New moon, new missal

Full moon

 First Sunday of Advent. And it started with a big change in the italian Missal. It's small changes, unlike the english revision ... but the eucharistic prayers  were quite extensive. Like the english revision, the italian version is a direct translation from the latin. As a result it sounds very stilted and not at all sonorous. It will take some time to get used to it. Officially it takes effect on the first week of Easter, but the Custody decided to start on the 1st Sunday of Advent so everyone gets used to it I'll stick to english.

The full moon is out. Very bright on a cloudless cold night. Well it was very cold during the day too ... between 6 to 12 degrees. I stayed home all day ... cleaning my room slowly as the pain in my right foot is excruciating. At 4pm I decided to go to the money changer as I am all out of shekels. The shekel is very low ... only 3.3 shekels to a US dollar. I bought some food for some of our students who are working so hard to finish their thesis and return home, they don't even eat daily meals. I do what I can to make life less stressful for them ... and that they don't get sick.

Chrysanthemums galore

The cold weather has been good for chrysanthemums. Those in the garden of the MC convent are so profuse they toppled over with heavy and profuse blooms. The sisters cut them and put them in their chapel but there were still many left so they gave them to me. I put them on our little Madonna statue in our refectory. They look fabulous.

Tensions are rising at our eastern border as Iran vowed to bomb Israel if it\s confirmed that Israel assassinated one of its top nuclear scientist. Eilat and Haifa have been mentioned as possible targets. Frightening. I guess the country will be put on red alert for the next days.

Advent eve

Musrara market

 Another cold drizzly day. Temp was no higher than 12 degrees. I had an emergency errand to run early at 8am ... some documentation of a 13th century manuscript. Once done, I rushed home in the cold drizzle, but first a short visit to the MC sisters to give them a sew-on clasp for their humeral veil and to the bakery to buy bread at the Musrara open market. 

At the open market, there were crowds of indian, african and ethiopian migrant workers shopping for cheap products and food, and arab minibus drivers yelling "Tel Aviv" for those who want to go back. These migrant workers usually come to Jerusalem on Saturdays for Mass and then do their shopping. It's a good break from work and the secular environment of Tel Aviv.

Afternoon was still dark and cold, and I had to finish my weekly assignment. I decided to work in my office as the aircon serves also as a heater. Happily I finished it by 4.30pm. I shared with 3 students some sufganiot (jam filled doughnuts) that I had bought from the bakery. It's nice to eat something sweet with hot tea on a dark drizzly afternoon. The students are stressed from writing their thesis as well.

My classmate from 30 yrs back in college died last night. It's very sad for all of us classmates who updated each other regarding her health. After university she studied theology and became a lay missionary ... and a very successful one too. I prayed for her all night and offered all my acute pain in the tooth and foot for her peaceful passing.

Tonight begins Advent. A strange Advent ... under covid restrictions. My Advent wreath is broken in pieces after 10 years. I might just go buy a new one ... something new under very strange circumstances. 

Cold weekend

Winter sky at 4.20pm

It's Black Friday ... and the govt. allowed some shopping malls to reopen. Of course those that were not allowed were very upset and some have opened in defiance. Queues in front of every opened shop. But I noticed only 2 along Ben Yehuda Mall offered Black Friday discounts. All the rest kept to normal prices. It must because they want to recuperate their losses. I had rushed out at the last minute 4.20pm to buy ink. But I was too late. Sabbath had started and almost all shops were closed except a couple of restaurants.

Along the way I saw a beggar huddling under a blanket in front of a Shopping Mall. It's very cold. Today the highest was 12 degrees and the lowest tonight will be 6 degrees. I hope he stays warm.

Beggar by the street

It's been a very hectic day for me, doing work and helping the Chinese sisters settle the bureaucratic process of being gazetted with the govt. Managed to finalize some things. But I'm very dizzy from exhaustion and hunger. And my plantar fasciitis and broken tooth are aching very bad. I'm not sure if I'll be able to walk home safely.

Palestinians have no more public transport as the govt. stopped them. Infection rates have soared. Israel is mulling closing the borders. As a result today we had no workers. Not sure how long this will last. If only people would be less care-less and be public minded in wearing the mask and washing their hands. Distancing is impossible in the small arab enclaves and streets. If this continues, it will badly affect our Christmas celebrations.

