I was not at all surprised to read about the attempted stoning and subsequent riots in Acre on Yom Kippur. And it is still going on!
Even Acre’s Arab leaders are now caving in and saying that the driver should not have done whatever it was he did (allegations vary). Maybe not, and my family didn’t drive that day, not out of respect, but out of self-preservation, since we have accidentally driven near religious neighborhoods in Jerusalem and have been threatened with stones before we frantically backed away, but it is still ridiculous to expect non-Jews to follow specifically Jewish traditions.
A mayoral candidate is quoted in the article above as saying that this was a planned Islamic pogrom. What a terrible use of weighted words to raise anger and hostility. He also said that it wasn’t fair because Jews respected Ramadan for a whole month. What does that even mean? To disrespect Ramadan, what would they do? Hold some Muslims down and force them to eat during the day? Try to take away all their Qurans so they can’t read them?
In another stupid use of words, an Arab Israeli MK has called the riots a pogrom against Arabs.
There is no law saying no driving on Yom Kippur. It is considered bad form, but is not illegal, and I saw several dozen drivers on Road 1 during the day. It would be easy to make such a law if the people here wanted to. There is no separation of church and state here.
Or perhaps the Jews who want everyone to follow their traditions should move to the barricaded Haredim neighborhoods in Jerusalem where it is considered praise-worthy to throw stones at cars on Shabbat. But I’ll bet that would cramp their style.
So, we have Day Five of the riots today. Will Acre's Jews have a little something extra to atone for next year on Yom Kippur? If they take their book as a guide, they may not think they've done anything requiring atonement, since their god often commands them to wipe out non-Jews living in their promised land.
Showing posts with label Living in Israel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Living in Israel. Show all posts
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Monday, October 6, 2008
When Patriarchy Makes the Rules III
Who'd a thunk there would be two of these brought to my attention in one day?
My previous post was in regard to a Muslim cleric in Saudi Arabia who has decided that women wearing black bags over their heads and bodies with only a slit for their eyes is insufficient and that women should cover all but one eye.
Now I've seen this article which includes descriptions of a man breaking into a woman's apartment and violently beating her while hurling death threats for being divorced(this is old news, and one article claims there were at least six other men involved in the beating,) a young woman from Bet Shemesh attacked with pepper spray by a group of men for walking around with some boys in Jerusalem, and rocks, curses, and spit being thrown at another young woman, also from Bet Shemesh, for wearing a red shirt.
As an extra, a Jerusalem store was vandalized by groups of men several times, and finally was torched, but not completely destroyed by a man or group of men, for selling MP4 players.
The divorced woman was under suspicion from the local modesty patrol for possibly having contact with men. Her attackers stole her cell phone, possibly to try to find out who she had called.
The girl attacked with pepper spray horrified the modesty patrol by walking with a group of young men.
The girl in the red shirt was attacked because red shirts draw attention.
The MP4 players might have been purchased and used to access the internet (forbidden!) and download porn.
The store that was vandalized and burned now has signs announcing that it no longer sells MP4 players and is under rabbinical supervision.
In addition to these tales of stupidity, chattelization of women, and haredi men's inability to control themselves, this article adds that stores selling clothing considered immodest have also been vandalized by these modesty patrols whose members throw bleach or otherwise destroy the merchandise.
The photo above, if you can't read it, says the following, transcribed without histrionic capitalization, bolding, and font size:
To women and girls who pass through our neighborhood
We beg you with all our hearts
Please do not pass
Through our neighborhoods in
Immodest clothes
Modest clothes include Closed blouse with long sleeves
Long skirt, no trousers, no tight fitting clothes
Please do not disturb the sanctity of our neighborhood
And our way of life as Jews committed to G-D and his Torah
What it doesn't say is:
Our men are unable to control their impulses
They are like children
Or 19th century sexually repressed Victorian men
Who could go batshit crazy with lust
Upon viewing a woman's ankle
Or wrist
Or arm or shoulder
Or leg or even the shape of a leg
If you tempt our men in such a fashion
We will hurt you
And it will be YOUR fault.
Stupid gits.
Photo credit: Kansas City e-Star, Sebastian Scheiner
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Rejoicing in Separation of Church and State
As I experience Pessach here in Israel, it has given me even more appreciation for the wall of separation between church and state in the US. US citizens should imagine these things being done for or given to a specific religious group of people, but not your own group, in your neighborhood/city/state/nation:
Taxpayer funded buses which segregate men from women, women being forced to ride in the back, sometimes even hidden by curtains from outside. These buses do not run on this particular religious group's deity-mandated special day, which is different from your own deity-mandated special day, regardless of whether or not you have another way to get to work.
