of fruit and friday

So Lent has rolled in and it's the first lenten Friday. The Way of the Cross just started but the muezzin is also singing the call to prayer. It's always this clash every Friday. Still there's not much of a crowd at the Way of the Cross, mainly because of the virus fear. Locals here believe in any rumour and they're in a mindless state of panic ... unless of course if there's money to make. Yesterday we also got an instruction from the Diocese telling us communion is only by the hand and no Holy Water should be available at the door of churches.

Fruit galore

I was prepared for the Friday fast today. Got up at 2am to study and listen to 2 recorded lectures. Then it was time to work, opening the library, getting the mail and new books registered ... settling the new orders etc. But I didn't want to go to the library and work because I wanted to avoid the Friday crowd. It's really not safe in the Old City because tourists from all over the world are walking through the streets and they could be infected carriers. Doc had told me to stay home as much as possible and avoid crowds so that's what I did today. And I bought Dettol spray to wipe everything. I just need alcohol gel ... but that means having to go to the pharmacy through the crowds.

I'm feeling much better after the bout of cold but I'm not lowering my guard. I'm drinking lots of water and eating lots of fruit ... which is just right because there's lots of Spring fruit on sale in the markets. The colours are amazing. Today however I fasted. Had only a cup of lemon juice at 4am. I'll probably break the fast after sunset ... maybe at 7pm. Tomorrow there'll be the lenten vigil at the Holy Sepulchre at midnight. I might join in.

News just in. There had been scuffles at the Gaza-Israeli border in the south. Some people were injured. That's a sign that the weather has warmed up. For the past few weeks when it rained and was almost zero degrees, there were no violence at the border.