Storm

Palm Plaza cold and wet

What a storm! From yesterday rains had begun to fall heavily along the coast and the north. Thunder and lightening and lots of rain. Coastal cities like Tel Aviv were inundated, some places so bad that police had to rescue children from a kindergarten. Underground carparks were flooded ... and these flood waters flowed down to the southern deserts which are low-lying. Many desert roads were closed die to landslips and fallen boulders. 

Here in the central mountains things were less dramatic. We had rain all night, a heavy shower and very strong winds. Temps. fell to 6 degrees last night and today highest temp. was 9 degrees. Winter is back with a vengeance.

MC convent
chrysanthemums

Like several cold spells that we've had previously, winter plants are enjoying this weather. The chrysanthemums from the MC convent are blooming so profusely the sisters had to trim them off as they got top-heavy. And these were planted only in pots! They placed some in their chapel and gave me the rest. Marigolds too are flourishing with huge blooms with deep colours. It's amazing how nature reacts to climate change.

Tomorrow is Black Friday and I think many shops will be packed with people queuing outside for their turn to enter and shop. Normal shops are limited to 4 people at any one time. I think many will prefer to shop online ... but it lacks the thrill touching the products and choosing and comparing. Well, we're in the corona era ... habits and lifestyles must change. We'll just have to get used to it.

The northern border is very tense as yesterday Syria accused Israel of bombing several sites. We're not sure if there'll be retaliations but we'll have to be ready for anything.

Still cold

Sunrise today

 It's midweek. The temp. continue to be under 19 degrees. But the sun is up and very bright. So it doesn't feel so cold. In fact it is quite pleasant. The forecast is for rain today and tomorrow ... probably the coastal region will get wet but up in the central mountains we seldom get any rain.

Yesterday morning Mass on our way back to the monastery, we could smell a horrible  stench ... like burnt tires during the Intifada days. We discovered a fuse had burnt right through on the switch box ... quite badly burnt. It's time we had an electrical overhaul. The house is just too old ... almost 100 years now since it was rebuilt in 1927 after the great earthquake that destroyed most of Israel.

Narrow alley

Yesterday I went home through the alleys instead of the main road outside the City Walls. It occurred to me that the corona infection rate is rocketing in this section of the City ... 1 in 3 are infected. In the whole neighborhood of East Jerusalem there are 2000 infections a day. I was scared. The alleys are narrow and sometimes you have no way to keep distancing when people walk pass. Everyone put their masks on and turn away towards the walls to avoid contact. Good thing I'm chinese ... they see me and think "Corona carrier" ... the kids actually shout aloud and run away. That helps in distancing.

After an afternoon meeting yesterday discussing the rewiring overhaul of the house, I decided to go to out East Jerusalem again. Extra caution going there with double masks and gloves. I had to buy a small heater for one of our african students who's suffering from the cold, and also buy stationary for the libraries. I took a little detour to the only christian shop in that area which sells christ, as decorations. I try to help out that family every year by buying a couple of cheap things to give away to other poor families. It's the Christmas spirit ... and this year we really need it more than ever. 

Even colder

Dark rain clouds all day

And the new week begins ... with a very cold snap. Last night was 7 degrees and today at satire it was no higher than 17 degrees. The sky was dark from yesterday and there was a slight drizzle. In the western coastal cities, there were floods, storms and emergency rescues. Very dramatic. A sewage system broke in the north-east of the country and raw sewage burst into the Mediterranean Sea. Govt has been warning people not to enter the sea all along the coast because of the contamination. Yuck.

Corona infection rates have risen to 8,000+. The govt is again warning of tightening restrictions while shop owners have disregarded all caution and opened their shops even if they're non-essential. It's appalling. Yesterday I went to East Jerusalem to buy stationary for the library ... and all the main road, shops were open. Maybe one out of every 15 shops were closed. Though people wore masks, there was no social distancing. It was quite scary!

Empty plaza due to cold

I've been testing my work momentum and have found a workable system to fit my studies and work. As long as I finish each week's assignment by Friday every week, I should have time for my normal routine during the weekends. So today Monday, I have to start reading and collecting material for my weekly written assignment for next week. Sounds like chasing after the train, but it's exciting. So many new things to learn. I get up early each night at 2am to study. That's the only time I'm free from obligations.