Taxpayer funded welfare for full-time religious scholars, though not for scholars of your religion, including financial support for their deity-mandated large families, housing, food, tuition, etc. Imagine that as these families grow, they take more and more of your tax dollars for support, leaving little to maintain other needs.
Exemption from military duty to members of this specific religious group, where all other citizens are required by law to perform this service until age 40.
Laws preferring the particular deity-demands of this particular religious group, which restrict the minutia of daily life, even down to what foods you are allowed to buy and eat during particular times of the year/week.
Taxpayer funded maintenance of streets in areas where a particular religious group blockades said streets during deity-mandated times and dates, not allowing normal traffic through these areas and causing congestion in other areas. Said blockades are guarded by taxpayer funded military and law enforcement personnel.
Now, some of the Christians or other religious groups in the US may think this doesn't sound too bad. Note, however, that I specifically wrote above that the religion getting all the perks is NOT YOUR OWN. In addition, non-compliance with the laws can lead, not only to legal sanctions such as fines and what-not, but also to actually being beaten, stoned, or otherwise attacked physically.
Granted, the religion-based laws here in Israel are pretty moderate compared to, say, Saudi Arabia, and generally just make me laugh or roll my eyes. I usually don't need to go through blockaded neighborhoods to get where I want to go, with the exception of not being able to pick up my daughter after a sleepover one Saturday morning. I stocked up on bread and pitot before Pessach began. I have my Brita filter to take away the nasty smell and taste of the local well-water since the city water system has been shut off for Pessach.* I don't ride the buses. I have no desire to enter the neighborhoods/areas where I would be required to wear long skirts, long sleeves, and headcoverings.
Still, US citizens, consider if a religion NOT YOUR OWN made the laws in the US. Consider that they might start out kind of silly and just a pain in the ass. Then they might get a bit more stringent, maybe with less merciful punishments. Then, finally, they might get just plain draconian, with penalties of death for those who do not obey. And all funded and supported by YOUR tax dollars. Not such a pretty picture, huh?
I would ask all US citizens to CELEBRATE the separation of church from state. I would remind those who would sneak theocracy into our government that their particular brand of god may not be that of the majority forever. I would encourage everyone to read and learn about nations, now and in the past, which have used religion as a legal system and ask themselves if they would like to live in those nations during those times.
* True story: The mayor of Jerusalem has shut off the public water system because fishermen on the Sea of Galilee may have used leavened bread as fish bait. This fish bait may have gotten into the water, which is drinking water for the entire country. The God of the Jewish people has forbidden them to eat leavened bread during Passover. So we all get to drink and wash in local smelly, foul-tasting (at least mine is, probably most people have better wells) well water to protect us from having fish-bait breadcrumbs pass our lips.
Another fun fact, illustrating the caprice of religious laws: For many years, rabbis have railed against smoking among the religious. Their argument in the past has been that we are obligated to take care of our bodies because they were created by their God. This year, miraculously, one rabbi has finally, coincidentally JUST LAST WEEK, correctly interpreted some religious text and determined that tobacco products have LEAVEN in them and are therefore forbidden during Pessach. This despite rabbinical certification of the local manufacturers of tobacco products, who are crazy-pissed. It reeks of the same idiocy as when the LDS church's infallible leaders suddenly receive information from their God saying that the previous infallible leaders, who had received contradictory information from God, were wrong and that black people CAN join the Mormons!
Taxpayer funded buses which segregate men from women, women being forced to ride in the back, sometimes even hidden by curtains from outside. These buses do not run on this particular religious group's deity-mandated special day, which is different from your own deity-mandated special day, regardless of whether or not you have another way to get to work.
Taxpayer funded welfare for full-time religious scholars, though not for scholars of your religion, including financial support for their deity-mandated large families, housing, food, tuition, etc. Imagine that as these families grow, they take more and more of your tax dollars for support, leaving little to maintain other needs.
Exemption from military duty to members of this specific religious group, where all other citizens are required by law to perform this service until age 40.
Laws preferring the particular deity-demands of this particular religious group, which restrict the minutia of daily life, even down to what foods you are allowed to buy and eat during particular times of the year/week.
Taxpayer funded maintenance of streets in areas where a particular religious group blockades said streets during deity-mandated times and dates, not allowing normal traffic through these areas and causing congestion in other areas. Said blockades are guarded by taxpayer funded military and law enforcement personnel.
