Ready for Winter

Often I am asked, “What are you going to write about?”

 This week it is a really good question,

as I am just back from a two-week trip to New York City,

where snow and large trees were falling and no one was quite ready for winter.

As always, taking a walk is the only way to see what is really happening.

Businesses are enclosing outside areas in preparation for winter.

A piece of bent metal next to its awning is all that remains of an enclosure

 that the city demolished this week at Yarok Yarok florist shop.

Did you hear about that from any protest group?

Sirens alerting a rocket attack sounded in Gush Dan

  were for a public safety drill;

however this week’s sirens in the south were for 40 missiles fired from Gaza.

A new flotilla heads toward Gaza and

shots were fired from Gaza at Israeli soldiers on patrol.

Perhaps that is how they get ready for ‘Arab Winter’?

I found that in Jerusalem,

signs for an Oud music festival

and an international karate competition are up.

They are changing the plantings in these flowers beds…again!

Someone has to be making a lot of money here, but that’s a whole other post.

The Shalits have gone home and the street has been cleaned up,

 but it will be a long time until

all the stickers

are gone from benches around the city.

Only the large chair and a banner remain on the sidewalk,

which seems to be a perfect background

to record your own rap song about Gilad Shalit.

Someone used a lot of tape to make many similar designs

  along the sidewalks on Azza Street.

You never know what you will find on the Jerusalem streets.

However, the really big news is

it started raining…no–pouring.

The protesters living in tents in Gan Sacher, Sacher Park

  will find that Jerusalem winter wet weather is bone-chilling cold.

As the lightning and thunder continue,

 I’m glad I planned to go to the Jerusalem Knights next week.

This is a good night not to be out.

So glad to have the rain,

but are we really ready for winter?

Not this year in Jerusalem

 Jerusalem turned pink for the Komen Race for the Cure in 2010,

 in many places it is an annual event to raise money for breast cancer research.

Last year’s race took place on a beautiful day in Jerusalem.

Thousands of people came from around the world,

hundreds of Arab women came from all over Israel to participate.

This year the race was not run, but last year was nice enough to see again.

Click on Archive on the right for October 2010,

then click Race for the Cure.

Not this year…

but maybe next year in Jerusalem,

or better yet a cure.

A Different Perspective

Those who predicted that Gaddafi would be overthrown by his own people

were correct…only it took 42 years for those predictions to be fulfilled.

One has to wonder about what will happen to Libya,

a society where children are taken to view a dead dictator’s body,

now that Sharia Law will become the law of the land.

Turkey has another earthquake and turns down offers of help.

Headlines are of knife attacks and a new security alert in Jerusalem.

The holiday season is finally over and before the November events begin,

it seems like a good time to share some of the art and beauty

that you can find on the Jerusalem streets.

On a path near a main road is this sculpture, one of many around the city.

On the sides of  buildings

 large murals can be seen.

While there is a new initiative to decorate the Machane Yehuda market, the shuk,

 noncommissioned street art or graffiti

can be found

in many locations around Jerusalem.

Brightly painted and decorated

boxes for electrical and phone wires

 are scattered throughout the city.

Some of the art displayed in Mamilla Mall is colorful and whimsical,

and Biblical themes are common… Noah is timely for this week.

Sculptures have included the large and holy

and the small and mundane.

However, it is the interaction of the public with these works of art

that makes them more

than just something to view

and appreciate from afar.

The pieces are constantly being changed

and then photographed by visitors.

Some request to have their picture taken with a piece of art,

while others may not be aware they are being photographed.

Wonder if these people realized they were sitting on an art project?

One of many city benches painted with a gold lion by two local artists.

This was probably not meant to be a work of art,

but on the streets of Jerusalem you can never be quite sure…

things often are seen from a different perspective.