rest

Had a quiet night and didn't go down for Mass this morning. Will celebrate it later at the Condemnation Chapel. Khalil and Nadia our cooks say they will prepare some white rice and non-salt food for me today. Well practically everyone in the house came to tell me the house food is too high in salt and I have to take another diet - the one we call "per gli ammalati" (for the sick) which is boiled veggies. The plate gets circulated around the refectory and people will be calling out "per gli ammalati" and whoever cannot take the "normal" salt-filled food, takes something from the "ammalati" plate.

Hypertension should not be a surprise to me - it runs in my family; but I didn't think it could hit me now. I was diagnosed with high blood pressure 7 years back in HK but it never became a problem till now. Now on looking back the past 2 years, I can see why my headaches were so bad and frequent, and the edge of my head gets so swollen I can't even wear my specs. You guys from the Wed. grp. will remember that evening last year when my headache was terrible ...... like duuuh, you can't even remember last night's lessons!!!

Anyway the pressure dropped a little today - 148 over 90. But the doc is still not happy. My eyes feel like popping out. Will continue to rest and then go back to see the doc this afternoon. Matthew is also sick - has an abdominal hernia. he wants to go back to India for an op. Hope he'll get well. Both of us can't get started with our work just yet.