I just had an awkward experience with my new landlady. I'm staying in an apartment above the office where I'm volunteering, which I have to admit is pretty sweet, having my own privacy and living right above where I'll be working.
HOWEVER.
Now I have to talk like an American. I tried to tell myself, "Emily, this is the Middle East. This is NOT America."
The apartment probably hasn't been lived in for 10 years or more. It's really dusty, the mattress had tiny insects crawling on it (omgosh I hope I don't get bed bugs - HaShem please don't let me get bedbugs), and half the lights don't work.
On the plus side, the fridge works, and the shower works. They're going to fix the toilet tomorrow. The lights in the kitchen and the storage section of the bedroom work.
And the fan on one side of the bedroom works. The electricity doesn't work on the other side, so no ceiling light - at least for today.
Breathe, just breathe.
And of course, the new landlady is super nice to me and feeds me kusa (zucchini) filled with ruz (rice), and she gives me some food for tomorrow. So I feel awkward telling her the lights don't work and that there are bugs crawling on the mattress.
Well, we turned over the mattress - so no more bugs - I hope. We covered it with a sheet. In sha Allah, In sha Allah, just keep breathing...
And the landlady's husband is so sweet; he was telling me all about their family, and how they spread out across the world after 1948...
Oy vey, and of course I go ahead pretending to be Christian (of which I am half), after I tell the landlady I don't know Hebrew and she says, "You don't need to learn Hebrew; Arabic is better."
Breathe, it's okay. I bought some cleaning supplies. Tomorrow I'm going to make this place new again! (to the best of my ability).
In sha Allah, In sha Allah. Just gotta keep telling myself.
Okay, time to unpack.
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