Baby Rebecca. H. sapiens. The Baby Rebecca, also known as “shiao ro ro” (little meat), is an omnivore and weighs nearly 17 lbs. Although seen sitting, she is often found supine or prone, moving about by rolling. While her language skills are primitive, she still makes her needs known with amazing skill. Among her many unique features, she is well known for her maternally inherited cheeks and paternally inherited toes.
As part of my trip, I joined a multi-day tour of the Galilee region. The focus of the tour was on sites from the New Testament, since the Galilee was where much of Jesus’ ministry took place. The following few photos don’t really do it justice, but hopefully they give you a flavor of things.
Caesarea Maritima (Acts 23-25):
Nazareth:
Cana in Galilee (John 2:1-11):
Mt. of Beatitudes (Matthew 5-7):
Capernaum:
Boat ride on the Sea of Galilee:
Speaking of boats, in Ginosar there was displayed an ancient boat from the time of Jesus, probably similar to the kind he might have ridden on:
skyping with daddy in israel this morning…. happy father’s day!!
we love you daddy! see you soon!
(Scene: early one morning in the Armenian Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem. I walk past a shopkeeper ["SK"] selling metal trinkets. *Note: 1 U.S. dollar = 3.5 Israeli shekels)
SK: Hey… hey! Come in here (motioning inside the shop), let me show you something.
Me: (With slight hesitation) okay.
SK: Everything in the shop today is 50% off.
Me: Wow, great.
SK: (pointing to a silver-plated goblet) See this cup? I’ll give it to you for a good price. Which one would you like? The one with the grapevine on it? Or this one with the city of Jerusalem design?
Me: I’m not sure.
SK: (handing the cup to me, and cleverly positioning himself between me and the entrance to the TINY hole-in-the-wall shop) Here, take it, hold it. You want this one?
Me: I really don’t know yet.
SK: Are you a student?
Me: Yes.
SK: You look like a student. Where are you from?
Me: Canada.
SK: Ah, Canada… my cousin lives in Montreal.
Me: That’s great.
SK: Here, you look like a nice person, I’ll give you a good price. Regular price 700 shekels–I’ll give it to you for three hundred. Shall I wrap it up for you?
Me: Uh… wait, no. I’m not sure I want it. (I hand the cup back to SK.)
SK: 300 is too much? Name your price. What are you willing to pay?
Me: (contemplating whether I would want it even if he offered it to me for free) I really don’t know.
SK: This is a good price. I just want to start my day, open my cash register. (*Note: This is a common thing… shopkeepers will want to start the day or the week off with a quick sale for good luck.)
Me: Well, I’m not sure if THAT CUP is what I want. Let me look around and see what else you have.
SK: Sure, you can look around.
Me: (Glancing at the hundreds of pieces of random stuff in the shop) Hmm…
SK: (pointing back at the cup) Here, I’ll sell it to you for 250 shekels.
Me: Um, no.
SK: This is a good price. You look like a nice person. This is a nice cup. Don’t you like it?
Me: I’m just not sure I want it.
SK: What price are you willing to pay? How about 200 shekels? It’s silver.
Me: No.
SK: You from Canada? Where are you from ORIGINALLY? China? Japan?
Me: Hong Kong.
SK: Ah, Hong Kong. Here, 200 shekels, I’ll sell it to you. I just want to start my day.
Me: I understand, but I’m not sure I want this cup. Let me look elsewhere in the shop.
SK: You look like a businessman. I tell you what–150 shekels. This is a great price. Price I give to family and close friends only.
Me: (stalling, trying to find an opportunity to leave) No, I don’t know if I want it. It’s too big. (After all, I would have to stuff it back in my already-full luggage.)
SK: It’s not too big… many other ones much bigger. Come on, one fifty. I just want to start my week. Quickly, I have to go pray soon; if you want it, take it… if not, fine.
Me: (Calling his bluff) Well, if you have to go pray, then I won’t waste any more of your time. Goodbye…
SK: Ok, ok, wait. 120 shekels, final price.
Me: (trying to leave) I don’t think I want it, thanks anyway.
SK: (blocking me) What do you want me to do? I give you a good price. You keep smiling. Just tell me what price you pay.
Me: I don’t want it. I’m a student, I don’t have much money.
SK: Yes, but keep smiling, keep smiling. 120 shekels is not too much.
Me: Well, it’s a lot of money… I’m a student, I still have many days in Jerusalem.
SK: Why won’t you help me. 120 shekels, I start my day, you get the cup. (Showing me the cup again) Here, look at it.
(This goes on for another five minutes; I look around the shop blankly, stalling, while he blocks my way out.)
SK: Ok, I tell you what–one hundred shekels. This is final price. I don’t know what you want. I just want to start my day.
Me: I understand, but I don’t want it.
SK: One hundred shekels, no better price anywhere.
Me: No, sorry, I have to go.
SK: 90? 80 shekels? (Seeing that I’m forcing my way out) Ah, yallah… get lost!
—————————–
My reflections on this experience:
1) Never pay more than ~10-15% of the “regular” price for a souvenir in the Old City.
2) I might actually have bought something if he’d just let me look around his shop.
3) When it comes to bargaining, we Chinese can always hold our own.
Tel Aviv was originally built as an extension of the ancient city of Jaffa (Yafo). To this day Jaffa retains its Arab character:
The clock tower:
The Mahmudiya mosque:
The Church of St. Peter:
View of Tel Aviv from the south:
The flea market! Anyone interested in some junk?
we picked up a few good finds at the vancouver college fair last month, including a vintage “dumbo at the circus” book. yay dumbo!
This summer I have the privilege of spending some time in Israel. Having been here less than a week, I get the sense that my visit will be too short to really see everything–but my goal is to make the best of what time I do have!
My trip begins in Tel Aviv: Welcome to Israel.
View of Ben Yehuda Street looking south:
The beach, during rush hour:
Many of the residential buildings in Tel Aviv were built in the 1930′s and 1940′s in the “Bauhaus” style, giving Tel Aviv the nickname “the White City”:
Before Tel Aviv, there was Neve Tzedek, the first Jewish suburb of the city of Jaffa. Today Neve Tzedek is a trendy neighborhood of shops, cafes, and residences:
The first Israeli cinema:
Other highlights included Carmel Market and the Yemenite Quarter, both just north of Neve Tzedek:
our little cupcake is nine months old today. loves her gator, and has three teeth and counting.
happy birthday matia! amazing how time flies… boo boo was only 6 weeks old when we got married. and now we’re celebrating her fifth birthday with rebecca! we joined a small family celebration at “spicy court”.
make a wish!
jump dee dee, jump!
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