New Year

Altar for CNY Mass

It's the Lunar New Year today. I can't imagine I didn't update the blog for a week now. Time flies. Here in our country the festival is not celebrated of course. But Chinese communities do it privately in their homes and dormitories. Most are not rich ... migrant workers in construction companies. They don't get a day off. But they did have a meal together last night for the reunion dinner. 

Those who're spending their first New Year away from home find it difficult. Its a Jewish country and it's not encouraged to celebrate other religious festivities that offend. Small groups of Chinese especially students, gather in Chinese restaurants to celebrate ... but not all can afford that. For some the sense of loneliness is overpowering. Some go into depression. Others drink themselves drunk. The protestants have teams that meet with these people

We're all wary of what a snake year might bring us. All our hopes for a good dragon year were smashed with the tragedies and wars in our region. We're hoping for the best ... with fingers crossed and gritted teeth.

Rain

Damascus Gate this morning

It started to rain last night as forecast. We had been saying that there's too little rain this winter. Well the rains have come but we don't know for how long or if it'll be enough to sustain us for the whole year.

It's been switching from showers to drizzle the past 24 hours. And strangely it's not as cold as we expected. It's 12 degrees now. Rather comfortable. The only problem is when you need to go out ... the streets are very slippery and everyone struggles to stay on their feet. I myself nearly fell 5 times on my way home last night. A lady in front of me slipped and landed on the ground. I wonder why the municipality insists on paving our walkways with slippery sandstone instead of other material. Imagine the number of injuries each rainy season. These are avoidable accidents. 

Slippery stones

The Chinese New Year is round the corner. Can't say our asian community is looking forward to it. We had a very bad year of the dragon ... war after war; countless tragedies and deaths. The snake doesn't look too promising. We're cautious and not too optimistic.

Better

Full moon last week

I've been reading up on HMPV the new virus that's spreading rapidly everywhere. Health websites say it's like the flu with symptoms of cough, fever and blocked nose. In severe cases there's wheezing. I had all that. It's the 7th day today and I'm feeling much better. The fever and runny nose are gone. But I'm still coughing and wheezing. I also found out last night that many in my house have it.

I've been taking Dexamol, a local equivalent to paracetamol for colds. It's a formula with 2 types of medication for day and night use. I guess it works because I'm much better today.

Cloudy morning

The ceasefire which was to start 20 minutes ago isn't taking place because Hamas has not fulfilled its side of the agreement. No one knows what's the next step. We're all waiting to see. Tense.

Today is the extended feast of Epiphany - the 1st Miracle in Cana. Everyone is going to Cana right now for the solemn Mass to be celebrated in our Church there. I'm sure everyone there will be praying for another modern miracle ... a miracle for peace in our land.

Pho

The virus is affecting many people ... aided by the cold spell. Coughs, runny noses and fevers are the usual symptoms. General fatigue as well as brain fog. Some have been laid to bed for a week. I walk every day instead. I need my body to work normally and get my own immune system fight it. But the cold dry air has caused my nose to bleed for 2 days. 

Home made pho

Luckily the weather has warmed these past 2 days. Up to 12 degrees during the day. And our Vietnamese seminarian made authentic pho for me. It was good comfort food ... nourishing as well. t was my first time eating pho. I liked it. He made it with chicken as beef is expensive. 

Sirens sounded all over the central part of our country this morning. I was deep in my library at work and didn't hear it. And because the library walls are very thick, I do not have internet reception so the missile alert system on my phone didn't work. I guess I was well protected in the library. The walls are 2.5 feet thick and solid stones.

We'e hoping the ceasefire and release of hostages will bring some calm. We're praying very hard for this.

Virus

Indian priests pilgrims

I definitely have the virus. And it's going around quite swiftly. Flu vaccinations are now available and advised for people. But it's too late for me. I hear some cases among the nuns that it could get a lot worse than the symptoms I'm suffering. I still have a high fever that comes and goes. A lot of runny nose and stuffed head ... can't focus or think. Generally weak and fatigued. Muscle aches and cramps. But strangely my feet are also swollen. It can't fit into my shoes. It's a telltale of my heart problem but the appointment with the cardiologist is Jan 30.

