The Excellence Center Reviews

Hello,
My name is Joëlle Morard and I come from Switzerland. I have a Masters in English and French and I teach teenagers and young adults. I took part in the Program “Teach English and Study Arabic in Palestine” at the Excellence Center in Hebron.
During my three weeks there, I mainly taught English in some villages and in Hebron. The children and teenagers were very welcoming and eager to learn. I enjoyed teaching basic English to children in Siraa (Dura) and in Soureef. In addition, the exchanges with the students with a more advanced level (in Hebron) was a great opportunity for me to discover many elements about Palestinian culture and lifestyle.
I also had great Arabic lessons with Nadine; she is very sweet, motivating, patient, and she explains the concepts clearly! I have learnt some basic Arabic and I hope to keep on studying this beautiful language. The Center’s environment is good: the staff is always available and helpful, the teachers are kind and talkative. Regarding the volunteers, they are friendly and funny.
Moreover, I participated in various activities with the Center. I visited the Old City of Hebron and the Ibrahimi Mosque, as well as the Russian Orthodox Church. The Center also organized a visit of a Bedouin village: it was tough to realize how the life of its inhabitants is affected by the presence of settlers. I enjoyed the evening where we played soccer, went to the swimming pool, and had a barbecue with some people of the neighborhood. Perhaps the most memorable experience was the trip to Akka: it was nice to spend time on the beach and to visit this beautiful city with the staff, volunteers, and Palestinian families.
Beyond my visits with the Center, I went to Bethlehem, Jerusalem and Nazareth – cities that I really appreciate. I also (re)discovered Jenin and Nablus. I love travelling in Palestine, admiring nature, visiting cities and meeting people.
I lived in Halhul with a lovely family: they welcomed me well, spent time with me, wanted to improve their English and taught me a bit of Arabic. However, living in this part of Palestine was challenging for me because it was really different of my previous experiences in other Palestinian cities. Here, the majority of people is not used to see foreigners and feeling awkward while walking into the streets is not a good impression.
Concerning safety and security in Palestine, I did not have any problems: all went well to arrive in Hebron and to travel to the different cities. Nevertheless, it is impressive and depressing to see occupation all over the place, with the soldiers, towers, wall and checkpoints.
What I like the most about Palestine is its importance for religion, its history and its landscapes. It goes without saying that I love the friends that I have here. I have had many good experiences in Palestine but if I had to remember only one, it would be having spent time in the Old City of Jerusalem with a local friend: indeed, it is very different to discover how people live there instead of visiting as a tourist.
To be honest, I do not have a clear lasting impression about Palestine, I suppose that it will me take time to grasp the meaning of this experience and to realize how much I have learnt. My overall experience at the Excellence Center and in Palestine is challenging but worthwhile.
Last but not least, I would recommend the following: it would be great to improve the organization. For example, the visits are very nice but not always “officially” announced; thus, it would be good to receive more information about them.
It would also be welcomed to have a better connection between the old center (where I had my Arabic lessons) and the new one (where I taught and from which I left for the villages). Indeed, I almost never had the opportunity to have breakfast with the volunteers because I had to move from one center to the other.
Additionally, fifty children in one class (like in Siraa) is often overwhelming. I hope that it will be possible to split the class into two groups in order to adapt the teaching to the level of children. Effectively, with so many of them, the noise is inevitable, and the gaps between the levels is huge.
Finally, benefiting more from the presence of volunteers would be a good idea: we are often in a hurry only to end up waiting for a long time; the schedules are not clear and change frequently. With an improvement of organization – namely regarding the transports to the villages –, teaching could be more effective.
I want to thank all the people involved with the Center: the job done here is crucial, the programs are various and interesting.

I participated in a four-week program at the Excellence Center in Europe. My first week consisted exclusively of Foreign language classes, participants are given the option to chose between Arabic and German. The classes lasted four to five hours and were dense with language instruction. I chose to study German for the first week, because I already knew some basic level Arabic and wished to communicate with people in Halle (Saale). My teacher's name was Muhammad and he proved to be a very adept instructor. I learned much more German, especially grammar, than I would have originally anticipated.

The other three weeks consisted of presentations about the Syrian Refugee Crisis, Syrian society, and the History of modern Syria. These presentations proved to be exceedingly interesting and very educational. I was under the assumption that I had a good grasp of the Syrian civil war beforehand but I ended up learning so much more than I thought I would.

