Based on my first few weeks at the NGO, it seems that Wednesdays (which should be spelled Wenzdays - sometimes I really want to poke the numbskulls who invented English spelling) are slow days. There are only a few of us in the office, and my tasks today were somewhat dull (building contact lists for a potential newsletter, which on the bright side will hopefully benefit the organization in the long run), which got me thinking random thoughts. I will list them here:
* Several of my co-workers list their location on Facebook as Palestine, Texas or Palestine, Arkansas etc. because Facebook doesn't recognize the concept of "Palestine" as a state (which makes sense since it's not recognized officially on world maps). It got me thinking, what about the names of other places that are not officially recognized? For example, Chechnya, Native American lands, Kurdistan...and places that used to not "exist" but do now: Kosovo, Eritrea...what does it mean for a person to be able to say, "I am from _______" and have that place be recognized (or not) by the rest of the world? What are the social, political, and economic implications of such recognition?
* I've noticed that several of my co-workers and people in general here seem to not mind humming or singing out loud. Could this just be my imagination, or are people here less inhibited than other places I've been? It was very nice this morning to listen to the administrative coordinator sing. I didn't understand the words, but her voice was very pretty.
* Yesterday, a friend asked me if there is racism in America. I was somewhat surprised at the question because of course it does, but it made me once again realize that people have preconceived notions of places they have never been, just as I did about the Holy Land before coming here (and probably still do).
* Can I be a Zionist and a supporter of the Palestinian struggle at the same time? Is such a stance an oxymoron?
* There is a Greek man who runs a bakery shop near my friends' apartment in Tel Aviv. The last time I was there I found out he speaks Spanish, but he is of Greek descent; I like to speak in Spanish when I buy burekas from him. Today I was listening to a segment on the radio show "Fresh Air" with Terri Gross (yay for National Public Radio!) that talked about the Jews who live in Greece today (there are around 5,000 left, but most perished in the Jewish European Holocaust), and it turns out they are descended from Sephardic Jews from Spain! Which means the bakery guy's parents must have talked to him in Ladino...I love historical-linguistic links like this. ;-)
* Today at lunch, I asked my co-workers about the various Israeli political parties, what they generally stand for, and which ones they are affiliated with (if any). They asked me if I support Obama; I said that on some issues I do (such as women's rights, healthcare reform - mostly social issues), but not regarding military issues (like potentially striking Syria or continuing to be involved in Iraq). I asked them if they like Obama, and they said no, not anymore; they view him in the same way as they viewed Bush. One of my co-workers said that at least Bush was clear, you knew where he stood, but Obama is "foxy" (which made me think of how the word "foxy" is sometimes applied to women - Urban Dictionary says this: http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=foxy%20lady). They meant in the sense that a fox is hard to catch and goes underground sometimes, meaning Obama is wishy-washy. They also said that he sides with Israel, and not with the Arabs, however I'm not sure to what extent and under what specific circumstances. It's one thing to say Obama supports Israel or Palestine in general, but it's another to define particular issues (e.g. settlement policies, racial/ethnic discrimination, land swaps, etc.)
* I know I am close-minded in some ways. However, as open-minded as I am, I wonder if I am able to "accept" other religions (while still highly disliking extremist versions of religion) because I am not a religious person? (I'm a really lazy Jew - I never go to synagogue except maybe once a year, I love bacon, I don't know when all the holidays are, don't speak good Hebrew, etc.)
* Now I want to go to Thessaloniki, Greece, and see the Jewish community there.
Okay, now I should go take a walk down to the cafe or to church. I've been sitting pretty much all day. ;-P
But yay tomorrow I get to go to Tel Aviv and see my chaverim / asdiqaa (friends)!
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