Tourists are coming back though, despite the rapid spread of the virus. In just one hour 3 large groups came to our church, and 4 small family tourists as well. One group of 50 were made up of catholic priests from India. It's an encouraging sign that tourists and pilgrims are coming back. The only setback is insurance companies are not willing to sell policies to ME visitors. But with the ceasefire declared this morning, maybe tyhings will change.

The weather has warmed a little. Maximum today is 12 degrees. It's grey and cloudy though. Don't know where the sun is. Last night it was also difficult to view the full moon. Sounds like our future ... al murky and unclear.

Sahlab

Sahlab with rose syrup

My "cold" is back. Runny nose, congested head, bleeding nose, fever all night. I could hardly sleep. It's a little warmer in the nights ... 9 degrees. I just felt very ill.

At 3am I heard a series of muffled noises ... far away. At first I thought it was thunder but it was too regular. It sounded more like explosions. But I was feeling sick and the sounds were far away. I couldn't confirm what it actually was. Still it's disturbing and sad to know that war is everywhere around us. Senseless hatred and suffering. Innocent lives lost. Irreparable damage to body and soul. I am psychologically and emotionally exhausted from it. I help many calls for aid, those affected directly and indirectly by the war. I am not numb to the stories of suffering ... I'm exhausted from hearing the same things that no one in the world who has the power to stop it, will stop it. The news reports of blatant violence that goes unchallenged. The hypocrisy of Biden this morning saying people have a right to peace, when he armed the war to kill almost half a million people. He should be excommunicated. He should be buried outside any christian church. A disgrace to the Catholic Church.

I'm just feeling to sick to think about anything right now. My head is stuffed. I'm thinking only of a hot glass of sahlab to warm my sick body. I had sahlab last week ... a winter treat that originated from the turks during the Ottoman empire. But I added rose syrup ... something that was done 30 years ago but not nowadays. You can't buy rose syrup here anymore. I got mine from Singapore.

Unwell

I felt very sick yesterday ... like I caught a virus. I had the chills, runny nose and a very bad sore throat. I was afraid it was the new virus that has symptoms of the flu. My heart situation is really bad right now and if I have the virus as well, it's game over. I tried to keep warm all day though I was shivering. And then I had a very high fever that subsided in half an hour.

Last night I tried to sleep and keep warm. This morning I feel better. The fever didn't come back and the runny nose stopped. I only have the sore throat. Not the best feeling.

I'll go home and sleep early today after class. 

Our Kawas who lead
processions of the
Custos of the Holy Land

Rain

 It rained all of Friday night and the whole Saturday saw lots of drizzle, the rains resumed in the night. And it was cold. People say there'll be heavy snow this year. I'm a sceptic. With so few rainy days I don't see how the formation of snow and graupel can take place. Still strange things do take place in this country.

Konkani Mass

Fortunately I had work in other cities yesterday, celebrating Masses for different migrant communities in Jaffa, Tel Aviv and Herzliya. It was very tiring traveling back and forth for over 6 km. But I made it safely through the cold and rain shuttling from one city to another.

The Konkani Masses were crowded despite the weather. Pastoral experience with them is very rewarding. The migrant catholics outnumber local catholics by almost 3 to 1. 

Briyani and yoghurt

The Konkani community prepared briyani and spicy cucumber yoghurt. It was fantastic comfort food after a long day's work on a very cold and wet day. I must say these might communities take good care of their chaplains. They themselves have only one day vacation a week yet they spend time cooking for their chaplains and coming to Mass which takes one hour, but traveling may take up to 2 hours because it's the Sabbath and there are no public transport. They have to travel by private taxis and minibuses that charge double on Sabbath.

Over

Musrara market

Christmas season is almost over. It wasn't very festive, given the situation we're in. But this year at least we had a couple of Christmas trees. Still the entire Christian Quarter of the Old City had no public decorations nor events. It's sad. 

But we're ready to face the rest of the liturgical season ... Lent coming soon on March 5th (Ash Wednesday). We're praying that peace returns so we can celebrate Easter joyfully and publicly.

The weather seems to match our mood. It's cold and damp though we've not had rain the past week. The dew is so heavy that even at 5pm in the evening the streets are already wet and slippery. These few nights it's been so cold even my little heater isn't enough. I couldn't sleep as a result. The cold air also affects my throat so I cough a lot. So are many people. The problem is we can't tell the difference if it's due to the cold or if it's the latest epidemic. I'm very cautious when I go through crowds as I'm very weak as it is. If I catch the virus, for sure the end for me.

