There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men (1 Corinthians 12:6)

This is a country of contradictions. According to The Xenophobe's Guide to Israel (yes, it's a real book), Israelis desperately want to be American, but you wouldn't know it from their behavior. It's like communism: Their theory is good but their practice is different, in some cases better and in others worse. So here are my noticeable "buts" so far:

There is indoor plumbing, but you can't flush the toilet paper; instead, you put it in a trash can nearby to avoid backing up the sanitation system.
There is toilet flushing, but it is usually a button instead of a lever, and you get two options: the "just rinse off the bowl, please" option and the "power wash the stuff out of there, thank you" option.
There is hot water, but you turn on a switch to get it; this activates the solar panel on many roofs to heat the water in tanks below.
There is building construction, but houses are often built with said solar panels in mind, not to mention large walls to block blowing sand.
There is road construction, but it is usually to allow for more public transportation, not more cars.
There are many highways, but all have the same no-rules, no-courtesy mentality as the I-75 corridor in Atlanta; however, despite lots of beeping, there is seemingly less road rage.
There are stoplights, but a yellow light indicates that it is about to turn green, like a drag race, and a flashing green light indicates that it is about to turn red.
There are speed b/humps, but the only people they slow down are bicyclists.
There are bicycles, but all of them are mountains or hybrids; no path to anywhere is entirely paved.
There are good bike trails, but they are known as six-lane highways.
There are beaches, but they are like giant ash trays and sandboxes where children up to age 8 often run naked.
There is paddleball on the beaches, but it is done with dazzling proficiency, the ball staying in the air for hours on end.
There is American fashion, but it is taken from the worst fads; they sell decorative bra straps for when you wear those tank tops that show your bra, for example.
There is American television, but it is aired commericial-free for the most part; so it looks really redundant with reality shows that have teasers to keep you on the channel through the break.
There is English language music, but it is either British punk or American '80s; seriously, I heard "Living in America" by James Brown at a fake Irish pub in the middle of Israel.
There are bars, but no one appears drunk until at least 3 a.m., when they start standing to dance.
There is dancing, but not just by packs of women; the floor includes men dancing -- with other men -- who are not gay.
There are margaritas, but they are a little salt and lots of tequila, which I suspect helps with the male dancing.
There is coffee, but no Starbucks; in fact, iced coffee is the one of the only beverages that often is self-serve.
There are McDonald's, but the No. 6 value meal is shwarma; I broke my 10-year abstinence of the chain to try this, and it wasn't worth it.
There is Oriental food, but this means falafel and tahine and such; if you want stir fry, you have to find a restaurant that has chopsticks and the word "Asian" on its sign.
There is hummus, but it actually tastes like beans, not garlic, pepper, or red dye #5.
There is American rudeness, obstinence, cynicism, and chutzpah, but in this case, I fully appreciate all of it.