Storm

Rain soaked road in
the Old City

The rains were super heavy all through Friday. Thunder, lightening, the works. I got caught in the rain coming home from dinner with Alessandro. Yesterday was feeling sick with nausea and fever. Last night the fever was pretty high while I had severe chills. Took a Dexamol and went to sleep but it was difficult. Pain in all the joints. This morning I've got a splitting headache and terrible sensitivity to light. Have to wear dark glasses otherwise the light causes a massive headache.

Meantime local politics is warming up to the elections in 2 months time. But no one is serious that anything will change. The ultra-orthodox and rightists will still hold power. The left is such a disappointment.

Violence against women is not reducing despite financial and technological progress. The problem here is religious. 19 killed this year.   http://www.jpost.com/NationalNews/Article.aspx?id=293312 

Thunderstorm

What a thunderstorm! The previous night was chilly and we have even turned on central heating. Then this morning the skies burst into a storm we have not seen in Jerusalem for many years. Thunder, lightening and lots of rain. It felt good.  http://www.jpost.com/NationalNews/Article.aspx?id=293174

The ancient stones I mentioned in the last blog entry were removed by the municipality and the pavement is now covered with ugly asphalt. What a shame. Another piece of history removed from public view. Making the Way of the Cross at the 3rd Station will not feel the same anymore.

Today I've been having acute bouts of stomach cramps. Pretty bad as I have to double up to stand the pain. And I have a bad headache as well. But it was brightened up when a friend paid me a surprise visit. He returned to Italy 4 years ago but now he decided to spend a short holiday back here and visit all his friends. Welcome back, Alessandro!

Ceasefire

At last they could agree on the wording and the ceasefire took effect from 9pm last night. It's unlikely there'll be a flare-up as both sides flexed their muscles and showed what they can do. And the poor people can get back to their normal lives ... but for some it's been tragically changed for the worse.

Digging away the ancient stones

Last night municipality workers blocked off the "square" in front of the 3rd Station and began removing the ancient paving stones, possibly the paving stones from Aelia Capitolina (c.130 AD). The municipality wants to "redevelope" the street which runs the length of the Old City from Damascus Gate down to the Wailing Wall. Hope they won't destroy these ancient stones. It'll be an archaeological and historical travesty.

Weatherwise the forecast is rain for tomorrow and Sunday. We certainly hope so.

Iron Dome picnics

The ceasefire which was supposed to start at midnight last night did not take place. The two sides cannot agree to the wording. But in effect the shelling by both sides have reduced significant this morning. Ban Ki Moon was here yesterday and then Hilary Clinton today. Things are winding down ... the rhetoric as well. In the evening there were scuffles in the Territories between local arabs and Israeli soldiers. It's meant as a show of support by Palestinians to their counterparts in Gaza. However it takes place only in the evenings when people finish their work or studies. It's not like a very passionate thing that consumes them even in the day. In effect, people just want to get on with life.

And now there're Iron Dome picnics: families pack a picnic meal, go out to the open spaces in the south and watch Gazan missiles fly into Israel and Israeli Iron Dome defense rockets intercepting the missiles in mid-air. http://www.jpost.com/Defense/Article.aspx?id=292642

Cyclamen in the library

As the weather warms up, cyclamen are in bloom. They usually do so after a sudden chill. And this year they're cheap. 20 shekels for a large pot. Someone placed a pot at our library reception desk. Lovely.

Maybe both sides of the border need shock therapy - like a sudden heavy chill for the cyclamen - to get peace blooming in our land.

End in sight

Things have quietened down in all parts of Central Israel. Only Ashdod. Ashkelon and Beer Sheva were bombarded yesterday and this morning. Everyone is talking of an imminent ceasefire. Thank goodness for that.

