About Me
A graduate student, semi-opinionated, resident of expat from Ramallah. Seeing the rise of several interesting Arab blogs, i finally decided to share my “wisdom” with the world and see if i can join the cool kids club.
So, why am i blogging mostly in English ? Unfortunately, Arabs and Palestinians are usually labeled as terrifying beasts to the Western world. Thus, i hope that my non-Arab readers can get more insight to the lives of “everyday people” in the heart of the West Bank. However, i do occasionally post in Arabic.
Za3tar ??!! Palestinians and levantines have an intimate relation with za3tar. Along with olive oil, it constitutes the most basic and wide spread snack. Za3tar grows naturally on the hills of the West Bank. In addition to the traditional za3tar-o-zait, there is the wild za3tar, and the aromatic za3tar-balat that is used with tea. There are many other variations of za3tar.
This blog is pretty much a work in progress. I will be fixing up the layout, and adding more sections as things move along.
Comments, questions, concerns ? Send me an email. I’m all ears, and i would love to help if i can.
omar
On October 25, 2007 | 12:26 pmZa3tar is seriously a huge part of my childhood memories, and everytime I eat it these days (whenever available in cold London) I get memories of the “sandweesheh” that happened to be soaked mid day in school, and the tissues wrapped around it! hehe
za3tar
On October 25, 2007 | 12:38 pmhahaha … yes indeed … those poor wrapping tissues would usually be drenched with olive oil by mid day
Awartany
On November 5, 2007 | 12:11 pmWishing you the best of luck man
Will check your posts…
za3tar
On November 15, 2007 | 6:23 pmThanks Awartany. Stay in touch.
Linz
On December 11, 2007 | 9:11 pmNice blog…glad to find more people from Palestine blogging about it…
Good Luck!
Salam
Linz-Gaza
za3tar
On December 11, 2007 | 10:41 pmLinz; thanks!
I think we should present the voices of more Palestinians to the world.
Keep up the good work on your blog
Iman
On March 24, 2008 | 10:39 pmI like your banner
al.
On March 25, 2008 | 2:11 pmZa3tar – even the way this word sounds is beautiful. I wanted to use it as a blog title but you beat me to it
And oh my God Omar, yes that image of za3tar sandwich wrapped with oil-soaked tissue paper is prominent in my childhood. Mama always said za3tar activates the brain cells – always a prescription before a test!
I like your blog – will visit more often inshAllah.
za3tar
On March 26, 2008 | 6:39 pmIman: Thanks, i like to keep rotating it with pictures of various spots in Ramallah and Palestine.
Al.: hahaha … yeah, when i decided to start a blog, i thought for a considerable time about a nice little blog name, and za3tar seemed like a great find. My mom too said that za3tar was supposed to “activate your brain”
.. maybe she was tricking us to eat it :-p
Saned
On April 30, 2008 | 6:50 amZa3tar, [...] I love the banner
ِAhmed Badrah
On May 7, 2008 | 10:29 pmi’m so proud to know Mr.Za3ter ,,,
i like the name lool ,,
hope we’ll be friends soon (= ,,
good luck brother ,,
sabeur
On May 14, 2008 | 1:14 pmI’m tunisian and i love za3tar lol … best thing lol
za3tar
On May 14, 2008 | 2:05 pmSaned: Thank you.
Ahmed Badrah: Thank you. I am glad to get to know you as well. Consider us friends
Sabeur: Thanks, Za3tar is one of the best things in the world. By the way, i really would like to visit Tunis someday inshallah.
Orsan
On May 18, 2008 | 10:27 pmkeep the good work!
Rana
On May 26, 2008 | 4:11 amSobbarine, the village where my husband’s two uncles were killed.. I just wrote an article, called it my Family Photo Album, send me your email address and i will send it to you… Rana, Canada (abd@istar.ca
za3tar
On May 26, 2008 | 6:51 amOrsan: Thanks.
Rana: Thank you, will do.
LuLu...!
On July 5, 2008 | 6:20 ammmm…i have alergy from za3tar that i cod die if i eat it
za3tar
On July 9, 2008 | 10:14 pmLuLu: Ohhh .. sorry to hear that. You’re missing out on some good snacks
Hani Obaid
On September 11, 2008 | 12:38 pmCan we have a real first name please?!
mona al ghussein bauwens
On December 29, 2008 | 6:29 pmI think its long over due and you are absolutely right. we need the world to know and hear our story our narrative beyond the one of conflict. all Palestinians have stories to tell, human interest stories of how they or their families struggled or are struggling as well as happy successful stories whether as refugees, or under occupation or naturalised citizens in other countries.
its time we spoke about our culture heritage and yes our famous zatar1
za3tar
On December 31, 2008 | 11:02 pmHani: I am actually contemplating whether to go public or not. We’ll see how that goes.
Mona: Thank you. I simply agree.
sammy
On January 19, 2009 | 5:29 pmI just turn on my Tv set and all i see on CNN and skynews is Gaza Gaza Gaza…….i never had the oppourtunity to know what was going on and what really caused the war. I really appreciate the information and discussion provided on ur site you have given me insight of whats happening and where Gaza is even situated.
God bless you I pray all this killings stop soon.
Ken Hammacott
On May 8, 2009 | 2:23 amI am REFERRING to the DESCRIPTION of VIVA PALESTINA under the heading of ABOUT THIS SITE sub heading MISSION.
