Bayt 'Itab National Park

There are many ways to experience the world around you.  For some, that could mean visiting the museums and churches of eastern Europe.  For others, it may involve haggling with vendors and taking a risk on street food in Latin America.  You could go on an African safari or enjoy the Russian ballet.

For our friends Josh and Irene, all of the above is fine...but they would prefer to find a big splotch of green on the map and then proceed to walk from one end of it to the other. They arrived in Jerusalem a week or two after us, and as near as I can tell, we have yet to do one non-work-related function with them that didn't involve sand getting in my shoes.  I approve of this, as it often results in my seeing something I may otherwise have never given a passing thought to.

On Sunday, August 10th we joined them for a hike along the Wadi Me'Ara Trail in the Wadi Dolev Nature Reserve.  The trail, located 18km south southwest of Jerusalem, begins with a series of orchard trees that eventually give way to low vegetation.  The canyon is home to natural woodland species and wildflowers.  A sign at the trail's beginning advised that foxes, jackals, gazelles, porcupines, hyenas, and rodents make their homes there, as well as various kinds of amphibians, songbirds, and raptors.

Now, even assuming that "raptors" referred birds and not dinosaurs, I still had no desire to run into 56% of the critters listed.  Happy to report that we encountered none of the above.

The trail's main attractions would have to be En Khod and the ruins of Bayt 'Itab, which have been turned into a national park (Bayt 'Itab National Park, for those that missed this post's title).

Water for the residents of the surrounding villages (from the Byzantine, Crusader, and Ottoman periods, as evidenced by surrounding ruins) was provided by En Khod, which is Arabic for "the spring of the watering trough."

The spring has a 40 meter long tunnel with three vertical shafts.  Water collects in a constructed reservoir room and is then channeled toward a pool and into the trough from which flocks would drink.

Orchard trees surround the spring, among them fig, lemon, and almond.  Mediterranean species are also found here, including Kermes oak, carob, and terebinth.  The land in the spring's immediate vicinity is so fertile that lush tree-sized grape vines thrive haphazardly on their own, a far cry from the small, strategically placed vines found in nearby winery orchards  The spring also attracts all of the various wild animals mentioned earlier.

By contrast, nearby Bayt 'Itab sits abandoned in a landscape so arid you can hardly conceive of its close proximity to the spring.

Bayt 'Itab was a Palestinian village located just outside of Jerusalem and is believed to have been inhabited since biblical times.  A tunnel that led from the village to the spring is associated with the story of Samson, as it is speculated that this is the site of the Rock of Etam, where angry Samson took refuge after his wedding...didn't go quite according to plan.

Up until the end of the British Mandate, approximately 600 Muslim families lived in stone houses and cultivated grains, fruit trees, and olive groves.  Some bred livestock.   The village was depopulated and demolished following Operation HaHar in October 1948, which saw Israeli forces fighting to extend the Jerusalem Corridor to the south.

The village's displaced inhabitants fled to Bethlehem, Hebron, and the Dheisheh Refugee Camp in the West Bank.

In 1950, an Israeli settlement, Nes Harim, was established to the north of Bayt 'Itab, on an adjacent peak.  Like Baty 'Itab before it, the settlement's population hovers around 600.

The Israel Nature and Parks Authority restored the area around the spring in 2005.

The population of the Dheisheh Refugee Camp had grown from 3,400 in 1949 to 9,399 by 2006.

San Diego Comic Con 2014

CAUTION:  Extreme Geek-Out to follow...

Once my plane touched down in San Diego on Wednesday, July 23rd, I headed to the hotel to wait for mi amigo Andres.  Andres is a good friend and fellow geek who I met while living in Guadalajara.  Much like myself pre-2011, Andres had always dreamed of attending Comic Con.  After flirting with the idea for a couple of years, I finally convinced TJ that I just HAD to go again.  Plans were made and it was decided that Andres and I would be sharing a room for comic con!  He flew in via Tijuana just as I had three years prior, though this time it was more convenient for me to fly directly into San Diego.  Although booking through separate airports and not really discussing travel plans in depth, we somehow managed to arrive at the hotel within 20 minutes of each other. 

For the con?  No.  Just
business as usual for Lego. 

We stayed at Town and Country Resort, one of the convention's preferred hotels.  It was a 20-30 minute commute to the convention center by trolley, but the price was right and a gigantic mall was located across the street.  As we didn't have tickets for preview night, which would have allowed us to enter the convention that evening for a look around before the mob arrived the following morning, we instead headed across the street and commenced shopping.  After a quick perusal of the Lego Store, which was seemingly all decked out for the occasion, we headed over to the Build-A-Bear Workshop.  Now, manly men such as ourselves wouldn't normally have need to visit such a place, but...Ninja Turtles!

When I was eight or nine years old, I won a contest through my school library that allowed me to be on the Fox Kids Club, which was basically a series of bumpers that ran between episodes and during commercial breaks for cartoons that aired on Fox weekday afternoons.  For my part, I was going to be asked what my favorite cartoon was.  There would be no cuts, no edits, no reshoots.  It went exactly like this:

Host:  "What's your name?"

Me:  "Aaron"

Host:  "And what is your favorite cartoon, Aaron?"

Me:  "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles!"

Host: "Wow!  Who's your favorite turtle?"

Me:  "...um...Leonardo?"

WRONG.  My favorite was, is, and always will be Michelangelo.  I was devastated.  They didn't tell me they were going to ask that question.  I totally choked, and in doing so betrayed my favorite fictional party dude.  Devastated for life.