After the most week is when we began teaching English classes to refugees. The classes were the most memorable part of the experience because of how eager the students were to learn. Some of the classes consisted mostly of teenagers, and some were exclusively adults, so you met a wide range of people, all of whom were very pleasant to teach and to work with.

The other participants and I made several presentations about ourselves and our home countries, and about the Halle as well; and had the opportunity to present them to the entire staff at the Excellence Center and for some of the students.

The staff at the Excellence Center were some of the most genuinely friendly and splendid people I have ever met. They were great to work with and very personable as well. This experience was certainly life changing for me and I made such amazing friendships and connections in Halle that I hope will last a lifetime.

My experience in Palestine

My name is Maya and I am 19 year old Belgian girl. This year I am having a gap year and I am ready to start my studies in September. I have spent one month learning Arabic in Excellence Center Palestine in Hebron. I followed the intensive Arabic course that gave me the chance to study Arabic very intensively and learn the dialect. Every day I got 3 hours class with a private teacher. This gave me the opportunity to improve my Arabic skills to the fullest. Beside the classes I learned a lot of Arabic from the people in the center and from my guest family.

My time at the center has been unforgettable. There were so many lovely people I got to know in the center and in Hebron. My favorite time of the day is for sure breakfast in the center. Than we all enjoy a super Palestinian breakfast together and have a chat. I really like that everybody here has a passion for Arabic culture and that really connects us. The center organizes different events, activities and day trips that have been always very nice. I for example went on a day trip to Wadi Qelt where we went for a big hike and swam in waterfalls. Sometimes we all cook together in the center and afterwards we enjoy our food and share stories. These evenings are really cozy and ideal to get to know traditional Palestinian dishes. Mostly we have five days classes and two days of. On these days it`s nice to explore Palestine. It's really easy from Hebron to get to other places in the West Bank with public transport. Often people of the center make plans together so you always have people to explore with.

During the week you spent most of your time in Hebron. The center is situated in the most central street of Hebron which makes that everything is really close by. After the class you can easily go to restaurants, to the shops and also the old city is very walkable. Most of Hebron I got to know thanks to my guest family who took us to many places and always let us know where we could eat delicious Palestinian food. Hebron is as well a very safe place. I often walked alone in Hebron and this was never an issue. For me it is mostly because there are so many people in the streets that I never feel scared. Most people are very helpful and know English. Especially in daylight I feel very safe, in the night I prefer to not walk alone in the streets and have somebody with me. But that’s the same in a lot of Belgian cities. Also the other Palestinian cities are very nice to spend time in.

I am already planning my next trip to Palestine and probably I will come back to the Excellence Center. It is just the ideal way to learn Arabic and explore Palestine. I am so happy I took this chance and that I had this unforgettable time at the Excellence Center.

Hello, my name is Natalia Macias and I’m 23 years old. I am Mexican American and I’m currently living in Asheville, NC.
Choosing Go Palestine was probably one of
the best decisions I could have made. Not only is everyone friendly and welcoming, but everything you do in the center is purposeful and makes you feel as if you’re truly reaching your highest potential. In Hebron, it’s not very common to see foreigners around, so when the Palestinian people see you they try their hardest to speak English to make sure you’re welcomed here! It was truly an amazing experience.
During my stay here, I volunteered in the
Teaching English as a Volunteer program. My day to day schedule varied quite a bit but it was fun because it kept me on my toes. I was able to assist in the old center with three of the English teachers who are amazing at everything they do. I also was able to teach English in the villages nearby such as Beit Ommar, Sureef, and Sair. Apart from teaching I was also able to see the beautiful Old City of Hebron along with Akka and a few other cities. Learning Arabic 3 hours a week was also something I was able to do. I had an amazing teacher who truly helped me understand the language.
All the volunteers and those who work at the center make sure you have an unforgettable time here.
Being able to see the Palestinian culture first
hand was honestly something so indescribable and extremely pleasant to see. In the Palestinian community I was able to see how no one is homeless here. If you don’t have food, your neighbors will supply. If you don’t have something, your neighbor is sure to help you with the biggest smile. Everyone is kind to each other. I think the most surprising thing I saw while being here was how the Palestinian people are able to rise up even under an occupation. They don’t sit around waiting for change to happen, they make the change happen. There are amazing activists we were able to meet that were leading these changes. The Palestinians keep rising even when they are restricted from so many things.
I can say I have felt safe or even safer here in
Hebron than I ever have in America. It’s very important to not be discouraged by western media saying that Hebron is conflicted. Once you’re here, you’ll see that this place is probably one of the safest places you’ll be. Everyone is kind and protective of one another even if you’re a foreigner. There’s nothing to be afraid of when coming to Palestine. It’s safe and if you get lost, there’s surely someone who is willing to help you.
I would recommend 10 out of 10 to come
volunteer at the center through Go Palestine. For me it was a life change and eye opening experience that I will talk about positively for the rest of my life. Hebron has even shaped the way I think now. You’ll get the chance to help around the community while making new friendships that will last a lifetime.

