1 00:00:05,280 --> 00:00:07,800 Speaker 1: Hey, this is Sanny and Samantha and come with Steffan 2 00:00:07,880 --> 00:00:09,840 Speaker 1: never told your production if I heard radio. 3 00:00:18,760 --> 00:00:22,840 Speaker 2: And we are doing our month the book club. Yay. 4 00:00:23,880 --> 00:00:26,800 Speaker 2: We have chosen a short story collection and it is 5 00:00:26,840 --> 00:00:31,640 Speaker 2: by a Palacitian activist and writer, Nauru's Karmat, titled The 6 00:00:31,640 --> 00:00:34,080 Speaker 2: Sea Cloak, and if you have an opportunity to read it, 7 00:00:34,120 --> 00:00:37,280 Speaker 2: you should is it is a very short but heavy read. 8 00:00:37,560 --> 00:00:43,240 Speaker 2: Speaking of which content warning there is mentioned of rape, definitely, death, war, colonization, 9 00:00:43,320 --> 00:00:46,560 Speaker 2: and genocide. And though the stories are short, the book 10 00:00:46,600 --> 00:00:49,960 Speaker 2: itself is less than eighty pages, the words are profound 11 00:00:50,120 --> 00:00:53,199 Speaker 2: and powerful. There are some stories that had to be 12 00:00:53,280 --> 00:00:56,280 Speaker 2: read by me a couple of times for me to 13 00:00:56,280 --> 00:00:58,160 Speaker 2: get the depth and the meaning behind it. I even 14 00:00:58,200 --> 00:01:00,360 Speaker 2: had to see some research still didn't quite get a 15 00:01:00,400 --> 00:01:03,520 Speaker 2: lot of some of it. Rather, and speaking of which 16 00:01:03,800 --> 00:01:07,680 Speaker 2: being completely transparent, there's a lot of things I do 17 00:01:07,760 --> 00:01:10,880 Speaker 2: not know about the Palestinian culture or even the area. 18 00:01:11,360 --> 00:01:13,640 Speaker 2: I do know the gist of it, and it was 19 00:01:13,680 --> 00:01:16,800 Speaker 2: not so long ago that I even began to understand 20 00:01:16,840 --> 00:01:20,400 Speaker 2: the depths of what is happening in the Gaza area. 21 00:01:21,000 --> 00:01:24,000 Speaker 2: So some of the contexts in the stories were unfamiliar 22 00:01:24,040 --> 00:01:27,480 Speaker 2: to me, but it is still a powerful story and 23 00:01:27,560 --> 00:01:29,760 Speaker 2: the conversation of not only the state of what is 24 00:01:29,800 --> 00:01:33,280 Speaker 2: happening there and the match gen aside and displacement, but 25 00:01:33,520 --> 00:01:36,720 Speaker 2: also the need for gender equality and protection. Just also. 26 00:01:36,880 --> 00:01:39,640 Speaker 2: This book was published in twenty nineteen, and yes it 27 00:01:39,680 --> 00:01:44,840 Speaker 2: has won several awards. It is also a translation, so 28 00:01:45,080 --> 00:01:49,240 Speaker 2: with that translation, much like our feminists around the world, 29 00:01:50,040 --> 00:01:52,920 Speaker 2: we're going to try our best with pronunciations. There are 30 00:01:52,960 --> 00:01:56,960 Speaker 2: gonna be mistakes that we make, probably some romanization, English 31 00:01:56,960 --> 00:02:01,960 Speaker 2: translations and pronunciations that it is not completly correct. If 32 00:02:02,000 --> 00:02:08,280 Speaker 2: you are understand the correct pronunciation or of those origins 33 00:02:08,280 --> 00:02:10,400 Speaker 2: and you want to correct us nicely, that would be lovely, 34 00:02:11,960 --> 00:02:12,600 Speaker 2: just so you know. 35 00:02:12,800 --> 00:02:12,920 Speaker 3: So. 36 00:02:14,680 --> 00:02:17,120 Speaker 2: But yes, there's a lot happening, and of course we 37 00:02:17,200 --> 00:02:21,120 Speaker 2: always want to highlight those who have been working to 38 00:02:21,200 --> 00:02:24,280 Speaker 2: create change and speak out, and this is one of 39 00:02:24,320 --> 00:02:27,120 Speaker 2: those books that does talk about a lot of the 40 00:02:27,320 --> 00:02:30,639 Speaker 2: ins and outs and the ugliness of what is happening there. 41 00:02:30,800 --> 00:02:33,440 Speaker 2: And by the way, here's a bit about the author, 42 00:02:34,000 --> 00:02:37,400 Speaker 2: Karmat herself from the Comic Press, which is what the 43 00:02:37,440 --> 00:02:39,720 Speaker 2: press that was used for the book. The release of 44 00:02:39,760 --> 00:02:44,320 Speaker 2: the book, Naarus Karmat is a Palestinian writer and activist. 45 00:02:44,560 --> 00:02:48,600 Speaker 2: Born in Damascus in nineteen eighty four as a Palestinian refugee, 46 00:02:48,919 --> 00:02:51,040 Speaker 2: She returned to the Gaza Strip as part of the 47 00:02:51,120 --> 00:02:56,080 Speaker 2: nineteen ninety four Israeli Palestinian Peace Agreement, where she now lives. 48 00:02:57,000 --> 00:03:00,000 Speaker 2: I don't know how dated this is, so she gradual 49 00:03:00,120 --> 00:03:05,800 Speaker 2: weight from Alizar University in Gaza with a degree in economics. 50 00:03:05,919 --> 00:03:09,840 Speaker 2: She at the time of this publishing worked in the 51 00:03:09,880 --> 00:03:13,960 Speaker 2: Ministry of Women's Affairs, raising awareness of gender issues and 52 00:03:14,000 --> 00:03:17,320 Speaker 2: promoting the political and economic role of women in policy 53 00:03:17,440 --> 00:03:20,679 Speaker 2: and law, as well as the defense of women from 54 00:03:20,720 --> 00:03:24,160 Speaker 2: abuse and highlighting the role of women's issues in the media. 55 00:03:24,520 --> 00:03:29,400 Speaker 2: Her political, social and literary articles have appeared in numerous newspapers, magazines, 56 00:03:29,440 --> 00:03:33,240 Speaker 2: and online. She has also written screenplays for several short 57 00:03:33,240 --> 00:03:36,480 Speaker 2: films dealing with women's rights. She's a social activist and 58 00:03:36,520 --> 00:03:40,000 Speaker 2: a member of several youth initiatives campaigning for social change 59 00:03:40,120 --> 00:03:43,680 Speaker 2: in Palestine. I don't know where she's at today. I 60 00:03:43,720 --> 00:03:46,440 Speaker 2: think she does have some social media, so not sure 61 00:03:46,480 --> 00:03:48,880 Speaker 2: what she's up to with what is happening since she 62 00:03:49,000 --> 00:03:52,640 Speaker 2: was a resident of that area. So we'll look into 63 00:03:52,640 --> 00:03:55,840 Speaker 2: that later. So for this we are going to go 64 00:03:56,080 --> 00:04:00,000 Speaker 2: story by story, as each story as an independent, unique tale, 65 00:04:00,720 --> 00:04:03,839 Speaker 2: with a small excerpt of each story if we can find, 66 00:04:03,840 --> 00:04:06,720 Speaker 2: and some of them are so small and so just intense, 67 00:04:06,800 --> 00:04:08,560 Speaker 2: we might not have one. We'll just give a brief 68 00:04:08,560 --> 00:04:10,920 Speaker 2: explainer and then we'll discuss the themes as we go. 69 00:04:11,080 --> 00:04:14,680 Speaker 2: So per book, we'll discuss about it because obviously we 70 00:04:14,720 --> 00:04:16,479 Speaker 2: can tie it all together at the end, and we 71 00:04:16,520 --> 00:04:19,960 Speaker 2: probably will, but with short stories, we'd like to give 72 00:04:20,000 --> 00:04:22,799 Speaker 2: attention to each one. So we are going to start 