The last time I woke to snow falling was in Kabul back in January 2002, so yesterday when the snow started falling in Jerusalem it was a magic moment, we even had a klutzy kitsch snowman on the window that plays the song "Let it Snow". Marveling at the white stuff for a while it was a scene of rare peace in a nation that has few moments to reflect peacefully.
But this all comes to a screaming halt the moment I stepped into the car to drive home. My armored car sat in the car park blanketed in white a nice change to being filthy with dust and debris from Gaza.
Now I have not written about the virtues of drivers in Israel for a while. But a few snowdrops and the whole flaming city came to a complete and absolute gridlock. No reason at all , no accidents, no ice on the roads, the snow was just a few flakes and for my sins of watching the snow fall from the bureau window it took me 1 hour 25 minutes to get out of the city a distance of less than a mile.
I sat reflecting on the snow and rain falling and made the resolve that the next time i see a flake fall from the sky, I am out of the office as fast as possible to avoid the gridlock that can only happen when every idiot here wants to drive in the snow so they can boast to their friends about how good they can drive in the bad weather.
1 comment:
Sounds like much ado about flakes, snow and otherwise. Fortunately, you have a snow tread grip on human nature, Mr. James. Shame on you for slooshing away your youth on the slopes. Do you have photographic proof of that snow in Australia? However, you have obviously paid your debt to society for your youthfull indiscretions with all your time spent in those deserts over there to get the truth out. Thanks for the pics. Hope you make it to the race...on time.
Your serious blog readers and fellow observers of quirky human nature.
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