Some kids hustled John at marbles for garbanzo beans.

     I almost forgot! While we were killing time after the Western Wall and before the Temple Mount we were wandering the streets in the Old City a bit and happened upon some kids playing (they're everywhere, usually with soccer balls). They had dropped a bunch of marbles everywhere, so we helped them collect them and then John decided he wanted to play. Only one of the boys spoke English and he didn't speak very much. They were pretty much all named Muhammed. One of them had a lil mullet growing. His sister was there watching. They were selling little bags of garbanzo beans and popcorn for a shekel, so John asked if he could have one for free if he won. They didn't understand, but eventually they figured out he wanted to learn. You had to flick the marble up the street (the streets are uneven, sloping steps) into a hole (it had a metal cover, so probably for some piping?). If you miss, the next person shoots his marble and if he misses you get to shoot the closest marble (I think...) until somebody gets it in.
     First off, they were pretty evenly matched. The kid flicked his marble with his thumb, which was interesting. We all do it with our first fingers. So they flicked the marbles a bunch of times trying to get it in. It took maybe three tries to get one in. Then they started a real game. The kid got it in on the first try! There was hooting and hollering all around. James played next, and flicked the marble too hard, hit Shirley's leg or maybe Rachel's shoe or both and it went in! Hooting and hollering all around. Even the sister was cheering with us. Since he lost, John bought a bag of garbanzo beans and I guess we'll see tomorrow if that was a good idea.
     Some of the other guys that wandered the city today played soccer with the kids every time they found kids with a ball (which is everywhere). There was a boy even kicking a ball around on the Temple Mount and against the Dome of the Rock--at which we were surprised. It's a pretty important site! Tourists get yelled at all the time! But the Muslim kids play around the Temple Mount, and I guess it's a clean and safe place for them to play. The old Muslim men sit around in big groups there in plastic chairs. Shirley said it right when she said, "Little boys here get away with everything. They can do no wrong."
     We wandered through the Jewish sector as well, and all the little kids in their school groups were pretty adorable. The little Jewish boys looks a bit like little Padawan learners, except that they're wearing sweater vests and don't braid their earlocks.