Another week begins

Yesterday being Sunday, I thought I won't work on my thesis. Had spent alot of concentration and eyesight in front of the computer the last week - need a break. So I decided to clean my room. The dust is incredible. My room door and windows are closed but still the dust collects everyday. Everyone else says the same thing. In fact yesterday half the guys in the house were cleaning up their rooms - a good break from studying for the exams. The guys who mopped their floors went out for a walk while their rooms dried out. We have no place in our monastery to sit and wait while our rooms dry out - you either go to someone else's room (exams now so nobody wants to disturb anybody else), or sit in the Sala Caffe which is tiny or the Divano (newspaper room which is always cold). Our monastery suffers from lack of space - it's just rooms, corridors and rooms. No garden. This lack of space creates tension and a sense of claustrophobia. So guys take walks outside just for a breather and relax.

Massimo Carlino wanted to go buy a carpet (it's cold - and his side of the room has no sun, so it's worse. I wonder what took him so long to decide to buy a carpet.) so we decided to go out to East Jerusalem after lunch. Giovanni Loche, our archaeologist (who's almost 10 years younger than I) also came along. The sky was dark and threatening; it rained earlier in the morning. So I was wrapped up like a snowman, Massimo wore less and Giovanni had a thick coak with umbrella. But on the way out to Herod's Gate we got into a fit of laughter because Massimo saw that Giovanni, though totally dressed for winter and rain, had forgotten to change his sandals for boots. It looked really wierd! We laughed and laughed throughout the 1 hour while we were out looking for Massimo's carpet. Anyway Massimo got 2 very nice carpets at a good price - I helped bargain for them in arabic. One cost 170 shekels and another cost 100 shekels - so I added and said "250 shekels". Of course the guys were laughing their heads off - but I was trying hard to bargain down the price. At first the shop-owner said OK - probably too shocked to hear a chinese speak arabic - then he realised the price was not right. So we bantered and bargained till I got my price. The 2 italians felt embarressed because they're not used to bargaining - and they can't anyway because they don't speak english or arabic. They always get ripped off by the local shop-keepers. Anyway everything here in east Jerusalem is made in China. So I was sure the carpets don't cost that much!

I got myself 2 rattan boxes to keep my shoes - everyone complains that my room looks terrible because I stack my shoes at the door. Now everyone is saying it looks much nicer with the 2 rattan boxes. Bargained my way through that as well. The shop-keeper was adament with his price so I left without buying it at first but came back later to bargain again. Finally the shop-keeper said he hasn't met a chinese who can bargain in arabic so well, so he gave me a reduction. I finally bought it. See? it pays to learn a foreign language! You kids out there better put more effort in studying a second language! You'll never know when you'll need to use it!

Anyway it started to drizzle so I hurried the 2 guys to go home. Giovanni was complaining that I was rushing - but I said "You've only got sandals - do you want your feet wet and get sick?" It was 4 degrees yesterday. So Giovanni remembered his sandaled-feet and decided to rush home as well.

The rest of the afternoon was spent cleaning my toilet and re-arranging my cupboard so I have enough space to put other things. Vacuumed everything. Oh and Massimo saw my vacuum cleaner and wanted one too - I brought him to the shop where I got mine but they were out of stock, so we put an order. Massimo will get it on Thursday.

And evening came, and I remembered I had to wake up early (3am) because I have a video-conferencing lesson with HK this morning. So I quickly cooked some noodles to eat and slept by 8pm. Was up by 2.30am to setup the equipment and go through my notes. It was good to see Jenny, Marina and E. Jeffreson again!

Today's 1st reading was about David conquering Jerusalem from the Jebusites. Sounds like a good old fashion Bible story until I realise I'm actually living in the very city itself. The people mocked David that even the blind and lame Jebusites could fend off David's army. Mockery. That's what people resort to. But it's adangerous thing to mock others because you never know what'll happen next, when fortunes turn. Then it'll be too late to take back those words and the mockery falls back on you. David sure taught them a lesson!