Thursday

And it's Thursday. 5am and moving out to the hospital. I'll have to be tested first to see if I'm ready for the op. Could be that my blood pressure is too low still ... or some other reason that the docs might say I'm not ready. Anything can happen. But I really hope they can go ahead with it on Friday so I can breathe and see better. No more asthma please.

Pedestrians watching the game

Yesterday morning was a big rush to finish off several chores ... which meant running from East Jerusalem to West Jerusalem. Halfway through in the awful heat, I received a phone call telling me the TV crew was waiting for my interview back in the library. Ran back home. It was unbelievably hectic. After that I was so tired I just slept for 4 hours over books, notes, and lots of other things in the midst of packing. Fatigue has never been so strong as in the last few months. Old age? asthma? not eating enough? Well people seem to have alot of energy last night watching Italy vs Uruguay. Pedestrians stopped by cafes and restaurants that offer the live telecast on TV on the streets. Where do they get all that energy from watching all night the games and then going to work the next day?

So this is probably the last blog till after the op ... if the docs decide I'm ready for it.

2 more days ...

Ah Ling the manageress
of Mandarin Restaurant

Another tiring day as I wanted to finish all my chores and work before the operation. Also cleared up my room and ordered my documents so if something should happen to me during the operation, the others will be able to find my documents easily. But the luggage of medicine for the Sisters of Mother Teresa still fill my room as they have not come to collect the stuff. The bombings between Israel and Gaza have made journeying in or out of Gaza very dangerous. Will have to wait for a cease fire before they can come out to collect your donations.

Ah Ling called again asking me to go to Mandarin's for dinner. This evening there was white rice, lamb, egg-tomato soup and glass noodle salad. It was great. Patrons at other tables asked if they could have what I was eating but were told it's not in the menu. You can imagine the looks on their faces.

Dinner at Mandarin's

Met up my good Israeli friends at the security exit. Since yesterday there was Abraham, Yogev, Ilya, David, Dani, Rafi, Yaeger, Vlad and several old friends whom I've not seen for some time as they resigned from the job. It was good to see them again and they wished me good luck and wanted to see me back real quick after the operation so we can continue our daily chats and jokes. They're really a great bunch of guys. Also met with my best friend for an hour and chatted. He and another friend insisted on coming with me to the hospital but I told them no need as there was no room in the hospital for visitors to stay overnight. Hidri whom some of you have sponsored for his seminary studies also came to see me. He also wanted to stay overnight at the hospital with me. And many sincere thanks to all your well wishes and prayers. Appreciate them all.

Legacy

The funeral of p. Kaswalder took place on Saturday morning. Church was crowded with past students, profs and academics. Was sad that someone so young in academic life was taken off so suddenly. His family came form Italy for the funeral.

Sunrise hitting the courtyard of
St. Peter's in Jaffa

I had to rush back to Jerusalem for the funeral as I was visiting the doc the day before. Being a evening appointment, I did not feel strong enough to come back in the night so the superior of Jaffa told me to stay over and they'd drive me back the next morning as they too wanted to join in the funeral.

The rest of Saturday and Sunday were filled with chores but I had to sleep several hours in the afternoons as I felt (and still feel) very weak. Hope it won't affect my operation. In fact I've been feeling sleepy and weak these few days ... maybe it's the medicine. The heat is not helping though. Temperatures go up to 30 degrees or more, and the nights can be 26 degrees as well though it suddenly drops to 16 degrees at 4am. It's always 4am in the morning that gets the coolest. Then it picks up again.

Anyway 3 days before operation. I'm cleaning up my room and putting in order everything so should anything happen to me, they'd know where to find my documents and what to do with my books and birds and fish.  What a legacy.

P. Pietro Kaswalder R.I.P.

P. Kaswalder R.I.P.

The knock on my door at 2.30pm brought shocking news. One of our younger professors, Fr. Pietro Kaswalder was found died in his bed probably due to a heart attack. He had no major health issues. In fact yesterday evening he went out for his usual walk, then I saw him smoking on the terrace. At dinner he was joking with the sisters in the kitchen. Then this morning, everyone noticed he was missing for breakfast and lunch. When they opened his room door, they found him in bed. R.I.P.

He was my professor in biblical geography which he specialised. Also taught me a couple of courses in biblical theology. He knew his stuff. Always on the move. Wry humour.

