Letter from Palestine, 24. Back in Jerusalem.
12th February 2005
Dear friends!
Then I am back in Jerusalem after two weeks in Norway. I think the next weeks will be coloured by the loss of Pappa, but I hope I get into work again and feel it is a meaning being here. It feels right now. I belong here this winter. But there can be some challenges. It is a bit strange. When I heard the church bells yesterday, they were the first church bells I heard after the funeral. There are so many things reminding me about my father, and there are many things I want to tell him about.
It was a beautiful funeral on Tuesday. Karoline’s self-made decoration, with spruce, pine, hearts of birch, by materials from the garden, and roses, looked nice on the coffin. Instead of bands, we had found a flat stone at home, on which I painted our greeting. The church was well decorated, and it was full of people sharing the mourning with us. The pastor had a nice word of memorial and in the gathering afterwards we got more nice words about Pappa. There were good images, but it didn’t make it easier to understand that he was gone, with so many pictures of a very living person.
Something of what was mentioned, was how much my father liked to tell about the travel after he, Einar and Karoline had been in Palestine visiting me. He had not told much to many the few days he lived. But those who had some time with him, had heard about nice impressions. It was one of his last big experiences.
My first challenge now is visa. I came quite fast through the airport yesterday, but I only got visa for two weeks. As volunteer I could not be here with a tourist visa, was the message. It was no use of arguing that I could before. I didn’t have energy for it either. Now I hope that the Ministry of Interior will give me a volunteer visa. It might demand a great questioning. Or I travel out of the country and hope for a kinder border police next time.
Greetings from Hanne.
Dear friends!
Then I am back in Jerusalem after two weeks in Norway. I think the next weeks will be coloured by the loss of Pappa, but I hope I get into work again and feel it is a meaning being here. It feels right now. I belong here this winter. But there can be some challenges. It is a bit strange. When I heard the church bells yesterday, they were the first church bells I heard after the funeral. There are so many things reminding me about my father, and there are many things I want to tell him about.
It was a beautiful funeral on Tuesday. Karoline’s self-made decoration, with spruce, pine, hearts of birch, by materials from the garden, and roses, looked nice on the coffin. Instead of bands, we had found a flat stone at home, on which I painted our greeting. The church was well decorated, and it was full of people sharing the mourning with us. The pastor had a nice word of memorial and in the gathering afterwards we got more nice words about Pappa. There were good images, but it didn’t make it easier to understand that he was gone, with so many pictures of a very living person.
Something of what was mentioned, was how much my father liked to tell about the travel after he, Einar and Karoline had been in Palestine visiting me. He had not told much to many the few days he lived. But those who had some time with him, had heard about nice impressions. It was one of his last big experiences.
My first challenge now is visa. I came quite fast through the airport yesterday, but I only got visa for two weeks. As volunteer I could not be here with a tourist visa, was the message. It was no use of arguing that I could before. I didn’t have energy for it either. Now I hope that the Ministry of Interior will give me a volunteer visa. It might demand a great questioning. Or I travel out of the country and hope for a kinder border police next time.
Greetings from Hanne.
posted by Hanne at 9:22 AM
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