Sabbath

Sunrise over the Mt. of Olives

I've been getting quite confused lately ... like I cannot remember things; not losing things, mind you, but for example the last few days I was puzzled why the sun was setting earlier than usual. I was convinced it was summer and the sun should set after 7pm instead of 5pm. It took me several days to realise we're in winter. See? I've been writing on the blog about winter but the mind is not registering the reality. So I float through these pass few days puzzled by so many things. Is it a sign of Alzheimer's? I thought it could be due to the lack of potassium ... like the last time earlier this year. I forget what day it is, what time of the day it is ....

My subluxed shoulder still hurts a lot. Never got round to seeing the doc. It's awful trying to sleep with the pain ... I'm up most of the night because of it. The nights have become so cold I finally got the heaters out. Buddy is feeling it already. He hides in the toilet where it's warmer and more humid. Several nights now he's been hiding under my pillow while I sleep. Squashed him twice. Hahahaha. Now with the heater on, he goes back to the curtain rails to sleep. He's grown very attached to me now ... so much so that he gets separation anxiety each time I go out. Poor chap. I have to leave a toy (with bells because he likes to ring bells) or some new food to occupy his attention while I'm not at home. And when I come home and open the door, he flies straight to my shoulder and gurgles and gibber. He's learned to say his first words: yai yai ("naughty").

Yesterday's muslim demonstration against the law to ban muslim calls to prayer over the amplifier was more widespread than I thought. Newspaper report many villages up in arms over this proposed law. Last night at our place ... in typical tit-for-tat reaction ... jewish youths marched through our street singing very very loudly, banging drums to disturb the sleep of the muslims (and us - collateral damage) twice. You should know that the first muslim call to prayer is at 3.30am and as we go deeper into winter it will start as early as 2.30am.

An incident in Tel Aviv's boardwalk along the port drew fear and confusion today. A cafe brawl between 5 customers and a waiter was mistaken to be a terror attacked many visitors were running for cover in panic before police solved the problem. Seems like I'm not the only one confused.  http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4881127,00.html

Friday

All kinds of incense

It was a relatively quiet Friday till about half an hour ago when crowds of muslims coming out from evening prayer started to demonstrate against the police ... at least that's what I was told. I could hear the chantings in the street outside Bab Hutta. Luckily there were no tear gas or stun grenades fired. The crowd dispersed after 10 minutes.

I guess local arabs are also very tense because the Jerusalem mayor has promised to tear down lots of arab houses in response to the High Court decision to dismantle illegal jewish settlements in arab land. It's the old tit-for-tat game. The far right has been emboldened by the election of Trump and they are sure he will not oppose the building of more settlements in arab lands, as well as displacement of arabs from their homes. I think there will be more protests to come this winter ... if and when it doesn't rain or snow.

Weatherwise it has warmed up a bit. Still everyone is playing safe ... with jackets and hoodies. Lots of people have become sick. Lucky for me I had the inoculation 3 weeks back so I haven't caught anything ... fingers crossed.

All sorts of spices

Last week I took a walk down the Suq (market in the Old City). It's been a long time since I did that. It was good to see and smell the Middle East again ... all types of incense and spices. My life is now between home and work, and I've missed a lot of the daily life just 200 metres away. The incense and spices are not just condiments and ritual things ... here they are medicinal. But most shops sell them as souvenirs rather than medicine or condiments. Locals would never buy them from these shops as they cater for tourists and the prices are jacked up. There are markets outside the Old City where locals go to buy their stuff at local prices. That's where I go too to buy veggies and other stuff as well.  With my arabic, I'm able to bargain down prices and have made friends with several shopkeepers so I get my things at local prices.

Stromata

... and it was cold again last night. It drizzled a little but no rain. The super moon was partially hidden by heavy clouds. Police still patrolled our streets but there was hardly anyone because of the cold ... or maybe a curfew that was imposed.

Sun conure
parakeet

There's excited in the air ... literally ... as news is afloat that more asian airlines will be flying into Israel: SIA, CX and perhaps Air India, Philippine Airlines as well. Israel realizes that the tourist industry's biggest market is now in Asia. These few weeks are witness to that ... thousands of asian tourists including a Thai group living next door at Ecce Homo hostel. There are also japanese, vietnamese and other asian groups that we usually not see in our streets.

Last week while visiting the arab petshop and nursery, I saw a lovely sun conure parakeet ... very playful and very beautiful and colorful. He won't leave me when I wanted to go home. It flared its wings and nodded its head ... typically parakeet gesture to draw attention. I thought of getting him as a companion to Buddy - who's a green-cheeked conure. But flashes of 2 parakeets tearing up my books and clothes, with sunflower seeds all over room and poop to clean .... I decided definitely no. But another friend is interested ... so maybe this sun conure might get a good life instead of the confines of a petshop.

Cold and drizzling

Mounted police checking the IDs
of arab youths

It was very cold last night ... like the temp. dropped some 10 degrees and the heavy rain clouds were hanging over the sky. There was a drizzle overnight and this morning as well but no rain. Feels like winter. This type of weather deters violence in the streets. The ground is too slippery to run and the heavy clothes impede a quick getaway.