It was his time. Unexpected. Made everyone here think about their own mortality. And mine too as I head for my operation next week.

Food galore

Lotus bulb, gingko nuts
and barley soup

You would have thought that one week before my operation, I should be relaxing in preparation. Instead Monday and today was so packed with work, sometimes 2 appointments at the same time in 2 different places .... I'm totally wrecked. This morning I had 3 appointments at the same time. I was ready to faint ... especially when I have to run 1 km from one place to another in this very hot weather.

Am so exhausted each evening, I cannot even go and see the Festival of Lights in the Jaffa Gate area. And the pain in the sinus area is awful. Gives me a splitting headache and I get dizzy most of the time. Just need to lie down. But no ... it's classes, work, meetings, writing reports .... I'm sure the op. will do me good ... if I survive it.

Last night's dinner

Ah Ling from Mandarin Restaurant is the only one (actually ehr husband too and the waitress Cha-Cha) who's worried about my operation. She's been cooking lots of food and getting me to eat every evening there so I can be strengthened for the operation. Two nights ago it was beef-steak with gingko nuts/lotus bulbs/barley soup. Last night it was steamed fish, fatty pork with dried doufu, and squid with veggies. Certainly good food ... but I get diarrhea each time I eat. So I'm not sure if it's strengthening me.

Shavua tov

Mr. Bird has a companion,
Mr. C 

While Sunday is the weekend for all of you, here it's the first working day of the week. We wish each other "shavua tov" meaning "[have] a good week". My Sunday always begins with the community Sunday Mass at 6.30am, then a cup of coffee before cleaning out the bird cages, feeding the birds (canaries, finches and parakeets), cleaning the courtyard and watering the plants. Takes an entire hour for that chore.

Mr. Bird is having a tense time trying to live with a new companion - a cockatiel whom I named Mr. C ... abandoned by his owners for making too much noise and mess after 10 years. Mr. Bird puts Mr. C in his place, and Mr. C doesn't make so much noise as he did back with his previous owners. It's all about attention ... he needs people around him, talking to him to keep him entertained. He's still very distrustful and bites ... but was Mr. Bird. It took a whole year for Mr. Bird to overcome this and now he's much calmer and walks on my hand and loves to get petted and talked to. Lots of work with Mr. C now I guess.

The monster moon over
A-Tur village

Yesterday was a busy day as usual, with half day's work in school and had a rest in the afternoon. Been very easily fatigued and listless. And diarrhea has been striking hard again. Had to rush off in the evening to meet a group, then met up with my best friend whom I've not seen in 2 weeks. Chatted and found out he had been having problems with friends and family so he's gone to live with his sister. We saw the awesome monster full moon as scientists were touting. It was alot closer to earth and looked incredibly huge.

Well it's 10 days to my op ... so I need to rest alot and get my blood pressure up. "Eat lots of red meat" the doc said. I'm not eating anything because of the diarrhea. Not having much of a shavua tov ....

Friday 13th

Light show imposed on Damascus
Gate depicting the history of some
famous buildings in Jerusalem

June 13th is the Feast of St. Anthony and our parish in Jaffa had a solemn feast. Lots of locals went there for the celebrations. But falling on a Friday, you'd think that Friday 13th would be bad luck. Not here in Israel. In fact I think they see it as an auspicious day ... it's the beginning of the summer vacations and the beginning of lots of summer happenings. It was the opening of the Israel Book Fest celebrated in every major city in the country; it was also the opening of the Jerusalem Festival of Lights ... this year definitely better and larger than last year; and it was also the Tel Aviv's celebration of  the annual Gay Pride Parade. Too many happenings ... and more to come if the political tensions keeps its head low. The kidnapping of 3 yeshiva students is rising alot of anger and fear on both sides of the Wall. We're not sure where summer is heading ... violence or fun.

The fall of some major Iraqi cities to muslim extremists is raising alarm throughout the region. Now we learn that they have a cell inside Palestine as well and could have been responsible for the kidnapping of the jewish students.

Anyway I managed to sleep some 10 hours with only 2 phone calls to disturb me yesterday. Was simply too tired. Blood pressure too low and have to raise it up before the operation, otherwise the docs will cancel it. Feeling nervous.