A week ago, on Thursday April 21st, my cousin and I ventured to Ramallah... on our own. The experience was a mix of exploring, shopping, cousin seeing her old friend, but eventually, frustration.

As expected, getting there was no problem. We found parking and then started on our walk to check out the shop-filled streets. I bought a dress at a Mango store within 5 minutes of being there... What can I say? I know what I like and I'm a quick shopper LOL =) It wasn't noon yet and the streets were filled with shoppers. It seems people in this country are early-risers, but I've also noticed that when it comes to some foods, some prefer to buy what they need on the day it will be cooked rather than to stock up ahead of time. Guaranteed freshness, right? While I might be used to "getting moving" later on in the day, here the hustle and bustle of life starts quite early.

As we ventured on, all we saw were shops, shops and more shops, many of which have what I consider to be funny English names. It was also interesting to be roaming the rugged, narrow streets only to hear a radio blasting Rihanna and other typical American songs... right. My wandering eyes eventually caught a big green and white label, and I soon realized I was greeted with Ramallah's very own version of Starbucks, renamed... "Stars and Bucks." Yes I did have to laugh at that one, and just had to snap a picture. As anywhere else, you see some dressed in more religious attire and others mixing it up to make it fashionable, with matching colors/purses/shoes, etc. Speaking of shoes. I think out of all the stores we saw, we mostly saw shoe stores... my goodness. No shortage of that here, and of color variety either!!

All went fine, until we decided to head home. The main checkpoint in Ramallah is the Qalandiya checkpoint which is the one that gets the worse traffic and is notorious for ridiculously long waits. It happens to be located off the main street, which we figured wouldn't be so hard to find. Big mistake. We soon realized how much Ramallah is lacking in adequate, if any, road signs, so that we drove around for at least a good 30 minutes, looking for signs leading back to Jerusalem, before realizing that we were heading towards other unknown towns. We asked for directions at least 4-5 different times from people, police and Palestinian soldiers until we finally found the road to Qalandiya. But that in itself was only part of the solution, as there was terrible traffic ahead of us. We knew another, easier checkpoint to go through to get home besides Qalandiya, but required a longer drive, so we realized we'd be sitting in that traffic for some time. The worst part? We needed a bathroom. Sure it sounds silly in retrospect, but things like this just serves to remind you that 1. always look for/use a bathroom when you can because you never know when you'd be able to find one next and 2. in some parts of the world, you can't just 'park your car on the side' and go look for accomodations, etc. The traffic is such that your car is just stuck there and there is absolutely nowhere to go but straight ahead, period. 

So, sitting in bumper to bumper traffic, cringing all the while... We took the longer route and it seemed like we'd finally be reaching home in a few short minutes until the car died... just steps away from the other checkpoint we'd driven all this way to reach. My goodness. It was like the ride home was destined to last forever... We tried to re-start the car several times, without luck. My cousin's husband quickly came to the scene to try to figure out the situation. He stayed on with the car while we drove home fast because yes, we still needed that bathroom and had been waiting an hour by now to use it (really not good for the bladder, in case that's a surprise to anyone). I will say I have never before felt such relief to reach home...

In terms of the car, it seemed it had over-heated and it went unnoticed, so that by the time we had reached the checkpoint, it had reached its limit...?? I'm not sure and this still puzzles me, when we are told this never happened to the car before. Go figure. A nice thing amidst the craziness: while we waited for my cousin's husband to arrive, a car pulled up and a Jewish man came over to try to help us out with the car situation. I already would have been surprised for that gesture back in CA, but here in Israel/Occupied Territories where tensions abound, this stood out even more in a lovely way.

Lessons of the day? Even for my cousin who has lived here her whole life, it may be wise to consider how 'adventurous' one is willing to be. Honestly, I wasn't really frustrated by the whole thing as much because I saw it as part of the experience... Part of me had indeed thought, "hey we might get lost, but we'll just figure our way out..." which we eventually did do. But the bathroom and car dying thing? Would have never seen that one coming in a million years. Next time we go it will surely be with people who know the area... and with our own cars (we had taken someone else's car). The bathroom thing has also been rather painfully noted. Perhaps these issues wouldn't have been a big deal in the States, but here? Where many streets lack names, probably don't appear on a map, with construction being done all over the place, and one hill looking exactly like the next?

Hey, you live and you learn. =)

On Monday, April 25th 2011, a group of 12 of us went to Yafo to watch a rather brief Arab Christian celebration. It was basically all the Christians from the area gathering to go to church, and then watch their scouts parading the streets. It's an occasion for people to dress up and socialize but since my cousins don't know anyone in Yafo, we just watched and didn't stick around. 

After, we headed to one of the many parks of the area to barbecue, and man was the park packed!!!!! As always it was a mix of people, but I suppose the people there were mostly Jews celebrating Passover and Christians celebrating Easter. The weather was really nice and 3 of the guys barbecued some amazing food: chicken, kebabs, onions, tomatoes, hot peppers (which burnt my tongue with how spicy they were!!!) and also this food that looked a lot like pieces of chicken but were actually pieces of 100% fat. When cooked it was very tasty and salty but again, you'd have to remember you are eating pure fat LOL

The park was huge, and there were some attractions for kids, such as a little 'zoo' with deers and peacocks, and playgrounds. There were also some big 'lakes' so you could water-ski and do a few other water-related activities. It was interesting to see this huge park that had what I consider to be better-than-average entertainment. We'd be eating our barbecue and then see someone randomly passing by on their water-ski, flying through the air if they happened to be doing some tricks. Some were dressed in casual clothes, others in religious clothing. Regardless all seemed to be there to enjoy a day off in the sun. We stayed there quite a while, eating and relaxing at the park. In the evening we headed to a place on the other side of Yafo called "Victory" for ice cream and waffles... Good grief, their portions were huge and tasted delicious!! I hadn't had sweets and chocolates in well over 40 days, so this was another welcomed post-Easter treat. 

This marked the end of the Easter week-end and back to work the next day for most people. Little road trips are always enjoyable and have a way of making you feel alive. Maybe some moments feel extra special because you know you only have that one day, one hour, or whatever specific time limit. Easter may be over, but we'll just have to see which other trips we'll make during my stay. +

After 3 weeks worth of Easter-related events, it all came down to Easter week-end. A lot happened in just these 3 days, and the following is a long entry concerning my experience.

On Good Friday, April 22nd 2011, we went to St. Jacob's in the late afternoon for mass. After that, we watched the 'burial of Jesus' in the courtyard of the Holy Sepulchre (which is right outside). The procession came out of St.

Jacob's church and the body of Jesus, in a coffin, was paraded around the courtyard 3 times.It was EXTREMELY packed. People were getting pushed and voices were raised, but I guess in the end it all worked out (LOL?!). It started to drizzle slightly and after the procession, the crowd slowly dispersed. I did not know it yet, but this crowd I had witnessed tonight was nothing compared to what would occur on the next day, Holy Saturday...

On Holy Saturday, April 23rd 2011, I practically spent the entire day in the Old City, watching Arab Christian scouts and traditions displayed at every corner of the city... It made me realize how easy it can be to lose all notion of time and place, to be lost in yourself, your family, customs, and basically enter a whole other world. At least it felt that way for me, who was seeing all this for the first time. This may have become 'routine' for other people who see it every year, but this was all new to me.

We left the house in the morning around 11am and headed to the Old City with 4 other people to watch the lighting of the Holy Fire. But what ensued was a series of things I will surely never forget. Partly due to the spiritual aspect of the experience, of course, but also partly because a lot of it was pretty insane and also downright scary, at least for me. My cousin had warned me on the way there: "get ready for more pushing and craziness today." Some things you really can't imagine until you experience them for yourself... As we walked in the Old City, it did not take long for us to see how packed the streets already were, and the lighting of the fire wasn't going to happen until 2pm... 

As we neared the church, and got more engulfed in the crowds, I eventually got separated from my girl cousin and her crew, and instead drifted off with my cousin's friend/coworker. We were literally stuck against walls, barely able to walk, literally having to push your way through (and I hate doing that because of course I consider that rude, but we really had NO choice!! Assertiveness is key here!!). Granted, although every second wasn't excruciating per se, the few times that there were 'panics' and such, they were bad enough to make us worry and feel as though this could end up badly. A few times we felt like we couldn't get enough air, so intensely packed it was.

At some point, there was such bad pushing and 'stampeding'-like behavior that a man had opened the doors to his shop to let people in while the crowd kept moving, hopefully making it easier for people to walk. He had grabbed my arm and my partner-in-crime and I had gone in very briefly... Sheesh. I am all for being devoted and strong in your faith but this?! Fighting for my life indeed!!!!!!!!! I'm sure some found this an 'opportunity' to get close to cute girls and help them out in this crazy situation... Of course I found it very sweet when some guys were being extra helpful, getting a protective-like stance as they tried their best to help girls move along, even when all were packed like sardines LOL. I'll say helpful, protective gents are welcomed in any situation =)

Thankfully my cousin's friend had experienced this before--even though she did say it had never been that bad before-- so she knew what she was doing and was determined to get as close to the Holy Sepulchre as possible. She wanted to at least be able to hear the bells, which would signify the Holy Fire had been lit. Well we didn't get far, but eventually we found a spot right at the corner of Greek Patriarchate St. of the Christian Quarter. We waited here about 1.5 hours until the lighting of the Holy Fire. There was nowhere to go, barriers/'checkpoints' were being set up all over the place by Israeli soldiers, so we knew movement would be limited. Where we stood and waited, right across from us a barrier had been set up, so that here we were, 2 groups of people waiting, separated by a 'gap' in which stood the Israeli soldiers. I suppose this 'gap' came in handy for making room when the 'fences' came down, to let the scouts pass through what was a narrow street (as pretty much all streets are in the Old City).

Someone eventually appeared with a bundle of candles that were ablaze (this bundle consists of 33 thin candles; to signify the number of years Jesus lived), and everyone just went crazy trying to reach that candle so they could light their own... I was really concerned. So much fire and constricted space and movement, I was just trying to make sure no one would set themselves, or someone else, on fire!!!! I didn't know anything then about 'supposedly the fire not burning you the first 33 minutes it's lit' but what I do know is that I felt the heat radiating from the flames all around me, and that was enough to make me extremely cautious. Maybe it was the intensity in the air, the short but awkward event between a Palestinian and a soldier, and the crazy crowd, but I just wanted 'safety first' at this point. 

After fighting for our lives (LOL), we were hungry and went and got pizza from Yerevan, the Armenian restaurant right at the corner by the New Gate. We took it home and it felt amazing to 1. have gotten home alive in one piece!! and 2. that fasting was over and we could finally eat cheese and meat again!!! Simply amazing =)

That had been in the late morning/early afternoon. It had already been an event-filled day, but I was nowhere near being done. It was 4:30pm, and I knew that I would still be going back to the Old City to watch the Ethiopian celebration of the Holy Fire and the Catholic scouts later in the evening. THEN, at midnight I would be heading with my uncle and aunt to the Russian convent for mass, until 5am... I had tried to rest for 2 hours since I knew I had all this ahead of me, but I guess the excitement got the best of me and I just stayed up the whole time.

Around 7:30pm, we were back in the Old City to watch the Ethiopian celebration. We went in through a narrow passage on the right side, outside the Holy Sepulchre. We went up narrow steps and hallways, all the while seeing crowds of typically white-clad Ethiopians praying everywhere. The air was thick and humid inside, with so much body heat and candles all over the place. We eventually reached the roof and we were outside, where more Ethiopians were sitting and praying against the walls. Others, younger crowds and tourists were standing and waiting for the lighting to begin. We had thought that it wouldn't be as crazy packed as it had been during the morning's events, and at first, it truly seemed that way. We breathed a sigh of relief... but not for long. We were given candles by the gentle and sweet crowd and chatted as we waited. It was almost pitch-black on the roof, and you could actually see the stars. Eventually the lighting of the candles happened, and everyone started singing and it really felt rather fun and exciting... but it was too packed, again!!!!! My short arm was trying so hard to reach as high as it could to catch as much footage on my camera as I could, and the result was 30 seconds at best (LOL). Hey, I tried... Sadly, we didn't stay long at all, but I am glad to have seen at least some of it. 

We then headed to watch the Arab Catholic scouts play, which of course they had done in the morning, but this was night-time. I really enjoyed the tune they play, which apparently is a rendition of the song "Sidi Mansour." Makes sense now; I was wondering why the tune sounded vaguely familiar!!!!! All in good fun... =)

I headed home and I had about an hour to get ready for the Russian Orthodox mass... I wore my outfit, which was basically all black: long skirt, black jacket and black scarf on my head. Maybe it's my European upbringing that makes me default on black when I'm not sure what to wear, or when it comes to religious events, but it turns out apparently I didn't need to wear all black. Women were indeed wearing long skirts and covering their heads, but if anything they seemed to be wearing lighter colors and flower-patterned scarves. I guess black was just my preference (and usually is in general, LOL). I hadn't been in a Russian church in a long time, and I had forgotten that Russian Orthodox churches usually seem to have consistent singing, even if really low and 'in the background.' The female choir was really nice and relaxing to hear. The church is small and the people seemed exclusively Russian, who may have only spoken Russian too. It lasted about 4.5 hours, during which I stood pretty much

the whole time (and yes my legs did hurt!). After the mass, we had breakfast which consisted of sesame bread (ka'ak), an egg, chocolate, a sweet piece of bread, some kind of sweet salad, and tea. I'll admit this early in the morning (around 5am), I didn't really have much of an appetite and was really dreaming of a nice cozy bed to sleep in. I had been up and about for almost 24 hours by now, so yes the fatigue was really kicking in. I know I had wanted to see the mass and mostly do it for my great-grandmother who is buried there. It was required by no one; it's just something I wanted to do and I'm glad to have had the opportunity. +

I slept from about 5:30am until 11:30am. The rice with meat and chicken I had for lunch tasted amazing, given I hadn't had any meat in about a month. The day was relaxing, and in the evening the cousins (meaning us adults) went to Beit Sahour to eat and have a drink, just to go for a drive and be out on Easter. 

On top of the 3 weeks leading up to Easter, this week-end alone felt extremely busy and intense. It has been a bit of everything for sure: relaxing, rejoicing, worrying, stressing... longing. I am very thankful to have had the opportunity to do so, and even to have seen the crowds, as frightening as it may have been at times. That was indeed what I had hoped for; to see multiple people coming together to witness what is considered to be the most important Christian celebration. Due to the small Christian Palestinian population here, I really wanted to witness their traditions and perhaps even retain some of them myself. Only time will tell...

Al Massih Kam, Hakan Kam!!! +

Yesterday, Sunday April 17th 2011 was Palm Sunday, which commemorates Jesus' entry into Jerusalem. We started off the day with an early mass and then watched some of the scouts march through the streets of the Old City. On top of the weather being so hot, it was absolutely packed... like there-is-no-room-to-walk kind of packed!!! It was quite a sight to see and I've got much of it recorded and in snapshots. The streets were a mix of well-dressed Arab Christians, tourists and cart-pushing young kids trying to deliver their goods through the narrow and packed Christian quarter. My uncle said that this is the last week that Jerusalem will be seeing so many people; after Easter it will go back to being quiet... 

After, we drove to a Jaffa restaurant near Tel Aviv, where we absolutely stuffed ourselves with fish yet again (since Palm Sunday allows for fish consumption). It was also quite refreshing since the restaurant had a view to the sea, which was my first time ever seeing the ocean here!!! After, we went for a short walk down to the boardwalk and to the water. Walking under the scorching sun, I must say dipping my feet in the ocean water had never felt so good... if not slightly cruel for tempting me to throw myself in the ocean entirely (LOL!!). 

