Happy Epiphany

Yesterday evenings Vespers was solemn but the organist kept getting the wrong tones - sort of funny but I didn't laugh. I really wanted to relax as I was so exhausted, so went to sleep early after dinner, sometime at 10pm. It was sort of exciting though as I was thinking about Epiphany before I fell asleep: The Magi came all the way to adore the infant Jesus, to Bethlehem just 11 kms awa from where I lived. And the miracle of Cana took place up north where I just visited with my group only a few days ago. Yes it is so fortunate to be living in the land where all these Gospel events took place.

Agnes wrote to say the weekend is a good opportunity to rest - like yeah...maybe in another planet! I had to preside at Solemn mass this morning - all in italian and latin except for a communion song sung in chinese by the Melbourne Chinese group. Mass went well and I was pretty pleased, though I was as usual very panicky about it. Then immediately after Mass I brought the Melbourne group out to visit the Princess Tungduk's palace (she was a Mongolian from the Yuan Dynasty), the Southern Wall excavations (south of th Wailing Wall where many ancient things from the time of Christ still stands), the ancient City of David, the Siloam Pool, the Jewish Quarter of the Old City. Then we had a nice local lunch at Nafoura's in the Christian Quarter. I like the food there. It's well done, clean and the atmosphere is quaint Turkish/British colonial turn of the century architecture). After lunch we visited the Ethiopic and Coptic Orthodox churches as well as various areas inside the Holy Sepulchre. Then we walked home, but on the way back we passed by a petshop in the Suk (market) and I noticed a forlorn Siamese Fighting fish (Betta) in a small plastic bottle. It's horrible how people keep bettas in tiny jars like that. It was not the best looking specimen, a sad sallow colour and absilutely transparent fins and tail. I thought of buying him home to give him a happier and bigger tank but when I thought of Rex and Regis and how I have to give them up when I leave, I thought I couldn't go through the trauma again. I really really miss the two boys.

So now back home I'm totally exhausted again (and my ankle is still swollen. It was so pain last night I had to bandage it. maybe it's the cold). But I can't rest - time to prepare for vespers tonight. And tomorrow is another day ........