ok, i may have a few minutes for a decent email. we are at one of the host family's homes for a bbq, just the girls, as this allows for them to put on shorts and take off their hijabs. what beautiful girls. we are presently at a palatial home, and they told me that many original gazans have homes such as this, large swimming pool, very elegant. so the girls are preparing a bbq, music playing, quite festive.
so exhausted i can hardly stand it. they have us so regimented it is draining. i get the impression they do not want us out of their sight. we get back to ibrahim's home very late, and he has a whole house full of family wanting to talk to us, relatives keep showing up. all very smiley, wanting to know our opinions, optimistic but nervous about obama having an affect on their situation.
this morning at 6am we went to the fishing marina to hear about the distress of the fishing industry. they can only go out 3 miles, need to go out 6 to get the fish, get shot at frequently. they are down to 5% of the boats going out. an american is here doing a documentary on this situation. we took the boat out in the water and were able to look back on gaza. and if one did not know any better, they would think it was a calm, quiet coastal town.
then they took us to a tunel where goods are brought in from egypt, only yards from it. because israel ontrols the goods that come into gaza based on a list that they control, many, many things are missing, and therefore, there are tunnels to bring them in. we were told that being a tunnel owner was very lucrative, as the goods are taxed. while we were looking at it, either we said the wrong thing, or there were actually israelis flying overhead, but they hurried us out of there with the later excuse!
so, after being in these harrowing locations, 5 us decided to take a taxi to a market. we were retrieved by a hamas bearing a rifle. the market was not scary, but the scene that the hamas caused was.
ibrahim and his family are very hospital and charming. ibrahim seems incredibly infatuated with tara, and it seems mutual from her angle. he is very attentive to her and me, wanting to be accommodating to any of our needs. as i's parents went to egypt for medical care, his brother and family went into the parents' room, and we went into their apartment upstairs. the accommoations are very comfortable. i just wish we had more time to be in them, as our schedules are so tight.


that is the story!!!!
the speakers, exposures, and everything is so impressive. went to unrwa today and a man john ging spoke to us and it was very informative, along with all of the speakers.
this situation is grim, to say the least.

but the gazans are truly impressive with their tenacity.