01 May 2011

First day of school! First day of school! First day of school!

We began classes today. Being the individual I am, I was ready and beaming with enthusiasm two hours before classes began. Learning is such an amazing experience, and it has been made a million times better since I am learning about the sites I am visiting and seeing! Classes began promptly at 8:00a in the morning with Old Testament Studies. I am in a class with thirty-nine other students; my professors name is Brother Muhlstein. He is an amazing teacher; I am going to learn so much from him and cannot wait. His class lasted for two hours, and we were privileged to learn about Abraham and the Abrahamic Covenant. At 10:00a, we merged into an eighty student class for Ancient Near Eastern Studies with Brother Chadwick. He is an archaeologist and knows what he is talking about. I am so excited to be in his class! His humor is the best, and he cares so much about his students. His work load will be difficult, but I think I can handle it. His grading scale is what scares me! A 90 is a "B"!! Crazy, I know. But it will make me work and I am determined to get an A (which happens to be a 96 so wish me luck!)

The entire afternoon was spent with Jeehee Cho, Fenton Hughes, "Hot" Rob, and Wayna Chow in the Old City of Jerusalem. It was an amazing experience, and one that lasted for almost five hours. Mostly, we just wandered around the Old City. My adventurous genetics are beginning to appear! And I have no problem with it. My mom would be so proud...haha. We walked around most of the city, however, I know we missed most of the streets! There is just too much to cover in so little time! My favorite part of the city that we saw was in the Jewish Quarter. It was so peaceful and clean and beautiful there. There is a big square with a synagogue there that is surrounded by cafes and just quiet motion of persons walking by. It was soothing to stop and listen and watch our surroundings. We are planning to go back that way for lunch on Wednesday. I am really looking forward to it!

In the city, we were able to go into a few shops, including Shabon's. Shabon is a shop owner who sells leather LDS scripture cases; you can imagine the number of students who stop by. He is one of the nicest men that I have come in contact with during all of my travels. He invites the students in and gives us good prices for his goods. He also treats us with respect and spoils us. Each of the girls who walk into his store gets a simple homemade ring, which he makes for you on site. He also provided us with juice and purchased us pitas. It was a nice surprise but welcome. And I know what you may be thinking..."Michelle, you took juice and food from a strange old man? What is wrong with you?!?!" Haha but don't worry. The Jerusalem Center has "okayed" Shabon and told us it is safe to take whatever he gives us. I purchased two pairs of earrings (for under $3) while in his shop and then wandered across the street to his brother-in-law's shop to purchase some leather sandals (for under $15). I was very happy with my purchase and am excited to wear the earrings and sandals when I get home before the cold winter sets in! I only want two other things before I head home, one of which I will be getting in Bethlehem. So all I need to find is an Israeli soccer jersey (don't judge me, Candace)!

It was nice to get lost in the city, and lost we did get! It didn't help that our fearless leader kept referring to his Polish map...haha but he is a sweetheart and I thoroughly enjoyed his love for his second language and his enthusiasm towards the adventure. At some points we wandered through some residential areas. At others, we went through some areas where I stayed close to "Hot" Rob for security and safety. But we were always safe and protected. Our fearless leader (a.k.a. Fenton, for those of you who are curious) got us through everything. It is going to take some time to know where each alleyway, where each street leads, but it is worth the time to learn. There isn't any other place I would rather spend my free time while in this beautiful city.

We made it back to the J.C. near 6:30 for a quick dinner and homework. The school work load here is demanding and will take a lot of concentration to complete all we have been asked to do. We have all decided to reserve our nights for homework and our days for exploring, unless we decided to wander into West Jerusalem for the evening. So I will be reading for the rest of the evening and reflecting on the beauties and wonders that I encountered on today's journey.