Back to school.

I have found a cafe. Slowly, I am becoming a regular.

A large window is open behind me. Momentary breeze cools the sweat of my back. Humidity seeps through the cracks. The chef, in white, walks in. Halfway through a smoke break. Under low light, a cigarette glows between his finger tips. Squeezed between his knuckles. Funk falls in deep beats from the speakers on the ceiling. Herbie Hancock. A palm tree stands in the sidewalk. Fronds move on occasion. If I ignore all the asphalt and steel, I am almost not in Tel Aviv. I am almost in the Middle East. But not quite.

The third week of class will soon begin. I approach it with excitement and trepidation. I am a graduate student. Time marches on.

The year will be intense. After all, an MA in a single year should be quite a feat. Thankfully, my peers and colleagues are proving to be quite encouraging. We hail from all parts of the globe. Thirty-eight of us altogether. Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, America, Canada, England, the Netherlands, Germany, Turkey, Israel, Nigeria, Uganda, Rwanda, and Japan. With equally diverse backgrounds, discussion provides a strong backing to material. For this first semester, the first of three, we will all take the same classes. The other two semesters will allow for some variation. Here is the current schedule:

Monday:
-Cross-Cultural Perspectives of Conflict Resolution and Mediation
-Conflict and International Law
-Principles and Processes of Negotiation in Conflict Resolution

Tuesday:
-Political Approaches to Internation Conflicts and their Resolution
-Research Methods (Yuck)

Wednesday:
-Israeli Politics and Society
-History of the Middle East (Thus far, a personal favorite)

Thursday:
-Alternative Dispute Resolution
-Socio-Psychological Theories of Conflict Resolution

This is the inaugural year of the International Master's program in Conflict Resolution and Mediation. We are all a bit frazzled; administrators, professors, and students. Things are in slight disarray, but to a degree this is to be expected. Our professors come from all over the country. From Haifa, from Tel Aviv, from Jerusalem. We have 9 classes in 4 days, Monday through Thursday. There are school trips to be planned. Internships to be found. Language classes to find. Speakers to schedule. Special events to attend. And all within a year.

How will we accomplish all of this? Somehow, that's how.

Will I die in the process? Maybe.

Will I be reborn, a stronger individual? I would like to think so. Actually, I believe so.