This is the Jerusalem Center on Mount Scopus, adjacent to the Mount of Olives and overlooking the Old City, the Kidron Valley, and the Holy Mount. This picture was taken looking back from the Old City. The BYU Jerusalem Center for Near Eastern Studies has become a landmark here in Jerusalem. Most of the local people here refer to it as the "Mormon University on the hill".
We are still getting oriented to the new roads, where to shop and how things are run at the center. We are getting ready for the new students to arrive here on Wednesday. We will try to keep you posted the best we can. Here is an email that was sent out a few days ago. Sandy
Jan. 3, 2008
Dear family and friends,
A special thanks to Kurt Ostler, (Craig’s brother) for taking us up to the airport with all our luggage. If you haven’t heard, we sold our 1989 GMC Surburban. Yes, that was a sad day for me, I will really miss it. Really!!! Can you tell that I am still in mourning. I was so busy packing and getting ready that I haven’t had time to think much about it until Daniel reminded us that there was no way to get our 12 bags and 4 backpacks and 4 people to the airport. Kurt saved the day!
The miracle at the airport was the weigh-in of the luggage. For three days before leaving we were weighing and repacking and re-weighing and repacking (or redistributing the weight) and then we moved all the suitcases to the living room for the final weigh-in (using an old scale that Grandma Webb gave me when she was down-sizing to move). We put a post it note on each tag with the weight listed and hoped that the scales were accurate since the weight limit in now 50lbs instead of 70lbs. We were weighing in at 47, 48, 48, 49, 49 and 70(we paid extra for one suitcase to go over). At the airport the suitcase weighed…47, 48, 50, 51 and 70, pretty good job weighing with that old trusty scale at home. Thanks mom. PS –they let the suitcase at 51lbs go on through.
Well ,now that we are here and all the planning and preparation and packing is over, I think I can finally relax. Well, maybe until I get behind the wheel of the car and pull onto the roads of Jerusalem where everyone else thinks they have the right of way all the time. Yesterday Brother and Sister Draper drove us out to the money changer---Aladdin on Saladdin Street. A flood of memories came back as they drove down the hill from the center that we walked so many times before to the Old City. While we were there getting our shekels Aladdin came in and seemed to remember us, he teased with Derek and Daniel and we felt right at home again. We then drove by our old apartment at French Hill on our way to the Co-op Grocery store. First time shopping for groceries is always a SHOCK!!! So expensive! Derek kept looking at me as I put things into the cart and he said, “but that is so many shekeles-it’s too much!” He was right, but we do have to eat and it is still less expensive than eating at the cafeteria at the center. Derek was quite helpful; he found the generic brand of Nutella. It was labeled in Hebrew, but looked the same and so we took a chance and after tasting it today it passed the test. We made a stop at the pita factory to get fresh pita and torpedo bread. There is nothing better than fresh pita!
Today the boys and I ventured out by car to the Arab wholesale market. The old grandfather is still there and they were happy to see Mormons again. The shop keeper we got the fruits and vegetables from was very good to us. He said, “ I like Mormons, they don’t smoke and drink, they are good people”. The prices are a lot better at the wholesale market, but I think I will always take one of the boys with me because I am a bit outnumbered by men and boys there.
The center is pretty quiet right now with the students gone. We are slowly getting to know the different Service Couples here. They each work really hard with their different responsibilities. We have meet with Eran (executive director) and Tawfic (assistant director and chief of security). They have helped to orient us to the changes here in Jerusalem, reviewed the rules and answered many of our questions. The new students come in next Wednesday. We will be going on the bus to meet them at the airport. It will be an interesting day to pick up the students because President Bush is also arriving that same day. Security will certainly be tight that day. What a day to have the students arrive.
We are slowly getting over jet lag and adjusting. Hopefully we can relax will have everything taken care of before the students arrive.
Hope all is well back home.
Love, Sandy Ostler
We are still getting oriented to the new roads, where to shop and how things are run at the center. We are getting ready for the new students to arrive here on Wednesday. We will try to keep you posted the best we can. Here is an email that was sent out a few days ago. Sandy
Jan. 3, 2008
Dear family and friends,
A special thanks to Kurt Ostler, (Craig’s brother) for taking us up to the airport with all our luggage. If you haven’t heard, we sold our 1989 GMC Surburban. Yes, that was a sad day for me, I will really miss it. Really!!! Can you tell that I am still in mourning. I was so busy packing and getting ready that I haven’t had time to think much about it until Daniel reminded us that there was no way to get our 12 bags and 4 backpacks and 4 people to the airport. Kurt saved the day!
The miracle at the airport was the weigh-in of the luggage. For three days before leaving we were weighing and repacking and re-weighing and repacking (or redistributing the weight) and then we moved all the suitcases to the living room for the final weigh-in (using an old scale that Grandma Webb gave me when she was down-sizing to move). We put a post it note on each tag with the weight listed and hoped that the scales were accurate since the weight limit in now 50lbs instead of 70lbs. We were weighing in at 47, 48, 48, 49, 49 and 70(we paid extra for one suitcase to go over). At the airport the suitcase weighed…47, 48, 50, 51 and 70, pretty good job weighing with that old trusty scale at home. Thanks mom. PS –they let the suitcase at 51lbs go on through.
Well ,now that we are here and all the planning and preparation and packing is over, I think I can finally relax. Well, maybe until I get behind the wheel of the car and pull onto the roads of Jerusalem where everyone else thinks they have the right of way all the time. Yesterday Brother and Sister Draper drove us out to the money changer---Aladdin on Saladdin Street. A flood of memories came back as they drove down the hill from the center that we walked so many times before to the Old City. While we were there getting our shekels Aladdin came in and seemed to remember us, he teased with Derek and Daniel and we felt right at home again. We then drove by our old apartment at French Hill on our way to the Co-op Grocery store. First time shopping for groceries is always a SHOCK!!! So expensive! Derek kept looking at me as I put things into the cart and he said, “but that is so many shekeles-it’s too much!” He was right, but we do have to eat and it is still less expensive than eating at the cafeteria at the center. Derek was quite helpful; he found the generic brand of Nutella. It was labeled in Hebrew, but looked the same and so we took a chance and after tasting it today it passed the test. We made a stop at the pita factory to get fresh pita and torpedo bread. There is nothing better than fresh pita!
Today the boys and I ventured out by car to the Arab wholesale market. The old grandfather is still there and they were happy to see Mormons again. The shop keeper we got the fruits and vegetables from was very good to us. He said, “ I like Mormons, they don’t smoke and drink, they are good people”. The prices are a lot better at the wholesale market, but I think I will always take one of the boys with me because I am a bit outnumbered by men and boys there.
The center is pretty quiet right now with the students gone. We are slowly getting to know the different Service Couples here. They each work really hard with their different responsibilities. We have meet with Eran (executive director) and Tawfic (assistant director and chief of security). They have helped to orient us to the changes here in Jerusalem, reviewed the rules and answered many of our questions. The new students come in next Wednesday. We will be going on the bus to meet them at the airport. It will be an interesting day to pick up the students because President Bush is also arriving that same day. Security will certainly be tight that day. What a day to have the students arrive.
We are slowly getting over jet lag and adjusting. Hopefully we can relax will have everything taken care of before the students arrive.
Hope all is well back home.
Love, Sandy Ostler
1 comment:
Amber told me about your blog and I think it is so fun! I loved reading your posts and hearing the names and foods I love - Aladdin, Tawfiq, fresh pita, and shwarmas! I know this group will love it as much as I did, but I think Jerusalem has a special place for everyone who comes and loves it. Enjoy it for me!
Love you,
Lexie Borg
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