I was planning on writing a more thoroughly thought out blog post today but it is now 11:32pm and I wanted to at least write something today so that I commit to writing this week. I was thinking about putting out a second edition of my thoughts on this conflict, but then I played RISK instead. And watched park of two movies, and talked about which was better Age of Empires II or Starcraft. Basically I had a fantastic day.
The reason that it was so fantastic was many, but one of the clear reasons is how I have been accepted into my Palestinian family. While I live with five other American guys, I spent quite a bit of time with the director's family. While I still am consistently confused and even frustrated by culture, the hospitality and love that I have been shown is unquestionable. I particularly like the three boys, because I feel like we are brothers. Not only are they very welcoming and physical with me (two points that are encourage by culture) but we have gotten to the point where we can make fun of each other a lot. I have heard more Canadian jokes here than I knew even existed.
Showing posts with label Palestinain Practicum. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Palestinain Practicum. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Week Ten and Eleven Review (Indeterminably late)
The reason that I have not been up to date with posting about my life in the Holy Land is because I had a period of time where I felt very drained. I'm not sure if this chronological list will be enough of a defense for my inaction, but I will try and make it up during the last 9-10 days that I am here...
Yesterday was a normal summer camp day. The one point of interest was that there was a city wide bread strike. I heard that the Palestinian Authority was attempting to reduce the price of break from four shekels to three and a half shekels per kilogram. In retaliation, all bread production was stopped for a day. Though it did not greatly affect me, it was interesting to see economics in action.
Sunday was a day of relaxation. A friend of mine was going to Tel Aviv for his work and I was able to tag along. Other than helping with some of the youth for a while (he works with youth who have mental and physical disabilities), the day was spent body surfing on the best waves I've seen since South Africa.
On Saturday we went into the Nagev desert to visit some Bedouin people. It was a very interesting experience. Their villages - which they have lived in before the creation of Israel - are not recognized by the government and so they are denied basic services. As soon as we got off the bus at the first village a man started yelling at us in Hebrew about Netanyahu and the US Congress. We stayed long enough to see his shipment of water arrive by tractor; costing about 70 shekels per cubic metre, it was approximately 10 times more expensive than anywhere else in Israel.
On Wednesday we went into Hebron (for the second time) to join in a conference about economic development, specifically tourism. The quote that stuck out to me was, "Tourism is to Palestine what oil is to Saudi Arabia." We were lucky because the translation was very good and we - like many times before - experienced amazing hospitality.
Tuesday afternoon was spent at a short home stay. My self and one of the other American guys went to a friend of the director's daughter for lunch. It was a very causal experience. Our host was training to become an X-ray technical but he was currently looking for a job. In the mean time he was making the decorations for his brothers wedding to save money. Not only were the decorations very good, but he had a good eye for interior design.
The previous Wednesday (the 13th) was my first time in Hebron. They say that Hebron is 'the occupation within the occupation' or that it is the place that you can feel the oppression. It did not disappoint. Hebron is the only place in the West Bank where there is a settlement within a Palestinian city. This creates a situation of consistent violence. The Israeli settlement is actually build on top of a major market area; to protect themselves from thrown stones, the Palestinians built a chain-link fence above their heads. This fence does not protect them from other waste such as water or sewage though.
Also while in Hebron for the first time, we stopped by a glassblowers. If was my first time seeing it in real life. Like my secret fascination with tennis, I think that this is another thing that I love that few people know about. It was way cooler than I imagined it would be. In another life, I think that I would have been very happy being a glassblower.
On the 12th, we went around Jerusalem with a friend of ours who has worked as a tour guide. The day was splendid except for when we tried to go to the Western Wall and the Dome of the Rock. Both times our friend was denied access because he was Palestinian and he did not have his Jerusalem ID with him. When we asked what the issue was - especially since we were not required to show any ID at all - we were told that all Israeli citizens needed to show ID. This conversation was going on as a birthright tour was being waved passed all of the security.
Finally, all the way back on the 11th of July, the summer camp went to an amusement park in Ramallah. It was a dinky little park but it was pretty fun and I managed to not throw up (which is quite good considering that I hurled the last time I was on the Berry-Go-Round). The kids loved the 4D theater that was there, but it was probably the worst one I have ever been to. My favourite part was an interesting situation. I got corned by a few girl that I did not recognize. They told me they were from Wi'am and that they wanted to borrow some money to go on more rides. Without hesitation the guys that I was hanging out with quickly grabbed me under my shoulders, picked me off the ground and carried me away.
Yesterday was a normal summer camp day. The one point of interest was that there was a city wide bread strike. I heard that the Palestinian Authority was attempting to reduce the price of break from four shekels to three and a half shekels per kilogram. In retaliation, all bread production was stopped for a day. Though it did not greatly affect me, it was interesting to see economics in action.
Sunday was a day of relaxation. A friend of mine was going to Tel Aviv for his work and I was able to tag along. Other than helping with some of the youth for a while (he works with youth who have mental and physical disabilities), the day was spent body surfing on the best waves I've seen since South Africa.
On Saturday we went into the Nagev desert to visit some Bedouin people. It was a very interesting experience. Their villages - which they have lived in before the creation of Israel - are not recognized by the government and so they are denied basic services. As soon as we got off the bus at the first village a man started yelling at us in Hebrew about Netanyahu and the US Congress. We stayed long enough to see his shipment of water arrive by tractor; costing about 70 shekels per cubic metre, it was approximately 10 times more expensive than anywhere else in Israel.
On Wednesday we went into Hebron (for the second time) to join in a conference about economic development, specifically tourism. The quote that stuck out to me was, "Tourism is to Palestine what oil is to Saudi Arabia." We were lucky because the translation was very good and we - like many times before - experienced amazing hospitality.
Tuesday afternoon was spent at a short home stay. My self and one of the other American guys went to a friend of the director's daughter for lunch. It was a very causal experience. Our host was training to become an X-ray technical but he was currently looking for a job. In the mean time he was making the decorations for his brothers wedding to save money. Not only were the decorations very good, but he had a good eye for interior design.
The previous Wednesday (the 13th) was my first time in Hebron. They say that Hebron is 'the occupation within the occupation' or that it is the place that you can feel the oppression. It did not disappoint. Hebron is the only place in the West Bank where there is a settlement within a Palestinian city. This creates a situation of consistent violence. The Israeli settlement is actually build on top of a major market area; to protect themselves from thrown stones, the Palestinians built a chain-link fence above their heads. This fence does not protect them from other waste such as water or sewage though.
Also while in Hebron for the first time, we stopped by a glassblowers. If was my first time seeing it in real life. Like my secret fascination with tennis, I think that this is another thing that I love that few people know about. It was way cooler than I imagined it would be. In another life, I think that I would have been very happy being a glassblower.
On the 12th, we went around Jerusalem with a friend of ours who has worked as a tour guide. The day was splendid except for when we tried to go to the Western Wall and the Dome of the Rock. Both times our friend was denied access because he was Palestinian and he did not have his Jerusalem ID with him. When we asked what the issue was - especially since we were not required to show any ID at all - we were told that all Israeli citizens needed to show ID. This conversation was going on as a birthright tour was being waved passed all of the security.
Finally, all the way back on the 11th of July, the summer camp went to an amusement park in Ramallah. It was a dinky little park but it was pretty fun and I managed to not throw up (which is quite good considering that I hurled the last time I was on the Berry-Go-Round). The kids loved the 4D theater that was there, but it was probably the worst one I have ever been to. My favourite part was an interesting situation. I got corned by a few girl that I did not recognize. They told me they were from Wi'am and that they wanted to borrow some money to go on more rides. Without hesitation the guys that I was hanging out with quickly grabbed me under my shoulders, picked me off the ground and carried me away.
Monday, July 11, 2011
Week Nine Review
Considering that this was the first week of the summer camp, it was a very tiring week. Though I had a great week, it's been a long time since I've had to run after a large number of young kids. That didn't stop us from using the weekend for a trip though, as well as going to a lecture on Wednesday night...
My position at the summer camp has been solidified as Wi'am's professional unqualified photographer. Because I am floating around taking pictures, I have also made a role for myself being the energy and discipline guy. This last week we spent four days at Wi'am - running different stations - and one day at a swimming pool. I really love the summer camp; it reminds me a lot of my found memories of Camp Squeah. Language is the biggest issue, but many of the kids are almost conversational in English and my limited Arabic helps me get by. Without trying to sound cocky the kids really love me; I was wondering if it would be different in other cultures but it seems that kids all around the word like a 21 year old that acts like a child.
The lecture was given by a Jewish American man. He highlighted a few very good points. First, the explained the Jewish mentality that supports the creation of things such as the separation wall. He told us how he grew up learning that "there is a tyrant in every each which seeks to end (anihiliate) us." Second, he made the connection between Christian antisemitism, the Holocaust and subsequent unquestioning support for Israel. He posited that mainstream Christianity, rather than dealing with its guilt for providing the principles for the Holocaust and changing its theology, only shifted its theology to place the significance of the Jew on an unnecessary pedestal. Third, he said that he hopes he can see the day when "Christians don't need a Jew to give them permission to be proper Christians," in the sense that they need to accept the struggle of social justice.
On Sunday, we went to Jericho. It was the hottest day of the year so far, ranking in the middle 40s. It was a pretty incredible day that included the Mount of Temptation, the Zacchaeus tree, and the Dead Sea. The Dead Sea was my favourite, especially since it was the first time I was successfully able to float on any body of water - I failed Aqua Level 4 because of my BMI. The sea is even more powerful than I imagined, as I was able to float in a kneeling position (the hardest part is keeping your balance). I would have tried to see if I would float while trying to 'stand' in the water, but the beach we went to did not let us get deep enough to try. I also rubbed the famous mud wherever I could and let it dry, making me the softest I've ever been since I had to wear overalls because my pants wouldn't fit. It wasn't all fun and rubbing mud on each other; at one point one of the guys got hit by a wave, which renders you blind due to the salt. Luckily there were showers right beside the shore.
