Saturday, December 25, 2010
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Into the Sea
As soon as I woke up in the morning I noticed I had gathered a few mosquito bites. Not that this was anything new though, because I am always having to be out the look out for them back at my apartment anyways and feel like I am in a perpetual state of camping without bug spray. I climbed out of bed and threw my book (Tom Sawyer & Huck Finn) towel and headphones in my backpack and my sandals and board shorts on for a trip to the beach for some snorkeling around the reef. I opened my door and was literally blinded by the sun. Probably not the bed idea to go from near complete darkness to opening an eastward door in the middle of the desert first thing in the morning. I ducked back in and traded my normal specs for some sunglasses and grabbed some complimentary breakfast from the Camp kitchen (fruit, rolls and yogurt) and met the folks staying in the cabin next to me, A nice German lady was staying for five weeks with her son for the some time together since she was teaching at a university in Cairo and he was going to school in the UK. Throughout my three and a half days there I realized that this kind of vacation Dahab was the norm, anything less than a month and you were just kind of passing through.
I rented a set of snorkel gear from a shop I passed for about 2 dollars and grabbed a bed at the beach from a restaurant and sprawled out for an hour or so just reading and listening to some music. I'll warn you now that I'm about to make a stereotype or two: Next to me were a few russians and I can say that over the course of the weekend I met a few more. These are the least friendly people you'll ever meet on a vacation. They are rude to the wait the wait staff and everyone else they encounter and are just kind of a cold people in general from what I observed both here and in Israel. I snapped a few pictures of the beach and the water while I was out there and the mountains you may be able to see in the distance are Saudi Arabia across the Red Sea
I got after some tea and reading and decided to head into the water where I was seeing some other people gather at just a hundred yards away. As soon as I threw on my snorkel gear and ducked under water I realized I was just a few feet away from the coral reef. I don't have the words to express how beautiful the reef was, from the giant urchins to the various kinds of coral and the fish that were a rainbow of neon colors, it was truly a unique experience to just be a few feet from shore and surrounded by such a magnificent jungle of life compared to the arid desert surrounding the Red Sea. Sadly I didn't have a digital camera, but Jeri once told me that sometimes its best to put the camera away and just live in the moment. I spent a total of four hours in the water that day and each time saw new species of fish and explored farther and deeper reaches of the reef. I came to Palestine for a life-changing experience and I have gotten one every day, but this was it's own special treat- to find this beautiful wildlife in such a harsh landscape.
Once again thats it for tonight. I'll do my best to cover the rest of the trip tomorrow night. On Friday it's off to Bethlehem for the holiday and back the next day for Christmas dinner!
I rented a set of snorkel gear from a shop I passed for about 2 dollars and grabbed a bed at the beach from a restaurant and sprawled out for an hour or so just reading and listening to some music. I'll warn you now that I'm about to make a stereotype or two: Next to me were a few russians and I can say that over the course of the weekend I met a few more. These are the least friendly people you'll ever meet on a vacation. They are rude to the wait the wait staff and everyone else they encounter and are just kind of a cold people in general from what I observed both here and in Israel. I snapped a few pictures of the beach and the water while I was out there and the mountains you may be able to see in the distance are Saudi Arabia across the Red Sea
Once again thats it for tonight. I'll do my best to cover the rest of the trip tomorrow night. On Friday it's off to Bethlehem for the holiday and back the next day for Christmas dinner!
Dahab
After about a two hour taxi trip heading south from the Egyptian border we arrived in Dahab and the scuba diver pointed me down the boardwalk towards where he though the Bedouin Camp I was going to be staying in was located. The Bedouin are a group of nomadic Arabs that live a pretty archaic lifestyle. These are the people you see sitting around in large colorful tents in films like Lawrence of Arabia. In Dahab and along the Sinai coast they have found tourism to be a marketable trade and have built small hotels/hostels that they call camps and I had booked a room in a well reviewed such camp for about 10 dollars a night- a private room no less in a small bamboo walled bungalow and I was excited to see just what I had got myself into.
Well after walking the full length of the beach I still hadn't located the camp and everyone I asked for directions offered the opposite directions of the last person I had talked to. If I was headed south, apparently it was north and vice versa. Eventually I got really close to where it was and finally turned a corner to see a small sign pointing down an unassuming alley for "Dolphin Camp." Slightly apprehensive I headed down the path and it opened after about 50 meters to reveal beautiful while buildings surrounding a courtyard with covered sitting areas and a few small huts. It was beautiful and peaceful and for the price I doubt I could ever find comparable accommodations.My hut was pretty nice and head two beds, a fan, a single outlet and a single light inside it and really reminded me of the old cabins I spent my entire summers in while working at Camp Parsons. There were no plants to be found, but the dirt had been raked in nice patterns across the grounds and I really can't express the rustic beauty of the place. Completely the opposite of a resorty tourist town or lodgings. Here's the only picture I snapped of the camp (which I really regret):
Well after walking the full length of the beach I still hadn't located the camp and everyone I asked for directions offered the opposite directions of the last person I had talked to. If I was headed south, apparently it was north and vice versa. Eventually I got really close to where it was and finally turned a corner to see a small sign pointing down an unassuming alley for "Dolphin Camp." Slightly apprehensive I headed down the path and it opened after about 50 meters to reveal beautiful while buildings surrounding a courtyard with covered sitting areas and a few small huts. It was beautiful and peaceful and for the price I doubt I could ever find comparable accommodations.My hut was pretty nice and head two beds, a fan, a single outlet and a single light inside it and really reminded me of the old cabins I spent my entire summers in while working at Camp Parsons. There were no plants to be found, but the dirt had been raked in nice patterns across the grounds and I really can't express the rustic beauty of the place. Completely the opposite of a resorty tourist town or lodgings. Here's the only picture I snapped of the camp (which I really regret):
I stayed in one of those little cabins!
