November 11, 2001

Today being Sunday we went to worship - at the pagan idol of Israeli bureacracy. Elizabeth began the process at the Ministry of the Interior while Marthame tried desperately to find the Ministry of Religious Affairs for Christian Communities. Once finding the office (conveniently tucked into a office complex, between American Express and a furniture store), the staff in charge of being helpful was noticeably absent. One employee suggested we wait until 10:00. When 10 came and went, he suggested 11. After further bellyaching (the only way to force your way through the bureacracy - so we've been told by Israelis, Palestinians, and ex-pats alike), we were told nothing could be done until Wednesday on our applications - the man who knows how to turn on the computer is on vacation. Frustrating, especially since a return to trip to Zababdeh is now fruitless - we'd go back tomorrow and return on Tuesday, traveling on expired visas and gaining no classes in the meantime.

The bookshop at the American Colony hotel.

We drowned our sorrows in that great American past-time: shopping! Particularly nice at the picturesque Bookshop at the American Colony hotel - a little slice of ex-pat heaven - they have books in English (and only in English) - everything you'd want, nothing you wouldn't - from politics to literature and everything in between.

We then headed off to Ramallah to pick up some teaching supplies at Amideast, an NGO started in the 1950s to strengthen understanding between Americans and people of the Middle East and Northern Africa. While they do good work, today's headlines make it clear that they could use some assistance!