Friday, November 5, 2010
Gardening
Bomb and explosives were found in a junction of a Jerusalem suburb. http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/explosive-device-found-near-main-junction-in-jerusalem-1.323160
The weather is running strange this week - hot in the afternoons (28 degrees or so) but cold in the nights (12 degrees). And the sun sets at 4.30pm which is normal for winter. But having to plant flower bulbs (freesias, anemone and ranunculi) in our tiny garden because a race with the sunset. I had only half and hour to do before it became all dark. Managed to plant only the ranunculi - so the freesias and anemone will have to wait till tomorrow. It's 40 - 60 bulbs each.
Fr Johanny of the Silent Workers of the Cross invited me to their convent for a week's rest. Sounds like a good proposal but I have to finish my research and teaching. Don't know quite how to juggle all these. And the other jobs around the house that I have to do .....
The weather is running strange this week - hot in the afternoons (28 degrees or so) but cold in the nights (12 degrees). And the sun sets at 4.30pm which is normal for winter. But having to plant flower bulbs (freesias, anemone and ranunculi) in our tiny garden because a race with the sunset. I had only half and hour to do before it became all dark. Managed to plant only the ranunculi - so the freesias and anemone will have to wait till tomorrow. It's 40 - 60 bulbs each.
Fr Johanny of the Silent Workers of the Cross invited me to their convent for a week's rest. Sounds like a good proposal but I have to finish my research and teaching. Don't know quite how to juggle all these. And the other jobs around the house that I have to do .....
Thursday, November 4, 2010
And the news ......
Just got back from Hadassah hospital with a monster splitting headache. Got there on time at 10am. It wasn't very crowded but as usual there is always that compulsory wait. I looked through the reception glass window (the reception and cubicles are separated from the waiting room by glass) to see if Dr Rizen was in but couldn't see him. There was only a handful doctors there, but I asked the receptionist anyway that I wanted Dr Rizen to follow my case. She said ok and placed my file on the waiting rack.
After waiting for over an hour, like, everyone else was in and out of the clinic except me. Then I saw Dr Rizen at the reception and signaled to him. He signaled back "one minute". After 5 minutes he came out to the waiting area and asked me if I had registered (which I did) because he couldn't find my file. I was worried. He went back and after another 5 minutes he came out with my file and brought me into the clinic. Unfortunately all the cubicles were occupied, even the 3 surgery rooms. But once a surgery room was free he got me in and checked the lip. It was cleanly healed and all was removed. No nerve was damaged. So that's good news. Once that was cleared, we moved to the reports. And ..... there's no report on the biopsy. It's on the waiting list. Doc didn't know why and said "no news is good news, right?" Then he suggested that it might take a week more but in any case he'll call me when he gets it.
Got to rest now. Head is splitting.
After waiting for over an hour, like, everyone else was in and out of the clinic except me. Then I saw Dr Rizen at the reception and signaled to him. He signaled back "one minute". After 5 minutes he came out to the waiting area and asked me if I had registered (which I did) because he couldn't find my file. I was worried. He went back and after another 5 minutes he came out with my file and brought me into the clinic. Unfortunately all the cubicles were occupied, even the 3 surgery rooms. But once a surgery room was free he got me in and checked the lip. It was cleanly healed and all was removed. No nerve was damaged. So that's good news. Once that was cleared, we moved to the reports. And ..... there's no report on the biopsy. It's on the waiting list. Doc didn't know why and said "no news is good news, right?" Then he suggested that it might take a week more but in any case he'll call me when he gets it.
Got to rest now. Head is splitting.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Christian as death targets
Al Qaeda has declared all Christians in the Middle East to be targets of killings. It's all turning into a nightmare. What is the christian West's response to this?
http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/meast/11/03/iraq.christians.threat/index.html
It's frightening to see how many parcel bombs sent to embassies not only in Athens (some exploded) but also to various heads of govts. And there was the suicide-bomb in Taksim Square in Istanbul - a few metres away from the Greek Orthodox Church. This week's violence worldwide is unprecedented and we can smell a sort of organised plan in all this. It's all very frightening.
Yesterday was a pretty down day ... for some of us. Osvalda our librarian decided to spend 3 days in the hermitage in Gethsemani - she lost her mother a year ago. Some others like me spend the day thinking of all the people we lost - relatives, friends, students or teachers ... it was a day to remember them all; and to thank God for their lives. It was sombre. The house was quiet and there was no school. No one wanted to talk. Everyone wanted some time for recollection and privacy.
Today the students have exams - those who didn't take them last semester. The air hangs heavy. Tomorrow it's back to hospital to check 3 more suspected melanomas in the mouth and results of the 1st biopsy.
We'll see what tomorrow brings.
http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/meast/11/03/iraq.christians.threat/index.html
It's frightening to see how many parcel bombs sent to embassies not only in Athens (some exploded) but also to various heads of govts. And there was the suicide-bomb in Taksim Square in Istanbul - a few metres away from the Greek Orthodox Church. This week's violence worldwide is unprecedented and we can smell a sort of organised plan in all this. It's all very frightening.
