On Thursday, we gained control of one of the most dangerous Israeli weapons in the rather wide arsenal. No, we don’t have shwarma breath… We got a car.
Or, at least, we’re babysitting one for a coworker for the next month until we begin leasing one of our very own from my company. Either way, a fresh, new freedom has been born with this addition to the family and its name is: unlimited petrol.
In the States, I never explored the topic of ‘company leasing’; I always assumed company cars meant your company gave one to you and covered the costs.
Here, it means you have the option of leasing through your company with certain benefits. They may cover your petrol and take care of your insurance. But you do pay towards it out of your salary and it definitely adds up. It all depends how far you have to travel for your job.
I was on the phone to my dad the other week, telling him about this deal. He asked what kinds of cars were offered. I excitedly told him we were going with the smallest (and cheapest), the Hyundai Getz, but for the next month – for the move – we’d have access to a big, bad Ford Focus.
He started laughing and when I realized why, I joined in. Here I am, American born and bred, boasting about a Ford Focus to help us move apartments. I guess that’s some kind of absorption/integration hurdle I’ve passed.
The actual driving in Israel hasn’t been as much a challenge as I had anticipated (tfu tfu tfu). Then again, I haven’t been up North yet.
Sharing a car with someone is actually harder. But we’ve got big plans for traveling to the far corners of this land for as long as we’re lucky enough to afford this luxury.
Whadya got: