Sabbath

Capoeira demonstration at
Damascus Gate

Thank goodness the Marathon is over. I'm sure it was fun ... lots of families joined in. But the traffic was awful and thankfully it's all over. I hope next year I don't have to go to school when there's a marathon. Well we weren't the only ones stuck with traffic closures. Up on Highway One to Tel Aviv, cars stopped and many people demonstrated in the middle of the Highway because there are no govt. measures to protect workers from termination of contracts. For almost half an hour traffic on both sides were halted.

There's a touching article in the leftwing newspaper Haaretz about the mother of the arab boy burnt alive by jewish youths several years ago. She and some 200 women - jewish and arab who have lost children to the conflict - gathered to speak ... and that mother spoke of reconciliation. http://www.haaretz.com/opinion/.premium-1.777393

Meantime a raid by police on rightwing extremist jewish youth had uncovered  in their homes graffiti calling for death to arabs,zionists, jewish police, jewish left-wingers  .... As long as this hatred is being fanned by religious leaders on impressionable youths, it is unlikely peace will ever be achieved.  http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4936290,00.html

Arab sesame bagels
known as kaik: a
typical breakfast

Thew weather continues to be cold and the skies grey. There's probably a sandstorm as well as fine yellow desert sand covers the roofs and terraces. I sculled stay indoors. But I'm thinking maybe tonight I will go to the Holy Sepulchre for midnight vigils. Without asthma attacks, I feel better to go out ... but I must walk slowly. Only thing is I'm afraid I'd be attacked as I go through the dark streets of the Old City. Perhaps Al our Indonesian student will accompany me. Anyway if I do go, I'll be praying for you all.

Yesterday was fasting day. I realised it wasn't any different from my daily meal routine because I usually eat only one meal a day. I do eat several dates during the day when I'm hungry during this Lent but usually when I finish work at 9pm or later, I'm too tired to eat else anything anyway. But the downside is I become weak and faint.