Middle Eastern Men....

The other day I set out to explore the city with a group of fellow students and we were excited for a day of fun. Our goal was to walk to ramparts (the wall around the old city) and then tour Zedekiah’s Tunnel ( an old quarry used for building Solomon's Temple). Both sites were incredible to see with amazing views atop the wall. Afterward we went to the West City (which is more touristy) for lunch. But none of that was the highlight of our day. The most enjoyable part of this journey was the men.....Yes, the Middle Eastern men.
Now the two boys (sutdents/men) we were with are lovely, but the Middle Eastern men are a whole other story. We can't seem to figure out what the most attractive feature about them is whether it is thier beautiful dark skin, the machine guns hanging on their shoulders, their sexy accents, their uniforms, or just the fact that they are the forbidden friut.
One encounter we had when we were taking pictures in the Muslim quarter and a guard approached us and we thought we were in trouble. Instead of getting mad at us he came over and sat down right next to me and asked us to take another. Then his friend came over and asked for more pictures. Yes, we had a photo shoot with guards (the one to the right is my favorite :)! Not only were the guards very hospitable but many men throught the city. We get attention all of the time and it is so hard not to smile when they do something. I thought I would share some of the things we have heard so far:
“Three women, two boys, three women, two boys….”
“Pretty ladies, pretty ladies, pretty ladies….”
“Beautiful women, beautiful women…”
“Hey Mormons, hey Mormons….”
"Sexy a**" (directed toward my roommate)
Two guys honked at me, made some faces and gestures then shouted something in Arabic.
We get the "up down" stare quite often.
and...Soldiers approach us for pictures!

I don’t understand why I have to travel half way around the world to finally get the attention I deserve? American boys are just ungrateful for the wonderful selection of women they have to choose from. Here we don't even have to try to get attention from the men. In Provo I can spend an hour and a half getting ready for the day and not once will a guy look at me. I come to Jerusalem and everytime I step outside compliments come left and right. Understandably, some of them are giving me attention becuase they want something but it is still nice to be noticed and feel appreciated. I think American boys need to work a little harder to notice girls and let girls know that they are attractive. When I get back to Provo I expect daily compliments and cat calls when walking to school. :)