"Life" in Jerusalem . . .

I thought I'd put together some pictures that would give you an idea of daily life for me here in Jerusalem. Although it is definitely different than life in the United States, it is not authentic Israeli life either. It is somewhat in between . . .

I live in one of the buildings on the Christ Church compound--the "Jones" building. Inside are nine rooms, all housing volunteers. Most rooms are shared, but there are a few with only one person (the supervisors and nightwatchmen, for obvious reasons).

Just inside the entrance . . . Inside the doors on the right are the washing machine and dryer. On the left (just outside the picture) are the sign up sheets as we have to reserve our laundry times.
This sight greets everyone at the top of the stairs--our kitchenette, complete with refrigerator, microwave, toaster, and water kettle. It is kept stocked with cereals, milk, tea, and coffee. It is also the storage area for cleaning supplies, and obviously the iron and ironing board lie here.
Turning left, there is a long hallway--three volunteer rooms are downstairs, six are upstairs. My room is at the very end of the row--room 21.
This is what one sees upon opening the door to my room--my half of the room. Please note--I did a bunch of tidying before taking this picture! :-)Walking a little further into the room and looking to the left . . . All the upstairs rooms have tall ceilings, but room 21 is definitely the biggest and the lightest. We have the most windows (other rooms only have one)--making it the sunniest, but also the hottest if the curtains are opened. At one time in April, there were three girls in this room, but since then only two. This is my roommate's bed (the mattress was pilfered from the top!). We split the dresser in the corner.
The beds are against the west wall, wardrobes are against the east wall (and one on the south wall).
In the far corner between wardrobes is the bathroom--it is tiny, but we really don't need extra space for bathrooms.
Looking back at my half of the room . . . bed, desk, windows, mirror . . .
Out of the Old City via Jaffa Gate, across the plaza and down the steps into the Mamilla pedestrian mall . . . Here is the Jerusalem version of Walgreens--Super Pharm. It is not particularly wise to buy toothbrushes, nail polish, etc here, but I have bought such items as hair things, tissues, shampoo, first aid cream, and a sling for my arm here for reasonable prices.
A closer look . . .
Inside the Old City of Jerusalem is the grocery store where I buy snack items, shampoo, food, etc. This is in the Christian Quarter of the Old City . . . the sign and entrance
The front room of the grocery store . . .
The stairs on the left of the previous picture lead to an upstairs room stocked with soaps, cleaning supplies, paper products, etc. Here is part of the shampoo display--some familiar brands, some not.
The display of laundry detergents . . . virtually all in Hebrew!
But here's a familiar sight--peanut butter! The generic brand found in King Soopers, no less! :-)
But, if one wants to buy some soup and can't read Hebrew, you are reduced to looking at the pictures. It's reminiscent of being a kindergartener!
The dairy cooler . . . I always have to look closely to make sure I'm getting yogurt and not something else. :-)
It may be Israel, but there are some familiar cereals available! I haven't bought any cereal yet because Christ Church keeps their pantry stocked with a wide variety of cereals, but it's nice to know I have access to such things as Rice Krispies. :-)
Here is an glimpse of general reality in Israel, though. Many of the stores/malls in Jerusalem's New City have metal detectors or even security guards at the doors. To be honest, shoppers generally don't give this a second thought, it's normal.
I hope you have enjoyed this glimpse into my life here . . . It may not be as comfortable a life as that in the States, but it definitely is modern. I have no complaints!!