flyingears
flyingears
I had a really good time yesterday. I had a photography class in New Askar (one of the refugee camps). We didn't work on any photography yet, that will begin tomorrow, but we had a great time talking, drawing pictures, and playing hackey sack. Just hanging out. They are great kids and were laughing and smiling and we were all having a great time. Then I went to Old Askar for an english class. It's an all male class of people about 16 to 25 years old. Sometimes people in their thirties and forties come as well. It was a really good class; we have a lot of fun and I think the students are learning, so it feels good. We usually talk about grammar and structure, with various exercises, for part of the class and then have a small discussion or read a poem or song lyrics.
After class I went with a couple of the students (friends from the last time I was here) to Nazee's family's home. Nazee is a great person, he is always smiling and making sure his friends are doing okay. We hung out, drank coffee and tea, and talked. I interviewed his mother and father; I asked questions about what it is like to be a refugee, to live in Askar, to raise children in the occupation. Nazee's father was seven years old when his family was forced from their 10 dunums of land by the sea in 1948. The family were farmers and lived in village near what was then Yaffa. As refugees the family came to the camp, which was then just tents. They are so kind and warm and sincere. Then we just talked and had a great time. Some of Nazee's friends came over to join in the talking. One of his friends, a young man I met a week ago, found out a few months ago that he has leukemia. There are no adequate facilities to treat it here, and travel is so difficult even if there was something in another city in the West Bank. So, he is hoping to find a way to go somewhere, maybe Italy he said, that can help him. I hope so.
I will try to write more later.
I had a really good time yesterday. I had a photography class in New Askar (one of the refugee camps). We didn't work on any photography yet, that will begin tomorrow, but we had a great time talking, drawing pictures, and playing hackey sack. Just hanging out. They are great kids and were laughing and smiling and we were all having a great time. Then I went to Old Askar for an english class. It's an all male class of people about 16 to 25 years old. Sometimes people in their thirties and forties come as well. It was a really good class; we have a lot of fun and I think the students are learning, so it feels good. We usually talk about grammar and structure, with various exercises, for part of the class and then have a small discussion or read a poem or song lyrics.
After class I went with a couple of the students (friends from the last time I was here) to Nazee's family's home. Nazee is a great person, he is always smiling and making sure his friends are doing okay. We hung out, drank coffee and tea, and talked. I interviewed his mother and father; I asked questions about what it is like to be a refugee, to live in Askar, to raise children in the occupation. Nazee's father was seven years old when his family was forced from their 10 dunums of land by the sea in 1948. The family were farmers and lived in village near what was then Yaffa. As refugees the family came to the camp, which was then just tents. They are so kind and warm and sincere. Then we just talked and had a great time. Some of Nazee's friends came over to join in the talking. One of his friends, a young man I met a week ago, found out a few months ago that he has leukemia. There are no adequate facilities to treat it here, and travel is so difficult even if there was something in another city in the West Bank. So, he is hoping to find a way to go somewhere, maybe Italy he said, that can help him. I hope so.
I will try to write more later.
posted by matt iv at 1:01 AM
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