The voting of the new law to stop muslim calls to prayer over the PA system has suddenly met with an unexpected opponent: an ultra-orthodox rabbi who is also a member of parliament. Not that he was interested in the muslim cause, but that he was worried such a law could be used against the jews for sounding the Sabbath siren nationwide on public alarm system (that is a lot louder and is nationwide). And naturally as a consequence this law would also affect christians from tolling the church bells. Not sure where this is all going to lead but at least for the moment the law is blocked. http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4879699,00.html

One piece of shocking news is that a cafe in Haifa has ordered its arab staff not to speak in arabic but only hebrew. So it's understandable that the common language is hebrew but surely private talk among staff in their own language is equally acceptable? In any other country this would be called racism, and if don't to a jew it would be outright anti-semitism. http://www.jpost.com/Arab-Israeli-Conflict/Haifa-cafe-tells-workers-to-stop-speaking-Arabic-around-Jewish-customers-472708

Healthwisde I'm still with asthma attacks but not as bad as the previous months. It might be the change in medication and lifestyle. I no longer rush, run up the stairs or do too many things at the same time. It provokes an attack. But last night walking home and climbing up the 3 storey staircase ... I had a very bad attack. I kept telling myself it's nothing ... but finally blacked out 3 times on the corridor before reaching my room. I've been trying to avoid using the spray or other cortesone medication because the side-effects are really making me more sick than I already am. I try not to use them unless absolutely necessary ... like last evening.

Rain tonight?

Herod's Ascent
deserted

We expected trouble today ... it being the Palestinian "National Day" despite not having a nation or land. Coupled with this was the parliament's movement to ban muslim muezzin from singing the call to prayer on loudspeakers because it disturbs people at 2.30am. Muslims are not happy. The police know that. Last night was practically a curfew in the streets. I came home just before 9pm from work walking through deserted streets. I guess the police must have enforced a curfew to prevent any rioting and demonstrations. Tensions will only rise ... quietly under the surface of normality. Already I have heard of nasty remarks and threats by neighbours ... out of earshot of police and soldiers.

The super moon is still around. Lots of people are stopping in the streets taking photos. All it takes is one person to look up, raise his cellphone to take a photo and everyone else around will do likewise. Crowd psychology. I did just that last night ... taking a photo of the moon over New Gate and immediately a young man drew out a professional camera from his backpack and took his photos ... and passersby on motorbikes stopped to do the same. But I doubt this time the super moon can deflect the unhappiness of the local arabs for long.

Super moon seen
from the Via Dolorosa

It's been a tiring day as usual. Lots of work to catch up. From our meeting with collaborators in the library, we think it'll take another 3 years to complete cataloguing the extant books. The weather has gone all cold and damp. Tonight the sky is red ... a sure sign it will rain tonight or tomorrow morning. Not that it'll rain heavily ... perhaps a short shower but we're happy all the same. We need the rain. I've decided if it rains tomorrow morning, I'm not going to work. I'll just sleep in.

Super moon night

Super moon over
our monastery

It's super moon night. Actually we already saw it last night. Tonight was a lot bigger and clearer though. From my office I could see it just rising over the buildings. Walking home I could see it floating above the City Walls and Gates. I took photos ... and many local youths also followed immediately. They had professional cameras. There's been a lot of fantastic photos from all over the world. Simply incredible. For just a few hours, it took our minds off Trump and war and economic crises. We needed that break. Thanks to the super moon.

Zika has arrived in Israel ... central Israel to be exact ... in the city of Rishon le Zion. But it'll not be a stir like in other countries. Over here no one really takes seriously health issues.  http://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog-november-13-2016/

Super moon over
the City Walls

The Knesset (parliament) is now ready to pass a law to limit muslim calls to prayer. It's a noise hazard. Israelis have complained a lot about it so now the govt. might limit the muezzins' calls ... probably not by shutting them up which is impossible ... but probably making the mosques lower the decibels. I don't know how they can control that ... but let's see. http://www.jerusalemonline.com/news/politics-and-military/politics/netanyahu-supports-muezzin-law-24765

Trump's win is making rightwing Israelis bold ... and the rightwing govt is going ahead to annex areas of Palestine for jewish settlements. They are sure America under Trump will not stop them. That's bad news for the Palestinians. http://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-1.752908

... but for the moment, we're putting all those things aside and admiring the super moon.

The Tea seller

Traditional tea
seller at Damascus
Gate

It's Sunday again ... another week begins and we're heading towards the end of 2016. Time flies. Where did summer go? There wasn't much time to rest ... I should take 2017 off. The bustle of work these years have left me breathless ... literally .... from asthma.

Winter is on us ... with a few days like yesterday and today very hot. But once evening approaches, temp. can drop by 10 degrees or more. The traditional tea seller is out at Damascus Gate during this season. A glass of traditional arab herbal tea wards off coughs and colds in this weather. He's quite a character ... dressed in traditional Ottoman garb with his traditional tea dispenser. He's always a tourist attraction. I think he makes more money taking pics with tourists than actually selling his tea. And tourists have indeed been coming in the droves. Lots and lots of chinese tourists. There is such a shortage of chinese-speaking guides that agencies are doubling the price just to hire one ... US$500 a day instead of the usual US$250. Now everyone wants to study mandarin. But the tourism industry here is very fickle. Now we have a glut in tourists from Asia ... but just one news of a stabbing or riot and everything ends. We've seen companies and hotels open and close within months because of this. Anyway when the tea seller is out in Damascus Gate selling his tea, it's always a sign that things are good and safe.

Newspapers everyday are talking about Trump and his surprise victory. I don't even want to read the headlines ... its not going to be good for us here. That's what we all know and accept. We just trudge on with life and bear whatever comes our way. There's nothing we can do about it.