Reactions to Readings: 8

I really enjoyed the first two excerpts from "Sharon and My Mother in Law". I just might pick up that book for the plane ride! I really dig her writing style...and her humor. I can picture it more like a movie, in contrast to reading the denser articles. Upon reading "The Promised Gas Masks", I gained a more intimate sense of life as a Palestinian in the early 90's. That could not have been easy. A curfew that lasted 42 days?? I would go crazy. Something that really struck me is her humor when reflecting on this experiences. I mean, she's humorous but there are still some anger undertones, too. A good example of that is in the next chapter, "A Dog's Life", when she writes,

"You know what, Nura? This document will get you through the checkpoint into Jerusalem while I and my car need two different permits to get through."

Of course, she is referring to the fact that it was easier for a dog to get to Jerusalem than a human. While this is funny, it also demonstrates the difficulties she, and all Palestinians, must have been going through at the time.

"There is no room here for coveting, dispossessing and hatred."

The quote above is from the second reading, "Jerusalem: Not the Mother of All Cities". The author really takes Jerusalem and tries to make it personal. For a lot of people, Jerusalem is personal though. I see the above quote as like, a rule that your mother imposed and you have grown up with. A "Not in this house" type of thing. The fact that she is talking about Jerusalem, makes it all that much more personal.


For my multimedia project I hope to interview local Christians, Muslims, Jews, and maybe a Palestinian or two. I want to know what their attachments are to Jerusalem (this is probably coming from the human ecology aspect of my major). Whether it's minor or major, I want to hear about it. I also want to know what their opinions and perspectives are about peace in Israel. I am more interested in the personal side of their reactions rather than the political. Most likely because I am not a political person.