Aushwitz !!!!

The weeks here in Nablus seem to go fly by much quicker than in England. Maybe it's due to the fact that I'm still not used to my new weekend consisting of Friday and Saturday. Thursday always arrives with which such speed and I find myself engaged in the weekly conversation with the other volunteers questioning where the time has gone.

Last Wednesday there was another successful open mic night in the Pallagio Cafe in central Nablus. The turnout was huge with what seemed like 50 - 70 people crammed into the cafe sipping iced lemon juice, smoking sheeshe and singing songs. Some of my young students from Balata refugee camp were also persuaded to come under the accompaniment of one of their uncles. They showed up armed with their tin whistles. It always amuses me when I see them walking around with their bright red tin whistles all tucked into there belts like swords. They walked into the cafe like musical musketeers and it wasn't long until they joined us in few polkas and jigs.

The night was also in aid of a few volunteers who left the next day. Tributes I feel must be made to these quite remarkable people. Dermot 'Danger' Murphy, the Irish guitarist and card player extra -ordinaire  was a pillar of the sessions and a founding member of the International Contingent of the Band. His presence is already being missed, by both us and the Ben Gurion security staff. After telling Ben Gurion guards on arrival one month ago with no hesitation he was volunteering here in the West Bank, he was inevitably interrogated extensively. We received a message form him stating he was 'stripped to his boxers and glasses'.   Maeve, a lovely Irish girl with wit as sharp as Sheffield and a voice to match also departed us. The song 'On Raglan Road' will forever remind me of her.Kristie has also left, the longest staying volunteer in the house. Credit must be given her for the fantastic photo's and videos she made of both my classes, sessions and busking missions. She has one of the best photographic eyes I've seen and her wisdom betrays her age.


With Kristie and Maeve gone it leaves me as the oldest standing volunteer in the flat. I'm not looking forward to this cycle now of watching these amazing and interesting people come and go. I feel like the old man from the end of that great Tom Hanks film and book,'The Green Mile'. At least he has Mr Jingles though, the mice here don't do any tricks.I wish them all the best in the future.

It was Kristie and 8 others who joined me on another busking mission on Friday morning. The fellowship set off for Jerusalem just after 9 o'clock. We consisted of two fiddles, one tabla drum, two guitars and two tin whistles. We busked at Damascus gate and Jaffa gate, again wearing freedom for Palestine shirts. The response was overwhelmingly positive. As tourists, Jews, Muslims and Christians poured through the age old stones of the gate the music seemed to act as a barrier against there apparent prejudices. Only when the music stopped did we get a few wild comments,notably, one chap shouting 'Auschwitz' in may face; but of course, it was the Palestinians who perpetrated the atrocities of the Holocaust.In all we made an unbelievable amount of cash which after expenses will be going back into the project.