Things to follow...

I discovered how far my home is!!!I don't mean by home the physical home that my family and I live in, but my homeland Palestine.

Everything was schedueled for my return ,vans to the airport, tickets of the flights, the great accompany...I experienced SSSS at the airports of the states, not just me and my Palestinian collegues , syrians have to go through that too .We were thinking;what does SSSS stands for that we -particularly-got it on our tickets, then we figured out :Super Security Scan Search.We needed an "extra clearance" to be allowed to depart the land we spent a wonderful times at.

It was a reminder for me of the procedures I went through when I started this trip, from its beginning ...from checkpoints in Palestine.

Well, after searching and scanning our stuff and bodies, we were allowed to pass -now like the others.
I arrived Jordan the next day, Thursday August,14th at 5:00pm , stayed with my relatives in Amman. On Friday I had to wait 6 hours on the Jordanian bridge with my Palestinian colleagues, but at the end they closed it and threw us back Amman to hotels or relatives, bad luck for all of us .. they said it will also be like that on Sat. because it is the holiday for jews.So I stayed bored -away from my family- in Amman until I crossed the bridges(Jordinian,Israeeli and Palestinian) on Sunday from 5:30 am till 5:00 pm evening. At last home, it was really far and hard to be home again, after showing documents, passports, IDs , or after searching EVERYTHING you have with you, and going through the usual metal detectors.

It took me less than 17 hours to travel HALF the world, -US to Jordan- but more than 3 days to cross a Jordinian Bridge,,, what Irony is this!!

BACK TO SCHOOOOOOOOLS

Schools have started a month ago, started with some strikes from Professors , then to be followed by students'.Despite all the trials to get along with situations we live thesesdays, people at Nablus and An Najah couldn't manage the inflation catastraphe, especially that Ramadan was knocking on doors at the 1st of september. Professors were asking for raising their salaries, students were protesting raising their tuitions!!!Everyone sings his song...
at the end they agreed on some solutions with the university, and everything went on as it used to go.

Time has passed very quickly.It is the end of Ramadan now, today or tomorrow might be the last day of the holy month. Schools and institutions took their holiday, starting from tomorow(which may be the 1st day of Eid Al Fiter, if not the 30th of Ramadan) until Saturday next week.
May Allah bless you all...

Last Days In The States

Everything in this life has to come to an end, happy or sad one, but still the End.I don't know how we spend most of our days doing things, maybe crazy things and then ;after they are finished, you don't believe we made it,...just like a dream...or happy dreams,wake up in the next morning as if you haven't lived a while sleeping adventure....

I'd say :It was JUST like alife dream I lived in the United States. How can I expect to spread my emotions to all people who weren't living those days with me in one of the busiest cities in the world....New york- New york.

Driving from my Dear Delaware to the Big Apple , 5 hours by vans ,,,transforming from the calm quite Newark to the organized mess in Manhaten, seeing those skyscrapers catching up with the sky, walking in those streets looking up higher then getting a neck pain after long time of wondering!!

Visiting the UN Buildings, Unicief ,or the sharming Statue of liberity from the ferry, how fascinating!!

What about the Empire State building, when you see all streets, lights and rivers of New york and neighborhoodsat night.

spending midnights at Times Square watching Indiana Jones Film in Cinemas and the Lion king great play...

Watching all the busy people running out of time, rushing on the streets, talking by cells, using laptops, reading in cars, even don't stopping on the red traffic light since there is no time.

I was wondering when these people go to sleep?! Even though I became at that time one of them((You are in New York...No Sleeping!! spend as much as you can there...good advice)

It was all fantastic-but there a very special experience in the States.

After New York we got back to Delaware to spend the last night there, had our Farewell dinner with our professors and staff there, took our mepi's certificate, and got hours of tears...saaadly, we will leave our new home, which we lived in for 6 weeks, but had more and more memories.

The next day 11th August, it was the day to go back to Washington DC, since it's the right place to meet all the mepi's groups from the 6 Universities(Montana, benidectin, Georgetown, Roger Williams,Wayne state Uni and Delaware).

We -mepi at UD, had a wonderful chance to be invited to join an American show viewpoint with James Zogbe-Arab American Institute.He interviewed us at that program and will be broadcate on Aug.21st, Abu Dhabi TV..Don't miss our show!!

In our last night in The capital city, each University had to present (PPP)what they did in mepi, all activities, classes,community services, study trips, fun and sun....5 minutes-more or less-to the department of states at the final farewell in China Town, DC .

We did our last arabic party that day in the English speaking City, we sang palestinian, lebanees, syrian, egyption,even Gulf songs and morrocan ones,which almost most of us don't understand !!
The GOODBYES day, ,,,,how sad we were!

cheeks were full of tears, all of us,students, staff, and some Prof.

It was the time to say I love you all guys whom I lived with 7 weeks, shared adventures and risks,happines and anger, I learned from each one of you,...every one is a story,...every one is so special,....commite to make a difference, ..tell people and let them know,..spread all truth.

