Hebrew class begins at 8am. My teacher, Khedva, is a little scatterbrained and quite typically Israeli. Her classes are a little scattered, but you can tell she is passionate about what she does, which is nice. I am in this awkward phase because the class is moving slower than my level, but my two girlfriends have a much higher database of vocabulary than I have. So I am in this weird middle level too high for one class and too low for the other. Meh. Anyways so I ended up buying the easier book and reviewing it all myself. Today, I did 70 pages, which is a little bit hard to believe.
Today was really interesting because my Arab friends from next door (who are building the new houses on the kibbutz, near our dorms) brought me a whole plate of kunefa! Unfortunately, it was so delicious I had way too much! Kunefa is my weak point, definitely. I shared it with everyone and they loved it too. My friend, Avrahim wants to take us around Nablus and be our tour guide. Haven’t decided if that is a good idea yet or not, but an interesting proposition nonetheless. The men over there speak Arabic, Hebrew and even a little English, so when I speak to them we simultaneously switch between the languages. Often times, my brain hurts afterwards. It was one of the first times I have been able to speak to people who understand all the languages that are popping out of my mouth. We talked about where I lived in Cairo, why I am here, why I am studying Arabic and Hebrew, etc. They were such nice people and are forever on my good list because they brought me such delicious kunefa!
I speak with some of my friends here, and they constantly warn me about interacting with ‘Arabs.’ They claim there is a different mindset, a different outlook. I actually agree; from what I experienced in the Arab World (and the Muslim parts of the Middle East) there is definitely a different perspective of the world that is more prevalent in Arab eyes than in Israeli/Western eyes. Funny thing is, I really don’t care. I love the differences. I love feeling a little awkward trying to explain something in Arabic. I love being an anomaly in the Middle East. I love that people are really confused when they discover that I am not Jewish, nor Muslim and am here simply to learn about the languages and religions of the region. I look at the differences as something to be learned about, to attempt to understand: not as a fence or an excuse for social separation.
Lastly, I accomplished something pretty amazing. Something I never thought I would ever be able to do in my whole life. It may not seem like much to the rest of the world, but for me, today was a personal triumph. Today, I climbed a 10 foot rope (4 times!!!) that we have in the workout area. There were no knots in the rope on the way up, just straight rope. Who knew I had that much upper body strength?!?! I did it twice using my right leg dominantly and twice with my left. Sadly, I have serious rope burn because I wasn’t wearing shoes—but it was definitely worth it. Goal: By the end of these 5 months- do it using only my arms- no legs at all!
Tonight is Karaoke night at the pub.
An interesting thought, However, One can not truly appreciate either side of the "middle east conflict" unless one is of one of the opposing religions - The conflict did not begin from animosity, Or over land, Or resources - It began through religion. Unless you are Jewish, Or Muslim, Then you can not truly appreciate the prevalent disdain that exists within each religion, For the other, Despite where the nation/s may be in their chronological and technological evolution, Quod et Demonstrandum: Just because one nation chooses to follow the "Western" path of evolution and devlopment, DOes not mean that they no longer care for or about their history and roots.
ReplyDeleteTherefore, It is easy to state that people "claim" that there is a different mindset, When one can not possibly fathom the thought processes that exist within that mindset - It is what makes the two religions: Muslim and Judaism, Specifically, So similar, Yet diametrically opposite and it is for this very reason that the conflict has existed for the longest time.
In order to even HOPE to understand the underlying nature of the conflict, You need to stop focusing on your own superficialities (Going for a run is not going to help you to discover why the mindsets are so different) and start focusing on how you are going to gain the knowledge required to understand that which only those who are a part of the religions, Understand.
I may have to disagree with you on that. I think part of the problem is that the assumption is that you must be Jewish or a Muslim to understand. I completely disagree. I will agree with you in that I do not fully understand. I empathize and am actively learning trying to find my place in this conflict, where I can help. However, I think the only people who truly understand are not the larger Jewish and Islamic Communities as a whole- but rather the Israeli's, Arab-Israeli's and displaced Palestinians.
ReplyDeleteI do not pretend to know everything, or even much for that matter. However, I consistently make an effort to hear perspectives which differ from my own. thank you for your comment.