Polling Day

We had a real storm this morning at 6.30am during Mass. I peeked out of the church doors just before Mass started and the rain was beating down hard. Everyone was glad it finally came. Then I remembered I left my room windows opened and had to rush upstairs to close them - told the main celebrants to wait for while! I guess lots of guys were laughing.

It was a good rain - and being the feast of St Scholastica, the sister of St Benedict, we thought it was very appropriate. You see, there's the famous story of how Benedict used to meet his sister Scholastica once a year (they were a monk and a cloistered nun). When it was time for Benedict to leave, Scholastica cried and asked him to stay longer. He said only God could stop him from leaving - so Scholastica prayed to God and there came such a storm, Benedict was forced to spend the night at Scholastica's monastery. Wish granted. So this morning we called it the St Scholastica storm.

The storm lasted till a little later, but the skies were very dark and drizzle came and went. All up to 4pm. And a tremendous wind kept blowing: very cold. If this keeps up for a week, we just might have snow. But that's unlikely.

Israel has gone to the polls. Haven't been out but from the news, it was pretty calm. Big turnout for the vote - 63% of the population! The rest are either boycotting or apathetic. There was some trouble at Umm er Fahm which borders Samaria and Galilee, along the road to Megiddo in the plains of Jezreel (sounds so biblical? IT IS!!!!)

Meanwhile my sinus pain is nearly gone. Still on antibiotics till tomorrow just to play safe. The cough is still there and I'm washing the sinus several times a day. It hurts when the saline solution hits the sinus - stinging pain.

I'm changing my name to "Shwarma" (the lamb meat roasted on a turning spit) because I got grilled yesterday and today by the powers that be. Roasted and toasted - well done. What a fate.