Happenings

Fr Mark gives his
1st blessing

We have 2 more ordinations this week. Our Armenian twins will be ordained in Aleppo, by their uncle the Franciscan bishop administrator of that city. Both guys had been a great help when I was serving the Armenian Catholic community. They provided the singing and readings in Armenian.

The Indian seminarians reminded me that 3 of them will be making their solemn profession in October ... so I mustn't die before that.

Another piece of good news is Sr. Rawan graduated in University with a BA in Education I think. She belongs to the convent of Ivrea where I celebrate Mass every day during summer. That's a milestone for her and her congregation. Now she can serve as their kindergarten's new directress. And Alexandra, a nursing student whom some of you are sponsoring for her studies, just got married on the same day. It's a good start for her in her new life. So much has been happening the past week, and I could hardly catch up.

Sr Rawan
graduates

I'm getting dizzy spells again. Not sure why. Could be the heat ... or the exhaustion from work ... of the toothache that I developed yesterday. The Covid symptoms of fever and sore throat are still affecting me every morning. And my taste and smell are not fully functioning. I get easily tired and suffer from brain fog. And lost of memory. At the ordination yesterday many people came up to speak with me ... I recognised their faces but I cannot recall their names or where I met them before. It got to a point when I became so confused I decided to go back to my office and stay there. I just can't remember anything or anyone. The past few days people in the streets were greeting me like they know me for ages ... but I can't even recognise their faces. Where have I met them before? I even forgot to go to celebrate Mass at the Ivrea convent! And I realise that even now I have problems spelling. I keep getting the alphabets mixed up, and it's been a year that this has happened. Is that a sign of Alzheimer's?

Ordinations

Mahane Yehuda market

Right now 2 of our deacons are being ordained priests. It's the solemnity of Ss Peter and Paul and it's the traditional day when priests and deacons are ordained. In fact a week before, a dozen or so have been ordained already in their various congregations around the Holy Land. There's no shortage of vocations ... it just depends on where you look. I remember a few years back we had 28 deacons in the Custody, not counting others from the diocese and congregations.

Mahane Yehuda market

The weekend is upon us, another week begins. I'm hoping to finish all my work as scheduled. I'm already quite behind time, but at my age I feel my limits. The body and brain can't go on even when I want to.  I was just talking to Sr. Anna an African sister who said once we hit 50 we just feel it ... tired and incapable of going on. It's moments when you just have to let go and stop, take a break, we'll come back to it after a rest.

Anyway I've completed the series of 5 vaccinations against rabies. Technically I'm safe now. The last jab was last week and after that I walked through Mahane Yehuda market. It bustles with life and noise and smells. But things are awfully expensive nowadays.

Injured

5.30am summer time

Another weekend ... time is flying fast. Half the year is gone. The sun rises early and sets late. The muzzein begins the call to prayer before sunrise at 3.35am (daylight saving) which in real time is 2.35am. That's early. The summer solstice was last Thursday June 20th. That marked the official start of Summer and so schools start the summer break on that day. After the solstice, the nights will get longer and eventually daylight and night will equal out in the autumn equinox. 

The weather forecast is cooler weather this weekend ... about 28 degrees max. But next weekend will soar up to 33 degrees again. Like all summers, I go to celebrate Mass at the Ivrea convent for 3 months every single day. Walking there in the afternoons is very hot and uncomfortable. I have to bring my asian chasubles to use because it's very light fabric and suitable for this weather. The sisters only have heavy winter european chasubles that suffocate you when it's 30 degrees inside the chapel without fan or aircon. 

Sunrise over Damascus Gate

Yesterday was a difficult day for my knees. I walked over 5km up and down the hills of Jerusalem because of the hectic schedule: 1pm class online, then walk 1km downhill for another class with the MC sisters at 3pm, the walk 1km to the Ivrea convent for Mass at 5.30pm, then walk 2km uphill back to New Gate and into the New City to meet at 7pm a former student who studied here 7 years ago. My knees are terrible swollen and I have pain bending them. An electronic wheelchair comes to mind right now. Or a small golf cart. Knee injury is really bad when you live here ... the entire City is built on a hill and there are stairs everywhere.

