Back again

Crowds are back today

 My goodness how time has flown. My last blog was Monday! I've been very busy these days with translation work as well as my own studies ... writing assignments. And of course there's lots of work in both libraries. I hardly have time to eat meals now. In fact I only have a cup of coffee or tea in the morning and then a meal at 3pm. And I don't feel hungry. I guess that the mental activity draws attention away from the stomach. But I'm back again on the blog ... so you know I'm not dead yet.

Last night was very noisy out in the streets and I could hardly sleep. It was the birthday of Mohammed the prophet. Muslims from all over the country flocked to the Al Aqsa mosque all day yesterday and today. The police did not enforce social distancing or prayer in capsules of 10 people. It was free for all ... though thankfully majority of them wore masks. But with people coming from all parts of the country ... the chances of infection are very highly. I panicked when at 4pm yesterday I needed to go to the MC convent for confessions and eucharistic adoration. I dodged the crowds left and right, shouting at people to make way as they slowly gaited along the street, shopping and eating and chatting. Scary.

Beggars galore

And one thing more that came back after these 8 months of lockdown ... beggars. Lots of beggars lined the main streets as the crowds walked past. It was a windfall for them.

And today Friday and muslim feastday crowded with worshippers, the Al Aqsa mosque became the centre of protests against the French President. Police arrested several instigators. I am revolted by this constant muslim persecution of christians in our own churches. If it were a synagogue, the world would be outraged. If it were a mosque, a jihad would have been called. But it's christians ... so nobody cares. If muslims demand that others respect their religion ... then they should start respecting other religions too. The injustice to christians by muslims must end ... if not on earth, then by Divine Justice. It will come ... as sure as the earth quakes. 

New Patriarch

Elderly worshippers

An insanely busy day today ... almost every hour I was responding to 3 different messages simultaneously. I barely had time to rest ... it was mentally exhausting. There was a lot of work in the General Library in the morning and then immediately at 2pm I had to rush off to East Jerusalem to buy a book a seminarian needed. Then it was back home to work in the other library before I ahd to go out to Damascus Gate to meet the seminarian and give him the book, and at the same time meet our korean friend who very kindly cooked bipimbap for me. Then a quick dash home to celebrate mass online for our chinese sisters. 

I had planned to study a chapter from a book today but I simply couldn't. Just too much to do and now too tired to do any reading. I'll have to wake up early tomorrow morning and catch up with my studies.

Yesterday while on my way to the New City I noticed 2 elderly muslim women walking the opposite way towards the Al Aqsa Mosque. It occurred to me that most muslims worshippers from outside Jerusalem are mainly elderly. And majority are women. Younger muslims no longer are coming. Perhaps it's the lockdown and police action stopping them. 

The computer system of the Health Ministry broke down on Saturday so for 2 days we didn't have any news as to the infection rate. Today a mere 500+ cases were reported. We're not sure if it's accurate ... but so long as they remain in 3 digits, we're happy. 

Our new Patriarch

At 1pm yesterday church bells rang all over the country. We have a patriarch! For 4 years it was sede vacante and our former Custos was nominated Apostolic Administrator. Yesterday the Vatican announced that he will be the new patriarch. Everyone was very happy as he is well-liked by most. Of course there's a little group that hoped it was an arab to be patriarch. Our Patriarch-designate is an italian. I for one felt terrible ... I know him too well. We were classmates 30 years back. He has suffered much these 4 years and now he will have to suffer for the rest of his life till his retirement. I know he's sad but his sense of service compels him to accept this mission. Pray for him.

Day out

Crows at Damascus Gate

 Crows don't migrate ... so I don't know what is happening today when in the morning there were swarms of crows over Damascus Gate cawing so loudly it drowned out every other sound. Then towards sunset at 5pm these hoards of crows flew over our house from the Mt. of Olives towards the western side of the City. At first I thought some natural catastrophe would occur as animals are more sensitive to these phenomena. Nothing happened ... today. We'll see what happens tomorrow.

Jungle petshop

This morning was chilly and very cloudy. It felt like rain was coming ... and at 7am it began to drizzle abit. But at 10am the sun was up, the clouds flown away but a cold wind continued to blow. It was very damp and humid ... ad that made my breathing difficult. I had to walk out to the New City 2kms away uphill to do some errands. There were money transfer at the bank for payment of books, stocking up on foodstuffs as the lockdown is still not over ... and a visit to my favourite store ... Jungle petshop. Watching the rows of fish in the tanks is very relaxing. I've given Eran the owner lots of my aquarium plants as they are overgrown. They are brown cryptocorynes and are very rare in Israel. Eran then gave me 6 beautiful guppies for my aquarium ... beautiful blue-tailed species. 

