Rihan, Wednesday, August 10, 2005, PMObservers: Nira K., Shula B. (reporting)16:45-18:15 – At the checkpoint there are more soldiers than people seeking passage. If this isn’t victory, what is?Pedestrian passage – Only a trickle of people. There are 2 glass jars on the cement blockades, not cans nor barrels, with labane (sour cheese) balls in olive oil. They were not permitted to cross over to the seam line zone and they are waiting for someone to take them back to the West Bank. Apparently they were: A) not registered on the permit of their owners, which is highly irregular, or B) there is an alert for a cheese bomb and in this case, hurray for the IDF.Walid and Said, the thermos kids (“drink coffee?”) growing before our eyes, recognize us from afar, from the Palestinian parking lot and run toward us, waving enthusiastically and arriving out of breath, grinning and immediately becoming still. A man from Barta’a asks if he can extend his (expired) sojourn permit to Israel so he can help the family of his cousin, himself prohibited from entering Israel, to watch over a baby awaiting head surgery at Hadassah Ein Karem in Jerusaelm. The mother, who is with the baby, does not speak Hebrew and is completely helpless. We gave him the phone numbers for Physicians for Human Rights and Dalia Bassa and we will try and assist from home.On our way back home, there were two detainees in the pen; they did not want anything. The woman soldier asked us not to say anything beyond hello and how are you?Vehicle passage: a bored soldier announces the dance instruction over the loudspeaker. All the drivers already know the steps:Get out (of the car)Get outLift your shirtTurn aroundGet on with itRoll down your pantsp-a-n-t-sth’other oneget in (the car)Ta’al (come here)