Dahab itself was a really pleasant little town and I can't recommend it enough. Particularly for people who like to get away from the hustle and bustle and just want to experience a quiet seaside resort town. It was almost like something off the Oregon coast, just with more of a Tropical feel to it. There were a lot of small stores lining the side of the street opposite to the beach, but there was no pushy sales pitches to come look at their wares, and even if there were to have been some I think besides the occasionally t-shirt vendors, they all sold authentic spices and Egyptian arts and crafts. The ones that did invite me to their shops were always very kind and responded to my "La Shokran" (no thank you) with wishing me a good day. It was just a feel good kind of place to be. The beach side of the board walk was lined with restaurants- and I mean lined with them. Dahab doesn't have a sandy beachfront anyways so there really wasn't a good place to just throw down a towel, but if you wanted a view with the water you had to go into a restaurant and buy at least a coffee or something. The same applied for if you wanted to snorkel, there was a bed rate of 20 pounds Egyptian (about 4 dollars) for the day to sprawl out on the decks and sun yourself or get into the water from the restaurants.
The Boardwalk across the flash flood drainage bridge
I spent my first night just wandering around and getting my bearings on the town. It's crazy being in a place with bars so I took the opportunity to sit and have a beer by the seaside. I can honestly say a beer has never tasted so good and the sound of the ocean has never been more relaxing. After spending the last three months hardly drinking except the periodic glass of wine, I was really feeling it after three beers and walked back to the cabin. After all, I had been traveling since 5 AM and was looking forward to a nice night's sleep.
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Heading South
The night before I headed to the Sinai I spent in Jerusalem in a hostel in the Old City. It was a beautiful stoned-walled place down a side street and was located above a small cafe. The dorm room was pretty cheap, 50 shekels and was in large room with a domed ceiling. After I dropped my bag off, I headed off on foot just after nightfall to locate the Jerusalem Central Bus Station, which I knew was located along Jaffa street a few miles outside the Old City. I knew Jaffa street well enough because it was the street that the central post office was on. It felt like a pretty long walk, somewhere around an hour, but I got a chance to really see one of the main arterials in the city. Many of the municipality offices and upscale markets are located on the street and the weather was nice so I enjoyed the trip. The demographics on the walk were interesting to say the least. The most common thing that I saw was orthodox Jews in their long black suit coats and beards and large hats, followed by IDF members. It's odd seeing IDF members in Jerusalem because they are not really "on-duty" but they are still wandering around in their uniform with their rifles. It's way more than anything you would even see on a marine base in the US, but like I said, this is in the middle of Jerusalem. Anyone who talks about America having a military or a gun culture hasn't seen anything compared to Israel.
Anyways, I got to the bus station okay and bought my ticket for the next morning and headed back towards the old city. I was lucky enough to run into my french co-worker in the lobby of the hostel who was on her way home for the holidays and we went out to the only open cafe at night in the old city for some tea and talking before heading to bed for an early morning. I was up at 5:30 and got to the bus station and loaded up on the bus for the five hour trip south. In between naps I caught glimpses of the Dead Sea and the Negev, the vast desert area that constitutes the southern region of Israel. At the one resting point we got off the bus for a few minutes to stretch our legs and very nice young Jewish man went out of his way to introduce himself and ask me about my trip. This was an especially nice moment for me because until this point all the Israeli's I had met had been less than friendly, and I was happy for a chance to break the stereotype that had been forming in my head that these must be rude people. Back on the bus, we continued south until we arrived in Eilat, the southern most city in Israel, where I grabbed a quick bite to eat and waited for the bus to the border with Egypt.
Pictures of the trip thus far:
In the Jordan Valley near the Dead Sea
The Dead Sea
The Negev Desert
The mountains of Jordan as seen from Eilat
The border crossing was easy enough. I passed through Israeli Security quickly and Egypt was also a breeze. My passport is finally starting to get some character to it with various visa stamps! At the border I met a British dive instructor who was returning to Egypt doing essentially the exact same thing I was but in reverse- renewing his Egyptian visa by coming to Israel for a few days. He was a nice guy who had been living in Dahab for the last year or so, ever since he got laid off in England and decided to seek out a new occupation. It's interesting to see that other people in the developed world are looking away from home for work and finding new adventures along the way. We partnered up with some other English kids and got a cab down to Dahab. I wish I could tell you about the trip and the Red Sea at this point but we were all too busy talking. I didn't even get a chance to take a picture along the two hour trip south!
I'll write more tonight while it's still fresh but for now I need dinner and to work on my lesson plans for teaching english next week!
Anyways, I got to the bus station okay and bought my ticket for the next morning and headed back towards the old city. I was lucky enough to run into my french co-worker in the lobby of the hostel who was on her way home for the holidays and we went out to the only open cafe at night in the old city for some tea and talking before heading to bed for an early morning. I was up at 5:30 and got to the bus station and loaded up on the bus for the five hour trip south. In between naps I caught glimpses of the Dead Sea and the Negev, the vast desert area that constitutes the southern region of Israel. At the one resting point we got off the bus for a few minutes to stretch our legs and very nice young Jewish man went out of his way to introduce himself and ask me about my trip. This was an especially nice moment for me because until this point all the Israeli's I had met had been less than friendly, and I was happy for a chance to break the stereotype that had been forming in my head that these must be rude people. Back on the bus, we continued south until we arrived in Eilat, the southern most city in Israel, where I grabbed a quick bite to eat and waited for the bus to the border with Egypt.
Pictures of the trip thus far:
The border crossing was easy enough. I passed through Israeli Security quickly and Egypt was also a breeze. My passport is finally starting to get some character to it with various visa stamps! At the border I met a British dive instructor who was returning to Egypt doing essentially the exact same thing I was but in reverse- renewing his Egyptian visa by coming to Israel for a few days. He was a nice guy who had been living in Dahab for the last year or so, ever since he got laid off in England and decided to seek out a new occupation. It's interesting to see that other people in the developed world are looking away from home for work and finding new adventures along the way. We partnered up with some other English kids and got a cab down to Dahab. I wish I could tell you about the trip and the Red Sea at this point but we were all too busy talking. I didn't even get a chance to take a picture along the two hour trip south!