73 00:04:22,800 --> 00:04:25,960 Speaker 2: with the first story, The Sea Cloak, which is the 74 00:04:25,960 --> 00:04:29,520 Speaker 2: title of the actual book, and the story is of 75 00:04:29,560 --> 00:04:32,160 Speaker 2: a young woman going with her family to the beach 76 00:04:32,520 --> 00:04:34,919 Speaker 2: and she nearly drowns because of the amount of clothing 77 00:04:35,000 --> 00:04:38,440 Speaker 2: that binds her in the water, but it's rescued by 78 00:04:38,440 --> 00:04:41,960 Speaker 2: a stranger. Here they look at not only the implications 79 00:04:42,000 --> 00:04:44,440 Speaker 2: of what the women and the young girls have to wear, 80 00:04:44,760 --> 00:04:47,760 Speaker 2: but her interactions with boys in general, in which she 81 00:04:47,960 --> 00:04:50,599 Speaker 2: is chastised at the beginning of the story for flirting 82 00:04:50,600 --> 00:04:55,080 Speaker 2: with a young boy intent because she was chastised in 83 00:04:55,520 --> 00:04:58,320 Speaker 2: she is afraid of being chastised again after being touched 84 00:04:58,320 --> 00:05:01,400 Speaker 2: by the man who rescued her from drowning, which he 85 00:05:01,440 --> 00:05:04,479 Speaker 2: doesn't get chastised. He gets thank you, thank you so much, 86 00:05:04,560 --> 00:05:08,919 Speaker 2: rather for rescuing her. But it is an interesting interaction 87 00:05:09,160 --> 00:05:11,680 Speaker 2: between her mind and figuring out, oh God, did I 88 00:05:11,680 --> 00:05:18,240 Speaker 2: do something wrong versus her life essentially right. And here's 89 00:05:18,240 --> 00:05:20,520 Speaker 2: a quote from the story that is just the way 90 00:05:20,600 --> 00:05:23,600 Speaker 2: Gaza is a young girl yet to learn the art 91 00:05:23,640 --> 00:05:26,960 Speaker 2: of elegance, a young girl who has not yet developed 92 00:05:27,000 --> 00:05:30,520 Speaker 2: her own scent, and is still willingly or not perfumed 93 00:05:30,640 --> 00:05:34,000 Speaker 2: by all around her. And in that context, she's talking 94 00:05:34,000 --> 00:05:39,359 Speaker 2: about being affected by the culture, by ideals and traditions 95 00:05:39,560 --> 00:05:41,520 Speaker 2: and rules of the place, as well as the five 96 00:05:41,600 --> 00:05:46,480 Speaker 2: people's own assumptions of her. I thought it was very pretty. 97 00:05:46,760 --> 00:05:49,839 Speaker 2: The entire book is beautiful, just fy, and very poetic 98 00:05:49,839 --> 00:05:54,120 Speaker 2: and sometimes really very deeply thought provoking, which meaning like 99 00:05:54,279 --> 00:05:59,159 Speaker 2: what did that just say? Type of level and I've 100 00:05:59,160 --> 00:06:02,640 Speaker 2: had to backtrack what just happened? Here's another quote. She 101 00:06:02,760 --> 00:06:05,560 Speaker 2: drifted toward it, carried like a mermaid by the breeze, 102 00:06:05,760 --> 00:06:09,400 Speaker 2: her thoughts entirely immersed in the ways before her time 103 00:06:09,520 --> 00:06:12,960 Speaker 2: was stealing her steps away, and the sea, without her realizing, 104 00:06:13,320 --> 00:06:15,919 Speaker 2: had already snuck into her memory, and it was just 105 00:06:15,920 --> 00:06:19,760 Speaker 2: such a vivid line about how memories are created in 106 00:06:19,839 --> 00:06:22,400 Speaker 2: that moment and you know when you are they're just 107 00:06:22,440 --> 00:06:23,720 Speaker 2: like this is going to be one of those things 108 00:06:23,720 --> 00:06:27,960 Speaker 2: I think gone forever. And it was a gorgeous like 109 00:06:28,480 --> 00:06:30,800 Speaker 2: look as well as like right before oh my god, 110 00:06:30,800 --> 00:06:33,280 Speaker 2: I think I might die a moment for her. 111 00:06:33,760 --> 00:06:38,040 Speaker 1: Yeah. I found that a lot of the so much 112 00:06:38,080 --> 00:06:40,040 Speaker 1: of the environment was described so well, and so much 113 00:06:40,040 --> 00:06:42,960 Speaker 1: of the water specifically to see the feeling of the sea, 114 00:06:43,000 --> 00:06:46,080 Speaker 1: even if you're not necessarily near it, but just like 115 00:06:46,160 --> 00:06:49,680 Speaker 1: this in the air, you can feel it. 116 00:06:52,000 --> 00:06:52,320 Speaker 2: The oughts. 117 00:06:52,360 --> 00:06:57,279 Speaker 1: That really painted a great picture of the area, the environment, 118 00:06:58,040 --> 00:07:00,679 Speaker 1: and that shone through in that one. The next story 119 00:07:00,760 --> 00:07:03,839 Speaker 1: is called Black Grapes, and this is about a friendship 120 00:07:03,880 --> 00:07:08,120 Speaker 1: between a Palestinian and a Jewish settler. A man is 121 00:07:08,160 --> 00:07:10,880 Speaker 1: trying to provide for his family, including his mother, who 122 00:07:10,920 --> 00:07:13,040 Speaker 1: owns a land with grapes growing on it, but it's 123 00:07:13,040 --> 00:07:15,560 Speaker 1: not really doing well, so he works for a man 124 00:07:15,680 --> 00:07:19,920 Speaker 1: named David, who defends him against others that insult him. 125 00:07:20,280 --> 00:07:23,520 Speaker 1: His name is Hammood, but after a small argument over 126 00:07:23,600 --> 00:07:27,800 Speaker 1: wages in labor is overheard by a bystander, kind of 127 00:07:27,800 --> 00:07:32,920 Speaker 1: an annoyed bystander outside Hamoud is shot after someone called 128 00:07:32,960 --> 00:07:37,000 Speaker 1: in saying that he was a terrorist. And that one's 129 00:07:37,040 --> 00:07:39,120 Speaker 1: sort of a circular, like you start at the end 130 00:07:39,160 --> 00:07:42,160 Speaker 1: and then get the painting of what led up to 131 00:07:42,320 --> 00:07:46,600 Speaker 1: that moment. And yeah, it was upsetting because they at 132 00:07:46,680 --> 00:07:52,200 Speaker 1: least had somewhat of an amicable relationship and then this 133 00:07:52,280 --> 00:07:55,000 Speaker 1: guy was just annoyed and called in. I mean, he 134 00:07:55,040 --> 00:07:58,000 Speaker 1: did overhear some stuff, but he definitely was like annoyed 135 00:07:58,040 --> 00:07:58,600 Speaker 1: and called in. 136 00:07:58,920 --> 00:08:02,720 Speaker 2: He took an opportunity. But the kind of the bigger 137 00:08:02,760 --> 00:08:04,600 Speaker 2: theme of that, and I think one of the things 138 00:08:04,640 --> 00:08:10,480 Speaker 2: she was leaking to was the power that the Jewish 139 00:08:10,520 --> 00:08:14,360 Speaker 2: settler had. David had over the situation just because he 140 00:08:14,400 --> 00:08:16,600 Speaker 2: said the word terrorist and that was enough to get 141 00:08:16,680 --> 00:08:20,560 Speaker 2: him killed without any other conversations. And then of course 142 00:08:20,600 --> 00:08:25,520 Speaker 2: he regrets it and literally like screams, we were just 143 00:08:25,720 --> 00:08:28,280 Speaker 2: he he didn't get paid, That's all he kept saying 144 00:08:28,560 --> 00:08:31,320 Speaker 2: in his heartbreaking because you know, the father's loss and 145 00:08:31,360 --> 00:08:33,360 Speaker 2: the mother. We left a lot of this out because 146 00:08:33,360 --> 00:08:36,240 Speaker 2: it's such a such a suisting story that it was 147 00:08:36,320 --> 00:08:38,040 Speaker 2: just a lot, but like talking about trying to take 148 00:08:38,040 --> 00:08:40,200 Speaker 2: care of the mother, her mother refusing to give up 149 00:08:40,200 --> 00:08:42,640 Speaker 2: the land even though David really is trying to get 150 00:08:42,679 --> 00:08:45,359 Speaker 2: that land. And then that's kind of a big implication 151 00:08:45,640 --> 00:08:51,280 Speaker 2: of the story in general, between the Jewish settlers and 152 00:08:50,920 --> 00:08:53,400 Speaker 2: then some of the people who come through that area 153 00:08:54,040 --> 00:08:59,440 Speaker 2: versus the Palestinians who lived there. So yeah, definitely a lot. 154 00:09:00,080 --> 00:09:03,640 Speaker 2: The next story is the Mirror. We see a woman 155 00:09:03,880 --> 00:09:07,760 Speaker 2: named Laila and her niece Dahlia pretending to watch TV. 156 00:09:08,200 --> 00:09:09,600 Speaker 2: And this is again one of those that had to 157 00:09:09,600 --> 00:09:11,120 Speaker 2: come back and read twice because I was like, what 158 00:09:11,280 --> 00:09:14,440 Speaker 2: just happened? Pretending to watch TV in a mirror with 159 00:09:14,520 --> 00:09:18,160 Speaker 2: a key fob. I'm thinking they're at a refugee camp. 160 00:09:18,360 --> 00:09:21,400 Speaker 2: I can't quite grasp what's happening because it's not or 161 00:09:21,640 --> 00:09:26,680 Speaker 2: just a ruined, desolate building. And so they sit pretending 162 00:09:26,679 --> 00:09:29,760 Speaker 2: to watch TV. The niece gets excited tries to get 163 00:09:29,760 --> 00:09:33,360 Speaker 2: her aunt to come down, and which y'all, yeah, obviously 164 00:09:33,440 --> 00:09:36,560 Speaker 2: my hard hearts. But as the young niece is using 165 00:09:36,559 --> 00:09:39,920 Speaker 2: her imagination to remember her favorite TV show and character, 166 00:09:40,920 --> 00:09:44,280 Speaker 2: we read have a throwback to a harrowing incident of 167 00:09:44,480 --> 00:09:46,960 Speaker 2: Laila being raped as a child and her trying to 168 00:09:46,960 --> 00:09:49,640 Speaker 2: protect her herself and her niece from that type of 169 00:09:49,760 --> 00:09:54,360 Speaker 2: darkness in general. During the time of the incident, Leila 170 00:09:54,440 --> 00:09:57,920 Speaker 2: had her own favorite character, much like Dahlia, and she 171 00:09:58,040 --> 00:10:00,000 Speaker 2: used her favorite character as a way to protect her. 172 00:10:00,480 --> 00:10:03,280 Speaker 2: And here's a quote she remains afraid of. That's their case, 173 00:10:03,320 --> 00:10:06,360 Speaker 2: her entire life. She has nightmares for many years about 174 00:10:06,360 --> 00:10:08,800 Speaker 2: the shadow that can make hands appear out of nowhere, 175 00:10:08,840 --> 00:10:13,040 Speaker 2: grabbing her. But she always kept Lady close, Lady who 176 00:10:13,080 --> 00:10:17,120 Speaker 2: runs through green orchards. She remains Leilah's favorite cartoon character 177 00:10:17,320 --> 00:10:20,959 Speaker 2: even into adulthood. In nightmares, she too runs for the 178 00:10:21,000 --> 00:10:23,720 Speaker 2: comfort of those green meadows, keeping the sunlight on her 179 00:10:23,760 --> 00:10:25,439 Speaker 2: face rather than darkness. 180 00:10:25,800 --> 00:10:29,240 Speaker 1: Yeah, and that one was really powerful too, because I've 181 00:10:29,280 --> 00:10:33,280 Speaker 1: spoken about that before too, about using fictional characters to 182 00:10:33,320 --> 00:10:36,600 Speaker 1: get through dark stuff. So that one was really moving 183 00:10:37,800 --> 00:10:51,640 Speaker 1: and painful. The next one is called the Pen in 184 00:10:51,679 --> 00:10:54,920 Speaker 1: the Notebook, and this one we see three brothers, am 185 00:10:55,040 --> 00:10:58,439 Speaker 1: Asad and Adam, who travel with their donkey and kart 186 00:10:58,440 --> 00:11:01,199 Speaker 1: to collect rocks to sell for the day. And here 187 00:11:01,240 --> 00:11:03,680 Speaker 1: we witness the daily lives that the brothers trying to 188 00:11:03,679 --> 00:11:07,320 Speaker 1: help their family. Carmott does a beautiful job showing their 189 00:11:07,400 --> 00:11:10,240 Speaker 1: life as they travel through the town and then back 190 00:11:10,280 --> 00:11:12,280 Speaker 1: into their home, and she ends the story in a 191 00:11:12,280 --> 00:11:16,160 Speaker 1: way that shows how the warmth can be felt with 192 00:11:16,280 --> 00:11:19,760 Speaker 1: their family. And here's a quote about that the warmth 193 00:11:19,760 --> 00:11:22,160 Speaker 1: of her body seemed to restore them from the chill 194 00:11:22,240 --> 00:11:24,840 Speaker 1: that had crept in since that evening sun had set. 195 00:11:25,200 --> 00:11:28,199 Speaker 1: I am withdrew the crumpled twenty shekel note from his 196 00:11:28,240 --> 00:11:32,000 Speaker 1: trouser pocket and placed it in his mother's hand. Her 197 00:11:32,040 --> 00:11:34,560 Speaker 1: eyes glistened, and he gave her a kiss on the forehead. 198 00:11:34,920 --> 00:11:37,520 Speaker 1: Of the four shekels that remained, he gave two each 199 00:11:37,600 --> 00:11:40,480 Speaker 1: to his brothers. Don't forget what I told you. Buy 200 00:11:40,480 --> 00:11:42,360 Speaker 1: a notebook and a pen so you can learn to 201 00:11:42,360 --> 00:11:46,280 Speaker 1: write like me, he said, in his most paternal voice. 202 00:11:46,520 --> 00:11:48,560 Speaker 2: And obviously this is kind of I think this is 203 00:11:48,559 --> 00:11:51,080 Speaker 2: a theme in general about the fact that the young 204 00:11:51,160 --> 00:11:54,960 Speaker 2: children are having to play parents and caregivers. The father 205 00:11:55,040 --> 00:11:57,040 Speaker 2: had gotten shot by what they say, is in a 206 00:11:57,160 --> 00:12:01,120 Speaker 2: more American bullet and is paralyzed in bedridden, and so 207 00:12:01,160 --> 00:12:03,040 Speaker 2: he's taking care of all of them. But one of 208 00:12:03,040 --> 00:12:06,160 Speaker 2: the most important things that he teaches them is to write. 209 00:12:06,200 --> 00:12:08,319 Speaker 2: That they need to read and write. Yeah, so I 210 00:12:08,360 --> 00:12:10,880 Speaker 2: think that in itself has its own big themes. 211 00:12:11,840 --> 00:12:15,839 Speaker 1: Yes, that is definitely throughout. I would say children are 212 00:12:15,920 --> 00:12:18,760 Speaker 1: present in most of these, if not all of these. 