Feb 17
Yeah! I survived Valentines Day! Now I just have to survive the weather for the next couple days. Every one here is convinced its going to snow three feet tomorrow. I don’t really understand where this information is coming from. I checked the weather on several different websites last night when I was in Jerusalem and all of them said it might snow a tiny bit and then it would turn in to rain, but Daniela and I have already been told by several people to stock up on candles and food. Obviously weather reports are never completely accurate, but I have a feeling I will still have class this week.
So I left off on Valentines Day (Thursday) There was much drowning of loneliness that evening. The next day Tasha and Elizabeth came over. We wasted a lot of time just talking and then decided to venture out into the cold for food. They left in the evening and later on I got a text from Raya, and I decided I wanted to go to Jerusalem, Im pretty sure this is the longest I have gone in my life with out contact with other Jews, so it was time. I texted Raya back telling her I was crashing at her place and then I had my Arabia home work to do and then I passed out. Apparently there was a small earth quake at around 12:30 on Friday, people said they even felt it in Ramallah, which is about 15 mins from Birzeit, but We none us felt anything. A little weird, but I think Im happier I didn’t know It happened.
Saturday I had class and then I went to Ramallah with Ivet and went to her and Lara’s Apt for a bit to kill time, because I didn’t want to get to Jerusalem until after Shabbat so I could get a bus if I needed it. Their apt is amazing. Everything it brand new I am quite jealous, but they pay 2 times what im paying so I guess its okay. I left their apt around 5 and got on the 18 bus to Jerusalem or Al Udtz as they say here. The ride it self was not that long, but we had to wait a while at the check point. All the Palestinians had to get off the bus and go through the check point and then get on another bus on the other side. I stayed on the bus, and we just sat there for about 20 mins, then a very young looking Israeli soldier came on the bus and asked me and some others for our passports. For some reason he couldn’t find my most recent visa stamp so he gave it back to me and made me find it for him, but other than that the crossing was pretty easy.
The hard part was getting to Raya. The bus drops you off about 5 minutes from Damascus Gate. Raya doesn’t know how to get to Damascus gate so I had to walk through the old city from East to West Jerusalem, which by the way is kind of like going through a tunnel and coming out on another planet, I was pretty proud of myself I didn’t get lost once. I came out of Jaffa Gate and walked towards King David where I could get a bus to Raya’s. On the way I helped two Australian Christians who were looking for the German Colony find their way. They asked me what I was doing there and how I knew the area so well, and my response was “well I’ve lived in or near Jerusalem a few times, but now I live in the West bank.” It kind of sounds like I’m a settler. huh? It’s a little scary. It was weird It was the first time I ever told anyone “I live in the West bank” They were pretty impressed with it. Especially after I explained I was A) Jewish and B) studying Arabic at Birzeit (and not a settler) I sent the on the right path and got on a bus to Raya’s. there was some slight confusion as to where the bus driver was supposed to let me off, but I found Raya eventually and was reunited with one of my most intense friends in the world.
We hung out for a bit at Raya’s apt and Raya grilled me on my political beliefs and what the hell I was really doing in the west bank. Then we had dinner more hanging out and then we went to one of Raya’s friends Birthday parties as a Bar in Jerusalem geared towards more religious people. Don’t worry I wasn’t boozing with the Hasidim. The crowed there seemed to fall more under the title of conservadox or Modern orthodox. Everyone was very nice, even when Raya felt the need to tell everyone she introduced me too that I lived in Ramallah. We went home pretty early because Raya had a lot of work to do the next day. I cant tell you how good it felt to walk into her apt when we got back and have it be warm, and her room was warm. I can’t believe I ever took central heating for granted.
I woke up Sunday morning nice and toasty, Raya dropped me off at a super market so I could find soy milk (yeah!) a few days before I asked my Arabic Prof how to say soy milk in Arabic and he had no idea what I was talking about. After that I met up with some other people on my program in the old city. Jean Marie who is from the Congo and also studying Arabic at Birzeit is also working for one of the churches in Jerusalem. He gave us a tour of the church he works for and we also went to the holy sepulcher. It was interesting I have never spent a lot of time in the Christian qtr.
After our tour of the old city Marco and Wilco (his name is really pronounced Veelco but most of us are Americans or Britts with lazy tongues so we just call him Wilco, don’t tell Jeff Tweedy) and Ivet wanted to sit and have something to drink so I took them on a mini tour of modern Jerusalem, and wowed them with my amazing abilities to order beer coffee and cake in Hebrew. Then I had to get my stuff back from Raya which involved taking the bus that goes by the Rabin Youth Hostel that I lived in for 2 weeks last summer during forced vacation. Then I met my peeps again in the old city (I walked a lot that day) and we headed back to Ramallah/Birzeit I had dinner with Marco and Wilco and then went home did homework and now I am going to pass out!
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