Rexy

Rexy trimmed

My cold doesn't seem to be going away. I'm getting fainting spells each time I cough ... just like the onset of angina that I've experienced many times before. The whole body wobbles, the head is spinning and like a deep sleep I close my eyes and blackout. It's very calming though. There's total silence. Everything around doesn't exist. I wonder if death is like this.

Anyway everyone is worried about me going out alone because I might blackout and hurt myself or I might lose my memory and get lost. Everyone tells me to call back when I reach my destination so they'll be assured. I'm lucky to have people who care for me.

After my disclaimer last Sunday, viewership dropped  from 1800 to 40 ... which is normal. 

Doberman on walk

There's an article about our friars and nuns in Galilee who've decided to stay in their churches and with their local communities while missiles from Lebanon continue to rain down on them. It's a nice read about the daily heroism and commitment to their mission.  https://www.custodia.org/en/news/galilee-the-fraternity-that-defeats-fear/

Rexy the Pomeranian came for an afternoon last Saturday. It's always good to have him around ... he just wants to play till he's tired. High energy. Some mornings on my way to work I meet a doberman on his morning walk. He's about 3-4 years old. Docked tail and cropped ears ... not what many people nowadays agree ... but here we're decades behind the animal rights scene. I miss my dogs Rex and Regis. It's almost 15 years since they died.

Cold

Sunrise colours

Friday night was the coldest on record for October in 33 years ... down to about 12 degrees. I had to wear a pullover and had my duvet tightly wrapped around me. Last night too was chilly but not as cold. We're just hoping it'll rain as we need water very much in a very dry year. Daytime is a nice 26 degrees and very sunny, and there's a cool breeze that require people to wear a light jacket or hoodie.

There were 1791 viewers yesterday and 1400+ the day before. Scary. There're no political intentions in my blog. I simply record a chronicle of happenings here for people who used to live here, or those interested in what's happening in a normal day here; a chronicle of my journey - footsteps. It's a way to keep in contact. Disclaimer.

Early morning tram

Back to chronicling. The sunrise colours in the sky are incredible. Hues of purple, pink and yellow. Evenings are less spectacular. These signal the change of the seasons. And like every change, virus abound. I'm still down with oral blisters and sores, a runny nose, fever, sore throat ... and I've met many people with the same illness. There's nothing much we can do. Just ride it out.

My memory is not getting better. The sisters of Ivrea gave me a big bag of assorted cheese which I ate some for breakfast yesterday. But this morning I cannot find it. Vanished ... at least from my memory.

Memory lost

Morning 

 I'm down with a severe cold, with fever and cold sores and tiredness. But worst is the phlegm that chokes the entire nasal and lung passages. And I'm not the only one. Many others have it too. People are saying there's a virus in the air. Perhaps. But I can't see the doctor these days because it's the end of the Jewish feast of Sukkot. That means offices are closed, in fact everything closes like on Sabbath. When they reopen tomorrow, it's the muslim Friday so my clinic in the arab side of the City will also be closed. After that is the Jewish Sabbath and then the christian Sunday. I'll only be able to see the doctor next Monday.

As it's a national feast day, the borders are also closed so our workers from the Territories cannot to Israel to work. That means I have to stay in the office to make sure work continues. Being sick at the same time makes work a little more difficult. 

Morning tram

My memory has been worse lately. On Monday I came to work but forgot to carry my backpack with me. It's over 3 kg. After half a day in the office, I realised I didn't have my backpack with all my documents, medicines and telephone. After frantically searching for it, I called home and was told I left it on the terrace when I went out to water the flowers early in the morning. The next day I went home but forgot my wallet in the office. Yesterday I went to the pharmacy but forgot why I went there. And when I got home, to my horror, I realised I locked JJ and Dudu in the toilet all day without water or food. I forgot to let them out when I left for work in the morning. The poor birds were very quiet but hungry and thirsty after 12 hours. Poor things ate a lot when they came out, and both slept with me all night as they didn't want to leave me. This is getting serious. I must see the doctor about it. It may be the start of dementia.

