Vilma Experience in Palestine: “I am Vilma, a 25-year-old sociology student from Finland. My trip to Palestine was a result of a lucky chance: I was looking for Arabic programmes in Lebanon until I came across the Excellence Center. After two months in Hebron, I can say that I´m very happy with my change of plan.
First of all, I´m very happy with the Excellence Center. The Arabic teachers are extremely qualified and the one-on-one classes are really efficient as they are modified to meet the students´ precise needs. I didn´t speak any Arabic prior to coming to the West Bank and now I can read, write and handle everyday situations. Second, studying at the EC is a perfect opportunity to dive into the local culture. The many friends associated with the EC regularly invite foreigners to dinners, weddings and to smoke shisha. The EC is also very willing to organize trips out of request.
I, for example, got to see a Bedouin village, a refugee camp, many organizations, an olive farm, and different cities. Overall the atmosphere is a very family like as we even share the breakfast together. I became good friends with my teachers and the staff. I also have to say that the staff is very flexible and if you need any help or face some trouble you will be taken care of.
About the West Bank in general, I definitely recommend traveling there. First of all, Hebron is one of the safest cities I´ve traveled to. The crime rate is low especially on the streets and a woman, I never felt unsafe walking alone. On top of this, the Palestinians are extremely welcoming and hospitable – they will always offer help even if you don´t know them well. They are very curious about the few foreigners in the city and love to talk to people from other countries.
Be prepared to get a lot of invitations – and to eat a lot. The Palestinian culture of taking care of one another can be seen on the streets – you won´t find homeless people there. The one thing I was worried about was how I´d adapt to a conservative Muslim community. Very soon I realized I could relax. Foreigners are not expected to wear a hijab and in general cultural differences are understood by the locals.
I would definitely recommend the Excellence Center to anyone wanting to study Arabic or volunteer in the Middle East. The center has a truly good impact on the local community. I enjoyed my stay since day one and met so many amazing and interesting people. Palestine really is something else than the headlines. Thank you for everyone in the EC community!”
