travels and wit

Competition electrified thousands of fans including President Mahmoud Abbas and stoked feelings of national pride.

In the Arab world's version of American Idol, a young singer from the isolated Gaza Strip is hitting high notes of Palestinian hope. Supporters say a victory by Mohammad Assaf, a finalist in the competition, would be a victory for art, long neglected in Gaza.

Okay, heads up because I have a feeling this is going to be one colossal post-- I've been lagging in the updates.

Last week we also went to Jericho, and while I'm sure on a good day that place has its own charm, honestly it wasn't my favorite. 

First of all, I didn't think it could get any hotter than Bethlehem, but alas, I was mistaken. Pardon the French, but merde. How is anyone functional in heat like that? Clearly not me, because I was in a right state all day. Nevertheless, we did manage to visit some very interesting organizations, as usual.

The city's municipality welcomed us first with some blessed AC and tea with too much sugar. Jericho is right by the Dead Sea, so it's actually one of the lowest cities in the world (That explained my ears popping as we descended into the valley at warp speed-- people drive like maniacs here, and the taxis are the worst).

Like most other Palestinian communities, Jericho has difficulties with the Israeli settlements. The settlements use most of the resources of the area, like water and agriculture, and unfortunately end up being one of the only sources of employment for Palestinians. Tourism is also a struggle because of lack of funds and organization. The Dead Sea is under Israeli control, so there's no option for economic benefit there.

Next we visited the Joint Council for Services Planning and Development, which focuses on solid waste management in Jericho and the Jordan Valley. Boy, do they need it. Disposal of waste is definitely an imminent problem here. In Jericho alone the amount of trash and waste was mildly nauseating-- we had a splendid view of a decomposing cat off the sidewalk, which didn't exactly make the sugary tea sit better in my stomach. 

This organization seemed like it had real potential, though. Basically it was focusing on creating landfill sites in the West Bank and Gaza, as well as beginning recycling initiatives. I would say their two biggest problems are financing the waste management and educating the public on its importance. People here feel they have more important things to worry about than recycling and disposing of trash properly-- and you can tell. There are very few roads in Palestine that aren't lined with some kind of garbage. 

We also saw the YMCA/Vocational Training Center, which provides vocational education for men and women. They try to target marginalized youths and manage to employ 85% of their graduates, which is pretty impressive in Palestine.

The afternoon consisted of making the trek up the Mount of Temptation, which was quite cool-- the church was literally built into the rocky mountain. All I could think of was Indiana Jones through the heat daze I was in. The view was spectacular:

The heat, as you can see, is physically visible. This is a cool shot from inside the church:

The very next day we navigated the bus system to meet up with the Lod/Beer Sheva group at the Dead Sea. What an interesting place that was! Because it's the lowest place on earth, stuff is all funky: a hypersaline lake, high oxygen levels, and reduced ultraviolet radiation (you know I'm a big fan of that last one).

Also, the density of the sea means that swimming is more like floating, which had to be one of the strangest sensations I'd ever experienced. I guess I can equate it to being in a low-gravity environment; you don't have a lot of control over your limbs. 

It was also not a beach. I still have burns on the bottoms of my feet from the rocky ground! I'm thinking that was the closest I'm going to get to walking on the surface of the sun, and man, did it hurt. Still, the desert has its own kind of beauty:

A shot of the Dead Sea itself:

Surprisingly, I did not get sunburned. I've managed to be very religious in my daily application, so I'm still fairly pasty white. Ah well, why deny my natural state of being, right?

Sunday was the usual seminar series, and this time we visited Awrad, a research center. They conduct polls and surveys pertaining to current issues and development, and aim to create dialogue in the community. An example of a recent poll in 2012 was public opinion/perception of the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank and Hamas in the Gaza Strip. This allowed Awrad to publish how Palestinians review their human rights (it was a mixed response in both Gaza and the W.B.). 

This past Thursday was our last travel day, and we toured around the Nablus area to learn about the rights-based center based there, which is McGill's affiliate. Unfortunately we couldn't enter Nablus proper, courtesy of a travel advisory and McGill's propensity for ridiculousness, which was a real shame. Originally that was where some of us were supposed to work, because the Palestinian affiliate of ICAN has a storefront there.