I'll write more tonight while it's still fresh but for now I need dinner and to work on my lesson plans for teaching english next week!
Monday, November 22, 2010
Photos from Jerusalem
I'll write a blog tomorrow about my trip last week to Jerusalem, but for tonight I'll try to just upload some pictures and captions.
An ancient wine press located in a garden that some believe to have been owned by Joseph of Arimathea
The Old city is completely surrounded by these high stone walls
The Entrance to the Old City of Jerusalem
The Western Wall
Al-Aqsa Mosque, the second oldest mosque in the world
The Mount of Olives
Dig site just outside the Old City revealing ancient Jerusalem
The Church of the Holy Sepulcher
Inside the Holy Sepulcher, I believe this is supposed to coincide with the rock in the next picture
Mosaic at the Holy Sepulcher
The tomb at the Holy Sepulcher
The Dome at the Holy Sepulcher
spices in the old city
It's the time of the season....
to renew my visa!
Well I suppose that it is not really "renewing my visa" since Israel isn't very friendly with submitting through the proper channels visa renewals, especially not a multiple exit visa. For anyone not familiar with the world of visa's and passports while staying in a foreign country for an extended period of time, a multiple exit visa is the best kind because it means that if you leave the country and return, your visa will still be valid. Israel isn't really in the habit of handing those out, especially not to people without a valid reason for wanting one (which I most certainly am not considering where I live and work). Instead for me to stay in Israel I need to leave and return to the country and ask for a new visa when I re-enter for another three month stint here. Some people go home, but considering the high cost of holiday travel back to the states and the relatively tight budget I am under here, I need to hop over to a neighbor country and come back after a few days which narrows it down to Jordan or Egypt. After some research and budgeting and some critical thinking I chose to plan a trip to the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt.
Egypt is significantly further away, but I find it much more appeal for various reasons. To begin with, it's much more affordable to get a rewarding experience in Egypt than in Jordan. Jordan is absurdly expensive especially all the places that one would want to go in a touristy visit. Petra itself is expensive, as are taxis around the country and then once you get in Petra everything is expensive- in short it is a complete tourist trap. Another person at the university went for a few days and ended up spending more than a few hundred dollars there just to see a few places and get around. Don't get me wrong I want to see Petra, just maybe further down the road and if I get a visitor I'd like to take them with me. Add to that the entrance and exit taxes for Israel, the entrance tax and cost of a visa for Jordan and it adds up really quick in a really big way.
Egypt however only has an exit tax for Israel, but is free to enter and doesn't have a re-entry tax for Israel at that border.The value of the dollar goes a lot further there, even in the resort coast of the Sinai Peninsula.To give you an idea of how much further the dollar goes, I budgeted my travel cost across Israel, my travel in Egypt, my housing, and a few activities and return trip for a grand total of 150 dollars for a four day trip. Jordan would probably break 500 dollars for a similar trip. Now I know what you are all asking yourself- What can you possibly do as a tourist and where can you stay for a total of 150 for 4 days?
I should add that over half of the is going to be spent in Israel, either traveling or paying my exit tax.
So here is the basic Itinerary:
Day 1: Travel from Nablus to Ramallah, Ramallah to Jerusalem, Jerusalem to the Eilat Border, Eilat to Dahab on the coast of the Read Sea on the Sinai Peninsula
This is going to be a full day of travel, and by a full day I mean that I will have to leave Nablus before dawn but I think it can be done with a full battery on my Ipod. It's about an hour to Jerusalem from here and then four hours from Jerusalem to the border and two more to my final destination. For a measly five Euros (7 bucks) I'll be staying a very nice bungalow on the beach with a private room and a shared bath. The bungalows are actually real bungalows with palm frond roofs and mattresses on the floor.
Day 2: Staying in Dahab for the day and snorkeling around the coral reefs of the Red Sea. Gear rental in less than 10 dollars for the day and I can spend the rest of my time on the beach or exploring the coastal town. At 11PM at night I'll be headed to Mt. Sinai to hike up the mountain and arrive at the summit in time to watch the sunrise over the desert mountains
Day 3: Hike down the mountain and visit the St. Catherine Monastery which was built in the 6th century and is still occupied today. After exploring that, I'll hope over to the monastery museum which houses "perhaps one of the finest collections of ancient handwritten books and codices in the world." Pardon my cursing mom, but hell yeah! After this I will be headed back to Dahab to catch a taxi back north closer to the border to spend the night in a small hippie beach town called Tarabin to once again in a beachside bungalow.
Day 4: Wake up and begin my trip back to Nablus. I think three nights out of the country is sufficient time to look like I'm actually not trying to do exactly what I was doing- hopping the border for a new visa. I don't have to start nearly as early this time though because once I get back to Jerusalem I can relax on my time frame to get home. If nothing else, I can probably stay in Ramallah with a friend before returning to work the next day.
So for three nights abroad, seeing the mountain where Moses received the commandments, sreef snorkeling in the Red Sea and getting a view of one of the most beautiful deserts and scenic views in the middle east I'll spend a grand total of 150 dollars, really only 80 of which will be in Egypt. I'd call that a great trip outline and I'm already excited to go!!
It also helps me to write this because now I know what to write about specifically when I get back from that trip! Oh, and a week later I'll be in Bethlehem for Christmas. Yup, spending Christmas where Christ was born, I love this place!
Well I suppose that it is not really "renewing my visa" since Israel isn't very friendly with submitting through the proper channels visa renewals, especially not a multiple exit visa. For anyone not familiar with the world of visa's and passports while staying in a foreign country for an extended period of time, a multiple exit visa is the best kind because it means that if you leave the country and return, your visa will still be valid. Israel isn't really in the habit of handing those out, especially not to people without a valid reason for wanting one (which I most certainly am not considering where I live and work). Instead for me to stay in Israel I need to leave and return to the country and ask for a new visa when I re-enter for another three month stint here. Some people go home, but considering the high cost of holiday travel back to the states and the relatively tight budget I am under here, I need to hop over to a neighbor country and come back after a few days which narrows it down to Jordan or Egypt. After some research and budgeting and some critical thinking I chose to plan a trip to the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt.
