O Jerusalem, Jerusalem...

Yezzun is on my right.
Flafl!

Still being jet-lagged, I hope that this text is comprehensible for you all. I started this blog as a school project, so a few random blogs appear below. Some aren't too bad, others are downright boring, so don't feel any pressure to read them.

My day began yesterday morning at 4 am with the Islam call to prayer. The sound is similar to a spooky, wailing sound and lasts for about 15 minutes. My first thought was "Why didn't they make this place soundproof?!", but it actually turned out to be a neat experience for me. I couldn't get back to sleep (neither of my roommates woke up----I have no idea how they slept through it), so I spent a few hours reading and then watched from my balcony as Jerusalem woke up. Lots of honking, roosters crowing, and a kind of peaceful beauty as light slowly crept over the city.

This morning I woke up to the call of prayer once again (I swear there is a mosque right outside my window) while my roomies kept snoozing. Once again, I couldn't get back to sleep, so I read for a while and then went to the gym for a bit. I think I will take some advil pm tonight and hopefully sleep through the call to prayer. Heck, if I am getting up that early every day, I may as well convert.

We took a tour of Jerusalem yesterday, starting on the East side (the Palestinian/Arab/ Muslim/DIRTY side), making our way into Old Jerusalem (which is divided into quarters---Jewish, Christian, Palestinian, and Armenian), and eventually made our into West Jerusalem, which is the Jewish side and is very clean. I saw the Kidron Valley, where Christ will return, the road to the Garden TOmb, the Sal Adin wall (which surrounds the old city and was built around 1000 AD by the crusaders), the Via Dolorosa (the 14 "stations" of Christ's path to Golgotha, and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, which was absolutely crazy. Seven different Christian churches claim part of the church. The church was built in 325 AD by the orders of Emperor Constantine. 1700 years old. Just crazy.

I was very intrigued by the faithful "pilgrims" all along the Via Dolorosa and in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Many were crying as they touched certain places or went in certain areas. Although this kind of ritual is completely foreign to me (as well as eccentric), to these people, it was very real, which made it touching. Obviously Christ's life had great significance to them, just as it does for me. Watching them, it was very clear to me that faith spans across denominations and religions.

Today we had free time to go throughout the city. I had my first flafl (sp?---it sounds like flaw-full), which is fried, chickpea balls in a pita with tomatoes and other stuff. I liked it. I ended up talking with a 15 year old Palestinian named Yezzun for quite a while. He is from the West Bank and actually spoke English well. I think that interacting with the people here will make this adventure more exciting. We also went to the Western Wall, which is the wall closest to where the Holy of Holies was in the Temple of Solomon. We watched from a distance as hundreds of Jews, divided by gender, went close to the wall and seemed to do some kind of prayer ritual while shaking back and forth. Very interesting.

The food is great (I have tried a lot of new things), and I have made many new friends. I may even come back with a little meat on my bones! We will see. Until next time, ma as-salaamah!