Missed You, Dear Blog

Dear blog, I missed you last week. My little fingers didn’t want to type a word, so I skipped the promised weekly update. Here are a few highlights:

*CITY OF DAVID. Watched a heart-warming propogandic historical overview of Jerusalem’s history in 3-D. Visited the ruins of David’s palace, where Isaiah counseled the kings of Judah. Walked through chilly thigh-high water in a tight little tunnel …scary but oh so fun. Read about Christ healing a blind man at the pool of Siloam where healed a blind man 2000 years ago.

*TEMPLE INSTITUTE. They’re earning up to build the third temple of Jerusalem, and they have a cute little museum to tell you about it. Who knew what the instruments of the second temple looked like? My favorite part is definitely the table of shewbread. I always imagined a little sacrament tray, but it’s much bigger. Think of a huge brass display for 12 gigantic loaves of bread. I wish I could procure one for our Thanksgiving pies.

*SEDER MEAL (Passover). A three-hour ordeal that consists of reading Jewish scripture, tasting bitter herbs and symbolic foods, singing Hebrew songs, hide-and-seeking unleavened bread, and partaking of a scrumptious meal. A beautiful family ritual of remembrance, enjoyment, and fun.

*TOUR OF THE SEPARATION WALL. A little sensationalized, but pretty serious. Walls are never going to create peace in my opinion. Especially walls that divide families and keep Palestinians from important resources. Pictures pending.

*VISIT WITH A NEIGHBOR. My stay in Jerusalem is officially complete. I’ve had a cold drink with our neighbor down the street. The elderly gentleman gave us orange juice (“You Mormon, I know. No tea, no coffee.” For no proselyting in the region, they still manage to know an awful lot about us) and showed us pictures of his grandkids. He also talked politics, which was pretty thrilling to hear from someone who has lived through ’48 and ’67.

*FLIP-of-the-COIN DECISIONS. This week’s method of exploring the Old City was to flip a shekel at every fork in the road—left is heads, right is tails. We found some nice Muslim neighborhoods, a Pilgrim’s Home (what is that?), an ancient chapel, a pita factory, a women’s co-op, a ceramic shop, and a grocery store that I’ve never seen before. I tasted a Happy Hippo for the first time, and it is undoubtedly the best sweet I’ve discovered here.

*ISRAELI FOLK DANCING. Oh my goodness, please make this a regular part of BYU-Provo life! The steps are simple, the music is jiving, and the energy is high. I’ve got to get my hands on some dancing music.

*SHEPHELAH(pronounced “Sh-f-aylah,” means “low hills”). Fortress city ruins, the birthplace of Sampson, the valley where David slew Goliath, and giant Byzantine bell caves.