very nice) Ramat Gan, a 'burb of TA. I'll be living in a nice flat, with not one but TWO cats!  

Sounds fun, but I have to make sure everything is tied up when I leave my room, and sorted for my move at the same time. It's a teensy bit stressful to say the least.
Meshugana: Bored (pictured)

I have to:
  • ensure my bills (heating, electricity, council tax, internet, rent) are transferred to the new tenant,
  • register my new address at another local hellhole - the Misrad Hapnim (Interior Ministry)
  • register my new council tax liability a the City Hall
  • buy a crapload of furniture

You know, in addition to packing and moving and decorating and stuff...

I'm so excited! In a stressed, this-is-the-only-thing-happening-in-my-life-right-now kind of way!

It's been almost a year to the day since I made aliya, and I feel it's poignant that I left England in my own, cosy flat with Corny...and that 1 year to the day, I'll be in a cosy flat with Meshugana and baby kitty.

It's almost like I'm coming round full circle - spiral? Because there's an additional cat? - but all I know is, I couldn't be any happier.


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