Crowds

Full moon over Mt. of Olives

The past 2 days I've been very busy writing my 8 page course paper on Christology. It's been a very interesting online course, studied from the perspective of Coptic christianity. Managed to complete it this morning. Then it was a couple of hours of rest. Buddy and JJ were particularly happy because I could now spend some time playing with them. In fact we had a good half hour napping together. 

Purim started on Friday ... and despite curfew imposed for 4 nights to prevent crowds from partying and spreading Covid, people continued to flock and party in every City. And we're talking about thousands and thousands of people, from secular Jews to ultra-orthodox. And the police went on record to say they will not strictly enforce the ban on gatherings. So ... a mockery of the law, and an expected spike in infections in the next 2 weeks. It's utterly inconceivable that such open flouting of health rules can take place. But it is.  https://www.timesofisrael.com/more-illegal-purim-partying-saturday-as-hundreds-converge-on-jaffa-flea-market/?fbclid=IwAR0xYHYN_54yJSo7cmWDLqsFEESgqtdpN4fkYsHc5GGCykzro5Zfn11pGic

Purim crowds without masks

Tomorrow the Purim curfew ends; but Palestine will start a 12 day lockdown as infections have reached a peak and hospitals only have 5% available beds left. The health system is crashing. Luckily Israel today has decided to vaccinate 120,000 palestinians who come to Israel to work on a daily basis. They will be the carriers in and out of both countries ... and they must be first to be inoculated in order to break the cycle of infections.

A bright full moon has been shining in our night sky for the past few nights. And the weather, though sunny during the day at 17 degrees, is quite cold in the night ... around 4 degrees. I still have my thick winter blankets to keep me warm. 

Prayers for you

Tomb of Christ

Yesterday was so hectic with work ... which included running around various places in the City bit New and Old ... that I got home totally exhausted and feet dreadfully swollen. I had to hobble home in the cold, left ankle swollen and right foot with plantar fasciitis, both excruciatingly painful ... walked 1km home. I put Salonpas medicine on both feet and fell asleep immediately. 

While out yesterday, I took advantage of going to the Holy Sepulchre Basilica to pray. It was very quiet. A few indian migrant workers making the Way of the Cross and taking photos. A small group of Ethiopic women were praying on their knees. The Basilica looked very clean ... with no trash left by tourists. There was a solemn silence. I prayed for you all ... and also for Sr. Gabriella, an elderly nun who once worked in the 3rd Station. She's back in Rome critical with Covid ... intubated and unconscious. The other sisters tell me it's a bleak outlook and they are prepared for the worse. 

Praying

Tonight the jewish feast of Purim begins. Since it includes a Sabbath, an extra day of the feast is added to include Sunday. News is out that the govt is to enforce a lockdown for 4 days to stop revelers from gathering and spreading the virus. The number of infections have been dropping but today, with the onset of Purim, it started to rise again. This is despite over 50% of the population having received the vaccine. The public should seriously put aside their selfish claims to rights and think about other people ... 

Today has been another hectic day ... I was awake at 1am because of asthma and it made my whole morning very difficult to pass. Luckily one of our students came to help me this morning by throwing out the garbage; then he helped me a heavy bag of books to M. Teresa's convent, and accompanied me up to my workplace to make sure I didn't collapse from asthma. It was very nice of him. Since then I've been having classes, then several visit s to our financial office only to find the head of dept. is not around even though he told me to come today to see him. 

Last rain

Dressed for
Purim

 Talk about something fishy ... right now I see there are 520 views on my blog today ... when usually it's between 25-40 a day. I don't have so many friends. So obviously something doesn't smell right. Like my phone number continues to be used by someone else. Last month's bill was double the normal. And people who try to call me still say someone else is answering the phone. It's all very terrible and disturbing.

It's drizzling now. The sky is orange and grey. The last raindrops of winter as forecast. We've not had as much rain as last year ... but I guess it's enough for the crops to grow well this summer. I'm thinking of summer already ... a holiday at our house in Jaffa ... something I've planned every year but I think it's been 3 years now, maybe 4 that I've not actually done it. I owe it to myself. I've worked too hard all these years without a holiday. And Buddy and JJ would have a chance to get out of my room.

Rainy sky

So now I'm free from Covid ... but I can't have the vaccine because of my asthma and allergies. That's no fun. The doc at the clinic told me to take a chance and get the vaccine ... but when I think of a possible anaphylactic shock ... I'm not too convinced.

