double figures

Kamma at olah?

(lit. meaning how much do you cost?, but really cutesy Israeli slang to say how long ago did you immigrate to Israel)

Eser!

(lit. meaning 10 but in more common and less naff Israeli slang it means excellent!)

yes today is the big 10

1. 10 years of israeli citizenship (i bought a video, fridge, microwave and 2 years of a masters degree on new immigrant rights. all still working vaguel apart from the masters)
2. 10 years of being an adult (i spent a total sum of 6 months post college in england so i consider israel to have custody over the vast majority of my adult life)
3. 10 years of voting in israeli elections (4 national and 2 mayoral i think)
4. 10 years of living in jerusalem (4 apts in 3 neighborhoods not including ulpan)
5. 10 years of working in israel (21 jobs that i can remember, 11 appearing on current resume - i've been a freelancer, not totally incompetent)
6. 10 years of young, free and singledom in the holyland (wont list the number of dates/ significant others but have shared in close to 90 weddings in that period)
7. 10 years of paying arnona in well todo neighborhoods (so give or take car fines and student reductions jerusalem municipality is approximately 24,000nis better off thanks to me)
8. 10 years of speaking hebrew and too many times receiving the response - at amerikait? (no i'm british, f%^& off!)
9. 10 years of continually making wonderful - if predominantly anglo - friends (israel's new and improved answer to family)
10. 10 years of living my life basically

true, things have changed over ten years

-- when i made aliya the only cutting and pasting i did was in art class and e-mail was what a yorkshire man cried out when the postman came round the corner (actually he'd probably see ee-post-up but nevermind)

-- i came to israel during the hey day of peace, was in england for a wedding when rabin was shot, never made it to jordan, have had at least three work colleagues who've lost children to terror and still vehemently believe that without caring about the character and quality of the people of israel then fighting for the land of israel is a - possibly immoral - lost cause. apart from that as my method for sanity is to keep my head out of the news and into my life, i continue to never miss an opportunity to miss a political analysis opportunity.

there are also things that i haven't been doing for all ten years -- only 5.5 years of comedy, maybe 8 years of beginning to know my mind and i'd say approximately 4 years of serious clothes shopping in israel.

but that's ok because my life is a work in progress and for want of a better cliche israel is my chosen canvas.

that's probably why despite all the big promises of planning ulpan reunions and/or all night partying (could still happen on thursday, watch this space) today's celebrations have ended up being relaxed and low-key. calls to some of my ulpan peers that have also survived a decade in israel, taking elite chocolate (somethingelse that's improved since Jan 10th 1995) into work to share with my department and out to dinner tonight with a nice new friend in a proven jerusalem restaurant that too was around ten years ago.

i'm not being a partypooper, its just today i have a life that i like. that's pretty eser isn't it?