Sick sick

There was a terrible sandstorm again yesterday. The sky was a dull yellow and the oppressive heat weighed like a blanket suffocating everything beneath. Sand everywhere. Awful.

Have been feeling very sick yesterday. Sprained my neck and shoulder yesterday because I was carrying a heavy backpack. Hurt so bad I still have a headache from it ... and vomited the whole night and morning. Rani the pharmacist gave me two strong medicines - a muscle relaxant and a pain-suppressant. What I really need is to sleep. And my right knee is giving me trouble - pain and weak, so I'm buckling over.

Tom & Jerry at Jacob's Pizza

On the bright side - just for laughs: Jacob's Pizzeria plays non-stop Tom and Jerry cartoons. People enjoy it very much! These guys who run the place are really something!  A group of catholic youths got together and started up this pizzeria - and a couple of these guys are deaf-mute as well. Hats off to them. They deserve good patronage not just because they create good pizzas, and have a real cool place to hangout ... but because they're willing to work hard for the money; and not just sponge off their parents or get into trouble.

And the price of tomatoes have doubled this week.  That would mean a rise of prices in pizza as well.  http://www.haaretz.com/business/price-of-tomatoes-doubles-in-two-weeks-1.427237   If this is any indication, we'd expect prices of other goods to also rise by early summer. Higher prices = more protests and boycotts. It's going to be a busy summer ......

Day of violence

Palestinian protest

After a day of pride and festivities on Independence Day, a series of violent attacks erupted throughout Israel. Jewish racist attacks on foreigners    http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/firebomb-attack-on-asylum-seekers-buildings-sparks-clashes-in-south-tel-aviv-1.427022    while arabs attack Jews in several incidents  http://www.jpost.com/NationalNews/Article.aspx?id=267732  Somehow this appears to be the beginning of a summer of serious clashes. On Friday night there was the usual Palestinian students march in East Jerusalem - "Palestine for Palestinians": waving flags, chanting, clenching fists and punching the air, while passing cars honk in support. A smattering of police and soldiers huddle in road corners watching but not intervening.

King Herod's palace in Masada

I've been quite seriously ill again ... it's even beginning to worry me. People around are urging me to go to Haifa hospital or Hadassah but I'm not convinced though. But I know something's got to be done. It gets pretty depressing as it's crippling my life, but luckily this week I've had some good friends around to buffer me up. It was good to meet my italian teacher Ulisse again and with several other friends, we visited the Dead Sea and Masada, the desert fortress/palace of Herod the Great. Haven't been there for well over 10 years now. It's still an impressive edifice. Then of course I get very cheered up when I chat with Firas my good friend in Bethlehem. He's done very well in his exams last week but unfortunately I can't go celebrate with him. He only gets permission to come to Jerusalem once or maybe twice a year and I don't go to Bethlehem so we hardly meet at all. So it's going to be one long summer .... not sure if I look forward to it.

Thanks

Sincere thanks to the following for their kind thoughts, well-wishes and gifts: Irene Teoh, Paula, Paulette, Gigi, Yvonne, Julia and Susan, the Cavero family, Vincent/Glenda and Eva, Moses and Eunice, Rose Chiu, the RISE group

Independence Day

Fireworks, concerts, roadshows, barbecues in the park, party by the beach .... the country was in a festive mood for Israel's 64th birthday. 

Evening landing: end of trip

Start of day: boarding the wasp

I would have usually stayed at home on Ind. Day but today was special. A friend visiting from overseas wanted to see the country by helicopter and invited me. So i spent most of Ind. Day up in the air. Lovely perspective of sights I usually see from ground level. Travelled from Jerusalem to Nazareth, then to Tiberias, then to Akko, over Haifa and Tel Aviv before anding again in Jerusalem.

Jerusalem Old City from the south

Haifa by air

Star of David field crop

Hilton Beach, Tel Aviv

Mt. of Olives by air

Captain David

Memorial Day

Sirens sounded at 8pm to mark the beginning of Memorial Day - the fallen soldiers of Israel. It was sombre for most people going to the cemeteries to revisit their loved ones. But there were also lots of excursions for school kids to visit the sites where battles were fought. Soldiers too were everywhere at the cemeteries to remember their comrades.

At 11am today the sirens were again sounded for  a minute's silence. The country stood still. http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/israel-marks-memorial-day-for-fallen-idf-soldiers-1.426476  Flags flew at halfmast. But by the afternoon the sombre mood was changing. Shops and houses began decking the Israeli flag as they prepared for Independence Day celebrations that begin in the evening.

Strawberries galore

In the eastern part of Jerusalem and the Territories, there was naturally no celebration. Life went on as usual even as the sirens sounded. At Damascus Gate, strawberries were being sold by the boxes - incredibly large and sweet.

Well I guess there's two sides to every coin. Every victory means defeat for another. And for the losers, every little consolation helps - even a strawberry ... if only to add a little sweetness and smile on the lips.

Ups and Downs

This evening the country will be in solemn remembrance of all who fell in war. It's Memorial Day. The day following that is Independence Day. It'll be another long weekend here for us. The weather is promising - sunny with a cool wind. That means lots of barbecuing and picnics on Independence Day; and the beaches will be packed.

On the downside the country is in crisis because Egypt decided to cut the agreement to provide natural gas to Israel. Fuel prices are going to rise and the poor as usual will suffer. Hopefully the celebrations on Independence Day will just make everyone forget those problems - even if only for a day. Of course for the Palestinians, the celebrations take on the opposite meaning - the lost of their land. Next week they'll celebrate Nakbar Day - day of catastrophe when Israel took their land. Two sides to a coin.

A '60 Minutes" report on persecution of Christians in Israel was said to be nipped from airing by Israeli pressure on America ... http://www.haaretz.com/blogs/diplomania/netanyahu-was-briefed-on-efforts-to-stop-60-minutes-report-on-israel-s-christians-1.426118 Well we all know what persecution is all about; the only question is how well it gets covered up.

But just to lighten up, here're some pics to put a smile on your face:

Watermelon frog

Watermelon fantasy

Nice and creative watermelon art.

Of sunsets and ranunculi

Sunset over the Mediterranean

Lovely weather today. I had to go to my other house which is nearer the airport to pick up some friends arriving this morning. As it was the Sabbath yesterday I couldn't book for the shuttle bus, so my best solution was to go to Tel Aviv and spend the night there so I could get to the airport the next day on time. There was a magnificent sunset. My italian teacher, Ulisse, came a day earlier than the rest of the group and we walked along the beach to watch this spectacular scene.

Elegance in a vase

It was good to be back to my other community. I haven't been with them for a very long time. The view of the sea from my window is always so beautiful. And in the house, there was a delightful vase of ranunculi on the dining table. Everything was so calm and serene compared the crazy situation in Jerusalem. And I met some of my friends who hawk their wares in the piazza in front of our house every Sabbath - Shlomi and the gang. He gave me a huge bag of honeyed mixed nuts to munch. It was good to see them again. Everyone was asking what happened to me - they haven't seen me for months.

For this once in a very long time, I could shake off the religious, political tensions of the Old City and really breathe .... the warm sea breeze, the balmy  Mediterranean sunset ... and a lovely vase of fragrant flowers. It was like another world.