Oh, the Pyramids! A day in Giza.

Our first full day in Egypt we spent doing what one should do on their first day in Egypt - we got our picture taken in front of THE PYRAMIDS. Actually, we got our picture taken in front of a lot of things, come to think of it. We decided to do a private tour that our hostel manager set up. It turned out to be a great decision. It was ridiculously cheap - I wish I could remember how much exactly, and it saved us from dealing with the hassle of cabs and navigating a new country and all of that. It included 3 stops and lunch.

First stop - Saqqra. I actually didn't even know this place existed until we went there on the tour. Eek. Bad History major. This is the world's oldest pyramid, and oldest stone structure, for that matter: (and of course me, cheesing it up in front)

Second stop was Memphis, where the highlight was this massive statue of Ramses:

Sphinx at Memphis. Pictured here are the girls I traveled with: K.C., Katie, me and Nura. In front was our trusty tour guide for the day. He was great.

Third stop: lunch. These women bake pita bread for the restaurant, and threw us some right out of the oven as a little pre-lunch snack.

After gorging ourselves on our overpriced lunch, we headed out for Giza and the Great Pyramid...... da da da....!

There are actually 3 large pyramids at Giza. But you can't get them all in one picture unless you are pretty far away. We declined on the option of riding a camel to get a better picture (don't worry, camels come later).

Check out how HUGE the stones are! How in the world they moved those things is still a mystery - it is truly a wonder.

And... here we go... the trashy tourist pic. Gotta have some of these.

So, funny thing about the pyramids... they are not in the middle of the desert.. was I the only one who thought this? Giza is actually just a suburb of Cairo, and HUGE. You can take the bus to the pyramids, or a cab - its only a few minutes drive from downtown Cairo. Don't believe me? Check out this picture, standing in the same place as the picture above, just looking in the opposite direction:

One more for the road:

We walked for a couple of minutes, and ran right into - The Great Sphinx! (this actually was the coolest moment for me - it hit me how surreal it was to be standing in a place I had been seeing pictures of my entire life... wow wow!)

A little closer...

The Sphinx and I got close and personal.

There was actually a little girl standing there showing tourists how to angle their cameras to take this picture. She was precious and made my heart hurt. In general, I have a policy of not handing money to kids on the street, so I didn't give her money.

And I feel bad.

(You can't win when it comes to kids on the street, I'm telling you. You give them money, it is perpetuating poverty by keeping them out of school. You don't give them money and they may not eat that day. Seriously, it tears me up, still. ... and... I'll end the downer rant, but if you have a great solution, let me know. Meanwhile I'll be kissing sphinxes for free AND feeling terrible about it.)

After a long day of being ridiculously touristy, we did the cheesiest tourist thing yet - we went on a dinner cruise on the Nile. Complete with semi-bad belly dancer.

... A whirling dervish.. and, oh it gets worse....

.... and a Little Person whirling dervish.

Oh, to be a tourist in Egypt. It actually was all a lot of fun, of course. A lot of fun. It was incredible to see the sites and be in the places that people from all over the world flock to. But it doesn't compare at all to actually being able to DO something for the place - to get to know the people, contribute, have them get to know you......

The more I travel the more I realize this.

Highlights of Cairo

The last week of our Jerusalem Program was free for travel - so 3 girlfriends and I sprinted for Egypt.

We bought a bus ticket that took us from Tel Aviv to Cairo for about $90. Despite reading in about 4 places that it was impossible, we were able to buy our visas at the border for $15 when we crossed at the Taba border crossing. We went straight, all the way across the Sinai to Cairo. The total trip from Tel Aviv to Cairo took about 14 hours.


When we got to the city, we jumped in the cab and had the driver take us to a hostel that was recommended in Lonely Planet, Lialy Hostel. Despite the creepiness of this picture, the place was clean and the staff incredibly friendly and helpful. I would recommend it.After resting from our travel-marathon, we woke up early and headed to Giza to see the pyramids. (That was fabulous and those pictures will come later.)

The second day we met up with the uncle of one of our friends, who gave us a personal tour of Cairo. We of course requested to go shopping, so he took us to the Khan El Khalili Bazaar. The largest bazaar in - the world? Egypt? The largest something. And it. was. large.