Later in the afternoon, Ah Ling from Mandarin restaurant called and asked me to pick up some food she cooked. It was actually 3 huge plastic bags of food ... 2 dozen spring rolls, 1 box of braised pork, 2 tubs of soup, a dozen dumplings, 6 packs of beef, 4 packs of seafood .... I walked home 2kms with all these food. Business has been bad during these 6 months of lockdown. Instead of letting the food stock go to waste, she cooked everything and gave them to me. When I reached home, I started to divide them into smaller packs so tomorrow I can give them out to poor people.

I received calls from the MC sisters in Gaza and St. Vincent de Paul sisters in Syria. They recounted their difficulties in their respective warring regions. I must to help them in whatever little way I can. And for that, I need your help.

Winter coming

Burger dinner

 It's Thursday and tomorrow is another weekend. With restrictions eased, many people will be celebrating though gatherings of more than 10 people are forbidden. But here nobody cares ... and nobody enforces the law. Easing of restrictions include the possibility of visiting other houses. That means we can go to celebrate Mass at the various sisters' convents who have no had Mass for the past 4 weeks.

My classmate from 30 yrs back called me yesterday asking to borrow a book which he needs to consult for a project. It was a good opportunity to meet up again ... so he drove over to Damascus Gate to pick me up. I wanted to see the rest of the City as I haven't been beyond Ben Yehuda Mall 1km away from my office. So he drove me around to see the rest of the City. At 7pm it was rather crowded ... people still wore masks but not distancing. And there were hardly any police to enforce the law.  Anyway I gave my friend my copy of the book and we had 2 hours of chatting and catching up. His eldest son has just graduated from High School ... which shows how old we have become. And I knew his wife 30 yrs back when she was a high school student. At 9.30pm we were ready to go home and both of us were hungry ... we hadn't eaten dinner. Searching for takeaway food was very difficult as there was either no parking space or restaurants simply remained closed. We finally decided to go to East Jerusalem instead. There we found a burger restaurant still open. My friend bought me a takeaway meal ... and it tasted really good after weeks of eating instant noodles, cold rice and leftover food. Anyway it was good to catch up with my classmate ... I guess lockdowns have made us appreciate friends even more.

Buddy and JJ are molting as winter approaches. Their summer feathers are everywhere .... very untidy. And their new feathers grow inside tough follicles that need preening in order to break them and release the new feathers. Both birds come to me every day so I can scratch the area where they cannot reach ... such as the back of their necks. It relieves them from a lot of discomfort. And their winter feathers are thick and glossy. They're well prepared for winter

Raindrops on roses

Rain on the terrace

 It rained yesterday afternoon! The first winter rains ... and it was a good shower, moderately heavy ... and lots of thunder. It rumbled for well over 40 minutes. But the sky was strangely not overcast. Everyone was surprised because the bright sky gave no warning of the shower. Even the meteorological stations were not aware of it. Social media were flooded with photos of the rain ... and to show you what a rarity rain is ... some people actually asked on social media what precautions they should take when it rains. Umbellas, raincoats, stay indoors ... were the common answers. Quite hilarious ... but given that it only rained this January after 15 years of drought, many younger generations know nothing about rainstorms. They are actually afraid.

Infections have risen just above 1000 yesterday ... and already experts are preparing for a 3rd wave of infections and a 3rd lockdown. I certainly hope not. The palestinian vice-president is in a critical state with covid ... and is being treated in Israel as palestine lacks the equipment and expertise to handle the pandemic.

Raindrops on roses ...

Gaza fired a missile into Israel yesterday while Israel discovered a deep long tunnel from Gaza leading into Israel. Then this morning a village at the Syrian-Israeli border was bombed ... and Syria accuses Israel. So the northern and southern borders are troubled. Let's hope it won't escalate. A wet winter with covid and an expected flu outbreak is bad enough.

Today I decided not go to work at the other library. I had to go to East Jerusalem instead to collect my medical insurance, buy stationary for the library and duplicate keys for my workers. The main steet of East Jerusalem called Salahaddin street was packed with people and cars ... like three's no pandemic. Most shops however do not entertain clients ... they can only buy things from the shops' main door, or are allowed to enter one person at a time. Majority of people also wear masks. That's a relief.

