Israel is sometimes called the 51st state. In many ways there are similarities and sometimes you forget that you’re on the other side of the world. But yesterday I had three reminders that I’m not in America.
1. The cheapest child’s hamburger at Burger King is $3.20 (12.90 NIS).
2. No mail arrived. We haven’t received mail in about two weeks. First there was the Passover holidays (one week), and now there is a mail workers’ strike. You would think that somebody important would get mad.
3. I can’t find a single person with a GPS unit. No kidding. I asked friends and those who live at the moshav. No one has one. Not in their car and not for hiking. (The cheapest one at the mall was $800. I decided that even locating Gezer boundary inscriptions was not worth that price.)
I have an older one that I could loan you.
The hamburgers are expensive, but not as dear as the cheeseburgers!
GPS? I backpacked my laptop following you all over, and it has a GPS receiver built-in. (The US map package wasn’t much help tho…) An option to consider next time you update.
Two years ago I was without a visa for 3 months because every single government office was closed. A friend of mine got his personal belongings stolen and he was without an identity card, drivers liscence etc. for three months until the government decided to get back to work. At least you’re not stuck in the country with the airport shut down as well….
Re: gun control, I said the same thing to my office mates yesterday. How many people would the gunman have killed if he’d gone on a shooting spree in Israel where something like one out of five people (estimate) have a gun. But if you think the US has harsh gun control, here in Scotland even the police don’t have guns. Only the elite forces carry a gun. The normal policemen have mace or something of the sort. What would happen if some madman were to do the same thing here in Scotland?
Todd,
There are many things i miss about living in israel. However, it’s great to be in a country now (philippines) where you can get a mcdonald’s value meal for about $3, and that includes the extra charge for super-size (it’s called “go big time” here, though).
enjoy your trip to the negev. wish i could join.
wendy
Hey Todd, greetings to Kelli as well from a long-lost IHLS friend. We live in Izmir (Smyrna). I’m commenting on this page because of the significance the date had to our family (see website). Please contact me. We’d love to have you visit next time you’re in Turkey. Blessings! Darlene PS-We have a GPS, next time we’re in Israel we’ll find that Gezer inscription.