See Gaza As Never Seen Before

Smile, You are in Gaza ..(1)

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 21:55:00 +0000

1- If you, after three years of studying, found that your university was not credited even though they say it is, Smile you are in Gaza.

2- If your historical dream was just to win a job for six months only on the unemployment UNRWA scheme, Smile you are in Gaza.

3- If you went to the bank to pick up your salary in USD currency, but the cashier told you that you had to take it in local currency (shekel) with mass loss in agio due to the money siege imposed on all banks in Gaza, Smile you are in Gaza.

4- If your humble salary vanished at the end of the second week of the month because you have taken it after the first week, and you are demanded to repay your debtors whom waiting for you at the bank iterance, Smile you are in Gaza.

5- If you decided to run a business for living, and thought about opening a supermarket at your neighborhood, then you found that your neighbor, and your son in law, and your friend had decided the same thing at the same place, Smile you are in Gaza.

6- If you passed by trash container, and found families of tykes and cats feeding and playing around, Smile you are in Gaza.

7- If you faced the fact that more than 50% of young educated youth are deeply thinking of migration, Smile you are in Gaza.

8- If you thought these items are exaggerated, but they are not, Smile you are NOT from Gaza.

The Children of men have the same start in Gaza

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 17:18:00 +0000

After bombing the house next door, the poor child appeared in video below carrying two stones of the moraine is reliving the same situation of many men whom once were in the same page.

If history repeats itself, it is fact that Legends always emerged from debris even with nonstop tears or unknown future.

Share your feelings.

A Picture & Comment (2): Cruel Innocence

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 09:03:00 +0000

I picked this picture weeks ago in a garden in Gaza city, and got obsessed of it. This magnetic look tells much beyond children borders. I am so eager to know what she was thinking of, and what made her beauty holds that glance of cruelty.

My comment : As Iceland Volcanic Ash, this is just the beginning ..!
share your comment please.

A Picture & Comment (1): alone on the beach

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 18 Apr 2010 17:53:00 +0000

This Child doesn't know what is waiting for him. Doesn't know that a lot of dream breakers around. He is alone, perhaps needs to shout, yet he wishes for a bright future. If you see this picture, what the first impression will you have ? Please share us your comment.

My comment : I know some will say, " Look.. the beast is emerging from the sea", just seconds before they shoot me..!

Gaza Motorcycle Diaries

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 17:47:00 +0000

My name is Mohannad, I was born in 1982. Two years ago, I was exciting to buy a motorcycle, it is fast and beautiful and gives the sense of adventure. Month a go my dream came true, the price was 800 USD, and I felt lucky because years before it cost more than 1500 USD.

Motorcycles have not been famous in the Gaza Strip since 2008, but after siege they have become a kind of necessities. They have been brought through tunnels from

Egypt

, and have become cheaper since they have been interred Gaza by enormous amounts.

I would appreciate mine, because it is extraordinary and consume a little amount of fuel, it brings distances more closer in a short time. The wind that blows in my face gives me good feelings just to go faster and faster. I know it is so crowded here in Gaza streets, but who cares, I am so careful during the drive and so many other guys on the road.

Personally, ten friends of mine have motorcycles, and in every Friday noon we go to an empty sandy area to practice some acrobatic moves. When we reach there, we find dozens of other adventurers. This have become the favorite way of having fun among youth as I believed.

My mother is so worry about me, she has been following the news about motorcycle accidents in Gaza streets, and somehow she imagines that one day I would come home in a coffin. You know how old mothers behave, they always have something to worry about, and when they haven't, they begin to worry about why they are not worry yet !

Earlier this morning, I was driving in a cross road in the heart of Gaza city, a fresh young man was driving a motorcycle so fast, and as my mother's nightmare, the disaster came in a form of an awful accident. The young man was immediately killed , and two of the passing through were badly injured in the crash. I would believe that was due to rashness not to bad luck, but that has changed something inside me.

I've recently heard in the news an dreadful statistics from the official authorities. Motorcycles are the second cause of death. In 2009 more than 200 individuals were killed, thousands were injured. From 30 to 40 injured individual inter hospitals everyday, more than 30% of them fall prays to death. Since 2010 about 130 individuals have been killed and 460 have been injured, everyday three accidents occur in Gaza. I've also heard that more than 70,000 motorcycles are existed in Gaza, and I believe they are more than this number.

I am getting more terrified, Gaza has become the planet of motorcycles horror. My friends share me the same thoughts. We have decided to get red of our motorcycles and we believe we will find a hundred buyers. People in the street live in fear when they hear the sound of a motorcycle. We heard a joke in the previous war on December 2009 about motorcycle rider who is wanted to Israeli force, instead of shooting him, they said " let him go, he will soon be killed by his bike before we even target him..!"

I would prefer to keep on my story, but my doctor is standing in front of me right now. I am writing from El-shefa hospital, my two legs was ripped out in the accident when I went to sell my motorcycle yesterday. I can live with that and write, but I can't stand my mother tears.

