Near fatal allergy

Cocktail of antihistamines
injected into my veins

Emergency Room. Was rushed there after I developed an allergy to nuts yesterday evening. It was all unexpected. Haven't eaten nuts for a long time, so the day before I bought a small pack to munch while studying. After 5 minutes my eyes were swollen and watery, throat and lips swelled. Tightness in chest, asthma ... couldn't breathe. Nausea. Blacked out and bashed my head against the window. Cut it and was bleeding. Got round but struggling on my feet. This time I thought I was really going. Luckily a friend called and I managed to gasp that I needed to go to hospital. He immediately called a cab up to the front door, he rushed over while another professor helped me down the stairs to the main gate. Rushed off to the nearest hospital which is St Joseph's. The emergency room was already informed and had antihistamines ready. I had a cocktail of 4 antihistamines and steroids, was put on oxygen and stayed in Emergency for over an hour. Then the doc insisted I stay overnight which i refused. The nurses came and said ther is no way I can go home as the allergy had not yet passed. So I stayed overnight. Was on oxygen and had another cocktail of jabs later in the night. By morning my breathing was less laboured but my eyes and lips are still swollen. Insisted on going home against doc's advice. The doc wasn't happy and said it was near fatal and I had to sign a letter saying I'm leaving against doctor's advice. But I had to go down to emergency again to patch up my head, and the doc there also insisted that I should stay back in hospital. I got my way ... to go home that is. Promised them that if I still don't feel well, I'd return to Emergency Room this afternoon. The bloody taxis were demanding alot of money just to get me home a km and a half away ... I refused to pay so I walked home. Dizzy ... but I managed to walk the distance back without incident. Am resting now ... but  still not feeling good ...

Airport to close tomorrow

Ben Gurion Airport will close tomorrow Tuesday due to all out strike by air and land workers. It was sparked by Israel's wanting to sign the Open Skies Pact with Europe, meaning europeans can now work in Israel's airport and airlines. Israeli employees fear this will lead to lower wages and many lay-offs. So far this market was closed to all foreigners. Opening the market would be good for foreigners ... but I don't think Israel is ready for it.

A garden full of enormous and
fragrant roses

The weather is still very cold. It's still hovering around 10 degrees. Everyone is sick. Clinics and hospitals are packed with outpatients. Pharmacies are busy dispensing medicine for cold and influenza. Another canary has died ... an egg-laying Red Factor. But the 3 babies from another nest are doing well. And of course ... it's roses again. This weather is just great for them. I'm hoping to plant some cuttings I took from a garden in Beit Jallah.

School is speeding towards the end of the 2nd semester. Another 7 weeks before exams. Students are getting more stressed. Datelines must be met. The looming gloom that final year students will soon disband and each return to their own countries ... never seeing their classmates again  ... is slowing encroaching into the study atmosphere. Soon this cold Spring and the lovely roses will be a memory.

More rain

Enormous and fragrant roses from
a Beit Jallah private garden

The weather is still miserable though we know that it's good for farmers and crops ... certainly for roses. I saw some roses in a private garden in Beit Jallah today - incredibly large blossoms, larger than two fists. And the fragrance was so strong the garden seemed to be enveloped by it.

It's been raining the whole night and mostly during the day as well. The sky is constantly dark and the wind is gusty and biting cold. Winter clothes are back out, summer clothes are back in the cupboard. The canaries are well and warm indoors now that 2 babies have died from the cold. I hope the 3 surviving babies will make it, and the other nest will hatch soon.

But the weather did not dampen the first ever Palestine Marathon in Bethlehem. I was at the route and saw the water-stops and police guiding the lanes. Because Bethlehem is encircled by the Security Wall, it is not possible to run the 40 km in one single direction. Instead the route led from Manger Square to El Khader (the next village) and then back again twice over.

Israeli airline crew have gone on strike today. Most flights from Ben Gurion airport were cancelled. For those stuck in the airport in this miserable weather ... I'm sure roses were no consolation and definitely the last thing on their minds.

Baby canaries dead

Yes two of my baby canaries died because it was too cold ... 10 degrees this afternoon. The sun was shining though and I thought it would be warm enough to put the nesting cages out. But the two babies could not survive the very cold winds; and the silly mother canary had made a nest with too little material for warmth and she did not sit over the babies. I guess there's no way to control nature.

Friday today ... not much going on. No tension. Everyone going about their work as usual ... except for the awful cold wind. Most are in hoods and hats. I still have my stuffed nose. Can't breathe at all. And I learn that practically everyone else has this problem. Signora Clara from the pharmacy gave me a nasal spray that unclogs the sinuses and its a big help as now I can go to sleep without breathing through my mouth. Clara is an Argentinian jewess who knows as for many years.

