Thu, December 23, 2010 9:51:10 AMshabbat shalom 23.12.10 ...
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| Linda Olsvig-Whittaker |
Hi everyone, Christmas Eve approaches (at least the Western one ; Greek Orthodox Christmas is in January). I get a little bit nostalgic this time of year, start singing Christmas carols to myself and get all choked up, ending with a squeak and a sniffle. I miss the smell of spruce and cinnamon, that indescribable pungent mix of odors that can only mean Christmastime. Christmas is pretty sparse on the ground in Israel, of course, and even in the Christian Arab sector, Christmas is only a faint imitation of that full blooded northern Europe Yule with its lights and its wassail and, ah, the TREE. Okay, it's the pagan winter solstice festival. Big fat hairy deal. I want my winter solstice festival. Vats of mead and sacrificial virgins are optional but I want that tree, and candles, and Christmas cake. Centuries of Viking ancestors are stirring in my blood and opening one eye, getting restless. Must do something about it. Oddly enough, my coworkers like Christmas festivities too. Being Jewish, they have to take it on the sly. So my annual office party is officially the "Winter Holiday Party" but it has a tree and lights and treats, and about 60 people turn up, not one being Christian but myself. And not a crumb is left afterward, either. So the fascination is obviously visceral and not even cultural. The days are short and dreary here now too, and we crave light, fat, and sugar. I wasn't going to do the Christmas party this year because we moved office, but got nudniked by so many people about when it would be, that I gave up and will throw a party here on 2 January. Before that, if things work out, I'm holding another party for a whole village. The idea of having a get together at Everest Hotel on 30 January for the people of Arab Walaja and Jewish Har Gilo goes ahead despite some lurches. But the latest development is that eight villagers are in jail after demonstrating yesterday against the containment wall being built around their village, see http://uruknet.info/?p=m73163&fb=1 and http://ramallahonline.com/2010/12/mazin-and-7-others-arrested-today-at-al-walaja/) Apparantly all hell broke loose in Walaja yesterday, but not a peep in the Israeli news.....There will be a demonstration at Walaja tomorrow morning. Things are definitely heating up. I can't help thinking they did the right thing: a nonviolent protest is exactly what they need to do, and it should be all over the media. It may be that my party is cancelled, but I'm cheering for them from the sideline. I talked to the village committee there and we will just have to see how things shape up. Well, what news tops that....not much really. On Tuesday I joined my colleagues for a long trip to northwestern Galilee , to view the situation with water management. We visited one of my favorite reserves, little En Afeq, a wetland reserve where I had half a dozen students do their M.Sc. theses over the last fifteen years. It is now managed by a good friend, Giselle Hassan , who as a Christian Arab and a woman, is a most unusual nature reserve manager in Israel . I've published articles with her, and know she is very able. It was great to poke around and see what she and her team have been doing there since my last student finished his field work. Then we were off to Nahal Kziv (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nahal_Kziv), a deep and beautiful canyon which runs from Mt. Meron to the sea near Achziv. It is rich in vegetation, including maples which we don't often see in this country, and lots of water. The cliffs are full of caves which housed people over the centuries, and our excursion ended near Montfort Castle , a Crusader fort. It's a very romantic place and of course full of hikers. Although it was a very tiring trip, I am glad I saw a part of the country which is unfamiliar to me. Well, Christmas is coming and I'll take some time out. The YMCA does a caroling service on Christmas Eve, and I have friends coming for Christmas dinner on the 25th, for which I have been hoarding a ham that I handcarried back from Prague last September. I think it's at least ten years since I last had baked ham......which will be balanced with having burekas, tomatoes and cucumbers for Christmas breakfast! Looks like it is going to be an interesting holiday season...will try to make the most of it without getting arrested. Just goes to prove that being alone during the holidays does not necessarily equal boring or depressed! shabbat shalom, Linda |
http://shabbat-shalom-jerusalem.blogspot.com/
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