Another day

Beautiful grapes on the
vine in Firas' garden

Finally the govt. has ruled that "Price Tag" perpetrators - those extremist jews who vandalise and terrorise arabs and christians - are illegal but falls short of naming them terrorists. At least it's a step forward to our protection as a minority in this country.

Then in Turkey, a falcon was declared innocent of espionage and released into the wild. Strange? It's one of the many animals caught by Israel's neighbours and accused of carrying spy cameras etc... Poor innocent animals ... just simply immigrating through countries and caught in a web of diplomatic suspicions. http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/1.538206

Luscious grapes

The enormous sore on my leg has dried up and healing well. And the diarrhea and cramps are less now. I was well enough to make a visit to my friend Firas in the Territories. The grapes in his garden are ripening and quite a sight! Lots of deep purple grapes hanging down the trellis.

And 10 more days before Ramadan ends. The crowds are growing this week and the noise all night is becoming unbearable. As sunrise is at 4am and most of the muslims feast till 1-2am, most usually don't bother to sleep as the late dinner slips into breakfast before the canon is fired at 4am. I noticed this year that the muslims in our area are alot more relaxed. The past few years saw extremist muslims forbidding even tourists from carrying water in the streets. But this year we can drink and eat in front of the muslims without getting attacked .... and because the fast is well over 14 hours a day and with this heatwave, most muslims close an eye to drinking of water and an occasional munch on a biscuit. I may not be fasting but with the diarrhea I'm having, it's practically the same thing ... empty stomach. My muslim friends laugh at me and say I'm on involuntary fasting in solidarity with them. I tell them there's a difference - they feast after the fast each night, I go to bed still with an empty stomach.

Ramadan Friday

Damascus Gate packed
with people at midnight

Tens of thousands of muslim worshippers gathered in Al Aqsa mosque for the 3rd Friday of Ramadan. The crowds were unbelievable as the Israeli govt. has granted permits for muslims from Palestine to enter Israel for this occasion. Roads outside the Old City were closed off. Musrara was cordoned off for one-way pedestrian traffic only. Hundreds of tourist coaches parked all around the City bringing people to and from the Territories. Most come from Hebron.

I had had a very tiring and trying day at work but had to rush off to see the doctor early in the evening as I had missed 3 appointments already. A good 70km journey to another city. I had hoped to return around 8.30pm when everyone is back at home breaking the fast and eating the family meal ... but I reached home only at 10pm. The City Gates were all so packed with thousands of people coming out of the mosque that I had to wait two and a half hours in the cold, and in hunger and feeling generally very sick - I've still got diarrhea and cramps. When I got home at 12.30am I was too sick to sleep. Tried to eat something but almost vomited everything out. Before I could sleep, the wakers (guys banging on drums to wake muslims to eat before the fast began) began their racket at 2.45am. All in all I only slept one hour. Mind you I'm very happy for my muslim friends - they called me at 1.30am to chat. But my poor body can't take it ....

And in the streets, people are talking today about the sad situation in Egypt ... families mourning for the dead in Ramadan. Also in Syria.

Tawjihi

Tawjihi celebrations
before the big fight

Today Tawijihi results were published - it's the matriculation results or equivalent to A Levels. Fireworks were set alight as early as 9am when the results were announced in every arab school and published in the arab newspapers. Cars honked throughout East Jerusalem and the Territories, parades of triumphant students - boys and girls - up and down the streets. Hugs, tears, phone calls to family. The city was upside down. Down in Salahaddin Street - the main thoroughfare of E. Jerusalem, youths were parading in cars and setting off fireworks. Then a fight broke out ... some 50 or more. Fists were flying, then belts were whipped ... total chaos. I was right there in the midst ... and had to make a quick retreat into a safer place. Youths running up and down the street attacking each other. Police and ambulance arrived soon after. So much for the joy of graduation ... everything here is so shortlived.

Well there were 2 stabbings in Jerusalem yesterday ... one in Liberty Bell Park and the other at Damascus Gate. Nothing to be alarmed.

