To Explore Caves with Candles is to Explore Caves the Right Way.

    I've been skimping on my blog posts, and for that I apologize. I'm all settled in here and find other things to do, such as nap or watch movies, just as I would at home. Of course, at home there aren't 81 other students poking in to see what's being watched and naps aren't interrupted by the call to prayer. Midterms end tomorrow, so naturally Finals start next week. It's a bit complicated, because my Islam (Modern Near East), Israel (Judaism and Zionism), and language (Arabic) classes all end pretty soon, as does Old Testament. We'll only have New Testament and Ancient Near East for the remainder of the semester <insert collective sigh of longing>. The reading load is supposed to go way, way down and I'm so tired of reading that I can't even cheer. 

     This is a quick update before my next class on what I did this weekend, and any details I missed will be filled in later, as will the other field trips and the last bit of Jordan. Turkey is coming up pretty soon, so I'm trying to get caught up by then, but there are finals to be worrying about so I wouldn't hold my breath.

     On Sunday (remember, Saturday is Sabbath here) I went out adventuring with Matt C, Matt K, Caleb, Chris, Charity, Julia Ford, and Heather. It was a bigger group than usual, but somehow we managed to stick together for most of the day. We went in search of the Tomb of the Prophets (including Malachi, Haggai, and Zechariah) only knowing the general area, in that it is above Gethsemane. We took a route that we aren't technically supposed to through more olive gardens that are kept by Greeks, I think. There's a church for the Virgin Mary that might be her supposed burial place in there, as well as a small crusader graveyard and the bones of a dead horse that we happened upon. We had to hop the fence up by Orson Hyde Park (which is above this on the Mount of Olives) to get out and cross the street in search of the tomb. We went uphill and then downhill through the Jewish Cemetery (that big white area to the right of Gethsemane, if you're looking at the Mount of Olives from the Old City) and then back around past the front of Gethsemane and the tourists lined up for photos on the steps in front of the Church of All Nations, only to go back up that hill again but not turn right above the church. We got to the top of this steep hill--no sidewalks here, cars are speeding past and it's narrow--and went back down to the first turnoff, where we hiked up even further and found the tomb. 

     There was a tourist group there, (warmer weather is marking the start of tourist season) but they left and we got to explore around a bit on our own. It's a central area with four splits that circle back to the center and none of it is lit, so we paid a shekel to use the candles the man at the entrance handed out and explored. I never want to use a flashlight ever again. Granted, flashlights are better for actually seeing what's in front of you, but you can't beat the adrenaline that comes from walking through a black cave with only a flickering flame. I got a couple good pictures, which I will post. 

     We stopped at a church that had some neat carvings up on the walls of its dome and an incredible view through its window of the Old City. I forgot what it's called but I bought a couple postcards there, so I'll check and put that in later. We had lunch at some more tombs in the Kidron Valley between the Mount of Olives and the Old City. The coolest ones are the Tomb of Absalom and the Tomb of Zechariah. We had lunch sitting on Zechariah's and watching local boys walk past carrying extremely cute puppies.  

     From there we went into the Old City and eventually to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. There are cisterns underneath that are allegedly pretty cool, but you have to pay to get in and we heard of people that got in for free, so we didn't go in. To get there you have to walk through this mini-church, which was beautiful. I want to say it was Armenian, mainly because it was near the Armenian section and it's unlike anything else we've seen. We explored around Holy Sepulchre. Our teacher, Dr. Seely, told us that a door is ever unlocked we should go inside, so we tried all the doors (no luck). We did find a room I'd never seen before that led to a tunnel, which undoubtedly led to caves that were used as tombs, but it was too narrow to go inside. 

    I got some ice cream (Kinder flavored and delicious) and we shopped around a bit (I got a really neat ring). I went with Heather and Matt K to Mamilla Mall outside Jaffa Gate. I needed a new black shirt because I lost mine somehow in the laundry process and managed to procure a white and black v-neck. I can't tell you how great it is to have a different shirt to wear. I'm getting real tired of my clothes. 

    My roommates didn't get home until dinner, so I opened up the patio doors and relaxed in the sun, took a nice long bath, and went to dinner entirely contented. It was a fabulous way to start the week. 

    

     Monday is field trip day, and we went to Neot Kedumim, which is a nature reserve devoted to the flora and fauna of the Bible. We got to herd sheep and goats. Taking pics with them was the highlight of the day for everyone. We messed around with an ancient well, looked at some trees and plants--my favorite of which were these purple flowers underneath these trees with purple blossoms. It was like stepping into a painting! We ground our own hyssop and made soup (the same soup that Jacob made maybe?) and bread for lunch (to go with our sack lunch, which was tuna sandwiches again, to the dismay of many). Something about being in nature in the camping setting brings a real calm to people, and lunch was really chill. People sat around and talked, a group tried to play stickball with pinecones and tree branches, and it was exactly what we needed, I think, to rejuvenate after Midterms. 

     I'll update about the other field trips and our Seder night after our ANE midterm tomorrow. The formal talent show is on Thursday, so it's going to be busy until Friday (I'm on the talent committee). I actually wrote a song last week on the ukulele and adapted it to the piano, so that's what I'm playing. I'm also accompanying Heather and Mark with All I Ask of You and Kari with To Make You Feel my Love, so I get to play the $170,000 Steinway at least three times on Thursday, and for rehearsal on Wednesday. I can't wait!

I'm changing my ringtone to make camel sounds.

