Wedding

Last night I had an amazing opportunity to attend a Palestinian wedding with the principal of my school and his wife. Marta receieved the call at 3 PM, and he told us they would pick us up at 8:15 that night. So it was something we weren't really expecting but were excited about nevertheless. When we got to the wedding, we realized that, compared to some women, we were serverely underdressed. I was wearing the dressiest thing I owned, which boiled down to a black skirt, a long-sleeved shirt, and semi-dressy shoes. Standing next to women in prom dresses and gowns made me feel a bit scrubby, but then I saw that there were some women in jeans. It surprised me to see this range of clothing at a wedding. Some of the dresses the women wore also surprised me, as there was more skin showing last night than we have seen this whole month! It makes sense though, as weddings are family events, so women can feel free to let loose a bit and not worry about unfamiliar men looking at them.
When we walked in, I felt a little nervous...here we were, two American girls, obviously not part of the family, walking into an important family event. This was their special day, so why would they make any attempt to make us feel welcome? Well, once again, Palestinian hospitality was thrown in our direction. Our principal introduced us to some members of his family, who talked to us and told us we were welcome. We danced to Palestinian music and, while I certainly couldn't keep up with everyone around me, I had a blast. After the dance, the meal was served, and then the bride and groom had their first slow dance. The lights dimmed, bubbles floated down from the ceiling, and a thin fog rose up around the dancing couple. It was like something from a movie. During this dance, Marta and I were each handed a candle and were told this was for single women. The first thought that came to my mind was, "Oh great. We are going to be the oldest girls surrounded by 5-year-olds" (because women here get married pretty young). Fortunately, this wasn't the case, and we got to participate in a cool tradition in which the bride comes out with 2 candles, and all the single women surround her in a circle.
Then, the men were all given fezes and wands and had their moment to shine. They danced around the groom, and then eventually put the groom on their shoulders and passed him through the crowd. The energy was incredible at this point. Everyone was clapping, laughing, and cheering. There certainly wasn't a dull moment in this wedding! At this point, Marta and I started talking to a young woman. We couldn't communicate very well because it was loud and neither of us spoke much of the other's language, but we danced with her and she invited us back to her table to meet her family. So we met her parents and brother and sat with her for a while. She welcomed us warmly to Palestine and seemed very happy to have met us. The feeling was mutual.
Unfortunately, the night of good food, laughter, dancing, and joy had to come to an end. We left around midnight, feeling ecstatic and reminiscing excitedly about the night's events. This wedding was definitely a highlight of my experience here thus far. Weddings are a good reminder that life and happiness exist despite suffering. Beauty and love are everywhere.

Ramadan festivities

Last night Marta and I ventured into Jerusalem to meet up with two other internationals for dinner. We walked to the checkpoint in Bethlehem, and it was an interesting experience. The line was pretty short; there were only about 10 people total. But, the soldiers were taking their time in letting people through. There was a Muslim woman in front of us who looked like she was about ready to pass out, probably because she had been fasting all day. Although people were knocking and letting the soldiers know they were there, the soldiers were in no rush to accommodate any of us. Finally, they unlocked the gate at their convenience and herded us to the metal detector. I felt guilty, because, while the Palestinians have to take of their belts and their shoes, we, as Americans, were basically passed right on through without question. I set off the metal detector because of my belt, but they did not even care. The privileges I have here as an American have made me very uncomfortable. I would prefer to be treated as the Palestinians are, but even the fact that I can say this denotes privilege. While we were in line, Marta and I struck up a conversation with 2 Palestinians. We started talking in Arabic, but when their question became more than we understood, the men talked to us in fluent English. They work for the UN in Palestine and we happy to hear that we are living in the West Bank. Since it was almost Iftar (time to break the fast), the buses were not running, so they helped us hail a cab and negotiated a fair price with the driver. Once again, the hospitality here overwhelmed us.
We met up with our friends and went out to an Ethiopian restaurant, which was incredible. Then we explored the Old City at night and walked through the market, which was packed with people. The market was decorated for Ramadan with strings of colorful lights hanging from the ceilings and strung throughout the area. Smells of falafels and sweets permeated the air, and everyone was so joyful and energized by their recent feast. At times, I felt overwhelmed, because there was no more than half a foot between me and the next person in all directions. Usually I could feel the breath of the person behind me on my neck. So you definitely have to be in the right mood to be in a crowd, but it was a really neat experience.

