Day Twenty-Three

Outside the miklat again, it's a few hours before Shabbat.

I've thought about it a lot, and drawn up loads of lists, pitting the 'fun' ratio against the 'pain/discomfort' ratio of working in the machleva, and I think I'm going to ask to be transferred to work at the zoo. I've spent everyday of the past two weeks there for a few hours, sitting in the dog cage and playing with the dogs and goats and sheep. I also fed the snakes... it's been quite a while since I've done that. In the tray of mice (to feed them), we discovered there was a newborn baby mouse - it was pink and wrinkly and tiny.

Anyhoo, the mother mouse was guarding it, whereupon another mouse tried to snatch it, so the mother began devouring her baby. Then the other mice all tried to get in on the snackage, and soon we found ourselves looking at a headless, limbless baby 'mouse'. It was a total blood orgy. Trying to right the situation, or at least mete out a nice bit of punishment, I selected the mother who began the cannibalism as the next to be fed to the snakes. Message: Do not eat your newborn.

Aussie guy and I spent Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, last night and probably tonight as well, getting drunk on top of the miklat. This is because it is so stiflingly hot in our rooms (there is no mazgan - aircon) that we reasoned it works out as more fun and economical (once you cost in the leisure/social aspect) to get rather drunk on wine, for me at least, until one falls asleep. Three days this week I've awoken on top of the miklat at 6.50am, which is about the time I get up for work anyway, having had a full night's sleep. It's surprisingly better this way - sure I wake up all achey and painful from sleeping on concrete, but at least this way I don't wake up choking on the heat, six or seven times a night.  But maybe all the drinking is why time is passing so quickly here?

Yesterday I went to the kolbi to buy handsoap for the bathroom, and even though everyone around me was buying stuff, I was told I specifically couldn't and not given any reason. Upon (politely) enquiring further regarding this, I was shouted at - that I would have to wait to have a shower (who on earth showers with handsoap?? or maybe he smelt the milk??) mayeb I angered him, for then he threw a phone at me, while shouting manically in Hebrew!

Needless to say I was slightly alarmed. Everyone else in the shop continued as if nothing happened, or was happening. I began to wonder if I was really existing, or if this was some wine-induced epic dream...

At this point, a nice woman in the queue explained that the computers were down, and I should probably leave. Maybe this goes to show that sometimes an OCD approach to cleanliness isn't good - this and my first day in the mitbach  are a testimony to that.