My position at the summer camp has been solidified as Wi'am's professional unqualified photographer. Because I am floating around taking pictures, I have also made a role for myself being the energy and discipline guy. This last week we spent four days at Wi'am - running different stations - and one day at a swimming pool. I really love the summer camp; it reminds me a lot of my found memories of Camp Squeah. Language is the biggest issue, but many of the kids are almost conversational in English and my limited Arabic helps me get by. Without trying to sound cocky the kids really love me; I was wondering if it would be different in other cultures but it seems that kids all around the word like a 21 year old that acts like a child.
The lecture was given by a Jewish American man. He highlighted a few very good points. First, the explained the Jewish mentality that supports the creation of things such as the separation wall. He told us how he grew up learning that "there is a tyrant in every each which seeks to end (anihiliate) us." Second, he made the connection between Christian antisemitism, the Holocaust and subsequent unquestioning support for Israel. He posited that mainstream Christianity, rather than dealing with its guilt for providing the principles for the Holocaust and changing its theology, only shifted its theology to place the significance of the Jew on an unnecessary pedestal. Third, he said that he hopes he can see the day when "Christians don't need a Jew to give them permission to be proper Christians," in the sense that they need to accept the struggle of social justice.
On Sunday, we went to Jericho. It was the hottest day of the year so far, ranking in the middle 40s. It was a pretty incredible day that included the Mount of Temptation, the Zacchaeus tree, and the Dead Sea. The Dead Sea was my favourite, especially since it was the first time I was successfully able to float on any body of water - I failed Aqua Level 4 because of my BMI. The sea is even more powerful than I imagined, as I was able to float in a kneeling position (the hardest part is keeping your balance). I would have tried to see if I would float while trying to 'stand' in the water, but the beach we went to did not let us get deep enough to try. I also rubbed the famous mud wherever I could and let it dry, making me the softest I've ever been since I had to wear overalls because my pants wouldn't fit. It wasn't all fun and rubbing mud on each other; at one point one of the guys got hit by a wave, which renders you blind due to the salt. Luckily there were showers right beside the shore.
Saturday, July 9, 2011
Kids and Countries
Today I am going to tell you about a way that I think. I hope it will show you two things about myself: one, that I believe that many things are interconnected, and two, that I judge many situations by placing their value in their long term results and big picture applicability.
The interconnected aspect is one that is more likely to be known about me. For my Senior Seminar class last semester, I wrote an essay that asked questions about how people change as they study Peace and Conflict Transformation. My assumption being that if people are going to be successful at Peace and Conflict academically, they will need to become more aware and more skilled at dealing with conflict intra- and inter-personally. This is often known as the "peace must come from within" cliche.
The second aspect that I want to describe here is a little more difficult, and so I will use an example from the summer camp. I helped set up a penalty shot game. As we were playing though, many of the kids tried to break the order of turns and take a number of extra shots. Each time, I tried to stop them - many times I could not - scolded them a little and tried to return to the order. As I was doing this, some of the other volunteers shook their heads at me, non-verbally suggesting that I should either give up the activity or let the kids decide. I did not though, but stuck to it.
The question that remains is this. Is it good to think in this way? It provides me with a significant amount of motivation and allows me to change my interpretation of struggles into challenges, but are there downsides that I do not realize? Am I in danger of taking the true meaning out of events and falling into messianic legalism (someone who takes on suffering only to follow the rules; ya I made it up)? Will this thought process lead me on a path towards attaining those long-term big picture goals, or will I fall short surrounded by a life of unenjoyed 'trainings'?
Well, whatever happens I'll probably do the same thing on Monday.
The interconnected aspect is one that is more likely to be known about me. For my Senior Seminar class last semester, I wrote an essay that asked questions about how people change as they study Peace and Conflict Transformation. My assumption being that if people are going to be successful at Peace and Conflict academically, they will need to become more aware and more skilled at dealing with conflict intra- and inter-personally. This is often known as the "peace must come from within" cliche.
The second aspect that I want to describe here is a little more difficult, and so I will use an example from the summer camp. I helped set up a penalty shot game. As we were playing though, many of the kids tried to break the order of turns and take a number of extra shots. Each time, I tried to stop them - many times I could not - scolded them a little and tried to return to the order. As I was doing this, some of the other volunteers shook their heads at me, non-verbally suggesting that I should either give up the activity or let the kids decide. I did not though, but stuck to it.
The reason is because of the second aspect. When I look at that situation, I do not just see kids shooting a football, but I see the relationship of power and fairness. I see the struggle of certain groups that are unable to get there legitimate way, and the desire of other groups to dominate. I see the temptation to let the situation sort itself out and take a position on the sidelines. When I am in that situation and I am getting frustrated, I remind myself that this is probably training for when I will need to stand up to real disparities; situations when I do not have the power of physical strength or authority but when backing down leads to diminished rights at the least, and genocides at the worst. I honestly view dealing with children today as training for significant portions of my later life.
In a really strange way, I relate that one kid that is trying to steal the ball and use it for himself and his friends as any imperialistic country. While I'm not sure if I see myself as the United Nations, I do see this small struggle as a microcosm of very real world problems. Because the world has had many issues when the struggle for equality has been suppressed or ignored, I cannot ignore that struggle, no matter how small of a form it may take. Maybe it is crazy, but it is the same reason why I try to challenge my friends to be better friends, not just for the sake of their current relationships, but so that they will be better wives, husbands, mothers and fathers.
The question that remains is this. Is it good to think in this way? It provides me with a significant amount of motivation and allows me to change my interpretation of struggles into challenges, but are there downsides that I do not realize? Am I in danger of taking the true meaning out of events and falling into messianic legalism (someone who takes on suffering only to follow the rules; ya I made it up)? Will this thought process lead me on a path towards attaining those long-term big picture goals, or will I fall short surrounded by a life of unenjoyed 'trainings'?
Well, whatever happens I'll probably do the same thing on Monday.
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Preceptions
I was planning on writing a post in the next few days about my friends comment on my last post. It would have taken quite a while to properly articulate the issue, but luckily, Al Jazeera has done it for me. The issue comes from a simple questions, but one that is steeped in history, politics, power and race. It is the questions of how we can know something about the "other," and how we come about that knowledge. Before I came here, I had a lot of presumptions and ideas about what it might be like. My parents and extended family continuously reminded me to be safe. Did they highlight this because they knew that I was going to a place that had seen the destruction of war many times before, or because I was going a dangerous place in and of itself?
This is an important distinction and one that other people have articulated far better than myself. Therefore I will point to towards them. The first is Edward Said, specifically in his book Orientalism. The other is this article by Al Jazeera. Please read them both.
This is an important distinction and one that other people have articulated far better than myself. Therefore I will point to towards them. The first is Edward Said, specifically in his book Orientalism. The other is this article by Al Jazeera. Please read them both.
Monday, July 4, 2011
Week Eight Review
There is not a lot to review this week before I was gone for most of it. Monday and Tuesday were spent in Jericho and Thursday morning I left for Nazareth. The Wednesday in between was a normal office day, expect for the fact that I was one of three people in the office. The new big thing is that the summer camp has started, and it seems like it's going to be a blast...
Today was the official first day of summer...if you're a kid in Bethlehem...and you've been looking forward to this particular summer camp. The first day was a complete gong show, but it was tons of fun. I thought that I would be taking a support role and focusing on taking pictures, but I found myself in charge of nine kids. The toughest part of the day was the start, when I was trying to help a blind child paint. It helped that he knew a bit of English. I'm not going to put up pictures here because there would be too many. I suggest you check out the album that I've created and will continue to add to as the camp continues.
When we were coming back form Haifa, I met a women from Texas. She had been traveling in Israel for a while. When she asked where we had been traveling, one of the guys from our group - who had been answering most of her questions - hesitated but eventually answered that we had mostly been in the Palestinian territories, even staying in Bethlehem. She seemed to take this answer very well, and I thought that this was a sign that she might be sympathetic to Palestinians. She then told us of her visit to Hebron (generally considered to be one of the most oppressed places in the West Bank). She told us that it was better than she expected and was surprised with how calm it was. It took a bit more conversation and questions until we realized that she was talking about the Palestinian violence against settlers, or that when we said that she felt safe, she meant that she was glad that there were a number of teenagers with assault rifles protecting her from the terrorists. At this point, she started to make some overtly racist and false statements. Each of which I told her I disagreed with and then provided evidence for, example: "I hope the Palestinians will find a way to stop using terror and find a way to start pursuing peace with the Jews," (read this article) which was followed up with "But they are teaching their kids to hate Jewish people." I carried the conversation on for a long time, mostly because I was interested in how far her beliefs went. It was a strange experience, one that seemed like more of a dream because reality had little to do with it. Actually reality had a lot of do with it, but a reality that was based upon assumptions and stories that are not true.
Since I do not have a lot more to talk about, I will leave you with my favourite pictures of the week. I think that it was in Nazareth, in an empty lot near the bus station. Feel free to discuss it's significance.
Today was the official first day of summer...if you're a kid in Bethlehem...and you've been looking forward to this particular summer camp. The first day was a complete gong show, but it was tons of fun. I thought that I would be taking a support role and focusing on taking pictures, but I found myself in charge of nine kids. The toughest part of the day was the start, when I was trying to help a blind child paint. It helped that he knew a bit of English. I'm not going to put up pictures here because there would be too many. I suggest you check out the album that I've created and will continue to add to as the camp continues.
When we were coming back form Haifa, I met a women from Texas. She had been traveling in Israel for a while. When she asked where we had been traveling, one of the guys from our group - who had been answering most of her questions - hesitated but eventually answered that we had mostly been in the Palestinian territories, even staying in Bethlehem. She seemed to take this answer very well, and I thought that this was a sign that she might be sympathetic to Palestinians. She then told us of her visit to Hebron (generally considered to be one of the most oppressed places in the West Bank). She told us that it was better than she expected and was surprised with how calm it was. It took a bit more conversation and questions until we realized that she was talking about the Palestinian violence against settlers, or that when we said that she felt safe, she meant that she was glad that there were a number of teenagers with assault rifles protecting her from the terrorists. At this point, she started to make some overtly racist and false statements. Each of which I told her I disagreed with and then provided evidence for, example: "I hope the Palestinians will find a way to stop using terror and find a way to start pursuing peace with the Jews," (read this article) which was followed up with "But they are teaching their kids to hate Jewish people." I carried the conversation on for a long time, mostly because I was interested in how far her beliefs went. It was a strange experience, one that seemed like more of a dream because reality had little to do with it. Actually reality had a lot of do with it, but a reality that was based upon assumptions and stories that are not true.
