Not much to sing about!

I have succumbed to a wretched flu bug. This morning is the first morning that I have felt somewhat human for the last three days. On Wednesday, I came down with a gastro-intestinal bug which sent me to bed until this a.m. The timing of the bug was good, coinciding with very bad weather. Thursday, we had a planned tour of the South Hebron Hills with the group called Breaking the Silence but it was cancelled because of the weather. Our activities on Friday didn’t pan out either; activities were cancelled. So I neither felt that I missed anything nor let my teammates down.

I hope everyone at home is enjoying the winter. I have left my Ottawa CTV home page on my computer and I see the weather and headlines every day, -14C today. I also try to tune in the National with Peter every couple of days but the connection can be frustrating at times. It seems to be a very good winter for Winterlude and Tyson’s backyard rink.

Our team is continuing to function well, a blessing, really. We pulled some Taize songs from the internet and made some music together. I find it amazing how a person from Sweden (or Switzerland or Scotland or Canada) can start singing something that we all know in our various languages and cultures and can join in. We are in bad need of a soprano though. We have two altos, a tenor and a bass. Anyone is welcome to come and join us! Any takers?

Our team received the permission of the program to venture into an Israeli settlement, Har Homa, which we can see from our house but is located, of course, on the other side of the wall in West Jerusalem. Even though the weather was miserable, Sabine and Gunnar ventured forth on Thursday evening, expecting to find a lively vibrant community of shopping malls, playgrounds and people. What they found reminded them of a ghost city! There were no shops to speak of, lots of playgrounds (but empty probably because of the weather), and no one in the streets. We will return or perhaps go to another settlement, Har Gilo, to check it out again. This was our effort to speak with every day Israeli settlers, living their normal lives and ask what they think of the occupation situation. Maybe next time....

The Italian Prime Minister Berlesconi visit Bethlehem on Wednesday and it was reported in Ma’an News that he really hadn’t noticed the 26’ high Wall that his motorcade had driven through (a gate) to get here. He apologized to the Bethlehemites, saying he was preoccupied with what he was going to discuss with Abu Mazen.

Off to a meeting now, hoping that breakfast will stay with me!