Egypt is significantly further away, but I find it much more appeal for various reasons. To begin with, it's much more affordable to get a rewarding experience in Egypt than in Jordan. Jordan is absurdly expensive especially all the places that one would want to go in a touristy visit. Petra itself is expensive, as are taxis around the country and then once you get in Petra everything is expensive- in short it is a complete tourist trap. Another person at the university went for a few days and ended up spending more than a few hundred dollars there just to see a few places and get around. Don't get me wrong I want to see Petra, just maybe further down the road and if I get a visitor I'd like to take them with me. Add to that the entrance and exit taxes for Israel, the entrance tax and cost of a visa for Jordan and it adds up really quick in a really big way.
Egypt however only has an exit tax for Israel, but is free to enter and doesn't have a re-entry tax for Israel at that border.The value of the dollar goes a lot further there, even in the resort coast of the Sinai Peninsula.To give you an idea of how much further the dollar goes, I budgeted my travel cost across Israel, my travel in Egypt, my housing, and a few activities and return trip for a grand total of 150 dollars for a four day trip. Jordan would probably break 500 dollars for a similar trip. Now I know what you are all asking yourself- What can you possibly do as a tourist and where can you stay for a total of 150 for 4 days?
I should add that over half of the is going to be spent in Israel, either traveling or paying my exit tax.
So here is the basic Itinerary:
Day 1: Travel from Nablus to Ramallah, Ramallah to Jerusalem, Jerusalem to the Eilat Border, Eilat to Dahab on the coast of the Read Sea on the Sinai Peninsula
This is going to be a full day of travel, and by a full day I mean that I will have to leave Nablus before dawn but I think it can be done with a full battery on my Ipod. It's about an hour to Jerusalem from here and then four hours from Jerusalem to the border and two more to my final destination. For a measly five Euros (7 bucks) I'll be staying a very nice bungalow on the beach with a private room and a shared bath. The bungalows are actually real bungalows with palm frond roofs and mattresses on the floor.
Day 2: Staying in Dahab for the day and snorkeling around the coral reefs of the Red Sea. Gear rental in less than 10 dollars for the day and I can spend the rest of my time on the beach or exploring the coastal town. At 11PM at night I'll be headed to Mt. Sinai to hike up the mountain and arrive at the summit in time to watch the sunrise over the desert mountains
Day 3: Hike down the mountain and visit the St. Catherine Monastery which was built in the 6th century and is still occupied today. After exploring that, I'll hope over to the monastery museum which houses "perhaps one of the finest collections of ancient handwritten books and codices in the world." Pardon my cursing mom, but hell yeah! After this I will be headed back to Dahab to catch a taxi back north closer to the border to spend the night in a small hippie beach town called Tarabin to once again in a beachside bungalow.
Day 4: Wake up and begin my trip back to Nablus. I think three nights out of the country is sufficient time to look like I'm actually not trying to do exactly what I was doing- hopping the border for a new visa. I don't have to start nearly as early this time though because once I get back to Jerusalem I can relax on my time frame to get home. If nothing else, I can probably stay in Ramallah with a friend before returning to work the next day.
So for three nights abroad, seeing the mountain where Moses received the commandments, sreef snorkeling in the Red Sea and getting a view of one of the most beautiful deserts and scenic views in the middle east I'll spend a grand total of 150 dollars, really only 80 of which will be in Egypt. I'd call that a great trip outline and I'm already excited to go!!
It also helps me to write this because now I know what to write about specifically when I get back from that trip! Oh, and a week later I'll be in Bethlehem for Christmas. Yup, spending Christmas where Christ was born, I love this place!
Great News!
So I may have a fair amount of typing ahead of me tonight. I don't want all my news to become convoluted into one blog so I'll be posting three tonight. The first one is just a small update of my day to day life and is full of good news.
To start, I finally got my final crown put in place on my tooth that I've had worked on for the last month. It's pretty and a good fit, but it also just feels nice to have the work done now. I think a little later on in my time here I'm going to get a full workup on my teeth and get all my work done and some preventative work too since it's so affordable compared to the system in America.
I also got to finally meet my actual boss today for the first time. It's strange because for the last two months I have been working on odd projects that have been assigned to me by a handful of people, but my actual boss and department head has been a complete unknown to me. Even today since it was her first day back we barely got a chance to speak but I look forward to getting to know her better in the future.
Finally, today I was joking around with my supervisor about teaching French next semester to cover for a woman who will be having her baby soon when Steve told me I'll be teaching English. I've been pretty forward my entire time here that I really would embrace any teaching opportunity that would arise in my time here and I have been pushing really hard to take on an English class (which is required) to free up the time and responsibilities of the native-English speakers who hold a doctorate degree. Early on it didn't sound like this was going to be a possibility because I do not have my Master's degree, but due to some tenacious efforts by myself and my supervisor, as well as the support of the International Affairs VP, it looks like in a month here I'll have my own class! I'm so grateful for the many amazing experiences and opportunities I have here! I also hope that I might pickup a class teaching English for AMIDEAST, an NGO here that would pay quite well and then I'll be able to start actually saving some money.
So that has been my week so far, and considering I had all of last week off, November is shaping up to be a good month. Now if the weather would just change a little because I am starting to get jealous of that winter wonderland striking the northwest right now. Oh yeah, yesterday I also got my first opportunity to meet the university president which was nice.
To start, I finally got my final crown put in place on my tooth that I've had worked on for the last month. It's pretty and a good fit, but it also just feels nice to have the work done now. I think a little later on in my time here I'm going to get a full workup on my teeth and get all my work done and some preventative work too since it's so affordable compared to the system in America.