Zinnia

My blossoming zinnia

 What a busy week. Trying to meet datelines and doing small errands. Luckily the weather has cooled and it's around 22 degrees in the evenings, nights and mornings so it's pleasant to walk to and from work. During the day it hits above 30 degrees but I'm indoors so I'm not affected.

Sometime in late Spring I scattered zinnia seeds along the grass shoulders of the tram way that runs along Damascus Gate park. That's the daily route I take going to and from work. Several zinnias have sprouted and even blossomed. Unfortunately someone found it out and stole 5 plants away. There are still a dozen growing in spots difficult to reach and they're blossoming. It's great! It brings in a splash of colour to an otherwise boring silver of the lavender bushes that have tiny flowers, so small they're almost invisible.

These were stolen

Each time I pass by the park I look out for the 3 bulbuls that I hand-reared and released there. No sign of them. They must be happily flying far away enjoying their freedom. I'm glad I brought them up and released them as they're becoming a threatened species. Invasive foreign species of crows and mynahs have wiped out their numbers by eating their eggs and chicks, and competing for food.

I understand summer camp has already started in some schools and associations. In this tough economic times and the war, not many families can afford to send their children to these camps. It gets quite expensive.

Holidays

Mounted police

The summer holidays have started.  Suddenly there are no rush of students in buses and trams. No traffic jams at the City Gates when parents try to drive their cars into the very limited space inside the Old City so that their children can be nearer to school. I'm not sure if summer camps will go ahead as the financial situation for many families are not the best or even normal. It's generally tense though liveable ... police sometimes come in droves and sometimes the streets are empty of police. You never know when. Shops selling sandwiches and snacks to students will have less business. However tourists are coming back ... yesterday there were groups from Brazil, Philippines, Italy and Latin America. Hopefully more groups will come in late summer and autumn. People here really need the business otherwise next year the financial situation will become dire for many.

The weather is a little cooler ... about 28 degrees during the day and 19 degrees in the night. And there's a cool easterly wind blowing yesterday which made walking home form work tolerable. I'm sure the 3 bulbuls are finding the weather conducive for hunting insects and finding scraps of food left by picnickers in the park. I've been hoping to catch a glimpse of them each morning I go to work but they're not around. There're lots of pigeons, sparrows, mynahs, crows and other small birds but no sign of my mojo trio.

Freedom

Caught the alpha

My babysitting the bulbul juveniles are over. I managed to catch the alpha ... or rather he wanted to be caught - he was terribly lonely yesterday - and released him in the park. It was bright and cool and the sprinklers were working. It's important that the birds see the sprinklers because they will know where to look for water in this heat. It's 33 degrees today but tomorrow it'll be a degree cooler.

So the 3 juveniles are finally free, enjoying the limitless space. There'll be scraps of food and lots of water there so it's a good spot for their release. But because they're too friendly and there're lots of people in the park, they might just jump on the shoulder of someone, begging for food ... and they'll be caught. It's a risk to take.

Alpha flew directly to the
sprinklers

Yesterday I had a very tiring day ... besides the release of the 2 bulbuls, I also walked 2km up north to the District Health clinic for my final vaccination. However the nurse said my appointment is for tomorrow. The vaccination must be taken exactly on the day and not any time earlier. So I walked back to my office utterly exhausted from the long walk under the very hot sun. This morning again I had to make the journey. But this time the nurse gave me the last injection. I'm finally free ... like the bulbuls.

Valuable lesson

The juveniles

Today I learned a valuable lesson from the 3 juvenile bulbuls that I planned to release. Capturing them to be transported to the release site was the crucial step. Mojo the youngest and runt of the brood is very attached to me so he flew onto my arm as usual and I caught him and placed him in the transfer cage. Catching no. 2 was more difficult. It took me 35 minutes chasing in my little office to finally exhaust him and caught him.  It was distressing for him but the irony is if he wanted to be released into the great outdoors, he must first be captured.

The 3rd one, the alpha of the brood, was impossible to catch. He was too quick and smart, hiding under cupboards and tables. I gave up. I brought Mojo and the other one and walked 150 m to Damascus Gate Park where I released them. They were so happy to fly free into the great space ... with lots of greenery and water and food.

