global groove

Last night I was invited to go Salsa dancing with a local dance instructor, who I met at the shuk (fruit and vegetable market). He is opening a dance studio where they will have Salsa, Hip Hop, and Belly Dance, and is interested in having me teach Samba there. While I really need to start making some money, this opportunity might have to wait until next semester, because I am incredibly busy with my studies right now (not to mention struggling with Hebrew). In the meantime I plan to check out the Salsa scene some night soon here in Beer Sheva.

The way I met this Salsa dancer is because he intervened as a "translator" between me and this Bedoin guy working at a vegetable stand, who was basically trying to ask me out. He wanted my phone number, and I attempted to communicate that I did not feel comfortable practicing my Arabic on the phone, but rather in person. Anyway, I didn't end up giving him my number (in accordance with my better judgement) though I intend to visit the shuk again to practice speaking with the locals. I enjoyed this area of town, where I was received with extreme popularity.

Beer Sheva, although mainly a "college town", is the heart of the Negev Desert, home to a large Bedoin (nomad settlers) population. These people are of Arab descent, though I'm trying to pinpoint their relationship to the Palestinians. I think they're "safe" in terms of not being a "threat" like the Arab people who are publicized (via news sources) as Anti-Israel (such as Palestinians in Gaza, a current media focus). Our close proximity to Gaza (where we have Quassam rockets being fired into nearby towns of Beit Hanun and Sderot) and Jerusalem (where we have border issues similar to the US/Mexico border) has kept me focused on the Arab-Israeli conflict and how it affects the region.