Since I do not have a lot more to talk about, I will leave you with my favourite pictures of the week. I think that it was in Nazareth, in an empty lot near the bus station. Feel free to discuss it's significance.
Sunday, July 3, 2011
Weekend in the Galilee
I have returned from my weekend in the Galilee. Overall it was really great. We spent one day around the Sea of Galilee and another day going to the Mediterranean at Haifa. We spent this morning visiting the Church of the Annunication. There were a few highlights.
We broke into the mountain of the Beatitudes. We were told to go up between the two banana plantations. We eventually got to a fence and a complex that looked strangely like a retirement home. We decided to jump the fence and check it out. We had lunch overlooking the Sea of Galilee and walked into the chapel that marked the spot. We weren't sure if we were supposed to pay to be there, but the guard at the gate only asked if we had a car inside when we left.
Trying to get to the beach in Haifa, we got hoodwinked by a taxi driver that dropped us off the the religious and also minisculely small beach. (It's the religious beach because usually there is only one sex allowed per day). After trying to call the taxi service three times and getting promptly hung up on each time, three of us decided to run back to the tourist office that helped us arrange the taxi. The girl there was very nice and took the - BC Ferries approved - customer service approach that placed all the blame on parties that could not respond. We eventually got another taxi to take us to a real beach, and spent the rest of the day there.
At the beach, everyone had some sort of an encounter with Jellyfish (I got hit on the arm, leg and chest lightly) but one of the guys had a very unfortunate collision with one. His bicep was the worst and it started to become inflamed almost immediately. Luckily we had a disposable cup and after much convincing we got him to pee in it and pour it on his wounds. The sting was still serious, but we think that the urine helped with the pain and the inflammation.
On Saturday, it was amazing how many things were closed, and yet a few things were open. Complete streets were deserted in Haifa, a major port city, but intercity buses were still running (even though we were told that they would not be). On that same vein, we also stopped at a Kosher McDonalds. The dairy sections was a completely separate building right next door.
We broke into the mountain of the Beatitudes. We were told to go up between the two banana plantations. We eventually got to a fence and a complex that looked strangely like a retirement home. We decided to jump the fence and check it out. We had lunch overlooking the Sea of Galilee and walked into the chapel that marked the spot. We weren't sure if we were supposed to pay to be there, but the guard at the gate only asked if we had a car inside when we left.
Trying to get to the beach in Haifa, we got hoodwinked by a taxi driver that dropped us off the the religious and also minisculely small beach. (It's the religious beach because usually there is only one sex allowed per day). After trying to call the taxi service three times and getting promptly hung up on each time, three of us decided to run back to the tourist office that helped us arrange the taxi. The girl there was very nice and took the - BC Ferries approved - customer service approach that placed all the blame on parties that could not respond. We eventually got another taxi to take us to a real beach, and spent the rest of the day there.
At the beach, everyone had some sort of an encounter with Jellyfish (I got hit on the arm, leg and chest lightly) but one of the guys had a very unfortunate collision with one. His bicep was the worst and it started to become inflamed almost immediately. Luckily we had a disposable cup and after much convincing we got him to pee in it and pour it on his wounds. The sting was still serious, but we think that the urine helped with the pain and the inflammation.
On Saturday, it was amazing how many things were closed, and yet a few things were open. Complete streets were deserted in Haifa, a major port city, but intercity buses were still running (even though we were told that they would not be). On that same vein, we also stopped at a Kosher McDonalds. The dairy sections was a completely separate building right next door.
Friday, July 1, 2011
Security
Yesterday morning I left for Nazareth with the American students. I have safely arrived at the Fauzi Azar Inn and had a full day of travelling to and around the Sea of Galilee. Before I get to the trip (in future posts) I want to talk about our journey to Nazareth.
We left just before 8am, planning to walk to and through the checkpoint and catch a bus at 9:15am. We got to the checkpoint at about 8:40am and got into a fairly short line (about 25 people). After about ten people had gone through in a reasonable fashion, we heard a muffled Hebrew message from blown out speakers. The turn-style that had been letting people through two at a time stopped. We slowly realized that the soldiers had decided to take a break: there was no one there. One white tourist pushed himself to the front of the line and shouted, "I have an appointment." Nothing happened. The break lasted about 35 minutes, which allowed the line we were in to swell from 20 to over 100 people. At this point, some people were cutting into the line. Because we did not speak enough Arabic to communicate and we did not know any better, we let these people in front of us. We quickly realized our mistake. As soon as the line started moving again, people began to shove from all sides. Gone was the community feel of Palestine, gone was the public discretion of touching strangers (especially women), gone was the friendly and welcoming nature: it was every person for themselves. As a soldier stood above us on another layer - holding his assault rifle - I felt like I was in a slaughterhouse. Each of us mindlessly pushing towards our death. About 40 people pushed in front of us until we could get to a point where we formed a basic wall of bodies to allow the members of our group to pass through without being shoved to the side. My thought as I strode through the checkpoint, defiantly keeping my passport in my pocket: If this is the only interaction you have with Palestinians, it would be impossible not to dehumanize them.
We took two buses to get to the Old City of Jerusalem and then the central bus station. A the central bus station we also had to pass through security. Like the checkpoint, it required a metal detector and an x-ray scanner for our bags. Unlike the checkpoint, there were seven metal detectors and three x-ray machines instead of one each. It also took 30 seconds instead of an hour and 10 minutes. Inside the bus station, there was a lot of military. I think that most of them were off duty, but soldiers carry their guns with them at all times. As I waiting in line for ticket information, a man in plain clothes walked past me holding his fully automatic machine gun in two hands.
From the central bus station we two buses to Nazareth. On the first and longer of the two, I asked a soldier if I could sit beside him. His name is Danny and his English was quite poor. We didn't talk much because he quickly started to play poker on his phone. I'm guessing that he was 19. At one point on the trip, he fell asleep and his Trevor Assault Rifle rested against my leg. I glanced over to check. It was fully loaded.
We left just before 8am, planning to walk to and through the checkpoint and catch a bus at 9:15am. We got to the checkpoint at about 8:40am and got into a fairly short line (about 25 people). After about ten people had gone through in a reasonable fashion, we heard a muffled Hebrew message from blown out speakers. The turn-style that had been letting people through two at a time stopped. We slowly realized that the soldiers had decided to take a break: there was no one there. One white tourist pushed himself to the front of the line and shouted, "I have an appointment." Nothing happened. The break lasted about 35 minutes, which allowed the line we were in to swell from 20 to over 100 people. At this point, some people were cutting into the line. Because we did not speak enough Arabic to communicate and we did not know any better, we let these people in front of us. We quickly realized our mistake. As soon as the line started moving again, people began to shove from all sides. Gone was the community feel of Palestine, gone was the public discretion of touching strangers (especially women), gone was the friendly and welcoming nature: it was every person for themselves. As a soldier stood above us on another layer - holding his assault rifle - I felt like I was in a slaughterhouse. Each of us mindlessly pushing towards our death. About 40 people pushed in front of us until we could get to a point where we formed a basic wall of bodies to allow the members of our group to pass through without being shoved to the side. My thought as I strode through the checkpoint, defiantly keeping my passport in my pocket: If this is the only interaction you have with Palestinians, it would be impossible not to dehumanize them.
We took two buses to get to the Old City of Jerusalem and then the central bus station. A the central bus station we also had to pass through security. Like the checkpoint, it required a metal detector and an x-ray scanner for our bags. Unlike the checkpoint, there were seven metal detectors and three x-ray machines instead of one each. It also took 30 seconds instead of an hour and 10 minutes. Inside the bus station, there was a lot of military. I think that most of them were off duty, but soldiers carry their guns with them at all times. As I waiting in line for ticket information, a man in plain clothes walked past me holding his fully automatic machine gun in two hands.
From the central bus station we two buses to Nazareth. On the first and longer of the two, I asked a soldier if I could sit beside him. His name is Danny and his English was quite poor. We didn't talk much because he quickly started to play poker on his phone. I'm guessing that he was 19. At one point on the trip, he fell asleep and his Trevor Assault Rifle rested against my leg. I glanced over to check. It was fully loaded.
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Communication
One of the biggest struggles that I have had here is communication. Sometimes it's language, like when people follow a sentence of mine with "Okay" and nothing else, a sign that is usually used by native English speakers to indicate the conversation is over. Sometimes it's cultural, like when I am standing near Zoughbi waiting for him to be done a conversation - a clear sign to me that I need to talk to him - only to have him finish one conversation and walk right by me (I'm assume that he thinks that I'm just hanging around being relational with people). Sometimes it's a little more complicated. Yesterday and today is a good example of that.
To help you understand this scene I need to go back a few days. One day I was in the office when one of the staff asked if I was going to Jericho. I had heard about the trip a while ago but had forgot about it. I went to the guy that was organizing the trip and asked him about it. I quickly realized that something was wrong and excused myself from the conversation. I then was taken off to the side by the first coworker and told not to tell people that I heard about the trip from him. There are two ways to take this information. First, I accidentally went through the wrong channels. I should have asked Zoughbi first and then went to the staff who was organizing the trip. This is a mistake that I have made before. The culture of the office is very similar to clan society: any significant conversations need to happen with the head first. Second, I was not supposed to know about the trip at all. I went with this option, because I figured it was safest. I also knew that it was Wi'am's womens group that would be going, and while I have traveled with them before this was going to be a multiday retreat. I decided not to talk to Zoughbi about it, in case that might get the first coworker in trouble, and the topic never came up again.