We got to visit Jama'in, which is right next to a huge Israeli settlement, Ariel. The women's center in Aqraba gave us a great lunch of-- guess-- hummus, pita, and falafel. The center was actually really interesting, and they collaborate with the Community Service Center in housing projects. In rural communities like Aqraba, so many people don't even have running water, so the centers work to fix up houses.

Our last stop that day was at a woman's house who had gotten help from the women's center. Her story was powerful. As a girl she was raised by an abusive stepmother and got married at 18 to a man who was even worse. Refusing to work, he was physically abusive to her and her children; permanently disabling a son and psychologically scarring another. I couldn't understand what she was saying, but she starting crying several times.

I don't know where her husband is now. He probably buggered off and snared another poor woman to feed him. Apparently the case of a man demanding that a wife make all the money and support him is happening more often. It's not a case of the husband staying home to take care of the children-- she still has to do that. 

What was even more humbling was that this woman, who clearly has nothing, gave us all sweet bread and drinks while she told her story. One of her sons is graduating from university with a civil engineering degree, and those that we met were thoughtful and sweet. I just... can't imagine what it took to get to the point they're at how, and how hard it must still be. 

Because in conservative communities like hers, the neighbors aren't supportive. Even now the town isn't on her side. Men literally control everything: the Aqraba women's center was allowed to move forward because its proposed purpose was to train women to economically contribute. So they'll hold an embroidery session, for example, because embroidery is a traditional activity of the women and can make some money for the family. But, while they're there, the center will also educate women on their rights. If their fathers and husbands knew about that, they wouldn't let them go.

So that's what women here have to deal with. Every. Day.

Can you imagine it?

http://arabiczeal.com/nutfilled-maamoul-homemade-eid/

At first I thought time was passing by slowly here, but suddenly there's only a week left before we pack up and say goodbye to Ramallah and Palestine. It's bittersweet-- we all want to see more of Israel, but Palestine as been a great experience, and the eight of us will be splitting into groups of four.

I'll be honest: while I'm sad, I'm a little relieved to go-- words cannot express how excited I am to not be stared at every time I leave my apartment. To not be leered at, whistled at, not feel uncomfortable showing my knees. It's a bed stereotype, I know, to say all men here are like that (they're not), but it's definitely prevalent. Frankly, no wonder women like to keep covered up. When you're not, you can feel the eyes following you and hear them talking about you.

I confess I kind of thought it was funny at first (oh haha they haven't seen many blonde women blah blah blah har har har), but it got old real fast, I assure you. And I'm all for pushing boundaries, you know? I think women here need to change the way they are perceived in public-- who the hell wants to go out for a walk and be STARED at? Who wants that?

But it should be Arabic women who make the changes. I can brazenly go walk around in shorts or a tank top or skirt that shows of my calves but it's not going to help the women. All it does is reinforce any misguided impressions that 'Western' women give. We (as Americans, as Westerners, as visitors) constantly have this belief that we can "show" other (read: foreign/Muslim) women what it's like to dress how you want, say what you think, walk alone, be independent, etc. But that's not empowerment, that's just telling others to be like you. 

(I can get into whole discussion about our own touchy issues, what with the rape atrocities that are springing up everywhere back home, but we'll save that for another day)

This society needs to figure out its own path for change; to assume that it can just emulate America or Canada or Europe and be fine and dandy is just laughable and ignorant. It's a wonderful culture, and Palestinian (and all Arab) women should be proud to be a part of it, but they also deserve to be active and respected participants in public issues. And many are, mind you-- all of the women I work with for example. 

But gawdalmighty, I have to say it: smash the effing patriarchy. Normally that kind of phrase rubs me the wrong way (a wee bit theatrical for my taste), but it adds some drama to the end of my rant. In conclusion anyway, the gender issue will always be something that both sides need to be part of for a lasting solution. Women must be proactive and tenacious for their rights, and the outlook of men must be changed for the better. However that resolution evolves here, I have high hopes for the women in Palestine. I have high hopes for everyone in Palestine, actually.

A shining example of Palestine's finest is Ahmad Kayed, the man who showed Yasmin, Nadia, Emily, and me Sebastia. WATC sent us there for a field visit, and it was one of my favorite trips since I've been here.

