Anotehr attack

Sunrise today

 Another terror attack just now, south of Jerusalem. A stabbing attempt with a screwdriver. Clearly lone-wolf and copycat. No obvious organized plan. This is become the pattern that we're seeing this past month. It's not unlike back in 2015.

Tomorrow is the last Friday of Ramadan and Saturday Ramadan begins. It will be very tense. As it is the police have stepped up their presence in the Old City and everyone is eyed with suspicion. I dread having to go out during Ramadan's 40 days. 

I'll be busy this weekend hearing confessions and celebrating Masses for the Indian community before Holy Week. That means traveling to various cities along the coast. I hope I'll have the strength for all that.

Tense

Sunny shadows

 There was a horrific terrorist attack in Tel Aviv yesterday evening. 5 innocent people killed including achristian policeman and 2 foreign workers - presumably filipino catholics. This comes in the wake of a gun attack in Hadera and another in Beer Sheva ... all within a week. As one newspaper puts it - it's Israel's nightmare come true. This series of attacks seem to be lone-wolf copycat attacks ... not unlike the stabbing Intifada in 2015. 

This morning I could see lots of police gathered at various crossroads of the New City. Police cars and motorcycles also petrol the streets every minute ... literally. It's tense to say the least. Arabs are stopped and searched randomly in the streets. I get suspicious looks from the police because I still wear a mask and a cap and a hoodie. Sooner or later I'll get stopped by them

Security helicopters are hovering overhead. What next?

Weekend over

 Someone has hacked and messed up my posts. The last one is missing!

Mass at Calvary

Anyway last Saturday I celebrated Mass on Calvary on my 30th anniversary. Some of our students joined me, together with friends from Jerusalem. It was a nice crowd. Some of them surprised me by compiling video interviews of people who know me to send their well wishes. It was touching. I'm very grateful to them.

The weather has finally warmed up and there's no turning back to winter. Though it's still chilly with temp around 4 degrees at night and 18 in the day, people are out some in T-shirts. Most are prudent and wear a jacket and hat.

There was a terrible terrorist attack in the coastal city of Hadera where gunfire was exchanged and 2 policemen died. The wave of violence is getting more frequent and more deadly. It spells bad news for summer. This morning a missile attack siren sounded throughout central Israel ... a drill in case of an attack. A social media post said it's timed 3 days before Ramadan commences ... meaning they expect violence in Ramadan. I noticed police presence has been stepped up this week, and muslim crowds have grown. Clashes will be inevitable. On Sunday evening as I came home from work, there was a huge crowd gathered at the East Jerusalem Police Station chanting and jeering. I think the police arrested someone and the crowds can to seek his release. All the signs of an uneasy summer are there.

I think what makes it particularly worrying is the main feasts of all 3 religions fall within a week of each other. This Saturday begins Ramadan.  And the following week is the jewish Passover on April 15, which is our Good Friday. Orthodox Easter falls on 24th April. Even if there're no violence, it'll be tense in the Old City as crowds of different faiths share the same roads for processions etc. Christians will be eating and drinking during Easter but the muslims will frown because they're fasting in Ramadan.

Annunciation

Deserted streets in the cold

 The past 2 days were very busy. Lots of work to be cleared before the weekend. And the weather has turned very cold and wet again! We've had graupel yesterday ... iced rain but not hail. But it was heavy and I could hear them hitting the cars just outside my window. And the streets are very slippery. I've to be extra careful walking to and from work.

It's the feast of the Annunciation today. Many of the people here are going up to Nazareth for the celebration, The grotto of the Annunciation is still there and solemn Mass by the bishops will take place in front of it. So our Quarter will be less crowded today. Which is just as well because the forecast is for heavy showers.

My lung infection is bad and i'm on the nebulizer 5 times a day. Feeling dizzy and headache most of the time. Going back to rest now.

