Cold storm

Sahlab yesterday

 The temp just plunged 20 degrees. From 28 degrees, hot and sunny during the day ... it just plunged. By 6pm it was freezing, and a gusty biting wind was tearing through the City. Utterly unbearable. I wasn't dressed for that weather. I only had a T-shirt and a hoodie on my way to work and it was already hot. I had to remove the hoodie. But on my way home, it wasn't enough. I had to rush home in order to keep warm. What's happened to summer?

This cold weather is perfect for sahlab ... the turkish orchid-drink with roe syrup typically drunk in winter. My friend yesterday had invited me for tea to celebrate my birthday, and I decided to order a sahlab. Every winter I drink it once, as it makes winter feel like winter. This year I missed it due to the lockdown, so yesterday I just had to make up for it. It was 28 degrees yesterday and felt weird  drinking hot sahlab ... I should have waited for today.

Way of the Cross today

Today is the last Friday before Ramadan. Thousands of muslims from around the country tried to enter the Old City to pray at the Al Aqsa Mosque. But the City Gates were blocked by police who checked permits to enter the City. Many were turned back. Many jews were also entering the City, because in a few days it'll be Memorial Day for Fallen soldiers and Independence Day, which is a sore point for arabs who lost their land. There was a scuffle at the junction of the 3rd Station of the Cross. There were lots of soldiers, and I saw a jewish man with a badly bruised face. I guess an arab must have pushed him and he scraped his face on a wall or floor.

Just a few hours earlier, there were groups of catholics from outside of Jerusalem came to make the Way of the Cross. They celebrate Holy Week with the Orthodox Churches and that will be next week. That's the arrangement between the churches here in the Holy Land because we use the Gregorian Calendar and the orthodox use the Julian Calendar, resulting in a 2 week gap. In turn, the orthodox will join the catholics to celebrate Christmas on December 25th.  Nice deal.