Palestine, first time

Lidija, 27 year old sociologist from Croatia participating in "teach English, learn Arabic" program in the Excellence center.

I applied for the Excellence center course because I was drawn to its program that tries to benefit the local community, as well as to allow participants to really get to know how the life in Palestine looks like.

My first impressions were overwhelming: people of Palestine are so welcoming and friendly, making you feel like you are at home. My advice to everybody would be to let go of fears and prejudices one might have about the Middle East and come enjoy great music, culture, food and company of Palestinians. I feel completely safe in Palestine and people are more than willing to help if you need it.

During my stay in Hebron I went to the local schools and participated in English classes in Excellence center, group ones as well as the private ones. It's a good way to be in touch with people and get a more authentic experience and I was glad to see the students were so motivated and willing to learn. The center also providedus with some little tours around, such as the old city, glass factory, keffiyeh factory etc. and it was possible to organise trips to the Dead Sea, Jericho and other places that may usually be confusing for a solo traveler to organise.

My host family made the whole experience amazing, making their home feel like mine too, I couldn't thank them enough. Living in Hebron means dealing with hundreds of different experiences and seeing a completely different world than of your own, especially if you are coming from Europe or North America, which makes it that much more interesting and gives you a new perspective.