Sunday, August 1, 1999

Root canal in Jerusalem!

We located an endodontist who actually set up an appointment for us at 9:00 p.m. So, it was off to get a few more groceries, buy a lamp for the apartment (we found a great little “french blue” number in the Moslem quarter for only $10). We also bought a sandwich toaster- which we brought home and found it to be broken. So, we headed back to the shop and tried to get a credit on our card. It was quite a confrontation- back and forth with the clerk while the storeowner bobbed and weaved at the wall with his prayer book. After finally deciding that the cause was hopeless, I left the store saying, “Next time, we’ll buy from the Palestinians”. What a change. The owner came racing out of the store waving our credit card receipt. His cohort explained that “he doesn’t want you in his store”. Guess I struck a nerve.

We had dinner again at Spaghettini before the dentist. The dentist was a breath of fresh air- American trained endodontist (did his Ph.D. work in Boston). He did a slew of unpleasant tests (ice and heat on the tooth)- diagnosed a single root canal and suggested cleaning out the tooth, getting rid of the abscess and putting on a temporary that would see me until we get back to the States. An hour and a half later and we were on our way with hopes of only one more appointment before we could leave for Syria.

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