Palestine smells like home and Rimawi's everywhere: Part one

It's been some what of a mystery as to why we all fell out of touch, as to why the family that was near to me through my father was no longer near to me once he was gone. Of course things like that are never done on purpose, but nevertheless, there was a piece missing inside of me that was connected to their part of my family.

I haven't really had a chance to write since I've been here so I'm using the quiet time I have now that folks are at work and school to write.

I love the way Palestine smells. It's so homey. I love the smell of Palestine. The sites and sounds. The smiles and the laughter of children. It makes me feel warm. Makes me feel safe. Makes me feel like I've come home.

It's like sweet and bitter and hot and salty. It smells the way I would imagine comfort smelling. It feels like life would be good here for me. Aside from war or oppression, life would be good. Where else isn't like that? The entire world is in turmoil. The entire world is falling apart. Where else can I go?

It's peaceful for me here, like a warm bath or the waves of the ocean playing along your skin hours and hours after you've left the waters. Just comforting.

And here I thought that there were alot of Rimawi's in NYC, but alas there are 10,000 Rimawi's here in Ramallah, mostly based in Beit Rima and then a few more thousand around Palestine.

My grandfather is having a complex built for most of his grandchildren and said that it's here if I want it and I just have to move here. That me, my brothers and sister each have an apartment ontop of one another and it's all paid for. Below the apartments will be stores. Maybe this is where I can put together a business. My uncle said the easiest way to become a citizen is to marry someone here or open a business. I think it's more likely for me to open a business than it is for me to marry someone here. I already have my heart set on someone else.

I'll continue writing later. I want to help my aunt cook, even though they don't want me doing much. At least I'll sit and talk with her and have some arabic coffee. Yum!
And I wanted to add more more pictures of Ramallah in here today, but the bloggy thing isn't working right. Maybe tomorrow or so it'll work fine.