Fun day at Qurtoba
These cheeky fellows really had to sneak through the Checkpoint pretending they were normal youngsters visiting someone as their make - up seemed to be too offensive to the easily intimidated soldiers at the Checkpoint. After dressing back down and then up again, the day at Qurtoba started with a little delay but in a bright and cheery mood nonetheless.
Part of the admirable work Reem and her teachers do at Qurtoba School is to give the kids a sense of normality. They know how important it is to acknowledge the children´s right to be exactly that: playful kids. Defying the surroundings which force the young ones to grow up way too quickly is as important as the education itself.
Who says there is no fun in Tel Rumeida?
Was it her saying that? Hm...no...must have come from outside somewhere:-)
The dedicated Red Crescent staff is increasingly popular with the students, collecting more points with each one of the innumerous games they seem to know. Little do they care about the fact that they have to take their vests, which are clearly identifying them as medical personnel, off, when moving around in Tel Rumeida. The world here has gone "maklube" (upside down), I kept thinking to myself, turning clowns and paramedics into a provocation and potential threat...
...same goes for the newly built staircase just right of the schooldoor, which is in perfect shape as opposed to the one on the other end of the ridge, the one everybody has got to use due to the fact that this new staircase is leading down on Shuhada, therefore impairing the security of the Beit Hadassah inhabitants. Little do we know about the violent potential of Palestinian school children and their teachers as it seems...
Most of these supposedly aggressive children I have seen walking very quickly, if not running, when they have to pass the Beit Hadassah Community Centre on their way to and from the school. To me they looked like intimidated, sometimes very very scared children, especially fearing their Israeli peers...
These cheeky fellows really had to sneak through the Checkpoint pretending they were normal youngsters visiting someone as their make - up seemed to be too offensive to the easily intimidated soldiers at the Checkpoint. After dressing back down and then up again, the day at Qurtoba started with a little delay but in a bright and cheery mood nonetheless.
Part of the admirable work Reem and her teachers do at Qurtoba School is to give the kids a sense of normality. They know how important it is to acknowledge the children´s right to be exactly that: playful kids. Defying the surroundings which force the young ones to grow up way too quickly is as important as the education itself.
Who says there is no fun in Tel Rumeida?
Was it her saying that? Hm...no...must have come from outside somewhere:-)
The dedicated Red Crescent staff is increasingly popular with the students, collecting more points with each one of the innumerous games they seem to know. Little do they care about the fact that they have to take their vests, which are clearly identifying them as medical personnel, off, when moving around in Tel Rumeida. The world here has gone "maklube" (upside down), I kept thinking to myself, turning clowns and paramedics into a provocation and potential threat...
...same goes for the newly built staircase just right of the schooldoor, which is in perfect shape as opposed to the one on the other end of the ridge, the one everybody has got to use due to the fact that this new staircase is leading down on Shuhada, therefore impairing the security of the Beit Hadassah inhabitants. Little do we know about the violent potential of Palestinian school children and their teachers as it seems...
Most of these supposedly aggressive children I have seen walking very quickly, if not running, when they have to pass the Beit Hadassah Community Centre on their way to and from the school. To me they looked like intimidated, sometimes very very scared children, especially fearing their Israeli peers...
Susanne! This is a great blog! Keep going. Thanks for describing these small-huge events! I think you should let the Hebronites know about this blog if they don't know yet in order to give them some hope, that you did not forget!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations!