Routines

September 19, 2001- How Do It Work?

David met with a woman who somehow comes under the heading of “how do they find him?” She’d been living in Israel for a few years and wants to study to become Jewish and return to Israel. Why is she in Australia now? Although she came home to be with her dying father, the real reason is that she was deported. While in Israel, she found cheap lodging at a place that was raided in a dragnet looking for people who were in millennium cults. This occurred before the secular New Year last year. She was the only one there who had legal papers to be in the country, but she was deported too. She has a lawyer in Israel working on her case so that she can go back.

Six Degrees of Separation

This is for “small world” experiences. We’ve been using the same cleaner since we arrived. They’re very friendly and, after Sept. 11, always ask how people back home are managing. This time, the owner asked us if Akron, Ohio, was anywhere near Solon. Her daughter, Kate, will be going there in November to meet her boyfriend’s parents. Since Kate will be there awhile, she has applied for a 4-month work permit. For those of you in the area, you will recognize where she is planning to apply for a job: Mustard Seed Market. We wrote down our full names for Kate and that of the owners who we know.

David and I met for lunch at Pacific Fair, the shopping center across the street. We ate out at the lily pond. I passed on the ice-cream “spider” and sympathized with the server when the wind came up. She had forgotten her “jumper”. An ice-cream spider is “a fizz" with ice cream in it. For those of you who haven’t been paying attention that’s soda with ice cream. A jumper, to the best of my recollection, is a cardigan.

David went back to work while I went off in search of a yo-yo. Somehow, we didn’t bring one. I found a nice Duncan in Target. As I headed for the checkout line, I passed a rack of t-shirts with American flags on them. I don’t know when they were put on display, but it was nice to see them here.

I needed stamps, so I went to the Post. As I waited in line I saw a sign that we’d never have in the U.S. It was at an unoccupied service window and said,” This counter is presently unattended. Please proceed to the nearest adjacent service point.” First of all it has two three-syllable words and one with four syllables. Secondly, it is composed of two sentences of fair complexity. Thirdly, it is unabashedly polite while being very informative. It assumes literacy at about the 10th grade level.

I was also struck by the formality of language that is used by a usually casual Aussie society that adores slang. I had to leave a message for Daniel Bruce, the 20 year old whom we find to be so charming. We are borrowing an old cell phone of his and occasionally get calls (usually from women) for him. His outgoing message at home apologized that he was “unable to attend the phone at the moment.” I love it.

Things are settling in again. David is vacuuming and our front door got fixed this morning. I called David at Temple to warn him that it was fixed. If he came home and put his shoulder to it like we had to do in the past, he’d come sailing in and fall on his “bum.”

We’re meeting the Bruces for dinner at the same Thai restaurant we went to last week. They’ve gone there weekly for years. We really enjoy their company.

Tomorrow is David’s debut in the Brisbane religious community. We’re going for the Premier’s interfaith service. There were big ads for it in the papers today. We haven’t decided if we’re driving or going by train. It’s easy either way, but David has to bring his robe, so a car might be better.

Toby