Feb 21, 2015

Israel's Conquest

On Israel's conquest of the Old City of Jerusalem in 1967:

"'I stood there in the place where the High Priest would enter once a year, barefoot, after five plunges in the mikveh,' he remembered later. 'But I was shod, armed, and helmeted. And I said to myself, 'This is how the conquering generation looks'.' The last battle had been fought, and Israel was now a nation of priests; all Jews could enter the Holy of Holies. The whole Israeli army, as Rabbi Cook repeatedly pointed out, was 'holy' and its soldiers could step forward boldly into the Presence of God."

Karen Armstrong, "Jerusalem"

Feb 15, 2015

a valentine

we will not tire our facebook friends with so much as a picture. we will not have expensive valentine’s day dinners in fancy restaurants. we will spend the special days at hawker centres. we will eat out of takeout boxes by the riverside. we will cook our own food and lie in the grass with tupperwares. we will go on long free walks and sneak into hotels to marvel at their toilets. climb over fences and stalk random people to their apartments. free thrills. bring a guitar. we will spend special moments sweating and trekking and looking for old forgotten gems. a world war 2 bunker. the defunct railway station. i will drive that taxi. and you will speak philosophy. we will find it intensely difficult to understand one another. i will speak with my heart but your head will still be unable to read my heart and my heart will roll its eyes. you will go running. you will buy nicer shoes. i will buy you a pencil case. you will not shave your head. i will buy fruits. i will eat fruits. you will use conditioner.