Hailstorm

The Bible corner

Sudden bursts of hailstones in the late afternoon. The rains kept coming and the cold is cutting. Never saw people dressed in layers of clothes and hats and scarves in decades here in December. Absolutely incredible. Definitely feels like snow tonight. Will stay awake to catch a glimpse of it. Meanwhile the rest of the country is on crisis standby. School have been closed and roads being diverted. Even the airport is ready to close if winds get too strong and snow impede runway movement.

I got Mr Bird in my room to keep him warm. Not that I like it. I get asthma from birds ... but Mr ird will probably freeze to death if I left him out. The canaries are under 2 towels and a heat pack ... the cage is under a table in school. Hope they'll stay warm when it hits 2 degrees.

Christmas wreath

Had been rushing around this morning to finish off work ... but decided to stay in my room as the cold got worse. Thinking of hot chocolate, buns and cake, sahlab ... but enough of daydreaming. Reality is plain water. The cook made some rice with Fava beans for me. Did my Christmas decorations ... something to warm the room. It's nice to have the candle burning in the night ... it gives a warm golden glow in the cold darkness.

However we're reminded of the poor refugees in Syria and the christians in Gaza. The cold will be dreadful as they have no electricity or food. Am trying my best to gather clothes and heatpacks for the neediest of the poor. Why not do something beautiful for Christmas and help keep our poor warm and fed?

More rain and cold

Gloomy sunrise at 6am, 6 degrees C

More rain and cold. The airport is prepared for delays and closure for the next few days as winds and rains grow stronger. Forecast is heavy rains by Friday and snow in the north. Possible snow in Jerusalem. Well I can only remember snow in Jerusalem in December 20 years ago .... it will be great if it does again. It's been hovering between 6 degrees to 10 degrees max. today. Nights are forecast to go down to 2 degrees.

The bulbs and flowers are loving this weather though. Lush thick leaves and buds ready to burst when it warms up. But the canaries are dying. From 38 canaries, we're down to 10. Almost all dead from cats and cold. People say it's also a dreadful virus killing them as canaries are dying all over Israel. A shop keeper has given me medicinal drops for the birds. Will try them out tomorrow.

Bethlehem Christmas Tree

The giant Christmas Tree in Manger Square, Bethlehem is up and drawing crowds of locals and tourists. But there's a competition brewing throughout the country ... each town and village is trying to outdo Bethlehem. A dreadful waste of money ... but that's the local attitude - outdo your neighbours otherwise you're shamed.

The medicine I'm taking is causing me not just major drowsiness and fatigue but severe diarrhea as well. And with my twisted ankle ... things don't look good. The cook is determined to feed me. Barbecued lambchops, lasagna, sfiha, pastries of all kinds. He's determined to get my blood pressure up. I think my diabetes is sky high.

Chinese medicine

Red dates and longan soup

And the temperature continues to plummet. Forecast is snow on Friday. The rains come and go between dizzle. And the wind is bitterly cold. It's been a long time since December has been so cold ... I can only think of 20 yrs back. Everyone in thick jackets and shawls or scarves and hoods and hats. Today we had just an hour of sunshine before the drizzle and clouds took over the skies.

Black sesame tang yuan

After the fainting spell the other day that ended with my cut lip, I was off to see the doctor yesterday. Blood pressure very low ... partly due to my constitution, but made worse by the medication I'm taking for the food allergy and also fatigue from work. Coming home 70 km from the doc's, it was raining heavily and the stone pavements were slippery. Fell and twisted my left ankle ... as usual. Am limping around now. But thanks to Ah Ling of Mandarin restaurant, I was fed up and had a boost in my blood pressure - she boiled longans and red chinese dates, followed by black sesame tang yuan. All supposed to raise blood pressure. It was a nice warm meal in the cold chill outside. Several doctors that I have consulted all insisted that I have to eat more red meat. I'm forbidden to be a vegetarian! Well I never had the intention, so no worries there. Problem is I hardly eat anymore ... partly because I'm scared of getting another allergy attack. It's such a frightful experience, I'm getting paranoid with food and avoiding as much as possible.

But work goes on ... lots of it. And stress and fatigue. Hopefully I can get some respite soon ... otherwise the whole body is breaking down beyond repair ... with or without food.

Riots

The past few days have been so packed with work, I return home around 10pm and eat my first meal ... whatever there is. So tired that yesterday evening when I got home and sat by table, I blacked out (again) and bashed my face on the table, cutting my lip. Bled. I think low blood pressure is part of the problem. Need to eat more red meat, as the doc suggested. Problem is now I have swollen lips ... makes eating meat difficult.

