Monday 12 July

Finished Ayda camp mural; Pol, my Irish room mate came to help with the grouting of the mosaic; he acquired an apprentice boy for the day that even the Lagee center didn't know.

Nidal managed to convince me to stop in the afternoon, as there never really is an end to work on a mural.

It normally takes an outside influence to call it a day. Salah, from the centre gave me a Palestinian textile hanging (made at the camp) as a gift, and invited me back next year for the summer camp - with my family.

The family is an important thing in Palestine, and people always ask me why I didn't bring them.

I am very happy with the mural - the community input was at its best. I felt proud to be part of a small, but peaceful visual demonstration against the Israeli occupation.

Paul Gent