July 5, 2003

Apparently there was some kind of unrest underway in Jenin last evening - we never did get the details, but it wasn't big enough to get into Ha'aretz news. The two men in the tractor, it turns out, were hunting for game. At night. As helicopters flew overhead. Go figure.

We spent most of the day inside, having slept somewhat late and the temperature being far too unpleasant to venture outside. Fortunately, there was plenty for us to do - emails to catch up on, Arabic homework to do, English-language movies to watch.

Fr. Firas helps Marthame with the Arabic Melkite chant while his twin sons watch.

In the evening, Fr. Firas, the Melkite priest, came over with his family for a visit. He has asked Marthame to pray part of the liturgy tomorrow. In Arabic. Chanted. He chanted parts of it with Marthame. Then his older son showed off his chops singing with dad. Fr. Firas had also given us a tape of the liturgy some time back, so Marthame spent a good part of the evening rewinding the tape and writing in the vowel marks in the liturgical rubric. For a beginner, a repetitive liturgy is a blessing.

A young couple prepares for their engagement celebration tomorrow.

As the world cooled, we ventured out to visit with a family we have come to know in our time here. Their daughter is getting engaged tomorrow (her fiancé is from Burqin but living in Zababdeh), and they showed us some of her engagement jewelry. Unlike in the States, the engagement is a big deal here - the extended families are invited and a party is thrown, with music, a big wedding-like cake, and a special time when family members put gold jewelry on the bride-to-be. Yet the condition of being engaged more parallels the "serious dating" phase in our culture rather than what we think of as engagement. The couple usually does not know when they will get married, and may be engaged for as much as two years, getting to know each other and deciding if the match is a good one. Breaking up before the wedding, while not very common, is a no-harm-no-foul situation. Unfortunately, we will miss this celebration because of the course back in Birzeit. Alas. At least we got to watch them be cute as they prepared the jewelry boxes for tomorrow's ceremony.