Remember the Squeegee

Waking up in Israel was both one of the greatest but also the most jarring experiences I've had in quite some time. After awaking from an incredibly deep sleep, I sleepily walked into the bathroom and, although I was warned of the differences in our bathrooms, I turned on the shower as I always have. Turned on the faucet and was immediately sprayed with a very very cold, strong stream of water below the belt.

Now fully awake, I turn on the faucet and realize that the shower head above does not in fact turn on but, rather surprisingly, the middle shower head (basically a hose pointing out of the wall) is the only working part of the whole shower. After about 20 of being on my knees attempting to get myself washed off, I remember the words of our knowledgeable leader Benji, "remember the squeegee". Heading his advice, I opened the the curtain (basically just a small piece of cloth) and realized there was about two inches of water on the floor. Apparently, Israeli bathrooms do not have a partition between the shower and the rest of the bathroom. To prevent further collateral damage I attempted to squeegee, naked. As one can imagine this was quite a sight to see.

In the end, although this was one of the most chaotic showers of my life, I realized some of the smallest differences in US and Israeli culture are the most interesting. At the very least, I will avoid a shot of cold water for the rest of the trip.

-Andrew Gottlieb