saturday distractions

I was going to devote a couple of hours to writing today, but somehow it didn't happen. Instead I was led astray by a number of delightful little activities. But I refused to feel any guilt over it. I mustn't be too obsessional about these things. I will have fewer excuses for procrastination next year, however.

I made a card for our friend whose clarinet concerto we are travelling to Manchester to hear next week. Then we both did a bit of ideas sharing about our upcoming open house in support of a Palestinian arts project called the Vision Centre.

Operating out of Al Azaria, a town close to Bethlehem on the West Bank, and which 3 years ago was cut in 2 by the Segregation Wall, adding to the grinding poverty of the people living there. But the people we met were unbowed, still full of enthusiasm and energy in their mission to put something back into the lives of the local youth: a foil against the remorseless culture of hatred in which they grow up.
But they were so strapped for cash they had to show us round their large facility by the light of mobile phones (a common practice, apparently) because they couldn't scrape together last months utility bill.

So at the end of November we'll invite everyone we know (it amounts to around 100)to come along, drink wine and hopefully give us a few quid. Our plan is to raise $1500, with me making up any shortfall. I managed to bring nearly $700 home with me from the Holy Land, which shows that we bought very little there other than taxi rides and meals. So my contribution shouldn't be too hard. I also kind of think my friends will prove to be a generous bunch...