Company lease cars is one of the European worker benefits that I think should be adopted by American companies. Seriously, it is one of the most useful benefits. Your car doesn’t start?…call the leasing company. Your car needs to visit the shop for a check up?…use the loaner car provided by the leasing company. The whole concept removes a big layer of anxiety and stress that can accompany car ownership.
10,000 Villages is one of my all time favorite stores in America. For those who aren’t familiar with it, 10,000 Villages is a fair trade organization that works with artisans around the world. 10,000 Villages was started by Mennonite Central Committee in 1946 and now works with people from 38 different countries. It is the intention of the organization to work with people in developing and impoverished countries who would otherwise have a difficult time meeting their financial needs. This relationship with 10,000 Villages provides artisans with an important and reliable income.
Items made out of olive wood are just some of the beautiful things you can buy at a 10,000 Villages store. And these olive wood items are made right in our backyard in Beit Sahour, a Palestinian village located just outside of Bethlehem and the location of the tourist site, Shepherd’s Field.
I have recently gotten to know a gal who lives in Bethlehem and works for MCC. She and her husband have 1 more year left in their 3 year assignment. We were recently talking about 10,000 Villages and she mentioned that they work closely with the local olive wood artisans. She offered to take me to their shops. I, of course, jumped at the opportunity. Not only would it be nice to support someone affiliated with the Mennonites and 10,000 Villages…it would also be a real benefit to know where to find an olive wood vendor who isn’t trying to charge you 50x the actual value of the item because you are a rich tourist. The bartering over price is not fun…not fun at all!
So Friday afternoon we visited two of the three olive wood artisans in the Beit Sahour village. The first visit (Mosleh Workshop) appeared to be like every other tourist shop in Bethlehem, but just located far, far away from the tourist craziness of Manger Square. What a nice shopping experience. The prices were actually marked! No bartering was required, especially since the prices were by far the most reasonably priced olive wood I have ever seen in a shop. And a nice perk was that showing up with a MCC representative meant that everything was immediately 50% off the ticket price! The second visit (El-Atrash Workshop) was at an olive wood factory where the olive wood products unique to 10,000 Villages are made (i.e. condiment trays, cutting boards, salad tongs…items not usually found in your typical tourist shop in Bethlehem). I would love to go back for a tour…maybe with our next visitors?!
So I give my apologies to our past visitors for not uncovering this insider tip much earlier. But for all future visitors…I now know “the place” to go for olive wood! And if you have any olive wood requests, just let me know!
Earlier this week I received a call from the driving school, informing me that my driving exam was scheduled for Wednesday at 7:10.
To which I responded, “7:10 PM?”.
“No, 7:10 AM, and your pre-test lesson will begin at 6:30 AM. But it’s a good time to take a test.”
I am not a morning person, and the thought of taking a test so early in the morning was not intuitively appealing. But I focused on the positives. There would be much less car traffic on the road and fewer pedestrians jay-walking. I would not have time to get nervous during the day while waiting for my test. I still considered it a crazy system to schedule tests so early in the morning…but there were definite perks to the early time.
So I awoke this morning at 6:00 AM sharp, met my driving instructor at 6:25 AM who had kindly offered to pick me up directly outside our apartment, and observed Jerusalem awaken while practicing driving around the neighborhoods. 7:05 AM we arrived at the driving test complex, where I met the other person who would take the test with me. In total, my portion of the test only lasted about 12-15 minutes. I didn’t need to parallel park! And even though nerves resulted in a few more jerks than normal with the stick shift, I managed to not stall the car.
I got out of the car, anxious to hear if I passed or failed. But to my surprise and dismay, the tester just walked away! I turned to follow him, assuming he would tell me inside the office. But I was intercepted by Moshe, my driving instructor, who then explained that I would only find out if I had passed after 4:00 PM! Yet another delay in the process!!
4:00 came and went without receiving a call. The suspense was killing me, and finally at 5:30 I called the driving school. “Oh yes Kim, you passed the test. You can pick up you license at the driving licensing office tomorrow.” I’m not sure…were they planning to inform me of this news?!
So all that remains in my saga to obtain an Israeli Driver’s license is to go back to the Licensing Authority office and pick up my driver’s license! But there is a high probability that there might be another unknown step that awaits me. I wouldn’t be surprised, after all I have needed to go through in the past few weeks. I will, at least, remember to go well before the 10:30 AM break time!
I am learning first hand how tedious (and frustrating) it can be to deal with Israeli 
Step 1 – Get a temporary Israeli ID number that will only be used on my driver’s license. I need a temporary number since I am not a citizen. This involves going to the Licensing Authority, taking a number that marks your turn, and waiting for your turn. If you are lucky…a 30 minute or less wait. If you are unlucky, especially if you arrive over the mid-morning lunch break when the place comes to a complete standstill…a 2+ hour wait. I was lucky with step 1!
