12.28.2007

Bethlehem

O Little Town of Bethlehem on Christmas Eve...
(OK, the latest scoop i've learned on Fateh is that they ARE involved in terrorism, but just not as bad as the Hamas.  Lovely, they wished us a merry christmas. ha)
can you believe it?! this little guy actually smoking!
where they say Jesus was born
this church built upon the place they say where Jesus was born.
me eating a falafel and hummus sandwich -which i forgot to pay for!

12.25.2007

shocolatte

On Christmas day in Jerusalem, i discovered "shocolatte" (hot thick milk with chocolate chips). Amazing! Sorry the video clip is a bit sterile... i was by myself and didn't want people to think i was looney talking to my computer (with built in camera). fyi: i did not spend Christmas alone. i had a friend with me, but she had just left and i stayed a bit longer at this cafe to consume my 2nd shocolatte, just before i went back to the prayer room. :)) P.S. yes, i went to little town of Bethlehem on Christmas Eve. no, i didn't lay in a manger. :)
[this is a video, click to play]

12.21.2007

Mounts

What you see here is Mount Zion
"the perfection of beauty." Psalm 50:2
and here is when i got lost in the Old City and ended up at the top of Mt. Zion! :) ...kinda scared me as it was night and i turned the corner and "pop" came this huge limestone structure before my eyes and then i realized i was at the top of the Mount. Great! :)
and here, my friends, is the Mount of Olives. Where Jesus' feet "will stand." Zechariah 14:4

fire and rainbow

Jerusalem's amazing sunsets and promising rainbows!

Old City

After this little jewish boy spit on my camera about five times after seeing that I captured his photograph, I was a little hesitant to take any more photos... but it didn't stop me! :) Enjoy some of the images in the Old City of Yerushalayim.

Western Wall

men are on one side, women on the other. take note of all the little pieces of paper with prayers stuck in the cracks of the walls.

food

Some of you have asked about what i eat... here's what's in my fridge:
yummy plum jam
fig onion tahini
hebrew soy milk
chemically carrots
hummus and zahatar pita

12.14.2007

neighboring

my neighbors...
the grocers across the street, but oddly down steps and in an alley.
24/7 convenient shop where i can grab some fresh hummus or a hebrew carb snack at 3:30am when i'm on my way home from the "night watch" in the prayer room!
a great fire hydrant on my street.
great piece on my front gate.

my bed and bath

friend "ese" asked what my bed looked like, so here it is, in all it's splendor: the top bunk. and this is where i mostly check email... amidst my wonderful down comforter. mm. and friend "ese" asked about my toilet. the flush has two volumes (for #1 and #2). nice.

12.11.2007

my runs

Well, i've been taking advantage of my feet and my ability to run... to view more of the city around me in the beauty of the morns.
Here's typical scenes:Ya, just a slight hill to climb...
gasping gorgeous. precious arab boy.
my fave gasper... the valley which sits just east of Mt. Zion

my place

Hello once again. Well, it's officially been a full week in jerusalem. Yikes, only 11 more weeks left. I feel as the time is flying way too fast. I love this place and can't imagine saying goodbye to it in just 11 weeks. OK, i wont think of that icky thought... let's just see where i'm at now. I'll post a few pics of my 'hood. So join me as i walk up the street, to my door, past the garden, to the elevator (stairs i prefer)...
there's my door, on the right. and my little postbox on the wall.
outdoor elevator you can see just behind mini garden.
i love the stairs with nature coming at me... And this is the view from my room -but i have to hop up onto my dresser and pop my head through the open skylight in my lofted ceiling -totally not a problem to do for a view like this! :)