Eid al Adha: Israel and Palestine!

Us three outside of the Aida camp in Bethlehem. The Key for the "Right of Return" to Palestine is in the background.



Driving to Bethlehem through the West Bank



One of the most famous pictures of Jerusalem: the Church of the Ascension and the Dome of the Rock



Sophie, Kat, me and Dima outside of Dima's home in Ramallah, Palestine



A mosaic in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre



The Temple Mount and Al Aqsa Mosque






View from the top of the Mount of Olives...you can see Jordan in the distance!



The Dome of the Rock!



Backpackers on the road!



The Old Jaffa Port in Tel Aviv



Sophie and Kat in Tel Aviv

Hey Everyone!

I am sorry that I have not posted anything in a while! I had an incredible experience in Jordan this fall and updates are in order...but for now I will stick with our most recent journey: Israel and Palestine. We travelled to Tel Aviv (on the western coast of Israel), Jerusalem, Ramallah and Bethlehem (which are two cities in the West Bank).

Tel Aviv

Hello all,

All the Junior Fellows returned from the Eid break safely and now many of us are going home for the holidays! We had an incredible experience in Israel and have many details to share.

Early on the morning of November 26th the three of us hopped in a King's Academy van and began our journey. We prepared ourselves for the possibility (and likelihood) of a long and stressful shlep across the border. After waiting, getting passports stamped, and more waiting we finally arrived in Israel. We caught a bus to Jerusalem and then to Tel Aviv where we began our exploration. There we checked into HaYarkon 48, the hot spot for adventurous hippie-ish hostel-goers.

Tel Aviv is filled with cool things to do. Our hostel was only a two minute walk from the beach so we took a couple of strolls in the sand; Israel's is one of the most beautiful sunsets I've seen. Carmel Market, a road lined with clothing, produce, and craft vendors is always bustling and full of good buys. We also asked a couple of people to teach us useful Hebrew words but our vocabulary only grew minutely. "Thank you" in Hebrew is "todaa." Most of our time was spent exploring numerous areas like Neve Tzedik, walking the promenade, and surveying the coastline from Jaffa (where there is an abundance of galleries and old cobblestone pathways that lead down to the water). While in Jaffa we hopped on a boat ride along the coast and took photos from the deep blue.

Our second night at HaYarkon we switched to a dorm room shared by an Australian woman, Jez, and two Jewish women who were celebrating the Sabbath ("shabbat" in Hebrew). The women had begun cooking with a crock pot, filling the room with a powerful aroma. We exchanged stories with Jez about the Middle East - she is traveling for the year and had already been to Egypt and several other places. We simultaneously learned about Australia and shared some of our experiences so far in Jordan.

Overall, Tel Aviv was an awesome experience. It is incredibly diverse, funky, and the sidewalk sushi stands and smoothie places make it a wonderful place to sit back and relax!

-Kat

November Eid

Fast approaching is the holiday Eid Al-Adha, the Festival of Sacrifice. During this holiday, Muslims celebrate the Prophet Abraham's faith in God as demonstrated by his willingness to sacrifice his son Ishmael. Since God saved Ishmael and Abraham sacrificed a sheep instead, Muslims celebrate similarly and enjoy wonderful meals of sheep's meat. This is also a time to share the meat with those less fortunate so many people who regularly do not eat meat are able to. People go to Eid Prayer and later partake in huge dinners where the children receive gifts.

For the school's break, Marianna, Sophie, and I will be traveling to Israel (Jerusalem and Tel Aviv). We are very excited and will have many pictures to share!

-Kat

Ruwwad Performance

After weeks of preparation the long-awaited Ruwwad talent show was performed! Last Saturday family and friends of the young artists gathered to watch feats of singing, dancing, instrument playing and acting. The day began with rehearsals and a full run-through of the show. It was impressive how well the pieces came together. When performance time came the kids could barely contain their excitement. The show included pieces by the Ruwwad kids (organized by King's students, Junior Fellows, and faculty) and musical performances by the Academy's students.