The Cell that contains 1.5 million innocent prisoners

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 23:40:00 +0000

Have I ever talked about siege on Gaza before? Not yet..!. I find talking about siege like talking about the sun. It is up and clear to every single soul on the earth. Siege has been imposed on Gaza since the earlier days of 2007 soon after the government changed. In simple words, it means nothing goes in or out, perfectly as being trapped in a prison without conviction. I wish I could put in details the influence of this siege on people, but history described it quite well and I have nothing left to add, perhaps the unique things only.

Gaza location is the perfect place to be easily trapped; Sea from west, unplanted areas from east and north with full borders protection. A small tiny hole from south connects Gaza strip with

Egypt

, where Rafah Crossing border to the outside. This crossing point opens once a month for the best, sometimes extended to two months causing a lot of chaos. Students can't leave in time to catch their overseas universities. Patients can't leave to get medical treatment and soon half of them fall victims to death.

People have to react, so they dug tunnels to avoid borders. Despite being illegal, no one can deny how important they are for all people to live, and, with the absence of the outside interference, it becomes the only way to avoid famine.

So, the 365 sq km that Gazan people live inside have become a large prison for them, no travel no food no income. Just from the window of their cell, they see the sun and feel well when they realized that they are in the hands of God.

Pictures of Gaza through history

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 11 Apr 2010 16:56:00 +0000

1- Gaza in 1940 :

Yes it is a black and white life, no TV, no mobile, no bank account, but people were so happy, and could sense the life with its ups and downs. Press the link below please to see the collection of that period.

Gaza in that Old Days

2- Gaza before days of 21st Century;

It got colored, wounds from the past were being healed, life moves on.

This is the Unknown Soldier Monument and Yard. One of the most beautiful scenes in Gaza, the place where people spend their time and complain their agony to, usually crowded in summer because it cools the whether and gives a piece of freedom as well.

Gaza Main Square, in the center of Gaza city, is the heart of the Gaza Strip. People comes from all towns around for shopping. Old souvenirs next to the last fashion are found in the same shop. In this place you'll feel like Gaza citizens are more than one billion.

Even from tombs, you can play your camera to snap a beautiful shot. Similar to, this amazing shot was shot at the end of a promising day showing the beauty of lights.

3- Gaza since June, 2006 :

Sorry, I can't see anything, can you...!

It is just a matter of 7000 years only..!

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 16:41:00 +0000

The phrase " It will take 7000 years only" has become a normal expression on the tongue of Gazan people for any unsolved problem. Some say: Gaza needs more than 7000 years to get the hang of all suspended problems, and I guess they're right. The following are examples of some problems that can be solved in only 7000 years as believed:

1- poverty : More than 80% of Gaza citizens suffer from poverty with expenses that less than (2$) per day. With this sum; they buy food, pay for transportation, pay accumulative bills, refund the creditors, and if any penny left, they could save it for a tour to moon..! Really, any outlander will appreciate patience they have, hope they wait, and will never find the answer to how they could manage life ..

2- Unemployment: unemployment has been brought out by considerable number of graduate students who have the abilities but not the opportunities. Accumulative rate of career losers has emerged according to the change in policies for Gaza inhabitants. One can't depend on what is in hands because his employer may declare bankruptcy. Employers are more anxious than job seekers, every thing they have or plan to have is in luck hands. Nothing is stable at all.

3- Electricity: For the fourth year respectively, Gazan people have received promises about Electricity problem to be resolved very soon. No one could ever tell when "soon" is going to come. If you dare to complain about the delay, they will tell you a fairy tail about the obstacles they face which preventing them from doing their job..! and finally will say: perhaps tomorrow.. the same as "soon".

4- Independence : the dream of having a state of the own, in particular, may need more than 7000 years. Years 1917, 1936, 1948, 1967, 1987, 1996, 2000 and still counting, drafted the dream to the edge of its impossibility. Negotiations, between two other negotiations, has never given a thread of hope. Other attempts have thrown the dream beyond the unknown.

To solve these problems you need hundred lives, but, as you know, the difficulty is just on the first 80 years.!

Once upon a time in a Garden next to the Sea

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 20:19:00 +0000

Don't take this wrong, the garden I mean is just a small place crowded with family members around, few trees are there and their color is close to brown, if they are not dead already..! A little grass, and thanks god it is absolutely green. About 200 children are playing around and that doesn't make life so easy I guess. About 100 hawkers sells nothing but an expired stuff, and if their loud voice made money, they would be rich since years. Young man walking romantically with his fiancée know nothing about the world except what is being whispered. Some guys, like the one in the picture, are hanging around with their digital camera trying to snap the best shots that show them as stars.

Gardens are the second choice for having fun in Gaza. Of course the have only the name but still called gardens. The first choice is alway The Sea which is close enough to any one who wants to complain sadness or, if he could, enjoy some hours of his awful day. On the sea beach you'll see a bundle of people like stars on the sky, swimming in the dirty beach, and walking on the ugly sand. Hawkers again make the atmosphere unbearable, and you only wish to kick them away or drown them deeply in the sea. When night comes, people make family groups and begin to chat about life, politics, economy, money, women, physics, last jokes, tough situations, poverty, and even atomic bombs.

