A powerful message and some hip-hop on the side

Because my life has gotten quite hectic in recent days, my blogging has fallen a bit behind, so, for now, I'll leave you with this link to a group who performed at the Berzeit festival in Ramallah on Friday night. The song "Free Palestine" is powerful and worth listening to, even if hip-hop isn't your thing (it's not usually mine, although what I told my Dad is that the music is tolerable when there's a powerful message to help you swallow it.)

DAM: A Palestinian hip-hop group

"An 18 course meal helps the discussion of global food shortages go down.." (sung to the tune of "a spoon full of sugar")

* As Global Food Crisis Tops G8 Summit Agenda, World Leaders Enjoy Lavish
18-Course Banquet * (democracynow.org)

Shortly after saying they were "deeply concerned" about soaring global food
prices and supply shortages, world leaders attending the G8 summit in
Hokkaido sat down to an eighteen-course gastronomic extravaganza, courtesy
of the Japanese government.

(Fighting for) Independence Day!

With the day off Friday, so that the "Americans could go celebrate the 4th of July", a couple of us headed up to Bil'in to join in the weekly demonstration against the Wall, which illegally cuts the Palestinian town off from its agricultural land. What's better than celebrating my American independence by helping to liberate others and their land?

The demonstration was much more calm than usual we were told, as the group of protesters was smaller(50-75 people, locals, Israeli's and internationals) than normal and the soldier count was down, due to especially high tensions in Nal'in this week. This nearby town, currently under curfew, had recruited many soldiers and protesters as well. Even amidst the "calm" in Bi'lin, the nonviolent demonstration, which began in the town center, after noon prayers were through, and proceeded to march peacefully to the Wall, was met by Israeli forces firing tear gas cannisters, rubber-coated metal bullets, and sound bombs. Yes, my 4th of July fireworks came in the form of flashing sound bombs, and the smoke of the tear gas.

You can read more about the situation in Bil'in and see pictures from past demonstrations here:
http://www.bilin-village.org/

Off-sync World

Some days it just seems the world is a bit off.

God, may your presence be known.

Labana, Knaffe and other delicious things

Pita and various cheeses have recently become a more regular part of my diet, which gives me nothing to complain about. And I recently discovered the wondrous combination of pita, cottage cheese, labana (a yogurt-cheese), and nutella. ...my newest bedtime snack of choice!

Oh, and my newest favorite dessert-- Knaffe. Imagine a realllllly juicy mozzarella stick wrapped with filo dough and shredded wheat like crunchiness, soaked in honey, and then topped with pistachios and drizzled with rosewater/honey-like mixture.

And more generally the food here is quiiiiiiite fantastic.
Hummus, fresh pita, juicy and flavorful and ever so slightly blemished (read, ORGANIC, not grown to aesthetic perfection as too many fruits and vegetables are, in order to please demanding consumers ..in America) fruits and vegetables, and new Arab and Israeli dishes of various sorts never grow old...

When I grow up...

Two Sundays ago, I witnessed something which changed my life. I've been thinking about it ever since, and think that I've finally decided who and what I want to be with my life-- the dancing traffic policeperson in Ramallah. Yes, I want to be him, when I grow up. You will too, after watching this:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=lq_UgswnCgM&feature=related

A call to prayer

I work in an Arab neighborhood and live in a Jewish one.

As we gathered for lunch today at work (..which neighborhood would that be in now? ..just checking..), I looked out the window to see 4 construction workers kneeled over in prayer, as the call to prayer bellowed loudly. Such open exhibitions of faith, along side a busy road, and much less, by construction workers is NOT something I'm accustomed to being witness to. ..the sight of these 4 Muslim construction workers taking a moment to stop their work and pray, evoked conversation at the lunch table about why Christians don't near as frequently exhibit such open and public practice of faith.

The call to prayer, which sounds numerous times throughout the day, still pleasantly surprised me every time I hear it. Last week, during our weekly Communion service, the call to prayer was sounding as we recited the Lord's prayer. There was something so beautiful about that, the synchronicity of our prayers-- I bet moments like that are what God would call complete and utter bliss.