Bizza

At the Hamas celebrations on Saturday, my friend got chatting to a very sweet 17-year-old girl who, it turned out, lives very near our office. They exchanged numbers and, a few days later, she called to invite us to lunch.

The house was modest, with high windows and a small and comfortable couch. There was no electricity so we sat in near darkness, lighted by one narrow candle.

The mother of the family is originally from Jordan. She welcomed us as if we were old friends, with the traditional one kiss on the left cheek followed by two kisses on the right, the second kiss lasting a few seconds longer.

As we chatted (or rather I mainly listened and smiled), she prepared the delicious handmade mini-"bizzas", showing us each of the steps. The secret ingredient was a sprinkling of za'atar, a local spice blend, on top of the tomato sauce. The pizzas were delicious.

One of the sons, 12-year-old Saif, was very sweet and chatty, with deep dimples and an easy manner. He described how the family had gathered together in one of the back rooms during the recent war, to protect themselves from flying glass should an airstrike happen nearby.

We had to tear ourselves away after a few hours, as I had an Arabic lesson scheduled. They tried very hard to convince us to stay, saying, "This can be your Arabic lesson!"

The warmth and welcoming nature of the people of Gaza is astounding. I hope to visit the family again soon.