Flash forward to the teddy bear shop, where I was bound and determined to get a stuffed Michelangelo.  Andres wanted Leonardo.  Don't worry, there had been ample time to think about it.  He truly wanted Leo.

As Andres was making his selection, I couldn't help but notice they didn't have Mikey.  I pointed at the nunchuck accessories and asked a clerk if they had the turtle that went with them.  She said they had run out, but I continued to scour the shelves for him anyway.  Another clerk walked up.

Clerk:  "Can I help you?"

Me:  "Sigh.  I don't believe you can."

Clerk:  "Oh?  Why not?"

Me:  "You apparently don't have Michelangelo."

Clerk:  "We don't?  I can go look in the back for you."

Me:  "Sigh.  No, that's ok.  Your colleague told me he was sold out."

Clerk:  "Oh. I'm sorry."

Me:  "Sigh.  It's okay.  I didn't really need him anyway.  Thank you."

No joke, I really laid it on thick.  As Andres was making his purchase, he tried to strong arm me into getting another turtle.  I was just about convinced that the gap-toothed Donatello was cute enough to make for an acceptable substitute when the second clerk returned and handed me a Michelangelo that had apparently been out on his 15 minute break earlier.  I thanked her, made my purchase, and ran out of the store in joy AND shame.  I had almost betrayed Mikey again.

(As is often the case with impulse purchases, the plush toy now sits in the guest bedroom, an oddity for all visitors.)   

We returned to the hotel conference room and claimed our convention badges for the next morning.  You see, one of the (only) benefits of staying at a preferred hotel located so far away from the con was that we didn't have to make a special trip to the convention center to pick up our tickets...and there was minimal waiting in line because nobody else was crazy enough to come this far out.  

With that particular mission accomplished, Andres headed off to Target to do some more toy hunting.  Having been to Target at least twice while visiting my parents earlier that week, I opted to stay in the room and relax.  We met back up later that evening and I noted that, between the items he had already purchased and the packages that were awaiting him upon arrival at the hotel lobby, Andres possessed enough merchandise to open his own booth at the convention.

This, folks, is an addiction.

Andres surprised me by having already had dinner.  And Chipotle, no less!  My favorite!  How could he?  *cries*  I planned to grab  a quick bite before meeting up with some fellow con-goers for some late night cocktails at ALTITUDE Sky Lounge, but...  

We found a Disney promo booth instead, and got the opportunity to play Disney Infinity 2.0 on a variety of gaming platforms.  I played it on either Playstation 4 or Xbox 360 and I was terrible.  Just...terrible.  BUT I got a free t-shirt!

It was super exciting for me, as I had decided long ago that despite not having played Nintendo in years, I was going to need to get this.

Let's just flash forward to Christmas 2014 really quickly.  TJ loaded me up on Disney Infinity goodies and a Wii U gaming console with which to enjoy them because he treats his geek husband very well.  So far, I'm still pretty terrible, but to be fair I've been super busy sucking at the latest Super Mario game to truly attempt sucking at any others.  With Mario finally defeated, I shall be moving on to new opportunities as soon as this post is completed.  

Anyway, back to July.  Gaming cost me any remaining time I had to eat before I was supposed to arrive at the bar...so I just had a cocktail instead.  But only one.  I was still jet lagged from having arrived in Texas just a few days prior.  Now I was hungry and normal-tired, too.  I think my drink had a lemon wedge, so there was some nutritional component at least.  The rooftop bar offered a lovely view of both the San Diego Convention Center and PetCo Park, which I would be visiting in a few days for the most exciting event of the weekend.

We retired relatively early that evening.  We had plans to be in line at the convention at 4:00AM.  Or was it 3:00? I can't remember.  It was insane, whatever it was.  If you've never purchased a ticket to comic con before, you may not understand that what you are actually doing is buying a ticket that allows you to stand in line for the chance to receive a ticket that allows you to stand in another line, where you hope to buy things.  Or maybe you just stand in line in the hopes of sitting through one or two hours of discussion on a topic you are not interested in so that you can secure a seat at the panel you DO have interest in afterward.  It's insane.  And I love it.  When it goes my way.  On this particular morning, it most certainly did not go my way.

EARLY Thursday morning, we cut the line and met up with John, a friend from an online community who had already been in line for god knows how long prior to our arrival.  We waved at some other friends that were much farther ahead in line, so god himself probably doesn't even know when they arrived.  And then we sat.  Forever.  And Ever.  At 9AM the

doors finally opened and we were allowed to enter the convention space and go wait in whatever other lines we wanted to wait in until the convention actually started at 10AM.  Andres and John made way for the Hasbro line.  I faltered for a bit in the Hasbro line myself, but then headed for the main exhibit hall line, from which I could make way to the Lego line once the convention opened.  I had my eye on an exclusive item inspired by the 1966 Adam West Batman show.  It was a long shot, as Lego was only offering 250 pieces per day, but we were so far back in the Hasbro line, I thought that was a long shot, too.  Here' a picture of the set.  It's as close as I'll ever get.

As soon as the convention doors opened, single file turned into a mad dash, and people were appearing from places that people shouldn't have been able to be, like nefarious ninja nerds.  Doors that I didn't even know existed flew open, and extra lines of people appeared out of nowhere.  It was uncanny.

