Orthodox Palm Sunday

Super ice cream surprise

The heatwave is continuing. Today was a blistering 32 degrees. I was stuck in the house most of the time correcting papers ... it was tiring. Luckily my friend Firas came to visit so we went out to get some info from the Tourist Center, then for a cool drink and ice-cream. Actually he ate all of it ... I took only 3 teaspoonfuls. Still scared of my allergic reactions. I think Firas put on 2 more kgs!!! Ah Ling from the Chinese restaurant got word that I was hospitalised and called me to go over for chicken porridge to strengthen me up. I was in the neighbourhood so I stopped by. She gave me a bowl of hot porridge and packed 3 other bowls for home. The old "lou ban" - the original owner and cook of the restaurant 50 years ago - cooked the porridge and insisted I eat my meals the next few days at the restaurant so I don't have to cook and wash and they'll cook simple chinese food to strengthen me up. Very nice of them. They've always been taking care of my health since my operation 2 years ago.

Ethiopic christians with
their palms

Yesterday in spite of the heat, the christian orthodox celebrated Palm Sunday. They don't have a single procession down the Mt. of Olives. In fact this procession is not in the orthodox tradition at all. But seeing its popularity among the catholics, many churches have picked this up and individual churches and groups made the procession throughout the day. The streets are packed with Egyptian Copts and Ethiopics on pilgrimage for Holy Week. Noticeably smaller in numbers are the Greeks and Cypriots ... the economic situation has rendered them too poor to make this trip. Russians and Eastern Europeans are also quite numerous but not as much as the arab christians. This week is Holy Week for the orthodox and next week it'll be the Jewish Pentecost. The City is packed with christians. Let's hope the weather will be kind to them. I just want to rest and recover far away from all this noise and chaos.