Scouting the Negev mall

I thought this morning would be a good time to do a walk-through of the big Negev mall.  Not so different from US malls, which I don't usually go to.  But I found a store a lot like Crate & Barrel, which I'm fond of frequenting.  So I bought some blue (dairy for me) ceramic coffee mugs at Fox Home.  There's another housewares place like that called Naaman, which also has a separate small outlet store on a different floor.  The mall has a food court, like home, and had a little shuk on the first floor.  I don't know if the shuk's an everyday thing or not, but it was odd to see fresh cilantro for sale in the mall.

Finding a place for my laundry to drip dry is a bit of a topological challenge.  Thank goodness my bathroom has a tile floor, so the drips are fine.

Shabbat shalom.

First trip to the Old City

Shlomo's mother has a live-in helper, Sinitra, who was available to help show me around today.  She was actually glad to get out and about herself.  I had a weird list of things I didn't know how to solve, so she helped me cross a bunch of things off:  buying stamps at the post office (just get in the general queue), buying Turkish coffee demitasse cups (done at a little shop in the old city), and a few other odds and ends.  She also showed me where I will need to renew my tourist visa in April (I was delighted to learn that I could do that here in Beer Sheva).  We took a more thoughtful walk through some of the downtown section.  It seems that there are cookies and pastries everywhere, and I saw this shop:

I didn't expect to see the Pillsbury dough boy.

The Post Office

Two of my packages (of five) arrived yesterday.  Shlomo had been nice enough to pick up the first package in December with preceded my arrival (thankfully).  The next two are my personal files for some manuscript work that I hope to finish and an assortment box of absolutely necessary stuff.  Asked Shlomo what do when I got to the post office - he shrugged and said to get your packages.  Could it be that easy?  Of course not.

I wandered around for a minute, and then realized that there is a formal queue, which is handled beautifully by a very cool, high-tech system.  There's a kiosk right by the door where you get a number in line for the right catagory.  There was an English option, and in perusing the choices, I chose "general services."  I was #225 and if you can see in the photo, that was at #136.  I found a seat and people-watched.  It's amazing seeing the collision of cultures and technology, like Bedouin women with cell phones.  The queue was moving along slowly, had gotten to about 190, and then the computer crashed.  It went "old school."  Now it suddenly looked and sounded like the floor in the New York Stock Exchange.  Everyone had a number, but no one knew who was up.  Luckily, the computer rebooted, and we were back in order soon.  My number came up (after 1+ hour total), I went to the window, and she told me I was in the wrong line!  Of course I was.  So I went back to the kiosk, and tried again.  I still didn't find a category that fit, but a nice woman found it for me (in Hebrew).  Now, to another line, which moved very quickly (about 10 min).  The woman didn't collect my queue number and I saved the paper so that maybe I can sift through the queue choices better when packages #4 and #5 show up.  The packages appeared, I signed for them, hefted them up and headed out to the bus stop in from of the post office.  I originally thought about getting them one at a time for the sake of propriety and ease, but I now had them both.  A manageable weight, not too much volume, but I'm sure I looked a sight with the grey hair and these boxes.  The book box is a little worse for wear, but nothing fell out.

I got a bus pass at the obscure building in the bus station, but it has no shekels on it yet.  All the cash transactions happen on the bus, so that is how I will load (and reload) the card, but I was too chicken to do it because it was too crowded.  Next time.

And someone of you are asking for more photos.  Here are two photos taken looking west from my apartment building entrance.  There are cranes and construction everywhere in Beer Sheva.  It's great (Isaiah 11:12).

The two buildings in the background are Soroka Medical Center.  Ben Gurion University's medical school is part of that.  And it looks like the left is soon to be in construction, too.  Don't worry, my apartment has no view to lose - it looks south at the next building.

An all-university day

This morning I got to meet Dr. Amir Karmiel (biomechanics) who had helped me immensely on my Fulbright application.  He advised me on next steps, and restated that the Dean and President were both very interested in developing their women faculty.  And I learned why the Structural Engineering faculty are not easily located - they're in temporary quarters near City Hall.  That's in the opposite direction from my apartment, but about the same distance.  That's the host faculty for me (ironic, huh?).

And in the late afternoon, I expected to participate in an NSF graduate fellowship application review which was totally online this year, but it's rescheduled to early Feb.  I guess they got some snow in Washington....

Plasticware!

Today's job was locating some plasticware.  You know, garbage cans and food storage, etc.  I started on the south side of the shuk.  There's actually a little food there - a couple falafel stands, some nuts, cookies and candy.  Oh, and there would be some spice vendors.  I so enjoyed the Spice Market in Istambul.  My Hebrew needs to get better before I buy spices (unless there's a cooking emergency!).  That side of the shuk has lots of clothes and shoes.  I didn't see much in the way of housewares, except for some sheets and towels.

So I walked back up to the bus station where I had seen a housewares-kinda shop.  It was a lot like the Dollar General.  Which was fine.  I got a vegetable peeler, a lemon juicer, some bins for my cabinets, and a little set of plastic containers for food.  I also got a Turkish coffee (קפה טורקי) pot for NIS10, although I may trade up in quality later.  It'll do for a start.  I'll have to double-check my coffee recipe with Ceki.  All their ceramic stuff had old-fashioned roses on it.  I'll look around at the canyon (קניון) - the shopping mall - first.  But a great place to buy incredibly adequate stuff.

 And I saw a sign on the wall of the קניון for a SuperPharm (סופרפארם), so I went in. That was the perfect place to get toothpaste, etc.  They even have Clinique and Estee Lauder, so it's more uptown than Walgreens.

Sunday - internet was installed

As you now know, the internet was set up on Sunday.  After a bit of confusion with my password, my US phone lit up and the laptop was communicating with the world.  The man from Bezeq (בזק) actually showed up during the time they said he would (I was dreading the whole waiting for the cable guy situation).

Friday - more explorations

Friday morning I found my way to the Supersal (סופרסל) (like Price Chopper), where I could, and did, buy some supplies.  Thank goodness for pictures on items, or at least simple labeling, like "חלב (milk)."  And I can use my debit card there, so I don't have to use up my precious shekels.  Just as you'd think, the shuk is strictly a cash transaction.

I did a test walk over to the university train (רכבת) station, which looks really close on the map.  It's not.  It took every bit of 25 minutes, which would be a drag with luggage.  So, I think since the train stops downtown right next to the city buses, that's what I will do when I take the train.