Ramadan lights

Ramadan lights

 It's all over the newspapers today ... Singapore is opening an embassy in Tel Aviv ... after 53 years of diplomatic rapport. Good news for me as my passport renewal woes will be over. Now it's a question of where in Tel Aviv the embassy will be. And when it will be settled. Apparently it's an open-ended decision with no dateline. So it's a waiting game.

Last night on my way home I saw the Damascus Gate area all lit up for Ramadan. It begins on April 2nd evening. That's a week before Holy Week and Jewish Pesach. It'll be a very busy and crowded month in the Old City.

Covid infections have risen again and the govt is mulling if it should impose restrictions again. Only 2 weeks back the state of emergency was called off. I sure hope it doesn't roll back as we're almost back to normal. There're crowds of tourists in the streets.

Anyway the doc came to see me today and prescribed alot more medicines for my chest infection. I have to use the nebuliser twice a day now.

Mothers Day

Flowers for Mother's
Day

 On Saturday my views stats hit 1535 ... a scary number. Being hacked and stalked is very worrisome. And talking about worrisome, a stabbing attack took place yesterday outside Herod's Gate. Let's hope it's not a prelude to what's to come in Summer.

The weather has continued to be cold with a max of 8 degrees during the day. I still need the heater not only at night but also during the day at work. Summer is taking its time to come. I can't wait for the heat because this cld humid air is making my asthma worse. I've caught a chest infection and am taking antibiotics now. I hope it clears up quickly as I'm booked for a series of confessions and masses in a northern coastal city. Traveling with breathing problems is not at all nice.

The equinox was yesterday so that makes today the first day of Spring, since the days will start to get longer. But it's not getting any warmer. This first day of Spring is celebrated by the Palestinians as Mothers' Day. Lots of shops in the arab side of town are selling flowers. It's a little pricey, like all else here, but kids will still buy them to show their appreciation for their mothers. The Israelis side celebrates Mothers Day on another date.

Yes things are getting more expensive now. People are complaining that food items are too costly. We'll have to watch what we eat so as not to waste money. Diets are changing to simpler stuff. Luckily I'm mostly vegetarian now so my food cost is still quite low.

Friday

Dressed as a Moroccan, near a
synagogue

 OK ... so my number of viewers today hit 1518. Very very fishy and my alarm bells are ringing. I hope people don't read too much into what I write, and jump to conclusions .... because my blog is nothing more than a chronicle of daily life here in the country.

Though its warmer today ... 6 degrees by day ... the skies continue to be overcast and grey and gloomy. And its drizzling. I saw youths dressed up in costumes for Purim but I guess the weather has kept kids and many others indoors. Nevertheless there's been festoons and lightings in the New City ... and several events as well. I hardly go out anymore to see the fun. It's not just the weather. I've been out of breath easily, and severely out of oxygen which makes me faint. So I don't go out. The situation is not improving so sooner or later, I'll have to go back to hospital. And I dislike that a lot.

Purim at a restaurant

As Purim coincides with Friday, the muslim day of prayer, thousands of people are converging into the Old City. Police have stepped up its presence and there are lots of stop-and-search going on. And of course it's targeted only at arabs. I wonder why the police don't stop and search jews who come to spit at us, or vandalize our churches.

This morning I had to go to the MC convent in Bethlehem to celebrate Mass. However I forgot the Palestinians were having their marathon. All the main roads were closed. We had to take a detour through the desert wilderness to get to their convent. And it was very cold. Coming home, I had to make the same detour. In all it took 3 hours just to go and celebrate a half hour Mass. And with my breathing problem, I was totally exhausted.

Tomorrow is the feast of St Joseph so many people will be going to Nazareth to celebrate it. I guess the Christian Quarter will be a little more quiet and tranquil.

Remember

Our martyrs in Yemen

 The strange winter storm has passed. But the cold remains. Yesterday and today the temp continues to hover around 3 degrees though the sun is shining very brightly. My knees and fingers are aching alot because of this unusual cold.