My plantar fasciitis and broken tooth are both making life difficult. Both are very painful. I'll just have to live with it till they go away. The cold is not helping one bit as muscles and ligaments tend to tighten more. I'll have to keep my room warm.

Cold

Crowded Jaffa street today

 It is cold! Last night was just 9 degrees! That kind of temp. should come only at the end of December and in January. It rained today in Tel Aviv and the coastal cities, but up in the Judean mountains, we only had a drizzle. Still it was cold ... 12 degrees during the day. I've had my heater on all night to keep warm.

Outside the City was busting like there was no lockdown. The only difference is most people are wearing the mask. People who take off the mask when the area is devoid of people will put them on when you walk pass them. Even the rebellious youths put the mask back on after taking them off to snap photos. And the police are everywhere. In East Jerusalem they don't bother catching people without masks ... but in the jewish western part, they are strict. Today being Sabbath, local jews come to visit the Old City in groups with a guide. And migrant workers come too ... to attend Mass and enjoy the open air.

Migrant workers at Palm Plaza

Today Ah Ling of Mandarin restaurant cooked up a huge load of food for me ... again. She did it for the last 2 weeks. Half a dozen mantou and gigantic meat bao, one huge chives you bin, a plate of scrambled eggs with fresh chives, 2 fried fish and a plate of fried noodles. She said she was afraid I had no food to eat during this time of relaxed lockdown.But with so much food, I usually share it with the students or M. Teresa's sisters. Billy and Linda of Mian restaurant are also very good to me. Every 2 weeks they boil medicinal soup for me.  

Tomorrow is the last Sunday of the Liturgical year. 2020 is almost over. Let's hope things will get better by Christmas. Tourists are not likely to come back by then, but at least if we could only celebrate Mass together. Infection rates continue to be around 500 a day so that's good news for us. May Advent bring good news to all ... by vanquishing this pandemic.

Stromata

Amazing skies

Facebook and Blogspot still under attack. Our IT expert thinks it's a virus that has spread to other computers in our workspace, that's why none of them can access these 2 apps. It's widespread. Hopefully both companies do something about it soon.

The weather continues to hover below 20 degrees during the day and as low as 12 degrees in the night. I think Christmas will be alot colder ... maybe snow as well ... at least that's what we hope.

The govt has allowed zoos and restaurants to reopen in tourist spots ... in fact tourist cities like Eilat will be opened. They need the tourist dollar to pull up the economy. However it's unlikely any tourists will come because their own countries will require them to be in quarantine after their return. Infection rates still are around 500 a day. I am enjoying the quiet streets and silence during the day. I can walk freely in the streets without jostling with tourists. 

My plantar fasciitis is still hurting me very much, making walking almost impossible. But once I start walking for 10 minutes, the sole loosens up and the pain goes away. But I must keep walking. If I stop, the pain returns immediately. 

Tensions up in the north with Syria are growing as Israel bombed Damascus yesterday. I just even Gaza in the south will become tense in the next few days. It's unlikely all out war will break out ... the pandemic is doing a good job in keep everyone at a distance. Something good is coming out of this coronavirus. 

Bombarded

Bro. Lorenzo &
clothes donation

My facebook has been hacked and now I cannot enter it except sometimes through my cellphone.  Or rather I think it's something else - when someone repeatedly bombards my page with so many views, the page collapses. This is so frustrating. Now I don't know what to do. Any suggestions?

So my heel pain is diagnosed as plantar fasciitis due to too much walking and flat foot. I'll have to walk less ... which is impossible. But getting insoles in the shoes is possible. I'll go to a podiatrist as soon as I can walk there. Hahahahahaha.

For the past 2 weeks I've been gathering donations of clothes and medicines and transporting them to the MC convent in Bethlehem. The sudden cold has made the poor people suffer much, especially because there is no electricity. They need thick winter clothes. bethlehem is higher in altitude than Jerusalem so it usually is several degrees colder. Some seminarians help me load the bags of donations unto the car each time as I'm unable to do it all by myself. But after 3 transfers, the borders have been closed and now we're not able to enter the town from Israel. Anyone who enters Bethlehem or the palestinian Territories must be quarantined for 14 days. That's really tough for the people inside in the territories. To show you how a=bad the situation is, UNRWA is appealing for help as they're down in funds. America had cut off funding so the agency cannot provide food, medicine, education to the palestinians. Please pray that our small amount of help is able to get in there soon.

