Orange Land

A wise woman once said that, in all her time here on the Far Side, never has she gone somewhere or experienced something and thought retrospectively, "Wow. Now that makes sense!"

Something about this country - this far away place - where kippot run around on the streets and Halloween is in the Spring. Something about this land that nothing is allowed to be uniform, nothing synchronized, nothing easy. Nothing just makes sense.

The bureaucracy can drive you insane. At some shops a cappuccino is the same as a latte is the same as a cafe hafuch (upside down coffee), while at others the difference costs many shekels. Major streets open up into moats and the water in buildings is turned off without reason.

But there is a place of hope in this madness. I found a building, a store that is a beacon of light in a sea of darkness: the Orange Cell Phone Technical Support shop.

Orange, one of the major cell phone companies in Israel, has a shop in Industrial Talpiot (south of here) where you go to take your cell phone when it's feeling sick.

When you walk in you are given a number. You then wait for an electronic board and voice to call your number. In the meantime, there is free water and coffee to drink, little candies to eat, comfy chairs to sit on, and computer games to play. There are short Orange ads to watch and information on cool things to buy to read.

Then your number is called, and a person helps you out - that easy! They took my phone, gave me back my SIM card in a bag that read "Take Care" and told me, "In a half hour your phone will be fixed."

And so I sat on the comfy chairs, ate more Orange candies and played computer games. A half hour later, my phone was fixed - that easy!

And so I left. No bruises, no tempers, no cafe hafuch.

Oh Orange, how I love thee.

Comments

orange is a fabulous color.

[LARKIN]

DAVE - if you are going to quote me, use my name damn it and quote me correctly: "There have been VERY FEW TIMES in my time here that I have experienced things and thought 'wow, that makes sense.' This is most likely the result of you NEVER LISTENING TO A WORD I SAY. Much love, holler

[jillch]

there actually was a cafe hafuch. the free coffee that i got on our way out after our phone diagnoses and prescriptions. i heart orange.

[Rach Crossley]

Jill has given you a run for your money. Check out her rendition of “why Orange rules the world.” She’s even used their graphics and slogans. Whoah. Major technological brilliance there. And she doesn’t even have a Mac!

I may start stalking her blog instead of yours, now. ;) hahaha