No time for kunafe!

Just finished: The Plot Against America by Philip Roth
Reading: White Noise by Don DeLillo
On Deck: Gardens of Light by Amin Maalouf
Listening to: The Seeger Sessions by Bruce Springsteen

Things are very hectic here at school, with summer camp ending and planning for the coming school year shifting into high gear. With about a month to go until the first day of school we've made the rather momentous decision to scrap the existing textbooks that coincide with the Palestinian curriculum and create our own. While this is exciting and will produce far more challenging materials for our students, it's also a bit crazy-making at the moment. We'll be deciding who will teach what grade at today's curriculum meeting. Each of us will be creating books for English, science and math. The math we'll be teaching is not simple arithmetic but rather what's not covered in the Palestinian curriculum: measurements, word problems, time, money, etc. We'll be selecting themes based on the grammar points included in the Palestinian curriculum and building from those. The overall goal is, obviously, to create a challenging, innovative and well-designed course of study.

In addition to that small task I'm working in the library to catalog the English-language materials. It's slow going, but I enjoy getting to see what I have to work with and reminisce over some of the titles from my childhood. I'm also working on updating the school's web site with stories and photos from summer camp. In short, I'm crazy busy and wildly happy.

Last night we enjoyed a wonderful time at the palatial home of Munib al-Masri, the wealthy Palestinian businessman who is working hard to develop his beloved hometown. He was kind enough to invite all our students to his estate for an evening of games, music and a quick tour of his home. Click on the title of this post to read more about him and see the estate.

The internet's been out at the house, which makes updating challenging with all the work to be done first at school. We may be moving again, splitting into seperate homes for the men and women. I hope to get to Jerusalem for at least a few days while school is closed for the next two weeks, but my original plan to travel north had to be postponed due to the massive textbook project. I finally have a few new photos up on Flickr and am trying to post more when I - ha, ha! - have time. Bear with me, folks!

Salaam.

What incursion?

"Did you hear any explosions last night?" asked Jon.
I was making breakfast and stopped to look at him, puzzled.
"Uh, no."
"I could have sworn I heard them," he said, scratching his head. "Maybe I was dreaming."

We learned today that 140 Israeli soldiers had entered the city the previous night and Jon had, in fact, heard some small explosions in the distance. As is usually the case with me, I slept right through it and didn't hear a thing. No precise word on if they're still in the city, but my understanding was that four men were taken due to their involvement with Hamas. Or something. Honestly, at this point everything is very second-hand, at best, if not third- or fourth-hand. I'm not belittling it, just admitting that, after just one week in the city, I'm not exactly tapped in yet. On the walk home this afternoon I could hear a man's voice broadcasting to the city on a loudspeaker, but could only make out a few words, more due to the distance and sound quality. I think it may have been a form of protest or a call to strike (think labor not violence). I'll be checking with folks in the morning.

In better news, my kids loved the running around/practicing the alphabet game and were rewarded with a few rounds of sharks and minnows because there are few funnier things than a bunch of kids running around with there hands on their heads pretending to be sharks. I'm trying to teach them a rather complicated alphabet song, Alligators All Around, taking it apart bit by bit for them. We'll see how they do. Today we made it to D: doing dishes. My acting out the parts garnered some quizzical looks, but they did sing with me, if only to placate the crazy lady.

Made some new friends this evening on a long walk up towards the Quran Academy with Jon and Nichole. Met two very nice women in a pharmacy and an elderly man near the academy who warned us of yet another checkpoint just up the road. The road up that way is quite dark and we decided we needed to be extra careful in the area. Somehow we figured out that some of the rules for hiking in bear country could also apply to hiking in the vicinity of checkpoints: make lots of noise to alert them to your presence by speaking loudly, shouting or banging on pots and pans; if confronted, make yourself appear larger than the soldiers to scare them away; never play dead or the will eat you. O.k., I admit we're not really sure about the last two...

Our friend, the shopkeeper across the street, said there was talk of the city being closed tomorrow, but was very vague as to why. Another roommate said he'd heard from friends that a general strike had been called. I have no idea what tomorrow will bring and how or if it will effect school and our kids. We'll see...

Salaam.

The "battle" for Nilin

Just a too-short, but interesting article in the Guardian to show there are non-violent organizers and protesters in the West Bank.

Off to school.
Salaam.

Some parting thoughts on Istanbul

My final column for the Turkish Daily News was published last week. I wrote it in the midst of my first day of teaching, which I did not expect to be my first day of teaching, which is probably why I'm sort of ho-hum on the outcome. See for yourself...

I have a new class of six children who are all more or less absolute beginners and of varying ages, but who will be attending the school this fall and need to be brought up to some sort of speed in the next two weeks. We worked on the alphabet today. However, as this is "camp" and not "school" they would prefer an hour of running screaming through the gym to an hour of lesson, but I persevered and I think there was progress. Tomorrow I devised a game that incorporates running screaming through the gym while reviewing their letters and some simple vocabulary. We'll see if they're fooled by my academic cheese on the broccoli trick.