     Went to Jordan, and I loved it.
     The border crossing took several hours, even though the bus ride took less than an hour. It was quick on the Israel side--we were only standing around for about 30 minutes. We had a mini jam session with Tabor's ukulele (I left mine at the JC) and talked some story. We sat on the Jordan side for a long time waiting to get our passports back and started to go stir crazy. We were all starving, so we bought snacks in the duty-free store. They had a lot of wine, perfume, and cigarettes in there. Is it just me, or do they just sell tons of perfume everywhere here?
   We switched buses on the Jordan side and met our tourguide, Eyad (and with him a security guard from tourist security but honestly though he was apparently with us all the time this was the only time I saw him, they are assigned to every tour group and also in booths around the big cities...). He (Eyad) was a lot of fun, and I think we all learned more Arabic from him than from anywhere else. His trademark phrase? Yalla, habibi. It roughly translates to get a move on, darlings. No offense to Brother Woods or Dr. Whitchurch but Eyad was a lot more interesting on the bus and easier to listen to while we were driving around.
   We made some stops, first at Mount Nebo, where we were all exhausted and hungry. Really, really hungry. I don't know about you but...80 hungry college kids who have been in buses all day? We were like zombies squinting into the distance looking for the cities Eyad was pointing out. Lunch was the greatest part of the day. Lunch was sweet relief! We were a bit nervous about the food, but it was really delicious (or was it just that the only thing we'd had since breakfast at o-dark-30 were Crunchips and Kinder from the border?). The pita bread in Jordan...words can't describe. And they had these little dessert balls...Like a crunchy little cream puff but with honey instead of cream. They were amazeballs. Ha.
     Our next stop was Madaba, where the famous mosaic map is. Pieces of this mosaic are missing, since the people that found it didn't realize that it was a mosaic for a while, but it was still pretty incredible. We had already seen a couple of copies or pictures, so it was really neat to see it in person. Hard to be quiet in the church, since we were finally fed and anxious to stretch our legs, but we managed.
     Our final destination was Petra--aka Wadi Musa, the town where it's located. I posted a video of our arrival on Facebook that hopefully everyone got to see (and hopefully I will be able to add to this post when I'm home with better wifi bandwidth). There was a band playing and we got to drink some kind of orange-mango juice and eat pita. We loved it. Dr. Whitchurch made it sound like we had to stand there and appreciate it and it would be lame, but we were tripping out. It was like being a celebrity! We had dinner in the basement of the hotel, which was pretty good. All the food we eat is pretty great so this was another mediocre meal. Afterwards we went into the Siq, the famed canyon/wadi that leads to the even more famous Treasury. I suggest re-watching Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade before continuing.
     Remember the part where Indy rides through the canyon (the Siq) on a horse? We walked that in the dark. It was pitch black out except for little brown bags with candles in them lighting our way through the rocks to the Treasury and when we get to the treasury there were hundreds of candles sitting in the sand. It was unreal. We listened to some traditional Bedouin music while looking up at the stars and the candles and the huge carving in stone in front of us. Definitely one of my favorite things that we've done so far.
     In the morning, it was freezing. I'm not just saying that because I'm always cold. Everybody was shivering. It was more than a little bit chilly. I wrapped a scarf around my head for warmth and not fashion, and that's why I'm wearing a scarf on my head in all of the Petra photos. Wearing a scarf on your head is very snuggly and cozy, besides, and I highly recommend it. Eyad led us back through the Siq and when it came time to see the Treasury around the corner, we had to stare at the ground for about twenty feet and then look up, to enhance the awe. There were many cheaters, but I would say that it enhanced the awe. This is where we took our $3 camel rides around in a circle outside the treasury to get photos. Camels. Camels. Camels are my new favorite animal. They are the greatest thing I've ever seen. That was the best $3 I ever spent and also the greatest several minutes of my life. Notice how their back knee joints bend in the opposite direction as the front. Very cool. So I climbed on my camel and the guy nickered at it and it stood up. I thought I was going to fall off the back and may have exclaimed a little bit but it was awesome. Camels are so awesome. They make the most ridiculous sounds and they aren't afraid to spit at you if you piss them off. Camels are just the greatest thing.
     After that, we were left to our own devices. I don't think I was the only one who felt like we were going to stumble across some Dead Sea Scrolls or have to swing across caverns with whips. There are these amazing tombs carved into the rock. It's not just one or two, they're all over the place! I went with Mckay and Matt C exploring and we made some good time. They probably could have done more manly exploring if I hadn't been lagging along, but in my defense mother nature had struck me with the red death the day before in the middle of the bus ride and it was something fierce. You're welcome, I know you wanted to know all about that. We went to the High Place first, to see the sacrificial altar. We found a pretty sweet obelisk and shouted to some guys (Steven and Phil?) making some Tarzan sounds on a cliff across from us. I was feeling the burn in my thighs climbing up to the altar, which was actually pretty lame. Just an altar with a really amazing view.
    Our next destination was the Monastery, but we got sidetracked often what with the tombs around every corner to be explored. Matt and Mckay climbed down into a sketchy underground cistern, and Mckay and I peer pressured Matt into parkour jumping some stuff and almost into laying down in a tomb (but it was full of garbage and he wouldn't do it). I sang to them in one tomb that had a really great echo. Singing when you can hear yourself echo back is one of my new favorite hobbies.
     The tombs are stunning. It's amazing to see the detail in these massive carvings, and how they're melting away with the elements. Before they rebuilt this mini dam thing to block water from flooding the wadi the rain would bring flash floods through. The ceilings are--I don't even know. Looking up from the inside is like looking at a painter palate. I don't know how the rock gets to be all these black and red and white swirls but it was fabulous. Pictures document the experience better than I can. The things you don't see in the pictures are our kids-in-candy-store-eyes and the jumping and climbing and general adventurousness of the whole thing.
     It was a long day but it was over quickly and we were back on the bus to Amman. There's a street there called Rainbow Street which is supposed to be the hip place where the young people hang out on, but we must have been there on the lame days. We got gelato and explored a bit but there wasn't much to see aside from people sitting on couches and smoking hookah. I was rooming with Paris but all we did in the room was sleep because I've never been so exhausted or slept so well in my entire life. Plus, the hotel beds were way nicer than the ones here in the JC.
    We saw the Amman Citadel, one of the best preserved Roman cities that didn't really seem that well preserved to me, but we've seen a lot of mostly-destroyed walls and, well, they kind of all look the same. We saw the Jabbok River, where Jacob struggled with the angel before reuniting with Esau. The water is gross and we were told not to touch it, but we got to sit and ponder in the sun for a while, which felt nice. It's good to have some quiet time when you're with all of your peers all of the time even if it's quiet time with all of your peers sitting around you.
     We had lunch at this place that is famous for making fresh pita. There is a reason they're famous for fresh pita. That is all that needs to be said.
     Next was Jerash, a really awesome Roman City. There were hundreds of columns--still standing! They have this town square that's a circle surrounded with columns and we were all joking like we'd knock them all down like Hercules does in the Disney movie. The two classes had a race in the old racetrack (Woods class one, represent!). Eyad was very proud of us because he says never have both the girls and boys beat the other group and he got to brag about it. The theater had crazy acoustics. They had circles cut in the rock where they put metal disks to amplify the sound, so all the way at the top people can hear you whisper if they're listening. We sang some hymns and then had a dance party to bagpipes, but who is surprised? It feels like 60% of the things we do end in a dance party. We went out and explored the ruined temples and stuff for an hour and I sang to a bunch of Muslim tourists in the theater. It was tons of fun!
     Our last stop of the day was the Royal Automobile Museum. Lots of cool cars. Some cool stories to go with the cars. A good way to show the big events in Jordan's history. I love that their royal family does stuff like race cars. They sound like really fun and down to earth people. The Jordanians obviously love them, as everybody and their dog as their pictures up in every room.

That's all for now. I'll update with our last day in Jordan and our last two field trips later. It's midterms right now so we're busy with all of our reading and I have another paper due on Tuesday. Talk about information overload here!

It's official; I was mistaken for a local by a local.

     You have to love Sundays, aka free days! Today I went with a service project group over to an elementary school west of Jerusalem. We went into a little library with a (6th grade) class and were paired off with two students and a packet of questions to go through to help them practice their English. I was paired with two girls (whose names escape me) and we got through the packet pretty quickly. They're pretty good with their English. We had a lot of time leftover, so we folded some origami and I made them a fortune teller. I wrote questions under the flaps and they had to answer them. It was really fun and I hope we get to go back!

