Letter from a Blazer in Israel

I am Sebastian Brown, and I have been living on the Mount of Olives in East Jerusalem for the first two months of an expected two years.  Three months after my father moved to our new home to immediately begin working, my mom, my brother and I set off for our destination at the completion of my junior year at Montgomery Blair High School.  I intend to complete my senior year here in Jerusalem, possibly staying an extra year before going to college, while my parents intend to stay here anywhere from three to nine years.

Among the other things I left behind in my life in Maryland, was my position on the photo staff of Blair's Silver Chips Newspaper.  Fortunately, before I went overseas, I met to discuss the possibility of utilizing my unique opportunity in a way which might enhance the Silver Chips scope.  Here are the results of that meeting.

On a daily, weekly, or monthly basis, depending on the amount of interesting material that Jerusalem has to offer, I will be documenting life in this intriguing region.  This includes current events in the country, my attempts at adjusting to new cultures and ways of living, my reflections on the political situation between the Israelis and Palestinians whether or not my observations match with yours and anything else people would like for me to write about.  

Readers can hold discussions with me, whether it is relevant to the story or not, in the "comments section" proceeding the story.  Also, at the end of each article, I will include an English phrase or a word that will be accompanied by the corresponding translation in both Arabic and Hebrew.  After reading this brief introduction about me and my intentions for these articles, I hope you will be encouraged to take the time to read my thoughts and participate in some discussion regarding those thoughts.

VOCABULARY:
Peace
Arabic - Salaam
Hebrew - Shalom