Oh man everyone can I just tell you how much I love Israel. I really really do.
Tonight we took a trip over to the Western Wall.
I will refresh your memory on the Western Wall, of course.
It is the retaining wall of the ancient temple mount. There are stones on the wall that date back to the time of Jesus. The Jews
often go here to pray and have Bar/Bat Mitzvahs.
There is a section for women and a section for men, the men have to pray in
groups while the women pray alone.
There are tons of little prayers that people have written down
and put in the crevices of the wall; tonight I added mine.
It was really neat!
Also, the wall is the closest things the Jews can get to the ancient temple mount
because it is controlled
by the Muslims.
The Jews believe that the Holy of Holies
is still under the temple
thus making the wall the holiest place to them because
it is the closest
they can get to the Holy of Holies.
On Friday nights tons of Jews are at the wall ringing in Shabbat.
The girls are often dancing and chanting because Shabbat is a celebration; I love the joy the Jews
have for the Sabbath.
So I was standing around chatting with Synth and I saw this woman with the
cutest diaper bag and a sweet stroller
and she was
holding the tiniest bundle of a baby.
I had to talk to her.
She put her baby in her stroller and I took another peek, actually
looking at the baby's
face which was sooo beautiful.
Synth and I inched our way towards the stroller
and I told the mom how beautiful her baby was.
We asked how old she was, etc.
We talked to Celia (the woman's name) for a good twenty minutes.
Her husband is the ambassador to Israel from London. Ya I chatted it up with an ambassadors wife, no big deal!
Her baby was 2 weeks old, her name was Rachel.
Her and her husband had been married for a year and a half.
The cutest thing she said was "I still wake up and get excited realizing that she is here." (Talking about her baby)
I thought that was the sweetest.
It was so fun and so easy to talk to her about her life! That is what being in foreign places
is about; getting to know people and their stories.
After we talked to Celia we headed over to the wall and after putting our prayers in the wall
we started chatting it up
with some girl soldiers.
Here in Israel EVERYONE has to serve
in the army.
They generally start at 18/19 and serve for 2 years although
they can extend.
The girls we talked to
said they love the army (they say it depends on your position) they are in
social work.
They are staying for 3 years and maybe longer.
At a restaurant I went to a few weeks back the server was a girl who had just gotten done with
her army service and she said that
she was so happy to be done.
She had a way different attitude then the girls at the wall.
So me and Synth just grilled the girls with questions haha
we talked to them about dating.
We asked if they could date the Israeli soldiers (who are rather attractive) and one
of the girls was like the ones
who do combat, how can I resist??
Haha it was soo funny.
I loved just talking to them about normal girl
things and realizing once again how the same us girls are
ALL
over the
world.
I love it.
So then we left the Western Wall.
I am pretty sad it was our last Shabbat experience there, it is always so great!
Our night out ended on the infamous van with the blue lights and the driver
who plays rockin music for us to dance to.
Dance parties in the van??
Any day.
Oh ya
I am
DONE
with school for the semester.
I got my two giant papers done last week so while lots of people are doing
those tonight
I am just enjoying being home free!
Now I have a week in Israel with NO pressure.
I already started a few books.
Haha
I decided I am reading Pride and Prejudice today.
I read the first two pages and was pleasantly surprised by the whit contained in it.
I also bought Sense and Sensibility, it will be a summer full of classics!
I used my Kindle for these purchases and since those books are out of copyright, they were free
to buy off the Kindle.
Kindle=my fave.
I love you dearest Kindly Windly!!
On another note we had our last day of Humanitarian.
Here at the center we make hygiene kits for
people in Israel using supplies we buy here, its really cool.
So most Fridays we spend 1-2 hours assembling the kits/dancing/singing along
to the amazing music our friend Jared plays for us while
we work.
It is such a party.
I was sad it ended today.
We had our last cold cut Friday today.
Oh how I will miss you cold cut Friday!
We had yummy pumpernickel baguettes, they were the best.
Normally we have ciabatta like bread which is amazing as well.
I wonder what it will be like when I have to make my own lunch
and think about what I will make...
Hhmmm.
I don't know if I am ready!!
Except I think I am :)
Oh ya Patrick Stewart was spotted at the Western Wall tonight.
