Full moon

Full moon

 The heatwave has passed and the weather has cooled down again. Daytime is around 25 degrees and nights are chilly ... down to 16 degrees. Robust plants that survived the heatwave last week are back in schedule to bud and store energy in view of the coming winter. But most young and fragile plants have died in the heatwave.

Dew has been rather heavy in the mornings. That's good as the earth needs the moisture. We hope it'll rain, but it doesn't look like it in the next weeks. 

The full moon a couple of days back was stunning. It wasn't as red as newspapers around the world say. But it was very bright and large. The night sky here was illumined against the rain clouds that float pass us into Jordan in the east.

Full moon over Mt. of Olives

My occult blood test results are back. It's negative. So now the docs have to figure why I'm still anaemic. For 2 days now I've been feeling very dizzy and faint. I try to stay in bed to avoid any accidents. Even my phone has sent 5 messages saying my walking is unsteady and I will fall in the next days. This is making me very tense and fretful. The chest continues to be sore, as the doc had warned. The left foot is very much better, with the swelling reduced. But the sudden sharp pain is terrible and crippling. It occurs several times a day and night. 

Heatwave

Sunny and hot

We've hit a heatwave these past few days. The hottest autumn days in 74 years. Daytime is over 30 degrees. It feels like summer again. All the plants and animals are confused by this reversal of weather. Winter and Spring bulbs just sprouting from the chilly weather last week are not burnt from the scorching sun. 

And this strange wether has many people worried. A group of religious Jews had gone up to Galilee to pray for rain, as it appears we'll have a drought in 2026. Any hot weather now instead of the expected rains simply means there'll be not enough water for summer next year. I guess soon even muslims and christians will be praying for rain. I remember almost 3 decades ago when we had a severe drought, there was a mass call for prayers. Muslims gathered in the Al Aqsa compound while the imam climbed the pulpit specially opened for prayers for rain; Jews gathered at the Wailing Wall for prayers; and we climbed Mt. Calvary on our knees praying for rain. Dramatic. But if you have never lived in a semi-desert area dependent on rain for water, you'll never appreciate it.

Drones and fighter jets continue to fly overhead. It's rather unsettling. Security remains tight in and around the Old City. we're not sure where this ceasefire is leading us. Everything is so uncertain. People continue to suffer financially due to lack of tourists. Requests for aid: medical, water & electric bills, rent continue to come in. It's very disheartening. But still we must trudge on. Heatwave and all.

Another month

Clalit clinic

 Another week has passed, another month. We're into November. Today is All Souls Day. Remembered all the friends and family especially mum, during Mass. It's not been an easy year. Anyway I usually would go to our cemetery and bless the tombs of all the people I know there ... former workers, friends and relatives of friends. However this year I'm recovering from my surgery, I can't climb the steep hill on which the cemetery is established. Lots and lots of steps. I'll skip the blessing for now. Maybe later when I feel better I'll go and bless the tombs.

Have been back to my insurance clinic like regular clockwork. I've been feeling very weak especially in the afternoons, exactly how I felt when my anaemia was critical and was rushed to Hadassah Hospital emergency ward. The cardiologist is afraid I am be bleeding internally so I had to undergo two tests. Am waiting for results this week. The left foot is very much improved and is not as swollen as before. But the ankle still hurts a lot and sometimes I can't walk with it. That makes going to the Clalit clinic difficult as it's quite far away, between Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood and Mt. Scopus where the university is situated. I can't get there without a car. Public buses do go by there but it's usually full of school kids who push and shove. I'm afraid I might get hit in the chest or fall from the jerking of bus stopping and moving. However the clinic is the largest in the east of Jerusalem and has many departments so it's like a one-stop clinic that meets 80% of our needs.

Anyway I was reminded by many that I'm very lucky to have bought the insurance policy as all my medical needs have been covered (except for some costly medicines). Thanks to all the friends in Sydney who help me with this. Really appreciate it. My memory is noticeably going ... everyone has been telling e. I think it's due to the medications that I'm taking. It gets frightening when I think about it.