213 00:12:18,960 --> 00:12:23,480 Speaker 2: Right as we know, the majority at least, like they said, 214 00:12:23,640 --> 00:12:27,960 Speaker 2: forty six if not more percent are children. Not sure 215 00:12:28,080 --> 00:12:32,520 Speaker 2: the numbers now? Then the next story is the White Lilies, 216 00:12:32,880 --> 00:12:35,439 Speaker 2: and the story begins with an exchange between the flower 217 00:12:35,440 --> 00:12:38,760 Speaker 2: shop assistant and a man with a thick French accent 218 00:12:39,160 --> 00:12:41,800 Speaker 2: talking about the area and about flowers for Mother's Day, 219 00:12:42,360 --> 00:12:45,600 Speaker 2: and the flower shop assistant tells him white lilies are 220 00:12:45,640 --> 00:12:48,200 Speaker 2: for Mother's Day and he buys, and the frenchman buys 221 00:12:48,200 --> 00:12:50,880 Speaker 2: that and leaves. Later, we find out that the flower 222 00:12:50,920 --> 00:12:53,920 Speaker 2: shop assistant is an orphan teenage boy named Ali who 223 00:12:53,960 --> 00:12:56,120 Speaker 2: finds out that his neighbor just had a daughter, and 224 00:12:56,160 --> 00:13:01,240 Speaker 2: he suggests naming her Zara, which they do. Zara is 225 00:13:01,280 --> 00:13:03,720 Speaker 2: like a daughter to Ali and has been uh and 226 00:13:03,760 --> 00:13:05,680 Speaker 2: he has been a part of her life. She's a 227 00:13:05,679 --> 00:13:09,200 Speaker 2: sweet child who we are introduced to officially when she 228 00:13:09,200 --> 00:13:13,680 Speaker 2: talks about mosquitoes that often bother her hearing and while 229 00:13:13,679 --> 00:13:17,720 Speaker 2: she's studying, and how these mosquitoes can launch rockets as 230 00:13:17,800 --> 00:13:20,600 Speaker 2: well as pesticides to quote unquote help the plants, and 231 00:13:20,640 --> 00:13:22,720 Speaker 2: then we in this conversation to talk about drones as 232 00:13:22,720 --> 00:13:26,320 Speaker 2: well as part of the mosquitoes. Her father tries to 233 00:13:26,320 --> 00:13:29,440 Speaker 2: reassure her that they don't do the rockets, they're just 234 00:13:29,480 --> 00:13:32,079 Speaker 2: there to help plants, and she is sent off to 235 00:13:32,120 --> 00:13:35,520 Speaker 2: school reassured, where she waits for Ali. Ali is heading 236 00:13:35,559 --> 00:13:37,520 Speaker 2: to the school to give her a white lily for 237 00:13:37,640 --> 00:13:40,440 Speaker 2: Mother's Day. All the while, a man with a thick 238 00:13:40,520 --> 00:13:44,160 Speaker 2: French accent that works for the military is order to 239 00:13:44,200 --> 00:13:48,160 Speaker 2: neutralize the target after hearing the phrase the lilies have blossomed. 240 00:13:48,320 --> 00:13:53,040 Speaker 2: Ali is time and then we soon read Ali is blasted, slash, 241 00:13:53,080 --> 00:13:56,600 Speaker 2: knocked down and killed in front of Zara, who gets 242 00:13:56,880 --> 00:13:59,040 Speaker 2: a part of that blast as well. But she I 243 00:13:59,080 --> 00:14:02,120 Speaker 2: guess is okay, who had been waiting for him to 244 00:14:02,240 --> 00:14:04,840 Speaker 2: arrive in front of the school the entire time. 245 00:14:07,240 --> 00:14:10,760 Speaker 1: Yep. And then the next story is called Our Milk. 246 00:14:12,400 --> 00:14:15,760 Speaker 1: We learn of two different instances, one occurring in nineteen 247 00:14:15,800 --> 00:14:18,160 Speaker 1: forty six and another in two thousand and one. The 248 00:14:18,200 --> 00:14:21,320 Speaker 1: scenery begins at an elegant restaurant with a young blond 249 00:14:21,400 --> 00:14:23,640 Speaker 1: woman waiting for her milk as part of her breakfast, 250 00:14:23,720 --> 00:14:26,640 Speaker 1: but as she waits, an explosion occurs, killing her and 251 00:14:26,680 --> 00:14:29,920 Speaker 1: many others. Jump to two thousand and one. A young 252 00:14:29,960 --> 00:14:32,520 Speaker 1: man is being driven to an area with a ukulele 253 00:14:32,720 --> 00:14:35,680 Speaker 1: case and a camera bag. He is dropped off downtown 254 00:14:35,920 --> 00:14:39,120 Speaker 1: at a cafe named Sabarros. There with a young boy 255 00:14:39,120 --> 00:14:41,760 Speaker 1: and his mom, a worker, and another customer, a bomb 256 00:14:41,800 --> 00:14:45,680 Speaker 1: goes off, and here is a quote from that. As 257 00:14:45,680 --> 00:14:49,040 Speaker 1: the kitchen clock ticks noon, the white sauce sprays upwards, 258 00:14:49,200 --> 00:14:52,280 Speaker 1: mingling for a frozen nanosecond with the red. The little 259 00:14:52,280 --> 00:14:54,960 Speaker 1: boy with freckles daydreams for the last time about learning 260 00:14:54,960 --> 00:14:57,800 Speaker 1: the guitar. The old man taps his foot to one 261 00:14:57,880 --> 00:15:01,160 Speaker 1: last beat. The woman with the long legs takes her 262 00:15:01,240 --> 00:15:03,680 Speaker 1: last sip of orange juice. In a tornado of spaghetti 263 00:15:03,720 --> 00:15:07,520 Speaker 1: and wood and stone. Tables fly and the roof collapses. 264 00:15:07,840 --> 00:15:10,760 Speaker 1: Blood and bone are scattered in the dust of the 265 00:15:10,800 --> 00:15:13,800 Speaker 1: young man's curious gaze. Nothing remains. 266 00:15:15,480 --> 00:15:20,440 Speaker 2: Yes, now, the beginning scene really does make you think 267 00:15:20,480 --> 00:15:28,720 Speaker 2: of I guess it was before the official colonization slash 268 00:15:28,760 --> 00:15:35,000 Speaker 2: displacement in that area, but still obviously socioeconomic divide with 269 00:15:35,040 --> 00:15:38,200 Speaker 2: the whole like waiting for milk being really annoyed, waiting 270 00:15:38,240 --> 00:15:40,720 Speaker 2: for that milk, which was a luxury at that time, 271 00:15:41,400 --> 00:15:47,120 Speaker 2: to her being bombed. And then it flipped into the 272 00:15:47,160 --> 00:15:51,400 Speaker 2: incident in which the journalists who had been reporting all 273 00:15:51,400 --> 00:15:55,520 Speaker 2: these horrific things finally joins the cause. Slash joins the 274 00:15:55,560 --> 00:16:01,720 Speaker 2: fight and delivers the young teenage boy to bomb the Saborrows, 275 00:16:01,800 --> 00:16:03,960 Speaker 2: which I'm guessing it's the piece of place. Says they 276 00:16:04,000 --> 00:16:07,920 Speaker 2: do discuisse pizza and Italian food, So it sounds like 277 00:16:07,960 --> 00:16:16,720 Speaker 2: maybe a connotation about yeah, English or Americanized restaurants. 278 00:16:16,800 --> 00:16:22,120 Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, but also just kind of that mirror of 279 00:16:22,160 --> 00:16:25,720 Speaker 1: like time of like this instance in this sistance and 280 00:16:25,760 --> 00:16:30,240 Speaker 1: how they kind of reflect each other. 281 00:16:30,840 --> 00:16:35,520 Speaker 2: Yeah yeah, yeah. Then we have fourteenth of June or 282 00:16:35,600 --> 00:16:39,600 Speaker 2: June fourteenth. So here's a quote about the date. That 283 00:16:39,720 --> 00:16:42,720 Speaker 2: is the title, so it says the back as a note, 284 00:16:43,120 --> 00:16:46,000 Speaker 2: the title refers to fourteen June two thousand and seven, 285 00:16:46,360 --> 00:16:49,720 Speaker 2: the day in which Palestinian President Mamouda Boss announced the 286 00:16:49,720 --> 00:16:53,040 Speaker 2: dissolution of the Unity government and declared a state of emergency. 