When they leave, every one feels like he was reborn, with a ghosty smile on his face for the rest of the day before the hell begins in the next day. Finally, one could say he has a great time for once in his life.

The songs of Electricity Generators have been beaten by the silence of pretty candles

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 17:06:00 +0000

Since June 2006 electricity supplying in Gaza has been changed for ever, and for the worst. In the early days of that period electricity was cut out for four hours per day, and that was bearable. Soon after that the hours has been extended to eight hours per day and sometimes twelve. Ranking between that hours, people has fed up with the situation which has become an endless nightmare. To compensate the shortage in electricity supplying, people has returned to the primal means of generating light : Candles.

Candles has become a basic purchase every day for every family man. " don't forget candles" is an expression heard all day long from wives to their husbands. And you have the choice of picking the color you want, just bring the best which live to the end of the night.

The irony here is for any society it takes sometime to adapt to a new technology. For Gazan people, it took few days to adapt the candles as an alternative resource of electricity.

Life moves on, and candles are everywhere, yet they are not sufficient, candles can't run your TV or computer, candles can't provide 220 volt needed for your fridge, simply they are just for creating a romantic scene at night.

So, people switched to that fabulous invention called (Electricity Generator), and the story became darker and darker even with the advantages. As a matter of fact, generators spread up as hell. At first a few men used it in their shops, soon after the rest followed. Now, more than three quarters of families use generators, and the electricity failure began to vanish against this alternative. But, there are always consequences.

When night falls the sound of generator begins as bee buzz, wherever you move the sound is somehow there. It has become a kind of a lovely music. Electricity problem hasn't solved yet, and seems like it won't. People lose faith in a normal life with normal electricity. Three months ago, people lose faith in generators as well.

Generators are so dangerous, a fact rise up when first three children passed away because of the gas engendered (Carbon Oxide 1). In closed rooms this gas spreads with no scent and its deadly for health. People have not been aware about that since the death accidents started. Perhaps more than fifty people face death as a result of generators, and as far as I remember the last accident killed four children from one family and injured their parents when flames hug the generators, and the explosion resulted burnt every thing down to earth.

Now, if you ask somebody whether he prefers candles or generators, he will say : " candles are so lovely, so romantic, and so peaceful"

Amazing Facts about Gaza never known before

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 06:59:00 +0000

The Gaza Strip has three features distinguish it from any other region on the world :

1- The most crowded area on the world : Area land is (365 sq km), population is (1,500,000 ) with rate of (80,000 individuals to every single squared Kilometer) ..!

The irony here is; Breed inside this prison, you are not allowed to even think out of these 365 km.. This is really the biggest prison has ever been found.

2- The most educated individuals rate on the world : The rate Individuals who are able to read and write is 92%, and the rate for education among males and females age from 15 to 24 is 98,2%.
The fact here is : All parents can prevent themselves from food, but can't prevent their sons from education. It is a kind of a Holly fact.

3- The most growth rate in population on the world: The growth rate here is 3.7% (13,000 birth annually - family average 6 individuals). By the way; I have twelve brothers and sisters, my neighbor has eighteen.. It is normal here. Don't ask how on earth they would be fed ? I told you before, no one dies here from hunger..

I must leave, my sister is giving birth to a new baby right now…

From Gaza With Love

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 04 Apr 2010 17:06:00 +0000

Hello,,

It is hard to tell what Gaza means to me. In any elsewhere , people tend to abandon their countries when poverty and fear covers the atmosphere. Yes, Gaza is unstable region, yes, it has the least of ordinary human life, yes, death is roaming above every span of her. Despite that, it attracts me like magnet and let nothing in front of me except drowning in her embrace. The perfect charisma of her remains in souls for good and lets you forget death in exchange of a laughter inside it. The beauty of Gaza like August Whales, traveling far distances in the ocean but, when time comes, return back to the spot they were born in, to die.

Life in Gaza is simple enough to not talk about, but when simplicity take off, it becomes unusual to remain simple. Gaza is suffering from accumulative catastrophes that could collapse any possibility to live. In spite of that, people are flourishing in the way of becoming humans.

Some of you know something about Gaza from media, and think that it is the waste land. Regardless of that, I am going to focus on the humanitarian side that media hasn't publicized, and will let you see Gaza as you should see it.

I am just another on of them, have their eyes, their hearts. When night whispers, I remember what happened during the day. It is full of life.

Talking about Gaza looks like chatting with an obsessed person of her, but like movies, there are always some panoramas never jump out of memory. I see in faces what tongues can not tell, and then write words.. words come out of a child mouth or an old man memory, or from a young vivid man who sees air melodies as views not to be forgotten.. so his eyes sleep but his heart always awaken..I hope you enjoy the stay here.

Welcome to Gaza.. With Love..