well, i have arrived in israel. now that i am sitting in the confines of a rustic and unimpressive hostel in the old city, i feel as though, in many ways, my entry was uneventful, with seemingly nothing more new or unusual to tell than any experience i could describe when traveling from denver to st. louis or, more recently, washington, d.c. and then i step back for a moment and realize that there are little nuances about my arrival that have already colored my experience...
at the passport check in the airport, i quickly discovered that israeli security isn't too pleased with ambiguous plans for one's time in israel. while i had a destination and a purpose for my visit, i obviously was not providing them with information sufficient enough to grant me a quick wave through security. instead, i discovered that they didn't like that i arrived alone. they didn't like that i said i was staying for six weeks. they didn't like that i didn't have an itinerary for the portion of my trip during which i will be traveling with a group. they didn't like that i didn't have proof of an invitation to the holocaust conference i will be attending in july and that i said i learned about it on the internet. i answered all of the questions at the initial passport clearance check, received a stamp and was waved through. i thought that despite the numerous questions, all had gone smoothly.
however, i hadn't noticed the small piece of paper with a stamp of the israeli police slipped into my passport or the fact that i wasn't actually out of security yet. at the next security point, i was pulled aside to be questioned again. what was my intention in israel? why had i arrived ahead of my group instead of traveling with them? what do i do for a living? why had i taken time off from my job to come and spend so much time in israel? what was i giong to do for four weeks on my own? who did i know in israel? what were the specifics of where i would be going and what i would be doing with my group?
piercing eye contact. firm voice tone. no gesture of kindness or welcome. no glimmer of a smile. these people are serious, and i noticed myself feeling anxious and under pressure, as though i were doing something wrong. i began to feel that nervous tension one experiences when, as a child, a person in authority berates you with questions following an innocent misstep or accident and you begin to feel hot and squirmy even though you know that you haven't done anything to be worried about. my hear rate increased and soon i realized that i had glimmers of "guilt" written all over my cheeks, which had flushed a bright red. maybe it's the point at which i am being asked the same questions two or three times yet in a slightly different manner that i worry that i will create suspicion. i suddenly realized i would never survive a serious interrogation. at some point, the woman ran out of things to ask, and looking unsatisfied with me but seeing no reason to delay me further, waved me on with a simple, "go." she then stumbled a bit and said, "have a safe, enjoy, er, have a pleasant time in israel."
this interaction was soon balanced by the kindness of a man on bus 5 -- from ben gurion airport to tel aviv central bus station -- who explained to me why the bus driver told me to get off the bus on the side of the road when i expected i would be changing busses at some sort of significant terminal. he pointed across the way, saying, "you see that green bus station? with your same ticket, go and wait for your bus there." across the way there stood only a small green bus stop on the adjoining highway. i had no idea where i was, but these are the times when faith and trust kick in. the sun was setting behind me and a warm breeze was blowing, and i stood waiting for bus 974 to pull up.
soon i was traversing east along a dry yet developed landscape, eventually entering the jerusalem central bus station. the guard at the security check chuckled repeatedly when i handed him my bag -- a swiss army backpack with a million hidden zippers and compartments. i shrugged an apology and wondered how many times this scene will be repeated throughout my stay. onto another bus and i was headed to the old city. the sights and sounds of nightlife were abundant, complete with a group of folks having a jam session / drum circle. we were halted by a protest being held by over a dozen men and women in wheelchairs, who had blocked jaffa road. i pulled off the bus with a couple of people, who happened to be from texas, who offered to walk me to their hostel. that was an offer i couldn't refuse at 9:30 p.m. when my option was attempting to navigate the winding corridors of the old city on my own. the evening was warm and pleasant, and walking toward jaffa gate along the facade of the old city walls, bottom-lit in a way that made the stone glow golden, held a certain regal splendor.
i haven't glimpsed much of what is jerusalem, but i wait with anticipation for the sun to rise on a new day.
No comments:
Post a Comment