Goodbye heat (and cold in winter)
Goodbye rubbish lying all over the place
Goodbye sense of community
Goodbye to falafel, shawerma and hummus
Goodbye to showers without water pressure and putting toilet paper in bins
Goodbye Taybeh beer
Goodbye new friends
Goodbye to swimming outdoors
Goodbye to checkpoints, Occupation Wall, settlement colonies and long security checks at the airport.
Goodbye to speaking Arabic
Goodbye to stone buildings with water canisters on the roof
Goodbye to services
Goodbye Ramallah
Goodbye Palestine.
Hello...
Saturday, August 26, 2006
Thursday, August 24, 2006
Oh the irony...
of the J-love.com pop up, which appears when you load the Haaretz web page:
'Find Jewish singles in your area'.
Are they talking about the settlement-colonies?
'Find Jewish singles in your area'.
Are they talking about the settlement-colonies?
Heaven is...
The surprise of stepping in a service when the temperatures have hit triple figures (Fahrenheit of course) and finding it has air conditioning.
Quite probably one in a million.
Quite probably one in a million.
Sunday, August 20, 2006
Running out of steam
Well, a week goes by without a blog update: symptomatic of my general malaise. It's been a long summer, and I just haven't had the get-up-and-go recently. Here are some notes:
The weather has been in the mid-30s for the last few days, and is forecasted to continue this week. When it's this hot, even sitting inside offers no relief, and it can be difficult getting to sleep at night.
Re: the dead dog at the bottom of the pit. The day after I wrote that post, I noticed someone/thing had set fire to the carcass. Then a few days later, it was gone. All that remained was the black ashen outline. Closer inspection revealed the now burnt dead dog had been moved (goodness knows by who or why) about 10 meters to the left, where it currently remains.
I went to a wedding this weekend, where Naser Faris, an apparently famous singer had been hired for the night at a cost of 15000 shekels (roughly 4000 US dollars or 2000 pounds). He belted out Dubke songs for 6 hours (which is a kind of personal hell for me) and then at 3 am we all went inside for 'late dinner'. Inside the one room of the father of the groom's castle of a house that we went into, there was a swimming pool, pool table, and fitness machine. Apparently the man has friends in the PA. Surprise, surprise. I wonder what percentage of the population earn 15000 shekels a year (or less) here?
It's going to be a long, hard season for the Boro!
The weather has been in the mid-30s for the last few days, and is forecasted to continue this week. When it's this hot, even sitting inside offers no relief, and it can be difficult getting to sleep at night.
Re: the dead dog at the bottom of the pit. The day after I wrote that post, I noticed someone/thing had set fire to the carcass. Then a few days later, it was gone. All that remained was the black ashen outline. Closer inspection revealed the now burnt dead dog had been moved (goodness knows by who or why) about 10 meters to the left, where it currently remains.
I went to a wedding this weekend, where Naser Faris, an apparently famous singer had been hired for the night at a cost of 15000 shekels (roughly 4000 US dollars or 2000 pounds). He belted out Dubke songs for 6 hours (which is a kind of personal hell for me) and then at 3 am we all went inside for 'late dinner'. Inside the one room of the father of the groom's castle of a house that we went into, there was a swimming pool, pool table, and fitness machine. Apparently the man has friends in the PA. Surprise, surprise. I wonder what percentage of the population earn 15000 shekels a year (or less) here?
It's going to be a long, hard season for the Boro!
Sunday, August 13, 2006
The Ramallah Cultural Palace
A few nights ago I went to a concert at the Ramallah Cultural Palace in aid of families in Gaza who continue to live in extreme suffering due to the Israeli Occupation Forces incursions.
(As an aside, notice how nothing has been said/done by the 'international community' to stop these atrocities, even though they've been ongoing for twice as long as those in Lebanon).
The seven piece group, whose name I forget now, played traditional Palestinian songs, which had the crowded clapping and singing along.
However, from a personal perspective (and probably because I don't know 'the classics'), it was the venue that stayed with me.
The UN, who along with the Palestinian Authority and Japanese government built the palace over the course of six years, describe it in the following way on their website:
On the one hand I can appreciate how important it is to have a venue for artistic and cultural expression, especially when it gives people a real release from the difficulties they face in their everyday lives living here.
