Last day of July

The sun rises at 4.45am (ie 3.45am
solar time) and is blazing hot

So I'm resigned to the fact that I'm an insomniac. Just simply can't sleep. I'm analysing my sleeplessness to find the cause ... the heat, my headaches, post-op pain inside the sinuses, the war in Gaza ... all are possible candidates.

The Gaza war is spiraling out of control. Over a thousand have died for nothing. Then we learn that the Israeli soldiers are being besieged by christian missionaries preaching and handing out New Testaments. Then the soldiers get attacked by their own jewish ultra-orthodox citizens. Now we learn that Gaza extremists were trained in Malaysia for parachute assaults.

It's the end of July. I was resolved before the summer holidays to brush up my modern greek and hebrew during summer. Also to read up on egyptian hellenistic literature ... which is my main interest in research. But till now I've not even opened a book. I underestimated the recovery period of the operation. Like the docs said, being an internal head surgery, the recovery will take alot longer and the pain and discomfort will last longer. I'm feeling so out of action ... like an old car in the scrapyard. Inside my head is messed up. Can't think, remember, focus ..... I think the docs removed some of my brain in the process.

Sleepless in the City

Yesterday afternoon at about 3pm we received news that our catholic school in Gaza was bombed. It's some distance from the parish Church where the priests, sisters and handicap children are taking refuge. So far we don't know if anyone was injured.

The streets remain deadly quiet ... with only a handful of chinese/indonesian groups visiting. Even muslims are hardly in the streets. Only towards evening did some life return. Balloon sellers were out in the streets, cotton-candy hawkers also. Several families were passing through the Damascus Gate bazaar area. Hardly any sales though. There were still some police stationed at strategic points along the streets.

Home-cooked lunch

The weather remains hot but a cool breeze blows now and then. After working in the morning yesterday, I had to come home to rest because I was feeling very weak and the headache was bad. Cooked some rice, boiled some lettuce and frozen fishballs and warmed up a pack of precooked herbal soup. Nice lunch. Then I tried to rest as my head and feet were hurting so much. But every time my eyes closed, a call would ring. Absolutely frustrating. Finally gave up resting and went downstairs to chat with the israeli security guys. Nice surprise ... an old friend was working there on emergency call. Good to see him again. We chatted for awhile before I went off to work again in the evening. Am absolutely exhausted. All I want is to sleep ...

Eid el Fitri

A tray full of Qattayef
just for me!

Muslims in Israel/Palestine were still unsure if it wsa Eid el Fitri even though many other countries have already declared it. By yesterday evening there was no word from the Grand Mufti and the canon was not fired to announce the feast. Later in the night when Jordan announced the start of the feast, then Jerusalem joined in. It was a very muted affair ... what with the war  going on and heavy police presence throughout the City. This morning at 4am then canon sounded several times announcing the feast and for a couple of hours the City was packed with muslims going to the Al Aqsa. Then everything went quiet. The bazaars packed up, nargile hawkers disappeared, the streets were empty. Even the police packed and most left the City.

The few acquaintances that I met along the streets exchanged greetings "Eid Mubarak", "Kull sane we inte salen" ... there were no balloons, fire crackers and fireworks, no candies ... It was very subdued. You can imagine everyone here having a relative inside Gaza and how they feel about celebrating the Eid when their relatives are suffering or died in the war down south.

Tomato braised chicken by
Sr. Munira

I had to go to work as usual. It was very hot and I was afraid of my nose bleeding again. Had the same throbbing headache. But coming home I found a nice surprise waiting for me .... a tray full of qattayef, my favourite arabic dessert of pancakes stuffed with walnuts or cheese. And there was also tomato braised chicken! A gift from the Sisters of St. Vincent de Paul in Sheyagh on the  Mt. of Olives. Your kind gifts throughout these years have not only helped them care for the orphans but now also the medicines, torchlights and money you donated have helped the persecuted christians in Syria whom these sisters are also helping. Sr. Munira, who cooked the chicken, is syrian and returns often to help her fellow villagers escaping persecution from extremists. The food was their thanks for all the help you have offered. Unfortunately I can't send them to you so I'll eat them on your behalf!!!!

Eid el Fitri tonight?

Even Independence Park is quiet

Last night passed with no major incidents in the Old City. There were minor scuffles in other places but nothing of significance. But what shocked everyone was the jewish attack on 2 arab youths that left them in a coma. And it took place just a short distance from the northern train line of Jerusalem. We're used to hearing arabs throwing stones at jews ... with minor injuries but no deaths or critical conditions. But the recent rise of jewish attacks on arabs have been peaking in number and violence ... often leaving the victims in coma. The war in Gaza may be very far from us but emotions have no boundaries. Jewish hatred for arabs have now boiled over and there're attacks almost every day.

Tonight, if the Grand Mufti is able to see the full moon, he will declare the start of Eid el Fitri and the end of Ramadan. It'll be very festive, with the Ramadan canon blasting 7 times .... but from the political situation, we expect little celebration. People don't want trouble that will disturb the feast ... but you'll never know what those at the mental fringe will decide to do.

Roads remained
empty today

My left eye is still swollen from the allergic reaction. And with the post-op recovery - the docs say I need another month - I feel easily fatigued. And slowly discovering the modifications to my nasal system that the docs did. One thing for sure - I can breathe so much better now ... with no asthma attacks so far. In fact there's so much oxygen going into my head, I get dizzy most of the time. Tried to sleep this afternoon but my headache was too much. Did a bit of cleaning my room but was too fatigued to continue. The thought of having to work tonight and tomorrow makes me sick already ... wish I could go away on vacation like everybody else.

Lull

My allergic reaction to the stink gas and chemical water has mostly gone. No more rashes or nausea but the left eye is still a little swollen. Have been sleeping the whole of yesterday due to the antihistamine I've been taking. This morning I thought I could sleep alittle more but workers decided to come and work so I was in the library from 7.30am to 7pm. Am so exhausted, no wonder my eye is still swollen.

Empty streets today

Ah Ling of Mandarin Restaurant called yesterday asking me to go over for dinner .... but with the violence in the streets I told her I'll be staying home. The roads are closed off anyway by the police so there's no guarantee if I went out, they'd let me come back in again. Today was horrifically quiet. It's the lull after the storm. The streets were totally empty of people. Eerie. Tomorrow evening begins Eid el Fitri ... the last day of Ramadan. Let's see what happens in the streets....

Despite my exhaustion from work today, I decided to take advantage of the lull and went to Mandarin's this evening for dinner. Ah Ling boiled herbal chicken soup with white rice. Managed only to eat half of it as I was too tired and nauseous. Doggie-bagged the leftovers so tomorrow I can have something to eat.

The bombing of Gaza is shocking ... people call it disproportionate. All I know is innocent people are killed and made homeless and hopeless. Some of Mother Theresa's sisters are trying to enter Gaza tomorrow to join their community of sisters in there caring for handicap children. I gave them US$2000 from your kind gifts to me for my medical fees. The children in Gaza need it more than me. Right now I'm watching the news ... there's a man whose skin was peeled off his face from the bomb blast that destroyed 20 family members ... he kept saying "All I do is sell chickens in the morning and then go home ... I've done nothing against Israel. I'm not from the resistance movement". I have no words.

Last Friday of Ramadan

Had a tiring day yesterday ... should have ended with a visit to a group in the hotel but police began closing down the City due to Laylat al Qadr. Multiple blockades from our house to Damascus Gate and even into Nablus Road. Incredible. You can feel the tension as men below 50 yrs stood at the barriers jeering, arguing and provoking the soldiers who barred them from entering the Old City.

