(no subject)
Today after class I went to the (only) Sinagog and Jewish Museum in Florence. It was a very interesting experience. It was the most empty place I have been so far--I think there were 4 other people there total. The people that work there are all Jewish women, and you have to go through a very intense metal detector to get in. I ended up talking for a while to a girl who was working there (surprisingly the workers were actually much friendlier in this place than in any of the other museums or churches I have been to). She is from Israel but is studying Art History in Florence. We talked about some of the ridiculousness of the Catholic church, and about being Jewish in a Catholic country, but also about Florence and Florentines in general. It was very interesting. I was very glad I went.
It was a really odd experience though. When I first came here and started going to churches, I felt pretty uncomfortable--I had no idea what to do with myself. I've been getting a bit better, especially as I realize that everyone else in these churches are tourists just like me, but I expected (I mean, I hadn't thought about it all that much, but if I had) not to feel this unnerved-ness in a Sinagog. I guess I assumed that my discomfort came from worrying that I would be viewed as an outsider or intruder in a Christian setting. I think though that it really comes from being so utterly unused to religious settings in general, because I felt equally uncomfortable in the Sinagog, though of course in a different way. I actually felt a little bit guilty at not knowing how to behave there.
Anyway, on to lighter subjects. On my way back from the Sinagog, I ran into a girl that was friends with Amy from St. Annes (Rachel Arky?). It was very wierd. It took her a minute to remember who I was, but then we talked for a little while, mostly just saying how odd it was to run into each other. I had been thinking that I might run into someone I know here, there seriously are that many tourists here.
Tomorrow I'm going to Pisa with Mary-Grace and her roommate! And on Sunday we are going to Siena. I am excited.
It was a really odd experience though. When I first came here and started going to churches, I felt pretty uncomfortable--I had no idea what to do with myself. I've been getting a bit better, especially as I realize that everyone else in these churches are tourists just like me, but I expected (I mean, I hadn't thought about it all that much, but if I had) not to feel this unnerved-ness in a Sinagog. I guess I assumed that my discomfort came from worrying that I would be viewed as an outsider or intruder in a Christian setting. I think though that it really comes from being so utterly unused to religious settings in general, because I felt equally uncomfortable in the Sinagog, though of course in a different way. I actually felt a little bit guilty at not knowing how to behave there.
Anyway, on to lighter subjects. On my way back from the Sinagog, I ran into a girl that was friends with Amy from St. Annes (Rachel Arky?). It was very wierd. It took her a minute to remember who I was, but then we talked for a little while, mostly just saying how odd it was to run into each other. I had been thinking that I might run into someone I know here, there seriously are that many tourists here.
Tomorrow I'm going to Pisa with Mary-Grace and her roommate! And on Sunday we are going to Siena. I am excited.