Boker tov, my loyal readers-how are you? I was recently reminded that when someone greets you with “boker tov!” (good morning), one traditional answer to respond with is “boker or!” (morning light) I say “reminded” because I can’t tell you the last time I recall hearing this. Is this a thing of the past, Israelis?
I think I’m going to bring that to the States next time I visit.
7-Eleven cashier: “Good morning.”
Benji with wide-eyed smile: “MORNING LIGHT!”
Cashier: (reaches for gun, starts to call 911)
Yeah, I see that translating well.
Save it, language buffs-this ain’t Ulpan Gordon.
(Although the bathrooms are probably about as nice.)
I wanted to bring to your attention a new and timely blog leading up to Israel’s 60th next month. 60Bloggers.com is bringing together (all together now) sixty bloggers writing about their feelings towards this amazing country, one a day. The first post went up a few days ago and some of my friends/people I like will be among those writing including Harry Rubenstein from The View from Here and Jerusalemite and Esther Kustanowitz from My Urban Kvetch and JdatersAnonymous. Yours truly, Benji Massachusetts/Abu Lovitt will of course be writing as well so stay tuned. And forward this site to your friends!
Morning light to all of you!
60Bloggers.com is a joint project of Jewlicious and the Let My People Sing Festival
And may all of your friends continue to pursue their split blogpersonalities. Thanks for the shoutout. I don’t know how you say it in Hebrew, but Subliminal and the TACT Family keep saying “big ahhps” (big ups, which is apparently a hip-hop term, but I sound immensely uncool saying it), so that’s what I’m sticking to.
Because the new mantra is–if it’s good enough for Hebrew hip-hop, it’s good enough for contemporary usage.
But seriously, the 60 Bloggers project is a cool thing that I’m happy to be a part of.
I think the important thing we’re forgetting here is the rumor I heard that there was a 7-11 in Israel. Can we just rewind for a second?
1) Slurpees
2) Frozen Burritos
3) 24 hour hot dogs
4) Cases of beer — cold
Oh, how in hell did 7-11 not make it? I think I want to own a 7-11. WHY DID IT FAIL!
It must have not had the above…
Whoooooooooooooa, Nellie-are you serious? You’re telling me that it was possible to walk into a place and say, “Ehhhhhhhh…ani ekach shtay slurpeem v’shalosh burritot kafuot kazeh?”
Can someone please confirm this?
I don’t know about a 7-11, but I heard a rumor about a Dunkin’ Doughnuts–and I ain’t talkin’ about no sufgania here. Also failed. (So did Starbucks, but that wasn’t a surprise.)
But the point of this comment was: Boker in Jerusalem
-Boker tov!
-Boker or!
-Ma Shlomech (shlomcha)?
-Toda la El.
And what’s this I heard you were coming to Jerusalem during Pesach?
BTW, totally random, but I know you are looking for Mexican food. Did you know that the most authentic Mexican food is cooked in lard? Perhaps, the authentic-ness of the Mexican food would be lost on the general Israeli public?
“7-Eleven cashier: “Good morning.”
Benji with wide-eyed smile: “MORNING LIGHT!”
Cashier: (reaches for gun, starts to call 911)”
LOL! Love it!
Can I join the 60 bloggers thingie, or does one have to be invited? (sniff, sniff)
The 60 bloggers announcement was up for a while, and then the volunteers were matched with available dates. Some people were referred by other people, so in a sense, it was invite-only, but not really. Does that explain it?
Hey, why don’t you do your own post, “the post I would have contributed to 60 bloggers” or start “Another 60 Bloggers for Israel”–doesn’t Israel deserve as many bloggers as possible?
Actually,
The Boker Tov/Boker Or couple comes from Arabic:
Sabach Al Heir – Boker Tov, which is customarily answered – Sabach Al Nur – A morning of light.
(That’s what an Israeli school does to you when you’re a kid- teaches you stuff you will never use).
And as for Dunkin’ Doughnuts, we just didn’t have enough policemen in the country to keep them profitable.
– Ron
Ron, that is great! “Didn’t have enough cops to keep them profitable.” Jeez!
Seriously Benji, I heard this that there was a 7-11. Serious. I mean COME ON, a slurpee in one hand, a case of beer in the other! I’m starting a new blog — things I miss. That’s it, I’m going to spend the next week writing down as many things that I can think of, and that puppy is going to be #1 in the israeli-american blogging niche.
I seriously miss those frozen burritos, lard or no lard.
Hmm:
Burrito – Burrito’im
Burrito – Burritot
Hmm.
Danny, that blog is a dangerous idea, my friend. Do you really want to remind yourself of all the things you don’t have here? You’re too chadash, man! You gotta wait a few years! : )
My first 6 months in Israel I missed Tillamook Cheddar Cheese. I made my mom bring it. And you know what happened? It got moldy. It just didn’t taste the same here and I couldn’t eat it. Same cheese, different taste buds, I guess.
So then when you visit the US (as a tourist), you go to the store and say, “Humus with sun-dried tomatoes? You people don’t know how to eat humus!” or “M&Ms in 2 POUND bags? That’s just plain crazy!”
(Unfortunately, doritos with the gross melty cheese still taste REALLY good.
)
danny –
taking borekas as a model, I’d have to go with burritosim.
YES! 2 pound bags of M&Ms!!!
1.5 years of living in Israel has made no difference to me. I miss cases of beer every single time that I walk into a grocery store. I remember very fondly my days of college. I would walk into Food Lion, do my shopping, and then stop by the beer section just to absorb all the beautiful bottles cans and packages. ALAS!
Sometimes I just like to have 24 beers in my fridge – just in case.
Actually Benji, everyone in my office says “Boker Or” in reply to Boker Tov. One of these days i’ll manage to add it to my “really, i can talk like an israeli” repertoire.