Muslims praying in
Via Dolorosa

As I tried to get home, through the multiple blockades (they let foreigners through), Via Dolorosa was totally blocked by praying crowds of muslims who were forbidden to enter Al Aqsa Mosque. As the prayers ended, riot police charged to disperse the crowds. Stun grenades were fired. Crowds retaliated with stones and fistfights. Then more stun grenades and shootings from inside the Al Aqsa esplanade, all the area of Bab Hutta, big fire behind St Anne's church, all the way to Herod's Gate and into Damascus Gate. Running battles. Even right now, 3 hours after the prayers, there's massive shooting in front of our house ... actually directly below my window.

And to make matters worse, I developed an allergic reaction to something. Whole body breaking out in rashes. I managed to stop an asthma attack though. Just took an antihistamine but not sure if it works. And the heat is stifling. Plus the war outside my house ..... it's a perfect recipe for being sick.

Laylat al Qadr

This evening begins Laylat al Qadr ... the 25th night of Ramadan when muslims believe God revealed the first passages of the Quran to Muhammed. Traditionally muslims pass the night at the Al Aqsa Mosque chanting the Quran. But because of the political situation, Israel has closed off the Old City to all muslims below 50 yrs of age. Barriers have been put up in all the alleys and streets. Heavy military presence. No tourist groups except chinese ... By 4pm arab youths are protesting the ban on their entry into the Mosque. Pushing and shoving with military. Scuffles and fist-fights. Things will get worse tonight. And tomorrow? It's the last Friday of Ramadan so things will get more heated up.

Work continues in the library where carpenters and electricians are doing up 21 new tables. Problem is no one knows when they come and when they leave. Definitely stressing me out. I've been dissembling and assembling bookshelves, transferring books and cleaning up after workers. Then the nose began to bleed. I'm feeling so tired ... and everytime I sleep, I don't want to wake up.

Papayas in Israel

One happy note: 2 weeks ago on the way home from hospital, I found the wet market "Mahane Yehuda" selling papayas! After 20 years I've finally seen papayas. They're very small though, the size of a mango. But very sweet. It was so good to eat it after chilling it in the fridge for a day. I know the govt. has an experimental kibbutz growing papayas and have a filipino franciscan friar who is an expert to direct this project. But I think one of the Thai workers was killed yesterday by a Gaza missile ... so papayas will be very expensive as production stops.

Monastery bombed, christians targetted

Panorama of Nazareth as seen from
on my way home

Monday morning I had to go back to hospital for a followup check. It's some 200 kms away so I had to leave early in the morning in order to meet my appointment at 8.30am. As I was walking out through Herod's Gate, I could see the street strewn with stones and bricks, and a terrible odour like faeces and dead animals reeking throughout the entire area. There was a very bad rioting the night before and police had fired stink water and gas bombs on the arab rioters. Utterly dreadful situation. On Monday night, another running battle took place. This time it reached right in front of our main door. Police fired stun grenades at 2am, waking everyone up with the explosions. I don't see how I can possibly rest and recover from the surgery here.

Our destroyed monastery
in Yacoubieh

Anyway back in the hospital, the doc explained in detail what they did during the surgery. They had removed alot of stuff from the nasal and sinus area and that accounts for the profuse bleeding. Last Sunday and Saturday I was bleeding alot and was confined to bed most of the time. Doc said any operation into the head is always delicate and require alot of time for recovery; and in my case, a surgery in the nasal area which is full of blood vessels, it's only natural for profuse bleeding prior to total healing. So I have to stay indoors during this heatwave, away from heat and sun, away from stress, away from carrying heavy things. Which all sounds good but impossible. Yesterday I had to move 3 metal bookshleves and one other 5 storeys up. But luckily there was no battle during the past 2 nights ... I could finally sleep for awhile.

