AT-TUWANI REFLECTION: Grass, tea, and shepherds—signs of life
November 26th, 2008
in:
CPTnet
26 November 2008
AT-TUWANI REFLECTION: Grass, tea, and shepherds—signs of life
by Sam Nichols
K. had kept his flock out an unusually long time this morning. The sheep and goats were probably happy because an inch of grass had grown in some places due to the recent rain. Because it was the first rain of the season, however, the grass remained just short enough that the sheep appeared to have a tough time eating it. Their grazing attempts reminded me of eating a pomegranate. You exert so much effort to get those little kernels out, and when you eventually get them out and eat them, they don’t even put a dent in your hunger.
After hours of grazing, some of the goats found shade under rocks and some of the sheep found cozy spots in the dirt to lie down. K. tied up his donkey to a fence post and took some items out of a home-made saddle bag on the donkey
K. then scoured the area for dried brush. Once he had a sufficient amount of brush, he searched for stones. Assembling the three stones in a triangle, he placed the brush in the center of the triangle. The next item that K. pulled out of his sack was the corner piece to this puzzle: the teakettle. The rest of the process was straightforward. He poured cistern water from a canteen into the kettle, along with a healthy amount of sugar, and finally the tea leaves and sage. K. lit the brush and manicured it to keep the flame under the blackened kettle. Once the tea was ready, K. called Sean and me over, graciously insisting on sharing his lunch with us.
We feasted on hard-boiled eggs, freshly picked olives, dried goat cheese, fresh bread, and tea to wash it down. Throughout the meal, K. insisted that we keep eating whenever our body language suggested that we might be done. This insistence is very common in Palestinian homes. Hosts will urge you continue eating until you assure them several times that you are full. Offering a “humdulilah” (praise be to God), will usually bring an end to these playful negotiations.
This morning I saw a glimpse of what shepherding in the South Hebron Hills is supposed to be. Israeli settlers didn’t harass K. and his flock nor did Israeli soldiers chase K. off the land. In fact, as we sat to eat lunch in the cooling November air, we almost forgot about the illegal outpost and the illegal settlement behind us. We had a moment of seeing beyond the challenges and obstacles facing K.’s family and their way of life.
The occupation is often front and center for Palestinians that work this land, but today we enjoyed the cool air, the emerging grass, the fresh food, and the company of one another.
26 November 2008
AT-TUWANI REFLECTION: Grass, tea, and shepherds—signs of life
by Sam Nichols
K. had kept his flock out an unusually long time this morning. The sheep and goats were probably happy because an inch of grass had grown in some places due to the recent rain. Because it was the first rain of the season, however, the grass remained just short enough that the sheep appeared to have a tough time eating it. Their grazing attempts reminded me of eating a pomegranate. You exert so much effort to get those little kernels out, and when you eventually get them out and eat them, they don’t even put a dent in your hunger.
After hours of grazing, some of the goats found shade under rocks and some of the sheep found cozy spots in the dirt to lie down. K. tied up his donkey to a fence post and took some items out of a home-made saddle bag on the donkey
K. then scoured the area for dried brush. Once he had a sufficient amount of brush, he searched for stones. Assembling the three stones in a triangle, he placed the brush in the center of the triangle. The next item that K. pulled out of his sack was the corner piece to this puzzle: the teakettle. The rest of the process was straightforward. He poured cistern water from a canteen into the kettle, along with a healthy amount of sugar, and finally the tea leaves and sage. K. lit the brush and manicured it to keep the flame under the blackened kettle. Once the tea was ready, K. called Sean and me over, graciously insisting on sharing his lunch with us.
We feasted on hard-boiled eggs, freshly picked olives, dried goat cheese, fresh bread, and tea to wash it down. Throughout the meal, K. insisted that we keep eating whenever our body language suggested that we might be done. This insistence is very common in Palestinian homes. Hosts will urge you continue eating until you assure them several times that you are full. Offering a “humdulilah” (praise be to God), will usually bring an end to these playful negotiations.
This morning I saw a glimpse of what shepherding in the South Hebron Hills is supposed to be. Israeli settlers didn’t harass K. and his flock nor did Israeli soldiers chase K. off the land. In fact, as we sat to eat lunch in the cooling November air, we almost forgot about the illegal outpost and the illegal settlement behind us. We had a moment of seeing beyond the challenges and obstacles facing K.’s family and their way of life.
The occupation is often front and center for Palestinians that work this land, but today we enjoyed the cool air, the emerging grass, the fresh food, and the company of one another.
