Even the Simplest Things Can Be Hard to Find
It's amazing what you don't know until you get here. Matt and I had diligently tried to pack what we absolutely needed and not pack things that we could just buy here. For instance, I only brought one bottle of shampoo, one stick of deodorant, and one notepad, since we assumed we would just have to find an Israeli product of the same kind of thing.
We are quickly discovering that some of the things which we thought would be relatively easy to find are not quite so close at hand. For instance, today we went on a mission to find some notebooks and notepads. With our classes starting on Sunday, we're trying to get prepared and we were told that some note paper would be a good idea.
We went to the major shopping area, Me'a She'arim (several streets that are lined with a ton of little shops), but we saw nothing resembling note paper. We then went to the grocery store and found some glass plates we were searching for, but surprisingly, no paper. Then we went to a little store that looked like a stationery but actually just had the word "papier" written in French; it turned out to be a small French bookstore.
We decided that Hebrew University, the main university in Jerusalem, must have a bookstore with these kinds of supplies. So we went with our friend Jean on a very long, but beautiful, walk to the university. It was down a steep hill, then up another steep hill, and then we had to go to its northern entrance to get into the university. Before we could enter, a guard had to look at our passports and search our bags.
I was also trying to get a library card at the university, but I didn't bring with me any of the required paperwork, nor the money, nor did we arrive before the 2 p.m. cut off for new library cards. I'll have to go back soon.
Anyway, after roaming around the campus for a while, we finally stumbled across the university bookstore. Eureka! They had paper, binders, staplers, band-aids, computer printer, flashlight, pens, and lots more. We left the bookstore carrying four bags of supplies and one printer. With tired feet, sweating foreheads, and heavy bags, the three of us opted to take a taxi back home.
Though it had been a long walk, we felt so rewarded. Tomorrow we go in search of a hat for me and a couple of towels. Who knows where we might end up?
We are quickly discovering that some of the things which we thought would be relatively easy to find are not quite so close at hand. For instance, today we went on a mission to find some notebooks and notepads. With our classes starting on Sunday, we're trying to get prepared and we were told that some note paper would be a good idea.
We went to the major shopping area, Me'a She'arim (several streets that are lined with a ton of little shops), but we saw nothing resembling note paper. We then went to the grocery store and found some glass plates we were searching for, but surprisingly, no paper. Then we went to a little store that looked like a stationery but actually just had the word "papier" written in French; it turned out to be a small French bookstore.
We decided that Hebrew University, the main university in Jerusalem, must have a bookstore with these kinds of supplies. So we went with our friend Jean on a very long, but beautiful, walk to the university. It was down a steep hill, then up another steep hill, and then we had to go to its northern entrance to get into the university. Before we could enter, a guard had to look at our passports and search our bags.
I was also trying to get a library card at the university, but I didn't bring with me any of the required paperwork, nor the money, nor did we arrive before the 2 p.m. cut off for new library cards. I'll have to go back soon.
Anyway, after roaming around the campus for a while, we finally stumbled across the university bookstore. Eureka! They had paper, binders, staplers, band-aids, computer printer, flashlight, pens, and lots more. We left the bookstore carrying four bags of supplies and one printer. With tired feet, sweating foreheads, and heavy bags, the three of us opted to take a taxi back home.
Though it had been a long walk, we felt so rewarded. Tomorrow we go in search of a hat for me and a couple of towels. Who knows where we might end up?
posted by Jen | 11:35 AM
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