Sebastia is near Nablus, and has a rich history. It was named for Augustus Caesar (Sebaste) and has these beautiful ruins from both Greek, Roman, Christian, and Ottoman times. It's Biblical claim to fame is that John the Baptist was reportedly imprisoned and then beheaded there. 

Also, we got to ride a camel. Enough said. 

Some highlights:

Amongst the ruins: the domed building sits above the dungeon-prison that John the Baptist was held in. Here there was also a mosque that was originally a church.

Ahmad showing us the oranges that grow from this tree, right in the courtyard of the ruins.

Not kidding about the camel (my life is complete)...

Ahmad in front of both an Israeli settlement and the beautiful landscape of the Nablus region. We climbed to the highest point in Sebastia to see the view, and it was incredible. Everything for the Palestinians is always tainted by the occupation, however. A few months earlier, Ahmad told us how he helped to organize a demonstration against the settlements: apparently they had directed the sewage line to run into Sebastia. He and the community were able to stop it. But there's still so much bitterness-- Palestinian olive trees (and fig and lemon) are regularly burned or taken by the Israeli forces. Sometimes when I see smoke on the horizon I don't know if it's another trash fire (probably) or trees burning.

At the end of the day Ahmad took us to his house and we got to eat REAL FOOD! I haven't had a genuine home-cooked meal since I've been here and his wife was a pro. The main dish was mujaddara, which is a simple but DELICIOUS Palestinian classic. It consists of rice and lentils in cumin with fried onions on top, served with Arabic salad and yogurt. 

So. Good. I don't think I can properly describe how wonderful it was. I will definitely be attempting it myself when I go home. 

Dessert was something fascinating, and I don't know the name. We were served a kind of gelatin dish topped with coconut, and I thought it was some kind of custard-baklava concoction. But no-- it was definitely more gelatinous and had little taste-- there was no sugar whatsoever. Instead, we poured a sugar syrup on top of our servings, which gave it a simple, sweet taste. I've never eaten dessert like that before, but it was very cool!

Ahmad then gifted us each with two large lemons from his garden. This was, for me, the cherry on top of Ahmad and his family's genuine hospitality. We were all really honored and wished we could have stayed longer. And that is the true Palestinian culture: welcoming and helpful. Anyone on the street will help you if you're lost-- even if there's a language barrier. The sense of community you find here is something I don't often experience in America.

This is the problem with not updating this blog more often-- I still haven't even talked about our trip to Jericho and the Dead Sea! I'll give my fingers a rest though, and review tomorrow. 

Before I get into more meaty matters, here's my advice to anyone coming to Ramallah in the future: BRING BUG REPELLENT, or at least some calamine lotion or cortisone cream for relief. I'm from the forest, okay, I'm used to bug bites and other calamities, but the amount of mosquito bites I'm sporting right now is tipping the ridiculous scale. I've never had so many on my face at one time before, which is a nice addition to the sweat-induced breakouts I'm experiencing. 

(Me in this heat?? I'm practically half-albino)

Yesterday was massively hot, about 35 C/95 F, and probably my limit. One thing that is different is that it's not that humid here-- more like desert heat. So the shade and cooler evenings are very pleasant. In any case though, thank god for sunscreen for pale people like yours truly.

Aside from physical discomfort, things are continuing smoothly. We went to Bethlehem on Thursday, and met some more students of Tareq's. I felt really bad because I was grumpy and aloof due to the heat (I'm not even kidding, I think my bloodshot eyes were freaking everybody out), so I wasn't up for conversation in English let alone Arabic, but they were a cool group of young men and women. Very keen to practice English and learn other languages.

Our first stop in Bethlehem was Wi'am, the Palestinian Conflict Resolution Center. Their main goal is to promote the principles of civil society and non-violence. Basically they want Palestinians to have solidarity and to be educated on the conflict-- to instill hope in a very tired and pessimistic population. On the roof of the center we had a view of a refugee camp, the wall, and an Israeli settlement on the hill next to it: 

The buildings in the foreground are part of the refugee camp-- it's been there for so long-- and the grey stone wall is the dividing barrier between the camp and settlement, which is visible on the hill. The wall was COVERED with paintings, words, and stories. Most of it was actually quite beautiful-- and sad. My personal favorite was, "Make hummus not walls." 