287 00:16:53,560 --> 00:16:56,040 Speaker 2: It occurred at the height of a Battle of Gaza, 288 00:16:56,440 --> 00:16:59,880 Speaker 2: also referred to as Hama's takeover of Gaza, which was 289 00:17:00,120 --> 00:17:04,960 Speaker 2: June tentheenth in two thousand and seven, which followed FATA 290 00:17:05,000 --> 00:17:09,480 Speaker 2: losing the parliamentary elections of two thousand and six. Harmas 291 00:17:09,480 --> 00:17:12,280 Speaker 2: fighters took control of the Gaza Strip and removed FATA 292 00:17:12,280 --> 00:17:16,360 Speaker 2: officials from the political and administrative positions, resulting in the 293 00:17:16,400 --> 00:17:20,080 Speaker 2: defective division of the Palestinian territories into two entities, the 294 00:17:20,119 --> 00:17:24,360 Speaker 2: West Bank governed by the Postinian National Authority and Gaza 295 00:17:24,440 --> 00:17:27,719 Speaker 2: governed by Hamas. And The story follows a family watching 296 00:17:27,720 --> 00:17:32,280 Speaker 2: the chaos happening around them as the city grapples with 297 00:17:32,359 --> 00:17:36,600 Speaker 2: the current state, trying to remain safe from protecting their homes, 298 00:17:36,600 --> 00:17:38,879 Speaker 2: we see the mother trying to find her husband as 299 00:17:38,920 --> 00:17:43,640 Speaker 2: well as trying to protect the daughters. An uncle involved. Somehow, 300 00:17:43,920 --> 00:17:45,439 Speaker 2: it did a double take on that, so I was 301 00:17:45,480 --> 00:17:48,720 Speaker 2: kind of confused. Here's quote, images flashed through her mind 302 00:17:48,800 --> 00:17:51,600 Speaker 2: like lightning, and this is I think this is the 303 00:17:51,640 --> 00:17:54,399 Speaker 2: perspective of a daughter. How many times has she jumped 304 00:17:54,400 --> 00:17:56,959 Speaker 2: out of bed thinking that a bullet has punctured her window? 305 00:17:57,160 --> 00:18:00,199 Speaker 2: How many times have she and her sister thrown themselves 306 00:18:00,200 --> 00:18:02,800 Speaker 2: into their mother's arms or huddle together at the foot 307 00:18:02,800 --> 00:18:06,160 Speaker 2: of the bed on hearing an RPG mortar screeching towards 308 00:18:06,200 --> 00:18:09,040 Speaker 2: the building on the square, and that's kind of the 309 00:18:09,119 --> 00:18:11,720 Speaker 2: chaos that is happening, as well as men coming in 310 00:18:11,760 --> 00:18:16,560 Speaker 2: and taking over places as well as stealing things. But 311 00:18:16,680 --> 00:18:19,000 Speaker 2: she's able to hold tight. She's able to keep our 312 00:18:19,040 --> 00:18:21,120 Speaker 2: family fed, and she's able to hail her hair from 313 00:18:21,119 --> 00:18:23,120 Speaker 2: our husband to know that he's alive. 314 00:18:26,200 --> 00:18:28,399 Speaker 1: The next story is called The Long Braid, which is 315 00:18:28,440 --> 00:18:31,639 Speaker 1: about a young lady who is proud and outspoken, even 316 00:18:31,680 --> 00:18:33,960 Speaker 1: if she is scared or nervous. She loves to sing 317 00:18:33,960 --> 00:18:36,400 Speaker 1: and dance and is willing to stand up against those 318 00:18:36,440 --> 00:18:39,280 Speaker 1: who try to shame her for that. Here is a 319 00:18:39,359 --> 00:18:43,119 Speaker 1: quote This triggers in turn something else, and she feels 320 00:18:43,160 --> 00:18:45,800 Speaker 1: tears stinging her eyes, like the ones she tried so 321 00:18:45,920 --> 00:18:48,920 Speaker 1: desperately not to shed that day she was excluded from class. 322 00:18:49,200 --> 00:18:51,840 Speaker 1: With each new sting, she writes down another word on 323 00:18:51,880 --> 00:18:54,640 Speaker 1: a blank page of the notebook, a word that describes 324 00:18:54,640 --> 00:18:57,040 Speaker 1: her love for her country, a word that stands in 325 00:18:57,080 --> 00:19:00,359 Speaker 1: defiance of all meaningless symbols her mass teacher on the 326 00:19:00,359 --> 00:19:03,679 Speaker 1: board that day. This episode might bring tears to her 327 00:19:03,760 --> 00:19:06,160 Speaker 1: eyes later that night in her room, but she knows 328 00:19:06,280 --> 00:19:08,919 Speaker 1: she has faced worse than this, like the time he 329 00:19:09,000 --> 00:19:10,960 Speaker 1: kicked her out of class for standing up to him 330 00:19:10,960 --> 00:19:14,280 Speaker 1: when he said women who called themselves emancipated were sluts. 331 00:19:14,720 --> 00:19:17,400 Speaker 1: She is proud of the restraint she showed that day, 332 00:19:17,720 --> 00:19:21,040 Speaker 1: despite her anger, despite his humiliation of her in front 333 00:19:21,080 --> 00:19:24,479 Speaker 1: of the other girls. She can feel the same tears 334 00:19:24,480 --> 00:19:28,200 Speaker 1: prickling her eyes as she felt then tears she refused 335 00:19:28,200 --> 00:19:31,199 Speaker 1: to shed for his ignorance. She left the classroom that 336 00:19:31,280 --> 00:19:33,960 Speaker 1: day without giving him another look. The god I know 337 00:19:34,119 --> 00:19:36,760 Speaker 1: pays no resemblance to the monster you rant about, she 338 00:19:36,840 --> 00:19:39,000 Speaker 1: says with a smile, and proceeded to skip all the 339 00:19:39,040 --> 00:19:41,399 Speaker 1: way down the corridor and out into the courtyard of 340 00:19:41,440 --> 00:19:43,920 Speaker 1: the Zatan Preparatory School for Girls. 341 00:19:44,320 --> 00:19:48,040 Speaker 2: Yeah, this was a beautiful story. I think she does 342 00:19:48,080 --> 00:19:53,439 Speaker 2: a really good job of making these young women or 343 00:19:53,480 --> 00:19:57,600 Speaker 2: girls really strong. But at the same time that fear 344 00:19:57,640 --> 00:20:00,600 Speaker 2: that like, you know this, you're so upset that you cry, 345 00:20:00,760 --> 00:20:03,119 Speaker 2: but you know what you're saying is right, and even 346 00:20:03,200 --> 00:20:06,040 Speaker 2: though you're crying, you're doing something brave. 347 00:20:07,520 --> 00:20:11,359 Speaker 1: Yeah, Yeah, And just feeling that kind of love of 348 00:20:11,400 --> 00:20:13,720 Speaker 1: school or a love of dance, love of singing or 349 00:20:13,760 --> 00:20:15,920 Speaker 1: whatever it is, and being told like no, that's wrong, 350 00:20:15,920 --> 00:20:19,120 Speaker 1: and being like no, I'm good at it. 351 00:20:19,560 --> 00:20:21,800 Speaker 2: As well as like she loves her country and she's 352 00:20:21,840 --> 00:20:24,680 Speaker 2: singing and even though some of the old school thought 353 00:20:24,800 --> 00:20:26,760 Speaker 2: is you shouldn't be doing that as a woman, she's like, 354 00:20:26,760 --> 00:20:29,879 Speaker 2: but I love doing this and this makes me more proud. 355 00:20:31,119 --> 00:20:32,800 Speaker 2: I think there's a lot to be said to that 356 00:20:32,880 --> 00:20:36,600 Speaker 2: as well. It was really good. And of course the 357 00:20:36,640 --> 00:20:40,679 Speaker 2: long braiden is referencing her hair, so that it's that conversation. 