Weekend

Fruit market at Damascus Gate

It's the weekend again ... Friday. I decided not to go out to work today, fearing more tensions in the street. The police were everywhere yesterday, stop checking every arab so I suspected they'd be more forceful today. Lots of muslims are allowed to enter the Al Aqsa mosque on Fridays and because of the ongoing trial of the killing of the autistic arab near my house 2 months ago, lots of dissatisfaction is being expressed.

And of course the bombing by Israel of Gaza only resulted in Gaza firing missiles into Israel last night. Despite the news saying that mediation between the two sides is underway, the present tit-for-tat bombing is only getting worse. And I guess this afternoon there was the usual demonstration against the PM around his house ... but the Saturday night one will much larger ... as has been for the past 2 months.

Figs on sale

Still life goes on as usual ... the market inside Damascus Gate is crowded with people and shops and hawkers are selling lots of summer fruit. Figs and plums and peaches are abundant ... and especially grapes. There's even mangoes, lychees and guava ... all locally grown.

I was thinking yesterday that I hadn't eaten malabi this summer. It wan't part of my summer plans ... but it's not a bad idea. With partial lockdown many malabi sellers, if not all, are no longer on sale. I'll have to buy the kiddie version in small plastic containers. They're the only ones available.

Summer is almost over and school will begin ... if possible. The govt and the medics will wrangle over how far restrictions to schools will be imposed. The rest of us ... we wait.