פרחי השבת (This shabbat's flowers)

The flower vendors were few and far between today.  But the little Friday morning shuk inside the mall included a flower lady, so I purchased a small bouquet.    שבת שלום(Shabbat shalom).

More visits to senior design partners

Today was another trip to Tel Aviv to meet with students and their professional partners.  I took the train to Savidor Station and we went to the first site.

 

Dr. Igal Shochat and Itay Yacovi with his project site in the background.

We met with Amir Nahum, the president of Ortam-Malibu Group (major construction company) who announced he is giving BGU three scholarships.  Then we went to the last site, which is a high-rise apartment building under construction.  We went up in the construction lift, and then walked up another five flights of increasingly difficult stairs.  The last set, I needed a hand because the footing was so unsteady.  We were up on the present top of the building, on the 14th floor, standing on rebar or whatever.

Igal, the professional (in black), student blocked by Igal.  The background shows part of the Bat Yam cemetery, which is huge.

View to the east - you can see the Mediterranean in the background.

While Igal was driving, I snapped a photo of the site we were up on two weeks ago.  We were up on the floor by the higher safety netting.

The return trip was from Bat Yam (Komemiyyut) north to Tel Aviv (HaHagana), then change to the train south to Beer Sheva (Center).

Books have arrived

The last package that I sent 12/31/13 is safely in my apartment.  I had sent a bunch of printed materials as book/media rate in an M-bag (see blog of 12/31/13), and we figured that it probably should be here by now.  A young woman, Tal, offered to go to the post office with me to check on it.  I forgot to bring my original shipping paperwork and the trip to the post office was going south.  Then I asked her to ask the clerk about a "mail bag" and pointed to some in use near the clerk.  The clerk, who was in a surprising good mood, had a look of "that makes sense..." and went into the room where packages are stored until they're called for.  She dragged out a mail bag!  And it was my mail bag.  Now, right now, I don't have my passport because the visa is being renewed, and my ID situation today is iffy, so, would she let me take it?  At least, I knew it was in Beer Sheva.  Well, she was so glad to get it out from underfoot, that she didn't card me, and thanked us for coming.  Why was she so happy?  It had arrived on 6 January 2014.  She's been working around it for two months.  The address on the package wasn't perfect, so it just sat there.  Safe and dry.  It actually arrived before my other packages that I paid a lot more per pound to ship.  Whatever.  And Tal had driven to the post office, so she gave me a lift to my apartment with the heavy books.

And now that we're on the other side of Purim, I knew that the grocery store would start changing over for Passover.  It's a kosher grocery store, so I'm interested to see the impact and transformation.  It has started, in one aisle. I'll keep you updated.  I know how the Hen House does it on Roe, but that's just a little corner of the store.  My store will be the whole store.

Giving feedback in Hebrew-first installment

I had volunteered to help some of the students improve their powerpoint presentations, because a few that I saw last month needed work, and they have to give another presentation at the end-of-semester.  So I began.  I was lucky because the first one I chose was in good shape, so all my feedback was affirmative.  I wrote up my notes in Hebrew, printed it, made a bunch of changes, checked spelling and sent it on to my colleague.  He said that he would correct the Hebrew and send it on.  Rats.  On the other hand, I forwarded my original version to my Hebrew tutor, Orit, and she was pleased with it.  I promised to send her the final, corrected version.  Anyway, at least I have a vocabulary set for these evaluations.  Things like "north arrow," "significant digits," "clear annotations," and other things I don't use at the shuk or on the bus!

Ah, the announcements at the beginning of the semester...

You know I had to get one of the emails sooner or later (preferably sooner).  Here's the intent (I won't restate all the specifics):  בעקבות ירי הטילים מרצועת עזה, ברצוננו לרענן כללי התנהגות למצב ירי לעבר העיר (Following the firing of rockets in the Gaza Strip, we would like to remind you of the procedures).  If you read Hebrew a little, you will notice that "Gaza" isn't obvious (I noticed): it's עזה.  Hmm.  But you midwesterners are probably getting similar reminders about tornado season from the TV meteorologists.  Not so different.  I don't have to go to the basement, just away from windows, which is surprisingly easily in my postage stamp-sized apartment.

Flower photos

OK, I know flower photos are a chick weakness, but ....

Walkway along Ben Gurion Blvd (the university is on the left)

I think this is a caper bush, but whatever it is, it's pretty.

And while I'm musing botanically, the park that I run in is great.  Most of the downstream section is below the road grade with a retaining wall on the right.  Much of it is planted with lavender, and I get to run through scent-clouds of lavender that is trapped in that space.  There are also lots of flowers climbing on the walls (I posted those earlier), so it's just grand.  But the lavender is great.  I wonder how long it will last.  Have a good week (שבוע טוב).

Hag Purim

Happy Purim.  I enjoyed and marveled again reading the book of Esther.  There have been celebrations all over Israel, mostly for the young.  The shopping areas had lots and lots of costumes and accouterments for kids and young people.  The Israelis do love chocolate, and I was surprised to see how many chocolate hamentaschen varieties were available.  I found some poppyseed ones for me.  If you want to hear a funny song, check out Humentaschen.