New Pictures, Same Wall

I started the non-violence training camp yesterday, and right now I'm not entirely sure how I like it. I'm taking a wait and see approach though, and just trying to find more ways to interact with the Palestinian youth who are also attending. It is tough to get everyone speaking the same language.
I uploaded 5 new albums tonight, and took some old ones down since I still can't seem to find the "missing link" to buy more space. The first new album is from the second protest that I attended two Fridays ago and described in my post on Sunday, 9 July. Next are pictures that I took at a fashion show I attended last week. They aren't very good because the place was dark and they wouldn't let me use my flash. The "Bethlehem at Night" album are pictures I took when we left the fashion show and walked down to a restaurant called the Tent to hang out. I was mostly just playing around with exposure time and night shots, but I think it gives a nice sense of what the streets are like around here. There is an album called "Winery, Basketball Game, Night Out" that I took last Friday. The first shots are from a monastery that makes their own wine, Cremisian wine. We went there as a group and tasted lots of the wines, then went into a little wooded park and had a picnic. It was a good time, and the wine was pretty good too! I'm going to bring some back as presents, and olive oil as well. The boys in our group play basketball games against local church groups, so some of us went and watched that game after the winery. Sarah talked us into playing cheerleaders, so I put those pictures up as well. We lost, unfortunately. After the game a few of us decided to go and meet up with some of the friends we made at the restaurant last week.
We went to a place called the Greek Orthodox Club, which is an outdoor but tented venue with a stage, bar, and a bunch of tables and chairs. A band was playing and there were maybe 45 people there smoking narguila, dancing, singing, having fun. Steve, our friend, was there with a group of his friends so we sat with them. All of the sudden, some of the people sitting in the middle of the place stood up and started to rush towards the exit, and people started shouting. I stood up to see what was going on and saw 6-8 men with their faces covered with traditional red and white and black and white checkered scarves marching across the dance floor, shouting. I didn't know what was going on, I don't really even remember being scared because everything happened so quickly. I got my camera and went and stood with John and watched as the owner of the place talked to the men and then quickly ushered them out a back exit. I took a couple pictures before the group I was with told me "la! la!" (no, obviously.) Steve explained that they came because they thought it was inappropriate that people be singing and having a good time when there is a war going on, and they wanted to break up the party. They were talked out of it and asked to leave. Steve said they were not armed, and I didn't see any guns. He also said that he knows the people that do things like that, and usually he even knows beforehand, but this time he wasn't sure what group they were with, maybe Hamas but he didn't think they were wearing the right clothing. The band started up again, people kept dancing, and we left an hour later. What an experience.. I really wish (as I have constantly recently) that I speak Arabic so that I could understand what everyone was saying while it was happening, and afterwards.
The last album is a big one, it is from our overnight trip to Qalqilya and Tulkarm. Qalqilya is a town that is surrounded on three sides by the Wall, where much land has been stolen from the Palestinians who have farmed it for generations. We met with some of the farmers and heard their stories. At one point we stopped to check out some awesome graffitti on the wall and some of us needed to use the bathroom. Some locals on the street led the boys to a mosque and one family opened their doors to four women, including myself, so that we could use their bathroom. It was a large Muslim family living right next to the wall in a very modest home, and they welcomed us in true Arab tradition. After we had finished in the bathroom, they invited us to sit and drink cola with them and eat sweets. Despite the fact that an entire tour bus was parked in front of their house, waiting for us, we didn't decline the invitation. The hospitality here is absolutely incredible. Similarly, earlier in the day in the market area of Qalqilya, we stopped in a store to buy some water and the shopkeeper invited the three of us to sit and talk with him. He was an older man who spoke very clear English, in fact, he was an English teacher in the nearby refugee camp. He told us a little about his life and then what he thought about the conflict. Like so many others I have spoken with, he blames the Israeli government and the US government for the occupation, and insists that he has no problem with the Israeli citizens. After leaving Qalqilya we drove a few hours to Ramallah, the largest city in the West Bank. As soon as we got off the bus I had this rush of "home" because the traffic was awful, the streets were really crowded, and there were lots of open shops and restaurants. I never thought I'd be the type to miss a big city! We checked into our rather seedy hotel and then headed out for dinner. After dinner we found a bar that served TayBeh on tap. TayBeh is brewed in the West Bank, the only local brewery, but in Bethlehem you can only get it in bottles. After a little drama with some bed bugs in my roommate's bed, we all got some sleep and headed to Tulkarm the next morning, another town that is being strangled by the wall. There, the farmers have lost so much of their land that it is generally impossible for them to live on what remains.
My computer battery is running low and this is running long, but I'll post again soon. I was told today that the YMCA where they are holding the camp has wireless internet access... Too weird, but it will keep me in touch. Much love to all of you, thank you for caring and reading. Know that I do feel safe here and what weighs so heavily on my mind is the stress that some of you feel because you are worried about me. The violence and war is terrible, and I know you are seeing it on the news and reading it in the papers. We here keep a close watch on the situation, and rest assured that I will always use my best judgement and I always remember that there are people at home who love me! Peace, thank you again for taking time to read this.