I spent 4 hours alone at home today without electricity, listening to the awful sounds of the Israeli drones hovering over Gaza Sky and the generators.
Being in such a situation makes me think deeper, so I brought my mobile phone to write on as I had no charge left in my laptop.
After writing many things about my life as a young woman living in the besieged Gaza strip, I came out with a personal theory, which is "living in the Gaza strip is an inspiration to every Palestinian."
Scales are overturned in Palestine, especially in Gaza. In other places people use candles to create a romantic atmosphere, but Gazans use them to give some light to escape the darkness that we live. Candles in Gaza burn themselves in order to give light to Gazans, just as so many Gazans are so generous in their self-sacrifice for their citizens.
When I was In Stockholm, my friend used to light candles whenever we had dinner. I used to make fun of the symbolic differences between candles in Gaza and Stockholm. I wanted to bring some of her candles back home with me so I could use them as she did, for a nicer atmosphere, whenever I want to, not whenever I have to!
Most of the people outside are addicted to music and songs, which make a person relaxed and makes the mood better. However, as usual, things are different in Gaza. The Israeli drones have a louder volume than our songs do. Therefore, we won’t be able to fully enjoy listening to music and separate ourselves from horror hovering above us outside. (PS: You will never be able to imagine how annoying their sound is until you experience it.)
Ordinary people stay up the whole night to work, watch movies, or chat with friends and family and so on. But Gazans have a sleeping clock which depends on the daily power-cut schedule at their homes. Two days ago, we heard six loud explosions nearby and it traumatized me, especially because they were one after another.
After that Israel attack, I was very sleepy but I couldn’t sleep, fearing more bombs might fall at any moment and might target our house. Having these fears in mind didn’t let me go to sleep until I saw the daylight.
Two days ago, The United Nations published a report saying that Gaza will not be a "liveable" place by 2020 due to the problems it has with water, electricity, health and education. It reminds us of a famous line of poetry that every Palestinian living in the besieged Gaza still quotes from the Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish: "On this land what is worth living."
*Editor's note: This is this first part in a two contributor set BI Military & Defense is publishing to glean an insight into what life is like on each side of the border in the Gaza strip.
Read more: http://palestineistamam.wordpress.com/2012/08/30/despite-our-difficulties-we-keep-on-saying-on-this-land-what-is-worth-living/#ixzz269SNKWQE
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