Welcome to the Holy Land-Where is your gun?

Ah so I guess I am six days into my adventure here writing to you from the open deck of an apartment in Tel Aviv from a German computer (so if the y comes out like a z that is whz) sitting next to 3 German journalist I met yesterday who have offered me a couch for the night. We are all relaxing after the most amazing meal of fresh cucumbers and tomatoes and humus and couscous and Bulgarian cheese. Today was a good break from traveling. 

The past 6 days have been traveling traveling traveling.  Jet lag was no problem.  I had to get over the culture shock pretty quickly as I got off the airplane and sat in the train station surrounded by ak47s.  Welcome to a country in fear.  I hit the ground running, finished my first book (the lemon and the olive tree which i highly recommend) and I am halfway through the second, figured out the focus of my project, and said goodbye to Sera and her son as they headed off to the US. Then I took a MISP certification class at the Medical school in Beersheva and boarded the bus (standing room only) for Jerusalem and transfered and transfered and transfered winding through the ancient streets of the old city until I reached Isabel the godsent. So good to see her. Its been so long.  She has made a life for her self here 7 months ago when she came to do a birthright trip and never left. She now works for a political advocacy organization www.alternativenews.org.

 I went to the park in the center of the city today and played Frizbee with a bunch of young locals, my friend Isabel, and some american students from the university and now I am absolutely exhausted and it is hard to think.

It is very strange being here. I am having trouble putting it in words but my impression of Israel has changed dramatically in the past 6 days.  I feel as though I have been brain washed my whole life. What is happening here is very difficult and is horribly misrepresented in American newspapers at least. While I have not traveled yet to the West Bank I am understanding more about the occupation and what it means for these displaced people. The more I learn about the settlements and the consistent reduction of what is now considered Palestine the more I  I am fearing for seeing it with my own eyes. I guess there will be more on this to come once I can find a way to put it into words. For now I have many conversations with these journalist (one of whom was driving behind the car that crashed into the police car the other day that I am sure was on the news) and a long sleep to await me.