After a long, warm sleepy ride back to Jerusalem, we went once again to the New Gate/Old City to watch the scouts yet again. The streets were closed off to let the scouts pass through and I was able to get pretty much the whole thing recorded (at the cost of my arm feeling sore today, LOL). It was really quite a sight to see the whole area so packed. Of course the majority of the people were Arab Christians, but there were some tourists and I think even Israeli reporters fully equipped for taking pictures of the parade (for newspaper articles perhaps?). Seeing that many people, I was reminded why I had wanted to come this year; because this year all Christian denominations celebrate Easter on the same day. Apparently it will be another 11 years until this happens again. As a reminder, Catholics usually celebrate Easter 2 weeks before the Orthodox do. It was definitely memorable and I'm glad to have witnessed it. My cousin did make me laugh by asking me "if I was enjoying the fashion show," which was entertaining to see. I must say I'm always surprised to see women able to walk in stilettos on uneven, ancient, cobblestoned streets!!! I was never a fan of flats until seeing the streets of Paris and Rome, and they are definitely my go-to shoes here as well. Perhaps less religious areas like Tel-Aviv have flatter concrete pavement to walk on, but in these here parts, I have no choice but to go the safe route...=) All around a unique and enjoyable experience. +

What is planned for the days leading up to Easter:

Friday 22nd: to the Holy Sepulchre 

Saturday 23rd/Sun 24 in the AM: to Mt. of Olives' Russian Orthodox Easter mass

Monday 25th: to Yafo for Christian festival

Apparently I won't be getting much sleep that week-end since some of these will entail spending the night in places consecutively, but I'm not one to complain. I'm actually very excited to see it all... When is the next time I'll get to do this?! Off to the religious sites I go!!! +

The following are a few pictures I took. I mostly got all of it recorded but due to the large file size, I'm having a few issues uploading it right now... but soon, soon!!

On Saturday April 16th 2011, I made my first visit ever to Ramallah. Although we didn't hang out in the streets of the city, driving through gave me a good idea of what to expect. We headed to the Ramallah Cultural Palace to watch a passion play, with the leading role of Jesus being played by a good friend of the family's cousin. The center itself was very nice and is located on a hill, right near Mahmoud Darwish's burial place. Inside, the auditorium was quite huge. To my pleasant surprise it was packed, and some people weren't able to have seats, so they just sat on the steps to watch. The play was really well done, and the cast ranged from teenagers to early 20-somethings. At times they used some of the instrumental music from Mel Gibson's movie, but the play consisted of Arabic songs at almost every major scene of the play. After about 2 hours, some stayed on to take pictures with the cast, but for sure it was the main character getting all of the attention. As it was dark when we came out of the center following the play, that is when I was able to notice some aspects of Ramallah. 

Historically Ramallah was a Christian city, and I was told my Palestinian family was originally from there before they moved to Jerusalem. The city now has a Muslim majority with a remaining strong Christian minority. Nowadays, Ramallah is seen as the center of economic and political activity in the areas under the Palestinian Authority. It's also known for its cafes and nightlife, and that became quickly obvious with all the young people hanging out in the streets, almost everywhere really. However, it's also known for its crazy traffic, and even though it may be easy to get into Ramallah,most people complain about having to wait hours at the check-point to leave the city. It may also be perceived as a somewhat 'turbulent' city at times, especially when I hear stories of clashes between Palestinians and soldiers at check-points, with guns firing and family members of mine being caught literally in the middle of this, yet thankfully able to drive away from the clash... Eeeeeh!! 

Of course I don't believe that paranoia does much good to one's life, but it just reminds you to be safe and to be aware of your surroundings, which is important no matter your location. In the time that I'll be here, there are some plans to spend more time there and do a bit of exploring.

Some pictures of the play:

There is currently a 'festival' going on here that I won't be able to attend, but has been of interest to me. It's called the Palestine Festival of Literature. They are basically events happening in different cities throughout Israel. What I didn't know is that the same festival is also happening for Israel, called International Writers Festival of Israel. I got an e-mail today reminding me of their events, and I ran into a New York Times article that discusses how both sides are ignoring each other's festivals... =( 


In terms of going to some of these events, it's not always as simple as you'd think. There is crazy traffic here and sometimes roads are closed off. Finding parking can also be a challenge. I will say that I feel there are at least quite a few things to do, if you make an effort to look for them. A few days ago, I attended a concert at the YMCA as part of the Jasmine Festival (basically a spring festival of classical, jazz and world music). It was nice to see such talented young people play (teenagers!!!) as well as the pieces played by their instructors. It was just something different to do and check-out here, which I thought was nice. 


