An Evening with Lina and Friends
Walking up what felt like 100 flights of stairs, Samin and I finally reached Lina's house in our neighborhood of Khallet al-Amood. Lina is a mother who is in both my nutrition class and Samin's aerobics class, and after weeks of asking us to come to her house, we finally had the time to visit with her in her home. I can speak for both myself and Samin when I say it was one of our favorite experiences in Nablus thus far. Lina outdid herself with delicious tabbouleh salad, cakes, and fruits piled higher than I have ever seen! Slowly, one by one, familiar faces began to enter the room. Other neighborhood women from our classes began entering Lina's living room to join us in conversation and good food. The women talked about their families, their children, their frustrations, and their lives during the first and second intifadas.
For me, the most interesting part of the entire night was speaking to Lina in Arabic and her responding in English. Throughout the evening we would switch between the two languages so that each of us had a chance to practice speaking and understanding.
Quickly into the night, Lina's youngest son Hassan and Jenan's son Saleem joined us. Both boys, are arguably the most adorable 6 and 4 year olds ever. They spent the entire night running in and out of the house, eating cakes and making and flying paper airplanes across Lina's living room. Samin and I could have stayed there all night playing with the two boys. When it started getting late, Samin and I politely excused ourselves and thanked Lina and her family for their hospitality. We promised we'd be back to visit before we leave Nablus.
As our time here comes to an end, I have had the chance to reflect on my experiences here. I have fallen in love with the city of Nablus, that was undeniable, but until last night, I couldn't exactly put my finger on why I loved it so much. And as cliché as I know it sounds, I have fallen in love with the people of Nablus. Just yesterday when I walked down to the juice stand with my fellow interns, I heard my name being called out and as soon as I turned around, I saw one of my students, little Alaa, waving her hands furiously from 100 feet away. It's Alaa's enthusiasm and joy and Lina's wisdom and hospitality that are a constant reminder of why I love Nablus so much.
-Tala
Tala is a summer intern at TYO Nablus