That conversation happened sometime last week. I showed up to work on Monday and quickly realized that the trip was that day. The strange thing was that when I saw these two coworkers and Zoughbi, they all asked if I was going on the trip. When I said no, they said "that's too bad." This was a little frustrating. It was now that I realized that the office was going to be mostly empty for the day, because almost everyone else went on the retreat. I worked until lunch on an assignment that I did not understand, but had no one that I could talk to about it.
At lunch time Zoughbi showed up. He asked me if I wanted to go swimming in the afternoon. I said yes, and started to pack my things because we were leaving "in 5 minutes." Twenty minutes later we were driving home. We got home and I asked if I had enough time to eat lunch. I was then told that we would be only leaving at 8pm. I went home and ate some lunch and at 1:30 I was told that we would be leaving in an hour. At 2:30 we went to Jericho, by taxi - luckily I had brought some money - and arrived at the same retreat that the rest of Wi'am was at. I ended up swimming in the pool at the retreat hotel.
The story continues in the morning, when on Tuesday I was told to meet Zoughbi at 8am. When I arrived at 8:05 he looked up from his work and said, "O you are awake."
This story is not indicative of my overall experience here, but it is a condensed highlight of the biggest issue that I have faced here. It has been frustrating but I hope that this story is illuminating, not ranting.
To help you understand this scene I need to go back a few days. One day I was in the office when one of the staff asked if I was going to Jericho. I had heard about the trip a while ago but had forgot about it. I went to the guy that was organizing the trip and asked him about it. I quickly realized that something was wrong and excused myself from the conversation. I then was taken off to the side by the first coworker and told not to tell people that I heard about the trip from him. There are two ways to take this information. First, I accidentally went through the wrong channels. I should have asked Zoughbi first and then went to the staff who was organizing the trip. This is a mistake that I have made before. The culture of the office is very similar to clan society: any significant conversations need to happen with the head first. Second, I was not supposed to know about the trip at all. I went with this option, because I figured it was safest. I also knew that it was Wi'am's womens group that would be going, and while I have traveled with them before this was going to be a multiday retreat. I decided not to talk to Zoughbi about it, in case that might get the first coworker in trouble, and the topic never came up again.
That conversation happened sometime last week. I showed up to work on Monday and quickly realized that the trip was that day. The strange thing was that when I saw these two coworkers and Zoughbi, they all asked if I was going on the trip. When I said no, they said "that's too bad." This was a little frustrating. It was now that I realized that the office was going to be mostly empty for the day, because almost everyone else went on the retreat. I worked until lunch on an assignment that I did not understand, but had no one that I could talk to about it.
At lunch time Zoughbi showed up. He asked me if I wanted to go swimming in the afternoon. I said yes, and started to pack my things because we were leaving "in 5 minutes." Twenty minutes later we were driving home. We got home and I asked if I had enough time to eat lunch. I was then told that we would be only leaving at 8pm. I went home and ate some lunch and at 1:30 I was told that we would be leaving in an hour. At 2:30 we went to Jericho, by taxi - luckily I had brought some money - and arrived at the same retreat that the rest of Wi'am was at. I ended up swimming in the pool at the retreat hotel.
The story continues in the morning, when on Tuesday I was told to meet Zoughbi at 8am. When I arrived at 8:05 he looked up from his work and said, "O you are awake."
This story is not indicative of my overall experience here, but it is a condensed highlight of the biggest issue that I have faced here. It has been frustrating but I hope that this story is illuminating, not ranting.
Monday, June 27, 2011
Week Seven Review
The lack of posts this week has been more due to my fear of not attending social gatherings than anything else. A lot of things have been continuing to happen and I fear that missing out would be more than just a lost opportunity, but a slight to the invitee. I plan on posting a few more than none this week. As long as I don't accidentally eat peanuts again...
On Saturday after returning from a game of wheelchair basketball, we decided to stop for some ice cream. Asking for a sample of one flavour and deciding he liked it, my friend handed it to me to try. It was only after I bit through the first peanut that I realized this might not have been the best idea. In the end, I didn't die. Nor did I use any preventative measures. Maybe my parents have been hiding this secret from me, to keep down my access to low cost protein. I plan on testing this hypothesis soon by trying to eat my way out of a collapsing tunnel of peanut butter.
Wheel chair basketball was really great. One of our Palestinian friends coaches a team and he showed us the basics. We played four on four for about two hours and scored four baskets combined. We sucked. But it was tons of fun!
Before that, on Friday, we went to a Palestinian home in the mountain to help out and get a good meal. We worked to clear away grass and weeds from the trees before digging small troughs to catch the water. It was a full day that included home-made fruit leather, a fantastic meal, some cards (with commercial break that included getting water dumped on my head), stories about Bethlehem, poor theological arguments and some tank shell casings that we left from the last invasion.
Sunday involved going into Jerusalem to visit the Holocaust Museum. We left at 12:30pm and arrived there at 3:30pm, including a 40 minute wait at the walking checkpoint. We only had an hour and a half to explore but it was still a very powerful experience. I did not know that Warsaw was such a major point of Jewish deaths in the holocaust. At one point there was a man beside me in his soldier uniform, who could not have been older than 20. As we both looked at an emotionally-capturing recreation of the Warsaw ghetto, he started to cry.
On Saturday after returning from a game of wheelchair basketball, we decided to stop for some ice cream. Asking for a sample of one flavour and deciding he liked it, my friend handed it to me to try. It was only after I bit through the first peanut that I realized this might not have been the best idea. In the end, I didn't die. Nor did I use any preventative measures. Maybe my parents have been hiding this secret from me, to keep down my access to low cost protein. I plan on testing this hypothesis soon by trying to eat my way out of a collapsing tunnel of peanut butter.
Wheel chair basketball was really great. One of our Palestinian friends coaches a team and he showed us the basics. We played four on four for about two hours and scored four baskets combined. We sucked. But it was tons of fun!
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| This short line took us 40 minutes, on a Sunday. I have heard that the waits can be two to three hours. |
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Week Six Review (2 days late)
Even though I have posted my weekly updates on Wednesday instead of Monday for the last two weeks, does not mean anything more than maybe I am trying to get an extra two days out of my trip. It also might have to do with the fact that Monday afternoon was spent playing soccer outside with kids in the heat: without a hat, sunscreen or water. The resulting bout of minor heat exhaustion (not heat stroke) caused me to go home and sleep for half a day. I am now recharged, rehydrated and ready to review the week...
Things at home have gotten a lot more active. With the arrival of Zoughbi's three sons and wife, the relatives have been stopping by quite often. This has resulted in a revival of the basketball hoop out back and the learning of a number of Palestinian games. My favourite is called Tap. It's like 21 except that anyone can go for any rebound and if you catch and shoot the ball without touching the ground, the other team goes back down to zero. We've played it with two or three teams of two.
As my experience on Monday dictates, the heat has started to become a bit of an issue. It is currently 32*C at 4:10pm. It is common for the temperature to reach 30 degrees before 10am. Luckily most of the buildings are made of stone, which takes a long time to absorb the heat. The interesting part is that some of the evenings have been quite cold. Last week I actually woke up and had to throw on pajama pants.
I've been drinking a lot of Coca-Cola since I've been here, mostly because we have a two liter bottle everyday for lunch. Now Coke has a lot to answer for in the allegations against it, but it holds a unique place in Palestine as it has an important factory in Ramallah. I have heard it said that drinking Coke in Palestine is like "drinking the revolution." Revolution tastes much better too, because it uses real cane sugar instead of corn syrup.
Things at home have gotten a lot more active. With the arrival of Zoughbi's three sons and wife, the relatives have been stopping by quite often. This has resulted in a revival of the basketball hoop out back and the learning of a number of Palestinian games. My favourite is called Tap. It's like 21 except that anyone can go for any rebound and if you catch and shoot the ball without touching the ground, the other team goes back down to zero. We've played it with two or three teams of two.
As my experience on Monday dictates, the heat has started to become a bit of an issue. It is currently 32*C at 4:10pm. It is common for the temperature to reach 30 degrees before 10am. Luckily most of the buildings are made of stone, which takes a long time to absorb the heat. The interesting part is that some of the evenings have been quite cold. Last week I actually woke up and had to throw on pajama pants.
I've been drinking a lot of Coca-Cola since I've been here, mostly because we have a two liter bottle everyday for lunch. Now Coke has a lot to answer for in the allegations against it, but it holds a unique place in Palestine as it has an important factory in Ramallah. I have heard it said that drinking Coke in Palestine is like "drinking the revolution." Revolution tastes much better too, because it uses real cane sugar instead of corn syrup.
Saturday, June 18, 2011
A walk in the park
As much as at home as in Palsetine, I often find myself participating in things that I have no idea about. Despite the fact that I am unaware of where I am going or what I am doing, I generally find a way to go along with it for a good time. This happened this morning.
I was told that there was a trip. I was originally told that the trip was on the 27th, then on Sunday, then Saturday. On Friday afternoon I got a call from Saleba, that I did not understand at all. After asking him to repeat himself four times, I just decided to say thank you and pretend I understood what he was saying. Luckily, he also called some other people and everything worked out fine. Because of this though, when we met for the bus in the morning, I had no idea where we were going or doing. Originally I thought we were going to Jericho, then Ramallah.
The bus showed up with a lot of kids on it. 40-50 of them, all between the ages of 7 and 15. It turns out that we were joining the Scouts on a trip. Myself, the Americans and a few of our Palestinian friends quickly formed the Blue Monkeys troop and stepped onto the bus. On the way there I tried some of my limited Arabic with the children and we told riddles. I pulled out my favourite one: a dead man in the desert beside a rock. Luckily my Palestinian friend knew it already so he could field the questions. I actually understood some of their questions. I now know enough Arabic to confuse young children.
We eventually got to our destination, where we were dropped off by the bus before it immediately drove away. We were in the middle of the desert. But it turned out okay. After a short walk down a hill we arrived to a natural river. It was really cool because we were surrounded by barren landscape expect for this strip of rich vegetation:
One really cool thing that I learned during this trip: during certain times of year, water will actually flow out of many points of the mountain. Apparently it looks like the rocks are actually seeping water. When I thought of the Moses story, I always thought of a medium rock - something comfortable to sit on - not a mountain. Now, after seeing these mountains and this stream that seems to come from no where, it makes the miracle much more believable without reducing the wonder.