Step 2 – Eye Exam and License Photo. This must be completed at one of the designated optometrist shops around town. The exam is identical to the test we are given at American driving licensing centers…a 30 second test of reading the bottom line and telling where you see the flashes of light. Worth the time to make a special trip to an optometrist and the 40 shekels?…not really!
Step 3 – Doctor Exam – Another 30 second encounter! You look healthy and don’t have any of the listed diagnoses…check, check, and signed. But considerable time was involved with making an appointment, getting to the office for the appointment, and then waiting to be seen by the doctor. All for a 30 second visit?!
Step 4 – Get the stamp to designate that I do not need to take the written examination. Since I have a driver’s license from another country, I am only required to take the driving exam. Thank goodness…I can’t imagine trying to take a written exam in Hebrew!! So, a return trip the driving licensing authority is required. This trip…I wasn’t so lucky with my timing, having forgotten about the mid-morning break. But I did remember to bring a book to read, and the people watching at such a place is great entertainment!
Step 5 – Driving School. The Israeli driving licensing process requires every foreign driver applying for an Israeli license to take at least one lesson before the test. I learned that brand new drivers need to take a minimum of 28 lessons! The driving school serves as the liaison between you and the licensing authority and makes the necessary arrangements for the driving test. All the aforementioned paperwork is handed over to the driving school and you wait…wait…wait to be told when you will take your test. You go when you are told…not necessarily when it is convenient for your schedule.
Step 6 – Pay for driving exam. Payment is rendered at your local post office. A trip to the post office somehow usually involves at least a 30 minute wait…
Step 7 – Driving Test. Immediately prior to the test, you have one last lesson with the driving instructor, which ends at the driving test center. For the test, it might be you and the examiner in the car. Or perhaps 2-3 other people taking their tests will be in the car and you all take a turn. This exam will be given on the streets of Jerusalem, not in a designated testing lot like when I took my test at age 16.
I thought my test would be this Friday, but was told today that I now need to wait until the end of next week.
If I pass:
Step 8 – Picking up your Driver’s License. The helpful secretary at the driving school will tell me what to do. I assume this is also done at the licensing authority. Note to self, go early in the morning and well before the 10:30 AM break time!
If I don’t pass:
Step 8 – return to step 5, take more lessons if needed, and wait to be told when I can retake the test.
One reason for at least one week of time this process has taken is actually not the fault of the bureaucracy. I am currently stalled (no pun intended!) at Step 5, the driving lessons. I am taking lessons to improve my manual driving skills. In Israel, taking the driving exam in an automatic car is listed as a restriction on your driver’s license. And since the majority of rental cars in Europe (and borrowed family cars in Holland!) are manual, J and I thought it would be a good opportunity for me to improve my skills. I don’t think the crowded streets of Jerusalem are the best place to practice! But, if I can drive stick shift in these conditions well enough to pass the exam, I can drive stick shift in any situation :) It’s been going well, and if I can keep from getting flustered during the test, I think I have a good chance of passing! My instructor has told me that I am ready to take the test and would pass me if he was my examiner!
My test will hopefully be next Thursday or Friday! I will keep you posted about the outcome.
One can buy almost anything and everything in the Old City of Jerusalem. Come and window shop with me :)
Freshly made pita bread. I want to know why pita bread comes out of the oven puffy and filled with air?? It quickly deflates, but the pocket remains.
Tea and spices…of all varieties and sold at a fraction of what it costs in the US.
Super sweet and sticky Arab sweets. Baklava is one of our favorites. And yes, one must get accustomed to how food is left out in the open and able to be touched by curious children :)
Candy, candy and more candy. Gummy candies seem to be particularly popular.
Fresh fruit, or perhaps a new purse?!
An array of fresh herbs and greens sold by local Arab and Bedouin elderly women. It doesn’t seem to be a way to earn a lot of money, but every little bit helps.
Being offered the “first customer of the day” deal at one of the thousands of tourist shops. The offer is given at ALL times of the day. I think it is supposed to make you feel sad they don’t have more business so you are more likely to make a purchase. But if every shop offers the same products, it is difficult to create a market niche!!
This picture proves you can really find anything and everything for sale. This man was selling an impressive array of used (and outdated) items, such as television remotes, vacuum cleaners, a tape deck stereo, and even a VCR tape rewinder!
Jerusalem’s local DSW is located directly outside of Damascus Gate. Unfortunately, selection is a bit limited compared to the American DSW store offerings ! (FYI for my non-US readers – DSW is a large shoe store in the US)
Believe it or not, there are a number of sites in Jerusalem that I have yet to visit. The Jerusalem Zoo was one that I was recently able to cross off my “to visit” list. Although small, the zoo has a nice collection of animals to observe. 
