Hailstorm

Hail filled flower pot

Tortoise in hailstorm

Two days of hail. The weather was stormy. Up north there was heavy snow but down south we had hail. Though the hail was small, the constant shower was heavy and left the roads very slippery.  It bounces off you and one of our poor tortoises got caught in the midst of the hailstorm. Must have frightened it. Anyway it was so cold - one degree I think - the tortoise probably slept it away.

hail on my sleeve

I took the usual Sunday walk with Buscemi - got caught in the hailstorm and blustery winds. It was very cold. Then later in the afternoon I had to go out to finish a job at Ratisbonne. Got caught again the storm. Decided to take a taxi there instead of walking the 2km uphill. There was very light snow for a few minutes ... the type that melts before it lands. And we had alot of graupel.

Damascus Gate this morning

There was trouble in the Al Aqsa Mosque compound this morning. Heard that some Jews tried to enter the mosque and tensions arose. It's the usual hotspot when Jews annually try to tear down the mosque and rebuild the Temple - a token action of course, but very provocative. Police and soldiers everywhere in the City as a result. Damascus Gate was partially closed and soldiers stationed there were checking everyone entering it.

So between the hailstorm and the tension in the City, I think everyone felt best to stay indoors, keep warm and get out of trouble.

Snow?

The storm has finally arrived to batter the country. Gale-force winds rip across the City, sending everything in its path up and away. Then the rains and hail came. Heavy. And now everyone is hoping for snow later tonight or tomorrow morning. http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/israel-battens-down-for-storm-as-jerusalem-awaits-maiden-snowfall-1.413362

Temperatures will fall down to 1 degree tonight. I haven't left my room the whole day ... got my two radiators on and drinking lots of water. But looks like lots of people will still go out for a special exhibition - flown in from all the way in China: ice sculptors. So much for adding chill to the cold.  http://www.haaretz.com/culture/arts-leisure/get-your-coats-as-jerusalem-gears-for-chilly-ice-sculptor-delight-1.413292

And as if the economy isn't bad enough, now there're no chickens in the market because inspection fees have gone up by 650%!!!!!!

So much for the weekend ... neither the weather nor economy nor politics are giving up battering us.

Day of tragedy

In memory of the school children

Dreadful disaster this morning as 10 school children were killed and 30 others wounded when their school bus was ploughed through by a truck. They came from a school in the village of Anata (Old Testament Anatoth where the prophet Jeremiah lived). The rains were heavy and the wind was very strong. And sadly drivers continue to heedlessly rush in bad weather, killing innocent people. Everyone in the country is shocked.  http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/10-killed-as-palestinian-children-s-bus-truck-collide-near-jerusalem-1.413257 and http://www.jpost.com/NationalNews/Article.aspx?id=258066 and  http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-17057579  And then, there were comments of satisfaction that only Palestinians were killed, and some other outright racist comments - all posted on the PM's facebook  http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/after-jerusalem-crash-racist-comments-appear-on-netanyahu-s-facebook-page-1.413370

And in the wake of terrorist attacks on Israeli diplomats in Georgia, India and Thailand, local newspapers have now revealed that an assassination plot on Israeli Defense Minister when he visited Singapore was foiled last week. http://www.jpost.com/Defense/Article.aspx?id=258077

The weather is getting from bad to worse ... and forecast for Jerusalem this weekend is snow. It'll drop to 1 degree.  http://www.jpost.com/NationalNews/Article.aspx?id=258075  Today there's heavy snowfall up in the north, while strong winds and rain batter the south. Not good for tourists but locals are grateful for the rain. However we hope there'll be no more accidents.

Gaza's fuel has run out and there is no electricity nor heating this weekend when freezing weather overcomes the region. I hope the heat-packs are sufficient for our poor christians in there, as well as dynamo-charged torchlights. I haven't had any word from Mother Teresa's sisters living in there.

And as if things are black enough, now we have news that the ultra-orthodox jewish push for segregation of the sexes in public places have hit a high note when the guest of honour at a Conference on Child Safety - the Deputy Health Minister no less - walked out when a girls' choir began to sing.  http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/ultra-orthodox-israeli-minister-walks-out-on-girls-choir-at-child-safety-conference-1.413184

Of Valentine's Day and Lent

Blossoming almond tree

The temperature has been consistently dropping. It even drizzled today. Forecast is heavy rain tonight and tomorrow ... and talk of snow during the weekend abound in the streets. Well all I can say is - it's very cold. The sunny spell we had last week is history.

