"Squeeze the World"
Saturday, November 11, 2006
Baa Ram Ewe
So I went to Nazareth Village again today and there were sooo many groups. I spent the entire day in costume, either picking olives, watching sheep, wrestling goats, petting goats, passing out bread, the works. One group was from Master's Commission and had a few members from Leavenworth, and an Indian group was paired with them at the last minute. The result was this:
Tourist: Calling all people from Leavenworth, WA!
Me: Well I'm from Cashmere?
Indian Tourist: You're from Kashmir?
Me: Uh... no.
At the beginning of the day, as I was picking olives, several school groups came through and one came directly up to me and wanted to talk to me. I heard the teacher telling them (in Arabic) that I only spoke English, and there was instantly a chorus of "HOW ARE YOU!!" from them all. Just to throw them off I answered "niha, shukron." Then they all went crazy thinking that I knew more than twenty-some words of Arabic. They eventually left, and I thought I had seen the last of them, but some time later when I went to drink some water, I heard my voice called by several voices from the eating area. I ventured in, just to be polite and say hello, but I was sucked into their midst. I found out that Arab hospitality is cultivated at a very early age as several bags of chips were suddenly dumped into my hands as I tried to convince them I wasn't hungry. They kept on asking me questions in mixes of Hebrew and Arabic, and it got intimidating at several times as they would surround me and yell questions- sort of like press conferences without the body guards. I felt like quite the celebrity until they started making fun of my laugh. Then one girl motioned at the huge pile of chips that I didn't know what to do with and said that I was going to be fat. Then there were several choruses of "you thin!!!!" as they tried to repent for her words. It was all very chaotic, and I was very relieved when they finally left.
It was an extremely full day with tourist groups constantly coming. It's good to see the place full after so many months of so few visitors. Hopefully they'll be able to keep up with it all.
Tourist: Calling all people from Leavenworth, WA!
Me: Well I'm from Cashmere?
Indian Tourist: You're from Kashmir?
Me: Uh... no.
At the beginning of the day, as I was picking olives, several school groups came through and one came directly up to me and wanted to talk to me. I heard the teacher telling them (in Arabic) that I only spoke English, and there was instantly a chorus of "HOW ARE YOU!!" from them all. Just to throw them off I answered "niha, shukron." Then they all went crazy thinking that I knew more than twenty-some words of Arabic. They eventually left, and I thought I had seen the last of them, but some time later when I went to drink some water, I heard my voice called by several voices from the eating area. I ventured in, just to be polite and say hello, but I was sucked into their midst. I found out that Arab hospitality is cultivated at a very early age as several bags of chips were suddenly dumped into my hands as I tried to convince them I wasn't hungry. They kept on asking me questions in mixes of Hebrew and Arabic, and it got intimidating at several times as they would surround me and yell questions- sort of like press conferences without the body guards. I felt like quite the celebrity until they started making fun of my laugh. Then one girl motioned at the huge pile of chips that I didn't know what to do with and said that I was going to be fat. Then there were several choruses of "you thin!!!!" as they tried to repent for her words. It was all very chaotic, and I was very relieved when they finally left.
It was an extremely full day with tourist groups constantly coming. It's good to see the place full after so many months of so few visitors. Hopefully they'll be able to keep up with it all.
A, 1:13 PM
1 Comments:
Hi Anna,
I tried to e-mail you but it asked for your e-mail and I didn't know it! So am posting a comment.
I love to read your pages, easily seeing the humor, and enjoying the laugh. I was impressed at how you managed to hang in there with the locals as they teased you in the eating area. Not fun I am sure. We think of you often, pray for you and hope that you and your parents are enjoying your time together this next couple of weeks. Hi Andy and Mary!! I will e-mail you on your address next...just in case this goes unnoticed....God's total emersion in your lives be with you today....a sense of His fulness, His love, His peace, His free gifts for you to walk in joy with your family and just take it all in!!!
love, Paula and Gary
I tried to e-mail you but it asked for your e-mail and I didn't know it! So am posting a comment.
I love to read your pages, easily seeing the humor, and enjoying the laugh. I was impressed at how you managed to hang in there with the locals as they teased you in the eating area. Not fun I am sure. We think of you often, pray for you and hope that you and your parents are enjoying your time together this next couple of weeks. Hi Andy and Mary!! I will e-mail you on your address next...just in case this goes unnoticed....God's total emersion in your lives be with you today....a sense of His fulness, His love, His peace, His free gifts for you to walk in joy with your family and just take it all in!!!
love, Paula and Gary
