Work: Work's busy. I'm actually doing a few training sessions with the athletes, which is great, but also frustrating because their work ethic is different than ours. I don't know if work ethic is the right word, maybe they have never been pushed the way I am trying to push them. Persons with disabilities are pitied here so its a learned dependence that I have to deal with. I hope that sport will encourage them to live independently and change their outlook on life.
Just something I want to share. This picture is a checkpoint that I have to go through every time I leave Jerusalem, for example, last week I went into Ramallah four times. Today, they closed one of the checkpoints so it took an extra 45 minutes to get back to Jerusalem. Crazy.
I am also learning a lot about NGO's and i have to say I am getting hooked. It's wonderful. I love the people involved, I love the work they do... I think I might have found my niche...
Non-work: I am having a great time. I am meeting a few people from the guesthouse and also from other NGO's. I met a really nice Lutheran theology student. We watch The Office, which is hilarious for those of you who have never seen it. I mostly hang out with people from my work. This weekend we went to this wonderful fish restaurant up in Acre called Uri Buri. It was amazing. What they do is bring out smaller portions to split and you keep eating until you tell the chef to stop. After you finish one course, you wait about 15 minutes for the next....ahhh I plan on going there again! I have pictures of all the food, except the first course (I forgot, sorry!) So sometime you can see it!
I am really starting to get familiar with the area around me. I actually drove back from Acre, which is about 2 1/2 hours north. I was a bit nervous.... it was my first international driving experience, but we survived!! :)
I hope everyone is doing great back home! Thanks for all the prayers and support! I am putting more pictures on this thing... I just have to figure out how. :)
Interesting to learn from you about how pity can factor into how someone with a disability handles things. Not everyone has the chutzpah you have - but it is all about attitude isn't it?
ReplyDeleteAre they generally as interested in sports as we are in the States?
The Palestinian's are into sports, but just not the same ones. In the US we love our football, basketball and baseball, but here they love football (soccer), table tennis, and goalball. They like basketball, but its just not at popular as say table tennis.
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