Andres and John managed to get to the Hasbro booth, where they were able to get tickets to go back and wait in line to maybe buy stuff later.  So did Mary, another friend who just happened to be walking by after the fact.  Our other friends, who as you may recall were farther ahead in line, somehow got directed out of the line and didn't get tickets.  The whole line concept was an absolute cluster-frak and left everyone feeling somewhat cranky first thing in the morning, though all concerned managed to get their Hasbro loot before the end of the weekend.  As for me and Lego, the closest I got was finding the beginning of the line, following it all the way around the booth twice, realizing that an "end" to the line didn't actually exist, and then getting yelled at by an angry dweeb who accused me of trying to cut in front of him.  Though, to be fair to him, I totally was.   

With no time to lose, we scurried to our first panel discussion of the day, "Legends of TV Land," featuring Donald Faison from "Clueless" and "Scrubs," William Shatner from "Star Trek," and Betty White from being flipping BETTY WHITE, gosh darn it.  It was a lively discussion in which Rose Nylund and Captain James Tiberius Kirk  argued about pretty much everything under the sun while that other guy just sat their in mostly awkward silence because everyone was there to see flipping BETTY White, gosh darn it.  Andres had disappeared by this point, not being particularly interested in the pop culture sweetheart of 1980s American gay youth.  Perhaps his absence is how I got roped into next sitting through an hour of "Women Writing Twilight-Type Knock-Offs" or some such nonsense with my friend Jarrett so that he could ensure himself a seat in the NPR Pop Culture Happy Hour panel that followed.  That...and the fact that attending an NPR panel would give me street cred with TJ.  

Immediately after the generic Twilight fan-fiction panel, Jarrett looked over and noticed that I was in a daze.  

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm just tired, hungry, and thirsty."

"Did you have breakfast?"

"Yeah.  On the plane."

"Um.  That was yesterday.  Have you eaten since then?"  

"...No."

"What about something to drink"
"I had a little rum last night."
"..."

One Jarret-donated granola bar and two trips to the water cooler later, and I was feeling a little better, but that didn't stop me from falling asleep in the front row and getting the stink eye from the panelists before the end of the hour.

Somewhere in the mix, I received news from my mother that her medical tests had all come back negative.  TJ sent a message notifying me that he had experienced enough stress due to the summer war in Gaza and that he was taking a weekend to himself in Prague, please and thank you.  Satisfied that my loved ones were all safe and healthy (though envious of a trip to Prague, let me tell you), I was finally able to truly relax.  But, oh man, was I still tired.

Jarrett and I grabbed some sodas and some nachos.  We walked around for a while.  I incurred the wrath of She-Ra.

We met up with some friends that evening for a group dinner at Edgewater Grill. We took one nice group photo of ourselves....and numerous tasteless photos of action figures being naughty.  I shan't be sharing those, as you'd never think the same of me again.  Well, okay. But just one.  It was a wonderful evening of drinking, chatting, and eating.  We were that table.  You know, the one that makes too much noise and stays past closing?  Sorry, waiters of the world.  That's not typical of me, I promise.

Friday morning brought with it the panel my entire group of friends had been waiting for...and, indeed, the primary reason several of us had made the journey at all.  The 2014 SDCC Mattypalooza panel was where Mattel representatives would share what new and exciting He-Man and She-Ra product would be hitting late 2014/early 2015.  (STOP LAUGHING AT ME!  Geeks outnumber you!!!)

I won't bore you with too many details, as this isn't that type of blog, but it was by far the most exciting panel of the weekend.

Books detailing the history of the brand were announced.  Upcoming comic book storylines were revealed.  New action figures were displayed.  In that moment, all of the exhaustion and worry of the last few days had all been worth it.

Of course, it's sort of embarrassing to talk about my passion for these toys, but I don't know why.  It's just a hobby.  A fond memory of childhood that I am able to carry into adulthood.  It's not a reflection on my sanity or ability to adapt to society or anything.  Besides, everyone knows I collect this stuff anyway.  Example:  All of our personal mail is delivered to us at work.  Once, after a convention that I was unable to attend, a friend mailed some goodies that I had requested to our office in Mexico.  The mailroom sent out an e-mail announcing to the entire world that some He-Man toys had been delivered without a recipient's name printed on the box.  The entire office turned around and said "Aaron, you've got mail!"  I'm quirky.  So what?  

But, of course, it wouldn't have been an enjoyable panel without having to first sit through an hour of something nobody in the room cared about.  A modest group of us arrived 75 minutes early and camped out in the front row of what turned out to be a Sailor Moon panel.  We all snickered and giggled at the ridiculousness of it all (because He-Man and She-Ra are so much more awesome, duh.)...except for Andres, who enjoyed every moment of it.

After the Mattel panel, most paired off into small groups and went their separate ways.  I got distracted by a guy that was handing out free donuts (Hey, I was still tired, but at least I was remembering to eat now.) and got separated from the group.  I wandered around for a while until I stumbled upon the Disney booth.  They were promoting the summer flick  Big Hero 6, and I got to take a photo with a giant statue of the protagonist, Baymax.  I noticed that they had a really fun looking Baymax figure for sale which was, of course, sold out for the day. I made a mental note to return the following morning.

Later, I joined up with Erik and Jeff, a couple I had met at the Betty White and those other guys panel, as we attempted to conquer a two hour line to see the cast of "Bob's Burgers."  We failed miserably.  Dejected, we skulked off in defeat...only to stumble upon the holy grail of comic con:  the end of the line for Hall H.  Not just the end of the line, but the end of the line actually entering the hall. 

