Stromata

So finally Israel is crawling out of the telecom Stone Age and entering the fire-optic age .... something you might find very strange as the rest of the world has been on fire-optic for many years now. Well ... that's the Middle-East for you. And that doesn't mean that things will be better for us here in the Old City or East Jerusalem. I lost internet connection and/or wifi for over 2 months now. Had to go the carpark outside the City along the boundary of the East and West, sit under a tree and use the free wifi from the carpark office. Miserable.

Colourful globes along
the Jaffa Gate promenade

And we're not just poor telecommunication-wise; the newspapers are highlighting the physical poverty of the children in the country ... something that govt. officials deny. 63% of ultra-orthodox jewish children and 86% arab children live under the poverty line .... the social policies of the State have failed.  Very sad. http://www.haaretz.com/opinion/1.540908   Social protest leaders of the past years have given up hope and are emigrating overseas.

The Perseid meteor shower came and went. Saw nothing. It was too far south along the horizon for us to see. Those who went to the Negev Desert and the crater Mitzpe Ramon had a celestial show of their lives. Well, here we're satisfied with huge colourful globes placed all along the Jaffa Gate Promenade. No idea why they're there ... like they're part of an exhibition.

Anyway ... more work ahead. I've not had a day off this whole summer. Am absolutely exhausted.