Weekend

Seemingly calm Tel Aviv

The clouds of war still loom over us. Fighter jets roared over our house at 3.30am last week, shaking our windows and waking us up. Tel Aviv looks calm, with beach-goers taking up the last warm sunshine before winter comes. But there is no denying that the residents in this iconic care-free city are nervous of another drone or terrorist attack. I saw videos from our northern churches, of missiles flying overhead and surrounding fields and lands bombed and on fire.

It's still taking time for the demise of our friends last week to sink in. It's so easy to preach about getting over and moving on, but the reality is a lot harder. 

I'm down with a cold or an infection that's making me cough, chest pains and fever. I was caught in a cold draft while walking home 3 nights ago, wearing only a T shirt. Since then I've had a runny nose and all the symptoms above. Lost my voice too. I'll see my doctor tomorrow if it continues. 

Netanya community

Despite my illness, I went to Tel Aviv yesterday for the Chinese Mass, then to Netanya for the Filipino Mass in the evening. It's well over a 100km away and with the traffic, the traveling time was lengthened to almost 2 hours each way. I came home only at 10.30pm and was totally exhausted. The medicine for cold makes me very drowsy. Anyway it's been many years since I last celebrated Mass for the filipino community in Netanya. Many old faces are no longer there. It's a relatively new community of migrant workers. But the choir master is still the same. We spent some time catching up. It was good. 

R.I.P.

 Our loyal friend and dear colleague Katie passed away this morning from a short and sudden illness. May God grant her eternal repose and peace in the kingdom.

Katie Lai

Acorns

Acorns mean autumn

Almost a week since I updated my blog. There's a lot of work to be done. But also the psychological toll is weighing heavily on me. Yes Jerusalem is safe and has not had any problems ... but the indirect casualties are everywhere. People may laugh and seem to carry on like normal daily life ... but unconsciously everyone is affected. Economically prices of everything is going up. Subconsciously people avoid going out unless necessary. Gatherings are less frequent. Migrant workers too are traumatised, and a clear reminder was 2 days back when a Thai migrant worker was killed by a missile in Galilee.

Talking about deaths, yesterday evening we received news that one of our workers but more a friend to everyone, Shibly, died after a long illness. He was an orphan that the Franciscans took in, gave him an education and job. He eventually became the head Kawas or dragoman, who leads all public processions of the Franciscans; and private chauffeur and bodyguard of the custos. Then he was diagnosed with liver cancer last Christmas and was home for almost 9 months now. Everyone feels sad.

It's not been a happy week to say the least. I've lost my memory several times. Yesterday was the worst. Three times I stood by the road not knowing where I was or what I was doing outside the Old City. My muscular control has no been good and my shaky hands caused me to spill coffee over my keyboard and totally destroyed it. I needed to go to the shop to buy a new one but I forgot where or why I was going out for.

Autumn

Bread seller

It's been getting chilly and humid this week. The dew is heavy in the morning and the stone pavements are wet and slippery. People are wearing hoodies and jackets. The autumn harvest has begun and because autumn here is very short - only a couple of weeks - winter will soon start. We hope this year it'll rain and even snow. We need it as last winter here was no rain at all.

Schools open and close depending on the situation of the war, and the jewish feasts. Borders were closed on the jewish New Year last week, and will close again today for the Day of Atonement for several days over the weekend. Some of my workers will not be able to come to work ... our institutes will be running on half the personnel; lessons will be taught online. People try to live as normal as they can. This morning on my way to work, there was a bread seller with bread (called ka'ek) on his head, walking 1km out into the open market at Damascus Gate to sell it. Each piece used to cost 4 shekels but now I'm not sure. It's probably higher now.

Our monastery in Tyre which served as a station for passing refugees from south Lebanon has closed due to the encroaching danger of bombings. Everyone has moved to our other monastery in Beirut further north. It's a little more secure but missiles have no eyes and no one can guarantee one won't land near or on the monastery. The friars there continue to provide food, water and shelter to passing refugees but we don't know for how long this will continue as food is running out.