#area a

Aturan Aerodinamika untuk MotoGP 2020 Direvisi.

Assalamu’alaikum wa rochmatullohi wa barokatuh Semoga Allah senantiasa menyelamatkan kita semua di manapun kita berada.

Peraturan aerodinamika MotoGP 2020 terus mengalami perkembangan dan perubahan. Hal ini dilakukan untuk mengakomodir protes-protes yang dilayangkan pabrikan yang sedang berloba di lintasan untuk kasus perangkat swingarm Ducati setelah balapan Qatar tahun lalu. Dan revisi…

  Outside Qalandia Checkpoint, August 24, 2013

Last night, I was an accomplice to someone breaking the law. After an afternoon hanging out in Jerusalem with my friend Nadya, her friend Sara (a pseudonym) and their friends, we spent a little over an hour at the Dead Sea and then drove to Ramallah, where we were staying for the night, to have dinner with some of her friends.

Our driving was smooth from the Dead Sea, through the checkpoint outside of Jerusalem, around the city and most of the way to Ramallah. Then we hit bumper to bumper traffic. We were at Qalandia checkpoint, which separates Jerusalem and Ramallah. Everyone was honking, some drivers recklessly cut across lanes, not many people were happy.

As we made our way through a traffic circle, we noticed a very familiar red sign, with messages in Hebrew, Arabic and English:

“This Road leads to Area ‘A’ Under Palestinian Authority

The Entrance for Israeli Citizens is Forbidden.

Dangerous to Your Lives

And Is Against the Israeli Law.”

This sign appears at all transition points between Israeli controlled land and land under control of the Palestinian Authority.

“Sara’s breaking the law!” I said to Nadya, worried what would happen if we got stopped and checked.

Sara is Palestinian but was born and lives within the state of Israel and the tangled freedom of movement boggled my mind.

“I can’t believe that a Palestinian woman can’t visit her family in Palestine because she’s an Israeli citizen!”

Nadya said she wasn't sure whether the law applied since Sara was an Israeli citizen but not an Israeli national. (The law did apply, but border patrol is more lenient on Palestinian Israelis because of their cultural ties to the West Bank.)

But for the moment, my mind was boggled even more. I’d forgotten that Israel distinguishes between citizenship and nationality for people who are born within the boundaries of the state, which is supposed to be both a Jewish state and a democratic state. A Jewish person born in Israel is both a citizen and a national of the (Jewish) state of Israel; a non-Jew born in Israel only gets Israeli citizenship without being considered a national of the ("democratic") state of Israel. The state of Israel affords the Jewish national an additional 30 legal rights and privileges over any other non-Jew born in Israel.

And all of this is different from a Palestinian who is born in Jerusalem. She would not have Israeli citizenship, but a provisional “permanent resident” status as an East Jerusalemite, which can be taken away if she does not continually reside in Jerusalem.

Sara's ID used to say her ethnicity was Arab*. Now that’s been replaced with a series of asterisks. Don’t be fooled, though, Israeli officials can decipher what her ethnicity is based on the number of asterisks on her ID.

Sara would likely not get in trouble if she was checked while leaving Ramallah because she is not Jewish. This is different from Sara’s friend "Anna", whom we met earlier in the day. Anna’s grandparents are Iraqi Jewish, Moroccan Jewish, Tunisian Jewish and Kurdish Jewish (so effectively Arab Jewish). Anna was born within the state of Israel.

Even though Anna is culturally and ethnically Arab, the state of Israel ignores this, defining her as an Israeli citizen and Jewish national. And even though Sara and Anna were both born in the same state, and are both culturally and ethnically Arab, one gets more legal rights than the other.

In some ways it is unclear exactly what this sign means - does the Palestinian Authority forbid Israeli citizens to enter Area A? Or is that based on the last line, which says doing so “is against the Israeli law”? What is clear is that Israeli citizens entering Palestinian areas is first and foremost “dangerous” to the lives of Israeli (citizens) and secondarily against Israeli law.

I don’t think it’s accidental that fear is placed before the law on this sign. And it’s definitely not accidental that Israel erases Anna’s Arab identity. For to acknowledge that there is more common ground than difference between people living in this contested land would complicate the strict racial, ethnic and religious codes that uphold apartheid within Israel, the occupation and siege of Palestine.

How a state can be both "democratic" and privilege one of its community groups over another is beyond me. Actually--it's not. You cannot treat everyone equally while treating one group differently than another. This is a cognitive dissonance that needs to be worked out. Either the state is a Jewish state that treats one group better than others based on religion/ethnicity (one definition of apartheid) or it is a democratic state that does not privilege any group over others. As the laws stand, it currently cannot be both. 

