Day 6: AM

Candles from the Choral Synagogue

Tick tock. Tick tock. I am waiting for the time to pass. Very s-l-o-w-l-y. I busy myself tidying up the apartment and cleaning the coffee and dining table, wiping down the toilets, taking the garbage out... I take photos of the items we have collected for our archive, tag and record them, including some yamulke, candles and prayer book that Abraham gave us at the synagogue yesterday. I am waiting for 10am. This morning I did not go with the team to the synagogue to interview the Chief Rabbi. This is because I have to make an online payment to the landlord. He is not a happy man.


One of the yamulkes. The inscription reads: "Wedding of Arlene & Ronald. Dec 15, 1968. Kislev 24 5729. Ahayath Achim Synagogue. Atlanta Georgia." I wonder who is Arlene and Ronald, and I wonder if we will be able to trace them? I make a note to suggest this to Shiv.

Since Monday morning, we have been on the go till evening. I have not been able to do the online wire transfer to pay the balance on the apartment rent as there is only a window of time I can do it at between Monday to Friday. Our daily schedule is fluid and flexible. This is because our contact Ruta has a rough schedule of who we can meet and interview. We have a list of potentials we organised with her before we arrived. But because many of those we interview are frail and elderly, it is dependent on whether they are up to seeing us when we call. Also, we bump into people and new appointments are set up; or those we speak to are generous enough to suggest things to us or meet us again, and then, we reschedule and shift appointments around yet again.

Yesterday morning, I sent a text to Vy the landlord as we expected to finish earlier; so I kept him posted to let him know I expected to be able to get back on time to do the online payment. When we arrived back, I keyed in the payment details, but when I clicked 'pay', it sent me to a screen to say the service was unavailable. I looked at the time display on my laptop. It was 5.32pm UK time. I had missed the time by 2 minutes. At midnight, I turned on my mobile phone, which I had turned off for the day as it interferes with the audio recording. I had received 2 text from Vy asking about payment. I try to explain to him about the window of time but he sends me sarcastic texts back. He tells me the internet is 24 hours. Also asks me if I were in the UK, would I be allowed to stay in an apartment without paying. Shiv asks why he is so agitated; we paid a deposit didn't we? I tell her that I think J was just a broker. We paid the deposit to her.

This morning, I debate about enlisting Ruta's help to explain things to Vy. Also that we will be back by 3pm as we have an interview scheduled at the apartment for that time. So I should be able to effect payment then. However, after much deliberation, I decide against it. I tell Shiv that it is best I stay back and wait till the appropriate time to send payment and will join them at the second interview. I don't think Vy would care to hear about why he hasn't been paid.

It is now 9.34am local time. I have 26 minutes to go. I can't wait to pay Vy and strike this off my list of to-do's. I just want to focus on the job at hand and be a supportive team member in the process. That involves being on hand for the team, not waiting in an apartment for time to pass. But then again, I guess this is what a coordinator is supposed to do. Deal with irate landlords if need be.

Tick tock. Time passes slowly when you are waiting. I wonder if Berl feels this way each morning, waiting for his helper to arrive at the door and escort him to the synagogue?

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P/S: Below, photos I took at breakfast yesterday at Double Coffee. (I swear there are monopolies in this country where cafes and supermarkets are concerned. Double Coffee is a chain of cafes, kinda like Starbucks. They are everywhere. And Maxima is a chain of supermarkets. At every home we have gone to, I see Maxima plastic bags, no other brand...)


Jesse looking wistfully at his oatmeal porridge


Dan doesn't look impressed. He swears that his fruit salad had garlic in it.


Shiv listening intently to Ruta


Ruta on the phone, arranging yet another appointment

Dan took this photo of me. I am looking a little frazzled from wear. Plus puzzled as I keep forgetting which dials to adjust between aperture and exposure on the camera.