The Ramparts Walk

I cannot tell you how very exhausted I am. Today has been a long day, but once again amazing. We had classes this morning until lunch time. Old Testament was very interesting and informative again, but how could it be otherwise with Brother Draper as professor? (Left - our group outside of Jaffa Gate, entrance to the Old City of Jerusalem. From Left to right in the back: Dave, Mark, David, Meghan, Jordan, Rich. In the front: me and Ashley). Then we had our Ancient Near Eastern Studies class. That class is also interesting it's just a little different focus than I am used to in class. Finally, we were supposed to have our MNE class about Palestinian and Islamic culture and history, but our professor wasn't there on time. I guess because of President Bush being in the country (though he left a couple days ago) they've become stricter on the border between Israel and the West Bank. Our professor lives in Bethlehem, which is on the West Bank, so he was held up at the border. But he made it about an hour late. That class is going to be very interesting. Adnan Musullam is a Christian Arab. I think he is from a tribe that has been Christian for generations. He is going to teach us the Palestinian perspective while trying to remain objective. It should be great.
(Right - Natalie, me, and Mandie with the walls of Old Jerusalem in the background). After that class, we had lunch, and the rest of the day was free time. I went with a group of students headed into the city. We wanted to go on the Ramparts walk on the wall of the Old City. It cost 16 NIS, but there was a great view, and we got some fun pictures. There was a group of Russians up there, and I spoke to them a little in Russian, but not a whole lot. It was nice, but it felt weird, too. When we came down, we decided to go see if we could get on the Temple Mount where the Dome of the Rock is. We were told that it was closed, so we went to the Western Wall instead to take pictures. There were still people there going to pray. It was very interesting to see, but it wasn't lively like it was on Shabbat.
We headed back and made it to the center before sunset (about 30 minutes before) which is good since we are not allowed in East Jerusalem after dark. (Left - walking up to where we paid to walk around the walls. From left to right - me, Rich, Natalie, and Mandie). I was so hungry by the time we got back, but I had to wait an hour and a half before dinner. After dinner, there was a concert of the Arab-Jewish Youth Orchestra. It was really good, and very Middle Eastern style music. It was great, I really enjoyed it. One instrument they played is called an Ud and looks kind of like a guitar, but has much more rounded of a base. They also had a recorder, western and eastern violins, cellos, and basses, a saxophone, flutes, a clarinet, and another wind instrument that I have no idea what it is called. Of course there was percussion, and a piano. They did improvisation in nearly every song, usually as a solo mid-performance. I don't even know how to explain it, it was just plain amazing.
Well, I guess that is about it, I really am tired. I wasn't even going to blog, but I am worried that if I don't, I won't at all because I will get so far behind with so much going on. Tomorrow I have my first Arabic class. We also have an orientation meeting for our field trip on Thursday.

On the wall.Squeezing into tight places. We fit 9 people in this hole, and we could have fit more, though you probably wouldn't have been able to see them. From left to right and top to bottom: Meghan, Jeff, me, Jordan, Mandie, Natalie, Ashley, Natalie, Rich, and Mark.In an Israeli prison . . . on top of Jerusalem's walls. Ok, ok, it was just a door that looked interesting.

Standing on the walls surrounding Old Jerusalem. If you look to the right, you can see the Dome of the Rock.On the way back, I had to get a picture with the sign pointing the way to the city of David.