     Afterwards, I went with Matt C and Tabor to Hebrew University next door to use their ATM. It took a while to get onto the campus and then to find the right place but we managed to walk there and back and make it in time for our field trip to "the caves." It was a cave over in Palestine that I'll find the name of and describe later and update this post. Tomorrow we leave for Jordan so I've got some packing to do to prepare!

     Also, when I was sitting at a table full of girls, their teacher came by, said hello to Anna, went to walk away, and then stopped and looked at me. He said he didn't notice me and I blend in. So.

So, the cave. It's called Avshalom, and it's pretty incredible. It was like going to the ice castles except these were rocks. And they're still growing so you aren't allowed to touch any of them and we walk around on this platform. The lighting was really awesome and we oo-ed and ah-ed every time it changed colors. Our tour guide was this really fun lady who showed us all the faces and scenes people have found in the rocks, including Santa Claus, Moses on Sinai, and some animals. In the gift shop we all tried on hats and some of the boys got the ones that cover your neck for kicks and giggles. I bought a Kinder egg that had a little car inside. It was sweet! On the way back to the JC we were on the party bus, I guess, because it was super nice and new and the driver let us plug in Molly's music and we rocked out to some reggae and some pop! It was great!

Taking pictures of goats, as we tourists do

    We ventured into the West Bank today and survived. Be skeptical about every news report you've ever seen about this part of the country. Yes, there is a war going on. But not here. We had a journalist come speak to us at our forum address last night named Matthew Kalman, who's been a Jerusalem freelance correspondent since 1998. He explained to us how journalists show up here with no knowledge of the languages, religions, or cultures and start writing. He also talked about the problem that is celebrity journalism, and how we'd rather see a familiar face telling us a story than an expert tell us the real story. Journalists on television want to look brave and in-the-action, so they report near soldiers or skew stories about "the wrong pile of rubble." Plus, the culture of hospitality here causes the locals to answer questions with the answer they think you want, and it takes a long time to get those answers (after tea and dinner and meeting the whole family). Don't think that means there isn't tension, because the Palestinians are really unhappy about being kicked off their land and the Israelis are firm in their claim to land that God once promised them. I would say that they are co-inhabiting Jerusalem, living parallel lives separately.
     It's hard for Westerners to understand the enormous influence that religion plays here. People will literally die to have control of the cave where they think Lehi buried his wife. If a location or object is (or possibly is) related to a religious person or event, it's a really big deal. Really. If they believe it to be the will of God, they follow through come hell or high water. Different culture. Different priorities. So much of it is so different and will sound ridiculous to Western ears that those reporters who know what they're doing and who they're dealing with can't print it.
     So when we showed up expecting to see soldiers and tanks everywhere, we were surprised to find that though there are soldiers everywhere, they're just milling around in groups killing time and being educated about the sites in the area. They're pretty much just tourists in uniform. Sorta.
     We ventured into the West Bank on our big tour buses today to visit Jericho, Herod the Great's winter palace, and the Wadi Qelt. Though the ancient walls of Jericho have not really been found, we saw some pretty cool old walls today on Tell es-Sultan. Literally from the Bronze age. Thousands of years ago and some pretty big bits of wall are still there. Lame to look at, but amazing when you consider just how old they are.
     Next we saw the ruins of Herod the Great's winter palace. Everybody took pictures in this sweet circle bath that's still intact. Possibly the place where he had his wife's brother killed before killing his wife and all of his sons by her. The people liked them. Herod was a jealous man. His outposts are everywhere, so it was cool to finally see one of the many buildings he commissioned.
    For the grand finale, the Wadi Qelt. A wadi is a canyon that's dry for most of the year but functions as a river should there be rain. It was like the Grand Canyon of the Judaen Wilderness. It was a spectacular view. We took a trail up on top of the hill and looked down into it and across at all the hills and desert and it was just...wow. A big wow. Down in the wadi, built into the rock is a monastery. I really wish we could have gone down and gone inside, but we didn't have time! It's called Saint George Monastery, and I highly recommend googling it. Apparently other hermit monks live in the caves you'll see around the canyon as well. Amazing. Hopefully get some pics up on Facebook soon so y'all can see them. Some Bedouin people had an encampment/shanty town set up nearby and we got to watch them wander the cliffs with herds of goats. Many a picture was taken.
     On Monday we leave for Jordan. Safe to say we're all pumped. But we're an enthusiastic group (for example, we clap for everything). Be prepared. I may ride a camel on Monday.

