Still hot

Hawkers at Damascus
Gate

 The heatwave continues to beat down on us. But luckily today a cool breeze is also blowing. Last night I had to go out and buy bread for my community's breakfast, and after 2 days in my room due to high blood pressure, it was a good escape. Crowds continue to go on their business as the wind cooled the relentless sun. Some people still wear the mask like me. But most feel confident about their vaccination and go without the mask. Unfortunately the Delta strain can infect even those who are vaccinated.

Yesterday the govt demolished a butcher's shop in Silwan village and the houses attached above. That's one of the flash points of the recent clashes. I think clashes will take place on Friday. I'll have to be careful when I go out. The last night I need is skunk water chemicals affecting my lungs.

And ... another awful thing about summer. Ticks and mosquitoes are back. I've been bitten all over my legs and back. I'm going to buy something to stop the bites at the pharmacy later today. It happens every year. 

Heatwave

White mulberries

 Another school in the center of the country is forced to closed down after the parents of one student sent her to school, when she should have been in quarantine. Now 700+ students must all be quarantined after 20 students tested positive. Other parents are mulling to sue. It's just unbelievable how people continue to flout the laws and spreading the virus ... putting other people's lives and livelihood in jeopardy. Unfortunately "Love your neighbour" is not a big thing here.   https://www.ynetnews.com/health_science/article/BkWV8Uuh00

My blood pressure is still high ... 135/81. I don't know what else to do. I still cannot recall words when I speak and get stuck in mid-sentence. It is so frustrating. Don't know if I will ever recover from this.

Anyway no use raising my blood pressure getting upset over this. I'll get a major stroke for sure. I'm enjoying a few white mulberries that our sisters bought. They're very sweet and I love it. We're having a heatwave, with top temp reaching 40 degrees. Cold water, cold fruit is the best in this weather.

I just heard that the Courts have ordered the demolition of several arab houses in the south of the Old City for jewish settlers to take over the land. I'm sure this will lead to more clashes. 

This morning 6 of our deacons were ordained priests. I didn't go. Not while I'm still ill ... and the heatwave is over us. I'll just rest at home.

Hot day

Sunrise yesterday

Life is not going to be normal now that the Delta virus is upon us. There are over a 1000 cases now in our country, and another 60+ registered in the past 6 hours. Mask wearing is compulsory indoors but the govt is reluctant to reimpose lockdown, as it is confident of the vaccination protection. I'll be staying away from work and outdoors as much as possible. It's going to be another locked in summer like last year. On one hand I can catch up with my readings and studies, but on the other I'll miss the summer activities like eating ice cream in the mall, visiting the pet shops and going to the beach in Jaffa. What a disappointment.

My blood pressure has shot up again today. 153/80. Having a headache. I'm resting at home today. Buddy and JJ are super happy as I rarely stay home with them during the day. They can't stop playing with my paper clips.

Not sure what's happening outside today ... if the clashes are continuing in Silwan and Sheikh Jarrah neighburhoods. The heat is quite oppressive ... well over 30 degrees.  Most of the flowers and plants are dead. I doubt anyone wants to fight in this heat.

Mask wearing is back.

Bedouin hawkers at Damascus
Gate

Friday saw an emergency move by the govt. : mask wearing became compulsory indoors. It was expected to be enforced today - Sunday; but the sudden spike of infections forced the govt to declare the restriction on Friday at 12pm. Notice was given only at 10.30am so we only had one and a half hours to prepare the library. I was at one library and couldn't run back to prepare the other so everything had to be done through the telephone: plastic barriers between users and librarians had to be put back, masks had to be available for users, hand gel and Dettol disinfectant had to be bought to disinfect the tables and books. It was a mad rush. And messages had to be sent to all students and users of the libraries. 

Summer is upon us and the day temp is 32 degree. Nights are 27 degrees. It was so hot last night I could not sleep. And I wasn't the only one. I saw room lights on at 1am and even someone in the library at 3am. This morning I decided to set up my portable aircon in my room. It's needed now.