I'm now stressed out trying to prepare a class, a video script and getting financial help for poor students at the same time. When I was younger, I could have multi-tasked easily. Now I've slowed down alot ... doing only one thing at a time. And I've become very forgetful ... not knowing what or why I was at a place. It's scary. I'm hopeless with names ... but now it's getting worse. Even people I see everyday, I can't recall their names. And that goes for faces as well. One day I'll wake up not knowing who I am.

Negative

Soaking the sun

 The cold is still hanging in the air ... 5 or 6 degrees during the day at most. And tomorrow the forecast is for rain. It's tricky because the sun is shining brightly but if you go out, you'll feel the cold wind cutting through your bones. But that hasn't stopped many people coming out to soak in the sun while covered in thick woollen jackets. A little life ... a little normality. Masks are worn but no social distancing ... the lockdown was eased yesterday so shops have reopened and place are becoming crowded again. But the jewish feast of Purim is on Thursday and crowds are expected to gather and make merry ... raising the chances of another infection spike. So the govt has warned of an inevitable lockdown these coming days ... at least night time curfews.

Just got my antibody blood test results ... negative. That means I was not infected last month ... which means I have no antibodies against corona ... which means I do not get a green pass ... which means I can't go to many places. What a bummer.

Strawberries!!

One sure sign Spring is round the corner .... strawberries. They're sold at every corner of the Old City. I think most are from Gaza where the best strawberries come from. In fact they're exported to Europe. I bought a box for our indian sisters in the kitchen, a box for the students and one for myself and Buddy and JJ. I don't particularly like strawberries ... but it's a rite of seasonal change to eat them. So why not.

My left ankle ... the old injury of being twisted ... is playing up. It hurts very bad and I'm hobbling because my right foot has plantar fasciitis. Get me a wheelchair!!! I'm in alot of pain when I walk.

A terrible mysterious oil spill has polluted the entire stretch of beaches from north to south of the country. A whale died and many other smaller marine life. Volunteers who went to clean the beaches got sick due to toxic gases, It's really horrible. And nobody knows from where it's coming from. 

Busy week

Snow studded
palm

 It's the 1st Sunday of Lent. The morning was spent preparing the laundry, cleaning the aquarium and getting ready for the new week. It will be chocked full of work ... I think I'm losing control of it. Simply too much to handle. I think I'll have to sleep a few hours less in order to get all that work done. What a way to start the Chinese New Year ... working like an ox.

It's still very cold today and though lots of people are in the streets, they're covered thick in woollen clothes and hoods. There was still a pile of snow stacked up in a corner of Tsahal Square. But where the snow has melted, trees and plants are budding profusely. That's the cold shock they needed to get into Spring. The earth is saturated and the summer crop of fruit and vegetables will be plentiful and large.

Sadly a 2nd fetus has died of covid here .... this time with the mother. The new strain is fatal to young pregnant women and babies. And I'm not sure if any vaccine can fight that strain yet. Anyway my result is still not out. I spoke with the doc in charge this morning and he said he'll send it as a message to me. Hasn't arrived yet. In a way I'm hoping it's positive so I have antibodies and can get a green pass and lead a more normal life. That's the rule as of today. Green pass holders can go to restaurants, shopping malls, gyms, archeological parks, libraries and places of worship. Those without it cannot enter any of these places. 

Tram track in
snow

In the afternoon I had to go help a poor family and also to buy my medicine. Found out this morning I only had 5 tablets left. And being locked in for so long, I decided to treat myself to a burger. Went to Iwo's ... run by christian arabs. They gave me a huge burger which was enough to fill me for 2 meals. So no dinner for me. And I also visited my friends working at Jungle petshop ... it was good to catch up with friends. I brought them some precious chocolate cryptocoryne which is not available in Israel. They grow profusely in my tank and as I was trimming the plants in there this morning, I brought 5 beautiful plants for them, plus lots of christmas fern. They were very happy and gave me 50% off for the seeds I bought for Buddy and JJ. The boys are feeling better today as the sun was shining. Back to their playful selves.

More cold

Damascus Park in snow

 It was freezing last night ... even though the thermometer says 5 degrees. It felt colder than when it snowed. And everyone else felt it too. I was hiding under my blanket at 5pm and struggled to sleep till midnight when I woke up ... too cold to sleep. Both heaters were not enough. I won't want to go through another night like that again. Well today the sun was shining ... but the cold remained if you stayed indoors and under the shade.

