Overalls

Mom,

Please make me a pair of cute overalls. I know they are coming back into style-I just know it (see pic above)! I'm looking like I just stepped out of the 6th grade a la late 90's. At least I was wearing a hipster hat.

Love,

me

Dear Mandi

So this is my first non-dear mom post but I was perusing some blogs on my spare time when I came across your confession about you blog stalking friends. I hope this is one of them (not for selfish reasons of course:) but because I'm now dedicating a post to you so I hope you see it

HELLO! HOPE THINGS ARE GOING WELL!!

That's all really.

love,

me

I looooove to make films!

Mom,

By far the best quote of the week at work was from one of the Assistant Directors. It went a little something like this:

8 AM

"We're missing an apache. I called all the hospital and the prison and he's not there."

This is exactly what it sounds like. Our missing stunt double actually did show up in jail because of a fake ID.

Love,

me

Mom, Mom

Can you hear me? Do you copy? So I told you I made it to Moab, but did I tell you I have a rockin' room all to myself at the super classy Motel 6. It's only been two nights but I definitely own this room.

Grandma wouldn't let me leave without a bag of food complete with caffeine and chocolate. Gotta love my namesake!

Love,

me

Job Search Continues

Mom,

I'm hitting new lows when it comes to the job looking. Read below. You will probably have to click on the pick to enlarge the text. Oh and just an fyi, our biceps got cut off.

Di

After all those violin and piano lessons this is what I come up with for the Talent Show...

Seriously, I really do want a Furby. Especially if it has a kippah and forelocks.

Tel Aviv

Dear Mom,

So apparently the only countries that recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel are Costa Rica and El Salvador, well and Israel of course. So random. Anyway, if you (and others) didn't know Tel Aviv is actually the capital. We all spent one magical day here free from school, adults, and basically any semblance of real life. I swear sometimes it feels like I'm on a different planet here but I loooove it!

Love,

me

Dome of the Rock in sand form.

So a popular T-shirt here is stamped with this image below. It contains the symbols of Islam, Judaism, and Christianity. We thought we'd get a little more specific though with our sand designs and add in the Salt Lake Temple. You'll have to click for more details.

My roommates Chelsi, Allison, and Elizabeth.

BFF if you ever look at my blog you'll know I stole this photo from you and am claiming it as the fake sunset that happened on the day I went. Same beach right??

Galilee Part Dos

Dear Madre,

Explanations below. Enjoy...or be jealous:)

Love,

me

I think it's funny that people used to make fun of me for dropping to the floor anywhere but now look at the trendsetter I am. This is how I feel all the time.

Center of attention as always. I've noticed I'm really well liked with the elderly.

Okay I had to post this one because I thought you would appreciate it. Basically I'm sick of the same clothes and I am in the pursuit of bringing back overalls/suspenders. So whenever we'd sit down on field trips I'd just whip out a needle and thread and go to work on my black dress while wearing it of course.

Finished product below.

On the Mt. of Beatitudes

The only thing awesome about ancient ruins is being immature with them. This is a bunch of public toilets if you can't tell:)

Galilee Part Uno

Dear Mom,

Internet is being lame so here's part one of Galilee. Without a doubt it was the best R&R I've ever had. Enjoy the pics!

-love, me

ps-I'm leaving for Jordan tomorrow. Turkish bath here I come!

This was the view outside of my window in the kibbutz. You're fear is slightly coming true because I would love to stay in one of these for a few years.

This is Megiddo. Huge OT site as well as the future location of Armageddon.

Below is on Mt. Tabor which is where the Transfiguration of Christ took place.

More creepy mannequins in Tiberias.

So I was convinced that the Jerusalem Center has the best view of any chapel in the world because it looks over the Old City but this might be a close second. This is the small church building that serves the Tiberias Branch and what is looks over is the Sea of Galilee.

On the roof of the church. Feel free to comment on my nicely bronzed skin.

This is the Jordan River. We were fortunate enough to see a session of mass baptisms.

Thank goodness for real ordinances and warm baptismal fonts:)

Around this area they had similar scriptures in different languages. Please read this one closely and laugh.

Mom,

This is a catch-up blog of lots of stuff that has happened in the past month. I definitely don't want to come home yet.

Will this pic work for my graduation announcement? I'll take sibling commentary on this too.



love,

me


THE STEPS OF THE TEMPLE
This is one of my favorite field trips. If you have a newer Bible you can see we are in the exact spot where it is certain that Christ walked. This is definitely rare in Jerusalem where many sites are supposed.

Our Old Testament teacher told us a story about Neil Armstrong, a devout Christian, came to this spot and said that it meant more to him to walk where Christ walked than on the moon.




This is a model from the Israel Museum. I went last week and it actually holds some of the Dead Sea Scrolls. The steps that we were at are located on the left hand wall.

This is a pinnacle of the temple mount where Christ could have been tempted by Satan.


BAD HABITS
So I can't break this one. I'm exhausted here and I don't know why because it's like a 24/7 party. I study so no worries there but still I'm tired all the time so naturally anytime we've got a short break I'm down on the ground and taking a little power nap. It doesn't help that the center peeps call me "Dirty Di." Anyway, the last pick is of me on the floor of the Holy Sepulcher. Yes, probably not the most reverent thing to do because we got asked to leave by the cops there. My friend John claims we got kicked out but I say we got relocated because they let us back in with a priest we had made friends with. Anyway, point being I'm learning lots of new things about myself all the time like the fact that apparently I hate standing.





PURIM
This is a holiday that celebrates Esther. It's sort of like Halloween except that our Judaism teacher said it's kind of a commandment for the Jews to be so drunk they don't know the difference between Mordecai and Haman.

Of course I was Michael Jackson. My friend Jeff is dressed as Ryan Seacrest, my favorite outfit of the night.



Cross-dressing is totally normal.


THE SEPHELAH
The real "land of milk and honey." This is where the Israelites had to defend themselves from the Philistines, namely Goliath. They let us play with sling-shots for fun.


As David

As Goliath

Again as David and my roommate Elizabeth as the dead Goliath.


MANNEQUIN IMMATURITY
I don't know what it is but I get a kick out of Middle Eastern mannequins.


Roommate imitation


CHAGALL WINDOWS
Marc Chagall (who I actually didn't know was Jewish) made these as a gift to Israel. Each one represents a different tribe of Israel.

This one is Joseph.


MY ROOM
Dad always said one keep clean is worth a dozen clean-ups. I think a little mess gives character to a room. This is our state in post-sleepover mode.

Can you guess which side is mine?

Here's a close-up for


BETHLEHEM
This is the wall that separates Jerusalem from Bethlehem. It is a Palestinian city so any people that live there that do not work in Jerusalem cannot leave. Those who are Palestinian that live in Jerusalem have to go through the security checkpoint everyday and have to carry identification cards or else they are not let through. Actually from the students that we spoke with at Bethlehem University, the Israeli soldiers are sometimes arbitrary and I find it interesting that on their ID cards the nationality is left blank. As you can see from the graffiti there are definitely bitter feelings. The lion is a symbol of Judah/Israel by the way.


The Church of the Nativity
This is where they claim the exact birth place of Christ was. Who knows this kind of stuff?? I did learn that this is one of the main spots that the Crusaders wanted to defend. Many would come here as a sort of pilgrimage.



View from the top of the University. There is a Jewish settlement in the distance. I asked our tour guide why Jews would ever want to live amongst the Palestinians and he said that they are given such good incentives that it's practically free to live there.