...weather-wise. The whole week was nice and warm, so I though it'd be nice and warm on Saturday as well. But now it's quite chilly outside. I'm worried about the cats who became unbelievably shameless, impudent that they scratch me and try to climb up my pants whenever I get out. Although I find it cute, I now see that I made them this way. It is my fault, yes. I most certainly spoiled them.
So IF it doesn't rain tomorrow, I want to go to Tel Aviv. Jerusalem has to wait until it gets a little bit warmer, because that city is way too windy for me to go there when we're expecting rain already. A car would have made things so easier for me but I'm excited about staying at a hostel in the old city of Yafo or Jaffa.
It was very busy today at the school. The same group of facilitators came for a 3-day workshop. That means I'm going to have to get the presentation ready tomorrow morning, but after 9:30AM, I'm determined to, at least, try going to Tel Aviv. One of the future-facilitators told me they're going to meet every Thursday from now on. So I hope I get to talk to this guy who was in the flotilla sent after the Mavi Marmara incident. Just curious. Didn't get a chance to talk to Halim about our short discussion yesterday either. He was very busy with his lecture. But when we do, I think it'll also expand our other discussion about taking sides and being biased.
Friday, January 7, 2011
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Day 23-24-25: My research is taking shape, I suppose?
I know I said I meant to write every day but when there is no significant progress or anything important to tell you other than my usual routine, it makes me feel like this whole blog/journal thing is becoming too mundane, as if I'm just writing for the sake of writing. And that's not the case. Anyway, from my 23rd day until today, I spent most of my time at school, working on bunch of things, including reports, the FGHA's website, looking for some job openings in the States, reading my book about the U.S. Middle East Policy...
Yesterday though, I had a wonderful training session. My core is still so sore, including my butts. I like it when the butts feel sore. It was after everybody left, the outside was dark and kind of chilly, I finally found a nice pair of speakers. Then I started training.
How nice! Mestre Barrao's singing Preto Velho. How much I missed hearing the berimbau on the speakers, laud and clear. I put the volume to the highest, worked on my kicks, and especially the RDA, Mestre Chuvisco's voice in my ear continuously saying "Higher kick, Cigarra!" I miss my group. And it felt so wonderful, my walk back home under the stars in this beautiful peninsula.
Too poetic? WELL, I FELT POETIC THAT NIGHT, ALL RIGHT?!
Moving on to today. We had very cool guests from a Dutch NGO that operates in Jerusalem and Bethlehem. They're also doing encounter workshops with Israeli and Palestinian youth. This is not so different than our programs here. But apparently their workshops are at least for 10 days where the youth get to enjoy sports (mostly team sports) activities together during free time. Like sailing... (How about some capoeira for the minds and the souls, right? Yeah, I'll talk to them.)
I'm becoming more and more curious about the quantity and the quality of these encounter workshops, ngos on almost every street corner in Israel and Palestinian cities (I don't know about Gaza.) Is there any progress? What do they do? How do they do it? If there isn't any significant progress, why is that? Roughly.
We talked about several different issues, on being a foreigner and being involved in these youth encounters? What is the initial reaction or during the workshops, of the people to the fact that they are foreigners, with no considerable link to the land, nor any of the people? Apparently they haven't had any serious issues pertaining to their identity. Some groups may actually find it relieving. I think one of the biggest challenges that they might be facing is the language barrier. All participants are supposed to express themselves in English. So recruitment is another issue, related to that. Halim said, being able to speak English is not the indicator of having something valuable to add or having the will to contribute to a social change. Sofi, one of the Dutch people, said that in the past they had participants from Holland, Belgium as well, among their Israeli-Palestinian bunch. Also an Ethiopian Jew, and a Dutch Eritrean. I would like to talk to them about these interesting additions and how they affect the whole concept and the outcomes of the workshops.
We also talked about concepts like oppressor, oppressed (passive) as opposed to obedient (active) who can become disobedient. And the responsibility of the oppressed to free the oppressor as well. I need to read more on this one.
Also talked about the Jewish identity an the Palestinian identity and how these may clash in almost all the workshops. The stages of an encounter study. Again roughly it seems to follow a route where first both sides "attack" each other with several accusations. Both groups feel like their identity is falling apart. Then comes the demoralization, thinking how impossible it is to understand each other and solve this problem. Than in most cases, out of hopelessness comes hope, dialogue, cooperation, empathy, will to do something together to change the current situation. Israeli group deals with the fact of being oppressors and how they take responsibility for that while Palestinians challenge themselves with the brutal facts about the suicide attacks, violence and how they should take responsibility for that as well. Tough.