There's been clashes among citizens today when outdoor malls were allowed to open. Crowds lined up for hours to buy clothes and other stuff, and shops are allowed only 4 persons inside each time. As a result tempers flared and verbal and physical clashes resulted. It's so unfortunate that people no longer learn to bear with one another anymore.

Chill

Winter rose

 Monday ... and it's chilly. Noon time was no higher than 19 degrees though the sun was shining brightly. I went to work at 8.30am in a T-short and a light autumn hoodie. But by noon it was chilly enough that I had to wear a thicker hoodie over the autumn hoodie. People outside were wearing down jackets and woollen beanies. Food stalls selling hot food were making brisk business as people stopped to eat or drink something hot to keep warm. 

And in the Christian Quarter, shops have opened selling christmas decorations. It's not even Advent. And such shops are considered non-essential. But the police close an eye. It's the festive season and people need business. People are too poor to buy these decorations this year, but we pray even a little business might help bring some cheer to some others.

The chilly weather is making the roses bloom in clusters. My little terrace with a row of 10 rose bushes are very fragrant with the blossoms. And the marigolds are also blooming. It's wonderful to see the golden flowers with the pink roses together. The Spring bulbs on the other hand  are sprouting lots of strong leaves. I think their blossoms next year will be profuse. Looking forward to them.

Meantime my right heel is hurting even more. Walking is excruciating and I limp badly as a result. Still I continue to walk because if I don't, the muscles and nerves might get worse. And yesterday the sisters of Ivrea called to say one of their teachers in their kindergarten tested positive for coronavirus so their kindergarten is closed from today and all the sisters had to get tested. I was there the whole of last week to celebrate Mass ... so I hope I didn't catch it. I'll be watching for the symptoms.

Feast day

On MC blackboard

 Another very busy week. One main event was the storm that came overnight during midweek. Thunder and lightening. The coastal cities were inundated but Jerusalem only had a few hours of showers. Still it was good ... it felt like winter. Towards Friday it was sunny again though temp. never went beyond 20 degrees. Last night again we had thunder and showers all night. It's about 16 degrees right now and very dark gloomy skies. You could see everyone in winter clothes ... hoodies and thick jackets. It's so cold at night that I have my small heater on.

MC nuns with gifts

Last Tuesday was my feastday - St. Leo the Great. I went to Bethlehem to deliver medicines to the MC nuns and they prepared a cake for after Mass with them. They had the usual song and dance (literally). Tambourines and arab drum banging loudly to their songs. And they also had quails' eggs which a neighbour gave them! Haven't eaten them in ages! They gave me a dozen to bring home. The sisters here care for several handicap men whom families have abandoned. It was good to be with the sisters and celebrate the feastday.

Cake & quails' eggs

Work continues to be very demanding. Constant requests for books to be scanned or photocopied are numerous and I cannot manage anymore as the photocopy machine finally broke down under the load. 

Healthwise my right heel and left ankle continue to hurt very much. Even the right knee is weak and I fell several times. And a tooth cracked so it hurts as well. Not a good week. But life goes on. The viral infection remains at 500+ a day so that's good news for us. Let;s hope 2021 brings us better luck!

Panettone homemade

 

Sunrise at Rockefeller Park

The weather continues to be cold and humid .... feels like rain, there was thunder this evening and the sky is red ... but we're not quite sure. Last night was 13 degrees and the highest today was 19 degrees. Chilly but pleasant. This week is my turn to go to the Sisters of Ivrea convent to celebrate Mass. It's 1km outside the Old City, and though many of our younger guys could get there in 10 mins, I need 25 mins to half an hour. Old age has caught up, and my painful ankle and knee and asthma just carry the old body for 1km anymore. I leave at 5.30am which is very dark during this winter, and when Mass ends the sun is just rising at 6.30am. I have to pass by the Rockefeller Park and the sunrise there is beautiful. 

It's been a full morning of financial work at our economato today  ... I get to greet all the workers there, some I have known for decades. It's good seeing them. After dealing with all the transations for bying books and renewing subcriptions, I managed to get a sum of money to buy medicines for M. Teresa's sisters in Bethlehem. They need alot of medicine now that the flu season has started. The poor and handicap that they care for have low resistance, and with the corona pandemic still hanging around, the situation is not good for them. So the sisters asked for lots of medicines. I guess I'll need a couple fo seminarians to help me carry them. It's literally a carload.