Salaam.

Lazy Friday Afternoon Post

Seriously, not much to report as yet. Well, I shouldn't say that...I've already made several new friends, mostly staffers at school, but a few in and around my neighborhood. Wandered through the souq yesterday with Z, R and F. Z introduced me to the best olive and cheese seller in town, who told me he wouldn't sell me the olives he had that day because he had better ones coming on Saturday.

My friend Z.'s mother cooked up a storm on Wednesday afternoon for me and my co-teacher for next year, N. It was a really lovely afternoon with a great bunch of ladies and Z.'s one-year-old nephew who is the most expressive baby I've ever seen. He and I engaged in a spirited discussion, and occasional disagreement, through a series of gestures, gurgles, clicks and intense stares. He was pretty convinced as to his side of things and an effective debater, until I blew raspberries on his forehead and he lost his concentration amid a series of mad giggles.

Everybody's gone for the weekend and I am home alone, which is actually nice this week. The city shuts down on Fridays and it is intensely and enjoyably quiet. I'll go up on the roof in a bit to enjoy the sunset. Speaking of the roof, provided we stay in this house, I'll be putting down roots, so to speak. There's a perfect spot for a garden up there, just one of my many plans for the coming months.

I'm very excited about working with N., also from the U.S. She and I are on the same wavelength about activities, projects and community involvement. I'm really looking forward to the year. For now, we have three more weeks of summer camp. My class was dissolved because too few students remained (some left for vacation) and the students were sent to the other classes. I'll be team teaching the rest of the time with N.

Other than that, I'm just trying to get sorted and settled.
Salaam.

A New Start in Neopolis

Arrived today with absolutely no problems.Crossed the line, past the big read sign stating that it's illegal for citizens of Israel to enter the city and two Israeli soldiers sitting in the shade, looking a bit puzzled about the woman with all the baggage being handed off from Samaritan to taxi driver. I am just trying to process at the moment: the beauty of the landscape, the spartan settlements clinging to the hilltops, my to-do list for tomorrow, the fact that I will start teaching at 9 tomorrow, the overwhelming sounds of the muezzins echoing off the valley walls tonight, speaking Arabic again, more barbed wire than I've seen in my life, the smell of Jasmin, the delicious dinner my new roommates made for me, my new roommates...Time for a quick shower - water is precious and undependable here for many reasons - and a good night's sleep. Amusingly, at least to me, while most people in Turkey thought I looked Turkish several people here have already told me they assumed I am Palestinian by the looks of me. At least one asked if I was from here or elsewhere in the area

Leyla Sayeeda.
Salaam.

God bless you, Bill Ford

I happened across this obituary today and am truly saddened by the news of Mr. Ford's passing. I grew up in Miami during the bloody Central American wars. I may have been young, but I absolutely remember the murder of Mr. Ford's sister, Ita, a Maryknoll sister, and her fellow Maryknoll sister Maura Clarke, Ursuline Sister Dorothy Kazel and Catholic lay worker Jean Donovan. The terrors of the death squads - some aided and financed by the U.S. - were, in many ways, local news in Miami. Growing up in a family for who watching 60 Minutes was our Sunday tradition, I was well aware early on that bad things happen. However, for a child, or for anyone I suspect, the torture, rape and murder of nuns is something altogether horribly different. I am still convinced that the murders of these women and the 1989 murders of six Jesuit priests, their housekeeper and her daughter at Central American University helped change my world view and played a role in making me the person I am today. I don't talk about either case much, but every now and then I think about them. Mr. Ford's determination in bringing some of those involved to justice for his sisters murder and his success should be an example to us all about not throwing up our hands in defeat in the face of overwhelming odds, that one person can make a difference. God bless, Bill.
Salaam.

Go Dennis!

U.S. Rep. and former Democratic candidate for president Dennis Kucinich finally took the first step many of us have been dreaming of for a long time today. Turkey has AGAIN banned YouTube meaning I can't see it for myself (shakes fist angrily). Sadly, nothing will come of it, especially with Speaker Pelosi calling impeachment "off the table". But, a girl (and many folks in the US and abroad) can dream...

Salaam.

The view from Greece

An interesting sign I noticed before leaving the island of Samos, Greece. The photos were from Afghanistan, Iraq and some I couldn't identify. If anybody out there knows Greek, I would love to know what it says.
This photo is the one that caught my eye:
Salaam.

Thanks for the buzzkill, B.

While I was in Ormos, the closest I got to news from the outside world was when Inzela, who ran one of the tavernas and had lived in the U.S. for over 20 years, mentioned that Hillary Clinton was on television as we chatted outside while I was on my way to the beach one morning.

