A Day in Ramallah

Here are pictures from our day in Ramallah, in the Occupied Territories.   Every meeting we attended we were always greeted with beverages and snacks, such as juice, coffee, tea and crackers or pastries.  It was interesting to note this cultural aspect because, most often, when we attended Jewish-Israeli speakers we just sat down and got down to business.  From my understanding the Arab culture is very hospitable. Usually meetings don't start right away and there is discussion of family, the weekend, or other various topics.  Things are very laid back, and meetings usually don't start on time and meetings generally run long.  Many of the Israeli organizations are very Western, in the sense that there is very little small talk and things are kept on a tight schedule.  Not to say that Israelis aren't courteous, because our encounters have always been cordial.  Although, you could see the adaptation of this trait in the Palestinian organizations, because there is so much work to be done.  An underlying theme of wanting peace but acknowledging the past kept reoccurring throughout all of the speakers.