Another interesting part of the trip was that even though this area was in the West Bank, there were a number of Israelis. I made a point of trying to say hi to all of them (even the naked guy in the pool) and most of them said hi back to me, but I didn't have any chance for conversation. It is interesting that these people seemingly do not conform to the amount of fear they are supposed to have from their Arab neighbours. It is also interesting that this is a place where Palestinian and Israeli citizens could officially or unofficially meet each other. I did not think that there was such a place outside of the peace process or civil society.
I was told that there was a trip. I was originally told that the trip was on the 27th, then on Sunday, then Saturday. On Friday afternoon I got a call from Saleba, that I did not understand at all. After asking him to repeat himself four times, I just decided to say thank you and pretend I understood what he was saying. Luckily, he also called some other people and everything worked out fine. Because of this though, when we met for the bus in the morning, I had no idea where we were going or doing. Originally I thought we were going to Jericho, then Ramallah.
The bus showed up with a lot of kids on it. 40-50 of them, all between the ages of 7 and 15. It turns out that we were joining the Scouts on a trip. Myself, the Americans and a few of our Palestinian friends quickly formed the Blue Monkeys troop and stepped onto the bus. On the way there I tried some of my limited Arabic with the children and we told riddles. I pulled out my favourite one: a dead man in the desert beside a rock. Luckily my Palestinian friend knew it already so he could field the questions. I actually understood some of their questions. I now know enough Arabic to confuse young children.
We eventually got to our destination, where we were dropped off by the bus before it immediately drove away. We were in the middle of the desert. But it turned out okay. After a short walk down a hill we arrived to a natural river. It was really cool because we were surrounded by barren landscape expect for this strip of rich vegetation:
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| The view from where we were dropped off |
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| Lagging behind with Jad and other friends |
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| Noticing a signed that said "Do not drink" I asked my friend if it was serious. He said no. He also told me he was joking after I finished. Looking forward to Palestinian Beaver Fever. |
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| I tried to catch some of these fish but they were too quick for me |
One really cool thing that I learned during this trip: during certain times of year, water will actually flow out of many points of the mountain. Apparently it looks like the rocks are actually seeping water. When I thought of the Moses story, I always thought of a medium rock - something comfortable to sit on - not a mountain. Now, after seeing these mountains and this stream that seems to come from no where, it makes the miracle much more believable without reducing the wonder.
Another interesting part of the trip was that even though this area was in the West Bank, there were a number of Israelis. I made a point of trying to say hi to all of them (even the naked guy in the pool) and most of them said hi back to me, but I didn't have any chance for conversation. It is interesting that these people seemingly do not conform to the amount of fear they are supposed to have from their Arab neighbours. It is also interesting that this is a place where Palestinian and Israeli citizens could officially or unofficially meet each other. I did not think that there was such a place outside of the peace process or civil society.
Friday, June 17, 2011
Another way to monitor
This is mostly for my parents, but if any of the rest of you cannot get enough of what I am doing and threaten to write me emails if I don't have online activity every few days...well now you can keep on eye on the Wi'am facebook page. I have been told that on top of being the new photographer, I am also supposed to upload as many pictures as I can. Basically, that is another area that you can see pictures and get limited glimpses of what Wi'am is doing.
Also, I love you Mom.
Also, I love you Mom.
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Week Five Review (2 days late)
Since moving in with the Americans, it has been a busy couple of days. Combine that with the less than stellar internet in the new apartment and it combines to only two posts in the last week. Even now the internet is not as good at work and considering that I have two people sitting behind me, I feel a lot more self conscious about blogging in the middle of the work day. But because they're in a meeting right now...
I made two mistakes. The American students are actually from Goshen college, you know the one that has decided to stop playing the National Anthem. Also, Zoughbi has three sons.
My favourite memory from this last week was when I was in a northern city called Nablus. I was walking around the market with a friend of mine from work. Behind me, a guy on a bicycle was trying to get past me. He said some things in Arabic but I did not understand. My friend moved me out of the way, but as the biker passed, he asked my friend if I was French, in a not too polite way. (This was all in Arabic and later translated to me). My friend said no, he is a Palestinian like me.
On Friday night I went to a concert for a band called CultureSHOC. It was pretty interesting and I liked the music. They played a lot of their own stuff but also "Pump It" and "Sweat Dreams." The strangest part was immediately after the show, when the entire theater cleared out in a about 30 seconds. There was no call for an encore and even the band was gone. When I turned around from chatting with the people I came with the place was empty. The lobby was also desolate when we got out there. Apparently this is a very common cultural response.
This last week has been an interesting one at work. It started by struggling to find meaningful things to do, to sending hundreds of emails a day. I am currently working on sending Wi'am's biannual newsletter to all of their contacts. I can send it to 100 people at a time and the sever can only handle a certian number of emails per day. I am on day 4 now, averaging 15 emails a day (1500 people). I am at the Ds.
On the weekend I went to the Bethlehem Nativity Meuseam. They have hundreds of nativity scenes from all over the world. These were my favourites:
I have been unofficially named Wi'am photographer. This will come as a surprise to most people who have seen my work. I would say that this is an indictment of Wi'am lack of choice, rather than their ability to assess talent. Maybe they saw this photo though:
I made two mistakes. The American students are actually from Goshen college, you know the one that has decided to stop playing the National Anthem. Also, Zoughbi has three sons.
My favourite memory from this last week was when I was in a northern city called Nablus. I was walking around the market with a friend of mine from work. Behind me, a guy on a bicycle was trying to get past me. He said some things in Arabic but I did not understand. My friend moved me out of the way, but as the biker passed, he asked my friend if I was French, in a not too polite way. (This was all in Arabic and later translated to me). My friend said no, he is a Palestinian like me.
On Friday night I went to a concert for a band called CultureSHOC. It was pretty interesting and I liked the music. They played a lot of their own stuff but also "Pump It" and "Sweat Dreams." The strangest part was immediately after the show, when the entire theater cleared out in a about 30 seconds. There was no call for an encore and even the band was gone. When I turned around from chatting with the people I came with the place was empty. The lobby was also desolate when we got out there. Apparently this is a very common cultural response.
This last week has been an interesting one at work. It started by struggling to find meaningful things to do, to sending hundreds of emails a day. I am currently working on sending Wi'am's biannual newsletter to all of their contacts. I can send it to 100 people at a time and the sever can only handle a certian number of emails per day. I am on day 4 now, averaging 15 emails a day (1500 people). I am at the Ds.
On the weekend I went to the Bethlehem Nativity Meuseam. They have hundreds of nativity scenes from all over the world. These were my favourites:
I have been unofficially named Wi'am photographer. This will come as a surprise to most people who have seen my work. I would say that this is an indictment of Wi'am lack of choice, rather than their ability to assess talent. Maybe they saw this photo though:
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The other day we had a small conference on Palestinian nonviolence. I spent some time looking around the internet afterwards and found these two articles. After I read them I spent some time reading the comments posted, followed by the blogs and articles that those comments linked to. I am feelings physically distraught now. Partially because of the hate, but also because of the sound religious and political arguments that are so convincing. I do not want to become someone who denounces arguments without facts, but I am exceedingly frightened by the results of these arguments. They are based upon setting up two sides and creating self sustaining arguments about the other side. Part of what is making me so sick is that I am reading a parallel story about the Boston Bruins and Vancouver Canucks in the Stanley Cup playoffs. (I suggest you check out the articles titled "On Stanley Cup Final coverage and the problem of bias" and "Irresponsible coverage leads to irresponsible fan behaviour" at PiTB if you don't know what I'm talking about). Hockey is a competitive game and people want their team to win, but it is not the same as fighting over land and resources, survival and oppression. But in both cases people are demonizing each other and misquoting the opposition to gain an edge. If the Cancuks and Bruins were locked in a conflict where people were dying, now much louder would the hysteria be? Are we only one good news story away from hate?
I need to stop reading internet comments.
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Some partially thought out thoughts on Israel/Palestine
Before I came here, I honestly did not know much about the conflict. I thought that I knew the basic facts, but it turns out that I was wrong about that too. This post is a number of things that I have found extremely helpful to think about while I have been here, sprinkled with a bit of my opinion about them. I hope it is helpful to others like myself, who balance their concern with their ignorance.
One of the most important things to notice, is the way that some of the key questions of Israel/Palestine are phrased. The debate is often guided and maintained in two separate spheres: moral and political/legal. I question such as, "Is Israel justified in using force to defend itself?" is a moral question. The question, "Does Palestine exist?" is a legal one. Now this may not be a significant issue to many people, we are very comfortable with our tendency to separate things into the specific area of knowledge but I want to explore these two questions within and outside the frameworks we commonly give them.
Let look at the first. To start, the answer is that yes, Israel is morally allowed to defend itself with force. It has a right to defend itself, specifically its innocent citizens, against any type of attack. All nations do. I would like to bring up two points. One, the question "Does Palestine have a moral right to use terrorism (specifically targeting civilian populations) to defend itself?" It is strange that this question never gets asked, at least in the West. It is also strange that one is self-evident while to suggest the other is foolish. Many reasonable people note that the conflict is dynamic and complicated and that there is no clear aggressor. Then why is one side have a disproportional amount of deaths? It is clear that there is a disproportional amount of power. If it was true that Palestinians wanted to, and had the power to "push the Jews into the sea" would Israel be morally justified in using a nuclear weapon to defend itself? What about if the question of defence is put into legal terms. Well that is much easier. The UN has routinely condemned the occupation of the West Bank, Gaza and the building of the separation wall. Palestinians, like all countries, are also legally entitled to defend themselves with armed resistance from a colonial power.
