1. Government employees get full security detail. It's way cooler than a taxi. But the backseat of the armored SUV is surprisingly cramped, even for a small Asian woman.
2. Israeli checkpoints are still kinda scary even when you're traveling among a security detail caravan and security men in your car with ear pieces, flak jackets and an M-16 tucked under a blanket in the front seat.
3. The Israeli-constructed wall made some concrete manufacturer really, really wealthy.
4. Israeli homes have white water tanks on their roofs and Palestinian homes have black water tanks.
5. Practically every office of Palestinian Authority officials has a framed portrait of Yasser Arafat and Mahmoud Abbas on the wall.
6. The traffic between Ramallah and Jerusalem during evening rush hour is hellish.
7. The espresso is potent. And that's an understatement.
8. I'm an idiot for forgetting my camera.
I still can't believe I'm really here. This has been the most amazing business trip EVER. Not only have I sat in on meetings with the Central Bank of Israel and top ministers of the Palestinian Authority, but meetings don't get started here until well after 10 a.m. How great is that?!
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