Displaced

So yesterday at church we had an own arrangement service and andrew had put together some interactive creative prayer ideas from our pray without ceasing awe service and i spoke a bit about my time in Israel/Palestine. helen and chris came along to hear my stories, which I appreciated, though i am immensely jealous that they will be going out with highway projects to Jordon in just over a month.

So I shared stories of working in Raineh, introducing the teenagers who were in my group, the facilitators who helped with translation. I talked of the camp partners, the local episcopal church, the arab association of human rights, the local council and highway projects. The games we played, the workshops on womens rights, living with disabilities (blindness in this case), how the media distorts stories, promoting non-violence. Our trip to see a mosque forced into disrepair by being surrounded by jewish settlers, the graffitti that spoke of death to arabs scrawled on it's walls. A trip to a water park where it's the norm for leaders of jewish parties to walk around in their swimsuit with automatic weapon strapped to their backs. Imagining what impression these images must make on arabs growing up in an environment where they are feared to an extent that protecting yourself with such weaponry is acceptable. Our trip to a mosque and a church in the village, promoting interfaith relations within the arab community, and of course sharing the sad news of being caught within a war zone. Our departure to a safer haven, whilst leaving our friends in a place of danger and uncertainty.

And as Hezbollah continue to rage a war born out of frustration of the way israel seems to treat it's indiginous arab neighbours, the response is of such disproportion it makes me almost sick to hear about it. A campaign that has killed countless civilians, hundreds of children and is condemned by the UN. Yet it continues, and this morning I am frustrated listening to an Israeli MP justify the onslaught and killing of innocents as the fault of Hezbollah using human shields. This kind of argument is so poor, it beggars belief. They say, we have given the lebanese warnings to leave their homes. I say, but where do they go, how do they leave, how will they live once displaced? The bombs of Israel do not discriminate between man and women, adult and child, christian and muslim. Hezbollah's return strikes are likewise indiscriminate between arab and jew. The resolution of the situation is simple, as we wrote on our flag in Raineh - No more violence. Both sides could stop tomorrow, but there are agendas that seems to weigh more heavily then the price of human life. It is a sad situation. A word of wisdom from the muslim chaplain at cambridge uni on radio 4 this morning suggested that in it's true form religions would live harmoniously seeking truth and justice, at such a time politicians would draw up boundary lines, and the religious would seek to transcend them.

End of an era

So tonight saw the last episode of top of the pops and with it the end of an era. Of course the decision to end the long running programme is probably correct, having not watched an episode for quite some time, now that music is on demand 24/7. However, it was still a fairly sad occasion. I remember the odd episode being watched by my baby sitters as a kid, but it wasn't until the late summer of 1987 did I really become enthralled with pop music, and it was from this date that every thursday evening I would be glued to bbc1. I'd get my tape recorder and place it as close as possible to the tv set and record the tracks that I liked, so I could listen to them again. I still have the tapes, and I even did my own commentry. There has been some really memorable episodes, but i think the performance of 'smells like teen spirit' by nirvana was like some kind of epiphany. All of a sudden everything I thought music should be was turned on it's head and I started listening to more and more obscure guitar based bands and also delving into the past, particularly music from the 60s. All sparked by a performance on TOTP, I find it hard to think how an act could make such an impact these days.
I'm also quite pleased to know that I was once in the audience for a TOTP show, as it went on tour in the late 90s, visiting sheffield where I was really excited to see a performance by Mel C. My head was just about visible in one of the shots of the episode, and the Macy Grey perfomance of I Try has appeared on numerous TOTP2 outings.
It was great to see Sir Jimmy Savile, being his usual exuberent self, still living the totp dream with over the top golden shell suit, that's what totp was all about. A shame there was no clips of A Flock Of Seagulls, who perhaps sported the most outrageous hairstlyes of any totp performers.

So totp leaves and enters the realms of nostalgia, and I'm sure it will be remembered with fondness.

It's still number one, it's Top of the Pops!

The hum drum

Cartoon by Dave Walker.

I get back from mission and the week feels a bit like this cartoon, nothing really happens. The normality of work, eat and sleep is in stark contrast to the last weeks of engagement and everyday new experiences. It's difficult to process and get back into the swing of 'normality', though it does highlight the fact that I would really rather do something else than this work-a-day lifestyle.

Anyway, this morning I was reminded of my travels as my friend, Joy Adams, was on this morning's 'Pause for thought' on radio 2. I've known Joy for a few years now, after meeting on a methodist placement trip to India. She was also on a highway projects team, working at a children's camp in Nazareth. Today she shared her thoughts about being caught in a war zone and the sadness felt at having to leave. It is possible to listen to it again for the next week here. It is about 20 minutes into the programme, so that you can skip a bit, cos if you are like me, you will find Sarah Kennedy extremely annoying.

