back to reality

hi everybody... im back :) at least i think i am, sorry for leaving my blog for such a long long time, but what can i say.. "too many balls in the air".. i'm now in college "AGAIN" and yeah.. i have little Sarah, she is 2months and 20 days old :)

What can i tell you more.. hmmm.. nothing have changed since i last posted.. i think.. everything in Gaza is still the same, the only good thing is you don't hear apatchi helicopters now, that's a relief. The peace treaty between hamas and israel hasn't changed much of what is happening, i'm still suffering from the shortage of soft drinks and sodas ;) i mean, the portals and ways from and to gaza are STILL all closed, we still don't have enough gas for cooking and there isn't any fuel for cars, that's why the genius creative drivers of gaza started using Cooking OIL instead of gazoline or fuel, which makes even the thought of taking a walk in the street "suffocating"..

Tomorrow schools will open and a new scholastic year will start, even my son raed is going to kindergarten :) i'm really excited, i feel like it's me who's going.. he he he, i know.. mothers and their stupid desire to control everything... what can i do.. all mothers are, i think it comes with the whole package of motherhood!!!

Returning to schools, the streets of Gaza are used to be filled with crowds of people in this time of the year, beginning of schools and ramadan too, i mean, 2 seasons in one, but unfortunately, unlike every year, the shops are empty and the supermarkets are hollow, just like the pockets of the gazans!!! the prices over here are sky rocketing.. since last year no goods of any kind have entered the strip, which created a huge shortage in all primary goods and even accessories, which of course as a result made greedy merchants ask for a loooooooot for what they are selling, all the prices are at least 3 times higer from what the are supposed to be... sighhhh.. talk about social interdependence :S

And also tomorrow may be the first day of Ramadan, so "Ramadan Kareem everybody" .. looks like it's gonna be a busy day tomorrow :)

Well.. that's about it for now, i promise that i'll write soon :D

City of Candles :S

I'm sure that you've all heard about what's happening in Gaza..

Looks like we always succeed in reaching the headlines... as if we are the only ones having some "action" in our lives ... ha ha ha... strange how -although all the misery we are going through and living- we still have the "ability" to even draw a smile on our faces..

I've seized the opportunity of having electricity for few hours to write this post... it's been a loooong time since i blogged a new entry..

so.. let me brief you on the most recent updates.. since my last post until now, nothing has entered Gaza but essential food aid, like rice, flour, wheat, sugar, milk... etc and limited amounts of fuel, which have been banned since last week, which have caused the complete cut of electricity in the strip :(

Yesterday, some militants bombed the wall between Egypt and Gaza, but they only let Palestinians cross to a place called "El-Areesh", which is a place that's even more disperate than Gaza itself.. :D

It's been ages since i ate a decent chocolate, or drank a soft drink... or even enjoyed a day with a 24 hour electricity..

LOoks like this is going to be one looooooong cold winter...but, will not despair

Happy Feast to all of you

Today is the second day of Eid here in the Arab and Muslim countries.. most of them at least!! i really can't understand how some countries see the new month's crescent while other countries don't... don't we all have the same moon or what?!!



As i was saying, today is the second day of Eid, and we got the chance to get out. according to Arab and Islamic customs, going out in the first day is a little bit hard, because men have to get out and visit all the sisters, aunts, relatives... etc in the first day, which makes it more like a visiting day.. while in the second day you can go out, that's if you don't have a big family, because if you do, visits may extend to the next day ;)

This is a simple ride that is all around Gaza, and unfortunately it lacks the slightest means of safety, but children love it, and wait for their turn in crowds.. even horses are stars in the Eid.. they are bathed and dressed so children can go for a ride around a block or two..

Crowds waiting for their turn in the only amusement park in Gaza..

Mmmmmmmmmmmm... cotton candy... it's called here "shaer banat" which means "girls' hair" :D

A cute girl eating the cotton candy.. and you can see my little devil sitting in the end... he's drinking juice because there isn't any sodas in Gaza because of the closure.. only locally made juices..

And of course, what's Eid without taking your kidz to the biggest toy store in town and making them drive you crazy???!!!