Now, some of the Christians or other religious groups in the US may think this doesn't sound too bad. Note, however, that I specifically wrote above that the religion getting all the perks is NOT YOUR OWN. In addition, non-compliance with the laws can lead, not only to legal sanctions such as fines and what-not, but also to actually being beaten, stoned, or otherwise attacked physically.
Granted, the religion-based laws here in Israel are pretty moderate compared to, say, Saudi Arabia, and generally just make me laugh or roll my eyes. I usually don't need to go through blockaded neighborhoods to get where I want to go, with the exception of not being able to pick up my daughter after a sleepover one Saturday morning. I stocked up on bread and pitot before Pessach began. I have my Brita filter to take away the nasty smell and taste of the local well-water since the city water system has been shut off for Pessach.* I don't ride the buses. I have no desire to enter the neighborhoods/areas where I would be required to wear long skirts, long sleeves, and headcoverings.
Still, US citizens, consider if a religion NOT YOUR OWN made the laws in the US. Consider that they might start out kind of silly and just a pain in the ass. Then they might get a bit more stringent, maybe with less merciful punishments. Then, finally, they might get just plain draconian, with penalties of death for those who do not obey. And all funded and supported by YOUR tax dollars. Not such a pretty picture, huh?
I would ask all US citizens to CELEBRATE the separation of church from state. I would remind those who would sneak theocracy into our government that their particular brand of god may not be that of the majority forever. I would encourage everyone to read and learn about nations, now and in the past, which have used religion as a legal system and ask themselves if they would like to live in those nations during those times.
* True story: The mayor of Jerusalem has shut off the public water system because fishermen on the Sea of Galilee may have used leavened bread as fish bait. This fish bait may have gotten into the water, which is drinking water for the entire country. The God of the Jewish people has forbidden them to eat leavened bread during Passover. So we all get to drink and wash in local smelly, foul-tasting (at least mine is, probably most people have better wells) well water to protect us from having fish-bait breadcrumbs pass our lips.
Another fun fact, illustrating the caprice of religious laws: For many years, rabbis have railed against smoking among the religious. Their argument in the past has been that we are obligated to take care of our bodies because they were created by their God. This year, miraculously, one rabbi has finally, coincidentally JUST LAST WEEK, correctly interpreted some religious text and determined that tobacco products have LEAVEN in them and are therefore forbidden during Pessach. This despite rabbinical certification of the local manufacturers of tobacco products, who are crazy-pissed. It reeks of the same idiocy as when the LDS church's infallible leaders suddenly receive information from their God saying that the previous infallible leaders, who had received contradictory information from God, were wrong and that black people CAN join the Mormons!
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Musings About Living in Israel
This evening begins the Jewish festival of Pessach. We call this Passover in the US. It commemorates the 10 plagues unleashed on Egypt by the god of the Hebrews at the request of Moses (played most famously by Charlton Heston, who might have been better served by playing Jesus as he has recently had his rifle pried from his cold, dead hands), and the subsequent release of the Hebrews from Egyptian bondage.
Pessach is a time for cleaning, which, technically, should be done before Shabbat begins every Friday night, but, I have discovered, is most definitely NOT. I've wondered whether or not their god commanded them to clean up before Shabbat and definitely before Pessach because without some godly threats, they would never clean up at all. As it is, and I use my neighbor as my example, but the anecdote is confirmed to be common among Israelis by many of our Israeli friends, cleaning up seems to mean gathering up all the rotted food and trash from inside the house and putting it outside the house for local stray dogs and cats to scatter all over everyone's sidewalks and courtyards. For a group obsessed with ritual cleanliness (some, not all, of course), observant Israelis seem decidedly uncaring about basic sanitation and prevention of disease.
I suppose that as a people, the Israelis have a difficult time thinking about how irresponsible and generally disgusting their trash scattering, lack of support for recycling, and general unawareness of how sad it is to walk into an otherwise pristine park or forest area, only to see empty food cans, rotted leftover sandwiches, and plastic bottles strewn all over, appears to outsiders, even fellow Jews who've made aliya. Jews who've grown up here have always had enough possibilities of destruction hanging over their heads that living for today with no thought at all for tomorrow seems to be the norm.
One of Nigel's co-workers has opined that she is embarrassed that the Israeli people just will not think about how much could be done to make Israel a more beautiful place by actually taking care of things and keeping things clean and looking nice. When Nigel informed another of his coworkers that I am having to go out every morning with rubber gloves on to clean up the rotting vegetables and dirty diapers that have been dragged all over our steps and in our back area where we walk our dog, she said, "Welcome to Israel."
