Is anybody still there? ZOOOOOOO!

UPDATED WITH PICTURES!!!!!

You've been waiting for a while and I apologize. Slikha! The honest to goodness truth is....um...all of our fieldtrips for the last two weeks basically didn't happen due to bad weather and violence in the city. And we literally spent the rest of the time sitting in make-up sessions for our Islam/Palestine class and cramming for and taking finals.....literally. I kid you not. So, sigh of relief, exams are over and now we move into the phase of the semester in which we only take two classes (New Testament and Ancient NearEastern Studies) and spend the rest of the time beachin' it up in Galilee and exploring Petra and other parts of Jordan and generally just loving each other all the more. This has really been one of the coolest, funnest, most judge-free experience of my life. The people here are CRAZY!!....like me!
Today (hopefully tomorrow I'll be able to upload some picturas!!), we went to the zoo! The theme is (I bet you can't guess) Noah's ark!! Actually there was a big wooden ark at the end of the park. Highlights include a Hyacinth Macaw that used to belong to Winston Churchill (No joke, it's like 104 years old) and still shouts profanities about Nazis, a lion and began to maul the window through which I'm sure some other JC students were taunting it - I got a video, just like National Goegraphic, I swear! - and then there were Koi to pet:), and the chimpanzees - little ones picking fights with big ones and then getting clobbered and running off to their moms. I was totally impressed with this zoo. And after having been cooped up in our palace due to rain, fires in the street (check out http://www.blog.erictorrie.com/), stonings and FINALS, it was beautiful to take the day to be little carefree kids, frolicking in the sunshine through the menagerie and the Jewish quarter of the Old City. I feel like I can't do any of this justice with my descriptions.
I finally feel like I'm gaining an idea of the conflict in this area and what the opposing sides are wanting and upset about it. It makes me feel like a better member of society. Yay!!

Mamma's taken us to the zoo tomorrow, zoo tomorrow, zoo tomorrow......and little Jon is a little hesitant.

Squirrel monkey

Climbing up rocks is super fun.



Bear

Three-legged leopard

Noah's Ark

Awesome scenary! Giraffes in the Holy Land!

Hebrew-speaking child-friendly Noah's ark story comics. The raindrop says,"Loooooooooooo!"

Koi are slimy.

I was totally impressed with this zoo. And after having been cooped up in our palace due to rain, fires in the street (check out http://www.blog.erictorrie.com/), stonings and FINALS, it was beautiful to take the day to be little carefree kids, frolicking in the sunshine through the menagerie and the Jewish quarter of the Old City. I feel like I can't do any of this justice with my descriptions.
I finally feel like I'm gaining an idea of the conflict in this area and what the opposing sides are wanting and upset about it. It makes me feel like a better member of society. Yay!!