Celebrating New Years Day in Ramallah? Anta Mejnoon?

Celebrating New Years Day in Ramallah? Anta Mejnoon?

(It reads: On this earth what makes life worth living- a poem title of Darwish)

I told one of my friends from the U.S. that I was going to visit the the West Bank. “Go with God”, he said. The implication here is that I would be in physical danger. Interestingly enough, before I visited Ramallah I had strange visions of being followed as an American in the West Bank- perhaps seeing a run down van barreling toward me filled with armed men intent on ending me, or abducting me.

I made an excellent friend on New Years Day in the West Bank, Karim. I told him that I was a little intimidated to come to the West Bank because I thought it might be dangerous. “It is too bad that people are afraid to visit here. It is an unfortunate side effect of the rhetoric used by those in power”, he said. When I told him my friend gave me a blessing of safety he said even in that joke there is an element of truth.

It wasn’t a joke, I assured him.

I studied Conflict Transformation for two years. About a third of that degree was intentionally digging into my own history, my community, my own narrative, and unearthing the stereotypes that I have about others. After unearthing the stereotypes I had I strove to become intimate with them. Stereotypes and labels of others- these are things I was not proud of, but I had to recognize them and own them for myself.

During my studies I wrote a self reflective essay On the word Nigger where I explored when I heard the N word dropped as a kid growing up in the rural South. In what context was it used and how did the word and actions associated with it frame my world view? These questions were very important for me to notice how stereotypes create a haze of unconscious choices and behaviors when confronted with people from the “other” or enemy group.

So, I was surprised that I walked into the West Bank with so many stereotypes and odd expectations. I thought that I was capable of being aware of my assumptions and stereotypes about the “other”, but I found that these working stereotypes were effectively making me run on auto pilot in regards to the West Bank. I was scared to visit the West Bank for my own safety. After being in Israel for five months I finally went into the West Bank only after someone I knew and trusted took me there.

(Central Market, Ramallah)

Where did my fear of being hurt in the West Bank come from? Why didn’t I seek to become intimate with these stereotypes- to talk to people in the West Bank- to read and research other people’s experiences?

It is an important question for all of us. How much of our fear of another group comes from a secondary source vs. direct experience? My fear of visiting Ramallah stemmed mainly from the huge concrete barrier between the West Bank and Israel.

It was a subconscious deductive exercise. I like Israelis → Israelis treat me kindly → Israelis have a wall somewhere → walls keep out danger and dangerous people → to go on the other side of that wall is stupid

Perhaps this exercise is a bit simplistic, but you can pose the question to yourself. Would you go to Ramallah (assuming it is legal for you to do so)? What would keep you from going? How did you reach this conclusion? What are the sources for your decision?

The question is more than just personal exploration or an academic exercise. If you can get yourself to Ramallah, by all means get there! It is a fun and vibrant city that is filled with warm and kind people. Everywhere I went people said “Welcome to Ramallah!” and even looking like you are lost will attract people who are willing to help you out.

I can’t finish this essay without mentioning the Chinese food. Not in all of my days have I had better lo-mein than in Ramallah. The backlava and shwarma wasn’t too shabby either.

(Mmmmmm Hamporgers!)

Around mid-night on Dec. 31^st I found myself walking toward the center of town, which is a traffic circle strung up with lovely lights and 3 prominent statues of lions. I was hoping to make the New Year memorable, but it was my first night in Ramallah so I didn’t quite know what was happening.

As I made it to the center of town I saw that there was a good majority of the town here, waiting for New Years. Right around midnight the traffic circle was filled with cars bumper to bumper. Then the horns started. It was quite invigorating to hear over a hundred cars blaring their horns- and then everyone there started clapping, dancing, and singing the same song. “Happy New Year!” many people around me shouted, recognizing that I didn’t know Arabic.

(Ramallah’s Center)

No orchestration, no plan, no big shiny ball, just people being in the same place at the same time using their voice and body to celebrate the new year. As my earlier feelings of danger and suspicion began to dissolve, I felt safe, and I felt welcomed by the people of Ramallah.

View high resolution

lettyt:

Visiting Ramallah, in the West Bank, was an amazing thing for me, and it destroyed some of the stereotypes and stupid assumptions that I still had (despite how much I think I know) about Palestinians and the West Bank.

