Acko

Staying in Acko was so much fun. Was only there for 3
nights...and it went all too quickly.
  Shafiq and Nahala are a simply delightful
couple, and their children are sweet and kind.
  Rather a relief after my last household of yelling
atop yelling... I was glad to remember that arab culture
 isnt all so loud.

  After my 4 hour bus ride to their house
(which is half an hour away by car...) I vistited
the schools in Acko.  The college contains all
religions, a school unlike one I've thus come
across.  I was told, however, that the school system is
made to give an advantage to the Jewish students.
Moreover, different religions tend to stick to themselves.
  The Jewish people here have a culture much like
in AUstralia...they're really from all over the world,
see, so they don't have a definable culture.
  When Christians or Muslims live amongst the Jews,
they seem to adopt a greater freedom; wearing
skimpier clothing and doing more Western activities
ie listening to western/hebrew music/tv.

  Here, arabs generally call themselves 'arabs Israeli'.  ANd
those in the West Bank 'Palestinian'.  Many are sorry as they do
it, but feel that they have to.  This is specially
for those who live more amongst Jews - otherwise, living in
just Arabic cities like Nazareth you will find people
who still Identifying themselves as Palestinian, save for when
they're talking to a Jewish person.

  The weirdest thing in Christian homes is that
they're so ignorant of Muslim culture.  They know
the culture, but they seem to not understand it...
I'm generalizing completely but I'll continue.
  they call the Muslim dresses 'ugly' and muse over
 why they wear them.  They seem to be ignorant of any
good things which come from Ramadan.
  Its as though because they're muslim, whatever they do is ugly.
  Or smelly.
  It's so sad, because I spent three weeks amongst
muslim families who were all so lovely, welcoming
and accepting even after I would call myself Cristian.
  I really rather love many of these families
 and I'm sorry that my relatives cannot accept them
the way they accepted me.

  Christians also seem to hate Eid.  (Islamic
equivalent of Christmas).  They hide indoors throughout
the weekend, and consider the celebrations lower class,
calling the crowds rude due to one or two pushy people.

  I am sorry to admit that I was in a muslim city during Ead,
babysitting.
indoors.
the whole weekend.

OOpsy!! Acko!!!!!!
Its absolutely gorgeous.  A terribly old city with the same story;
Nabateans built it, Muslims had it at one stage, the Crusaders
had it too and probbly destoryed a large portion, and Sala al din
did something exciting along the way.

  The city is made up of many large walls to protect it from
the Crusaders, weaving along the beach.
Within the old walls, winding through stony arches, old blue
doors, and tall church towers, the streets are full of
fisherman sailors and market men, beach-combing young
urchins racing with stray cats as the sun sets on the
sparkling ocean.
  Its like a dream.
  Ola and Maha are around my age, and together with
their younger siblings Hanna and Nadine we went on
a boat ride along the coast of Acko in the Mediteranean.
  I stood at the tip of the boat, gripping onto the rails
with an uncontrollable grin taking over my face as the
boat crashed up and down in the waves.
  I love the sea.
  The afternoon sun had cast a silver shiver across the city
by this hour, and as we pulled into the port the driver
was playing popular club music.  This got everyones attention,
and tens of young boys ran onto the rooves of the boats around
us, dancing like the smexy women from MTV, before jumping
into the sea still wearing their shoes and socks.

  Before the boat-ride, they seemed to think one of the best
holiday activities was going to the mall...
don't know what I was meant to do there but I'm definately
an alien in the shopping world now.  Though I did enjoy
having my hair straightened and eyes coloured before we
left...



Shishbarak, makloube, cussa and warra...salad with tahineh sauce...
freekeh (with chicken), tahineh as a dip in itself;
thickened with just water salt lemon, fil-fil (stuffed
capsicum), ...
just going through some food you have to remind me
to cook when I get home :D