Reaction to the pope's visit to the Holyland is mixed. Generally everyone welcomes him but there are some dissenting voices. http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1239710820961&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
Meanwhile more Palestinian houses are being demolished. That's not a good sign. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8016258.stm
And level 5 has been raised for the mexican flu ... bad sign too. It's amazing how western countries have not learnt from the Asian flu crisis. Govt.s are still relaxed about face-masks and border-crossings .... very unlike the asian countries who have now enforced high alert measures. Well the price to pay is human lives. I hear that a close down would worsen the economic crisis but hey ..... economics is more important than human lives? There'll be not much of an economy when everyone dies. Was man made for the sabbath or the sabbath for man?
Second day into my prednisolone regime. The wheezing has reduced significantly but I still get up at 3am coughing and gasping. Fr Paul Sun the chinese priest some of you sponsored to study here in Israel, comes every other day to do foot reflexology on me - concentrating on the lungs and bronchial acupressure points.
Fr Vincenzo is very busy and only wrote me a couple of lines to say he'll update on the sponsorship of children in Musky soon.
And the canaries - it's boom time. The 4 breeding cages have a total of 16 eggs. Then in the large cage there're 9 eggs in one nest although I put 3 nests in there. 2 females squeeze to brood all the eggs in one nest. It's a funny sight - one sitting on top of another. I tried to remove some eggs to another nest but they refuse to move to the new nest. So anyway if all goes well, we'll have 25 baby canaries for the first batch. The other friars here are already planning what to do to them - the consensus being to sell them or exchange them for canary food.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Independence Day
Today is Independence Day. At midnight last night fireworks lighted the sky of Jerusalem and Tel Aviv. It's a national holiday today so we expect alot of crowds in the Old City - which can be pretty tense as the Palestinian community sees it as a day of occupation. Police and soldiers everywhere.
And not all Israelis celebrate Independence Day. Orthodox Jews see it as an apostasy - a diviation from the Bible and God's teaching because it is not God's will to have a state without the Messiah. The modern state, according to this view, is based on Zionism which is human effort, not Divine Will. The newspapers report this - eg the call not to pray for the State - but of course the media will try to play it down. http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1239710806422&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
And like I said earlier, we have 2 cases of "Mexican" flu which means everyone ought to be careful of crowded places - but I don't believe anyone will take notice of health precautions here in this land. It's a way of life to be defiant here so I think it'll spread like wildfire but never gets reported. Just think of the thousands celebrating Independence Day in the streets, parks, beaches ....... It's a virus' paradise out here!
And not all Israelis celebrate Independence Day. Orthodox Jews see it as an apostasy - a diviation from the Bible and God's teaching because it is not God's will to have a state without the Messiah. The modern state, according to this view, is based on Zionism which is human effort, not Divine Will. The newspapers report this - eg the call not to pray for the State - but of course the media will try to play it down. http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1239710806422&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
And like I said earlier, we have 2 cases of "Mexican" flu which means everyone ought to be careful of crowded places - but I don't believe anyone will take notice of health precautions here in this land. It's a way of life to be defiant here so I think it'll spread like wildfire but never gets reported. Just think of the thousands celebrating Independence Day in the streets, parks, beaches ....... It's a virus' paradise out here!
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
prednisolone
So I began my prednisolone (got the spelling right this time) course. For the record this is self help, so if there're any docs out there, give me some advice. I'm basing this on my own experience of taking pred for several years.
Started today on 20mg twice a day for two days; wean off to 15mg twice a day for two days, 10mg twice a day for two days and 5mg twice a day for one day; and then one a day for two days.
Started today on 20mg twice a day for two days; wean off to 15mg twice a day for two days, 10mg twice a day for two days and 5mg twice a day for one day; and then one a day for two days.
Remembrance Day
So Israel as reported it's first case of swine flu. I wonder what will happen to those people coming from affected countries who want to join in the Pope's visit to Israel. Will they be barred? And "pig" is offensive to Jews and Muslims, so the Israeli Deputy Health Minister suggested calling it "Mexico Flu". A diplomatic row is now broiling between the 2 countries!
Today is Remembrance Day - Israelis remember those who fell during the war and violence. The siren sounded last night at 8pm and again this morning at 11am. Everyone stopped for a minute's silence. I was in Terra Santa College and when I left for home at 3.45pm I saw many people and cars draped with the israeli flag. There was a handicap lady on a mobile tricycle with an israeli flag tied behind. As I was about to cross the road, I heard a bang and we (several israeli school girls were also at the red lights) turn and saw the tricycle toppled over the lady on the road. We rushed over. Several motorists also stopped to help. We got the tricycle upright and a couple of strong guys carried the lady back on it. She was ok but thank goodness it was a red light otherwise the crazy traffic would have run her over.
Walked the rest of the way home. I'm still ravaged with this aweful asthma, red sore eyes and running nose - not swine flu I hope .... it's more like hay fever. Too much pollen and dust. Don't feel good at all. Am contemplating taking prednesolene. It's my last drastic step to stop this asthma.