Till our reunion in February,.....will miss you all.

Discovering the states

I just graped some time to write on this blog, I'd really love to write every thing I experience these days in my last week in the states, since it may be the first and the last at the same time,...I need to write to remember the greatest life I've ever had, the tremendous freedom I am up to, all that unbelievable things we are doing here and all that time we are having fun and stealing the hours from the nights to stay all together, even talking about nothing sometimes, but still MEPIs together.

Since the first day I came to the States, every day is being different than the previous one.Having this wonderful amazing experience will change -if it is not already -my view of the world, now I will see the same world but with my new eyes.

giving me the chance to explore the life with myself by myself in a place I was Little bit afraid to come to, will affect my whole life in the future.
I can say now that stars are the light of the night, after having me laying on the green grass of Delaware University.
It's my right to enjoy the very scary moments in the 6 flags amusement park in New Jersey, when my heart stop pumping and my mouth doesn't help, at some points!!!
Or biking with all the MEPIs and our academic director Professor Magee near the shore& coast of the eastern part of the states, Peaks Lake-Portland- Maine-New England.
Now I can tell you what the freedom is all about, you have 50 choices to choose if you are not satisfied, just find a place grape your stuff and pack your luggage....that's what all about, another better life -mostly.
What about your right to talk freely without any restrictions, that's is what we call it the freedom of speech back home.
You can work, study even hard, play hard, enjoy your time and have fun....and you are still the same person.
I learned many things about Americans I'd like to share with others, maybe it is a good chance for opening dialogues with these friendly people who we don't know about them, and visa Vera of course.
We just know America by its power and control of things in the world, we can't even distinguish between the Americans and their government.This confusion -in my opinion- is the locked key for our cultures which should be crossed.
I've been living here for 5 weeks, which is obviously not a long time to know every thing about such a huge geographical and tremendous cultural country like the states, but I'd say it is enough period to discover and know , look in the eye at these people, how friendly they are!!
Besides being your road friends, eager to learn, and book eaters, everywhere in the airports, airplanes, trains, buses, in the vans, between classes even when they are walking, or if you don't have time to read you just play your auto book on your ipod!!of course this won't apply for everyone in the states, but it happened to me to see this every day with staff members I usually spend time with,... they are also as hospital as people we used to know in our Arab world.
Well, yesterday we had a great time biking in the peaks island in Portland ME, we got into the ferry...unbelievable, and then had some discussion after a presentation with seeds of peace organization here in Maine.
Today we checked out the Holiday Inn at 7:30 am driving by vans to the state of Massachusetts( 4 hours drive), and now in Plainfield, which is a very small town in here , 600 people is living in this nice place, with the weird weather.we just experienced the heavy rain ,and after half an hour it was very sunny, then again a light rain...but now it is clear!!
We spent all the day with the town people, had lunch boxes with them,...some Arabic food ,Falafel and hummus.we've been introduced to the history of this town and its policies to run their own place, had discussion with the committee of the town and their volunteers , who put fires off, or who works on the ambulances, then we had a good tome with the minister of the church here and got a good crossing cultural debates, and absolutely talked about Religions.
Then we had a big dinner and a fabulous dessert with these people and our host families for tonight, and finally we end up our full day with a Q/A from the town people to us the Middle East and North African students, which was really a unique conversations cleaned some wrong ideas about both sides, who wouldn't have the chance to hear that if there wasn't such an exchanging opportunity.
As for tomorrow, we will be having our breakfast with our generous host families, then leaving them to do some voluntary work in a trail and having some discussions with some kids like us, have lunch and then to the BIG APPLE, NEW YORK CITY........YES!!!

Our Trip To Colorado,...Rocky!!

we took a small educating trip to the State of Colorado, flying from Philadelphia airport to Denver. We visited Colorado museum and and a book store there, slept in Denver's University dorms for one night.
The next day we were lucky to visit United States Air Force Academy USAFA, and there we visited the Christians and Jews chapels, and a small place for Muslim prayers,also a chapel for Buddhism is available there.
These are designed according to the number of the people who believes in each religion in the USAFA.

After that we headed to Boulder, checked in Courtyard Marriott hotel to stay in for the rest 4 days . Then we had a tour in the University of Denver with one of its active students.

Few hours later, we went downtown and saw many people are playing guitar or piano, others doing random shows in the streets, playing with fire.

Colorado International Park is another story to tell, hiking the ROCKY MOUNTAINS there, seeing the waterfalls and the magical lakes, the beauty of nature it self is enough for anyone to forget the whole world.
I couldn't help myself from getting into water and playing like a small child...
yesterday we checked in the hotel , did some shopping in the last day of boulder, then to the airport to wait more than 4 hours to the flight which was delayed until 6:25 pm.

we reached Philadelphia at 12:30am and Delaware at 2:30 am .
I am finally at home sweet home,...Delaware sweet Delaware!!

Here are some photos,...