I've also caught a glimpse of Israeli nightlife, and I must say I was quite surprised because it reminded me of Rome and Paris on warm spring nights. What I saw involved streets crowded with young people, drinking, smoking, eating and talking way louder than they should or need to (LOL!!!). Guys dressed in whatever, while most girls were looking their hottest and you almost feel that's kind of unfair (haha!!!). Eyes searching each other, trying to figure out 'which group they belong to,' which languages they speak? A few drinks more and it seems no one cares anymore... I'd label the feel as chilled and relaxed, and if sitting outside in the slight breeze may be bothersome, that is nothing their super strong drinks won't make you forget real fast... 

I'm aware that none of this sounds terribly 'religious' or Easter-like in nature. However, I think that highlighting some cultural aspects are just as important and interesting as any other. What I'm drawn to is the mix of religious/spiritual with the more common and mundane aspects of life. At what point do you draw the line between your spiritual self and material self? Is this even possible? Does going out and 'getting crazy' mean that you can't be a deeply spiritual person? Does shutting yourself off from the world automatically result in you being a better, kinder, more loving person? I realize different things will suit different personalities best, so perhaps it's up to each of us to figure out where we stand. +

Palestine Festival of Literature link:

http://www.palfest.org/index.html

New York Times article link: 

Israelis and Palestinians Hail Writers of the Word, Just Not With One Another

Jasmine festival link: 

Jasmine Festival program

Another productive morning--and I don't consider myself a morning person, LOL. My cousin and I went first to Al Saladin street for passport pictures, and I was finally able to change some of them dollars. We go there because according to experience they seem to have the best rates. Al Saladin street is the biggest street in East Jerusalem and also the street where my father worked in his pharmacy 30 years ago (the pharmacy is still there too). First and last time I had seen that place was 1.5 years ago, and it was packed with Muslims shopping for Ramadan. Today was emptier and slightly easier to walk the street, even though people walking at crazy slow, or fast paces//not caring to let you pass sadly happen all over the place in this country. Everyone does it, and so you get used to asserting yourself fast (otherwise you'll get annoyed, LOL). A little 'issue' with the currency change: a few were unwilling to change my currency because I brought $20 bills, so in the future I'll remember to bring $50 bills and higher only. However, we did find someone who agreed to take them, at the cost of 20 shekels. That means it only cost me about $5, which is absolutely nothing to me, so I pounced on it (just get me some Shekels already, sheesh!!! :) ). 

We then went to the Damascus Gate and the Muslim quarter for me to buy that skirt I had seen yesterday, which is oh so Russian Orthodox Easter mass-appropriate, and a complete steal!!! I also found a scarf to cover my hair so I am ready for, as my uncle calls it, 'the most important night of the year.' So basically I'll be wearing all black: black top, long black 'flowy' skirt, and a black scarf over my head. My dad said to be sure to dress warm because that monastery gets super freezing at night, so I will be sure to keep that in mind. I feel relaxed now knowing I don't have to worry about 'what I'll wear for that day.' I thought it was kind of cute and unique to be running around the Old City looking for religious garb. Whoever thought I'd be doing that someday?! :) +

Later, I randomly 'ran' into this article, about Jesus' crucifixion nails... Perfect timing?! 


Jesus' Crucifixion Nails Found, Says Israeli Filmmaker

Today was quite a day. I was woken up to eat still-warm falafel and hummus before going to the Jerusalem mall with my (girl) cousin. The weather was insane (crazy wind, and then rain) and the mall was absolutely packed, as the Jews are getting ready for their Passover that starts next Monday, and the Christians have Palm Sunday this weekend, and Easter the following week-end. Needless to say, everyone is heading to the malls to take advantage of the holiday deals before the prices go back up. Finding parking was ridiculous and took about 15 minutes to find a spot, but that issue, along with the drivers here, deserve a post all of their own. We strolled around for a little over 2 hours, during which I cracked and bought the cutest pair of light pink heels. I haven't even changed my currency yet but they let me use dollars, which I thought was awesome!!! I already know I won't be doing much 'shopping' here besides souvenirs and probably Kinder's chocolate (hard to find in the States) and since these shoes were super comfortable, I gave in. My first purchase here!! I'd say the prices here are a big deterrent for me since 1. if/when I do shop, I thrive on bargain shopping, and 2. I don't feel there is anything here I can't find in the States. But I already knew this coming here, and planned accordingly, so it's not a concern. The exception will of course involve the endless religious trinkets, hence the 'souvenirs' (which will be purchased last). Those Old City open-air markets with tons of lovely scarves will also get my business, provided I get some serious bargains after exercising my haggling abilities (and trust that I will!!!).