I was extremely proud of the three boys who performed the hip-hop dance we had been rehearsing. They did tricks (including cartwheels) and each one performed an improvised solo! I was amazed by how willing they were to solo and the level of confidence they brought to improvisation which usually makes people uncomfortable and nervous. However, the young dancers jumped at the opportunity!

I also enjoyed listening to King's very own musicians who were terrific. I discovered that a few of the students whom I know well are talented singers, guitar players, and piano players. It is amazing to see a new side of people - especially their artistic side.

Lastly, I found the audience's positive, energetic response the most exciting part of the event. The Ruwwad kids (and the King's students) felt that their efforts were validated by the laudatory cheers they received. I hope that this will encourage them to continue participating in the arts and perhaps even pursue them!

-Kat

Celebrating my 19th birthday at Sugar Daddies in Amman!



The entire group from King's Academy after a job well done!

Here I am accepting my certificate from the Chairman of the Jumaya. This is the community center in Habaka that puts families in contact with Habitat for Humanity.

We built a wall! This is a picture from our first Habitat for Humanity build in the mountains of Northern Jordan (in Habaka). Here I am with Sophie, a few students (Noor-Eddin and Suhaib) and our bus driver, Abu Laith.

Fruitful Discussion

We recently added a Junior Fellow to the ranks named Nadine. She is Jordanian and is therefore in a somewhat different situation than the rest of us but she has offered us wonderful insights into the Jordanian culture. Today Nadine and I were chatting about the difference between Americans assimilating into Middle Eastern culture and vice versa. I mentioned that I have made it my goal to learn about the Muslim faith and that I find the culture very fascinating and very beautiful. I also said that it is unlikely that I will ever truly be a part of it. Nadine acknowledged this and mentioned that it would be much easier for her to live in America because it is comprised of so many backgrounds and beliefs. I think this is also because Americans are often categorized by the rest of the world - for instance some people automatically assume that all Americans are on the Israeli side of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. The word "American" brings to mind a structured set of beliefs that only accurately fits a small percentage of Americans. And while Nadine is right in saying that America is a relatively open-minded place, its media still harbors its own perceptions about the Muslim faith that are often judgmental and unenlightened. In the end, this media reflects poorly back on us.
Today we had the extraordinary privilege of listening to speakers from the Council for the National Interest. The speakers, many of whom are American and all of whom live in the States, outlined the work they do towards progress in the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. I found their approach intriguing because they represent a serious commitment to justice rather than partisanship. I think it is important for people in the Middle East to see Americans who demonstrate views different than those of the stereotypical American.

-Kat

Israel and Palestine

Before leaving for the Middle East, I must admit that I knew very little about the region. Sure, I was aware of the general conflict between Israel and Palestine and of course with constant newspaper headlines and CNN (my dad is an avid follower of the news) I was bound to pick up some information about Iraq, Iran, and Afghanistan. Other than that though, I had never taken a full course on Middle Eastern history (now I'm kicking myself for not having done so at Andover!) and my knowledge of the Islam faith is limited to what I remember from my freshman year history course.

I entered this gap year with the hope of becoming much more informed about the Middle East. While my knowledge of Middle Eastern history is still spotty, I learn more about Arab identity than I ever could have hoped each day from the King's Academy students. Yesterday, Kat and I had an incredible conversation with a 10th grade Palestinian student named Dima. I was helping Dima work on an essay about Arab identity for her English class and I couldn't help asking her to pull up a map of the region so she could explain to me some of her history. What ended up coming out of the discussion was information about her life in the Middle East that I couldn't even begin to fathom.

Dima explained to us a bit about the history of the Israeli occupation of Palestine. She talked to us about the difficulties she faced when trying to get around Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza. In 2001, Israelis came into her village in Ramallah, Palestine and took, by force, the appartment building across from where she lived. She was held hostage by Israeli soldiers for a very short period of time and had to then go into post traumatic stress therapy. She also mentioned the wall that was built to separate the Palestinian side and the Israeli side in Jerusalem. She said that the wall goes through people's neighborhoods, so that people now have something separating them from their previous neighbors.