On the other hand, this venue is so extravagant, that only the wealthy can afford to go there in the first place. (For instance, the eulogy to the suffering of Gazans prior to the performance was read in English, and then read in Arabic!) It was also quite shocking to sit in the 'state of the art' 736 seat auditorium, knowing that just a mile or two away, people are still living in incredibly densely populated refugee camps, because the UN decided to invest its money in building a palace for the elite, rather than some form of social housing that could have benefited the legions of the poor. (And when I say legions, 51% of all Palestinians are currently living below the poverty line).
(As an aside, notice how nothing has been said/done by the 'international community' to stop these atrocities, even though they've been ongoing for twice as long as those in Lebanon).
The seven piece group, whose name I forget now, played traditional Palestinian songs, which had the crowded clapping and singing along.
However, from a personal perspective (and probably because I don't know 'the classics'), it was the venue that stayed with me.
The UN, who along with the Palestinian Authority and Japanese government built the palace over the course of six years, describe it in the following way on their website:
Opened in 2004, The Ramallah Cultural Palace is the first and only cultural centre of its kind in the Palestinian territories. The centre contains state-of-the-art facilities including a 736-seat auditorium, conference rooms, several exhibition halls designed to handle anything from intimate poetry recitals, to film premieres and big-ticket music events.And let me tell you, it's not called a palace for nothing.
On the one hand I can appreciate how important it is to have a venue for artistic and cultural expression, especially when it gives people a real release from the difficulties they face in their everyday lives living here.
On the other hand, this venue is so extravagant, that only the wealthy can afford to go there in the first place. (For instance, the eulogy to the suffering of Gazans prior to the performance was read in English, and then read in Arabic!) It was also quite shocking to sit in the 'state of the art' 736 seat auditorium, knowing that just a mile or two away, people are still living in incredibly densely populated refugee camps, because the UN decided to invest its money in building a palace for the elite, rather than some form of social housing that could have benefited the legions of the poor. (And when I say legions, 51% of all Palestinians are currently living below the poverty line).
Tuesday, August 08, 2006
Two Dead Dogs
On the way to the swimming pool, at the bottom of a small quarry I pass, there is a dead dog that is slowly decomposing. The first day I saw it I thought it was sleeping, but now the rib cage is clearly visible. I have to admit it's quite fascinating to watch its transformation and decay from a distance.
Yesterday, there was another dead dog lying in the middle of the road. I'm guessing it was probably hit by a car, and it was already covered in flies and letting out a pungent smell. Thankfully this dog was removed when I made the same walk this morning. It's a different matter when the smell of decay gets in your nostrils.
Yesterday, there was another dead dog lying in the middle of the road. I'm guessing it was probably hit by a car, and it was already covered in flies and letting out a pungent smell. Thankfully this dog was removed when I made the same walk this morning. It's a different matter when the smell of decay gets in your nostrils.
Two Encounters
Yesterday I had two contrasting encounters that made me very reflective of the way foreigners are treated here.
In the morning, I was walking back along the main street from swimming, and a guy selling watermelons literally stepped right into my path, sliced off a small piece from the melon he was holding, and offered it as a free taster. While doing this the following conversation took place:
Him: Are you a Christian?
Me: Pardon?
Him: Are you a Christian?
Me: Yes.
Him: Where are you from?
Me: I live in Canada.
His response to this was to kiss his teeth loudly and dismissively, and walk away. Now I've endured my fair share of occasion insults and tirades while I've been here, especially since the economic siege began to really kick in, and heightened by the recent massacres in Lebanon. However, usually it'll come from someone sat next to you in a service. This guy actually went out of his way to insult me, and he was stood there selling Israeli watermelons! [If there's one thing Palestinians don't need to import it's fruit and veg.]
Yesterday evening I was returning from Ramallah in a private taxi. The driver also asked me where I was from, and when I told him he replied 'you're very welcome' [Ahlan wa Sahlan]. We started chatting and it turns out he was from Jenin, but had moved to Ramallah four years ago for work, since there is 'no work' in Jenin. He lives in a flat with some other guys, and only visits his wife and four children once every two weeks. By the time I reach home, he had invited me to his village (a fairly common invitation when you talk to anyone longer than 5 minutes here), and we said a very warm goodbye.
The contrast couldn't be clearer, and it made me realize that those people who like to have a go at foreigners would do so regardless of the current situation. Up till now I've almost excused such behaviour because, let's face it, Western governments really are screwing Palestine, and if it helps these people to insult someone foreign and get some catharsis, who am I to stand in the way. However, I've now decided now that such people are just [censored] who are mean and nasty. I've met plenty of warm and hospitable Palestinians, even in some cases when I know they don't like foreigners or their governments, to know that I should treat people who go round insulting strangers as I would anywhere else in the world.
