Rainbow Golden Sunshine: Are you a Bedouin?

For reference to the term Bedouin, see the Petra post. The two tiny men smiling... Bedouin.

I decided to take my nose ring out. This is because I was in one of the camps, and a little boy came up to me and asked, "Where are you from?" "I am from America." "Really?" "Yes." "Where are you ORIGINALLY from?" "What?" "Are you a Bedouin?" Later it was explained to me that he was confused by my nose ring. Then, yesterday, one of the adult students in my english class (maybe 25) asked me about my nose ring. "Why do you have that?" "What?" "In your nose" "Oh. I dont know." "We don't do that here. Its not nice." "Oh." "Do you have others?" "Just in my ears." "Those are ok. Those are beautiful." Also on the first day a bunch of girls in my class were giggling at me. I discovered that was why. Oh those crazy Americans. So I hope none of you are too heart broken. Parents please keep your celebrating to a minimum.

So I have started my teaching. Yesterday. By myself in a huge class of adults. The first lesson was on personality adjectives which they quickly informed they knew. One man started asking me about the present participle. I thought I was going to be teaching little kids. Ha. But today was a lot better. I was much better prepared. We discussed "small talk". It was pretty funny. Very indicative of the culture here. Every conversation ended with, "sure, I can take you there" or "would you like to come over for tea?" That is not small talk! After class one girl asked me for my phone number to hang out and practice her english. Also after class, I walked outside to see one of the men trying to fix one of the women's shoes. I asked if she was ok and she goes, "It's ok, he is my husband." Not really what I meant, but ok.

What else? I just got back from eating the most delicious falafel I have ever had. (2 NIS here, instead of 15 NIS in Israel). The guy who sold it to us was about 17 and chubby and maybe would be gay in another time and place. When we ordered he clapped his hands together and turned his head down to his shoulder with this huge smile. It was so cute. Reminded me of what the sultan in Aladdin would have been like in his glory days. After that, we went and got kanafeh which is goats cheese covered in like sweet corn meal and sugar and doused in syrup. Sounds disgusting. Tastes amazing. Unless you eat more than three bites and then you slowly slip into a diabetic coma. But it's native to nablus, so what are you going to do? Eat it every day. I wish i was kidding.

I also discovered a library here. I haven't been yet, but it seems promising. This weekend, I am hanging around and trying to figure out what to do for my art project.

Oh! I also had my first arabic lesson this morning! I'm so excited. Ana min America. Isme Rachel. And they have sun and moon words. How beautiful is that? I wish I could describe to you all the generous, ernest, smart, sweet people I have met in these first few days. Its amazing how two such beautiful peoples can be so at odds. I wasn't really prepared for how hard it was going to be to switch sides so quickly. I was talking to one of the volunteers today about being caught between israel and palestine and she said "You don't have to pick. Your job isn't to pick. Your job is to help those suffering." But it isn't just the people in Palestine who are suffering.

ANYWAY...Off my soapbox. I miss everyone and can't wait to come home! What I wouldn't do for a slice of boriello brother's. love.

i totally forgot to mention that i went and saw the opera in nablus. probably because i still haven't been able to fit this little gem into any sort of believable reality that i could exist in. it was pretty cool... all in italian with arabic narration. they had local little kids in one scene and they were all wearing hijabs. so cute. la boheme the way it was meant to be.

my apartment.I live on the other side of the white stairs, but there is a common room thing upstairs that you can go sit in and go out on the balcony.