I’ve absolutely loved every minute of my time here at the center, from teaching at the center or in the neighboring village of Dura, to my extremely helpful lessons with my amazing teacher, Marwa. Throughout my time here, I’ve experienced tremendous growth in my conversational Arabic skills. The atmosphere at the center is great for learning and contains all of the necessary tools to improve in Arabic. While it can oftentimes be busy at the center, there is always a quiet coffee shop with WiFi just a short walk away.
In addition to the program I participated in, I was also fortunate enough to go around and visit many places around Palestine. I was fortunate enough to visit just about every big spot there is in the West Bank, from Ramallah to Jericho I saw them all. The center is very flexible with your schedule and would love for you to go around and tour the country, I was even able to take a couple days to go and visit my family in Amman, Jordan.
From the amazing family I was blessed to live next to, to the food I’ve been able to eat here in Palestine, there hasn’t been one unpleasurable experience during my stay here. Being able to see beautiful nature spots, such as the natural beauty outside of Jericho that is Wadi Qelt, to indulging myself with Kanafe in Nablus (the best in the world, may I add), my time here has been absolutely incredible. To anybody that is looking to advance there Arabic through immersion, and be able to experience a beautiful place at the same time, I highly recommend them to come to the Excellence Center in Hebron, Palestine.

My name is Eli. I am from the United States, and I am currently pursuing a double-major in Spanish and Arabic at my university in the U.S. This summer I had an opportunity to participate in the Excellence Center’s Teach English-Study Arabic program, which involved taking private lessons at the Excellence Center, as well as teaching classes both at the Center and at the municipality in various villages and camps in the Hebron Governate.
I found my experience at the Excellence Center enriching in multiple ways. First of all, I was able to achieve my primary goal in travelling to Palestine, which was to gain practical conversational skills in spoken Arabic. Between my lessons and the informal experience I acquired interacting with people both within and outside of the Center, I have noticed an unmistakable growth in my ability to comfortably listen and communicate in the Palestinian dialect. Furthermore, I was able to immerse myself in the culture via time with my Palestinian host family, as well as through the various site visits that I participated in over the course of my three month stay.
During my time in Palestine, I was lucky enough to visit various cities both inside and outside the West Bank, including Hebron, Bethlehem, Jerusalem, Jericho, Tel-Aviv, and Acre. Travel between cities was relatively cheap by American standards (the bus to Bethlehem, for example, costs 6 shekels or less than 2 American dollars), and Palestinian locals were generally happy to help whenever I was in need of directions or help.
As far as safety and security were concerned, I never once felt particularly unsafe in any part of Palestine. In fact, I was more comfortable going out at night and travelling to unknown places than I would be in the United States. If you have reservations about travelling to Palestine on the basis of safety, just reach out to any of the volunteers who have worked here—nearly all of them share my feelings on the matter.
My overall impression of Palestine was very positive. In all matters personal, professional, and academic, the people of the Excellence Center and Palestine in general helped me achieve my goals without ever feeling overwhelmed or out of place. I certainly recommend travel to Palestine and a stay at the Excellence Center to anyone with the opportunity. I have never travelled anywhere as rich in culture, history, or hospitality.