Dima explained to us that most Palestinians refer to present day Israel as "occupied Palestine" because to say "Israel" signifies that there is no longer hope that they can regain their homeland. She told me that she personally has given up hope that her home will ever be returned to her ancestors. In her words, all she can hope for now is that Israel will stop making the region even smaller that they have allotted to Palestine (aka the West Bank).

I was completely not prepared for this conversation because I had never heard someone speak so frankly about the situation in the Middle East. As an American, I have not been exposed to certain viewpoints that I have heard while in Jordan. Even though this issue is still very controversial in the US with people voicing both pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian arguments, it's still very different to hear it from someone who has lived it. I also feel like I have been brought up to think of Israel as the state and Palestine as no longer a recognized entity.

I found Dima's strength to be so amazing and inspiring. She is a completely normal 10th grade girl and has one of the most generous spirits in our dorm. I am so lucky to be immersed in this culture where I can re-evaluate my perspective on an incredibly rich part of the world.

xoxoxox,
Marianna

The movies!

Two Fridays ago Marianna, Sophie, and I went to see The Ugly Truth in the movie theater. After we told the man at the ticket counter that we wanted three seats he asked us where we wanted to sit. All three of us gave him a confused look and he reiterated "where would you like to sit in the theater?" He pointed to a screen in front of him with a seating chart. Marianna selected the seats and the man printed our tickets. We went into the lobby and just as we were about to enter the movie theater another man stopped us and told us we were not allowed to go in yet. Evidently you are only allowed to find your seats fifteen minutes before the movie starts! Imagine trying to shove everyone at one of the Harry Potter premieres into the theater in that amount of time...

-Kat

Ruwwad Project

Last Saturday a group of about twelve kids from Ruwwad, a conservative and impoverished local area, came to King's to participate in art projects organized by several King's students. The organizers of this project are hoping to have it culminate in a talent show where the kids demonstrate what they have been working on over the course of several trips to King's. I assisted with the hip-hop dance section along with King's students Fadi and Farah. Fadi spear-headed the workshop, teaching popping, locking, and even a bit of breaking.

I was unsure what to expect at first. I had been told that the children would only speak Arabic and this was indeed true. Fadi and Farah started by giving a history of hip-hop and asking the kids what their style is. This entire conversation took place in Arabic and while it might have made sense for me to be unnerved by my lack of stake in the conversation, I instead strained to recognize words I knew and imagined what they could be saying. Rather than feeling overwhelmed, I felt the urge to take on more Arabic classes and to push myself to learn more quickly. I even practiced my Arabic by asking one of them “adeish omrach?" - "how old are you?"

Even though I couldn’t communicate with them through words I still managed to connect with them. I started doing some silly dance moves that a Lebanese girl had taught me and one of the kids joined in. He started doing his own silly dance moves and I joined in. It was proof that dance and laughter are languages too.

Ramadan

A few days after our arrival in Jordan, Ramadan began-a month long celebration where all Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset. Out of respect for those fasting, others are prohibited from eating or drinking in public both on campus and outside of campus. In fact, one can be put in jail for eating a snickers bar while walking through the mall. Even chewing gum is not allowed. Despite the strict rules, the four weeks are considered a celebration. Similarly to families at Christmas time, people hang lights on their houses shaped like moons and stars. Every evening after sundown, families gather together to "break the fast" by eating a meal called Iftar. This meal is usually followed by sweets like dates, figs, and yummy desserts. There is also a salty yogurt substance that surprised a few people who mistook it for milk.

