Green Light is On! Green Light is On! - Viva Palestina 5 Land Convoy

Salam and hi my dearest family and friends,

I can barely control myself right now!!!

Today, after close to about 10 long, testing, dragging days- Viva Palestina Convoy 5 volunteers received the news we have been waiting for all this while.

Tweets and text messages were flying out the window carrying this great news from all over.

And the news is this....

At 6.57pm Syrian time, Kevin, our Chief of VP called the Egyptian Embassy in Damascus and received confirmation from Dr Mohd Fayyumi that Viva Palestina Convoy 5 has received FULL permission to sail from Latakia to El Arish Port using any number of ships!

My heart skipped a beat upon hearing this news.

Breathe Azura... breathe....

Ya Allah...  Zabrina!!!! Did you hear that??

WE are going to Gaza, babe!!

WE are actually going to Gaza!!

WE, as in you and me; and the whole supporters and donors of Viva Palestina 5 Land Convoy!!

Egypt has finally turned her stop-red light to a go-ahead bright flashing green!

And I think a thank you is in order, so, thank you Egypt....

We will start sailing on Friday inshaAllah. Right now, Viva Palestina is arranging the ship to come from Cyprus to Latakia to pick us up and bring us to El Arish, Egypt.

Eh, sounds like macam naik cab pulak... haha...

And Zab, you cannot imagine how crazy the atmosphere over here right now.

Just in a split second, the celebration began. Almost all the flags that are not tied up are waving and music can be heard from miles away.

Everyone is jumping, hopping, hugging, dancing, singing and of course, crying.

And if you, Jem and Azian are here- I think what 4 of us would do is only one thing -- crying!!!

Oh, wait, on second thought, I think you and Jem would be jumping and hopping too- just like little cute bunnies! Lol!!

Me and Azian are way too cool to jump or hop around...hehe...

As I chocked trying to collect my thoughts and calm my heart, I whispered to my Lord, the Greatest Planner of all.

Ya Allah, I humbled myself in front of You, and I thank You, full of gratitude for making this day come true for us all...

Overwhelmingly happy,
Azura from Latakia.

(posted for Azura by Sis Zabrina who wishes she is actually crying joyously while jumping and hopping next to Azura even if she looks like a little bunny!)


p/s Dr Musa, sorry I hijacked your pictures for my blog. Biasa la, kan.... cannot sent mms anymore to Zab.... must be Ms Zi punya kerja....

Happy Volunteers

Flags Waving and Dabka Dance?

Texting home of the great news!

Wave the flags!!!

VP Women are calmer.... hehe....

Why Am I Sleeping in a Tent? Viva Palestina Land Convoy 5

Salam dearest all,

Yesterday, after posting up my Casa de Azura castle/bungalow pictures, I was asked why am I sleeping in a tent when there are actually beds available?

Aunty Mimi (Dr Musa's +1) asked if I actually sleep inside the tent?

Zabrina was sooo curious coz she saw many pictures of rooms with beds available. So, why does Azura sleeps in a tent, right?

A few others even feel so sad (for me)  thinking I was not given any bed....

To my dear family and friends out there, dont worry ok...

I want to declare that me, Azura, sleep in a tent because I want and choose to!

Eh, nice la sleeping in the tent... Really.... trust me....

As for the reasons why I am sleeping in a tent, I will share, but for only one reason.

No, no... actually two reasons...

One is for the benefit of others who wants to join any future convoy and;

Two is for others who might still think we are here on a holiday trip.

And the reason is this:

When we arrived, the mattresses in my room had lizard feces all over it, and the room was full of cobwebs.

And when I look up, I saw some strange orange looking lizard! Not like the light brown ones we have back home.

So, of course, no need to explain why the orange looking lizard crawling in the room actually freaks me out, right? Lol!

But still, I wanted to try sleeping there.

Unfortunately, my body started itching after a short while sitting on the mattress.

Haiyoo.... I can tahan many things, but one thing I do not want to deal with right now is gatal2 and itchiness.

And because I don't want to have red spots all over, and don't want to spend my energy scratching here and there, I decided to sleep in my sleeping bag that night...

Lucky I did!

Some people who didn't use sleeping bags while sleeping on the mattresses were scratching away the next day!

Anyway, that's when I decided to sleep in the tent. Which is now has turned into my own personal castle...

Excellent! Hehe....

So, again... don't worry, coz I am happy sleeping in my castle!!

And happier still coz in my castle, I get to dream and berangan what will it feel like to be in Gaza....

.... and hold those little Gazans children in my arms, and play balloons with them..... and hugging them... and let them hold my hands with their tiny little fingers.....

(Zab, Jem and Azian, don't cry now...)

Till then!
Azura from Latakia...


(posted by Sis Zabrina for Azura who now gets to dream privately all what she wants to do in Gaza in her Casa: Itch-free!!!)

Picture courtesy of Dr Musa. As he rightly put it
'Psychological preparation for next convoy- An army camp cum prison' 

From Latakia With Love - Viva Palestina Land Convoy 5

Salam my dearest family and friends,

It has been quite a few days since I last posted.

So much going on, with very little time in between.

But I thought, I should just update everyone with whatever I can right now.

I am well and healthy, so no worries, ok...

Very happy to be surrounded with amazing people who eat, drink and sleep Palestine! Lol!

If the Egyptian and her conspirators think that they will break us by delaying this convoy, they are in for a big big surprise. Actually, what they are doing is making us more and more and more closer to one another, and more and more and more determine to help the Palestinians...

If the Palestinians can stand this for 60++ years, we sure can stand whatever thrown to us too, inshaAllah.

And it rained cats and dogs yesterday night. Although suddenly it became so freezing sejuk, I feel like it is blessings from Allah pouring on us.

Just that we had to work really hard to save all aid from soaking. Maybe Allah's way to make us exercise a bit more...hehe....

But dont worry, everything is saved, alhamdulillah!

And thanks to Dr Musa, he took two pictures of what he called my bungalow and sent them to my VPM friends. And Zabrina decided to post them although I feel shy about it...

Also, I have to say that since my bungaow is sooooo exclusive, I only accept one visitor at a time...

So, without further ado, welcome to De Casa of Azura....

My Bungalow in Latakia, Syria.

My Bungalow's Backyard....



(posted by Sis Zabrina who is waiting for Azura's exclusive invite to her new home...)