Winter soon

Making communion
hosts

Sunrise is later now. I'm trying to get used to 5am in the dark. In the past months, the sun rose at 4am and the muezzin could be heard as early as 3.30am. Now it's still dark at 5am and the creeping feeling that winter would suddenly pounce on us.

Nights are not only getting longer, the humidity is also intense and lots of dew fall during the night. In the morning, the ground is always wet. It looks like it had rained all night. Hanging clothes out to dry overnight is no longer possible! The plants are liking it though.

Meantime I had to visit the Spanish convent in the Old City. It's been some time since I was last there. Sr. Pelagia was making communion hosts on the new machine, and it was fascinating to watch how the large wafers are cut into smaller rounded wafers. The mixing of flour and water was also interesting as it must follow certain rules in order to qualify as unleavened bread. Learning something new everyday. 

Summer almost over

Summer shade

The summer solstice passed and the days are growing shorter. Thank goodness for that because the heat and humidity is severe. At least the nights are a little cooler, with a breeze blowing over the city. 

My nausea and diarrhea is a little more controlled now that the hospital prescribed magnesium and aluminum peroxide. It's a foul combination that makes me sick even as I open the bottle .... but at least I won't wake up in the night vomiting. People are commenting that I'm being kept alive only by all these medicines. Sad reality.

The Jewish High Holidays are also earlier this year. Rosh haShana falls on Sept. 11 and Yom Kippur falls on Sept. 20. Sukkot falls on Sept. 25 to Oct. 2. Hopefully it will pass uneventful with no incidents. Too much has happened in the past 3 years .... we're all tired and want only some peace and quiet, and let everyone enjoy their feasts.

Rainstorm in midsummer

August 15 ... feast of the Assumption ... the weirdest thing happened. A tremendous rainstorm struck the central high country .... torrents and waves unseen in 150 years. Right in the middle of  August .... midsummer.

On one hand it helped cool the stifling heatwave hitting the region, on the other hand it helped a little in water rationing as we're in a drought year. Still it was an unexpected surprise. Even forecasters were caught off guard.

Processions for the feast day in and around the Tomb of Mary in the Kidron Valley were disrupted by the storm. The rain also washed down Bethlehem .... clearing the dry dusty air. 

Despite the suddenness and inconveniences of the storm, everyone was happy. A midsummer night's dream of sorts. We prayed for rain all winter ... and we got it in midsummer.

Flood in the Kidron Valley
(photo from internet - Global Times)

In memoriam

 Missing mum. It's been a year.

Clover

Pink clover growing in park

The heatwave in Europe is hitting us hard. Though temperatures are not soaring high, you can feel the heat beating hard on your skin. Luckily we're not having those forest fires that Europe of plagued with.

Then again weirdly other parts of Europe are inundated with rain, floods and hail. The weather is apocalyptic, to say the least. We could do with the rain and hail. The grain harvest is over and the fruit on trees are just appearing. They need water to mature. So why not rain on our side of the world?

One thing I noticed with joy ... the pink clover that I secretly sowed in the park outside Damascus Gate have grown and blossomed. The flowers are not as big but they are numerous so from far they look like a pink carpet. And alongside them are the wild white clover. These park greenery has daily watering so they're flourishing well. That's a little plus in an otherwise hot and humid summer.

Heat

Amazing bougainvillea 

 Yesterday we received reports that several cities have opened their bomb shelters, as the country prepares for war again. People are rattled. But no panic. We've been there before. No mad rush to stock up. Everything is calm. Everyone hopes of course for the best that nothing will happen.

War or not, summer continues. The heat is stifling and so is the humidity.  School children continue with their excursions. Groups of pilgrims have returned. And while the rest of the plants wither in the heat ... the amazing bougainvillea is blooming like crazy all over the country. It thrives on unforgiving heat and sunlight. Even little twigs of bougainvillea have broken out in colour which are very intense. Such is the mystery of life.

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.