In the spirit of cultural exploration (and a little challenge), a couple of the Junior Fellows fasted. Hannah Ryan and I fasted for two days (not consecutively) and were ultimately successful. We did not even drink water! Those fasting were given a meal, called sohoor, to be eaten at about four AM. I had sohoor twice but going back to sleep after eating did not feel great...If I try fasting again I think I will skip the sohoor.

If you know how much I love to eat, then you are well aware how difficult it was to fast. I rarely ignore my grumbling stomach but for these two days I had to push through the discomfort. One of the days I tried going for a run on the treadmill which, when you haven't had any water all day, is not an easy task. But fasting for two days gave me an appreciation for the discipline demonstrated by those who fast for the entire month.

-Kat

The fact that we were thrown into this important Muslim experience right off the bat after landing in Jordan really had an impact on our assimilation into the culture. Coming from America, this experience was quite unlike any other. Not being able to eat or drink in public is extremely difficult to say the least! Both Kat and I made a few mistakes unintentionally. During the new student orientation for example, I caught myself taking a bottle of water out of my purse. (This doesn't sound like a big deal of course, but in an area full of parents observing this holiday, I potentially could have gotten quite a lot of stares). Although I never fasted for a day like Kat did (although not for lack of trying!) I still think that I gained an appreciation for the restraint shown by so many who take part in this unifying religious experience.

Although we moaned and groaned a bit during Ramadan, looking back on it there are aspects to this month of celebration that I miss. The general festivity during this month was crazy! Stores and restaurants in Amman and Madaba were open late into the night. Lights were strung all around the cities and music blared from sidewalk corners. There was also a special late-night market, Souk Jara, that took place only during Ramadan on Friday nights. The emphasis on family during this special month (and also in general) is something that I wish could be more emphasized in the United States. Even full-boarders at King's Academy would go home for Iftar meals daily with their families! It was refreshing to be immersed in a culture where most family took priority for the entirety of this month.

Much love,
Marianna

Sophia Lee (another Andover alum), Sophie and I all volunteered at Ruwwad (located in Jabal Nathif in East Amman) on Non-Sibi Day. Ruwwad is an organization similar in style to the Boys and Girls Club. We had so much fun spending time with the kids there even though they spoke very little English!

14 Junior Fellows at King's Academy!

Hannah, Sophie, Kat and me in Amman

We're not in Kansas anymore.

Marhaba (Hello) to family and friends!

I'm sorry for the wait but now that I have a place to document this year, I hope you all will feel free to check the site every once in a while to see what's new. As always, I hope to find out how everything is going with all of you as well!

I will start by mentioning some aspects of the incredible culture here...at certain times during the day the Call to Prayer can be heard across King's Academy's campus. It was startling the first few days but I have become accustomed to the beautiful, drawn out notes (not to be mistaken for singing). The mosques here have beautiful, light blue domes that illuminate the scenery. From the school's campus it is easy to see the ups and downs of the landscape and the view at night when the surroundings are lit up is extraordinary. The desert is surprisingly comfortable in terms of weather - it is very sunny but also very dry and I actually prefer it to muggy New England summers!

My internship is a blast. I work in Academic Support tutoring students and assisting with testing. I recently proctored the PSAT for a student...I never thought that day would come. I have several lessons with students during their free periods each day. I focus on specific subjects with each student depending on what they need. Sometimes, for instance with chemistry, I must refresh my own brain on the subject before helping the student! I was worried at first that I would not be patient enough to tutor but I find that all the students are great kids who are earnest in their desire for help.

In addition to my internship, I help out with dance during the co-curricular period. There is both a Dance Making and a Technique and Conditioning class that I attend. Ryuji, who is the director of the program has graciously offered to let me choreograph for students and even lead class If I choose. Right now I am hoping to set a hip-hop piece on a group of students but it is still in the planning phases. Dance in the classroom is a relatively new concept for many of the students (students will sometimes show up in their uniform instead of dance clothes) but there are many who are interested in learning. I regret that I'm not able to dance more throughout the week but days are very busy and there are no evening rehearsals in place as of yet.

