Happy Valentines-day Cyber Space. I celebrated by finally
Doing. And let me tell you, there was Much to be Done.
I’m right now sitting on the bus on the way home. Love is in
the air. A young man got the bus doors closed in his face and the bus reversed
away, 13 faces watching this rejection. Simultaneously, a female soldier dressed in
death coloured Khaki, sat down holding a deeply red rose in the hand that was
not clutching her rifle. I’m happy to be going home early after a long couple
of days. I haven’t been to Yavne for dinner since last week Wednesday!
So again, lets work backwards. Today I was just busy doing
work. My To Do list that I’ve been neglecting has gone over the page and I’m
beginning to get a Stress-Bunny baby, haven’t had one of those since writing
Exams… But atleast it feels productive,
like I’m not sitting on my butt at the office staring at e-mails, watching other more
qualified people change the world. I’ve done two interviews, found 3 new
volunteers, created a database, incorporated
the shelter project, planned a bi-monthly workshop, learned a sentence or two
in Tigrinya, and helped refugees get around without language. To summarize; I’ve finally found Purpose in sitting on my butt at the
office staring at e-mails, watching other more qualified people change the
world.
This morning I woke up Super-early (like 8!) to rush off to
the Hospital in Tel Aviv to check on my people. Public transport in this
country works, but its super slow, and unreliable, and annoying. I left the
house at 9 and got to the Ichilov Hospital at about 11. It took 20minutes manic
running around to find the ward and then I could only stay for like 10 minutes
before having to rush back to my Bus Station, late for work of course. Which is
awkward as I had an interview with a woman who I’m sure was insane.
Last night was crazy. The good part is I went to a Hummus Bar
with people from work, met my first real Liberal-lefty who is leaving
tomorrow, and enjoyed good Limonana and Legit hummus.
But lets start at 4:00. I contemplate going to buy food, and
going to the loo, before the receptionist leaves. I’m not that hungry so I don’t.
Ten Minutes later, when I’m sitting on reception, the office is empty and thus
I decide that its ok to go pee. (the toilet there, for reader interest, is
tragic.. everyone in the whole office can hear you pee. Especially during
meetings or interviews.) I come back from that little endever and the office
has filled to carrying capacity! Anyways I can now cut a long story short and
tell you about the family who had come in.
They were Eritrian, spoke pretty much only Tigrinia and had a baby who's scalp was oozing and crusty. She needed medical attention, immidiatly but they were too late for the free clinic that refugees usually go to to be open. I went with them because whilst none of us spoke hebrew, atleast i spoke english, and as they are refugees, people werent going to listen to them or give them service. it makes me really pissed off. but anyways, it was quite the adventure. None of us knew where we were going, how to get there, or what to do onece we were there. I guess I was there for moral support and to nag the medical personal to hurry up and give them attention. The ARDC, where I work is truly amazing. The peoples there gave me all the instructions i needed and we also had a really helpful translator who spoke Hebrew, Tigriniya AND English and got us through the horrible reception. The doctors were really nice, but it was really intense to get through questions like 'when did the baby first get a fever' with the communication methods me and the young father developed. I guess it was just cos after spending so many hours together, waiting for this and that, we all developed anough patience to be able to talk to each other really efficiently, somehow. Except Luwam, the baby. She held my hand in the taxi on the way there, but when I visited this morning she almost started crying when I came. For her, I'm the bad one that put her in that prision and made people poke needles into her. But she looked so cute in her mini hospital pyjamas! I think she is the first baby I have fallen in love with. I have lovely baby cousins, and often see cute minature people who make me smile and stuff, but generally I'm not a baby person. I dont get it, I dont talk in baby voices and gurgle back and go weak at the knees when I see babies. But Luwam is a gangsta baby. And also the most beautiful child in the world. even when her head is covered in pus. After getting through many channels at the hospital, nurse, doctor, dermatologist, blood test, etc etc etc, all without hebrew, it turned out a) that we'de spent 5 hours at the hospital and it was still not go-time, and b) that I'de had an intense experience where I learned some Tigriniya as well as non verbal communication, I learned about the family, the baby, soccer, the medical system.... And it had been really scary. My phone started running out of battery and airtime. I didnt have any cash(so someone from the office gave us some for the taxi there, but i worried about getting back). I had left my laptop at the office and people were leaving as it got late, I really worried about the legal thing, should i let them give their names and addresses, I know they wont be able to pay, can they be arrested or something, it was really scary and my support system was dying with the phone battery. But also, I had spent hours sitting in comfortable silence, smiling at a 3year old. Crazy stuff. My Eritrean family. I love claiming them when I go visit at the Hospital. "are you with them" hells yeah!