In the morning, I was walking back along the main street from swimming, and a guy selling watermelons literally stepped right into my path, sliced off a small piece from the melon he was holding, and offered it as a free taster. While doing this the following conversation took place:
Him: Are you a Christian?
Me: Pardon?
Him: Are you a Christian?
Me: Yes.
Him: Where are you from?
Me: I live in Canada.
His response to this was to kiss his teeth loudly and dismissively, and walk away. Now I've endured my fair share of occasion insults and tirades while I've been here, especially since the economic siege began to really kick in, and heightened by the recent massacres in Lebanon. However, usually it'll come from someone sat next to you in a service. This guy actually went out of his way to insult me, and he was stood there selling Israeli watermelons! [If there's one thing Palestinians don't need to import it's fruit and veg.]
Yesterday evening I was returning from Ramallah in a private taxi. The driver also asked me where I was from, and when I told him he replied 'you're very welcome' [Ahlan wa Sahlan]. We started chatting and it turns out he was from Jenin, but had moved to Ramallah four years ago for work, since there is 'no work' in Jenin. He lives in a flat with some other guys, and only visits his wife and four children once every two weeks. By the time I reach home, he had invited me to his village (a fairly common invitation when you talk to anyone longer than 5 minutes here), and we said a very warm goodbye.
The contrast couldn't be clearer, and it made me realize that those people who like to have a go at foreigners would do so regardless of the current situation. Up till now I've almost excused such behaviour because, let's face it, Western governments really are screwing Palestine, and if it helps these people to insult someone foreign and get some catharsis, who am I to stand in the way. However, I've now decided now that such people are just [censored] who are mean and nasty. I've met plenty of warm and hospitable Palestinians, even in some cases when I know they don't like foreigners or their governments, to know that I should treat people who go round insulting strangers as I would anywhere else in the world.
Monday, August 07, 2006
A Brief Statement by Free Professor Ghazi-Walid Falah
A Brief Statement by Free Professor Ghazi-Walid Falah
3 August 2005
I would like to make a brief statement. This was a political arrest and
detention. Because of what I reveal in my geographic research on Israeli
land policies, and the geography of the Occupation. I am a well-known
social scientist, a specialist on the Middle East and Israel, a citizen
of Canada, and tenured professor at the University of Akron, where I
have taught geography a number of years. I am also a Palestinian Arab,
born and raised in al-Jaliil, the Galilee, where I had returned in early
July to be with my ailing mother, awaiting brain surgery in Haifa.
The month of July was a terrible month for the Palestinian people in
Gaza and under the Occupation, and most especially for the Lebanese
nation. And also on a very personal level for me. I endured a nightmare
created and orchestrated for me by the Israeli police and Shin Bet
Secret Service. I believe I was arrested and put through this prolonged
ordeal of humiliation and psychological torture to teach me a lesson:
because I am a scholar who researches on Israeli geopolitics and its
treatment of Palestinians in Israel and under the Occupation, and I tell
the truth.
What are the facts? I was arrested without charge on July 8 and held in
detention for over three weeks (July 8-30, 2006) after taking some
photos in a resort area north of Nahariya, an area full of tourists,
with some panoramic views. For much of that time I had no access to
legal counsel. I was kept for prolonged periods without healthy food,
and for several days without sleep. I was interrogated repeatedly. Often
tied to a chair, there were five interrogators. In one session I was
kept 60 hours. Some of the psychological maltreatment and verbal abuse I
was subjected to was a form of psychological torture which I will not
detail here.
I was not allowed access to a lawyer for the first 18 days of my
detention. I was freed on July 30 because no charge could be brought.
There is no evidence against me because there cannot be.
I believe my rights have been gravely violated by this ordeal. It is an
affront to international scholarship in the social sciences. The
Israelis are proud of their universities and research. But there is
another dark side to the world of science pertaining to the realities of
Israel: the Israeli government would like to intimidate and silence
researchers who speak uncomfortable truths to power. That should not be
forgotten. At one level, it is what my detention, humiliation and
harassment were all about. Read what I write. Think about its
implications.
