Nablus

Arriving in Nablus, I think we were all pretty caught off-guard. First of all, we have the most fantastic view of the city. Ever. This whole place is way more beautiful than I ever could have imagined.

We've now had two full days of training and it's been really really fun. We walked through the heart of Nablus (called the Old City) yesterday with Chelsea, the intern coordinator. It was very powerful to finally be on the ground, walking amongst the market stalls selling everything from cellphones to plastic colanders to live chickens and the houses, covered in posters of martyrs (and these are not necessarily people who took up arms--they are referred to here as "witnesses"). It was a very harsh reality, wandering through those winding, narrow streets between the tall, crowded buildings. I can't even begin to imagine what life here is like.

And, of course, no visit to the Old City would be complete without a taste of Nablus' famous dessert, a cheesy, sugary, fried food called "kanafa."

Today was our first day to really meet some of the kids that TYO is working with. Every Monday, they head out to a location in or near one of the camps to do sort of a day camp for the kids in the camp--essentially, they bring TYO to the kids who can't come to the Center every day. It was a lot of fun and hopefully I'll be able to post some video at some point soon.

The downside to all this activity and excitement is that I'm downright exhausted by the end of the day. At this point, I can't even see straight. Here's to hoping I can locate the "publish post" button. Cheers.