Cats on a hot tin roof

Yesterday evening the Sisters of Mother Theresa here in Jerusalem were in a fix: their phone was not working - their only contact with the outside world once their convent is locked for the night. Luckily I stopped over to bring some stuff to them. After searching around, we found out that someone had cut off their phone line from the outside. The sisters were panicking because they're surrounded by some aggressive muslim families (who constantly spit at them) and possibly someone might come in the night to rob them. So I went off to buy them a mobile phone. It's tough living in our area. Everyone is on edge - like cats on a hot tin roof (actually that was the phrase my classmate used before leaving on his flight yesterday: he said he couldn't take the tension of living here anymore as everyone living in Jerusalem is edgy and with their claws out - like cats on a hot tin roof ... thanks to Tennessee Williams). This morning I rushed off to check on the sisters to make sure they were safe.

The Foreign Ministry strikes continue as talks fail - embarassing because the Russian President is visiting but had to cancel the Israel sector because of the strikes; he only visited Palestine. And as a result issuing of visas continue to delayed as well.

Today it's nurses who begin on strike. They're not warding patients anymore to over-capacity wards. Pity the sick people. And lucky that my classmate left yesterday ... he'll get treated back in Italy - hopefully without facing a strike as Italy is also reknown for.

Looks like the tin roof is getting hotter by the day for everyone.