Living in the dorms is one of my favorite things about being at King's. Having been a day student at Deerfield I always wanted to be a boarder (although it is easier when your parents live ten minutes away as opposed to six thousand miles). Here, I live on a hall with about twenty sophomore, junior, and senior girls. There are two student proctors on my hall who are both wonderful and we, along with the faculty, run study hall. I have duty in the dorm two nights a week from eight to ten and once a week we have a feed (called Jam'a in Arabic) where we all get together as a dorm and EAT! (this was one of my favorite activities at Deerfield as well...)

That's all for now but check back soon!
-Kat

A bit about my internship!

Views of Amman, Jordan

Hi everyone!

Greetings from Jordan and welcome to our blog! So much has been going on that it feels good to finally begin formally documenting some of our experiences.

I have loved my experience here so far, although there have definitely been challenges. Last year if you had told me some of the things that I would be doing during my Gap Year, I literally wouldn’t have even believed you. My friend Sophie Shimer (also an Andover ’09 alum) and I work together in the Round Square and Community Partnership office at King’s. Round Square is an international organization composed of over 60 schools worldwide – they work on establishing 6 ideals (internationalism, democracy, environment, adventure, leadership, and service) into programs for students. Simone and Nayab (both Andover ’08) worked tirelessly last year so that King’s could become a Round Square regional member and this year Sophie and I are working on creating programs that fall under the Round Square umbrella so that we can become a full member.

Our boss, Tessa Fairbairn (who is a fabulous woman from South Africa) is in India right now representing King’s Academy at a Round Square conference. I can’t stress this enough about my gap year at King’s – it is PHENOMENAL work experience. Sophie and I essentially run the Community Service program here because our boss is so busy teaching her English classes. Simone and Nayab did a great job last year of setting up several community partnerships around the Amman region in Jordan (and also beyond) and now it is our job this year to solidify these partnerships.

Right now we are in the midst of setting up a Habitat for Humanity chapter at King’s! We are going on several Saturday building projects, which will be full day events stationed in different locations all around Jordan. We are going to Habaka, Jordan in a few weeks for our first build. It looks like we will also be going to Budapest, Hungary on a Habitat trip over spring break! It is quite eye-opening to be doing the logistical work behind this sort of thing – I have a whole new appreciation for the kind of effort it takes to send a group of students and faculty on one of these kinds of trips! We also had a big event this weekend with the King Hussein Cancer Foundation – we walked/ran in the first ever Amman International Marathon! Sophie and I put together a team from King’s and we are ran 10k in support of this organization.

Reclaim Childhood is another organization that we have a partnership with. The organization was started after the Iraq war - we run sports clinics and other activities with Iraqui refugee girls. Yesterday we also spoke with a Jordanian representative from an organization called Friends of the Earth Middle East (FoEME). They bring Jordanians, Palestinians, and Israelis together to fight common environmental problems in the Middle East. They primarily address the water shortage issue and environmental sustainability in farming. We’re going on a conference to the Dead Sea in a few weeks to meet with representatives from the other schools and then we’re going to Southern Israel for our November vacation. I love working with these organizations although it is difficult at times – I definitely have a huge appreciation now for American efficiency in the workplace. Many of the Middle Easterners that we have encountered in these non-profit organizations don’t have the same sense of deadlines or accountability that we are used to in the US.

Other than our internship, I have been traveling and exploring quite a bit with the other Junior Fellows (that is technically my title). We went to Beirut, Lebanon for our October vacation and did quite a bit of sightseeing there. We are also busy planning a trip to Damascus, Syria and Jerusalem for our next vacation in November.

More to come soon....

Lots of love,
Marianna

Hello!

We have decided that this would be a great forum for us to share some of our gap year experiences in Jordan. We are sorry that it has taken us so long to get this off the ground but starting now you can expect at least one post from each of us per week as well as some collective posts. We hope to share our photos and stories as well as our thoughts on the many new things we are exposed to every day.

Enjoy!