Of lilies

Golden autumn lily

 Autumn is tailing off ... and we're expecting the annual Orionid meteor showing tonight. It's publicised as spectacular but it is also known to be temperamental ... hence it might not as spectacular as announced by meteorologists. And it is best seen after midnight. I hope to see it tonight ... 

Autumn also means autumn bulbs blooming. I've had golden spider lilies for many years but they have not flowered in the past 4 years ... probably too much water and not enough sunlight. This year the bulb left in the trough under direct sunlight has blossomed. It's beautiful ... a full head of 4 flowers highlighted by the blue sky. There's a lesson to learn here ... that water and fertiliser aren't always good for some plants. A little shock, a little drought, a little heatwave ... and the best flowers are forced to bloom. Marigolds too are doing very well. The nights continue to be cool ... about 16 degrees so even the Spring bulbs have started sprouting. I'm expecting a riot of colours and perfumes in February next year. It's very rewarding ... gardening in 4 seasons.

Lily and marigolds

Infection rates have remained below 1000 which is good news for us all. But everyone is bracing for a new boom of infections because schools have reopened despite experts' warnings. We've seen it before last May but no lesson was learned. Mistakes are doomed to repeat itself. And worse, more lives lost for no reason.

Today our workers from Palestine were allowed to come back to work. That's a relief for me ... I don't have to hold 2 forts alone. Still I have to direct their work as 1 month has passed since they last were in office. Workload has piled up ... backlog must be cleared.

Meantime UAE and Israeli reps have met in both countries. There's hope for economic cooperation, mutual investment. Let's hope all benefit from it. The only losers are those who don't want to join into this new paradigm of cohabitation in the Middle East.

Stromata

 

Public piano at New Gate

Europe is turning back to lockdowns as infection rates blow out of control: Great Britain, Belgium, Italy ... and increasing at the same time. And while our numbers have dropped to below 1000 yesterday, the reopening of schools point to a possible rebound. Experts have warned against reopening schools ... it was the cause of the 2nd lockdown ... but govt and ultra-orthodox refuse to learn a lesson from the past. The ultra-orthodox rabbis are pushing for reopening schools and of course the govt bowed to their wishes. As all the local papers are saying ... the pandemic strategy is fueled by political motives and not scientific or humanitarian. The price to pay is high ... they will lose an entire generation in 20 years as infected people become sterile, and those who are sick will not be able to contribute to the economy. Instead they will burden the healthy ones with medical expenses and care. The country will be torn even more. Mark my words, it'll be too late for regrets. In 20 years, the price to pay will be high.   https://www.timesofisrael.com/prominent-rabbi-orders-haredi-schools-to-reopen-netanyahu-warns-against-move/?fbclid=IwAR1yN3nj-QqHQf1N0oQJuUhO8EaPUXBC4pE4rUEVuzGsm_LIx2aDoIHaNEs

As travel restrictions have been relaxed, this afternoon after lunch, groups of seminarians took advantage to go out to the New City. It was a chance to breathe some fresh air outside the monasteries which they have been enclosed for the past 8 weeks. And they were all surprised to find a public piano installed outside New Gate. Such pianos have been installed in the jewish part of the New City where people can go up and play. But to risk one at the Old City where arab vandals are proverbial and ubiquitous. Everyone is saying "Let's count the days before it gets destroyed". So much for optimism.

Apparently there's a heatwave around the region. Parts of the north have reached over 30 degrees. But in Jerusalem we've been having 28 degrees or lower. And nights are 16 degrees. So we didn't think there was a heatwave till international news reported it just now. Let's hope the winter rains come quickly.

New week

Bitter gourd from Carmelites

 It's Sunday ... and after years of hardwork, I can appreciate the lockdown which allows me to slow down on Sundays. I wake up a little later than usual ... at 4am. I water the plants and throw away the garbage ... which by the way is now further down the road as neighbours and the municipality cleaners came to yell at me last week that I cannot leave it in front of our house as there's no official municipal bin. The closest one is down the road. I try to finish all this work as early as possible because I want to eat my breakfast on the terrace watching the sunrise and praying Lauds. I really look forward to Sunday mornings.

Bitter gourd

And the good news is today some lockdown restrictions have been lifted. While most shops remained close, restaurants are reopened but only for takeaway orders. I decided to take a walk to the New City to have a look at the changes during the last month. And many things have changed indeed. Repairs on the tram tracks all along the Old City walls are taking place. Many hotels are renovating during this closure ... or upgrading as they call it. I went to Jungle petshop to buy some seeds for Buddy and JJ. Then walked further up north to the chinese grocery to buy some sauces and bee hoon and rice vermicelli ... my survival stockup.   