Right in front of the bazaar is where a bomb exploded the week before we were there. I know, I know, you are worried. But I made it back just fine. This is a picture of the area - it amazes me how quickly the normal routine returns. People are resilient.

A picture of the bazaar.

I thought this was great - a man getting a shave in the middle of the street.

Cairo traffic is something to note - it rivals any I've seen in the world. It is completely ordered chaos. But it somehow seems to work - people weave in and out and honk here and there and somehow get to where they need to go. There is really no way to capture it in a photograph, but here is a cool picture I took from the inside of one of the cabs.

All in all, I was impressed with Cairo. I had heard so many negative things about it, I expected to utterly hate it. However, that wasn't the case at all. It is huge, yes. And people are aggressive, yes. But there is a great energy there, and so many places to explore. I would go back (this is something to note because I usually HATE large African cities).

For those traveling to the area: One 'low-light', however, was the Egyptian Museum. It was enormous, and had literally thousands and thousands of - I don't even know what to call them - things from tombs? I mean, every pyramid-y Egyptian-y thing you could imagine was in this museum. However, hardly anything is labeled in English, and it is very difficult to navigate - in essence, it is not user-friendly. If you are travelling there and don't have a lot of time, I would skip it - or if you do go, make sure to hire a guide who can tell some stories to explain what you are seeing. We didn't do that and ended up walking around aimlessly and found it both exhausting and frustrating that we didn't know what we were looking at.

Settling back in..

I am getting nice and settled back in Denver and back into the routine of a 'non-foreign' graduate student.

It is so different - suddenly the urgency of seeing everything I can possibly see each day has diminished, and everything seems so easy.

Everyone understands me, I can go to the bank or grocery store and know how all of the systems work, I can pick up my cell phone and call my family without messing with a phone card or Skype, I know how to ready my own mail and the street signs, and I know what is culturally appropriate and unacceptable.

I have a car again, and don't have to wait for buses or haggle with taxi drivers. I don't find myself lost in streets that I can't read the name, I can cook my own food and don't have to worry about whether I am using kosher-only plates or not.

Its all so easy.

And quiet.

Petra, Jordan

Another transition

God willing, I'll be in Denver on Sunday night.
Classes start Monday at 9am.
That how my life seems to roll.

I am sad to be leaving this place and these experiences.
But more than anything, I am thankful.
It has been priceless.

For the last couple years, I have been homeless, and yet somehow I have had a sense of home wherever I have gone. Today, my home is in East Jerusalem. There are so many people here who have become a family to me, and their struggles, pain and joy have become mine.

I'll carry that with me no matter where my body rests at night.
Here's to another transition.

Adios Jerusalem.
Salaam and Shalom.

Relaxing Dahab

After an amazing day of exploring Cairo with the uncle of one of the girls I am traveling with (he let us stay in an apartment his family owns there and was our personal tour guide through the bazaar), we took an overnight bus to Dahab. We left at midnight and arrived at 10am, completely wiped out and grumpy from the endless security checks, smoking breaks, passport checks etc. that compose the journey across the contested Sinai penninsula.

All day Sunday we spent lounging by the ocean on the ubiquitous cushions that lie in front of every hostel and restaurant here, avoiding the ridiculously agressive shopowners, and making friends with a few kindred spirits....

today is more relaxing, and tomorrow it is back to the chaos of israel.

Made it to Cairo!!

We made it to Cairo on Thursday night! We have been staying at Hostel Lialy in downtown Cairo - I definitely recommend it for anyone coming through, the staff has been very friendly and helped us set up a hassle-free tour yesterday.

All day yesterday was about Pyramids - in Giza, in Memphis, in Saqqra (sp?) -
It was so surreal to be here. Last night we did a dinner cruise on the Nile - super cheesy.

March has to be the perfect time to be traveling here - it is cool in the evenings and mornings, and warm but not too hot in the afternoons.

Today we are exploring the city a bit, and tomorrow we head to the Sinai.

It is wonderful to be decompressing from the intensity of the last few months and being able to do so in such a fabulous place!

I'm loving it all.

The Last Days...

Right when it is time to fill out all of the reflections, evaluations, and finish my papers, I am suddenly mentally exhausted and have lost the inspiration to write.

I think that a large part of that is that these last days have been filled with goodbyes, gifts, parties, notes, and just an overwhelming realization that my time here is coming to a close.

On Monday, one of the Rabbis and I finished the concept note for a grant to the EU!!! It felt like such an accomplishment. He said that it was the first EU grant they had ever completed, because they are SO much work. We both stayed late and went early the next day, but we cranked it out. It would be fabulous if they got the grant, and I am thankful for having had the experience of writing it.

The same day, the staff and Rabbis for Human Rights threw me a little goodbye party. Working there has been one of my very favorite life experiences, so it is I who thank them. I'll write more about my overall reflection about my internship later.

Yesterday was my last day with the Bedouin teachers - it was actually very emotional for me. I took one of my friends with me - she is going to take over the classes when I am gone, which I am so thankful for. It feels good to be able to hand of these lessons to someone else who I know will do a fantastic job. I didn't want to abandon these ladies after they have opened up to me so much. I took with me a couple of scholarship applications for one of the teachers there. She is just a standout - I saw something special in her the very first minute I met her. She is someone who no matter how difficult a situation she lived in, she would excel. It has been hard for her though, she has enormous amounts of ambition in a society that is patriarchal and that makes it very difficult for a woman, especially a young woman, to follow their passions if they fall outside of the realm of what is considered socially acceptable. People talk about her behind her back, and her family puts enormous pressure on her to get married and settle down. Though life would probably be even more difficult for her if she wins one of these scholarships, it would give her the opportunity to travel and pursue her passions. She a leader, naturally, and she could do anything she put her mind to if given the opportunity. The teacher who is taking over my classes will be working with her to fill out the scholarship applications, and God willing, someday this Refugee Bedouin teacher will be changing the world.

This note was from her, and it is now one of my most prized possessions:

I have not known you so much yet, but Really I have Learned a lot of things from you. and I will never forget person like you. A good, neat, kind, funny person like Haley will never be forgetten easily.......
I appreciate everything you did for me. I appriciate your generosity in giving me the hope to continoue during the time I feel I need to stop.
Haley, Be sure. there is someone in Palestine called --- loves you. I just wrote there words there is no time and if there is more time I'll would write you many thing to say I love you... I'll miss you. Remember Jerusalem Palestin.

What a phenomenal experience I have had here. I am kind of bewildered to think that it is coming to a close! Where did it all come from, and how in the world is it over?

Today is a holiday (Purim) so, no work. I am going with a friend to Ramallah, finally. And tomorrow - I leave for Egypt. Then back here for a day or two, and then... back to Denver. I'll arrive on the 22nd, and classes for the next quarter start at 9am on the 23rd. Eek.

So many things to catch up on in this journal/blog - but it will have to wait.
Hope you all are having a wonderful week.
If you are in Denver, start preparing some Mexican food, because I am close to being on my way...

Off to the Dead Sea!

In just a few hours, I will be floating in the Dead Sea......

Have a wonderful weekend!

Clinton's got my back!

Clinton condemns Israel's demolition of Arab East Jerusalem homes

Move was a violation of international obligations, US secretary of state says at press call with Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas

• Rory McCarthy in Jerusalem
• guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 4 March 2009 14.12 GMT
• Article history

Clinton voices concern over Israeli demolition plans Link to this video

Hillary Clinton criticised Israel's plans to demolish dozens of homes in Arab East Jerusalem today, during a joint news conference with the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas.

The US secretary of state said the move was a violation of Israel's international obligations, and the US would raise the matter with the country's leaders.

"Clearly this kind of activity is unhelpful and not in keeping with the obligations entered into under the 'road map'," she said, referring to the long-stalled peace plan. "It is an issue that we intend to raise with the government of Israel and the government at the municipal level in Jerusalem."

Clinton made the comments during her first trip to the Palestinian territories in her new role.In Jerusalem yesterday, she said the creation of an independent Palestinian state was now "inescapable".

However, Palestinian leaders say the continued expansion of Jewish settlements across East Jerusalem and the West Bank make it increasingly difficult for that state to be established.

"The main point is that the Israeli government needs to accept the two-state solution and ... stop settlement expansion," Saeb Erekat, the chief Palestinian negotiator, said.

