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.