Image via Wikipedia

All of the following quotes are from Maya Angelou:

“Ask for what you want and be prepared to get it.”

“Courage allows the successful woman to fail- and learn powerful lessons- from the failure- so that in the end, she didn’t fail at all. “

“Don’t make money your goal. Instead, pursue the things you love doing, and do them so well that people can’t take their eyes off you. All the other tangible rewards will come as a result. “

Image via Wikipedia

“Each of us has the right and the responsibility to assess the road which lie ahead and those over which we have traveled, and if the feature road looms ominous or unpromising, and the road back uninviting-inviting, then we need to gather our resolve and carrying only the necessary baggage, step off that road into another direction. If the new choice is also unpalatable, without embarrassment, we must be ready to change that one as well. “

“Each of us has that right, that possibility, to invent ourselves daily. If a person does not invent herself, she will be invented. So, to be bodacious enough to invent ourselves is wise. “

“If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change your attitude.”

“It is this belief in a power larger than myself and other than myself which allows me to venture into the unknown and even the unknowable. “

“You can only become truly accomplished at something you love. Don’t make money your goal. Instead, pursue the things you love doing, and then do them so well that people can’t take their eyes off you. “

These quotes and more can be found at:  http://www.great-inspirational-quotes.com/maya-angelou-quotes.html .

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Okay, I’ve seen a few places in the world now. One of my goals is to visit each of the continents, except Antartica…lol. So, that leaves me with Europe, Australia and South America. However, I’m stumped as to where I should go on my future vacation. I’m thinking of a few places and checking airfare prices. Are there any places that you recommend for me to visit?

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I call this the calm between the storms because it was very much like that when I visited this beautiful country with such a rich and intriguing history known around the world. Many people would have questioned the safety of going there in the wake of the earlier protests, but amazingly, I probably chose the best time to go. It was during Hajj (the pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia that Muslims are required to make at least once in their lifetime if they are able-bodied and able to afford it) and Eid al-Adha (the 3 day global festival following Hajj). The representative from the tour agency that helped coordinate my tour there told me that it was a holy time and no one wants to start trouble but respect the time and be peaceable. Unfortunately, not soon after my vacation and  Hajj and Eid, the violence started again. I thank God for the peaceful time while I was there.

So, the question is: “Where in the world is Butterfly Jewel?” Do you know? If you leave an answer in the comments section, I’ll let you know if you’re right.

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I happened to pass through on one night when one local young group was playing. They were so good that I decided to capture them on video. Now, I don’t have to just tell you about it, but you can hear them for yourselves. So, take a little time to listen to these young men and enjoy!

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“Excuse me, excuse me! Where are you from?” said the shopkeeper in the souk in Jerusalem’s Old City, and being the naive tourist that I was, I took the bait and was reeled in for the catch or overpriced sell, I should say. That’s one of the many lines that you’ll hear shouted out from the many shopkeepers if you ever journey down the streets of the souk within the walls of the Old City in Jerusalem. Let me tell you, they love tourists! When they see tourists, they see dollar signs or shekel signs, if you have them. The handsome young man in the picture above is just one of the many shopkeepers that I encountered during my vacation and days wandering through the souk. Cute, huh?

Just in case, you don’t know what a souk (or souq) is, it’s an open market usually consisting of several independently-owned shops in which you can find many things. The actual term is moreso associated with Arab cities, though they can occassionally be found in other places, as well. My first exposure to souks was in Saudi Arabia. So, I had some experience with them before my vacation in Israel. In Israel, my landlord pronounced it with an “h”, like shouk. I guess that may be it’s Hebrew pronounciation.

Anyway, after my initial overpriced purchase from Mr. “Excuse me, excuse me! Where are you from?”, I managed to not get ripped off again after spending some time talking to him and observing the culture of the souk there. Because Jerusalem is a hot tourist spot, the souk within the walls of the Old City is almost like heaven to the shopkeepers who also live within its walls, amongst whom many I found are much bolder than those I’d encountered in Saudi Arabia.