Hall H is legendary for bringing big Hollywood starts to comic con to screen clips of upcoming projects and then doing Q&As about them.  Panels for shows like "Game of Thrones" or "The Walking Dead" generally require an overnight campout to get in.  It was while waiting in this line that a "Twilight" fan got run over in 2012.  This is serious stuff.  The panel we stumbled across boasted a generic title like "Upcoming Fox Movies" or something.  We didn't know what to expect, but we suddenly found our schedules clear and decided to take a gamble.

What awaited us was amazing.

First, the cast of "The Maze Runner" came out to show some clips and do some Q&A.  In a moment of purely adorable awkwardness, young star Dylan O'Brien totally spoiled the death of a major character and then tried to justify himself by pointing out that it was based on a book and people should be reading instead of watching movies anyway.  Oops.  (I would go on to tell TJ how excited I was for this movie, who himself would then go on to love the movie.)

Next....NEXT...Channing OHMYGOD Tatum, Christina Applegate, Ron Perlman, and Guillermo del Toro  came out to discuss their work on the absolutely gorgeous movie, "The Book of Life."

I excused myself early to go meet up with Armando, a friend from Guadalajara who now lives in San Diego.  He showed me around Hillcrest, San Diego's happening gayborhood, and then we stopped for a quick dinner at Urban Mos.  Let me just tell you that after almost a year in Jerusalem, that bacon cheeseburger was to die for.  

I then headed back to the convention area for more geek fun at Hennesey's Tavern, where it has become an annual tradition for He-Man and She-Ra fans to meet up the night following the Mattel panel to discuss all that had been revealed earlier that day.  I bowed out early due to still being completely exhausted.  On my way back to the shuttle, I witnessed a fight between a young couple.  She was highly intoxicated and had clearly done something to upset him.  He was walking at a brisk pace to get away from her, and she was stumbling after him screaming his name.  He got caught up by a traffic light and she could have caught up with him, had she not paused to light a cigarette, lost her balance, and fallen on her backside.  She just sat there and yelled after him for the longest time.  I may have been tired...but at least I was doing better than her.

Andres and I returned to the convention early the next morning (but not crazy early).  He headed off to the Nickelodeon booth to purchase a Ninja Turtle or some such thing while I made a beeline for the Disney booth.  Baymax was, of course, sold out.  I then wandered over to the Funko booth, only to discover that its line had been capped off, just as it had been at every single turn all weekend...and would remain so until late that evening, at which point a friend would notify me by text message that he was in the line...and everything that I was interested was sold out.  Naturally.  Not even knowing that last part yet, but bitter nonetheless, I sent Andres a text and asked him to buy me a damned Turtle because I wasn't going to leave this convention without something exclusive.

Everyone reconvened on Saturday morning to attend Nickelodeon's "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" panel.  Seth Green and Sean Astin were there.  It was dreamy.  In that geek sort of way.

Now, despite whining about a plush mutant turtle just three days prior and buying a plastic one just hours before, I hadn't actually watched a turtle toon since the late 90s.  Okay, so I saw an episode of the new show at the gym once...Okay, so I stayed and watched  a second.  Anyway, point being that I hadn't seriously watched it since the early 90s.  Buuuut my friends are all fans and I wanted to fit in.  Well, the panel did what these panels are supposed to do: it got me excited.  I love the show and have now downloaded every episode on iTunes.  #Sucker.

That afternoon, my friend Brian (right, who also sent me some Disney Infinity awesomeness for Christmas...thanks, Bri!) showed me the post office so I could mail off some convention loot to friends that were unable to attend.  We ate lunch at Whole Foods.  We chatted.  I bought a book I had wanted for years.  We took this awesome picture with a woman dressed as She-Ra's pal Sweet Bee (and our buddy Andrew (left), who happened to be passing by at the time).  It was awesome.

We stumbled across some adorable Muppet replicas, which appears to be a theme, as just such a thing also happened while walking around with Brian in 2011.

That evening, Brian and I headed over to Petco Park, where we joined friends Manuel, Mary, Jarrett, Julien, Scott, and Ted for The Walking Dead Escape, "an immersive zombie run experience."  This was the non-panel activity that I had looked forward to most in the month or so leading up to the convention, and it had certainly played no small part in my binge-watching of season 4 on the flight.  Participants were invited to experience the event in one of two ways:  You could either be a walker or a survivor.  We all opted to be survivors, as being a walker involved a two-hour make-up commitment that we just weren't buying into.  Brian, a professional actor, put it best when he said "I am not paying to be in the show.  I get paid to perform."  I don't have any acting chops to speak of, but that's certainly a philosophy I can stand behind.  Things start out fairly calm as you acclimate to your environment.  Men in army fatigues play the part of US military personnel on the scene to contain an outbreak of the zombie plague.  As you walk through the breezeways and corridors of the facility, things quickly fall apart and zombies start lunging for you at every turn.  Fear not, would-be adventurers; for sanitation's sake, the pretend virus is spread via touch, not bite.  

Afterward, we joined another friend, Ricky, for a late dinner before I grabbed the complimentary shuttle back to the hotel.  Andres hadn't wanted to participate in the zombie run and I wanted to spend some time with him before he left the next morning.  I fell asleep on the shuttle just as it approached my stop...and woke up in front of the convention center.  By the time I made my second trip to the hotel, Andres was already asleep.  Hasty goodbyes were all we had time for the following morning.  He headed for Tijuana, and I headed back to the mall.  I had spent myself into needing another suitcase.