Highway Projects trip

So how do I articulate my experiences of the last fortnight or so? Wandering in the wilderness outside jericho, floating in the dead sea, working in Raineh, meeting new friends, eating falaffal, hearing bombs land, seeing places christ walked, being evacuated, seeing jerusalem, helping on another project, experiencing a little of the struggle faced by arab israelis, learning some arabic, being quiet.

It's impossible to place all my thoughts on the matter into a concise blog, so i won't. My journal is pages long, and I shan't be replicating it here, I shall probably write a little about some of the projects later. In the meantime, I suggest if you want to hear more about the experience I'd be more than willing to come and talk at a function/event/service etc. My photos are now uploaded onto a flickr set and will be anotated over the coming days.

I also can't recommend the work of highway projects enough, so if you are interested in doing some mission work next year, give this a thought.

tag highway projects

John and Suzanne's wedding

So I got back into the country saturday evening, after a hassle free passage through security at the airport in Tel Aviv and a fairly nice flight, though it was delayed a little due to the thunder storms in London. Chris came and picked me up and I stayed the night at his house, he is a super star. Set off just after 0800 from hemel to Liverpool for my friends wedding, stopped for some fuel and picked up three polish students who were hitching their way to some hippy festival in Yorkshire. Dropped them off at watford gap where I found another hitch hiker looking for a lift to the M6, so I took him onwards. Finally I reached Liverpool and that is when the location problems began, suddenly the sign posts decided that the name of the road was no longer important, so as I was looking for the A-such and such, all I got was vague locations. Inevitably I got lost, and I found a number of locals whom I asked for directions, most of whom turned out to be incoherent to my ears. The first girl gesticulated towards some road, saying go along till you come to a park, and then spent a good few minutes describing what a park looked like, it's like a lot of green grass, not a small bit, but a big bit. Yeah cheers, i know what a park is, the thing i don't understand is which is the road that you mean from the seventeen that congregate here!

Eventually I arrived at the correct location where I met up with an old school friend, rebek. We've both known John all our lives, having been through school together and amazingly still kept in touch. The wedding started at 3, and it has been some time since i was last able to see John, and the difference the ravages of his illness had made as quite telling, and it upset me to see him like that. However, once chatting with him, it was clear he was the same old John, and the frailities of his body dissolved away. Suzanne looked absolutely stunning, she is such a wonderful girl, and has gone to great lengths to help john in his illness and arrange the early marriage ceremony.

After a wonderful meal there were some heartfelt and emotional speeches, as Suzanne's father, a staunch Liverpool fan like John and Suzanne, handed John the ticket to the European Semi Final match that he missed for the birth of his daughter, he told about all the heroes he had seen in the liverpool shirt, but none more worthy of wearing the strip than John. Then John spoke, and mentioned how great it was to have his dad at his side after his father's long serious illness at the turn of the new year. John is so lucky to have found someone like Suzanne and I'm pleased to count them as my friends.

Nazareth

So yesterday, after just emailing one of our helpers up in Nazareth, I hear the news that the town has been struck twice, killing a couple of brothers. It's really sad news and makes me wish I was still there all the more, I just want to be able to hug my friends. I'm sure the camp will be cancelled again, it is such a shame. This situation causes so much pain. I hear that one of the strikes could be seen from the house I was staying at. It's also more and more difficult to hear news of strikes in Israel, as the news has become bored of that and is now focussing on the evacuation of foreign nationals from lebanon.

We have found some work to do nearby, helping at tent of nations which has a really great philosophy, run by a wonderful christian arab on whose land the camp is set. It just feels a bit odd cos we are only there a couple of days, and I don't really feel the contection that I did up in Raineh.

Back at the weekend Insh'Allah

we've moved

We've had to move south to jerusalem due to the very close proximity of some missiles last night. Although we all felt safe in Nazereth with our friends, it is only the sensible option to move out of range. It was vey sad and emotional to leave our friends, especially as i think we were getting on really well with the kids. Hopefully we can find some work to do whilst here, providing the situation does not escalate further.

will blog more on my return no doubt

the situation

Hi

This is just a quick post. The project is going well, and I am getting to know the kids and also a little arabic. It has been fun and tiring work, but I get a real sense that they are pleased to have english people amongst them and helping with their summer camp.

