Day 6: nothing day

This is the best way to describe today. Nothing, and not in a bad way. Maybe it's because it was shabat, or because it was Saturday in a village. Woke up late, around 9AM. Trained, but I was feeling too tired and I don't know why. So I took a walk in the village, and ended up at Ahlan. Had some mint tea and read my book on minorities in the Middle East. The cafe was  busy today and as more people started walking in, I felt like I shouldn't be occupying a table for just a cup of tea. So I decided to leave. I'm no guest after all.

I was planning to explore more of the "pluralistic spiritual center" and it seemed like the best day to do it. I was still feeling sleepy and tired, could be the weather. On the way I saw Zekeriya doing some kind of a construction job next to a house. Apparently it was his friend Voltaire's. Yes, you read it right. Voltaire is not French, and he doesn't look like "Voltaire" at all. I asked about the cars that were parked along the road. Apparently there was some kind of a gathering at the spiritual center. Then I remembered Timou telling me about it. This happens once every month. People from Neve Shalom and from different cities get together to celebrate all religions. I don't know how they do that because the doors were closed and I didn't hear anything despite my obviously failed attempt to eavesdrop. Whoops. So went around the first building and found my way into the room of silence. It's a round structure. Well it actually looks like a giant golf ball with small round windows on the ceiling, like an old Ottoman hamam. Because of its round shape, I'm assuming, every bits of sound, your foot step, the cracking of the straw mat stool you sit on, "tut, tut"... You hear EVERYTHING you do, EVERY move you make. You really have to make an effort to keep it down. I decided to come here every morning, whenever available, to meditate. It's much better than my room. If not for the sound features, it has a better view for sure. It was getting cold after a while in there, so I had to get out and sit on a bench, conveniently situated for a panoramic view. I was reading my book when some people started coming out of the first building with plates in their hands. They were not talking to each other and all preferred to sit and eat alone. Curious. I left after a while. Timou said there's going to be a bonfire at night. I might join them.

Nothing particular about the evening except for a nice dinner with roommates and a very interesting and intense conversation afterwards with my third roommate Sousant in her room on Islam, religion, women in Islam, women in all religions, believing in god and some more personal stuff. Sousant is Palestinian, very smart, pretty, and she teaches at the elementary school here for couple of years now.

Later on I joined some people by the bonfire. Had some unimportant, but pleasant talks. OK, let's call it a camp fire. Didn't stay there long though, I was very tired and it was kind of cold today. I have to get ready for my second week at work. Excited to hear how the Jordan workshops went this weekend.