Twilight Zone begins

Lovely greek style house
in Old Jaffa

The ceasefire in Gaza seems to be holding. Some semblance of normality is returning. In Jerusalem and the neighbouring towns, sporadic skirmishes still occur but on a smaller scale. The weather is simply too hot to carry a war. People prefer to stay indoors. You'd be surprised how much the weather can influence a war in our part of the world. For example, a suicide bomber can't work in summer because it's so hot it's not possible to wear heavy clothing to hide the explosives. If you do, you'll stick out like a sore thumb and definitely security will see you a mile away. So thanks to Mother Nature. She's a natural deterrent of violence.

The past few days have been frustrating to say the least. it's the usual workers' problems ... they promise to come one day but never show up. Tell them not to come on Friday and they all show up. I wonder if it's out of sheer malice or stupidity that they do this.

The Fountain of the Zodiac

Being so stressed out by these workers, I decided to take a day off in Jaffa (and of course the workers showed up when I wasn't at home). Finally had a chance to sleep .... like 6 or 7 hours non-stop. And the few hours that I was awake, I spent it with the other brothers who are always so kind to me. We chatted and went out to the piazza for an ice-cream. The Old City of Jaffa is amazing ... quaint ancient houses mingled with modern quirky stuff - like the Fountain of the Zodiac.

School for Israel begins tomorrow. Our students will also return and start using the libraries for research. And the nightmare of waking up at 3am begins again for me .... classes in the twilight zone. I don't think I can take another semester of this routine.

50 days of war

An iconic shot of the Old
City - arches, ivy, churches

50 days of war. Missiles from Gaza are alot fewer these days ... and though Israel continues to bomb Gaza, it is more precise and calculated to avoid civilian casualties than when it first started. However as the south seems to quieten down, problems flare up in the north. Rockets from Syria land in the Golan Heights while missiles from Lebanon land into Israel. I think I speak for everyone - both jew and arab - when I say "We're tired of this .... STOP! and let us continue our lives". But internally racial and religious tit-for-tat scuffles continue. A local paper carried an article on recent statistics showing Israeli jewish teenagers are openly racist and proud. And the education system is supporting this. And the arab side fares no better.

To top it all there is this incredible heatwave over the country. Relentlessly hot ... and unusually humid. I sure hope there will be rain  this year. Last year was a disaster. We hardly had any rain ... only 3 days of snow. One thing that enjoys this humidity is the creeping ivy. They're flourishing like crazy. Couldn't resist taking this photo which is typical of an Old City view: stone arches covered with ivy.

With the ice-bucket challenge going viral ... an iraqi bishop posted another challenge which is far more meaningful for christians ... half hour silent prayer in solidarity with Iraq's persecuted christians. The gruesome videos of James Foley's beheading, the killing of christians in Iraq ... headless torsos of christian children, a heap of human heads .... this calls for immediate action, prayer and solidarity. Christianity is dead in Iraq ... christians are dead in Iraq. The Christian genocide is well underway. First in Iraq and Syria ... next in your own country. Won't you take up the challenge ... for you own sake?

Hot weather

Kids enjoying the pool
at the Park

Yesterday and today were extremely hot. Even the nights are hot. Hopefully this will pass quickly and the rains come early this year.

50 days of war is tiring us all. There was another concert in Independance Park this evening. I guess it was a way of distracting the people from the weariness of war. It was quite good. And the paying audience was large. But cheapos like me stood on the hillock behind and watched it all... and there were quite a few of us! Even the security people were having a great time outside ... dancing to the music. Despite my painful feet, I decided to go there for a change. After a whole afternoon correcting articles, my mind was stuffed. I needed to get some fresh air. Standing alone in the hillock and watching the concert was good. But tiring as there was no where to sit. Left for home after 2 hours.

Tomorrow will be another full day of work. And school has started for Palestinian schools. Israeli schools start next week. So summer holidays are over. Made no difference to me though. I had to work everyday.

Quiet day

The ancient walls of Jerusalem have
withstood millenia of wars

Yesterday Friday was pretty uneventful. No riots, no demonstrations, no scuffles in the Old City. It seems very weird to actually have peace .... now that's how abnormal the situation is for us here. But Jerusalem is a robust city like no other. It's 5000 yr old history has seen worse wars and catastrophes. This is nothing.

Today Saturday my feet were hurting too much. And I also managed only to sleep 2 hours last night. So with utter exhaustion, I fell back to sleep at 10am with articles all over my bed because I planned to correct them. Woke up at 4pm when Mother Teresa's sisters called to say they were coming to give a report on the help you have kindly offered. In brief the sisters in Gaza have returned to their convent with the handicap children. The money you offered will be used to buy food and medicine which is very much needed. Also another amount was donated to the persecuted christians in Syria through the Custody of the Holyland and the Sisters of S. Vincent de Paul. And a third amount was donated to the even more persecuted christians in Iraq through the Franciscan sisters of the Immaculate Heart. They have several Iraqi sisters returning to their country next week.

