Thursday, October 18, 2007
Bethlehem
The first real team acitivity: A trip to Bethlehem! 
With nine people we had a real fun ride to our destination, with loud dubka music, the guys singing and clapping, as well as the girls, and a broadly grinning driver who was visibly enjoying the energy of his customers. We made a small stop at the campus of Al Quds University, where I also got an impression of the Wall. A second stop was at a point where you can see the Dome of the Rock and everybody took pictures, as the Palestinians under 45 years are not allowed to go to this third holiest place for muslim
s. 
s. 
We went to the Church of Nativity, where we could see the place were Jesus was born and were he slept. A guide also showed us a krypt where one can see the supposed remains of the children Herodes had killed after receiving the prophecy of a new born king.
After visiting a mosque and a short walk through the old city everybody was tired from the hot day and we went to a nice restaurant, were we stayed for over three ours to enjoy the very good food and to wait for the service to take us home. As the girls were late to arrive home, they had the good excuse that we had to wait at a checkpoint...
Hiking Trip
Five hours of hiking through the mountains around Ramallah was a great activity last sunday. With a group of Palestinians and Foreigners we started at 5.30 am and took a service to get to our starting point. When we started walking, we could watch the sun rising.
The harshness of the land with hardly any trees and not much green in general has a certain beauty! Furthermore, I was very happy to get some exercise. Although that was stopped quickly for a long breakfast, everybody had brought something to share with the others. While we were eating among olive trees, the farmer was harvesting. Then we went on and were challenged by a step and long descent. The views were marvelous!
As I am in Palestine, politics can never be evaded. The trip was awesome and there was some kind of peacefulness, being away from the city and its noises. But instead of reaching the starting point in ten minutes via the direct road, we had to pass by some villages, because the main road is open to Jewish only and secured by several checkpoints. During the hike, we could see two settlements and the new extension of one. These settlements or not only illeagel in international law, the land they use is never even bought. Furthermore, our second break on some beautiful rocks was acom
panied by the soft humming of war planes invisible to us in the sky. 
I was amazed, that although the land looks rather dry, most of the hills show terraces, built by farmers. Some are not farmed, but probably have been used for centuries or even millenia by the peoples in the holy land and the variuos rulers of the region.
Monday, October 08, 2007
Ramallah Nights
During Ramadan, you start the evening with the fotor/breakfast with your family or friends. That is the best time of the day, if you want to have a walk in really empty streets or to withdraw money from the ATM without standing in a line.
After eating a huge amount and chatting a lot with your guys, people start filling up the street, the shops open again (after the owners have eaten, too) and men go to their favorite coffee bar to meet with other friends, smoke argela/shisha and play cards. Often, the TV is running with a
very famous sirian telenovela about palestinian live fifty years ago. The guys watch it and get quite excited when there are Bud Spencer-style fights.
Guys? What about the girls? Well, traditionally they stay at home. Some meet in places like icecream bars, where both sexes are accepted. And, of course, there are the places for international palestinians and the expatriate community of consultants and volunteers. You can find drinks from many places, establish a lot of private and business contacts and sometimes there are life concerts. Or you are surprised to find the place full of french people watching a rugby match againt New Zealand!
That night we could hear some shots in the streets. People started phoning other people to get information. Supposedly, people from a refugee camp in Ramallah shot at the palestinian police. That led to three israeli jeeps patroling through nightly Ramallah. It also led us to stay a bit longer in the bar and take a taxi home instead of walking.
Tonight (monday) is the holiest night during Ramadan, it is the Al-Kadar night/destiny/night, when the prophet Mohammad received parts of the Quran for the first time (correct me, if am wrong here). So, many people try to get to Jerusalem to pray in the Al Aksa mosque, imagine the long lines at the checkpoint... Normally, only arab men older than 45 years and of course isreali Arabs are allowed to enter Jerusalem.