Back home at 10.30am I had time to cook the bitter gourd given to me by the Carmelite nuns in Nazareth. They asked our emeritus auxilliary bishop who was visiting them, to bring a bag back to me. I fried it with eggs and Georgette our cook made white rice. Now my dinner is settled. No need to sleep on an empty stomach.  And yes we have a new cook Georgette. Khalil our chef died several months ago and Nadia our asst. cook retired as she reached 70 yrs of age. Now Georgette has to do all the cooking with the hep of our indian sisters. And they're doing a great job.

Fried bitter gourd, egg  & rice

Infection rates continue to be below 2000 and we're all relieved by that. However an influential 92 yr old ultra-orthodox rabbi has called his followers to disobey restriction orders and open all schools under his jurisdiction. Now he himself disregards masks and social distancing and is now infected with coronavirus. And he gets special treatment .... the hospital sent a ventilator to his home for private treatment ... and he doesn't pay taxes. I wonder how fair that is to other taxpayers who need a ventilator and have kept all the lockdown rules. As usual the govt and PM is afraid of the rabbi and didn't dare confront or challenge him. So the rabbi will get away with it ... and spread the virus in his schools. Public opinion is turning against this small and disconnected community and soon there will be a heavy backlash. But of course the powers that be will rush to their defense. 

Slow by slow

Tree in middle
of road

 Wow the infection rate dropped to 1,900 yesterday ... or maybe even lower. That's great news. Tomorrow the 1km limit for leaving the house will be lifted for us ... but it's still in effect for some red zone areas. Let's hope we learn from the past mistakes ... don't be over-confident, don't reopen too quickly and keep tracing and trekking. The last one is Israel's greatest weakness ... not because it's not capable ... Israel's tracing system is the best in the world. It just isn't ready to use it on its own citizens. And of course there's the ultra-orthodox community which wields immense power despite its small demographic size, and some are vigorously against all health measures. One newspaper says the reopening of some zones and institutes were forced by this group. 

The whole situation reminds me of a road between Independence Park and the pedestrian Ben Yehuda Mall. A beautiful well engineered road ... with an enormous tree right in the middle. You can't move it ... it's just there. What you can do is work around it.   https://www.timesofisrael.com/fears-of-revolt-said-to-lead-govt-to-okay-school-openings-in-haredi-hotspots/?fbclid=IwAR0fMFXoiqUlBZdWtE5iQ_TVS1n9OjSkzj0x-5MxjHEJVnnl-sNhxKnG4OA

Winter continues to creep in ... last night was 16 degrees. Quite chilly. I just realised why I couldn't sleep well these past nights ... it was too chilly. I've been terribly tired the whole week as I've had alot to do during the day ... so sleepless nights are making things worse. 

I had a visit from 2 of my armenian seminarians this morning. They're twins. They were in Greece for a year studying the language. Now they speak better greek than I. And later I had to bring a sister to the phone shop because the battery in her phone died ... it was the first time in 6 months I went to that area of Musrara. Took advantage by going to the bakery and met the owner Antonio, an arab who grew up in Italy and speaks perfect italian. We chatted and laughed alot. I promised to go back when the lockdown measures are lifted. It was good to meet all these people .... it seems that life is getting back to normal again ... a little at a time. Slow by slow.

Mars and the moon

Mars and the moon

 Infection rates have dropped to its lowest for the duration of this months .... below 2000 I believe. That's good news. Things are finally changing. That means Christmas might still be celebrated after all. However there are still pockets of ultra-orthodox jewish communities who are fighting against lockdown regulations ... their rabbis openly call for defiance and disobedience. On the other hand, a rising number of orthodox rabbis are voicing out discontent with these communities and are calling for measures to be enforced to bring them back to line. In fact the Grand Rabbi of the hassidic sect questioned the values of these dissidents by disregarding the sanctity of life.  https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/hassidic-grand-rabbi-how-has-haredi-community-such-contempt-for-life-645727?fbclid=IwAR3UaeVmAgq6DBM7ROaaLEQS9MUeM2fWRBDBVFkDB3lTBagHXtHrDi7fb_c

The good news is that lockdown restrictions will be relaxed in various areas that are no longer red zones. We can visit people in their homes now ... provided it's not more than 10 people indoors. That means we can go to celebrate Mass for the sisters in the various convents. And some small businesses will be allowed to reopen. Thank goodness. They have suffered much. In fact the other day textile shop owners burned their wares in the streets of Tel Aviv because they have lost too much to recover. It's tragic.  https://www.ynetnews.com/article/r1BN9nrwD?fbclid=IwAR1ZyVRh1irWwrj-OyjDSNd1EJ6AnrUtgeUP_w5Ol0CaX5AuzQq5PSspbeY

Yesterday we received the tragic news that our young friar in Syria met a car accident and died. He was 48 yrs old I think and worked in the village of Latakia, helping the christian families during this war and pandemic. What a tragedy ... just when things are beginning to look positive in Syria. We had already lost 2 friars in Syria because of coronavirus. 

