palestina

palestina

i dyed my hair black! for whatever reason, i was in need of change, slash i've always wanted to dye my hair a different color and black seemed appropriate. although, all the folks here were surprised that i'd want to dye my hair darker rather than lighter...see a lot of peeps in the global south practice a reverse colonialism on themselves i.e. wanting blonder hair and fairer skin. there's this face lotion/treatment here called 'fair&lovely' that essentially bleaches your skin (ya, not cool) and it's pretty popular among the ladies. i'm trying to show them that darker's cooler--ya know, 'the darker the flesh, the deeper the roots.' r.i.p. pac, i mean, i know you're still alive in the caribbean somewhere.

speaking of my love, hip-hop, i'm going to start interviewing the kids here who are either into hip-hop or are hip-hop artists. i appreciate how hip-hop is an art medium that has wide support and participation from many oppressed peoples in the world a.k.a. cuba, north africans in europe, south africans, west africans, palestinians, etc. etc.

ok, and this whole exaggeration about the election of hamas really has to stop. first of all, you (you being israel and especially the US) cannot implement and demand democratic elections and then punish the people for whom they have elected. second of all, WHY do you think hamas was elected? maybe because the opposition party[fatah] was completely corrupt and feeding into the hands of both israel and the u.s. moreover, did the 'peace process' even work when fatah was in power? no. one more thing, hamas provided extensive social services to the palestinian people (e.g. healthcare, education), and of course the people are going to respond positively to someone who's attempting to help them; interesting how that little tidbit of information went completely ignored in almost all western media outlets... not that i'm bitter or anything.

bueno article on the vote for hamas: http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article4571.shtml

volunteering.

started volunteering today with kids from a refugee camp here in palestine...i absolutely love it. the kids are so sweet and i'm excited to continue with this project. im going to be meeting with them twice a week and helping them with their conversational english (they're all girls and between 10-12 yrs old). ive honestly never met such conscious and politically aware children. they are all mature far beyond their years, which makes sense considering that they're forced to grow up more quickly given the intense political environment in which they live.
all the refugee camps here are extremeley depressed, with, on average, 60-80% unemployment rates and sub-par living conditions--they look much like what i would imagine a shantytown to be: stacked, cramped houses that havent been renovated or improved since they've been established i.e. in 1948. these camps were supposed to be temporary refuge for those who were kicked out of their homes in '48 and '67; however, they are very much permanent and unimproved.

yet, the people still keep smiles on their faces and meet us with such kindness and warmth that i feel badly and slightly guilty, knowing that they have virtually no escape from their daily realities of occupation, while i come from a 'western, developed' country and can come and go without a problem. borders will never solve any of our problems...
everyone here is saying that they only think the situation here will get worse after the israeli raid of the palestinian prison in ariha...i hope thats not the case because i don't know how much worse the israeli government can make it for the palestinians at this point. people in gaza right now are starving because the israeli military refuses to open up the gazan border to allow food through. seriously, if that is not a crime against humanity, i dont know what is. maybe that the international community stands by in silence.
The Wall...doesnt really look like a fence.

"Dov Weisglass, the Israeli prime ministerial adviser, recently described the Israeli sanctions policy after Hamas's January election victory as one in which Palestinians would be 'put on a diet', but not starved to death." such a comforting statement.

fotografie

1.prettay prettay palestine 2. lil kids in deir ballout 3. wildflowers

me and lubna...peeps think we're sistas

overwhelmed.

i've been meaning to write in this daily, but everytime i sit down in front of my computer, i have far too much to say to articulate myself coherently. so, i feel at a loss for words because my emotions takeover... umm, welcome to life under occupation, right?
anyway, the recent attack on the prison in ariha by the israelis has set-off a number of protests and kidnappings in palestine. yesterday was a little tense, but things have calmed down here in ramallah. i'm just beginning to see how life operates under a military state. life here for the palestinians is nothing short of impossible in many ways. the economy, and political and social life are permanently and continuously penetrated by the practices of the israeli government, military, and its citizens, namely the settlers on the west bank. yet the people are really the onl y thing that gives me hope here; if not for their resilience and unbelievably strong will, palestinians wouldn't exist at all. honestly, i have never met such warm, generous, and strong people in my life. you'd think that after having to endure such loss and bear witness to such suffering, the people would be harsh, bitter, and unkind, but on the contrary. often i'm the one who has the forlorn expression in my eyes--only because i feel helpless as an outsider.