What about the second question. It also has an easy answer. The answer is no, Palestine does not exist. It has never legally been a country. It has never had sovereignty. It even rejected UN Resolution 181. The problem with this answer though is that it is quickly translated into two things. That there never was a Palestine and that there is no such thing as Palestinians. Both of these statements are false. The only difference between the truth and the lies is power. Palestine is not a country because it is not recognized by people of power. Did you know that the land of Palestine was given to the British after WWI to help run the country? Did you also know that while the areas of present day Jordan, the creation of Israel is based on a document called the British Mandate, The reason that Palestine is not sovereign is because they have not been recognized by the UN. A good way to look at Palestine and Palestinians is to compare them to Indigenous people of North America. It is true that they never had a sovereign nation, but they were a people who lived on the land long before an outside colonizer arrived. Considering that most of the people reading this are probably from North America, I hope that I do not need to spell out the moral catastrophe of European colonialisers dealing with indigenous people.
It is very interesting to equate Indigenous people with Palestinian people. One of the common arguments that I have come across is: "Why should Israeli go back to the 1967 boarders, they won the territory fair and square in the war?" This is often followed up with: "Should the Americans give back their territory to the British?" No, they should give it back to the Native Americans. This is a very simple but powerful argument. Because if we dare to argue against it, we must also accept the normative power that we have placed on violence and war to shape our own countries. Do we dare to support the indigenous Palestinian population, and fear the repercussions of our own indigenous populations crying hypocrisy against us?
I used to think that Palestinians only wanted to have a state of their own - that a two state solution was the best possible answer for all of the issues. I have learned from Palestinians on the ground that many of them want a one state solution, but they do not see this as practical. They want a one state solution because Palestinian refugees want to go back to where their villages where, before they were evacuated and destroyed in 1948. In fact, it is seen as one of the primary means of justice; one of the common phrases on signs or painted onto the wall is "No Peace Without Justice." The Palestinians that I have talked to think that a two state solution might be a good step to build trust towards working for a one state solution.
Before I came here, I knew two concrete things about Israel: One, It is a pillar of Jewish heritage and struggle, two it is an island of democracy within the Middle East. It took me a long time to realize that maybe these things are not exactly compatible. To hold them both up as values of the society, it would be necessary to always have a clear Jewish majority in every section of the country. Otherwise a democratic election could choose someone who does not agree with Jewish values, or God forbid, isn't Jewish. If a country wanted keep up the idea that these two pillars were equal values, they might need to bring in large amounts of people that already agree with the the more important value, and remove large portions of the population that do not agree with that value. It is funny because a lot of the Israeli rhetoric is that the Palestinians (they usually just say Arabs, remember that Palestinians don't exist) only want the destruction of Israeli. Though that is not at all the message that I have received from EVERY Palestinian that I have met, maybe Israeli is right. The refugees want to go back to their home and if they are allowed, it would either destroy the Jewishness or democracy of Israel.
I have a lot more to contemplate but I figure that I need to get this out before I delay any longer thinking about these issues. There will be more posts like this.
One of the most important things to notice, is the way that some of the key questions of Israel/Palestine are phrased. The debate is often guided and maintained in two separate spheres: moral and political/legal. I question such as, "Is Israel justified in using force to defend itself?" is a moral question. The question, "Does Palestine exist?" is a legal one. Now this may not be a significant issue to many people, we are very comfortable with our tendency to separate things into the specific area of knowledge but I want to explore these two questions within and outside the frameworks we commonly give them.
Let look at the first. To start, the answer is that yes, Israel is morally allowed to defend itself with force. It has a right to defend itself, specifically its innocent citizens, against any type of attack. All nations do. I would like to bring up two points. One, the question "Does Palestine have a moral right to use terrorism (specifically targeting civilian populations) to defend itself?" It is strange that this question never gets asked, at least in the West. It is also strange that one is self-evident while to suggest the other is foolish. Many reasonable people note that the conflict is dynamic and complicated and that there is no clear aggressor. Then why is one side have a disproportional amount of deaths? It is clear that there is a disproportional amount of power. If it was true that Palestinians wanted to, and had the power to "push the Jews into the sea" would Israel be morally justified in using a nuclear weapon to defend itself? What about if the question of defence is put into legal terms. Well that is much easier. The UN has routinely condemned the occupation of the West Bank, Gaza and the building of the separation wall. Palestinians, like all countries, are also legally entitled to defend themselves with armed resistance from a colonial power.
What about the second question. It also has an easy answer. The answer is no, Palestine does not exist. It has never legally been a country. It has never had sovereignty. It even rejected UN Resolution 181. The problem with this answer though is that it is quickly translated into two things. That there never was a Palestine and that there is no such thing as Palestinians. Both of these statements are false. The only difference between the truth and the lies is power. Palestine is not a country because it is not recognized by people of power. Did you know that the land of Palestine was given to the British after WWI to help run the country? Did you also know that while the areas of present day Jordan, the creation of Israel is based on a document called the British Mandate, The reason that Palestine is not sovereign is because they have not been recognized by the UN. A good way to look at Palestine and Palestinians is to compare them to Indigenous people of North America. It is true that they never had a sovereign nation, but they were a people who lived on the land long before an outside colonizer arrived. Considering that most of the people reading this are probably from North America, I hope that I do not need to spell out the moral catastrophe of European colonialisers dealing with indigenous people.
It is very interesting to equate Indigenous people with Palestinian people. One of the common arguments that I have come across is: "Why should Israeli go back to the 1967 boarders, they won the territory fair and square in the war?" This is often followed up with: "Should the Americans give back their territory to the British?" No, they should give it back to the Native Americans. This is a very simple but powerful argument. Because if we dare to argue against it, we must also accept the normative power that we have placed on violence and war to shape our own countries. Do we dare to support the indigenous Palestinian population, and fear the repercussions of our own indigenous populations crying hypocrisy against us?
I used to think that Palestinians only wanted to have a state of their own - that a two state solution was the best possible answer for all of the issues. I have learned from Palestinians on the ground that many of them want a one state solution, but they do not see this as practical. They want a one state solution because Palestinian refugees want to go back to where their villages where, before they were evacuated and destroyed in 1948. In fact, it is seen as one of the primary means of justice; one of the common phrases on signs or painted onto the wall is "No Peace Without Justice." The Palestinians that I have talked to think that a two state solution might be a good step to build trust towards working for a one state solution.
Before I came here, I knew two concrete things about Israel: One, It is a pillar of Jewish heritage and struggle, two it is an island of democracy within the Middle East. It took me a long time to realize that maybe these things are not exactly compatible. To hold them both up as values of the society, it would be necessary to always have a clear Jewish majority in every section of the country. Otherwise a democratic election could choose someone who does not agree with Jewish values, or God forbid, isn't Jewish. If a country wanted keep up the idea that these two pillars were equal values, they might need to bring in large amounts of people that already agree with the the more important value, and remove large portions of the population that do not agree with that value. It is funny because a lot of the Israeli rhetoric is that the Palestinians (they usually just say Arabs, remember that Palestinians don't exist) only want the destruction of Israeli. Though that is not at all the message that I have received from EVERY Palestinian that I have met, maybe Israeli is right. The refugees want to go back to their home and if they are allowed, it would either destroy the Jewishness or democracy of Israel.
I have a lot more to contemplate but I figure that I need to get this out before I delay any longer thinking about these issues. There will be more posts like this.
Monday, June 6, 2011
Week Four Review
Today is exactly one month from the first day that I arrived in Israel/Palestine. So far it has been a very powerful experience and I plan to share some of my more significant thoughts soon. For now though, I can tell that you're dying to be updated on the insignificant issues of the last week...
My internet has been down for a couple of days. That should mean that I wasn't able to properly communicate with the outside world, but considering that I didn't really try...meh. It does mean that I missed game two of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. I even work up at 3am hoping that the internet would be back, but no luck. I have since caught up on highlights though.
I thought that I was going to be moving tonight, but at this rate it looks like I'll be moving tomorrow. The American students are arriving early Wednesday morning and so I am moving to allow three women to take this apartment. I will be moving in with five other guys.
In the next few days, the number of international volunteers at Wi'am will grow to ridiculous. Currently I am one of four, with one Finish and one American woman joining us recently. The American students are a total of eight and then there are two other volunteers coming soon. On top of that, Zoughbi's wife and two sons are going to be coming home from American soon. It's going to be a little crowded in the office.
Things at the office are going well. Some days my work is insignificant but I fill my free time by trying to identify bias in news articles and learning about Zionism and Palestinianism. A good example is this morning, when I read about the protests along the boarder in Al Jazeera and then a very different account in the Jerusalem Post. I think I have started to become addicted to reading internet comments though. The poor arguments and vial hate are intoxicating.
Today I found out that I am a child. Or at least that is what people are saying about me. I was also asked by a friend - in a curious way - how much alcohol and drugs I did. Looks like someone local has been reading this blog! But I might also have to cut down on the joking around. The Palestinian culture is one of few personal secrets and a lot of gossip. I was told that being thought of as a child is actually a compliment, but they failed to attach an adjective of childlike behaviour that comforted me. In the end, I should probably care more. This is something that I often do for fun in Canada, but is it culturally inappropriate here?
To comfort myself and those who might worry about that last paragraph, I think that I am getting along very well with most people. Honestly, I think that the fact that I'm willing to say stupid things or make a fool of myself and then laugh at it is quite entertaining to most people here. They certainly encourage me when I try to dance like them. I think they find it amusing to have a foreigner who is quite different from their socialized properness. I might be wrong though. I'll let you know if I get stoned to death.
My internet has been down for a couple of days. That should mean that I wasn't able to properly communicate with the outside world, but considering that I didn't really try...meh. It does mean that I missed game two of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. I even work up at 3am hoping that the internet would be back, but no luck. I have since caught up on highlights though.
I thought that I was going to be moving tonight, but at this rate it looks like I'll be moving tomorrow. The American students are arriving early Wednesday morning and so I am moving to allow three women to take this apartment. I will be moving in with five other guys.
In the next few days, the number of international volunteers at Wi'am will grow to ridiculous. Currently I am one of four, with one Finish and one American woman joining us recently. The American students are a total of eight and then there are two other volunteers coming soon. On top of that, Zoughbi's wife and two sons are going to be coming home from American soon. It's going to be a little crowded in the office.
Things at the office are going well. Some days my work is insignificant but I fill my free time by trying to identify bias in news articles and learning about Zionism and Palestinianism. A good example is this morning, when I read about the protests along the boarder in Al Jazeera and then a very different account in the Jerusalem Post. I think I have started to become addicted to reading internet comments though. The poor arguments and vial hate are intoxicating.
