One Month Left

The summer is just flying by! This time next month I will be back in Canada and I am beginning to feel like I have to cram-in a bunch more of Israel and Palestinian in the next few weeks. There is just so much to see and do and it can be a little difficult to get to-and-from NSWAS if you don't have your own car. 

I am also thinking that it might be a little difficult and strange to come back. NSWAS has been home for two and half months and I am anticipating a little bit of reverse culture shock upon my return.

I spent this past weekend in the village which was very relaxing. My co-workers kids were back home for the weekend so it was nice to have other people in the big house to talk and hang out with. The middle son is an artist and industrial designer, mostly working on environmental projects and sustainable development. He and I share a lot in common, including a love of the Redwall series which we were able to bond over. My co-workers daughter and youngest of the kids finished high school last year and is currently in the Israeli Defence Forces, serving her mandatory period in the Army as civilian liaison and emergency situations trainer. Talking with is really interesting. The lifestyle that people live here is very different from the lifestyle I grew up in. I remember young people coming to our schools to talk to us about the dangers of bears and elk, not bombs and rockets. Conscription in Israel is an interesting topic in NSWAS. For the daughter it's quite the paradox, living in the "Oasis of Peace" and having to serve a compulsory term in the armed forces.


Work at the School for Peace has been winding down. Now that most of the summer programs are over there is less and less work for me to do and I have been feeling a little useless around the office. In May and June there was always work to be done, ongoing projects, meetings and encounter sessions to attend. 


The work load for July has been a lot less exciting. More office work, research on the computer, and organizing. I miss the excitement of the first few months, but it's also nice to have a slower change of pace.