I also got to finally meet my actual boss today for the first time. It's strange because for the last two months I have been working on odd projects that have been assigned to me by a handful of people, but my actual boss and department head has been a complete unknown to me. Even today since it was her first day back we barely got a chance to speak but I look forward to getting to know her better in the future.
Finally, today I was joking around with my supervisor about teaching French next semester to cover for a woman who will be having her baby soon when Steve told me I'll be teaching English. I've been pretty forward my entire time here that I really would embrace any teaching opportunity that would arise in my time here and I have been pushing really hard to take on an English class (which is required) to free up the time and responsibilities of the native-English speakers who hold a doctorate degree. Early on it didn't sound like this was going to be a possibility because I do not have my Master's degree, but due to some tenacious efforts by myself and my supervisor, as well as the support of the International Affairs VP, it looks like in a month here I'll have my own class! I'm so grateful for the many amazing experiences and opportunities I have here! I also hope that I might pickup a class teaching English for AMIDEAST, an NGO here that would pay quite well and then I'll be able to start actually saving some money.
So that has been my week so far, and considering I had all of last week off, November is shaping up to be a good month. Now if the weather would just change a little because I am starting to get jealous of that winter wonderland striking the northwest right now. Oh yeah, yesterday I also got my first opportunity to meet the university president which was nice.
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
It's the little things in life...
As I wrote my last blog post I have to admit, it hardly held any of my attention. Not only have I now been fortunate enough to watch The Blues Brothers while living in Palestine, but I have now seen a few deleted scenes that I never say on my original VHS copy. I should add that Blues Brothers was the first R-rated movie my mom allowed me to buy in her presence (which is one of the many reasons why she is the greatest). Not only does it have a longer seen with the legendary John Lee Hooker, but it also explains where Elwood got that really strong glue for the cops' accelerators at.
Nothing like a little comedy and blues in the middle east to make you miss home.
Nothing like a little comedy and blues in the middle east to make you miss home.
A busy day
A few weeks ago I got pulled into a committee on a proposal that came from some Europeans about forming a joint initiative to build a media program. After reading the abstract, I found it to be more than a little ambiguous and talked to my supervisor about it. He told me that he has had some experience with similar proposals and that these are often just devised as moneymaking ventures with the intent to manipulate Palestinians and the conflict here to milk money out of the EU. The whole thing essentially didn't feel on the level for me or my boss, but others in the university saw the opportunity for funding and jumped on the opportunity. Thus a committee was formed in which my supervisor and I expressed our concerns and explained that we needed more information (like a budget, a defined proposal, the responsibilities of each partner, and definite objectives and a needs assessment) for the committee to decide whether this was a good investment of our energy. They committee took our advice and I was tasked with drafting an email to the Europeans detailing this information. So I did.....and I waited to hear back.....and I waited.....and I waited.
This morning I went into work to find a few emails from the European partners. The included a few more documents along the lines of what we had asked for but nothing of substance. The budget was complete bullshit for example and the money was mostly going to the Europeans, not to us and with no money being allocated to our equipment needs to create a broadcast program. In their email they also told us that they would essentially need us to write the proposal for the EU entirely and that they needed it by Friday. Thats an 11 page high-quality proposal that needs to be written based on ambiguous, abstract data without any of the information we needed provided to us and without receiving much money and none of it designated to our actual needs- in other words, it was a whole bunch of bullshit.
My supervisor though was working out of the office for the day and I couldn't reach by phone so I had to show some initiative.Considering that this committee was formed with the approval of the university president and action was needed immediately, I had to do it by myself this morning. I ran around to different offices, over to the new campus, met with various officials and deans and administrators and generally was allowed to really show some initiative and professionalism. And it felt damn good. By the early afternoon, an emergency committee meeting was established to happen at two at which time I was going to need to present a recommendation on behalf of the international office whether to abandon the project or devote our undivided attention to it- without any advisement from a superior. So I formed my opinion based on the information available and was finally able to get through to my supervisor. He agreed entirely with my thoughts and recommendations and I was essentially given the go ahead to speak at the committee with my personal impressions. He even wrote an email to the committee members and the university president detailing our mutual concerns and his recommendation which was the same as mine. As I walked into a meeting with A dean, the director the radio station (which popularly serves all of Nablus), and the director of PR for the University (among others) I felt very much at ease and in my natural habitat. I think I have been groomed for work like this for much of my adult life. I have developed common sense and critically thinking skills alongside a traditional education and held more than one job that required professional mature behavior. I was on my own without my supervisor to tell these men that this proposal was a lost cause and I supported my statement with keen observations and diplomatic language. I'm not trying to stroke my ego, but instead I'm really just trying to say that I found my day so fulfilling and I was able to use talents that have been honed over the last few years in a professional forum across language barriers and social divides.
In the end, the committee was entirely receptive to my opinions and position and is supportive of our recommendations. It felt nice to have a position of some authority and independence and to be treated as an adult professional, as well as to have to the support of my supervisor in doing so. All the running around today kept me busy which was wonderful and by the time I got home today I truly felt like a professional who could really do some work for the university. A good day all in all
This morning I went into work to find a few emails from the European partners. The included a few more documents along the lines of what we had asked for but nothing of substance. The budget was complete bullshit for example and the money was mostly going to the Europeans, not to us and with no money being allocated to our equipment needs to create a broadcast program. In their email they also told us that they would essentially need us to write the proposal for the EU entirely and that they needed it by Friday. Thats an 11 page high-quality proposal that needs to be written based on ambiguous, abstract data without any of the information we needed provided to us and without receiving much money and none of it designated to our actual needs- in other words, it was a whole bunch of bullshit.
