Class and zoo!!!

So, today was jam packed and super fun!!!

Class was epically long since we had to visit two sites in one period, due to the fact that they cut our study trips from 11 to 8. So we started at the Israel museum and saw a HUGE model of Jerusalem in the second temple period. Then we watched a video on the dead sea scrolls that was actually fascinating, if not a teeny bit cheesey since there was a somewhat badly acted reenactment of the supposed authors of the dead sea scrolls, a sect that had left Jerusalem, claiming it was corrupt and settled in the desert, but I was fascinated at this cult like group!

Unfortunately, though this museum is WHERE the dead sea scrolls ARE, we didnt get to see them as we had to go to the second site!! What a shame!

Our second site was fascinating, it was outside the temple mount on the southern wall, where it meets the western wall. We were in the archeological park looking at Umayad structures from the early Isalmic period. Its fascinating to see the layers of different structures built over ruins of earlier structures (umayad palaces over byzantine era shops over second temple period road...). Though by the end when it was noon the sun was so hot we were wilting. However, the prof really wanted us to see these Byzantine houses and on our way to the bus he said "we just take a quick peek! I wont talk much!" And one girl whined "Nooo professor it's tooo hot!" and we were shocked. We were all hot and if she felt faint she should have said something like that but to whine and complain like that to a professor?! How immature. Then once in the bus the same girl wanted the van driver to drop them off at their dorms instead of campus where we always get dropped off and the van parks. Yes, it was hot but honestly, after a twenty minute air conditioned ride in the van there was no reason they couldnt walk 15 minutes to the dorm like everyone else.

So anyway, I had tried to get a group to go to the zoo to no avail. I asked EVERYONE and either they had work to do, weren't interested, didnt want to spend the money, or a variety of reasons. So it was just Jesse and I. After trying to think of something else to do we decided to go to the zoo anyway. First we went through the Arab shook (shuk? I dot know how it's spelled) because he wanted to be all bold wearing his orthodox get up in the muslim section to show how unafraid he is (he can be cocky like that), and it was nothing like whe i went alone. No one bothered me, no one said A SINGLE WORD. Jesse moved through crowds and past people with such speed, confidence and purpose no one had a chance to even get a word out at us. It was so epically different from when I went! Well our goal was actually a place called the burnt house, which is the remains of a house burnt during the Roman destruction of the city in 70 C.E. You can even see the outstretched arm of a woman (the bones) next to a spear. It's a horrifying scene, everything burnt and charred, retelling of the horror of that night. There was also a video with a reenactment and though at times cheesily and badly acted, it was also at times horrifyingly hard to watch, like when the priest who was so sure even the Romans wouldnt destroy the world renowned temple, throws open the doors of his home to find his beloved temple in flames and falls to the ground crying and weeping knowing now, truly, the city is doomed.

It also gave insight to how divided the city was at that time and how tense the months leading up to the seige and destruction of the city were. It was a good, educational trip. The we grabbed a cab to the zoo, going later on purpose so the animals would be up and moving and not sluggishly hiding from the midday sun. So, we get there with three hours until closing. I find the zoo is even more fun than I thought it would be! There is such a wide array of aimals and we are able to get really close!

I get tons of pictures, really good ones and despite the fact that it was just Jesse and I he was uber excited and interested in the animals which made it much more fun. I mean he was constantly like"what is THAT?!" and "Oh my god that is the coolest animal I have ever seen in my LIFE" and he named off like ten animals he wanted as pets as we went along. The zoo had lots of exotic, interesting animals and we filled up the three hours easily, just making it to all of the exhibits. Sometimes you could get super close, like one indoor one where these big weird birds flew right at us! And jesse terrorized them back! And we were only seperately by a low rope from the kangaroos! And we were right with the eagles in their enclosure! I mean how cool is that? I got to go o a platform and be right up next to a giraffe! And the big cats were so cool!! We watched oe cheetah totally persue the other, while the other was like pffft, PLEASE and just kept leading the male around, lookig bored as he followed her looking all lame. And we saw one tiger bare its teeth at the other, scaring it off, THAT WAS SO COOL. And then these monkeys that were speeding around like they had drak cans and cans of soda or something...I mean the animals were really fascinating just to watch!!!

So though I tons of fun with Jesse and he is really fun to be around, he can also get a tad bit egotistical and pretentious- like when's he's looking through your i-pod (though a lot of people are like that with music) or when he;s talking about what a brat he was in school. He has this habit of skipping classes, he does it here A LOT, but he just gets away with it because he's smart ad incredibly charming and he knows how charming he is and mentions it frequently (when talking about how he gets away with things). I mean the kid got into an ivy league school, he's not just charming, he is extremely intelligent, but sometimes he's a brat about it because he knows it.

So I guess he's a person best taken in doses really, fun and easy to talk to, very very informative but a bit over confident, which I dont think he has yet realized can be a turn off. Anyway, after the zoo we went to the mall to grab a bite to eat, I hadnt eaten much all day, (a yogurt, some grapes and two mini granola bars) and I had been walking in the sun non stop. So I treated myself, yes, wait for it, to chinese food. Which is not anything special here either. No suprise there. I just, wanted it.

So we chattered easily and then took the bus home. Ive been trying to upload the AMAZING PICTURES for about two hours but facebook is being particularly difficult, so maybe tomorrow. I hate wasting so much time but really the pictures are beyond phenomenal from today and finally i'm IN them! Finally I had someone totally willing to take pictures of me and it's really exciting! But alas, it is late and I have class tomorrow. A long, long i class lecture, no field trip sadly!