Apparently Mars and the moon cross paths rarely ... and the past few nights we could see the planet and the moon very clearly in the sky. Maybe that's a harbinger of good things to come. We sure could do with some good and positive happenings as 2020 ends. Tomorrow'll be better.

Hope

Amazing sunset yesterday

 Wow ... so Israel and archenemy Lebanon have held talks regarding its shared border. Reports are positive. What a relief. The mutual recognition of states with UAE is leading to a domino effect as more arab countries are gravitating towards friendly relations with Israel. Only Palestine is against it. and it looks like it'll be oeft out of the bandwagon and stands to lose everything. It should take the initiative to change course and work within this tide instead of against it. It needs new blood in its leadership to turn the ship around ... because the dinosaurs who repeat slogans from 40 yrs back are becoming irrelevant. Even it's own public no longer have faith in it.

Yesterday saw one of the most spectacular sunsets this autumn. Almost every social media was filled with photos of the amazing sky taken from different parts of the country. Autumn is always so dramatic. Now all we need is rain. Let's hope the skies don't let us down. I'm thinking of the massive downpours like 30 yrs ago ... thunder, lightening and loud pattering of raindrops on the windowpanes. Yes ... and the occasional electrical outage as well. Nights spent in candlelight in the room studying. That's how it was 30 yrs back.

Infections have dropped to 2000. But the govt has decided to extend the lockdown to Sunday. It should have ended this coming Friday. Many are asking for small businesses to reopen as owners have suffered enough. A clear and calculated exit strategy should be employed ... but here politics override everything. Unfortunately.

Yesterday I met Omar, a shop owner round the corner from our house. He's been closed for 7 months now. He's a young man but now his hair was mostly white and his face was tired. He, like other shop owners come to air their shops once in a while ... the stagnant air speaks of hopelessness and despair. 2 weeks back Abu Sharif, another owner came to do the same. Let's hope for the best. There's nothing else we can do.

Getting colder

Damascus Gate blockade

 Time flies ... It's already almost mid-October and soon it'll be Advent. But it'll be a season totally different because of the pandemic. Shops won't be open to sell panettone or christmas decorations. Some homes might blare out christmas carols. Perhaps the scouts will put up buntings on the streets. But the festive crowds and spirit in the neighborhood will definitely not be around. Maybe it'll be a blessing in disguise ... we who live only several kms away from Bethlehem ... we take it for granted. The last time we couldn't celebrate Christmas was in 2001 during the 2nd Intifada ... when Hamas threatened to burn our churches and kill christians if Christmas were celebrated. That brought a strong sense of unity and resilience in the christian community. Perhaps this time the christians would appreciate Christmas more spiritually and profoundly.

Blockades along the left

It's been several months since I went out of the Old City. Our janitor had to go pick up the laundry so I hitched a ride with him in the car to get to work. I was horrified to see the staircases leading down to Damascus Gate all blockaded with only one small opening where soldiers questioned and checked everyone. Only residents and those with legitimate reasons are allowed to enter. Everyone else is turned away ... even for religious services. The Old City is a corona hotspot and everyone is treated as a suspected carrier. Herod's Gate and New Gate have soldiers as well but the blockade isn't so drastic. Maybe it's because both Gates are much smaller and easier to control. It brings back memories of the war days.

The weather continues to cool down ... last night it was 16 degrees. Chilly enough to put on the blanket. We've seen that the heatwave of summer did not kill the virus ... in fact it got worse. Maybe the cold will. Fingers crossed. I'll need my flu inoculation soon. My weakened system can't handle flu and corona at the same time.

I've survived all these 8 months of lockdown pretty well I think. I still get to go out to buy food and medicine ... and to work albeit 3 hours each time and only 3 mornings a week. What the cloistered nuns advised about how to survive enclosure was very helpful ... have a routine!!! Stick to the routine and break it once in a while for variety. It works!