Ramadan

The other night I attended an informational session on Ramadan and Islam at a place called the Alternative Information Center in Beit Sahour. The session was led by an Imam, an Islamic leader, and he gave us some interesting information about this holy month. Ramadan, one of the 5 Pillars of Islam, is a month of fasting, and the month is determined by the lunar calender. One of the reasons why this month is so important is because the Quran revealed Muhammad during this month. During Ramadan, Muslims wake up and eat ar 4 AM before the sun rises, and then they abstain from having anything enter their mouth until the sun sets that evening. This means they cannot eat, drink, chew gum, smoke, etc. (a few Muslims we have talked to say that refraining from smoking and drinking coffee is the hardest part!) Through fasting, Muslims reach a level where angels are.
It was interesting to hear about the dual component of Ramadan: physical and spiritual. Muslims believe that the body becomes healthier through fasting. Additionally, the Imam said that if the stomach is full, the mind sleeps and the wisdom is lost. Therefore, since the stomach is not full, the body does not become too lazy for prayer. Ramadan is also spiritual, as Muslims believe that God will let people who fast and observe Ramadan enter heaven through a particular gate.
Another neat component on Ramadan is the consciousness of thought and behavior. During Ramadan, Muslims are supposed to be intentional about behaving truthfully, honestly, and with love for one another. This includes setting aside $3 for each family member to give as a donation to the poor. During Ramadan, Muslims are also supposed to make it a point to visit relatives, neighbors, and friends, so the community aspect is very important.
It has been fascinating to be here during Ramadan. While it restricts us from doing certain things, such as eating or drinking outside during the day, everything here is so full of life, especially after "breakfast" (when they break the fast). Next week is Eid (the end of Ramadan), so the schools are off from Tuesday-Friday. I think we will do a little traveling during this time, so I am excited about that!

Two Germans, two Americans, and 5 Palestinians go to the beach

Yesterday, Marta and I were invited to go to Tel Aviv with our principal, his family, and 2 German volunteers. It was such an honor, especially considering what a big deal this trip was to our principal and his family. Palestinians have to get special permission to pass through the wall and travel to Tel Aviv, and this permission is not easy to get. Our principal said it had been 10 years since he had been to the sea. Considering that Tel Aviv is only an hour from Bethlehem, this is especially sad. That would be the equivalent of me not being able to get to Northfield from my house. That really put things into perspective for me.
At first I felt really guilty coming along, because we had gone to the beach just two weeks before and I didn't feel right about that when they haven't been allowed to go in so long. But, as one of the other volunteers told us, our presence made it easier for them to pass through the Wall. Even though they had the permission ,that was no guarantee that the soliders would actually let them get through. But, because we had three blonde people in the front seat, we were not even stopped and were allowed to pass through without a problem.
The whole day was full of sun and playing in the waves with the children. It was so wonderful to see the excitement in their faces. The youngest is about 7, and for the first 15 minutes of the car ride, he had his face right up to the window and "ooooed" and "ahhhed" about everything we passed by. He was SO excited to see the scenery of someplace other than the West Bank. When we got to the beach, he was the first one in the water. Everyone had fun together...as our principal said, "It's not the location, it's the people you are with." It was funny, because the parking attendant was really confused by our diverse group of people. I am sure it would be curious to see a mix of Germans, Americans, and Palestinians all file out of a 9-passenger van.
The whole experience was very rewarding and humbling. I feel so lucky to have taken part in this.

"The most regrettable thing about Americans is..."

On Saturday, I was invited to the house of one of the kindergarten teachers I work with. She took me home with her and introduced me to her family, all of whom are wonderfully friendly and welcoming. Her daughter is 19, so we hung out the whole day. She told me a lot about life in Palestine and took me up to the roof of their house to show me where her 10-year-old cousin was shot in 2001 during the second intifada (a Palestinian resistance movement, part of the response to Israeli occupation). She was home alone at the time and heard gun shots and soldiers outside her home. She was worried the soldiers would come into her house, and then found out that her cousin had been shot right outside her home. When I asked her why they shot him, she said it was because he was there and they had guns...there seems to be that type of random violence towards the Palestinians even today. If the Israeli occupation is for "safety," why are they killing young children?
They took me to Shepherd's Field, and showed me around the church and the surrounding area. Then she took me to meet her family, many of whom live right nextdoor to them. When I met her grandfather, who speaks fabulous English and travels to the US to sell carvings from the Holy Land regularly, he said that the most regrettable thing about Americans is that they don't realize that there are Christians in Palestine. He says that many Americans think Palestine is a completely Muslim area and that there is no Christian community here. But the truth is that we have many brothers and sisters in Christ here in Palestine who need our prayers and our support.
Later on in the afternoon, the parents left, so the two of us chatted and hung out the rest of the evening. I really appreciated being able to talk with someone close to my age who has had to experience all that I have been learning about. She is a normal teenager, despite the things she has seen and been through.
At the end of the night, their family invited me to a Palestinian wedding next Tuesday. I am really excited about it, as they had been explaining the customs and celebrations to me. Apparently, weddings last for almost a week, and it seems to be a pretty constant celebration! It was so generous of them to invite me, and I am very excited to experience this part of their culture.