As planned, later in the day we went to watch the/some Arab Catholics on the Via Dolorosa pilgrimage. There was only about 25 people in all, of different nationalities and age groups. For some reason I expected a lot more people to be there, but then I was also told that people go on this walk at any time throughout the day, and that if you wanted, you could even get your own cross to carry and go on your very own pilgrimage yourself... MMM, never thought of it that way...  Before starting the walk, we looked around the Church of the Flagellation. The walk then started right across the street, at Umariya Elementary school, a Muslim school part of the Muslim quarter. I believe this is supposed to be the site of the prison where Jesus was tortured and kept until his crucifixion. We then visited the rest of the 8 stations, which is pretty much all of the Muslim quarter. Since these streets are lined with shops, there is constant commotion, cars and mopeds passing by (and these streets are narrow as heck; I still sometimes get shocked that cars can even FIT through!!!), and stray cats and animals in general. I was walking and looked to my right, only to have a huge white parrot with the feathers on his head raised up, staring at me with his beak wide open. As if I wasn't as surprised as he was that he's there, perched on the wall... LOL!!!! I wish I had caught a picture, but it happened so fast that I didn't have time to bust out the camera. Of course the walk ended at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, which we entered and then continued in to the right, down 2 flights of stairs, the first of which leads to a big mosaic on the ground, and the second to a small, cave-like Catholic church. We stayed there a bit and a few prayers were said, and some songs sung. It concluded with a young man with a really beautiful voice singing a Latin song.

The people I attended with were Orthodox, and one asked a Catholic attendee if one Orthodox song could be sung during this pilgrimage, and the answer was a flat out 'no' (but almost like a "are you crazy?!" kind of response). Sadly, this only reminds me that divisions can be many in this place, even within Christian communities themselves. What about people who have parents of different Christian denominations (like my own for that matter)? Are they supposed to choose just 'one' denomination to 'like' better? Does denomination even matter? Shouldn't it be that we work on our hearts instead of which denomination we choose to claim? Will God ask us which denomination we are, and give preference, when we answer one way or another? I know what I feel, and I know that I enjoyed being there, and that is all that matters to me. To get home, we took this kind of shuttle service for Arabs and it was quite convenient (my first time on public transportation here!! LOL). Apparently there will be the major Via Dolorosa walk happening on Good Friday, and I believe we are going to be attending that too, but following a different route. Many things will surely happen before then, so I'll be sharing those as well. =) +

On the way out, the Holy Sepulchre was actually almost empty!!! Very rare to see it that way!!! 

Yesterday we attended yet again the mass at St. Jacob's next to the Holy Sepulchre. The mass was longer than last week's (2.5 hours instead of 1.5) because it was repeating the masses from the weeks prior up until today. Even though I don't speak Arabic I find the mass(es) very soothing and relaxing, and not knowing a language has never really been an issue for me. Even so, in spiritual matters I find language to be less of a barrier than it might be in other instances (besides there's nothing stopping you from praying in your own language(s) if that suits you). The people in attendance are Arab Orthodox but it's also interesting to see the occasional Russian Orthodox visitors, priests, and nuns who stop by to kiss the Virgin Mary's icon and say a quick prayer. It's always enjoyable to walk through the streets of the Old City, especially at night. Kinda makes me wish I could live inside those quarters... :)

Continuing in our fasting, we had huge falafel and Ka'ak bread (bread with sesame) and salad for dinner. Tea and some kind of sweet always complete the meal. The sweets of course have to be appropriate for the fast, so we usually buy them from Christian bakers since they know the ingredients used to make them. I stuffed myself, which may have prevented me from falling asleep right away, but I just can't refuse falafel (I think I ate most of it this time, lol!).

