Bad day turned good?

So today I had a grand plan to snap me out of my homesickness, which had set in yesterday afternoon something aweful! I would go out and adventure! First though I would go to the store and get some decent food, so I could have a meal now ad then instead of existing on crackers and yogurt, I was sure a more fulfilling diet would help me feel more stable and at home. Well, I found the Israeli equivalent to Ramen! Halleluah! Hey, I'm serious- it was a welcome discovery. I also got some quakers oatmeal, and even despite my utter embaressment because I couldnt read the labels, yes, I managed to find feminine products that would allow me to go swimming on the dead sea trip this week which falls during a non swim friendly time of the month. Yes I admitted that in a public blog- it was a very brave move to buy certain things for the first time when all the directions are in hebrew! By the way girls, tampax exists EVERYWHERE, just in case you were wondering. Go America. Though they have the directions and labels in about 8 languages, NONE of them english. Huh?

So grocerey shopping left me feeling confident.

After putting my groceries away I caught the 19 bus where I sat next to a nice old woman. I held her cane while she got herself into the seat. I think she tried to make conversation but I just pointed to myself saying "anglit (english)" with a sorry smile. She chuckled and nodded. She understood to get up when i pushed the stop button so it all worked out just fine.

Getting off the bus, I was right outside the old city, however, the bus stop to return home is a ways off, on King George street which is off Ben Yehuda st( big touristy street closed off to cars filled with people and shops) which is off Jaffa street (a main street in the center city, filled with little cheap shops). So I knew where I wanted to go, but I soon realized street signs are scarce. Well a lot of good my big touristy map does me now! (except make me look touristy) But the day was young and I just started wandering down the street away from the old city soon finding from a tiny sign aganst a building that the bus dropped me on Jaffa street! I only knew the stop to get off by sight, which is usually how I know things. From there it was easy to find ben yehuda and at the top, the bus stop at king george! So now I had my bearings and was feeling good.

I wanted desperately to find a market Jesse had shown me a week ago for this one bakery that had these patsries TO DIE FOR, but we had approached it from the central bus station and so I had no idea where it was in relation to where I was on Ben Yehuda. I thought maybe I would stumble upon it and tried my luck but soon it seemed I was more likely to get lost- the shops were thinning out and tourists were getting more scarce so I decided it was probably not in the area I was in and I didnt want to test my luck. So I decided to retrace my steps and go into the old city, to see if there was any yummy food there. I had no idea what a huge mistake this would be.

Well, I went down the same street I had gone down with Greg, going into the Bazaar, only this time taking a fork we had passed by. I had no idea it would be so easy to get so turned around and lost. The map was of no help only labeling main streets. Now with the whole afternoon ahead of me normally it wouldn't bother me. Except the shop keepers wouldnt stop pestering me. I mean constantly harrassing, saying "excuse me, excuse me lady, come here come here" and I doubt they realize how much women dislike being addressed as "hey lady!" but the afct that they didnt realize that didn't stop my annoyance.

Also I tried my best to walk by and ignore them but my biggest downfall was the tattoo. I should have guessed by the two men outside the old city who approached and were oogling it, and trying to talk to me. I wasnt comfortable with them examining my legs so I walked away as quick as possible after minimally answering their questions. So then they pull up beside me in a car and make some remark in hebrew only a minute after! I was so annoyed. So many men approached me using my tattoo as an excuse to corner me and start up conversation before trying to lure me into shops. It also made it impossible to act like I thought they were talking to someone else. Not once did I go into a shop or engage in conversation other than shaking my head, but the barrage of men and shop keepers hounding me was constant, I felt harrassed and claustrophic. All I wanted to do was walk in peace, look around, be left alone. Instead I couldn't go anywhere without someone approaching me and pestering me to come into his shop or talk to him about my tattoo.

