July 2, 2001

The packs we've been carrying are so heavy that Elizabeth got blood blisters on her shoulder. Ow. Unfortunately, our travels for the day are not over. We took a while trying to figure out how we were going to get to Birzeit - one word was that the checkpoint was closed, another was that it was open but yellow-plated taxis would not be allowed in. We found a driver willing to take a chance, who got us to Ramallah no problem (the situation often changes from minute to minute), and we found a taxi to the University.

From there (bags and all), we hustled through registration and through our qualifying exams (which we passed into level II - yay!), before we tried to figure out our housing situation. We talked to University folks, who informed us that they were full - thus the need for prior registration.

The view from our summer housing in Birzeit, Palestine.

We decided to go to the Latin Church where we found the Rosary Sisters (the same order that is in Zababdeh). They made a call to the priest, then to someone in the village, and then we were whisked off to the Latin Church's housing project (like Zababdeh's school, funded in large part by a Spanish NGO). Apparently there was a room ready for us after all - fully furnished, with a washing machine and - more importantly - a bed! We're kind of waiting for the other shoe to drop, that we're not really supposed to be here. Well, at least we'll get some good rest first. The view from the place is quite remarkable, and on a clear day our neighbor told us we can see a glimpse of the Mediterranean. Today, however, is not clear.

Dinner with the other internationals studying Arabic this summer.

We ventured into Ramallah with the rest of the internationals for a lovely dinner in a garden restaurant and dessert overlooking the bustling streets below. It's a world away from Zababdeh. We returned home to be invited over by our neighbors for coffee (of course). And, it turns out, she is from Zababdeh and we know her family. Not such a world away...