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.