Odds and Ends, May and early June, 2019

It is so hot right now that I don't go outside except for the tours (where now I carry an umbrella to shade from the sun), but the last week of May, I looked out the window and saw billowing smoke.  I went outside to investigate and the hillside just below the BYU Jerusalem Center was on fire!  I called Security to make sure they knew about it, which they did, and they sent the Maintenance crew down to fight the fire.  Luckily, they got it out, but it was a moment of wondering if we should evacuate. I didn't think to take a picture, but it about the size of the fire and the dried grasses.

FIRE NEAR THE JERUSALEM CENTER

Each Sunday night we (The Jerusalem Center) has a concert to which the public is invited.  The Auditorium is generally full, as it is premier Israeli musicians who come to perform--often members of the Israeli Philharmonic Orchestra.  Several times Lee, who is the Emcee, is also asked to be the page turner for the pianist.  I got a picture of him yesterday during the practice.  It's all in shadow, as I didn't want to disturb the pianist and the drapes were still closed due to the bright sun (we opened it for the concert), but still, it gives an idea of what it would be like during performance.

LEE, THE BEST PAGE TURNER

ROAD RAGE:

  We were driving in horrific traffic and pulled into a left lane behind a bus.  Our tail end was partly in the other lane (this happens all the time here) and the man behind us was mad that he couldn't move.  He yelled and made gestures at us, but there was nothing we could do.  He had boxed us in between his car and the bus.  He got so mad that he got out of his car (at this point I locked my side of the car) and ran to the front of the car and took several pictures of us and the license plate.  Just then the light turned, the bus moved, and so did we.  Then the man was left getting honked at by other cars because now HE was holding up the traffic!  There are many traffic nightmares here.  BTW have I mentioned that I don't drive here!  (I again, didn't have the presence of mind to take a picture of him taking a picture of us, so the picture below is a stock photo I got off the internet to give you an idea)

BAKING:

Baking is always an adventure.  Two days ago the student that had to stay here came over and we made cookies.  The were flat and needed more salt.  So today, while making more cookies as a
"reward" for coming to an extra Choir rehearsal, I decided to take the Nestle chocolate chip recipe and tweak it so it would produce a better result.  And it worked!  I added more flour, salt, baking soda and a 1/4 tsp baking powder and had lovely cookies, if I do say so myself!  Here, there is not good brown sugar, so I add molasses to white sugar.  There is something strange about the butter, but there is no English on the package, so I can't tell what is different.  But it takes almost a cup more flour to make the cookies turn out well.