Preparing sandwiches for the 
poor at the MC convent

Summer vacation has also started but our 6 resident students have decided to stay back for summer and finish writing their thesis. The main problem hindering their return to their countries for summer is there is no guarantee Israel will let them return. The Delta variant has spread so rapidly around the world, we just cannot predict what will happen from day to day.

However outdoors remain free and  masks are not required for the moment ... but things may change tomorrow. Damascus Gate area is still packed with people, and people are confident that the vaccination is effective. However already 5 vaccinated adults have contracted the Delta virus. No guarantees in anything nowadays. Just fingers crossed.

Monster moon

 

Monster moon tonight

The moon is full tonight ... and I have never seen it so enormous as it is right now. Unbelievable.

The sun rises early ... at 2.30am (3.30am, daylight saving). The muezzin begins his call to prayer at that time. You can't sleep much in summer ... the last for prayer is 9.30pm. And people are walking about late at night talking loudly. Its mainly to enjoy the cool breeze that blows every night. Indoors get very hot and stuffy because the stone walls trap heat during the day and release it at night. I'm usually very tired after work as I come home at 8pm ... my legs are sore from walking ... but I really want to go out for a walk as well ... the breeze is fantastic. And tonight's moon is awesome!

Covid is back with a vengeance. Yesterday alone saw 145 new infections. The Delta strain is hitting us quick and if the govt doesn't nip it in the bud, we'll be back to lockdown again.

I've been very busy with work ... and I would really like to slow down as I am still not feeling well. But it seems impossible. I'm still having difficulties speaking at length. I cannot remember words. It's scary.

Another day

Mini peaches

Was feeling quite unwell today. Very dizzy and nauseous. Measured my bp but it was only 127/76 which is quite normal. There's a sharp pain on my right side of my head though. Not sure what it's all about. I stayed in my room all day. Maybe it's because I've not been eating ... I have no appetite for food these days. Linda from Mian Restaurant called me to go pick up some food. I guess I'll go ... I need the walk though the air is not fresh ... it still reeks from the skunk water the police have been spraying these few nights.

Yes the clashes have not abated but instead intensified. Last night's clash at Sheikh Jarrah was particularly violent. Many injured. I'm not sure how things will evolve this summer if this continues.

On a positive note, it's summer and many of the first summer fruits are available in the markets. Bedouin women carry them from the villages and sell them in the streets. Lots of cherries and peaches ... especially the mini variety. They are exceptionally sweet this year. I love it. I think this summer I'll eat as many different types of fruit available in the market as I can. 

Solstice

White crepe myrtle

Today the summer holidays officially begin. It's the summer solstice. One quarter pf my community flew back to Italy. Thank God. Going out is not a problem here ... it's entering the country that's now complicated though the govt touts that the airport is open to all inoculated persons. The fear of the Delta mutant virus is scaring everyone ... especially today when 2 towns saw an outbreak in schools with over 60 students infected. 10 vaccinated people caught the virus. The govt is pushing for teenagers to be vaccinated as soon as possible. Mask-wearing is compulsory in those towns. And more stringent testing will be done at all immigration points. Now that's a sensible thing to do.

Street with crepe myrtles

Summer is officially here with the solstice. It wasn't as hot as I expected. There was a cool breeze blowing all day. And one sure sign of summer is the blooming of the crepe myrtle. Many streets in the City are planted with these trees and their enormous cluster of flowers which are strongly scented have become an icon.

A 6 year old girl died in the car when her father forgot about her and left her in the car for 6 hours. This is an annual tragedy ... and this is only the first case. I'm sure more will come ... as it sadly does every year.

Some of our students are staying back in summer because of Covid problems back in their own countries. Some have started making plans on how to spend the summer here ... besides studying and writing their thesis. So this summer I'll have more company ... it could be fun I guess ... people to help me garden and rearrange the library ....