358 00:20:41,200 --> 00:20:45,520 Speaker 2: She doesn't really talk about the head coverings at all 359 00:20:45,600 --> 00:20:48,560 Speaker 2: much hajabs or anything, so I'm not really sure if 360 00:20:48,560 --> 00:20:52,040 Speaker 2: she was implicating that or just like braids in general, 361 00:20:52,320 --> 00:20:56,200 Speaker 2: but that is that conversation about her hair being shown, 362 00:20:56,240 --> 00:20:59,240 Speaker 2: and he does make mention of that as well, essentially 363 00:20:59,359 --> 00:21:02,960 Speaker 2: again calling her a slot for doing such a thing, 364 00:21:03,359 --> 00:21:06,119 Speaker 2: which I think it was like a powerful statement in 365 00:21:06,160 --> 00:21:11,480 Speaker 2: that self. And the next story is the Anklet of Mayomas. 366 00:21:11,640 --> 00:21:14,280 Speaker 2: I hope I'm saying that right. And in this story 367 00:21:16,000 --> 00:21:18,800 Speaker 2: that threads quote together The Lives a Young Woman. I 368 00:21:18,840 --> 00:21:21,760 Speaker 2: got this from a review Together the Lives of Young 369 00:21:21,960 --> 00:21:25,320 Speaker 2: Women across sentries and their parallel desires and all those 370 00:21:25,320 --> 00:21:29,080 Speaker 2: times and places for love, for freedom, for escape. This 371 00:21:29,119 --> 00:21:30,800 Speaker 2: is one of those that I had to research because 372 00:21:30,880 --> 00:21:33,560 Speaker 2: it is a lot. There's a lot to this story 373 00:21:33,880 --> 00:21:36,800 Speaker 2: that jumps kind of all over the place. Also involves 374 00:21:36,800 --> 00:21:40,280 Speaker 2: the sea, and we get to have like that moment 375 00:21:40,280 --> 00:21:43,239 Speaker 2: of like the sand and conversations about what that felt like, 376 00:21:43,320 --> 00:21:48,440 Speaker 2: the smell of hay, great, great imagery. The story flows 377 00:21:48,520 --> 00:21:52,320 Speaker 2: as we see tales of love and art as well 378 00:21:52,359 --> 00:21:55,879 Speaker 2: as loneliness and anger. A young girl dances in a 379 00:21:55,920 --> 00:21:58,840 Speaker 2: temple and watches as a sculptor works. A young man 380 00:21:58,960 --> 00:22:01,280 Speaker 2: is working and digging for something we don't know of 381 00:22:01,359 --> 00:22:05,080 Speaker 2: until the end, with the sea always in the background, 382 00:22:05,200 --> 00:22:08,119 Speaker 2: patiently waiting with those who are looking or waiting for 383 00:22:08,160 --> 00:22:11,480 Speaker 2: someone to come. Here's a quote. He remembers his girlfriend's 384 00:22:11,520 --> 00:22:14,480 Speaker 2: tearful words to him. When am I going to break 385 00:22:14,520 --> 00:22:17,479 Speaker 2: through that border? When will they give me a permit 386 00:22:17,560 --> 00:22:20,359 Speaker 2: to come and see you? Other voices crowd his mind, 387 00:22:20,520 --> 00:22:23,199 Speaker 2: like the sound of his father's voice. You don't have 388 00:22:23,240 --> 00:22:25,159 Speaker 2: to wait for her to come. You only spent a 389 00:22:25,160 --> 00:22:27,280 Speaker 2: few days in Gaza. How can you say you're committed 390 00:22:27,280 --> 00:22:30,359 Speaker 2: to her? The situation has changed, son, They have stopped 391 00:22:30,440 --> 00:22:34,080 Speaker 2: letting ordinary civilians pass through Arres. Our lives and our 392 00:22:34,080 --> 00:22:36,840 Speaker 2: work are here. I build the wall, and you build 393 00:22:36,840 --> 00:22:40,639 Speaker 2: the settlements. Wake up from your daydreams. Boy, there were 394 00:22:40,680 --> 00:22:43,480 Speaker 2: the other sounds crowded his thoughts as well, sounds he 395 00:22:43,520 --> 00:22:46,439 Speaker 2: wished he didn't hear, drums and whistles, the clamor of 396 00:22:46,560 --> 00:22:50,800 Speaker 2: festivities surrounding his eventual wedding to his cousin, So so 397 00:22:50,920 --> 00:22:57,720 Speaker 2: much happening. And the story ends with him shooting, not him, 398 00:22:58,200 --> 00:22:59,800 Speaker 2: one of the boy who had been trying today for 399 00:22:59,840 --> 00:23:04,400 Speaker 2: some things, shooting at a crowd. I say this talked 400 00:23:04,400 --> 00:23:08,160 Speaker 2: about Israeli couples across the wall and border. So there's 401 00:23:08,200 --> 00:23:10,600 Speaker 2: a lot, but there's all like this imagery of a 402 00:23:10,640 --> 00:23:15,040 Speaker 2: woman dancing, a princess dancing with her anklet chiming. And 403 00:23:15,080 --> 00:23:17,280 Speaker 2: then they compare the noise of the gunshot to the 404 00:23:17,359 --> 00:23:21,040 Speaker 2: chiming of anklets. So yes, a lot there. 405 00:23:21,359 --> 00:23:25,760 Speaker 1: Yeah, and again these are very short, like you, it's 406 00:23:25,840 --> 00:23:31,160 Speaker 1: it's a lot that uh yes, has managed to get 407 00:23:31,200 --> 00:23:36,520 Speaker 1: across in like literally some of these stories are three pages. Maybe, 408 00:23:37,240 --> 00:23:41,560 Speaker 1: so you really gotta you gotta pay attention. Yeah, in 409 00:23:41,560 --> 00:23:43,800 Speaker 1: a good way. It's great, Like the imagery is amazing, 410 00:23:44,760 --> 00:23:49,160 Speaker 1: it's really really powerful, but you do, you really gotta focus. 411 00:24:02,119 --> 00:24:05,639 Speaker 1: The next story is called Breastfeeding. This is the story 412 00:24:05,640 --> 00:24:09,080 Speaker 1: of a mother and daughter. Mother Yara dreams of continuing 413 00:24:09,080 --> 00:24:11,439 Speaker 1: her education and going to school in Cairo, but at 414 00:24:11,440 --> 00:24:14,000 Speaker 1: the age of thirteen, is told that she would be 415 00:24:14,000 --> 00:24:17,840 Speaker 1: marrying her cousin after having three kids, and her husband 416 00:24:18,680 --> 00:24:21,639 Speaker 1: just decides he wants a new wife. He says that 417 00:24:21,760 --> 00:24:25,119 Speaker 1: Yara's mother was a mother to him as well, since 418 00:24:25,200 --> 00:24:28,240 Speaker 1: she had breastfed him when he was younger due to 419 00:24:28,240 --> 00:24:31,080 Speaker 1: the fact his own mother was too weak at the 420 00:24:31,080 --> 00:24:34,600 Speaker 1: time to do so herself. He soon left Yara, but 421 00:24:34,720 --> 00:24:37,480 Speaker 1: Yara continued her life and provided for herself and her 422 00:24:37,480 --> 00:24:42,160 Speaker 1: family through sewing. So we later see Yara's daughter, Sarah, 423 00:24:42,320 --> 00:24:45,320 Speaker 1: getting ready to get married herself to a man she 424 00:24:45,359 --> 00:24:48,960 Speaker 1: had never met but talked to through the internet. She 425 00:24:49,080 --> 00:24:51,600 Speaker 1: was excited, even though he was a much older man 426 00:24:51,680 --> 00:24:55,480 Speaker 1: than her, she would be able to leave and move 427 00:24:55,560 --> 00:24:59,119 Speaker 1: to Paris. She was excited about that. Later, she moves 428 00:24:59,200 --> 00:25:01,720 Speaker 1: back with the child, saying that she was divorced and 429 00:25:01,800 --> 00:25:04,600 Speaker 1: needed to come back. The marriage had not been good. 430 00:25:04,920 --> 00:25:06,879 Speaker 1: He refused to let her leave and come home, and 431 00:25:06,880 --> 00:25:10,800 Speaker 1: she was unhappy the entire time. Yara declared it would 432 00:25:10,880 --> 00:25:12,840 Speaker 1: all be fine and that she would provide for them 433 00:25:12,880 --> 00:25:15,960 Speaker 1: through her sewing. So here's a quote from that one. 434 00:25:17,280 --> 00:25:20,040 Speaker 1: With that sound, she knows what she will do. She 435 00:25:20,080 --> 00:25:22,760 Speaker 1: will not despair or indeed look for a new husband. 