Big, Tough, and Wild

Sometimes you just need to be with the girls. Even though there are like...3... boys here, some of us were in serious need of having some girls time. So what do girls do when they get together? You probably guessed it....SHOP! We tracked down a real mall here in town and set out to buy clothes to add to the wardrobe that is on a weekly cycle here. With all of the holidays going on here, we have been trying to go for a while, but there has been a holiday everyday for almost 3 weeks straight, so actually getting there when we are allowed out and when the stores are open has been tricky. As soon as the six of us girls walked out the gates of the center I was already feeling a little more in touch with my girly side. We were cracking jokes about boobs and and making fun of eachother like girls do when boys aren't around. The girls I went out with are not girls I have hung out with a lot, but I absolutely love them! When I have gone out with just girls before, I have noticed they are usually pretty reserved and cautious because they are contantly telling us how different the culture is here and how how even if we aren't flooseys, western women are just seen as easy. Our little group of six knew how to have fun and have street smarts at the same time. When we got ot the western side of the city and found the mall, it was like seeing a vision from heaven. It was an outdoor shopping mall with European clothes stores lining each side. As we walked into each store, it was very apparent we did not fit in. Here we were in our frumpy, touristy clothes scanning the racks for anything that cost less than and arm and a leg. All the clothes were much too expensive for my bank account, but it was still so much fun to even just look at and drool over clothes. We walked the length of the mall and only bought a few little things here and there. My friend Becca had the best purchase of the day...a little boys t-shirt with a bear on the front that said "Big, Tough, and Wild." Shopping here in Israel is wonderful because they don't care if you touch the clothes or pick them up to try them on. Most places I have traveled, the store clerks freak when you even stretch your hand out to touch something. We were cramming into dressing rooms and giggling at the ridiculous things we were trying on. The sun began to set and that is our signal to hustle home. We quickly ran to Ben Yahuda street to grab a gelato and then started the treck home. There were tons of soldiers out becasue it was a Jewish holiday. As we walked past a parked jeep full of soldiers, I decided to make my secret desire to get a picture with the troops come true. I stopped the girls, turned around, and went back to ask if they would take a pictue with us. Of course they would! One of the soldiers hopped out of another parked truck and ran over to me to say he wanted a picture with me. We took a group picture and then the one soldier started asking where we were from and all of that. Then he asked me how he was supposed to see me again. I told him he wouldn't. He asked if he could have my number, but don't worry, I didn't even know it and I wouldn't have given it to him if I did. As a last resort, he asked if he could give me his number so I could call him sometime..........Sure! I ran back to my friends with the cute Israeli troop's number written on my map. I got his digits! I got his digits! I'll never call him, but it made for a good end to the girls trip out.

Once we got back to the center, we had to quickly change and run up to the forum for a special presentation from the Arabic teacher. He brought two Muslim Shieks to demonstrate the reading of the Koran and the call to prayer fro us. We then went into dinner for a Ramadan feast. The cafateria was decorated with flowers and tableclothes and each of us were seated by ushers to our assigned seats. The dinner tasted pretty much like every other dinner we have everyday, but it was fun to do something out of the ordinary. After dinner we shuffled into the gym to learn Palestinian folk dancing. Anything to do with dancing you know I am going to love it. I was dying of laughter watching the boys attempt to prance across the gym. It was a blast! Best of the day? Getting the guard's number. *note: he is not in the above picture.
p.s. Is is odd that I never noticed their guns until I just loaded the picture?