Month: April 2011

As the Passover holiday approaches, full-page newspaper ads announce

extra garbage collection in most of Jerusalem.

You never know what will be put out on the street,

or how long it will last there.

750 new paper collection bins

and 800 bottle collection bins have popped up all over the city,

some leave little room for people.

In Machane Yehuda Market, the Shuk, customers are lining up at the home supply stores

to buy new cleaning supplies.

Even the fish are ready for Passover.

The sign at Gan Sacher got a cleaning after the marathon,

however, it will be some time until the grounds are fully restored.

The park is still a great place for those not busy cleaning

to relax.

Some birds seem to clean up better than the humans who use the park.

Birds were lined up

on top of the Kotel, the Western Wall

as notes in the wall were overflowing before their spring cleaning.

And all these preparations are just a prelude…as next week

huge pots of boiling water will be out ready to get rid of every last crumb.

Passover begins Monday night, April 18, 2011.

“A Coup Will Topple Qaddafi If We Just Keep Our Hands Off”,

so proclaims a Washington Post headline dated April 13, 1986!

Middle East expert Lisa Anderson, then associate professor of political science at Columbia University,

advises the Reagan administration, “He’s ripe for a coup, my guess is that he’ll be gone in a year.”

Hmm … just which year?

Almost as hard as the Middle East “situation” to predict, has been the weather in Jerusalem.

One day it is hot enough to get everyone outside

and bring out the summer drinks,

and then it changes and is wet and cold.

Tourists descending the steps to visit the Kotel, the Western Wall on Tuesday afternoon,

had no idea that minutes before the entire area was cleared for a ‘suspicious object’.

When and where these incidents occur is impossible to predict.

This week doctors are holding a two-day “warning strike”

and holiday schlepping and spring cleaning are in full swing.

Where else is “schlepping” an official medical diagnosis and house cleaners get paid twice as much as doctors?

It is impossible to predict the outcome, as anything can happen.

As anything can be seen on the streets, wonder if the mate to this shoe will found with spring cleaning?

Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit has been held in Gaza for more than 1745 days,

as much as his family wants his freedom before Passover… it is impossible  to predict.

There are some things easy to predict,

most people will get together with family and friends Passover seder night.

Schools are ending soon for holiday and with all the preparations,

plus having the kids home… stress levels will rise.

In an earlier post about the food festival in the Old City,

were these  “Eat at Joe’s Diner” type of electric signs.

They have been removed

and traditional signs are in place to direct the holiday crowds.

However,

 meters of new lights are being installed around the walls of the Old City.

Safe prediction… some people will love them and some will not.

And certainly, no cleaning, schlepping or cooking will not get done sitting here…

Have a good week!