Seder Meal

So even though Passover is in the spring (I think) our Israel professor, Ophir Yarden, walked us through a traditional Seder meal!  It was very hard to only eat certain things at certain times.  We Americans are far to used to just stuffing our faces all at once! haha

There is a hebrew book that was written specifically for the Seder meal at passover.  It consists of different songs, poems, and explanations as to why we eat certain things in the meal and what they represent.  It also gives instructions of when and how to eat what.

The meal consisted of a lot of raising up a glass of grape juice and then taking a sip.  Jerusalem grape juice is not as sweet as American grape juice.

This is the Seder book.

The committee did a beautiful job setting the tables.

This is where we had to ritually purify our hands before eating.

My table mates during the meal.

Yay for my awesome roommates... and Stehly.

The Seder meal was a very fun, cultural experience!  It's always great to learn more about our neighbors. :)

Priscilla in Petra.... and other Places too

We're going to Petra!!!!!

I told you that I catch these two cuties quite often. :)

When you first arrive at Petra, you first walk through a large ravine.  During the rainy season, there are a lot of flash floods through here.  This reminds me of Zion's National Park.  I've never been, but who needs to after getting to see this?! haha jk :) (but really)

Can you hear the Indiana Jones theme song playing in your mind as he rides on his galloping horse through the ravine and onto this very scene?!!!!!!!!  Yup that's right, I've been where Indiana Jones has been! :D

This is at the end of the ravine.  It is the treasury.  Also, I am on a camel.  NBD

Petra is filled with these beautiful tombs caved in to the rock side.  

This is me looking over the beautiful landscape from the High Place.  Petra extends for a mile or two I think.  It's so big!  Apparently, archaeologists have only uncovered 1/20 of it!  There's still a lot that is still underground!

Saw this cool little guy out of the corner of my eye on my way to the Top of the World.  Pretty sweet!!!!

View from the "Top of the World"

High Place where the Nabateans used to do religious sacrifices and such.

We got a free horseback ride on the way back to the gate.  Thank heavens, because my poor feet were not happy with me from all of that hiking and trekking around.

Castle!!!!!

Heather and I being princesses in the castle.

It was a great day in Jordan!  It was really hot, but also really fun and very very cool!  Those Nabateans sure knew how to do cool things!

Day 1 in Jordan

This last week, we took a four day trip to Jordan.  We visited sites that were both historically and/or spiritually significant.  It was a great week!  I gained a new appreciation for American roads.  I have never in my life been on roads that were so uneven and windy.  (It probably didn't help that our bus rocked back and forth like it was a boat or something.)  Everyone pretty much slept on bus rides in an attempt to make the miserable rides go by quicker.  

This is us at Mt. Nebo.

This is the Madaba map.  It's a mosaic on the floor of a church in Madaba.  It's purpose was to help pilgrims become familiar with the land. It is so accurate that early historians actually used it to locate old ruins!

Meet Doc and Sister Peterson.  Pretty much, they're the cutest and I love catching them holding hands. (Which is quite often.)  I plan to be just like them when me and my husband become wise with years. :)

Yay!  We finally got to take another column picture!  

Is was a long hike under the hot sun to the top of this one place we went to.  This is us taking a rest on the wall of the pathway on the way down.

This is the Jordanian sunset.  Brother Huntsman let us stop on the side of the road to take some pictures because it was unusually pretty. (Or he just wanted to take a break from that darned bus.)

A Day in the City

Entrance to the Church of Mary Magdelene

Church of Mary Magdelene

Delicious Bakery in the Jewish quarter.

My brownie from heaven

Yummm!!!

Making my own falafel!

This is my friend, Annie.  She couldn't speak any English, but thanks to my rad Arabic, I learned that she is 10.  We became fast friends. :)

Happy Day of Light! Or Should I Say Night?

There’s a festival in Jerusalem called the Light Festival that celebrates how Jerusalem is a light to the world.  Hundreds of artists create cool light shows throughout the city that people can walk around and see.  Well of course we went to go see it!  (Despite the fact that our ANE midterm was coming up.)

We got stuck in a horrible traffic jam for like half an hour.  Of course I had to document it!