I have so many examples I can share here and I have a feeling that what I have said above is not representative enough of the issues we touched upon. But one of the things that actually me and Halim had discussed at the meeting will be a serious topic for me. Although I won't be talking about it here now. Not now. Because I need to talk to him about it first. I need to make sure I understood him correctly and if so or if not I'm going to need him to explain it to me again. So that we can continue the discussion and I can share it with you here. Otherwise, I wouldn't want to say anything that he actually didn't mean. I think it's a delicate subject. Curious? HAH!
We had a fun grocery shopping tonight. ILOVEDRIVINGINISRAEL! That looks like a fine sticker to me. It's me and Timo and his friend from Germany, Svivo, I think? I'm very very bad with names. He's a nice guy though, working with children with mental disability in Cologne. He makes good food (vegetarian) and he cleans the kitchen thoroughly each time he cooks. He even takes care of the leftovers, puts them back in the fridge, all finely covered and whatnot! Very rare in my experience. Anyway, I made some pasta for all of us, now I'm in my room, getting ready to sleep.
Another good news is that I set up an appointment with Gidon Bromberg of the Friends of the Earth Middle East, thanks to my professor back in Miami. I have to be fully ready for this interview. Also I will be visiting this Dutch group in their offices and it'd be great if I can film the interview. Oh yes.
Yesterday though, I had a wonderful training session. My core is still so sore, including my butts. I like it when the butts feel sore. It was after everybody left, the outside was dark and kind of chilly, I finally found a nice pair of speakers. Then I started training.
How nice! Mestre Barrao's singing Preto Velho. How much I missed hearing the berimbau on the speakers, laud and clear. I put the volume to the highest, worked on my kicks, and especially the RDA, Mestre Chuvisco's voice in my ear continuously saying "Higher kick, Cigarra!" I miss my group. And it felt so wonderful, my walk back home under the stars in this beautiful peninsula.
Too poetic? WELL, I FELT POETIC THAT NIGHT, ALL RIGHT?!
Moving on to today. We had very cool guests from a Dutch NGO that operates in Jerusalem and Bethlehem. They're also doing encounter workshops with Israeli and Palestinian youth. This is not so different than our programs here. But apparently their workshops are at least for 10 days where the youth get to enjoy sports (mostly team sports) activities together during free time. Like sailing... (How about some capoeira for the minds and the souls, right? Yeah, I'll talk to them.)
I'm becoming more and more curious about the quantity and the quality of these encounter workshops, ngos on almost every street corner in Israel and Palestinian cities (I don't know about Gaza.) Is there any progress? What do they do? How do they do it? If there isn't any significant progress, why is that? Roughly.
We talked about several different issues, on being a foreigner and being involved in these youth encounters? What is the initial reaction or during the workshops, of the people to the fact that they are foreigners, with no considerable link to the land, nor any of the people? Apparently they haven't had any serious issues pertaining to their identity. Some groups may actually find it relieving. I think one of the biggest challenges that they might be facing is the language barrier. All participants are supposed to express themselves in English. So recruitment is another issue, related to that. Halim said, being able to speak English is not the indicator of having something valuable to add or having the will to contribute to a social change. Sofi, one of the Dutch people, said that in the past they had participants from Holland, Belgium as well, among their Israeli-Palestinian bunch. Also an Ethiopian Jew, and a Dutch Eritrean. I would like to talk to them about these interesting additions and how they affect the whole concept and the outcomes of the workshops.
We also talked about concepts like oppressor, oppressed (passive) as opposed to obedient (active) who can become disobedient. And the responsibility of the oppressed to free the oppressor as well. I need to read more on this one.
Also talked about the Jewish identity an the Palestinian identity and how these may clash in almost all the workshops. The stages of an encounter study. Again roughly it seems to follow a route where first both sides "attack" each other with several accusations. Both groups feel like their identity is falling apart. Then comes the demoralization, thinking how impossible it is to understand each other and solve this problem. Than in most cases, out of hopelessness comes hope, dialogue, cooperation, empathy, will to do something together to change the current situation. Israeli group deals with the fact of being oppressors and how they take responsibility for that while Palestinians challenge themselves with the brutal facts about the suicide attacks, violence and how they should take responsibility for that as well. Tough.