Today we recall the martyrdom of 4 MC sisters in Yemen who were brutally killed by ISIS 6 years ago. I tried my best to get the youngest one, Sr. Reginette, out to Israel but I was too late. It's a burden in my heart all these years and will be for the rest of my life. We remember their heroism in remaining to serve the poorest of the poor in Yemen. There are still sisters serving in Yemen. Pray for them. And support them if you can. PM me for details.

Today is also the jewish feast of Purim but the cold weather is keeping kids indoors, so I don't think it's as festive as it should be.

I still have a lot to do before the weekend, so I'll get back to work.

Snowing

Going to school in the
snow and graupel

 And .... it snowed just now. It wasn't much. Very light drift of snow but the City was excited ... a second time snowing this year! The snow melted when it landed on the ground.And there was graupel as well .... soft ice drops instead of rain. It's been very cold all night. Minus 2 degrees. I used multiple blankest to keep warm at night. Now during the day I'm wearing 3 layers of jumpers and 2 beanies. Luckily my office heater works so its not so bad. I didn't have transport to work today so I had to walk the 1km uphill. The stone pavements are very slippery so I had to walk extra slowly to avoid an accident.

Tomorrow night the jewish feast of Purim officially begins but because of the bad weather, most have started celebrating it yesterday. It appears to be a fun feast with children and adults dressed up in costumes ... but underlying it is a very nationalistic theme: kick out the non-jews because they are a threat. That's how Purim started, with the persians trying to kill the jews, who disguised themselves in order to escape persecution. Every year we have more locals coming to our door and spitting at us during this feast. It's a fate we christian minority have to put up with here.

Anyway we'll see what happens this afternoon with this weather. Maybe it'll snow even heavier ... maybe not. I'll just have to worry about walking home in the cold, dark slippery streets.

Snow?

Char Kway Teow

 The sky is all gray and cloudy and drizzly. And it's very cold. It was minus 1 degree last night and I was freezing. Barely slept because of the cold. Tonight it'll be worse ... minus 2 degrees. And tomorrow also. I'm getting a headache because of the cold. Forecast is possible snow tomorrow.

The bad weather has knocked out electric supply and I had no wifi connection this morning for class .... nor lights in my room. I'd better prepare some candles in case tonight and tomorrow we'll have a major blackout again.

The jewish feast of Purim which should be celebrated on Thursday evening till Friday was brought forward today in many schools because of the upcoming bad weather ... snow being forecast even for tomorrow. I saw lots of kids dressed up in costumes in the streets as I went to work this morning.

Last week's lovely lunch at Thai House is still on my mind. After a year and a half of not being there, the food tasted extra nice. I'm dying for another plate of Char Kway Teow or as the Thais call it "Pahd Si Yew." That'll keep me warm for the next few days!

Cold and stormy

Freezing

 It's been very cold the past 2 days. Rain and drizzle and though the temp is supposed to be 6 degrees, even the forecasters say it feels like 3 degrees. Tomorrow and Tuesday will be minus 1 and minus 2 degrees. Weather stations say the last time we've had minus zero temp for several days in a row ... was 100 years back. Its been so cold at night I can't sleep.

Last Friday I went to Tel Aviv after almost a year and a half. It was good to change the atmosphere. Some people there were still wearing masks ... like me. I had to renew my passport. But I lost my way and walked some 5 km to my destination. And it was raining very hard. I know the road along the beach well but because of the rain and strong winds causing the waves to smash into the parallel road, I decided to take an inner road. But it brought me further and further form my destination ... and it was the first time I was walking there. Anyway I reached my destination safely but cold and wet. Then of course I had to get back home 60km away plus a walk from the bus station to my house. No wonder I think I caught a cold now.

Storm in Tel Aviv

Yesterday a news break was announced by the Jerusalem Patriarchate ... the Pope has nominated 2 new auxiliary bishops for the diocese. Nothing surprising because the other auxiliary bishops are either retired or almost retirement age. 