For more reading:

http://www.acri.org.il/en/2008/02/20/denial-of-citizenship/

http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/court-rules-judaism-not-place-of-birth-is-grounds-for-israeli-citizenship-1.430676

http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/israel-stripped-thousands-of-jerusalem-arabs-of-residency-in-2008-1.3006

This will act like a journal or something. To remind me of the most unforgettable experience ever. So I really don't care if someone will read it or what. I just want to post this in my so called blog :))

  It was the most stressful week ever. We had to go to the UAP Ilocos Chapter's HQ every night to help them prepare with this event. Of course we helped. Wala naman silang pagkukunan ng back up kundi sa UAPSA. Kaya no choice, we volunteered.

  The UAP Area Assembly is an assembly of Architects of the Philippines, obviously, started at Area D (around Mindanao maybe), then Area C (Visayas maybe), then Area  B (middle part of Luzon maybe) and then here at North, Area A. The Assembly lasted for a month daw. One week every Area. Grabe ang yaman ng mga architects. Hahaha. So, here are some pics from the event.

Day 1. Convention. Sa registration kami nadesignate. (wala ako sa picture huhu)

Dinner in front of the famous Paoay Church.

Then cocktails were served at the Old Convent RUINS. Located at the side part of the Paoay Church. Architects were like freakin out with chills. HAHAHA

Day 2. Breakfast in front of the Malacanan of the North. Bongga!

Architects had the chance to have a tour around Ilocos Norte for the day and us, well, we helped preparing again for the Fellowship Night. It was themed Arabian Nights. 

The venue was just facing the also famous Paoay Lake where we floated 200 candles at once. And bonfires were also burned around the venue. 

Dahil Arabian Night ang theme, may Belly Dancers!!

And fire dancers!!!

Not to forget. Sky lanterns!!! 400 pieces of them!!! 

Architects were shy at first to have party at the dance floor. That's why the OrCom dragged us UAPSA ppl to lead the party dancing. I dont know how to dance but that night I did all that I can to fcking dance. HAHA. It was awessssoooommmmeeee!

Us registration peeps had to stay at the Convention center for 3 days. And our roommates were UAP Secretariats who became close to us for IDK reason. Haha. Last picture together.

I feel incredibly fortunate to have met and climbed with some of the most elite climbers in Colorado since I have moved here, Although they are all amazing and I am always psyched to get out with everyone, But the two most inspiring people I am blessed to climb with are Megan Mascarenas and Her mom Staci. I am so inspired by 14 yr old Megan not only is she crushing in the comp circuit but she has been CRUSHING outside for the past year! I met Megan at Mt Evans Area A last year and in two weekends she sent her first V11 Mirrormask which I was there for! Staci Megans mom is also an amazing woman not only does she crush and have 4 amazing children and 3 Grand children (all climbers) But I am inspired by Her and Bills Dedication to Megans climbing, every time we go out either for the day or for the weekend Staci Is there with us Climbing and carrying a pad and Bill is right there with his backpack carrying food, water and always there taking Video and Pictures of Megan. This past weekend Staci, Bill and Megan came out Camping and climbing with us at Mt Evans Area A first time back for them this season We showed up Friday afternoon set up camp and ate some food, next thing we know Gregory and Chris are talking about night climbing and with Megans Psych so High there is no hesitation with Staci and Bill over going out and Venturing into the dark to get in a good-temps session. the 6 of us and two dogs head out from our campsite into the boulder field starting the night out at the Ladder a classic warm up area in the beginning of Area A after doing a few laps and variations we head straight up to the Dali wall, Here Megan did an amazing ascent of the Dali stand using a two finger 1/3 pad hold to get to the sloper rail and then an adventurous down climb in the dark! Gregory soon after sending the Dali Sit V9, after I blew out of that same pocket getting a gnarly blood blister on my middle digit we moved down to Seurat an amazingly  aesthetic climb with lay-backs up a fine finger crack After only giving it a few goes Megan got a Midnight Ascent of Seurat!!!! an amazing night of climbing and camping in the morning we spent most of our time at bierstadt and Public execution both V10's no sends yet but they are going to be there climbing tonight and tomorrow morning so Good Luck Megan  I truly don't know anyone with as much dedication and free spirit as the Mascaranes family and for that I have to thank them for being a part of our lives and hope to spent many more years climbing and partying with these amazing people and all of my other friends!!!!!!! Thanks to you all for keeping up motivation!!!!

Some Photos of us warming up on the Ladder beginning of the night!!

Megan in her Superman Pants!!

Gregory with his ABC staff shirt!!!!

Chris Sullivan on the Ladder

Hole in my Finger :( had to tear the blood blister open so I could keep Climbing :)