Deadlines and Dorm Rooms: Jerusalem: Saying Goodbye

Writing this blog is a little depressing. This semester has been simply marvelous, and I’m very sad to see it end. I’ve had great opportunities to learn, sightsee, make friends, and generally have a good time. But there’s always something else to move on to, and in this case that something else is home and summer, so I guess I’ll be alright.

I finished my last finals yesterday; I am officially done with the semester. I’ve taken (and passed) my level exam for Hebrew, so I am now officially “advanced” in my Hebrew knowledge, in the second-highest tier. I’ve finished what will probably be my last official class in Hebrew; I don’t have time to take any more. It’s a good feeling, but learning something always makes me want to learn more of it.

I’ve also finished my Arabic classes for the semester. I met with my MSA* tutor one more time, and we did a quick review. I’ve really enjoyed working with her. My colloquial Arabic class had a small party and took our final, which consisted of a dictation and several skits. I’m not quite sure how much Arabic I’ve learned here, but I have no doubt my knowledge of Arabic has improved.

I turned in my research paper for International Law this morning; that class was a blast. Who knew discussing customs and treaties could be so fun when combined with substantial discussion, wacky examples, and gratuitous sarcasm? My Palestinian History and Society final came last. This exam had proctors, and they apparently spoke only Hebrew, which generated a lot of confusion among the non-Hebrew-speakers (this included the professor).

In my free time, I’ve taken my last few trips to the old city. I ended up getting a few more souvenirs this past weekend; I couldn’t help myself, and I figured that if I’d been thinking about it all semester, I wanted it enough to pay for it. And earlier today my friends and I went to the City of David Archaeological site and walked through Hezekiah’s tunnel and an excavated sewer from Herodian times.

I thought the tunnel was a lot of fun; there’s still water running through it, but it only comes up to your ankles in most places, and the tunnel itself is very damp and cool and cave-like. It’s also very small and dark, which I didn’t mind, but one of my friends did. The sewer was a little bigger, and of course dry and unused. It was a great walk, but bad lighting for pictures. We headed back to the Old City at around two-thirty for a very good lunch and then realized how late it was and headed back.

At this point, I thought the excitement of my last trip to the Old City was over, but I was wrong. Our bus driver was apparently anxious to finish his route. He started by attempting to back out the rear entrance to the parking lot to avoid a traffic jam, but instead ended up accidentally-on-purpose bumping one of the other buses, which gave us all a good jolt. After the two drivers had yelled at one another in Arabic for a little while, we continued on, our ride back including a ‘shortcut’ over a few curbs and through another parking lot. We finally made it back, but it was the most interesting bus ride I’ve had here.

And now I’m sitting in my room, surrounded by my almost-packed bags and getting ready to head out. Friends in-country will pick me up tomorrow, and I’ll be staying with them before leaving on my flight early Saturday morning. I’ll be back in Texas on Saturday night. I’m following the undergraduate method for combating jet lag: have such an abnormal sleep schedule in the first place that it can’t be messed up. Toward this end, I think I’m going to be staying up the majority of the night watching movies.

It’s hard to put my time here into words, especially when I haven’t quite finished with it. I can see why people come here and fall in love with this country. Its scenery is beautiful, its weather is nice (well, if you like hot and dry), and there’s always something new to see. I’ll miss being able to visit all the ruins, go the Old City, buy cheap strawberries in the market, practice four languages in one day, and plan trips the morning of and get away with it. I’ll miss the free time I’ve had, the trips I’ve taken, and the late nights I’ve spent chatting with good friends.

I’ve learned a lot here – not just in my classes, but outside as well. I’ve learned how to be more independent – to handle situations that come up, to plan trips and take them, to buy my own supplies, to spent my free time wisely, to interact with other cultures, and other skills, including things I probably don’t even realize yet. I’m more confident and definitely less stressed than I was at this point last year, and I’m officially halfway through college! This has been my longest semester, and yet it feels like one of the shortest; I’ve had so many opportunities and experiences that the time has just flown by.

And now it’s time to say goodbye. I hope you’ve enjoyed my blog this semester; I’m sure I’ve forgotten to tell you a bunch of little details that are just routine to me by now, the details that make up what life here is – a crazy, disorganized, laid-back, slightly paranoid program that somehow works and turns out surprisingly warm and welcoming. We’ve stopped and talked to vendors on the street for twenty minutes; we’ve been given gifts by random people for no reason; we’ve ridden on buses with crazy drivers and interrupted our day for air raid drills. There are a bunch of other things I want to tell you, but I just don’t have space, so I’ll stop here. You should come and visit this country sometime, though. It’s worth it.

After this blog I’m going to go dark for a few weeks, until I’m off to my next adventure at Cambridge University in England. More details on that later, but stay tuned, and until then, best of luck! Shalom and ma’a salama!**

*Modern Standard Arabic – formal Arabic, quite different from most forms of colloquial, enough to be incomprehensible sometimes

**shalom – lit. peace, greeting and farewell in Hebrew; ma’a salama – lit. peace be with you, farewell in Arabic (formal and colloquial).

Pictures:

Selfie time!