: : : notes from the hob : : :

Okay....I was going to start where I stopped in the telling of my vacation. Instead I am going to jump ahead to where I was just five nights ago.
I was walking down a pedestrian street shopping, stopping to eat at a fabulous vegetarian restaurantt, laughing with two people that I love. Never felt the danger that I knew could be there. Signs around me were reminders, one store front had a sign that read 'Discounts for brave tourist'. I thought that was funny and wanted to buy something, but there was also a sign that said the owner had stepped out for a few minutes. Walked past a pizza place that had exploded a few months before. Not a trace that it had even happened. The restaurant was back in business. Bought a few gifts to take home and we walked a couple of blocks to the car, tired after a very busy day exploring the old city that could be so beautiful, but is marred by the hate of two groups of people.
Tonight that street is the scene of more bombings....as of right now five people are dead, hundreds more are wounded. I am watching the news and I recognize the signs of places I passed, places I stopped, places I walked by, laughing, with two people I love.

Here I am, back from my week in the not so holy land. I enjoyed myself in a lot of ways. I was so happy to be with people I love. It is hard to really figure out how I feel about the place.
To start off, I flew on the countries ariline and they made it very clear that they don't like people who are not the same religion as them right away. Before you check in security stops you and begins to question you. The minute I said I didn't speak the language, the interrigation began.
The guard:Didn't you have the opportunity to learn the language?
Me: No
TG: Did you go to our religious school?
Me: No
TG: Never?
Me: No
TG: Did you go to study our religion?
Me: No
TG: Did you go to Sunday school?
Me: Yes
TG: Why did you never learn our language?
Me: Ummmmmm, cause I'm not the same religion as you? (trace of smart ass creeping into my tone, though I tried to control it)
The guard goes of to speak to others about me. Comes back and tells me I must go to gate 58 to have my luggage searched. I get checked in and go to the gates. They end at 57...hmmmm. I go ask a guard and he tells me it's not really a gate, it's a room and tells me where I have to go. I walk in and the girl guard looks up and tells me my suitcase is not there. The big bald guard looks up and says my name with a question mark and then tells me half an hour. How did he know my name? I go to the gate and wait and then back to the room. My suitcase has nothing but clothes and cans of cranberry sauce for our Thanksgiving meal. He runs a swab over every inch of my clothing. He then takes the cranberries and ask me what it is. I tell him. He studys the cans and then goes to the giant xray machine and puts them in. He studies them and studies them for the longest time. Then he comes and tells me I have to come back when they announce they are boarding my flight. I go out, start talking to a very nice religious girl who is going to school there. When they announce our flight I say, "Oh! I have to go get searched now!" and went back. They run my bag through the big machine and the girl freaks out because I have a video tape. Big scary guys starts asking me about the tape. What is it? Why do I have it? What is it for? Did I buy the tape? I tell him it was a concert for NY and that if it was such a big deal he could just keep it. He goes,"Oh no no no! It's no problem!" as he runs a swab over it and everything in my carry on. He then tells me I have to have a body search. At this point I start getting mad and ask him what exactly does he mean by that? He tells me it's no big deal, but I am not happy and tell him so. I went through the damn detectors. A girl comes and runs the wand all over me. I feel better now that I know no one will touch me and then they make me take of my shoes and they run them through the machine. I ask him who else is going to have to do this? He says I'm not the only one. I pretty much say, "yeah, anyone who doesn't speak your language!" I didn't mean to get so cranky and I'd really rather be safe, but geeeezzzze! Then I was escorted to the plane by a guard. Can you believe that???? That was fucked up and made me feel like a criminal.

more later.