After having lost 30 kilos (66 pounds) while I was ill, my appetite returned about 2 weeks ago and, with it, my ability to eat more than a few mouthfulls of food. During that time, I found a steak/hamburger restaurant which has delicious food. In those 2 weeks I re-gained 6 kilos.

I went there last evening and, as I was leaving, two women who are staying at my hotel, walked in. They are both (I am guessing) in their mid-60s, and while I have chatted with them in the hotel lobby, I don't even know their names. One is Mexican and the other Panamanian -- beyond that I all I can say is that they seem very nice. I put them in a state of shock when I handed my Visa card to the waiter and told him to debit me for their meals. As I said, the women were shocked -- but the waiter was not. He told me that since the war began, a lot of Israelis are doing favors for comparative strangers. I am no psychologist, but I am guessing that this helps us develop a feeling of unity at a time where it is really needed.