Stink again

Asian veggies

For 2 nights running, stink water and stun grenades have been used by police in our area.  Arabs have been throwing stones to protest. We're house had been stinking from chemical waters and we feel sick every evening. I lock myself in my room otherwise I might get very ill in my lungs. I see from the news media that there were clashes also in Shiekh Jarrah and Silwan, both 1km north and south respectively from the Old City. Looks like things will not calm down soon even though most of us don't want violence and wish to enjoy a quiet peaceful summer ... like we didn't have last year due to the lockdown.

Another bad news ... Covid is back. There's been some 60 new infections in 2 towns among students clustered in 2 schools. The fear is it might be the deadly Delta variant. Our borders and airport might be closed again to incoming visitors or returning locals. Though almost everyone is now going about publicly without masks, I am one of the few who still keep it. And I will continue to wear it as long as the danger of the Delta variant remains.

Today to celebrate Fathers' Day, I went out with 2 of our african students to have brunch at Cafe Hillel, one of the franchised cafes around the country. Both guys have been studying so hard for their thesis ... they work all night and sleep just4 or 5 hours during the day. They've lost weight. This morning we spent 2 hours just chatting and eating with no pressure about studies and datelines. It was good. The sun was shining and a cool breeze was blowing. Lots of people in the street, as it's the first day of the working week. 

I went to the Asian grocery to buy bittergourd. It's suppose to reduce the blood pressure. The store was full of fresh asian veggies grown by asians in Tel Aviv. It was a good choice of veggies though they were expensive.

Tomorrow is the summer solstice ... the longest day this year. I really should enjoy the sunshine tomorrow ... Vitamin D is essential to fight Covid.

Clashes

Praying for
Peace yesterday

Violence broke out yesterday evening in East Jerusalem. Arabs threw stones at cars suspected to be jewish. From Damascus Gate down to Wadi Jooz neighbourhood (Kidron Valley),stone throwing occurred ... and Israeli police responded with stun grenades, stink water cannons and rubber-coated bullets. The chemicals from the grenades wafted into our house and it was causing us to choke. I was at the MC convent for adoration and confessions. Fr. Abraham was also there. We were praying and adoring the Eucharist when the clashes took place. We had to close all our windows and doors. I managed to go home and stayed inside my room ... those chemicals will worsen my asthma while I'm recuperating from last week's illness. This morning on my way to work, there were stones and rocks all over the roads.

Later in the afternoon, news reported that there were clashes between muslims and Israeli police inside the Al Aqsa Mosque compound. Luckily I was 1km away at work so the tear gas and chemicals would not affect me. Now I dread having to go back ... my whole neighbourhood will be stinking from the chemicals.

Meantime Gaza had sent incendiary balloons into Israel, setting fire to several fields and forests. Israel responded by bombing Gaza. Our Patriarch was in Gaza at that time. He experienced first hand what it is like to live in a war zone. In a way it was good because the christians there for once had a shepherd with them. Let's hope all this violence will end quickly.

rice dumplings

rice dumplings yesterday

There was an earthquake last night! Before 11pm, Buddy and JJ started fluttering around in the dark. Then messages began to flash in Facebook, people saying they felt tremors. It was 4.2 on the richter Scale in the southern desert  No dmaages in the country but it's a timely reminder to all that we're overdue for a giant earthquake ... way overdue. The last one was in 1927 which destroyed almost all the churches. Every 70-80 years a major earthquake hits the country ... but now it's past 94 years. I'll need to drill our library workers for an earthquake emergency.

I had a bad night's sleep. I had and still have a terrible headache on my right side. And I'm still dizzy and nauseous. I bought the medicine yesterday and started the medication ... but I think my body is still weak and the side effects are strong. For example I have terrible diarrhoea, which the doctors warned me,

Yesterday's Flag March ended without any major clashes. Thank goodness. But late in the night, there must have been some clashes at either Herod's Gate behind us or Damascus Gate further down because stink gas fired by the police to disperse crowds, was drifting into our house. Many of us were choking and coughing. Windows had to be closed but it was little help. 