I don't really know who he is, but I guess he is a big deal.
Tonight we took a trip over to the Western Wall.
I will refresh your memory on the Western Wall, of course.
It is the retaining wall of the ancient temple mount. There are stones on the wall that date back to the time of Jesus. The Jews
often go here to pray and have Bar/Bat Mitzvahs.
There is a section for women and a section for men, the men have to pray in
groups while the women pray alone.
There are tons of little prayers that people have written down
and put in the crevices of the wall; tonight I added mine.
It was really neat!
Also, the wall is the closest things the Jews can get to the ancient temple mount
because it is controlled
by the Muslims.
The Jews believe that the Holy of Holies
is still under the temple
thus making the wall the holiest place to them because
it is the closest
they can get to the Holy of Holies.
On Friday nights tons of Jews are at the wall ringing in Shabbat.
The girls are often dancing and chanting because Shabbat is a celebration; I love the joy the Jews
have for the Sabbath.
So I was standing around chatting with Synth and I saw this woman with the
cutest diaper bag and a sweet stroller
and she was
holding the tiniest bundle of a baby.
I had to talk to her.
She put her baby in her stroller and I took another peek, actually
looking at the baby's
face which was sooo beautiful.
Synth and I inched our way towards the stroller
and I told the mom how beautiful her baby was.
We asked how old she was, etc.
We talked to Celia (the woman's name) for a good twenty minutes.
Her husband is the ambassador to Israel from London. Ya I chatted it up with an ambassadors wife, no big deal!
Her baby was 2 weeks old, her name was Rachel.
Her and her husband had been married for a year and a half.
The cutest thing she said was "I still wake up and get excited realizing that she is here." (Talking about her baby)
I thought that was the sweetest.
It was so fun and so easy to talk to her about her life! That is what being in foreign places
is about; getting to know people and their stories.
After we talked to Celia we headed over to the wall and after putting our prayers in the wall
we started chatting it up
with some girl soldiers.
Here in Israel EVERYONE has to serve
in the army.
They generally start at 18/19 and serve for 2 years although
they can extend.
The girls we talked to
said they love the army (they say it depends on your position) they are in
social work.
They are staying for 3 years and maybe longer.
At a restaurant I went to a few weeks back the server was a girl who had just gotten done with
her army service and she said that
she was so happy to be done.
She had a way different attitude then the girls at the wall.
So me and Synth just grilled the girls with questions haha
we talked to them about dating.
We asked if they could date the Israeli soldiers (who are rather attractive) and one
of the girls was like the ones
who do combat, how can I resist??
Haha it was soo funny.
I loved just talking to them about normal girl
things and realizing once again how the same us girls are
ALL
over the
world.
I love it.
So then we left the Western Wall.
I am pretty sad it was our last Shabbat experience there, it is always so great!
Our night out ended on the infamous van with the blue lights and the driver
who plays rockin music for us to dance to.
Dance parties in the van??
Any day.
Oh ya
I am
DONE
with school for the semester.
I got my two giant papers done last week so while lots of people are doing
those tonight
I am just enjoying being home free!
Now I have a week in Israel with NO pressure.
I already started a few books.
Haha
I decided I am reading Pride and Prejudice today.
I read the first two pages and was pleasantly surprised by the whit contained in it.
I also bought Sense and Sensibility, it will be a summer full of classics!
I used my Kindle for these purchases and since those books are out of copyright, they were free
to buy off the Kindle.
Kindle=my fave.
I love you dearest Kindly Windly!!
On another note we had our last day of Humanitarian.
Here at the center we make hygiene kits for
people in Israel using supplies we buy here, its really cool.
So most Fridays we spend 1-2 hours assembling the kits/dancing/singing along
to the amazing music our friend Jared plays for us while
we work.
It is such a party.
I was sad it ended today.
We had our last cold cut Friday today.
Oh how I will miss you cold cut Friday!
We had yummy pumpernickel baguettes, they were the best.
Normally we have ciabatta like bread which is amazing as well.
I wonder what it will be like when I have to make my own lunch
and think about what I will make...
Hhmmm.
I don't know if I am ready!!
Except I think I am :)
Oh ya Patrick Stewart was spotted at the Western Wall tonight.
I don't really know who he is, but I guess he is a big deal.
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