I feel somewhat obligated to write a new blog post tonight. Partly because I've been kind of a slacker at blogging lately. Partly because everyone around me is updating their blogs. Here's the thing though, I don't really have much to update on. How could this be you may wonder, after all I am living in Jerusalem. The answer: three midterms last week. Five finals this week. And class all day long. I can honestly say that I haven't left the center for almost an entire week now. But just you wait, by next Friday I'll be done with all my classes (except for two which will not consume my life by any means) and I'll be having one adventure after another for two straight months (as if I haven't already had two months full of adventure) Anyways, until then, here's just a few things I've done in the past week or two:

• Friday Synagogue Service: I've decided if by some terrible reason I am forced to change religions, I'd definitely go with Judaism purely for the Friday services. The entire hour and a half consisted of clapping, dancing, and singing in Hebrew. So fun.
• Mass at the Church of the Holy Seplechure: Catholicism would be a little lower on my list of religions to join. The music wasn't quite as upbeat as the Jews and there was no dancing involved. However, still way awesome, mostly because it was in the church of the Holy Seplechure and four different branches of Catholicism were trying to compete for the loudest service at the same time. Rather entertaining.
• David's Citadel: A structure built by the Crusaders that is now a museum of the history of Jerusalem. The best part about it was our 80 year old tour guide who had eyebrows so long they kept poking him in his eye. Such a sweet old man with a wealth of knowledge.
• Field trip to an underground tunnel showing us the original Western Wall and the Herodian Steps, steps leading to the temple during the time of Herod, which means that Christ would have walked on them (check out photo #10 in your bible).
• Sitting in a study room for hours on end with friends, studying 20% of the time and laughing the other 80%. If I fail my tests at least I had fun, right?
• Israeli Folk Dance lessons: One of the more fun nights in my life up to date. Remember that scene in The Wedding Planner where they are at a Jewish wedding throwing plates against the wall and dancing? Yeah, thats what I learned how to do, minus the whole breaking plates thing. But we did get to yell "Ommpa/Ummpa" (I may have completely massacred the spelling on that) whenever we wanted throughout the night.
• Purim Festival (tomorrow): The Jewish holiday equivalent to Halloween. We're going into the City to buy costumes and we may be going to a Purim dance party. Should be good.
• Field Trip to the Separation Wall (tomorrow): Also, should be good.

Okay, as I wrote it all out I realize that despite being in what feels like lockdown in the center I'm still having adventures. Let's just say, I'll be excited when this week is over, finals are out of the way and classes are over and I can just play in the Old City all day every day.

Scripture Stories Come to Life

Here's the thing about Jerusalem: almost everywhere we walk has a significant event that took place there. But...because it all happened so long ago, some of the sites tend to look very similar to each other. In order to remember what happened at each spot, we've started acting out the scripture story that took place there, all for the sake of a photo.

David and Goliath anyone?

Some Samson and Deliliah action going on here. Weakening him by takin' a razor to his head.

And sometimes we act out Disney movies if nothing from the scriptures happened at the site...

We went to some caves that had the inspiration for Pride Rock in it. It looked so similar we couldn't pass up the opportunity for Mufassa to hold Simba up to the animals below. Don't worry, the reenactment included the singing of many, if not all, of the Lion King tunes.

More reenactments to come...

Walk Like an Egyptian

Here are some photos from my Egypt trip. Sorry there are so many...I couldn't narrow it down very easily. Enjoy!

Mt. Sinai

Me and Jodie on our way to Mt. Sinai- 3 scarfs on my head and socks on my hands and I was still freezing

Muhammad Ali Mosque

Luxor Temple

Horse buggie ride from Karnak Temple to Luxor Temple

Karnak Temple in Luxor...there were 134 of these massive columns

Just after my camel ride along the Nile with my camel driver, Akhmad and my camel, Bob Marley

Felucca Ride on the Nile

Great statue of Horus, god of the underworld...or so we think...we saw a lot of ruins that day, they are getting all jumbled up

Courtney, Victoria and I at Hatsephut's Temple

Me and Kennedy at the Step Pyramid of Zoser

Kissing the Sphinx

The sphinx and Pyramids in Giza

Pyramid at the Pyramids...we couldn't resist

Khufu's Great Pyramid in Giza

Me and Victoria at the Egyptian border

Jodie and I overlooking the wilderness