Diary project

Third part of Tamers trip to Great Britain:

 

My Entering through the Heathrow Airport

And the First Week meeting the First Strange British Things.

 

I left Jordan, but Jordan didn't leave my heart for a moment.

At the plane, I was thinking about how Great Britain could be? Same as Jordan, nicer than Palestine ?!

But the most important thing which I thought about, was how the people would be, kinder than the Palestinian people, or could my idea be wrong?

 

When I just entered the Heathrow airport, I saw many smiling faces, which gave me a very big welcoming, and that was a great start for my trip in the U.K. I went to the passport control, where there was a smiling faced woman looking at me, I wondered why?!

I have seen so many people passing just in 5 minutes or some time less then I said to myself: "It will not take so long for me to be inside London!"

The woman called me to come, and she was very happy to meet me, even I thought: "She knows me!"

She said: "Welcome to the U.K, what is your name?"

I said: "My name is Tamer".

She said: "Ok Tamer, where are you from?"

I said: "I am from Palestine ".

And suddenly I didn't know what happened, but all what I noticed was that all the marks of her face were changed, and she was angry - I then thought I have done something wrong, or I said something bad!

And after that she started angrily asking me so many questions, and I thought I will not finish at the same day, she asked me questions for one whole hour!

Then I got mad and angry and I said: "Ok, I have these papers, and to any question you could imagine, you will find the answer inside!"

She said: "Ok, sit there and I will see if these papers are true or not".

I said: "What do you mean, I am lying?"

She said: "I will see now!"

She went to check, and she didn't come back. After some time a man came and said: "We are sorry because of what she did, take your papers and good bye!"

I passed the control and I looked for my friend, but I didn't find him, I thought he waited for me, but I didn't come on time, so he left.I went to the information and I asked them to help me, they did help me, and I found my friend Greg Wilkinson. He picked me up by his car. Going to his house, I felt bored and I wasn't ok. Greg said, you seem not ok and tired, I said yes; of course I am not ok, because there are no checkpoints to stop at and to have some time to chat with other people who were stopped by the Israeli occupation soldiers.

We had many different chats, but that was the main thing which I notice was different from my country!

We arrived the Welsh land ( Wales ), where he lives, I saw many children who were playing in the streets and that was strange to me. I asked Greg:"Why are these children playing in the street?"

He said: "To have some fun!"

I said: "Is it safe to play at this time in the street?"

And I had forgotten that we were in England, not in Palestine.

In Palestine , the children are often not allowed to play after 3 o'clock in the afternoon outside, but why?

• If the child wants to play outside, maybe the Israeli commandos (kill, take or hit him).
• The Israeli occupation aimes to put many bombed toys, which look nice, in the streets and between the houses which will encourage the children to hold it, then it will explode in his body and it will kill him or make deformations in his body,(losing his hands, legs, eyes)!
• The child does not have any place where to play, so he will play in a very dirty environment.

And then I said oh I am sorry, it's strange!

We reached his house, and I saw a very kind dog, but I didn't like it. I'm not used to have a dog at home, because in Dehesheh Refugee camp where I live, there is not enough space or place for the humans to live, leave alone animals. Simply, there are 13000-15000 people living in one square kilometer, which is Dehesheh!

So many people know that Wales is the place where you can have some peace and rest from the city!

But in my first couple of days, I didn't like it, because it was a very quiet place, and it was very different from Dehesheh refugee camp, where I live with my family in a very small house! And what made me really scared was that Greg gave me an own room, and actually I live with all my brothers in one room, so that made me really feel strange and scared!

The next day, I went with Greg's bicycle to find someone, who I could spend some interesting time talking with! But unfortunately, the nearest neighbour was two kilometers away!

I went to the sea, and that visit meant something new for me, I felt as if I was created once again, and if I could talk to the sea, I would say that I miss it! Not because we don't have the sea, but because of the situation in my country we are not allowed to go there.

Tamer

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