Mother of all Taxi Rides

For over a week, snow has been forecast for Jerusalem. On Monday, whilst visiting Tel Aviv, I was told it would fall on Tuesday night/Wednesday morning. After a very stormy night, the blizzard and the several inches of snow arrived as predicted.

I had a shared taxi (Sheroot) ordered for 4.45am. At 5.15am the company called me to ask me to walk to the Jaffa Gate, as the police were not letting any vehicles into the Old City. So the night watchman from the guest house where I was staying dragged my 21kg suitcase through the snow for me.

At first the taxi driver wouldn't let me pay him, and mumbled something incoherent about the roads in Jerusalem being impassable. I thought he was going to drive me to the train station, or give me another alternative. But one and a half hours later, we were still skidding up and down the hills of the city, trying to find the other passengers. During this period, the driver conducted a fierce argument with his dispatcher over the radio and mobile phone, whilst waving his arms around, swearing and smoking. The van only hit something once, whilst he was trying to do a three point turn in foot deep slush on a hill.

When we arrived at the airport an hour late (me white as a sheet I'm sure), the said driver tried to charge us more than the usual fare for this exciting trip - no doubt trying to make up for the four passengers he failed to find on the streets.

I don't think I have ever been so grateful to see an airport before.

Stamping Ground

Amazing how certain things in life are great levellers. Regardless of your education, politics or religion, you grow old.
Yet another post about queueing at the Post Office. Today I joined the pensioners queue in the Old City post office. It was as slow as the central post office, and once again it took 40 minutes to reach the counter to buy stamps.
However, in that 40 minutes, I watched the world walk and shuffle by, queue, argue, pester, laugh and extend hands of compassion. One very sick man showed up in his pyjamas, accompanied by what looked like a grown up grandson. He was ushered to the front (rightly so). Another old lady wasn't tall enough to reach the counter to sign her paperwork, if she had been able to write. Most of the senior citizens were signing for their pension with a thumb print.
As all of my fellow queuers were Arab, I was around 10 inches taller than all of them, except one. He was a tall Ethiopian, with the bearing of a prince. He leaned on his stick as he gave his print. Another chap stood on the sidelines like a nightclub bouncer, making sure no one jumped the queue who was under 80 years of age.
The Postmaster remained cheerful throughout and disposed of me very quickly. 6 stamps, no problem, have a nice day.

Wailing Walls

There is a rumour going around Jerusalem that it will snow tomorrow. This has set off a whole load of nostalgia for me. I feel like staying up all night to see if it happens.
I remember well the pianissimo effect that heavy snow falls had in Austria where I lived many years ago. I think the last time I saw snow was on a month's trip to Germany and Switzerland in 1998, so that makes it nearly 10 years.
The chances are I will be kept up all night anyway, as the cat who lives in the Guest House compound is on heat and doing passable impersonations of June Sutherland underneath my balcony. Multitudes of Tom cats are appearing from the walls of the Old City to court her.
Sigh - I hope the snow fall deadens their ardour, or at least turns down the volume.

Oh Puhleeze!

One of the many fine achievements of the late Teddy Kollek was the establishment of the Israel Museum. Next to it, the beautifully designed "Shrine of the Book". It is aptly named, as the atmosphere both outside and inside invoke the kind of reverence normally reserved for a place of worship.

I visited the Shrine of the Book this week, and marvelled at the extraordinary discoveries in the Dead Sea Scrolls.

The largest exhibit of all is centre stage, up a flight of stairs, and scrolled around a massive drum; the Isaiah scroll (in facisimile).

I took my time to walk around it, not of course understanding the script, but loving its age, its beauty and all that it represented as the oldest existing scroll of the prophet Isaiah.

That is until I heard a loud voice behind me boom through the gloom:

"I've just bought the whole collection of Harry Potter for my grandchildren.....blah blah blah blah". Talk about the sublime to the ridiculous.

The nationality of the lady concerned will remain anonymous.

It is the closest I have ever come to hitting someone over the head with a blunt object.

Mary Poppins goes Khaki

One of my favourite scenes in the film Mary Poppins is where Dick van Dyke dances with the penguins.In a marvelous combination of vaudeville, animation and unforgetable Disney, he lowers his trousers (in the best possible taste) to mimic the penguins.
Have you noticed this phenomena amongst teenage boys? Not only content to reveal their derrieres, boxer shorts are carefully chosen to peek over the belt, whilst the crotch and seat hang around their knees.
This fashion statement has made it to the Israeli Defence Force. In the last few weeks I have seen several Corporals and Sargeants leap onto buses with rucksacks, guns and regulation battle fatigues clinging to their hips, defying gravity.
The next time there is a war here, the ground troups will be seen waddling towards the enemy.

Coffee Shops and Politics

I had a marvellous rendevous yesterday with a fellow blogger in Israel. I have hung out at her blog for almost two years. Yesterday we met face to face in a cafe on a busy thoroughfare in Tel Aviv. She and I didn't stop talking for nearly 4 hours! We covered politics mostly and laughed at our respective cat stories. I have two, she has nine (and about 70 street cats she feeds/neuters and tries to rehome).

I find it interesting that although the way we "met" was virtual, that the centuries old tradition of discussing issues of the day over coffee hasn't changed here. No casual topics or mindless ramblings in Israel. Everything is urgent, current and super relevant. How I wish she lived next door:-)

On the road

Not sure when I will have access to a computer in the next few weeks, so I'll say "cheery bye" for now. Don't give up on me though. I hope to chat with you soon.