Pictures

Pictures from January! Please don't miss the new blogpost below.

Beth, Issa, and I in Jaffa on New Years Day. Issa and his family have become a second family to us. We were so happy they invited us along to their New Years festivities.

Ultra-orthodox Jews on their way to Synagogue at Shabbat

Mom and Carl at Capernum, a city were Jesus and Peter retreated during the Galilee ministry.

Carl and I at the River Jordan

The Pyramids of Giza!

Ma She (it's going)

Greetings from Palestine!

I apologize for the delay in updating my blog. The beginning of 2010 has been anything but dull. It started with a wonderful visit from my parents and brother. It was great to be able to show them my life here and introduce them to good and not-so-good things of living in Israel/Palestine. Lately the biggest challenge has been overcoming a bit of homesickness. While I wouldn’t trade seeing my family for anything, I was reminded of the simplicities of living at home: speaking the language, never having to go through checkpoints, a car to get me from point A to point B, and CENTRAL HEATING. However, if I learned anything in the countless study abroad seminars I attended, halfway through one’s stay in a foreign country, he or she tends to become homesick. With that said, I am confident that this phase too, shall pass.

On the upside, there have been some changes at school that have allowed us to be more hands on with the students. Last week we had our first English Club meeting that Beth, Najua (the 8^th – 10^th grade English teacher) and I have been developing. The students involved are advanced speakers, so they’re mostly interested in moving from a proficiency level of English to a fluent level. This means that we’ll be focusing on the fun parts of the language and culture – humor, pop culture, music, and the dos and don’ts of English speaking cultures. This is, however, my first experience with a language club, and so if anyone has any ideas of how to present different aspects of English life, I would greatly appreciate suggestions. We also will be starting an English study group next week for students who want help their class material. My preparation for this will be brushing up on my English grammar. Today, I was asked what the difference was between using wish and hope. Quite honestly, I was stumped.

This past weekend was a busy one. Beth and I were in Beit Sahour for a choir retreat. Earlier this year we joined a choir as a creative outlet. The choir is a mix of Palestinians and Internationals, the rehearsals are in English, il humdilla (thank God!) and our repertoire is in English, Italian, French, Portuguese, Spanish, and Arabic. We will be giving three concerts in mid-February. There are two great things about this choir. Firstly, it’s an opportunity to incorporate music back into my life. During college, I was consumed by my boyfriend (sometimes abusive) by the name of economics. I didn’t realize how much I missed reading and making music. Secondly, the members of our choir are involved in some very meaningful work in the West Bank/Gaza. I learned so much this weekend about the “facts on the ground” from an NGO/Governmental aid standpoint. As learn more, I will certainly pass they facts along to you. I feel so lucky that I receive the kind of support that I do from this community and that we have the common interest of music.

After the retreat, Beth and I decided to feed our homesick selves by watching the Vikings/Saints game with some USAID friends. Though I classify myself a fair-weathered fan, I feel that staying up to watch the game from 1:30am to 5:30 on a school night earns me bonus points with the football gods.

Beyond my personal perils here, the current peace process seems to be at a stalemate. George Mitchell, the lead negotiator for the US has said that we will cut aid to both the PA (Palestinian Authority) and Israel if there isn’t an agreement in two years. Currently we give Israel $3 billion in a handout in addition to billions in military equipment, and we also purchase a great deal of military equipment from the Israelis at an inflated price. We also give the Palestinian territories around $1.6 billion most of which is spent in the West Bank with more funds being appropriated to the rebuilding of Gaza, though these funds have many strings attached as we do not want any of it winding up in the hands of Hamas. Hopefully this will be an incentive for the two side to get more serious about a treaty.

Lastly, I want to close my entry with a movie recommendation. I just watched “Paradise Now” about suicide bombers in Nablus. The movie is in Arabic, but has good subtitles and sheds some light on the mentality of suicide bombing.

As always, thanks for your continued prayers and support. I sincerely appreciate the comments, e-mails, and messages via my parents.

Ma Salme! (go with peace)

Cairo and New Years!

Again, I write to you from Ben Gurion airport, not because I am preparing to fly to another destination, but because in a few short hours my parents and brother are set to arrive. This past week has been one of my best. I spent 6 days in Cairo, soaking in pyramids, mosques, and Egyptian life, then I spent New Years in Ramallah with friends and their families.

Cairo was absolutely fascinating – it’s busy, it’s crowded, and there’s so many things to see and do it could take an eternity to experience it all. One thing I didn’t realize about Cairo is its shear size. It’s home to more than 20 million people and growing as birth rates continue to boom along with an influx of refugees from all over the Middle East. With this many people comes crowds that rival those of urban China, crossing the street was perhaps the most dangerous thing I’ve done in quite sometime, that is until I got in a cab.

Besides the beautiful sights, the best thing about Cairo is its affordability. Nearly 40% of Egyptians live on $1/day, meaning that the government heavily subsidizes all basic necessities. For example, a ride on the metro costs $0.15, a tank of gas will set you back around $12, and I could enjoy a dinner with an entrée and 3 sides for around $3. Despite having major issues with Islamic extremists, the biggest problem for Egypt is its economy. The subsidies have led to an economy on the brink of collapse and with Mubarak aging with no clear replacement, the future of Egypt is uncertain.

All in all, my time in Egypt was very insightful. Living in Palestine has allowed me to gather insight into the Arab world, but seeing another culture gives me a better base for the region. In general, Egypt has gained a reputation of being far more conservative than Palestine, but I found this to be not entirely true. Yes, burqas and full veils are far more common and attire expectations (with the exception of some tourists) are more conservative, but ironically, public displays of affection were nearly to the level of the United States. In Arab countries, public displays of affection between men and women is strictly forbidden, public displays of affection among straight men are not. It is not uncommon to find men holding hands, linking arms, or sharing kisses on the cheek. This kind of behavior is perfectly normal with no implications of homosexuality – as for the notion of being gay, unfortunately, the consequences can be catastrophic.

New Years was another wonderful evening. Unsure of what the night would bring, we joined one of our closest friends’ family for dinner and the countdown. It was great to experience more of Palestinian family life. We played cards, learning a few Arab games and teaching the family “spoons” which was a lot of fun. New Years day, Bethany and I went with the same family to Jaffa for a dinner with their family. With 6 kids and 4 grandkids it gets kind of hectic, but overall it was nice to feel like a part of a family for a day – something I’ve really missed.

I will post more from my family’s visit. Also, I’ve found that it’s easier to post pictures of facebook of my travels. Please feel free to “friend” me if you wish.

Happy Holidays!