These Few Days...

Hey guys, I know I know, I am slacking on my blogging BUT I will update about my fabulous trip to Galilee this weekend. Before that event happens I wanted to share some pretty fun things that have happened in the past 2 days.

Yesterday (July 24,2011)

FREE DAY!

So, a bunch of us went to the Dome of the Rock. We got in pretty successfully until a guy caught me and said my skirt was too short. Lame. He told me to walk down the side walk to this man who was selling cover ups for I have no clue how much because I didn't care, but Kim Stone came up with a great idea.

Skirt Swap!

Kim and I went into this green box structure with windows that went down to my hips and tried to switch skirts super quick. Josiah was keeping watch when the door opened a little bit and Kim screamed, so naturally I screamed. The guy wasn't a fan of our screaming since we were on a holy site. After we changed we went to find the rest of our group and we found them talking to the security/police officers and we were totally confused...until we got over there.

When we walked over the officers were laughing at Joan because she was reporting lost shekels. Apparently, people in Israel when they see 100 shekels on the ground they just take it, but not us! They were so confused as to why she was giving back the sheks, but she knew her integrity was more than 100 sheks (about $30).

After the Dome we went to go see our good friend Shaban, so Kim and I could change back, and he always gives us free drinks. Then we asked him where we could go to get some yummy shwarma's and he was like, "FOLLOW ME!" So, we followed and he took us on this top secret back way around the city all the way to Damascus gate and it was the greatest thing! Then he took us into the back of this shwarma/falafel place and we got the best shwarma of my life! My day was off to a fantastic start.

Finally, we had to make our way up to West Jerusalem because we had to go to the Israel Museum for a paper we have to write, but on our way we made a quick stop to a play ground. Can I just tell you that I love swings. I LOVE SWINGS. I also found out that when you go on a teeter-totter you need to do it with someone your size or else its no fun...Joan

We made our way up to the Israel Museum and we had a great time! While we were in the Dead Sea Scrolls part of the Museum we ran into a lady who was from Florida. Not only was she from Florida, but she lives like 5 mins from me! She lives in Aberdeen. Here and I chatted for a fews minutes and I wish I would've gotten her name,but we were on a schedule. We had to make through the Museum in like 3.5 hrs. It was totally worth it. When we were done, Angela, Sharla, and I got on a bus and made our way home and when we got home I watched Gone with the Wind for the first time. The only thing great about that movie is Clark Gable...what a stud.

Favorite Line: "Quite frankly my dear, I don't give a damn." haha LOVE Clark Gable

Today (July 25, 2011)

We had a super fun field trip today in the Old City. We went to the Wohl Museum where we saw excavated houses from the 1st century, the Burnt House Museum, and then we went to the Davidson Center. At the Davidson Center we were able to walk right outside the Temple Mount walls. We walked on the road to the Pool of Siloam, took pictures on the pinnacle that Christ could've stood on when he was tempted by Satan to jump, and sat on the steps that Jesus could've walked on when coming in and our of the Temple.

A highlight on the steps was when we were done we all decided to sing, "Nearer, My God, To Thee" and this man just stopped and shush everyone around him so he could listen to us. I love that. Wherever we go, if we sing, we make people stop in their tracks and they just watch us.

Now, time for the exciting part of the day. Angela, Joan, Josh and I were planning on going to the Ariel Center today, but we found out that the english tour started at 12pm and we got done with our field trip at 11:45. We quickly took our pictures on the steps and in front of the temple gates and sprinted to the Ariel Center. We got there with 1 min to spare. Boy, were we sweaty! After a fun time at the museum we went to Sam Booki (an amazing bakery) and got a huge chocolate donut, walked through the city to Herod's gate and got a taxi for 5 sheks each. All in all, today was a great day.

Now, I'm sitting in my stench, watching Breakfast at Tiffany's, and procrastinating homework. Oh, the life of a student in the Jerusalem Center.