We have also had chance to do a few touristy things, and this weekend the groups in nazereth met to have a time of relaxation before our second week. Yesterday we went for a tour around the sites around the sea of galilee. It was really quite an odd feeling to be reflecting in these places that Jesus was (or at least very close to) and hearing the distant thunderous noises of bombs in the background.

In nazereth we are currently our of range, but the repercussions are felt here, as we know people whose relatives live there, and even people who work in the areas being hit. Of course they are worried that the violence will escalate, and we continue to pray for peace. Hopefully we will be able to finish our work here, but things are in place should the advice change and we have to move to a safer location. I would find this a very difficult situation, though of course the sensible option, as we will have to leave friends here.

Stuff to do

mow the lawn, pack my bags, watch the football......

talking of which it's made my life a bit more easy in a logistical way has this england defeat. It means that I now don't have to wait for the end of the semi final tomorrow to travel down to hemel. It also means I don't have the potential of missing england in a world cup final cos I'm in the house of a palestian family who are not interested in the football.

Anyway, met up with my m+d and sister on sunday to celebrate my mum's b'day and my m+d's wedding anniversary, pearl, and would you credit it, wilko's actually stock pearl wedding anniversary cards! They're a bit rubbish, but I had to get it. That shop stocks everything! nice to see them, but i was hoping to go and see my friend, he's very ill at the moment, and was too ill for visitors. His wedding has been moved forward, and thankfully i am just back from israel so shall be able to attend. His ill health has been a worry to me too, he's a very good friend, and we've know each other since we were small kids.

So what to do whilst I'm away and you are bored, waiting for additional blogs. Well i suggest you browse some of my links to the right. I'd also like to point out that helen c of made in deptford fame, has re-started her blog.

and if you've got some money to spend on clothes, why not take a visit to people tree, cos they have a sale on their superb range of organic and fair trade clothes.

see you all soon

Getting ready

So it's not long now before I leave for israel to join a highway project. I shall be based mainly in a town called raineh, which is very close to nazareth, where I'll be taking part in helping to run a summer school for palestinian muslim and christian teenagers. I'm really looking forward to it, but there's all that stress of getting everything ready, buying all kinds of bits and pieces for games, clothes to keep me cool. Today I bought a hat, but it makes me look like an extra from 'it ain't half hot mum'. I also bought a pair of sandals the other day, these were offically endorsed by the english FA, and I'm sure that gerrard, beckham and the rest of the england team are wearing identical ones around the hotel. I'm sure their wages could cover the £10 cost for the pair. In fact, these sandals may be the source of the fairly non-descript form that england are showing. You see, i wore mine today, and they really rub on your heel, so perhaps the england team are suffering from sore heels or similarsandal induced ailment.
There are of course slight concerns to the current situation in israel at the moment. Although we won't be anywhere near the gaza strip, the reporcutions will be felt countrywide. I hope to drop a few lines about the trip on my return.

It's just like being in the future

So my webcam has arrived and i can now chat to v over the internet. It's amazing to think we're actually thousands of miles away. but it's nice to see and hear her.

Last fm

So I heard about this a while ago from ben askew. Then i saw something about it in some music mag or other and thought I'd check it out. So now you can see what music I'm listening to with this handy little chart thing in the side bar. It can also recommend other music from monitoring the kind of stuff i like to listen to. I'll see how it goes....

My last fm profile is here

Just a quick note

Siobhan has updated her blog about her experiences in Kenya. As ever it is well worth reading.

Pray without ceasing

So I mentioned a while ago i would blog about pray without ceasing. It is a prayer initiative from the methodist church, which was launched at last years conference, inspired by 24:7 prayer. The idea being that people will be praying day and night for about 14 months and to be a time to explore different ways of praying and being with god. Each district within the connexion have taken blocks of time within this period and recently it was the sheffield districts turn. Our circuit was given a 24 hour period to fill and a number of churches around the circuit set up prayer rooms. As part of our 'alternative worship service' (awe), at broomhill methodist, we set up a room for a prayerful reflective session which would take place just before the 24hr 'stint' began. the room would then be left for use during the following day. The room was split into a number of 'stations' with a guide leading from one to another, at each station there were various things to consider, for praise, worship, forgiveness and prayer, all of which were effective in their own right. We made use of paints, pipe cleaners, powerpoint, looping videos, banners, candles and all manner of other items. It really was a special time praying in there, and it's difficult to describe how fast time goes, and how all the different ways of using creative ideas is condusive to prayer and spending time with god. There were many positive comments from people who utilised the room, from people of faith and those of none. Which I find encouraging.
That evening I went to another church, wesley hall, where another prayer space had been curated, and getting up around 0230 i spent a good hour and a half in prayer, it's a great time to pray! then back to sleep before getting up around 0630 for work. I hope it is a venture that we can try again in the circuit.
There is a photo set on flickr with more pics from the event.

