I love living in Acco. The city is a true crossroads, a blend of ancient and new architecture, Arab and Jewish culture, all situated on the Mediterranean coast. Teaching English and volunteering with kids here during the day and falling asleep in my beach-front apartment with my fellow volunteers every night has so far made for an amazing gap year. The true beauty of Acco is that even though it is an internationally recognized “UNESCO World Heritage” city, it still remains a humble place full of good people. No place better embodies the ethos of Acco than my favorite spot in the city, the famous Hummus Said (SA-eed) restaurant.
Although known throughout Israel as the tastiest hummus, Hummus Said has only three items on the menu. Whether you want plain hummus, or hummus with beans (ful), or a chunky chick-pea and tahini mixture (meshousha), or any combination of the three, it will only cost you 15 NIS (about 4 dollars). The unlimited refills of hummus, pita, Turkish coffee, and tea all combine to make it a dream come true for hungry teenagers on a volunteer budget. The speedy service and simple décor are all representative of Acco’s no-frills feel.
For one-time visitors, that might be enough, but as a frequent (too frequent, some might say) patron, what keeps me coming back is the atmosphere. Despite the hundreds of customers that pass through Said every week, I feel important there. The waiters always make sure to hug or high-five me when I come in and ask how I’m doing. They’ll joke about my friend’s recent haircut or how weak our handshakes are, ask how we’ve been, and then guide us to our table. While we wait to order, we might ask Neezar to translate a word into Arabic for us, or ask him how his guitar-playing is going. Wherever I sit in the restaurant, it’s a guarantee that Adham will wait on my table and bring me my usual without even letting me order. After a hearty bowl or two of hummus and some Arabic tea, my friends and I say goodbye and leave, always leaving a trail of baffled Israelis who wonder how these American 19 year-olds are such good friends with the Arab waiters of the famous Hummus Said.
As my friends and I walk back along the beach, pausing to sit on the ancient walls overlooking the sea and let the massive quantities of hummus we have just inhaled settle, I feel so fortunate to be living in this historic and beautiful city that cares about me as much as I care about it.