Rain all night

Damascus Gate roundabout all wet

It rained all night ... at times quite heavy. We were expecting it as it was forecast and we were looking forward to it. So it rained a little after 9pm. It didn't feel very cold in itself. It was the wind that was cold ... and it was very strong.

My right shoulder and neck was hurting quite much yesterday so I could hardly sleep. At 4.30am I decided to go to the bakery to buy fresh bread for breakfast. It's such a pity because our sisters had prepared a great breakfast of cheese, ham and eggs ... but we have only stale bread. So I went to the 24 hr bakery to buy arabic Kaik which is sesame bagel in a very odd shape. It was raining but I managed to walk there and back with no incident. The shops along Musrara are mostly opened for 24 hrs because workers from different shifts gather to eat and drink hot coffee. There were around some 50+ such workers ... those looking for day jobs in construction sites, who were huddled under pergolas and shop corners drinking their coffee and eating pitta bread with hummus. It's another world that few people get to see in the early morning hours. Some were older men, seasoned workers who need to feed their families ... others are young adults trying to make money to build a house and get married. It's unbelievable how hard some people have to work just to earn a few dollars a day.

My commission for 2018

Yesterday evening after dinner we received our commissions for 2018. Usually it's done after playing tombola but we've not played it for many years now. Instead everyone is given a present and a piece of paper which designates our protector saint for 2018. This year it's the Holy Name of Jesus (last year it was St. Ephrem the Syrian); then the virtue to inculcate is contrition, then a phrase of inspiration from the desert fathers and the deceased I must pray for Fr. Brancher.
It's a nice tradition to keep which many religious communities have abandoned. But our Custody continues with this tradition and it takes place on the same day for all our communities so we all are united in a way.

On a less happy note, jewish settlers were filmed destroying arab property ... over 100 olive trees ... with soldiers standing by doing nothing. It's dreadful and unjust.  https://www.timesofisrael.com/settlers-filmed-destroying-100-palestinian-olive-trees-as-idf-appears-to-look-on/

On the jewish side of the country, thousands of jews in the southern city of Ashdod protested against the ultra-orthodox push to force all shops to close on the Sabbath. The backlash will eventually spread to other cities.  https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5070433,00.html

And yesterday clashes continued in the Territories over Trump's declaration ... with 46 palestinians wounded. Doesn't look good. This will not fizzle out and if noting is done to turn the situation around, it will explode in summer.  https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/1.834551