Some actual Banksy:

This was another well-done piece outside Rachel's Tomb:

The wall is huge-- if you were imagining a fence or something, think again. And Palestinians loathe it-- for them it really is the physical embodiment of the occupation.

We also visited the Holy Land Trust, which is another organization that seeks to promote peacemaking and to amplify the voices of peace advocates. An interesting project they are working on is the Bet Lahem Live Festival. Apparently after the second intifada in 2000, Star Street (which was the main street in Bethlehem) was economically devastated-- 80 out of the 98 shops there were closed. The festival will include live musical, dance, and theatrical performances and activities to revive the cultural spirit. I don't think my group will be in Palestine when it happens (June 13-16), but hopefully the next rotation can check it out.

After that it was a much-needed falafel stop, then the Nativity Church. I actually liked this church better than the Holy Sepulchre because it wasn't as crowded. There were still multiple tourist parties wearing colorful caps and backpacks, but still more room to breathe.

To be honest I haven't felt the need to be into any religion for a long time, but even I felt a strange sense of the holiness there. The nativity story was always my favorite (everyone who knows me eventually finds out that I love Christmas-- a lot), so it was cool to see Bethlehem. 

Then we took a sweaty ride back to Ramallah and I passed out in my bed, which was, I assure you, truly spectacular. 

Yesterday we visited One Voice, an NGO working for a two-state solution based on the 1967 borders. They were a little less fluffy and idealistic in terms of "establishing peace" and "working together with Israel". Their basic belief was that a two-state solution and an official and unified Palestinian state was the most important goal for the conflict. One thing I remember the executive director saying is, "Peace is a result, not a goal." Which is actually pretty logical when you think about it-- not to detract from the many social problems I think Palestine needs to work on, especially in terms of women.

So everyone stares at us, right? Part of that is because we stick out-- we're clearly international. But the majority of us are women, and we tend to get more attention because of that. But this isn't a special case. Men stare at ALL women. They honk, and sometimes (but not often as far as I can tell) say inappropriate things-- although there are many phrases in Arabic I don't know, so who knows. In any case, the patriarchal state of this society is sad. I'm not saying this as a privileged, Western female, I'm saying it as a feminist and human being.

After a certain time of night I barely see any women out on the street in public. Where are they? Are they not expected to go out and have fun? There's so much more to learn, obviously, but it's not secret that men kind of rule the roost around here. I'm really hoping to be exposed to more through my NGO, WATC. Four weeks (we only have three left) isn't enough to wrap my head around everything I want to, but I'll give it my best shot.

I'm also a little embarrassed of my initial descriptions of Ramallah. Yes, it's a cool place with a vibrant population and culture. However, every person on the street will tell you that it's an illusion. The majority of Palestinians are not living this kind of life. The West Bank is divided in areas based on Israeli influence/authority. Ramallah is in Area A, which means that it is under complete Palestinian jurisdiction. Area B has Israeli military presence, but is supposed to have Palestinian overall authority. Area C is basically completely under Israeli military control.

This is a map (June 2011, so I don't think much has changed since then) showing the areas and every other complicated division in this ruddy place-- just looking at it makes my head hurt.

Lots of information, I know. I think we're all feeling slightly overwhelmed; I know I am. I'm really interested to find out what the Israeli perspective is. Here everyone lives and breathes the occupation-- it is impossible to have a conversation with a Palestinian without the subject being brought up (not necessarily complaining-- this is literally the reality of the situation). The brief time I was in Israel didn't yield the same feeling. Of course, it's hovering over everyone's heads and on the fringes of tempers. But I'm sure many Israelis have never even seen the wall in Bethlehem; they might even think it's just a little fence. Which it's not, at all.

I don't know if all that seemed anti-Israel or pro-Palestinian or whatever, but I hope not. If there's one thing I'm certain, it's that I'm not here to take sides.

Sigh! 

To end on a happy note, CHAMPION'S LEAGUE FINAL tonight! I wish I could watch it with my dad, but alas, I am here and he is at my sister's college graduation. On that note, congratulations Hannah! She is graduating from Bowdoin College with a high honors thesis, an ultimate frisbee national champ, and even has a job lined up in Portland at the Beacon Group. 

Yeah... please keep your expectations more realistic for me this time next year Mom and Dad!

