JERUSALEM DAY

I can't believ that I just accidently erased this entire day! It is now 2:00 P. M.
I just left the old city hotel and transferred here, to the American Colony Hotel.
What a change! The way I like it: leaving my little flea-infested monks cell and coming to where, as I check in the fellow says, " I'm sorry, mr. Chapman but the room is not quite ready. Would you like a glass of champage while you wait?"

While I was walking here, I passed through a demonstration outside the american consulate, an israeli demostration against Obama. He's not real popular among the israelis.
I walked further on and passing me in the opposite direction was an older Arab woman teaching a younger one to drive: eyes straight ahead, hands clutching the wheel, all so familiar. The only problem for them is that I don't think that they appreciated the fact of the demostration back the way they were headed.
On the way here, on Nablus road, a woman, distraught and weeping, supported by two burley men, came straggling out of the alternative burial place of Jesus. No one seemed overly concerned. I think they call it Jerusalem Syndrome.
You're never far from a drama here.
Eating at the same resturant every night, and here again tonight, I tell the waitress that I really like Jerusalem (she's from here and agrees with me) and I tell her that I'm from Oregon , on the USA. I realize that when I say I like it here, it means a lot to her, but when someone tells me that they like Oregon, I don't have her reaction. I realize that I don't need someone else's friendship as much as jeruslemites need friends.
It is a beautiful, fragile place.
Today is Jerusalem Day, the anniversary of the acquiring , or should I say "return", of the city to israeli possession.
Kids everywhere with israeli flags.
Not something you would see at home.

So this is am azing night to be in Jerusalem , there are Jews everywhere celebrating astonishingly, yet a young Arab woman passede and we exchanged big smiles. What a wonderful experience.
With all the turmoil, I am still tearing up mightily.
I wouldn't have missed this for the world.

Of course, coming back from the restaurant, I pass through the bus terminal where all the shuttle buses are heading back to the palestinian towns of Bethlehem , and jericho and they are not celebrating, but I carry that arab woman's smile with me as a small smile of hope.

Back at the hotel, I'm amazed to see that no one seems to know about all the excitement not so far from here. Especially since, trust me, these people don't see things the Palestinian way.

Bubble People.

One item that I love in the International Herald Tribune is the "in our pages" years ago. Today is the 50th anniversary of the winning of the West Virginia primary by John Kennedy. I remember that. In fact, he came back to Wheeling later to thank West Virginia for the victory, upon which occasion I managed to smack him in the face while I ran alongside his car as he left our football stadium. Couldn't get that close to the president now. Probably shouldn't have been able to then, as it turned out.


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