Yesterday and today I was able to complete my 7.5 kilometer run around the Old City despite the heavy security for the Pope’s visit. Yesterday, May 12, the security was particularly heavy. As I ran, beginning at 6:15 a.m. I saw at least 500 soldiers and police out around the Old City. Apparently the Pope was going to be arriving from the direction of the Mt. of Olives, because the east side of the Old City was particularly heavily guarded. As I went by the Herod’s Gate, the Damascus Gate, and the New Gate, I didn’t see much out of the ordinary. However, when I got to Jaffa Gate, the Western Wall, and Lions' Gate, there was very heavy security. As a runner, I was able to follow my usual morning route and in some cases it was actually easier since the automobile traffic was pretty much limited to police trucks, vans, and buses transporting soldiers. Moving around the area is not this easy for some Palestinian Arab residents, for example, Sameer and Nadine.
For more on the reception the Pope Benedictus the 16th is receiving by the locals see Cool reception for Pope in Holy City. Today the Pope is in Bethlehem, Pope celebrates Mass in Bethlehem. Check the Pope's itinerary also.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Saturday, May 9, 2009
More football, in Ras al-Amoud this time
Yesterday I found more football (It's not too easy to find published schedules. My landlord found these games in the Thursday's sport section of the newspaper.) I was told that there would be a match at the field at Abdel Qader al-Husseini school in Ras al-Amoud in Arab East Jerusalem. All four teams I saw where from Arab neighborhoods in East Jerusalem. I got there late and found Silwan in green playing Mt. of Olives in red. They were adults playing 30 minutes halves. I was told that they usually play 35 minute halves, but today because there was a second match, they shortened up the game. 
Abu Fadi, the referee, in white, played in the second match. He had two assistant referees who did a good job with offside, I thought. The score ended up with Mt. of Olives winning 1-0. The pitch was not nearly as nice as the artificial turf at al-Bireh, where I watched matches two weeks ago. It looked like it was about 45 meters long by 30 meters wide. The lines were chalk or lime of some kind.
In the second match, Sur Baher, in blue, played Isawiya, in red. I left at halftime when the score was evened up at 1-1. Sur Baher dominated the first half.
I talked for a while with some teenage boys who were watching. They had the usual questions about which teams in Europe I support. We talked for a little while about the upcoming match between ManU and Barcelona for the UEFA Champions League title. One of the kids thought that Messi and company would prevail.
Abu Fadi, the referee, in white, played in the second match. He had two assistant referees who did a good job with offside, I thought. The score ended up with Mt. of Olives winning 1-0. The pitch was not nearly as nice as the artificial turf at al-Bireh, where I watched matches two weeks ago. It looked like it was about 45 meters long by 30 meters wide. The lines were chalk or lime of some kind.In the second match, Sur Baher, in blue, played Isawiya, in red. I left at halftime when the score was evened up at 1-1. Sur Baher dominated the first half.
I talked for a while with some teenage boys who were watching. They had the usual questions about which teams in Europe I support. We talked for a little while about the upcoming match between ManU and Barcelona for the UEFA Champions League title. One of the kids thought that Messi and company would prevail.
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Artas lettuce
I attended the 15th annual Artas Lettuce Festival yesterday. Artas is a beautiful town just south of Bethlehem.
The banner reads:
The president and the members of the Artas Town Council welcome their honored guests to the activities of the annual Lettuce Festival.
We walked to the first of the three Burak Suleiman (Solomon's Pools) lying at the head of the valley where Artas is located.
From there we followed a group of locals and visitors as they hiked down the valley to the town. After lunch we went to watch several debke troupes perform. In addition there were poetry recitations and a fashion show of traditional Palestinian thobs (traditional women's dresses).
The banner reads:
The president and the members of the Artas Town Council welcome their honored guests to the activities of the annual Lettuce Festival.
We walked to the first of the three Burak Suleiman (Solomon's Pools) lying at the head of the valley where Artas is located.
From there we followed a group of locals and visitors as they hiked down the valley to the town. After lunch we went to watch several debke troupes perform. In addition there were poetry recitations and a fashion show of traditional Palestinian thobs (traditional women's dresses).
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
$4.70 a gallon for gasoline?
