This has been such a powerful week for me. On Sunday Olivia, Steve, Andre, Ben and I returned from our week of free travel in Egypt. We found our way back to Old City, Jerusalem and to the Ecce Homo Convent. Thus began our week. We spent our free time on Sunday evening exploring the....
Poetry from Guatemala
I am tired of not being allowed to study where I wish And yet studying anywhere is a privilege I am tired of not being able to decide what I eat And yet having food is a privilege I am tired of not being able to wash clothes, dry dishes or clean my own room....
Free Travel reports from Israel
While many of our group chose to plan ahead and have a relaxing time, James, Tim, and I decided to leave much of our trip open-ended. The first day we spent at Tim’s uncle’s house in a town near Tel Aviv. All the people in that family were characters, and we had a good time....
India – Taj Mahal, zip-lining, camels, Delhi, and more
Let鈥檚 play a game. I鈥檒l say a word, and you say out loud what your first thought is. I know that I鈥檓 just a journal entry, but just do it anyway, alright? So what do you picture when I say 鈥淚ndia?鈥� I would bet 100 rupees that you just thought of the Taj Mahal, which....
Globalization, coffee, chai, and more
I am not sure that the best cup of coffee in India could beat the worst gas station coffee from the U.S. in a taste test. Just as Indian food in the U.S. only tastes half as good as a generic curry in India, the quality of many U.S. staples gets lost in translation/transportation on....
India – two reports
Kathakali, translated as 鈥渟tory-telling,鈥� is a classical dance-drama that dates almost 400 years ago. Actor-dancers, dressed in voluminous colorful skirts with elaborate headdresses and jewelry, act out climatic stories of love and valor involving frenetic drumming, emotional singing, and rhythmic movements. There are singers who sing the storyline in addition to the actor-dancer applying facial....
Guatemala – report from Lake Aititlan
Coming into the last 2 weeks of our time here with our host families and Spanish classes it seems that some of us are starting to get anxious for the end. For others it seems sad because they are just getting to really know their families and they already have to leave. It is so....
The past and present in Guatemala
Throughout our stay here in Guatemala, we’ve been learning about Guatemala’s violent history. This week we had a lecture about human rights in present-day Guatemala, and we’re learning how the past is affecting present-day Guatemala. I have had a hard time comprehending the extent and intensity of the violence, but one experience last week helped....
From Palestine to Israel
This past week we have been staying at Jerusalem University College (JUC) and begun studying Biblical geography, history, and archaeology. The transition from Palestine to Israel has been tough for me, but JUC is a wonderful place to be staying and I wish we could be here for more than two weeks. The JUC campus....
Palestinian Ponderings
We have reached the end of our stay in Palestine, or the Occupied Territories, or the West Bank, or the Disputed Territories, or Occupied Palestine. Many names for the same small strip of land. I have spent the last week in Beit Sahour, a Christian village near Bethlehem. The group has scattered, for evenings at....