Jan. 2nd 2009

National high alert today - Friday the day of Muslim prayers. Thousands of soldiers deployed here in and outside the Old City. Roads blocked and only muslims over 50 yrs of age may enter the golden Dome of the Rock mosque and Al-Aqsa mosque. http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1230733143282&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull In protest, young muslims blocked the Way fo the Cross from our monastery gates down to the 3rd Station where they knelt and prayed during noon. Helicopters fly overhead and a blimp with camera is floating above us - capturing every movement in the Old City and East Jerusalem in case of riots and violence. There're 4 soldiers next to our school and another 4 further up the road at Ecce Homo. Opposite us is the Omarriya Boys school which is closed and on its roof are 2 other soldiers. Fr Giovanni Loche and I (and some others) went out onto our roof terrace to see what's happening. I started waving to the soldiers and Giovanni panicked! Like they might shoot us or something! I thought it was pretty funny (I also waved to the helicopters above us) and everyone thought I was crazy and inviting to get shot. What a way to die!

Then there are those 1st year students who are either naive or have no common sense. Some actually showed up at school to use the library!!!! Hallllooooooo????? There's a war out there!!!! Fr Giovanni, who's the library director shooed everyone home and closed the library for the rst of the day. All our workers have also gone home early or did not show up for work at all. No pilgrim groups coming to our church today and probably the Way of the Cross this afternoon will be cancelled.

Meanwhile fears that a ground assault will soon to launched into Gaza by Israeli forces (my guess is tonight) because this morning they allowed foreigners and foreign passport holders to leave Gaza. http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1230733143072&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

This morning I worked 5 hours in the back garden. Jadallah came later to help me. We cleared out alot of rubbish and made 3 benches to put the flower pots (lots and lots of them .... mainly chilli plants), created little hiding places for our hibernating tortoises and planted some plants on the soil to prevent erosion. Am exhausted. But will have to continue working this afternoon as well in order to finish the job so I can get back to studying.