I departed San Diego on Sunday at 8:30PM (or Monday at 6:30AM, Jerusalem Time) on a British Airways flight headed back to London.  My convention friends all departed that day as well, and the afternoon was filled with text message farewells from trains, taxis, and terminals on the other side of the airport.  It wasn't until I was leaving that I had a moment to stop and reflect on just how amazing a time I had actually had.  The summer war in Gaza had not resulted in travel restrictions being placed on my return to Jerusalem.  TJ's impromptu vacation meant that he was safe, regardless of what happened in Jerusalem anyway.  My mother had called to tell me that her medical tests all came back negative.  I had begun this vacation with so many worries, but it was ending on such a high note.    

As first class began boarding, I looked up to the sound of a young male with a British accent thanking someone for their hospitality.  It took a moment for me to recognize that it was Will Poulter.  The 21-year old actor has been featured in such films as "The Chronicles of Narnia:  The Voyage of the Dawntreader," "We're the Millers," and "The Maze Runner."  Yes, he had been at the panel.  My camera was buried in my carry-on.  My cell phone was turned off in preparation for departure.  I couldn't get to either of them before he had disappeared down the boarding ramp.  SIGH.  I scoured the plane for him as I walked to my seat in coach, but this plane didn't send the commoners down the walk of shame past first class.  UGH.  Oh well.  Let's enjoy a stock photo instead.

Oh, yeah.  That's the stuff.

I had an eight our layover in London and Anwarul was kind enough to meet me at Heathrow again. We sat and chatted for a couple of hours at an airport pub.  We ate fish and chips (not the McDonald's variety).  I spilled ketchup everywhere.  There was no restroom inside the restaurant.  There were no paper towels in the restroom outside of the restaurant.  I threw a bit of a fit.  I was tired.

I landed in Tel Aviv at 6:00AM Tuesday morning (or 8:00PM Monday evening, California time).  TJ had landed an hour prior and was waiting for me with the car.  We somehow managed to go home, change clothes, and arrive at work by 8:00am.  

By 3:00, I had fallen asleep at my desk.  I got up, logged an hour of sick leave, and went home to rest. 

The Road to San Diego Comic Con 2014

After three long years, I finally returned to San Diego for the annual geek pilgrimage known as Comic Con International, aka San Diego Comic Con.

My journey began on July 18, when I left Tel Aviv Ben Gurion International Airport at 5:15pm on a  British Airways flight headed for London.  I landed around 8:30PM London time, or 10:30PM Jerusalem time.  The seats were comfy, the food was adequate, and the flight offered a wide variety of complimentary programming.  Being a huge fan of "The Walking Dead," and having only seen the first episode of season 4 at that point, I was pleased to note that the entire season was among the offerings.  As my much longer connecting flight would also be through BA, I rolled the dice and hoped that this meant I could knock out the remaining 15 episodes of the season before landing in Texas the following afternoon.  By the end of that first leg, I had completed the fifth episode.  Ten more to go...this was going to be doable, but tight.

Our friend Anwarul, whom we had met in Orlando during home leave in September, greeted me at London Heathrow Airport. I had a fifteen hour layover on the horizon and the thought was that, as Anwaral's home in Henley-on-Thames was kind of far from the airport,  we would have a proper fish and chips dinner, do a little nighttime sight-seeing, and dance/drink the night away so that I could collapse into a peaceful slumber on the second leg of this journey and he could fall asleep on the tube and probably miss his stop and end up at Downton Abbey.  Or something.  I don't now where the tube lines end.  (Fortunately, as this plan was formed prior to my knowledge of the in-flight programming) I discovered mere days before my journey that Gavin, a friend from our years living in Orlando, happened to be in London that same week for a Monty Python concert.  The plan changed from dancing all night to bumming a free place to crash until morning so that I could get a decent night's sleep as any self respecting 34 year old should do.

Anwarul and I still opted for a little nighttime sightseeing and a fish and chips dinner.  But first we stopped at Paddington Station so I could pose with...Paddington Bear!

The places Anwarul had wanted to go were either closed or super crowded, so we went to...McDonald's.  BUT!  It was a McDonald's with a view.  I had the Filet-o-Fish and fries, because I thought it would be funny.  It was.  But not tasty.  Here I am in front of the London Eye.  I had wanted to ride it since my study abroad trip in 2001, but I didn't have time then and I didn't have time now. No worries; TJ and I would be returning for two weeks in September.  I'd probably ride it then.  (Spoiler:  I didn't.)  You'll notice how dapper Anwarul looks.  I told him that, when picked at the airport, I always expect my greeters to arrive in suit and black hat.  And that's just what he did!  He says it happened to be what he had worn to work that day, but I choose to believe it was all for me.

Anwarul was kind enough to accompany me all the way to Gavin's hotel to ensure that I wouldn't get lost during the many station changes.  Before parting ways, he even mapped out my route back to the airport.  I then proceeded to enjoy a cocktail and a chat with Gavin before retiring at a decent hour, while Anwarul missed the last train and ended up on a terribly long bus ride before arriving home at quite an indecent hour.  Sorry, pal!

The next morning I awoke refreshed and scurried off to the airport.  This leg of my journey would clock in somewhere between 10 and 11 hours and take me to visit my parents in Texas.  I hopped into my seat and immediately began watching the next episode of "The Walking Dead."  I wasn't sure if I'd be able to finish the series, when suddenly a..."miracle"...happened.  The captain made a series of announcements over the course of the NEXT TWO HOURS regarding flight delays.  I won't bore you with the details, but it involved two wheelchair-bound passengers, a broken ramp, a jammed door, a lost spot in the take-off queue, and a long line for departure.  