Our chinese sisters still had some old rice dumpling bamboo leaves and they made rice dumplings with dates (northern chinese style).  They were small as the leaves were tiny. Still it was a nice way to celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival. 

By the way, there're 157 views today on my blog. Stalkers are active again ... so don't be surprise if in the next few days I get locked out of the blog or other social media, or my phone gets tapped.

Headache

Police stopping youths

The Flag March is underway. I made sure I came home from work by 3pm to avoid street closures and possible attacks from the jewish marchers celebrating the conquest of East Jerusalem. Shop keepers were closing down and double locking their shops. Police at every street corner was stopping and searching all young arabs passing by. It's just all too bad. 

I saw from news that our Patriarch is now in Gaza for 4 days to visit and encourage the embattled christian community there. It's a good pastoral act of charity. The Patriarch saw the destroyed school buildings and the frightened children and people. 

Shops closing

I'm ok ... I can walk and talk now. Only I sometimes cannot finish a sentence or cannot find words or forget names. Hope this is not permanent. I still feel giddy ... probably because of the medicine to lower my blood pressure. And I have a soft headache. It's scary. It could have been alot more serious.

I have to stay calm, not to get my blood pressure up. That means not being under the hot summer sun, avoid hot drinks and food. Drinking cold drinks would be nice in summer. But to avoid the sun in summer .... that's not like summer. It's like being back to winter again. I want to enjoy summer ... but it'll have to have some changes.

Ordination

Garden of Gethsemani

Yesterday being Sunday, I decided not to do anything much. I just wanted to rest in bed. I'm still a little lightheaded and was afraid walking long distances would make me faint. So Buddy and JJ also had a good time ... quality time with me. Buddy must have been traumatized badly when I was hospitalized. No food for 2 days. Now he refuses to leave me ... literally clinging with his claws into my T-shirt and refusing to let go. Now he even sleeps with me at night on my chest.

I'm getting back to normal and today is my first day of work after a week in recuperation. Lots of workload especially with the Printing Press ... books for repair, rebinding, payments. I'm still waiting for the Press to send down the load of books this afternoon.

11 new deacons

Last Saturday 11 of my students were ordained deacons. Because the Thai seminarian had no family or friends here in the Holy Land, he asked me to support him and dress him in the dalmatic. I went down to the Basilica with a few of our guys and sisters ... as I was afraid I might faint along the way. Gethsemane is 10 minutes down our road in the Kidron Valley. After the homily and helping him wear the dalmatic and stole I walked home to rest. I could not stay for the whole Mass as I was exhausted.

Tomorrow the govt has allowed the controversial Flag March to take place. It was cancelled halfway through 3 weeks ago when Gaza fired rockets into Jerusalem to protest the March. It's the israeli celebration of the conquest of East Jerusalem and the West Bank from Jordan in 1967. The March goes through the muslim quarter and that provokes alot of tension and anger from the arab population. We've been warned not to go out tomorrow ... I guess there'll be a curfew for us since we stay right in the heart of the muslim Quarter. So it'll be another day for me to rest. 

Sick 2

Protests

I was warded in hospital the past days for observation. Apparently my black-out on Tuesday night might have been a small blockage in the blood vessel to my brain. It was a little too late to trace it as I went to hospital only 48 hours later. My bp was high 163/97. The docs brought the bp down to 131/74 in 2 days and gave me medicine to dilute my blood. My dizziness is very much reduced today and I'm discharged to come home. 

The hospital stay was quite unexpected so I brought nothing along with me. A friend came at 11pm with toothbrush, toothpaste and towels. What was missing was my phone charger. For 2 days I had no calls or messages. I could actually rest. And it was awfully quiet because there's no TV in the room. And being tied to a drip I couldn't go out of my room. I was only very worried about Buddy and JJ ... no one fed them.

