Have They No Shame?

Hi Guys!

It’s time for some more Cellcom bashing! But this time it’s not about politics, fences and soldiers. No, this time it’s about simple creativity.

So, do me a favor and watch this short, new commercial they put out this week.

Pretty cool, huh? Yeah, I like it, too. I’m tellin’ ya, those guys at McCann Erickson are soooo creative. They can do anything when they put their minds to it. But I can’t shake this feeling, it reminds me a bit of something I’ve seen before. Hmmmm… I dunno… maybe… THIS?

(This is an amazing clip of a Japanese band, all the people in are its fans. And the songs is kinda catchy, don’t ya think?)

You ever get that feeling, like you just can’t wait for the next Cellcom ad? What will they think of next?!?

My Battle with VSS

The first time I felt something might have been wrong was when Karen got all dressed up to go out for dinner with me. She was looking great, and we were about to celebrate my birthday with a nice Italian meal. Emma was standing right next to me, and as we both admired her mother, I bent down to Emma and said: “Look at your mother, tell her how beautiful she is!”. Emma looked at me in disbelief, almost as if she was saying “Dad, she’s right there. Tell her yourself”.

Karen saw I was distressed, but immediately took my hand, “Ami, it’s nothing. Don’t worry.” But she knew I was extremely worried indeed. It wasn’t the first time. I’ve been speaking to other people through Emma on various occasions. Sometimes to other parents at her kindergarden, with the usual “Emma, look, isn’t Itai nice for giving you his toy?”, or to the cashier at the supermarket “Emma, say thank you to the nice cashier”.

I told Karen “That’s it, I’m going to get this checked. I can’t take it.”

Next day, Emma and I went to our family doctor. I told him all the symptoms. Emma started to make some noise and picked up a pen from the doctor’s table. “Emma, put that pen down before the nice doctor gets angry!” The doctor immediately grunted, and leaned back in his chair. “I see this all the time. It’s no big deal. You’ve got VSS”.

“VSS?!?! What’s that?!?! Is it contagious???”

“No, don’t worry. It’s not contagious, and it’s easily cured.”

“OK, but what is it for G-d’s sake??? Emma!!!! Stop it! The nice doctor is telling me how long I have to live, so please calm down!”

“It’s Vicarious Speech Syndrome. You’re talking to other people through your daughter. I have a lot of information, and there are some great support groups for it.”

I breathed a sigh of relief. As I picked up Emma to leave the office, I said “Emma, tell the nice doctor thank you and that we appreciate his help”. I immediately put my hand over my mouth. “Oops. Sorry Doc….”

“No worries. Just go to the support group”.

The next day I took Emma to the group. It was full of young parents like me, with their kids on their knees. The counsellor introduced me and asked all the parents to welcome me to the group. Just then, all the parents yelled their kid’s name and ordered them:”Tell Ami we love him! Go on! Say ‘We love you Ami!'”

Paradise in Rosh Pina

Karen and I usually do our zimmer-vacationing in a small village called Matat, near the Lebanese border. We like it up there, because it’s very secluded. But this time we went up to Rosh Pina, because we wanted to be closer to some restaurants and shopping.

After hours searching the net, and almost giving up, I stumbled upon a little zimmer (cabin) called “Gloria’s Romantic Garden of Eden”. I immediately called up, after seeing the pics on the site, and Gloria answered the phone. She asked if I spoke English, and I told her I was, well, a “Half & Half”, and she yelled out to her husband “Jerald! There’s a nice American boy on the phone who wants to come over!”.

The room is situated at the bottom of their old stone house, with walls so thick you don’t need air-conditioning in the August heat. And boy, was it hot then. The small yet cozy room has everything you need, but one of the perks is the private swimming pool just outside. Most places that have pools have to share it with at least 3 or 4 other zimmers. So this was nice.

But the biggest perk of all are those two Brits, Gloria and Jerald. Gloria makes an amazing breakfast, and you can sit with her forever, listening to her about her life in England, Memphis (yeah, Memphis!), Manhattan, her father who was a chazan, her crazy parties in NY and her close friendship with Nina Simone and Shoshana Damari (with pics to prove it!). Jerald will tell you all about the house, situated smack in the center of the old restored part of the moshava. Menachem Begin himself hid in the house from the British on the 1940’s!

So, this is defenitely a Half & Half zimmer for all my Half & Half readers out there! Enjoy!

Press here for more info: http://www.hapisga.co.il/zimers/z220.php