I've been here only for over a week!!! It seems so much longer...but I like it! Today I woke up at 7:45ish because we had to be at a bus stop (which is 10 minutes away) by 8:30am. After a lot of waiting, we finally got onto a crowded bus headed towards the old city. As I said in my last post, my siyur was the Jewish quarter. It was so hot out today. While walking to get more in the center of the Jewish quarter we walked through an outdoor/underground mall. I saw the same gap ads as the ones i see at home. ahh one of them is so hot. i should've taken a pic. anywayssss We went to a spot to sit while our tour guide spoke to us about King Saul. While she was trying to speak, a yeshiva was right next to us and they were trying to open a door. They were so loud! We also saw yeshiva boys laughing and taking pics. They were doing that because a brit in our group was wearing a skirt but had her knees up...as she said, "they are taking pictures of my knikkers." Then a brit boy went over to them to tell them to stop and then they took a pic of him and were cracking up. I dont understand why the girl would have her legs up in the first place! Oh the brits.

I think next we were by a closed well and heard the story about how we figured out where we think David's tomb is. Here's the story: A King (i forget his name) dropped his sword down a well. The well was really, really deep and long. The king ordered his servant to go get his sword. The servant goes down but does not come back up. The king then orders another man to go get his sword, but this time they attached him to a rope, and although the man came back up, he could not find the sword. The king was getting extremely angry and he saw a Jew leave the Jewish quarter. He ordered the Jew to come to him at once. The Jew knew that this man was the king and was very kind to him, asking him if he needed or wanted anything. The king told him that his sword fell down the well and the Jew should go get the sword. The king tells the Jew if he does not come back up with his sword the king will kill the Jew. Therefore, it is pointless to come up without the sword...the Jew should just drown while looking for it. So the Jew is attached to a rope and they start to let him down. The well is huge and eventually he cannot see the light from the top of the well. He begins looking for the sword but the water is so deep. He then notices a light...but he knows that it is not coming from the top of the well. It is coming from the side. The Jew decides to follow the light. He then sees a man and the man is the one producing the light. The light is surrounding this mysterious man. The man then introduces him to the Jew as King David. The Jew is thrilled and in shock. King David then asks the Jew to keep a secret. The Jew says of course! King David then tells him where he is buried. Then with the help of King David the Jew escapes from the well. The Jew runs home to his wife, but keeps the secret. He is trying so hard to keep a secret that he cannot speak! His wife asks him if something is wrong. She then finds out he is keeping a secret from him. She starts to tell him "how can you keep a secret from me? I am your wife. I have never kept a secret from you..." blah blah blah. The sun starts to rise and she continues to beg him. He can no longer take it and after he tells she must promise to keep it a secret he tells her where King David is buried. She is then at the market and tells her best friend. Her best friend tells someone else. The secret got around until it was no longer a secret. This story is why we think we know King David's tomb is.

After that story we saw his tomb and then walked around we talked about King David and King Solomon and the Temples they built and Israel and Judaea. We visited the ancient mall and the columns left of it. We then walked to a religious school (i think elementary) and it was recess. All of these boys were playing soccer, punting soccer balls, passing the soccer ball back and forth. A few people in my group almost got hit by all of these balls flying everywhere! After recess ended our guide told us that this school used to be a place for homeless people. We also briefly discussed the War of Independence and the 6 day war. The youngest soldier that died in the war of independence (or was it the 6 day war...) was 9 and a half years old. He got shot and didnt scream for help because then the people that would come to help him would also get shot. He bled to death. Also, I'm not sure what war it was...i think it was the war of independence... 1% of the Jewish population was killed.

After we left the school, we went up onto a roof. There was no shade so it was so so so hot. It was a beautiful view of Jerusalem, though. On the roof we discussed the different quarters, Dome of the Rock, and the 3rd Temple. She asked us what we would do if the 3rd Temple was built. Would we begin sacrificing sheeps and such? Or would we modernize it? Right now there is a menorah that is ready for the 3rd Temple. I got a picture of it. After the roof she took us to where we could get food. I packed a lunch so I didnt buy. It was so weird because we were then free to go! We didnt have to go in a group or anything. Julia, rach, and i decided to go and i surprisingly kind of knew where to go! We finally reached a bus stop and waited for a really long time. Then a lot of people from Young Judaea came and we took a bus to the ben yehuda area. The bus was pretty crowded and we were all exhausted from walking. On the first bus, there were religious men. When we got on the bus they took off their glasses and shut their eyes. They talked though. I'm not sure if they shut their eyes so they wouldnt see us...some of us thought that though. Anyways, we finally reached the 2nd bus stop and it was already crowded. Luckily, I got on the bus but it was so hot and so crowded. Ugh! Also, school had just gotten out so all of these kids were getting on the bus. When I finally got back to the apartment I took a nap.

Then since rach has a cold and wanted soup, we decided to go out to cafe for dinner and get soup. First, though, we decided to do a couple of loads of laundry. We did whites and towels/sheets. We put in our whites with this kids and then when we went out for dinner (i wore a skirt and and a casual top) he put our stuff in the dryer. It cost 10 sheks for the washing machine and 5 sheks for the dryer. so annoying.

Rachel and i walked to emek refiem, instead of going to ben yehuda where the soldiers were putting a lot of things on display. We went to a couple of cafes but none had soup. We went to this one place and there was onion soup. Rachel got the soup with orange juice and i got french toast. It was so good! I then wanted ice cream and we decided to split a pint of cookies 'n cream. When we got back we got our clothes from the dryer and then ate the ice cream in our room on her bed just listening to music. It was so great! We thought we wouldnt be close to finishing the ice cream but we surprised ourselves! haha.

We then hung out, I took another hot shower (woo hoo!), and then after letting my sheets dry some more outside, i put my sheets on my bed and now it is 1am and i am exhausted. Luckily, I dont have my volunteering tomorrow, because i dont start until Sunday. I have the day off, but have a Shevet class at 4:30. I think I'm gonna go to Independence Park and jog there or something. Hopefully it is not hot tomorrow.

oh and the name of the square i was talking about in my last blog is called crack square....i think.

i think tomorrow i will create an online web album and put up some pictures.