Crossing the Barrier, West Bank/Palestine pt. 1

               About a month ago while I was on Facebook, instead of doing my hebrew homework, my friend Asma chatted me.  Asma was in Hands of Peace with me back in 2009 and she was a Palestinian Participant.  She had seen that I was in Israel and had then graciously invited me to stay in her home in Nablus, Palestine.  And well, knowing I had somewhere to go and somewhere to stay...guess where I just was!  If you guessed Palestine, you'd be correct.
               So this is going to be the first of two posts about my time in the West Bank/Palestine.  This first one will be more the social aspect; what I did, who I saw, the narrative version.  While after my much anticipated trip to Bethlehem, I will post the more observational, serious post about what I saw and learned while being here.  But for now, the fun stuff!

                The day was September 23, a Sunday and I woke up at 6:45 in the morning in my roommate's bed...sorry Dayna but I found a lil critter in mine and even though I killed it, was too scared to sleep there.  But, the thing was, I woke up completely drenched in my own sweat.  I had two terrible nightmares and because deep in my mind I knew the day I wake up is the day I go to Palestine.  Yep, West Bank Palestine.
                 Sorry for the language Mom, but I was scared shitless.  Of all people, I should know that it really isn't a scary place, that people just go about their lives, but c'mon it's still nerve-wracking.  But what was more nerve-wracking than anything else is the fact that I had to take 3 busses and a tram to get there, and the most important bus isn't even advertised or talked about.  So, yes, I took a bus from school to the Bus Station.  Then from the Bus Station in Tel Aviv, to the Bus Station in Jerusalem.  Then I took a tram to the Damascus Gate in Jerusalem where I had to sketchily walk to a hidden bus station for all busses to the Arab neighborhoods and West Bank destinations.
                  Now while on bus #18 to Ramallah, I was to pass a active and working Checkpoint called Kalandia Checkpoint, and that is where Asma and her mother were supposed to pick me up.  Of course, me being me, we passed on by and I didn't make the connection that that was where I was supposed to get off...so here I was riding straight into the city.  After having a random palestinian woman talk to Asma on the phone in Arabic (because she didn't speak english), I got off at the Ramallah bus station, waited a few minutes and was officially on my way to Nablus.
                  We drove for about an hour, but then in Nablus we were.  I met Asma's adorable little dog and brother, friend and best off another HOP kiddie named Hiba, who happens to be Asma's cousin.  We took the car and just went driving and happened to catch one hell of a sunset.

                  Monday, Asma and I met her friends for some coffee and tea but the kicker was going to their relative's house.  Asma and Hiba are both related to, basically, the richest Palestinian guy and essentially the 44th richest Arab in the world.  His big mansion just happens to be in Nablus, and we just so happened to have a little photo shoot there.  For more pictures on the house, stalk my album, but seriously, it's gorgeous.

                  Tuesday we went to Tulkarem for the day.  That's where the majority of my friends from HOP are from and one of my friends there arranged a little meeting for all of us.  Asma and I took a Palestinian equivalent of a "sherut" to Tulkarem and met up with all my HOP friends for lunch and then a tour of the city.  Other than seeing them all, the coolest thing was seeing where they all got "their start".  By getting their start, I mean the english teacher that runs her own little school for english classes and really instills going to programs such as Hands of Peace and Seeds of Peace in her students.  On one wall of the classroom, there were about 8 paper hands with the names of her students who had participated in Hands of Peace, and on another wall were maybe 30 or so paper hands of students who have applied for Hands of Peace.  She too is an American, but moved there about 25 years ago because she married a Palestinian man.  In the picture below is the teacher in red and all my friends that came out to visit.  The boy on the far right, in the red, I actually hosted back in 2007.

                    Wednesday was by far one of the most interesting days on this trip.  I can now officially say that my first University/College course I have ever attended was in Nablus.  Hiba goes to the University here in Nablus and we thought it would be cool if I checked it out.  Now, if you thought I got stared at a lot while I was in Israel, than you would never have believed this.  The night before, Asma, Hiba and her mom played dress up with me so that I wouldn't look too provocative.  Girls already wear long pants and things that don't show your chest, but since I only wore leggings, we had to be extra sure that my butt wasn't showing and my chest was really covered.  As we walked in the school, I counted at least 10 guys obviously staring.  I got multiple compliments and serenades as I walked by, but my favorite was when someone would try to be sneaky and curse at me...well hmm the only words I know in Arabic are swears so I guess that didn't work...