US Secretary of State John Kerry’s unscheduled detour in the West Bank to buy a shawarma sandwich has given rise to speculation about his motives.

Yesterday we had our first seminar series, which this time consisted of Jim Torczyner giving us an overview of the basics of social work. As always, he was smoking his cigar, plus we ate lots of baklava because it was his 68th birthday (I'm predicting right now that baklava will be my final undoing-- I cannot stop eating it).

Anyway, his opening line was that during this trip we should strive to become ambassadors, not just when we go home but in Israel as well. Because there is no contact between the two. It's hard to describe.

I read a book this spring called The City & The City by China Miéville, which was basically about two cities that literally existed in the same physical space. In order to coexist, citizens in one city "unsee" the people in the other, even while walking on the same streets. Obviously this situation is different, but I was reminded of the book because it's startling how different the points of view are in Israel versus Palestine. I'll gather my thoughts and expound on that later.

The program I'm here with is technically social work-- even though only one of the students is actually studying social work (kudos to Alejandra). So we read an article of Jim's and he talked to us about rights-based practice in social work.

Firstly, social work is different than psychology because it deals with personal/individual issues in the framework of societal/communal problems. Many issues that are psychological can be inherently structural, so in order to solve personal dilemmas, we have to try and change the system that propagates the problems. That's why it's so hard, especially because things start getting really complicated once institutions and governments get involved. 

Jim stressed that the process is just as important as the solution-- aka locals need to become empowered and take an active part in changing their communities. In this way, the solution and changes that take place are long-term. People need to be connected in order for community organizing to work.

So rights-based practice is based on three principles: universality, reciprocity, and inclusion. Reciprocity is particularly important because for communities to have ties that bind, there must be trust. This is necessary on the interpersonal level, but also between people and institutions. We have the right to influence the institutions that help us, and vice versa. 

I won't regurgitate everything he said, but it was really helpful in understanding the organization's principles, even if I'm not in social work.  I also didn't realize just how much Jim achieved through Project Genesis in Montreal. When he moved to the city (sometime in the '70's I think), he started the organization in Côte-des-Neiges, which at that time was an extremely diverse and extremely fragmented and struggling neighborhood. And, long story short, had wild success with the rights-based approach. He brought community organizing to the Middle East in the '90's.

Yeah, there's a lot more about that I could ramble on about, but I think it could turn into one long-ass blog post. 

Work so far!

Not much to say at the moment. Yasmin and I went to office with Tareq around 11 this morning and stayed until 3:30. Mostly we read documents the whole time to get ourselves acquainted with the organization, the Women's Affairs Technical Committee. It's an NGO that's been around about twenty years, and I think we'll find it really interesting once we get involved with projects. 

One example I read about is the "Women's Popular Council", which is designed to mimic the Palestinian Legislative Council. It basically enables women to become more politically active and to encourage them to vote for other women. Palestine is a patriarchal society, and women are not active in the public sphere. The WATC is working to change that, and to inspire confidence in women themselves. 

I'll definitely have more to say on that, and hopefully Yasmin and I will be able to help them in any way we can.

In other news, we've been trying to see as many places in Ramallah as we can. Last night we went for drinks at Sangria's, an nice outdoor place. Obviously we tried their sangria, and... okay, I was under the impression that sangria was the same everywhere. WRONG! I think they literally took wine and mixed with half a bottle of their strongest brandy-- and nothing else. Clearly we couldn't handle it and had to order orange juice to dilute it. After that it was quite delicious. 

Just remember: sangria in the Middle East is not for the fainthearted! 

This evening after work we went to the Jasmine Cafe and met some of Tareq's students from Al-Quds University (al-Quds is Arabic for Jerusalem), who spoke waaaaaaaaay way way better English than I do Arabic. Here's a candid of Yasmin, Emily, and Nadia: 

The highlight of my night though was finding some Earl Grey tea at a supermarket. Up til then I'd only been living on Lipton shite and I'm not even kidding, I almost cried of happiness. Now I have 100 tea bags to demolish before all this is over... May have gone a wee bit overboard, but it's tea. I'm addicted. 

I'll close with the update that the apartment still doesn't have hot water, and I think we're all slowly dying because of it... Also, I believe Palestine is home to the world's only invisible mosquitoes. I'm covered in bites and I never see it happen! It's like dark magic!

