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Jul
19
Bomb Shelter
Filed Under Family & Friends, In the News, Israel/Jews, YouTube
It feels strange to see the picture of your one and only nephew being flashed on CNN every now and then. I first saw Ethan on TV yesterday afternoon at around a quarter past 5 p.m. His photo has been broadcasted several times since then.
Ethan, who turns two in September, was sleeping in a modern bomb shelter — which I dubbed as “the panic room” of his family’s post-Gulf War apartment in Haifa — last Sunday when this now ubiquitous photo was taken. Fortunately, he and his dad (my younger brother who works as an engineer in a high-tech company in Haifa) were able to flee the port city by car the next day, and are now staying in a hotel in Jerusalem.
They’re now relatively far away from the “umbrella of terror missiles” (words borrowed from an IDF brigader general), but there have been public police warnings on suicide bombers intending to maximize the situation in rocket-free areas like Jerusalem. Fortunately, a suicide bombing attempt was foiled yesterday.
My brother is yet to book a flight to Manila. In my Skype conversation with him late last night, he did mention flying out of Israel “in two days’ time.” In the meantime, his hands are full taking care of his baby boy, who now suffers from high fever, while attending to his managerial workload for the microchip company he works for. “It’s business as usual. People are used to it (terrorist attacks) already,” he said, coughing along the way, indicating that stress has already taken its toll on his health.
Ethan’s mom Sheila and older sister Yannah are currently in Manila. My sister-in-law, also an engineer, had had to attend to some pressing matters in the Philippine office of the same microchip company two weeks ago, tagging my niece along. But due to the escalating tension in Israel, their scheduled trip back to the Holy Land this week has been postponed indefinitely.
Anyway, my brother and his family have already expressed their intent to visit us here in Switzerland next year. We don’t have our own “panic room,” but my husband has told me that our apartment block does have a bomb shelter located somewhere. But who needs one in peaceful Switzerland?
RANDOM TIP: Visit Israel Today and Jerusalem Online to read the latest news on Israel and the Middle East conflict. And here’s an interesting read: Live from an Israeli Bunker, a blog of 17-year-old Israeli blogger Eugene who’s posting his entries, using his laptop and wi-fi connection, from — you got it right — an Israeli bunker somewhere in Haifa.
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19 Responses to “Bomb Shelter”
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wow - that is trippy to see someone in your family on the tv! I do hope they get out safely and back to manilla.
Yup it’s kinda funny to see your family on TV! Anyway I think it’s important to have a bomb shelter near by. In Singapore, there’s a bomb shelter in almost every block of apartment or rather one nearby. Also every year, on national defence day, we have a siren practice. It’s where the sirens for war (to enter bomb shelter and also to come out to safety) is practiced.
Nowadays with terrorism,one must take necessary precaution. Just last week in Singapore, a bomb was found nearby a housing estate!! It’s unbelievable that a bomb is found in Singapore!
Anyway, hope your family will be safe and sound!
I’d love to see right now even one of my 7 nephews and nieces back home, but not like this..nakakanerbyos. Let’s continue to pray for them and all the people in the region. The killing is senseless!
what a peaceful picture of Ethan, I bet you want to hug him and his dad.
I don’t know, but I feel sad reading your entry, maybe because my one and only brother is in mideast too (KSA) and I haven’t seen him for 9 years now, needless to say, I constantly worry about him.
I pray that they get out Israel soon and reach manila safely.This must be a stressful day for you.
This business between Israel and Lebanon is sooo frustrating, saddening, maddening. SSDD unfortunately. (Errr…same sh4t, different day.)
I sincerely hope and pray that your nephew and brother get out of Israel soon. The situation over there in not looking good at all.
If they start attacking Syria and include Iran in their war plans, things are not going to look bright in the near future.
Thanks, everyone, for your comments.
EXPATRAVELER: I hope so, too. I haven’t heard from my brother since the last time we talked.
GRACIE: A bomb in Singapore?! I wonder why. It’s good that you have bomb shelters there for each residential block. And siren drills as well. Singapore is very organized and systematic. Just yesterday, my husband and I discovered the bomb shelter of our apartment building. It’s now used as a “shelter” for bicycles.
THESS: Somehow, it gave me peace seeing a picture of my nephew showing him sleeping in peace. At the same time, I was — still am — worried, knowing that he and his father (my brother) are still there in Israel….I hope your brother in Saudi Arabia is okay. Nine years is a long time.
MYEPINOY: Yes, I was pretty much stressed out yesterday. Not only because of the news, but because of the back-breaking laundry work using my newly bought Elta MW 100 mini washer. LOL. Inasthma ako kahapon, and am still feeling weak, actually.
PINAYHEKMI: The Middle East crisis is really saddening. And I predict that it’s going to be even worse.
DUKE: I have yet to hear from my brother. No word as of now. I don’t think Israel has plans to attack Syria and Iran — unless, of course, these countries attack Israel first. I really wish Hezbollah would just stop firing missiles at Israel and return the two Israeli soldiers pronto. I’m pretty sure Israel will keep its word and stop its targetted bombings in Lebanon once Hezbollah meets its demands. But these terrorists won’t budge. They even use Lebanese civilians as human shields (there are no official Hezbollah camps in Lebanon and this terrorist organization locates itself in areas densely populated by civilians, which makes it hard for the IDF to rid Lebanon of all Hezbollah elements). My heart goes to all civilians (in Israel, Lebanon and Gaza) who are caught in the crossfire.
Thanks again for wishing my family well. Shalom!
Wow, you are close to that……..I cross fingers for your nephew. Konrad
I can just imagine what his mom is going through now. But glad to hear that they got out of Haifa. So you have a bomb shelter too? I don’t even know if we have anything close to a shelter here. Although it’s also hard to imagine our city being attacked by missiles. But who knows nowadays, right?
I wish everybody will be safe and well, soon.
KONRAD: Thanks. But you first sentence was incomplete. Close to what exactly?
IRENE: Thanks. Yes, we do have a non-modern bomb shelter in this apartment, apparently. But I wish it was a laundromat instead — you know, a place where they house lots of washing machines.
Yes, my family back home is extremely worried, especially my Mom.
“My heart goes to all civilians (in Israel, Lebanon and Gaza) who are caught in the crossfire.”
I share your sentiments on this one… take care!
Jayred, kumusta? Hope you feel better now. I can just imagine your shock when you saw your nephew Ethan on CNN… How are they now? Hope & pray that they are safe and have already flown out of Israel. May God bless and protect them! God bless you too and the rest of your family!
jayred,
are they out of isarel na? im sorry to hear about this stressful news…take it easy, ok? God is good. hugs to you, jayred!
hi, jayred. i felt worried when i read this. but i know naman that the Lord will always protect them. hope and pray they will be safe til they reach Manila.
I hope your family gets out of Israel safely. It is already extremely hard to be separated from what more with danger involved. I’ll be praying for them.
TO DUKE, SCANNS, ANNABANANA, BING & PATRICE: Thanks for your messages of concern and prayers. I just heard from my sister that my brother and my nephew are now in Manila (thank God!). They arrived last Friday night, all stressed up but safe. My sister, however, informed me that my brother plans to return to Haifa, Israel in two weeks’ time — with his family to boot! He has a two-year contract with the chip maker company there. I do hope, however, that there will be a way out of this situation. And that he will be willing to be reassigned elsewhere….
Oh Jayred, I’m so happy that your brother and nephew are in Manila now. Thank God.
Thanks, Lani. I’m happy, too, that they’re now safe in Manila. However, I just heard that my brother is going back to Israel sometime soon.
[...] in CNN International as the Filipino baby sleeping in a bomb shelter in Haifa (read the story here). His photo, the image of which made me sad because of its innocence amid a war climate, was [...]