An Award-Winning Blog
First, a number of Loyal Readers have wished us congratulations on receiving an award, which you can see on the right-hand side of the page. Full Disclosure: We were not exactly the only winner of this award. We were among dozens of others who won the "Expat Arrivals" award.
However, I do believe that I am correct in saying that we are the only accidental blog to receive the award. I did not notice any other blogs entitled, "Moved to Kenya By Accident." Or, "I'm Living In Ireland - How'd the Heck Did I Get Here?" So we are special, in that regard.
Weather News
Well we have been having some fabulous weather here. The rain is supposed to arrive, thank God, next week. Which is good, because otherwise we were going to have to start washing our hair with our own spit.
Kupait Syndrome
So I’m in the mall. I see someone. She looks soooo familiar. How do we know each other? Shul? No. School? No. Gosh, where do I know her from? Then it hits me. She’s a kupait at Rami Levi. Or she’s the nurse at Maccabi, the secretary at the doctor’s office, the pharmacist at MaccabiPharm.
This is what I call Kupait Syndrome. In Riverdale, there was little chance of running into the checkout lady anywhere else but the checkout aisle. But here in Modiin, we’re all one big happy family. But it is very jarring to see Intense Israeli Pharmacist Lady drinking a coffee at Aroma. I feel like a little kid, seeing her teacher outside of school. But you don’t belong here! You should be in a white coat, writing things down on a medicine box and talking quickly and telling me I don’t need to refrigerate the Moxyvit! Why are you here????
The worst is when I can’t place the person, and then I walk around for days with the image of this person’s face in my head, trying her out in all sorts of scenarios. Here she is, scanning my groceries. Nope, that’s not it. Now she’s telling me to pee in a cup! No, wrong again. Swiping my Maccabi card? No! Darn it! Who are you?????
Riddle Time!
And finally, a Tu B'Shvat riddle from Dadz. I know TB was last week, but so what?
"I guess in Israel, Tu B'Shvat becomes Tu B'Pvat."
Anyone who guesses correctly wins a delicious piece of fresh, dried-out buxor! Good luck to you all!
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14 comments:
sevivon - here its poh there its sham, hence tu pvat.
(can i have my capital o back?)
(btw i saw the lady behind me in al hamishkal actualy bought *boxer* and i asked her incredulously and impulsively ' do you really eat that" and she answered defensively 'i like it'. so you can send it to her.
Psh! Emuna got there first. I however have never eaten buxor, so that must count for something.
I had "ulpan syndrome" the other day at an art market. I couldn't place the lady making the stained glass ornaments, even though she recognised me and called me "mami". It wasn't until she stood up and turned to get something from behind her that I realised she was our stand-in ulpan teacher from last year.
Wow, you guys are good. Donny and I stared at that email for a long time and could not figure it out. Tell your lady the buxor is on its way.
Isobel - yes, Kupait Syndrome goes by many names. It's basically another version of Jewish Geography.
My question is did you win the award on accident??? Mazel tov on your prestigious award!
I was also confused by kupait syndrome(which I referred to as "seeing-the-clalit-nurse-at-rami-levy syndrome"). Unfortunately I was tight with the nurses at Clalit so I was always able to place them and say hi by name but it still threw me for a loop.
Shouldn't that have been DADZ? and please give f/e back her O.
i think the people i see most often around modiin are my coworkers. pretty sad, kind of embarrassing, ultimately annoying to run into my release manager at supersol on a friday morning in sweats, messy hair, no makeup. there she is in the parking lot, isle 5, 10, the cheese line, and the checkout line. and no, i don't feel like making conversation.
It's been a while since I've posted...but today I could not resist because two weeks ago I saw the Spuytin Duyvil librarian at Target and I was going out of my mind trying to figure it out! I guess it works as Safranit Syndrome as well. Miss you!
PS In Morah Elaine's class, Ariella's genuis was already obvious.
And there is a female employee from RL who looks VERY VERY MUCH like one of the Modiin librarians. I think the librarian lives on our block. UNLESS it is the RL worker. Gah!
Arica - yes, I too have no problem placing Ilana, the lovely secretary in the pediatrician's office.
MOMZ - f/e never lost her "o" to begin with. In fact, she can even choose ANOTHER capital letter.
So I see I am not alone in Kupait Syndrome, though it goes by many names.
thanks gila and momz! gila i had handed back my o when i wasnt on board about the award. congratulations on the award!
i have been thinking about misplaced person syndrome (renamed it for the international market) and realize WE HAVE THE TECHNOLOGY (is there anyone else out there who remembers that?) to solve that, a google faces if you may, still have some kinks in face recognition to work out, and maybe some international privacy laws to deal with, but still, imagine if you couldve just taken a picture of the lady in aroma with your phone and it wouldve told you where you knew her from. so many varied uses - for public figures to remember names, harried mothers not to mix up their kids names, just to name a few.
but isobels stand in ulpan teacher story made me realize that you can just say 'mami' when you meet someone you know and cant remember their name.
once again thanks for such an informative and thought provoking blog.
you think you have it bad... I've been living in Modiin since I was 20 and single (and only got married at almost 27). If I run into a man I can't place, I have to wonder if I *dated* him...
This includes one of the fathers at my daughter's gan. Fortunately, we weren't very serious and broke up on good terms, so it's not that awkward.
DOUBLE KAPAIM L' F/E AND REGULAR KAPAIM TO I/P
GILS, VERY HONORED THAT I WAS USED IN YOUR BLOG (AND NOT SIMPLY MADE FUN OF)
f/e - can you just imagine those poor rami levi checkout ladies? "Oh boy, here comes someone snapping a camera in my face. I WORK AT RAMI LEVI, OKAY???"
Leah - true that "Old Boyfriend Syndrome" is much worse than "Kupait/Safranit/Substitute Ulpan Teacher Syndrome."
DADZ - I, too, enjoyed the change of pace.
I love the name name you gave it "Kupait Syndrome" perfect!!! It made me laugh reading it because it just happened to me last week at Mega Bul I "meet" the receptionist from my dentist office. After she saw my face trying to place her she came up to me and said you know me from Dr. so and so's office... what a relief because it would have driven me crazy until I placed her!
I really enjoy your blog.
I'm the "new kid on the block" wanted to introduce myself and my blog.
I love trying new things and giving my "2 shekels" worth on them.
You and your readers might enjoy reading my reviews.
http://isreview1.blogspot.com/
Thanks for taking a look ;)
Daniela
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