Ramallah is an extremely safe, extremely modern city. Terrible things still happen (this last weekend, for example, two Palestinians died—one after a protest, probably from tear gas inhalation, and another after attacking Israeli soldiers at the border & being shot), but overall, Palestinian people are not interested in violence, and the city of Ramallah reflects this. People are interested in living their lives, and they do not seem to spend their time hating Israel and being religious fanatics—Ramallah is loud and crowded and alive with everyday stuff. In Ramallah, despite the impression you might get from television that lumps together all of the Arab world, women and men both walk the streets in equal numbers, women and men drink and smoked together in coffeeshops and bars, people dance, people celebrate in the streets at the New Year, and people shouted happy new year to us in English, as we were clearly not from there and they wanted to welcome us. When we said we were from the States and that we lived in Tel Aviv, people were friendly. It is not a weird, violent, or scary place. If you are ever in the Middle East, please visit Ramallah—it’s a wonderful city and could use a boost in the travel industry.

We spent hours walking and drinking with a new friend of mine who just returned to Ramallah after ten years abroad and, inevitably, as we live in Israel, the topic of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict came up. My friend K is incredibly educated in the topic, and, as a Palestinian himself, has some insight into the way people feel in the West Bank. People don’t hate Jews, he said. People resent Zionism and they resent the Israeli government’s actions (bulldozing houses, building a wall within territory that was supposed to be Palestinian territory, etc). Like anywhere else, Palestinians are able to separate the people from the government.

I wish that Israelis could be allowed to go to the West Bank. I understand the fear—there is a whole history here that can’t be ignored—but keeping people separate means that they make up stories about how to understand each other. The blanks get filled in by news reports about deaths and radical announcements from Rabbis on one side and Imams on the other, neither of which accurately reflect the way that actual people feel. If Israelis could come to Ramallah, they could see that it is basically like Tel Aviv—modern, interesting, and friendly.

More pics later.

Summary of the last 4 months ya’ll! (I miss my banjo!)

(Me in Central Tel Aviv, You see the huge Azrieli shopping center in the back)

My first three months in Israel have been full of learning, activity, and cultural exchange. My studies began in October. I am taking Hebrew classes four days a week from 8:30 to 10:00 AM, followed by my M.A. in Crisis and Trauma Studies courses until 2:00 or 4:00 PM, depending on the day. Hebrew class is wonderful- My wife and I go together and we are excited about our language progress so far. After only three weeks of full class we can read and write basic words, and last night I had a very rudimentary conversation with someone on the phone who could not speak English.

In preparing to come to Israel I read up on the current events, state of the conflict, and attractions in Israel. I also had a very dear friend here who helped me to prepare to live here and even helped me to locate an apartment. Now we are neighbors in Jaffa and we get together often to celebrate Jewish holidays and to travel, and I am also volunteering for a program that she directs called Kids 4 Peace.

My M.A coursework is very engaging. So far I am looking into the origins and effects of domestic violence in families and learning about appropriate interventions for victims of trauma. I am taking 6 classes on trauma and crisis; all of my instructors are very experienced and have prepared very engaging courses. I am in class with people from all over the world, including Israel, the U.K., Switzerland, and Australia. Two very interesting points in our M.A degree is that we have monthly site visits to organizations working with victims of trauma, and we are required to find an internship as part of our coursework. The site visits will take us all over Israel, and so far they have been very illuminating. Each site has a different focus on population and intervention, but all sites are working with people who have experienced some sort of traumatic event.

We have visited sites that deal with domestic violence, immigration and refugee trauma, prisoners returning to the community, as well as teenagers who are in very bad living conditions. Visiting these sites gives me the opportunity to know what challenges are unique to Israel and common to the U.S., but more importantly I am learning from the experience of others of how to intervene and make a difference in the lives of those who have lived through trauma.

I had already arranged an internship prior to coming to Israel, and luckily it met all of the criteria for my graduate studies, so I am continuing the internship with Aikido Without Borders that I started back in September.

Aikido Without Borders (AWB) is a non-profit registered with Israel. They are utilizing the non-violent martial art of aikido to bring young Israeli and Palestinians together for joint training and discussions about the greater conflict. The three pillars of programming are training in the martial art, leadership training, and community building. I have several responsibilities in both capacity building and direct service for AWB. I work on program design, publicity and internet marketing, and fund-raising. I have done quite a lot of work in the area of fund raising, over the last three months I have, in conjunction with the other staff, created a grant proposal to begin our project, identified several foundations that will likely be interested in our project, and condensed the grant proposal into a short letter of inquiry. I have also submitted the letter to a few foundations.

