Friday, August 6, 2010

Those Little Things

As I prepare for my first Shabbat in Jerusalem on this voyage, I want to recap a few things that I encountered in the last few days.

1) A woman asked me(in Hebrew) on the street the other night where Cafe Hillel is. Because there are a couple of them, and because we were facing in opposite directions, I (also in Hebrew) gave her completely the opposite directions. However, I didn't realize it until a few minutes had passed. Oh well, I figure she was in the Army anyway and could use to refresh her compass skills.

2) On my apartment building there are a few guys doing some pretty serious work putting in an elevator. Some of the laborers are Israeli and some are Arab. When I said good night to them last night, I instinctively said Shabbat shalom, see you on Sunday. The Israelis both of whom are probably secular barely responded. The Arabs looked up and said Shabbat shalom. Interesting, no? What's even more interesting, it happened last week in Haifa as well.

3) Friday morning shopping is quite an undertaking. It seems that everybody is in the super at the same time, regardless of which one you patronize. I know that stores close early on Friday because of Shabbat, and I'm certainly glad that my shopping is just about done, and that I won't have to face the throngs in the middle of the afternoon.

Hebrew phrase of the day:
K'visa achat v'hem mitkavtzim. One load of laundry and they shrink.

That does it for me. Shabbat shalom.

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