And they would call after me, like I was being so rude by completely ignoring them, it just grated on me more and more. I could have no peace!! I couldnt walk two feet without a new man yelling at me from his shop entrance- and the streets are small and narrow so this was more like 5 feet away from me. Then I start realizing all the woman are suddenly wearing headscarfs and everything is in Arabic. Now I'm not being racist but I started see "Free Palestine!" T-shirts everywhere and I'm wearing a Jewish symbol around my neck, don't tell me I shouldnt have been a little nervous. I'm serious, they think the Jewish people have taken THEIR holy Land and have t-shirts proclaiming it and here I am looking nice and jewish and alone in the muslim quarter. I was like fuck fuck fuck, get me out of here!!! So I'm getting more and more anxious as again tourists thin out and Im alone walking down some street. When I see the gate ahead of me, I think oh good, I'll leave the city and follow the outside wall until I get to a gate I know! Perfect. Well, Im pretty much on the opposite side of the city now and following the wall in the hot sun makes me realize it's a bigger area than I thought. I'm sure I'm going to pass out, its about 1 PM and nearly no shade. I'm sure I'm going to die. What a horrible idea leaving the city was, now I'm trapped walking between a long stretch of road and the stupid wall giving me no shade. Right now at 5 PM it feels like 91 according to weather.com, so imagine what it must have been at 1 PM. What, at least 95 if not more, with no shade. Yeah, my ideas are brilliant.

Finally I come to a gate i know, and go inside and rest in the cool shady entrance. Of course a man appraches me "Nice tattoo" he says. I want to throw something at him. I have since learned the cold shoulder doesn't work. He wants me to follow him to his shop. Fat chance, not only are you asking me to follow a strange male, but it involves leaving the shade. I want to throw something at him more. I shake my head and evetually he goes away. It's so tiresome pushing people away constantly.

Finally I make my way back to Jaffa gate and see the freedom of the outdoor mall, where there is a familiar cafe I'm looking forward to eating at. Just as I'm leaving the gate yet another man is saying something about my tattoo. He asks me if i got it in England, "No, the states" I wearily say without even stopping to acknlowedge him. I'm TIRED of these men! He is saying he has tattoos but tattoos here are horrible "All bullshit" he says. Good for you, I think, now go away. He asks where in the states I'm from. "East coast" I tell him, still walking away, because y'know that indicates I'm not stopping to make coversation, meaning go away. The vague answer seems to hint I dont really care to let him know where I'm from. I've also used "For a month- I'm from here" to deter coversation.

So I finally reach the air conditioned cafe and am relieved to order a iced cappuccino and tuna sandwhich. Soon after I sit a woman asks me something in hebrew. I stare blankly, half dead from heat. Then she switches to English and I find she has a perfect native American accent.
"Can I sit here? Is anyone else sitting with you?" she asks politely. I shake my head, glad to have some female company. She motions to my coffee and says "I've found for every coffee you drink you have to drink twice as much water to stay hydrated" and then remarks on how its always only the foreigners who go out in mid-day when it's hottest. I can see why and immediately I feel comfortable engaging in coverstaion with her, admitting I found out the hard way to wait until later to go out. She then tells me about a light and sound show to check out after dark right by where we are.

Well it turns out she's been living here since 1990. She loves taking classes when working and being a mom allows her to and is very friendly. She ordered a salad and chattered about people she knows who are going to America and where they are going, and family back home, and all about her class and showing me pictures on her laptop. She's friendly and interesting and I'm glad to have some companionshp and good conversation. I feel much better whe i finish eating and thank her and say it was nice meeting her. I dont think she could have any idea how much that friendly lunch helped my mood. But now I'm tired of being out and decide to head back to the bus. On my way I treat myself to an ice cream and sit on Ben Yehuda street under an umbrella marveling at how much nicer it is on this big wide street with no cars. No one bothers you or approaches you, shop keepers stay in their shops and it's not confusing to get around since it's outside the old city. I decide I like it much better out here.

So, I catch the bus and get home without any problem, pleased that I recognize the route we take. I enjoy watching the Orthodox neighborhood go by. You can tell it apart because every woman is covered from head to toe- hair covered, long sleeves and long skirts. The men all have the black hats, coats and two curls and it's kind of like going through an amish quarter dress wise, only they talk on cell phones and have cheap "dollar store" like stores. It's surreal. So now I'm home, and determined to find people to hang out with since I have discovered what a trial it is to be out on my own in the bazaar of the old city, and the old city itself.