Also, I have worked closely with the executive director to build program goals for the new Young Leaders program. The next step is to create a monitoring and evaluation plan so that we can measure our progress and program outcomes. As a volunteer teacher for AWB I have been traveling out of Tel Aviv to teach aikido to at risk Arab youth in Lod, Israel. I am working with teenage girls that come from poverty and broken homes to teach them confidence and increased body awareness through the martial arts. My work with AWB has been very exciting and I feel very privileged to be involved with this project during its infancy. We have developed a very innovative program model that empowers Israelis and Palestinians on the grass roots level to take initiative in the peace process.

(Zach working with youth in Israel, Photo taken by Jens Okum)

I have given four official presentations as a Rotary Scholar, and I have attended four local Rotary meetings, with a fifth coming up in Haifa Israel on December 12^th. I am also in discussion with the Rotary clubs of Lod, Haifa, and Jaffa to give a presentation at their Rotary meetings.

In my first month I gave a presentation to the Tel-Aviv/Jaffa Rotary club describing my family, a bit about the state of Oklahoma, and my reasons for choosing to study in Israel. My second presentation was given during a trip to Egypt. I gave a presentation to Israelis and Egyptians about the significance of poker in the U.S., complete with a tutorial on how to play the game and a few friendly rounds. My third presentation was given at an Aikido dojo in Israel where I spoke about the transmission of Aikido from Japan to the United States and how it is being used today in the U.S. to work with at-risk youth. My fourth presentation was just two weeks ago at the annual Israeli conference- I spoke about my course work and my volunteer work with AWB, and I was able to give a portion of my presentation in Hebrew.

I am also planning on screening a movie about rural poverty and the significance of Southern country music in the U.S. and speak about my own family and experience as someone who grew up in rural poverty. Beyond these formal presentations I have had many opportunities to share with folks I encounter from day to day that I am here studying as a Rotarian Ambassadorial scholar- many people I share with have not heard much about Rotary and are interested to learn more about the clubs and the foundation.

I have to say that culturally Israel is incredibly diverse. While it has been said that living in Tel Aviv is like living in a “bubble”, I can still see many different ways of life. In Jaffa, where I live we have many Arab neighbors and shopkeepers, but once you travel 3 or 4 minutes into Tel Aviv proper you see fewer and fewer Arab shopkeepers. It was really neat in September to see all of the Ramadan lights out in peoples windows, and now in December you can see as many Chanukiot (or Manoras) out now. As well you see Jewish people from the whole spectrum of Judaism- from the obviously orthodox men and women to the obviously Buddhist. I was surprised to see so many mosques and Muslims in Israel. I live next door to a muezzin (prayer caller) so I get to hear the call to prayer 5 times a day. Adding to this incredible diversity is the influx of Ethiopian refugees and immigrants in the last 10 years.

(Me in Old Jaffa- such a cool city!)

Perhaps the most interesting cultural revelation I had came as I began to experience aggressiveness or rudeness. In Israel people will cut in front of you, they will tell you to move, they will bump into you if you are in their way. There is very little please or thank you, and sometimes you have to go and find your waiter or waitress in order to be served or to get the bill. Having been here for about four months I am beginning to see it isn’t aggressive and it isn’t necessarily rude, it is being assertive. My Hebrew teacher Hava helped me to see exactly what was going on in class one day. A student asked “How do you say I am sorry”. Hava responded, “In Israel we don’t say this so much. We are not all the time saying I’m sorry I’m sorry, or excuse me. We decided that as we developed our society that we would not be so polite as we were in Europe, and that we would not be pushed around any more. So we are assertive, and we watch out for ourselves.” This is to say, that Israelis may seem a bit gruff or pushy, but at the same time they are saying “I won’t be subjugated any longer- I won’t be a victim.”

Given that one of the major impetuses for the creation of Israel by the United Nations was the persecution of Jews in Poland, Germany, and Italy (among other nations) during the holocaust, it follows that your newly created society would include assertive and outwardly strong behaviors. This also explains the saying I have heard a few times “In Israel you have to watch out for yourself.”