Ahlan wa Sahlan! My name is David. I am from the U.S, but I came to Palestine after finishing my studies in the UK. I spent my month here studying Arabic and teaching English. These pursuits, I believe, have been mutually beneficial; I spend a few hours a week studying Arabic and practicing with my teacher and with friends, and then take several hours to help local students with their English. My language skills have improved drastically during this process. Arabic is an inherently challenging language for English speakers, but thankfully, the excellence c enter adheres to a strategy of pragmatic language learning. I learned “ ‘ammiyya”, the local Palestinian dialect, and was able to start having basic conversations with people that I met in the old city, on the streets, and in shops. My improvement in Arabic was undoubtedly gratifying, and I hope to continue to build upon my progress.
The environment of the center is extremely friendly and supportive. The teachers, managers, and staff are unforgettable. The other volunteers are equally curious and interested in the culture of Palestine and are equally committed to sharing their beliefs and skills with the community. In other words, the atmosphere of the center was completely conducive to learning and growing. Much like the Excellence Center, Palestine is a welcoming and vibrant place. My favorite part of my experience was the friendliness and seemingly innate curiosity of the people (especially my students). It is almost impossible to avoid talking with people over coffee and tea, and eventually becoming friends.
I’ve had so many amazing experiences here; however, my favorite experiences have been in the classroom. Learning to teach has been an incredibly intense and challenging process. However, as time has gone on, I have become more confident and capable in the classroom. On my second day in the class, my students in the village of Sirra asked about my religion. I told them that I was Jewish. I think that this lead to a beneficial conversation in the class and I have grown very close to the students there.
My time here was not only spent in the classroom. I also had the privilege of going on several trips in Palestine. In addition to exploring Hebron, I have been to Jerusalem, Jenin, Nablus, Bethlehem and Akka, among others.
Living in Hebron was an amazing experience. I lived in a dormitory with other male volunteers. At first I was apprehensive about not living with a host family, have been really happy at the dormitory. As I have mentioned, the other volunteers like to speak in Arabic and the local family who owns the apartment played a large part in my immersion in Arabic.
At the end of my stay here, I am feeling incredibly grateful to have experienced Palestine through the Excellence Centre. I highly recommend this experience for those people looking not only to learn Arabic but to learn about Palestinian life in the West Bank and to contribute to the local community. I believe that I will continue to benefit from the valuable connections I have made and experiences that I have had.

My name is Abby, and I am from the United States. I am currently studying International Relations and Public Health at a college in Massachusetts. At The Excellence Center, I have been a part of the Teach English, Study Arabic (TESA) program for the past two months. For most of my time here, I taught in Dura, Palestine for half of the week, and at the center in Hebron for the other half. Dura is a city about twenty minutes south of Hebron. Although some students from Dura come to Hebron for classes, a few volunteers and I went to Dura to teach those who could not come to Hebron to learn English. In Dura, we taught the three beginning levels of The Excellence Center’s English curriculum to an energetic group of students ranging from 8 to 30 years old. At The Excellence Center, I was an assistant teacher to a few of the extremely qualified, bilingual, local teachers based in Hebron. From these local teachers, I learned effective teaching strategies that I then applied to my classes in Dura.
Before coming to Palestine, I had never taken an Arabic class. Thus, I was quite overwhelmed when I first arrived, and most of the volunteers could converse with the local staff in Arabic. However, being immersed for two months has definitely helped me practice the bit of Arabic I’ve learned. When your taxi driver or host family’s guests don’t speak any English, any Arabic is better than none! Although I still cannot have a conversation in Arabic, I definitely can understand more than I expected I would be able to.
The environment at the center has been constantly changing as volunteers and students come and go. The Excellence Center’s local staff and teachers are unbelievably warm and welcoming, and truly care about each and every person that walks through their doors. As for the international staff, being all together most of the day has been a really great way to make connections with like minded peers, as well as meet people from around the world. I now have friends in Norway, the Netherlands, Canada, and the UK! It’s sometimes difficult to maintain a comfortable group dynamic since people are constantly coming and going. Summer time is extremely busy, and although the crowding can be overwhelming, summer internationals get to interact with so many more people!
I visited Hebron’s Old City, Ibrahimi Mosque, a glass & ceramic factory, a kufiyeh factory, the Lebananese border, Acre, and Nahariyya on Excellence Center excursions. In Hebron, we were able to take a “political tour” from a local Palestinian, which was a unique opportunity to hear local opinions about the occupation. Many locals refrain from discussing the occupation, for it is a both traumatizing and depressing topic. This tour was also assisted by an Excellence Center student, who is using her new English skills and studying to become a tour guide! The Excellence Center also organized a day trip to the north, where we were able to see many sites and cities efficiently and at a reasonable price.
On my own and with other internationals, I have visited many places in and outside of Hebron. Many people at The Excellence Center are activists at home or in Palestine, so we want to see as much of Palestine as we can in case this is the last visa we’re allowed! I traveled to and around Ramallah, Bethlehem, Jericho, Aqbat Jaber, the Dead Sea, and Al Quds in the past few weeks, and hope to visit Nazareth, Nablus, Tiberias, and Jenin before I leave. To most of the places within the West Bank, I take a servees, or large shared taxi. Israeli transport is faster, cheaper, and often more convenient, but my peers and I do our best to avoid financially supporting the occupation. In order to get to places outside of the West Bank, we take Palestinian transport to Al Quds (Jerusalem), and then take an Israeli bus from there. Hebron is wonderful, yet it is still nice to take a break from the area and travel to other places in Palestine. There is so much to see in such a small country!
Living in Hebron City can be cheap, safe, and easy, if you put your mind to it. Falafel sandwiches are 3-4 shekels (~1 USD), locally sourced groceries are very reasonably priced, and you can get to the center of Hebron from nearly anywhere in the area for just 2.5 shekels. Hebron is much, much safer than the media describes it to be. The only place violence would ever occur is in H2, the occupied area of Hebron, and only from Israeli soldiers “protecting” the settlers. Thus, I feel most safe in Area A places such as Hebron and Bethlehem, for Israeli settlers and soldiers are not allowed in these areas. I have occasionally received unwanted and inappropriate comments from local men, but rarely in Hebron. I walk alone frequently, and mostly just experience harmless yet persistent “How are you!”s. Living with a host family in Hebron is definitely a growing experience. Depending on the family, there are varying levels of English fluency and knowledge of Western living style. This has led to conflict for some. However, host families are known to include internationals in family parties, celebrations, and events, as well as for being warm and welcoming.
I loved my daily routine in Palestine. Enough people know English in Palestine that I can get around by myself and have much more independence than I am used to having outside of the Western world. No matter how lost I’ve gotten, I’m always able to find my way home eventually, with the help of local Palestinians of course! The falafel and hummus are delicious, and it is literally always sunny. I have so appreciated the kindness and generosity of the Palestinian people in my time here. There is so much to see and do in Palestine, and so many wonderful people to meet! The Palestinian people are strong, independent, loving, and motivated. They certainly do not need to be pitied, but rather supported and encouraged to continue the amazing things they are already doing!
I had a wonderful experience at The Excellence Center in Palestine. Enshallah, I will come back soon!

