Rumbly night with rain

I guess May weather is thunderstorms everywhere.  It actually rained last night in Beer Sheva, which is very unexpected (in general).  First, I thought the rumbles were from IDF planes, but they pass over pretty fast, and the rumbles persisted.  So we have thunder and lightning.  Rain is always welcome in the desert.  I could hear tires on wet pavement before I went to bed, and the smokers were driven under cover. Too bad I don't have the play by play on the Weather Channel.

It rained all night, there was flooding in southern Israel , and 24 mm of rain in Beer Sheva.  As you can see, it rained almost everywhere in Israel.

Yom HaAtzmaut - יום הצמאות

Independence Day kicked off at 20:00 (sunset after Memorial Day). Many houses, businesses and government buildings are draped in Israeli flags.

My engineering building at BGU (my window is somewhere in the photo).

My apartment building.  If you zoom in, you'll see flags on lots of the windows and balconies.

I left the house to walk to City Hall plaza (עיריית באר שבע) and found that the big street on which I catch the bus (big like Metcalf big) was closed, and only open to pedestrians.  I eventually got funneled to the security checkpoint, and walked with lots of people to City Hall.  There was a concert stage set up (easy since rain is very unlikely, and it was 80 degrees), and lots of vendors selling festival food, like cotton candy and candied apples (no funnel cakes that I saw) and silly, flag-related things that light up (since this event was at night).  All the kids were really cute with all their light-up things.

The fireworks were scheduled to begin at 22:00, and there were various musical performances (many very amateur).  I wasn't crazy about the 30 minutes of rap music from 21:30-22:00, but it was all free, and it wasn't crazy-loud.  No, I didn't expect operatic arias!  But jazz would have been nice.  But, back to the evening.  The fireworks were launched behind the buildings of the square (probably another reason to close traffic) - this was in downtown Beer Sheva.  We ooooed and aahhhed for 15-20 minutes.  It was great.

Then most people left, so there were a lot of people exiting.  Luckily, I live close enough to have just walked. 

I was thinking that I got to see the fireworks over the Charles River in Boston in 1976 from a roof at MIT for the bicentennial (where I shot Ektachrome slides of the fireworks with a Canon), and last night I got to see the 66th anniversary of Israel in Beer Sheva (and shot photos with a new Canon).

Closing comments on Yom HaZikaron

I received this sticker, and as I write, it is still on my shirt.  It says "Yom HaZikaron - Israel remembers".  The siren went off at 1900 last night for one minute.  I went down to the busy intersection near my apartment just to see.  Except for two cars (which may have been Arabs), everything did stop and people stood.  Luckily, there was no ambulance enroute to the nearby hospital.  And then, just as quick as it began, people resumed their lives.

This morning, I observed the two-minute siren at 1100 from my campus at BGU, which is across from a busy hotel, having significant renovations to its sidewalks and drives.  When the siren sounded, the backhoe stopped, the lady getting her dog out of the car froze (unfortunately, the dog doesn't get Yom HaZikaron.  But it was quiet).  I was put off by two separate Bedouin couples who walked through all the frozen pedestrians just chatting it up.  Really?  But again, just as soon as the siren ended, the dog came out of the car and the backhoe moved about.

At sunset tonight, Yom HaAtzmaut begins, and I'll be at some of the festivities in Beer Sheva.  Look for that report tomorrow.

Blog comments

I modified the blog so that you may leave comments without needing a Google, etc. id.  Just choose "Anonymous".  I did a test run, and it worked (although it took me three tries to get past the "recognize the smeared words" gauntlet).

Flowering tree

For the flower picture fans out there, here is a photo of an example of the pretty purple-flowering trees.  There are quite a few of them in Beer Sheva.

Yom HaZikaron at Ben Gurion University (updated)

The turnout at today's Memorial Day ceremony was not quite as robust as the turnout for Holocaust Remembrance Day (see note below with update).  But the chairs were set up in the shade, which I appreciated because it will be 100 degrees this afternoon.  I took a few photos during sound check.  The national siren for Yom HaZikaron  will sound tomorrow morning at 11:00.

The BGU flag is wrapped around the pole.  The flame matches one on the dais for the ceremony.

The ceremony began with a reading of names (BGU students/alumni who died in action?).  There were some addresses from dignitaries, including an IDF officer, two songs, El Ma'ale Rachamim, and the singing of HaTikvah.

I didn't see all the people behind me.  I think from this photo that there were a lot of people there.

Source:  BGU's facebook page.  I'm in the bottom right corner in the blue skirt.

Sick in Beer Sheva

Well, what extended overseas experience would be complete without some minor sickness?  I guess it was my turn.  The good thing about being on sabbatical, is that there is no clock to punch, so I was able to spend a couple days in down-time, without speaking to people.  The laryngitis seems to be associated with a cold, so I've been consuming lots of healthy liquids, and reading or snoozing.

I know some of you are amazed that I can keep from talking.  Of course, it's easiest when no one is around.