Although Abbas has held peace talks with Israeli leaders since late 2007, he has little to show for it.

On Monday, the Israeli group Peace Now reported that the Israeli housing ministry was planning to build at least 73,000 housing units in West Bank settlements.

The organisation said 15,000 units had already been approved and another 58,000 were awaiting approval.

Almost 500,000 settlers now live in east Jerusalem and the West Bank. All settlements are illegal under international law.

The Palestinians will ask Clinton to put pressure on Israel to open its crossings into Gaza to allow in materials for rebuilding after the recent offensive.

"We want the US to help us open the passages to get material for reconstruction into Gaza," Erekat said.

Reports in the Israeli press today said that, in a meeting yesterday, Clinton had pressed the Israeli defence minister, Ehud Barak, to allow more aid into Gaza.

Clinton said the US would send two senior officials to Syria for "preliminary conversations", an apparent sign of a new softening of US policy.

US officials said Jeffrey Feltman, the state department's leading Middle East diplomat, would travel to Damascus along with Dan Shapiro, of the White House's national security council.

Last week, Feltman held talks lasting for almost two hours with the Syrian ambassador to Washington – the highest-level contact between the countries since the start of the Obama government.

Washington recalled its ambassador to Damascus in 2005 after the assassination of the former Lebanese prime minister Rafiq al-Hariri in Beirut.

Obama's administration has been reviewing its policy towards Syria and is considering whether to send an ambassador again.

At a conference to raise aid for the Palestinians, held in Egypt on Monday, Clinton shook hands and spoke briefly with the Syrian foreign minister, Walid al-Moallem.

Clinton's announcement came after she met the Israeli foreign minister, Tzipi Livni. She also met the Israeli president, Shimon Peres, the opposition leader and probable next prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, and the current prime minister, Ehud Olmert.

Clinton has said she wants to pursue peace between Israel and the Arab world on "many fronts", suggesting she might encourage Israel and Syria to talk.

Some Israeli figures believe an agreement with Syria may be easier to achieve than a peace deal with the Palestinians.

However, Netanyahu has appeared to rule out negotiations with Syria by refusing to give up the Golan Heights, which Israel captured in 1967.

Netanyahu – who is likely to lead a narrow, rightwing government – has also stopped short of endorsing a two-state solution to end the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians, which may put his government at odds with the US administration.

Clinton said a two-state deal was in "Israel's best interests".

"The United States will be vigorously engaged in the pursuit of a two-state solution every step of the way," she said. "The inevitability of working toward a two-state solution is inescapable."

the demolitions begin.

I'm in the office today working on a grant to the EU.

However, we just got a call saying that a home in Silwan was just demolished, and several more are scheduled for today and tomorrow. The government is finally acting on its plans to demolish 88 homes in the neighborhood of Silwan. This comes just a week after the government issued a statement saying that there were no 'immediate plans' to demolish homes in this area.

These homes are part of the group of homes I have been profiling as part of my internship. Though the families I know personally have not yet been affected, I fear for the near future.

My heart aches for the families who are losing homes on this cold and rainy day.

Some background on the Silwan demolitions:
Christian Science Monitor
Washington Times

Waltz With Bashir

Rent this movie.
It is an Israeli film - a documentary, about a Israeli man's memories of fighting in the Israeli/Lebanese war and the 1982 massacre of Palestinians in the Sabra and Shatila refugee camps. Though it was Lebanese Christian Phalangist militia that carried out the massacres, the controlling Israeli forces essentially allowed it to happen, and the man in the film cannot remember his role or if he was there. The film takes you through his search for answers about the past, what happened, and how he was involved.

The producers chose to use animation, which is the only reason I was able to even to begin to stomach this film. It allows them to cover extremely difficult material in a very powerful way. It also allows them to portray the dreams and flashbacks of the people being interviewed in a way that regular film would not allow.

It was nominated for an Academy award for best foreign film this year.

Whether or not you are interested in the Arab/Israeli conflict, it is worth it to see, because it brings up enormous questions about war, violence, massacre, responsibility and memory.

I should warn - it is hard to watch, and very, very heavy. However, it is worth it.