Today I found out that I am a child. Or at least that is what people are saying about me. I was also asked by a friend - in a curious way - how much alcohol and drugs I did. Looks like someone local has been reading this blog! But I might also have to cut down on the joking around. The Palestinian culture is one of few personal secrets and a lot of gossip. I was told that being thought of as a child is actually a compliment, but they failed to attach an adjective of childlike behaviour that comforted me. In the end, I should probably care more. This is something that I often do for fun in Canada, but is it culturally inappropriate here?
To comfort myself and those who might worry about that last paragraph, I think that I am getting along very well with most people. Honestly, I think that the fact that I'm willing to say stupid things or make a fool of myself and then laugh at it is quite entertaining to most people here. They certainly encourage me when I try to dance like them. I think they find it amusing to have a foreigner who is quite different from their socialized properness. I might be wrong though. I'll let you know if I get stoned to death.
Sunday, June 5, 2011
The Role and Context of Wi'am
A little while ago my friend asked me to give a more detailed outline of what Wi'am does. I am going to try and do that here. I hope to put together at accurate representation of the organization that I am working with right now, but these are my own opinions.
The two things that you need to know to understand Wi'am: role and context.
Wi'am is firmly planted within the role of a grassroots organization. This means that Wi'am works with local people and other small scale organizations. The metaphor of a triangle is useful here (I am stealing this metaphor from John Paul Lederach) and it fits our society's style of hierarchy. At the top of the triangle are Presidents and Prime Ministers. They have the power to get the official deals done, but they are often constrained by intense pressure from the media, the international community and their constituents. They are not able to take risks or even deviate from what their populations expect them to do. In the middle of the triangle are the other important leaders of a society, such as the religious, scientific or economic leaders. These people have the power to influence both the upper and bottom levels of the triangle, but while they often have an interest in peace, they do not have the same need that the masses do nor the pressure of the official leaders. At the bottom of the triangle - the largest section - is the grassroots leaders such as the small organizations or the leaders of clubs, groups or unions. This group is primarily concerned with the daily needs of its members. This concern is often their mantra for peace because there is little time to be spent debating the universalism of peace.
Within this triangle, there are two major forms of motion. Vertical motion is the culture within a particular society. Considering that we are looking at peace, it is the idea that either a culture of peace or a culture of violence (most likely something between the two) is present within the society. As the society reacts to the conflict, the culture can change from the bottom up, or from the top down. Messages of hate or peace can be professed from the leadership downwards or fostered from the grassroots upwards, just as concrete activities will influence the culture. The other type of motion is horizontal motion. This is the idea that because they are in a conflict, each society is engaged in a complex reaction with the other. Positive horizontal motion - if you are trying to create peace - would be formal or informal meetings between the two people groups. This is mostly easily done in the middle section of triangle, the section that is often called civil society, but it happens at all levels. This type of motion is most commonly enacted to create a common understanding between the two people, but it is also done to identify useful strategies to pressuring other parts of the society towards peace.
Being on the bottom of the triangle means that Wi'am is strongly teathered to its context. While it does meet with other organizations, including some Israeli ones, it knows that it's place is with the people.The context of Wi'am is one that is not easy to begin to understand. The suffering and steadfastness of the Palestinian people is quite remarkable. This steadfastness is not without its limits though, and because of this, Wi'am must be very reactionary to its context.
I would say that almost 90% of Wi'am work is reaction to issues that arise from displaced anger and various forms of oppression. When people cannot determine their own future, have no concrete securities for their basic needs, live under threat of physical and structural violence and live within a physiological prison created by a very real 10 metre high wall, it is not uncommon to have unusually high rates of domestic abuse, depression and internal violence. Wi'am's programs are largely centered around trying to make Bethlehem a more livable place. Mediation, a children's summer camp (with aspects of trauma healing), job creation and empowerment for women, and a youth group that promotes nonviolent resistance are their core activities. The only activity that you could argue is not directly reactionary is raising awareness, which is done through hosting groups and international volunteers.
Essentially, Wi'am is an institution that should not need to exist. It is not providing any essential aspects of a society that would not already be present or given if the society is healthy. And yet, it has been open for the last 16 years.
The two things that you need to know to understand Wi'am: role and context.
Wi'am is firmly planted within the role of a grassroots organization. This means that Wi'am works with local people and other small scale organizations. The metaphor of a triangle is useful here (I am stealing this metaphor from John Paul Lederach) and it fits our society's style of hierarchy. At the top of the triangle are Presidents and Prime Ministers. They have the power to get the official deals done, but they are often constrained by intense pressure from the media, the international community and their constituents. They are not able to take risks or even deviate from what their populations expect them to do. In the middle of the triangle are the other important leaders of a society, such as the religious, scientific or economic leaders. These people have the power to influence both the upper and bottom levels of the triangle, but while they often have an interest in peace, they do not have the same need that the masses do nor the pressure of the official leaders. At the bottom of the triangle - the largest section - is the grassroots leaders such as the small organizations or the leaders of clubs, groups or unions. This group is primarily concerned with the daily needs of its members. This concern is often their mantra for peace because there is little time to be spent debating the universalism of peace.
Within this triangle, there are two major forms of motion. Vertical motion is the culture within a particular society. Considering that we are looking at peace, it is the idea that either a culture of peace or a culture of violence (most likely something between the two) is present within the society. As the society reacts to the conflict, the culture can change from the bottom up, or from the top down. Messages of hate or peace can be professed from the leadership downwards or fostered from the grassroots upwards, just as concrete activities will influence the culture. The other type of motion is horizontal motion. This is the idea that because they are in a conflict, each society is engaged in a complex reaction with the other. Positive horizontal motion - if you are trying to create peace - would be formal or informal meetings between the two people groups. This is mostly easily done in the middle section of triangle, the section that is often called civil society, but it happens at all levels. This type of motion is most commonly enacted to create a common understanding between the two people, but it is also done to identify useful strategies to pressuring other parts of the society towards peace.
Being on the bottom of the triangle means that Wi'am is strongly teathered to its context. While it does meet with other organizations, including some Israeli ones, it knows that it's place is with the people.The context of Wi'am is one that is not easy to begin to understand. The suffering and steadfastness of the Palestinian people is quite remarkable. This steadfastness is not without its limits though, and because of this, Wi'am must be very reactionary to its context.
I would say that almost 90% of Wi'am work is reaction to issues that arise from displaced anger and various forms of oppression. When people cannot determine their own future, have no concrete securities for their basic needs, live under threat of physical and structural violence and live within a physiological prison created by a very real 10 metre high wall, it is not uncommon to have unusually high rates of domestic abuse, depression and internal violence. Wi'am's programs are largely centered around trying to make Bethlehem a more livable place. Mediation, a children's summer camp (with aspects of trauma healing), job creation and empowerment for women, and a youth group that promotes nonviolent resistance are their core activities. The only activity that you could argue is not directly reactionary is raising awareness, which is done through hosting groups and international volunteers.
Essentially, Wi'am is an institution that should not need to exist. It is not providing any essential aspects of a society that would not already be present or given if the society is healthy. And yet, it has been open for the last 16 years.
Monday, May 30, 2011
Week Three Review
Considering I'm writing this while many of your are probably asleep, most of you would probably miss the fact, if I did not tell you, that there are two new posts before this one. Even if your weekend was boring - probably because there were no Canucks games - you can now live vicariously in Palestine.
The first point I need to make this week is one that I probably should have made a little while ago. I need to make this point because I do not really know who is reading this. I am assuming that it is mostly my friends and family but there might be a few others. Basically I just want to outline that I don't really have any idea about anything. Also, I often joke about a lot of things. At least once, my written sarcasm has been greatly misunderstood *cough* Conflict and Development from an Indigenous Perspective *cough* even though I thought it was fairly obvious. I've also seriously offended someone in this blog before; an event which I deeply regret. I'm saying this because I am in a situation that is highly charged with feelings and I plan to talk about what I see. Now because I am living with Palestinians, most of the stories or information I safe will probably be with a Palestinian bias, but the people who know me know that I try to hold out my judgement for as long as possible. (I don't necessarily see that as a good character trait). If you disagree with anything I say in here then please tell me and provide some information that I can look up that supports your argument. I highly doubt that I will get called anti-semitic - I love my two half-Jewish friends very much - but it seems that many conversations about Israel/Palestine can degrade to the level of name calling very quickly.
In more important news, it turns out that all of the Canucks games start at 3am here. I'm planning on staying up for the Friday night one, so save a spot in spirit for me.
This last week, the directors daughter has come back. She has been studying in the US for the last three years. Considering how much time I spend with her father, it is good to have someone around my age with flawless English. When I told her that I brought Dutch Blitz, she said that we would have to play a game sometime.
I've made a new 12 year old friend. His name is George and we played board games Thursday evening. We later played tag after the Baptism and then even danced a little at the reception afterwards. He tried to drag me back when I told him I was leaving. This is good. In my three step plan to Middle East infiltration, the kids are the first step.
I've started taking Arabic lessons. I have had two already. The easy part about the beginning of Arabic is that they do not have a word for "to be" in the present tense. In English, a basic sentence would be directly translated "I in Bethlehem." It makes conjugation simple. The hard part is the pronunciation. Not only are many of the sounds very difficult for me to make, but if I am different by a slight bit it is a completely different word. Many times people have honestly no idea what I am saying and then when I say it in English they pronounce the exact same word back to me.
I've talked about prices before but this one might interest a few people. Gas here is 7.1 shekels per liter. By today's exchange rate of 1 CAD = 3.53069 ILS, gas is $2.01 per liter.
In future news, there is a group of American students who are going to be coming to Wi'am to help run the summer program. They arrive sometime in June and they are here for two months. They are also from Conrad Grabel University Collage, which means there is a good chance that they are Mennonite. In fact, I know two of the guys that are coming. I met them during my trip to New York last year. It's actually quite funny because at the time I was trying to figure out my practicum and one of them suggested that I go to Palestine with them. I forgot about that until I heard the names if the people who are coming.
