the kindest subletter

I just got a phone call from Idan, my subletter in Jerusalem. I've mentioned my roommates Alex and Avi in previous posts. They are very kind. Alex already moved out, actually, to re-join the army as a physician in training. Avi is hard at work on his dissertation every single day.

But I was so moved by Idan's kindness that I wanted to create a post just about him. He calls me occasionally to check in and make sure that I'm okay. At first, I was on my guard whenever he called since I've had some really negative experiences with subletters, but over time, I've learned to trust his sincerity. Once, I mentioned that I temporarily moved the desk closer to the overhead light to get more light when I worked. He called one day to ask if I was home, and when he came inside, he gave me a desk lamp. He had bought a brand new one for me.

In the bathroom, he left me shampoo, soap, and laundry detergent. In the kitchen, he left me dried beans, pasta, and rice. Just now, he asked me what I've been up to now that I'm back from Tiberias. I mentioned that I've been staying in more since my school friends have returned to the States and I'm running low on my grant monies. He urged me to use the meats he has in the freezer. He insisted that eating his food would help him, since he'd have to carry less when he officially moves out of the apartment at the end of the month.

Even from the very beginning, he and his girlfriend Karney met me at the light rail station to lead me to the apartment. They've been so responsive to questions. Karney even gave me a map when I first moved in. Now, I regret not calling them up over the past month to get to know them better -- I wanted to give them space since they had exams.

Idan's (and Karney's) sincerity and simple kindness move me to a moment of silence. It's kind of sad that this experience is so notable -- how wonderful it would be if it were the norm. After I hung up and put the phone down, I sat very still and lingered in my gratitude. I have been so blessed in so many ways this year. The Parable of the Talents (Matt. 25:14-30; Luke 19:12-28) is on my mind, and I pray that I may be mindful.

contentment found at Nisan's

Romanticizing cafes is pretty cliche, I know. But there is something so soothing and grounding about finding "the cafe(s)" in your city. You feel at home and know that it is (they are) now your beloved, regular place(s). I had only really found them in two cities: In Madrid, it was Alameda on rainy days. In Philly, it was Higher Grounds in the mornings, the outdoor patio at Arbol Cafe on sunny days, and Chapterhouse in the late evenings. There was a plethora of amazing cafes in other cities I've lived in for a summer or more, but an amazing cafe and "the" cafe are two different things.

I found mine in Jerusalem today: Nisan's, just outside of Mehane Yehuda Market.

I was initially drawn inside by the sacks of spices, grains, and homemade pastas by the entrance. Once I walked inside and saw the glass jars of coffee beans, bowls of loose leaf teas, and little wooden square tables in a nook, I had to stay for a while. I asked for their best tea that's non-floral and non-fruity, and the lady gave me a nice, smooth black tea. An hour later, I ordered a cappuccino as well, which was creamy and delicious. Each mug came with a round sesame cookie which had a slightly sticky, chewy consistency.

I sat in a corner facing a booth, where a happy-looking older gentleman sat down with a coffee and newspaper. At one point, he went out for a smoke, but came back and continued to drink his coffee and read his newspaper. He reminded me so much of a content version of ahpa that I included him in my pictures.

The cashiers behind the counter were friendly and relaxed. The stream of people going in and out was slow and steady. It was funny to listen to the assortment of familiar songs from the radio station, ranging from Nicki Minaj to Gotye.

(teas)

(grinding coffee beans)

I stayed for a few hours, happy.

P.S. I also bought a sweet poster of the aleph bet on brown paper at the Israel Posters Center. This is a digital version of it.

Caesarea, Mt. of Beatitudes, Capernaum, "Sea of Galilee," Jordan River, Cana, Nazareth, Akko

This past weekend, Sara, Aziel, Amanda, Nick and I rented a car and drove up to the Galilee region. We visited Caesarea Maritima on the way. As can be expected of most ruins in this land, the history is multilayered (Byzantine, Crusader, Arab, etc.). Caesarea started as one of Herod's ambitious building projects in the 20's BCE: a city/harbor in honor of Augustus Caesar. You can find a historical timeline here, which marks visits by Paul and Origen (pretty cool). One interesting fact is that "this city is the location of the 1961 discovery of the Pilate Stone, the only archaeological item that mentions the Roman prefect Pontius Pilate, by whose order Jesus was crucified.^[5]" (Wikipedia). You can see this "Pilate Stone" at the Israel Museum.