My name is Lennard Swolfs. I am a 24-year-old journalist from the Netherlands. I have recently completed my bachelor’s degree in Journalism at the HU University of Applied Sciences Utrecht in the Netherlands. I have completed another bachelor’s degree in Journalism, Media and Communications at the University of Tasmania in Australia last year.

I decided to come to the Excellence Center in Hebron to study Arabic and therefore I participated in the intensive Arabic program for two months. The reason for this is that I have the ambition to become a correspondent in the Middle East. During my stay in Hebron, I not only learned a lot about the language but also about the culture and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which was all in all a very interesting and valuable experience.

The Excellence Center
The Excellence Center is a fantastic place to be and perfectly located near the centre of the city. The atmosphere in the Center is amazing and the people who work there are lovely, both the Palestinian staff and teachers as the international volunteers and students. Everyone helps each other out and I have never felt alone for a moment. Especially Marwa and Khitam make it a warm and welcoming place.

Because I did the intensive Arabic program, I had five days of class a week, about three hours a day. My teacher Dua’a has a lot of teaching experience and knows a lot about the language. During the classes we did both speaking, reading and writing. This really helped me to improve my Arabic language skills. Coming from almost nowhere, I am now able to have a basic conversation. Besides the regular classes in the classroom, we also went out sometimes. For example, we cooked shakshoukeh – an Arab dish that mainly consists of eggs and tomatoes – and we did a day trip to Bethlehem together.

Living in Hebron
During my two months in Hebron, I stayed in an apartment in the city centre with eight other students and volunteers. The owner of the place was always very friendly and often invited us to have coffee or tea with him. We also played football with his kids and hung around with his cousins. One day, he even took us on a hike near Jericho, which was a tiring but great experience. We walked around in a desert landscape and swam in a beautiful little lake in the mountains.

The evenings in Hebron are mostly very quiet. I often went out for food or drinks with the other students and volunteers. Sometimes we stayed in and cooked ourselves – shakshoukeh for example. One of my favourite places in the city that I would recommend to everyone who is coming to Hebron is the Peace Garden. This small garden in the old city is a quiet place where you can escape the busy everyday life of Hebron and relax with your friends.

Travelling around
During the weekends, the other volunteers and students and I often organised trips together. We have been to Bethlehem, Jericho, Jerusalem, Ramallah, Nablus, Haifa, Acre, Nazareth and Tiberius. In general, it is easy and comfortable to travel around Israel and the West Bank, but just keep in mind that public transport on Fridays and Saturdays can be more difficult because these are religious days for Muslims and Jews respectively.

