New Rain

Rain came back today. it was about 2 or 3 AM that a shower of rain washed over the city and cleaned it. Well, not completely, but its a start.

There's this smell of after the rain. I know it's dust being lifted from the ground by the force of the falling rain. I also know the smell of after-rain that you get after a few days of showers. That really clean air. Still waiting for that one.

Dust is darn abundant here. It's one of the things that makes me dislike if not hate the city I live in. Israel as a whole is dusty, but there are cleaner places then this city.

Plus people don't really seem to care. They don't care that their environment is getting more difficult to breathe in, that pulmonary diseases become more common by the day, that even coughing is more and more common.

Everyone loves complaining, while sitting on their comfy chairs and doing nothing but blowing air out and sucking air in. I'm not exempt from that.

We kill ourselves. Little by little every single day. We delude ourselves like nothing will happen to us. Things like that happen to other people. Not to us.

Only we're all together on the same globe. Butterfly effect and all that jazz.

What we think happens only to other people, those other people think only happens to us. And both us and those other people are right.

I think it's why I love rain. It gives us some reprieve. Maybe the illusion, that things are still okay. That earth mends itself, and that we didnt manage to completely crap it all up as yet.

And then I have this cough that doesnt go away.

Hot Water / Color Red / 2009

We live in an old apartment. As a result, things don't always work as they should..

A "for instance" is the shower. We're not able to have a decent hot shower.. the water is luke-warm and in these winter cold days, this is no fun at all!

You don't really come to appreciate hot water until you miss it. The shower in the morning that wakes you up, the water that cleans you and makes your skin and hair cleaner and nice-smelling..

The Text says "Red Color Real Time". The words "Red Color" are a code name for rocket/bomb/missile alarm. When they're broadcasted on the radio or public speakers, it means that you should take cover in a safe shelter.

So far the rockets hit cities in the south of Israel, and now they started coming closer.. as in my place of work town for instance. Now it's less of a cafeteria talk subject and more of a life threatening issue. To tell the truth, I'm taking it kind of non-shalantly. Maybe in a fatalist kind of way that says "what will happen will happen". It doesn't mean that I don't take care of myself and hid the alarms when they come. It's more that I don't get too scared and worried about it and take it in a more cynical and amused way than anything else.

1/1/2009 - Yesterday we celebrated the change of the gregorian year to 2009. I wish first and foremost, peace and love and prosperity for all. Not just my close and immediate family and friends but also those in the wider circle - old friends, fellow israelis, poor people, and all those who really need it in their lives. I want to give thanks for what I have and been blessed with: Love from my parents, sister, niece and nephew, and of course, my dear girlfriend. Economic stability, which is not to say economic freedom, but still is a LOT to be grateful for. My health and the health of those dear to me. We've been through tragedy and happyness this year, and I hope that even with the state of current events, that 2009 will be a happy and fruitful year.

Happy New Year!

Rosh Ha'shana - Jewish New Year!

The Jewish New Year is upon us. A time to greet in a new year, take stock of what was and wish and pray for a better (or even better) year to come.

Jews take the happy with the sad, and so, soon after the new year holiday - comes

Yom Kippur, which is the day when the temple for god was destroyed, followed by the need of the jews to seek atonement for their (our) sins - on Yom Kippur.

But back to the new year, it's a time for celebrations, eating sweet foods to promote sweetness in the year to come, and other customs that cleanses the soul and body and help us welcome the new year with a smile and happyness in our hearts.

As in most holidays it's also a time to bond stronger with family and friends. Not just through eating together, but also through companionship and forgiveness for past sins.

May this year be sweet and happy and full of joy to all!