Snow in the Desert

I really didn't think I'd get to see snow until I get back to Milwaukee in April. However, I had quite a nice surprise today: snowflakes over the Negev! Actually, we had a lot of hail, rain, sleet and wind as well. And it's incredibly freaking cold here. I'm freezing my ass off with just a tiny sucky space heater.

It's times like these (cold times, that is), when I find myself asking why the hell the f***ing Jewish Agency can't get off their asses and give us heating. Really, this is a place in which it's cold for at least three to four months of the year, and all they give us are these tiny heaters. What the hell is up with that?

We went to Haifa yesterday, and to be perfectly honest, I thought it was a waste of time and gasoline. The city is very nice, but what we did there was pointless. We were supposed to learn about Arab/Jewish coexistance, and I really learned nothing. We started out at the Ba'hai Gardens, which is very nice to look at but not very interesting. Then we went to lunch, which was the only good part of the day. Then we went to some "coexistance" community center, where they made us walk around a random neighborhood and look at art that was supposedly promoting coexistance. Then we went to Haifa University to hear a panel of Jewish and Arab students. One Arab student just yelled the whole time and didn't let the others have a say. One Jewish student just yelled back, and took up the rest of the time. Then it was another 3 and 1/2 hours to get back to Arad. Oh, and it rained the whole day.

Now, I need to get ready to volunteer at the old folks' home. I'm playing the violin for them, but I have no idea what I'll play today. I've kind of run out of new repretoire for them.