What we came for

Welp. Here it is- our last night in Jerusalem, where we've lived for the past month and a half. It's been wild; tiring at times, infuriating at times, liberating, joyful, I guess that's what happens when you live in a city with so many different types of people interacting day in and day out.

Along the way there are a few things I've learned:
1- Ultra Orthodox males are just as awkward with secular Israelis as with foreigners, the best thing to do is just ignore and keep walking
2 - Never underestimate the importance of a few pairs of good linen pants.
3 - If you're into soccer, always make a point of being in a country that shares that passion when there's a big tournament on (VIVA ESPANA!)
4 - Getting into political conversations with Palestinians may just make you cry.
5 - Getting into political conversations with Israelis can be eye opening and thought provoking or extremely infuriating
6 - Not everyone wants peace, but the majority do and the ones that don't aren't worth the effort.
7 - Muslim women here are some of the most well dressed, fashionable women I have ever seen.
8 - The phrase 'internet included' in a hostel advertisement may not mean what you think it means.
9 - STOP TAKING YOUR AC FOR GRANTED AMERICANS
10 - I'm terrible at bartering.
11 - always carry an ice pack for when you inevitably twist an angle/hurt a knee on the slick as hell stones of the Old city
12 - Americans don't no SHIT about hookah bars.
13 - Pizza. with corn. that is all.

there are others for sure but I'm too lazy to list them all.

At the end of this research trip, I'm totalling just over 200 surveys for my thesis, a very good block to work with I'd say, though I'm afraid I'm a little lacking in Female Muslims and Israelis over the age of 30- but it's the nature of the survey process, you take them from people that say yes and move on from those that say no.

The 2 Hebrew University Campuses are AWESOME. So pretty, full of trees and lawns and little shaded trails. It's nice to know students are mostly the same everywhere, chilled out, willing to help as long as they get to crack a few jokes or play around a bit- interested in everything.

couchsurfers rock :)

Tonight, we go to a new friend's party and maybe out for some dancing (but not at Constantine cause that place is creepy..leave it to Andie, Taylor and I to pick apparently THE shadiest club to go to in Jerusalem) and tomorrow we finish up a few tourist things before heading to Haifa for a few days!

Hopefully I'll be able to post about our trip to Ramallah tomorrow night (we just got back). That was quite the experience to say the least.

All in all, I'll be happy to move on from the city, and yet sad to see it go. I hope I can come back someday and visit it purely as a tourist rather than through the eyes of a person with a deadline and a quota.

Ma'Salaama!
Grace

A Few Good Friends

Today was a pivotal point for this trip.

Started like any other..in fact it got off to a bit of a shaky start- we didn't set out for surveys until much later than we'd planned...but the minute we started, the day just got better and better.

Yesterday in the Arab Souk in the Old City, Andie and I were lucky enough to meet a man named Nasir and his younger cousin Ali. They were so kind and welcoming, sitting down and doing both our surveys and let us know 'You need anything else please let us know we're happy to help'.
I'll be honest and admit I typically have a rather cynical worldview, so I wasn't entirely convinced that they meant it, but they were very kind and the day went on and we surveyed people and talked to them and headed home.

Today, we found just how true that statement actually was. Nasir told us he also managed a pizza restaraunt with his brother Nabir, and that if we came by he knew some women who would fill out the surveys (finding Muslim women willing to talk has been tricky). So we stopped by today and we talked and met more people and got their opinions, and left a handful of surveys with him that we would pick up later.

Then it was back into the Souk through Damascus Gate, where we discovered that when someone here says 'if you need anything else just ask' they really and truly mean it. Even those who didn't want to take the survey were kind enough to find us people that would, speak to us in Arabic in spite of how shaky I am with it, and tell us how happy they are we were visiting their country.

Along the way, we came to one shop (guided their by another man happy to take the survey and then find us the next person) run by Muhammad- who asked us to sit, drink tea and talk with him. From him, I learned things that made my heart ache, like the fact that Palestinians living just 6km outside of Jerusalem often have no access to water. In fact one village is on it's 28th day without any new water, while the Israeli settlement 50 meters from it is filled with lush gardens and plentiful wells. That none of the taxes they are forced to pay go towards improving their part of the city, and that even if an earthquake destroys your home, you are not permitted to bring in new materials to rebuild and repair.
But we also learned that in spite of that, or maybe because of it, Palestinians have such an amazing sense of Community, they take care of each other and do not waste friends easily. I feel privileged that I can count myself as a friend now.

We met Nabir, Nasir's brother, who was working in their Shop today, and he treated us as old friends even though it was the first time we'd met, and Ali took a few more surveys to give to his friends. I cannot stress enough how wonderful this group of people has been to us.


في فلسطين أنا الوطن

and I am so much better for it.

Ma'Salaama

---UPDATED--
edited to remove Omar from this post because FUCK THAT GUY. also, the title was something he said, so I picked a better one. dickbag.