One of the most important aspects of Pessach is that leavened products, such as bread, beer, and, I found out today in the newspaper, cigars and cigarettes may not be consumed or even kept in the houses of observant Jews. There are burning ceremonies all over, in which crumbs and leftover bread products are burned in a ritualistic way. Also, to make fun for the children, before the beginning of Pessach, house lights are turned off and candles are taken around each corner and crack of the house to find any leavened bread crumbs left within. The children have feathers with which they sweep up anything that looks suspicious.
This sounds cute and fun, and probably is. However, a recent story in the local news points to another episode of deadly carelessness tied specifically to this religious festival. I can't link to it because it's not free, but several kindergarten children were burned, a couple of them quite badly, during a lesson about burning hametz. Why anyone would think it an appropriate lesson for kindergarteners, I don't know. It's not as though they would have no adults to do the burning for them, and it's not as though just a description of the burning without the, apparently literal, hands-on demonstration would have been quite suitable.
There is much controversy within Israel, especially between the observant and the secular Jews, as to whether or not it should be permitted to buy bread and other hametz (leavened) products during Pessach week. Recently, the courts ruled that the law prohibiting public display of hametz did not preclude its sale as long as it was not out in the open where observant Jews could see it. A huge uproar came from the harid and orthodox communities claiming that it would be the end of Judaism. Today, an article in the Jerusalem Post stated that orthodox rabbis, who have been trying unsuccessfully for years to convince their observant flocks to stop smoking, have declared cigars and cigarettes hametz. Interesting that it hasn't been declared so before now.
All this being said, I still love it here. It is very pretty from our balcony, I'm learning my way around quite well, and we have enough secular friends that we don't generally have to directly deal with threats from the more extreme members of Israeli society.
That's all for today! More ranting at another time. I will discuss the newspaper's article about the possibility of "hametz violence" during Pessach.
Pessach is a time for cleaning, which, technically, should be done before Shabbat begins every Friday night, but, I have discovered, is most definitely NOT. I've wondered whether or not their god commanded them to clean up before Shabbat and definitely before Pessach because without some godly threats, they would never clean up at all. As it is, and I use my neighbor as my example, but the anecdote is confirmed to be common among Israelis by many of our Israeli friends, cleaning up seems to mean gathering up all the rotted food and trash from inside the house and putting it outside the house for local stray dogs and cats to scatter all over everyone's sidewalks and courtyards. For a group obsessed with ritual cleanliness (some, not all, of course), observant Israelis seem decidedly uncaring about basic sanitation and prevention of disease.
I suppose that as a people, the Israelis have a difficult time thinking about how irresponsible and generally disgusting their trash scattering, lack of support for recycling, and general unawareness of how sad it is to walk into an otherwise pristine park or forest area, only to see empty food cans, rotted leftover sandwiches, and plastic bottles strewn all over, appears to outsiders, even fellow Jews who've made aliya. Jews who've grown up here have always had enough possibilities of destruction hanging over their heads that living for today with no thought at all for tomorrow seems to be the norm.
One of Nigel's co-workers has opined that she is embarrassed that the Israeli people just will not think about how much could be done to make Israel a more beautiful place by actually taking care of things and keeping things clean and looking nice. When Nigel informed another of his coworkers that I am having to go out every morning with rubber gloves on to clean up the rotting vegetables and dirty diapers that have been dragged all over our steps and in our back area where we walk our dog, she said, "Welcome to Israel."
One of the most important aspects of Pessach is that leavened products, such as bread, beer, and, I found out today in the newspaper, cigars and cigarettes may not be consumed or even kept in the houses of observant Jews. There are burning ceremonies all over, in which crumbs and leftover bread products are burned in a ritualistic way. Also, to make fun for the children, before the beginning of Pessach, house lights are turned off and candles are taken around each corner and crack of the house to find any leavened bread crumbs left within. The children have feathers with which they sweep up anything that looks suspicious.
This sounds cute and fun, and probably is. However, a recent story in the local news points to another episode of deadly carelessness tied specifically to this religious festival. I can't link to it because it's not free, but several kindergarten children were burned, a couple of them quite badly, during a lesson about burning hametz. Why anyone would think it an appropriate lesson for kindergarteners, I don't know. It's not as though they would have no adults to do the burning for them, and it's not as though just a description of the burning without the, apparently literal, hands-on demonstration would have been quite suitable.