But for the alpha bird, it preferred freedom in my tiny office to losing this freedom for a while in order to gain the great outdoors. Preferring to fly 10 feet back and forth, he doesn't realise that once caught, he will enjoy flight with no boundaries. So now he's enjoying his little victory ... not knowing what he missed. 

So sometimes we just need to lose in order to gain. To let go and surrender what we like, in order to receive a greater prize. We may not like giving up but if we only knew what's waiting for us if we do.

Freedom

Pigeons showering

I'm not sure if Eid al Adha ends tonight or tomorrow night. I intend to release the 3 bulbuls but not during the feast as the noise and crowds will confuse and frighten them. The weather has cooled by a couple of degrees so it's a good time to release them. I just hope they will find food and water ... and not jump on other humans begging for food as they do every day with me. They've become too tame. They risk being captured. And they've never seen cats. 

I've been studying various parks and the variety of birds that share that space. Independence Park, though bigger and has a fountain, is taken over by parrots and crows. No sparrows or bulbuls so it's unsafe to release my 3 rescues there. The best bet is still Damascus Gate Park. There're sparrow, bulbuls and many other types of smaller birds that are less threatening. Also it means there's food and water that's why the smaller birds are around.  This morning on my way to work I saw the sprinklers splashing water on the hot grass, and pigeons and sparrows were showering beneath the sprays of cool water. Tomorrow morning might just be the day the 3 bulbuls fly free.

Feast

Kids having fun

The weather is so hot ... the kids have decided to play in the public fountains at Damascus Gate. There're clear signs that it's forbidden ... but it was just too hot and everyone was happy the children were having fun. No one stopped them. Not even the police and municipality workers who stood by to watch that no accidents happen. That's a little humanity.

It's 33 degrees today .. at least that's what the weather stations are saying. But it really feels like 40 degrees. It's scorching. I wonder how the muslims are enjoying the Eid al Adha in this heat. Most are probably indoors with aircons on. But in the evenings when it gets cooler, very many people are out in the streets. Temporary stalls and hawkers are making brisk business. Though not many can afford to buy much nowadays, still a kilo of cherries or a stick of cotton candy will cheer up the kids and some adults as well. I guess few people can afford to buy a sheep for the sacrifice. But everyone makes do with what they have. Times are hard. Celebrations can be toned down.

Fun at the fountain

I was planning to go out later in the evening yesterday to see the busy streets and clowns and performers ... but I was so tired from work I fell straight to sleep. That's this entire week I've been floored by exhaustion and heat. I guess that's why I found it so refreshing to see the kids having so much energy and fun in the fountains, with adults cheering them on .... I wish I had the same energy and fun.

A little water ...

 my Hollyhocks

Last night on the way home there were crowds of people in the streets ... stalls were hawking food and toys, some people all dressed their best. It's not quite Eid al Adha yet ... it begins tonight ... but already people are celebrating a day early.

The weather hasn't stopped them though. A sweltering 40 degrees yesterday ... and today as well. The wind is extremely hot and dry ... and the ground is like an oven plate. The soles of my shoes were melting as it got pretty sticky. That's a kilometer's walk in this heat. And thank goodness I still have my portable aircon. Sleeping would have been impossible in this heatwave. I also have to sprinkle water on our terrace otherwise the cracks will widen because of heat expansion. It's a yearly thing to do during summer otherwise rain will leak into the building in winter through these cracks.

A little water

Even the plants are wilting. I water them once in the morning and then again in the evening. The soil turns to powder in this heat. And the water that collects at the plates of the flower pots are visited by insects and birds that come to drink. I'm particularly happy the hollyhocks have bloomed after 3 years. Bees and butterflies come to it for nectar ... and doves and bulbuls drink from the water at the pot's base. I think I should also leave a bowl of water for the stray cats. I can't imagine the poor people who have no electricity for fans, or even fresh water to cool themselves. Summer, l;ke winter can be merciless ... and it's up to humans to make up for this mercy.

