Opal, Tony and Internships…
June 22, 2005
I have too much to write tonight, and I don’t have time to write it. But, last night I walked from Bethlehem to Beit Sahour after getting a tour of the Nativity Church (on accident) and being told that a silver and opal necklace was really worth $150 US dollars and that I definitely needed this.
Hmm.
And then there was my new friend Tony, who invited me to this house for tea this afternoon. It was really really awkward, and I think I had a hard time differentiating between genuine Palestinian hospitality, and being hit on by a Bethlehem hair-stylist.
And then there is my internship - I played soccer with kids today and hung out with Rami, a very cool guy. I loved our time together, but…I had to ask myself - what am I going to leave the Middle East with? I came here with two goals:
1) To learn more about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict
2) To learn more about interfaith dialogue (primarily within the Christians and Muslims)
I feel like if I spend all summer playing soccer with kids, I don’t know how I’m going to be accomplishing these goals. So, I am not sure what that means for my internship, and for the rest of my time here, but I have a feeling I am going to be taking the initiative more, and hooking myself up with more and more contacts, traveling more around the area, and doing my own research and interviews. Hopefully. I’ll definitely keep you updated.
Arabic is still hard. Of course, it doesn’t help when you’re nodding off and falling asleep and then you open your eyes and your Arabic professor is looking at you, asking you a question in Arabic.
Yah, that doesn’t work…
Tags: Bethlehem, Middle East, Palestine
Posted in Politics
Adam Walker Cleaveland: 
June 22nd, 2005 at 6:04 pm
IMO, playing soccer with the kids might not be too bad of a way to learn more about the culture — if you take advantage of chatting with the kids during breaks and after the game. (I’m assuming we’re talking children here, although I suppose the same would hold for young adults.)
You’ll get a much better perspective on the conflict, I believe, by talking to people in the context of their daily lives, IYKWIM.
Good luck staying awake during Arabic. I remember popping Vivarin before my post-lunch Psych class (which was fascinating, but still…) back in the college daze, um…days.
June 22nd, 2005 at 9:30 pm
you might be up against a cross-cultural thing. as americans, we’re wired to get stuff done, and stay on task, but sometimes in a different place, you get at the task differently and start to soak things in via relationship or atmosphere. it takes a different kind of listening/presence. and. it drives me crazy! :) my african friends have to remind me i’m acting like a white lady or an american about once a week! :)
hang in there. you’re probably getting closer to your goals than you know. kids are tiny microcosms for culture everywhere.