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.