We're wondering what the heck Nephi's family was thinking

     This weekend has been jam-packed! We have been into the city several times in small groups now. Friday, we went to the Western Wall to see the start of the Jewish Shabbat (sabbath) at Sundown. It was pretty incredible. All of the Jews in the city come to pray, sing, and dance at the Wall. We're still singing Shabbat-Shalom and lai-la-lai. They gather in circles to sing and link arms and dance in circles, like in Prince of Egypt when they sing "Through Heaven's Eyes" except everybody's wearing black and kippas and some have earlocks. It was a really amazing experience. You have to really appreciate how they've continued to pray at this site after all these years. I could really feel their sincerity and it was tons of fun!
     Though we were exhausted, it was the grand opening of our student snack bar, dubbed The Well. Is it because the well is the gathering place in the Old Testament or is it because Bro. Woods told us that the well is the place to meet foxes? Hmmmm... We watched Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade before playing minute-to-win-it games and having a dance. There were worries on all sides that our small numbers and lack of skills would make a dance lame, but it's definitely a highlight and something that brought us closer together. There was a balloon drop, a circle to sing some lai-la-lai from Prince of Egypt and so, so many mosh pits. There was chair carrying, crowd surfing, and it was really, horribly sweaty. Summation: We went crazy.
     On Sunday I sang in a lil quartet that I put together consisting of myself, Rachel Kennedy, Dan the Man, and Mark. We sang There is a Green Hill Near at Hand because the hill is not that far away. I think it's safe to say everyone was blown away. It was incredible. Plus, we were singing in front of these huge windows in our beautiful chapel that overlook the Old City. After church we went into the Garden Tomb to sing songs. Fun, fun day.
     On Saturday we hit up the Israel Museum, which is an excellent source of information through artifacts from each of the periods in Jerusalem. My favorite parts were the Roman hall, Egyptian hall, and then the ArTricks. Art-tricks was a display of optical illusions. Upstairs was some pretty sweet exhibits, like chairs painted on the floor and a camera so you could look and see how even though you were standing on paint, it looks like you're standing on a chair. Another favorite was the random bits of metal that gave the shadow of a man. I have pictures and I will see if I can add them in somehow. We had a blast!
     We walked a long way through West Jerusalem from the museum into the Old City through Jaffa Gate. The boys got us through Mamilla Mall, which is an outdoor mall by Jaffa Gate, but I was the one who got us into the city and to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Funny, because they're all Eagle Scouts and I get lost...everywhere. I have a spectacular sense of direction only when I'm lost, I think. Probably because I just give up and follow my first instincts. I can't even begin to describe how beautiful the Church of the Holy Sepulchre is. I've heard people say they think the Church of All Nations in Gethsemane is the most beautiful, but they must be all about the simplicity. Holy Sepulchre is like stepping back into a castle that's slowly becoming an antique shop. It's in this random square between Christian markets in the city, and just plain stone on the outside. Inside is amazing. There's a mosaic on the wall in the entrance over the stone where, according to Constantine's mother Helena, Jesus's body was laid after he died. We cross into a room on the right and there's the alleged stone of Golgotha, where Christ's blood dripped down. There's a glass separating us and it, but somehow people have managed to toss folded up prayers inside it. There are doors and staircases in random places so, even though it's crowded, there is space to roam. There are weird chandeliers everywhere like glass baubles that probably once held candles. I don't know specifically which other things are where, but there's a little house thing in the middle of one room with a long line to get inside and upstairs is an alter where you can reach in and touch the Golgotha rock. The stairs are steep but the shrine is pretty amazing. Lots of red glass chandelier bauble thingies and gold-and-silver-leafed art of Christ and Mary. If you find your way downstairs, people have carved hundreds of little crosses into the stone walls. I have tons of pics of all this to hopefully show just how cool this site was.
     After that, we hit up our favorite falafel place at the bottom of Damascus Gate and headed home. The hike up and down the "mountains" (these aren't quite as big as the Rockies) has graduated from a burn in the legs to cramping. I was so exhausted that I slept for three hours and woke up feeling like I'd just died and risen from the bottom of the ocean. Everyone was sluggish. We're feeling the effects of all our reading homework and all the walking in the sun. I think we all slept through the 4:50am call to prayer on Monday morning.
     Monday is field trip day! We headed down into the Negev desert, where Lehi led his family. We stopped at this really neat weaver's shop where Bedouin women (nomadic culture of Arabia) are empowered, through work and education. They buy sheep's wool (rarely camel, camel is too small I guess) and pay women who can't leave home to twist it up into threads. They dye it and more women will weave them into carpets and bags and things. It was great. They gave us some really tasty herbal tea. I bought a pillow. It's so legit. When I own a home, I'm commissioning a rug. Here's their website: http://www.bedouinweaving.com.
     Our next trip was to Be'er Sheva (aka Beersheba). It's on a tell, an artificial mound of earth built up by cities building on top of each other and sloping the edges for defense. This is the site where Abraham left to take Isaac to be sacrificed. This was also the place from which Jacob fled Esau. Crazy. Mostly it's half-built up walls. Still cool, though. We all gathered around the well that might be the well.
      Driving to Arad, I had an interesting conversation with Homer, Heather, and Stephen. We were talking about Lehi and Nephi's family, and Ishmael. The Negev is a desert. We got to see it with some green because it's the winter, but it's pretty barren otherwise. And it's wide. Let me repeat that: it's vast. Can you imagine your family friends coming over and asking you to go out into the wilderness? We're thinking it went something like this.
  Nephi: "So, Ishmael. Remember my dad? We're all friends, yeah? Everyone thinks he's cray cray? See that wilderness out there? Pretty barren, right? My dad says it's way chill. It's the place to be. It's going to be pretty barren here when the city is destroyed, so we're getting out to the wilderness. It's gonna be legit."
  Ishmael: "Totes. Wilderness sounds so sick. Let's do this."
     And there's nothing out there but random weeds. So when Nephi brakes his bow, we're all pretty sure we'd be in with Lamen and Lemuel.
  Lemuel: "Great job, Nephi. This is so fantastic. What the heck are we supposed to do for meat now? Where the heck are we gonna find a tree to make another bow?"
  Laman: "Seriously, Nephi? Nice. Nice."
     Don't even get me started on picking out wives from the daughters of Ishmael. We're so amazed by Nephi for always keeping his cool.
  Laman: "God told you to build a what now?"
  Lemuel: "You've been eating some weird berries, haven't you."
  Nephi: "Chill, guys. God's got this. I'm gonna go and do."
    Props to you, Nephi. For reals. That's some really incredible faith.
    Our last stop was Tel Arad. It's pretty much just like Be'er Sheva, but bigger. They were actually working on the temple portion doing restoration, so we couldn't go take pictures with the alter and the place where they kept the holy of holies, but it was still cool. In a well in the Canaanite city down the hill there are tons of pigeons living. Also, we saw an owl. Also, the view from the tell was so breathtaking. Wide open space. It was beautiful. Also, we were exhausted and ready to go home and eat.
     Last week in FHE my family shared some spiritual experiences and insights, introduced ourselves, and named spirit animals for each other. This week we sang karaoke with our eyes closed and noise-cancelling headphones one. My headphone splitter is really coming in handy. It was hilarious. It was surprising. It was fun. We're becoming so comfortable together as a group that we're fearless.
     Can I just say that our chef here Achmed and also Muhammed are really amazing? I've never been so well fed in my life. I don't think I'll ever eat food this good 3x a day ever again. We don't even know what we're eating half the time, and we stopped caring because it's all so good. Also, I bought a camel-hide leather bag and some pants. I'm probably going to buy this super expensive olive wood carving of Jesus pulling Peter from the water. Words can't describe. Omar has everything from your Christus to Captain Moroni. I haven't seen any of the other shops, but I definitely want Omar's Jesus and Peter. Y'all should see his nativity. It's way expensive, but the detail... wow. So many cool things to do and buy and eat! Aloha!