Dome of the Rock in snow

So I went out for a long walk in order to catch the sun and stay warm. I had to stock up for the following weeks ... so first it was a trip to the bakery for bread, then to the stationary shop to get writing materials, a walk around East Jerusalem and then back home ... one hour in all. Then I realised that I forgot to bring home a bag of stuff I bought, so I went back to the shop to pick it up. An extra walk not planned. I got lots of fresh air and exercise.

Meantime news is Israel will allow tourists with green passports i.e. having had 2 vaccine shots. Maybe as early as April or May. Well it will be good news for many businesses. But let's hope it's done safely and don't lead into more crises. The strategy must be well conducted and organised. 

Let's hope Spring weather jumps back tomorrow ... I'm looking forward to summer; even though I know I won't have the time to enjoy it.

Day after

Snow at Damascus Gate

 The snow has stopped but it drizzled all morning and afternoon. The snow has mostly melted though in some areas under the shade, snow can still be seen. The temp however is still very low .... the highest was 5 degrees at noon. I wanted to stay home and do some writing but was called to the other library because some students needed to photocopy some old maps. Walking up and  back was a scary affair. The worn out stone pavements and steps were very slippery ... and I was deathly afraid of falling. Confound that with a swollen left ankle. Twice my foot slipped but I caught myself in time and avoided a fall down some 35 steps. I wish I had a pair of 100% anti-slip shoes. I'd be more confident walking in the rain and snow next time.

Palm trees under snow

First Friday of Lent ... that means fasting and abstinence. However the docs have advised that we should avoid a strict fast and eat something light during the day because with the cold weather, our resistance is low and we can catch an illness easily. Now we surely don't want that. I ate a bowl of Instant Noodles. I guess it made me more sick than catching the virus. Anyway I've decided to spend my Lent meditations on reading the Fathers of the Church. I think it'll be interesting because there are also audio readings on Youtube ... so I don't have to use my tired eyes all the time.

I need to look for another blanket ... last night I was so cold I couldn't sleep. 

Snow storm

Damascus Gate under snow

 What a storm! It wasn't as heavy as 7 years back ... which was the last time we actually had snow ... but 3 inches of snow is impressive! The temp fell to zero degrees and the snow came ... to everyone's delight! It started in late afternoon with sleet and hail, then flakes of snow began to float about in the air as a very strong wind tossed the City around. By 6pm it was heavy enough to blanket the roofs and windshields of parked cars. Children and youths were out in the streets trowing snowballs and taking photos. I went out to Damascus Gate with a student and we took lots of photos while the snowstorm ... really a storm as the wind was carrying snow and sleet beating down, cutting the skin. And the cold is dreadful. We hurried home after 30 minutes.

Damascus Gate park in snow

Later at 2am, I went up to our roof-terrace where we can see the Dome of the Rock Mosque very clearly ... about 500 meters away. Illuminated by strong lights, the golden dome looked very bright with snow capping its top. Then at 3.30am I went out to Damascus Gate again to photograph the scene with tick snow accumulation on the ground. However there were many youths who came in cars, taking photos, throwing snowballs and being rowdy. The snow on the ground was all trampled and mucky. Anyway I still managed to take some very good photos.

Palm Plaza in the snow

The rest of this morning saw the snow slowly recede and temp. rose to 5 degrees. The snow melted and the ground is all wet and slippery. But we did get a white winter. We did play in the snow. Now we're ready for Spring 2021.

Enjoy the pics!

Ash Wednesday

Dark skies this morning

 It rained very heavily in the night ... and temps dropped to 2 degrees. But there was no snow in the south. But up in the north a snow storm raged, blocking roads and keeping people indoors. Emergency services were out in force, clearing roads and checking on elderly and sick. The rains in the south here turned to hail at several moments in the afternoon and the sky was very dark. And the winds were very strong. Forecasters say the snow shall reach us this evening. I'll be prepared ... I'm planning to go out to Damascus Gate park to take some photos. They say the snow will melt very quickly so I must take advantage of the few minutes when it collects on the ground.