Ok, I know that was a really long story which is of less relevance to anyone who isnt me. But I feel like it was important for me.
Lots of new stuff going on at the office. But i'll tell further when they are more concrete. My parents keep calling me to tell me to call all my awkward racist relatives... Guess I'm going to have an interesting next two weeks...
So, the day of love is now officially over, it was average, I ate alot of chocolate. and that Tangerine.
They were Eritrian, spoke pretty much only Tigrinia and had a baby who's scalp was oozing and crusty. She needed medical attention, immidiatly but they were too late for the free clinic that refugees usually go to to be open. I went with them because whilst none of us spoke hebrew, atleast i spoke english, and as they are refugees, people werent going to listen to them or give them service. it makes me really pissed off. but anyways, it was quite the adventure. None of us knew where we were going, how to get there, or what to do onece we were there. I guess I was there for moral support and to nag the medical personal to hurry up and give them attention. The ARDC, where I work is truly amazing. The peoples there gave me all the instructions i needed and we also had a really helpful translator who spoke Hebrew, Tigriniya AND English and got us through the horrible reception. The doctors were really nice, but it was really intense to get through questions like 'when did the baby first get a fever' with the communication methods me and the young father developed. I guess it was just cos after spending so many hours together, waiting for this and that, we all developed anough patience to be able to talk to each other really efficiently, somehow. Except Luwam, the baby. She held my hand in the taxi on the way there, but when I visited this morning she almost started crying when I came. For her, I'm the bad one that put her in that prision and made people poke needles into her. But she looked so cute in her mini hospital pyjamas! I think she is the first baby I have fallen in love with. I have lovely baby cousins, and often see cute minature people who make me smile and stuff, but generally I'm not a baby person. I dont get it, I dont talk in baby voices and gurgle back and go weak at the knees when I see babies. But Luwam is a gangsta baby. And also the most beautiful child in the world. even when her head is covered in pus. After getting through many channels at the hospital, nurse, doctor, dermatologist, blood test, etc etc etc, all without hebrew, it turned out a) that we'de spent 5 hours at the hospital and it was still not go-time, and b) that I'de had an intense experience where I learned some Tigriniya as well as non verbal communication, I learned about the family, the baby, soccer, the medical system.... And it had been really scary. My phone started running out of battery and airtime. I didnt have any cash(so someone from the office gave us some for the taxi there, but i worried about getting back). I had left my laptop at the office and people were leaving as it got late, I really worried about the legal thing, should i let them give their names and addresses, I know they wont be able to pay, can they be arrested or something, it was really scary and my support system was dying with the phone battery. But also, I had spent hours sitting in comfortable silence, smiling at a 3year old. Crazy stuff. My Eritrean family. I love claiming them when I go visit at the Hospital. "are you with them" hells yeah!
Ok, I know that was a really long story which is of less relevance to anyone who isnt me. But I feel like it was important for me.
Lots of new stuff going on at the office. But i'll tell further when they are more concrete. My parents keep calling me to tell me to call all my awkward racist relatives... Guess I'm going to have an interesting next two weeks...
So, the day of love is now officially over, it was average, I ate alot of chocolate. and that Tangerine.
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