Finding my way

I know I promised to tell you the history of the San Simon Monastery, the battle there, etc. However, I find myself so struck with a million little quotidian experiences — Hachayyim HaYisraelim HaYomYom החיים הישראלים היומיום Which is to say, the daily Israeli life. So today let me share how my day went, what I noticed along the way…

I’m feeling very proud of myself for having navigated almost all the tasks I set out for myself on this, the last day before classes start. In Israel, September 1st is back-to-school day — unless you go to a yeshivah (religious school), in which case school begins on Elul 1. This year, Sept. 1 and Elul 1miraculously coincided, which our teacher Rabbi Meesh Hammer-Kossoy noted as a wonderful synergy. She spoke last night at the opening Pardes gathering of this, and of the joys of living in a country where the Jewish calendar is the THE calendar — one of the many things that drew me to this choice to live in Israel for nine months.

Anyway, my first task for today was to use the mechonat k’vissah (washing machine) for the first time. Thanks to landlady Jill’s instructions, I negotiated this, and hung my laundry out on a rack on the patio. I tried to put it well out of the way of the place where the drips come down from my upstairs neighbors’ mirpeset (balcony), either when they wash their floor or when they water the geraniums. Happily, my laundry also escaped being plastered with the red geranium petals that shower down all day and blow into my apartment through the french doors. I’m not sure how long to took to dry, as I was out for several hours — I’m guessing two would have been sufficient. It’s hot here in the daytime (around 85-90 degrees Fahrenheit) and very dry.

My next task was to drop by Pardes to retrieve my passport (which I accidentally left when I registered there yesterday), and since I was there, I researched what was nearby. I found a mattress store, where thanks to the salesman’s good English and his willingness to also talk to me slowly in Hebrew, I was able to order a mattress topper for my exceedingly hard mattress. Sadly, it won’t arrive for two to three weeks. Khaval! (Too bad!). I did actually succeed in sleeping soundly on my bed last night, but it’s hard on my older body. The salesman told me a story in Hebrew, which I more or less understood, to the effect that the mattress workers’ union had attempted to prevent the sales of mattress toppers as cutting into their business — at least, I think that’s what he said. Knowing Israel, I find it in any case possible…

Across from Pardes, and from the collection of stores where I found the mattress topper, is Kanyon Hadar — the Hadar Mall. Those of you in the States, please picture a mall like any other — sorry I didn’t get any pics, but really, just like a mall in Boston, let’s say, only a bit smaller and with more floors. Lots of clothing stores, food, housewares, and other things. People sitting in food courts eating and drinking things you don’t find in American food courts, like fresh carrot juice and superb pastry, and things you do, like hamburgers. BTW, I’m interested in the etymology of the word kanyon, which clearly is related to the word for “to buy” in Hebrew, liknot, but also possibly is meant to ring a bell for English speakers as well (like, the Grand Canyon of shopping?)

I had scoped out Kanyon Hadar yesterday and found it overwhelming, but today I was feeling a bit sharper. I managed to locate the office downstairs where one obtains a ravkav (literally, “many line”)– a card for public transportation. I sat in line for a bit — when the clerk was about to take someone who had arrived later in front of me, the nice lady who was sitting next to me bawled out the p’kidah (clerk) in Hebrew for not taking me! The clerk didn’t have much English, and her attitude with all customers, whatever language they spoke, was stricly no-eye-contact, I couldn’t care less about you. But I got my ravkav, took it to the other clerk (why couldn’t each of them do both jobs? Because it’s Israel — please!), and filled it. Now I’m set for bus travel.

The next task was the one I failed, for lack of patience. I found the Partners cellphone store, but after waiting an hour for my number to come up, I gave up. I think I was about to be the next customer, but the woman before me was having a louder and louder argument with the clerks (I think about the cost of her new cell phone), and it looked as though it was going to go on forever. There were several other clerks, but each of them was either occupied with the same customers from the time I got there to the time I left, or wasn’t taking customers, or — who knows?

So I gave up and headed toward home. My next successful task was the purchase of this fine rolling grocery hauler (what do we call this Hebrew or in English? I’m really not sure!):

It’s made in China, of course. It’s very light ,and it holds a lot of groceries — or books, when I’m going to school.

After this purchase I made my way to the health food store. where I was happy to find almond milk (mishkeh sh’keidim, almond beverage), organic, made in Italy, and bread lelo gluten, and a lot of very tasty organic fruits and veg, including the best mango I’ve eaten in literally decades — since Mexico in 1982.

So that was my day. I still have to deal with my cell phone SIM card, and also open a bank account. After a long Skype chat with Deborah I made my first cooked meal — they had my favorite Canadian brand of rice pasta at the health food store, so I had pasta with garlic ,olive oil, lovely little tomatoes, and parsley, lightly cooked, with a dollop of labneh (soft yoghurt cheese) on top. So yummy! And do you know, when I was in Rolladin Bakery at the mall today, all I bought was a bottle of water? Not one of those insanely tasty looking pastries — which actually, in that moment, didn’t even appeal.

Signing off from Rehov Kheil Nashim…