Day 5 - End of the Conference

The last day of the conference consisted of implementation workshops where we worked with groups to solve hypothetical international human rights emergencies. The exercises were a lot of fun, and it was great to use some of the things we had learned throughout the conference.

And of course, it wouldn't be a conference without an amazing closing ceremony and festive dinner. The ceremony was held at Beit Shmuel , which, like a lot of the places we visited that week, had yet another amazing view of the city. It was a bittersweet ending to a remarkable week. We were all so sad that it was all over, but grateful for the experience and connections we made. 

Beit Shmuel

View from the top

After the closing ceremony, I met up with a friend from undergrad who is undergoing a Masters program in Jerusalem. She generously let me crash at her place, and showed me more of the Jerusalem nightlife. We went to Ben Yehuda Street, which is a popular pedestrian mall area with both locals and tourists.

Ben-Yedhuda Street

We ended up at Mike's Place, a well-known sports bar. It had a great atmosphere, wonderful service, and a friendly, lively crowd. While we were hanging out, we made a couple of new friends - two Modern Orthodox guys from New Jersey who were studying at a Yeshiva, which are religious schools that focus on the study of the Talmud and Torah. We had such a great time with them - they were hilarious, and I got to learn a bit about Modern Orthodoxy.
The best line from that night was when one of the guys lightheartedly shoved the other, causing his kippa to fall off his head and onto the ground. I was curious as to whether there was any moral significance to taking it off, like if there were religious penalties or something like that. So, when I asked them what happens when they take their kippas off, they said "Oh, we lose our magic powers."
So good.

Posing with our new boyfriends

Jerusalem Day 3 - Geopolitical Tour

Our third day consisted of an especially exciting and full schedule. We started off with a geopolitical tour, where we visited various debated locations. We started off by going to a hill overlooking Jerusalem, where our guide, Col. (Res.) Miri Eisin, explained its history and current affairs. 

View of Jerusalem!

Zooming in on the Old City!

Once we finished hearing Miri give us the rundown on Jerusalem's history and current political climate, we made our way to the Separation Fence between Jerusalem and Bethlehem. The Fence was constructed as a reaction to the casualties in the Second Intifada and intended to prevent similar events from happening in the future.

Vehicle checkpoint

Thousands of West Bank residents pass through the inspection points on a daily basis

After touring the Separation Fence, we went to a neighborhood in South Jerusalem which overlooked the Fence and West Bank.

West Bank

Bethlehem

Following our informative and engaging geopolitical tour, our next stop was at the Supreme Court of Israel. Because Israel is a fairly new country with no constitution or bill of rights, and because there is no precedent for every case that comes before it, the Supreme Court will draw on international law to make decisions.
The Supreme Court is built in a contemporary design influenced by traditional Middle Eastern motifs, and is set up to create an attractive interaction of shadow and light. It was great to look around. We even met a few Supreme Court justices and listened to them speak about adjudication and other aspects of their jobs.

Walking up to the Supreme Court

The dome

The library

Inside a courtroom

Courtyard

Our final destination was the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where we had a question and answer session with Ambassador Arthur Lenk, who served as the Israeli ambassador to Azerbaijan and is currently the Director of the Department of International Law.

Couldn't get a shot of Ambassador Lenk that wasn't blurry, so this is me standing behind a podium.

We ended the evening with some exciting sessions of Israeli karaoke! It's like regular karaoke, except with a band. And everyone sings together, which makes awkward, tone-deaf solo performances a thing of the past. It was so nice to mingle with the other delegates and bask in their camaraderie, while listening to the music and joining in the singing. It was really the perfect end to our day.

Excited for karaoke!

The band

Jerusalem Day 2 - The Old City

After our first official day of the conference hearing about theory and practice from a number of fascinating and engaging speakers, we went to the Old City to see the Night Spectacular at the Tower of David Museum. The Tower of David is an ancient fortress, which also used to be the palace of King David.

Walls of the Old City

They have a nighttime light show here which, true to its name, is indeed spectacular. The walls serve as the stage, and the show traces Jerusalem's long history up until modern times in the most dazzling way. The story of Jerusalem was displayed before us through enormous, breathtaking audiovisual effects and dramatic music in a celebration of sight and sound. It is truly remarkable, and one of the most captivating shows I've ever seen.

The entrance

Upon our arrival, we walked through the garden and saw an assortment of projector images displayed on the walls, ranging from farming and garden scenes to people playing chess. After we made our way to our seats, the show started, executing an enthralling performance. I was hypnotized for 45 minutes as Jerusalem's history unfolded before my very eyes.

The stage for the light show

When the Night Spectacular ended, we walked around the Old City and made our way through the Arab, Christian, and Jewish quarters.

We ended at the Western Wall, also known as the Wailing Wall. It is situated at the western end of the Temple Mount and is the most sacred site for the Jewish faith aside from the Temple Mount itself, and has been a site of Jewish pilgrimage and prayer for centuries. The area surrounding the Wall is split into two sections - one for men and one for women.

Torahs

There's a great quote which describes praying at the Wall as if one "has prayed before the throne of glory because the gate of heaven is situated there and it is open to hear prayer". Visiting it was the most intense part of the whole trip; chills ran up and down my spine during my entire time there. When I entered the women's section, I could feel the energy radiating from everyone praying, and could almost see it whizzing around in the air. All around me women were muttering prayers, their heads bowed and eyes closed. Many were crying, wailing, as they read from their Torahs and touched the Wall itself. I have never seen anyone express their faith in such a heartfelt, impassioned manner. It was beautiful and emotional to be around so many people displaying such a strong spiritual connection.

This was definitely one of my favorite days of the trip. Not only was it an incredible cultural experience, everything - from the relations formed with other delegates, the speakers we heard from, and of course our night tour - went along swimmingly and without a hitch.

Jerusalem

Back in August, I had the most amazing opportunity to travel to Jerusalem for an international law conference. During the six days I spent there, I learned more about international law in a series of thought provoking, balanced, and challenging lectures. Furthermore, I was able to meet brilliant, thoughtful, and kind individuals from all over the world; all while spending time in what is probably the most incredible place I've ever been. This was a truly remarkable and transformative experience that I am incredibly fortunate to have had. Walking away, I am more than satisfied with all that I've learned and the friendships that I have formed.

Applying for this conference was one of the best decisions I think I've ever made. Before coming, I was worried about taking a week off of classes and unsure of how my time in Israel would really be of benefit. Law school has been very demanding, and I found myself losing perspective and forgetting why I wanted a law degree in the first place. In making the choice to go, I was able to remind myself why I want to study law, and would do it again in a heartbeat.

Since I took way too many pictures to fit it all into one post, I will be dividing my experiences into each day I spent there. Enjoy! :)

Group shot overlooking the Holy Basin

Sydney!

Oh dear, it has been eons since I posted last, and there has been quite a lot to post about! Now that I am done with law school exams, I shall endeavor to recap the past 6 months as much as possible. First on the list - Sydney!

In mid January I went to Sydney for a few days to check out the sights and catch up with some friends.  I had an amazing time and did so much!  Four days definitely wasn't enough time to spend in Australia's most populous city.

During my visit, I stayed with a friend that I made at the HPAIR conference in Seoul.  A little networking goes a long way.  He and his family live in a suburb in West Sydney, and were so accommodating and hospitable.  They were really fantastic, and I couldn't have stayed with better people!

I took a bus into Sydney from Melbourne, which took about 14 hours during the day.  We left at around 7 in the morning and arrived to Sydney at about 9.  From there, I was supposed to take a train to Penrith, where my friend lives, but as soon as the train arrived it was terminated because of a fatality on the tracks!  So instead, I took a cab and met my friend halfway between where he lives and where I was coming from.  Taxis in Sydney are expensive!  They made me miss D.C. cab fares, which I never thought could be possible.

The next morning, I met my friend Jonathan in the city for some sight seeing.  Jonathan went to FSU with me, but he decided to transfer in the middle of his degree and is now attending Macquarie University in Sydney.  We had such an amazing day.  Jonathan was a most excellent tour guide and we were able to visit all of the big Sydney attractions.

We started at Darling Harbour, which has tons of shops and restaurants and also plays host to many events throughout the year.  

Water! Hey look, there's the opera house in the distance!

Le pose with le view from le harbour

Jonathan then took me on a stroll through the city as we made our way to Sydney Harbour

Buildings!

This is where they filmed The Matrix! Recognize it?

The bridge! And a cruise ship!

Ibises! These guys were EVERYWHERE eating things! Look at them go!

The opera house! 

A less shady picture of the opera house. Magnificent!

Me and my lovely tour guide! Jonathan is such a gem! He put up with me all day, so you know he's good people :)

Really wanted to climb the bridge, but it was like $200 to do it. So I just looked at it instead.

And then we walked around Sydney Harbour some more and ended at the Botanical Gardens!

Aboriginal man playing a didgeridoo! 

Of course, I had to get a picture throwing up the Lundquist sign.

The Sydney Opera House up close! It is made out of reflective tiles which is why when it  is shady the opera house looks gray and when it is sunny looks like it is glowing!

Ibis!!!!

Unfortunately, I've forgotten the name of this tree! But it's filled with water, which is why it's so fat! Apparently this is one of the ways the Aboriginals would get their water!

View of the bridge and opera house from the Botanical Gardens. Look how it glows!

Seriously in love with this view. Look at the yacht!

One day, I too shall have a yacht docked in Sydney Harbour! Crossed fingers, ok?

All around Australia they have disposal units for needles. A while ago there were old heroin needles littering parks and beaches and kids stepping on them and getting infected, so they have put these up to encourage safe disposal

The next day, I went to the Taronga Zoo with Sarah, my friend's beautiful sister! We took a ferry ride to get there! It was warm and sunny; perfect zoo weather. We had so much fun looking at all the cute animals!! I took way too many pictures of them, so I'll just share my favorites (mostly the Australian animals).

Last picture of the opera house, I swear! This was on the ferry ride to Taronga

LOLZ just kidding, this is the last one

Zoo pals!

Koala! Did you know they're not really bears?

"What do you mean I'm not a bear? I have all the koala-fications!"

Komodo dragon! Always a favorite

He posed for us!

I couldn't resist - this view from the zoo is amazing!

Smiley crocodile!

Penguins!

The snow leopard doing real Matrix-type stunts

Look at him go!

Echidna! He was my favorite!

He came right up to us to say hello :)

Tasmanian devil. They are nocturnal, so it was his bedtime when we saw him

Pretty sure the kangaroo is pregnant or has a baby in her pouch. Seeeee?

Le pose!

Emu!

Kangaroos really like to make little holes and sit in the dirt to stay cool during the hot summer months!

Scratch!

Peacock!

So that's pretty much what I did in Sydney. It was a wonderful trip, and I'd definitely go back! Maybe next time I will hit up Bondi Beach!