Shu Akhbarik?

[Shu Akhbarik? (Palestinian Arabic) translated "What's your news?" or "What's up?"]

Where do I even start? Well, I'm beginning to get settled in to daily life here, but there is a lot of "getting used to" still to be done. Another student and I are living with a Palestinian host family in Bethlehem. All together there are nine of us (the parents, four sisters around university age, a hilarious younger brother, and the two of us). Plus a lot of laughter, card games, Arabs Got Talent, hot tea, and delicious home-cooked meals shared :)

We started classes a couple of days ago, as the school week runs Saturday to Wednesday here (well, at least at this particular university--weekend days differ depending on varying religious holy days). Good news: every day on the way to school, we get to ride a roller coaster! A.K.A. a taxi speeding on tight switchbacks up and down the roads of Wadi al-Nar, translated Valley of Fire. So that's fun [please note my sarcasm].

The commute to school includes various other notable sights: men selling Arabic coffee from the median of the road, groves of olive and lemon trees, sheep grazing on the rolling hills. Off in the distance, mostly on hilltops, exist civilian communities that stand out in their appearance, even to the untrained eye. These are called settlements--Jewish-only areas that have been established within the West Bank since it came under Israeli occupation in 1967. Israeli settlers move here for a variety of reasons: both ideological (in an effort to claim Palestinian territory as Israeli land) and economic (housing here is typically cheaper and subsidized by the Israeli government). The existence of these settlements makes life even more difficult for the Palestinians, especially since they contribute towards an increased number of Israeli checkpoints and settler-only roads. In general, these settlements are deemed to be a major impediment towards peace. Additionally, they are considered illegal as a violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention by a majority of the international community (read here about condemnation within the U.N.)

The last view before arriving at the university consists of a separation wall that actually snakes right along the edge of the campus (located in Abu Dis, a neighborhood outside of Jerusalem). Israel states that this wall was built for defensive purposes, but it is the cause of much controversy considering it cuts well into the West Bank, annexing additional Palestinian land in the process. Regardless of its intentions, this barrier (known as the apartheid wall in Arabic) serves as a poignant symbol of the Palestinian struggle.

Speaking of the school in general, my experience so far has been overwhelmingly positive. I have met quite a few exceptionally friendly and helpful students, as well as some seemingly brilliant professors. The dynamics of the classroom are very interesting--mostly interactive discussions that provide the beneficial challenge of critical thinking paired with opening ourselves to each others' perspectives. I am ready to work hard and learn as much as I can in this unique environment.

Whew, that was probably a lot to take in. Welcome to my experience here! Between piecing together new Palestinian dialect phrases with what I know of Modern Standard Arabic, attempting to grasp the complex system of military and civil authority in different areas, and navigating transportation with all of its complications, I have adopted a new commonly-used phrase: "Wow, Palestine is confusing." And that's not even touching the nitty-gritty political narrative stuff! Regardless, I am grateful to be here and look forward to all that is to come.