The title is ironic, yes. That's why we all laughed when we were welcomed to Jerusalem this way. This city fascinates me. I feel like I have an infinite amount of history to catch up on just to try to understand it, both politically and religiously.
I love it here already. The Jerusalem Center where we live is one of the most beautiful buildings I have ever been in--probably right up there with temples. I almost feel like I am living in a palace. And the view is stunning. I will soon take a picture to post, but I'm sure I will fail to do it justice.
There are some things here I'm going to have to get used to--like having the sabbath on Saturday, not making eye contact with men on the street, and carrying toilet paper around with me. Also, there is a call to prayer played on the speakers at the mosques five times a day for the Muslims, including one at 4 in the morning. Fortunately, I am a heavy sleeper.
Today we went on a tour of the Old City. It was so interesting. In a lot of ways I almost feel like I'm serving a foreign mission...well, except for the fact that we can't talk about the church.
After our tour we had some free time to wander around. We ended up going to the local McDonald's to use the restrooms, which were co-ed. I was totally ok with that since it was just students and there were doors, but still, it was a new experience for me.
Tomorrow we start our Old Testament and Ancient Near East History class. I am SO happy to be here!