St Cecilia & Thanksgiving

I set up the video-conferencing machine yesterday and technically it functions. My only problem is the internet line - it's jammed with other users from the house and there's not enough bandwidth for a proper communicaiton to take place with HK. Will try another line once Shukri our internet guy is available - but you know local time ........

Went off to see the Caveros in the afternoon; Fr Marco the mexican 2nd yr student wanted to go jogging (in the cold? and in the pollution?) so he said he'd accompany me to King David hotel. Boy, he took the longest and most complicated way to get there, and I kept telling him he needs the exercise but not me. Anyway reached the hotel almost in one piece.

Daniel is looking well. We had tea (actually I had a grapefruit juice to quench my thirst after walking 2 kms up and down so many stairs) and chatted. And Cecilia reminded us that it was her feastday yesterday - St Cecilia the patron saint of singers and choirs (She got her head chopped not quite nearly off and was still alive for a day with her head dangling from her body). So a little later we had dinner in the hotel restaurent. Being Thanksgiving day as well, we each had the thanksgiving menu. Soup (pumpkin with ginger and honey - I had to reject that as I'm allergic), then a nice salad (also with honey dressing so I got a different type of dressing with balsamic vinegar), then came the turkey which I believe is the most photographed turkey in the whole of Israel - Cecilia took shots of it from every angle, and turkey with different people (the chef, the head waiter, the waitress who was exasperated with my rejecting honey, and of course me and daniel). She said it's for her daughters to see - so I said "poor girls, they haven't seen a turkey" Anyway Daniel and I had a good laugh. So you 4 girls better take an educational tour and see a live turkey, a dead turkey, a frozen turkey and a cooked turkey. Leave the dogs aside!

Also found out that Cecilia once taught the piano, so I tried convincing her to play the organ at our HK chapel during Mass. Now its up to the rest of you guys to convince her! (OK just reread that 1st phase and thought it a little odd - "she once taught the piano", nooooo pianos do not need teaching, I mean "she once gave piano lessons". I know you kids out there are picking on my english! In greek philology, the phrase in question would have been a problem of the objective genitive and subjective genitive, but who cares?........ or better still, "piano" would be in the accusative if it needed teaching; and "piano" would be in the dative if "piano lessons" was meant. Kath Malone, pls check if this is correct!)

I'll accompany the Caveros to visit Peter Gallicantu church and Gethsemani because they're pretty flat land with no stairs to climb. And the sun is up - which is good because the stone pavements are not slippery. Downside is it's crazy day again - the roads will be jammed pack with muslim, christian and jewish people going to pray. We'll see how things go. Like I said, this is Jerusalem; you can't planned too far ahead because things happen.