Home Sweet Security

So for various complicated reasons, I overstayed my last Israeli visa a bit, so now any time I have to show my passport anywhere I have a nice black mark that pops up next to my name, which hurts my Zionist feelings and my teacher's pet feelings at the same time, but there was a recent CIA leak about advising operatives on how to get around Israeli airport security so I think Israel is extra on edge about Americans fudging the rules these days, and I guess I don't blame them.

On the way home from Prague today, I had a nice 45-minute conversation with El Al Security about all kinds of interesting topics, and so did Sam.

Dude: What did you do in Prague?
Me: the castle, the ballet, ate a lot of duck...
Dude: do you have pictures from your trip?
Me: sure, here's one of Sam eating
Dude: ah, the duck
Me: no, actually that's pork knee.
Dude: *GASP*

Dude: Where were you living before Israel?
Me: Boston.
Dude: Beautiful city.
Me: You were in Boston? Yay! Why?
Dude: I was visiting a woman.
Me: Boston girls, we'll do it to you ever time.
Dude: ...we're not together anymore.
Me: Oh.

Dude: So this program, was it hard to get into?
Me: Yeah, it was.
Dude: What did you have to do?
Me: I had to write a bunch of essays and then there were three rounds of interviews.
Dude: That's all?
Me: What do you mean that's all?!

Dude: Do you have any photos form your trip?
Sam: Sure, here...

Dude: These girls are too pretty. What is this, a program for women??

Dude: So do you have any evidence of your program?
Me: What kind of evidence?
Dude: Well you're doing all this research... don't you have to upload it somewhere?
Me: No...
Dude: And your book? You don't have to post it to them?
Me: No...
Dude: What about your hours volunteering? You log them somewhere? Can you show me?
Me: We don't log them.
Dude: So you're saying this program just pays you to do all of these things but they don't collect it? There's no proof? You just wander around Israel doing things?
Me: ...pretty much.
Dude: That sounds amazing.
Me: It is.

Dude: You're from Brooklyn? Oh yeah? How many synagogues are there in Brooklyn?
Sam: Well there are almost as many Jews in Brooklyn as there are in all of Israel, so I really couldn't tell you.



Sam: I can't believe they give you such a hard time. If there was a person in that airport who would throw herself on a grenade for Israel, it's you.

Yes, I wanted to sing this...

...except I know that Israel would literally catch a grenade for me. And does.

And when we arrived in Israel, the girl at passport control just gave me a new visa and didn't ask me any questions. Israel just likes to toy with my emotions.

And now I'm back! And it's lovely to be home. It actually feels really nice.

And Mitch and Angel just arrived!!! Get ready for posts about our adventures :)