Pickles

Pickles

 A rather quiet Sunday today. I did my correspondences and reading ... and a little gardening. The change of weather is a good indication for pruning the roses and trees. I trimmed all the geraniums as well. They had become very long and spindly because I didn't prune them last year. 

Later in the morning I went out to buy bread. For 5 shekels I get 8 pittas which lasts me for a week. Also popped into the clinic to see the doctor. I need to register my medical insurance card with him ... but he couldn't do it because my insurance policy is not confirmed due to the lockdown. No one is working in the office to confirm it. The walk out was refreshing ... and several people were in the streets. Lots of police at every corner though but they didn't disturb the pedestrians. Only shops selling food and medicine are open. Next to the bread shop was the pickle shop ... every vegetable imaginable is pickled here. I guess it must be very popular because only shops selling essential foodstuffs can be opened. The odour from the pickles was overpowering. I don't particularly like pickled vegetables.

Infection rates have dropped to the lowest ever this month. That's good news except we see in the news that thousands of israelis were out in the streets last night demonstrating again. And ultra-orthodox jews had attacked police and even set fire on police cars and parts of the neighbourhood. All these are not helping in arresting the infection. 

Right now a dozen of our seminarians are making their solemn professions. It's a difficult time to celebrate under lockdown. None of their families could come over. Everything is being streamed live. However some others who managed to go back to their countries were ordained yesterday. 2 african deacons were ordained yesterday. They had a very circuitous route to get home but they made it. I am happy for them.

10.10.2020

Sunset

 It's Simhat Torah today ... the feast of the Torah. A new cycle of Sabbat torah readings begins this week with Genesis. It's a very joyous affair with jews carrying the Torah scrolls and dancing with it. Police are alerted that crowds will gather and they must enforce the law of distancing ... but if the people are carrying the scrolls, it's sacred and you cannot intervene. In fact the police have told the rabbis that they will not enter synagogues or break up crowds carrying the scrolls. So medics are predicting that a huge surge of infections is expected later this week. That's a disappointment because infection rates have dropped to 4000 a day now. 

The fires in the northern part of the country is slowly subsiding but we just learned that these fires are also occurring in Lebanon. All blame the heatwave. Well Sukkot is over so let's hope the rains come soon. It's hard enough to live with the pandemic ... we don't need forest fires as well. 

Once in a lifetime coincidence ... today is 10.10.2020. And at 10am today I had class. What a memorable moment. 

Looking back into summer, I must say I did most of what I set myself to do. The readings, studying, the food I cooked, the moments of rest and enjoying the sunrise and sunsets ... I guess it was a good summer under lockdown. I couldn't go to Jaffa as I usually would in summer ... but it can wait. Too many infections there. I can't take the risk. Instead I enjoy Sunday mornings ... like tomorrow ... when I wake up early to do my chores then at 5am go up to the terrace to watch the sunrise and eat my breakfast. That's usually a cup of coffee and a sandwich. Then as the sun rises, I pray Lauds or morning prayers facing the Mt. of Olives as the rays spread out over the City. It's a little change of daily routine ... but it's these little things that make lockdown bearable.

Feast end

JJ online

Today is the last day of Sukkot ...  called Hoshana Rabbah. As it ends at sunset, another feast begins, Simhat Torah or the joy of the Law. This morning as I was on my way to work, there was a small crowd of orthodox jews gathered at the 3rd Station entrance praying ... since they cannot enter the Al Aqsa mosque compound which once stood the Temple. I wanted to take some photos but there were so many police and security surrounding them I thought it wiser not to.

It was work as usual this morning at the other office. As I walked through the alleys ... to avoid crowds and police ... I thought of the families behind those doors ... many infected with coronavirus. Social distancing is not an option ... there is simply no space in those tiny apartments, poorly ventilated with one or no windows. And without work, most families can't afford electricity for fans in this heat, food on the table or medicine for the sick. And of course there's the rent ot pay ... it's the first week of the month. This morning I had to go bring aid to one family ... a single mother with 4 schooling children, herself suffering from cancer. With no breadwinner, they face eviction from their tiny one room apartment. And they all are infected with Covid19. I went to meet the youngest daughter in the street to give her money for the rent otherwise they would be living out in the streets, getting sicker because of the virus and possibly spreading it to everyone.

There's a huge forest fire in the central part of the country. It's blamed on the heatwave ... well it's been 30+ degrees in some parts of the country and very dry ... unlike the humid cool nights that we have here up in the hills. Let's hope no one is hurt. Thousands however have been evacuated. It will not be a joyous end of Sukkot for them.

I've just realised how much bonded JJ and Buddy are to me after this 6 months lockdown. We've been together for almost everyday ... and they find it difficult when I leave the room. Separation anxiety. So now with a little more confidence, I bring them out to the corridor for a walk, or down to the refectory and even to my office. I think they enjoy that ... a little outdoor adventure.

Fat cat

Cat eating my
plants

The infection rate today dropped to 4000 ... which is a wonderful surprise. But the ministry of health is calling not to celebrate just yet ... if this is sustained for the next few days then we have cause to celebrate. Otherwise it's just a fluke. I still have to go to work but I avoid the main door and remain in the locked library all the while, avoiding contact with anyone. 

Meantime ultra-orthodox jews continue to riot against enforcement of lockdown rules. I don't envy the police. It's a tough job and getting abused and attacked is all part of the deal.

As the weather continues to cool down, I've started to plant bulbs for Spring. And this morning I pruned the geraniums that had grown wild. And fertilised them quickly so they can recuperate from the trauma and root quickly. That way next Spring will be full of beautiful flowers. Now if only it would rain. Traditionally it rains after the feast of Sukkot ... which this year ends this coming Saturday. If it'll rain like last winter, the drought curse that plagued us for 20 years would be over. It's not a trifle thing ... we have to pay drought taxes for water. If the drought is over, then water will cost less and poor families will not be burdened.

Yesterday I caught a fat cat eating my windmill plant. It trampled and broke a branch of my daisies. I chased it away but the fat cat just leisurely walked away. Now if it starts to dig our my bulbs ... it's war!! I'll be monitoring all my pots everyday ... several times.

Tomorrow is time for my booster injection. The old doctor that I go to has Parkinson's so he has problems trying to aim an injection or hold the syringe in place. Pain? You bet!!!

Cooler

Near empty
market

 Usually Tuesday is my free day to study and work . I have no classes. But now that I have no workers due to the lockdown, and school has started and students are searching for books ... I have to run from 1 library to another to meet the users' needs. 

The police stopped me today but I explained my need to work. They accepted it and allowed me to go my way. Mind you there are many people (relatively speaking) in the streets and the police are not particularly strict. One good news with this lockdown is yesterday's infection rate had dropped to 5000. There is great consternation among laid-off workers and small business owners as the govt is mulling extending the lockdown to Oct 18th. It's a heavy burden for families who cannot afford food, rent and medicine because bread-winners have no work. 

Like I said, our schools have started yesterday ... but all through Zoom or Skype. New students were not granted visas to enter Israel so many remain in Rome or their own countries and have to begin the academic year through distance learning. I'm used to this as I've been teaching and studying like this for over 2 decades. I feel so much more comfortable with this than teaching in person ... mainly because the journey to school exhausts me.

The weather continues to fall ... last night it was 16 degrees. I guess soon the winter blanket has to be brought out. And the small heater too. But meantime the day temp is 26 degrees ... comfortable but still hot if you have to walk 1km under the sun. Still this change is a welcome change to the routine of lockdown. There's a little excitement in the air with this cooling and humidity ... that Christmas is coming. That's a reason to be joyful.

Cool

Breakfast

It's Monday and the weather has dropped quite alot ... 17 degrees in the night. Daytime is 27 degrees so all in all it's very pleasant. This morning there was fog over the City and dew all over the ground... it felt more like Spring. The bulbs are sprouting so it's a good sign. And the sunrise are spectacular ... yesterday as usual on Sundays, I have my early breakfast at 6am on the terrace watching the sunrise and praying Lauds. The sun was directly behind the Russian Monastery bell tower on the Mt. of Olives. Awesome.

And the nights are equally incredible with the full moon shining brightly. The feast of Sukkot is in its 3rd day and the annual priestly blessing took place this morning at the Wailing Wall. Usually tens of thousands of jews would come for the blessing but this year because of corona restrictions, only a handful of jews were there with the chief rabbis and jewish priests. I couldn't go but I watched it online.

