Friday, December 7: me to Bethlehem, a babysitter, and the middle school sports marathon

Quite an unusual day for all of us. I went to Bethlehem for the Kairos Palestine conference, Carly had to supervise for the sports marathon in the evening, and August played with Eve after school and had Gabby and Jill as babysitters while she did supervision.

He came down at 6:50. He and Carly were lizards on the couch, then he watched one Berenstain Bears. He was then making pink thread that he said could before spiders’ homes. I was frantically getting ready to go, and we were a little slow getting out the door and in the car. I had aimed for 7:15 and it was about 7:20. In the car Carly reminded me that it was culturally appropriate to be late here. August asked what ‘culturally appropriate’ means. I called it the word of the day and Carly explained. August then clarified, “You mean ‘phrase’ of the day?” Because just four days ago I explained that ‘Flipping the entire industry on its head’ was a phrase, not just a word.

He did a school game scenario in the car with Carly and said he had blue hair. He said he decided to have blue hair now. He had seen Jill in his classroom yesterday after school with her blue hair. Carly asked if Jill still had blue hair and I said it was fading as it wasn’t permanent. As we got out of the car August explained that “I invented permanent dye and permanent tye die shirts.”

Heather and Eve and Zoe were walking in as I dropped them off, and as I got back in the car he was excitedly saying hi to Eve. They went to her classroom for awhile and August had fun sitting on a student desk, eating oatmeal with her, and greeting middle schoolers as they came in. It was pretty amusing.

I got to Sabeel right at 8:30. Omar, Marc, and I met for about 30 minutes to plan our presentation on Kumi Now for later in the day, then we drove to the Lutheran Church in Bethlehem, me with Marc following Omar in is car. I helped them set up the table with the books, then we went downstairs to the conference hall for the last of the morning talks. There was then a coffee break and I started getting introduced to people. Nice to put faces to the names that I see on email or on articles/books.

Then to a breakout session on the political situation. They were supposed to be feedback groups on various topics, and the question was basically ‘How do we keep the question of Palestine on the agenda?’ I understood why Omar has been saying about how people like to analyze and make reports, but action is actually hard, as even though the moderator asked for specific action ideas, the first 10 minutes was people giving philosophical answers about where the answers should come from, or one versus two states, etc. I spoke up to give a plug for Kumi Now.

My group got done a little early, so I decided to head out for a little walk. Marc had put my coat somewhere, so I went out without it. I was heading out with a woman from Sri Lanka, who had been in my group, and thought I was crazy for not having a coat. I explained I had lived in Korea. On my little walk I saw a comic scene. Three guys were pushing a huge pellet laden with boxes of fruit down the street. But it was starting to twist and lean (definitely squishing fruit at the bottom). As they stopped in the street it held up traffic. After there were about three cars stopped the honking started.

After that it was upstairs for an excellent lunch. And got introduced to more people, and others pointed out to me, like Mitri Raheb, and Angela, from Jahalin Solidarity (whom I have talked to on the phone).

During the day Vicky sent an email about the Week of Code in preschool this week. She included a reflection from August: “Signals in our bodies are like codes, they tell us what to do with our body. The code goes from our brain to our body then we move.”

After lunch Omar, Marc, and I planned our presentation a bit more. Then it was back downstairs for a panel discussion. We then gave our 10 minute presentation. I outlined what a weekly entry looked like, what sort of advocacy actions we have, the website, and how organizations can get involved with year 2.

There were then reports on the recommendations from the small group meetings, closing remarks, and then it was over. Marc had gotten hit by a trunk door while putting books in Androus’s car and he and Omar went to get plasters (err, bandages).

The full Sabeel delegation, including from the different ‘Friends’ groups (with people from the U.S., Belgium, Norway, and UK), of about 12 people then walked a few blocks to a restaurant for dinner. Plenty of good food. I mainly talked to the woman from England. She used to be a defense attorney, then stayed at home to raise her kids for 10 years, and now works with/in Romania, I think it was. We talked a lot about American and British politics and lack of hope thereof, about places in England, and British television, and August and raising kids (and Sir Ken Robinson etc.).

I also met Tarek, the director of Friends of Sabeel North America today. He was studying in Austin when Carly was. Funny moment when he started to ask when Carly was there, but then he said “Well probably not because you’re so much younger than I am.” I was like “How old are you!?” Because I was thinking the exact same thing about him. We each thought the other was in his mid-20s. Turns out that he is 41. I think Carly would like him. He’s a gay man living in Houston. Which reminded me of Paul and Caleb living in Nashville and Atlanta—not exactly bastions of gay culture.

Anyway, Omar talked to him after dinner, and he verbally agreed to putting me on staff through FOSNA and then deducting my salary from their Sabeel contribution. They will talk details tomorrow. It will work out well for all involved, as Sabeel has to pay double taxes on me here in Israel due to my visa. Like 45%. Whereas through the U.S. it will be much less for me and for them.

A bit after 8:30 I called Carly (not enough signal to skype). August was busy doing something. I think he said I was interrupting something—his cutting or gluing or something. Oh, and he called me ‘Ryan’ at first. I think he said I was ‘Ryan’ when on a trip or working. Talked for a few minutes and said good night.

Walked back to the cars, then Marc realized he forgot his bag at the restaurant. Followed Omar and it was a convoluted drive back to the restaurant. Then on to the Paradise Hotel, where I was checked in by 10:30.

I talked to Carly the next day to find out more about his day. She had arrived to pick up him and Eve after school. It was just the two of them there. It seems like they are the only kids that never ride the bus now. They were hyper and in trouble a few times for saying things like poop. They went to the library so that Carly could start to set things up for Sunday. Ilana got Legos out for them and they played with those. Carly then took the two of them to Heather’s classrooms. They set up easels and paint and put on aprons and painted together. From there they said goodbye to Eve and went to get a hamburger for dinner, although August mainly ate the bread. They watched some of the middle school hockey, and she said he was mesmerized by it for about ten minutes. Someone had slime that looked like hamburger buns, but I’m not quite sure what that is.

They walked to Carly’s classroom and set up painting supplies. They had a few minutes and walked around. When he saw Gabby and Jill he ran off to them. They watched him in Carly’s classroom while Carly went and did her supervision from 6 to 8. She returned to her classroom in the middle to get a different book, and he told her “You’re not supposed to be here yet!” They apparently painted/drew a “nubby machine” together.

The room was completely cleaned up when Carly came back. Rob gave them a ride home. It was pouring by then, and they had to step through deep water just to get in the car. They skipped a bath, and I called to say good night just after 8:30. He was asleep a little father 9.

Watching Berenstain Bears: