This week in Air/Light: An Essay by MariNaomi and more Gaza Diaries
This week in Air/Light:
Next week:
Susannah Breslin in Conversation with Seth Fischer
“It’s a Rainy Day in My Normal Life” by Habiba Masoud
“Provisions, Pots, and Firewood: Feeding Our Neighbors in Gaza” by Mustafa Darweesh Abu Batnain
“Samay” by MariNaomi
Samay and I didn’t get close until after Cam broke my heart. I found out that he’d also broken hers once upon a time, which shouldn’t have been surprising, but I was amazed that she could be such close friends with him after such devastation. Until this point, Samay and I had been peripheral acquaintances for decades, but Cam was a human storm, wiping out everyone who loved him. In his stead, our friendship grew.
She coached me through my despair. She reminded me that there’s light at the end of the tunnel, that romantic heartbreak isn’t permanent, even if it felt like it would last forever. Over time, our conversations turned away from Cam.
We didn’t live close to each other, so we met in the middle. We went to museums. We had lunch. It was a civilized thirty-something friendship. We talked about work, romantic frustrations, and all the things we wanted to do in life. She was a trapeze artist, but she wanted a piece of tech, so she went to school, learned how to program, then got gigs as a programmer, working for the circus on the weekends.
“I Wish I Were Born a Mermaid” by Ola AlAsi
Seven-year-old me watched cartoons about a mermaid princess and a little girl who has a strong friendship with an Orca whale, with whom she dives deep in the ocean on long journeys. When I was ten, my mom gave me my own space where I could play freely with the sand and some kitchen utensils, to build a sandcastle and decorate it with uniquely shaped seashells.
I have always felt a deep connection to the sea. I grew up thinking I would someday live in a domed room made out of coral, meet my friends the whales, dolphins, and seahorses and wear a crown of starfish decorated with aquamarine and other gemstones.
I used to be a very naughty and stubborn little girl who had her parents’ fullest attention because I always broke the rules and had crazy ideas. My dad used to talk to me about everything I was thinking about, and I would ask him about everything, from school subjects to life situations. He had his own ideas about certain things and would try to persuade me to agree, but if I didn’t he let me have my own experience and learn from it. Back then, he told me to stay near the seashore, but I insisted on having my own experience alone.
“Amani and Riham Palestinian Women Take Charge” by Lubna Abdelwahab Abuhashem
Every morning, Amani Shaat starts her day at 9 a.m. by shopping for all the ingredients she needs for the day. Then she heads to her little street kiosk to cook beef burgers for customers who keep her busy until almost midnight.
Amani, 25, is the first woman in Gaza to work in a street kiosk. After she started her business, named ‘Saltaa Burger,’ in January 2023, she was soon noticed by journalists and curious customers.
“They were astonished to see a girl standing and cooking in a kiosk on the street. The number of burger patties that I prepared for two days finished after two hours,” she recalled happily.
Amani’s route to her little kiosk overlooking the sea on Al-Rasheed street has taken a number of twists and turns. She started out working in a wedding dress shop where the pay was poor. Four years ago, Amani and her husband traveled to Turkiye looking for work.