The mission call opening in Gethsemane

     Out of the 42(ish) men here in Jerusalem, only one has not served a mission...yet. Today the big to-do was that at least half of us went out to the Garden of Gethsemane, following a one Christopher Chandroo, hereby known as Elder Chandroo! The Garden itself is very small, at least the entrance area where we walked. The church next-door was built by an Italian, so all the signs were in Italian. It's called the Church of All Nations and the mosaics on the ceiling include the symbols of different countries. It was really amazing. So we all gathered in the corner of the garden (the trees are roped off, so not much space for half of our group to congregate together, but we made it work) and Chris opened his call. He's headed to the India Bangalore mission and we were all so thrilled! Because it is a sacred space, though, only the boys could give him congratulatory hugs and we had to be quiet. It was really an amazing place to open a call and definitely not an experience any of us are going to forget any time soon.
     Yesterday was our first field trip day, and we got the lay of the land from various lookout points. There are three towers that we use to orient ourselves on Mt. Scopus and the Mount of Olives. To the north on Mount Scopus and our neighbors on the one side is the Hebrew University. We drove past but did not stop. It's a very prestigious university, and I guess they're ranked in the top ten or something in mathematics. I also heard that 11% of Nobel winners are from there, but maybe that was for a specific category. I think they're ranked 57 overall for universities in the world.  On the other side and our beacon to the east is Augusta Victoria, a church built by Kaiser Wilhelm II in the late 19th century. The cost to bring the bells up in the tall tower was MASSIVE because to get them from the Port of Jaffa they literally had to widen and pave the roads to cart these massive chunks of metal.
     I will add more to this about our field trip, but we have a Palestine class now so....
1/20 update
    Our eastern beacon is the bell tower of Augusta Victoria. I believe it's a Lutheran Church now, built by Kaiser Wilhelm II back a hundred or so years ago. They have incredibly beautiful mosaics inside the chapel, and we sang a few songs that echoed like crazy. We climbed up like 200+ steps to get up to the bell tower, which houses several massive bells. The bells themselves didn't cost as much as transporting them from the port in Jaffa. Was it because they're so enormous? Was it was because they're so heavy? Was it getting all the way up the tower? If you guessed because of their size, you're mostly right. They literally had to widen all the roads from the coast up to the Mount of Olives just to get them here. Anyway, the bells are awesome and so is the view of Jerusalem from the top.
     The south-eastern tower is that of the Russian Ascension, but we haven't really talked about that one or gone to see it yet. It's like a spiky-pegoda-roof tower. Google it or something.
     We went next to a lookout point above the cemetery straight across from the Golden Gate--the only gate into the Old City that is sealed. It's on the side of the Temple Mount. Suleiman the Magnificent sealed it in 15something because the Israelis believe when Jesus returns he'll come into the Old City through that gate. Also, they put a cemetery outside because Jewish Rabbi and Kohen (descendants of Aaron) can't enter a place with human remains. For that same reason, the Israel Museum has only facsimiles of human bones. Fun fact.
     The lookout point was neat, to get a lower perspective of the city. There was a camel there, and its owner eagerly looking for opportunities to charge you a couple shekels. One hump, because I know you were wondering. Called a dromedary by those who care about big words. The cemetery is a sight to see as well, like a cutout of white against the brown and green rocks and shrubs mountain. All of the tombs are that white limestone of everything in the area and there's no grass or anything like cemeteries in the US. Another fun fact, no morticians here. People are buried the day after they die, guts and all. It's against Jewish law and Muslims thing it desecrates the body or something. Muslims don't even use coffins. Personally, I think trying to preserve a corpse is sort of nasty anyway. Dust to dust, right? The only problem is that you have little to no notice before the funeral.
     Our next lookout was to the south. There were lots of cats. And random little tour groups of Jewish people on Segways. Traveling to see all sides of the Old City, though, was really beneficial. We could see a better angle of where the City of David was. It was a lot smaller than I thought it would be. But then again, the Old City is a lot smaller than I anticipated. Maybe it's just that we do so much walking around and through it that it's shrunk in my mind.
     Our final lookout was Nabi Samwill, which is the site were the prophet Samuel is supposed to be buried. You can go into the basement, where Jewish go to pray. They believe sites like this are holy ground and therefore their prayers are closer to God. The basement is a really small room split in two (Jewish men and women worship separately). There was a bench crammed against the wall and a white embroidered half-tent thing separating the sides, a bench in the entry way, and couple plastic chairs in any leftover space. It was cramped. If you were wondering, no, women don't have to cover their hair. That's only if you're married. Men do have to wear a kippa every time they go up to the Western Wall or into a synagogue, though. The main floor and upper floor is a mosque, which we weren't allowed into. There was also a little room that was a store, selling ice cream.

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.

Why isn't falafel served at every meal?

FIRST OFFICIAL DAY OUT IN THE CITY !!

     Today was our first free day and we were all gone as soon as breakfast was over. I went with a group to see the Dome of the Rock, which is the beautiful blue building with the gold roof you see in every photo. The tiles up at the base of where the dome part of the building begins are painted with verses from the Qur'an of Mohammed's Night Journey from Mecca and into heaven. Muslims believe that the rock it is built around is the same rock where Abraham went to sacrifice Isaac, the Holy of Holies was once kept in Solomon's Temple, and also Muhammed ascended to heaven with the angel Gabriel. We had two hours to kill in the city before getting in line to go onto the Temple Mount, so we wandered the Old City and visited the Wailing Wall, also known as the Western Wall. Because the Muslims don't allow Jewish prayer on the Temple Mount, they pray at the closest wall, the Western Wall. It's known as the Wailing Wall because after the Temple of Solomon was destroyed the second time they would gather there to cry over the loss of the temple. Now it's a place to pray for Jewish, and people fold up little prayers on pieces of paper and stick them in the holes in the bricks or the cracks between. I'll see if I can attach photos of both sites.
     Also experienced today was falafel. And it was delicious.

------------------------------------------------------

     On the Sabbath (Saturday) we all went to the Garden Tomb. As I said in my previous post, it's the site where the Protestants believe Jesus was crucified, buried, and rose again. The Catholics believe it is at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, as it was declared by, I think, Pope Constantine I. I've walked past the outside, but I haven't been inside that one yet. It's pretty crowded all the time.
     At the Garden Tomb there are pastors from around the world there volunteering for about 6 months at a time leading little tours. The director, a British pastor, was late to an appointment elsewhere because he wanted to speak to us before we started the tour. I was told that the Center has a really great relationship with the community, and here was the first proof. They love us over there because we're respectful, we can answer questions with quotes from scripture, and we sing. It's kind of an unspoken tradition to sing whenever a group passes through. Some Asian (we're guessing Indonesian, because none of the RM's understood the language they were speaking and we have most of the Asian languages covered) group was having like a church service in the corner of the garden and sang a few times. The director said, "I fully expect you to sing in perfect, unpracticed, four part harmony." And we did.
     We split into two groups to take the tour. The other group went with a pastor from Ireland and we were with a pastor from Alberta. It was a really great little schpeel--almost a sermon. He explained the importance of how we aren't worshipping the place. We're worshipping the man who may or may not have risen from this spot. The important part is that he took upon himself the sins of man and rose from the dead. Then he told us all of the reasons why they believe it happened there. For starters, it was a rock quarry. You can see where the mountain is cut under the (Eastern?) wall that was once connected to Golgotha. Christ was a Jew. Jewish executed by stoning. It makes sense that Christ would be killed in a Jewish place of death. The tomb was a rich man's tomb. Rich men didn't just take caves to have their bodies placed in (they were reburied a year later after the guts and skin were gone). This was carved from the rock. The stone was also big, and judging by the canal covering the door, there was once a big stone there. It was also in a garden, and they uncovered a wine press there. Gardens back then were more like orchards, for example, the Garden of Gethsemane is an olive orchard. To avoid having to cart olives or grapes around, they had the presses built in the garden. It's located by a road, and as a public execution, criminals were put on display where people could see them, where they could be an example. Jesus also had to carry the cross through the streets, and it doesn't make as much sense that He would carry it into the middle of the Old City (Church of the Holy Sepulchre) than that He would carry it up a main road to a place of Jewish death outside one of the main gates to the Old City.
     The garden itself is well kept, with a cute little bridge and cobbled paths. They have tiles with scriptures strategically placed. At the far right you can see Golgotha, the rock face that allegedly resembles a skull where Christ was (maybe) crucified. You can't see the skull from that angle, but their property doesn't extend far enough. On the far left of the garden is the tomb. It's a lot smaller than I thought it would be. We could only fit maybe five people TOPS in the space to see the two little slabs where bodies would have been placed. I guess that one of the LDS church leaders revealed that this place is very close to where it all happened. Personally, the most spiritual part of the experience was singing together in the middle of the garden and seeing how our voices and spirits affected the other visitors. We may be covered from collar bone to mid-calf/ankle but as it was said, "how can you hide the light in [our] eyes?"