Homemade panettone

Tomorrow is my onomastico ... or feastday or patron saint's day ... St. Leo the Great. My community decided to celebrate it yesterday (Sunday) instead when everyone is home. One of our students baked 4 panettone ... a christmas bread. That was great ... nobody here has seen how panettone is baked before. There was also a chocolate cake baked by our new cook Georgette. And there was roasted lamb for the main dish! My favourite! It was cooked till it was so tender, the meat slipped off the shank. It was a good meal ... one of the rare moments when I actually eat a full meal at a proper mealtime! 

Retreat day

 Back on the blog again. As you can see I've been up to my neck with work ... no time even to eat. I eat only one meal at 3pm as every hour is packed with some work or other. It's hectic. But I try to get as much work finished as possible and not leave it for tomorrow.

Bethesda Pool archeological
site

Yesterday I had a good break though. Went to next door St. Anne's Church which includes the Bethesda Pool where Jesus healed the paralytic by the pool. The chinese sisters and I and Fr. Abraham our student who's a missionary in Taiwan decided to have a day's retreat.  It was a great place. Despite being inside the Old City and surrounded by muslim houses, the enormous grounds were very silent. Birds chirp and sing among the huge cypress trees, bees buzzing through the rosemary bushes ... even a preying mantis was basking in the sun. We spent the day meditating on the explanations of the Fathers of the Church regarding the healing of the paralytic at this Pool of Bethesda. At 5pm we ended with a Mass ... and it was very dark by then. Using torchlights to get to the main gate, we noticed lots of frogs and toads jumping all over the ground. I've not seen toads and frogs all these 30 years here. It was amazing. I guess it's because of the abundance of water in the pools that's letting these amphibians breed. All in all it was a good refreshing day .... no work, no phones, no computers.

Our Patriarch comes home

Our Patriarch has returned to claim his diocese. It was a very low key affair as corona restrictions don't allow large gatherings. The Patriarch made his solemn entry through Jaffa Gate ... a ritual since Crusader times late in the night. Clerics and lay people had gathered to welcome him ... and tough the police were there, they did not stop the procession. The installation of the Patriarch which usually takes place in the co-cathedral in solemn ceremony was reduced to a reading of the papal decree around a meeting table. The annals of the patriarchate will not let this unusual event go by without photographic and audio/visual testimony.

I'm back in reality ... and even though it's Sunday, I've started work. Another gruelling schedule this week. Need food reinforcement ..... hahahahahahahaha.

Winter storm

Storm over Bethlehem

 One of the biggest storms we've had all year ... floods in the southern cities and desert. Jerusalem being up in the mountains, was hit by the storm till last night and today. Strong winds and heavy rain brought the temperature down to 13 degrees during the day. Everyone had sweaters and woollen clothes on. It felt like the middle of winter. I had to use my small heater last night as I was shivering in the early morning hours.

I had to go to Bethlehem this morning to bring food and money to M. Teresa's sisters. Our seminarians had helped me bring 6 bags of winter clothes to them yesterday. They were too heavy for me to carry alone. Their convent had no electricity due to the storm. But after one minute after my arrival, it came back on. What a relief! We had Mass and I asked the sisters for some rose cuttings. The rose plants I gave them several years ago have huge blooms .... very healthy. I wanted to plant them in pots in my house now ... a sort of return home for the roses. The sisters also cooked chapati for me to celebrate my feast day next week. That was nice of them. I might stop by again next week to bring more winter clothes

Bethlehem street in rain

The streets in Bethlehem were packed with people, shops and hawkers plying their trade despite the storm. Some people wore masks but majority did not. Distancing is an impossibility in the narrow packed streets. No wonder the infection rate there is very high. In fact the main checkpoint to enter Bethlehem from Israel is closed. There is a danger that carriers from the town might enter Jerusalem and cause another spike in the infection. I had to enter Bethlehem from another village 3 kms south and returned to Jerusalem through the desert route passing Shepherds Field.   

The weekend is forecast to see sunny weather again. Strangely I hope it won't last too long. It's winter and rain and snow is part of Christmas.

