More socks, more army gear

I found it a little strange to get my new backpack handed to me by the shop owner in a big plastic bag. It’s sort of like the conundrum with the chicken and the egg. If my bag comes in a bag, and that bag came in a box which came in a box, where does it end?

Walking around Tel Aviv the other day, I stumbled across a knapsack store. After explaining to the owner that I was going in to the army and was looking for a bag to carry all my gear, he showed me all the options. He spent ten minutes reminiscing about his army experience and wishing me a huge Mazel Tov. He said he would love to be starting the army with his future ahead of him. It was nice talking to him about the army, it really is a shared experience everyone has in common. Showing me around the store, I didn’t realize bags came with so many options, and features. He recommended a bag with rails on the top and bottom to attach boots and things to; it’s a mammoth 70L bag, almost big enough for me to fit inside. If you travel around the country, you always see kids backpacking with impossibly huge packs going anywhere and everywhere. It looks a bit better on me because of my size, but that’s the idea. It has a nice padded back, and with all the gear I have purchased so far, it’s only half full.

I bag was marked down from 200, and had a sticker advertising a discount, but when the guy asked me for 195 (in cash), including tax, I was too tired to argue. Normally, tax is included in everything, and I guess he wanted to take advantage of a greener. Its nice to know when you’re getting taken advantage of, because then at least you can make a judgment call that the extra 15 shekels is still worth it.

With my new backpack in tow, I met up with Josh and we got all the little odds and ends on my list. I have a feeling the people in the store thought I was a bit crazy, I don’t think many people come in and get excited about buying electrical tape and ear plugs. I figure that since I am only going to the army once, I should get all the things I may need, or they recommend.

I asked one of the vendors if he sold army socks. He said “well sir, I do have a few pairs, but they are more expensive than normal socks because they are very, very special”. It’s a warning sign when people are two polite to you, it usually means they are really going to jack up the price and bargaining is going to be required. He explained that US Marines use these socks, which came in a package labeled HIKE SOCKS and in small print below US MARINE CORPS. Now, I know Nike, but I have never heard of the internationally acclaimed company Hike. I guess they figure if you print USMC and stick an American flag on the package of Israeli army socks; it makes it a more valuable commodity. He ended up charging a couple shekels more than I paid elsewhere, considering they look like nice padded socks, and they are Hike, it was worth it. I am really going to be making a fashion statement in the army. I am sure my officer is going to come up to me and ask, “Wait, are those Hike?!” Nondescript grey socks go a long way to define your personality, or at least that’s the impression I got from the sock vendor.

While in the shuk buying fruit and veggies for dinner, Josh and I both got an SMS at the same time. Each SMS was personalized with our names. It was something like: “Would you like to come celebrate your enlistment with “Sidney” at a party including unlimited alcohol Thursday night?” I was confused who had both our numbers and knew we were both joining the army, especially considering I was going into shlav bet, and he was going to machal. We called them for more information and they called me back several times. After getting in touch with a number of people going in with us, most seem to have got the message as well. There is a big party this Thursday night in Hertzalya for everyone joining, but I was more concerned how they got our numbers. It seems that my sense of privacy of information is completely wrong; its nothing like it is in Canada. If you want to give enlisting soldiers free booze, the army is happy to give you a list of names and numbers. I found it bizarre, but it’s just another interesting fact to figuring out Israel.