I've had hot chocolate six times today and my hands are still purplish

   It was a balmy 50º today and we were all shivering at our desks. It's hard to type because my hands are so cold! The problem with living in a building that is designed to let in light and has open air hallways to the dorms is that we're all freezing. Most of us didn't discover how to turn the heat on in our rooms until day two, so the first night was very chilly. My feet were so cold that it woke me up (but the Muslim call to prayer did not) and I had to find socks to put on in the dark. Since then we have discovered extra blankets in some high cupboards as well as the button to turn the heat on and off. May the Lord be praised.
    Today was the first day of class, and the general consensus was excitement mingled with dread, because it was 4 straight hours of sitting and not getting to go into the city. However, the time flew by! We split into two groups of 41ish students for Old Testament and then combine for our Ancient Near East class. In Ancient Near East we spent the two hours trying to get a basic sense about the conflict between the Palestinians and the Israelis. It's really interesting to finally have it all laid out in front of me--and crazy that I'm living on the border between Palestine and Israel. The two hours were gone before we knew it and it's pretty much all we've been talking about all day. In our weekly forums they scheduled to have people come in and share their side of the conflict, so now that we all have the basics down (and 1,000 questions) we're really looking forward to the forums.
    It's been a musical day for me during free time. I didn't have time to really go into the city after class because I had a meeting with the committee for the talent shows, but I got to hang out and sing Disney duets on the piano with the talent show committee chair, Dan the Man, and then miss my dearest darling Makeli while my new friend Rachel harmonized along with me and the ukulele. It was fun because people passing through to see where the music was coming from would make requests and sit in for a few songs. Also, there are so many people with the same name that they're getting nicknames. Julia in the Floral. Sexy Josh. Etcetera. Even if there aren't doubles (or triples) people are still getting nicknames, like Indy, Kha-leb (with lots of phlegm), Dan the Man, and Ramses. It's a blast. Nobody is really clique-ing off (yet) and we all love it. It feels like we've been here forever already!
    Tomorrow is the Sabbath, and it's got us all in a twist. I was asked to substitute teach a youth class for Sabbath School (it isn't called Sunday School because it isn't on Sunday), so I'm going to have to prepare for that and hopefully find someone to help out and be moral support. It ought to be interesting. After church we're all going to the Garden Tomb, which is the site where the Protestants believe Christ was crucified and buried (Catholics believe it was at the sight of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in the Old City). Sunday is our free day, so I'll probably go into the city and Monday is our first real field trip!
     A little more about the city: the wild cats you'll occasionally see walking on rooftops or prowling the balconies are protected by unspoken law due to their help controlling pest populations (they kill snakes, therefore they can stay). There's a lot of graffiti, but it's all in Arabic or Hebrew, though I've seen one or two stylings with the Greek alphabet. There's also a lot of trash in the empty ditches on the way to the city. Unless the open area is a park, it's got wrappers and soda bottles in it, which is pretty unsightly. I said it looked a bit like Italy or other cities in Europe (which is true) but picture one of those crowded cities with 200% more satellite dishes. Also, instead of terra-cotta rooftops, most are limestone bricks that match the exterior of the buildings--and almost every roof has at least one satellite dish. Classy.
    Those are the downsides, though. It really is a beautiful city. The more you look, the more there is to see. In one area we stopped outside Jaffa Gate they have stationary bicycles that you can peddle to power music, lights, fans, drums, and flowers that go up and down. We had a lot of fun cheering on the person peddling while we all listened to the speaker at the top of this pole play Amy Winehouse. Of all the artist to have it power, right?
 

So Jet-lagged I can't read anything without falling asleep.

    Well, my first full day is over with (sorta) and I have to say, it was AMAZING. Last night, we were smelly, exhausted, and ready to stretch our legs, shower, and go to sleep. We are ahead of Utah by 9 hours and it really took its toll on everyone in the group today. In our afternoon orientations we were all glassy eyed and yawning and Dr. Whitchurch said we looked miserable--but we're the exact opposite. There are 82 of us--for the first time in the history of the center the boys outnumber the girls. I think there are 2 more, so it isn't a huge disparity, but in the past (before the sister missionary age was dropped) it was more like a 3-1 ratio.
    They took us in groups of about 9 or so on a quick tour through the old city today to get a feel for it. It looks a lot like cities in Europe. There were two guys who served in the Rome, Italy mission in my group and we all thought it looked a lot like Italy (except the domes were mosques and not Catholic churches). The buildings are all white (but dirty) limestone and the streets are really narrow, particularly in the old city. For the most part it smells really awesome because of all the hot bread being sold. My favorite stores we past are the following:
1. A souvenir shop that had signs reading "huge discounts for brave tourists" and "free wifi for patient husbands"
2. A shop selling kippas with your favorite sports team and other notable pop culture icons, such as Spongebob.
3. "Holy Bagels"
    We're getting acquainted with each other really quickly, and even though I don't know all their names, I know every face. It's a really awesome atmosphere, like every person here is your friend and it's hard to decide where to sit down at meals or meetings because you can honestly and fearlessly sit anywhere.
    Speaking of fear, when it gets warmer they've warned us not to leave our balcony doors open because snakes could come into our rooms. I wish they hadn't told me that. I'm 1,000% paranoid now.
    The building is GORGEOUS and the food in the Oasis (cafeteria) is spectacular. They have taken really great care of this building and we're all awestruck to be living here. They rotate all different kinds of food and ALL of it is good and pretty healthy, too. In one of our orientation packets they told us to weigh ourselves to make sure we don't lose or gain too much weight while we're here. My roommates and I have been laughing about that one. I was wondering why would randomly place a scale out next to the bottom of the staircase on the 5th floor.
    I'd love to say more, but I honestly have a ton of homework to be reading right now and if I don't keep on top of it I'll never have time to go wander the city!

New year, new hemisphere!

     In preparation for my departure to the BYU Jerusalem Center for Near-Eastern Studies, I have revamped my blog.

     You'll notice that it auto-plays the song "Sa'a Saba'a" by Melhem Zein. Get used to it. I went to a lot of trouble to get new background music, as my old gadget is no longer available and others I tried didn't work. If you don't like it, hit the mute button, because I love it. 