Today is Remembrance Day - Israelis remember those who fell during the war and violence. The siren sounded last night at 8pm and again this morning at 11am. Everyone stopped for a minute's silence. I was in Terra Santa College and when I left for home at 3.45pm I saw many people and cars draped with the israeli flag. There was a handicap lady on a mobile tricycle with an israeli flag tied behind. As I was about to cross the road, I heard a bang and we (several israeli school girls were also at the red lights) turn and saw the tricycle toppled over the lady on the road. We rushed over. Several motorists also stopped to help. We got the tricycle upright and a couple of strong guys carried the lady back on it. She was ok but thank goodness it was a red light otherwise the crazy traffic would have run her over.
Walked the rest of the way home. I'm still ravaged with this aweful asthma, red sore eyes and running nose - not swine flu I hope .... it's more like hay fever. Too much pollen and dust. Don't feel good at all. Am contemplating taking prednesolene. It's my last drastic step to stop this asthma.
Monday, April 27, 2009
Swine flu
Swine flu is suspected here in Israel with one man from the Netanya city being quarantined and careully checked to confirm if it is, or not. http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1239710785388&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
I wonder how Israel will cope with this as I doubt people will want to wear masks in the streets - it's this defiant attitude in life here that'll be the downfall of any preventive measure of a public contagion.
My asthma is certainly not good - yesterday was one of the worst I've ever had. And I've got this cramp in my stomach that makes coughing painful. Will see the doc this morning. I think I'll have to use prednesone, much as I dislike to.
The weather is still unstable, with a fiery sun up by 4.30am but a very cold wind still blowing. This will not help the flu situation.
OK, it's back to work again. Must try to finish my paper by this week.
I wonder how Israel will cope with this as I doubt people will want to wear masks in the streets - it's this defiant attitude in life here that'll be the downfall of any preventive measure of a public contagion.
My asthma is certainly not good - yesterday was one of the worst I've ever had. And I've got this cramp in my stomach that makes coughing painful. Will see the doc this morning. I think I'll have to use prednesone, much as I dislike to.
The weather is still unstable, with a fiery sun up by 4.30am but a very cold wind still blowing. This will not help the flu situation.
OK, it's back to work again. Must try to finish my paper by this week.
Sunday, April 26, 2009
3rd Sunday of Easter
Yesterday was another day of strange weather - the sun was up and hot but the wind was freezing cold, like between 17-20 degrees. Many people are coming down with flu and cold as a result. And it's very draining - it makes everyone so tired and listless. I tried to do some reading and writing in the morning (after the 40 minute cleaning of the 5 bird cages; which by the way there're 13 eggs among the canaries now) but was so tired I slept after lunch for half an hour. Got up and went off to the Holy Sepulchre at 3pm, but decided to stay on and help in the sacristy. The inauguration of the new Curia building (that's the central admin. building of the friars here in the Holyland) was at 6.30pm so I went there at 5.45pm with Alessandro, an italian lay volunteer. He's leaving in June.
The new curia building is very beautiful. It's simple in design, but clean and linear, with stone and wood as its charateristic material. It's also bright, with lots of skylights in order to save on electricity and lots of solar panels as well.
After that there was a barbeque in the terrace of the new curia building. It was simple but great food, with about some 100 friars from around the Holyland gathered - so the company was great. But the colc wind was blowing and I was getting sick so I left for home early.
Then this morning at 4am I went to the Holy Sepulchre to celebrate Mass. It was relatively quiet but definitely cold.
Well thus passes the 3rd weekend of Easter. The readings are still recalling the resurrection experience of the apostles and how they responded to it. What does Christ's resurrection mean to you? Please don't turn to those fast talking preachers for answers - man, you won't get any more wrong!
Right now I'm listening to Joseph Prince on the internet - and the garbage he churns out ... oh please learn so theology and church history and biblical languages. It's incredible how many people actually believe his mistakes. Take this one which he's speaking right now - he says Matthew is symbolised by the lion, Mark by the bull, Luke by the man and John by the eagle. Anyone who knows church history and liturgical symbolism knows how wrong he is. And he's been bashing the church about walking in the wilderness of ritualism and manmade laws for 1000 years until God sent Martin Luther to bring the victim laity to the promised land of grace and salvation.
The new curia building is very beautiful. It's simple in design, but clean and linear, with stone and wood as its charateristic material. It's also bright, with lots of skylights in order to save on electricity and lots of solar panels as well.
After that there was a barbeque in the terrace of the new curia building. It was simple but great food, with about some 100 friars from around the Holyland gathered - so the company was great. But the colc wind was blowing and I was getting sick so I left for home early.
Then this morning at 4am I went to the Holy Sepulchre to celebrate Mass. It was relatively quiet but definitely cold.
Well thus passes the 3rd weekend of Easter. The readings are still recalling the resurrection experience of the apostles and how they responded to it. What does Christ's resurrection mean to you? Please don't turn to those fast talking preachers for answers - man, you won't get any more wrong!
Right now I'm listening to Joseph Prince on the internet - and the garbage he churns out ... oh please learn so theology and church history and biblical languages. It's incredible how many people actually believe his mistakes. Take this one which he's speaking right now - he says Matthew is symbolised by the lion, Mark by the bull, Luke by the man and John by the eagle. Anyone who knows church history and liturgical symbolism knows how wrong he is. And he's been bashing the church about walking in the wilderness of ritualism and manmade laws for 1000 years until God sent Martin Luther to bring the victim laity to the promised land of grace and salvation.
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