Part II comes to an end


Hello friends and countrymen.

I am a little sad today because my friends are leaving tomorrow. The last two weeks have been so totally great. We have had the best time and I have made some friends that are so awesome, I can barely remember not knowing them. We've had the most excellent time and seen such amazing things. That's a lot of adjectives. But it's true. Did I mention to everyone that I rode on a camel again? even after I had sworn off camels for the rest of my life after the last israel camel fiasco.

exhibit a:



The kids come on Wednesday. I am looking forward to it. It's going to be a totally different expierence doing all these things I've just done with them. And lucky for me, we aren't doing exactly the same stuff. Going to many of the same places, but doing more walking, more hiking, more outside stuff- which as you know, is totally not my jam. But this counts as working. And that, my friends, is totally LEGIT.

I feel like I have been gone for about 9 billion years. It has been 3.5 weeks. I miss everyone a lot but feel like my time here as allowed me to come into my own a little bit. Don't worry, the new person is strikingly similar to the old one. But I feel like I have some clarity I didn't have before. And that's a great thing.

OH, here's a good story. So, last night we had Shabbat services near the Western Wall in a residential neighborhood up the hill from it. This neighborhood is Orthodox. We got in a big circle and started the service, the rabbi leading the talking and prayers and me leading the singing. I have a big voice anyway, but when I am leading the songs, I sing a little louder than usual. We get to the middle of Oseh Shalom and this crazy Orthodox man comes out of his apartment on to his balcony and stares right at me and starts yelling SHA! SHA! SHA! This means "please shut the F up or else". I sort of froze for a second, but the Rabbi just got very stern and sang louder. I didn't get it at the time, but afterwards figured out he wasn't mad because we were singing too loudly. He was mad because I am a woman and I was not only singing, but leading the service. Both are big no no's for orthodox people. Bummer for that guy because I really like doing it.

Today is Shabbat so everything Jewish is closed but we can not be stopped. We went to the Christian quarter and went shopping. I got perhaps the most beautiful tapestry in the history of the world. Seriously. It is hand made and all different colors of red and pink and purple. This is my jam.

It's time for Havdalah (the closing service of Shabbat). Later tonight, we are going to the waffle store to finish out the trip correctly. 100% delish.

BYE! And see you in about 2 weeks.