Super Tremp - breakfast in Jerusalem

 Sitting in the sun on Ben Yehudah recomputing the complex calculus that is my meal allotment. Last night's non-dinner fiasco threw the fragile schedule into a complete disarray! I'm not a big breakfast guy so I don't know how I feel about a big breakfast. Today is my last day in Israel so I want to take advantage of every opportunity; the temperature will rise to 80 later today, that's 80 degrees farenwhatever. That becomes some incalcuable number in centigrus but who caeres? This is America. And even if it isn't, I carry an aura of America around me whereever I go so, despite mR. Bowie's protestations, this IS America. Interestingly, the word "is" is the Spanish word "si" backwards. Not that interesting, but it doesn't have to be. This is America. So there.

Review time:

During my stay, I have walked to some degree (F) in each of the cardinal directions (and blue jay way). Gan Sacher and the old city are in opposite directions, and I have turned both left and right on King George Street so those are opposites. I'm sure that there is a more precise set of terms but I can't keep track. I'm guess I'm just hard wired that way.

 I was up at 5:45AM after going to sleep at midnight (it is nice know that after a week and a half I have settled in to my usual pattern...time to leave!) and I started planning. I checked in online, discovered that I was required to fill in a health declaration for entering the US and filled that in.  I also read some news stories to see if there was to be any change in the various processes. Nothing yet, but people keep me worried about whether there will be any planes here to take me home. They best find a plane. I have students to torture. I folded my laundry, packed, repacked my various bags, made sure I had my documents handy, then unpacked and repacked my bags. I guess I'm just wired.

Eventually the time advanced to a moment when it was less foolish to begin my morning's stroll. I headed towards Ben Yehudah by takiing side streets. I ended up in a tourist souvenir shop. The shopkeepers here are sad and scared. The Omicron variant (curse you, Robert Ludlum) is driving tourists back home and no new ones are allowed to come in and keep thse little stores afloat. Everything is on sale in a last ditch attempt to entice buyers and liquidate stock. I do my part to help.

McDonalds is closed so I can't discover the subtleties of a fast food breakfast. I'm both relieved and disgusted at myself for my curiosity. Also, hungry still. I see the Katz's (from Frisch faculty) and we discuss their day and the issues surrounding all of our getting home. They head off to Yad Vashem and recommend Sam's Bagels for breakfast. While I have been there, this affords me a chance at redemption regarding the untoasted bagel incident. It's a deal! I was about to order the aforesaid bagel with a shmeer when the woman on line in front of me orders an "Israeli Breakfast." How demonstrably native, I think. I must have that as well. So I did and let me just say, this is not anything akin to what any Israeli has ever had for breakfast. This is like the breakfast shown in TV commercials of my youth, hawking sugared cereals as part of a "complete" breakfast. A bagel (yes, toasted) with 2 spreads, an omelet, a green salad of my design, and a cup of (Americano) decaf coffee. Wow and yum.

Eventually, I forklifted myself up and started walking again. Back streets and eventually Yaffo, figuring to get to the Power Station for coffee and a donut I can eat (those are the best kind). I got to the entrance of the shuk and ran into the CC Schwartz's. Hi guys! They were on their way to Brooklyn Bakery in Geula. We chatted and the two daughters who are in my classes stood awkwardly. Awesome. We talked about checking in for flights and I asked if they had done that health declaration. They hadn't heard of it so I walked them through the onine check in to the health form. I hope that we are supposed to fill it in. I also hope that Knesset security doesn't stop me at the airport. I am full of hopes and dreams.

I made it to the Powerpuffgirls coffee place (only one stop on the way, somebody kingdom for some Halva). The coffee place is not only where I can have a dessert item, but also the only place in this country that seems to know how to make a cup of decaf properly. 'Member how I marvelled at the lack of car accidents in this city what with all the hinking and narrow streets? Well, the law of statistics caught up with me. The law of "Dan makes the world go round" was in effect, and there was an accident on Agrippas, right next to me and my coffee. It seems that a guy in a white car screeched his tires and lurched forward, right into the back of a fancy black car. Everyone ran to see if he or she could criticize someone, but I sat there sipping my coffee because I figured that there was probably little need for a high school English teacher. This accident on a 2 lane street causes a large back up behind it and, though cars and buses find ways to squeeze around, it slows everyone down substantially. My feet are unaffected so I kick them into low gear and start walking back to Chez Swidler. I sense that this will be my last report until the airport or until I get home, so you all have that to look forward to.

Which is nice.