Going down in rock history!

Been doing quite a few bits of things in town today, including preparations for my upcoming trip to Israel. One of the things on my to do list was to go to fopp and purchase the Peel Sessions album by the delgados. This is definately the album of the year, all their music is fantastic and to have all their Peel stuff in one place is just great. Twenty-nine tracks over ten years, including some covers, all magnificent. I also bought some more music, which is always the problem when I go into fopp, and I shall probably speak more about the other purchases later. Once home I started listening to the music and began reading the sleeve notes to the Peel Sessions. I always enjoy reading Stewart's words, he has a great writing style and conveys humour throughout. One day i look forward to him publishing the diary he wrote for the release of the Hate album. Anyway, as I was nearing the end of the sleeve booklet so I came across a name check to me! Over the years I've been a regular on the message board and have enjoyed chatting with stewart and alan barr at various gigs, but here it is, my name in 'rock and roll' literature!

Football thoughts

I really enjoyed some of the carnival atmosphere that was generated by the fans, particularly the tunisians who seemed to be on every street corner in munich, singing, dancing and waving flags. There was nothing threatening about their behaviour. Likewise these Japanese fans we met outside the stadium at kaiserslauten were in great spirits, and these fans seem to continue to cheer no matter what is happening on the pitch. Unlike the tense england fans, who if aren't berating their openants are berating their own team, tension only broken by the scoring of a goal. I did miss the match of the day analysis at half time, watching matches in germany resulted in some odd half time moments, including the use of borris becker as a pundet interviewing franz beckenbaur! (Though i get back and itv have shane wharne to talk about australia - what next...)

Whilst waiting for the game at the stadium in munich there were numerous loops of adverts on the big screens, one from fifa showed ppl from around the world playing football, with the slogan football unites and intimating that it was the solution to all the worlds political woes. This in addition to an advert for the official world cup 'hymn' and the following mass throngs coming to 'worship' at the stadium, made me wonder if they are trying to make football some quasi-religious experience? No doubt a full stadium and remarkable football, especially the euphoria of a late winner can really move a person and lift their spirits, but does it really promote worldwide unity, something i consider to be a kingdom value. Yes a lot of people speak the language of football, and yes it is easy to play with people from all cultures and backgrounds. But it also seems to promote this inate tribalism, that I particularly note in english fans, but am sure is present the world over. Phrases like 'our boys' and 'us' and 'them' mean that sometimes the football team embodies the kind of nationalism where one considers their nation to be superior to another. This is also seen at local level in national football too, and it is this aspect of football that increasingly bothers me, especially when i hear some of the chanting directed at opposing fans. It seems to be full of narrowmindedness, and not at all the all-encompassing unity that fifa would have us believe football embodies. I'm not against passionate support, but when it comes at the expense of decency towards other nations, or even our own players then it just highlights the flaws in the religion of football. I'm not saying that any faith has this issue sorted, and I often wonder why such tribalistic nature seems to exist, what I long for is a world where everyone is equal whether jew, gentile, free or slave, male or female, straight or gay, all loved equally by god.

Swollen uvula

My hayfever has been playing up, it is always bad at this time of the year, and the resulting stuffy noses usually result in me breathing through my mouth when I sleep. Whilst on holiday this method of breathing resulted in a sore throat and the development of a huge ulcer of penny-like-proportions next to my now swolen right tonsil. Today this pain has now been accenuated with a resultant swollen uvula, an afflication that i am not altogether unfamiliar with, hence knowing it's name. For those of you asuming from the name that it is some part of the genitalia, it is actually the dangly thing at the back of the throat, the thing often used as a punch bag in cartoons like tom and jerry. My uvula often swells when I am under the weather, or I have a bad sore throat. The first time it was so huge it kind of sat on the back of my tongue causing me to want to swallow all the time. It was awful, and I was sent to the day rest beds by the doctor when he saw it back in my student days. Anyway, it seems that the cure is to drink cold drinks and also gargle with dissolvable asprin, as asprin has an anti-inflammatory effect. So that is what i hope to do today.

