Saw the doc ... finally

Yesterday I was really pretty sick. At 2am I had this dreadful pounding headache that kept me awake. Then at 4am I had the chills - big time. Stayed under the blankets till 6am because I was shivering real bad. The headache continued through the morning so I decided I had to go see the doc. Got Jadallah to drop me at St. Saviour's where the doc has his clinic at our infirmary. Jadallah was on his way to Ein Kerem to do some job (which really isn't his job).

Anyway I probably have an infection in my sinus that's causing the fever and headache. My nose has been stuffed for the past week and each time I blow it, it bleeds. It's really making me sick. I'm on antibiotics now. Also back to seratide and ventolin to reduce my asthma. And also starting on simvastatin to lower my way-too-high cholesterol.

Well the doc was pleased that I reduced my weight and my suger level has gone down to within normal limits. It took real hard work - and coke had nothing to do with it.

A very touching story in China - http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/asiapcf/02/05/suicide.for.liver/index.html There's still selfless love left in this world. If only there were some other way to help the family so the little girl did not have to try suicide.

Where are the pigeons?

So I didn't go to the doc .... like you expected. No surprise. I think I'm getting better. Mind over matter. The phlegm is much more reduced and so is the coughing. The fever is also less frequent but the joints still ache. In fact right now I've got a bad headache. Maybe not drinking enough. Anyway I tried to stay as much in my room so as not to spread the germs. Got several visits from profs and students yesterday - mainly to see if I'm dead yet. Sorry to disappoint them.

Most of the 1st and 2nd year students have gone on excursion to Sinai for 5 days. So the library is pretty quiet. Managed to borrow two books for research reading - italian and french books. Maybe that's why I have a headache now. Brains are not ready for such heavy reading I guess.

A friend came over yesterday to pick up something. I told him not to come between 1pm - 3pm as I was busy - and of course he had to come at 2.30pm. Why do these things happen? It's like the phone call you wait and wait but never comes, and when you step into the washroom for that one second, it rings. Everyone in the house has had that experience and we were laughing about it.

As expected http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7869704.stm Things are not getting better if aid is not entering Gaza immediately and reconstruction of the strip begin. People are sleeping outdoors in winter with little food and medicine. And the horrors of the war are now coming to dreadful light http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7848768.stm

So what was this guy thinking???? The flight lasted what? 16 hours? Poor pigeons! http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7869301.stm

So the Vatican has ordered Williamson to recant on his Holocaust remark. But again, that is a different issue from the 1988 excommunication and the lifting of it (which is the denial of papal authority and validity of the vernacular Mass). In fact this order to recant is going to prove if Williamson is really ready to obey papal authority. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7869995.stm

Rosemary tea

Managed not to go to see the doc today. Didn't take much convincing. The rosemary tea really got the phlegm going - you should try it. Boil several sprigs of fresh rosemary - add some suger and lemon slices if needed - and gulp down quickly. It tastes terrible but it clears the congested airways. But I've still lost my voice (everyone seems to be very happy about that) and the fever comes and goes. Joints aching still.

Another local brew I had to take some time ago when I was again ill. Maramiyeh tea. Boil Maramiyeh (sage) dried leaves and drink - for vomitting (or is it diarrhea?) Must have worked on me since I'm still alive. Locals also boil Naanaa (mint) tea for stomach problems and I heard Bay leaf tea is good for reducing blood-pressure. But I'm not going to try that for the moment - the rosemary tea has blunted my tastebuds.

An inside look into immigrants' lives in Israel. http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1233304665347&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

And tourism to Israel is getting bitten http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1233304669138&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

And Merkel should keep quiet when she doesn't know what she's talking about: the excommunication on Williamson and the other 3 bishops were imposed many years ago because they formed a schismatic church that refused to obey papal authority neither recognising the validity of the "modern" Mass. Now that they're ready to recant, the excommunication is therefore lifted. It has nothing to do with individual views on the Holocaust. Why does Merkel need to make everyone feel guilty for? Obviously she's feeling the weight of her nation's historical responsibility but as we learn from history, hark on the same theme for too long and too strong, the younger generation is going to swing to the opposite direction. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7867775.stm During mealtime we spoke about Holocaust denial as something not only terrible but flying in the face of objective evidence that is so well documented. And what will be worse is when the younger generation goes that direction as a reaction to the old generations nagging. Like we say in cantonese "hou sum tzo wai see".

Rosemary woes

Rosemary tea tastes terrible. It is so foul tasting I think I'll throw up if anyone brings that name up again. But it works - at least in clearing the phlegm. When I finished the jug boiled by Khalil our cook, I thought it was over and done with. Then later in the afternoon the sisters of Mother Teresa came and brought another jug. Luckily they added a bit of suger in their concoction. Nevertheless I still am voiceless, although the coughing is very much reduced.

So Israel did bomb southern Gaza yesterday - but this morning Gaza bombed Ashkelon. Looks like it's not going to end. Bad.

Spring is in and we haven't had enough rain. We'll have to start rationing water soon.

Feast of the Presentation

Feeling worse today then yesterday. Now I need to clarify this matter - seriously - when they say take medicine "4 times daily" does it mean 4 times in 24 hours or 4 times in 12 daylight hours (considering that nighttime you're asleep and therefore won't take the medicine)? I'm still a total blurr. Last night because of the heavily congested lungs and nose, I took "neosed" every 3 hours (5pm, 9pm, 1am and 4 am). Boy did I feel even sicker after that. It kept me awake all night but at least I could breathe through my nose. I've still lost my voice (everyone here is making fun of me - even Sinead called me from her office to hear what I sound like) and my chest hurts like hell when I cough. The phlegm is a horrible thick dark green type that I have trouble coughing up.

Khalil our cook has boiled rosemary, sage and lemon into a tea for me to drink. It's the local concoction to clear the phlegm and congested airways (and I must say it really works!!!). However the taste is not something you'd recommend to people. Yucks.

Fever is still high, joints still aching. Mother Teresa's sisters called to say they'll bring me to see the doc today (knowing full well I never go to the doc) but I'll find a way to escape them. I may be sick but I haven't lost my brains!

By the way, the Israeli PM's threat to respond in a "disproportionate" way to the Gaza rockets yesterday has sparked rumours of a new war - obviously Hamas has had time to consolidate its position now. People are scared.

Meantime today we celebrate the Presentation of Christ in the Temple. If you calculate from Dec 26th, it'll be about just 40 days. So Jesus was presented to the Temple as the first-born son, the son redeemed by the blood of the lamb smeared on the doorposts during the Exodus. By virtue of our baptism in jesus Christ, we too share in this privilege and heritage of the first born son.

Thanks

Thanks to all of you for your generous donations that I just received. In summary:

1. For Gaza and other needs of the Missionaries of Charity (US$1,514)
2. For Musky (US$1,414)
3. For poor in the Holyland (US$6,391)
4. For other projects (US$2,044)
5. Vitamins, medicine, warm packs and food that will go mostly to the Christians in Gaza.

And of course all the lai see for the Chinese New Year. All your beneficiaries are praying here for you.

Superbug

Hit by the super bug the last 5 days. High fever, swollen eyes, congested lungs, coughing compounded by asthma, and totally lost my voice. Well apparently its two different bugs - one that causes the coughing and congested lungs, the other gets the eyes. I happen to have both. Many people have fallen victim to these super bugs here in Israel (including some carmelites in Nazareth). It's terribly draining of all energy and mental focus. Am still down with it and am feeling so very sick.