Conversation Starters

I have written about how much I like my Vibram Five Fingers shoes in the past, and I have noted that they are a great way to make friends, as they provide ample opportunity for conversation. They have been earning their keep in Jerusalem. Not only are they providing me with a tactile sense of the varieties of stone that make up the Old City (here my feet are enjoying a Byzantine mosaic floor), but they have facilitated conversations with all the people you might want to meet in Jerusalem:

Pilgrims - As I was exploring Zedekiah's Cave, an ancient quarry that is thought to be the source for much of Jerusalem's stone, I noticed a fellow explorer looking at a member of Israel's feral cat population. I had seen the cat earlier - or rather, she had seen me and had made an aggressive noise that I have never heard from a domestic cat, so I steered clear. We talked about her kittens, who were playing around one of the lights illuminating the cave, when the lady noticed my shoes and called her friends over. Turns out they were a group of Mennonites on a pilgrimage. Some of them were originally from Canada - near Winnipeg - but now live in Texas. When I spoke to them, they asked if I was a Mennonite. I took this as confirmation that I had succeeded in choosing sufficiently modest wardrobe choices for Jerusalem. If Mennonites think I look appropriate, then I'm A-Ok.

Soldiers - In order to get to the Western Wall, you have to go through a security checkpoint staffed by soldiers with very large guns. When one of them noticed my shoes, he called all his friends over to check them out. One asked if he could take a picture, and when I said "sure!" (I'm going to disagree with the guy with the machine gun?), all five of them whipped out their cell phones to get a snapshot of my feet. I have to say this encounter took on an erotic quality that I am still struggling to define. The female soldier among them led me through the scanner and said "Don't mind them - they get so bored here."

Rabbis - As I stopped to look at my guidebook outside the Davidson Archaeology Center, I heard a man say "Rabbi! Come look at these!", "these" being my shoes. The Rabbi chatted with me, joked that my "English is very good for an Israeli", and soon revealed that he and his followers are from Austin. A conversation about Texas Tech football soon ensued. Normally, I avoid conversations on that topic, but this was not to be missed.