After calling TJ to ask if he would first notify my mother of the delay and then call my friend Patrick, who was going to drive 170 miles from Houston just to have a quick dinner with me because he was supposed to visit us in Jerusalem but then cancelled his trip due to the summer war, and tell him that now *I* had to cancel because of the flight delay, I sat back in my seat and watched 10 episodes of "The Walking Dead" and two episodes of "Pawn Stars," followed by several uninspired rounds of Pac-Man on the seat-back's touch screen.  In hindsight, I should have napped.  The jet lag would stay with me for two weeks.  

By the time I landed at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, it was around 6:30PM...or 2:30AM the following day by Jerusalem time.  I couldn't find my parents.  I didn't have cellular reception.  I feared that they had gone to the wrong airport.  After walking up and down the International Arrivals corridor a couple of times, I walked the length of the Arrivals pick-up sidewalk.  I finally located them at the domestic Arrivals gate, where they were growing equally concerned by the fact that no flights from London were showing up on the board.      

I spent Saturday evening through Wednesday morning with my parents.  For the most part, it was a relaxing visit filled with good foods and good company.  We ate.  We drank.  We reminisced.  My aunt came to visit.  My mom's dogs barked...a lot.  We went to Best Buy and looked at the technology that has been passing me by whilst living overseas, and passing my parents by whilst they don't regularly go to Best Buy.  Apparently, televisions are curved now.  Why?  I don't know.  I still haven't been able to explain it to TJ.  My dad showed me the newest classic Chevy that he was restoring.  Mom took pride in showing me her rock garden.  I visited my old college town.  I crawled through the barn and looked at my old toys.  I laid them all out and smiled.  As many as there were, I knew that many more had been sold off at one garage sale or another (with my permission, of course) over the years.

As much as I had wanted to, as much as I had planned to, I didn't tell any of my old friends that I was home.  I was nervous and sad and too anxious to do anything but spend time with my parents.  

While I was safe at home with mom and dad, TJ was once again assisting American citizens that were departing Gaza.  Rockets were exploding overhead, shattered glass and concrete rubble were everywhere.  Cell reception and battery power were not our friends that day, and I had minimal contact with him.  It wasn't until he made it home that I was able to relax.  The experience shook him to the core.  The following weekend, while I was in San Diego, he skipped town and visited Prague.  He just needed a break.

That was fine by me.  There had been talk over the last couple of weeks about sending family members back to the US if the conflict worsened.  I was worried that the order would be given while I was stateside, restricting my return while requiring TJ to remain behind to continue his work.  The thought of this made me sick.  I didn't want to be separated.  I hadn't left because of fear.  I just wanted to go geek out for a few days with my friends.  I wasn't able to truly enjoy my trip until TJ landed in Prague and I knew that, if any such order was given, we'd at least be locked out of Jerusalem together.  

Throughout all of this, my mother experienced her first (and hopefully last) cancer scare.  Tests had been run prior to my arrival, but the results would not be ready until after I had beens scheduled to return to Jerusalem.  I suspect she planned it this way deliberately so as not to dampen the mood of my visit, as I went running to her side the last time there was a medical concern.  She was in good spirits, and seemed to be in a positive frame of mind, but it was still cause for alarm.  Should I stay and await the results?  Should I go to San Diego and then come back if the worst was confirmed, or would she be better served if I went back to Jerusalem, and return home for treatments?  In the end, she was optimistic that things would be fine, so I continued with my planned trip, knowing that I could always return if necessary.  

Jet lag combined with the external stress contributed to wonky sleep patterns.  I found myself unable to fall asleep earlier than 2AM, but wide awake by 6:30AM.  Eating patterns mirrored the time zone I was inhabiting, so that was a plus. 

Early....so, so early...on Wednesday, July 23, my parents drove me back to Austin, where I flew to San Diego International Airport via a connecting flight at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport.  

The entire flight was filled with convention goers.  You could just...tell.

An obese, introverted geek sat to my left, an average, friendly, extroverted geek to my right.  When the flight attendant walked the aisles and asked that we buckle our seat belts, I could not find mine.  I turned to the large fellow beside me and had the following conversation.

"I think you are sitting on my seat belt."

"No, I don't think so."

"Well, could you check?  I kind of need it."

"It's not important."

"No, really, it is.  She just said so.  Get. Up. Now."

"Oh. Here it is."

"Yeah."

I then turned to my right and did something I have never done before:  I conversed with a stranger on an airplane.  We talked for the duration of the flight about all sorts of nerdy, geeky, dweeby things.  I don't believe careers or family or other hobbies ever came up, because we were going to comic con and who had time to talk about real life, am I right?

My flight landed at 10:00AM...or 8:00PM Jerusalem time.  In the course of five days, time around had shifted by two, eight, and, finally, ten hours.  My internal clock had not yet adjusted.  It would never accomplish this task.

But Comic Con had officially begun.  

How IS Jerusalem?

Way back in November of 2010, when TJ and I had just arrived at our very first overseas job assignment, I posted a blog entry entitled "How IS Guadalajara?" in which I did a brief tour around the neighborhood, discussed potential security concerns, and generally just tried to put family and friends at ease over any concerns they may have had about our making such a huge transition out of our previous lives.  I reread that posting in preparation for this one, and it brought a smile to my face.  Mexico was such a wonderful time in our lives, and it warmed my heart to relive those early days with the perspective brought on by four full years of additional life experience.

I had meant to do the same for Jerusalem shortly after our arrival, but for some reason it never happened.  I never really wrote anything about Jerusalem.

