Phantom of the Apartment

Overall, I'd say my living situation here is pretty sweet. I have an apartment in the Kfar Studentim (Student Village, go Hebrew) and a view of a tree-lined street to the right and the Dome of the Rock to the left. The rooms are big and tall-ceilinged, and they came fully furnished. The bed is even comfortable.

Serisously, W&L looks pretty bad in comparison.

We have a common kitchen and living room, two WCs and a shower space. There are 5 bedrooms, and I have 3 roommates and a phantom.

I'll tell you about the people first, mostly because they exist, and partially because I'm still struggling to understand the phenomenon of the Phantom.

Right next to me is Jess, an Australian who resents the stereotype of all Australians carrying giant knives and being cheery and outdoorsy. She's in the same program as me, and knew just as much (as little?) Hebrew as I did when we arrived.

Then there's an Israeli girl and I suck because I can never remember her name, but she's very nice and even helps me with my homework on the rare ocassion I will break down and ask for help. She's in the regular university here.

Next is Nadia, a hilarious British girl from Liverpool in the Mechina program, a preperatory program to help students get into Hebrew Universities. At least that's what I understand the program to be, I could be and probably am wrong.

She's from Liverpool, which means her accent is awesome, but at times totally incomprehensible. I have the same glazed-over look when she talks as when someone on the street starts talking to me in Hebrew. It's really funny when this happens, but also frustrating because it's English, from ENGLAND, for crying out loud.

And now, we get to....

THE PHANTOM.

I don't know this girl, and unlike the Israeli, I don't feel bad about it. Allegedly, she's Swiss and a student at the regular university, but that's all hearsay. I have literally only seen her once. In the entire 4 weeks I've been here.

The one memorable ocassion when she graced the apartment with her prescence, Jess and I were so confused. She was moving around in the kitchen like she owned the place (which, in retrospect, she kind of did), and neither of us recognized this ghost in our apartment.

We gawk awkwardly for a minute, and she goes, "Um, I'm [NAME]," and looked at us like this was supposed to mean something.

Awkwardness ensues.

"I live here?" Oh. I was stuttering pleasantries and excuses about why I needed to bolt, but Jess, in true Australian form, bluntly asks, "Where do you GO?"

Phantom nonchalantly replies, "Tel Aviv," like it's the most obvious thing in the world.

It would be, except she is there EVERY. SINGLE. DAY.

And every single night. She is never here. Ever.

Although I suspect we had a near-sighting today, I heard a door being unlocked, some shuffling around, more door locking sounds, and suitcase-rolling-out-the-door sounds.

Goodbye, Phantom, you will be missed.