I have so many examples I can share here and I have a feeling that what I have said above is not representative enough of the issues we touched upon. But one of the things that actually me and Halim had discussed at the meeting will be a serious topic for me. Although I won't be talking about it here now. Not now. Because I need to talk to him about it first. I need to make sure I understood him correctly and if so or if not I'm going to need him to explain it to me again. So that we can continue the discussion and I can share it with you here. Otherwise, I wouldn't want to say anything that he actually didn't mean. I think it's a delicate subject. Curious? HAH!
We had a fun grocery shopping tonight. ILOVEDRIVINGINISRAEL! That looks like a fine sticker to me. It's me and Timo and his friend from Germany, Svivo, I think? I'm very very bad with names. He's a nice guy though, working with children with mental disability in Cologne. He makes good food (vegetarian) and he cleans the kitchen thoroughly each time he cooks. He even takes care of the leftovers, puts them back in the fridge, all finely covered and whatnot! Very rare in my experience. Anyway, I made some pasta for all of us, now I'm in my room, getting ready to sleep.
Another good news is that I set up an appointment with Gidon Bromberg of the Friends of the Earth Middle East, thanks to my professor back in Miami. I have to be fully ready for this interview. Also I will be visiting this Dutch group in their offices and it'd be great if I can film the interview. Oh yes.
Monday, January 3, 2011
Day 22: Being productive is sometimes exhausting, gah!
Or it might be due to the fact that I went to bed late last night, like around 1. Not good. But then I was determined to finish the Hebron posts, which I did. But in the mean time I worked on some stuff for the SFP as well. Some sort of report on the Jewish and Palestinian women journalists workshop. Then I read my book on the American Middle East policy in the 80s in the courtyard. It was sunny and warm today.
Then Yael told me about Dulce Pontes coming to Tel Aviv this month. Alas, tickets are mad expensive. No way I can afford it. We decided to wait for our favorite Mariza, a Portuguese fado singer. I saw her in Carlos Saura's wonderful documentary Fados for the first time, in Miami. She made me cry, well, the whole film made me cry. Borrowed a Mariza album from Yael to mae a copy for myself.
Also, I should check if Yasmin Levy is around. Wouldn't be great to see her live in Israel? Yes, it would. :)
Then Yael told me about Dulce Pontes coming to Tel Aviv this month. Alas, tickets are mad expensive. No way I can afford it. We decided to wait for our favorite Mariza, a Portuguese fado singer. I saw her in Carlos Saura's wonderful documentary Fados for the first time, in Miami. She made me cry, well, the whole film made me cry. Borrowed a Mariza album from Yael to mae a copy for myself.
Also, I should check if Yasmin Levy is around. Wouldn't be great to see her live in Israel? Yes, it would. :)
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Day 21: It's getting complicated...
Not my days in Israel. They couldn't have been better (that's a lie but I'm certainly enjoying my time here!). I'm talking about my Hebron entry, or rather my Hebron essay. :S There are so many details and the more I look into one, I come up with more. And I absolutely don't want to get stuck in one issue or one region this long. But the more I try my best to carefully avoid writing erroneous things or unthoughtful opinions, avoiding a fierce language, the longer it takes. How do you reach the truth about Hebron by visiting the city just for a day and listening to one source only? It is very important for me to elaborate on the important points and some insights, and to cross check everything as best as I can, research more, talk to other people if and when possible. So I'm glad that I filmed most of the trip. What I did was, I checked the time codes of each footage and ordered them chronologically. This certainly facilitated the frustrating obsession of mine, of trying to remember EVERYTHING. The videos in this order helped me to fill in the gaps between footage and in a different dimension, relive the whole experience, in so far as I am able. So this is why I'm quoting Isaac, our tour guide verbatim. I think this is important. Also I'm looking up online to find mostly newspaper articles or news stories to back up his words or to express my confusions. And yet I'm still not sure if this is enough and if by doing that I'm merely complicating the whole thing?
