What makes living in Palestine unique? ☆ Whether you come to study Arabic, volunteer in Palestine, or just to visit, your time visiting Palestine, no matter how long you stay, will be different than your everyday life back home. Palestine shares a lot in common with the rest of the Middle East and its people have many of the same habits, hobbies, and values as people around the world. Nevertheless, the culture of Palestine is unique, so before you book a trip, here are five unique things about life in Palestine that you should know:
What we love about the culture of Palestine
1. Life moves at a slower, more relaxed pace.
Despite what the news tells you, if you’re hoping to dodge bullets and car bombs your time would be better spent somewhere else. Despite the occupation, Palestinians’ lives go on, and they go on at a very relaxed pace by Western standards. People run errands, perform the duties of their job, and cross town for meetings, but they do so stopping to say hello to friends and neighbors, greet strangers, and exchange news or stories with the clerk at the corner kiosk along the way.
Offices, too, are more relaxed than you might expect. Young professionals in Washington, New York, and London often experience near constant stress from the moment they arrive until the second they leave work. However, no one will think twice if you step out to grab a coffee or stop what you’re doing to practice your Arabic while living in Palestine.
[Experience Office Culture as an Intern in Palestine]
2. People are a lot friendlier.
Visitors often find that strangers will stop them on the street corner, not to harass them or ask for money, but to say hello, ask where they are from, and welcome them to Palestine. It wouldn’t be entirely surprising if you were exploring the old city and suddenly you were stopped by a Palestinian woman and invited into her home so she could explain more about Palestinian architecture and history. You may even be minding your own business doing your shopping at the grocery store when the owner will insist you join him for a cup of Nescafé. None of this is out of the ordinary in Palestine, because people truly are a lot friendlier.
3. You’ll see history being made.
The conflict has been a major challenge for the global community for seventy years, and that’s unlikely to change anytime soon. Spending time in Palestine will give you a chance to meet those most directly affected by the conflict, see its impact up close, and see for yourself what is accurate and what is media hype. When you return home, you’ll have a unique and informed perspective that you, and others, will value greatly.
[Immerse in Palestinian Life—Learn Arabic!]
4. You’ll hear the call to prayer, every one of them, every day.
While many people in Palestine have never visited the Middle East, others have traveled to Turkey, Egypt, Morocco, Jordan, and many other majority-Muslim nations before. They have heard the call to prayer, the announcement from the imam of the local mosque calling Muslims to prayer, a few times a day in between the regular hustle and bustle of city life. In Palestine, however, every call to prayer, all five of the daily announcements beginning early in the morning and ending late at night, can be heard. As a small, religious community, there is little to interrupt the call to prayer, unlike the nearly inaudible calls in bigger cities like Cairo. The call is symbolic of the close-knit, religious nature of Palestinians that creates a strong community feeling, even for visitors.
5. Palestine is at a crossroads.
This is not to say that there is some big decision the people of Palestine need to make. Rather, Palestine is literally at a crossroads, being adjacent to several countries which lead all over the region. Visitors will experience the close community of Palestine, but if they wish to go out and explore they can do so easily. Jerusalem is only an hour away via shared taxi. Likewise, Bethlehem, Jericho, and Ramallah can be reached quickly. Further away, but still easily accessible, visitors can see the Mediterranean coast in Tel Aviv and Haifa, the Sea of Galilee at Tiberius, or the mountains of the Golan Heights.
[Learn Why You Should Volunteer in Palestine]
Experience living in Palestine for yourself!
If you choose to visit Palestine, you’ll find that your time living in Palestine will differ greatly from your daily life at home. While each of these differences explained above is unique, each one will also make your time living in Palestine both enjoyable and special. Whether it’s the friends you make, the trips you take, or the lessons you learn, living in Palestine is sure to be unique.
This article was contributed by The Excellence Center of Palestine, a cultural center authorized by the Palestinian Ministry of Education based in Hebron.
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