A short sum up

I realized that maybe at this point, being the halfway point in my trip and in the midst of a real war I should insert a brief synopsis. I really can't report much on the war since the only news I'm getting is from the same source you're probably getting it from. In keeping the the usual themes, these are only updates on my own experiences. I'm afraid I won't be able to add photos until I can figure out an easy way to do it.

Re: The war in the north, I've already met a few Haifa evacuees who are staying around the corner from me, one of them is the son of Kamal Sliman. I think they're enjoying their vacation in Jerusalem unlike anyone in Beirut, I've heard of a few friends-of-friends who just got out, it's much worse there and that's puting it sweetly. In Jerusalem (East) it seems to be Occupation as usual, no change since the war started, except for a one day strike in protest of the Israeli bombings. The city is a wonderful and terrifying place. I've had a tiny taste of the occupation when I got mildly lost in Abu Dis and wound up at a massive checkpoint in the wall. I see ID checks at Bab Al Amoud all the time, every day (a few of my classmates have been checked themselves), and soldiers in the hundreds surrounded and barracaded the old city yesterday. One of the students in my class is the son of someone expelled from Safad in 48 (now with Spanish citizenship) and he was detaied at Ben Gurion Airport for 10 hours on his way in. He's asked me to accompany him to West Jerusalem while I'm asking him to accompany me to Ramallah. So everyone wins I guess.

Aside from the terror, I've been eating a lot of sweets and practicing my Arabic with 5 and 85 year olds, and getting ripped off on felafel. I've also been talking to a lot of total strangers from all over and learning a lot. So that's the good news.

Incidentally, this report is coming from the 8th station of the cross on the Via Dolorosa, so it's possible that Jesus would have checked his e-mail here if he were alive today. The place seems to be doing well so it may very well still be in business when he returns.