קלנדיה, Sun 14.2.10, Afternoon

Guests: Three members of the Green German party

"It might have been Tuesday...", He couldn't remember the exact date. Ever since his coffee cart had been confiscated, his source of income, with which he managed to provide for his wife and six children, all of which are under age. He  was under investigation "for an hour, maybe more...",the interrogators wanted him to tell them who were the children that were throwing the stones on the checkpoint It was only once he managed to prove to them that he wasn't a local person and that he didn't know any of the residents since his home is far away, at the Nablus district and that he only came to Qalandya to make a living of coffee that costs two shekels a cup, only half of which goes to him,  only then was he permitted to leave the checkpoint. He had been spending his time at home ever since, confused and trying to make out what will be of him now.

The cart had been confiscated; they didn't even leave him the note that is required by law, to indicate that the cart was taken from him:

What law is that? - Who is supposed to act by that law?- Who is supposed to keep it? Who supervises this law and who is to be trailed when it is bracken? - An occupation is an occupation- everything is arbitrary.

A person we know told us what had happened to him that same morning- during which he was to have a meeting at the Ministry of Internal Affairs. His family reunion permit was about to expire and he needed to renew it. For over 13 years(!) his man had been living without knowing what will happen to him and his family.

His meeting was scheduled for 8:00, but he had arrived at 7:30 at the gate and impatiently waited, he was anxious and scared that that his permit renewal won't be approved and once again (it has happened before) he will have to part from his family.

At 13:30 the official arrived with her verdict. "No, there weren't many people there", he said when we asked him about the delay. "that's how they work. Slowly, they take breaks, have a cup of coffee... they have all the time in the world".

This time he was lucky enough and his permit was renewed. He took the risk and asked whether he would be also permitted to drive their family vehicle. The official raised he head and looked at him: "You have a lot or requests. What you got here was already enough..." 

At the southern square, on the Palestinian side of the checkpoint were plenty of new sparkling signs, some had nothing to do with the way the road is actually lead out. But, after all: "order must be preserved", and for the sake of this "order" and these so called improvements, the whole square had been surrounded by red and white bars to prevent vehicles from driving on it, when trying to cut in the traffic jams that had become a constant nuisance ever since the passages were narrowed before the Ramadan (which had ended many months ago) and hadn't been widened back again, after all, eventually the next Ramadan will arrive, why should they bother to make things a little easier.
Valentine's day was celebrated at the checkpoint: the son of one of the peddlers tried selling bouquets to the "lovers" driving by. His shoes fitted in with the whole set, they were torn and warn out, it seemed that only the part covering his heel wasn't completely