Ups and Downs
A week and a half left… How did that happen? I finally feel as if I’ve adapted to Nablus, and the thought of leaving is sad. We’re just at the point where we’ve begun to create real friendships with the locals here and are understanding our role in the community.
Last weekend we took a trip to Haifa, in Israel. It’s a mixed city though - Palestinian women wearing the hijab sit in the shade on the beach watching their children play next to Israeli children and their mothers in bikinis. It was really amazing to see the contrast between this city, where people get along for the most part, and a place like Hebron, where Palestinians literally have rocks thrown at them daily.
Our hostel was on Ben Gurion Avenue right near the Baha’i Shrine, which is gorgeous. We spent one day relaxing on the beach and enjoyed the restaurants that evening. The next morning we headed out early to Ramallah in order to meet my friends, the Muallems. I met Claire Muallem, the mother, last year. She works at Catholic Relief Services, where my uncle worked for three years. I was invited last summer to a lunch at their home in Aboud, and this year the family invited me back along with my friend Joel. Since it was Shabbat, we had to take a sherut to Tel Aviv, a second one to Jerusalem, and then a third bus to Ramallah, where Claire’s son Basheer met us to take us to About, which is another 45 minutes from Ramallah.
I loved my visit with the Muallams - it was definitely one of the highlights of my trip. They are so incredibly kind and generous. Claire gave me homemade soap that is made from the olives in her husband Ibrahim’s beautiful garden. We had Palestinian meat pastries, half a chicken each piled on top of rice with vegetables and salad, grapes and almonds from the garden, tea, lemonade, more tea, more fruit, cakes… It was incredible!
Basheer and his brother Issa showed us the cistern they are building - they used to take water from a well close to their house, but that land was taken by a nearby settlement so now they don’t have enough water for their garden. The cistern will store water from the winter rainy season so Ibrahim can supply the family with more of his amazing fruits and vegetables.
The Muallem’s cousin Abeer showed me her house, which is from the 1930’s and also has an impressive garden. I was so touched at the hospitality of everyone i met - they treat me like I’m a member of the family too. Claire broke my heart by calling me “habibti” (loved one) and thanking me for sharing their suffering with those I know in America. The family also offered for me to stay in their home if I ever wanted to study at Bir Zeit University for a summer course.
We had such a nice time seeing their home, the goats they keep (soon to become another of Claire’s delicious meals…), and learning how to crack almonds off the tree. We left with handfuls of grapes off the vine.
On Sunday I began my third job - working in a summer camp. It reminds me a lot of the camp I used to work at in my hometown. The kids are rowdy but adorable, and they’re so energetic and curious about me and the other international workers. We just play lots of games, do arts and crafts, and run around like crazy.
Monday was a holiday here, so we went to Jenin for the day. We had hoped to see a play at the Freedom Theatre, but unfortunately our bus was quite slow and we missed it. It was still eye-opening to see Jenin, which has dealt with a lot of Israeli invasions in the past few years. The destruction was saddening. I had a slight mishap when I was informed that my lovely yellow skirt turns see-through in the sun, but luckily my friend Jennifer had a scarf I could borrow to tie around my waist, avoiding any serious problems. In the evening, Audrey, Leigh, and I went out to dinner for our first time in Nablus. We went to the Yasmene Hotel in the Old City and had an amazing time on their balcony talking and reflecting on our time here. I’m going to miss these girls so much! It’ll be strange not to live with them anymore.
On our walk back home after dinner we ran into the City Center and realized how Nablus is celebrating their month-long “Shopping Festival” - with outdoor concerts every night and a festival in the street. The whole city was out to enjoy a Palestinian singer, so we enjoyed wandering through the streets and eating some kunafe (a sweet that Nablus is famous for). The previous Saturday, Nablus set the world record for the largest kunafe - it was all over the news here and people stampeded the kunafe once it was announced fair game for all to eat. The people here were so joyous to have an event to celebrate. At the same time, we felt as though it might be superficial progress - Netanyahu allowing a small event in order to avoid the bigger issues. But seeing the excitement throughout the city made us push that thought aside.
It’s amazing to see the character of the city revealed to us. It’s now our home away from home, and I don’t want to leave just yet!