My supervisor though was working out of the office for the day and I couldn't reach by phone so I had to show some initiative.Considering that this committee was formed with the approval of the university president and action was needed immediately, I had to do it by myself this morning. I ran around to different offices, over to the new campus, met with various officials and deans and administrators and generally was allowed to really show some initiative and professionalism. And it felt damn good. By the early afternoon, an emergency committee meeting was established to happen at two at which time I was going to need to present a recommendation on behalf of the international office whether to abandon the project or devote our undivided attention to it- without any advisement from a superior. So I formed my opinion based on the information available and was finally able to get through to my supervisor. He agreed entirely with my thoughts and recommendations and I was essentially given the go ahead to speak at the committee with my personal impressions. He even wrote an email to the committee members and the university president detailing our mutual concerns and his recommendation which was the same as mine. As I walked into a meeting with A dean, the director the radio station (which popularly serves all of Nablus), and the director of PR for the University (among others) I felt very much at ease and in my natural habitat. I think I have been groomed for work like this for much of my adult life. I have developed common sense and critically thinking skills alongside a traditional education and held more than one job that required professional mature behavior. I was on my own without my supervisor to tell these men that this proposal was a lost cause and I supported my statement with keen observations and diplomatic language. I'm not trying to stroke my ego, but instead I'm really just trying to say that I found my day so fulfilling and I was able to use talents that have been honed over the last few years in a professional forum across language barriers and social divides.
In the end, the committee was entirely receptive to my opinions and position and is supportive of our recommendations. It felt nice to have a position of some authority and independence and to be treated as an adult professional, as well as to have to the support of my supervisor in doing so. All the running around today kept me busy which was wonderful and by the time I got home today I truly felt like a professional who could really do some work for the university. A good day all in all
Monday, November 8, 2010
Politicize Much?
Tonight's blog is going to be short since its already pretty late, but I'm going to write anyways because I need to get in the habit of making it a regular habit. Tomorrow is a big day for the university because it is election day for student council. I was on student government at EWu for a year and was involved for another two years but I can confidently say nothing I've seen in student affairs compares with election action like this:
Those are political party flags outside of the campus, the runners with little flags that cross over the street are also for political parties. These are not Student political flags but actual state-political party flags, the yellow are Fatah, I'm not entirely sure what the red are, but there are also orange ones for the PFLP. Everything in Palestine is so politicized that not even something as simple as student government is free from the issues of the Palestinian state and direction of the state. It's actually absurd even though it's fascinating. Hamas used to participate a few years ago, but has since gone more underground for various reasons. Quite simply, its dangerous on many levels to be a part of this political party because even though it is popular, publicly announcing your alliance to them can land you in PA prison, Israeli prison, Israeli watchlists and generally a social pariah. Once again I have to clarify that Hamas is a political party, not a terrorist group explicity but instead just like any other political group has factions that are havens for nutcases and fundamentalists. A few years ago there was large scale brawl on campus due to the election results between Fatah and Hamas that led to the university being closed for the day to ensure the safety of everyone. There has been an increased police presence not just around the campus but all around town in expectation of the STUDENT elections and there is potential for the internationals to be sent home from work to make sure that incitement is kept to a minimum.
Its getting late so I need to get to bed but I'm excited for the choatic democracy that will happen tomorrow. As a parting shot, here is a rally of Fatah students (recognizable by their black and white keffiyehs) for the elections marching through campus below my building. If only kids in America cared this much about about politics(even if it might be be a little misguided).
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Hebron
First I'll begin by apologizing for my lack of posts lately. I've been doing quite a bit at work and the last thing I want to do is to come home and spend more time typing but I know I need to do so. This week I'm going to try to write at least one post a night to cover my recent experiences while they are still fresh in my mind. This will require me to do some jumping around so I apologize for a lack of chronology in the coming days.
This past Saturday I convinced one of the roommates to come with me on a day trip to Hebron to do some sightseeing and gift shopping. Hebron is a city locates in the southern area of the West Bank which puts it geographically quite distant from my home in the northern West Bank. The Lonely Planet guide book describes it as a hidden jewel in the West Bank but also goes into a more accurate description as "a deeply troubled one." The Cave of the Patriarchs is located in Hebron as is believed to be the place that holds the tombs of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as well as their respective wives. Of course this makes the site of religious importance to Jews as well and thus a population of around 500 settlers have taken up residency in the city.. The mosque that is built above the tomb is split in half to appease people of both faiths and on certain days one faith will have exclusive rights to the mosque. The best comparison I could make is that the mosque is like a child held in joint custody, with the mom getting him for christmas and the dad getting him for Easter, except in this case one of the parents is fanatical and takes every opportunity to beat, spit on, and generally ruin the life of the other parent. These would be the settlers.
The settlers have taken up occupancy on the second floor of buildings that line the narrow roads of the marketplace. The original Arab occupants were forcibly removed from their homes and many of the doors of their shops on the bottom floor were welded shut. There are scorch marks from molotov cocktails hurled through windows, and just about everyone we met in the market wanted to give us a tour or tell us their story. When you walk through the streets of the market and look up, there is a wire mesh above you to catch the rubbish/debris/chunks of cement/ glass bottles that are thrown down from the settlers on the people below. approximately 4,000 IDF soldiers are stationed in the city alone to protect the settlers from reprisal of their actions, as well as to limit the level of violence against the Arab population....but I'd say the seem to do less of the latter. In 1994, an ultr-orthodox settler entered the mosque and opened fire, killing 29 individuals and injuring somewhere around 150 others. There were riots from the Palestinians the next day which led the IDF to impose a two week curfew on them, while the settlers were allowed to move about freely. There was even a shrine commemorating the man who committed the massacre until it was finally bulldozed years later. I try to remain objective about the conflict and I believe in assigning blame where it is due and therefore I will not say that the Palestinians are the innocent victims, but they are still very much the victims due to inequal power distribution among other factors.To be honest it makes you a little sick to see the way people are willing to treat others, to fully understand the way that someone treats another person that they consider to be so very much inferior and worthless to themselves. I'd like to clarify right now that this is not conjecture or bullshit, I'm not spewing rhetoric that I picked up from some website or some activist but instead what I witnessed with my own eyes and experiences.
