Responding to j and earl g

I'm so glad you now have a name, j.

I don't know if those kids were Israeli. It doesn't matter. It's not a matter of being ashamed of your identity. It's just at this time, don't they realize that there are a lot of people very angry at Israel and think their policy is bad? Out of concern for my own personal safety, I wouldn't wear a T-shirt with Israel on it. In the same vein, when I am in many places, I don't flash around my American passport or even speak in English when I can help it.

Yes, it surprised me that they felt so comfortable.

And as for Tarek, I understand the whole being weird about your ethnic identity thing. When I was at Harvard, I did my share of discussion groups and read enough theory about this stuff to know the complications. I myself have had to muddle my way through my Latina-ness.

So of course, I should cut the guy some slack. But at the same time, I was looking for a "friend". Frankfurt was the only place where I really broke down. Because it was the first time since it all started (and since I traveled home in December) where I was surrounded by a bunch of people who knew nothing about where I had just been, and probably didn't care. I felt totally alone.

I started talking to this Brazilian woman behind me. (You know I love Brazilians. CULTURAL STEREOTYPE/GENERALIZATION--They're so sweet.)

"Onde vc mora?" (Where do you live?)

And then I started crying. "Libano."

And she was really nice to me.

As for earl g, I think you mean "delusional." I will respond to that in my next post.

I said it's dangerous to speak English when I travel to other places, like in Latin America, where I can get by speaking Spanish and Portuguese, so why let on I'm a "rich" American tourist? I wasn't referring to Israelis when I said that.

And I don't understand this.
"Your acknowledging it's dangerous to even admit you're israeli or even support them is an acknowledgment that Israel is in the right."

Maybe you can explain this.

I'm stating a fact--that many people (mostly Arab, but not just) are very upset with Israel right now. I don't think I have to go to any extreme lengths to prove this point.