Musrara market

We've been hearing occasional explosions in the night ... 2 or 3am .... It's far away but it's a constant reminder of our precarious situation. People go out for necessities, but not for leisure. I noticed the Musrara open market is a lot quieter than usual. The stuff there costs more, and there are fewer buyers. Being winter, the sky gets dark by 4.30pm. It adds to the gloom.

One thing though ... the lack of local shoppers is made up by the rise of migrant workers. A lot more indians, filipnos and chinese buying basic foodstuff. The local economic trend is over. A new demographic has taken over.

2nd week

Empty streets on normal day

There are a lot less traffic and people in the streets than before the war. It's very noticeable. And it's not just on the weekends. Except for rush hour like 3.30pm and 7am, the roads are generally down by 15-20 %. It reflects the sad and fearful environment we're enveloped in. We're hoping the new year will bring a change .... hope is the only thing we have left. 

And hope happens to be the theme of this Holy Year. It resonates here in our region. Catholics are seriously celebrating the Holy Year with events, prayers and study sessions. We can make a difference. We can make a change. We may be a minority within a minority - Latin catholics are significantly less than Greek catholics - but hope inspires us to lead the way in bring in peace back to our world.

Qatayef & suganiot

Several friends flew over  to spend Christmas and the New Year here. Yes tourists and pilgrims can come freely. They had a nice time celebrating Christmas in Bethlehem. I met up with them for a couple of days, giving them talks. The rest of the week they were traveling around the country visiting churches. They leave today. Yesterday I bought some qatayef (arab pancakes with cheese or walnuts) and sufganiot (jewish donuts) for them to try. It was a nice ending to their visit ... a taste of the local cuisine both arab and jewish. That's a start for peace ... start with food ... on this 2nd week of 2025.

New week

Heavy rain

The few nights of the new year were dramatic. Missile alert sirens at 4am followed by explosions. I was already awake doing work when I heard the sirens. It was in south Jerusalem but debris can land as far as here in central Jerusalem. And debris is not small bits of metal but tonnes of rocket fuselage that can destroy houses. We have no bunkers to hide .... all old buildings don't have bunkers. So I waited it out under my table. It's the only thing I can take cover in. Everyone else was asleep and didn't know the better.

For the new few nights, I slept intermittently ... waiting for more sirens. There were a few more in the coastal west of the country. No injuries so far except for shock.

Heavy rain

The rains had stopped after 2 days. At times it was heavy but mostly it remained as a drizzle. It was good as the land is saturated with water after a long drought. But still it's not quite enough for Spring plants to sprout. The hills continue to be brown and no signs of anemones or wild mustard. We're hoping more rains will come ... even snow ... but the forecast for next week is sun. 

And we thought that after the rains it would be warmer. On the contrary it's a lot colder now than when it rained. 

And that's how the new year came in .... 

New Year

Reset to zero

The New Year came in quietly here ... neither jews nor muslims follow the Gregorian calendar. They follow the lunar calendar and their new years begin in autumn. Still at midnight, some fireworks were set off in Sultan's Pool 1.5km away. It's something the Municipality has been doing for some 30 years now since Mayor Teddy Kolleck introduced it. Last year there was no fireworks because of the war. And fireworks are expensive so the pyrotechnic show lasted less than one minute. Still it brought a little festivity to us in the midst of war and a very subdued Christmas.

I concelebrated Mass last night, with some of the migrant chaplains at the Rosary Sisters chapel where the filipino community gathers. There were 3 other chaplains plus the patriarchal vicar for migrants. The choir was vivacious as usual, with lots of christmas carols.  Mass ended at 10.30pm.

Mass at the
Rosary chapel

I had a hard time walking to the chapel in the rain. It has rained for 2 days now and very cold. My heart cannot take the strain of walking uphill anymore. I had to stop many times to rest. I'm feeling so old and tired, yet I see people older than I am more fit and healthy.

I came home just 14 minutes to midnight. It takes me one hour to walk 2km home. Managed to captured the time on my phone. It was like resetting your computer back to the start. Begin again. I just hope 2025 will not be as disastrous as 2024 was. It's the Holy Year of Hope ... and 2025 should give us reason and result of it.