     You'll also notice that the background is a picture of Jerusalem. You cannot see the building I'll be living in, nor can you see the mountain it's on. The Center is the picture behind the title. My new blog title is a play on my old one and my twitter handle, "Haole in Lā'ie." For those who do not know, "Haole" is a sometimes unkind nickname for white people in Hawaiian and Laie is the town in which the BYU-Hawaii campus is located. The description underneath is "Savanna goes to Jerusalem" in Hebrew and then Arabic, as translated by Google Translate. 

On to the interesting things. 

     Now that I've ended my services at Synergy Health, I will be spending the remainder of the year sleeping, mostly. Also on the to-do list is to clean out my room, box up a lot of clothes, and start packing. I'll be gone for 4 months (Jan-April), beginning on January 7th with my flight from SLC to NYC and finally to Tel Aviv, so it would probably be a good idea to leave my room clean. I'll only be home for the summer before returning for my final year at BYU-Hawaii.

     My itinerary includes field trips within Israel, as well as a week in Turkey and a week in Jordan. It's all mapped out across my 16 weeks abroad. We'll be going everywhere that's anywhere, from the Dome of the Rock to Petra. Specifically, as I scan the program highlights, as follows. Israel: Negev, Jericho, Shephelah, City of David, Yad Vashem, Mount Herzl, Neot Kedumim, Separation Wall, Bethlehem, Kotel Tunnel, Jewish Quarter, Christian Quarter, Galilee (Jordan Valley, Jezreel Valley, Sea of Galilee, Golan, Mediterranean Sea), Dead Sea, Masada, Ein Gedi, Qumran. Turkey: Istanbul, Bopshorus, Troy, Ephesus, Bursa. Jordan: Mount Nebo, Madaba, Petra, Amman. 

     There's a pretty good chance that y'all haven't heard of those places. That's alright. I'm determined to document all of my travels through journals and type them up for you here. Internet on campus is allegedly very poor, so any photos will be uploaded from the free wi-fi hotspots and/or internet cafes in the area. Text posts and emails, though, I should be able to send from the library on campus (I hear there is no wi-fi on the residential floors). 

     My classes are all geared toward religion and history (for obvious reasons) and are as follows: Ancient Near East 336, Palestine 347, Israel 349, Arabic (I was given the option to choose Hebrew or Arabic, I chose Arabic), Old Testament 303, New Testament 311, and Field Trip Class 395R. I think that my favorite class will be the field trip one. 

    My expectations are extremely high. I'm anticipating this being the most religiously? spiritually? emotionally? enlightening experience of my life. The places I'm going to see are places that far fewer people have the opportunity and means to see, and they're also places that hold great meaning and significance not only to myself but to millions of people across the globe. I'm really freaking lucky. As they're all on the 300 level (excluding beginning Arabic), I'm expecting my classes to be very in-depth. The best part of class will be going out and seeing what we've been studying and experiencing it in a way that can't be compared to videos or textbooks. If you watch the video on the Jerusalem Center website, it shows footage of the building. The cafeteria looks 500x nicer than the caf in Hawaii. The rooms also appear to be bigger and nicer than those in Hawaii. Also, I'm pretty stoked to have a patio overlooking the Old and New Cities. The view will definitely beat that of my last dorm room, where shutters blocked almost everything from sight (including sunlight) but did not mute the noise of the boys walking up and down the stairs on their side of the hale. I've really missed being in such a religious environment, with 80+% of students being LDS, devotionals, teachers adding in scriptural references, and my on-campus ward. It will be nice to slip back into that atmosphere that the Church Educational System brings, and go to Forum Addresses, which I assume are like devotionals.

     Quite a few things will be different. For starters, the Sabbath is on Saturday in Jerusalem. Church services will be held on Saturdays and I don't know what we'll do on Sundays. Treat Sunday like Saturday? I feel backwards just thinking about it. I don't know what to expect with the food. I'm guessing in the Center they won't have rice available for every meal and they'll never serve kalua pork, loco moco, nor chicken katsu. I miss chicken katsu. I do know that it is very difficult to find vegetarian food everywhere with all the traveling we'll be doing, so I've been eating more meats than I have in a long time just in case, to prepare my stomach.

     If you thought abiding by the dress and grooming standards in the Honor Code was hard, try this. No skinny jeans. No capris. No pants cuffed at the ankle. Knee-length shorts are only allowed inside the Center in the gym or in your room. Cargo pants and cotton/cotton blends are strongly recommended. No bare feet, except in student rooms. All shirts must be loose-fitting. No tanks, cap sleeves, or short sleeves. Collars have to be at least to your collar bone. Skirts and dresses have to reach mid-calf at least. Covered is the word. Frumpy is the other word. 

    Finally, for those curious, the Center's website has a video tour. Skip ahead to 4:13 if you don't want to heart the schpeel about BYU Provo. Click here to watch or copy the url: http://ce.byu.edu/jc/video.php. If you would like to come in contact with me over the next few months, the best way will be through email. My school email is real classy: grego8@go.byuh.edu. Feel free to bother me to update the blog if I ever start skimping. 

The Rains Came Down...

Will the floods come up? We hope not, for the sake of the community living in ground-floor housing. If it continues to rain, I'll try to get some shots of the parking lot, which has turned into a shallow pond.

BROTHERS AND SISTERS, ALOHA!

I can't tell you how many times I've heard that phrase. Probably a thousand, and it still isn't old. E komo mai, welcome to my new life in Hawai'i! I'm trying to learn some new Hawaiian words on the internet... but maybe I should take a class next semester. There aren't many English-to-Hawaiian translators out there (no Google or anything) so I just have to search for a word and hope for the best!

Hawai'i is beautiful. Hawai'i is warm. The people are nice. The pace is slow. On a bad day, just go to the beach. The temple "Meditation Grounds" offer public beach access just a short walk from my room, so I'm on vacation for a few hours each week. 

I could get used to this. 

I like my classes a lot, with the exception of my coaching class. They probably should have said something about the class only dealing with soccer online. I know the basics now, and how to set up a practice and everything. I still don't like soccer. I can say it for real now because I've played a little. Nevertheless, if you need help getting a soccer D License, I can help you out. By the end of this course I may get one just for kicks and giggles, because that's all this class is preparing me for. 

