I share an office with two other professors. Sameer is a kind, quiet man in his 50s, the only person in the department really to make me and N, the other American, feel welcome. Soon after classes started, he brought me a bag of dried sage from the village where he and his wife live,…

At 6,000 miles away from home, I’ve had to transfer my immediate affections to objects. So for Valentine’s day, I dedicate this post to the lovely items pictured below. My espresso maker. One of the only reasons I got out of bed in the mornings during my first week in Nablus–and I’m not exaggerating–is to…

On clear days, I can see the towering offices and apartments of Tel Aviv. It’s less than 40 miles to the southwest as the crow flies. The fastest, most direct route there would require me to hire a driver who has yellow license plates—Israeli plates. I have no idea how much that would cost, or…

I’ve been in Nablus for a month and, until yesterday, had never gone downtown—to the Nablus that people mean when they talk about Nablus. But I had finally gotten my absentee ballot for the Virginia primary election filled out, witnessed, signed, and double-sealed. I had been planning to send it through the embassy, but for…

I walk the mile and a half to work most mornings, either at 7:15, crossing paths with schoolchildren, or around 10:00, when I see tradespeople, shopkeepers, and mothers with small children. Even in a drizzle, I’d rather walk and see things. This morning a man stepped out onto the sidewalk holding a live turkey, blue-brown…

One of the reasons it was a relief to finally start classes on Sunday is that I know students. No matter who or where you are, if you’re 18 to 23 years old, ringing and humming like a wild swinging bell in an ivory tower, you’re going to do and say pretty much the same…

First, a sunset. It’s been several days since my last post. These are some things I decided not to post about: How I stayed in bed until 2 p.m. on my first full day in Nablus because I was so lonely, overwhelmed, and cold, and I thought the lighter for my stove was out of…

This is my fourth time in the region, and I’ve heard similar questions from family or friends before each journey. In fact, they’re all questions I had before my first trip—to Jordan, Palestine, and Israel—in 2017. I thought I’d answer a few here. Of course, these answers are based on exactly 36 days in the…

If you’re reading this in North America, you might think of me as being in the same Over There as Iran and Iraq. In light of this past week’s events Over There, you might have been worried about my safety. Thank you. I am grateful for friends who are concerned about me. Unlike many Iraqis,…

The building manager turned on the water in the kitchen sink and gestured toward it, saying something in Arabic. Then he put his hand under the stream, smiled, and said “Shway, shway,” the way you might apologize to a visitor for the farts of the old beloved family dog. Slowly, slowly, the water would get…