Please don't let it be the rainwater...

So two nights ago, our landlady came down to our apartment, took two of our empty water bottles, and told us that she would bring back some rainwater...so she came back after a few minutes with the bottles filled and wanted us to drink the rainwater to see if we liked the taste. There were a few things about this that we found perplexing. The first was that the rainy season is in the winter, which doesn't begin until around December. Second of all, their "rainy season" consists of about only four days of rain. So how was this water collected, and how old is it? Another point of concern is that we have to boil AND filter all our water that comes from the sink, both for drinking and for washing dishes. So my rommates and I put the "rainwater" on the counter, each of us making a mental note to separate it from the drinking water, but none of us actually did that. Yesterday, we noticed that the rainwater was gone from the counter, meaning it had been placed with our drinking water in the refrigerator...uh oh. So each time I pour myself a glass of water, I hope that it is not the rainwater! I am not sure how my stomach would handle that!
The issue of using rainwater for drinking leads into a much more serious issue...that of water shortage. I think I have mentioned this issue in a previous blog but wanted to add a little more to it. Our landlady told us that every time we want to use the washing machine, we need to go outside and turn on the hose to see if their is a water flow. If there is, that means we can use the machine. If there isn't, that means the water has run out. She said that she often has to wait to wash clothes, because their just isn't enough water. That got us thinking about our own water usage here. We have been very conscientious of limiting our toilet flushes and shower times, but we have been boiling and filtering the water from the sink to drink. One of my roommates brought up the good point that this is selfish on our part. We can afford to buy bottles of water, but haven't been doing so because we want to limit our usage of plastic, as recycling is basically nonexistent here. However, water shortage is much more of an issue to the people here than recycling. Water is a necessity, but it is also a luxury here. This is something I never thought about in the US. We always have a constant and abundant flow of water to use as we would like. Here water is scarce and is something that absolutely cannot be wasted.

Hospitality

This is kind of a random post, but the topic of hospitality has been something that has been very apparent to me during the time I have been here. I have a few specific examples that come to my mind...the first was a random taxi experience that me and 3 other girls from my program had. We were in the center of Bethlehem and needed a ride back to our hotel. So we found a cab and started speaking to our driver in Arabic, as best as we could.(In general, I have found that attempting to speak Arabic has really opened some doors. People are so receptive and grateful that we at least try to communicate with them in their native tongue). Anyways, our driver pulled out a pack of postcards with different tourist sites in Bethlehem and was asking if we had seen any of them. We couldn't understand what he said next, and he couldn't speak English, so he pulled out his phone and called a friend who speaks English. His friend translated for us, and we found out that our driver wanted to show us 2 of the tourist sites. Then our driver told us, "no money." He went out of his way to show us beautiful sites, both of which were at least 10 minutes from the city, and wanted nothing in return. I have been in situations before where some kind of monetary compesation was wanted, even if it wasn't explicitly asked for, but he genuinely just wanted to show us around his country. I felt so grateful and am still amazed by the kindness he showed to us. I see him almost every time we walk into Bethlehem, and it is neat to have a friendship with him, even if it is just saying hi to eachother as we pass.
Another instance of hospitality is just the number of people who have already extended invitations into their homes. 3 of the teachers I work with have already told me they want me to come to their home sometime in the near future. This kind of hospitality is so wonderful and unexpected, but I am so grateful for it.

Volleyball!

Last night we had our international volleyball night, a neat tradition in which volunteers and other internationals living in Jerusalem and the West Bank gather once a week at the Mount of Olives for volleyball and fellowship. I have met so many amazing people, each here for different reasons. It is so nice to be able to take a break from life here and let down my guard. I realize that I am privileged to do this, as people here aren't able to take a break from their lives. But for my own health and well-being, this time with friends is so crucial. It is such a diverse group of people...people of all ages; from the US, Sweden, France, and Jerusalem; students, volunteers, pastors, interns...we have it all! I am so grateful for this group of people and am so excited to develop these relationships.

First day of school!