There are many stories, small stories like the one in Hebron. But dynamics are different and small details of each story make huge differences for me. Both sides on this land had suffered so much, before and after the state of Israel. Before and after PLO and Hamas. So many people whose sole purpose is to continue their lives as humanely as possible, wish to be left alone in peace, all these people are being wasted away in the middle of this nonsense wrangle, controversy, rivalry, this your prophet my prophet, my land, oh no I was here first, the history has showed... blah blah blah. While is easy to ask what it is that they cannot share, keeping track of these knots over knots is becoming a harder task for even academics, the knots are reshaping the Middle East and I can't seem to understand the pattern. There is nothing rational but the cries of people in Palestine and Israel who condemn racism and inequality, and who know so well that they can live together.
Why am I here? Why did I come here in the first place? What do I want to see, long to see, expect or curious to see here? To know, to claim? Claim my own responsibility. Is it too crazy to say that I want to be responsible of the world as a whole? I should elaborate on that this week.
So, nothing different than my previous days happened today. So instead of repeating myself, I decided to type some thoughts I have been writing down in my Israel journal. Briefly though, I finalized the report for the Nablus organization. A report on 3 Palestinian kids they provided medical help for. This is the same organization whose website I'm editing. While working on the report today, I needed to double check with Halim about the spellings of some names and medical terms. He laughed at me and my care for accuracy, for being meticulous, I think. He said, "You're so americanized, you do your work like an American," whatever the heck that means. Not sure if he was appreciating my carefulness or just teasing me. But it's a strange comment, coming from someone who only knew me for less than a month, has no idea about my "before-americanized" period, if there is such thing. I asked him why he said that, based on what. He didn't say, or rather perhaps he couldn't say, the words escaped him. I don't really worry about it at all, nor I am pissed at him. It's just, I found the comment peculiar, interesting. Halim is a good man, sensitive, passionate, and he puts his heart into everything he does for the school, and for peace he obstinately believes in. What is academic caution or attention to me, looks like something American here perhaps? Not sure why. Anyway. It was a beautiful day. Meeting the director of the sports center this week, finally. It seems like I can use the space whenever I want as long as I know where the school teacher is who has the keys to the center in her possession. I'm ready to be her best friend. :p
There are many stories, small stories like the one in Hebron. But dynamics are different and small details of each story make huge differences for me. Both sides on this land had suffered so much, before and after the state of Israel. Before and after PLO and Hamas. So many people whose sole purpose is to continue their lives as humanely as possible, wish to be left alone in peace, all these people are being wasted away in the middle of this nonsense wrangle, controversy, rivalry, this your prophet my prophet, my land, oh no I was here first, the history has showed... blah blah blah. While is easy to ask what it is that they cannot share, keeping track of these knots over knots is becoming a harder task for even academics, the knots are reshaping the Middle East and I can't seem to understand the pattern. There is nothing rational but the cries of people in Palestine and Israel who condemn racism and inequality, and who know so well that they can live together.
Why am I here? Why did I come here in the first place? What do I want to see, long to see, expect or curious to see here? To know, to claim? Claim my own responsibility. Is it too crazy to say that I want to be responsible of the world as a whole? I should elaborate on that this week.
So, nothing different than my previous days happened today. So instead of repeating myself, I decided to type some thoughts I have been writing down in my Israel journal. Briefly though, I finalized the report for the Nablus organization. A report on 3 Palestinian kids they provided medical help for. This is the same organization whose website I'm editing. While working on the report today, I needed to double check with Halim about the spellings of some names and medical terms. He laughed at me and my care for accuracy, for being meticulous, I think. He said, "You're so americanized, you do your work like an American," whatever the heck that means. Not sure if he was appreciating my carefulness or just teasing me. But it's a strange comment, coming from someone who only knew me for less than a month, has no idea about my "before-americanized" period, if there is such thing. I asked him why he said that, based on what. He didn't say, or rather perhaps he couldn't say, the words escaped him. I don't really worry about it at all, nor I am pissed at him. It's just, I found the comment peculiar, interesting. Halim is a good man, sensitive, passionate, and he puts his heart into everything he does for the school, and for peace he obstinately believes in. What is academic caution or attention to me, looks like something American here perhaps? Not sure why. Anyway. It was a beautiful day. Meeting the director of the sports center this week, finally. It seems like I can use the space whenever I want as long as I know where the school teacher is who has the keys to the center in her possession. I'm ready to be her best friend. :p
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Day 20: Clean
Clean because 20 is a simple number, not thorny like 17 or 16, or 7. January 1st is my 20th day here in Israel. And the whole day was as simple as a 20. I had to open the school and start the workshop that started last Friday. Today was the last day. I'm glad I said yes to this responsibility for it allowed me to wor on some stuff, lots of writing and reading. Then training. And it was raining. Also I moved into my new room, much nicer than the first one, with a working a/c unit, with a much better bathroom. The cats are fed, the courtyard is broomed, Hebron entry is yet to be finalized. I missed a lot of people last night and today. But felt happy and thankful for having them. Tomorrow is work day. Wishing myself and everyone a productive, healthy and active year, full of love.