I've been suffering from terrible diarrhea again ... I think it's because I'm drinking chocolate milk (which soothes the ulcers in my tummy) in summer without refridgerating it. Really bad diarrhea way into midnight. But I'm also very tired and stressed because of all the work and responsibilities. Had to go to the bank 4 times today, walking some 3km just to find out a transfer to pay for books cannot be made. Utter frustration.

And finally we have new Chief Rabbis ... after a very disturbing period of candidacy. Both ultra-orthodox candidates, sons of former Chief Rabbis, won the votes to become heads of the Askenazi and Sephardi sects. Calls of nepotism are rife. Newspapers are posting articles of secular Jews calling for an abolition of the Chief Rabbinates. A very sensitive issue.

What a day.

Stromata

Bad infected sore

While the heat beats down on us relentlessly ... and muslims fast for 14-15 hours ... tensions continue to haunt us. A Jewish security shot and killed a jewish father and daughter yesterday in Jaffa Street right in the middle of town. Every night from 10pm to midnight, groups of youths and bedouins chant slogans and taunt israeli soldiers at Damascus Gate ...a very tense standoff but nothing much results these days.

Tortured by constant stomach cramps and diarrhea ... can't eat anything without losing it. But what's worse is the terrible mosquito bite that developed into a huge sore. It began bleeding 2 days ago ... swelled real big so much so that I could hardly walk.

My name in sand

Renovation work has taken on a heated pace ... workers in 2 different parts of the library ... working in erratic times and rhythm due to the Ramadan fast and heat. Everything depends on their energy level. Today I had to be in 4 places at the same time. Was so stressed I blew up at everyone. That was in between running to the toilet because of the diarrhea. Don't know how long I can take this anymore.

Luckily I count my blessings that I had some nice moments with friends - Sari came over again to help out; Ahmed and Mahmoud also came over. And Sr Vicenta put ice-cream cones out in the freezer so I could have as many as I wish. And Musa gave me a thoughtful present ... my name in sand. OK you have to realise that with a name like mine, not everyone can pronounce it. So for the most part, arabs call me Leon. In some parts of Israel I have my arabic name Assad. To my jewish friends I have a jewish name Lior. It's the only way for them to remember my name.

Ramadan happenings

Fights, protests, standoffs ... a nightly occurrence at Damascus Gate between arabs and israeli soldiers. After breaking the fast, crowds of youths gather to chant slogans and clap ... mostly in support of the bedouins who will be gathered into reserves and lose their freedom of movement. Soldiers will fire warning shots when the crowds get too heated. Unfortunate Jews who walk through Damascus Gate to and from the Wailing Wall are showered with insults and abuse. One was stabbed. A young boy had garbage thrown over him. It's bad ... because the ultra-orthodox Jews are seldom violent and all they want is to pray.

And the arabs fight among themselves as well. Just 2 evenings ago, two muslim families came to fist-fights because of the free food offered at the Al Aqsa mosque every evening. Since they couldn't fight inside the mosque, they came out to settle scores. Crowds gathered, everyone taking sides ... and a free-for-all rippled down our street. I was just coming home and stood nearby to watch. The guys from my neighbourhood were also around ... and when the fight got serious, they urged me to go home and lock the doors as I might get hurt. Smart advice.

The Ramadan cannon

The cannon is fired at 3.50am to announce the start of the fast, and again at 7.55pm for its end. Gives a fright every morning. The windows shake when the cannon is fired ... about 230 meters away. It's placed at the top of the muslim cemetery facing Herod's Gate. A blank shell is fired, creating a very loud explosion.

For the rest of Israel, festivities continue to celebrate this hot summer. The Maccabiah Games are on. The Jerusalem Film Fest is coming up. Then there is the Book Fest and many others lined up. No cannons to announce these festivities.

Tisha B'Av

Yesterday was Tisha B'Av ... when the Temple was twice destroyed on the same day 500 years apart, first by the Babylonians in 587BC and then by the Romans in 70AD. Jews fast the whole day, sit on the floor, shodless ... all food shops close, in fact most shops close for the day. The rabbis of ancient days have always said that the Temple was destroyed because of sins of the Jews, more precisely the unfounded hatred they had for each other.

