Curses, foiled again

I just thought I'd let you know that I tried my hardest to get some pictures up on this thing. Although we can't post pictures with the computers at the JC, we can post them from Hebrew University, so I went there with a group of people a couple days ago to do so. It was a great plan... except that Hebrew U's computers are absolutely ancient, and didn't have a slot for my memory card. Darn. Well, I got smart. I realized that the ancient computers did have USB drives, so if I put some of the better pictures onto my thumb drive here and brought that to Hebrew U, I'd be able to post some pictures. That was a great plan, too... only when our group got there today, we realized that it's closed on Fridays. Curses, foiled again. So, I'll probably get some pictures up eventually, but not anytime soon. Also, don't expect me to be updating my blog at all for over a week, because we leave for Egypt on Sunday. As a side note, has anybody noticed how much I've enjoyed using italics in this paragraph?

This has been quite a busy week. Our teachers decided that it'd be a good idea to give us quizzes this week before we leave for Egypt and forget everything, and though it was a good idea, every teacher deciding that we needed a quiz in their class resulted in quite a few quizzes, and quite a lot of studying. We still got some time in the city, though. A group of us paid about 11 shekels to do the ramparts walk and go around the Old City wall, and that was pretty fun--we got some good pictures, at least :) I also made my way to Omar's, an amazing man who sells beautiful olive wood carvings, and have pretty much picked out the nativity set that I want to buy. Also, because I know that you love to hear about my shopping expeditions while I'm here, I bought a really cool bag, an engraved ring (which I wear around my neck now, because it didn't exactly fit the same way the tester ring did), a little box for the 5-shekel earrings I've been accumulating, and, for some reason, a pillowcase. I didn't actually mean to buy the pillowcase. I just started bartering with the guy without thinking about it, and once he finally came down to my price, I was kind of stuck--it's really rude to back out of a purchase once a price has been reached. It's a pretty pillowcase, though, so I don't mind :) I'll actually probably head back later to buy a couple more than him, because he was a really nice guy.

It seems like the longer I stay in Jerusalem, the more I come to love it. It's not just the city, either--I've started appreciating the people a lot more than I did before. For instance, the pillowcase-man. After I bought the pillowcase from him, I was stuck in the store for a little while longer because the rest of my group was looking at skirts, so I started talking to him. He started showing me some of his sons' wedding and engagement pictures, and it was absolutely hilarious. He had this pictures of all four of his sons out, and was pointing them out to me saying, "This one's so-and-so, and he got married two years ago, so he's 'finished.' This is so-and-so, and he just got married two months ago, so he's 'finished.' I still have these sons left, though, and they need to hurry up and 'finish!'" I laughed and told him that I was almost "finished," too, but that I didn't have a picture with me. We parted on really good terms, and I'll be happy to go and see him again.

Shabban, the man who runs the "BYU Store" (seriously, it sells BYU Jerusalem t-shirts and scripture cases!), and Emad, the 5-shekel earring man, are two other men who've been fun to get to know. Aladdin the money-changer is also a lot of fun, and it was so funny to see a Utah Jazz sticker in his shop. :) Omar is absolutely incredible, though. His only business comes from LDS people, and he's met all of the prophets since Ezra Taft Benson (though I don't know if that includes President Monson or not). His shop has the standard carvings, like the nativity, the Last Supper, and various carvings of Christ, but it also has Joseph and Emma Smith, Nephi, Father Lehi (which he says is the one President Hinckley bought from him), Moroni, Captain Moroni, and the Liahona. He has two sons who went to BYU, and his shop is covered in BYU posters and LDS pictures. What amazed me about him, though, is how open he is. Somebody asked him almost as a joke why he wasn't LDS yet, and though I won't write the story he told us here since we promised him we wouldn't spread it around, we were all touched by the trials he's been through and the faith that he has. I'm starting to realize that, many times, there is more to people here than meets the eye.

Another cute story happened while we were walking back to the Center. We were climbing up the hill to get back, and a girl named Teri Ann and I had lagged behind to take a picture together when a couple of Palestinian children came up to us and held their oranges out to us. We weren't really sure what to do--we kind of suspected that they'd want money in return, and we really had no idea where those oranges had been. :P We thought it might be rude to refuse, though, so we took them, figuring we'd just pay them whatever was in our pockets if they held their hands out. They didn't, though--they just smiled and waved and walked away. I don't know why, but both of us were very touched by this little act of kindness (and we really wished we'd gotten a picture with them!). I don't know what level of sacrifice it was for them to give us their oranges--it's a very poor area of town, but they might have had more at home that they could've eaten. It was sweet, though, and is one of my fondest memories of the Holy Land so far.

It's insane how quickly this week has gone--I can barely believe that we're leaving for Egypt in two days! I'll admit it, though, I'm not looking forward to the bathroom situation. Apparently you need to tip to use their gross, hole-in-the-ground toilets, and since the money changer was all out of any Egyptian currency smaller than 100 pounds (roughly equivalent to nineteen American dollars), it looks like I'll be forking out a dollar every time I want to use the bathroom on the way there. Theft is supposed to be worse there, too, as well as "unwanted attention from men," and if past years are anything to go by, I have about a 75% chance of getting sick. Somehow, though, I'm still really excited. Ever since I was really little I've wanted to go to Egypt, so this is like the fulfillment of a dream, if I may wax poetic for a moment. ;) It should be quite the adventure, too--while we're there, we'll be traveling by bus, plane, train, taxi, boat, carriage, and camel. I'll be sure to take plenty of pictures while I'm there, and might even be able to post some when I get back, though judging from past experiences, that might be stretching things. :P

Thanks to those who commented last week, and to those who didn't comment, but read anyways. I can't judge you--I'm horrible at commenting on things. :P Also, as an unrelated note, the wedding date is set for June 26th (have I announced that here yet? I know I've hinted at it). Be there or be square.