So we walked through the market and purchased a few items for friends and family. The last Keffiyeh looms in Palestine are in Hebron and so we picked up a few of the Arabic scarves that have become so trendy in the world lately. It's interesting because people who wear it for solidarity with Palestine for the msot part are purchasing mass-produced ones from China and thus are showing solidarity, but are not actually investing anything in a unique market that desperately needs investment to preserve. I highly recommend this article to learn more about the man who operates the last factory:
http://wn.com/The_Last_Keffiyeh_Factory
I was really glad to see that they have started to attach "Made in Palestin" tags on the keffiyehs that come from Hebron as well because it means so much to see that on a keffiyeh when even the ones sold in the West Bank and Jerusalem seem to come from foreign factories. I implore anyone who wants a keffiyeh to ensure that you purchase one with this tag on it and if you can't find one in your area please contact me and I'll see what I can do about bringing one back for you.
After purchasing a few other small items from a women's co-op in the market (Christmas presents so I won't reveal any details), we set off on foot for a 3 kilometer trek to find the glass studios of Hebron. 3 kilometers my ass by the way and I have full intention of letting the Lonely Planet guidebook we consulted before going to Hebron know that. We ended up probably five kilometers away before we came across a really nice young shopkeeper who spoke clear English and gave us directions and the actual name of the district that was home to Hebron glass blowers (also not in the guidebook). This art industry has been in Hebron for around 2000 years and thus I really wanted to see it. There are three factories of hand-blowing operations left in Hebron that I know and they are all operated by families that having been carrying on the tradition for as long as they can remember. I purchased a few pieces (once again gifts) and marveled at the inexpensive yet beautiful pieces that adorned the shops. I wish my family could have been with me to see the walls of cobalt vases, glasses, carafes, baubles and other such pieces of art. It made me feel good to buy Palestinian products, and in general it feels nice to buy things here because your money usually goes directly to the manufacturer/producer or at most through one or two intermediaries- a lot different from the corporate structure found in America.
Since it takes about three hours to get back home we decided to head out after the glass factories. We had a quick stop over in Ramallah and ran to grab some supplies that we can't get in Ramallah, my roommate grabbed some beer and a bottle of whiskey while I settled on a very inexpensive bottle of wine from Bethlehem. I cracked it tonight and must report that it is a quite tasty merlot and should last me for a week. My drinking has fallen off here because it doesn't happen in Nablus, but I enjoy the luxury when available and treat with appreciation for the rarity it is now. We also went by a nice little DVD shop that sells bootlegs for a 3 dollars and I picked up the new Bruce Willis movie. It's pretty good for an over the top action movie. The guy who owns the shop has made me a pretty dedicated customer already. His store is located on the third floor of a tower and the last time I was in Ramallah he actually came up to me on the street and invited me to take a look. It's really well maintained and very modern, but more than that he remembered me after weeks of not coming in and good customer service always has meant a lot to me. In Nablus being remembered isn't that uncommon because there are only so many white people here on a regular basis, but Ramallah is the capital of internationals, NGO's and activists in Palestine, so I was happy to have made an impression. After the quick shopping trip, we headed home to Nablus, physically exhausted from the trip. I can't speak for my roommate, but I also found Hebron to be emotionally exhausting as well. It's so hard to see such injustice and inequality and feel so powerless.
This past Saturday I convinced one of the roommates to come with me on a day trip to Hebron to do some sightseeing and gift shopping. Hebron is a city locates in the southern area of the West Bank which puts it geographically quite distant from my home in the northern West Bank. The Lonely Planet guide book describes it as a hidden jewel in the West Bank but also goes into a more accurate description as "a deeply troubled one." The Cave of the Patriarchs is located in Hebron as is believed to be the place that holds the tombs of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as well as their respective wives. Of course this makes the site of religious importance to Jews as well and thus a population of around 500 settlers have taken up residency in the city.. The mosque that is built above the tomb is split in half to appease people of both faiths and on certain days one faith will have exclusive rights to the mosque. The best comparison I could make is that the mosque is like a child held in joint custody, with the mom getting him for christmas and the dad getting him for Easter, except in this case one of the parents is fanatical and takes every opportunity to beat, spit on, and generally ruin the life of the other parent. These would be the settlers.
The settlers have taken up occupancy on the second floor of buildings that line the narrow roads of the marketplace. The original Arab occupants were forcibly removed from their homes and many of the doors of their shops on the bottom floor were welded shut. There are scorch marks from molotov cocktails hurled through windows, and just about everyone we met in the market wanted to give us a tour or tell us their story. When you walk through the streets of the market and look up, there is a wire mesh above you to catch the rubbish/debris/chunks of cement/ glass bottles that are thrown down from the settlers on the people below. approximately 4,000 IDF soldiers are stationed in the city alone to protect the settlers from reprisal of their actions, as well as to limit the level of violence against the Arab population....but I'd say the seem to do less of the latter. In 1994, an ultr-orthodox settler entered the mosque and opened fire, killing 29 individuals and injuring somewhere around 150 others. There were riots from the Palestinians the next day which led the IDF to impose a two week curfew on them, while the settlers were allowed to move about freely. There was even a shrine commemorating the man who committed the massacre until it was finally bulldozed years later. I try to remain objective about the conflict and I believe in assigning blame where it is due and therefore I will not say that the Palestinians are the innocent victims, but they are still very much the victims due to inequal power distribution among other factors.To be honest it makes you a little sick to see the way people are willing to treat others, to fully understand the way that someone treats another person that they consider to be so very much inferior and worthless to themselves. I'd like to clarify right now that this is not conjecture or bullshit, I'm not spewing rhetoric that I picked up from some website or some activist but instead what I witnessed with my own eyes and experiences.
