3 Sad Colombians in Gaza

This morning-- on top of flotilla news, we also found out that Juan Manuel Santos won the presidency of Colombia- the ex-minister of defense who has yet to lead a village let alone a country.

Colombia has demonstrated they are not ready for change, not ready for peace processes, not ready for progress, and not ready for thinking about measures other than military solutions.

I'll cling on to my hope that maybe in 4 years Antanas Mockus (below) will be able to rise to the presidency- we need a super citizen in power. A man who has demonstrated leadership, honesty, creativity, and grassroot changes.

There are 3 other Colombians in Gaza, we're pretty bummed out. Equally as guilty, I tried to sign up to vote in January- turns out registration had closed in November of last year- grrr!

Flotilla Intercepted

Today was a really sad day in Gaza, because Gazans always maintain a glimpse of hope - I'm not quite sure how they do it and I'll never cease to be amazed. A flotilla with aid was due to arrive this morning in Gaza. The boat contained medical aid, materials for water systems and wheelchairs among other items. The six ship flotilla was carrying 10,000 tons of aid.

I spoke to friends and colleagues and everybody thought- maybe! Others, on the more cynical side (myself included) though forget it, it'll never happen. But as one colleagues says "you know, in Gaza we never know." Other people made big signs in preparation for their arrival.

Indeed it didn't happen, but much earlier than we thought. At 3am while the boat was still in international waters, armed forces boarded the vessel. So far 10 have been reported killed and 30 wounded (conservative estimate since other reports calculate higher numbers).

Today is a sad day for the Gazans, and especially for the families who have lost loved ones. The local authorities in Gaza have declared a general strike for the Gaza strip tomorrow. Trucks with amplifiers have been going up and down the streets announcing the deaths of individuals who died this morning.

Seems like there will be a lot of demonstrations tomorrow....

Here is a picture of the demonstration at the marina slowly diffusing at 3pm today.

Mood Mender

Even though things aren't looking so good for Gaza- there's one thing that keeps my spirits up- and it's the magnificent sunsets that I never get tired of admiring.

Easter In Gaza

Easter in Gaza is a special moment- especially when you celebrate it with a small Christian community tucked away in Gaza. Families gathered in the magical church of St. Porphyrius. The walls are beautifully decorated with bursting colors and the chanting from the voices on a proud Easter morning made it a glorious experience.

During the service, psalms were recited in multiple languages including French, Russian, Spanish, and Arabic. We proceeded to meet the Archbishop of Tiberias, Alexios, who was giving blessings and red easter eggs elegantly dressed in an ornate chasuble.

For a true depiction of what it was like visit: http://www.vqronline.org/webexclusive/2010/04/21/woods-easter-gaza/

Comfort food

So when you're away from home, you start craving the strangest things that you wouldn't even buy at the grocery store if you WERE home! My cravings can be divided in two categories: American and Colombian food.

Colombian

1. Platanos (Plantaines)


2. Ajiaco (Potato soup from the bogota region)


3. Beans (the cuban/colombian way)


4. Chontaduro (an odd fruit)


5. Lulo (another odd fruit- described to a mix between rhubarb and lime)

American

1. Cheap Chinese Food (yes, that's American)


2. White bakery cake


3. Root Beer


4. Pulled Pork

So when Elliott went to the US, I pathetically requested FunFetti cake, the fakest, most delicious, saturated fat filled box cake. And boy was it divine.

I lovingly mixed in the 3 ingredients: oil, water, eggs.

And lovingly mixed in all the ingredients.

And impatiently stood by the oven watcing it like a hawk to make sure our oven wouldn't burn it.

I delicately decorated it with fat-filled wonderful fake frosting.

And then indulged in what is the nonsense of Funfetti cake.

Kushari: Italian-Egyptian Fusion

Kushari is a very popular dish-- especially in Egypt. I was out at a handicrafts bazaar- where all kinds of beautiful palestianian stitching was being displayed and sold for good prices (considering all the time and effort it takes to make on of these masterpieces-- if you've ever done crosstiching, you know exactly what I'm talking about).



I was strolling around then of course, had to stop at the food station. I got two take-aways for lunch in the coming days.



1. Maftoule- i.e. couscouse (but in Palestine, stick to saying 'maftoule'-- because the latter can sound like a dirty word).

2. Kushari--rice+lentils, topped with macaroni and tomato sauce.

Verdict: Fail

It was like a wild mistake in my mouth. Like I had taken leftover lentils and rice (lovely)- and scooped on some leftover italian and gobbled it up together.



It may not have been the finest form of Kushari, but I would be hesitant to have it again.

Palestinian Rapperz

I had the pleasure of a day in the recording studio with Pal Rapperz as they were preparing for a special song dedicated to Mothers.

Palestinian Rapperz which began in 2003, found their voice through Rap and Hip Hop music- a growing genre in the Middle East. A day in the studio with the group demonstrates their down-to-earth demeanor and their passion for the words they are singing. Though the song for mother's day was full of gratefulness and love- many of the songs that PalRapperz write and perform reflect the difficulties and strife of the Palestinians.

They perform in the Gaza Strip, but dream about the day when they can step foot outside of Gaza to really get the show on the road.

The day began with voice warm up, and work in the recording studio.

The voice recordings were then mixed with the background beats which included an alternative instrument- the famous Oud (a pear shaped instrument used in Middle Eastern music)-- giving it a pleasant traditional touch fused with modern rap tunes. Check out the Pal Rapperz blog to listen to a few clips of their music.The song was performed a few days later in front of a big group of women from southern Gaza.

Girl Power

On women's day I headed south to Khan Younis where among songs, speeches and presentations, the day was inaugurated with a women's outdoor volleyball game. I was pleasantly suprised to see these two awesome teams of sporty Gazan girls showing their stuff.

Sports for women are not very common in Gaza at the moment, let alone public ones, so this was quite exciting. The teams represented Islamic University and AlAqsa University here in Gaza.