Ghada Boulos has been a tour guide for more than 20 years and one of her rituals has been to take tourists to local gift shops to encourage them to buy from local artisans and producers. She believes that a tour guide is a storyteller, the reason why ten years ago she began a journey of exploration of the beautiful stories of humans and their produce. She is fascinated by telling the stories of ancient practices, rituals and customs and introducing both locals and internationals to the rich Palestinian heritage. Being from Nazareth, she always dreamt of opening a store in the old city market and this is how the story of Ghada’s Corner began.
She started with a small space that fits 15 people at once, where she hosted groups and shared stories of local traditions, such as first communion, celebrations of baby’s snuniyeh (emergence of the first tooth) and condolence rituals and traditions of the local community. Through her storytelling, she has incorporated the stories of the tools used traditionally for harvest and preparing seasonal delicacies (like Carob molasses or sesame), while also showcasing products that preserve and creatively recreate local handicrafts. In 2017, she moved Ghada’s corner to a bigger space that hosts up to 70 people. In it, she collects lovely merchandise and produce from across Palestine, where she visited cities, towns, villages and refugee camps and with the gathered items narrates stories of rootedness, connection to the land and the resilience of the people who make them. Ghada’s Corner has become exactly as she intended it to be - just like home!