I'll start stocking my room with warm blankets now. Need to prepare for the next 2 days. There'll be burst water pipes, electricity blackouts and hence no hot water or heaters.

Cold again

City back to normal

 After the 2 attacks of the last 2 days, the City has become quiet again. Stop and search is still being carried out and police are still everywhere, though less tense. Let's hope it continues ... this uneasy peace.

The weather has been erratic again. Though the sun is shining brightly each day, it's still quite cold. Temp hover around 8 degrees but when the wind blows it feels like zero degrees. Once in a while storm clouds darken the sky but then it blows away and it becomes bright again. The forecast today is for rain. We need it as the air pollution is quite bad. My asthma has been quite bad as a result. 

My blog is being hacked again. Yesterday saw 104 views, which I simply have no idea where they come from. Walls have ears and ceilings have eyes. 

There is  not much other news except for the Russian attack on Ukraine. It's a shame that the West is all talk, while ukrainians continue to be killed. You can never trust so-called allies when the going gets tough. Nothing has been done for the conflict in Eritrea and thousands have been killed and displaced. It's just repeating itself around the world, and all the countries that can do something, simply talk.

Somehow we must have hope, and be resourceful and depend on ourselves. No one is going to fight your wars. Israel luckily, has learned that. I think it's the only country in the world that has this reality in mind.

Another attack

All stuck inside New Gate

Yesterday evening saw another stabbing attack, this time near the Wailing Wall. I heard a loud explosion at about 5.30pm and thought a bomb had exploded. Police cars and ambulances were rushing towards Damascus Gate in an endless stream ... sirens screaming for over 40 minutes. I went out to see what had happened but when I saw a police car driving up to New Gate, I knew at once that the City Gates were being closed. So I rushed back up to New Gate and was the last to enter as the police blockaded all the City Gates from exit and entry.

Police car blockades New Gate

From 5.30pm to 7pm when the sun had set and it was dark and cold, the City Gates remained closed. Crowds were gathering and getting anxious and tense. Arguments with police ensure. A group of arab school girls became hysterical and screamed and cried. Jews, muslims, christians, monks, nuns, imams, rabbis, young and old .... all were stuck inside New Gate as I was. Waiting. Waiting for the police to reopen the Gate so we can go home, and those outside could enter.

From the news later I read that the explosion was due to stun grenades exploding when arab youths began antagonizing police at Damascus Gate. The stabbing itself took place deep in the City between the Muslim Quarter and the Jewish Quarter ... the area of the Wailing Wall. This was the second attack in 24 hours. It bodes a summer of discontent and violence.

Too quiet

 

Quiet Damascus Gate

Yesterday morning at the 1st Muslim morning call to prayer, a 19 yr old arab stabbed 2 Israeli police just 20 m from my house. I heard the police sirens but I didn't know why. The newspapers did not report anything except one ... which I found later in the afternoon. So as the weather warms up, so do the violence. Another anxious summer awaits us.

Quiet fruit stalls

Damascus Gate was rather quiet as a result of the morning's attack. Police have been everywhere in the Old City. Just outside our house there were a dozen soldiers. It's tense. Many young people were stopped and questioned. At the checkpoints entering and leaving Palestine, Israeli police were extra strict.  Even the open market at Musrara was very quiet. Usually at the weekend, crowds would go to buy the fruit and veggies by the bulk, which cost a lot less. But last night very few people were around. Even some shops decided to close earlier. The usual stock of fresh seafood from Tel Aviv were only half sold as many remained in the displays.

Unsold fish

I'm trying to settle as much work as possible these 3 weeks because I don't intend to work during Holy Week. This year it coincides with the Orthodox Holy Week as well as the jewish Passover. Muslim Ramadan is a week before. So the Old City will be packed with people. Police have warned high security will be maintained until after Ramadan, so movement will not be easy. I want to have a quiet Easter so I may move out of Jerusalem for another monastery. Enough of these violence. It makes walking in the streets feel risky and dangerous.

