I am normally a pretty coordinated guy but just before I took the last picture I knocked over this mans kettle of tea; which he was selling cups of tea from. I felt like a complete asshole and tried to pay and he simply would not have it. But more than that he offered to give me a ride back to Balata Camp from the checkpoint.

Along the way he told me how the IDF had just a few days before busted down the door to his home in the middle of the night; with his wife and two kids inside. He went further to say that the IDF then interrogated his wife at knife point asking militants were? This was crazy he said because his wife takes care of the kids and the home and does not know anyone they wanted and furthermore the IDF knows who these people are and where they are. As he put it; "they know everything, they know what I had for breakfast and how many cigarettes I have smoked today." So in other words the interrogation of his wife was pointless other than to scare the crap out of her and the children.

He also told me how he used to work in Israel (before the current Intifada) and made $40 day; which was enough to take care of his family. Now however he was relegated to selling tea at the checkpoint to people who have little more than he himself. Despite this he refused to take any money for the ride or the tea I spilled. more Christmas in Palestine...