Back Home! Also Things That Are Different Part 4

Finally, back in the country. Allow me to tell you about the 500 lines we had to wait in:

• Waited in traffic to get into Tel Aviv
• Waited in a line of cars to get parking (there is NO legal parking in Tel Aviv - you have to have a sticker!)
• Waiting through security to enter the airport
• Waiting to drop off the rental car
• Waiting through security check-point numero uno
• Waiting to get our bags X-rayed
• Waiting to get up to the ticket counter
• Switching lines and waiting for the next damn window because a family of 67 just cut in front of us
• Switching again because of an incompetent teller
• Waiting to go through security numero dos
• Waiting in the passport line
• Incompetence! New line for passport
• Waiting to get through the THIRD security checkpoint
• Waiting to board the plane
• Waiting to get off the plane
• Waiting through security checkpoint 4
• Waiting through security checkpoint 5
• Waiting to get onto plane 2
• Waiting to leave plane 2 (missing one hat, somehow...)
• Waiting through passport check 2
• Waiting for our bag
• Waiting through customs
• Waiting for our ride
• Waiting through Chicago traffic

Israeli's take their security seriously. Mix this with their rather charming xenophobia and it just sucks. Naomi, with her sleek new Israeli passport and command of the language, gets about a two-second glance and that's it. Me? Two hundred questions, dirty looks, bomb testing; the works. Sometimes Naomi can wriggle me through by taking possession of me - "he's MY HUSBAND." Sometimes not.

We're home though!

My last installment of things that are different:

Street markings

If they were completely different, no problem. But they are exactly the same, except their median line is always white, regardless of if the traffic a lane over is on-coming or the same direction as you. Also, these lines are suggestions and the roads may actually have three unofficial lanes if people feel like passing. And they always do.

Curb markings

All curbs are candy-striped to tell you if you can park there, if they are reserved for buses, etc. I honestly don't know what they all mean. Parking is blue/white, which sucks for me because I always assume it's handicapped and just pass it by.

Tipping

Tips are more like 10%, which is nice. Service is generally not that fantastic, and it's like a team effort - many people help you throughout your evening. You have to ask for the check. If you don't you'll sit there all night being ignored. You CANNOT tip with your credit card, which sucks. It means you pretty much have to carry change at all times. Luckily I had a purse.