Ash Wednesday

Lebanese bread with salad

It's Lent again. We started Ash Wednesday with the fast. I decided on brunch with a flat Lebanese Bread that I buy (7 shekels for a pack of 5) and add salad to it. I thought I'd fast and just have this bread for the day. Then I realised its what I do everyday anyway. I've been practically fasting for the past few years as I only eat flat bread for brunch as my only meal for the day ... if I do eat. So fasting on Ash Wednesday wasn't special after all. People are saying for Ash Wednesday, I should actually eat 3 full meals .... now that's a real penance. If I do eat dinner, it's only when Ah Ling asks me over for herbal soup, or when my friends think I should eat something and they tell me to go out ("force") to have dinner with them. Group coercion. But they mean well. They get worried that I'm not eating for long periods of time and my fainting spells are frequent. But somehow I have no appetite.

Weatherwise it's like summer now - 20 degrees and over during the day. Very sandy as winds blow the desert sands into the City. These few days have been pleasant because I could meet and chat with my Israeli security buddies; then my doc from Tel Aviv came over to Jerusalem last night and we chatted for some time over sushi. And a surprise package from a former student now back in Romania - chocolates and other gifts. It was great.

Nowadays criminals aren't using guns anymore. From the recent attacks the past few months in the coastal cities, it's grenades and bombs which are cheaper and easily available. Yesterday a guy threw a grenade into a gym because it did not give him a discount on membership.   http://www.jpost.com/National-News/Refused-a-gym-discount-man-tries-to-bomb-business-344405   That's the state of the country ... the govt has lost all control over its criminal population while over-focussing on the Palestinian question. Wake up! The enemy is among you ... not out there!!!