My temporary almost-blindness forced me to discover the world of audiobooks. So far I didn’t think they were necessary, especially not as a way to pass the time while driving, since they require too much attention that needs to be given to road safety. Now I find that I easily drop off to sleep while listening, but this could be because I’m currently listening to A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson, which is amusing at times, but far from being the most interesting book ever.

Still, I must admit that I enjoy the laziness of having someone else do the hard work of reading for me. Maybe I will adopt it for a while, though I am likely to get back to paper books sometime soon. For a start, there is a lot more to chose from, but also because I like the feeling of a book in my hands. Reading also forces me to improve my vocabulary, and I enjoy learning.

I guess this is my slightly late response to Kables. Audiobooks are nice, but as a solution to a problem, not as an absolute replacement, and I still prefer listening to music while driving.

I’m at work and can’t do anything other than do my best not to look at the monitor and hope that the phone will ring or that the time will come to go to a meeting. These will at least help me feel productive.

I found a little bench space in the shopping centre. It’s one of those template-based malls, built in a semi-posh neighbourhood, so next to the standard high street chains there are plenty of designers shops and fleshy jewellery shops built to cater for the local nouveau rich.

I am glancing at the women that pass by and categorize them by their clothing style. In a place like this my short impressions amuse me. Here are a few styles I’ve noticed while being careful not to stare.

1. You can take the woman from the ‘hood, but you can’t take the ‘hood out of the woman. – Some of the new neighbourhoods in the north of Tel Aviv are home to the crass nouveau rich. These are the ones who made it out of the southern ‘hoods either by hard work or by smart scheming. Now they can afford the flash apartments and the bling, and their wives don’t have to work hard anymore to help support the family like their poor mommas did. So the women hang out around the stores all day, wearing the glitzy shoes that go with their big golden jewellery and which matches the big designer logo on their overpriced t-shirt, just so everyone knows their husband can afford it.
2. Look at me, I’m pregnant! – What’s the deal with tight maternity clothing?! It can’t be comfortable, but it definitely shows off those oversized tummies. For some strange reason pregnant women often think that since this is the most wonderful thing that ever happens to them, it is the most amazing thing that everyone wants to see. The next step will be to become one of those parents who think everyone wants to hear about nothing other than their child.
3. I don’t want to grow old! – There is something beautiful about women who age gracefully. I wish I will be able to do it when the time comes. These are the women who don’t try hard to be someone they are not. They dress their age, don’t overdo the make-up and embrace their years with pride.
   On the other hand, there are women who constantly try to force themselves into a younger image, an attempt that often in disaster. They buy the latest fashion in shops whose clientèle’s average age is sixteen. They wear it tight and colourful, to match their heavy make-up. If I ever end up like that – please stop me.
4. I will fight for my right to be comfortable – Maybe it is my personal trauma of army uniform talking – but for some reason the combat gear fashion always looks ridiculous to me.

I finally realized something about shopping centres. Only few benches are set around between the shops, so if one has been shopping all day and needs to rest one’s legs, one will just have to find a seat in a coffee shop on the premises and spend more money on food and drink. Nasty!

About one hour to waste before my dentist appointment. My poorly eye still limits my ability to do anything that will strain it, so too much monitor time is out of the question. I’ve been spending days at shopping centres, killing time by trying on cloths I would never wear. Ideas come and go, so I went into a stationary shop and bought a little notebook and a small pen. I can’t see much of what I’m writing, so I just hope it will be legible enough when I finally have the ability to type it in.

This post is being written with the assistance of my left eye’s vision only. The other eye is burning red and swollen with an infection that got complicated with an allergic reaction to antibiotics. Nasty stuff.

I have a few stories to tell, but they will probably have to wait until my eyesight is fully restored.