Getting anything at all done in Israel: It's as easy as hoping the person you're dealing with woke up on the right side of the bed

Doing the paperwork to transfer a foreign license here is relatively easy (this is the part that happens before they fail you for no apparent reason, but that's a separate issue). You go to one of two optometrists in the city for an eye test and to receive a form. You then need a doctor to sign it. Then you bring it to Israel's version of the DMV with your Teudat Oleh and your license. This worked perfectly fine the first time. Then my teacher lost my form and it took two months for him to successfully tell me this (because all my contact information was on the form he lost).

Doing it all again was time-consuming, but not such a big deal. I got the form from the optometrist when I happened to be in town, and I needed a doctors appointment anyway. The tricky part was going to the Misrad HaRishui (DMV). They are open every morning and two afternoons a week. I first went in the afternoon before my babysitting job which isn't too far from the place.

After a reasonable 30 minute wait the woman behind the desk I was called up to turned to her co-worker and asked "Do we process these things during afternoon hours?" The co-worker said no. Now, these are the same people who work there in the mornings. Okay, whatever, no patience to argue. I leave.

Today after a successful morning working out arnona (property tax- paid by renters) with my roommates and getting paperwork at Bituach Leumi (national insurance bureau) to then go back to the municipality and claim I'm poor so I can get a discount on arnona I set out back towards Talpiot for an interview at an amazing gan. More on that later, if I get the job.

The interview went great and better yet it was over just after 11 so I had plenty of time to go back to the Misrad HaRishui to try again. I took a number and with 80 people in front of me I went across the street to do grocery shopping. I came back with 40 people left to go and within a reasonable amount of time it was my turn. I happily handed over the required paperwork. Or so I thought. "This license was issued after you made aliyah." "I know." "We need one issued before." "But that one expired and I have a new one." "Where's the old one?" "I have no freakin' idea." "You need to bring us something that says you had an older license.

UGH. Just when I was about to freak out at having to figure out what country my old license is in I remembered that I had a photocopy of it which I thought I needed the first time around (months ago). I even thought of bringing it today but then thought "That's silly, it's expired." I wasn't allowed to bring the wine I got into the building. Maybe they think it will be used as a weapon. Gee, I wonder why? I have no idea when I will have time to go there again.

In other news, I'm moving to Baka in 4-5 weeks. My new apartment is on Ben Yefuneh, down the street from where Ulpan Etzion used to be. The apartment is perfectly located near the good supermarkets and two blocks away from my bus to campus and my roommate's bus to the new Ulpan Etzion. I can't believe I am about to move out of my first home in Israel, and away from my first roommates in Israel (yes Harriet the Spy, you too). It's amazing how many things happened the way they did because of the area I lived in, who I see at shul, and who I run into on the streets. You know what I'm referring to. And if you don't, maybe I'll tell you one day. The new apartment isn't so far but it's going to be a whole new world for me. But come visit. I even got a couch for people to sit on. There might even be enough for for you to stretch out your feet, if you aren't too tall.

The next few weeks holds much excitement. Besides moving, I have a bunch of friends being sworn into the army next week, a kid I used to babysit for (starting when she was 1, 14 years ago) is coming to stay with me, I will sort of be done with my first year of graduate school (except for the 3 finals and 5 papers) and I have lots of friends coming to Israel in July (some even to stay!). And then I might go to the US for a month. Who knows?

I have some things to say about politics. And a piece about the social scene. I think I'll save them for later. Though later might be ten minutes from now.