The "nun" sign

Sad and shocking news from Syria: our monastery in the village of Yacoubieh was bombed by a missile. Totally destroyed. Luckily Fr Azziz was not in his room and the missile entered directly through the wall. He suffered some head injuries. When will this madness end? Islamic extremists are marking every christian property with an arabic alphabet "nun" which is the first letter for "Nazarene" meaning 'christian", which is then the target for attacks and persecution and confiscation. Chritians around the world are showing solidarity with our Syrian christians by also marking "nun" on their doors, putting "nun" as their Facebook profile pic and wearing "nun" T-shirts.  Show your support and use "nun" .... do something to show the extremists that they cannot win.
http://ucatholic.mybigcommerce.com/n-n-mosul-t-shirt-proceeds-support-persecuted-christians-in-the-middle-east/

Sunday of Suffering

Yesterday was spent totally in bed as the nose bleed was profuse. Bed linen and pillow cases all bloodied. I don't only feel weak and dizzy but the headache is horrible and also the nausea. Ate a couple of ice-creams to cool down the body. Had an ice-pack on my face. The blood only stopped sometime in the evening. It got very cool when the sun set, a strong wind blowing such that we have to put on hoodies or jackets. That's good for me because it helped reduced the nose-bleed.

I'll have to see the doc tomorrow. Some stitches have been falling off and the breathing is so much better now, and no asthma attacks so far. But still have to take anti-biotics and pain-killers to stave off infections. Only unexplainable thing is the constant bleeding.

Fresh bread baked in
traditional oven

Last week I had a nice morning when I went to buy some fresh bread baked from a traditional wood-burning oven. It is very rare now to see this type of bakery. And the bread has a great woody smell and taste.

We have not had a missile attack in 3 days and no street battles last night. What a relief. Finally some peace. Gaza though is getting a big pummeling. Really bad situation there and honestly it's the fault of the muslim extremists who started it all. Israel maybe disproportionate in its retaliation but it certainly has the right to protect itself. It's the little people who suffer in the end. It's like shooting fish in a barrel. There's no place to run. It's not "if" you'll get shot, it's "when" you'll get shot. Mother Theresa's sisters and the Incarnate Word sisters who care for handicap children are all hiding in the parish church for safety ... their convents are in line of shelling by Israel because the muslim extremists are using their neighbourhood to launch missiles into Israel. When I think of their ordeal, my nosebleed is nothing in comparison.

More nosebleed

Wound from the nose has been bleeding profusely for the last 2 days. Making me feel weak and dizzy. The heat is not helping but also the constant stress. And of course there's the nightly battle between arabs in our neighbourhood and the soldiers. Practically every night at 2pm the arabs will provoke the soldiers, throw stones, shoot fireworks at the soldiers etc.... The soldiers respond by firing stun grenades. Then they'll give chase up and down the alleys of Bab Hutta neighbourhood. Last night the arabs set fire to a huge dumpster behind St Anne's Church. The last shot was fired at 5am and then everything went quiet again. The arabs go back to sleep because they're fasting during the day, the soldiers take a break till the next evening.

One of the tables at the
meal

The evening before Majed our doorman invited me to a dinner. One of his brothers (he has 12) has a new baby and the whole clan was coming to celebrate. It's a big clan ... so big they had to rent the neighbourhood  sports complex for the event. Well over 500 family members had gathered with some special guests. I was the only non-arab there ... stood out like a sore thumb. A traditional meal of Mansaaf was offered for everyone. It's very rich ... lamb boiled in thick cheese soup with rice. It was good to meet most of his family. They made me feel very welcome.

Blood is flowing out from the nose again. Have to stop writing and lie down.

Updates

All night pain deep in the sinus. Had another flush of blood late in the night. Till now the pain is overpowering despite taking painkillers. I think maybe some of the internal stitches burst when I sneezed. Have been lying down mostly this morning, though I did go down for some fresh air at our main door for a few minutes. Good to see some old friends at work: Rotem, Avichai and a few others. Everyone wanted to know how I was and insisted I go back to Jaffa to rest. I really think so too. Jerusalem is 100% not a place for recuperation.