Yes, that's what we pay here for gasoline, $4.70 a gallon. The last time I filled my little rented Chevy, I put in 29.28 liters (7.73 gallons) and paid 162.97 New Israeli Shekels (36.36 USD) which comes out to $4.70 gallon. For that fill I got 21.78 miles per gallon although on trips I have gotten much better mileage. For example, on a trip in late March I got 34.75 miles per gallon.
Back home in Iowa, according to www.iowastategasprices.com, we are paying $1.89/gallon in the Ames area so the same fill in Ames would have cost me $14.60. That is a difference of $2.81 a gallon or $21.76 for that fill.
Back home in Iowa, according to www.iowastategasprices.com, we are paying $1.89/gallon in the Ames area so the same fill in Ames would have cost me $14.60. That is a difference of $2.81 a gallon or $21.76 for that fill.
Friday, April 24, 2009
FIFA and unfinished football business in al-Bireh
Today I attended a 2:30 football match at the al-Bireh stadium near Ramallah. Al-Bireh and Ramallah are sister cities. Psagot, an Israeli settlement, dominates the stadium from the next hill over. For background on the relationship between Psagot and al-Bireh and Ramallah, Brian Whitaker's 2001 Guardian article is helpful.
The pitch is artificial turf and looks like it is 120 meters by 60 meters or so. The teams were Beitilu and Bani Zaid in the Palestinian third division. The Palestine Football Association is headed by Jibril Rajoub.
One of the interesting aspects of the signage at the stadium for me is the bilingual text. I try to introduce my technical communication students to bilingual technical writing in one assignment in our intro class. This sign combines the illustration of the complex with Arabic and English text. This serves to make a linguistic connection with the world outside Palestine and also to explain to non-Arabic speaking visitors the background of the project. Importantly, the FIFA logo in the lower left-hand corner validates the important connection of the international football governing body with Palestinian football. I was told that Ronaldo, the famous Brazilian player, had visited this complex in the past. This also, of course, lends credibility to the local football association.
The play was quite fair and skilled. I would compare it favorably with an International League game in Des Moines. The referees took care of business. (The FIFA site shows two Palestinians with referee status and five with AR status.) There were probably 2 offside calls on each team and a total of 4 cautions and 1 send off. Beitilu won 2-0. No fans were allowed inside the gate.
Only the two teams with their coaches, the officials and a few selected guests were allowed in the gate. The fans stood on a nearby half-finished building and along the fence.
The sign on the gate reads:
Al-Bireh Municipality International Stadium: Majed Asaad Pitch
We request the users of this stadium to observe the following: (1) It is absolutely forbidden to bring in food, drink, and any kind of snacks. (2) It is absolutely forbidden to smoke--smokers will be fined. (3) It is forbidden for players or teams to practice here (4) Those who enter should be wearing proper football shoes and (5) All requests to use the stadium should be addressed to the administrators of the stadium.
The pitch is artificial turf and looks like it is 120 meters by 60 meters or so. The teams were Beitilu and Bani Zaid in the Palestinian third division. The Palestine Football Association is headed by Jibril Rajoub.
One of the interesting aspects of the signage at the stadium for me is the bilingual text. I try to introduce my technical communication students to bilingual technical writing in one assignment in our intro class. This sign combines the illustration of the complex with Arabic and English text. This serves to make a linguistic connection with the world outside Palestine and also to explain to non-Arabic speaking visitors the background of the project. Importantly, the FIFA logo in the lower left-hand corner validates the important connection of the international football governing body with Palestinian football. I was told that Ronaldo, the famous Brazilian player, had visited this complex in the past. This also, of course, lends credibility to the local football association.
The play was quite fair and skilled. I would compare it favorably with an International League game in Des Moines. The referees took care of business. (The FIFA site shows two Palestinians with referee status and five with AR status.) There were probably 2 offside calls on each team and a total of 4 cautions and 1 send off. Beitilu won 2-0. No fans were allowed inside the gate.
Only the two teams with their coaches, the officials and a few selected guests were allowed in the gate. The fans stood on a nearby half-finished building and along the fence.The sign on the gate reads:
Al-Bireh Municipality International Stadium: Majed Asaad Pitch
We request the users of this stadium to observe the following: (1) It is absolutely forbidden to bring in food, drink, and any kind of snacks. (2) It is absolutely forbidden to smoke--smokers will be fined. (3) It is forbidden for players or teams to practice here (4) Those who enter should be wearing proper football shoes and (5) All requests to use the stadium should be addressed to the administrators of the stadium.
