They say when it comes to the end, you just want to spend time with people that you really care about.  I am not seeing how that is much different from how i normally approach being here, but none-the-less, i am trying to make the added effort to spend time with people i like lots...so last night we were out playing pool.  The sun goes down at like 5 pm now--so when we went to shoot pool at like 8, it felt like 10--and when i got home at 1030, it felt like 1 am.  The highlight was beating Clorin--who i NEVER beat ever--but i think its cuz she lost her MoJo, got stolen by some nappy haired guy

 

Good thing it felt late early though b/c i was up all night....in part b/c the goblins seem to have stolen all the blankets in my house and, since there's no central heating here, it's cold as siberia in my bedroom, and in part b/c of the wicked storm.  My friend Ryan took these photos the other night of one of the storms--this morning's was on par, with hail.  CLICK ME for pics.  So between the thunder, hail, icicles forming in my room and my normal insomnia, its been one of those days.  CLICK HERE to see the blanket i stole from my folks to stay warm (its leila's pic).

 

To just finish of my little incoherent rant--i think the art of dating is lost...not forever mind you...just in my life.  A friend of mine wrote the cutest 'ask out' letter to this girl the other day---it was just adorable, well thoughtout, witty, charming.  Needless to say, i was incredibly jealous--not cuz he's going out with some chica, just because i want one of those cute letters that shows someone really put some thought and nervousness into actually asking for a date.  To my friend, well done babe!  You get infinite credit just for that. 

 

I came to the conclusion on Thursday that all i need in life is someone to play me Spanish guitar, good friends, cuban cigars, and a killer view of the ocean.  We were at Jeanette's father's house for a BBQ to celebrate Leyb's 55th birthday.  Leyb, who is best known for smoking cigarettes made of dirt called Noblesse, and sayin "haaaay Baybaye" as only an old Russian man frozen by Chicago winters can.  Leyb is eccentric and have adored him in all his insanity since he tied tuna fish cans to the bottom of my OGC truck back in the MCP gardens days.  Anyways, the old man lured us with dreams of kabob and specially made sausage (Jeanette's dad is a pretty important guy).  So there we were when we discovered  the truth of the birthday.  I think Leyb was like 6 drinks of Cognac and Vodka up on me--so i decided not to try and compete.  Turish coffee and Malt (a non-alcoholic drink i have found no where but here) served me well.  Full tummy later, Jeanette's son, Fadi, the international tax lawyer from NYC, busted out with the flamenco guitar...it was absolutely incredible, i think i fell in love for 15 minutes.  My mind drifted off--at peace and wanting to hang on to the moment forever--alas it was not to be, i had to roll my very very full tummy home for work on Fri.

 

Ah Friday, the long anticipated party at the beach.  How i love Atlit, let me count the ways.  Just south of Haifa, there is this place called Atlit--mostly deserted beach with proper sand dunes and perfect water. heaven really.  Since Ryan is leaving we decided to throw one last proper shindig....its great, you can find everything you need for a proper fiesta in this city.  We had music and BBQing, and got to spend a substantial amount of time listening to 30 different people direct traffic on how to dig a truck out of the sand--there were some comments about sending a wench to find a wench.  I would like to point out that neda and i did find one--we just didn't get it to pull the truck far enough out while we had the chance.  Here are the links to pictures:

When you are getting ready to go, they send you to these departure talks--talks meant to help you prepare yourself to go.  For the most part, i find them pretty useless. I mean, its of course an honor to get to hear a member of the House of Justice and a member of the International Teaching Centre talk, but i've done this before...i know what's lying on the other side...i remember how that felt.  I spent a lot of time drawing in their talks--trying to focus, but intent on making sure the line patterns i was working on didn't bleed together and that the negative space was right.  I had created something which--when flipped upside down--looked like a picasso-esque face, when i heard someone speaking say that we should take the time to create solid images in our minds--memory snapshots of the the things we love here.  Huh, ok, i've got a lot of those from my first service--and quite a few from this one:

 

Navs, Farshid, and Payam re-enacting their fast breakfast with "30 seconds DUDIIIIII"; Chai at Douzan; sitting on the Terraces at lunch during the Fast with a close friend; the smell of jasmine on the wind behind the Shrines; my parents; the ethiopian restaurant; neda's bridal shower; molai; dus playing the piano; coffee at the beach during winter storms watching the waves crash, etc. 

 

Today there was a new image: warm sun, cool breeze, and the doors of the now empty Archives Building open wide, the echoes of the restoration work travellling through the fresh air and catching my attention.  I think it may be the only time i will ever see the doors open wide like that.  For a moment, i regretted not having a camera--but then we are back to that snapshot in the memory thing.  So there it is, the birds will always sing, the October sun will always shine down, and the Archives will always be wide open in my mind.

Hamdi Shaqqura, a director at the Palestinian Center for Human Rights, said: “The main issue in Gaza is the security chaos — the attacks on people, on internationals, on journalists. Crime is everywhere, and 90 percent of the attacks come from those in the security forces, with no punishment. So as an ordinary citizen, I see this and take the law into my own hands.”

Not far away, on a street near parliament, is a store that has been sold by its owners, two sisters, to raise cash. But a young nephew is angry because he wanted the store for himself. To put pressure on his aunts, he recently brought over four men from the Hassanain clan, dressed in black, with long beards and M-16’s. They came in two glinting silver Mercedes-Benzes, with no license plates.

Later, neighbors said, the aunts called Hamas, which sent some men with their own guns and beards. They whispered to the gunmen, who drove away. But the Hassanain gunmen returned the next day — not only with their guns and cars, but with a lion they stole from the zoo.