I have been saving this last post until the very end so each guest has a fair and equal shot. Working at an Inn that has been home to thousands of guests, I have had the opportunity of meeting a fair amount of (to put it nicely) interesting people. However, one guest stands out among the rest. This award goes to....(drum roll) guest X from Spain!
Let me give you a brief overview of this man.
He arrived with a bang. The entrance to the Fauzi is a small gate carved into the old stone walls. You have to stoop to enter, otherwise you hit your head on the overhanging stone. Naturally, he forgot to do that. As he made his way upstairs into the main salon area, he let out this huge sigh/moan/scream/exclamation and just sort of flopped over the main desk. He was quite sweaty and rugged - in a very unappealing way. His accent was so thick I could barely understand him. It took quite a few attempts for me to ask him to pay and present his passport to me.
However, unlike (normal) people who keep their money and passports in their bags or pockets, he kept his deep within his pants. So in order to access them, he literally unzipped his pants and sort of stripped right in front of me and my religious Muslim co-worker. He were a bit shocked and immediately averted our eyes. He was not at all abashed as he rummaged around within his pants for his papers. He dropped them onto the desk (keep in mind, his pants are still down) and I was incredibly hesitant to pick them up (understandably so). He just kept on chattering away.
The fun did not end there. After checking the guest in, we give them a map of an area and a little speech as to where they are what they can do in the city. It is a very informative and in-depth overview. He was so thrilled that he closed his eyes, put his hand to his heart and said, "I am so very grateful for this information. You have been such a wonderful help I just don't know what I could do without you." He stayed for two days and every time he saw me, he would come up and thank me again, energetically.
To be fair, there were many other guests that came close - a major German creeper and a massive family from America (where all five kids matched and had names that began with 'A').
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
Final Thoughts and Beit Alfa
Last night, a guest and I sat talking late into the evening on the porch overlooking the entire city. She was one of the most fascinating people I have met - a 67 year old woman from South Africa living in Oman. Incredibly tall and regal looking, Elizabeth had a sort of charm you could not ignore. We spent a good couple of hours talking about interfaith, intermarriage and what it means to be true to a religion. She got me thinking and reflecting on my stay here in Nazareth.
My trip was not an easy one to say the least. It was full of learning curves and mistake after mistake. From walking all over Nazareth to find a certain shop to taking the wrong bus line (and ending up in the desert) I have learned a tremendous amount. I learned when and when not to speak in Hebrew, how to be assertive in arguments with Israelis, how to navigate the bus lines, how to budget for two months in a foreign country, how to communicate solely in Hebrew and how to know when a situation is right or wrong. However, one of the main things that has struck me is just how fortunate I am - to have a supportive family, job opportunities and the drive to see the world. I know this sounds cheesy, but it has come quite apparent to me.
The other day, I went and visited an Ethiopian absorption center called Beit Alfa right right outside of Afula. I had spoken with the manager a few times and he strongly encouraged me to stop by. So I managed to find the center, a mini-village hidden in the valley (about 15 km from the border with Jordan). As I entered the center, hundreds of eyes followed my every step - who is she? what is she doing here? I found the office and was greeted by half a dozen smiling workers - all former members of the same absorption center. They were thrilled that I came and instantly started to show me around. They showed me the classrooms and introduced me to other volunteers. Upon learning that I had a few hours, they asked if I was interested in playing with the kids. I enthusiastically responded yes and went outside to meet them.
What struck me first was just how polite and appreciate these children were. Tons of eyes stared up at me and the kids gathered around me in curiosity. There was silence and then all at once they all ask me (in Hebrew, they don't know any English) "Do you speak English??" They were so eager to practice what little English they knew! So for each child, I asked, "How are you?" "What's your name?" I would receive a gleeful respond and everyone would laugh hysterically.
The other highlight was the instant I sat down, a good dozen kids swarmed around me and started braiding my hair. This was not only an activity for the girls but also for the boys. "Does this hurt you? Tell us when it hurts and we will stop!" they shouted. After only ten minutes, my head was completely covered in tiny braids that they had done. They were the nicest group of children I have ever been with. Respectful of each other, they treated one another with the utmost of respect. Older brothers were always checking to see if their younger sisters were safe and sound while friends held hands with one another. I don't know who was more excited - me or them.
I definitely hope to return to the center in the years to come to do more work. The community was unlike anything I have ever experienced. I hope to give them life opportunities that I have had the pleasure to enjoy - to travel the world, learn different languages and interact with new and different people.
My time here ends in just ten days, that I know will whiz by. I leave the Fauzi tomorrow morning to spend time with friends and family (Micayla!) in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. It's quite strange how fast time flew by. I began saying my goodbyes yesterday which hurt more than I thought. The final ones will come today. Fortunately, I am having lunch with a fellow employee today and will see other friends that I have made in the evening. I also anticipate another caffeinated afternoon as I say goodbye to the Arab locals that I have met and gotten to know: the imam, the coffee seller, the workers at the local spice shop etc (you cannot just say 'goodbye,' you have to sit down with coffee and say goodbye)
So...that was Nazareth. I am definitely planning to return and would encourage everyone to stop by at the Fauzi!
My trip was not an easy one to say the least. It was full of learning curves and mistake after mistake. From walking all over Nazareth to find a certain shop to taking the wrong bus line (and ending up in the desert) I have learned a tremendous amount. I learned when and when not to speak in Hebrew, how to be assertive in arguments with Israelis, how to navigate the bus lines, how to budget for two months in a foreign country, how to communicate solely in Hebrew and how to know when a situation is right or wrong. However, one of the main things that has struck me is just how fortunate I am - to have a supportive family, job opportunities and the drive to see the world. I know this sounds cheesy, but it has come quite apparent to me.
The other day, I went and visited an Ethiopian absorption center called Beit Alfa right right outside of Afula. I had spoken with the manager a few times and he strongly encouraged me to stop by. So I managed to find the center, a mini-village hidden in the valley (about 15 km from the border with Jordan). As I entered the center, hundreds of eyes followed my every step - who is she? what is she doing here? I found the office and was greeted by half a dozen smiling workers - all former members of the same absorption center. They were thrilled that I came and instantly started to show me around. They showed me the classrooms and introduced me to other volunteers. Upon learning that I had a few hours, they asked if I was interested in playing with the kids. I enthusiastically responded yes and went outside to meet them.
What struck me first was just how polite and appreciate these children were. Tons of eyes stared up at me and the kids gathered around me in curiosity. There was silence and then all at once they all ask me (in Hebrew, they don't know any English) "Do you speak English??" They were so eager to practice what little English they knew! So for each child, I asked, "How are you?" "What's your name?" I would receive a gleeful respond and everyone would laugh hysterically.
The other highlight was the instant I sat down, a good dozen kids swarmed around me and started braiding my hair. This was not only an activity for the girls but also for the boys. "Does this hurt you? Tell us when it hurts and we will stop!" they shouted. After only ten minutes, my head was completely covered in tiny braids that they had done. They were the nicest group of children I have ever been with. Respectful of each other, they treated one another with the utmost of respect. Older brothers were always checking to see if their younger sisters were safe and sound while friends held hands with one another. I don't know who was more excited - me or them.
I definitely hope to return to the center in the years to come to do more work. The community was unlike anything I have ever experienced. I hope to give them life opportunities that I have had the pleasure to enjoy - to travel the world, learn different languages and interact with new and different people.
My time here ends in just ten days, that I know will whiz by. I leave the Fauzi tomorrow morning to spend time with friends and family (Micayla!) in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. It's quite strange how fast time flew by. I began saying my goodbyes yesterday which hurt more than I thought. The final ones will come today. Fortunately, I am having lunch with a fellow employee today and will see other friends that I have made in the evening. I also anticipate another caffeinated afternoon as I say goodbye to the Arab locals that I have met and gotten to know: the imam, the coffee seller, the workers at the local spice shop etc (you cannot just say 'goodbye,' you have to sit down with coffee and say goodbye)
So...that was Nazareth. I am definitely planning to return and would encourage everyone to stop by at the Fauzi!
Ice Space in Eilat
A week ago, a friend and I went down to Eilat for my birthday and spent the two days completely submerged in water - either in the beautiful pools by the hotel or in the Yam Ha'suf. However, we emerged just long enough to visit Ice Space - an hour long experience for Israelis to see what life is like in 32 degree weather. Coming from Wisconsin and studying in Minnesota, I thought the concept was absurd. However, I obliged and put on a down coat, snowpants, gloves, boots and a hat and 'braced myself' for what was to come. I spent the first portion (the info session and the 'informative' video) trying to suppress my laughter. Here I was, surrounded by a group of Israelis who were anxiously pulling their hats down farther and trying to burrow their necks further in their coats.
We were warned: NOT to touch the ice, for it could give you severe burns, how to safely exit the room in case of extreme cold and what animal life we might find in the ice space. With this in mind, we walked in. At this point, I completely lost it and just started laughing uncontrollably and snorting at the same time. My fellow group members stood in awe, staring at the ice as if it was some precious stone. They would touch the ice, look at each other and just freak out. Keep in mind that it was about 107 degrees outside, so I was previously sweating profususly. I had kept my jacket unbuttoned to cool off as well as pocketing my gloves. I ran my bare hands over the ice, but before I could even begin to enjoy the coldness a million people start yelling at me, "WHAT ARE YOU DOING! You can get burned!" Trying to be polite, I tried telling them that I will be fine, that in fact I live in an environment like this for a good half the year. Of course, they didn't believe me.
We only lasted thirty minutes.
We were warned: NOT to touch the ice, for it could give you severe burns, how to safely exit the room in case of extreme cold and what animal life we might find in the ice space. With this in mind, we walked in. At this point, I completely lost it and just started laughing uncontrollably and snorting at the same time. My fellow group members stood in awe, staring at the ice as if it was some precious stone. They would touch the ice, look at each other and just freak out. Keep in mind that it was about 107 degrees outside, so I was previously sweating profususly. I had kept my jacket unbuttoned to cool off as well as pocketing my gloves. I ran my bare hands over the ice, but before I could even begin to enjoy the coldness a million people start yelling at me, "WHAT ARE YOU DOING! You can get burned!" Trying to be polite, I tried telling them that I will be fine, that in fact I live in an environment like this for a good half the year. Of course, they didn't believe me.
We only lasted thirty minutes.
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