My name is Haneen Eldalk. I am a 27-year-old female residing in Canada. I am original of Palestinian background. I came to Palestine for a few reasons: to see the greenery and nature of this beautiful country, to experience first-hand what goes on here, to sit and reside with its residents for a while, and to teach communicative English.
My two weeks stay was one of the most memorable trips I had ever taken, from the places I visited to the people I met. During my volunteer time, I chose to teach the English language to Palestinian locals and to visit different areas in my motherland. Getting to visit the Ibrahimi mosque and seeing the shrines of all the past prophets, and the partition wall separating the mosque was truly eye-opening.
Visiting the refugee camps, I got to sit with some of the locals that were exiled in 1948. I got to listen to their stories and what they experienced firsthand was enlightening. I also got to visit the Herbawi Keffiyeh factory, which is the last factory left in Palestine that produces the traditional Palestinian Keffiyeh. As we know, the Keffiyeh has become a symbol to the people native to this last, do it was truly an experience. I got to see how they factor them, as well as learn about the meaning behind the pattern and different colors threaded into the Keffiyeh. There were so many visits that I would have to write a novel to write about everything I had learned and experienced.
Considering my background is Palestinian, the culture was not a shock to me. My ancestors were displaced when the Nakba first happened, but we held onto our culture. So more-or-less, we kept in touch with our heritage. That being said, experiencing it from the natives to this land was slightly different. For example, when visiting one of the refugee camps, we had lunch there, we sat on the ground and ate with our hands, just like the residents of this camp. I was truly amazed by everyone’s kindness or generosity.
Palestine in the media is considered a “war zone.” However, being in this civilized land, you get to watch a different show than you do on TV. It is not full of guns, bombs, or destroyed houses. The one time I felt a little bit uneasy when it came to safety is when I was at the segregation wall, only because of the watch towers the Israelis had installed there. From a safety point of view, Palestine is a safe place to visit.
To conclude, I would highly recommend anyone who is considering visiting Palestine to do so. The nation of the Palestinian people tend to be very kind and generous. As a foreigner in this land, you will find anyone and everyone is willing to help and assist if you ask for it. They are very friendly, and communicative. If this is one of the obstacles in your way, English is very common here.