Fish Pedicures, Matisyahu, and Shyne

Reporting on current events for once, yesterday a few of us spontaneously heard word of a place on our street where one can get a fish pedicure, so we headed over.

Basically this is just what it sounds like... you put your feet into a tank of tiny fish, which commence to swarm around and eat off the dead skin cells!  Gross, I know, but we couldn't pass up the opportunity.


And believe me when I tell you that however creepy and ticklish you imagine this experience to be, it was ten times worse!  I think our faces say it all.  (P.S., my roommate and I are completely coincidentally wearing identical outfits haha!)

After a moment though, you get used to the feeling and I actually enjoyed it, and it did have a noticeable effect on my feet!

Then roomie and I went home to get ready for the Matsiyahu concert, which took place outside in Safra Square.  It was only 90 Shekels, about 25 USD... what an amazing opportunity!!

We arrived midway through the opening band and still somehow managed to push our way through the crowd to the very front and center.  I guess Israelis don't take their concerts as seriously?  At home, this would be like trying to push through a brick wall!

Anyway, it was definitely one of my favorite nights in Jerusalem.  We also found out that Shyne, a famous rapper from the U.S., became Orthodox and is living in Israel-- he came onstage for a song.

Today, while a large group of us were walking in Mea Shearim (an ultra-Orthodox Haredim neighborhood of Jerusalem) when we ran into Shyne on the street!! 

He was extremely cool and friendly, stood for 20 minutes talking to all of us and posing for pictures, and even exchanged phone numbers with one of the guys to possibly go out this weekend.  I like him so much more now that I have found him to be such a nice guy.  I felt bad because I attempted to shake his hand-- ultra Orthodox don't ever touch anyone of the opposite sex!  (Hard for me to imagine...)  But it is just such an ingrained habit.

I should mention that he was popular when I was in high school, then in 1999 he was involved in a shooting incident in a nightclub along with Sean Combs and J. Lo (sorry, mom!) where some people were injured.  Popular word is that he was completely betrayed by Sean Combs, and ended up spending a decade in prison.  So it was interesting when he found out we were law students to hear him telling us how important the law and justice system are.