I had fun practicing my skills at taking photographs of children. It’s a lot more challenging than taking pictures of old buildings and churches! Kids don’t stand still for very long, so you have to be quick to catch the perfect moment…and manage to get it in focus too. I was pleased that I managed to get a few good shots!
We also visited Masada on this trip. A visit to King Herod’s desert fortress is always impressive. The views looking out over the desert and the Dead Sea are magnificent.
The picture to the left is of a large water reservoir that held captured rain water and the water that Herod’s slaves would bring from the Ein Gedi oasis via donkey. On the picture to the right, J’s parents are climbing out of this reservoir.
J’s parents had a list of sites they wanted to see while in Israel. Included on that list was Yad Vashem, a museum about the 
This was only my 2nd visit to the museum. My first visit was in January, 2007 during my first trip to Israel to visit J. It’s certainly not a fun museum, nor is it a place you would choose to visit with regularity. It’s a somber and disturbing reminder of the degree to which the human race can hate and choose to believe that another human being has no rights (including the right to life) simply because they are “different” from themselves.
The Children’s Memorial
I found it interesting to go to the museum again after living here for one year. In this past year, I have had much greater exposure to the realities of life in this conflicted land. I am learning that the division between the Palestinian Arabs and Jewish people is very deep and very wide. There is an unbelievable level of ignorance and fear among these two groups of people about those on the “other side”. And this separation (represented so well by the wall that Israel is building along the “border” of the West Bank) is only growing wider and stronger as few efforts are being made to help people on both sides understand they share more similarities than differences.
The deep divide that exists between the Jewish people and Palestinians is frightening. It is frightening because of the human capacity to hate. It is frightening because of the human capacity to ignore and look away when people once considered neighbors and friends are suffering. These frightening characteristics are found amongst Palestinian and Jew alike. The Holocaust is a chilling example of how far humans are willing to go when hatred takes deep root. It is my prayer that the current trajectory of hate and fear in this region will be turned around. It is my prayer that Jewish and Palestinian neighbors will recognize their similarities and real peace can be forged. It is my prayer that people (in this region and those around the world who try to help) do not lose hope that this peace is possible. And it is my prayer that I do not lose hope that this peace is possible.
Thanks to the higher altitude, the weather in Jerusalem is as close to perfect as you can get in the Middle East. Practically zero humidity and not a drop of rain in the forecast. The cool evenings are a real perk! But before you feel too jealous of the weather, the intensity of the sun makes the midday heat unbearable!
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Friday, Jun 12 Sunny
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Tuesday, Jun 16 Sunny
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Wednesday, Jun 17 Sunny
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Thursday, Jun 18 Sunny
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J’s parents gave us a beautiful set of silver for our wedding present. We had carried some of it back with us on our last trip to Holland. The remainder of our silver, including the lovely storage box, arrived with J’s parents.
In April we welcomed J’s parents to Israel. This was not their first visit to the Holy Land, which allowed for a more relaxed pace of touring. I enjoyed the opportunity to spend some extended time with my in-laws and get to know them better! We enjoyed many conversations while drinking freshly pressed juice, wandering the maze of streets in the Old City, or simply relaxing at our apartment. Since J needed to work, I was their official tour guide while in Jerusalem. And on the weekend and the Passover holiday, J joined us as we traveled farther afield.
One of the things I most enjoy about entertaining friends and family is the opportunity it provides to include them in the everyday aspects 
For example, one must eat a well rounded breakfast before venturing out into the crowds!
And one must buy needed food supplies. Here we are at the fruit and veggie stand located on our street buying fresh fruit for our evening dessert. I visit this stand on an almost daily basis! I’m definitely spoiled by the cheap and readily available fresh fruits and veggies.
J and I have been blessed to receive many guests in the past 6 months, starting with my parents in October and ending with J’s parents in April. I am humbled and quite touched that so many people in our lives chose to make the long trip in order to spend time with me and J. I have enjoyed developing my tour guide skills, even if at the expense of spending quality time with my dissertation :) Each guest has had a different goal for their time in Israel. I loved rising to the challenge to make each tour perfectly tailored to their unique wishes and desires. A tour of a dairy farm for my parents. A personal guided tour with bible scholar friends for my pastor brother-in-law. Babysitting our friends’ little girl (despite the language barrier!) so they could go to Yad Vashem. Just to name a few!
Our visitor schedule is now empty, at least for the time being. Honestly, it is nice to not have to visit the Church of the Holy Sepulchre again any time in the near future! And we are enjoying the quiet that accompanies mundane routine of regular life. However, please do feel free to make travel plans to visit Israel! It’s an open invitation. We are always happy to receive friends and family in our home.
