I have discovered that my clients in Ramallah are absolutely delightful people who have taken a genuine interest in showing me the town. I have quickly come to realize that Palestinians are filled with civic pride and it hurts them to see how their towns are portrayed in the media. I must admit, I was filled with a number of reservations about coming here but most of them have quickly dissipated. I find the people to be very welcoming and friendly and I have yet to experience any anti-American sentiment, though I'm sure it exists. I hope this continues throughout my stay.

Tonight, I was introduced to something utterly extraordinary which I have to share with you. It is called Kanafeh. The dish is originally from Nablus, not Ramallah, but the Palestinians consider it their own and, therefore, want outsiders to experience it. It is a dessert dish made from cheese, phyllo dough, and sprinkled with pistachios. The food is baked in a large panand is covered with hot, sticky, sugar syrup right before serving.

The evening began by going to a wonderful al fresco restaurant where we had grilled chicken and flatbread served with so many pickles and various salads that I didn't even take the time to count them all. This repast was filling enough by itself and I had to apologize for my inability to eat everything. Arabic peoples' take hosting a guest very seriously and it seems to be a mark of honor to outdo yourself in fulfilling your guests' every need before he even realizes what those needs are. I have never met a people more welcoming and inviting.

After this enomorous meal which probably made me gain 20 pounds, we settled back for some pleasant after-dinner conversation and they asked me if I had a problem with my blood sugar. This should have been a tip-off for what was to come, but I didn't think twice about it; trusting my hosts to take me where they would. Well, they took me to the knafeh place in the photo which was covered in neon lights and shaped like the Eiffel tower. Inside, there were giant pans of the stuff and people eating it while enjoying their coffees and conversations. It seems to be a dish which can be served in large portions. I looked up the word on wikipedia and discovered that the world record for knafeh was set in 2009 when somebody baked a 75 meter (over 225 feet) container of it. Palestinians are world renown for their sweets and, from what I've seen, knafeh must be one of their favorites. It is amazingly sweet, but not overburdeningly so. The cheese tends to detract from the high sugar content so your don't notice it as strongly as other desserts. I'm sure this is unhealthy as sin, but I doubt I will return in the near future so I simply had to partake at least once in my life. I'm glad I did. I recommend that everyone else do the same.