If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to our RSS feed. Thanks for reading!

I must excuse myself, yet again, for the recent lack of content on this site - but I am in Athens with Ilektra. As we know, Greece has only recently ben introduced to the internet and they haven’t yet graduated to broadband, so I am stuck with a crappy dial-up connection for now. Believe me, it’s driving me insane… but I have more time to enjoy the sun anyway. This means, however, that you cannot count on me posting very often for the next few weeks.

But while I have the chance, I should update you all to recent events… It seems I will be returning to Gaza in the New Year. The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights has hired me from mid-January 2009 and I will spend at least six months there. Since I left Gaza last January, it has not left my thoughts… so the prospect of returning excites me very much!

Also, I have been selected to write a chapter for an upcoming book on peace philosophy. My contribution is tentatively entitled, “Israel’s Philosophy of Separation: The Flawed Vision of Unilaterally Enforced Peace”, and will discuss the notion of separation from the occupied territories as a “solution” for peace. Naturally, I am quite skeptical. The book will be out some time in 2009 (when they find a publisher) and I will keep you all updated.

…and from September until I leave for Gaza, Ilektra and I will be living in London. This will give me time to finish my thesis, get a short internship, and to continue studying to retake the GRE.

To Greeks, the island of Crete is thought to be a scenic holiday location - albeit isolated by a particularly wide expanse of the Mediterranean sea. It is an island with a great history and a unique polymorphic landscape. As a girl, I remember hearing stories of the oddity of Crete’s inhabitants and of the amazing and unusual things that occurred there.

One summer, I visited the sleepy town of Ierapetra with my family. As I can recall, the Cretans were a kind and hospitable people with a talent for cooking – even by Greek standards. It’s common knowledge in Greece that Cretans are old-fashioned charming folks, keeping traditions as they go. Being very young (I believe I was only 5 when I visited Crete), I had wondered with some interest why so many of the Cretans dressed entirely in black. It was as if the entire island was perpetually trapped in the throes of some unspeakable tragedy. A childish thought to be sure, but I came to realize that Crete was indeed more tragic than one might have imagined. (more…)