2/17/2010 - Off Day in the Old City

Today I had an off day, meaning that I went to church in the morning and had the rest of the day to do as I wanted. I came back from church and made lunch with Briana. We made salad with balsamic vinaigrette, guacamole, and sliced lots of fruits and veggies. Within our organization, we are on a tea & coffee fast, but a Daniel fast as well. This means that we do not cook with spices, use salt in or on or food, do not eat meat, and do not have any sugar or sweets in the house. We are supposed to keep the fast outside of the house as well... But lets just say some of us are stricter than others! I have had lots of ice cream, treats, and meat since my arrival. But today two of the full time stuff, Cay and Christine, came back from Gaza, and things became a bit more strict since then, in terms of our diets, assignments, and chores. I have to clean all the windows tomorrow I think. And I could possibly be the new secretary who answers the phone, which kind of worries me... I can't really see myself being very good at that.. But I'm willing to do whatever, so I'll just have to wait and see what happens.

Overall though, I had a relaxing day. It was another hot one, and I think it reached 75F. It really felt like it in the sun, even with the awesome breeze here in Jerusalem. The locals say not to enjoy the weather too much because soon enough, it will be freezing cold again. I hope they're wrong!! The other volunteers have repeatedly told me how cold it was right before I arrived... like 20-30F everyday with sleet and rain. With no central heating, tile floors, and non-insulated windows, really cold weather sounds potentially miserable! I With Geoffrey, Briana, and Kat, I went through the Damascus Gate into the Old City and walked around in the Jewish Quarter for a while. I got some good pictures, but don't feel very motivated because I know I have ALL the same ones from my last time here. I guess I just have to be creative and get a different angle or something this time around. Nonetheless, we walked through the Via Dolorosa, where Jesus carried His cross. It was really neat because as we walked down the ancient road, an Arab man carried two large crosses on his shoulders. I really wish I would have gotten a picture...

Speaking of cameras, I am having a hard time with my Nikon! I love the quality of the pictures and am so glad I invested (err, my parents invested, rather. Haha.) in getting one, but it is so incredibly awkward to carry the 1.2 lb SLR camera opposed to a sleek point and shoot. I also really hate putting something that large into someones face... And the noise that it makes, that nice "clicccck!" when I take a picture immediately makes someone turn their head as soon as I press the button. It is just taking some time to get used to, thats all =)

I was able to see the Western Wall again today, the Dome of the Rock, the Via Dolorosa, the Jewish Quarter, the Church of Mary Magdalene, and lots of other historically significant places. Israel, speficically Jerusalem, is soooo unimaginably rich with history it is literally overwhelming and startling. There are so many cites, so many churches, so many places to see for Jew, Christian, and Muslim alike. Simultaneously, it is a bustling home to almost a million people (I think) and is a totally modern city. Its crazy!