Overall my wife and I are adjusting very well and really admire Israel. My wife is a writer and she is plugged in with an English speaking writing group- this allows her to meet many interesting writers and thinkers in Israel. As well, one of my good friends has been inviting us to regular Shabot meals where we get to meet with wonderful Israelis and share some amazing food. We have visited Jerusalem, Lod, and quite a bit of Tel Aviv/Jaffa.

Of course, since we live in Jaffa we know this area pretty well so far and are beginning to become acquainted with the challenges that this mixed population poses. Still, even with some minor challenges and set-backs we are both very happy with our time in Israel and are very grateful for the Rotary Ambassadorial fellowship!

Cultural differences, ya know?

“yeah, they have a different culture”

“We are not formal in Israel.”

“We are not aggressive, we are assertive.”

“We will test you, and if you know what you are talking about, then we will follow you.”

I went to a state-wide Rotary conference today in Holon, Israel. I had the opportunity to share what I have been studying and doing since my time here. It was nice to notice in myself a sense of calm-confidence in presenting to a group of 150 people or so.

More interesting than my inner confidence, I think, was my willingness to say what came to me, rather than sticking to my notes. Of course, I had a general frame, but I surprised myself by being open to speak from my heart.

However, more interesting that these two realizations, was the crowd and the meeting itself.

Given that the entire meeting (save my presentation) was in Hebrew, I was much more cognizant of the mood in the room and what was happening non-verbally.

In order to know the norms of your culture, you really need to see another’s culture in action.

At this meeting (and I was told later it was typical)- the audience was very vocal and interactive with the presenter. Members would stand up, disagree, agree, ask questions, crack jokes, poke fun, and so on.

At first I did my U.S./American thing of looking strangely at the person who interrupted the speaker, but as I looked around I saw that no one else was confused or perturbed at this person. And then it happened over and over, at least 10 or 15 times throughout the day.

“Ariel, in the states you can’t just ask questions in the middle of a presentation, but it seemed normal here”

“Well, we are always told that there will be questions at the end, but the presenters always fill up the time and we can’t get clraification, so we ask on our own.”

It was really interesting to see how someone would stand to challenge the presenter, there would be an escalation in the discussion, both people would say “Beseder!” (OK), the challenger would sit, there would be a wave of quick discussion throughout the room (I assume it was everyone else quickly sharing what they thought of the presenter’s answer) and then the presenter would simply carry on, unshaken.

Unshaken, being the operative word there- if someone were to stand up and challenge me in the middle of my presentation I would probably freak out and start crying, but time and again the presenters today treated it like someone asking for directions- normal as milk.

For instance here is a scene from today that I remember pretty well-

(Presenter A)- Something something something youth exchange program- (moves on to next slide)

(Person B)- Lama Lo? (why not)

(Person C)- Ken! Lama Lo? (yeah, why not)

(Presenter A)- (doesn’t hear, moves on)

(Person B)- LAMA LO!!! (WHY NOT!!!!)

(Presenter A)- (Looks over, calm as day) Ma Lama Lo? (Why not what?)

(Person B)- Lama lo (something something something)

(Presenter A)- Hakoul Yeladim levekesh cessif (All the kids get money)

(Person B)- Beseder!

(Person C)- Beseder!

(Crowd)- Something something something

(Presenter A)- (Moves on)

In the states the person who shouted would have been severely looked at! Maybe even arrested..who knows. And to ask your questions you have to wait till the end of the event and then form a line at the microphone.

In Israel you stand up and state your position- you test the holder of knowledge more directly. I kind of like it! I’ll have to try it in the States someday ;)

Jerusalem, Yerushalayam…Marhaban ;)

Wow- so I just got back from a day long journey to Jerusalem.

A major city for all three Abrahamic faiths- and you can really see why it is so important in today’s world. I mainly visited the old city and the Armenian quarter. It was wonderful exploring the Holy Sepulchre, where, according to Letitia, a church was built upon the tomb of Jesus Christ.

So, if that is true, I was near the tomb of Christ today…kind of a big deal, I’d say!

I hope to get to know Jerusalem much more deeply during my time here. It is an interesting city, to say the least, and seems to demand more from you if you want to go beyond a tourist level of knowledge of the city.