The Custos of the Holyland
receives your kind offering
for Syrian christians

The weather is heating up. Forecast for Monday is 38 degrees. I dread to have to go to work in this heat. Not good for my nose. Must find a way to stay in the shade. Mind you its the foot that's really killing me. Doc says I must go to a podiatrist ad get a specially fitted insole made for my shoes. Sounds good. But it presumes that I am able to walk to the podiatrist.

Rockets, missiles and concerts

6am cup of expresso at Cake Art
prior to physio appointment

What a day! Was off to see my physiotherapist very early this morning because the 2nd toe of my right foot is getting so painful I can't walk. He was quick to point out that it was the result of my flat foot. The toe is unable to flex, is rigid and is slowly curling up into a hammertoe. And that is complicated by my bunion which is equally painful but also bending my big toe under the hammertoe. A 20 minute massage and manipulation eased alot of the pain and I was able to walk again. But later at noon, I came across some freelance masseurs at the Shopping Mall while I was looking for a pharmacy. Got another 30 mins of massage to ease the growing pain.

Unfortunately what physiotherapists can't do is solve my diarrhea problem. Have been suffering severe diarrhea for the past 2 days. Absolutely dreadful and inconvenient when you have to travel 70 kms to the doc's.

A mangy cat majestically sitting on
a motorbike in front of the clinic

Despite the new barrage of rockets and missiles, Jerusalem tonight is busy with concerts. Safra Square is hosting a concert of Yesteryear music. I heard the band singing Beatles' hits. No interest. Went to Independence Park. It was a rock concert but pretty eclectic - ranging from heavy metal to hasidic rock. Entrance is by a hefty fee. Being a cheapo, I went up the slope and stood on a rock to see over the fence. Small crowd inside though. At Sultan's Pool there was another concert. I couldn't see anything as the Pool is strategically situated in a valley such that the slopes on both sides do not afford a good view. Lousy music. So I went back to hear the rock concert. The City was nevertheless packed with people and especially soldiers and police ... no rocket or missile is going to dampen the summer spirit of Jerusalem!

Missile attack

HaShoter Square: new seats and
tables for tired pedestrians. Behind
the tree is Mandarin Restaurant 

So I was back from the doc's several days back. My nose was a little crooked because of the bash, swollen internally. Had to take the usual anti-imflammatory and antibiotics. Several times this week there were shots of pain but luckily no nosebleeds. The left nostril was blocked and I couldn't blow my sniffling nose because I was afraid it would create more damage. Then this morning the blocked nose was simply too much to bear. Blew my nose slowly and gently so as not to damage the septum but it felt like my whole brain was being blown out. The biggest snod ever came out .... debris from dried blood, dead tissue and  mucous. Enormous. Now it's relieved and I can breathe through the left nostril again. There's still a dull pain though. Doc kept saying I must stay out of the sun ... but how then do I get to work?

Arab bagels called "kaike"

Last night after 2 serene weeks, we had the first missile alarm sirens blaring at 11.45pm. Looks like the war is starting up again. Actually I think it's all posturing ... to get conditions and concessions agreed in the final draft of the permanent ceasefire.

The lull in the fighting had eased tensions. HaShoter Sqaure, which is in front of Mandarin Restaurant, had a makeover: mushroom shaped chairs and tables for weary pedestrians. On the arab side of the City, bagels called "kaike" were everywhere ... it's one of the local staples besides the pita, tahboun and shrak. Life seems to continue .... except for the 30+ kids from Gaza being treated at our St. Joseph Hospital in East Jerusalem. I wanted to visit them with some other muslim friends but I had to work. They went without me. Never mind, I'll go next week alone. My friends told me how badly injured the kids were ... and how the hospital was trying to save them.

Broke my nose?

Yesterday morning while washing my face, I accidentally hit my nose hard. Something went "crack" and it hurt like crazy. And it continued to hurt all day ... and made me very nauseous. My bridge is still in place so I think it was the septum that was broken or something. I'll have to see the doctor tomorrow I guess. It still hurts today.

The weather is very very hot ... going up to 37 degrees in Nazareth, and 33 in Jerusalem. At night it was 30 degrees. It was so hot I couldn't sleep so I sat out in the terrace where a cool breeze was blowing. Problem is I feel so sleeping this morning. But it's back to work nevertheless. Got a call to go up to the other library ... then got 2 calls to go back downhill to the other library. It's been rushing from 1 km to another ... and my feet and nose still hurt.

The 5 brothers going to swimming
class at the YMCA

One thing good about the heat is having a swim in the pool. Yesterday I met the 5 sons of our doorman Majed going to the YMCA for swimming classes. Good to know they're doing some healthy summer events and not getting into trouble. However last night our neighbourhood was in chaos. Soldiers went house-to-house searching and arresting arabs. The 5 boys were sleeping at 2.30am when israeli soldiers bashed into their home with guns aimed at them. The poor kids were terrified. You may remember a few of them as some of you have sponsored them for their school fees.