Autumn

My autumn rose

Another week has ended, another month will end in 7 days. The year has almost reached its end. I'm glad it'll be over. It's been a very difficult year for me. A year ago this month our loyal and hardworking manager Katie died, within days of a good friend and colleague journalist Lourdinha and our parish choir mistress Mrs. Sabbara. A few months later another good friend and student whom I tutored also died. Then I lost my health, my mobility, my independence as I rely on people to do things for me now. Because I was sick, I lost my job. And I lost my mum. Everything crashed in 10 months.

It's autumn. Everything dies. Trees are turning brown and yellow, leaves are falling. All the summer flowers have shrivelled and are dying back. The autumn harvest is ending and the fruit trees will be severely pruned to prevent lost of water in this drought. My roses are throwing out their last blooms before they become bare stems. It's a season to die.

I just hope winter is the silent promise that new life is promised in Spring.

Chilly weather

1st public Mass

Time flies so quickly. It's already almost the end of October and 2025 is slipping away. It's unbelievable. The sun is rising later at 5.30am and sets earlier. And it's much cooler. Nights are 16 degrees and daytime 26 degrees. It's pleasant but it can feel chilly indoors. Winter is approaching.

However there's no sign of rain which we desperately need. The morning dew is rather heavy and the ground is very wet, but it's not enough to sustain us for the next summer. Let's hope the rains will eventually come.

Despite the ceasefire, fighter jets continue to roar over our heads in the early mornings; drones buzzing overhead and soldiers everywhere. These few days it's even more tense as the US delegation is in the Old City - Vance and Kushner.  Arab farmers are prevented from harvesting their olives. The situation is deplorable. The signs of poverty is everywhere and people keep coming and asking for help.

I managed to celebrate my 1st public Mass last Sunday.  It was tiring but luckily I had 2 Indian deacons to help me. 5 other priests - all our MA and PhD students - joined me. Several nuns from convents in Jerusalem came also. It was a nice celebration. It's slowly getting back to normal routine. Except I'm much slower and clumsier. I drop things and shuffle as I'm afraid to fall. That's why having deacons with me is important.

Mid-autumn

Sunrise

 The full moon was just 4 days ago ... our Chinese mind-autumn festival and the Jewish feast of Sukkot. The air crisp and the days are much cooler ... not going beyond 26 degrees. Evenings go down to 21 degrees. And dark rain clouds are overhead for 2 days now. It also drizzled several times. Time to get my hoodie jackets out.

Like all autumns, the sunrises and sunsets here are amazing. And you see flocks of European birds migrating south to Africa during this period. The summer flowers have died out and autumn fruit are ripening. The markets are full of fruit. Beautiful colours of grapes, peaches, figs, dates and especially pomegranates. 

Zinnias

My left leg continues to be swollen and now there's a danger of developing thrombosis. I have to wear compression socks to prevent it. There's a weakness and lethargy that I fear might be due to anaemia (again) so yesterday I went back to my insurance clinic to do a blood test. Will have to wait for the results next week. Dr. Dima saw me as my regular Dr. Thaer was not on schedule. She explained why the leg was swollen and that it might take another 3 months for my heart and legs to get used to changes. Each person's body reacts differently; some faster some slower. My operation was particularly complicated so she said it's normal to take a longer time to heal. I was told that after my surgery I was rushed to ICU immediately instead of being wheeled out to the family in the waiting room. My superiors and students were waiting for an hour before they asked and were told I was rushed to ICU. 

Chill

 Last week's 2 missile attacks damaged a hotel and wounded 20 people in the streets. The horror of war is never far off. Tragedy and fear is lightly veiled by a sense of normalcy. Christian students in Jerusalem gathered last Monday to pray for peace ... a new school year has started ... that the new school year will not be disrupted by more wars.

6.45am Jerusalem sunrise 

The weather has turned chilly and sunrise/sunset is later. Autumn is upon us. We're in the high Holy Days of Jewish feasts. last week was the New Year. Net week is Yom Kippur and 2 weeks later it's the Feast of Sukkot (Tabernacles). Given our present situation, It's no surprise that police have stepped up its presence and random street checks occur very frequently. 

My swollen left leg is hurting very much at the ankle for a week now. I limp. Last night I had a fever and was sleepless. It didn't feel good. It's always on my mind that I'm living on borrowed time. I don't have much time left so I'm not wasting it on non-consequential time-wasting things and people. It's about quality time before it runs out.