In the End i would like to take the chance and wish you all a happy Eid.. Eid Mubarak.. and Inshallah many returns :D

an eye on gaza

I always wanted to give you my dearest readers a chance to take a little look into Gaza City.. and at last, here is the chance...

After long and hard trials, i finally managed to collect 102 beautiful pictures of Gaza City into one video. And you my faithful readers are the first to see it..

so, thanx to me and my great efforts...he he he "Joking" :D but nothing of this could have happened if it wasn't for the help of my dear lovely friend "faith"... so thank you dear.. thank you a lot ...

and now... let me hear some drums... i would like to introduce my first published home made video..

please don't judge me.. it's my first ;D

Hope that you liked the music.. it's Mais Shalash's song "Sabah El-Kheer" "Good Morning".. :)

What Ramadan's all about ;)

Ramadan is one of the most greatest annual events in the arab and muslim world... it's a month when we muslims fast from dawn till dusk, and exert all efforts to read the Holly Quran for at least once during this month, and we also try to do all the good deeds possible hoping for forgiveness...

What's really funny is that we twisted the concept of Ramadan, it's meant for us to feel the suffering of the poor and the underprivileged, and to concentrate on worshiping not food and daily life... now Ramadan means food and food and lots and lots of food !!! There is even a certain type of arabic sweets that's specially made in Ramadan and only Ramadan.. it's "Qatayef".. just follow the link and you can find the recipe.

Qatayef is a dough that can be stuffed with different stuffings, some stuff it with cheese, others with walnuts, raisins and cinnamon and some even stuff it with cooked cream "Qishta"... it's really delicious, i love it.. but haven't done it yet this Ramadan.. maybe tomorrow :)

Another Ramadan related activity is "fire crackers"!!! seems that children only play with fire crackers in Ramadan. I can't figure out the connection, but looks like it's a ritual or something like that :s I'm afraid that i'm gonna turn deaf by the end of Ramadan, either that or i'll get a heart attack cuz of the continuous booms!!! he he he he

A symbol of Ramadan also is the "fanous" i don't know what's called in english but you can see how it looks from the pictures attached. In arabic traditions children should carry these small lamps and wonder around in the neighbourhood singing special old songs from the arabian heritage, like "wahawy ya wahawy" and "hallo ya hallo"and other songs, now the "fanous" is already singing the song by it self.. which also drives me crazy because it keeps going on and on and on..... :)

Ramadan Kareem................... :)

Ramadan Kareem

I'm back :)

I've been busy the last couple of weeks trying to figure "Photoshop"out...


i really love this programme, i bought the CD and watched a dozen of these video tutorials on "You Tube"... the potentials and possibilities of this programme are... huge.. really...


as you can see... i designed a header to my blog, it still needs finishing up.. i know, it can turn up a hundred times better... gonna work on it later..

I also designed some cards for Ramadan... i'm attaching some in this post... hope that you'll like them..

If you want any card dedicated specially to someone.. send me

Dew

Back to school...

It's school... again!!!

Today, we started a new scholastic year here in Gaza, and all over Palestine..

This year children have to face too many obstacles, not that they haven't faced any in previous years, but as i said earlier, this year is "different", the first and most important obstacle is the infighting, people are scared that the fight will find its way into school rooms, which -if happened- may cause huge and terrible consequences.

The other major obstacle is suffering from is the extremely bad living conditions since last January, because of the international economic embargo on Hamas, which has increased after Hamas taking over Gaza and the closure of all crossing points either from or to Gaza.

Many students haven't bought new uniforms or bags for school this year, as most of the employees haven't received a salary for more than 6 months now, families are knocking charity organizations' doors looking for any assistance...

Another obstacle is the teachers' threatening to strike, as they haven't been paid also... which imposes children to find themselves in the middle of all what's happening and a tool of pressure on the two governments.

another ironic obstacle is the duality of governments, according to which government will the exams be? or even the weekly holiday... will it be Saturday or Thursday...!? i wonder...

What can i say but... "have a good year" and by the way... "Ramadan Kareem" :)