Returning to Ramallah

I really have no excuse. I had the purest of intentions to return to this blog as soon as I landed in Ramallah (don't misread this, Ramallah has no airport and the nearby one in Qalandia is "off limits" to put it gently), but somehow when I sat myself down at the computer, blogging took a back burner to other things like reading the news, fighting with Final Cut Studio, and general "googling". So since it's been about 6 weeks or so, it might be a little difficult to resume quite where I left off, but I'll give it a shot. Speaking of shots... today is the last day of Eid and so every boy and girl around these parts (well.. maybe not girls) seems to be playing, in a funny-yet-sad way, with ultra realistic Chinese-made gifts of choice. The fact that I know that the hundreds of automatic and semi-automatic weapons in the hands of so many walad and shabab are just plastic still makes me feel uncomfortable. But really, I hate to start off on a note like this so let me just remind everyone that it's the Israelis who have the real ones.

So just a briefing... I've started an Arabic class at Birzeit University, which is going shway shway as I should have expected. I've also been fumbling around in that recently-graduated kind of way, trying to figure out how to make the best of the fact that I'm back. And when I say "make the best of" that's where things get tricky. Whose best are we looking out for? Is this the question that all bloody liberals grapple with when they're out of their element? And don't even get me started for what good art or art-making is for... three years of grad school didn't really help me figure out the answer to that question. So rather than getting into deep thoughts, I'll just continue with the day-to-day. Aside from the class, I've also been going to the Jalazone refugee camp a few times a week where I volunteer at the "Nadi A-Tifl" or rather, the Child's Club. I'm trying to figure out how to start an audio recording project there but I've hit a few roadblocks (no, not those) which are a combination of me not knowing what I'm doing mixed with a language barrier and technical difficulties. But I'm optimistic, I think, and just last week I thought up a counter-plan for those days when recording doesn't seem possible. I wish I could say it was at least related to recording, but I don't think it is... more on that as the days move on. But if this project hasn't worked out so well for the kids just yet, in some ways, it's worked out great for me. I've befriended some good eggs at Jalazone, some of the staff at the Nadi, and I've been the recipient of food-aid that's way better than anything UNRWA has ever provided. During Ramandan, I've had four out of five Iftars at the camp (the fifth being in a restaurant so I don't think that counts) and after the first one, I learned a word that has been of great use at the other three (Sha'bana) which means "I'm full" combined with satisfied and maybe some more positive implications (I hope). I won't get into how awesome the food is, but remind me later to talk about the people I met sitting around the dinner table. Just some quick highlights... the plural of "curriculum" is "curriculua," as a high schooler informed me of this after misunderstanding the word "colloquial" which I used to translate the word "Amiyye," Said kicking me under the table after I said something I shouldn't have, and a man who has two kids in Israeli jails. I know none of this makes much sense now, but I'll try to flesh it out in a little while.

And just some notes for later:

My roommate's friend smoking a joint by our kitchen windown explaning to me the significance of the name (and his name) Khoury (priest)

Getting my transcript from Al Quds University at Abu Dis and a revoked Iftar invitation.

An odd walk I took with.. let's just call him Z.. and learning just a little bit more of many of those folks I met last year in Farkha.

I hope this is enough to keep you coming back for more, so tafadalu.. ok? More later.