world cup holiday

So since my last post I have driven almost 1,800 miles in my little fiesta. It has been great and we all had a good time, with the weather being absolutely superb throughout. The journey started early on saturday morning from chris' house in hemel hempstead, taking an early ferry from dover. It was just like travelling on a duck pond, and the sky was a lovely blue, so nice that we spent the journey sat out on the deck. A little nervous about travelling on the opposite side of the road to wat I am normally used to, but it was with ease that I made the transition as we headed to our first campsite just outside calais. It was a great campsite, with really friendly and accommodating staff, who I could communicate well with my pidgin gsce french, even asking if they would be showing the football, to be shown into the bar and greeted with a huge plasma screen. The england game vs paraguay was ok, at least we got the win that was required, despite a relatively poor performance. Another early start on the sunday saw us leave at 6am, and travelling across france and into germany near saarbruke to campingplatz clausensee, a six hour journey, that was a comfortable ride, though expensive on the toll roads. This campsite was our favourite, and it was a shame that I never paid attention in german lessons that we had to rely on the staff's english to communicate. Even chris, our most highly decorated german speaker, having at least a gsce, would usually speak in english when his services were called upon, much to our amusement. Not only did this camp site have a huge plasma screen for our football televisual delights in the air conditioned restaurant, they were also serving bitburger, a beer, in special glasses. These glasses came with an embossed shirt number, and should a player with corresponding shirt score in the match whilst you were drinking, then you got the beer for free. Adding an extra bit of excitement to the games in which we were just neutral viewers, and also enabling us to become familiar with a number of players. The great Golmohammadi being a fave of mine as this number 4 shirt wearing Iranian defender was the first to react in a crowded six yard box to convert a loose ball after a corner against mexico. The site was also close to Kaiserslauten, host of one of the tournament stadiums, and it turned out that australia were playing japan at the stadium on our free day. The camp site had put on a coach that we took to the town, and enjoyed the atmosphere in the fanplatz. There was a real carnival atmosphere, with local radio dj comparing various warm up acts pre and mid game. Including a set of football tricksters from japan, demonstrating incredible ball skill and balance, and at half time some scantily clad pop duo causing great adulation from the mainly male viewers. The aussies went wild after the dramatic turnaround of a 1-0 deficit to a 3-1 victory, with huge amounts of dancing and singing to aussis songs post match, including some AC/DC!

Three nights were then spent in ingolstadt at the azur campsite that we termed the mosquito dump after being bitten all over whilst watching the brazil match in the tv marquee. This campsite was chosen mainly due to it's location which we used to travel by train to munich and nurnberg. In munich we watched the tunisia vs saudi match live in the stadium with the tickets procurred earlier this year. There was a great atmosphere, and the stadium really is quite magnificent, both from outside and within. Situated on the second tier above the goal, we felt close to the action and a great vantage point for three of the goals. Dissapointingly the saudi's conceded a late goal, as that was the team I had picked to cheer. They had such a great chance fora victory.

In Nurnberg we took enjoyed the atmosphere from within the fanplatz, which was fairly tense throughout the match, and the crouch goal seemed to have more of a sense of relief then celebration, though I was able to complete a bit of a crouch robot dance.

A last night in campingplatz clausensee, broke up our journey and it was nice to see the familiar friendly faces, before setting off for the final leg back to england on saturday. Of course leaving time to watch the matches on tv. There are plenty of pics in my flickr set. Spending a week in europe watching football and enjoying temperatures in the 30s, what a great time.

Trailer

This is a trailer blog - so things to look forward to:

1. A blog about the circuits involvement in pray without ceasing, which was amazing with some really inspirational prayer rooms.

2. I'm off to germany for some world cup shenanigans, there'll be 4 of us cramped in my car as we travel thousands of miles. Should be fun, and we have tickets for saudi arabia vs tunisia - excellent. If i get chance i'll drop a line, otherwise you will have to await my return.

Something in my eye

Took v down to heathrow, and was pleased to make good time considering the time of day. It took about 3 hours via the M40, so were ready to check in just after 6pm. Unfortunately the computer system was down, and we had to wait, and wait, and wait. It took them ages to get sorted, and just when they were going to do the procedure manually, the system came back on line again. Despite being one of the first to be waiting around, as there was no orderly queue, we soon found ourselves being pushed back, sometimes by particularly underhand tactics. For example, one guy sidled up to the guy in front of us and began chatting with him like they were best friends, using this to gain an avantage and push ahead of us. This whole nonsense meant that v had less than an hour before boarding time, and so there was no time to grab a bite to eat together. After paying for her extra baggage we stood at the bottom of the escalator that went up to the departure lounge, said farewell, and I watched her ascend (though there were no angels sounding 'a la mount of olives'). It was a sad moment, and i think i had something in my eye.

Back to the car, pay the astronimical parking charge, and head back home. As I still hadn't eaten I called into hemel hempsted and met up with chris for a bite to eat before continuing home.