Salam from Ramallah
After eating a huge amount and chatting a lot with your guys, people start filling up the street, the shops open again (after the owners have eaten, too) and men go to their favorite coffee bar to meet with other friends, smoke argela/shisha and play cards. Often, the TV is running with a
very famous sirian telenovela about palestinian live fifty years ago. The guys watch it and get quite excited when there are Bud Spencer-style fights.Guys? What about the girls? Well, traditionally they stay at home. Some meet in places like icecream bars, where both sexes are accepted. And, of course, there are the places for international palestinians and the expatriate community of consultants and volunteers. You can find drinks from many places, establish a lot of private and business contacts and sometimes there are life concerts. Or you are surprised to find the place full of french people watching a rugby match againt New Zealand!
That night we could hear some shots in the streets. People started phoning other people to get information. Supposedly, people from a refugee camp in Ramallah shot at the palestinian police. That led to three israeli jeeps patroling through nightly Ramallah. It also led us to stay a bit longer in the bar and take a taxi home instead of walking.Tonight (monday) is the holiest night during Ramadan, it is the Al-Kadar night/destiny/night, when the prophet Mohammad received parts of the Quran for the first time (correct me, if am wrong here). So, many people try to get to Jerusalem to pray in the Al Aksa mosque, imagine the long lines at the checkpoint... Normally, only arab men older than 45 years and of course isreali Arabs are allowed to enter Jerusalem.
Salam from Ramallah
Thursday, October 04, 2007
Ramadan
It is this bang of a cannon that really starts the day. It is the signal for sunset (around 5.35 pm), the muezin starts calling and people are finally allowed to start fotor, the breakfas
t, as it is the first meal of the day during Ramadan. During the day: No food, no drinks, no zigarette, no sex. Nothing is allowed to touch the lips.
So around 4 pm everybody gets hectic to prepare for the great occasion of the evening breakfast, doing the last shopping, rushing home to start eating on time. Those who missed the sohor, the night meal at 3 or 4 am are especially eager to reach home...
Yesterday, after the first team meeting with the students of Birzeit university we went to a public fotor at the university, sponsored by the mobile phone company Jawwal. Just imagine around 1 to 2000 very hungry students pressing to get into the cafeteria! There was an extra entrance for females, t
o prevend any trouble. Everybody grabbed an aloy package (or two if possible) and fought for a seat. Then the excited waiting for the signal to start. Around 25 min later the first zigarettes are lit and after pressing in, people now were pressing out of the cafeteria. Because Jawwal also had a kind of tombola and the main item was a laptop! So most of the team spent some time outside, listening to the questions to win something, chatting and talking some funny pictures (which I will ad later).
So, thats it for the moment from the researcher for AIESEC in Palestine. It is my 6th day here in Ramallah.
Salam, Fabian
t, as it is the first meal of the day during Ramadan. During the day: No food, no drinks, no zigarette, no sex. Nothing is allowed to touch the lips.So around 4 pm everybody gets hectic to prepare for the great occasion of the evening breakfast, doing the last shopping, rushing home to start eating on time. Those who missed the sohor, the night meal at 3 or 4 am are especially eager to reach home...
Yesterday, after the first team meeting with the students of Birzeit university we went to a public fotor at the university, sponsored by the mobile phone company Jawwal. Just imagine around 1 to 2000 very hungry students pressing to get into the cafeteria! There was an extra entrance for females, t
o prevend any trouble. Everybody grabbed an aloy package (or two if possible) and fought for a seat. Then the excited waiting for the signal to start. Around 25 min later the first zigarettes are lit and after pressing in, people now were pressing out of the cafeteria. Because Jawwal also had a kind of tombola and the main item was a laptop! So most of the team spent some time outside, listening to the questions to win something, chatting and talking some funny pictures (which I will ad later).So, thats it for the moment from the researcher for AIESEC in Palestine. It is my 6th day here in Ramallah.
Salam, Fabian