Empty Damascus Gate

It's Ash Wednesday and we're fasting in this cold. It's very difficult and at 3pm I had to make a cup of hot tea to stay warm. I'm spending the afternoon listening to the lenten sermons of the Fathers of the Church ... audio readings on Youtube. Some translations from the greek are literal and very difficult to understand because the grammar and idiom are very stilted and artificial. I wish someone would make a modern translation with normal english grammar and idiom so it's understandable.

I'll have to go check the skylights if rain is leaking through and down into the library. It's a scary moment every time it rains and snows. Thousands of dollars worth of books could be destroyed.

No snow?

Heavy rain clouds this morning

The sky was very dark this morning and the temp dropped a few degrees. We're all expecting the snowstorm reported by all news media. But towards noon, the sun came out and shone brightly. All our hopes were dashed. It's now 4pm and the sun is still out though there're lots of clouds in the sky. According to the forecast it should be raining now. What a disappointment. Still things could change in a couple of hours ... things here change in a wink of an eye.

I went to the Clalit clinic for my appointment to get an antibody test. Luckily yesterday I made an appointment instead of showing up on a walk-in basis. The clinic was full but the doc let me in first because my appointment was at 9am. The nurse who took my blood was very good. I expected the usual pain but instead felt nothing. When I turned to look, a phial of blood was already collected and the nurse put a bandage over my arm and said I could go. Great experience. I'm hoping to be tested positive ... because I can get my green passport and can go to shopping malls, restaurants, gyms, churches with more than 10 people. Otherwise I'm barred from all these. Israel will reopen slowly this Sunday but anyone without a green passport cannot enjoy this privilege.

MC home made jam

I received a jar of orange jam made by the MC sisters in Nablus. The oranges were from their own garden. It was very nice. I ate some with my bread this morning. Delicious. Not too sweet as they know I'm diabetic.

Tomorrow is Ash Wednesday. It's a Fast day so I'll be skipping lunch and dinner.  If it snows, then I'll be home studying. I don't intend to go out anyway. But knowing my luck, I'll be called out to do some emergency errand. That's penance.

Snow?

Chinese dinner from the nuns

 News is all over the media and streets ... it will snow on Wednesday or Thursday. It's exciting for many ... but worrisome for me. With no snow for the past 5 years, I'm not sure if our skylights and roofs are able to withstand a snowstorm. Yes, it will be a storm. All the news say the same thing. If the snow comes, it will be massive.

Though I planned to stay home today, I was called out to work on an emergency. Ramallah in Palestine will be closed for 4 days from tomorrow due to the pandemic and one of my library workers who lives there will be locked in. I had to search for a room for him to stay overnight here in Jerusalem. After frantic phone calls and emails, I managed to secure a room in our hostel. After all the arrangements, there was also collecting books from the Printing Press, payments and visiting a few poor families to check on them. Then it was a quick return home to catch up with reading.

At the barber's

On the way home, I saw many small shops opened ... against lockdown rules. The barber's was packed with youths ... who needed a haircut after the 1 month strict lockdown. Small restaurants were opened and owners standing at the doors, waiting futilely for business. It was a sad sight. I went to buy a sandwich from a poor family restaurant ... they are struggling to survive ... a young couple with 3 young children and caring for their aged father as well. 

News just out - all shops, businesses, places of worship and cultural venues will reopen this Sunday. Health experts are warning against it. Me? I will keep safe, wear masks, wash hands and limit my outings. I have no choice since I cannot be vaccinated. Tomorrow I must go for a medical test to see if I was infected by the virus.

Meantime the chinese sisters continue to cook meals for me. Yesterday they cooked rice with sweet-sour chicken, with spicey vegetables. It was very delicious. If it snows for the next few days ... my source of hot meals will end.

CNY day 3

Animal buns

 It's Valentine's Day but it's not celebrated here ... being a jewish state and the fast is christian. But it's the 3rd day of the New Year and early this morning, like all Sundays, I had a chinese vegetable bun for breakfast. The chinese sisters are very good at making chinese delicacies ... and I'm lucky to receive them! They made sesame buns in the shape of the animals of the chinese zodiac ... plus a porcupine! They also cooked a lovely lunch of rice and spicey spinach and sweet-sour chicken. So the New Year isn't so bad under partial lockdown ... I still get chinese food.

