2nd day of 2017

Divided skies

It's barely 5 degrees right now at 1.30pm. The sun is shining brightly but the wind is so cold, it's freezing. The sky was strangely divided into 2 parts ... the south was sunny but the north was covered by dark clouds. It was ominous ... like a premonition of what 2017 has in store for us. Light and darkness in a battle ... the line was very clear in the sky. Terrifying sight to see.

Israel and Palestine continue with the working week ... the western New Year is not celebrated here because there's the autumn Jewish and Muslim new years. As a result, most christians who can afford, go overseas to celebrate. That ranges from going to Tel Aviv or Eilat, to Greece and Turkey where New Year is celebrated. That happened to the christian 18 yr olds - israeli arab christians - who were injured (one killed) in the Turkish club 2 nights back. Christians are targets of these muslims whenever they celebrate their feasts ... it's like shooting fish in a barrel. Easy targets because they're all gathered together in one place, all dressed unlike muslims, They're too easily identifiable.

Yesterday Haaretz newspaper carried an article about the wild mynah birds that have suddenly flourished in our parks. It was something I noticed in the past 2 years. They're invasive and destroy the local fauna. In fact they are so agile and intelligent, they have reduced the crow invasion by eating their their eggs and nestlings. That was what the crows were doing to the local birds. http://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/science/.premium-1.762316

Emoticon flipflops

And another bad news for the new year: Israel is deporting children of migrant workers; they may be born here and educated here but they have no status, so they will be deported to their parents' home country which the children know nothing about, nor relatives whom they know.  http://www.jerusalemonline.com/news/in-israel/local/children-of-foreign-workers-to-be-deported-25648

Sounds like a bad start to 2017. Well to add a smile despite it all, I saw  in Jaffa Street a tiny shop selling emoticon flip-flops. Very cute. Couldn't help laughing when I snapped a photo of it.