The Excellence Center also organises all kind of trips and tours, which I can really recommend. For example, I have been on a tour of Hebron’s old city and to the keffiyeh factory. One of the highlights was the day trip to Israel with the Excellence Center. We went to Acre, both the beach as the old city, and to the border with Lebanon. Almost everyone from the Excellence Center joined the trip, which made it a great and fun day out.

Safety and hospitality
In the media, Palestine is often portrayed as a dangerous place to be. Journalists often focus on the conflict with Israel and the protests at the borders. However, I have never felt unsafe in Palestine. On the contrary, I felt very comfortable there and have never felt more welcome anywhere else. Palestinians are very hospitable and love to get in touch with foreigners. It often happened to me that someone I had met in the street invited me over for dinner with his or her family.

Although I have always felt safe, the situation in Hebron can be tense. Hebron is the only city in the West Bank where Israeli settlements and enclaves are inside the city itself. This occasionally leads to disturbances between the Palestinians and the Israeli army, especially on Fridays after Noon Prayer. However, these protests only take place at the checkpoint near the old city and are therefore easy to avoid. Other than these protests, there is nothing to worry about in terms of safety.

All in all, I do really recommend the Excellence Center to anyone who is planning to come to Palestine. It is an amazing opportunity to learn the Arabic language, to learn about the culture and to experience the Palestinian hospitality yourself.

My name is Alice and I come from Switzerland. I have just finished highschool and after a gap year I decided to participate in the Intensive Arabic Program during a month at the Excellence Center. During my stay at the Excellence Center I participated several guided tours e.g. one to the old city of Hebron and one to the only church of Hebron. Also there was trip to Jericho and Bethlehem and a hike in a beautiful valley, namely Wadi Qult. Other activities were conversation classes, which all of the Arabic students could join and then we also cooked traditional Palestinian food like stuffed zucchini and eggplant. In the first two weeks of my stay, I also volunteered to teach English in the Summer Camp.
My Arabic lesson were mainly conversation classes to learn the Hebron dialect, but since I have been learning Standard Arabic for three years, I told my teacher I would like to read poems and newspaper articles in Standard Arabic as well. My teacher was really lovely and she asked me what I want to put my focus on, so I could really benefit from my classes. When I arrived the first day, I was glad if I recognized a word and I could not say more than introducing myself, but after only four weeks of Arabic I can have normal conversation about nearly every topic.
All the people I have met at the Excellence Center were really lovely people, be it the staff, English students or internationals. Whenever I had a question were to buy books or food, were to sleep over when I went to a city without the Center or anything else, I could ask a local from the center or an international who had some experience. Especially the Arabic teachers were very kind because all of them would talk in Arabic with me, correct my mistakes and answer questions concerning the language. Also I loved the daily breakfast at the Center with all the internationals. It was so interesting to meet people from all over the world, who shared the same interest in the Arabic language and culture. Also I really appreciated Marwa’s efforts to help me, whenever I had a problem or needed some help. She has always a lot of work and still she takes her time to listen to every student and help him to solve his problems.
It was the same when I went to the city of Hebron, and in general in Palestine. People are so kind here, you can ask anybody on the street how to get to the market or the old city, and then he will see it as his duty to make sure you get there safely. So I felt really safe in this country.
Maybe the most important and most beautiful thing about my stay was the possibility to stay with a host family. Especially my host mum and my host sister were so lovely, we cooked together, drank tea in the evening while they taught me important words of the Hebron dialect. My host sister showed me around in the city, told me how to use a taxi or a bus, told me how much to pay for it and actually how much to pay for everything, so that I would not get the touristic price and my host mum was as mums are: always there for me and treating me not as a stranger but from the first day as a daughter. Also I enjoyed the time with my host brothers’ families, and their children. My family took me also to a Palestinian wedding, an incredible and wonderful event, and we visited my grandmother, which was one of the most beautiful and heartwarming visits I did here in Palestine. I think this was also one of my favorite experiences, although it might seem very unspectacular. When I visited my grandmother and met all the other people of my family I realized once again, that I have become a part of the family and that I am not just a stranger from Europe.
Of course I also enjoyed the food, and I will take a lot of recipes back home to Switzerland, sadly this is the only thing I can take with me when I am leaving this wonderful country, but I am looking forward to my next stay in Hebron. So I would definitely recommend the Excellence Center to everyone who considers learning spoken Arabic, because you can apply what you have learned during your lesson and also you get to know so many people, in the mean time you start to understand the culture. So, thank you very much, Excellence Center, for this wonderful experience.