Amazing sunrise

There were riots in ultra-orthodox neighbourhoods as police tried to enforce distancing but were rebuffed by the residents. And a crowded funeral of a rabbi in the south resulted in the same fracas ... with arrests and injured. A 92 yr old leading rabbi who encouraged his massive followers not to follow lockdown rules has caught the virus himself. But I doubt he regrets anything. Most of them don't believe there's a viral pandemic. They live in a  different reality. Infections though have fallen to 7000 a day and we hope the trend will continue for the next 2 weeks. The military however is warning not to reopen schools ... that was the cause of the 2nd wave 2 months ago. And the environmental minister who is corona positive, broke lockdown laws by travelling 120 kms for Yom Kippur with her family, and then lied and tried to cover up. It's a sad state of affairs when govt ministers don't follow govt laws, and rabbis control the govt. It dampens any hope of a quick resolution to the pandemic.  

I try to keep myself safe ... wearing mask always and everywhere, washing hands and staying as much alone as possible. My cough is still phlegmatic .. which I hope is a good sign it's not corona. And I'm trying to rest between work. Doc said if I'm tired, my resistence will be lowered and the risk of catching the virus is higher.  

Back again

Full moon over Mt. of Olives

Back again on blog after 2 days of busy preparations. With the lockdown it has been difficult to even buy flowers for our church for the feats of St. Francis today. I was told to go look for flowers so I spent quite some time around the courtyard and terrace cutting roses and plumbargo to decorate the church and refectory. Roses and plumbargo are the only blooming flowers right now as the season changes to autumn. There's also jasmine but this year they are poorly ... small batches that last only one day. Perhaps it's because of the heatwave  we've had the past month.

Yesterday being the eve of St. Francis' feast, there was the traditional solemn vespers with the Transitus which celebrates the passing of St. Francis. Because of the lockdown, our central church was filled only by our resident friars. Each house conducted its own transitus ceremony in private.

Homemade mooncakes

Friday was the Mid-Autumn festival and luckily I had some mooncakes. The chinese sisters also made northern style of mooncakes. For the past 3 days I've been sharing them with some students during afternoon tea ... something which I never do till now. I was trying to lighten the mood of our students who have been in lockdown far too long. A little break from our routine is good.

By the way, this new configuration of blogspot is absolutely awful. You cannot upload a photo without tons of problems. It takes double the time now to write a blog than before.

Well for other news .... we've reached almost 9000 new infections daily. Before the lockdown wehad only 7000. Looks like it's not working ... police are not able to control the religious crowds from gathering during this feast of Sukkot ... nor the huge demonstrations against the govt last night all aorund the country. Reports say it was the biggest gathering yet.

And one morbid fact .... ultra-orthodox jews are purposely getting infected so they get a free staycation in a 5 star hotel during this 8 day feast of Sukkot. Makes your mind reel what a freebie would risk just for a free vacation ... even if it means one of their family die from the virus. This is what the Bible teaches?  https://www.ynetnews.com/article/SJ00I48XIw?fbclid=IwAR3i39pMuOoYaHsKXpzGxrG-Q96lUcWo9jJwboDOYc5MrdEwiQhknBrjb6k

Little Way

Full moon over Mt. of Olives

It's the eve of the Mid-Autumn Festival. I had a box of mini-mooncakes and thought I'd share it with those who would appreciate. I gave one to our filipino student who's a missionary in Taiwan. He liked it. Then I gave one to our romanian student and he liked it very much. I made some chinese tea and we ate it on our terrace but the moon wasn't quite out yet. 

But when it did, it was brilliantly round and full. As the night grew on, the darkness accentuated the moon and the sky was an awesome sight. It's strange that it should be mid-autumn now ... a little early but the fruit have ripen as proof that we're into autumn. I'm hoping to see the leaves on the trees change colour next. But with the lockdown extended to another few days ... imposed just a few hours ago ... it's unlikely I'll get to go out and photograph it.

Mooncakes

On the same day as the Mid-Autumn festival is the jewish feast of Sukkot ... or booths. That's the autumn harvest feast when farmers built wooden booths to store their produce in the fields. It occurs on the autumnal full moon when it is bright enough in the night to work. After the fest ends in 8 days ... the rains should come. The harvest wold have ended, the rains soak the and and readies it for tilling and sowing for the Spring crop ... or as the bible puts it - "the winter wheat".

I'm still immersed in lots of work alone as no workers are allowed to work during this lockdown. That's very tough for me. I try not to rush things ... but it's difficult when some volunteers working from home call me to check this document or photograph that document. This morning I was writing 3 messages at the same time literally ... it was berserk. Anyway the evenings aways end with Mass for the chinese sisters ... via Zoom.

Today is the feastday of St Therese ... with a full moon. Special day ... a silent saint in a midst of pandemic and chaos all around. Perhaps we might still learn something from her ... the little way ... to right the broken world.