Today I'm much better. The dizziness is minimal but I still feel weak and sometimes I cannot find the words to speak, or remember things. Next week I must go to the neurologist, and cardiologist and pulmonologist. It'll be an expensive and time-taking affair. I'll just have to bear with it.

On my way home from hospital, I passed by the protest at Sheikh Jarrah. Arabs and jewish supporters had gathered to protest the eventual forceful eviction of 4 families so that jewish settlers can take over the homes. This was one of the causes for the war last month. Now we learn that the cancelled Jerusalem Day March will take place on Tuesday next ... but the rally will stop at Damascus Gate and this will cause more tensions with the arabs. I just hope no violence will result. 

Sick

Streets back to
normal

So I blacked out yesterday in my office. My windpipe was in spasms and I couldn't breathe. There was this deep sleepiness, very calm, everything went quiet. Next I woke up but in total confusion. I didn't know where I was, what I was doing, what time .... total lost of consciousness of my surroundings. I was frightened. I couldn't recognise where I was. It took some 10 minutes before I came round to realising where I was. That was about 7pm. I stayed in my office till 10pm when my friend from the Chinese restaurant finished work and picked me up in his car to bring me home. I was afraid of going home alone on foot ... if I might black out again. I was feeling weak.

Today I'm still feeling weak and dizzy. I stayed in bed all day. I guess I was too exhausted and stressed. It wasn't an anaphylactic shock ... I know what that is. Been in Emergency Room 10 times already for that. The windpipe spasm was strange ... I had it once when I was given a medicine which had this side effect. But yesterday I didn't take any medicine other than my daily ones. It's scary. I'm still very dizzy so I'll go to bed.

Just a bit of news ... the forest east of Jerusalem are on fire. The weather has been very hot and dry ... 32 degrees today, and fires have been breaking out everywhere. This one is close to Ein Kerem ... where the Churches of the Visitation and St. John the Baptist are located. Hopefully no one is injured.

Ice cream

Ben Yehuda Mall on Sunday

There's been tensions around our area again. Protests against the forced evictions of arab families in Sheikh Jarrah and Silwan had led to clashes with the police. Also a joggathon organised by local arab youths from Sheikh Jarrah to Silwan (3.5km) was aggressively broken up at the ending line by police even tough the youths were in festive spirit and there were no signs of violence. A local activist was arrested but at the police station, croweds came out in support which led to police firing stun grenades to disperse them. I happened to be on my way  home from a walk out to the New City when it happened. Someone said there's always trouble wherever I go. Wonder if that's a compliment!

My ice cream

So yes, Sunday was my off day. I've been very stressed with work and problems and just needed to go out for a walk. It's been more than 2 weeks since I went to the New City. Went to buy birdseed for Buddy and JJ, then rewarded myself to an ice cream cone ... in this hot 28 degree weather. The streets were relatively crowded. Most restrictions on outdoor activities have been lifted. Dining indoors and out are possible ... so lots of people are just spending time eating. I enjoyed my ice cream cone ... vanilla and cherry. It tasted really good ... after 2 summers in lockdown.

I've been planning to go to Jaffa for a month's summer holidays. But I'm not sure if it'll be possible. I hear there're still racial tensions there.But it'll be nice to be by the sea again ... it'll definitely be less tense than Jerusalem. And I deserve it. A good meal at Thai House or Peking Duck is also planned ...  and our twin seminarians are hoping to come along! They enjoyed very much the Thai lunch we had there 2 summers ago. I hope this dream will come true. It's been a very difficult year last year ... and we need to pick up life where we left off. Also it'll be helping the local economy!