By chance I ran into a director of a non-profit that does “alternative tourism”, that is to say, tourism with the purpose of expanding your knowledge of the conflict and its impact on the lay people. The director was very open, and sat down with Letitia and I to talk. I think he is going to help me find some language classes in the West Bank- which I am very excited about! The director, as well as our cab driver, was quick to tell perfect strangers what they thought of the conflict. The director did make an interesting comment about Abraham- “You have to remember that Abraham was a womanizer. He had sex with one women and gave us Islam. He had sex with another woman and gave us Judaism. He started all this.”

Here I was thinking people would be guarded with their opinions, or uninterested in talking about the conflict- it seems to be on the tip of everyone’s tongues.

I, however, am concerned about voicing my opinions as a stranger here…is it my place to say what I think when I actually live in the culture? I am still thinking this one through….

Shabot and great Israeli food!

It works out so wonderfully that I get to have Shabot dinner every now and then with dear friends.

Shabot, as you may know, begins on sundown on Fri. night and ends on sundown on Sat. night.

Shabot dinner is a lovely tradition. You start it with prayers, and Challa bread and salt. There are conflicting stories about Challa and salt, but my favorite is that salt was significant for leaders of families and tribes to symbolize peace at a gathering…interesting!

Anyway, enough about salt, because Challa bread is where its at! You get some challa bread and dip it in eggplant mouse…and then Judaism makes perfect sense! If you live near a baker or a kosher store you owe it to yourself to try this out!

The dinner is also great because it has more significance than just a “dinner”, there is some gravity to it, though it is not solemn in any way. Even people who aren’t interested in practicing Judaism recite prayers at Shabot dinner. It is a part of Israeli identity, I would say. To be invited to this wonderful tradition is a lovely treat (not to mention all the great food!).

Some of my favorite dishes have been light pastas, lasagne, quiches, and awesome things to dip pita in.

Come to think of it…the three families I have visited for Shabot have all been vegetarian! Interesting…

Learning at the school house! ;)

I took a trip to see the University where I will be working on my…ahem…2nd Master’s degree ;)

Sounds kinda silly to me…I never thought I’d go back to school after finishing my bachelor’s, and here I am about to start a 2nd M.A. program!

Tel Aviv University is quite lovely! Very impressive buildings, grounds, and…security.

You can’t get into the university without being questioned and searched…

This building is near the Bob Shapell School of Social Work, which houses my program in Crisis and Trauma Studies.

Lovely campus! These trees are actually date trees…there are mounds of dates under each one!

So why go back to school? Partly it is because it is a requirement for my scholarship, but mostly it is because I am interested in the causes of trauma and the methods that heal it most effectively.

I think, for instance, about the scene in the film Patton where he visits the medical tent to improve morale for the wounded. Amongst the men with missing limbs, eyes, and severe flesh wounds is a soldier, fully clothed, shaking on the bed. Apparantly shell shocked (today we would call it PTSD I think).

“What is wrong with you?”

“I don’t know sir….I just can’t do this…I just can’t take it.”

Patton then slaps the soldier in the face, calling him a “goddamned coward” and screaming at him that he was a disgrace to every wounded soldier in the tent. He kicked him out and sent him back to the fight.

Patton obviously never studied the appropriate methods of trauma healing ;)

Back in Oklahoma I met up with an old friend who had been in the Navy 5 or so years. When I told him that I was going to look into trauma healing he said “When you are done, please come back and find me.”

This really touched me deeply. People really get why this study and this work is important. I am even more excited about this degree after visiting campus. The program is going to have weekly practicum workshops and monthly site visits. The goal is that we come out of the program ready to practice. This is really exciting for me!

A touching sculpture on TAU’s campus…perhaps it is looking at the broken pieces…or traumatic moments….of its life?

Yay for Martial Arts!

Last night I went to my 2nd Aikido (Martial Arts) class here in Tel Aviv.

It is a bit of a hike/bus ride to get there, but it is always more than worth it! Check it out here: www.integralaikido.org

The first class was called Aiki Contact, which is a sort of free form laid back class that seems to lack any martial applicability, though it allows you to more fully explore the mechanics of your own body. It was very helpful to me.

In particular, we did an exercise where you had to lay on the floor- completely limp- and allow your partner to grab your limbs and move you around. They could push your torso, move your head, lift your legs, all sorts of stuff. It was pretty playful, but I noticed how much my body gets charged when someone puts their hands on me. The bio-electricity that gets exchanged during physical touch is quite remarkable- but to look closely on how that impacts you on an individual level- it takes a quality teacher to bring that out. I really enjoyed it.

