Well, here I am, back in Birzeit, Palestine after two months at home and a few days days in Amman, Jordan. I have been here just a few days but it has been great to see the ol' Birzeit Palestine and Arabic Studies crew again (and of course meet the newcomers to the program). More Arabic classes, a couple more political science lessons (one titled "Women in Arab Society) which should be extremely interesting), and sadly - more Israeli occupation. Judging by the news outlets it seems IDF control has loosened slightly in the West Bank at a cost to 1.5 million Gazans currently under siege in their tiny seaside prison. On the way to Birzeit from the King Hussein Bridge (between Jordan and the West Bank) both checkpoints were manned but not operating, simply allowing cars to pass right through. This was refreshing of course, but Israeli soldiers deployed that deep into Palestinian territory is always worrisome. Checkpoints can come and go at any time and they spare no one - not the businessman returning for a dinner with his family, not the university student traveling to her first day of classes, and not the paramedics transporting a heart attack victim to a hospital or medical center.
In other news, I am currently searching for an apartment in Birzeit. The search has proven fruitless so far. (I've even been shown two apartments where the confused tenants came to the door and politely informed us that the flat was indeed occupied and not for rent.) There is of course, still hope: Two apartments with decent location in town are open and the owners are looking for tenants (perhaps me?). With no classifieds section or yellow pages, finding an apartment is done by finding someone who knows another who knows someone who rents apartments to foreigners. It has been frustrating but it should be solved in just a matter of a few days.
That's all for now - and it is truly great to be back in Birzeit!
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