Today I learned how to say the days of the week in Arabic, and a bunch of verbs and nouns like refrigerator, to run, to walk, etc. Lots of Jiries' family members came and went throughout the day, stopping by to say hi and/or have some coffee (qafwey). In the afternoon Jiries and I went to a travel agency to meet with his niece Jane as well as George (the principal from the Shepherd's Field Greek Orthodox school in Bethlehem) and his daughter, and Jiries helped them fill out visa forms so they can come to the US for the Tree of Life Conference in November. It was quite a production. The encounter verified two observations I have come across; the first is that just because everyone is shouting at each other does not mean they are actually mad, that is how normal conversations are held. The second is that women here are bosssssy! As every dialogue progressively gets faster and louder, it is always the female who has the final word, and then man who backs down (sorry Jiries, it's true). Jiries told me a joke the other day that really summed it up: here, outside the home men act like they are the boss, but inside the home they are only a chicken.
This is keeping in mind that I am living in a predominantly Christian town. Beit Sahour, Bethlehem, and nearby Beit Jala are the three Christian towns in Palestine, and they are known as the "Christian triangle", or trinity. After the travel agency Jiries and I talked about the difficulties that Palestinians have when it comes to traveling. It is virtually impossible for them to move freely between cities, let alone countries. The people of my generation, Jiries pointed out, are antsy to leave this town with its old customs and traditions, and explore the world to meet new people and see other places. Because of the travel restriction they can't do that, so they just go nuts here (I know I would). That isn't just problematic for young people, however, and in order to go through the apartheid wall Palestinians need a special permit that is only given for specific reasons. Next week Jiries wants to bring me and Tata Huda to some places in Israel, but Tata Huda does not have a permit so on Monday we are going to the Israeli military office to apply for one. Jiries said whether or not her permit application will be accepted literally depends on the mood of the officer deciding. While we are there she will be picking up some medicine, so the special reason that will be on her application is medical necessity.
We also stopped by the Original Heritage Association for Women Center, where Jiries purchased some olives, olive oil, and various kinds of jam, all made by local women to raise money for female-oriented initiatives.
I would love to provide examples but the pamphlet I received is in Arabic (I'm not that good yet). The center is in one of the homes in the Old City of Beit Jala, which has walls made of massive rocks and some mystery dirt that keep them all together. The woman who showed us around was very friendly (I think, I suppose she could have been saying anything because I really couldn't understand any of it) and my Arabic was shameful. BUT, I am getting much better every day and people don't laugh at me as much when I try to have small conversations. Laughing at me is strictly reserved for Tuesday and Friday nights when I have volleyball games.
Speaking of which, I had my first one last night and Jiries took a few pictures. I did ok if you are wondering... I only knocked the ball out of the park once.
Getting ready enthusiastically!
Nermeen played too (sort of)!
If you look at the left side of the net, you can see a giant man about to smash the ball into me in the pink clothes with my unsure arms up maybe ready to block, not the ball but my face from being crushed...... The game got pretty intense.
I didn't know until yesterday, but Jiries' official position in the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) under Yasser Arafat was the equivalent of the US President's Chief of Staff. Before that he was a Palestinian ambassador in the US, Brazil, and Chile (where he met his wife- she was there for journalism work).
We went out to get pizza for dinner, which is where Jiries told me all about the importance of carrying identification at all times. I noticed his passport in his shirt pocket and asked if he brings it with him everywhere. He said that if Israeli soldiers come into the area (which they do frequently) they can ask anyone to show ID at any time, and if someone can't produce it then they are subject to detainment without reason for up to 6 months. Often times that 6 months is extended another 6 months, also for no reason. Jiries said approximately 5,000 Palestinians are currently in Israeli prisons without any charges. "For this reason," he said, "your passport is more important than your wife."Oh yeah, I know I told the TOL people at the reunion that Jiries and I were planning on going to Be'er Sheva today to see Amal and her school, but she rescheduled for tomorrow, then called today and rescheduled again for Tuesday probably.
Tomorrow, Jiries and I are going to the beach at the Mediterranean Sea in Israel. Jiries went to undergrad and grad school in the US and then continued to live there in Colorado and Ohio, so he has a US passport and therefore can go into Israel when he wants and also has a yellow license plate like the Israelis- Palestinians have white license plates. Monday I am working at the "university" (Tata Huda's senior citizens center) and on Tuesday or Wednesday depending on when Amal can meet, Jiries is taking me along him him and his niece and nephew (Nermeen and Loai) to the Dead Sea, where we will float around then climb up a mountain and swim in lakes along the way. Hooray!!
I have been learning a lot about the water issues here; get excited for an entire blog post devoted to meya (water) soon that will make you never take it for granted again.
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