Makloubeh and Msahan ....

Sabbath .... dead city

It's Sunday ... and I was determined not to work today. So I got up late ... 5.30am to be exact. I usually wake at 4am everyday. So this morning I slept in. Mass was at 7am and then the Armenian Mass was at 11am because the armenians celebrate the Assumption today. I watered the courtyard and terrace plants as they were withering .... no one water them for 3 days. Then it was slow cleaning my room. I had more time to play with Buddy and JJ ... and they enjoyed my being with them. JJ is especially playful ... to the point of being a nuisance. Buddy is more mature ... 3 yrs old ... and calmly sits on my shoulder all day.

Makloubeh for lunch

Yesterday as our cook was away for her son's wedding, the wife of our doorman offered to cook lunch. It was a banquet!!! A huge tray of makloubeh (rice with lamb), stuffed vegetables and vine leaves (kusa and waraq dawali), msahan (chicken on thick flat bread) with a dessert of knaffeh (steamed cheese in syrup). It was an incredible meal and we all enjoyed. These foods are quintessentially palestinian and takes hours if not days (stuffed vine leaves need 2 days) to prepare and cook.

The rest of the day was spent tidying some stuff on my table ... while playing with the 2 birds. I had eaten too much of the good food, so I've decided to skip dinner. I thought of going to walk my daily 4km but I'm feeling very lazy so I'll probably go to sleep early. Anyway my left ankle is swollen after the past 2 days of walking so I need to rest it. It's wrapped in bandages now.

At our southern border, some gazans were killed when the protests served as undercover for infiltrators attempting to enter Israel. Gaza also fired rockets into Israel for the 2nd night running.  The PM has hinted he might launch a war on Gaza. And that will serve him in the coming elections .... for sure. Meantime the Jerusalem Municipality has approved govt. plans to expand jewish settlements in arab lands. That is a flashpoint that could ignite more violence.