Yesterday was a pretty down day ... for some of us. Osvalda our librarian decided to spend 3 days in the hermitage in Gethsemani - she lost her mother a year ago. Some others like me spend the day thinking of all the people we lost - relatives, friends, students or teachers ... it was a day to remember them all; and to thank God for their lives. It was sombre. The house was quiet and there was no school. No one wanted to talk. Everyone wanted some time for recollection and privacy.
Today the students have exams - those who didn't take them last semester. The air hangs heavy. Tomorrow it's back to hospital to check 3 more suspected melanomas in the mouth and results of the 1st biopsy.
We'll see what tomorrow brings.
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
All Souls Day
"We remember those who have gone before marked with the sign of faith" - words from the Eucharistic Prayer. And so we turn our memories back to those who in some way or other have touched our lives; the big and little people who crossed our paths. And moreover, we spend time to reflect on how we touched their lives and how their eternal destiny was in a small way shaped by our encounter.
Our morning Mass was celebrated for family and relatives. The second Mass is optional and we'll see if anyone else wants to celebrate it later in the morning. Evening Vespers will be combined with the 3rd Mass and we will remember friends, benefactors and all whom we have encountered in this life - that we may share the next life in joy and peace eternally.
Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord .
Meanwhile we cannot forget the killing of Catholics in Baghdad ... yes I'm haunted by this because this is the reality that we here live day after day. The news and images of death is the topic of our talk and thoughts. The whole attempt to save them was botched; a total disaster. Today the survivors are gathering the pieces of their life. The Church staggers onto another day. For the rest of the world, it's yesterday's news headline, shafted to the archives, buried in the corners of collective memory.
http://insidethemiddleeast.blogs.cnn.com/2010/11/01/baghdad-church-attack-the-day-after/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-11668634
Yesterday evening a huge rally took place in the Mamilla area of the New City. The surveillance helicopter was hovering overhead till almost 9.30pm because some 10,000 uni. students were protesting that the govt. is giving stipends to Yeshiva students (Jewish theological schools who seldom pay taxes and serve in the army) but not to university students (who pay taxes and serve in the army). Let's see the outcome. http://www.jpost.com/VideoArticles/Article.aspx?id=193580
And a general strike was averted this morning. It would have paralysed the country as the Histadrut (trade union) had called for industrial action across the social and economic board.
Our morning Mass was celebrated for family and relatives. The second Mass is optional and we'll see if anyone else wants to celebrate it later in the morning. Evening Vespers will be combined with the 3rd Mass and we will remember friends, benefactors and all whom we have encountered in this life - that we may share the next life in joy and peace eternally.
Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord .
Meanwhile we cannot forget the killing of Catholics in Baghdad ... yes I'm haunted by this because this is the reality that we here live day after day. The news and images of death is the topic of our talk and thoughts. The whole attempt to save them was botched; a total disaster. Today the survivors are gathering the pieces of their life. The Church staggers onto another day. For the rest of the world, it's yesterday's news headline, shafted to the archives, buried in the corners of collective memory.
http://insidethemiddleeast.blogs.cnn.com/2010/11/01/baghdad-church-attack-the-day-after/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-11668634
Yesterday evening a huge rally took place in the Mamilla area of the New City. The surveillance helicopter was hovering overhead till almost 9.30pm because some 10,000 uni. students were protesting that the govt. is giving stipends to Yeshiva students (Jewish theological schools who seldom pay taxes and serve in the army) but not to university students (who pay taxes and serve in the army). Let's see the outcome. http://www.jpost.com/VideoArticles/Article.aspx?id=193580
And a general strike was averted this morning. It would have paralysed the country as the Histadrut (trade union) had called for industrial action across the social and economic board.
Monday, November 1, 2010
All Saints Day
All Saints Day today but little joy as everyone here is overwhelmed by the senseless killing of priests and laity in our Church of Our Lady of Salvation in the christian quarter of Baghdad. Yes, they are martyrs of the faith. They were killed simply because they were christians.
How ironical that only a week ago the Bishops Synod in Rome convened to discuss the state of the Church in the Middle East. Yesterday's killing says it all. The Synod could not have a clearer response than that. BBC calls it a catastrophe. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-11463544
This is the price to pay to be a follower of Christ here in the ME. This is the cross to carry. The powers in the world are set against believers, and it's relentless aggression is increasing. Calvary is ever before our eyes.
How ironical that only a week ago the Bishops Synod in Rome convened to discuss the state of the Church in the Middle East. Yesterday's killing says it all. The Synod could not have a clearer response than that. BBC calls it a catastrophe. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-11463544
This is the price to pay to be a follower of Christ here in the ME. This is the cross to carry. The powers in the world are set against believers, and it's relentless aggression is increasing. Calvary is ever before our eyes.
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