The first point I need to make this week is one that I probably should have made a little while ago. I need to make this point because I do not really know who is reading this. I am assuming that it is mostly my friends and family but there might be a few others. Basically I just want to outline that I don't really have any idea about anything. Also, I often joke about a lot of things. At least once, my written sarcasm has been greatly misunderstood *cough* Conflict and Development from an Indigenous Perspective *cough* even though I thought it was fairly obvious. I've also seriously offended someone in this blog before; an event which I deeply regret. I'm saying this because I am in a situation that is highly charged with feelings and I plan to talk about what I see. Now because I am living with Palestinians, most of the stories or information I safe will probably be with a Palestinian bias, but the people who know me know that I try to hold out my judgement for as long as possible. (I don't necessarily see that as a good character trait). If you disagree with anything I say in here then please tell me and provide some information that I can look up that supports your argument. I highly doubt that I will get called anti-semitic - I love my two half-Jewish friends very much - but it seems that many conversations about Israel/Palestine can degrade to the level of name calling very quickly.
In more important news, it turns out that all of the Canucks games start at 3am here. I'm planning on staying up for the Friday night one, so save a spot in spirit for me.
This last week, the directors daughter has come back. She has been studying in the US for the last three years. Considering how much time I spend with her father, it is good to have someone around my age with flawless English. When I told her that I brought Dutch Blitz, she said that we would have to play a game sometime.
I've made a new 12 year old friend. His name is George and we played board games Thursday evening. We later played tag after the Baptism and then even danced a little at the reception afterwards. He tried to drag me back when I told him I was leaving. This is good. In my three step plan to Middle East infiltration, the kids are the first step.
I've started taking Arabic lessons. I have had two already. The easy part about the beginning of Arabic is that they do not have a word for "to be" in the present tense. In English, a basic sentence would be directly translated "I in Bethlehem." It makes conjugation simple. The hard part is the pronunciation. Not only are many of the sounds very difficult for me to make, but if I am different by a slight bit it is a completely different word. Many times people have honestly no idea what I am saying and then when I say it in English they pronounce the exact same word back to me.
I've talked about prices before but this one might interest a few people. Gas here is 7.1 shekels per liter. By today's exchange rate of 1 CAD = 3.53069 ILS, gas is $2.01 per liter.
In future news, there is a group of American students who are going to be coming to Wi'am to help run the summer program. They arrive sometime in June and they are here for two months. They are also from Conrad Grabel University Collage, which means there is a good chance that they are Mennonite. In fact, I know two of the guys that are coming. I met them during my trip to New York last year. It's actually quite funny because at the time I was trying to figure out my practicum and one of them suggested that I go to Palestine with them. I forgot about that until I heard the names if the people who are coming.
Solomon's Pools
On Sunday I went with a German couple to see a few things around Bethlehem. This is a couple that I have been doing a few things with recently and will probably do a few things in the future. The women is working at Wi'am right now through the partnership with KURVE and the husband is writing his thesis (I'm not sure if it's Masters or PhD) in psychology. He is doing his research in the refugee camps around Bethlehem.
When they asked if I was interested in going, I said sure without knowing any details. I figured that the Germans could plan a trip well enough. When I met them in Manger Square, they each had a guidebook ready. They told me that we were first going to go to Solomon's Pools. To get there, we took a Dheisheh Camp bus. It cost two shekels, compared to the 15 to 20 a taxi would have cost.
Upon arriving at Solomon's Pools, it wasn't quite what I expected. I was thinking a tourist attraction, but it's more of a poorly maintained archeological site. There are three pools in total, but they have been empty for quite a while. There was also a fence in the way that prevented good photos.
When they asked if I was interested in going, I said sure without knowing any details. I figured that the Germans could plan a trip well enough. When I met them in Manger Square, they each had a guidebook ready. They told me that we were first going to go to Solomon's Pools. To get there, we took a Dheisheh Camp bus. It cost two shekels, compared to the 15 to 20 a taxi would have cost.
 |
| This bus had a lot of character |
That was until I got to the third pool. At the third pool there was a number of men who were working in the pool. I'm not quite sure what they were doing, but it seemed that they were cleaning out the bottom of the pool. They had a section of the fence cut down so I was able to get much better photos.
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| There was about 15 men in total |
After the pools, we decided to talk along the road to a nearby village. We heard that there were going to be Roman ruins in the village, but we didn't see them.
 |
| The surrounding countryside |
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| Local kids |
We did find something we did not expect though. In the village was a massive church or monastery. I never found out what it was but it was very beautiful. There was security at the entrance and we were told that we could not go in, but as we were trying to figure out where to go next, the security guard camp back to us and told us we could go in. I'm not sure exactly what was going on, but there were a few Argentinian flags on the cars there and I think there were a few dignitaries there.
While we were there a service started but we decided to leave before it got too late. We caught a shared taxi for the ride home. When we got back in Bethlehem, we thought about trying to go somewhere else, but instead decided to round out our day with some Kanafi.
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| Kanafi is a desert of goat cheese, shredded wheat, nuts and honey |
Baptism and Dancing
On Saturday I was invited to a Roman Catholic baptism. It was a great event. The whole family was out and everyone was dressed nicely. Everyone except me that is, because I forgot my pin-striped shorts. NB: buy a tie. My favourite part was the little boy, who was probably between one and two, wearing a three piece white suit. His parents even managed to keep it white the entire time too. You could tell this was an important event, because the mother had what I would call wedding hair and makeup. She also had a very nice dress on and later had a completely different very nice dress.
I'm not sure if the baptism was done in Arabic or in Latin, either way I didn't understand much. I was surprised with how calm the child was with getting water poured on his head. The whole thing took just over an hour.
On my way home I stopped by the store across the street to buy a glass bottle of coke, some rice and "noodle balls." The local kids were laughing at me, but I'm not sure if it was because of the noodle balls.
At 8pm I was told that we were going to have dinner. I knew it was part of the baptism but I did not realised it would be such a celebration. When I got there it was pretty close to my idea of a wedding reception. Eventually about 80 people showed up. They also had a three piece band.
I sat with the aunts, who I also arrived with. Being an avid family gathering attender since 1989, I know that when you are sitting with the aunts it's best to go on the offensive, less they start asking questions about girlfriends and life direction. So I pulled out my most refined weapon, from years of practice as a Mennonite. I asked how everyone was related to each other. Well, they loved me after that. Even calling me a "polite boy," but they said that one in Arabic first, so they might just have been talking about my stained shirt.
Our appetizer was pita and an assortment of dips - mostly humus - and salads. The waiter walked by with glasses of vodka and ice, I took a round with the ladies. I honestly thought that it was water, because seriously, who walks around with 25 glasses of vodka. If there is one thing I am learning, celebrating is a big deal here. Vodka is not exactly my favourite drink and it didn't go down great. Since there were no churches near by, that was my last drink of the night.
It must have been enough vodka though, because I soon found myself dancing and making a fool of myself like usual. Suddenly and without warning I also found myself in the middle of a circle of people being egged on. Fearing the effects of culture shock, I decided to stray away from my goto move The Butter Churn and instead just sort of wiggled around. I stopped before someone went and got my Epi-pen.
Still on the dancing note, I must say that the generational difference was massive. Most of the people over 40 danced worse than my parents - sorry, but it's true - while almost everyone under 30 was amazing. It was probably some of the best nonprofessional dancing I have ever scene. Even the guys seemed like they had their hips attached by hinges. They tried to teach me a few moves and lyrics, to which they just laughed at me but I did learn the secret. If you can't actually move your hips face enough, you grab the back of your pants and shake them. That's how they make those music videos!
The main course was served at 10:30pm, with three different cakes at 11. The whole evening was covered by the family. The baptised baby feel asleep in his mothers arms. She was dancing with him, her husband and their two daughters when I left.
I'm not sure if the baptism was done in Arabic or in Latin, either way I didn't understand much. I was surprised with how calm the child was with getting water poured on his head. The whole thing took just over an hour.
On my way home I stopped by the store across the street to buy a glass bottle of coke, some rice and "noodle balls." The local kids were laughing at me, but I'm not sure if it was because of the noodle balls.
At 8pm I was told that we were going to have dinner. I knew it was part of the baptism but I did not realised it would be such a celebration. When I got there it was pretty close to my idea of a wedding reception. Eventually about 80 people showed up. They also had a three piece band.
I sat with the aunts, who I also arrived with. Being an avid family gathering attender since 1989, I know that when you are sitting with the aunts it's best to go on the offensive, less they start asking questions about girlfriends and life direction. So I pulled out my most refined weapon, from years of practice as a Mennonite. I asked how everyone was related to each other. Well, they loved me after that. Even calling me a "polite boy," but they said that one in Arabic first, so they might just have been talking about my stained shirt.
Our appetizer was pita and an assortment of dips - mostly humus - and salads. The waiter walked by with glasses of vodka and ice, I took a round with the ladies. I honestly thought that it was water, because seriously, who walks around with 25 glasses of vodka. If there is one thing I am learning, celebrating is a big deal here. Vodka is not exactly my favourite drink and it didn't go down great. Since there were no churches near by, that was my last drink of the night.
It must have been enough vodka though, because I soon found myself dancing and making a fool of myself like usual. Suddenly and without warning I also found myself in the middle of a circle of people being egged on. Fearing the effects of culture shock, I decided to stray away from my goto move The Butter Churn and instead just sort of wiggled around. I stopped before someone went and got my Epi-pen.
Still on the dancing note, I must say that the generational difference was massive. Most of the people over 40 danced worse than my parents - sorry, but it's true - while almost everyone under 30 was amazing. It was probably some of the best nonprofessional dancing I have ever scene. Even the guys seemed like they had their hips attached by hinges. They tried to teach me a few moves and lyrics, to which they just laughed at me but I did learn the secret. If you can't actually move your hips face enough, you grab the back of your pants and shake them. That's how they make those music videos!
The main course was served at 10:30pm, with three different cakes at 11. The whole evening was covered by the family. The baptised baby feel asleep in his mothers arms. She was dancing with him, her husband and their two daughters when I left.
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