New Year 2014

NY Eve's dinner

So the New Year came and went. Pretty boring for me as I was all alone. Everyone else was out celebrating. My arab friends went to Eilat to party for 3 days, the Israeli security guys had to work as usual. The rest of the profs and students are back home. Anyway in Israel, the western New Year means nothing to them. They celebrate their New ear in autumn.

Ah Ling of Mandarin Restaurant called me over to eat dinner though. It was very nice ... for one, it was the first hot meal I've had in a long time. She cooked braised lamb shank, buo chai, lao guo tang and rice. Everyone in the restaurant was offered a glass of white wine. I was of course alone but I thoroughly enjoyed the meal. Went home and fell asleep till midnight when countless stupid messages wishing a happy new year kept me awake. They were not meant for me but messages for a group that I somehow was included. Weird.

But at least on New Year's night I had company. Nicolas and Antoine - both french students preparing to go their misisons in China and Thailand went out with me to Habibi's for a drink and nargile. It was a good chat.

First sunrise of 2014

The New Year was just another day. The sunrise was spectacular though. Anyway it was a normal working day for me. However I've been suffering from severe asthma every night. I choke and suffocate. It's very scary. Many times I thought I wouldn't be able to make it through. It's very severe. As a result I only sleep about 2 hours a night ... the rest of the time I must sit up or walk in order to breathe. Dread every night. It's a nightmare.

The temperature has been rising in the day ... up to 12 degrees. But the nights remain 4 degrees. Very cold especially when the wind blows.