It started out innocently enough:  I was in Jerusalem.  Jerusalem.  This was going to be epic.  My first entry was going to have to be something truly special.  A full-on review of the Old City.  Only...I hadn't spent enough time in the Old City to write that "wow" story before we took an extended weekend trip to Tel Aviv.  I couldn't write about Tel Aviv first, now, could I?  Of course not!  That would feel cheap.

Excuse followed excuse, until so much time had passed that I basically lost interest in writing anything at all.  Finally, two months into living here, I forced myself to start writing.  I ignored pretty much everything that had gone down in those first two months and just chugged forward...at a snail's pace.  Today we find ourselves one year and two months into a two year assignment.  We've seen and done so much, yet I've not even managed to write an average of one entry per week.  As of this writing, I'm  approximately four months behind on subject matter.  Still, that's an improvement; it used to be six months.

I'm making decent progress now.  I want to get caught up so I can start chronicling our adventures in real time.  I think if I can just force this entry out, the dam will burst and the stories will flow with ease.

So.  How IS Jerusalem?

Well.  To start with....

Jerusalem was Hope

TJ and I both converted to Reform Judaism in October 2010.  It is not common for both people in a relationship to change religions at once, as one partner usually acts as a magnet for the other.  The rabbis thought it was odd.  Our families thought it was odd.  Our friends thought it was odd.  I thought it was odd.  What can I say?  We're odd.

We did so simultaneously and for similar yet strikingly different reasons.  Our reasons are personal and won't be shared here.  Suffice it to say, our thoughts on religion weren't especially changed as a result.  It was more of a sociocultural than spiritual decision.  Beyond Christmas and Easter, religion had never been a big part of my life pre-Judaism.  Post-Judaism, the same held true for Chanukah, Passover, and Purim.

We tried to connect to the community in Mexico, with mixed results.  The people were all wonderfully polite, but we just didn't feel as if we clicked.  Language barriers were the decided upon culprit.  When we began bidding on our second tour, Jerusalem and Tel Aviv made the top of the list.  We were elated when we were assigned to Jerusalem.  We saw it as an opportunity to learn some Hebrew, to connect with a broader Jewish community, and to learn more about this choice we had made.

When we returned to DC for post-Mexico, pre-Jerusalem training, we made an honest effort to check out a few synagogues near our home in Falls Church, VA.  None of them clicked.  Temple Micah, where we had undergone our conversion, was and remains our favorite, but due to work schedules and commute times, we were unable to attend Friday night Shabbat services there.  Of course, we could have gotten up for Saturday services, but....yeah.  That didn't happen, either.  Having seemingly struck out in Guadalajara and DC alike, we saw Jerusalem as our opportunity to finally form a solid connection.

As of this writing, we have yet to attend a service.  Perhaps we never will.  It's possible that the idea of Judaism was, for us, more appealing than the practice itself.  And that's okay.

Jerusalem is Closed

One of the hardest things to get used to is the fact that, from mid-afternoon on Friday to one hour after sunset on Saturday, just about everything is closed in observance of Shabbat, the Jewish day of rest.  Most local business maintain a Sunday-Thurday work week.  We, however, follow the American practice of holding office hours Monday-Friday.  This means that if we want to eat during the weekend, we best get our shopping done by Thursday evening.

There are exceptions, however.  Not every restaurant closes during Shabbat.  There are a number of Arab-owned eateries and convenience stores that are open at all hours of the day and night.  These have been my saving grace and I love them to pieces.

Despite the need for workarounds, there is generally something peaceful about knowing what your Friday night plans are going to be.  I mean, who could possibly complain about having to spend an evening at home with loved ones?

Jerusalem is Kosher.  It is also Halal

Religious practices and levels of observance dictate a number of things, including what types of foods are permissible.  In the absolute simplest of terms, Jews that keep kosher do not eat meat and dairy in unison.  They also refrain from pork and shellfish in all their forms.  Muslims that keep halal do not eat pork or drink alcohol.  For those that keep neither practice, you have options...you just have to plan your shopping and dining excursions more strategically.  This could mean driving into the  West Bank to obtain pork in Bethlehem, or taking a day trip that will include a delectable seafood spread in Akko.  Jerusalem also has locations that can cater to your needs; you'll just need to do your research.    

Jerusalem is Convenient

Literally everywhere that I go within the city on any sort of regular basis is walkable.  It takes me 5 minutes to get to my favorite pizza joint.  10 minutes to get to the grocery store or one of those heaven-sent Arab markets.  12 minutes to get to work.  45 minutes to get to the mall and the Old City.  I don't drive unless I have to.  Which is good, because...

Jerusalem is Aggressive

Horn honking, road rage, and cutting off the guy beside you is par for the course.  And I usually witness all of that before I even turn out of the parking garage and onto the side street in front of my apartment.  A cab driver was behind me once.  He thought I was driving too slowly.  Instead of just passing me, he passed me, stopped his car in the road in front of me, and got out of his car to come yell at me.  No, really.

There is no line culture.  You have to watch out for that little old lady behind you at the grocery store.  Blink and she's suddenly in front of you, like a ninja.

Jerusalem is Healthy (Well, Healthier)

Guadalajara was chock-full of American brands.  Jerusalem has McDonald's, Pizza Hut, and Dominos.  Bethlehem has a KFC.  That's pretty much it.  This is a blessing and a curse.  Fast food is in short supply, so it generally makes for healthier, tastier dining experiences.  We've managed to lose a little bit of weight, which is inspiring and very much welcome.  But...sometimes you REALLY just want to pig out and be a fat gross sloth of a human, am I right?  Bare minimum, I'd like someone to hand me food through my car window from time to time.

