Wednesday, February 4, 2015

Old City Strawberries

            It feels like it’s been a lot longer than a week since my last post. Maybe it’s because I’ve done so much since then, or maybe it’s because all the events are so spread out that the days seem to last forever. In any case, it’s good to talk to y’all again.
            A few friends and I went to the Old City on Saturday – don’t worry; I have pictures! Living in Jerusalem is interesting; in one sense, this is Jerusalem, the Holy City people have been fighting for years to have control of. In another sense, this is Jerusalem, a large city just like any other, with ordinary people going about their lives. The Old City is a place where Jesus, David, and countless other figures walked. It’s also where you can buy really ripe strawberries for $3.50 a kilo.
            We did buy strawberries, along with a few other supplies, from the Shuk, the outdoor market. This involved using both my Arabic and my Hebrew, which was nice. We also did the Ramparts Walk, which was interesting, and went to the Roman Plaza, which was also holding a contemporary art exhibition. This turned out to be a series of dimly-lit tunnels, one of which contained a small stereo system and a few statues. However, it was still interesting.
            While we were in the Old City, I had shawarma (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shawarma) and mint tea for lunch, which was pretty good. I’ve also had falafel. They tasted better in Jordan, but it’s possible that I was just hungrier; I’m eating a lot more American-style food here, since I’m fixing my own meals. To that end, as I need more and more supplies for my stay, I’m slowly learning to be more self-sufficient, to put down roots and buy what I need on-location instead of trying to pack everything I need from home every time I leave. It helps when American products are available in many stores.
            There’s also been a lot of free food lately, since that’s the preferred method for attracting college students. For instance, I just returned from a discussion group about Israel that provided bagels and toppings, and earlier today I went to a party for Israel’s version of Arbor Day (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tu_BiShvat ), which included sweets and drinks. Two nights ago, I had free lasagna at a lecture by the Colonel formerly in charge of the Israeli Security Fence, who was a very good presenter. And at all of these events, I was told about other events, also with free food, that will take place in the future. There’s no shortage of things to do.
            Class is going fairly well. Every day I end up with more interesting vocabulary – ‘sense of direction,’ ‘controversial topic,’ ‘phenomena,’ and etc. We have discussions on everything from beached whales to homeschooling to ISIS. In addition, we’ve had a tour of campus and a singing workshop – we actually sang one of the songs I learned at Middlebury, but this time I could understand what it meant!
            There are things that I hope will improve over the next few weeks. I’m still unfamiliar with the teachers’ testing format, which docked a few points off my last grade. I’m still trying to figure out what to do for church, so I’ll let you know what happens with that. And I’ve now gone to the gym three times, and I still haven’t received my membership; every time it’s something else, and it’s a perfectly logical reason, but I’d like to have that done and over with already. The last time I went, the lady behind the desk (it’s the same person every time) started muttering to herself in Hebrew that I keep showing up, and I thought about telling her I shared her frustration, but thought better of it.
            There have been some down days lately, but my parents are only a phone call away, I have my books, and the supermarket has Ben & Jerry’s if I really need chocolate. I’ve found friends; last weekend we watched Kingdom of Heaven, about the Crusades, and had strawberries and hot fudge sauce. And I’m in Jerusalem, after all: as one of my classmates said this morning, every day in Israel is a blessing. I’m studying what I love, I’m living in the Holy Land, and I’m doing fine. And strawberries are $3.50 a kilo.













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