Heatwave

Market day

It's the weekend already - Friday and Saturday here. The 1st working day is Sunday. Tomorrow evening also begins the Muslim feast of Eid al Adha - the sacrifice of Abraham of Ishmael on the rock that stands the Golden Dome mosque. Christians and Jews believe it was Isaac who was to be sacrificed. Anyway in both cases, nobody died. A sheep was slaughtered in its place ... hence tomorrow Muslims will sacrifice sheep and the meat will be shared out to feed the poor. 

It's very very hot. Scorching hot. Although the weather stations say it's 37 degrees, it actually feels like over 40. Under direct sunlight, your skin feels like burning. It's very intense. Even the wild birds - crows, sparrows, bulbuls - all disappear. The only birds out in this heat are the mynahs - an invasive species from Jordan that has taken over most of our ecosystem.  They're very aggressive. They eat the eggs and chicks of others birds, thus slowly killing off local species. There's no culling practice here ... unfortunately ... so crows and mynahs now almost decimate our local birds and small mammals and insects.

Fresh village produce

I'm still getting sharp headaches in the mornings, fever and giddiness throughout the day. And I still wear the mask indoors because the docs are not sure when the contagious period is over. I don't want to be blamed for spreading Covid in the house. Better safe than sorry.

Despite the heatwave, market day goes on. 2 days ago I saw village women selling fresh fruit and veggies in the street. It's a lot more expensive than before. Still people buy some of these seasonal fruit ... they're nice to quench thirst in this heatwave.

Stromata

Mass in the Tomb

Mass was celebrated for all your intentions, for the living and dead in the Empty Tomb. I haven't forgotten you all. The purpose of this blog is so that all of you are in contact and updated about what's happening around here. It's not possible for me to write to everyone so this blog is very useful. So stay tuned.

The exams are ending for our seminarians. Then some will be sent to various sanctuaries to help out. Others will go overseas to study languages or short courses during the summer. Some lucky ones get to go on home leave. And the final year students will be preparing for ordination in a couple of weeks before returning home to celebrate with friends and family. Another cycle is ended and soon new students will be coming into the seminary from the world over. I think right now we have about 60 or more seminarians from 4 continents (Africa, Asia, Europe and Latin America). They're so many there's not enough rooms here in the seminary so a 2nd seminary was opened in Ein Kerem for the philosophy students. Final year students live in various monasteries in and around Jerusalem. Next year I think we'll have 20+ deacons in various stages of formation. There's no shortage of vocations from Africa, Latin America and Asia. I guess another dozen or more new seminarians will come for the next academic year.

The 3 fledglings sleeping

The 3 bulbul fledglings are very big now. Mostly eating on their own but still coming to me for mashed bananas. I had planned to release last Sunday but the heatwave would have killed them. They won't know where to look for food and especially water. So they're still with me till the weather cools and food and water is more available. Sometimes I worry as they have become dependent on me for food and have lost their instinct to look for their own food. Other times they're rowdy and aggressive and chase each other, showing their wild side which is very reassuring. Maybe next week is freedom for them.

Accident

The weather has cooled a couple of degrees during the weekend but not enough. This week it'll rise to 36 degrees for several days. We're bracing for a very hot summer this year as the heat came very early ... in the beginning of June. Many people are already planning to leave the country to escape the summer heat.

Tuktuk accident

On Saturday there was the 1st accident on our light rail in 13 years since it started working .... right in front of our monastery at New Gate. The tuktuk (golf cart) driver was reckless ... turning left into the City Gate even when it was red light ... and the tram was speeding uphill. Both drivers had their visions blocked by a row of cars between them ... all stationary because it was a red light. The tuktuk driver Ali who lives in my neighbourhood in East Jerusalem was injured as he and his tuktuk were dragged several meters up the road by the tram. Well the municipality has banned tuktuks in and especially outside the Old City now ... so those who own tuktuks are very angry at Ali. These guys drive tourists who can't climb the steps in the Old City around and earn a good sum of money. A ride to the Holy Sepulchre that easily costs 5 shekels becomes 50 shekels! And tourists pay it!