Goodbye

 

Sr. Amrutha

Today Sr. Amrutha, one of our sisters working in our house, returned to India after 3 years of service. She was very enthusiastic in her work here and joined in all the major celebrations in the Holy Places so she could experience the Holy Land at its best ... in the liturgy. We wish her all the best in her new mission in India.

I'm having a bad headache since yesterday. I know it's exhaustion. I've not slept well for the past nights and I've overworked this week. Too stressed. The pain is sharp and only on the left side of the head. Excruciating. I hope to sleep early tonight ... if I can. Maybe I should take some natural medicine for relaxation and sleep. I've been buying them for the children and old people in Gaza as they are traumatised after the 11 day war. They're scared to sleep because a bomb might fall on them. I guess right now, I'm no better than them. 

My librarian is finally back from hospital but she can't speak due to her throat operation. So I still had to stay at work till the library closes. Hopefully next week I can take time off, and she can start talking again so my presence is not necessary. 

Tomorrow is Sunday ... I intend to wake up late. That's my first step in taking stress off.

Summer

Planting lettuce

Yesterday saw 781 viewers ... and I didn't update the blog for 2 days. The stalkers are not leaving me alone.

Well, we're in June and the summer weather is hitting us hard. Daily temp runs around 30 degrees but the nights are chilly. Yesterday evening at 6pm, I| had to wear a hoodie to walk home as there was a very strong chilly wind blowing. The holiday mood is in the air ... and I'll try this year to go on vacation ... like I've been trying for the past 10 years.

Vegetable planting doesn't stop even in summer. The other day I went down to our vegetable garden and the provincial house and they had transplanted lettuce seedlings into the ground. The melons are also fruiting, as are the grapes. Kiwi fruit will fruit only in winter but the vines are huge, growing by the shade. I like to take a walk around the vegetable garden ... it's a little but of greenery and life in an otherwise concrete jungle.

Tensions are potentially brewing as engineers are warning the wooden bridge bringing non-muslims into the Al Aqsa compound, is falling apart. But any replacement would provoke a strong reaction from the muslims who see this as another attempt to incur into muslim space. I guess there'll never be a shortage of reasons if violence is the aim. Last night a group of extremist jewish youths who pass by our street every Friday and Saturday to spit at us, decided to walk down our street at 10pm, vandalising arab cars and shouting zionist slogans. The arab neighbourhood came out and a scuffle broke out directly below my window. Police came to protect the jewish youths and sent them off while keeping the arabs at bay. And the youths walked off encouraged, emboldened and stopped at our door to spit at us.

End of restrictions

Kindergarten kids going out

June has begun. The half year mark has been reached ... in 30 days we'll start the second half ... and then the countdown to Christmas will begin. Sounds exaggerated but time really flies, and it'll be as I described it.

As it is, exams have begun in all the schools around the country. Students are walking everywhere listlessly with books in their hands and blank stares in their faces. It's that zombie period before entering the exam room.

Kindergarten kids though have no exams. For them it's fun time before the Summer Holidays begin and they won't see their friends again. Due to Covid lockdown, many kids are losing in developing social skills. School interaction will rough down their edges and learn to give and take. That's more important than formal lessons on maths and science.

The weather continues to be very hot. There's no news about the forest fires so they much be under control. In 24 hours we might just get a new govt. And all Covid restrictions will be lifted in a couple of days. The rapid vaccination  programme is a great success and it's too bad many countries can't follow it either because they have no vaccines available or they lack the infrastructure to do it.

I've been getting a headache the past 2 days ... probably from exhaustion and lack of sleep. The muezzin starts to call for prayer at 3.30am which technically is 2.30pm solar time ... and that means no more sleep after that, because within 15 mins begins the recitations from the Quran for 15 mins and then the very loud call to prayer at the first rays of the sun ... which is at about 3.55am (technically 2.55am solar time). How I dream of hearing the waves form the ocean and the smell of sea-air ... Jaffa in summer ... but I guess I'll probably go when the racial riots calm down.