I started at my placement today, which is at the Beit Sahour Lutheran School. Marta, another volunteer from my group, is also volunteering there, so we navigated our way together and made it with plenty of time to relax and chat with the other teachers before school started. I am volunteering in the kindergarten, but the kids I am working with are mostly 3-4-year-olds, so it is comparable to a preschool. I felt a little lost today, as the kids only speak Arabic, and my knowledge of the language is very minimal. Hopefully that will come with time, and I feel like the kids will be good teachers. They are learning the days of the week, so hopefully I will be able to pick up on some of that too :) Back to preschool for me! The kids had a fieldtrip to a nearby park, so we loaded the the bus and headed out. It was a little chaotic, as the kids were climbing over seats and standing in the aisles. I don't know enough Arabic to prevent them from doing that, so I had to just sit and pray that no one would get hurt. The park was fun, and I realized that although I cannot talk with children, a smile and a push of a swing go far beyond language barriers. That was comforting, as I was feeling a bit lost. The teacher I am working with is very helpful and sweet and has already invited me to her house for dinner sometime next week. That is just another example of hospitality here.
My day at Kindergarten ended at about 1 PM, and then I was able to sit in on an English composition class and help a student write a composition about the situation of youth here and what the youth of today can do to improve their future. It was nice to work one-on-one and actually be able to communicate, because those students had relatively advance English. At the end of the period, he asked the teacher if I would be back tomorrow, so that made me feel like I was helpful in someway.
After school, Marta and I navigated our way back to our apartment. We experienced some difficulty when the bus ended its route at a station unbeknownst to us, but luckily a very friendly girl on the bus offered to show us how to get home. We talked to her for a bit and found out that she lives in Jerusalem and that it takes her 2 hours to get from Jerusalem to her school in Beit Jala. She is studying fashion and the only fashion school is in Beit Jala, and since the checkpoints make her journey so long, she is forced to spend 4 hours of her day in transit. I can't even imagine how exhausting that would be.
Marta and I stopped to talk with one of the vendors I met yesterday in the market, and he was telling us about life here. He was very pessimistic, possibly one of the most unhopeful of the people we have met so far. It was so hard to listen to his frustrations, especially when he said that his life is worse than an animal's in the US, because he feels caged up. All I could do was listen and sympathize, and I guess that is all anyone is expecting us to do. As individuals we can't necessarily change what our government is doing/funding, but we can be supportive and offer open ears and an open heart. I am really excited about the friendships I have been forming and the relationships I will continue to form throughout this year.

The Wall

Life here

The first 3 weeks of our program have been orientation. During these 3 weeks we learned much about the culture, life, and conflict here in the West Bank. We met with various organizations, including UN OCHA (Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs), EAPPI (Ecumenical Accompaniment Program in Palestine and Israel), Miftah (an organization that focuses on women and children in Palestine), ICAHD (Israeli Committee against House Demolitions), and Machsom Watch (a group of Israeli women who stand at the checkpoints every day to make sure the soldiers are being humane). It has been overwhelming at times to process everything that we are seeing and hearing. To be honest, I had no clue what I would encounter here. I had little knowledge of the Palestinian situation, as the majority of the news media we get in the US focuses on Israel.
Since being here, I have seen firsthand (or as firsthand as I can get, since I am a foreigner) what the separation wall is doing to the people in Palestine. Our meeting with OCHA was very informative in this area, and we learned a lot of statistics and facts about Palestine. One of the things that struck me during this presentation was how difficult the Israeli government is making transportation and movement for the Palestinians. We were talking to a Palestinian man, and he said when he was in the US, he was amazed that he could drive for 5 hours without anyone stopping him, asking for ID, or wanting to know where he was headed and why. That is certainly not the case here. The Israeli government has set up 608 physical barriers, ranging from earthmounds and trenches to checkpoints within Palestine itself. This is not even including the checkpoints and wall that separate Israel from Palestine. The barriers mean that getting to work and school is much more difficult, and family life is more difficult, as some of the barriers have made it impossible for families to live together.

First Post!

I have been debating these past few weeks whether I wanted to create a blog, but I have decided that blogging my experiences will be good both for me and hopefully for you all to read and know what is going on in my day-to-day life. I am fortunate enough to have email access at my apartment, and I would love to hear from all of you! I am not sure how much information to include about these past 3 weeks I have been here, because they have been formative for sure, but I do not want to overwhelm you with details. So I think I will fill things in little by little. As a little background information, there are 6 of us living in Jerusalem and the West Bank, and three of us live in Bethlehem. Some members of our group started their volunteer placements today, and I will start mine tomorrow! There was a little confusion about my placement...originally they had me placed at Dar Anaddwa, which is a cultural center in Bethlehem, but I found out today that they need a volunteer who is fluent in Arabic. Needless to say, that eliminated me! So the plan now is that I will be volunteering in the Lutheran School of Beit Sahour as a kindergarten assisstant. I am excited for this, as I enjoy working with kids (and hopefully my arabic will improve!) I was a little disappointed about my original placement not working out, but I am here to serve in whatever way the community needs and I am looking forward to this opportunity