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
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Hey Fabian,
first i must say the internet connections here in Buea has remained very slow and I couldnt afford to say a thing about your postings of life in Palestine.
Life seems quite different out there but you give the impression that you are enjoying it so much. I want to believe you are enjoying it as much as the day u went to the maize farm with Nkong Hill Top guys.
the society is quite the same like I did expereince in niger except for the fact that you have gun shots some of the times and you can change plans of walking home to taking taxis. if i were you I would hardly go any where far off home. I guess you know the situation better than I am.
I'd like u to know that I will be following up closely on wat is going on with you in Palestine and shall try as much as possible to contibute to in my own way.
Maybe you would want to tell us also something about the project and how it is going.
Keep the AIESEC spirit high - did I say keep - take the AIESEC spirit to every corners in the world and so that "everyday AIESEC...." could be "everyday for everyone in everyplace AIESEC is...."
Menge
Buea, Cameroonoh1980
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first i must say the internet connections here in Buea has remained very slow and I couldnt afford to say a thing about your postings of life in Palestine.
Life seems quite different out there but you give the impression that you are enjoying it so much. I want to believe you are enjoying it as much as the day u went to the maize farm with Nkong Hill Top guys.
the society is quite the same like I did expereince in niger except for the fact that you have gun shots some of the times and you can change plans of walking home to taking taxis. if i were you I would hardly go any where far off home. I guess you know the situation better than I am.
I'd like u to know that I will be following up closely on wat is going on with you in Palestine and shall try as much as possible to contibute to in my own way.
Maybe you would want to tell us also something about the project and how it is going.
Keep the AIESEC spirit high - did I say keep - take the AIESEC spirit to every corners in the world and so that "everyday AIESEC...." could be "everyday for everyone in everyplace AIESEC is...."
Menge
Buea, Cameroonoh1980
# posted by 
: 11:35 AM
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