Though the weather was fine today, we're told a storm is coming our way by Wednesday. There's a heavy snowstorm in Greece and Turkey and it'll blow into our region by then ... and snow is expected. It's a bit late for snow ... many Spring flowers have already blossomed and the snow will kill them. The anemones in my terrace garden are blooming and the Freesias have budded.

I don't have classes this week so I'll get to sleep a little more. So I'm sleeping early and get more hours of rest tonight.

CNY day 2

Ancient olive trees in
Gethsemani

 2nd day of the New Year. The sun was bright and the weather was very good ... a cool 17 degrees. In the morning a group of profs and myself went down to the Garden of Gethsemani to view the new excavations, led by our head archeologist. It was a nice walk ... the Kidron Valley was full of wild flowers ... purple rosemary, red anemones, yellow daisies. The excavations were impressive. There was a surprise find of a jewish ritual bath, and 2 chapels, besides buildings, broken columns and marble cornices. It's obvious that that area was considered sacred from the Byzantine times through the Crusader period.

At the Kidron Valley

The ancient olive trees in the garden are flourishing well in the lockdown. It was good to see them in the sunshine. The basilica was quiet and sombre .. majestic in emptiness. Quite an experience without the noisy tourists.

I organised an afternoon tea with the anglophone students today. The last time we gathered was a month ago. It was an opportunity to chill out, relax, chat and unload all the frustrations. And of course, today, to celebrate the Chinese New Year. I warmed up some vegetarian buns which the chinese sisters made and we ate them with tea. After that to was back to studies for everyone. All these students study till early in the morning ... 3am or 4am. They want to finish their studies and go back to their countries as soon as possible. The pandemic has added pressure on them. Good luck to them in their studies ...  may the Year of the Ox be an inspiration for them to work hard, be resilient and stay calm.

Happy New Year

New Year Mass at Notre Dame

 Happy New Year! It was very low key for us here. With the lockdown and pandemic, we've been reduced to 5 chinese-speaking religious. Still we celebrated a Vigil Mass at the Notre Dame of Jerusalem chapel ... a huge place for 5 people ... lots of social distancing.

After Mass we went to the chinese sisters' convent for a simple Reunion dinner. They cooked up a lovely meal, mostly vegetarian. But what was good was we had a good chat. The chinese religious have not met since the last Reunion dinner a year ago due to the pandemic.

Reunion dinner

Early this morning, I had to prep and cook lunch for the New Year gathering with Vietnamese and Thai seminarians and sisters. Their pater familias an elderly jesuit vietnamese is ill and their community does not allow outsiders to enter their compound, so they were left wit no New Year Mass or celebration. I decided to invite for a simple lunch so they can meet up - they haven't met for a year too due to the pandemic - and catch up. I cooked noodles and fried some fishballs ... typical SE Asian streetfood; the vietnamese sister made a delicious dessert of pomelo peel and coconut milk; the Thai seminarian made tom yam soup; and I bought some vietnamese Spring rolls.

There were still lots of leftover noodles as I made enough for 30 people, and there were only 10 of us. So I bought it to M. Teresa's convent so they can share it with the poor.

I guess it was a good start to the New Year ... a bit of charity. And by the way, today is 12/02/2021 which is the same if you write it backwards!!!

CNY soon

Clear blue sky today

Another busy day. The temp shot up to over 20 degrees today but the forecast for the next few days is another dip to 7 degrees. The New Year will be a little chilly. And that's ok .... it suits the season. Previous New Years, I remember there was sleet, snow and heavy rain. 

Well this year, Mandarin restaurant is closed. Ah Ling has gone back to Shanghai because the lockdown is not helping the F & B sector. For the past 15 years, I've always organised a Reunion Dinner for the Chinese-speaking community of religious and laity. This year ... none. The sisters and I will do a little home cooking. This year we're only 5 in number. However there're several Vietnamese sisters and seminarians ... all feeling homesick and their senior priest Fr Douan is sick and cold not organise a Mass and meal with them. So they hinted to me ... and being the 2nd senior asian priest in Jerusalem, I have to organise something for them. So this afternoon I went to the asian grocery to buy some stuff. Friday morning I'll be busy cooking lunch with the vietnamese ... and one thai.

Tonight I'll have to think over what I should cook ... and how to transport it 1km up to the little garden behind the library. 

Lunar New Year soon

Almond blossoms

The temp. has dropped drastically this afternoon. The cold front from Europe has arrived. Greece is snowing heavily ... and the cold winds have blown over to our region. By 4pm I had to turn on my heaters as I was shivering from the cold.

