Monday, January 26, 2009

Wait and see.

Another one of my stimulating conversations with my father, which, as usual is at once morose and comical.

Dad: Tariq & Hazim just called-they are driving back from skiing

Me: what?? they went without me!! Hazim didn't want to go last weekend

Dad: Well anyway, I asked if they need anything from here since D. is coming to town and back for some work. He said he wants bharat idra*, za3tar* and dugga*. Regarding skiing: They went this morning and now on their way back.

Laila: I see. (and I am silently plotting how to exact revenge...).

Dad: Tariq fell and had a big bruise in his leg

Me: oh no!! Are you sure its just a bruise?? I was just kidding about that revenge thing you know...did you hear that? It was supposed to be a silent thought!

Dad: This is what he said. He is on the phone with mama. He says it is just a bruise.

Dad: Breaking news- Ma3bar Rafah was closed this evening as there is a threat to bombard it. There is a red alert here.

Me (in disbelief): what??

Dad: Yes. They sent the children home from schools this afternoon. There a rumor that Israel might hit again. So we just have to wait and see. Wait and see.

* Bharat idra: a 10-spice mix widely used in Gazan cuisine, particularly in its namesake dish, ruzz idra (spiced rice in a clay pot).

* Zaatar: A spice blend consisting of dried thyme leaves rubbed with extra virgin olive oil and mixed with sumac and sesame seeds. Eaten with kmaj/pita and olive oil or used as a rub. Regional variations abound (in Gaza, sage is mixed in and the resulting mixture is much lighter in colour).

* Dugga: Not to be confused with Dagga, the legendary Gazan hot chili tomato relish-salad, Dugga is sort of brown Zaatar specific to Gaza. It consists of pulverized roasted wheat, sesame seeds, ground chickpeas, and a variety of warm spices such as coriander, cumin, pepper, dill and caraway.

8 Comments:

Blogger Hana said...

I'm so so sad, scared, angry, disgusted, (anymore adj I can use to express this emotion??) to see this, Yah Allah have mercy and Give us all streangth! Please keep updating ya Laila and may Allah bestow sabr and ra7ma for you, your family, and everyone in Falasteen.
I am here to do what ever I can, let me know if there is anything I can do, especially action alerts.

7:43 AM  
Blogger Lirun said...

im a zaatar junky - i normally add tumeric as well and whipe it up with wholemeal bread..

bharat we normally use with meat balls..

10:51 AM  
Blogger coco said...

Hello Hana,
I think a lot of people all over the world be sad, angry and speechless over the facts in Gaza.
I sit here, research informations about the great crime in this region. Much makes me speechless but the most time made me the journalist and the media furiously because they have not the courage to say the world the true.

Leila do here a great job but sometimes it seems she fight against a giant. Here in Germany works a network of journalist against the truth and manipulate the public opinion. I think in other countries it will be the sameā€¦ :(

1:10 AM  
Blogger Dragonfly said...

So many rallied around the world in protest against Israels incursion. The momentum was there, it needs to continue until Israel ceases border control. As for those who are about to say 'Israel needs it for their own safety'. . . The Israeli government is solely responsible for the threat to it's citizens - it always has been and still is, but instead it knowingly provokes these very attacks on it's own people. YOU, the citizens of Israel, are being used as pawns in this game. Don't cry here about your right for defense, don't cry here for your right to peace - demand it from your government and make sure you KNOW AND UNDERSTAND THE FACTS FIRST.

READ
http://sabbah.biz/mt/archives/2009/01/25/henry-siegman-israels-lies/

Your own Israeli advisers, IDF chiefs etc are themselves telling you the truth about your own government - read it!

ISRAELI CLAIMS JUSTIFYING the MILITARY ASSAULT on GAZA:
(and widely accepted by Western G'ments and media)

LIE ONE
That Hamas consistently violated the six-month truce that Israel observed.

LIE TWO
That Hamas is a terrorist organisation, part of a global Jihadi network.

LIE THREE
That Israel has acted not only in its own defense but on behalf of an international struggle by Western democracies against this network.

Read the truth in the above article that indisputably dispels these lies - but only if you want to know the truth.

3:56 AM  
Blogger Unknown said...

Salam Leila,

Inshallah Allah will stand by you, your family and our people in Gaza. I'm beyond disgusted by what Israel is doing. No religion/ethics in the world allow such killings. The zionists' end is near and they KNOW it.

Thanks for your amazing blog, may Allah bless you :)

7:35 AM  
Blogger Unknown said...

Hi Laila,

Since my sister Nadia told me about your blog, I have become a faithful reader. Its great to hear how you and your family are doing since we lived across the street from you in Aramco. Mom (Im Ramsey) is always excited to hear news about your mom and dad. She is very proud of what you all have accomplished. Keep up the great work.

Linda

5:05 PM  
Blogger Unknown said...

Hi Laila,

Could you tell your parents that a whole bunch of people had been praying for them, for everyone in Palestine.
I couldn't even sleep during the 20 days the Palestinians endured brutal injustice.
Your conversation w/ your dad gave me a sigh of relief, because it showed after weeks, the Gazans were able to take a breath..even though I'm sure areas where there are red alerts are still terrified for their lives.
We're all praying for them, to stay safe and for a speedy recovery.

4:53 PM  
Blogger Ali Dahmash said...

I can't live without Za3tar and olive oil, it was my daily breakfast in Miami. Great blog by the way.

1:38 PM  

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