Two weeks in Hebron

My knowledge of Arabic was limited to the basics before I came to Hebron. I had taken language classes for two semesters in college and wanted to learn the spoken language. I decided to take the intensive course with 20 hours of classes per week. I learned a lot during the two weeks at the center. My teacher was great and taught me a lot of new things. She used creative teaching methods and sometimes in the afternoon instead of going to the classroom we went to a coffee shop or sat down at the soccer field close to the center.
Not only my teacher, but also the rest of the team at the center was great. The atmosphere there is very pleasant.
The center organized several excursions: we visited the old town, a weaving mill and went hiking near Bethlehem for a day.
During the two weeks I lived with a host family. I lived on one floor of the house with another student. We played with the children, talked with the adults and were able to improve our Arabic easily. The family also took us to visit relatives, showed us culinary highlights and the best places in the city. Their hospitality was amazing! We even got to spend the holidays with them and kept meeting new parts of the family.
Hebron is a bustling city. People are very welcoming. You often hear them shouting "Welcome to Palestine!" They are also incredibly helpful. We lived just outside the center and took the bus sometimes. The bus drivers always took the time to make sure we were on the right bus and got to our destination.
At no time did I feel unsafe. In the city, people want to talk to you from time to time. They are usually interested about where you are from and what you are doing in Hebron. I never felt uncomfortable at any time.
I enjoyed my stay very much and will definitely come back to Hebron!