This short clip is one of 31 I’m posting in the days preceding my 50th birthday. My gift to you.

Sameeha Elwan, 26, is an English literature graduate from the Islamic University. She has a Masters Degree in Culture and Difference from Durham University, UK, and is currently a PhD candidate in Comparative Literature and Creative Writing, Murdoch University, Perth, Australia.

“I was born and raised in Gaza City, Palestine. I started blogging in 2010 after the Israeli offensive of 2008-2009, also known as Operation Cast Lead, which was a moment of epiphany. Reflecting on my own personal entrapment in this intensely political situation was the main reason I started my blog. Writing is one of the therapeutic ways we deal with our situation: Our need to understand home and identity. I have also been published on Mondoweiss, openDemocracy and the Electronic Intifada. I am particularly interested in women’s narratives. While working at the Palestinian Center for Human Rights, I was able to document women narratives of the Israeli offensive of November 2012. I was a contributor to “Gaza Writes Back” and to “Remember US,” two publications that are largely driven by bloggers’ narratives. I can be reached on Twitter @Sameeha88, on Facebook at: Sameeha Elwan or via my blog www.sameeha88.wordpress.com.”