English majors get a bad rap. However, many English majors go on to become highly successful people in business, government and technology.

Protests held across occupied territories to mark the "catastrophe" of the creation of Israel in 1948.

We were in Jerusalem during this, and it happened to fall on the same day as a Jewish holy day. There were thousands of Jews going into the Old City to pray, and RIGHT by Damascus Gate there was a protest/riot for Nakba. 

Okay, so finding decent internet is becoming an issue, and every attempt I've made to upload some photos here has failed. Facebook album it is then! However, I'm actually going to try and make a conscious effort to post entries on here because it's been a week and everything is so different. 

We spent about four days in Jerusalem, and while I'm hoping to go back because I didn't see nearly as much as I wanted, I was still extremely stoked to go to my placement, which is Ramallah, Palestine for the the first four-week rotation. 

Here are the big landmarks (how did I not see more?):

                                               The Western (Wailing) Wall

                                                         Dome of the Rock

          Light shining on Christ's tomb in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre

Again, a great introduction to where we'll be living for the next two months. Now:

RAMALLAH.

This city! I guess Montreal just gave me a bad experience because I've never felt connected to an urban center before. But it's just... really cool. Ramallah is probably the central hub or even capital-like city of Palestine, (although I don't know what the people living here think about that). It prides itself on being modern and progressive.

That's actually becoming a tension for Palestinians-- those who live in rural places feel that people in Ramallah have "sold out" for dressing in Western clothes and the like. But, if Palestine ever does become its own country (after some far-off solution of the conflict), it's going to need an economy, right? So it's something of a conundrum for the people, who all share the same sense of patriotism and love for the land. 

It's weird coming from Israel to Palestine. I did know that this area was small, but just how small is something I'm getting used to. I can walk through the main street in Palestine, Irsal (or Ersal? damn transliteration), and the mass of lights that spread out on the horizon is Tel Aviv and the Mediterranean Sea, with Jerusalem in between. That's how close together those cities are. If there weren't checkpoints, you could go to the beach in Tel Aviv from Ramallah in an hour-long car drive, and Jerusalem is literally right next to us. 

But they are two different worlds. For all of Ramallah's modernity, Palestine is still considered a third-world country, whereas Israel is very developed. Plus, the geography only highlights the difference, because the land by the sea is very lush and green, and the further east you drive it gets more desert-like. So Ramallah is more dry. 

We have a sweet apartment. Sweet by anyone's standards, waaaaay nicer than my apartment in Montreal. All eight of us are living together and it's quite fun. My room has a large balcony and I can't get over how lucky I am. This is my view:

Very hilly. I tried going for a run this morning and it was a fun time, especially considering how effing out of shape I am. 

Anyways directly to the left the city just springs up:

As you can see so many buildings are going up. Our apartment is brand new. The city center, Manara, is way in the distance.

Obviously everyone stares at us. Palestine doesn't get nearly the amount of tourists Israel does, so we kind of stick out. I don't really mind it though, it's expected. Honestly it's sort of flattering in that weird way because they like blond hair hahahaha, so I'm somewhat exotic. You have no idea how odd that idea is to me...

Tomorrow we start our seminar series with Jim, who is a social work professor at McGill. He smokes a lot of cigars, tells stories, and talks slowly. Everyone says he's like a grandfather figure, but I see him as more of that badass uncle you have that gives you beer at family functions.

Then on Monday I'll start at a women's advocacy center on Irsal Street. It's close to the apartment so we can walk. It's me and Yasmin (who also goes to McGill and is tres cool) working there.

There are seventeen interns here for ICAN (see http://www.mcgill.ca/ican/). most go to McGill, but there are few from other universities. 

I've been in Jerusalem three days (!) and it simultaneously feels like forever and no time at all. Today I think we'll get our field placements for the first four-week rotation, which will be really exciting. We'll either be in Ramallah, Palestine or Lod and/or Beer Sheva, Israel. 

So far what has struck me is that I didn't realize how small this area is. We flew into Tel Aviv and then drove straight to Jerusalem, which couldn't have taken more than 45 minutes. We're at the Imperial Hotel in the Old City, which is AWESOME.

This is the view:

Under jurisdiction of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate, of course.