Speaking in Code

From the beginning of my Middle East journey I have had to play to the audience I was entertaining, so to speak. A white lie here, a blatant lie there, using body language and voice (or lack there of) to convince someone of a certain belief, opinion, or attitude that I may or may not carry in the name of safety and exploration.
In Palestine, I spoke Arabic and had to put out a focused effort not to speak Hebrew. In Israel, I spoke Hebrew and had to put out a focused effort not to speak Arabic. When asked about my opinions towards my politics, it took imagination, creativity and restraint (in both Israel, Palestine and in any other Arab countries for that matter) to provide people with answers that closely resembled the one's I hold without straying too far from the ones I believed the person I was conversing with held. I clearly do not support the current occupation in Israel, but I have sensitivities for both the Israelis and the Palestinians and if I don't fully support one "side" then I am in danger of being seen as against it. At times I lied completely about what I was doing abroad.
In countries such as Syria and Yemen, when asked where I learned Arabic, I say Jordan or Egypt as I may be seen as a terrorist or simply be kicked out if I say Palestine. I have two passports, one that shows no sign of Israel/Palestine so I may enter countries such as these. In Syria, when talking about Israel to those I trusted, I referred to it as "Disneyland," I referred to the Syrian government as "the Company," and I referred to the Syrian president as "the CEO," all of which are common lingo for anyone talking about these subjects in Syria.
When I take a taxi or bus in the Middle East, I tell the drivers I have a boyfriend or I'm married (as they usually ask) and often pretend not to understand what it is they're asking or telling me thereafter. In airports or other security settings, I embody the role of the eager naive tourist which usually gets me to where I need to go. When it doesn't, I become assertive, persistent and sometimes aggressive which succeeds when the latter fails to.
Since the recent expansion of political unrest and US involvement in Yemen, I tell people I am from France. For the record, when someone asks you if you're from Russia in the Middle East, say no, as this is usually synonymous with "are you a prostitute?" When traveling through checkpoints, I wear a veil to give the illusion that I am Yemeni so as not to be stopped by security.
There are other such tactics I will leave out for the sake of space and keeping your attention, but its important to be smart when you're traveling, especially in this region and these mechanisms have helped me to do so. Simultaneously, they are draining me. I have been working and pushing myself to the edge ever since I arrived and for the first time since landing, I'm starting to feel it. In many ways, being here is like adopting another identity, one which I can never be comfortable with and one that takes a lot of exertion to uphold not only for my own safety and ease, but out of respect for the culture as well.
I only have a few more months here and I am trying my best to get the most out it and enjoy every experience as I am presented with opportunities to see this culture in ways that others will never be privy to. I only hope that I can keep going at the same speed until then.