Tensions rose of course because it's also Ramadan. Jews and Muslims crowd through Damascus Gate to get to the Mosque or Wailing Wall. Heavy military presence but it did not prevent 2 muslims stabbing a Jew. Couple this with nationwide arab protests against the Israeli govt.'s bill to gather arab bedouins into 3 reserves instead of letting them wander as nomads ... and you can imagine how explosive the situation was. It's a terrible bill - it practically means Israel appropriates the desert lands from the nomads and restricts their movement to 3 enclosed reserves (like American indians). And the worst thing is these nomads are Israeli citizens.

Ktayyef shells with
fig jam

Another baby was left in a super-heated car and is in critical condition - the 2nd in 24 hours and the 3rd in 2 weeks. And it's the Medusa season again ... thousands of jellyfish are invading the beaches of Tel Aviv and beyond. These sting badly even without being in close proximity. That's because the tentacles break loose from these animals and free-float with the current, stinging anyone in its way. According to Greek mythology, Medusa's head was brought by Perseus to Jaffa/Tel Aviv where the sea monster was turned into stone before it could eat Andromeda. Locally jellyfish are called medusas.

So it's bad news all day. Only consolation I have is my favourite Ramadan pastry - ktayyef. I bought the pancakes (usually filled with walnuts or cheese) and spread it with fig jam. Very nice comfort food. But of course I had diarrhea and stomach cramps after that. Nothing good ever lasts. Let's stick to the bad news.

Day of horrors

Yesterday was an absolute horror. Nothing went right. From the first moment in the morning ... painters didn't show up - a typical Ramadan occurrence. Then a student's computer was found to be stolen in the library ... the poor devil has his thesis in there and he didn't save a copy. Frantic calls to project manager, workers ... trying to get to the bottom of this. Police will be called if nothing works out. My computer line continues to be cut for the 13th day running. And worse of all, there was a huge Mass celebrated for my 25th anniversary and I not only didn't show up ... I didn't even know about it. In the middle of questioning workers about the missing computer, I got a message saying "Where are you? It's your 25th anniversary and you're missing". I'm cracking up ... they're coming with a white-jacket and bringing me to the nut-house soon ......

Yesterday wasn't the worst day of my life ... but it was damn close. My only respite was my good friend Seri who came to visit me from the Territories. Paul and Charlyn should have been here ... we'd have had a nice time. But reality is - it was an absolutely awful dreadful day.

1st week of Ramadan

Muslim woman begging

We're well into the 1st week of Ramadan. The canon that is fired to announce the start of each day's fast wakes us all at 4am. It's so loud the windows shake when it's fired. I get a heart-attack each time I don't wake before 4am from this massive explosion. It's fired again at 8pm to signal the end of the fast each evening. Summertime is not good for fasting as daylight lasts for 13 hours or more. And the heatwave this week is making fasting very difficult. Well one thing good is the streets are very empty during the day and most shops are closed for business. Beggers on the otherhand are everywhere asking for alms from the thousands of muslim pilgrims flooding the City.

Within 2 weeks, 2 babies have died because they were left in the car and forgotten by their parents. Very tragic ... but when the econ situation is so bad and people have to work 2 jobs, they get very tired ... and with the heatwave ... they lose their memories temporarily and babies die in the super-heated cars.

I've been suffering from cramps and diarrhea as usual. Been experimenting with different foods to see what I can eat ... but the most soothing is chocolate milk which is expensive and ... gives me diarrhea. But I still take it because it soothes the ulcers in my tummy. Summer is not good for meats .. it's hard to digest ... at least for me.

Archaeology-wise it's a good season. The first ever sphinx was discovered in Hazor and the first ever evidence from the Davidic-Solomonic era (the rim of a jar with inscription) was discovered in Jerusalem. Perhaps more to come later this summer?

