Saturday, July 4, 2020

The cafe doesn’t put out printed menus anymore. A sticker on each table has QR codes for breakfast, lunch/dinner, and desserts. The only English words on the stickers are “Scan Me!” I’m reminded of Alice in Wonderland. I scan a code. The lunch/dinner menu appears on my phone. I get through the ritual conversations with the server entirely in Hebrew. I’ve been there enough times that I know most of what to say. I order a chicken salad and a cold coffee. The server puts a small cup of sugar water on the table next to the coffee. I expect the small flies that zoom around me to zero in on it, but they’re not interested. I’ve gotten used to the flies. They seem to follow me every day from a particular tree on the way to the cafe and to work. Maybe they recognize that I’m less likely to swat them than many other people are. The meal is close to twice as expensive as at the place where I eat more frequently. This is the only place open on the Sabbath, though, and I had wanted to get out of the house and be among people. I put a fairly large bill on the payment tray. I could get a bit of change back, even after the tip, but I decide not to wait. If the servers are working for tips, they could use a bit of appreciation from the few customers who are there. I leave the whole bill and walk away. I put on my mask as I step onto the sidewalk. On the way back, I see that the Give-and-Take box is overflowing. I pick up six books in English, by Colson Whitehead, Steven Pinker, Michio Kaku and others, and an intact SodaStream machine and bottle, apparently working. I’ll have to clean them thoroughly before I use them. I juggle it all happily as I wander home.