                      But overall, this was a fantastic week.  Learned a lot.  Saw a lot.  And to be completely honest, I'm coming back.  To Nablus, Tulkarem and hopefully Ramallah.  In the grand scheme of things, it wasn't that hard to get there, and now sitting in Haifa, it wasn't terrrrriblleeee getting back in, so I'll deal with the return checkpoints just because I liked it so much.  Remember my next post won't be a narrative, but more on what I saw in contrast to the Israeli way of life.      

No Words

         This post is going to be relatively off the record.  Because this is a post that doesn't concern what most of you think is the biggest factor about Hands of Peace.  I don't care if you're pro-israel or pro-palestine.  I don't care if you're Christian, Muslim or Jewish.  I don't care if your heritage is that of the Middle East.  The one thing I care about is the relationships you build in the program, that of sisterhood, friendship and mutual love and respect.
          Thing is, I never really explained my love and interest for the country that is Israel and why I am here.  And to make this post even more meaningful, I really should explain.  For those who already know, this is just a re-fresher.

           In 2003, 3 women launched a peace program based in Glenview, Illinois called Hands of Peace.  It was a peace program that focused solely on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the idea of co-existence.  This program involved 4 different delegations; Israeli, Palestinians in the West Bank, Palestinians in Israel and Americans.  For about 2.5 weeks, these 4 delegations would spend the morning having dialogue about the conflict at hand, and the afternoons were like most and every summer camp in the area.  The kicker was that it was all locally done.
           Unlike other programs, all the teenagers and staff from the Middle East were placed with host families. Because this was a non for-profit organization that was just getting started, families in the area would have the teenagers stay in their homes to save money.  Other local events were that there were downtown days in Chicago and Hands of Peace picnics and parties.  And ever since that first year, it has still all been locally done.  Right smack dab in the middle of Glenview, Illinois and more and more host families as the years have gone by.
            Although most of you know that I personally participated in Hands of Peace in the summers of 2009 and 2010, my family was one of the first host families back in 2003...when the shirts were red, not purple.  And we have been ever since.
         
            So, I was 7 years old when Hands of Peace and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict entered my life.  All I knew was that these two teenage girls were going to be staying in our house for two weeks and my little sister was going to have to share a room with me.  Little did I know that from that day forward,  my life was going to change forever...as cheesy as that sounds.
            In 2003 we hosted two teenage girls.  One was an Israeli teenager from Ashkelon, while the other was a Palestinian in Israel teenager from Haifa.  Their names were Shira and Natalie.  And from day 1, they were the big sisters I never had.  We would do each other's hair, have dance parties in the basement, watch movies, go to the mall, have censored boy talk around me and my little sisters and more.  I would wait at home until they got back from all the cool Hands of Peace activities they did just because I wanted to hang out with them.  I asked them questions upon questions about their lives and their homes and I would say over and over again about how I couldn't wait to visit them.  But the coolest thing they showed me as my older sisters, was that they "weren't supposed to like each other", but at the end of the day all I heard was "mi amor".  They showed me what true friendship was all about.
             Needless to say, the end of Hands of Peace in 2003 was a very vivid day in my memory.  I cried like no other and probably just looked like a stupid 7 year old.  But at that time, Hands of Peace was the best thing that happened to me.  Ask any person from that year and they'll remember those 3 little girls that ran around a lot.  I finally had two cool older sisters, that spoke cool languages and ate cool food and now they had to leave.  All I wanted them to do was officially move in my house and be my big sisters forever.

