37. Coda

When I told Alliant that I planned to leave the program, they informed me that I would only have 10 days to move out of my apartment and leave the country before my visa was revoked and I became an illegal immigrant. Since Saybrook is primarily a distance learning university, it does not offer student visas to foreigners. However, I didn't think this would be a problem since I knew I could re-enter the country on a tourist visa, so long as I left at least once ever three months.

I don't want to go into the details since they are very boring, but despite doing everything by the book, it became increasingly difficult for me to stay in the US. Entering the country was becoming more of a hassle each time. In fact, the first time I tried to enter on a tourist visa, I was held in the immigration centre in Vancouver airport for four hours and forced to buy a $1000 one way ticket back to the UK, although I already had one (but hadn't brought it with me). Anyway, I could probably have stretched out my time in the US for longer had I really wanted to, but I actually started to get fed up of living (and spending money and - formerly - working for free) in a country where I felt that I wasn't welcome, at least not in the eyes of the state.

And, of course, the great benefit of distance learning is that you can do it from anywhere.

So, back in October last year, I applied to work for the Gaza Community Mental Health Project (GCMHP - a Palestinian NGO) based in Gaza City. The situation in Gaza is something I have felt strongly about for a long time. As far as I can tell, it demonstrates the humiliating, frequently brutal, and wholly illegal subjugation of one nation by another. I don't think I see Hamas through rose-tinted spectacles either - I don't condone any form of violence - but I do see them as responding to a historic injustice, rather than perpetrating it. For anyone who is confused about the beef between Palestinians and Israelis, I think that the following website offers a clear and concise summary of the history of the conflict:

http://www.ifamericansknew.org/history/

I applied to GCMHP to work in a therapeutic capacity since that is now something of which I have a little experience. GCMHP wrote back to say that they thought therapy would be difficult given that I don't speak Arabic but, having looked at my CV, would I be interested in working for their Public Relations department? They are looking for someone with language and writing skills who could raise the profile of their organisation in the West. I have never considered myself a PR person, chiefly because most PR people I have met have been vapid posh girls in fashion PR. However, given that the cause is one I believe in (ie the amelioration of mental health in Gaza), I thought to myself, why not? At the very least it could be a stepping stone to other roles in the area.

Armed with a letter of invitation from GCMHP, I applied to the crossing between Israeli and Gaza (called Erez) for security clearance to permit me to cross into Gaza on March 1st. I was advised that the process usually takes 10 days. However, I thought it best to apply ahead of time, so I emailed all the relevant material to the Erez officials on December 14th last year. After a bit of to-ing and fro-ing, and tweaking of my application, they told me that everything was in order and that I should call them a day or two before I intended to travel. I called them at the end of February, as instructed. They informed me that they had still not received my security clearance. For the last three weeks, I have been phoning Erez every couple of days. They have now had over three months to give me clearance, and still no joy.

Fortunately, I don't think this is personal. I have a friend who works for the UN in Gaza. He tells me that a lot of the foreigners who work in Gaza have experienced long delays recently. What right do the Israelis have to deny me entry to territory which doesn't belong to them? I suspect this is just the first of many frustrations.

I recently spoke to the Egyptian embassy in London who were extremely friendly. I asked whether I would be able to cross into Gaza from Egypt at the Rafah crossing. They have forwarded my request to Cairo. I am hopeful that something will give before the end of the month.

In the meantime, I have been biding my time in the English countryside. I have been working on a new painting, which is a pleasant way to relax. I have been studying and have come to the conclusion that pretty much everything I believe about therapy can be found somewhere in Irvin Yalom's magnificent tome, Existential Psychotherapy. And I have been proofreading my new novel - To Greet the Sun - which finally comes out in June this year.

I have also been watching a couple of episodes per day of the last few series of The Sopranos . That is actually what I wanted to write this post about, but I got carried away. I will save it for my next post.