The Purpose of this Blog

It's Saint Patrick's Day here in Nablus as it is throughout the rest of the world. Unfortunately, the holiday is not quite celebrated here in Nablus. In fact, Nablus is a city without Alcohol, which is a luxury for some cultures, but for others strictly prohibited. It's been over a month since I consumed any alcohol. It feels quite good.

After my posting the other day I thought more about my extended stay here in Nablus. Before I'd decided to stay my day to day work seemed much different. While I'm only staying here for another month, a mere four weeks, it seems now that I'm not consumed with looking forward to the day that I return. I was never looking forward to leaving Nablus, but I was looking forward to seeing my friends and family, some of which are undoubtedly upset with my decision to stay. In the grand scheme of things, I don't think that in four weeks I would have made much of a difference in the U.S., however here in Nablus, I'll make quite a big difference on the lives of my students, as well as having the opportunity to continue my work on the projects I've been engaged in here at An-Najah.

As I look towards the future, I see this blog site as an opportunity for me not only to communicate with my family, friends, and colleagues back home, but I hope also it will act as an avenue for others to gain some perspective regarding a place and people they are not accustomed to learning about. I hope not to simply write about my day to day activities, although at time this will undoubtedly dominate the text, but I also hope to provide some insight into the problems that plague the Palestinian people, a people that unfortunately many in our country consider synonymously with terrorists. If you learn anything, only one thing perhaps, please let it be that this association is one that must come to an end. The people I live and work amongst are not by any stretch of the imagination terrorists. They are hard working, intellectually minded individuals who every day study, work, and live under a system of occupation that we, as Americans, can only begin to understand through reading and listening. They are a people of high character and high resolve and I'm proud to be here working with them.

Also on this blog you'll find me give my opinion on a variety of matters in regards to the situation here in Palestine. I don't claim to know everything about the crisis here. I'm only one citizen, who has his own opinions. It is your freedom to question my assertions, however I hope you will at least consider the content herein as being a result of a primary source, perhaps the best primary source, not simply as having been constructed through some subjective academic analysis.

Over the next two months I'll be posting not only new entries here, but also entries from my personal journal, which I have been keeping since my arrival here in Nablus. I hope that you find my writing to be if nothing else a bit interesting.