1st Friday of Ramadan

As expected, the 1st Friday of Ramadan was filled with tensions. The police closed the city gates and only men above 45 years were allowed to enter the City;  hence into the Dome of the Rock Mosque to pray. Soldiers everywhere. I've decided not to stay for Fridays of Ramadan, after last year's "happening" when Majed our doorman and I got beaten up. This morning during Mass, muslims boys came into our courtyard, smashed glass bottles and shouted several times. I decided to move to my other house then and there. Walked a km to the bus station and took an hour's ride out to the Mediterranean Coast. The sea-breeze is good for me - no asthma and gave me a great big appetite. I ate 2 plates of white rice, boiled eggs, shredded raw carrots - all prepared by our cook Silvia who always paid attention to my diet. Only greed spoiled the fun - had a piece of pan fried salmon (oil) and had diarrhea and cramps immediately.

More protests - this time African migrants who pitched tents near the Central Bus Station in Tel Aviv to protest lack of housing. So taxi drivers are on strike, parents and toddlers are on strike, doctors and nurses and all medical staff are on strike, students and young people are on strike, municipal offices are on strike ... let's hope the military and police don't join in.

And being 32 degrees and weekend, the beach was crowded with families. Nice fun for them. Good to see people being able to relax here ... quite unlike Jerusalem where everyone is cramping up with tension. I think more people die of heart attacks in Jerusalem than in Tel Aviv.