I believe on Tuesday I will be going to the Old City to watch the Catholics walk Jesus's path on Via Dolorosa and all the stations where He fell. Can't wait to catch THAT on film and pictures!! Will be sharing those ASAP (and praying that the laptop here doesn't crash; it is seeing its last days, ha!). +

Yesterday, on Thursday April 7th 2011, we celebrated the Annunciation-- when Mary was told that she would become the mother of Jesus. Why was everyone rejoicing? Because we were going to eat lots of St. Peter's fish!!! After a week of fasting, it wasn't too hard on me but since everyone else had been doing it longer, they had been looking forward to this for a while. It was the first time they'd get to have some animal product since the beginning of Lent. Of course, the fish was delicious, and so were the salads, French fries and bottles of Arak that were quickly consumed (lol). We stuffed ourselves and my stomach definitely felt this gastronomic change, but I sure didn't mind.

There are a few things planned for the next few weeks that will lead to Easter. It includes me attending the Russian Orthodox Easter mass with my uncle (which will start at midnight and last about 8 hours, if I remember correctly), and going to Yafo the Monday following Easter for a big Christian festival. I'm not sure who else will join me/us to the Easter Mass, but I have to somewhat consider what I'll be wearing since I have to wear a skirt that falls below the knees, and I'll also have to cover my hair. There's no rule against nail polish but there is against lipstick... so I was told. I haven't done anything of the sort and since I am very curious, I am excited to see how it all comes together. 

A few visuals: 

Uncooked fish: 

Cooked!!!!

My first 2 days here have been very nice and relaxing thus far. I find I'm adjusting to the jet lag a lot faster then expected, or maybe it's also the excitement of being here that prevents you from sleeping half the day (lol).


Thursday, my first night here, cousins and I went to the movies at an Israeli mall and I was surprised to see they have lots of movies playing in English (thanks to the considerable English-speaking community/tourists here). The weather was absolutely gorgeous even at midnight, but I guess I feel I have yet to experience 'bad weather' here... On to food, as per tradition, we are eating foods without meat or dairy until Easter, so I filled myself with stuffed grape leaves and rice-filled red peppers... YUMMMM!!!! 

Friday the 1st, the 4th Friday of Lent, I got up late (we had been up until 5am talking and catching up on things) and I had delicious home-made zeit za'atar for breakfast... goodness nothing compares to home-made food!!!! and that bread, so soft and mushy.... <3!!!!!! I need to muster up the discipline to rise at the break of dawn and make my own bread too... I vow to bring some recipes home with me... and learn how to make them. Or just have my dad make them LOLLLL

In the afternoon we went to Arabic Orthodox mass at St. Jacob's Church in the Old City, to hear the mass entirely dedicated to the Virgin Mary. It is literally right next to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. As with most religious places in Jerusalem, many churches will have different 'sections' depending on the denomination (ie: Catholic, Coptic, Syrian, Armenian, Orthodox, etc.). So for those who want to hear mass in a certain language, they have only to go to the appropriate area to do so (if available). I thought it got pretty full but according to what I heard, that was not even considered packed. As I enjoy ancient architecture, I definitely appreciate seeing these old, cave-like places where one can pray, sing and meditate. In many ways it's amazing to think they have survived throughout the ages. 

In the evening my soul was finally at peace when I was reunited with bigger-than-usual falafel and sesame bread!!!!!!!!!!!! I have to say that this fasting thing is not being hard on me in the LEAST. I am enjoying everything and eating plenty of it, so i have zero complaints. Family members always make me laugh when they seem to think I'm not 'eating enough' but I am definitely not one for starving myself EVER so there's no need to worry about that :)

One pleasant, if not random, surprise comes in the form of SAMA FM. It's a Palestinian radio station that plays AMAZIIIING house/dance/trance/ambient music that would give any major American/European club some serious competition. I don't know if they also play Arabic music, but if so far I've only heard the likes of house music play on there. I have been trying real hard to find the name of a track I heard playing on there at 2am (how typical; it's always in the middle of the night that these things happen lol). I will have to keep digging through that website (http://www.fmradiostationz.com/arabic/sama-fm.html) and/or give good ol' YouTube a visit when I get a chance... 

'Tis all for now +

Pictures of the church:

just outside the church:

this is looking out into the courtyard; if exiting, on the left is the Holy Sepulchre