Ramalaga

it's really amazing to feel home when your away from home ! it's really difficult to talk to people who talks different language but trying their best to let you feel that you are home and welcomed even  more than welcomed . one of the reasons that i feel so because here people have same habits as Arabs , they talk the same and act the same even though the language is different , they are so kind . and we don't need to forget that Arabs  we're controlling  Andalusia many years ago . beside that their are a lot of Moroccan people who lives in Spain . one of the best thing i like , that Spanish people wants you to learn Spanish in the same moment you are to talking to them , when they start doing this i can't stop laughing because i feel that i am talking to an Arab who's trying to teach me Spanish haha :D talking about the language one of the most interesting thing is the Spanish Andalusian language , which means that Andalusia has their own style of t...

Yasser Murtaja: another young man whose life was stolen by the israeli occupation forces. Murtaja was shot by an israeli sniper while covering a mass protest in Gaza, which started in the 31st of march.   While young palestinian journalists strive to make a change, they are put in compromising situations and their lives are often on the line. While considered a local hero, israeli and western media have tried to portray him negatively. with headlines like ¨Terrorist or Journalist? who really was the slain Gazan Yasser Murtaja?¨. It is obvious that they are determined to bury his life and works under accusations unworthy of mentioning. This blog is dedicated to Murtaja, to celebrate a life gone too soon, and to mourn a death that was sadly inevitable. To the man who spent his life trying to improve the situation in Palestine and gave hope to thousands of people, thank you.  Behind the deaths they aim so hardly to dehumanize, with statistics and numbers and false news and...

one hour and a half away from Malaga, I found myself unexpectedly enchanted by the elegance of  Casares. Its narrow streets framed by simple white houses on each side, over viewing miles upon miles of green land, proved that one can find hidden gems in the smallest of places.  During my 10 hour visit, I was astonished by the warmth and kindness of the people. Two other Palestinians and I were taking part of a cultural week in Casares, to talk about the political situation in Palestine, as well as our daily lives. I believe that the village is mostly inhabited by the elderly, who live alongside the nature in peace and harmony. The village is so dissociated from the rest of the world, it is almost heavenly. I saw a sort of simplicity in Casares that I am quite unfamiliar with. It is the opposite of what I am used to; The busy streets in Ramallah, polluted with the curses of angry drivers and the horns of their cars. A type of negativity that shelters people who are tired...

The 30th of march marks the commemoration of the Palestinian Land Day, when 6 Palestinians were martyred after Israel expanded its territories by stealing more land; the Palestinian Galilee. On the same day 42 years later, 18 Palestinians were brutally murdered in Gaza, and hundreds injured, during the March of Return; a march resembling the Palestinian resistance and will to return to their homeland after being expelled tens of years earlier. It is the embodiment of the accumulative anger and frustration. However, the media has portrayed the Palestinian resistance as an unmanageable act of rebellion. It is important to follow different news agencies and resources during times of conflict, that might show another side of the story; one that is usually hidden.  Below is a list of news resources that will keep you updated on the recent events: 1) Lebanese TV channel: Almayadeen Although Almayadeen is a Lebanese News Television Channel, it has sites in Spanish...

            Pictures of Taxis from the early 1900s, that can take you from Lebanon, to Syria, then back to Palestine, are very common on social media. Millennials look at them, and long for the lives they will never have, while older people reminisce and cling to the memories.  you could have breakfast in Beirut, lunch in Damascus, and dinner in Jaffa . This is a phrase that is often used to describe how life was before the Arab world was divided, and before Palestine was occupied. Today, Palestine is divided into two parts by a wall. One part is what is now called Israel, and the other part is the west bank.  This has made it impossible for Palestinians to travel abroad unless they cross the borders to Jordan. The recent wars and divisions have complicated the freedom of travel for many Arabs as well. When having checkpoints is the norm, freedom of travel is very fascinating. The idea that one could pick their things ...

Hundreds of tourists fill the streets of Malaga as Easter approaches. As a Christian Palestinian, it is hard for me to be thousands of miles away from my family during the annual festivities of the holy week . While being exposed to a new culture and its celebrations is out of my comfort zone, I have found more beauty and grace in the Spanish culture that make me appreciate this opportunity even more. My name is Jiana Isead, I was born and raised in one of the holiest places in the world: Bethlehem. I am a psychology student in Birzeit University, and I am currently on an exchange in Malaga. It was quite shocking for me to see how differently Easter is celebrated in Malaga, which encouraged me to write a post pointing out some of these differences. The smell of date stuffed cookies fills the houses of my town on Easter day. Churches are filled with hundreds of faithful Christians from all around the world, seeking to find forgiveness from Jesus and to be embraced by the land his...

Palestinians have hundreds of layers, upon discovering more of the world these layers slowly start to shed. We feel ourselves changing, healing, metamorphosing. We feel the walls surrounding us slowly crumble. While we are enchanted by our homeland, we enjoy a concept that we are yet to learn, and that is freedom. To introduce myself, my name is Rand Abdalqader. I am a 20 year old Media and Journalism student in Birzeit University in Palestine, and I will be spending my semester in Malaga. ''Would you rather live here or in Palestine?'' Being bombarded by this question time and time again during my stay got me thinking about my future. What opportunities would I have if I decided to leave my homeland? On one hand, it is the primary source of my frustration and anger. On the other hand, what does the future hold for Palestine, if Palestinians leave? To further explain the situation, here is an example: Armed Israeli soldiers dressed up as Palestinians, invade...