Great cheesecake at
Focaccia

As a treat from the rather miserable and tiring week that I've had, I went out for tea with my good friend Firas. We went to Focaccia and had a very nice cheesecake each. It was a nice quite 1 hour ... before I had to rush home to do more work. But the cheesecake made it worthwhile ... rich and creamy, with strawberry and cream. Not good for my diabetes I know ... but heck, it's been a miserable week so I deserve a sugar high.

Cold rainy day

Row of birds at teh 1st Station

What dreadful weather! Rain every early morning. Very cold at 8 degrees before the sun rises. And even during the day, the skies are terribly overcast and the winds are very strong and cold. People are wearing their winter clothes again. And I saw a very strange sight ... a row of turtledoves and sparrows sitting on a rail at the 1st Station of the Cross. There were many other rails but all the birds around decided to sit on only one .... enjoying the sunshine that warms in spite of the blustery winds.

Cakes and coffee after the barbecue
on the balcony overlooking
the desert

This morning was no different than the past 10 days ... waking up at 3am. This time I had to go see the doctor in far away Ramat Gan. Got an injection shot but the reactions were strong ... had stomach cramps and diarrhea. Felt very sick and weak the whole day. After 10 full days of waking up at 3am and sleeping at midnight, my body is screaming for a break. I am utterly exhausted. If only I can find time to rest. Well to be fair, I did spend 4 hours last afternoon at my friend's new apartment for Independence Day. It's traditional for Israelis to spend the holiday barbecuing so my friend had a sort of house warming barbecue with me and 4 other friends. The view was fantastic ... overseeing the desert and Dead Sea. It was a relaxing 4 hours ... but then it was back home again for work and more work.

And talking about deserts - plans to rebuild King Herod's palace and "tomb" at the Herodion were lambasted by archaeologists and academics. Well firstly it's not proven that the recently excavated site was actually the "Tomb" of King Herod the Great. Secondly no one alive knows what the palace looked like above it's foundations because what has remained for this 1900 years is only the foundations. And in any case, the archaeological site would simply be reduced to a theme park of grossly bad taste. Conservation and preservation is the word ... not innovation and reconstruction.

Independence Day

Yesterday was Independence Day  - Israel was 65 yrs old. The fly-pass over the Presidential Palace was cancelled because of bad weather in Jerusalem. It was very cloudy, strong gusty winds, cold and drizzling. But ground celebrations continued as planned.   http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/nearly-a-million-israelis-celebrate-independence-day-outdoors-despite-blustery-weather.premium-1.515821

Students handing in their
thesis to the Principal

The celebrations in Tel Aviv was alot more successful - both fly-pass and sail-pass went ahead while thousands gathered around the beaches to watch and cheer. I missed that. For the past few years Independence Day was a day off for me ... I'd spend overnight at my community in Jaffa, wake up late and from my window of the room, watch the parade and celebrations. Absolutely fabulous and relaxing. This year I had classes. What a let-down. I was not at all enthusiastic. I had been working overtime for the past week, waking up at 3am and finishing work at 10.30 pm. I'm utterly exhausted. Well ... I just can't have everything I guess. But as a consolation I joined my past students as they handed in their final year thesis before graduation. Four years ago they were freshies whom I taught ... insecure and fearful. Now they're confident, outspoken and intelligent. I was proud. Right now just received news that there were explosions in Eilat ... these students are just on their way there ... hope they're ok.

The massive earthquake in Iran/Pakistan was felt as far as the UAE yesterday; and the Boston Marathon massacre was awful. Signs of the time .... the world is going crazy.

Remembrance Day vigil

State and municipal flags
at Safra Square

By afternoon today, most major roads around the Old City and near govt and Municipal centres have been closed. Remembrance Day celebrations begin this evening and a solemn tone is enveloping the country. Israelis recall the soldiers who have died defending their country. This falls on the day before Independence Day which is on Tuesday. Sirens will sound at 10am tomorrow morning for a minute's silence.

Jewish priest wrapped in plastic
on flight to London

But this nationalistic pride and celebrations is not shared by all. The ultra-orthodox jews still believe in a messianic state and reject the zionist ideals that gave birth to this country. And as if to show how extreme these ultra-orthodox jews have become, Haaretz ran a photo and article showing an ultra-orthodox jewish kohen ("priest") wrapped in a huge plastic bag while flying in a plane to London .... because it might fly over a cemetary and that would contaminate him or render him ritually unclean. Plastic wrapping would prevent him from this.   http://www.haaretz.com/blogs/routine-emergencies/ultra-orthodox-man-wears-full-body-condom-world-media-goes-wild.premium-1.515386   Extreme? Ridiculous? But the ultra-orthodox population is growing in Israeli society and though the secular govt. is trying to stamp out their power and influence, it is unlikely the govt. will win. The ultra-orthodox jews, bizarre as some people may think of them, are still the power mongers in Israel and in the end, they will always call the shots.

With such extremely divergent views, and at times openly hostile, within Israeli society .... I wonder how Independence Day could be unifying moment for the country ... or is it another occasion to disagree again?