My last day has come and boy how not ready I am to
leave. So I woke up bright and early to start the task of packing up my life. I
can official say I have lived out of my duffel bag for eight months and I am
still don't have a handle on how to pack it. Four hours later and one TV Series
down I was pack and head off for my last day in Jerusalem.
For my last day I guess the city decide to hold a
large protest for me. But really there was a huge protest by the Orthodox Jews
community about a new draft law. It was estimated roughly 300,000 people came
to city to protest. It was crazy to see this protest because it was not at all
people carrying signs or yelling but all 300,000 people praying! They shut down
the entire city to allow all of them to gather and pray for four hours. It
truly was one of the most amazing things I have ever seen. I can't believe that
there is such a large group of people who can gather together and have the same
view on an issue. After my limited time in the city before they shut it down I
saw them getting set up and the police getting ready. Afterward I head home to
watch the protest online.
Then my friends got home from work early and we had a little party
waiting for the taxi to pick me up.
So if you have not gotten the theme from this blog but sectericy in
Israel is a little nuts. I understand that they live closers to threats then we
do in American but it is crazy how much secitery they have. I knew with the way
I had been informed to leave and that boarder control all ready had most of my
information for being undocumented, it was going to be a pain to get though the
airport.
When flying here in America we normal print out boarding pass at home or
at the ticket counter when we check our bags. No big deal then we go though airport
secericty and show up at the airport roughly two hours before your flight. This
is not the order in which things are done in Israel or the time frame. After a weeklong
debate about how early I need to show up at the airport we choose four hours
before my flight. This was a compromise between my Jewish and Arab friends time
frame of the airport.
When I got to the airport the first step is the wait in line to have
your passport and luggage check by Israeli soldiers. This step is completed
before you are even allowed to print off your ticket. I waited in line with the
hopes that they would not notices the Arab stamps in my passport or ask to many
question about my Arab friends. Well after an hour in line I was caught with
the stamps (I was not hiding them I mean they are in my passport. Just hoping
they where to dumb to notice them). The passport checker saw my stamps and that
I have been in Israel for six months.
So I was pulled aside and the question started:
- Why were you here?
- What did you do here?
- Who did you meet?
- Did you meet any Arab’s?
- What are there names?
- What did you do with them?
- When was the last time you saw them?
- Did they ask you to carry anything?
- Did you get any gift while here?
- What where those gifts?
- Where are they packed?
- Who gave you those gifts?
- I see here you traveled to Arab nations…. What did you do there?
- Why were you in Israel? (They like to ask the same question in different ways to catch you in a lie)
- Where did you live?
- You lived in an Arab village?
- Yes with two Jewish people
- Jewish people live in an Arab village?
- Yes. Would you like to call them?
After I receive these barcodes my bags are scanned and X-rayed. Surprisingly
they decide that they had to search my bags because the x-ray was not good
enough. I was expecting this but truly hoped it would not happen. When they
search your bags they unpack it completely and look at everything. I mean
everything!!!!!! So my life was slowly unpacked swabbed, scanned, and looked at
for roughly two hours before I was given the go ahead to repack. I really had
to repack everything in front of everyone. After you complete this the officer
then walks you to the ticket counter to watch you luggage go straight to the
airline. They only upside to this is you don’t have to wait in line to get your
ticket. So it take roughly three hours just to get my ticket printed off. It truly
the craziest thing ever and I have not even been though security yet!
Luckily the officer trust you enough once your luggage is gone to walk
to security by yourself. I am not sure why but after everything else, I would
think they would want to force me to be escorted to the next officer, but o
well. I made it to the security line were once again they scan your barcode and
place you in a line according to your barcode. So with what I can only guess
the words ARAB LOVER popping up when the scan my barcode, I was placed in the
line for those kind of people. Invasion of privacy started all over again.
Everything that was in my carry on was taken out swabbed and scanned and I mean
everything!!!!! Sadly I had to wear my diva cup that day but it would had made
my life to see the man have to open up my diva cup bag!!! But since I was an Arab
lover all my stuff was search when I was not with it so I would have missed his
face looking at it. I received the joy of being stripped search. Everything
that was not skin tight was taken off scanned and swabbed. I was then felt up
and my lady parts were scanned for metal objects. After another hour I was
allowed though the gates and able to board my plane.
It might seem like the craziest thing ever and why would after all of
that would I still be sad that I am leaving but I truly am sad to have left. I
think that Israel is a wonderful place filled with wonderful people. The country
is amazing to see how modern day and religion can live together. It may not
live in peace with each other and for sure not at peace with other religions
but they are making it work. They may have completely invaded my personal space
but I cant wait to go though all again to go back. I also swear that I will
never complain about America airport security ever again.
Sadly after roughly 20 hours of flying I made it back to LA were my
mother and sister live.
