[img]96|left|Shachar||no_popup[/img]Dateline Jerusalem — Wishing everyone a happy, healthy and safe holiday season.
Unfortunately, no matter how early I send holiday greetings and gifts, they do not arrive on time. Even letters and post cards are taking forever to arrive at their destinations.
I do not know whether the delay is here in Israel or in the U.S. The only thing I know is that I am embarrassed that they are late. Mail to Europe (only a 4-hour flight from Israel) is taking about 2 weeks, and 3 weeks to the U.. Packages take even longer.
An Israeli friend met me the other day at one of the bureaucratic offices where I had an appointment.
She is a native Israeli but lived in the U.S. for over 30 years.
Because my Hebrew is getting worse instead of improving since I started trying to study it (maybe that is why my packages and mail still haven't arrived — the postal clerks probably did not understand me), I felt it was important that I had my own personal interpreter with me.
Afterward we were going to get some exercise by walking all over the city, stopping once in awhile to window shop. However, the shopaholic in me does not know the definition of window shop. With all the after-Chanukah sales and my friend's intimate knowledge of where to buy everything, I knew I was doomed.
After we finished with the bureaucratic matters, we started to walk in the direction of the center of town. It was the first time I had ever walked down one of the many side streets. Usually I shop at the indoor mall, at the outdoor outlet mall, at the shuk (bazaar), or in one of the hundreds of little shops along the main boulevard. In fact, it seems every other shop is a shoe store or small appliance store. My favorite places to shop are the supermarkets and pharmacies where I can buy everything from a digital TV to an oven or washing machine.
Choosing Prudently on a Bakery Visit
Although my friend was familiar with the small side streets, it was my eagle eye (my nickname in junior high school was “eagle eye” because I was able to spot movie stars in Beverly Hills when they were walking behind me!) that found a treasure trove of new shops for her and for me.
I noticed a used book store with English language books and paperbacks with all my favorite authors. I found a pharmacy displaying capes and shawls selling for half-price. How could I resist?
The greatest discovery was a little bakery that had the most delicious looking cakes and pastries I have ever seen. And it was kosher! We decided to take a break and have a cup of cappuccino and dessert. For me, the choice was between a real Italian cannoli, cheesecake, warm croissants, cheese and potato filled burekas, and baklava. Of course there were other sweet delicacies to choose from, but I am on a diet.
Then my friend took me to one of her favorite stores. It was hidden in an alleyway off the main boulevard.
We had to walk down a narrow stairway to access the store in the basement of a building. It had everything imaginable, and the prices were fantastic. It was like going to a 99-cent store with Niemann Marcus quality merchandise. I had to take a taxi becaus I could not carry all the items I bought home.
You are probably wondering how I can afford to buy anything now that I have been laid off from my job. But I only bought necessities. I felt I could not miss the opportunity to buy them at such sale prices.
L'hitraot. Shachar.
Shachar is the Hebrew name of a California-based attorney and former Los Angeles County deputy sheriff who moved to Israel 2 1/2 years ago.