Siu-mai

Homemade siumai

The Lenten rigours have started. Saturday towards midnight we go to the Holy Sepulchre to pray the Office of Readings and then make a procession around the Empty Tomb. It's broadcast live so you can watch it on the computer. Go to the Youtube channel of Christian Media Center. It starts at 11.40pm every Saturday.

The weather has been erratic these few days. First its warm and sunny, then it starts to rain and gets very cold. You never know what to wear when you go out. And its perfect weather to get sick.

Yesterday Bro Mark made siu-mai. It was very good.He made them with beef since pork is rare and very expensive. I ate them all. It's such a treat ... to break from my diet. But no more red meat for the next weeks. Docs insist I eat only white meat or I'll get sick again.

Right now police are using water cannons to disperse rioting ultra-orthodox jews protesting against compulsory military service. They've blocked roads at the City center, causing traffic jams and stopping the tram service from working.

Rain again

Spring veggies

 It rained all night and the wind was very strong. All night I could hear the howling outside. Doors and windows were rattling all night as well. It's probably the last rainfall before the dry weather starts. It didn't as much as last winter, or as much as we wanted ... but it's better than nothing. Let's hope there'll be no drought this year. Prices of veggies will rise ... and they're already very expensive as it is. I think when things get worse, people will go to Palestine and buy food there. It's a lot cheaper. But Israel doesn't allow Palestinian products to be brought into Israel, so if the soldiers catch you with them, they get confiscated and thrown away at the checkpoints.

Yesterday I fasted from sunrise to sunset and it wasn't anything extraordinary. That's practically my daily routine as I usually eat only one meal when I get home from work at 7pm. I may eat drink a cup of coffee from breakfast and rarely a sandwich. So if that's fasting, then I'm fasting everyday.

Teams from the National Library of France and the EAPI are here to digitalize our ancient manuscripts. I'm busy bringing the manuscripts out for them to work on. And there's class to teach as well. I'll have to juggle my timetable to fit in everything. It's very tiring.

Ash Wednesday

 It's Ash Wednesday today. We're all fasting. Here's a nice advice from The SHepherd of Hermas, a 1st century AD christian book.

“Fasting … is very good, provided the commandments of the Lord be observed … First of all, be on your guard against every evil word, and every evil desire, and purify your heart from all the vanities of this world. If you guard against these things, your fasting will be perfect."

The Shepherd of Hermas

Feast

Crowds waiting for a fight

 Yesterday was the last day of February. It was also the muslim feast of Muhammad's ascension into heaven which is believed to have taken place here in Jerusalem 200m away from my room ... which is the Dome of the Rock mosque. Muslims believe Muhammed flew on a winged horse from Arabia to Jerusalem that night, the journey known as the Isra ... and then ascended into heaven known as the Miraj. 

There were thousands of muslims from not only the entire country but also muslim pilgrims from french and english speaking countries. I was warned by many people to walk pass Damascus Gate as there'd be fighting and clashes with the police. In fact after the noon day prayers there were clashes. Police sirens were wailing for several hours and sound of stun grenades exploding as well. 

Mounted police on standby

Later at 7pm I walked home and the area was swarming with people. Crowds of youth were hanging around the police posts. Others stood opposite the road at the railings. Everyone was waiting for a riot to start. As I reached Zedekiah's cave which is 30 meters away from Damascus Gate, a stun grenade exploded. Crowds rushed toward the Gate, shouting and jeering. I just continued walking away. Too old for such excitement anymore. But I did stay a few extra minutes to take photos.

The weather has warmed up alot. Max is 17 degrees today. Tomorrow is Ash Wednesday and soon it's Easter and the beginning of summer. Time flies. I'd like to plan what to do for summer holidays ... but like the past 20 years ... they'll never come to pass. I'd love to bring Buddy and JJ to Jaffa and see the sea and feel the sea breeze. Dream on. The pandemic is not over and though today the Covid State of Emergency is over and no more restrictions or Green Pass are needed, I still must be careful about infections.