September 1, 2003

We came back yesterday from vacation in Finland and spent the night in our room at Star Mountain. After sleeping in, we spent the day catching up on the unbelievable pile of email which had accumulated during our absence, including many responses to our most recent update.

In the evening we met up in Ramallah for drinks with some Palestinian friends from Birzeit University. One of them suggested we go to a place calling itself "Lebanese Restaurant." We sat in the section set up traditionally with cushions on the floor and low tables. It was fun to be able to read the menus in Arabic - our summer classes showing their benefit.

Marthame with one of the young Palestinians we have befriended in our time at Birzeit this summer.

When the waiter eventually came to get our order, the conversation went something like this: "What would you like?"

"The hot chocolate looks good."

"Oh, sorry, we're out of that."

"OK, then I'd like the cappuccino."

"Um, we don't have that either."

"Can I get the fruit shake?"

"I'm sorry, we don't have any fruit right now."

"What do you have?"

"Hold on, let me check."

We decided that the place was neither Lebanese nor a restaurant. We wondered what the point of menus was. But to be fair, eventually they did manage to bring us fresh orange juice and chocolate shakes.