Shopping!

As a lone solider (a status in the Army that Nina gets because our parents are in America and Nina is serving here) Nina gets a whole bunch of special benefits that regular Israelis don't. These include extra time off, opportunities for special programs, and gifts around the holidays. For Chanuka the army gifted Nina a 400 Shekel gift card which can be redeemed at many different stores, including groceries. Of course, typical Israeli style, she was given it only last week and it, of course, has the same expiration date as if she had received it in December.

So a shopping trip was in the cards for us last Friday. I usually stay away from malls or anything really potentially busy on Friday because everyone's off and out, it's generally really a hassle, and since I have the luxury of doing pretty much what I want most days, it's so much better to go say, on a Wednesday.

But Nina doesn't, so off we went to Malcha mall, the largest shopping mall in Jerusalem. I was thinking about leaving Eitan at home with Ami, but Nina, not so into that plan, so he came too. And it's a good thing, because strollers make great racks for hanging clothes, and the basket underneath was a nice thing to have too.

Now, I haven't bought much since we've gotten here. So going out to a mall was, wow. We had a great time at H and M- oh how I felt SO at home and have missed it! We checked out a few other stores as well, but the clock was ticking and the mall closes for Shabbat at 2pm and buses stop running soon after. Which is annoying if you a) are not shomer shabbat and b) are just super organized and know that you want to go out on Friday so do all of your shabbat prep on Thursday night, but you know. Them's the breaks.

Eitan was a champ. He kept himself busy by eating bamba and taking in all of the colors and sounds, and while we were trying things on by crouching on the floor out below the stall into the hallway of dressing rooms making friends. 

My mom and aunt went shopping and all I got was a stupid bureka

What's cool about malls here on Fridays (as opposed to everything that's annoying), is that they turn into Shabbat stores. What I mean is, in all open spaces stalls are set up that sell things for Shabbat- challahs, cakes, prepared meal foods, Judaica. It's pretty cool that I came out of the mall with a fresh challah.

Another thing that I noticed was that in the food court the entire right side was filled with dairy places, and the left meat. And when you're walking around and someone has samples of ice cream that they're giving out, it's a perfectly acceptable answer to refuse because you're "meat". Just a little cool thing about being here that I will remind myself when I'm waiting in line places forever, being pushed, yelled at or watch the garbage piling up on our street because of a strike

Last but definitely not least in our excursion, was on our (two second) walk from the mall to the bus stop, a woman told me that she thought Eitan was cold. Obviously, as he was only wearing a sweater and swaddled in his fleece "bundle me" and it was 55 degrees, I know, I'm a terrible mother letting him freeze. So, you know, my first line of defense was "hu beseder", he's fine. But she then told me (in Hebrew)  it was very windy out (like I didn't know already) and I answered, "hu gavohah" which means, he's tall. Now, what I meant to say was "hu gibor", he's strong, but I guess I just flubbed up words and out that went. As we continued to walk Nina looks at me and says, what does being tall have to do with being cold. And I said nothing. And she said, well why did you tell that lady he was tall...So first haha on me, and second, it got rid of her real fast, so maybe I'll use it again.

So, all in all, good day, lots of people, lots of Shabbat prep.