Palestine Summer's blog

We were sitting in a restaurant in silence. It wasn't that I didn't know what to say--I just didn't know how to say it.

"How-how," I stammered. "Do you have so much--"

"Hope?" Before I could finish my sentence, Rana found the word I was searching for. "If we didn't have hope we couldn't live here," she said. "Not like this anyway."

A shop in the Old City of Jerusalem features the slogan “Peace in the Middle East.” Immediately following is a big fat question mark and about four little cartoon men hysterically laughing. They mock my passions, my devotions, and my time spent in the Israel/Palestine. After of month of life in Bethlehem, behind the wall that is encircling the West Bank, I still have hope. Please don’t laugh at my dream of peace in the Middle East; it is not childish, foolish, or impossible. It is neither naïve or uneducated. It is real.

I am finding that in the few free moments I have to sit down and write about my time here in Palestine, I am at a loss of words. Perhaps because it takes too much mental, emotional and spiritual energy to write about my experiences here. When I first arrived, I wanted to shout about all the injustices I see here , to expose what is really happening on the ground: what the rest of the world just can't see through such the limited lenses of the media.

Security: I had a much easier time with security than some of my other friends. I’m not sure why, although I have to admit I was a bit shameless with my flirting. Actually, having gone through the security system with an ‘average’ experience, I can appreciate how Ben Gurion Airport is the most secure airport in the world.  Israel is admitably in quite a vulnerable position.

The second session of Palestine Summer Encounter is complete. I said my farewells to the friends I’ve made and I’m now welcoming new friends joining us for the final session of the summer.

I can’t even begin to describe my experiences in Palestine. The simple act of setting foot in the Holy Land was overwhelming for me. I found myself discouraged and confused and completely at a loss for how to cope, with the loud talking in a language I didn’t really grasp. Luckily, PSE and Holy Land Trust did a fantastic job of helping me and other volunteers get over the culture shock of a completely different mentality. Through language classes, weekly lectures and a fantastic support group, we learnt a little more of makes Arab lifestyle so mesmerizing.

So here I find myself welcomed back into the Middle East once again. My host family is great! Arab hospitality is even more than its reputation likens it to be. There’s nothing like hearing the call to prayer, being honked at by every taxi driver recognizing you as a foreigner, getting food poured onto your plate until you really can’t eat another bite, and listening to the sounds of vibrant Arab life. The days wear me out because my senses are constantly being bombarded and overloaded by the surroundings.

Hey all. Thanks for taking the time to read. Things have gotten even better here with the arrival of the group I am in this past weekend. As I mentioned earlier, I came 10 days early to meet up with family before my summer program begins.

So in response to comments in my log, I'll try and better detail a typical day here. I won't be able to capture the small details which together encompass what has made this a totally eye opening experience for me; however, I'll do my best to give a broad survey.

by: S.M. - 2005

So in response to comments in my log, I'll try and better detail a typical day here. I won't be able to capture the small details which together encompass what has made this a totally eye opening experience for me; however, I'll do my best to give a broad survey.

On behalf of our municipal council, it gives me a great pleasure to extend a warm welcome to each and everyone of you and to thank you for the volunteer spirit that has brought you to visit our town of Bethlehem.