Homemade helmets
against missiles

Missiles continue to fall toward Tel Aviv though mostly all have been intercepted by Israel's Iron Dome Defense rockets. In Jerusalem it's peaceful ... we haven't had a siren alarm the past 2 days. Here we only have endless fireworks for families celebrating the successful matriculation of their children. And its powerful explosives. The family behind our house fired almost 100 rockets of fireworks last night. It shook all the neighbouring houses and no one could sleep. What a dreadful waste of money .... 100 rockets cost about 20,000 shekels ... all literally gone up in smoke. Then they complain they have no money for food and education. It's one very bad mark of local culture ... wasting money to show off. Things must change.

Israel's bombing in Gaza has affected Mother Theresa's sisters too. They run a home for handicap children. Last week at midnight they received a call to evacuate because a house nearby will be bombed and their convent will be affected. The poor nuns had to carry all their handicap charges to the nearby church for shelter in pitch darkness. Thanks to your kind donation of dynamo-charged torches, they and their neighbours could find their way safely to the church. The poor children didn't understand what was happening ... just scared of the loud explosions around them as the nuns covered them with thick blankets to prevent injuries from shrapnel. Those nuns are real heroes. Now they need help for medicines and other daily necessities which the war is depleting stocks from pharmacies and hospitals. The children need help.

Tawjihi

Bloody nose

Awful morning. Had to work. Moved some 20 boxes of boxes to check if the books should be discarded. Wore gloves and mask for protection this time. But with the heat and the exertion, a blood vessel burst in the nose. Had some heavy bleeding. They had to bring me to the nearby pharmacist who got me rested in the aircon room till the blood stopped. Walked home 1km and decided to rest at home for the afternoon. Of course it's easy to say "Take a rest" but with a a frustrated petty ex-nun working there and making life miserable for everyone else, I had to be there to keep things in order. More unnecessary stress.

All morning there were explosions around the Muslim and Christian Quarters. Not bombs though but fireworks. It's Tawjihi Day ... or metriculation. The results were released today and those who passed, their families announce the success by firing fireworks. Back in ancient days, they used to fire guns. It's very arabic.

But some missiles were fired towars Tel Aviv this evening and also north into Haifa. Bad news for Israel is that a couple of missiles were also fired from Lebanon and Syria. Looks like we're cornered.

Managed to meet some of my Israeli security friends today ... the few minutes that I went out or came home from work. It was good to see them. They're always asking how was the op and how I've been. They care. I appreciate that. They made my day.

First 2014 Ramadan dinner

Monday and I'm back at work. I know I mustn't, but people are just so utterly useless or selfish ... so I had to go back to work at 9am till 4pm. Besides paper work, payments of bills and giving workers instructions on what work they ought to be doing (no brainer), I started on clearing out the 200 boxes of  books in the old library that's now to be turned into a museum. Very bad choice of work. So much dust, I think I caught an infection in my nasal area. Absolutely awful.

After that I had to rush home, wash up from the filth of dusts collected over 80 years ... then off to the Mt. of Olives to collect stuff from a visiting group. Thanks to Jonice, Michelle Lam and everyone else for your help and gifts ... especially the packs of chinese herbal soup! But no rest. My eyes are bursting with heat and pain, my nose is bleeding .... I wish I was back in far away Jaffa where there are no demands and work, where it's cool (in air-condition!) and I can rest in bed the whole day till I heal. FAT HOPES!

Simple but best dinner
I ever had - cooked by a
friend who cared

Yesterday there were no missiles shot into Jerusalem .... we all expected that. Everyone was too busy watching the World Cup final. I had my first Ramadan dinner for 2014.  My best friend had invited me over for dinner after the fast was broken at sunset. However his family had to rush off to an emergency.  My friend didn't want to call off the dinner invite so he stayed back and cooked a very simple fare that we both ate - fried chicken breasts and potato chips with salad. And of course Coca Cola. It may not the usual Ramadan dinner which is a feast that lasts for 3 hours or more ... but it was certainly the best because my friend took the trouble to stay back and cook it.  He wanted me to relax and get unstressed from the day's demands. And that was what I really appreciated ... someone who care enough to make my healing better, not worse. Mind you my nose was bleeding like a waterfall. We chatted, ate and watched TV till his 2 younger brothers came home. That was the happiest moment since my return to Jerusalem.