Yesterday I was terribly busy ... as was today. Being the first week of the month, I have to prepare the salaries of our workers for the past month. There's alot of paperwork to do: getting the tloush (salary slip) from the Human Resource department, backchecking on the hours worked, then cashing the cheque with the Finance department, putting the individual salaries into envelopes. It takes a whole day for this.

More blooms

The govt has decided to reopen schools in places where majority has been vaccinated. That's a wise decision. You can't keep the kids from school for a year. Parents need to go to work, not stay at home to watch their kids. Infection rates have fallen to 4000 a day ... that's good news. But the rate of mortality per day is rising. Scientists blame the mutant strains from Britain and S. Africa. That's scary.

I went to see my doc this morning. He said now that 3 weeks have passed, it's unlikely to find any virus (if I've had it) in y system so it's useless to do a swap test. Better to do an antibody check ... if I've had the virus, my antibodies would be high ... which means I'm immuned. well ... I hope so.

The New Year is in a couple of days. I'll have to spend Thursday with the chinese religious in Jerusalem. Then on Friday I'll have to prepare lunch for the thai and vietnamese seminarians. They're feeling very down because of the partial lockdown and they don't have a proper community to celebrate the New Year. I'll be busy cooking. Seminarians have huge appetites.

Lockdown over

Damascus Gate today

 At 7am this morning, our 3rd lockdown was over. Crowds flocked out into the streets ... with masks of course. People sat along the cavea of Damascus Gate soaking in the sun. Many shops reopened. Business was plentiful. And the police were much fewer in the streets. City Gates reopened and barriers removed. The sun was shining brightly and the temp was a delightful 14 degrees. It was perfect. 

I decided to go for a walk through the park to the old Train Station, about 2.5 km away. It was a pleasant walk; and one of our students accompanied me. He needed some fresh air and a stretching of the legs. We noticed that most of the hotels remained closed but they are taking the opportunity to upgrade their buildings. The trees and bushes in the park were tall and unpruned. Lots of birds were around, not having been disturbed for a month. And insects too. It was beautiful to see nature reclaiming the land.

City Walls seen from the park

My plantar fasciitis is playing up again. Though the outing today was great, my foot ached terribly and I had to walk slowly. I really hope some cure is available soon for this ailment. It is crippling. Meantime my sore throat and diarrhea is long gone. People tell me the Ministry of Health advisory is: after the first 10 days, covid victims are no longer contagious. Hope it's true. Because now that lockdown is over, I have to reopen the libraries to our full time students. And I don't know if they were infected or not. All the State rules regarding libraries are still in place so I must enforce them. Back to grind of 9 to 5 work again. I was getting used to the slow and leisurely workless days of lockdown.

Storm

Storm clouds over the City

 And it rained all afternoon yesterday, and all night and is drizzling today as well. Well at least the forecast was correct. It isn't too cold ... 10 degrees now. I think it's because there's no wind blowing. The rest of the week is cloudy to sunny ... and that'll be nice for the Chinese New Year. 

And much more so because the govt late last night decided to end lockdown on Sunday at 7am. So we can gather for the New Year Mass and Reunion Dinner.We have to start organising now ... what a rush. I don't know of any place that will allow 6 migrant workers from all over Israel to stay overnight. We'll have to ask around. This is such a blessing.

Rainy street

The infection rate is still very high an the govt is worried ... it'll take a month of so to see the vaccines working and the rate decline. But so long as people continue to be cautious, wear masks, wash hands and stay away from crowds, it should be contained.

Today my superior drove me to work as he needed some books from the library. That saved me a wet walk 1km uphill carrying 1kg of books that are being transferred from the university library to the other one. It was an extraordinary sight .... not a car in the streets. Not one!!! Don't know where everyone went ... but it was eerie. Even during the wars, people travelled in cars. Today was haunting ... no cars, no people in the main roads.

Hopefully all these will be over when lockdown expires and the Lunar New Year comes round. There'll be no chinese cookies and other homely stuff this year ... but that's ok as long as our small community can meet up at least for an hour to celebrate Mass in thanksgiving despite 

Stromata

Monument to the Crusader
knights of St. John

 I'm still reeling from the fact that my Covid test result was lost. Unbelievable. Now I'll have to be double sure and make an appointment with a doctor and get it done with a clinic so it can be traced or that someone can be responsible for it. Anyway people who were infected told me after 10 days, I am no longer infectious ... so I can go out and without fear of infecting others.