Friday, April 10, 2009
Running below sea level...
Yesterday we ran the Dead Sea 1/2 Marathon in Jordan. The pre-race dinner was nice. The weather was not bad for Jordan in April, and the company was good. We ran nearly all the way with a young man from Leipzig, Germany. According to my Garmin, we ran 21.33 kilometers (13.25 miles) in 1 hour and 52 minutes.
There were a couple of remarkable aspects to the race. The first is that we ran the entire race below sea level. According to my Garmin, we finished at 400 meters below sea level. That means we started at about 300 meters below, since our starting point was not far up the mountain in the direction of Amman. Second, we started at least 30 minutes late. This was due to a combination of poor organization by the race organizers (lack of announcements about bus location, start time and lack of signs to buses and baggage truck, and finally a lack of sufficient buses to the start line) and our own lack of preparedness. We know better than to rely on information from only one source and should have triple-checked everything.
At the end of the day, I am very glad to have run. I'll be missing two Iowa races this spring, both the Drake Half and Dam-to-Dam, so I am very glad to have this one under my belt. In addition, running at the Dead Sea was interesting, even though the race wasn't very well organized. Perhaps non-runners don't know this, but long races are a good time to visit with fellow runners. Of course, there are times in a long race when we don't want to talk, but usually there are times when it is a good way to pass the time and take the mind off of the difficult task at hand. Finally, from the point of view of fitness, it is always good to have another long run on my legs. And now a question. How does running below sea level affect the performance of a runner? I am curious.
There were a couple of remarkable aspects to the race. The first is that we ran the entire race below sea level. According to my Garmin, we finished at 400 meters below sea level. That means we started at about 300 meters below, since our starting point was not far up the mountain in the direction of Amman. Second, we started at least 30 minutes late. This was due to a combination of poor organization by the race organizers (lack of announcements about bus location, start time and lack of signs to buses and baggage truck, and finally a lack of sufficient buses to the start line) and our own lack of preparedness. We know better than to rely on information from only one source and should have triple-checked everything.
At the end of the day, I am very glad to have run. I'll be missing two Iowa races this spring, both the Drake Half and Dam-to-Dam, so I am very glad to have this one under my belt. In addition, running at the Dead Sea was interesting, even though the race wasn't very well organized. Perhaps non-runners don't know this, but long races are a good time to visit with fellow runners. Of course, there are times in a long race when we don't want to talk, but usually there are times when it is a good way to pass the time and take the mind off of the difficult task at hand. Finally, from the point of view of fitness, it is always good to have another long run on my legs. And now a question. How does running below sea level affect the performance of a runner? I am curious.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Whose history?
I have toured a number of beautiful historical sites on my trip. One of the questions I ask is "Whose history gets remembered and in what way does it get remembered?"
An example of one of these beautiful historical sites is the al-Jazzar Mosque in Acre (Akka). It is apparently built on top of earlier religious sites. The caretaker, upon learning that I work at a Palestinian university, refused to take the entrance fee from me.
The Market Mosque in Safad is another example. This mosque is now being used as an art gallery. The town of Safad is now home to a large artists' colony housed in the former Arab part of town and a large community of religious Jews.
A current article on the BBC's news website gets at this same question. The article, History lessons stymied in Lebanon, shows how difficult it is to agree on the history of a nation when there are disparate narratives, different histories, that must be accounted for. One can say that there is not one history, but rather, multiple histories and that we really should expose our students to all of them.
So the question remains, "Whose history gets remembered and in what way does it get remembered?"
An example of one of these beautiful historical sites is the al-Jazzar Mosque in Acre (Akka). It is apparently built on top of earlier religious sites. The caretaker, upon learning that I work at a Palestinian university, refused to take the entrance fee from me.
The Market Mosque in Safad is another example. This mosque is now being used as an art gallery. The town of Safad is now home to a large artists' colony housed in the former Arab part of town and a large community of religious Jews.
A current article on the BBC's news website gets at this same question. The article, History lessons stymied in Lebanon, shows how difficult it is to agree on the history of a nation when there are disparate narratives, different histories, that must be accounted for. One can say that there is not one history, but rather, multiple histories and that we really should expose our students to all of them.
So the question remains, "Whose history gets remembered and in what way does it get remembered?"
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