sticky note Arabic

Marhaba! Ism-i Anna. Ana min Amerka.

Hello! My name is Anna. I am from America.

We had our first Arabic lesson last night and I am very excited to start learning more each week. Our teacher is very good at getting us into conversation as soon as we learn words and phrases, which I think will help us feel more comfortable actually using the language. As you can see that I've already started a sticky note system for studying!

It's easy to remember the word for "I" because it's basically my name: "ana." The word for "yes" is "aywa" and pretty much sounds just like "Iowa!" :-) Gotta love it...

I have now completed two weeks of work. For right now, I work Monday-Thursday from 8am-3pm because we are still doing some continuing education with the YAGM program on the weekends. A lot of people have been asking what exactly I'm doing- and that is still a hard question to answer. I work for the Director of Education for the ELCJHL Schools. There are a number of schools and programs that are part of the educational ministries of the ELCJHL- and if you want to learn more about each of them I recommend taking a look at the website. I have my own office, which you see here as well, and I think a lot of my work will be at the computer, but hopefully will also include opportunities to visit the schools and maybe even get involved at the kindergarten in Jerusalem. My responsibilities for Dr. Charlie (Director of Education) will include things like helping with monthly newsletters about the schools, communicating with donors and volunteers, working on photo archiving- as well as a number of other things. I think it will develop as we go along and each week is likely to be different. I am also working with Martin (YAGM Country Coordinator) on Holy Land Trips, which is part of the ELCA's Peace Not Walls campaign and aims to help tourists and pilgrims who visit the Holy Land really experience Palestinian culture and learn what it means to be a Christian here.

This coming week we will be in retreat in the Galilee Monday through Wednesday because it is the Eid al-Fitr, which is the celebration marking the end of Ramadan. Coincidentally, it is also Rash Hashanah and next weekend will be Yom Kippur. It has been Ramadan the whole time we've been here and I am excited to see what will change once it is over. One thing I know is that we will be able to eat and drink in public, which up til now is something you would only have caught thoughtless tourists doing. During Ramadan, Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset and this includes not drinking or smoking. As a courtesy, Christians generally do not eat in public or drink water while walking down the street. We have tried to be attentive to this as well and sometimes it has been difficult to not whip out the water bottle!

The other thing that will change in some way will be the bus schedule, though I am not sure exactly how it will change yet. Right now, almost all shops and buses close at sundown for the Iftar, or breaking of the fast. After they have eaten, things will start up again. I was in Ramallah on Thursday night and even after midnight there were people (kids included!) shopping and eating everywhere. This may have been unique because the celebration is approaching and it is like Christmas around here in terms of shopkeepers pulling out all the stops. Damascus Gate, where I walk to work, has had a steady build up of vendors over the past week.

There are also some foods that are unique to Ramadan, most noticeably "atayef"- or what we Americans have fondly termed "Ramadan pancakes." This picture shows a pan that I helped our host put together one evening. Typically, the outer "pancakes" are filled with either cheese or a walnut/sugar/cinnamon mixture. They are quite tasty!

Slowly but surely I am adjusting to life here as "normal"- and yet doing my best to remain alert to all the new things we are encountering and trying to absorb the culture, food and language whenever possible. I have appreciated staying in touch with people at home- emails are always welcome!