"Did she drop out?" I asked.
"I don't know and I don't really care," she said laughing.

It was only when I'd returned to Istanbul, relaxed and restored, that I discovered she was, indeed, ending her campaign. I felt a twinge of sadness, part of me giddy at the once very real possibility of an accomplished and deserving woman president in my lifetime. However, I like Obama. I heard him speak in Atlanta early last year, when he was in his ascendancy, and it was a truly moving experience, those of us in the audience looking around at each other, giddy with hope, ready to get to work doing something to bring about the change he spoke of and wanting to hold onto the feeling, together, when he finished. I want to say I didn't expect much from him on Israel. It seems a forgone conclusion in American politics that candidates will forever work from the same script. Sadly, I did expect more from him and his comments at the AIPAC meeting stung. This is a man who wisely said we must remember that true diplomacy should be about talking to those you disagree with. And, to those of you who believe talking to your enemies equates with surrender to your enemies, there is a big difference between negotiation and capitulation. I'll still vote for him and still believe he can do great things, at least I still have hope, but I am truly disappointed. People over here are still very interested in him and generally very supportive, likely because he's not Shrub or another Republican - yes, some people now associate the whole party with him. I'll be interested to hear what people have to say now...

Salaam.

Watch this!

I hadn't seen this video before, only a screen cap of the "Broccoli is my jihad (struggle)" kid, which made me laugh out loud and sent me over to Google to find out what it was from. The whole thing, song included, is really lovely (and some of the messages hysterical) and well worth a few minutes of your time.

Salaam.

PS: Link TV is a great way to get news from the Middle East and the rest of the world. Wake up and educate yourself! I download the Middle East news briefing daily on iTunes - easy and free.

This just in...

Kalispera, ya'll. That's Greek for "Good Afternoon". I am just back this morning from an extended visa run to the Greek island of Samos, where I spent a few blissful days of near solitude in a little fishing village and mostly avoided the sun-blistered and obnoxious package tour hordes. Hung out with the locals, went barefoot everywhere, learned a little Greek and avoided invitations to coffee or drinks and "you come out on my boat" from several septuagenarian fisherman.

My soul is rejuvenated after quality time with the sea and the only man who counted this week - Homer. Read the Odyssey on my own beach, which I had to boulder and wade through the rocks to get to and was absolutely worth it. Looking around at the mountains, the sea and the islands on the horizon, the wild wind that blew in for my first two days on the island, I can really understand how this part of the world gave rise to all those Gorgons, Harpies, Sirens and shape-shifting gods and the like. Actually spent one day encamped on a tiny swath of beach between two halves of a giant, sparkling geode. The only thing to distract me from Homer was the sea, though the Aegean was a bit colder than I expected. Got to spend my last night sleeping under the stars on the deck of a fishing boat, courtesy of a German-Greek couple. One week without phone, Internet, television or news is something powerfully healing that I will endeavor to do more often from now on. It was excruciating to leave a village of 200 to come back to a city of 20 million. I believe I can say with certainty I am not a city girl.

I also thought of ways to bring the trip to my kids in Nablus. I leave Istanbul July 1, the day after I will, I hope, successfully complete the CELTA Young Learners course. Made recordings of the sounds of the surf at different beaches - rocky, sandy, pebbly - and I have some ideas to incorporate the sounds into some writing exercises later on. Collected some of the gorgeous stones off the beaches to take them, but had to stop myself from bringing a whole bag; the beaches were like treasure troves to a Wabi Sabi-loving rock hound like myself. And, of course, I took photos, which I will post as soon as I can. I just want to bring these kids everything I can to help them dream.

Thank you to all my friends in Ormos. I hope the fish come back to the nets and your town can stay as it is - a real place with real, lovely people.

Salaam.

More mud slung at Almontaser

I was sad to see her opponents have stooped to a new low. It's really disheartening to see people so bound and determined to ruin a person. And what could possibly be the end result they are seeking? They have already forced her from her job and helped derail the school. What's the goal here, really?

Salaam.

Ibn Arabi in Istanbul

I am just curious if anyone else out there plans to attend the Ibn Arabi conference in Istanbul next weekend (May 23-25). It is organized by the Istanbul branch of the Turkish Women's Cultural Association (TURKKAD). There's no fee to attend and the speakers will include scholars from around the world. You can download the program here. See you there.

Salaam.

Spring has sprung

Despite the fact that we're closing in on June, it still feels like early spring here. The weather has been cool and lovely and things seem to still be hatching. Speaking of which, I have my very own Discovery Channel special unfolding across the sokak. A pair of seagull chicks are out of the nest on the roof across from my window. They and their folks are providing me with endless entertainment. I suspect I am one of a small few for who watching a bird regurgitate a fish is a beautiful thing.

Salaam.