“My name is Cathrine from Norway and I’ve spent the last 3 weeks studying Arabic at the Excellence Centre. I have an undergraduate degree in political sciences and am currently studying for my Masters in Middle East and Islamic Studies at the University of Exeter in the UK. I came here with two friends from university. We wanted to spend some time in the Middle East to improve our Arabic, but also to gain a better understanding of the region by talking to people and getting to know their culture. The situation in Palestine is one we have all studied as part of our course, however, there are obvious constraints to what you can learn within the boundaries of a classroom.  

The Excellence Centre in Hebron offered a unique opportunity to learn colloquial Arabic and at the same time observe and learn more about the lived realities of the Israeli occupation – and by that challenging the twisted representations frequently occurring in the media. By living with a host family and engaging in conversation and spending time with the people here in Hebron, we have learned a lot about the Palestinian mentality, their culture and experienced first-hand their incredible warmth and hospitality. You don’t have to spend more than 2 minutes on the streets here in Palestine before you are invited for coffee, tea and a chat, or even dinner.

The Arabic lessons were intense, but very enriching. Although there is so much left to learn, I feel I have improved a lot in the 3 weeks I’ve been lucky enough to spend here at the centre. Usually the lessons are one-to-one, but since we were two friends coming at the same time we did the lessons together. My friend, Joanne, loves the grammar and it was hard to keep up with her impressive vocabulary. However, Dua’a made sure we were both on board, and was very patient and encouraging as a teacher. Both Joanne and Dua’a have inspired me to work hard, and to hopefully become an expert in Arabic grammar within the next few years, Inshallah! The part I enjoyed the most about the lessons were our conversations. Together with Dua’a we decided on a few topics each week, and she prepared for us a presentation and provided us with the vocabulary necessary for us to engage with the topic at hand.

It has been nice having the weekends off, as this gave us the chance to travel around and explore bigger parts of the West Bank. We got to visit Jericho, swim in the Dead Sea, go rock climbing in Ramallah, see Banksy’s graffiti on the wall in Bethlehem, and of course explore the holy sites in Jerusalem. It’s been amazing! The Centre is also good with arranging smaller trips in the local area, like the famous glass factory, the kufiyeh factory, and al-Ibrahimi mosque. It is also worth going down to the old city, to see the settlements and the checkpoints that many Palestinians are forced to go through every day just to make their way to work. The people working here at the centre are very nice, and they do everything for you to feel at home. Together with the host family and the other people either studying or volunteering here at the centre, they have made my experience here in Hebron one which I will never forget.

With regards to safety, as a foreigner I have discovered myself to be in a very privileged position here in Hebron, and in Palestine in general. As a tourist you are not really affected by the occupation, and as long as you do a little bit of research and take precaution you are highly unlikely to feel endangered during your stay. If you are uncomfortable on your own, the people at the centre are more than happy to show you around, to get you in touch with local organisations, or give you traveling advice in general.

I have learned so much from my stay here in Hebron and really hope to get the chance to come back soon. I really recommend Hebron and Palestine – and especially the Excellence Centre!”