My new favorite place is the beautiful Waimea Bay. I have yet to jump off the rock, but I hear it's pretty cool. This is the perfect place to wave jump--but beware the breaking zone, it can get really nasty. Getting beat up by the ocean is something you have to put up with, though. It takes excellent timing and practice to avoid getting sucked under, spun around and slammed into the sand. Beware the sand package that will inevitably fall out of your shorts when you come home and take off your suit. The Resident's Office is closes early on Saturdays and is closed Sundays. You may have to be careful about tracking sand around your room for a few days. The best thing is to hit the showers first thing when you get home (yes, even before the caf, even if you're starving) to at least rinse most of the sand off of your body. There will be salt and sand in your ears and hair for another 48 hours or so, no matter how persistent you are. I like to think that I've learned every nook and cranny of my body thanks to all the sand.
Get used to this little guy, because these baby cockroach guys are just about everywhere. At first, it's terrifying and gross. About twenty of them later, it's just annoying. Ants are traipsing around the floor and the walls as well, but they're much easier to find, kill and control. The best thing to do is leave shoes and rolled-up magazines sitting out for quick killing. I even have a designated bug notecard that I used to scoop them before I flush them (just in case they somehow have babies on their person, if they're really big guys). I've only seen one big one (probably an inch and half) and she wasn't in my room. Her name was Mama Tika. We hope that Papa Tika is long gone, because Michaela never found him. <insert Psycho shower music here>


I'm headed to the caf to eat now, but expect more about living in Hawai'i later this week!

Oh, Wendy Darling

Oh, Wendy Darling.
You really thought you were special
Playing together, it was only pretend
Everything about him is
m a k e - b e l i e v e.
You thought that you were different, didn't you?
Even though you knew he'd been in "love"
So many times before.
He's forgetful,
No matter how he promises
He won't remember you
He hardly remembers anthing after it's happened
Because he's a little boy
He cannot dwell on past actions
Because that would imply growth
And he will n e v e r grow up
So when Hook is finally defeated and
The Lost Boys are itching to meet Mrs. Darling
Don't expect him to come along and live
H a p p i l y e v e r a f t e r
With you.
Go home, Wendy
To your drawer of dreams
And you keep that kiss of his
On the corner of your mouth
But always remember while you dream of him
He won't be dreaming of you.

Sorry About the Light

Something I wrote last year when I was bored in one of my classes about someone I felt that I had let down.

--abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz--

There was a time when I thought
that I could really make a difference for you.
I wanted to be there for you always.
I could see it—me inspiring you to be a better person
and you following me blindly as I would shine for you.
It didn't work out that way, obviously.

I can't shine.
My light just... went out.

I wasn't looking, wasn't paying attention
and some gust of wind blew it out.
It makes me cry because it was so bright then.
Brighter, maybe, than it has ever been.
But my fire wasn't safe and I?
I wasn't guarding it as I should have been.

I don't want to bore you with the details
I guess what I'm trying to say is that I'm sorry.I'm sorry I can't be a light for you.
I'm sorry I broke that secret promise we made to you
that Thursday night after we saw your wavering glow.
But my light went out.

How could I possibly help rekindle yours
if my own is simply ashes?

Boy Character Stereotypes

An excerpt from my fictionpress account that makes me laugh every time I read through it. Enjoy.

-The brother. Alternates from annoying to protective and can be split across several boy characters. Can be varied in many ways.
-The neighbor. Loquacious, but only about unimportant things at inconvenient times. Constant habit of "dropping in" on you to borrow, return, or check up on noises.
-The new guy. Doesn't fit it. Nice and smart, sits next to you in that AP class. Then he tries to win your affection showing off trying to go against the tide and it's like that "Stick to the Status Quo" song from High School Musical 1.
-The boyfriend. Such a sweetheart when he's with you but jerkish tendencies when with friends. Will probably cheat on you and then apologize and blame said friends.
-The Jake Ryan. No, not from Hannah Montana. Michael Schoeffling from Sixteen Candles who shows up at your sister's wedding.
-The best friend. Fun. Odd and overbearing. Romantic. There's your plotline, in that order.
-The creeper. That one guy no one likes ends up saving your life and you discover that side of him no one saw in junior high. Too bad you and the other weirdos are the only ones who see it.
-The jock. An all-around jerk and bully, though usually incredibly attractive and from a broken home of some sort.
-The jealous one. A mix of the best friend and the neighbor. Always upset at the other boys of the world who recieve more attention from you.
-The socially awkward kid. Adorable, but silent.
-The terrors. Little boys. Enough said.
-The foreigner. Suave. Sexy. Taking advantage of you.
-The old man. Hitting on you and yes, it is the creepiest thing you've ever seen.
-The bartender. Always pops in when you need advice.
-The kid on the skateboard. This genius trips into the scene and ruins the situation, before righting himself and disappearing stage left.
-The father. Can be either caring, uninterested, bossy, or weird. Or a combination of two.
-The boyfriend's best friend. One word: douchecanoe. He's jealous that you're taking his friend and teases incessantly.
-The brother's best friend. The classic cliché and everyone's favorite, he's half your friend and half your brother. He's the perfect balance of sweet and joking without teasing too much or getting boring. Basically, he's just perfect.

Sunshine Shell

December 2010? poem I wrote in seminary after I found a seashell in my jacket pocket.
Sunshine Shell
I know your life is cloudy
I know you skies are gray
I'm here so you'll remember
The sunshine on that day.

I know your heart is heavy
So I was sent to tell
The sun is always with you,
For I'm your sunshine shell.
 
Keep me in your pocket
A small piece of the beach
And I'll help you remember,
The sun is in your reach.

Every Kiss is a Promise

Definitions thanks to dictionary. reference .com

---

We make promises every day.
But what is a promise?
What does it mean?
A promise is a declaration
that something will or will not be done,
an express assurance
on which expectation is to be based,
an indication of what is to be expected.

A promise isn't something
you should give away lightly.
Promises bring responsibility and
presumptions about how one should act.
Promises put a person under pressure
to follow through.
What good are they if taken lightly,
if no stock is put into them?

Couldn't the world descend
into darkness and anarchy
if promises are not successfully made and kept?
If promises are broken here and there
they begin to lose their value,
lose their worth.
Each promise should have
a purpose and have value.

Every kiss is a promise.

Remember that.

On the topic of food...

This is a free verse poem I wrote in my creative writing class about pizza. My mom told me to post it. Enjoy:
Pizza has many personalities
Cheese doesn’t like change.
Pepperoni follows tradition.
Hawaiian likes to try new things
but isn’t always brave enough.
And then you have the obscure toppings
like peppers and jalapeños and mushrooms
and sardines and onions and meats
who aren’t afraid
of a little flavor or risk.
Those are my favorite people,
the people who aren’t afraid
to be themselves
and aren’t afraid of being rejected
for what they put on their pizza.

The Thing About Cheesesticks.

    I think that cheesesticks have some magical power over the brain, like chicken noodle soup for sick people or chocolate for depressed people.
     For starters, I don't start chomping away at the thing like a hobo on a chicken leg, I peel it piece by piece like a normal person. This gives me time to contemplate things and clear my head. Peeling the right size of petal takes a certain sort of concentration. I bet all of the great minds of today eat cheese when they get lost. It's also great because it's almost tasteless when you're eating it string by string so you don't have to worry about it clashing with your newly applied toothpaste or something else you just ate.
   Every time I lose my train of thought or I'm not sure what I should be doing or maybe I'm not hungry but I feel like snacking, I go for a cheesestick. And now we all know that when SJ is eating cheese, some really deep thinking is going on.