Thursday

Damascus Gate all lighted up

A rather quiet day today ... the 1st day of Ramadan. No muslim wants to start Ramadan with deaths or arrests. So it's very quiet. Since they have to fast from sunrise to sunset, most go to sleep. Work is cut to a minimum. But the nights of eating and revelry will start from sunset to 3am. One important factor also in calm in the Gaza border is because Egypt has warned Hamas to stop it's violence and provocation.

Anyway Israeli intelligence is warning of more jewish attacks on arabs and christians now that the embassy has moved. https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5261329,00.html

I'm recovering from yesterday's minor operation. It doesn't hurt as much today but that's probably because I'm taking a very strong painkiller "Rokacet". I've had only yoghurt yesterday and today ... in fact bit too much ... so now I have diarrhoea. I don't know what else I can eat as everything else is solid and I can't eat those for the next 3 days. And it has to be cold. My face is not so swollen because I've been putting an icepack over it. And most of the time I'm sleeping as the medication makes me drowsy.

Mind you that doesn't mean I'm off work. The chinese sister has been bugging me to contact her school secretary to explain her exam schedule (don't know why she can't do it herself); another wants a fax number which I must search (don't know why she can't do it herself); a couple of students want books in the library they cannot find; a researcher in Cairo wants 400 ages of a manuscript photographed or scanned; a group wants to buy guide books .... there is not one moment, no matter how sick I am, that people will leave me in peace. It's all about them and their needs first. They have the cheek to tell me to rest but with the same breath they want me to do this and that for them.