Finals, Shminals...

I've been post-poning another blog entry long enough, so I figure it's time to sit down and bust out this baby. I don't have much to update, but I guess there's always a lot going on here in the Holy Land.


Starting off, this was our first "finals week" here in the JC, meaning stress levels were sky-rocketing. We had our finals for Judaism, Islam, and Old Testament in a 30-hour period, so we were cramming to get prepare. I survived them, but let's just say my grades here aren't going to "boost my GPA" like I'd planned. I may be spending a little too much time in the city instead of studying, but I don't think that's something I'll regret down the road.

My highlight of this week was probably going to the Garden of Gethsemane. I went with about 7 people this past Sunday afternoon, and it was the most amazingly peaceful place. We all brought our journals and scriptures and divided up separately for about an hour in the Garden. We got the guard to let us in the gate, so we were sitting among the olive trees that were believed to be there during Christ's time. Wow. I couldn't get enough of that place, and I took a million pictures. It was a beautiful day, and I brought my ipod and listening to piano music the entire time. I'm planning to go back there at least a few more times, and that visit alone made this trip entirely worth it. :)

I went and saw the Dome of the Rock for the first time this past Tuesday and I was amazed at how big it was. Absoultely gorgeous, too. They don't allow us to go inside, but being right up next to it was good enough for me. After that we got a delicious Jewish bagel and then did a bit of shopping. We got dropped off at the Center by one of the well-known olive wood shop owners, which set the stage for my first somewhat-awkard moment here. :) Nothing compared to Ali's stories, but it's a start. As I was stepping out of the car, I somehow managed to get the bottom of my skirt stuck on my sandal, pulling my my skirt down to my thighs. Whoops! I pulled it up as quickly as I could, and managed to get by with my friend Lisa being the only one who witnessed it. We were laughing uncontrollably, only to turn around and see two security guards standing about 20 feet away. They looked somewhat uncomfortable and it was obvious that they saw my "graceful moment". Wow...I felt a bit dumb. I try to avoid them now, along with another one of the security guys here who somehow knows my name and calls me "sweetheart". Kinda weird.

I also had my first encounter with bug bites when I woke up to about 40 red bumps on my foot and knee. I didn't know exactly what they were until I went back to my room, shook out my sheet, and found a nasty bug. It was dead, luckily, but the thoughts of that thing sleeping with me freaks me out. Ugh.

Another fun thing I've done lately is eat dinner at a restaurant in the middle of the Old City. A bunch of us got some taxis and made our way to some random place we found online. It turned out to be a gem, and I think we'll be going back there again. I ate my first shwarma, which was delicious. It's always nice to get away from the center "food" they feed us, so we've decided to eat out a lot more.


Not a whole lot more is going one here. Last night I gave my first official haircut, and it turned out pretty nice. I've received a few more requests since then, and the word is spreading that I'm "a haircutter" or something - ha ha. I've fooled them. :) It was quite the experience, though, so I wouldn't mind doing it a few more times. Let's just hope I don't chop off any sideburns... :) We also have a pedicure party last night with the girls, so that was a great way to unwind after finals. We leave for Jordan early tomorrow morning, and I can't wait. We'll be in Petra tomorrow, which...if any of you were wondering, is the place in the closing scenes of Indiana Jones. We'll also get to stop at the River Jordan and a few other historical sites. Time here is flying, and I can't believe I only have four weeks left here. :( We're just starting up the New Testament tomorrow, so I can't wait for that either. That's about it...not a whole lot. I'm super excited about my new neice, Grace Anderson. From the pictures I've seen she's absolutely adorable, and I can't wait to see her in September! Congratulations Dust and Linds!




This was me right before I entered Hezekiah's tunnel. It's under the Jerusalem City walls and was built as a water source. It was amazing to walk through knowing they dug it all by hand. And just so you know, this is more leg than I've showed the entire trip...the first and the last time those knees will be exposed.

The Garden of Gethsemane...is it beautiful or what?


Pretty flowers....

More of the Garden...

You can't see the detail very well in this picture, but it was amazing. Definitely a "must-see".


Self explanatory...the guards were trying to kick us out while taking this picture, though, so I was a bit scared. They come at you with their guns in hand, yelling at you in Hebrew. We got out of there quick. :)

Typical street in the Old City. Tourists everywhere along with scarves and clothes hanging from every direction. I love it.

The wonderful cafe on the roof-top. It was a high-class place, apparently, but it didn't feel like it. $4 for a can of soda is not my style...

Shwarma. It may look nasty, but it was absolutely delicious. Mmmm...I love the native food here.

Here's the bug that was found in my sheet. Can you believe that? Thankfully the bites are gone now, but this critter freaked me out.

This was today at the Dormition Abbey, where the Catholics believe to be the burial place of Mary. It was full of mosaic art, not to mention the air conditioning. Gotta love it.

Same place...awesome photo. Lisa, Paige and I. We're together all the time these days. Close enought that we're borrowing clothes. As you can tell, I'm wearing a new shirt, thanks to Paige. I'm getting really sick of the 5 t-shirts I brought. :(

Maybe beauty school is my next stop, eh? NOT. It was fun while it lasted, though. I know Tanner looks nervous, but he completely trusted me. I'm not sure why, but it looked ok.

Did I mention we came home from the Abbey today to find the hillside right next to the center on fire? We still don't know how this happened or how long it burned, but we only saw ONE firefighter there. It was hilarious.

The sign outside of the Center. Everyone calls it the Mormon University. I love it.