Night time battle

All night battle in our neighbourhood ... couldn't sleep a wink. Arab locals apparently had smashed security cameras in the neighbourhood. When soldiers stepped in, the arabs shot fireworks at them. The soldiers returned fire with stun grenades. Then a cat-and-mouse chase along the alleys of the Bab Hutta neighbourhood - the poorest area in the Old City. Our street was blocked from our garage entrance down to Lions' Gate and eventually spread to Herod's Gate. Now all that started from 2am and ended toward 4.30am. With arabs shouting "Allahu akbar" and soldiers yelling orders ...  and multiple massive explosions ...  it made sleeping impossible. I'm absolutely certain coming back was a mistake ... I can't recover here. I need to get out.

The amazing colours of
summer fruit and veggies
in our kitchen. 

The heat remains stifling ... 32 or more during the day and 26 degrees during the night. Have been putting an ice-pack over my eyes and nose to stop the hemorrhaging. Despite the sleepless night, I had a hectic morning. A chinese group came to visit me, then an indian group, then Sr Aroti from Mother Teresa's sisters. She was superior of Gaza but now is transferred to Syria. She came to say goodbye.

Afternoon is another work ... the ethiopic rite chaplain for eritrean and ethiopic christians want me to show him the roads and churches as he has to celebrate the liturgy in several of these places. He's new. But the heat will be terrible in the afternoon. We'll see how I can handle the strong sunlight and heat. Hopefully tonight my arab friend will invite me over to his house for Ramadan dinner. It's always nice to be there ... that would be a great break from an otherwise overpowering day.

Haemorrhage

Deserted streets

Survived the past 24 hours of prednesone withdrawal. It was getting bad towards the evening but the missile strike on Jerusalem was a timely distraction. Later in the evening I decided to take a walk out to the Ramadan Bazaar at Damascus Gate. The streets are all lighted up but there was hardly a crowd in the streets. Because of the kidnap and murder of 3 israeli teenagers and the revenge killing of an arab boy ... all muslims from Palestine are forbidden to enter Israel ... which effectively means they cannot come to the Al Aqsa Mosque to pray during Ramadan. Then of course the missile war between Gaza and Israel has made things worse. The result is an empty Old City. Two thirds of the annual Ramadan crowds cannot come to Jerusalem and the missiles are keeping the local muslims indoors. It's been a very sad Ramadan so far.

There were 5 missile strikes into Jerusalem yesterday evening at 6pm. No major destruction as 2 were intercepted by Iron Dome Defense rockets. They were blown out from the sky before they land. Israelis run for cover while arabs celebrate outdoors that the enemy is being struck.

Sugarcane juice

The area around my eyes are hemorrhaging ... and I don't know why. Looking like a panda. The nose bleed has reduced but still clotting up the nostrils. I think maybe an ice-pack would help. Have been staying in my room with windows closed as I my eyes are sensitive to light. Perhaps its the heat that's causing the haemorrhaging. It's stifling here in Jerusalem. I didn't sleep last night because of this, so I sat out on the terrace till early this morning. Maybe that's the cause of the haemorrhage. Or it could be stress ... because I'm absolutely stressed here in Jerusalem. Have already started on a series of work even though I don't feel up to it. Anyway right now I'm dying for a big cup of sugarcane juice. Maybe that could solve my haemorrhaging eyes. I noticed a proliferation of sugarcane juice stalls in the streets ... nice in this hot weather but very expensive. It costs US$10 for a cup.

More missiles

The Ramadan canon explodes each morning at 3.30am and again at 8.15pm to announce the start and end of fasting. The heat is dreadful and you can imagine how fasting is like under such conditions ... especially when you even have to spit saliva out. Really tough Ramadan this year.

