Experimenting in Palestine

In June 2009, while visiting family in the Middle East, my parents, brother and I crossed the Allenby Bridge checkpoint separating Jordan from the West Bank. I remember the experience very vividly. The crowded bus filled with helpless, frightened and above all, frustrated Palestinians. The initial stop and individual frisk we received from Israeli soldiers at the first screening 100 yards outside the compound. The watchtower and heavily armed soldiers dressed in Kevlar and their authoritative instructions to us upon exiting the bus. It was an intense and disconcerting experience but somewhat expected considering this was a militarily occupied land.

However, what struck me the most about my first adulthood crossing into Palestine was the 18-25 year old Israeli boys and girls working the various stations inside the terminal. This was the first layer of  Israel's economy.

The sight made me wonder about the thousands of young (and old) stationed across the 700+ military checkpoints throughout the West Bank. What would happen to Israel's economy built on this security apparatus if peace were realized? Would there be new jobs for all these young people? It was clear to me that Israel's garrison state had become arguably it's greatest employer and economic driver.

Little did I understand how much this economy of "security" was intensifying. The short documentary, The Lab by Yotam Feldman, rekindled my memories at the bridge and questions further the incentive for a negotiated settlement in Palestine.

Israel has used the military occupation - and its innovation to maintain it - to become a world leader in weapon sales and "management" of conflict. Zionism aside, why should Israel forfeit the handsome and far-reaching rewards of this business?

Watch the Witness film on Al Jazeera to understand how Israel benefits economically from military occupation.

Dutch Reset

Travel can encourage many things including self-actualization, creative impulse and clarivoyance. My recent trip to visit family and friends in DC and Virginia reset these perspectives. Less than a week after returning I realize three things I appreciate more about the Netherlands. 

1) Diversity. Perhaps it relates more to living in the densely populated Randstad, but I am regularly impressed by the high level of Dutch multiculturalism. Each day, I encounter folks from China, Indonesia, Korea, India, Pakistan, Suriname, Morocco and Turkey. All of them speak perfect Dutch and live very Dutch lives. I certainly didn't expect this concentration of diversity and integration, especially coming from the US where we tout our rich multiculturalism (rightly so) as a global ideal. Of course, Europe has it's migrant woes but diversity seems very much alive in the Netherlands.

2) Openness. I'm not referencing Dutch tolerance towards drugs or sex. I'm talking about window curtains and sidewalk smiles. The Dutch are not bashful about showcasing their homes to the street. If you stroll any neighborhood at night, you will encounter many homes exposing decorative ceilings, soft-lit living rooms, bedroom art, beautiful lampshades and historic chandeliers. As for sidewalk smiles. I've had some lovely  exchanges, including one which led to a spirited bike race. The Dutch are light-hearted and amicable people to say the least. And in both cases, a sense of community is developed. 

3) Arts and Culture. In the Netherlands, no matter the season, climate or even the time, there is always an ethnic celebration or festival on the calendar. And whereas American's tend to remain indoors on cold or rainy days, no weather pattern can deter the Dutch from biking to a social function for a delicious beverage and a chance at cultural inspiration. 

Between Worlds, Again

I love living in Europe. The people, the languages, the foods, the proximity to so much history and diversity; it's all a travelers delight. However, I recently returned from another holiday in the Middle East -- this time in Dubai and Muscat, Oman with a one night layover in Amman, Jordan -- and I realized something which first pulled my conscious when I last visited the region in August 2013.

That last visit was arguably the best two weeks of my life. Reconnecting with uber creative and loving people couldn't have been more emotionally fulfilling.

This recent trip brought back those same people and included more from my life in the US. Each day for more than two weeks I felt the love of friends, family, a language, a cuisine and a heritage. Sure, some of my excitement and emotion was heightened by the experience of traveling in a new place, but when I walked into my warm and welcoming apartment in the city center of The Hague, my first feelings were emptiness. It was a completely unexpected emotion. Almost immediately I felt lonely misplaced.

So there I was standing in my apartment with my travel bag still on and sensing I was between worlds again. I left a place filled with people near to my heart for somewhere removed and curiously uninviting. It was a peculiar feeling.

I suppose the idiom, the grass is always greener on the otherside, holds true. However, at this point in my writing, I have to ask:  Is it good to be back in the Netherlands?

I would say, it's good to slot back into a comfortable and routinized life again, yes. And it's been good to reacquaint myself with structure and predictability. I appreciate those things and for now, those things just happen to be in the Netherlands. Carpe diem.