This is Poohstyx's DH, Cold Iron, I can't seem to get this comp. to change to my name!
When I was 10 my stepdad was hired by the Israel gov't. to dig deep water wells. He was a Texas oil well driller. I had not the slightest idea where the middle east was, much less Israel. But we went and I had an education that no school could teach. At the time the country was only 5 years old. We lived in Tel Aviv, Ashcalon and Beersheba. And I went to a Scottish boarding school located in Jaffa. Living among the people, I learned about the culture, background and religion of both the Jews and the Arabs. I have seen both the Jews and Arabs shooting at each other, and I have seen them living in the same cities. I have seen and talked with people with numbers tattooed on their forearm about their life and WW II. I have experienced things that schools just can't teach, and it was only possible because I had the chance to live it. I think you are passing up a great opportunity if you don't go.