By: Shao, Taiwan

“What do you think about the story I told you?” Noora’s grandma asked.

“Well, it’s so complicated. There is the sweet part, the cute part, and surely the saddest part.” I awkwardly answered.

“That’s what life is all about. Ups and downs.” grandma shrugged with a smile.

For the past ten days, we saw the cruelest side of the conflict. Injustice, erased identity, or exhausted environment, just to name a few. In Balata refugee camp, we walked the smallest alley between houses I have never seen before. We roamed and roamed in a place where it showed people’s helping hands from around the world. However, its existence kept reminding us nothing but the fact that there were and will always be millions of the displaced, the uprooted people trying every means just to survive with dignity. When the elderly man in the refugee camp told us how his people became refugees after 1948, I could feel the emotion surging in the room, even though I didn’t understand his language. I saw the expression on the local volunteer’s face, as it changed between an unsolved anger and sorrow. I then realized that what I witnessed was a tragedy carried by each one of the people who lived on The Holy Land.

Another unforgettable event was visiting a host family. I had such a great time in Noora’s house, not only because of their hospitality, but also because of the things we talked about. It was a wonderful idea exchanging between me and her family. We talked about the conflict, the religion, and feminism. I felt really sad when I had to leave. Noora’s family made a homesick Taiwanese girl feel like home. And that’s a wrap for the whole journey in Palestine. I felt like home. It was sweet to always have the loving locals around. I could not be grateful enough for each Palestinian that had helped us to make this amazing journey. Yet, it was also very hard for us to see the adversity that these people had gone through.

“That’s what life is all about. Ups and downs.”