So we walked through the market and purchased a few items for friends and family. The last Keffiyeh looms in Palestine are in Hebron and so we picked up a few of the Arabic scarves that have become so trendy in the world lately. It's interesting because people who wear it for solidarity with Palestine for the msot part are purchasing mass-produced ones from China and thus are showing solidarity, but are not actually investing anything in a unique market that desperately needs investment to preserve. I highly recommend this article to learn more about the man who operates the last factory:
http://wn.com/The_Last_Keffiyeh_Factory
I was really glad to see that they have started to attach "Made in Palestin" tags on the keffiyehs that come from Hebron as well because it means so much to see that on a keffiyeh when even the ones sold in the West Bank and Jerusalem seem to come from foreign factories. I implore anyone who wants a keffiyeh to ensure that you purchase one with this tag on it and if you can't find one in your area please contact me and I'll see what I can do about bringing one back for you.
After purchasing a few other small items from a women's co-op in the market (Christmas presents so I won't reveal any details), we set off on foot for a 3 kilometer trek to find the glass studios of Hebron. 3 kilometers my ass by the way and I have full intention of letting the Lonely Planet guidebook we consulted before going to Hebron know that. We ended up probably five kilometers away before we came across a really nice young shopkeeper who spoke clear English and gave us directions and the actual name of the district that was home to Hebron glass blowers (also not in the guidebook). This art industry has been in Hebron for around 2000 years and thus I really wanted to see it. There are three factories of hand-blowing operations left in Hebron that I know and they are all operated by families that having been carrying on the tradition for as long as they can remember. I purchased a few pieces (once again gifts) and marveled at the inexpensive yet beautiful pieces that adorned the shops. I wish my family could have been with me to see the walls of cobalt vases, glasses, carafes, baubles and other such pieces of art. It made me feel good to buy Palestinian products, and in general it feels nice to buy things here because your money usually goes directly to the manufacturer/producer or at most through one or two intermediaries- a lot different from the corporate structure found in America.
Since it takes about three hours to get back home we decided to head out after the glass factories. We had a quick stop over in Ramallah and ran to grab some supplies that we can't get in Ramallah, my roommate grabbed some beer and a bottle of whiskey while I settled on a very inexpensive bottle of wine from Bethlehem. I cracked it tonight and must report that it is a quite tasty merlot and should last me for a week. My drinking has fallen off here because it doesn't happen in Nablus, but I enjoy the luxury when available and treat with appreciation for the rarity it is now. We also went by a nice little DVD shop that sells bootlegs for a 3 dollars and I picked up the new Bruce Willis movie. It's pretty good for an over the top action movie. The guy who owns the shop has made me a pretty dedicated customer already. His store is located on the third floor of a tower and the last time I was in Ramallah he actually came up to me on the street and invited me to take a look. It's really well maintained and very modern, but more than that he remembered me after weeks of not coming in and good customer service always has meant a lot to me. In Nablus being remembered isn't that uncommon because there are only so many white people here on a regular basis, but Ramallah is the capital of internationals, NGO's and activists in Palestine, so I was happy to have made an impression. After the quick shopping trip, we headed home to Nablus, physically exhausted from the trip. I can't speak for my roommate, but I also found Hebron to be emotionally exhausting as well. It's so hard to see such injustice and inequality and feel so powerless.
The Ibrahimi Mosque- On top of the closest tower is a military post with desert camo netting
The mosque from another angle, note the armed IDF guards and military checkpoint in the white building
Hebron glass blowing studio operated by the Natscheh family
A glass blower at work, note the handpainted ceramic plates in the front of the picture
Saturday, October 16, 2010
the Dead Sea
After arriving in town in Jericho, we stopped to get a little brunch at the diner we were dropped off in front of. By stopped to get brunch, I mean that one of the guys we were riding with immediately invited us inside and we followed without any real discretion. It was a spacious place and served delicious food, some of the best hummus and falafel I've had yet in Palestine. After that we caught a cab to the hostel in Jericho, which had a a beautiful sitting room. We were shown to our wing and quickly changed into our bathing suits and called a cab to the Dead Sea. To get to the Dead Sea we had to leave Palestine and cross over into Israel since Israel has decided that the Dead Sea should be theirs exclusively. We had to pay for access to the beach which reminded me of a private beach at some Caribbean resort. It was a little spendy (about 12-15 dollars) but hey, you only get so many times to hang out at THE CRAZIEST SEA IN THE WORLD! I know that everyone knows that the Dead Sea is salty, but it is one of those things that must be experienced to be understood completely. When yo float in the Dead Sea you actually are mostly floating on top of it since it is 30% solids mixed in finely with the water in addition to the salty content. And it's salty, very very very salty. So salty that you can't put your face in the water, unless you didn't read the warning like me and instead got ththe worst burning sensation I've ever experienced in my retinas. It's so salty that my nasal passages got all chapped from the water and my lips were chapped like I ate ten bags of Tim's sea salt and vinegar. I don't think I have the literary skill to properly describe the water there, but it was cool to say the least.
Next up was a thorough coating of Dead Sea mud all over since it's apparently a must due the "magical" property of the mud. The floor of the sea is odd, in one spot you can be standing on sand, take two steps and cut your toe on a giant piece of salt and take two more and sink knee-deep in mud. The mud is in layers there of varying colors between shades of grey (or is it gray?) and pitch black. Charline, Danny, Scott and I all slathered ourselves in the mud throughout the day as we wandered between the water and and our chairs. We looked something like this in the water:
Here's some other shots of the Dead Sea. Jordan is across the Dead Sea here:
Quick side note, while I hate to sound like an asshole, the beach was covered with some really unattractive people
Next up was a thorough coating of Dead Sea mud all over since it's apparently a must due the "magical" property of the mud. The floor of the sea is odd, in one spot you can be standing on sand, take two steps and cut your toe on a giant piece of salt and take two more and sink knee-deep in mud. The mud is in layers there of varying colors between shades of grey (or is it gray?) and pitch black. Charline, Danny, Scott and I all slathered ourselves in the mud throughout the day as we wandered between the water and and our chairs. We looked something like this in the water:
or this:
Here's some other shots of the Dead Sea. Jordan is across the Dead Sea here:
Quick side note, while I hate to sound like an asshole, the beach was covered with some really unattractive people
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