Jerusalem is Delicious

I've attended two cooking classes in my time here.  One of these days I would like to prepare the foods, photograph them, and share the recipes with you.  Until then, you will just have to trust me.


Jerusalem is Expensive

With an 18% VAT (value-added tax), you really have to reevaluate your spending power.  Amazon.com has become my best friend.  

Jerusalem is Heartbreaking

Ah.  And here we are.  This is the part I've been dreading.  This is the touchy part.  The controversial part.  The part that, should we be honest with each other (and we should), prevented me from writing about Jerusalem and stinted my writing for so long.  Hell, I started this particular post over a week ago and had to stop because, suddenly, Jerusalem became even more heartbreaking.

Conflict has been a fact of life in this region since time immemorial.  That certainly did not change when the State of Israel was established on May 14, 1948 following devastating losses to the Jewish people during the Holocaust.  Israel was quickly attacked by her neighbors.  Despite being a newborn nation, Israel won that particular fight.  New boundaries were drawn.  The unrest continues to this day.  

Jerusalem is central to the ongoing struggle.  The Israelis have proclaimed Jerusalem as their capital, while the Palestinians who inhabited these lands up to the May 14, 1948 termination of the British Mandate for Palestine also lay claim to the city.

Who's right?  Who's wrong?  Who knows?  History has a tendency of favoring, or at least being written by, the victor.  As of yet, there is no victor.

For its part, the US government does not recognize Jerusalem as the capital for either party.  It is desired that an international regime be established for the city, as outlined in the 1947 partition plan that preceded the State of Israel.

The newsfeed was filled with stories about altercations between Israeli soldiers and Arab terrorists the moment we stepped off the plane.  Keep in mind that terror covers a wide swath ranging from stone throwing to kidnapping and murder, so thorough reading of any article is necessary to understand just what is going on at any particular moment.

Despite all of this, Secretary of State John Kerry was making frequent visits to the region and, for a time, it looked like we might actually be present for the historical creation of a two-state solution between the Israeli and Palestinian peoples.

Then, on June 12, three Israeli teenagers were kidnapped in the West Bank.  Their bodies were found on June 30.

Hamas, the terrorist government regime in control of Gaza, took credit for the crime.

A retaliatory terror attack saw the kidnapping and murder of a Palestinian teenager by Israeli settlers.  He went missing on July 2.  His remains were found the following day.  He was stabbed and burned alive in the woods near Jerusalem.

These murders set off a chain reaction of violence that neither side has yet to recover from.

In the first week of July, 250 missiles were fired into Israel from Gaza.  Israel began a counter-terrorist operation on July 7.  It would ultimately involve air strikes that devastated entire cities and a land invasion to destroy tunnels that had been dug to infiltrate Israel.

On July 13, TJ and I joined a contingent of our colleagues in assisting in the departure of 150 American citizens who had found themselves trapped in Gaza over the course of the previous few months  (Entry/exit requirements are strict and the US government is unable to intervene unless during times of crises).

We could hear rockets exploding in the distance, and once we were even required to seek shelter in a safe haven.

We met the Americans as they exited Gaza, registered their travel and provided them with evacation loans, and escorted them to Jordan.

Our involvement in the operation lasted over eight hours.  In total, the day's work lasted for over sixteen hours.

On July 20, despite my express wishes to the contrary, TJ went back to assist in a second evacuation.  He's just that kind of guy.  He wanted to help.  I was in Texas visiting my family and had little to no contact with him during the operation.  He was terrified.  Rockets were exploding much closer than they had the previous weekend, and they had to seek shelter more frequently.  He was shaken for days  afterward.

By the end of the conflict in late August, the Palestinian death toll had soared to over 2,000.  The Israelis lost 68 people, 64 of which were soldiers.

Thanks to its Iron Dome missile-defense system, which calculates missile trajectory and launches a counter-missle should a populated area be at risk, Israel escaped the conflict with far less damage than it would have otherwise.  That, of course, comes as no consolation to those that were affected.

Negotiations for a continued ceasefire are still underway, though they appear to have stalled.

Recently, tensions began to rise once more.

• A Palestinian teenager was shot three times in the chest and killed by Israeli police during a public demonstration on October 17.
• A baby was killed and seven others Israelis were injured when a Palestinian driver hit passengers at a train station on October 22.  The driver later died of gunshot wounds.   
• Another Palestinian teenager was shot in the head and killed during an altercation with Israeli police on October 24.
• A rabbi was shot by a Palestinian man in Jerusalem on October 29.  His assailant was killed during the arrest attempt.  The victim was gravely injured and is still recovering. 
• Israeli settlers set fire to a mosque in the West Bank on November 12.
• Five Israelis were killed and several others were seriously injured while praying at a synagogue on November 18.  The responsible parties were killed on the scene.  

This is by no means a comprehensive list, but you get the gist.  When talks cease to be sufficient, acts of violence are carried out tit for tat.   

News analysts are falling all over themselves trying to decide if and when another Intifada (uprising) will begin...or if it already has and we just don't realize it. 

Such is life in Jerusalem.  We are blessed in that we are not (yet) the intended targets of any of these attacks, yet heartbroken in having so many wonderful, loyal, kind local friends on both sides of the conflict that will have to live here and endure long after we have moved on to our next assignment.

Jerusalem is Hope

I have no answers to provide, no solutions to offer.

All I can do is look at everyone that I've met in this beautiful land and pray that one day they will be able to open their eyes knowing they have woken up to a day of peace and mutual understanding.

That is my wish.  That is my hope.