I am grateful to all those who joined in the international campaign to
help free me. The Israeli government was well aware of their efforts. I
am grateful to my family, wife Jamila and children for their love, and
perseverance together with me in this ordeal. They have suffered greatly
and now can breathe a sigh of relief. Thank God my mother passed through
her surgery OK, even though I could not be at her side. The Israeli
state has made a serious error in trying to cow and intimidate me. I
will seek legal redress, and redouble my efforts on researching its
brutal geopolitical realities. I will not be silenced!
3 August 2005
I would like to make a brief statement. This was a political arrest and
detention. Because of what I reveal in my geographic research on Israeli
land policies, and the geography of the Occupation. I am a well-known
social scientist, a specialist on the Middle East and Israel, a citizen
of Canada, and tenured professor at the University of Akron, where I
have taught geography a number of years. I am also a Palestinian Arab,
born and raised in al-Jaliil, the Galilee, where I had returned in early
July to be with my ailing mother, awaiting brain surgery in Haifa.
The month of July was a terrible month for the Palestinian people in
Gaza and under the Occupation, and most especially for the Lebanese
nation. And also on a very personal level for me. I endured a nightmare
created and orchestrated for me by the Israeli police and Shin Bet
Secret Service. I believe I was arrested and put through this prolonged
ordeal of humiliation and psychological torture to teach me a lesson:
because I am a scholar who researches on Israeli geopolitics and its
treatment of Palestinians in Israel and under the Occupation, and I tell
the truth.
What are the facts? I was arrested without charge on July 8 and held in
detention for over three weeks (July 8-30, 2006) after taking some
photos in a resort area north of Nahariya, an area full of tourists,
with some panoramic views. For much of that time I had no access to
legal counsel. I was kept for prolonged periods without healthy food,
and for several days without sleep. I was interrogated repeatedly. Often
tied to a chair, there were five interrogators. In one session I was
kept 60 hours. Some of the psychological maltreatment and verbal abuse I
was subjected to was a form of psychological torture which I will not
detail here.
I was not allowed access to a lawyer for the first 18 days of my
detention. I was freed on July 30 because no charge could be brought.
There is no evidence against me because there cannot be.
I believe my rights have been gravely violated by this ordeal. It is an
affront to international scholarship in the social sciences. The
Israelis are proud of their universities and research. But there is
another dark side to the world of science pertaining to the realities of
Israel: the Israeli government would like to intimidate and silence
researchers who speak uncomfortable truths to power. That should not be
forgotten. At one level, it is what my detention, humiliation and
harassment were all about. Read what I write. Think about its
implications.
I am grateful to all those who joined in the international campaign to
help free me. The Israeli government was well aware of their efforts. I
am grateful to my family, wife Jamila and children for their love, and
perseverance together with me in this ordeal. They have suffered greatly
and now can breathe a sigh of relief. Thank God my mother passed through
her surgery OK, even though I could not be at her side. The Israeli
state has made a serious error in trying to cow and intimidate me. I
will seek legal redress, and redouble my efforts on researching its
brutal geopolitical realities. I will not be silenced!
Wednesday, August 02, 2006
1 hour!
That's how long it took me to get from Ramallah to Jerusalem today on the bus.
Even the most conservative estimates suggest that it only took 15 minutes, prior to the Occupation Wall and checkpoints. (The least conservative I ever heard was 6 minutes!)
I wonder if Israel will compensate me for time lost?
The route itself was farcical. Despite the Occupation Wall and the Kalandia checkpoint, it's possible to drive around them. Today, we ended up going down the road to Bethlehem - essentially from the North-East side to the South-East side of Jerusalem, before entering the city via one of the Maale settlement colonies or whatever they're called (biggest settlement colonies in West Bank). The journey back, in a straighter line, but not less convoluted, took thirty minutes.
While the bombs are dropping, the everyday subtle violence and collective punishment continues too.
Even the most conservative estimates suggest that it only took 15 minutes, prior to the Occupation Wall and checkpoints. (The least conservative I ever heard was 6 minutes!)
I wonder if Israel will compensate me for time lost?
The route itself was farcical. Despite the Occupation Wall and the Kalandia checkpoint, it's possible to drive around them. Today, we ended up going down the road to Bethlehem - essentially from the North-East side to the South-East side of Jerusalem, before entering the city via one of the Maale settlement colonies or whatever they're called (biggest settlement colonies in West Bank). The journey back, in a straighter line, but not less convoluted, took thirty minutes.
While the bombs are dropping, the everyday subtle violence and collective punishment continues too.
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