Sand volleyball in Beer Sheva

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Sand volleyball, swimming pools, green lawns.
The good life, summer in Israel.

It was the view from the bridge this afternoon.
I think all those fun things are part of the Ben Gurion University of the Negev sport complex.
I've never really seen them before; lucky I climbed up to the Double Helix bridge and looked down.
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(Linking to Our World Tuesday.)
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Beer Sheva market folks in video

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Tonight everyone in Israel who cares about soccer will be watching the crucial game of HaPoel Beer Sheva vs. Bnei Sakhnin (the team from Arab town Sakhnin).
If Beer Sheva wins, it will be the first time in forty years that the team becomes national champion. 
A One VOD camera crew was in Beer Sheva's huge open-air market, interviewing shuk regulars about their favorite team.

This shot is more interesting because it catches a Bedouin woman's nice dress.
Enlarge the photo to see the intricate embroidery.
Sorry, but spectator sports are not my forte; I can't get into watching games. 

Here in my little snippet a dyed-in-the-wool HaPoel Beer Sheva fan sings for the team.

But I recommend you go to the professional 5-minute ONE VOD video and enjoy seeing the diverse and colorful characters of our shuk (market) as they praise HaPoel.
It's fun even if you don't know Hebrew.  : )

UPDATE Saturday 11 pm:  Wow, we won, Beer Sheva won the game!!  National soccer champions for the first time since 1976.
Big joy in the stadium and in the city and in homes!
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Off and running! Meitar Night Race

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The yearly Meitar Night Race came down my street yesterday! 
At 6:12 pm it was not yet night but at least the setting sun was at their back. 

Running either the 5 K or 10 K can't be all that easy on Meitar's many hills.

The first wave was mainly kids.
They made a circle at the cellist roundabout and headed back.
The adults ran on around our town's ring road (map here).

Police kept wheeled traffic off the designated streets from 6:00 to 10:30 pm.
That also meant no buses on the regular bus route.
And residents were asked not to park on the street.
The race takes a lot of planning.
Glad I was only taking pictures.
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Pools in the desert

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Just in case you were feeling sorry for me living down here in the hot dry Negev desert, I'll show you the wet part of Meitar's country club. 

And here in the foreground is the kiddie pool.
Oh, and there's a big indoor swimming pool as well.

Today they hosted a Healthy Living Happening at this sport center so I was able to get in free and see the pools for the first time.

The blue sky and the blue pools and the greenery all around were certainly tempting, but I doubt if I'll allow myself to splurge and spend several thousand shekels for a year's entrance.
But it's nice to know that such luxury exists just ten minutes walk from home. 
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(Linking to SkyWatch Friday.)
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Opportunities for kids, so many

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 Meitar's Amphi was full of life yesterday evening, with a "Happening" to showcase some of the extracurricular activities that will be offered in the new school year that starts tomorrow.

 A judo student  threw his instructor to the mat seemingly effortlessly.
He is on just one leg in the photo!

 Ah, and here are the karate kids.
My grandson Dean might join them; he is already very advanced in karate.
Did I ever tell you why I moved here?
 My Naomi and her family will be coming from Australia to live in Meitar from October to April! Guy got a sabbatical.   For seven months my three grandkids will be living only one kilometer away!

Look how these acrobatics girls lifted the younger ones!

 Several dance groups performed on stage.
These three dancers came to stand in front of where I was sitting on the lush grass so they could see the other groups.
I couldn't resist taking a picture.
(Update: I should explain that all the girls in a certain dance wore a protective  knee pad on one leg because there was a lot of kneeling on one knee.) 

Even little kids are learning the movements of capoeira.
It is quite amazing what kids can learn here in little Meitar, in  the Negev desert, in the middle of nowhere.

 One of the several youth movements active in the community gave a final cheer off to the side.

Even the dogs were happy as everyone headed home.
Nice ambiance in the amphitheater. 
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(Linking to Our World Tuesday.)

A spinning marathon underway

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Just inside the Jaffa Gate today I saw over a dozen exercise bikes sitting on the sidewalk.
One or two guys were trying to wheel them out through the gate, a hard task over the uneven old paving stones (and since those stationary bikes have only tiny wheels).

Later, when I left the Old City and walked near the city wall, I found the bikes--all one thousand of them!

I guessed it might be connected with Jerusalem's Light Festival which is being set up now; like riders could pedal and produce some electricity to power the lights.

But tonight's TV news showed over 800 people pedaling away fast as they could, and to music, in the cool darkness of evening!
They called it a spinning marathon.
Something about a World Sports Week.

Jerusalem's ancient Old City walls have seen many things over the centuries--but nothing like this.
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Happy birthday to Kai!

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My grandson in Los Angeles is 8 today.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, KAI !

For years already Kai has excelled in karate, skateboarding, swimming, hiking, and now roller hockey.

AND he is a good student and a fine boy.
Savta Dina's pride and joy.
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Israelis trying to ice skate

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A few weeks ago I showed you a huge tent being set up next to the Jerusalem City Hall.
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Now the ice rink is open for skating (until it disappears on April 14).
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Only the Russian-speaking immigrants and Americans knew how to skate gracefully.

Most of the Israelis were falling down again and again.
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No big Zamboni here. All the ice cleaning was done with shovels.
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Most people went along the edge, holding on to the rail.
Some wore T shirts and even shorts.
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Outside in the warm sun the hoses of the cooling system were encased in white ice.
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