Since 4 days I’m living with my friend Annika in our apartment in Ramallah. Today it’s Friday and around us the Muezzin is calling for the main prayer. We called the apartment “palace” as it is huge and in the 4.th floor. A big living room, 3 bedrooms, a bathroom, a guest toilet, a room to put cleaning stuff inside (the architect was maybe a woman) a big kitchen and two balconies. From one of the balconies we can see Jerusalem from the other Ramallah downtown. The apartment is located in an area called Ayn Minjed, which is a fancy neighbourhood Christians and Muslims are living here mixed (what is normal in Ramallah) The house we are living in is quite empty. Many people that have money leave the country to go to a safer place. To go to downtown we need 20 minutes walking or 10 minutes by “service”, something like a taxi-bus. On the entrance to or area are always sitting armed security men. I wonder if there is a politician living next to us that need to be protected.
Its hot these days, but not in our palace-we are cool here and I wonder if I m not living a strange dream here. I live in a rich and fancy area in a house which is called after the famous Arabic singer Fairuz which is singing: Ana la ansaki Falistin-I will never forget you Palestine…But in which part of Palestine am I now? My living room is as big as the apartment I was living in Beirut with 4 other people. I never will feel the real Palestine, because if I want to I can go tomorrow to the beach. I can just pass the wall and leave my dream apartment behind me.
But I m not gonna complain. It feels soooo good to have really my own room after 1 1/2 years living without own space and place.
I had already 3 Arabic lessons and it feels good, I have the feeling with the background I have already I will learn very fast.
If your ways are leading you to Ramallah you are always welcome in the palace-Ahlan wa sahlan