May 29, 2003

Marthame has been working on another video project, this one for the Baladiyye, the village municipality. They want a simple half-hour video introduction to Zababdeh. It'll take more time than we have, but it'll be a good way to get familiar with the equipment and to work on the practice of writing scripts and the like.

The narrow streets of “downtown” Zababdeh.

Marthame spent the day with the mayor, seeing their projects. In particular, they are working on electricity and sewage, as well as opening a new clinic. The property laws here are interesting. The Municipality, as Marthame understood, is allowed to take up to 25% of anyone's land for the common good - such law remains from the time of the British Mandate here. Marthame was surprised, right to property and compensation being such a fundamental American right. It's a different world here.