Sr, Vincenta at work

Weatherwise it seems to be getting good as well. The sun is up and warms the day while the nights get chilly. Yesterday several drops of rain fell but stopped after a short while. The warm day makes me thirsty and since it's season for pomegranates, Sr. Vincenta offered to make pomegranate juice for me. Yummy. Two pomegranates and one orange makes one cup of fantastic thirst-quencher filled with vitamin C.

Well it's back to studies again. I need to work extra hard this semester. But my stomach wouldn't let me. Yesterday evening suffered severe cramps and diarrhea after eating plain white rice. Maybe I should just survive on the pomegranate juice Sr. Vincenta makes for me.

Thanks

Thanks to Auntie Yvonne for the cake (finally!!!) and gift, Gigi for the TimTams, Emma, Paulette/Antonio and family, the Cavero family, Miriam/Raymond/Laila, Cecilia/Debbie/Trini/Dani, Hessler, Margaret/Dominic/Katherine Siu, Paula Leung, Poon Kong Ming, Yvonne Yeung, Melania and James, May Yu, Rose Chiu, Joanne Tong, Letty Chabot, Vida Leung and everyone else for their Christmas greetings, kind thoughts, medicine, shoes and gifts.

It's a nice break from the tensions of these few days.

Other thanks acknowledged in http://holylandassist.blogspot.com

Worse than War

Today is relatively quiet - both here and Tel Aviv. Only the cities in the south got pounded. Israel began a sea assault at 6am this morning on Gaza. But yesterday saw a dreadful barrage on both sides of the border. Many killed and wounded. Palestinians in the Territories demonstrated in solidarity with Gaza; so did Israelis in Tel Aviv who called for an end on the assault on Gaza. But Jerusalem ... it's another world ... concerned with the spiritual realities.

Life as usual in Mea Shearim,
the ultra-orthodox
neighbourhood in Jerusalem

A lone drone flew above us this morning ... very low buzzing noise, but very worrying. I can imagine how the Gazans feel as these drones are constantly flying over them - some equipped with cameras to survey the land below, others with rockets. Very sophisticated weaponry. The Gazans on the otherhand are less so ... they fire rockets aimlessly, hoping it'll land somewhere news-worthy. Nevertheless it's the little people who suffer. Our heroes - the Sisters of the Word Incarnate, the sisters of Mother Theresa and the priests remain in Gaza to comfort and support the small but persecuted community of Christians. In fact the parish priest, a young Argentinian, was out in Jerusalem when the war started and he fought to get back to Gaza to be with his flock. Remember them in your prayers.

I suffered a severe attack of asthma last night. Was awake till now - a good 16 hours, Went to see my doc in Tel Aviv. Was nervous to go there but found out it was quiet and life went on as usual. Got back safely but had an unpleasant experience in the bus ... there was an obnoxious opinionated american jewish lady talking at the top of her voice to apparently a visiting relative from Canada. It was an experience worse than facing a Qassam rocket. "Damn the arabs!" was one constant remark. "The Romans came and went, the Greeks came and went, the Persians came and went; it's about time the arabs left too"; "Thank God we're no longer dependent on the goiim (gentiles/pagans): we have our own country, our own government, our own army" But her xenophobia did not stop her from exclaiming "Oh Jesus Christ!" after every few sentences. Well that was one lady who wanted her hate to be heard. A young orthodox jewish mum rolled a pram up to the bus and was in a dilemma: she had to leave her bag and toddler in the bus while she folded the pram and load it at the back of the bus' storage. The obnoxious lady was still going on at the top of her voice against all non-jews. I stepped forward and took the toddler on sit on my knees while his mother breathed a sigh of relief and went off to load the pram behind the bus. The obnoxious lady turned to me and gave me a nasty look as if to say "Keep your goiim paws off this jewish child". I smiled back. The orthodox mother came back and happily reclaimed her toddler, smiled widely and said thank you to me.  So there, obnoxious xenophobiac! If you were so full of righteousness, why didn't you offer to help an orthodox jewish mother of your own faith and race in need?