First Impressions

Greetings, everyone!I have arrived safely and happily in Nazareth. Only a few minorglitches, like the pilot missed the runway the first time around.("We'll just bring'er up and try again," he said...) I found out themain bus stop in Nazareth looks like an abandoned alley at 10 pm whenI got there (eek!) But the other volunteers found me soon enough andall is well.I am in for some pretty serious work here in the next year. First ofall, I am working for the Women Against Violence center (arabic nameunpronounceable), which is a recent change of plans. Their previousresource and project developer eloped to Brazil, so I was 'borrowed'from the Human Rights Association for my experience with SMART team.WAV is the only system of shelters and crisis services available inArabic for battered and raped Palestinian women and teenage girls.In fact, its the only one in the entire Middle East. The situationis more grim because once raped, they (girls especially) are subjectto family honor killings in rural and traditional families. AndIsraeli courts are largely looking the other way. There have been about 7 honor killings per year (reported)in the last ten years. My first job is to restore order to the chaos my predecessor left behind. Then, I am putting my English (and likely German)to work ingrantwriting and fundraising, developing new projects for the center,I would like to pave the way for a doubling of shelter space, mostlythrough in-kind donations, as they turned away 102 women for the 67they could care for last year. I should also be doing some Englishtutoring for the staff, building a website, and we'll see afterthat. I will be touring with my boss, Aida Touma-Suliman, later thisfall around the country conducting lectures and workshops.I live 100 yards outside the city limits, its about a half hour walkinto work. Another 15 minutes maybe to the Basilica. I share thevolunteer apartment which has a huge balcony overlooking amicroscopic farm and a mosque on the other side of the highway. Forfuture reference, the farm seems to be in the middle of a steel yard,and has 6 sheep, a stack of hay, one horse, one cow. The mosque,because of curious color choices, will heretofore be known asthe "funky mosque." The muezzin seems to be a bit young because hisvoice cracks often during call to prayer. But it is still the mostbeautiful sound to hear six muezzins calling at once!It's an eye-opener to be in Nazareth. The neighborhood I work inlooks not unlike central Tegucigalpa after the hurricane. There aremultiple collapsed buildings and very poor or nonexistent roads andinfrastructure problems. I actually walk in on dust and broken glasspathways along the road. This is not the tourist side we saw twoyears ago on May Term. Of course Nazrat Illit, the Israelisettlement up the mountain, is in perfect condition. That isan 'economic development zone.'Anyway. The volunteer group around here is very close and I ammaking lots of friends. I was treated to a bedouin-style party onthe beach at the sea of Galilee last weekend, courtesy of the localPalestinians our age, and got a free sitar lesson. Next weekend, I'mtaking the other volunteers to Jerusalem for the grand tour. InNovember, we can go to Cairo for $50 for the end of Ramadan. $8bucks or less gets you anywhere in the country. So there will beplenty of relief to the demanding work!I don't think I'll write too often, because I know you are all busierthan I am, and you might be a tad bitter if I mention they brought inbaklava and sweets for lunch (somebody bought a car and needed tocelebrate--do you understand the parable of the lost coin now!)whenWartburg probably served scrod cod. Let me know if/how often youwant to be updated. Have a great year!!!!Peace,Le Anne