               This was the last day of the whole program, just hours before they boarded the busses back to the airport.  That picture was taken 9 years ago in my front yard.  Shira has her head tilted against my head, while Natalie is touching heads with my sister Nonie.  And fun fact, the shirt I am wearing was the original Hands of Peace shirt; they switched to purple the second year of the program.
                After they boarded the bus, we didn't know what was going to happen next.  Was there even going to be a Hands of Peace next summer?  Well luckily for us, I got one of my original big sisters back in 2004.  Shira came back as an XL, but Natalie was still back in Haifa.  It was another summer I will never forget, but after that the years bunched up.  I loved each and every girl that came through our house like they were my big sister, but nothing was quite like that first year.
                I counted the years until I was allowed to be in the program because to be perfectly honest, I wanted to be just like them.  I wanted to be as good of friends with someone, like they were.  And I wanted just wanted to be those cool teenage girls that they were way back in 2003.  And in 2009 I got my chance.
                I did the program in 2009 and 2010 as an XL.  And I got my wish.  Hands of Peace has some pretty intense moments, but at the end of the day we were all best friends.  With a hug every morning and a hug every night, there was no denying that each and every one of those people were my friends.  It didn't matter what beliefs you had, what religion you practiced or where you lived, at the end of the day we were all just teenagers trying to have some fun.  And after they get on that bus, just like back in 2003, you never know what was going to happen next.

                Well as you all know, I'm here in Israel.  In between the semester starting in October and Hebrew class ending about a week ago, I have no school.  So I am taking this time to see a lot of Israel.  This week, i've been in Haifa trying to catch up with as many friends as possible.  I got to meet up for ice-cream with a great friend from 2009 that I haven't seen since he drove away in that bus.  I got to really know George's family and see another friend I haven't seen since that bus ride in 2010.
                 But the kicker and the best part of this whole week is the person who's bathroom I'm sitting in writing this while she's sleeping.  After 9 years of no visual contact, scarce facebook inboxes and a couple phone calls later, I'm with Natalie. And I can't thank God enough for the opportunity and the utter joy I feel staying in her home and meeting her family.
                 Yep, that's right, Natalie.  My big sister, my role model and idol.  The girl who told me that Spanish music is prettier than English music.  The girl that used to dance and sing with me in the basement.  The girl that was mountains taller than me is now hosting me in her home.  The moment I walked out of George's building and gave her a hug, I got tears in my eyes.  And to be honest, just writing this is making me cry.  I never ever knew if I would see her again.  I never knew if that bus ride was going to be the end of the road for us and I would only get to hear from her through facebook comments.

                     So, if Hands of Peace did one thing for me, it was that it made reunions like this possible.  And like this, I mean meaningful.  Someone could go 9 years without seeing relatives and generally just feel a neutral sense of joy, but this...this is something I will hold with me forever.  My big sister and idol is once again my big sister and idol.  Hands of Peace created bonds and relationships completely indescribable and that only tears can really describe.  She means the world to me because she was the basis of everything I am doing now.  I would never have come to Israel or done Hands of Peace if she didn't give such a lasting impression on me.  I would have never thought of caring about conflicts and situations in this world if it weren't for her.  

                    And now at 24 and 18, things are pretty similar.  She is giving me advice and telling me stories about her life.  She doesn't know my thoughts on anything and she doesn't ever need to ask because at the end of the day, she's just my big sister. 

             
Hands Of Peace  <---Click the link, you won't be disappointed
       

Tiberias and Birthday Fananza

One of the best things about living in Chicago is that you get the best of both worlds when it comes to summertime fun.  We have a beach AND it's a fresh water beach!  Don't get me wrong, I love the beach in Tel Aviv, but nothing is worse than that itchy feeling you get after being in salt water.  So what did we decide to do, visit the Kineret (Sea of Galilee) naturally!

The Kineret is the biggest source of fresh water Israel has and also has the city Tiberias along the shore line.  So last Thursday 3 of my friends and I made reservations for my first hostel experience and hopped the bus to Tiberias.  After 3 hours and a beautiful sunset later, we got off the bus at the Central Bus Station in Tiberias, Israel.  We walked to our hostel, locked our door, walked around and found dinner.  It was good Falafel.  We walked around some more but ended up on the balcony of our hostel for a real relaxing evening.