Yesterday's noon prayer a the Al Aqsa mosque ended in violence. Muslims crowds chanted and threw stones ... Israeli military fired stun grenades and charged. The violence spilled out of the mosque area and into the streets in front of our house. Chanting crowds surge back and forth as police charged and withdrew. Stun grenades continued to be fired. A full hour passed before some calm was restored. But still several isolated stun grenades were fired several hours later. On the video just left of the Golden Dome of the Rock mosque, you can just make out people running back and forth, while plumes of tear gas rise.

Later in the evening, stun grenades were still being fired near the Damascus Gate area. Heavy military presence in the area. Well my hope for a peaceful Christmas might not come true after all.

Mandela's death is taking over the media. A great man. But racism still exists in some countries, work places, life situations and institutions. If the world wants to remember and honour Mandela ... then it should fight racism

Rain and snow!!!

Poinsettias in my garden

Temperatures continue to plunge. It was barely 11 degrees this afternoon. And it continued to rain and drizzle. It is cold .... so very nice for Christmas! Weather forecast say it'll drop to 2 degrees by Wednesday next. And it's snowing up in the Golan Heights .... let's hope this keeps up till Christmas and the snow comes down south.

This weather is good for the flowers. The wild poinsettia in our garden is flowering well ... it's over 3 meters tall. All the bulbs are also growing and ready to flower. Even the echium is ready to bloom.

Despite the weather and health issues, have been working very hard. Started early yesterday and ended around 10pm. Exhausted. This morning was very giddy. Have been suffering from diarrhea. Found out it was a side-effect from the medicine I'm taking. Same with the numb leg and tiredness. Quite an ordeal to work each day like this.

As Hannukah ends, we hope the tensions and violence will also end. Perhaps Christmas this year would be truly peaceful.

Last day of Hanukkah

Today is the last day of Hanukkah - the Jewish feast of lights. Fittingly since yesterday night, a constant drizzle has been wetting the City. The sky has been dark and gloomy with no sign of the sun. This makes the idea of light even more poignant. The stone pavements in the City have become a hazard as it becomes very slippery in the rain. Temperatures continue to fall ... down to 14 degrees. Forecast says on Monday it'll drop to 5 degrees or lower. And rain throughout the next 5 days. Well in our case, it's actually a drizzle. Better than nothing.

2 days back there were clashes between muslims and Israeli police. The City was tense as military presence was raised. This morning another clash occurred. Mounted police guarded the outside of the City while lots of soldiers and border police flooded the Old City. But ironically its not just an arab-jewish conflict. Yesterday the 2 Chief Rabbis reconfirmed their ban on Jews entering the Temple Mount, but were rigorously rebutted and ignored by loud calls from other rabbis to enter the Temple Mount. Internally fighting is never a good sign.  To top all this, Syria fired into Israel in the Golan Heights. Israel responded likewise. What a dreadful beginning to winter.

LaSalle Christmas tree

The pope has been in the news these recent days, not least because the PM went to pay him a visit. Jewish columnists have been lauding the pope for his call to humility and poverty and service ... and criticising their rabbis for not being brave enough to do the same. Well I don't know if this is making us more friends or more enemies.

Anyway Christmas is in the air as shops begin selling christmas decorations and institutions put up giant Christmas trees. A bit too earlier I'd say ... but a little joy perhaps is called for in this otherwise tense and gloomy City.

Hamsin

Yesterday saw thousands of people in Israel protesting against the govt's proposal to relocate the bedouins from the desert. In effect, they will be kept in 3 or 4 reserves not unlike the Red Indians in America. Other demonstrations also took place through the world. I think its very sad when in the 21st century, minority races are still herded in enclosed areas for whatever reason ... and how much more poignant here in Israel.

Jerusalem at 11.45am
Hamsin gloom

I guess the weather today reflected the gloom and doom of the situation. A rare winter hamsin blew in - the southerly desert sandstorm. Although it should be hot ... the weather is strangely cold. The sun is blocked out and a yellow-grey blanket covers the entire sky.

In the streets, military and police presence have been stepped up. Everyone tries to get on with life ... but there is a silent tension in the air. Jews are in the midst of celebrating the Hanukkah holidays ... perhaps the lights from the hanukiot will dispel the darkness away ... and prejudice and fear and suspicion and injustice.

Healthwise the antihistamine medication is strong and continues to make me drowsy and listless. I still have 11 more days of medication to go. Am still scared of eating any food ... I'm strictly keeping to foods I know where and how it was cooked. Another allergy attack could be my last.