Chrismukkah again

Stormy weather by the coast

Still recovering from the busy weekend. Couldn't rest much though because it's Monday ... meaning I have to get up at 3am to prepare for classes. This morning the sun was up and bright but I think like yesterday it'll be overcast and cold again by noon.

Last Friday I walked through the Musrara open market just outside Damascus Gate. I usually avoid that place on Fridays because of the immense crowds. And I saw something which I haven't seen in a long time ... fresh seafood on sale. Now "fresh" by local standards means "not frozen" and not "alive and swimming in the water". I had visions of chilly crab, steamed carb, cuttle-fish fried and steamed .... and that's that. Without a fridge or cooking facilities, there is no way I can cook seafood. I thought of bringing it to the chinese sisters .... but they're northern chinese; and being nuns they do what they fancy no matter what you tell them otherwise. Seafood for them means throw it all in a pot of water, add salt, bring to boil then eat. Last week I called them to ask if they can just boil some soup for me ... nothing fancy, just soup with nothing but a little salt and pepper. They came with a pot of noodles, veggies, seafood in soup.

Anyway with the stormy weather by the coast, I think seafood will be pretty expensive soon. That means nothing to the jews as they cannot eat seafood (non-kosher) but muslims and christians do it when it's cheap.

"Fresh" seafood galore

This year like last year, Christmas coincides with the jewish feast of Hanukkah - the feast of the rededication of the Temple after it was profaned by the Seleucids (see books of Maccabbees). The locals have a name for it when the 2 feasts coincide : chrismukkah. Each time there is a big discussion whether jews may put up a christmas tree for Chrismukkah. Last year the rabbis condemned the Christmas Tree as an idol and forced police to remove all Christmas trees from public places. Even the Municipality which offers free Christmas trees to poor people at Damascus Gate, were stopped by the rabbis. I wonder if it will be the same this year.