Storm

Altar of our cemetery

 What a storm we had last night. It wasn't as strong as last winter's but the lightening show was spectacular. And low thunder rumbling in the background as well. In the southern desert there was hail, and the lowland deserts were flooded by rain flowing from the cities in higher ground. Let's hope it rains and rains as much as possible ... it'll make up for the last 15 years of drought.  https://www.timesofisrael.com/storms-batter-south-and-center-of-israel-flooding-some-roads/?fbclid=IwAR2HM-qqGSbO_oz1ijgy-b2_DRPaFCFlG01aqK7LH_ANESEeBwjIlJOp4Uc

Oscar Schindler's tomb

It's All Souls Day today. Immediately after Mass, I went to our Catholic Cemetery to pray and bless the tombs of our friends and confreres. It's over 1km south of the Old City, along the slopes of the Hinnom Valley. The ground was wet and muddy from last night's rain. Our indian sisters came along with me, as well as our retired cook Nadia and Abraham, our filipino student-priest. I went first to the tomb of our chinese friend who's ashes are buried here. He had always wanted to visit the Holy Land but died before he could. Then next to him is our cook who died 10 months ago. Then blessing the relatives of Nadia and our other workers. Then I went to bless the armenian catholic tomb further up the slope. After that, I brought the sisters to our franciscan cemetery up on Mt. Zion, some 100 meters uphill. There are buried many of my professors and friars whom I've known for the past 30 years. It was good to recall some memories of them. Anyway it was flowers and holy water all round. Lastly we visited the tomb of Oscar Schindler. And if you don't know him yet ... shame!   

Virus infection rates have risen by a 100+ and experts are worried it's going to be another spike after a months lockdown. It was going good ... from 9000 to 500. But with the reopening of schools, it spells bad news. Schools were the prime cause of the 2nd outbreak.

My legs have been giving me problems for the last week. Swollen and feeling like logs. Sharp pain at every step I take. I feel like I cannot walk anymore. And with the high humidity these days, I get asthma easily. So walking to work is now a severe trial. It takes me almost 40 minutes to slowly make the journey ... which for the younger guys, a mere 10 minutes suffice. Perhaps my time is near .... All Souls Day is a good reminder.

News

Archbishop receives pallium

Last Friday was the muslim feast of Mohammed's birthday. The streets were packed with people all through Saturday. And there were protests against the French President  in the Al Aqsa compound as well. Newspapers say several muslims were arrested. It's ok to kill christians according to them ... and they expect the world to acquiesce. The world must not give in to this blackmail. If Europe does not take a firm stance against islamic terrorism, it will soon be overrun and run by them. 

Anyway our Apostolic Administrator, Archbishop Pizzaballa, was named by the pope as the new Patriarch of Jerusalem. He received the pallium or neck band as a symbol of his authority frmo the pope. It's very unexpected as the past 2 patriarchs were arabs. Many local christians are very happy but I know there are some, even religious, who are not happy. Too bad for them. I spoke to the archbishop 2 days after his appointment. He was my classmate 30 yrs back. He wanted me to be at the installation ceremony in Jerusalem but I told him I will not go. He asked why and I said it's the saddest day for us as I know he really doesn't want this job and once as patriarch he'll be isolated in his palace and no longer free to see me. I guess he realised that and was sad too ... because he never replied for 2 days. We had been very very good friends all these 30 years. It was 2 days later that we spoke again ... accepting the fact that things have changed now that he is a major prelate and public figure.

Sunset

While corona infections have dropped significantly, some major events still show that people are reckless and never consider their role in spreading the pandemic. Firstly the weekly Sabbath protests against the PM continues in many cities, in the thousands. Then yesterday Druze worshippers forcefully removed the body of their leader who died of corona in a public hospital and got him buried despite protests from the govt and health officials. And of course the reopening of schools ... something which health experts warned against.        https://www.timesofisrael.com/mass-funeral-held-for-druze-leader-in-defiance-of-virus-restrictions/?fbclid=IwAR2Oq71DrxUQluAC10BInVQ5LrRnc_ru5frRbODXKYx8xs8N_xuUaAkvDIw

Anyway the full moon is up, winter shows up every night ... down to a chilly 16 degrees, though daytime is still around 24 degrees. Christmas is in the air.