Monday, July 28, 2008

A sign of the times

On Sunday I gave in to the thrill of exploration and just followed my nose. It led me to this mysterious fence just a few blocks from Jerusalem's Central Bus Terminal.
Inspired by this guy's example I did even better and found an open gate. Pieces of a crane were scattered on the ground and you already know my fascination with cranes from a previous post.
There is a man back there painting them green. I didn't let him see me because he would have thrown me out of the forbidden-entry site. My first time to see a crane up close and I was shocked how thin and fragile it looked.
Digging of the deep foundation for Mishkenot HaUma was about to begin. This prime location makes the project and future apartments some of the most expensive in the whole country.
In 1988 I went back to college to take the 2-year program in Translation Studies at Bar-Ilan University and then worked as an editor and Hebrew-English translator. So these three signs in Translationese made me smile. Each one sounds awkward (not to mention ostentatious).
Hebrew was most economical with only four words.
English needed five.
And French a whopping seven words.

If you'd like to invest in a condominium here, LOL, complete with a "Parisian avenue" inside for upscale shopping, watch the Yair company's short video. And tell me what you think of it, the truth!

9 comments:

  1. You ask me what I think: I think no one but rich Americans and Europeans are going to be able to afford Jerusalem! I suppose it will be a busy place during holiday season.

    When you get a chance, please see my photo from a bus:
    Project Black Visits Jerusalem
    I'm surprised you didn't photograph her. I saw this woman somewhere else on the web, but I can't remember where.

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  2. Hi Leora. Yes, you got the scoop for the fence. That's why I photographed the man--you already had the woman. But the part I most love about your photo is the dati man walking with his open prayerbook.
    You are probably right. And on non-holiday times the place will be a ghost town.

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  3. Oh my. That's quite a mouth full.
    Let's just assume, I'd have the means to afford buying an apartment there - would I?
    Heck no! It looks like a glorified Apartment complex, with ridiculous Pseudo Architecture. If I would like to live in an Ant Hill, there got to be cheaper ones out there.
    Same stuff is being offered here in the states with similar adjectives and I wouldn't buy into it here as I would in Jerusalem.
    But there always be morons, who believe "Lifestyle" is, what they are told "Lifestyle" is...
    If you ask me - it'll be nothing that will contribute to Jerusalem...
    Cheers, Klaus

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  4. Dina, that's a decisive moment you captured in the top picture. I like it.

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  5. Dina..I love how your curiosity takes you to find the unexpected or a unusual take on the normal..Michelle

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  6. Hi Dina- artsy presentation.I love commercial art because it interacts with public life.

    It has been great to meet you and your gorgeous blog. I blog during the last week of the month. You are on my blogging run.
    shalom
    love &light ichandrae

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  7. Klaus, I agree. The only things such grossly expensive apartments like these contribute is high arnona tax income for the Municipality from the largely absentee landlords.

    Eki, yeah, they are fun. See another peeking "person" in Leora's link in Comment #1.

    Michelle, actually there is not much "normal" around here, so everything is interesting. hehe

    Ichandrae, JHDP is honored to be on your blogging run. Your blogs are out of the usual, nice! Shalom and light to you too.

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  8. commercial art is definitely missing form my town-it would certainly modernise us to a point

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