This is Tiberias

We had check out at 10am the next day, but that was the best time to head to the beach anyway.  We stayed for a good 2 and a half hours and got to swim and lay out.  Not going to lie, stepping in fresh water was like having a slice of Gilson Beach...except not with as great of a view (picture below).  We again got some falafel for lunch, walked by and in some ruins and caught a bus back home.

I came back just in time Friday night for a shabbat dinner with my roommates.  Dayna had her friend, Cincy, over from Bar Ilan for dinner.  Seriously, nothing like a good family dinner. 

Sunday, I finally got to register for classes for the semester!!  Took long enough, but I do know the latest a class can start is 10:15 am and I'm going to be getting a lot more sleep.  Abroad and I get to sleep in, what could be better?

But the best part about this week was the double birthday celebration!  Apart from my birthday being on Wednesday, it was Dayna's on Tuesday!! A bunch of us went to dinner Tuesday night and at midnight they started singing happy birthday to me.  This random guy on the boardwalk handed us a balloon for our birthdays and we passed the Birthday Torch! 

That day I got the best surprise I could ask for!  I went to the mail room to see if other mail or packages had come through.  To my surprise, the one and only Vicki P had sent me a care package, full of my favorite things.  I know it wasn't for my birthday exactly, but for it to apear on my birthday was pretty damn great.  So shout out to Vicki P for being one special gal!

Later I went to dinner with May and when I came back home to the dorms was surprised by my roommies and a friend with some toaster-oven-chocolate-peanut-butter cupcakes.

And now with having had my last day of Hebrew Class, a month off has never sounded more amazing.  I already have plans to go to Haifa, Jerusalem, Bethlehem and more.  See some old friends and have some life changing experiences. But no worries, my laptop will be on the road with me because there's no way I could go a month without saying anything!

An American Type of Week

Gotta say, I went a long time before I started falling into an American mindset.  I tried to live like any Israeli up until this week, but there are just some things I can't help but be a true American about.

Thursday (the Israeli Friday) I went to a basketball game! Israel vs. Montenegro. Israel lost... but it was fun!  My friend, Ericka, and I grabbed a flag and took a picture infront of the court before 3 groups of 12 year old boys wanted pictures with the two blonde Americans in the stadium.  If you didn't know any better, you'd probably think we were celebrities!

Friday was actually a very enlightening day. It was the first day I really did much on my own.  I went to the beach with friends, but they all went back to the dorms while I stayed back to wash up at May's house before I left on my own meet my friend for a quick hang out.  I walked down Ben-Yahuda/Allenby street to find one of my favorite people, Elias from Haifa.  It was a nice slice of familiarity again, before heading off the May's boyfriend's birthday party.  It was fun, but to be honest, the best part of the evening was coming back to my room.
     And with that, I have to say...for the first time since being here, I actually thought "ahh, I'm home". Yes, home.  Nothing felt better than walking into our kitchen and grabbing a glass of water and just sitting down, in my home.  And to add to that, two of my best friends were on Skype.  Now because they're in school, it's harder to catch up especially with the time change.  Before, I was the only one gone and the only one living a separate life, but it's finally hit me that everything really will be separate from this moment on.  Seeing them in their dorm rooms, naming names I've never heard of, and going to collegiate games was truly a wake-up call.

Saturday I called mommy dearest at home solely to tell her that I'd like to skype with our home TV so that I could watch the Notre Dame football game.  I did end up having a good phone conversation with her, but not until I told her I needed some good ol' college ball.  Oh and they won 50-10.

Sunday (the Israeli Monday) I bought Oreos, Pringles and a Snickers bar...all things I have not had nearly enough of while I've been here.  But we also ventured to a lovely place called "Mike's Place".  While I was at the beach with two friends, we got to ranting about certain foods that just don't but should exist here.  This lead us to walk multiple blocks to "Mike's".  While I may just call it heaven on earth, it is also known as the American bar/restaurant in Tel Aviv.  The food is American style, with only English Menus and an American owner.  There was a pool table and best of all...Bacon Pizza! And to top it all off, there was a Cardinals World Series Flag.

Overall, I do love Israel and I wouldn't trade being here for the world, but every once and a while, it's nice to have that little taste of home.  I'm just happy to know where to go on SuperBowl Sunday!