The temp has dropped again and the sky is full of dark rain clouds. Forecast is stormy weather today and rain for the next 2 days. I hope so. Then I'll have an excuse to stay in my room instead of going to the other library to work. 

There's been a series of wild jackals attacking humans for no reason. Experts say it's a sign of rabies. Terrible ... as if Covid isn't bad enough. There are wild hyenas and jackals in the outskirts of Jerusalem but thankfully I don't go into those parts. Not a good experience being bitten by a hyena or jackal!  https://www.ynetnews.com/environment/article/S1hPckPeO?fbclid=IwAR1LCaUpeJlrk0IvqjACFuHz7h2PAjFr_PqDkkkqCd8RCIneyBkhT1-04W8#autoplay

Posted a photo of the monument to the Crusader Knights of St John who built their first monastery and hospital here in Jerusalem next to the Holy Sepulchre basilica. Later through the centuries they would become St. John's Ambulance and the Red Cross.

I have class today and several chores to do ... like going to the pharmacy and buying more medicine for the MC convent in Bethlehem. The Palestine authority apparently has run short of medicines and cannot provide the sisters anymore so they called me to help out. Am buying over US$500 worth of medicines and will transport them to Bethlehem when the lockdown is over.

Lost Covid results

Amazing sunrise

 I didn't even realise yesterday I hadn't uploaded a blog. Time flies. I was home all day ... studying and reading. And I managed to sleep for several hours in the afternoon as well. That was mainly what Buddy and JJ were looking forward to. Some quality time together ... Buddy sleeping on my chest and JJ at my feet. They enjoyed the quiet and remained calm.

This morning there was an amazing sunrise ... a haze from the west made the sun visible ... and it was resting on top a tree on the Mt of Olives. I took several photos as it slowly rose higher. That was almost 6am. I had my breakfast while watching the sunrise ... a submarine sandwich with cheese and a cup of coffee. It was nice.

Empty Mamilla Mall

This morning I had to go to the other office to work. Requests for books and return of books and lots of payments. I didn't want to be hassled so I worked slowly and got everything done by 12pm. Then it was class at 1.30am and after class I came home but I took a long way through David Street and the Suq (market). I stopped by Mr. K the burger place to buy a sandwich for dinner. Rossini's ... the iconic restaurant is closed and the workers rented a smaller place to sell burgers, calling it Mr. K. 

Now the bad ... infuriating news. After waiting 6 days for my Covid test, I heard nothing from the Ministry of Health. Called my clinic and they said they cannot find it on the computer. Got 3 other arab friends to call separate and the answer was the same ... my Covid text result is not on the computer. I must redo the test as soon as possible. Everyone who heard about it was aghast ... lose medical record????

1.2.21

Father and son enjoy-
ing the sun

Today is 1.2.21 ... will never happen again till 2121 or 2221. Enjoy it!

The news today is all about the 2 funerals of 2 venerable rabbis in their 90s, hours apart, who died from corona. Tens of thousands of ultra-orthodox came for both, disregarding face-mask and distancing. There's an uproar in the country over this especially when many have locked themselves indoors for 4 weeks now, lost their jobs and income, lost their quality of life. What has raised the ire of the citizens is that the police did nothing. Later in the day a spokesmen said policing is different in Jerusalem than in Tel Aviv, where sitting alone by the beach means getting a fine of 500 shekels. Many of my expatriate friends have expressed total disbelief how this was allowed to happen. It's a shock. Utter shock. Read all about it.    https://www.ynetnews.com/article/Hko5JLSxu

Wild mustard

The weather has warmed considerably, the max temp this afternoon was 17 degrees. some people have dared to venture out and enjoy the sun. A new lockdown ruling has raised the fine to 5000 shekels .... but I wonder if it's applicable to the ultra-orthodox. The streets continue to be deserted, shops shut in fear. We hope and pray the worst is over and we can slowly return to some semblance of normality.

One thing which is enjoying this pandemic is nature, I've never seen so much wild flowers growing in inconceivable places as this year ... cracks in walls and pavements!!! My potted anemones are flowering, as also the freesias. It'll be lovely in 3 weeks time when all will have blossomed.