Names

So I forgot to explain what Thanksgivukkah is all about. It's Thanksgiving Day and Hanukkah celebrated on the same day. I think this coincidence of feasts occurs once in 20 years or so. But this name stuck. Like Christmukkah is the coincidence of Christmas and Hanukkah once every 5 years I think.

War in the horizon?

Back home trying to recover from the allergy reaction. It's a terrifying moment when you're gasping for air that doesn't seem to enter the lungs .... it's suffocating ... each deeper breath you draw tightens the air passages even more. Face going blue, going dizzy ... and the only thing I was thinking was "What a stupid way to die ... from nut allergy". Can't recount any saint or martyr dying from an allergy. Anyway am on medication for the next 14 days. Medication makes me very drowsy and weak.

Bad news coming our way. The IDF is warning of an imminent war with Lebanon. Battalions are preparing to go up north. According to news reports, it's going to be "massive". Now dying in war is more glorious than by nut allergy.
http://www.jpost.com/Features/Front-Lines/Security-and-Defense-Seasoned-veterans-333442

New franchise that says it all.

And talking about bad news: the privatisation of public loos means a costly visit each time: US$1 per entry. Just saw a new franchise charging exactly that price. That's the way the world is going ... 2 the loo ...

The weather has gone cloudy, grey and gloomy. Not a nice start to Thanksgivukkah but hopefully the weekend would get better. Not that it'll make a big difference for me. I'll still be in bed under medication. And deathly scared of any food I eat. Everyone is trying to strengthen me by cooking all sorts of food ... but I'm going to eat only boiled veggies and rice to make sure there're no nut products. Today it's a boiled corn on the cob.

Emergency Room again

Yesterday was the first night of Hanukkah ... the jewish feast of lights or dedication of the Temple from the desecration done by the Syrians. Very joyous event, hanukiot in every house and shop lit.

If only life was just as beautiful

But it was hell for me. Was rushed to the Emergency Unit in St Joseph's Hospital because I ate a biscuit made with nuts. Didn't realise it till my eyes swelled and then the tongue and throat ... couldn't breathe. Luckily my jewish security friends at the Gate saw and rushed me to hospital. It's the 2nd time in 6 months I've been admitted. The nurse rushed to put a needle in my arm but as he panicked (the doc wasn't around), he caused my blood to splurt everywhere - on his clothes, the bed, my whole arm and clothes .... I was screaming as it hurt, and all that blood slurting everywhere. Anyway he added alot of pressure to stop the blood and gave a shot of something. Then the doc came and saw it was the same allergy reaction so he ordered the 3 other shots. Made me very sleepy. He told me to sleep for a couple of hours in the EU ... which I did as I had no choice. After I woke, I insisted on going home but the doc said I can't walk straight!! So I rested (slept) for another hour. Then they called a taxi for me to bring me home. Was very very groggy but managed to find my way home.

Today all my security friends were asking if I'm ok. They're a great bunch. I've been mainly sleeping today as the medicine makes me drowsy. Must take the medicine for 14 days. Doc said my resistance is low, blood pressure is low ... so I'm in no position to be working. Now that's a laugh. Sooner or later a call will come ordering me to get back to work. That's life here.

Change in weather

This morning's sunrise was great!

The weather has suddenly shot up to 35 degrees today. Very hot and dusty ... but still everyone is keeping on their pullovers and jackets. You never know when it'll suddenly change and drop to 16 degrees. The weather is as unpredictable as the political situation here.

Helicopters have been flying overhead since yesterday evening. Don't know why. Recently there were attacks in Damascus Gates (arabs on Jews), molotov cocktails thrown in the area of Herod's Gate, scuffles in the Suq toward the Wailing Wall .... the tension seems to be rising. And Israel's building 800 houses inside Palestine is not helping the situation.

Ah Ling at Mandarin Restaurant has been very kind. Every evening she calls me over for dinner ... she boils chicken soup with chinese herbs (gingko nuts, chinese dates and figs, wolfberries, ginseng ....). The guys there are very nice to me too and are concerned that I'm still very weak and fainting always. The arab cooks, ChaCha the filipina waitress all worry over me. They keep saying that since I have no family in Israel, then Mandarin's is my family and they'll take care of me. Problem is sometimes I'm so weak and tired (like yesterday I worked 10 hours flat) I have no energy to walk uphill 1km to Mandarin's. Anyway there's still internal swelling and once internal bleeding in the sinus/eye region ... hope it'll all be gone in a couple more weeks.

Time flies ...

It's Tuesday today ... time flies so quickly. Have been extremely busy as usual. Working 10 hours a day no stop. Still feeling weak ... but work cannot stop. Trudging slowly ...

The weather has warmed up a little but not very much. Luckily I have the heater now so the nights are more bearable. It's funny to see locals wearing hoodies and jackets while tourists are still in T-shirts and shorts .... they don't know how easy it is to get sick in this weather where fluctuations in temperature can be extreme and sudden.

Sugarcane being crushed
in the machine

Managed to have a cup of sugarcane juice on Sunday. Needed the sugar to keep the blood pressure up ... and its always refreshing to have a tropical drink in this country. Have been thinking of curry-puffs lately .......

Well Advent begins in 5 days time .... the end of the year is round the corner. Whatever happen to 2013? Time flies .....

Help

Another cold cloudy day spent in endless work. My blood pressure must have been pretty low because I blacked out twice in the late morning. Luckily I didn't bash my head against anything. I guess I was missing Coca Cola ... haven't drank it for a day ... sugar level dropped as a result.

Sunrise this morning

In the late afternoon I did some gardening in the very tiny plot of the convent of Mother Theresa's sisters. As I had too many Marigold seedlings, I decided to transfer them in their garden. Also gave them an echium grown from seed and sowed Zinnia seeds so in summer there'll be a riot of colours. In return I got a lily bulb and 3 daisy rhisomes which the sisters didn't want.

Winter will be very cold and the sisters from Gaza came to shop for cheap winter clothing for the children under their care. I promised them chemical heat packs as Gaza has no more diesel hence no electricity, no heating ... nothing. Will need your generous help to offer the sisters some means of buying other necessities that will help the children see through this winter. So please consider doing something meaningful this Christmas ... give the poor children in the Holyland a happy Christmas ... heating, light, warm clothing and food.

Jerusalem Knights Festival

So it's November ... time for the annual Jerusalem Knights (nights) Festival which takes place every Thursday night during the month. A very fun and family event. The streets are always packed. But this year the route was switched from the Christian Quarter to the Armenian Quarter and out through Zion Gate and along the City Wall (Gan haBonim) back to Jaffa Gate.

Gravita - the aerial
acrobats at Jaffa Gate

This year's events were not as spectacular as the previous years. Less spectacular except for the aerial acrobats at Jaffa Gate. What was more fun were the arab stalls set up in a hurry to cash in the busy trade of thousands of visitors. Arabs selling toy swords, strobe lights, balloons, sahlab (hot winter beverage) and juice.

Anyway this year there were stilt-walkers, a witch, a medieval fashion show and lots of music ensembles playing medieval music. Most performers were in period costumes. There was an Arts and Craft fair included: potter, cobbler, mandolin maker ....interesting but there was hardly any space to see them at work. I thought it was badly organised. The route was too narrow and the performers were on ground level instead of on a stage where everyone could see.

Trumpeteers on the turrets of
Jaffa Gate

Music ensemble with
performers in period
costume