The Rocky Mountains,....

Reaching Delaware

Following up things and events happened to me since I wrote last on this blog.

We mepi celebrated the independence day of the United States on the 4th of july in Washington,DC. Had a gread chance to watch all the parades from all around the world in one show, and being able to see and enjoy the fiteworks in the sky of washington at night.

We arrived Delaware on Saturday the 5th of July, to the university f Delaware and Christiana Towers where we live in its dorms till the end of the program.

We went to longwood garden in Penniselvanya- one of the most wondderful places I've ever seen in my entire life...so far.

Don't miss the fountains show,...

Thesedays we are taking many lectures and classes with a bunch of specialist Proffessors in Delaware and the states.

D.Jim Magee-Political science, D. Lesa Griffithis which is the director of mepi here, Ralph Beigleter CNN reporter.

Many presentations on communications, Leadership, Controversial issues, US media and American Policy -elections.

Yesterday, 12th of June , we headed to seaford in Delaware to do our first community service in the states.

Habitat for humanity, helped in Building houses and like stuff, ..nailing, sweaping, planting grass, and painting which I enjoyed working with.

International History Museum, Washington, DC...

The Crystal Ball, ...up side down

The Beach , eastern part of Delaware...

Flight to Washington, DC

Finally, after 4 months of waiting, It came to me.

The mepi scholarship for leadership training skills,....I got the permit to go to the holy land Jerusalem on Friday 27th of June to make the visa interview in the Us consulate there, crosses so many checkpoints, Howara, za3tara, 3otara, qalandya and was checked in more than 8-9 revolving irony doors of the Israeeli's,....my bag has been opened and closed many times for many soldiers.

After arriving to the Us consulate, We had to wait for a long time untill our name were called, " Aghbar, Jamous, Lati and Dasa".We waited in the holding room in the consulate, then we were called by names with speakers to sign on papers , then again to take fingers prints then again to make the interview.

After that, Me & Shafeeq & Osama went to the old city of Al Quds and cought the opportunity to pray Al THohr with the Imam.After a tour in the old city , we returned back to Ramallah and Nablus after many fights to get into buses,....many people were waiting!!!

On Moday I got my Visa,.........Finally.

I went to Ramallah the day befor my travel to have my Passport from Moureen from the US consulate department, then we had a meeting with a guy (Mohammad) from Beithlahem who was from mepi 2007 student.

Me and Rawan Got the visas, Shafeeq and Osama not yet, Siba and sami didn't have the permits...!!!

I packed all my stuff after returning to Nablus, actually I didn't know what to take & what to not..It's my first travelling time...and it's by plane.I didn't know if I will be afraid from the airplane or not since I have never tried it, even never ever seen a plane.

on Tuesday, I had to go to Jordan for the second time of my whole life after 15 years maybe, I was alone , but luckily I found some onderful people who were traveling with me passing Jordan to Syria,...Im Mohanad 3arafa from Beteba and her daughter and here son'e wife and children, they helped me alot.

I reached Amman at 6.30 pm was scared at the beginning because I had to leave those people on the Jordinian bridge.....Oh foget to talk about waiting 1500 person in Jericho and many ours in buses, then 100 on the Jordinian Bridge.

I took a taxi to Nazaal neighborhood to go to my cousin's home, nearly was lost but cell phones are the endure at the end.

It was a very warm meeting with Hilda and her children after many years I didn't see them.

She is saying hi to you Mum and Dad...!!

Spent the night talking , chatting, remembering things and memories and stole some time to print my E- plane ticket.

Now.........

Yes, I made it I am in WASHINGTON, DC right now, can't believe it,..........unbelievable REALLY new world. I wish I can stay here forever. everything is different here, the people are so friendly, the place is amazing....... the flight was exhausting for me 13.45 hour from jordan to chicago then 2 hours waiting at O'hare airport, then they closed our washington flight before we get in, so we have to take the next flight wish is at 9.00 pm and arrived DC at 12.30 at midnight. I couldn't imagine spending more than a day in the light of the sky without seeing the moon and the evening. It seems we'll have lots of fun here
Today is USA independent day, so we went to the international history museum in DC, I saw the Dinosaurs!!!
then we stayed, sat on the streets, watched the parade from different countries in the world, Philippine , taiwan, India ....lots of fun.

tonight we will go to the Georgetown University campus, and then see the fireworks.......waw I am so excited.
We still have tonight in Jury's Hotel in Washington.Tomorrow we are heading to Delaware State and its University by Bus.
By the way,....I really like the two decks buses, I hope I'll have the chance to try them.
About the food, actually I miss our palestinian food, I have hard time with meals.Yesterday I ate Mexican food at dinner,
It looks very delicious when you look at it but it is not.

I took my camera and its battery charger, unfortunately the batteries are dead now and the charger doesn't work in here ,even though we bought an adaptor, still not working, so I am using my cell phone camera which is good but not enough.

Have a look.......... :)

13.45 hour flying from Jordan to Chicago