Another Unhappy Update

Hamas won the Palestinian elections yesterday. I don't know if you guys heard or knew what it meant, but I do (having a Palestinian roommate and Israeli friend) and it's bad. At least from my point of view. Hamas is a group, classified as a "Terrorist organization" by US, mainly because they are the ones that organize pretty much all the bombings that happen in Israel. They have a huge amount of support from the Palestinians though, because not only do they kill the occupiers, but they have many service programs - schools, hospitals, charity, etc - so everyone thinks (and, I guess to their minds, rightly) that they're a wonderful, caring organization that is devoted to Palestine and its people. They've never entered into an election before, because they don't consider Israel a state and refuse to talk to them. They say Fatah (the other party) is corrupt (probably true) and also unpalestinian for dealing with the invaders.
Then this year they decided to enter - I don't know why - and boom! They now control almost all the Palestinian government. The old Prime Minister who had worked so hard for peace (and gotten criticized by the people for giving in too much) resigned and Hamas has everything. What's going to happen when there are two governments within the same country (and one "the size of my pinkie" as Michael put it) that refuse to acknowledge that the other one exists, let alone talk to them. Oh, and by the way, they're both actively and openly trying to kill eachother.
And all the Arabs here are so happy! At mensa this evening they started a cheer (along the lines of We Will Rock You, with table banging and all) "Hamas! Hamas! Hamas!" they're so excited, can't they see this will bring only destruction? There's no way that Hamas will get all the Israelis to leave, and that's what they're asking for, nothing less. And the peace talks were going so well, with the Army out of Gaza strip and all... Now the Israelis will probably occupy it again, which is not only bad for those people there - destroyed houses/people/lives - but a more personal connection is that if they re-occupy, my rooma won't be able to get back to UWC next year. And if this is one of the key conflicts between Middle East and West, what does it foresee for the rest of the conflict? How can these people cheer for something that will produce more war, more suffering (especially for them) and more mistrust? I find it so hard to believe in my optimistic "it'll all work out somehow, someday" view of things when I keep hearing news like this. How do I respect and try to in some way help people that act so stupid sometimes? (this all applies to US and our last election as well)
I can see where they're coming from, I really do understand their hatred and anger (I hear it enough from my rooma), but...

Sigh. I guess this is the cost I pay for getting too close to people from conflict areas.

Please Allah/God, these people obviously care about you (praying that much, they gotta;) ), please help them/us/everyone see reason.

Back Home

I'm Back!
It's wonderful to be home (and it really does feel like home). The first day was filled with hugs and "wow, how was vacation?!" My secondo went to South Africa, so though people said I looked tan, he looked very tan. And so many people went home and came back to share stories of their friends. A lot of them said that they felt different going home, that their friends (or they) weren't the same, that they didn't have quite as much to connect with, or that they missed the international aspects of the college. I'll agree with the last part, but I hope the first 2 don't happen when I go back.
We all came back with new and wild New Years Resolutions, mostly about eating and studying - "Not to eat when I'm not hungry" is a common one, as is "Study harder and stop being lazy" and Nidhi even said "Not eat chocolate". Fortunately I talked her out of that one (for her own good, one simply cannot survive without chocolate).
Mine are along those lines, as well as "Go out of my room and socialize more" (because, although my roommates are amazing, there are more people in our school) and "only eat 3 meals/day" (or at least try. Make an effort, y'know?) and "be nicer to my teachers and pay attention in (specifically math and English) class" but that one's going to be really really hard. Especially since we're only just starting on the Unit circle in Math now and English is English. I don't really mind though - I'm reading Jane Eyre now, and it's fabulous. I feel very nicely Englishified.
Oh, and "Be more socially active". I figure if I get one of these done, I'll be doing well, and if I improve all of them, that will be best.
I'm sort of annoyed, because I have all these pictures I want to take, but no camera. Oh well, it'll come in a week or something.
Nevin and I went down to Fore Beach (a fairly steep climb with some rock scaling at the end) and she was terrified. Apparently they don't have cliffs in the Gaza strip. But we made it and it was so beautiful (camera!!:( ). She was really happy we'd done it in the end, and I was as well, (Eru's song, though, that took a lot of coaxing)
I have homework to do now (resolution#2) and I have to write something up for Nidhi (resolution#6) and then socialize (#4). Hard life, ain't it?