There is much controversy within Israel, especially between the observant and the secular Jews, as to whether or not it should be permitted to buy bread and other hametz (leavened) products during Pessach week. Recently, the courts ruled that the law prohibiting public display of hametz did not preclude its sale as long as it was not out in the open where observant Jews could see it. A huge uproar came from the harid and orthodox communities claiming that it would be the end of Judaism. Today, an article in the Jerusalem Post stated that orthodox rabbis, who have been trying unsuccessfully for years to convince their observant flocks to stop smoking, have declared cigars and cigarettes hametz. Interesting that it hasn't been declared so before now.
All this being said, I still love it here. It is very pretty from our balcony, I'm learning my way around quite well, and we have enough secular friends that we don't generally have to directly deal with threats from the more extreme members of Israeli society.
That's all for today! More ranting at another time. I will discuss the newspaper's article about the possibility of "hametz violence" during Pessach.
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Finally in Israel
We've been in Israel for about 3 weeks now. There's been quite an adjustment period, and I've decided to give myself another few weeks to get used to things here.
Our house is beautiful, just outside of Jerusalem right off Road 1 in Ramat Motza. It is a three level with balconies overlooking the valley between Mevasseret Zion and Motza Illit, but high enough that the highway traffic noise doesn't bother.
So far, I've managed to find several grocery stores, a bookstore, some pharmacies, the market in Jerusalem (great fruits, veggies), a deli that sells pork products from a hidden cabinet under the register, coffee shops, and lots of other amenities. The language barrier is a challenge, but most people at least have a smattering of English, so I've not had too much trouble. Haven't been keeping up with the Hebrew lessons, because our internet has been a real challenge. Until today, the transfer speed has varied between .1 (yes - .1) and 10 kbps, and tended to just go offline right in the middle of my bill paying etc. It seems up to speed today for the first time, and hasn't just dropped the connection for almost 4 hours. Nigel predicts that it will be fine until just after Shabbat starts.
The kids have been enjoying their new school, though The Starving Child has had some virus and hasn't been to school for the past three days (yesterday they were all home because of parent/teacher conferences). He seems over it now, but they have swimming on Thursdays and I didn't want him overdoing it. The homework is much more intense than in the US, with tons of writing. I don't know if it's just the US school systems or if my kids are just slow, but where they were just learning about what a complete sentence is in Oregon, they are now expected to already know all about it and to write several of them in their homework each day. It is difficult for me, because all three need constant supervision while completing their work, but I am only one person. It has tended to take 2 to 3 hours daily to get all their work completed.
Nigel's work has been interesting as well. We have to drop him at his shuttle stop by 6:50am, then we generally drive on into Jerusalem and I let the kids play at one of two parks we drive by on the way to school until it is time for drop off. Nigel tries to get on the 17:00 shuttle for home, which puts him here at a bit after 18:00. One of his co-workers, IF he makes the shuttle, brings him home, or if not, we have to go pick him up. This puts supper between 18:00 and 19:00, leaving only a half hour for baths and bed for the kids. Plus, I have to have supper made and keeping warm while we pick him up or while he is on his way. This is hard for him, since he's always been a fan of hot, fresh suppers. The kids are not used to having to wait so late for supper, either, so they are always starving and begging for snacks between the time we get home from school and suppertime.
I've noticed that since we are now in a place where food is much more expensive than in the States, the kids are eating us out of house and home. Back in Oregon, they were never hungry and didn't want to eat anything - but food was cheap there, so I guess it figures.
I have been saving some money in that the tap water here is really quite tasty and I haven't had to buy any bottled water like we had to in OR because of the nasty tasting/smelling well water we had there.
We had to wait forever for a dryer to be delivered. The one that was already here had been put together wrong and would not run. Our landlady promised us a new one every day for two weeks, and it did finally arrive. I have to say that it ROCKS. Many of the other ex-pats have complained that their dryers take forever and don't get the clothes dry, but ours certainly does. It actually takes less time for the clothes to dry than it takes them to wash in our miniature washing machine, which takes 2 hours to complete a load. Prior to receiving the new dryer, we were having to dry everything by putting it outside (we had to purchase a clothes line and pins) or, since it has rained off and on since we got here, hang them all over the house to dry. Not a pretty sight, and took forever. Now it is quick and efficient.