Mass at Tel Aviv

My Covid symptoms are not gone. I still have fevers and splitting headaches and diarrhea. And I still cannot taste or smell  much. I can taste citrus fruit but not much else. The doctor said my resistance is very very low and I can catch easily any sickness so he warned me to stay away from people. Good idea. But I already have a bad case of cold sores on half my mouth ... it's vicious. Not one blister but over a dozen. Luckily the doc had given me medicine so it doesn't hurt ... but I look like a leper. Wearing the mask now has it's use!

My weekends are now busy celebrating Masses for the Chinese migrant community. They're so many I have now one Mass in Tel Aviv and another in Jerusalem. The workers work in construction and the heatwave is terrible on them. And the war ... with missiles flying overhead is no comfort for those working around the south either.

Heatwave

Sprinklers in the heat

The weather has been very hot ... in fact the newspapers are saying it shot past the record for pre-midsummer heatwave. Everyday it's above 30 degrees. It was as high as 38 degrees several days ago. Though I love to be in the sun especially now with Covid symptoms, it's unbearable after a few minutes. You get scorched! People go out only if necessary. 

The grass in the park is turning yellow from the heat. Every morning the municipality workers come to turn on the sprinklers. The soft sprays are very cooling and not only birds come to cool themselves, ever school children walk near it to be splashed and feel refreshed from the heat.

Noon time heat

It's exam season and you see many students walking to and from school holding open books, trying to cram last minute. Another academic year will end and summer holidays will begin. Some students will have to decide if they want to register for the next year because their families can't afford the school fees. The economic situation is bad and most parents can no longer afford many things. They're barely living hand-to-mouth while paying rent, electricity, water, food and medicine. School is a luxury for many. I try to sponsor as many as I can ... usually the poorest ... from your generous donations. Please don't stop your kindness. Education means breaking the cycle of poverty. Help me help them.

Market

Mahane Yehuda

Yesterday the temp hit 38 degrees. It was very hot. On one hand this is expected in summer ... but not so soon. It's only the beginning of June. We usually hit over 35 degrees in August. This year the heat came early. I made sure to water the plants as I could see some were already wilting.

Last Friday I had to go for my 3rd rabies vaccine. Opposite the Health Bureau is the largest market in Jerusalem - Mahane Yehuda. It runs along 2 parallel streets with many smaller alleys linking them both. I decided to stroll through it as I have not been there for over 7 years. It was bustling as the Sabbath would begin in the evening. People were buying up food and ingredients for the Sabbath weekend. There was so much variety of bread and fruit and pickled veggies. I couldn't help but think of the poor starving people who live in another reality. 

Floral & fruit tea
infusions at Mahane Y.

Our computer system and wifi have been hacked for the past 2 weeks. Sometimes we have connection, sometimes no. Some websites are blocked. I couldn't enter Zoom for my classes. Certain academic papers and online research journals were blocked ... I couldn't do my research yesterday. It's very frustrating.

The war in the north has escalated. Both sides are bombing each other and yesterday a huge fire razed across part of the north due to rockets landing on dry fields. I don't know how much damage has been done.

Meantime my Covid seems to be coming back. Yesterday I had severe headache and high fever, with diarrhea, sore throat and I lost my voice. I hear that 2 others living in my house who had Covid 2 months and 6 months back are still having respiratory problems. It's very long term.

Processions

Our Marian altar in the 
courtyard

The past 2 weeks were filled with feasts and processions. There was Corpus Christi on Thursday and many churches and chapels had processions of the Blessed Sacrament. On Friday it was the end of May, and traditionally we have a street procession of the statue of Mary around the Christian Quarter. Because of Covid, the procession was either cancelled or had few people attending the past years. But this year it was much more crowded. There were still no pilgrims but locals made up the crowd.

The main Marian altar in our courtyard was set up and it brought back the splendour of past years. This year the Patriarch came personally to lead the procession. He carried an icon of the BVM while further ahead 6 school girls carried the statue of the BVM. Sick and elderly christians peeked out of their windows or waited at their doors for the procession to pass, to kiss the icon and sing a hymn with the crowds. It was very joyous ... a moment of faith in the sombre reality of war. Everyone prayed for the intercession of the BVM to end the war and bring comfort to our suffering people.

Statue of the BVM