Bouquet of tulips

However signs of Spring are everywhere. The almond trees are in bloom - a sure sign that Spring is round the corner. And the tulips are also blossoming in the parks. Yesterday the Singapore bunch gave me a bouquet of tulips for Valentine's Day. The tulips were scented ... something I never knew tulips were. It was a nice surprise. Valentine's Day is pretty kitsch - filled with heart-shaped cushions, teddy bears ... all made in China. Tacky. Parties cost over 150 shekels per head and so most local youths can't afford to join in. My friend Firas wanted to bring his girlfriend to one of these parties but because of the steep prices, he had to call it off. Poor chap.

Sr. Vincenta and her success

Lent is next week. As tradition dictates, our sisters made ponschski (jelly doughnuts) to celebrate the last week before 40 days of fasting. Sr. Vincenta has been trying hard to master this art. Her first try last week ended up with doughnuts that were small and hard like stones. We had a good laugh and she was terribly embarrassed. She refused to let me photo them. Today - 2nd try and it was much better. The dough rose and it was not overcooked, though the jelly inside were too little and dry. But it was a good try. This time she allowed me to photo them!

So another season of Spring and Lent enters our calendar. We move on ... looking forward to Easter.

Monday 13th

Big uproar when stone from the Wailing Wall are found to be on sale on eBay!!! The Wailing Wall rabbi is furious!  http://www.haaretz.com/jewish-world/ebay-sale-of-western-wall-stones-prompts-outcry-in-jewish-world-1.412687   Welcome to the world of relics ....

And terror alert as Israel's embassies in New Delhi and Tbilisi are attacked. The diplomat's wife in Delhi was wounded by a bomb.  http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/wife-of-israeli-diplomat-wounded-in-car-blast-near-new-delhi-embassy-1.412661

Garbage pile at Mea Shearim

An eyesore and health hazard

But what really upsets everyone is the uncollected garbage piling up in the streets. When the wind blows, the stench of rotting refuse wafts through the air. And plastic and paper fly all over the place. The main streets in the City look like a war zone with all the litter strewn everywhere. People tiptoe over and around the slop and gooey waste. Utterly unpleasant.

The weather has been unbelievable today! 26 degrees! Summer arrived? Well the forecast is for cold and rain from Wednesday onwards. It won't be nice but we need the rain. The wild flowers will benefit from it. And researchers at Ben Gurion University have confirmed what I always knew - plants do communicate with each other.  http://www.jpost.com/Health/Article.aspx?id=257558  I wonder what the flowers say when they have uncollected garbage surrounding them ....

Wings of love

The general strike continues ... now with public bus drivers. And the sanitation dept. is still continuing the strikes so the streets will still be littered with gathering trash. http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/trains-back-on-track-but-garbage-piles-up-as-strike-continues-1.412358   The bad news is that Israelis are one of the world's biggest creators of trash.  http://www.haaretz.com/weekend/magazine/can-israel-become-garbage-free-1.411944   But the airport and train services are getting back to work. http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/israel-train-services-airports-to-resume-operations-as-general-strike-continues-1.412338

Sharks' fins are not only a delicacy in Asia ... apparently here in Israel it's sold fresh in the markets ... illegally though. Shark fishing is prohibited but it hasn't stopped some fisherman. Nor locals who want alternative medicine.  http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/illegal-shark-fishing-in-the-mediterranean-on-the-rise-1.412356

And the exchange of rockets and missile fire between Israel and Gaza has caused more deaths.  http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/palestinian-killed-three-injured-in-israeli-air-raid-on-gaza-1.412374

"Under wings of love ... "

And of course, talk about town is the sudden death of Whitney Houston. No doubt lots of tears will be shed for her ... but I wonder what of the hundreds who will die today in Syria? Who will cry for them?

So much bad news over the weekend.  Maybe a little reassurance of Divine Providence is in place here ... a little consolation that God still cares despite all the bad news.

By the way, I was intrigued by today's date 2.12.12  - it occurs only once in a hundred years, the next being 2112.

Aristotle on Saturday

The streets are littered with uncollected garbage as the general strike enters the weekend. It's unbelievable. There are many rats in the City so I hope this won't lead to a plague. The stray cats are intimidated by those monster rats. It's not a very nice sight for tourists ... but they zoom in and out of tourist spots so quickly, they won't notice anything except perhaps for the stench.

Post offices are closed. Municipality offices are closed. Don't know what else is affected. Luckily today is the Sabbat so no one needs these institutions for 24 hours.

The weather has been fine these two days. Very sunny and warm. I think 16 degrees or so. And today my stomach is holding out well, just cramps but no diarrhea - probably because I've not been eating. The shoulder problem is also much better.

Right now I'm reading Aristotle's The Art of Rhetoric. Heavy stuff. Get a big headache each time I open the book. I'll try and see if I can understand anything. It's Sabbat today so I'm wondering if reading such heavy stuff is considered work. Perhaps we should ban Aristotle on Sabbat ... that way we can relax. Or we could go on strike like the rest of the country.