Friday, December 31, 2010
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Day 18: Not gonna get sick, no.
While my other self keeps writing the Hebron entry, I'll briefly explain what happened today. It all started with me being overly concerned about getting sick. Since I was stupid enough to bring nothing but a light sweater with me yesterday in J'salem and Hebron, and since it took me hours to warm up my body after I got back home, one simple sneeze freaked me out this morning. But so far, I'm doing all right. So I guess this time I dodged it.
Today it was as cold and cloudy as yesterday and that didn't make me happy. I don't like not being without the sun. However, despite all these, I enjoy the short walk from my house to the school. I climb up a hill to get to the iron gate. Actually two gates, that are tied to each other by a chain. I manage to slide through the gab between the doors of the gate. I'm tiny, and I still don't have the key to the chain lock. The doors are closed until noon, until the kids are back home. It is there to protect them from reckless drivers. Then I pass the bird house. So many of them! Mostly doves, and some parrots and other colorful wingy wingies. Right before the school, I pass by the guard, a devout Jew, whose job it is to lock and unlock the gates on both ends. Whenever I pass him by, he's reading either Torah or some kind of another holy text. He rocks back and forth, murmuring in Hebrew. But every time I tell him boker tov (good morning), he manages to squeeze in a boker tov for me between his prayers or whatever he's reading. No smile yet.
The school was pretty busy today. There was an encounter workshop between Israeli Jews and Israeli Arabs. Halim and Yael wanted me to take pictures during and in between meetings. I gladly did. First they had two uninational meetings, and then two binational discussions. They started it yesterday and I believe it will continue tomorrow, until noon. I have no idea what they're speaking about but I sure will ask Halim and Yael about the details. There were some delicate moments as far as I could tell from the faces and the tone of the voices.
Mouna left for Germany today, and I was at the meeting when I was supposed to meet her by the hotel to say good bye. I'm taking her room but I think it has to wait until tomorrow. I'm tired and I sure have to clean the room before I move in. I'm wishing for a sunny day tomorrow, and safe flights to everyone tonight.
Fatin Mali
Today it was as cold and cloudy as yesterday and that didn't make me happy. I don't like not being without the sun. However, despite all these, I enjoy the short walk from my house to the school. I climb up a hill to get to the iron gate. Actually two gates, that are tied to each other by a chain. I manage to slide through the gab between the doors of the gate. I'm tiny, and I still don't have the key to the chain lock. The doors are closed until noon, until the kids are back home. It is there to protect them from reckless drivers. Then I pass the bird house. So many of them! Mostly doves, and some parrots and other colorful wingy wingies. Right before the school, I pass by the guard, a devout Jew, whose job it is to lock and unlock the gates on both ends. Whenever I pass him by, he's reading either Torah or some kind of another holy text. He rocks back and forth, murmuring in Hebrew. But every time I tell him boker tov (good morning), he manages to squeeze in a boker tov for me between his prayers or whatever he's reading. No smile yet.
The school was pretty busy today. There was an encounter workshop between Israeli Jews and Israeli Arabs. Halim and Yael wanted me to take pictures during and in between meetings. I gladly did. First they had two uninational meetings, and then two binational discussions. They started it yesterday and I believe it will continue tomorrow, until noon. I have no idea what they're speaking about but I sure will ask Halim and Yael about the details. There were some delicate moments as far as I could tell from the faces and the tone of the voices.
Mouna left for Germany today, and I was at the meeting when I was supposed to meet her by the hotel to say good bye. I'm taking her room but I think it has to wait until tomorrow. I'm tired and I sure have to clean the room before I move in. I'm wishing for a sunny day tomorrow, and safe flights to everyone tonight.
Fatin Mali
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