I will not repeat it here as it can be easily read by anyone, should they wish to do so.
I would like to know, who is the author of this tripe?
And should he or she answer this post, perhaps, could tell me who the FOUNDERS ARE? HOW IS THE ORGANISATION STRUCTURED? HOW ARE FUNDS OBTAINED? And what is the PURPOSE of VIVA PALESTINA?
And further what is the name of the PARENT ORGANISATION which supports our cause, and is to do with the it’s history?
And whoever the author is he/she had better have the facts RIGHT.
za3tar
On May 8, 2009 | 3:22 amKen Hammacott: Dude why are you asking me ?? Did you find any reference to “Viva Palestina” on this site ? I haven’t even heard of that organization before. I don’t know what you want, but if you have any comments to “Viva Palestina” take it to them!
Ken Hammacott
On May 8, 2009 | 7:24 amYou deny you wrote this?
And this is on your site:-
………”or VIVAPALESTINA.ORG , all of which have been misrepresented as humanitarian rather than political projects or organisations have violated the trust of the doners by by politicizing the humanitarianaid they collected for the people of Gaza, and have failed to be transparent in their expenditure of collective funds.
This tissue of lies is on your site!
Ken Hammacott
On May 8, 2009 | 7:32 amAnd further to my previous post I am a volunteer driver for the convoys of VIVAPALESTINA .ORG
za3tar
On May 8, 2009 | 8:11 amKen Hammacott: What are you talking about ?? that is not on my site. Provide me a direct link to the page that contains this text. This is nowhere on my site! What in the world are you talking about !!!
Ken Hammacott
On May 8, 2009 | 10:01 amFor the last time go to :- (Main Heading) ABOUT THIS SITE
(Sub Heading) MiSSION
Beneath the two paragraphs of text describing THE MISSION ther is a peckered line.
And beneath that there is the offending text.
Now are you the creator or administrator of this site, yes or no?
za3tar
On May 8, 2009 | 2:18 pmKen Hammacott: I think you are trying to mess with my head, so i am going to ignore your comments unless you provide a clear and direct link to whatever you are talking about.
This *IS* the “About” page for my site, and there is no “Mission” sub heading. Either provide a direct link, or stop this nonsense.
Ken Hammacott
On May 8, 2009 | 3:43 pmNow don’t imagine that I’m making this up.
I contact this URL from one of my own sites:- http://www.vivapalestinaola.org
This takes me to a home page :- Viva Palestina.US\ a nonepolitical initatiative.
Beneath the main title in small print there is a rebuttle against vivapalestina.org indicating also that this site is being re-developed.
Over to the right there are three sub headings they are ARTICLES/ VIDEOS/ ABOUT THIS SITE
If you click on to the sub heading ABOUT THIS SITE then click onto MISSION which then appears beneath which there are two paragraphs of explanation.
The offending text is beneath that.
Doe’s that seem as though I’m making anything up?
There could be any number of technical reason’s why you can’t access the home page that I’ve just described? This offending text is NOTon your (HOME ABOUT ME) site.
Now as far as I’m concerned the matter is closed.
Ken Hammacott
On May 8, 2009 | 3:52 pmIncidentally, I have replied to one of your post’s in a much more agreeable fashion referring to a different thread.
Ken Hammacott
On May 8, 2009 | 5:37 pmIt seems one cannot upload attachments onto this site? Clearly a disadvantage. However, I now wish to move on, and partake discussion with other threads.
Ken Hammacott
On May 9, 2009 | 9:23 amOh dear! What have I just read.
“Unfortunately, Arabs and Palestinians are usually labelled as terrifying beasts to the western world”.
What an unfortunate choice of words, and is not fitting whatsoever to the voluntary work carried out by many U.K. citizens and other Europeans which are engaged.in providing releif aid to Gaza.
za3tar
On May 9, 2009 | 9:31 amKen Hammacott: … of course this does not apply to all people in the west. Hence, i used the modifier usually not always, and not by all. .. but sufficiently large number of times and i dare say most of the time.
Ken Hammacott
On May 9, 2009 | 9:57 amPoint taken.
But I would replace the word people with governments, the two are not the same.
For clarification, there is a great deal of friction between the British government and the British people over the issues of Afghanistan, Iraq, and Palastine.
Of the recent past the two antagonist’s with a thirst for war have and still are the U.S.A. and the U.K.
Ken Hammacott
On May 10, 2009 | 8:50 amA Letter from Palastine 13/04/09
From Mr Mohammed Faraj Alghool.
Head of the Change and Reform Bloc..Palestine Legislative Ciuncil.
To Mr.G.Galloway. M.P.
In breif it is a letter in support and appreciation for the first aid convoy to arrive in Gaza from the U.K. And for futher planned convoys yet to follow.
Maysaloon
On May 15, 2009 | 3:48 pmI wish you the best of luck! A friend from Syria.
Declan
On July 3, 2009 | 8:43 pmGreat blog keep writing and good luck in school
cheers from Ireland
Moabite
On July 15, 2009 | 3:35 pmI am not a constant reader of blogs. I always wanted to read a blog from a palestinian who lives all the events I see in the news. I never tried to search.
I saw a comment of yours in Hareega Blog. It brought me here. Reading this nice and informative “About Me” sectino, I discovered that I finally arrived in a palestinian blog.
I hope that your blog entries will be as interesting as this about me page. Maybe because I had a lot of time writing an About Me section in my blog.
Good luck from Karak