Mother of all storms

Enormous waves battering Tel Aviv

What a storm! It was worse than the last one! Hail battering the country for 2 days now, heavy snow up in the north. And the winds are so strong they've blown several people off their feet. Trees up rooted. The streets are in a mess. Slight snow has been falling in Jerusalem as well ... those that melt before they land. Air traffic has been halted by the storm.  http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/storm-wreaks-havoc-on-israeli-streets-knocking-over-trees-1.415554  and the City is bracing for more sleet, hail and hopefully snow  http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/as-cold-snap-bites-jerusalem-bracing-for-snow-1.415627

Trees buffeted by hail

I had to go to some unknown place called Kiryat Atidim to get some documentation done. It was about 70 km away but there was no exact address. After walking through the hailstorm, taking the shurut (minibus) and then a taxi ... the taxi driver didn't know the address either so we circled till he finally decided to drop me and asked me to walk and ask around ... in the hailstorm. Finally found the place where I needed to go, got the stuff done. Then walked out in the storm to look for another taxi to being me to the nearest city - Tel Aviv. The taxi driver took me for a ride - drove the longest way possible to get maximum pay from the metre. Was very frustrated but what to do? That's how people are here. All out to make money.

A ray of light amidst the storm

As the storm got worse, I was told to stay back in Tel Aviv but an emergency call got me walking back in the hailstorm to get a taxi, then the shurut back to Jerusalem. The shurut driver would not stop near the Old City so I ahd to wlak 1 km in an even heavier hailstorm back home. Didn't even change, still wet, packed another bag to go answer the emergency. Got back by 10pm again the hailstorm. I was soaking wet, very cold and had several bouts of diarrhea in the course of the day. It was a very tough day.

Let's hope for the next days I'll not get called out. Better to stay warm and dry indoors ... but then emergency calls will always be a button away.