Boom

Few people at Damascus Gate
market

 Two enormous explosions shook our house ... and the entire city just now. Doors and windows rattled ... I think glass were damaged ... it was very shocking. The birds were screaming and flying all around the room. I never experienced such a profound explosion. 

My first thought ... and still is ... is that it's sonic boom from an aircraft. It has to be. There were no missile sirens or warnings so it was nothing threatening. But being so loud and physical, it frightened many people and also animals.

Well that was probably the highlight of the day. It's still very stiflingly hot and humid. I tried to do some work but diarrhoea ruined my whole morning. The doctor gave me aluminum peroxide and magnesium peroxide to stop my nausea and vomiting. I wonder if that triggered my diarrhoea. I'm not sure what's worse for me today ... the sonic booms or the medicines.

Hot

Cloudless skies

 The weather continues to soar in the high 20s and low 30s. The sky is cloudless and the sun is relentless. The ground is so hot you can feel the heat waves rising from the paving stones. I'm sure the gum from the soles of your shoes will melt if you stay too long under the sun. In fact wearing shoes is bad advice. Your feet will cook in your shoes in this heat. I see many ... most ... people wearing sandals or slippers instead.

Weekends are very busy in our house. Everyone is travelling everywhere in the country to provide Masses in various languages.  One had to travel 3 hours to the northern border to celebrate Mass! Their dedication to the migrant communities is fantastic.

My swollen hand and foot have reduced but not entirely. The fingers and toes are stiff and difficult to bend. But it's better. Hospital has warned that I must not be stressed as it will definitely affect my heart and result in heart dysfunction. The heat isn't helping.

Sick

Kitten at the Gate

 It's been a year since my open heart triple bypass. Things should be improving except it isn't. Acid reflux due to the numerous medications I take every day is suffocating me 24 hrs a day. From nausea to vomiting and severe diarrhoea ... I've been to the doctor twice. Two days back Dr Thaer put me on two strong antacid medication. The night medication is working ... I could finally sleep last night after a very long time. No choking sensation, no nausea.

However the day before, I had a dull pain radiating down my left head to shoulder and arm. The left hand is quite swollen. So is the left foot. Doc examined me and said I'm not yet totally healed.  The heart still has problems and the nervous system is still bit short-circuited. Doc changed the dosage of 3 medications and hopefully the swelling will go down. For the past month I was also under observation for prostate problems. My PSA had shot up so high Doc sent me to a urologist who then orders an ultrasound and one month medication before a second PSA test. That was done last week and yesterday Doc said it went down by one point. Not terribly optimistic but at least it went down a notch. 

The truth is: I'm not feeling my best.

Heat

Iconic umbrellas

 With summer vacation underway, working parents are searching for activities that can occupy their kids while the parents are at work. But of course such activities that double as daycare will cost quite a sum of money. Remember meals are included. As mentioned in previous blogs, agencies and schools prefer to organize day excursions as it costs less, is more educational and students get to choose which days to participate, and which days not. With almost two years of war, cancellation of outdoor activities and restriction of movement, students are frustrated feeling cramped physically and psychologically. Excursions compensate for this.

Temp rise between 32 - 36 degrees every day. It's stiflingly hot. And the iconic umbrellas are strung on many streets to provide shade, colour and a holiday vibe. A few of us are sick because of dehydration and exhaustion. With many priests on vacation, the few of us remaining must substitute them. That means traveling to other cities often with difficulties because Sabbat does not allow public transport. Without a private car, you're hostage to the taxis that work on Sabbat, and the prices go up triple.

The heat is giving me a headache right now. I'll have to rest more. July 1st is another medical examination and possibly an MRI.

Vacation and visits

Our Patriarch is welcomed
by the children

 The summer holidays have begun. Although there's no uniform date for all the schools in the region, as schools can decide on their own end-of-semester dates, most occur within a fortnight from each other. And with the rising expenses of everything, summer camps are a rarity as most families no longer can afford sending their children there. Instead there're lots of one day excursions. They cost less and are a lot more educational, I think. Excursions bring students to other cities, to visit other cultures, religions, and even the physical geography that differ from where they live. 

Our patriarch with the Greek Orthodox patriarch entered Gaza yesterday with an entourage. It was to check on the welfare of the christians remaining in the enclave. It's heartwarming to see the solidarity and compassion in the small community of christians, numbering no more than 500 people. 

Visiting the Anglican hospital

A small clinic was established to care for the children. It was jointly blessed by our Latin Patriarch as well as the Greek Patriarch. Later our Patriarch also visited the Anglican hospital that is recovering from previous damage.  There is optimism and hope. And the faith is strengthened by the adversity.

Let's hope for the best during this ceasefire. Not just for our Christians in the enclave but also for those living in the West Bank that's under siege. 

Summer

Summer sun and shadow

 Exam season is almost over and summer holidays are beginning. For some schools, holidays have already started. Scores of school kids - from primary school to secondary school - go on excursions by the busloads. And there are many. Much more than I have ever seen,

I guess one of the reasons for the sudden surge of school excursions is the rising cost of everything. Organising a summer camp is now very costly. Most families struggling to bring food to the table, are not able to afford sending their kids to summer camps this year. So the alternative is a one day excursion to different parts of the country. Mind you petrol is also very costly and hiring a coach for transport is expensive. But shared between 40 - 50 students and subsidised by the school, it's more affordable than a 5 day summer camp.

one thing I noticed about these summer excursions is its very educational. Teachers and tourist guides teach the students the history of the place, visit churches, mosques and synagogues. It opens the horizons of the students and introduces them to other communities living around them that they hold with suspicion and fear. So I feel excursions are more beneficial than week long summer camps.

Exams

Peafowl in the street

School exams are underway. You see students in the bus, in the streets, in cafes ..,. studying hard. They should realise that education is the key to breaking out of poverty. Unfortunately there are still people with the mentality that education is a waste of time and money. They prefer their children to go out and work. This sense of hopelessness that education will not better your life leads to many children with low esteem for themselves. They do not see their gifts, and if they believed enough in themselves, they'd do well. But there's so much pessimism and feelings of inadequacy that it imprisons some very bright minds to a cycle of poverty and underdevelopment.

I know they can do it because I had a case that I followed for over 8 years. A girl from a very poor background but given the opportunity and the kind sponsorship from some of you, she's now studying her final year in university. She's done good in last year's exams so much so that a 6 star hotel in Tel Aviv invited her to work for a week with them as a trial. I'm very happy for her.

Meantime the summer heat is climbing higher by the day. During the cooler evening one day, I decided to pay a visit to the local Melkite parish. I've known the parish priest for over 3 decades. On the way there, in the village street were a couple of peafowls wandering freely. I was surprised the feral cats did not attack them ... and there were several across the street.