There are some plumbing problems. When we drain the bathtub after the kids' baths, it drains into the extra bedroom's bathroom. Plus, our landlady has told us not to put toilet paper in the toilets! This is unacceptable and we have to let her know to get a plumber out here asap the next time we see her. We are up so high, I would think that gravity alone would make sure the pipes are all clear and running downhill. If they clog that easily, they should be fixed. I do not want to live where I have to smell used toilet paper every time I use the bathroom, plus it is very difficult for the kids to remember not to flush the paper. They've been flushing it for 4 years and their brains have all they can hold with all the complete sentences they are having to write!
This is a beautiful country. We have hiked around our area and will be trying to do more touristy stuff as time goes by. Most of the people are very friendly.
More details to come....
Our house is beautiful, just outside of Jerusalem right off Road 1 in Ramat Motza. It is a three level with balconies overlooking the valley between Mevasseret Zion and Motza Illit, but high enough that the highway traffic noise doesn't bother.
So far, I've managed to find several grocery stores, a bookstore, some pharmacies, the market in Jerusalem (great fruits, veggies), a deli that sells pork products from a hidden cabinet under the register, coffee shops, and lots of other amenities. The language barrier is a challenge, but most people at least have a smattering of English, so I've not had too much trouble. Haven't been keeping up with the Hebrew lessons, because our internet has been a real challenge. Until today, the transfer speed has varied between .1 (yes - .1) and 10 kbps, and tended to just go offline right in the middle of my bill paying etc. It seems up to speed today for the first time, and hasn't just dropped the connection for almost 4 hours. Nigel predicts that it will be fine until just after Shabbat starts.
The kids have been enjoying their new school, though The Starving Child has had some virus and hasn't been to school for the past three days (yesterday they were all home because of parent/teacher conferences). He seems over it now, but they have swimming on Thursdays and I didn't want him overdoing it. The homework is much more intense than in the US, with tons of writing. I don't know if it's just the US school systems or if my kids are just slow, but where they were just learning about what a complete sentence is in Oregon, they are now expected to already know all about it and to write several of them in their homework each day. It is difficult for me, because all three need constant supervision while completing their work, but I am only one person. It has tended to take 2 to 3 hours daily to get all their work completed.
Nigel's work has been interesting as well. We have to drop him at his shuttle stop by 6:50am, then we generally drive on into Jerusalem and I let the kids play at one of two parks we drive by on the way to school until it is time for drop off. Nigel tries to get on the 17:00 shuttle for home, which puts him here at a bit after 18:00. One of his co-workers, IF he makes the shuttle, brings him home, or if not, we have to go pick him up. This puts supper between 18:00 and 19:00, leaving only a half hour for baths and bed for the kids. Plus, I have to have supper made and keeping warm while we pick him up or while he is on his way. This is hard for him, since he's always been a fan of hot, fresh suppers. The kids are not used to having to wait so late for supper, either, so they are always starving and begging for snacks between the time we get home from school and suppertime.
I've noticed that since we are now in a place where food is much more expensive than in the States, the kids are eating us out of house and home. Back in Oregon, they were never hungry and didn't want to eat anything - but food was cheap there, so I guess it figures.
I have been saving some money in that the tap water here is really quite tasty and I haven't had to buy any bottled water like we had to in OR because of the nasty tasting/smelling well water we had there.
We had to wait forever for a dryer to be delivered. The one that was already here had been put together wrong and would not run. Our landlady promised us a new one every day for two weeks, and it did finally arrive. I have to say that it ROCKS. Many of the other ex-pats have complained that their dryers take forever and don't get the clothes dry, but ours certainly does. It actually takes less time for the clothes to dry than it takes them to wash in our miniature washing machine, which takes 2 hours to complete a load. Prior to receiving the new dryer, we were having to dry everything by putting it outside (we had to purchase a clothes line and pins) or, since it has rained off and on since we got here, hang them all over the house to dry. Not a pretty sight, and took forever. Now it is quick and efficient.
There are some plumbing problems. When we drain the bathtub after the kids' baths, it drains into the extra bedroom's bathroom. Plus, our landlady has told us not to put toilet paper in the toilets! This is unacceptable and we have to let her know to get a plumber out here asap the next time we see her. We are up so high, I would think that gravity alone would make sure the pipes are all clear and running downhill. If they clog that easily, they should be fixed. I do not want to live where I have to smell used toilet paper every time I use the bathroom, plus it is very difficult for the kids to remember not to flush the paper. They've been flushing it for 4 years and their brains have all they can hold with all the complete sentences they are having to write!
This is a beautiful country. We have hiked around our area and will be trying to do more touristy stuff as time goes by. Most of the people are very friendly.
More details to come....
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