Missile alert sirens blared out at 6pm this evening. 5 explosions were heard. The news say they exploded north of Jerusalem in Maale Adumim neighbourhood. 2 were intercepted by Iron Dome rockets though. The situation has become crazy. Gazan rockets now reach as far north as Haifa and as far south as Dimona where Israel's nuclear reactor is.  Everyone is jittery.

A good laugh to get over my
medical side-effects

Been feeling depressed ... it's the withdrawal symptoms of Prednesone. Finished the 12 day course yesterday and as expected, the side-effects start kicking in today. I simply hate taking prednesone because of this ... but to prevent a major crisis during the operation, the docs insisted I started a course of this dreadful medicine. Hope I can survive the next 24 hours as it gets worse. Perhaps a couple mofre missile attacks could distract me.

And talk about distraction, this picture of the 2 popes have become viral: the World Cup final between Argentina (Pope Francis) and Germany (Pope Benedict).

Of war and peace

Raudel's 1st try
with chopsticks

Jerusalem is incredibly hot ... definitely not good for my recovery. I need to keep cool, not raise a temp. otherwise my nose starts bleeding again. And then there's work closer at hand ... calls, demands, questions ... things that I can ignore if I were 70 km away. Maybe it was a mistake to come back to Jerusalem. It doesn't seem to help my healing.

I forgot to take optalgin (painkiller) last night so the dull pain in the sinus was killing me. And the heat was unbearable. I didn't want to set up the huge fan as any strain would cause a blood vessel to burst. So I spent most of the night sitting out on the terrace where a cool breeze was blowing. Muslims were enjoying the meals and making merry through the night .... luckily without any incident with the police. But the news tells us that squirmishes and riots took place in other parts of Israel and Palestine.

More missiles were launched into Tel Aviv this morning. None so far to Jerusalem ... but we'll see later this evening.

Apo's birthday lunch:
baked St. Denise fish

Despite all the bad news, my few days spent in recovery in Jaffa were great. Two of the friars celebrated their birthdays, and some visiting students passed a day off there as well. The atmosphere is always caring, friendly and happy. Everyone there made sure I had a quiet restful time. No disturbance, no demands. I had aircon in my room, with a lovely view of the Mediterranean Sea from the window. In the nights, I'd take a walk down the beach to breathe in the salty breeze which the docs said will help heal the wounds. Families of muslims breaking the Ramadan fast gather to eat and barbeque in the beach. It was all so very nice. To show my appreciation for the community's care, I offered to do lunch for them - chinese food bought from the nearest Chinese Restaurant in Tel Aviv. They thoroughly enjoyed it. Some had their first try using chopsticks. A couple of days later, the joint birthday celebration of Apo and Edoardo saw pastoral collaborators from the Tel Aviv area gathered for lunch. Again it was a very pleasant time ... and we actually had ice-cream! That was so good for my fever and bleeding nose! Now to think of it, it's a mistake coming back to Jerusalem.

Back again

Am finally back online. The war has begun ... 100 rockets fired into Israel and Israel is bombarding Gaza. As I left my Jaffa community this evening, missile alert sirens blared and we had to run for cover. An explosion was heard nearby. After returning home to Jerusalem, another siren sounded and an explosion occurred nearby too. 6000 people evacuated from a concert near the Old City. Bomb shelters opened in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. This war is really serious.

Lovely sunset from my
window as I recovered

Yes I had my operation at least. It was due on Friday last but was called off because no one wanted to give me general anesthesia. Head pulmonologist of the area was called but he refused to give the ok. Definitely will kill me. So after 3 days a compromise was reached. Local anesthesia with sedation. Took almost 2 hours but everything went smoothly ... at least that was what I was told. Despite warnings that post-op pain will be dreadful, I suffered little of it. But the bleeding was awful. Can't stop. After a week, I went back to the hospital to have the stitches and splint removed. Again no-stop bleeding. They kept me in hospital for 2 hours trying to stop the bleeding but failed. Went back to my community in Jaffa to recuperate despite the bleeding.

Thanks to all of you for your prayers, support and help which enabled me to pay for the hospital bills, medicines and transport. Appreciate your kindness.