Caesarea Maritima


The photos do not do the site justice, since it's difficult to capture how immense the ruins are... and the waves crashing up against the walls.

(aquaduct; photo taken in March)

(heated bath)

(statue of Jesus, according to the sign)

(we finished the hot tour with some delicious gelato--check out the banana/date/pecan one on top)

We settled in Tiberias that night, with the intention of cycling up to the Mt. of Beatitudes and Capernaum first thing in the morning... good thing that didn't work out, because it was very humid and a steep climb.

Mt. of Beatitudes


(A general note to female travelers in the Holy Land: Since it's so hot, wear a tank top and shorts. But, carry either a wrap skirt or pants and a light scarf with you since you'll need to cover your knees and shoulders to enter some sites, whether Jewish, Muslim, or Christian. We actually had to go back to our hotel and grab more clothes since the nuns wouldn't let us onto the property with our shorts on.)

Yes, we read Matthew 5-7 while we were there :).

(the church on the Mt. of Beatitudes; photo from Sara)

(it was nice and peaceful by the Galilee... later, Sara and I swam in it... the water wasn't as clear as the Med. or Red and the fish tickled our legs, but at least we didn't have to worry about jellyfish!)

(we sat under a tent and chatted for a while... admittedly, we took off our knee and shoulder coverings once we got to a secluded space on the Mt.)

Some photos from March:

(a close up of the "Sea of Galilee")

(the "Jesus Boat")

(the YDS travel seminar got to board a boat on the Galilee, which was so lovely)

(loaves and fish: pita and what is called "St. Peter's Fish" (tilapia zilli) at the Church of the Multiplication in nearby Tabgha)

(the dome of the Church of the Multiplication)

Caphernaum/Capernaum


We dropped by Capernaum to see the 4th century synagogue -- one of the oldest in the world -- and what's considered remains of St. Peter's house (with a Byzantine octagonal church built on top of it).

(the octagonal church over St. Peter's house)

 

(synagogue; photos from Sara)

Jordan River

We dipped our toes into the Jordan River and watched some people get (re)baptized:

(there were passages written in various languages... I obviously went to the Korean one first)

(toes in the Jordan River)

(folks getting baptized in the distance)

Cana

We slept in and drove out to Cana the following morning. The roads were extremely narrow and it was tough finding a parking spot, but we found a small alley right next to the church. There was, not surprisingly, a wedding going on inside (John 2:11)! It was fun to carry my water bottle inside, even if I knew it wouldn't be turned into wine...

 

(the urns up front; photo from Sara)

Nazareth

Then we drove over to Nazareth, where we had an incredible lunch at Al Reda Restaurant, which is on the first floor of an Ottoman mansion.

(interesting sign in the center of Nazareth, which is comprised of about 30% Christians and 70% Muslims)

Al Reda Restaurant interior and our meal:

(pastia! took me back to meals at Marrakesh in Philly)

The Church of the Annunciation in Nazareth has mosaics of Mary and Jesus from around the world... I'm posting all of the ones in the courtyard here for you because I love them so much:

(phew!)

Here are some of the church itself:

(two women restoring a 5th century mural)

(Sara, Amanda and I sat in the pews for a while, soaking in the beautiful space and (finally) worshipful atmosphere... there was a service in Polish and we were the only tourists in the church at the time)

We also stopped by St. Joseph's church next door and went to Mahroum's for their famous baklava, which was the best we've all ever had.

Akko/Acre

Last stop before returning to Jerusalem was Akko/Acre, the oldest continuously inhabited city, according to my guidebook. It's been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2001. We walked around the town and hung out at the fortress where Napoleon tried but failed to lay siege to the walled city protected by the Ottomans. It was nice to stand on the wall and gaze out at the families boating and swimming in the water.