Below is my apartment building in the Jerusalem neighborhood called East Talpiot. The apt building is built on the side of a hill with a beautiful view of the valley. Instead of walking in on the first floor, the entrance way is in the middle of the building. My apt is just six steps down from the entrance. There are a few floors above and below me.
Below is a similar photo with my apt in the foreground. Notice how my apt is already in the shade and the apartments across the valley are being hit by the sunset. All buildings in Jerusalem are built of white stone. Sometimes when the sun sets it causes a glow to the white stone. Sort of a golden glow. Hence the nickname "Jerusalem of Gold".
Below is a closer picture of the entrance.
Sidewalks and benches just outside my apt. I like these. You can come outside to read a little or just enjoy the outdoors. Neighbors walking by, sitting on benches and children playing in Jerusalem. “Thus says the LORD of hosts: ‘Old men and old women shall again sit In the streets of Jerusalem, Each one with his staff in his hand Because of great age. The streets of the city Shall be full of boys and girls Playing in its streets.’ Zechariah 8:4-5.
Sidewalk going the other way. In the springtime, many of these bushes will bloom.
Below is looking down the stairwell just before the door of my apt.
Below is a photo looking up from my apt.
Below is the kitchen. Nice big refrigerator. Little stove that I don't use. White cabinets match the white walls. I keep the food on the counter top so I can see if I need to buy anything. The light fixture is just sort of a paper mache type thing. The other apartment on Derekh Hebron had light brown fixtures that looked very similar to paper sacks. Tile floor all through out the apt. I knew to bring my "house shoes" for the winter time.
Below is my little laundry room just off the kitchen. Washing machine very similar to the other. However, I did lose my dryer. So the clothes just air dry now.
Below is looking out my laundry room window. If you look real close you can see wires for a clothes line. My neighbors across the way have their laundry "hanging out". I figure that I would be "all thumbs" if I tried to hang my clothes on the line. I could just see my clothes falling 3-4 stories to the ground. Sort of defeats the purpose of trying to get them clean in the first place.
Below is the living room as seen from the kitchen. These white walls are decorated with a few nails in them. However the corner windows do provide a beautiful view of the valley.
Below is the view from the living room window.
Below are the living room windows.
Sometimes being a volunteer you do not get to pick your own decorations. The bathroom in my apartment is an example. Below is my bathroom that has a see-thru shower curtain with flying ducks on it. Now, once again, my granddaughter Abbie might think this is a cute shower curtain. However, for grandpa Cary, it takes a little getting used to. Perhaps for Christmas, I will shop for a GI Joe shower curtain. Or even a "Real Men Don't Eat Quiche" shower curtain if they make such an item. Plenty of hot water when you remember to push the little red button.
Many bathrooms in Israel have the commode separate from the tub/shower. Below is a photo of my little room. If it looks "pink" to you that's because it is. The light bulb is pink. When I first turned it on, I felt like I should be developing photos in a dark room. Besides the floor being tile, the walls in the throne room are also tile. There is no heater. There is not even an electrical outlet in case you wanted to put a small space heater in there. If you zoom in on the top of the commode, you will see two grey buttons. For water conservation in Israel, most commodes have two buttons or handles on them. One is for less water, the other is for more water. You decide which to use. I thought about leaving the pink light on all day so it would burn out quicker. However, that defeats the purpose of water tanks on the roof.
Below are the two bedrooms doors. I sleep in the one on the left. The one on the right I have converted to my "drying room" for my laundry.
Below is the view from my bedroom window.
Ditto below except looking a little bit north.
Below is my little bedroom. No need to make the bed since I will be sleeping there again tonight. No walk-in closets or ceiling fans here. The apartment does not have any air conditioning. In the summer, I will just open the windows to get a breeze and have some oscillating fans. Normally there would be a little heat in the wintertime but this week the lady in charge of maintenance for the building informed there would not be any heat this winter. So I picked up a second space heater for the living room. There was a small one already here for my bedroom. Before winter is over, there may one or two more.
Below my groceries still look about the same as my first day. However, this selection does include some Morrocan Sardines with Hot Pepper and Kinneret Sardines in Soya Oil. Kinneret is the Hebrew name for the Sea of Galilee. Also, I did find a bottle of Louisiana Hot Sauce which goes good on anything that tastes funny.
Overall, my little apartment is bseder (ok). Despite the shower curtain and pink light bulb, the apartment is still located in Jerusalem. The only place where God Almighty chose for His Holy Name to dwell. Then the LORD appeared to Solomon by night, and said to him: “I have heard your prayer, and have chosen this place for Myself as a house of sacrifice.......For now I have chosen and sanctified this house, that My name may be there forever; and My eyes and My heart will be there perpetually. II Chronicles Chapter 7 Verse 12 and Verse 16.
And the Lord Jesus is returning soon to reign from Jerusalem. ‘Therefore thus says the LORD: “I am returning to Jerusalem with mercy; My house shall be built in it,” says the LORD of hosts, “And a surveyor’s line shall be stretched out over Jerusalem.”’ “Again proclaim, saying, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts: “My cities shall again spread out through prosperity; The LORD will again comfort Zion, And will again choose Jerusalem.”’ Zechariah 1:16-17.
Many people shall come and say, “Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, To the house of the God of Jacob; He will teach us His ways, And we shall walk in His paths.” For out of Zion shall go forth the law, And the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. Isaiah 2:3
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