Shabbat Shalom

I am sitting comfortably in my apartment, after a few minor quirks to an otherwise smooth trip. When I landed at Tel-Aviv, security wasn't as big a deal as some people made me think. My passport was checked twice, but I received more questions from the initial check than actual customs. They complained that I didn't have a student visa (and the lack of stamps. I took it to mean I’m supposed to travel more!), but they still gave me a tourist visa like they’re supposed to.When I started looking for a Sherut, none of the drivers knew where the street was where I was going. They seemed to think it didn't exist, but I've seen it in Google maps so I knew they were wrong. Either way, after standing around for a while, an intrepid driver decided he was going to take me anyways. After a transfer to another Sherut(his friend owed him one, I guess.), I found my apartment. 

One of the property owners, named Bergitta, is an Israeli nationalized Swedish woman. From what I found out through our quick conversation, she appears to have a ridiculous amount of stories and experiences. She has written a high amount of books, and she is a painter as well (I saw a certificate that says she was inducted into the Cambridge International Who's Who of Intellectuals. Not sure what that is, but it sounds legit.) Her husband is from South Africa, and he was there visiting because of health problems. He was a professor of Psychology, so he seems like a sharp one as well. Because of their combined backgrounds, the house itself is very eclectic. My neighborhood, Yemin Moshe, was, and is, to a lesser extent, the “Artists Colony” of Jerusalem. Quiet and old- It’s actually the oldest neighborhood outside of the Old City. I was on the roof the first night I moved in, and seeing the Old City lit up in all of its aged glory almost made me cry. Here's a crappy panorama from my roof. 

Here's my room. Perfect space for a student or journalist when it hits the fan. 

Yesterday I picked up a few groceries at the open-air market. I carried around a map all day, and took the most inefficient route. After the Western U.S. grid system, and well known Midwestern U.S. streets, it was confusing. There does appear to be a system to it, but the map I found is terrible. 

Today I took a jaunt through the Old City. I didn't plan anything out, so I basically hoped to stumble into a few things. So many tourist shops which was annoying, but it is Shabbat so it was quieter than usual. I stopped at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, which was intriguing. I don’t consider it the site of Jesus’ death or burial, but it still has many years of tradition and history behind it. I do not have any background in Catholicism or Eastern Orthodoxy, so I’m unable to define much of what I saw. Plenty of religious icons, paintings, and imagery though, which is something I do like to look at.

I ran into the Muslim quarter, but ended up getting turned around and ended up back in the Christian quarter unknowingly. Too many pushy merchants, so I decided to head to the Jewish quarter. It was almost too quiet, due to Shabbat, and I felt legitimately like an alien. I found the remnants of a Roman/Byzantine Cardo which is when my sense of historical nerdery set in with all of its power. Cardo’s were the main commercial thoroughfares of Roman cities which ran north-to-south. 

Next I wandered towards the Western Wall- on the way; I was accosted by an old man who offered to show me around. I knew what this old codger was up to, but it was still amusing. He claimed he was born during the British mandate, in Israel, which while I doubted him still had a good story behind it. I left him disappointed.

The Western Wall itself did not have much going on. There were only a handful of Jews praying at the time, and a high amount of IDF glowering at everyone so it wasn’t terribly comfortable. I plan on going back sometime during the week when it’s busier. I was told not to take pictures since it was Shabbat, so I didn't push it.The view was fascinating. I saw Israeli soldiers standing in formation, Jews praying at their most venerated site, western tourists, and the Dome of the Rock defying everyone in the background. The most contested real-estate on earth indeed.

Until next time.