Hallos and goodbyes

Sabbath at Damascus Gate

The weather has cooled alot ... evenings hover around 17 degrees and daytime is about 25 degrees. Very pleasant. And being the Sabbath, things are much more relaxed. No rush and hassle in the streets. And less police in the streets. The feasts for jews and muslims are over so there are less tensions hopefully. The tit-for-tat bombings in Syria are keeping us on our toes. And Gaza burnt lots of Israeli land with incendiary balloons so Israel bombed Gaza in the morning. Israel also closed off the maritime boundary so Gazan fishermen cannot fish. Let's hope the rest of summer won't be as nasty and tense at the borders.

Cloudy skies in the morning

My left hand is much better after having torn a tendon. I'm under heavy painkillers and the docs advised I should take it at night because it makes me sleep. It really does. Perhaps it's the high humidity these few days that's making my hand and ankle painful. We've actually got dew on the ground in the early mornings ... in June!!

This morning the chinese community organized a Mass at the Last Supper Room for peace in Hong Kong. Prayed for everyone as well. The superior of the Last Supper Room, my long time friend, will soon leave the Holy Land so I'll probably come back tomorrow to say goodbye. I've known him since he was a novice. It'll be sad that he leaves but he has a future in other missions.

Meantime an old classmate from 30 yrs back is visiting the Holy Land and I have to rush and meet him.