One of the main points of Aikido is to not be forced to move by anyone- to be in your own space so that you can choose to move when it is approrpriate. Last night’s class helped me to see how even the lightest of touch brings out a strong reaction in me. This helps me to see that in a martial situation I would still be strongly influenced by the movements and intentions of an aggressor…which is helpful information for me.

The second class was straight-up Aikido. We did a great variety of techniques- wrist throws, entering throws. What I enjoy about this school is the emphasis of fluidity and blending in every attack- It is going to be a great place to learn and grow in Aikido.

I also saw two 3rd level tests- seeing the students also made me excited to be a part of this school, in particular because of the weapons training! I have to get out there ASAP for the weapons classes :)

On retreating

Today, I fully acknowledge, I retreated.

And damn your eyes; it felt good ;)

I retreated from the country of Israel happening all around me.

This is an advantage of the modern man- to steal away and retreat within him (or her) self with all sorts of digital media.

Not that I felt any great pressure or frustration, it simply made sense to take a “me” day and play video games in English and drink Heneikin beer (Thanks Tisha!)

These are things that are familiar and comfortable to me…

Not to say I am uncomfortable living in Israel, at least not yet, after 6 whole days :). But, I thought, if I can, I will stay in doors and play video games and have a few beers and unwind.

When I am fully immersed in a video game or a movie…I forget where I am. Certainly, this happened today.

So, I suppose, the challenge is, how do you balance a healthy dose of comfort with avoiding challenge? Challenge must come with living in any new culture or country- so I need to make certain that I am in the country; in the culture, even when I feel challenged or frustrated.

Still- shooting Zombies in an English speaking video game feels damn good ;) And cold beer does not hurt at all.

Settling in somewhat (the 5th day)

\Wow- the 5th day is coming to a close- the 5th day in a new country-

Israel comes with so many connotations for people….stronger stereotypes than I think for countries like Denmark, the U.S., or South Africa (to name a few). What comes to your mind when you think of Israel?

Conflict? Religion? History? Future?

Maybe something else?

At any rate, I am finding it more and more interesting to be in this country, and I am more and more grateful for the chance to be a student of the culture here thanks to a generous scholarship.

Today I took two trips with my wife to the local grocery store. I hope to expound on that statement more fully…but I wont be able to relate every interesting thing that happened on my shopping trip ;)

The grocery store is not the only (or the best) place to buy food. Here, as it used to be before the corpiratization of food sale and supply, food is sold by individuals, not faceless companies who put a manager in charge of their supermarket. Here you can visit with the person that you buy your green beans and plums from; you can find out where he gets his food from, what his religion is, why he opened up his food stand.

And if you find his prices to high or his personality displeasing, you can move on to the next stand.

To me, the personal connection to my sustenance is somehow refreshing, and beautifully human. I’ve experienced it somewhat in farmer’s markets in the states, but not to the degree that I felt it today.

And yet, nothing super remarkable happened- I bought some pork chops, some wine, some noodles- but navigating the isles, hearing the young men shout out deals I didn’t understand, waiting in line as kids and adults pushed me around-

This is the market. This is how the market should be.

This is only a reflection of how the market should be- even in Jaffa, Israel, the market is growing more and more sterile.

In 10 years it will probably be like Homeland in Oklahoma or Krogers in Ohio- Sterile.

(I.E. Devoid of Bacteria)

Devoid of Bacteria? Is this how the market should be?

We recoil at the thought of bacteria on our food- a friend from Thailand once told me that his family chooses to buy the food that the bugs had touched because that means that there isn’t as much poison on it. I suppose our only choices are between poison from pesticides or bacteria from decay.

At the market in the U.S. you would never touch someone else…and if you talked with a stranger it would feel weird (You might think there was a con-artist out to get you or something!). In Jaffa going to the market is a very communal affair.

I like it that way! It is a communal thing to go to the market!

Somehow we (I speak for a number of folks I know in the U.S) have grown so afraid of others that the only time we want community is on our own terms and in a controlled environment.

Anyway, I am rambling- I was just struck today buying food how intimate and communal the market is in Jaffa. I really had fun today even though people cut in front of me and yelled deals that I didn’t understand.