A Taste of The Finds in the Souk

I got a chance to have some interesting conversations with some of the shopkeepers and observe some of the interactions that take place between the shopkeepers and their victims…I mean customers…lol. To reel in their buyers, the shopkeepers will usually try to get your attention by giving you a compliment, asking you a question (hence, Where are you from?) or advertising something at a super low price. Usually, if they offer a price that sounds too good to be true, IT IS. Nine times out of ten, if they can get you to take the bait and enter their shop, they will raise the price significantly to more than what it’s actually worth plus try to sell you more. Many don’t like the locals because they know what things are worth. So, they won’t be able to sucker them. Their bread and butter comes from the unwitting tourists that visit daily.

One thing you’ll notice in a souk is that most often there won’t be any set prices. This is what makes the shopkeepers salesmen, I was told by one of the shopkeepers I spoke with. He said that they wouldn’t be salesmen if prices were set. When going through a souk, unless you find something that you don’t want to risk losing or your time is short, you should never take the first offer from the first shop you find something you want at, unless you think it’s an absolute good deal or you don’t care to find a bargain. If you go around to a few shops, you’ll probably find the same item offered at much higher, lower or equal prices. After doing this, you’ll be better prepared to bargain and get a good deal, one in which you’ll be less likely to feel ripped off. You have nothing to lose by trying to bargain, but you could lose big if you don’t if the shopkeeper thinks you’re rich. And believe me that’s what they think, as some shared with me when I chatted with them, especially if they find out a customer is from the U.S. or anywhere in Europe. Lol…while I was sitting with Mr. “Excuse me, excuse me! Where are you from?”, after some tourists who he had previously tried to get to stop at his shop passed by the second time, he asked them, “So, you’re not going to give me a chance to rip you off, today?” Lol…he said that he was just telling the truth.

So, if you ever go to Israel, you should check out the souq in the Old City. Oh, and if you encounter Mr. “Excuse me, excuse me. Where are you from?” tell him hello for me. Tell him that I said to give you a deal, too .

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On my way to Jericho during my vacation in Israel, I had the opportunity to have my picture taken with a camel. The camel’s owner was quite friendly and took several pictures of me with his camel.

I was a little hesitant at first because of stories I had been told by my students (and some teachers) in Saudi Arabia. They said that camels can kill you if you mistreat them, even 10 years later if they see you because they do not forget. I’ve heard that they can spit on you and bite (per one student who told me her father had camels and one bit the tip of his finger off). It didn’t help either that my sister had told me about a show about mishaps on vacations in which a woman who was riding a camel fell off and broke her arm when the camel suddenly decided that he wanted to sit down with no warning for the woman to position herself to prevent from falling.

So, when the owner asked me if I wanted the camel to stand up for a ride, I said, “No”. Did I mention that we were close to a cliff …lol. However, this camel seemed so gentle and peaceful. What a beautiful creature God created! Next time, maybe I’ll be courageous enough to ride one.

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The Animals of The Jerusalem Biblical Zoo

Whew! I hope you enjoyed looking at the animals through my lens. I had such an amazing time seeing all the animals. Some of my favorites were the lions, penguins, bears, and the ram caught in the thicket…sort of like the story of Abraham when he was going to sacrifice his son Isaac and the angel stopped him and showed him the ram caught in the bush that God provided for him to sacrifice in Isaac’s stead. Though I had many pictures. I still didn’t picture all the animals as I ran out of time because the zoo closed early the day I went. So, if you ever get a chance to go, I would suggest you give  yourself a good 2 1/2 to 4 hours to really enjoy all the beautiful animals God created that are alive and well at the Jerusalem Biblical Zoo!

For more information on the Biblical Zoo, please visit it’s website at http://www.jerusalemzoo.org.il/.

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Where in the world is Butterfly Jewel? Okay, the picture for this one probably doesn’t reveal any significant clues if you’ve never been to this part of the world. So, try to create a mental picture of these details.

Though small, it’s considered a very important country in the world which has been perhaps one of the most disputed territories in the world. It has been conquered and re-reconquered by several countries and people groups. It is home to and very important to the world’s three major monotheistic religions. It is a very fertile land in comparison to the other countries within the region.

Can you guess where Butterfly Jewel is? If you’d like to see if you guessed correctly, you can check the comments section to find out.