Henna and Football

On a happier note.... I walked home from a friend's house after dinner, and went into the park across the street from me - on Elazar ha-Modai Street - and discovered that the bomb shelter is indeed open. A sign inside said that it was a youth club, and I went inside and found a couple of young men playing ping-pong downstairs. They're leaving the door open all the time now so people can go there if there's a siren. It really does feel like a relief to me - standing in the stairwell doesn't seem like the safest way to avoid missiles.

And then the kids playing football managed to lose the ball over the high fence that separates the yard from the street, and I went over and threw it over the fence - I wasn't sure I could throw that far. They were happy that I threw the ball back to them.

Then I came inside, turned on the air-conditioning (thank goodness my landlady installed it a couple of weeks ago, it's really hot now), and then I started hearing loud music. I went outside to investigate, and saw that there was a big party in the front of one of the apartment houses across the street. They were throwing a henna party (pronounced hina in Hebrew) - a party for the bride before the wedding. Lots of dancing, women ululating, and general happiness. Much appreciated after a hard day.

Hands with henna.