Ramadan begins

Ramadan began for us yesterday ... that's because it was too cloudy to see the moon the night before so Ramadan was postponed by a day. Now Damascus Gate is a huge bazaar with crowds packing the makeshift stalls. Fireworks light the night sky and noise is everywhere till way pass midnight. The muslims have to fast for over 13 hours since daylight is alot longer in summer then in autumn. And the heat is not helping. No water allowed ... not even saliva.

The heat is again unrelenting. I think I'm getting sick from it ... headaches and dizziness. Must be making people crazy, this heat. Example: the day before, ultra-orthodox jews attacked a soldier. He had to escape and change his uniform in order to get out alive from the neighbourhood. The ultra-orthodox are declaring war on soldiers because of the mandatory draft to military service which they refuse to obey. The nation is really split.

Add renovation projects in the house, with drilling, pounding ... the summer is perfect to crack your head apart.

Heat

The weather has been unbearably hot and humid. I don't envy those who have to work outdoors ... the heat simply withers everything in its path. But this is not stopping the series of festivities for summer ... the Jerusalem Film Fest is round the corner. With more crowds milling around the City, it'll only raise the temp.

A visit to the Nazareth Hospital yesterday was very trying under this heat. But one good news is Hisham who was in a vegetative state after a motor accident in the US, has opened his eyes and smiled when he saw me. It's a good sign. As his family has abandoned him, your generous support in providing medical care has resulted in his recovery ... however small  ... in what we deemed an impossible case. A miracle. With your continued support, we believe Hisham will make more improvements.

Fantastic food prepared
by Wahib's wife

Paul and Charlyn are being fattened up by friends as they come to visit. Meals equivalent to banquets have been prepared for them ... and Paul has quite an appetite. Local delicacies were exquisitely cooked by my friends ... and Paul dutifully ate them all. I think he put on alot of weight.

On the personal front, I've never been so exhausted ... it's been accumulating for many months now. I think it's reached breaking point.

Over the weekend

The weekend was like a whirlwind of news and events. Apparently the perpetrator of the anti-christian hate crime over a year back - the burning of the Trappist monastery chapel -  has been arrested. http://www.jpost.com/National-News/Bnei-Brak-man-arrested-in-connection-to-Latrun-Monastery-vandalism-318297   But it's too little too late. The local newspaper has slammed it as a disgrace since the police were very efficient in arresting anti-Jewish vandalism.  http://www.haaretz.com/opinion/israel-s-apathetic-hunt-for-price-tag-attackers.premium-1.533142

Then there's the viral video of the Syrian rebels beheading 3 christians ... apparently priests but there's no confirmation. Contrary to internet talk, the video does not show Fr Francois being killed ... as far as we can tell. Nevertheless it shows one thing - the syrian rebels are not patriotic freedom fighters but extremist islamists who want to annihilate christianity and all other religious views from Syria. And the West is going to support them by arming them with weapons?  http://edition.cnn.com/2013/07/01/world/meast/syria-unrest/index.html?hpt=hp_t3
And of this video of a rebel "eating the heart" of a slain soldier?
http://edition.cnn.com/2013/05/16/opinion/syria-heart-video/index.html?iid=article_sidebar

And the Knesset has narrowly voted to round up bedouins and keep them in restricted locations. Its the end of the millennia nomadic lifestyle ... the destruction of a culture. It's no different from Red Indian Reserves in N. America. A jail, a zoo, a ghetto. Pathetic. And arab bedouins must now apply for permits to graze their sheep in the desert!  http://www.jpost.com/National-News/Knesset-approves-bill-to-keep-Arab-shepherds-from-squatting-318344

Iron beams carried by hands
4 storeys up

Nerve-wrecking work has begun. Enormous iron beams are carried and hoisted up 4 storeys by hand. We cannot use cranes and machines as the Old City is too narrow. Every material required for construction is carried by hand ... 4 storeys up. The heat is unbearable, the sun is unrelenting. I'm burnt so black everyone here say they can't recognise me anymore. That's the least of my problems ... the heat and sun has probably given me sunstroke (minor) as I've been feeling terribly sick yesterday. Total disorientation, dizziness, nausea, lost of appetite ... and also bronchitis. Don't look forward to the coming days. Just simply want to rest.