436 00:25:23,080 --> 00:25:26,159 Speaker 1: She will just sew, stitch and sew and tear and cut. 437 00:25:26,480 --> 00:25:29,000 Speaker 1: The sewing machines were will ring in the ears of 438 00:25:29,040 --> 00:25:31,600 Speaker 1: all of her children through all of the years ahead. 439 00:25:31,720 --> 00:25:33,760 Speaker 1: It will drown out the sound of her own regrets, 440 00:25:33,800 --> 00:25:36,239 Speaker 1: and it will keep the house together. As long as 441 00:25:36,280 --> 00:25:39,879 Speaker 1: it's whirring deafens them. They will not hear the bitterness 442 00:25:40,000 --> 00:25:42,439 Speaker 1: of the mother that brought them into this world. 443 00:25:45,359 --> 00:25:48,120 Speaker 2: Collective side but no yet. It was this powerful story 444 00:25:48,160 --> 00:25:50,960 Speaker 2: because also she thought that she was going to get 445 00:25:50,960 --> 00:25:53,080 Speaker 2: this opportunity to go to Cairo because she was a 446 00:25:53,160 --> 00:25:55,879 Speaker 2: really smart girl. Her parents didn't want her to marry 447 00:25:55,920 --> 00:26:00,959 Speaker 2: the cousin, but the aunt was very, very insistent. And 448 00:26:01,000 --> 00:26:04,040 Speaker 2: then the daughter was trying to escape, thinking that she 449 00:26:04,119 --> 00:26:05,840 Speaker 2: was going to do have this amazing life, but was 450 00:26:05,920 --> 00:26:09,000 Speaker 2: literally in prison in her own home because her husband 451 00:26:09,000 --> 00:26:11,680 Speaker 2: would not let her out, and so she left after 452 00:26:11,720 --> 00:26:15,080 Speaker 2: the baby, which was good to see that she could 453 00:26:15,080 --> 00:26:17,800 Speaker 2: still return home. There was also the conversation of her 454 00:26:17,840 --> 00:26:20,240 Speaker 2: not being able to leave at that time on time 455 00:26:20,320 --> 00:26:22,040 Speaker 2: and it almost came to a divorce because they had 456 00:26:22,320 --> 00:26:24,080 Speaker 2: agreed to get married. I think they did get married, 457 00:26:24,400 --> 00:26:26,399 Speaker 2: but they hadn't met. And it took him almost a 458 00:26:26,480 --> 00:26:28,400 Speaker 2: year for her to leave because of all of the 459 00:26:28,440 --> 00:26:31,720 Speaker 2: technicalities and the hardships that she had to go through 460 00:26:31,840 --> 00:26:34,199 Speaker 2: in order to try to be able to leave in 461 00:26:34,240 --> 00:26:37,720 Speaker 2: the first place. So that all happened, and then it 462 00:26:37,800 --> 00:26:40,560 Speaker 2: ended up not being great for her either. But that 463 00:26:40,560 --> 00:26:42,800 Speaker 2: whole bastfaiting thing that was interesting because it also talks 464 00:26:42,840 --> 00:26:50,159 Speaker 2: about like the fact that through the Koran, like the 465 00:26:50,200 --> 00:26:52,960 Speaker 2: clergy essentially told him, you know, if you've been fed 466 00:26:53,040 --> 00:26:55,640 Speaker 2: more than four times, then yes, she could be considered 467 00:26:55,680 --> 00:26:57,639 Speaker 2: like a mother to you. And I was like, huh, 468 00:26:58,560 --> 00:27:02,560 Speaker 2: I don't know much about the Quran, so that was 469 00:27:02,640 --> 00:27:06,160 Speaker 2: very new information. I was like, that's an interesting, very interesting, 470 00:27:08,000 --> 00:27:09,560 Speaker 2: very specific technicality. 471 00:27:10,600 --> 00:27:11,520 Speaker 3: Yeah. 472 00:27:11,920 --> 00:27:13,600 Speaker 1: I feel like there's a bunch of those in religion 473 00:27:13,600 --> 00:27:15,760 Speaker 1: where it's like seven times in this. 474 00:27:16,359 --> 00:27:21,760 Speaker 2: Fair Yeah, the Old Testament, I guess the Torah for 475 00:27:21,840 --> 00:27:24,400 Speaker 2: some things like essentially the same things that are like, wow, 476 00:27:24,440 --> 00:27:28,200 Speaker 2: that is real specific with those numbers, which is why 477 00:27:28,200 --> 00:27:29,800 Speaker 2: I think one hundred and say one hundred and forty 478 00:27:29,800 --> 00:27:33,320 Speaker 2: four thousand is the number for heaven like that is 479 00:27:33,359 --> 00:27:37,240 Speaker 2: also very specific that, yeah, that's the case, like the 480 00:27:37,320 --> 00:27:39,080 Speaker 2: idea that it's going to be one hundred and forty 481 00:27:39,119 --> 00:27:42,600 Speaker 2: four thousand chosen. And I think the Son of Jacob 482 00:27:43,520 --> 00:27:46,800 Speaker 2: is the idea. This is a whole like kind of 483 00:27:46,880 --> 00:27:51,159 Speaker 2: Zionist ideas that's underneath that. But it is in the 484 00:27:51,240 --> 00:27:56,560 Speaker 2: Old Testament. But yeah, it's very specific. May also be 485 00:27:56,600 --> 00:27:59,040 Speaker 2: in the Revelation. No, I think about it because it 486 00:27:59,080 --> 00:28:01,760 Speaker 2: kind of tastes from the Ol Testament. Go back to 487 00:28:01,760 --> 00:28:06,360 Speaker 2: the religious thoughts. So we're in our final story and 488 00:28:06,400 --> 00:28:10,440 Speaker 2: I could not find Somemaland, so someone can tell me 489 00:28:10,480 --> 00:28:13,840 Speaker 2: if it's Somemaland or Samuel land Uh. The Somelan Moon 490 00:28:15,040 --> 00:28:18,680 Speaker 2: And it's a story about Rima and Ziad, a young 491 00:28:18,720 --> 00:28:23,280 Speaker 2: couple in love, and it's really cute to the first 492 00:28:23,280 --> 00:28:28,639 Speaker 2: time they profess to each other to eventually becoming engaged. However, 493 00:28:28,720 --> 00:28:32,879 Speaker 2: throughout their years they have grown different with different opinions. 494 00:28:33,359 --> 00:28:36,480 Speaker 2: After the death of Ziad's father, things had changed for 495 00:28:36,520 --> 00:28:39,920 Speaker 2: both of them. Rima was more open and they had 496 00:28:39,920 --> 00:28:44,240 Speaker 2: become more traditional. After a heated discussion and a car accident, 497 00:28:45,080 --> 00:28:48,040 Speaker 2: Ziad and Rema decide to go back to their spot 498 00:28:48,160 --> 00:28:51,240 Speaker 2: by the water, but it's soon targeted by an Apache 499 00:28:51,320 --> 00:28:55,400 Speaker 2: helicopter and their car is destroyed. However, they soon make 500 00:28:55,440 --> 00:28:57,720 Speaker 2: it to their spot, where they declare their love for 501 00:28:57,760 --> 00:29:03,000 Speaker 2: each other. Still here's a line For a moment, they 502 00:29:03,040 --> 00:29:05,840 Speaker 2: lie still in the street on opposite sides of the car, 503 00:29:06,040 --> 00:29:09,680 Speaker 2: gazing across at each other through its burning undercarriage. The 504 00:29:09,720 --> 00:29:13,720 Speaker 2: helicopter search light lights up Rima's face for what seems 505 00:29:13,760 --> 00:29:16,440 Speaker 2: like an age until she starts to move, at which 506 00:29:16,480 --> 00:29:18,960 Speaker 2: point it crosses back to the car still on fire, 507 00:29:19,120 --> 00:29:22,040 Speaker 2: then back to Rema once it finally sets off, taking 508 00:29:22,080 --> 00:29:25,000 Speaker 2: the blaze cacophony with it. Zod slowly gets to his 509 00:29:25,040 --> 00:29:27,960 Speaker 2: feet and staggers across to help Rema up. They steady 510 00:29:28,040 --> 00:29:30,520 Speaker 2: themselves for a moment and realize the streets are empty, 511 00:29:30,880 --> 00:29:32,480 Speaker 2: just as the beach at the end of the road 512 00:29:32,520 --> 00:29:34,560 Speaker 2: will be empty. And I think part of this is 513 00:29:34,640 --> 00:29:37,320 Speaker 2: Ziod has gotten into something that he knows he has 514 00:29:37,400 --> 00:29:41,720 Speaker 2: to leave. He's very angry about things that have happened, 515 00:29:41,760 --> 00:29:44,400 Speaker 2: including what has happened to his father, and is not 516 00:29:44,480 --> 00:29:49,320 Speaker 2: happy with the traditions being thrown out, while Rema is 517 00:29:49,800 --> 00:29:53,280 Speaker 2: all about letting go of traditions. But it was actually 518 00:29:53,360 --> 00:29:59,880 Speaker 2: really sweet ending even with all of that action fact 519 00:30:00,720 --> 00:30:06,080 Speaker 2: moment essentially to this talking about friends and talking about 520 00:30:06,120 --> 00:30:08,760 Speaker 2: have change and talking about how they still love each other. 521 00:30:08,720 --> 00:30:14,520 Speaker 3: Though yeah, yeah, And I feel like a lot of 522 00:30:14,560 --> 00:30:17,640 Speaker 3: the stories had that kind of vibe of like tragedy 523 00:30:18,040 --> 00:30:21,440 Speaker 3: and hope, but also definitely like children and loss of 524 00:30:21,480 --> 00:30:24,360 Speaker 3: innocence was throughout. 525 00:30:24,920 --> 00:30:29,120 Speaker 1: But it was really I recommend it a lot because 526 00:30:29,120 --> 00:30:34,240 Speaker 1: it really was evocative of like the environment, and I 527 00:30:34,280 --> 00:30:36,920 Speaker 1: could like hear the sounds and feel the air and 528 00:30:37,400 --> 00:30:40,760 Speaker 1: like smell the sea. Like it was a really set 529 00:30:40,800 --> 00:30:43,400 Speaker 1: the place right, very very well. 530 00:30:43,680 --> 00:30:46,000 Speaker 2: They do a great job in making sure they reference 531 00:30:46,280 --> 00:30:49,400 Speaker 2: any of the historical events and or terms that you 532 00:30:49,480 --> 00:30:50,920 Speaker 2: might not know. Not all of it, but a good 533 00:30:50,960 --> 00:30:52,720 Speaker 2: bit of it in the back. And I think it's 534 00:30:53,160 --> 00:30:57,200 Speaker 2: good to note. It's also good to note that the 535 00:30:57,360 --> 00:31:00,920 Speaker 2: entire areas that she's speaking of I have been completely 536 00:31:01,000 --> 00:31:04,640 Speaker 2: changed at this point in time. I had mentioned to 537 00:31:04,880 --> 00:31:08,800 Speaker 2: Annie we were talking before that the hospital she mentions 538 00:31:09,640 --> 00:31:14,479 Speaker 2: just was announcing that the entire ICU section had all 539 00:31:14,520 --> 00:31:19,360 Speaker 2: passed away because they had lost electricity and water and power. 540 00:31:19,440 --> 00:31:23,240 Speaker 2: So there's a lot of heaviness, especially right now. But 541 00:31:23,360 --> 00:31:28,120 Speaker 2: it's something that we who are not involved or have 542 00:31:28,200 --> 00:31:32,040 Speaker 2: not do, not have family or friends there can't ignore. 543 00:31:32,720 --> 00:31:36,600 Speaker 2: And I think many people say this have been saying 544 00:31:36,640 --> 00:31:40,360 Speaker 2: it when you feel helpless, that the best thing sometimes 545 00:31:40,360 --> 00:31:42,080 Speaker 2: that we can do, or the only thing sometimes that 546 00:31:42,080 --> 00:31:44,000 Speaker 2: we can do, is to be witnessed to it so 547 00:31:44,040 --> 00:31:46,840 Speaker 2: we don't forget it. And in these conversations, I think 548 00:31:46,960 --> 00:31:51,000 Speaker 2: that's important. The stories that she wrote, obviously things were 549 00:31:51,000 --> 00:31:54,040 Speaker 2: still happening then, tragedies were happening, Then displacement was happening, 550 00:31:54,080 --> 00:31:58,320 Speaker 2: then battles and deaths were happening then, and I think 551 00:31:58,360 --> 00:32:02,320 Speaker 2: it's something to remember. She does even mention Hamas and 552 00:32:02,360 --> 00:32:04,400 Speaker 2: what they did to the country as well, but I 553 00:32:04,440 --> 00:32:08,960 Speaker 2: think obviously there's a bigger conversation to be had about 554 00:32:08,960 --> 00:32:13,760 Speaker 2: how it led to that anyway. In all of that, again, 555 00:32:13,840 --> 00:32:16,160 Speaker 2: like I said, I think it's important that we make 556 00:32:16,240 --> 00:32:20,600 Speaker 2: sure we keep talking about it and not let people 557 00:32:20,760 --> 00:32:24,880 Speaker 2: not let be forgotten, as well as being really careful 558 00:32:24,960 --> 00:32:29,760 Speaker 2: of propaganda or conversations and having literature like this is 559 00:32:29,880 --> 00:32:34,360 Speaker 2: really really important, and having conversations that she has led 560 00:32:34,480 --> 00:32:41,240 Speaker 2: about gender equality and the gender violence that were happening 561 00:32:41,480 --> 00:32:45,960 Speaker 2: and what has been happening throughout is really important as well, 562 00:32:46,120 --> 00:32:50,640 Speaker 2: which she does a great job in talking about without 563 00:32:50,960 --> 00:32:54,920 Speaker 2: preaching about, because these are experiences that are very realistic. 564 00:32:55,600 --> 00:33:01,000 Speaker 1: Yeah yeah, So definitely go check out this book. We 565 00:33:01,120 --> 00:33:06,600 Speaker 1: highly recommend it and as always, you can send us 566 00:33:06,600 --> 00:33:11,640 Speaker 1: any of your recommendations. You can contact us at steffmediamom 567 00:33:11,720 --> 00:33:14,120 Speaker 1: Stuff at iHeartMedia dot com. You can find us on 568 00:33:14,120 --> 00:33:16,880 Speaker 1: Twitter at mom Stuff podcast, or on Instagram and TikTok 569 00:33:16,880 --> 00:33:19,520 Speaker 1: at stuff I Never Told You. We have a tea 570 00:33:19,520 --> 00:33:21,520 Speaker 1: puppet store and we have a book that you can 571 00:33:21,520 --> 00:33:23,720 Speaker 1: get where you get your books. Thanks as always to 572 00:33:23,760 --> 00:33:26,400 Speaker 1: our super producer go steenair executive producer Maya, and your 573 00:33:26,400 --> 00:33:29,560 Speaker 1: contributor Joey. Thank you and thanks to you for listening. 574 00:33:29,840 --> 00:33:32,000 Speaker 1: Stefan Never Told You is production of iHeartRadio. For more 575 00:33:32,040 --> 00:33:33,720 Speaker 1: podcasts or my heart Radio, you can check out the 576 00:33:33,760 --> 00:33:36,200 Speaker 1: iHeartRadio app, Apple podcast or where you listen to your 577 00:33:36,200 --> 00:33:36,960 Speaker 1: favorite shows.