Feast of the Holy Name

The New Year begins with a series of strikes here. Today teachers from secondary, primary schools and kindergartens have gone on strike over their salary. It's been a very very long dispute and we're not sure it'll be resolved. Then tomorrow bus drivers are on a whole-day no-work strike. This will affect the entire country ... especially soldiers travelling long distances. Let's hope everything gets resolved.  http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4902129,00.html  and  http://www.jpost.com/Breaking-News/Egged-strike-planned-for-Jerusalem-Wednesday-477253

Wet, cold night

The weather is still freezing ... between 4 to 9 degrees during the day. Tonight it'll drop to 2 degrees I think. It drizzled all night and the skies, even in the night, is a heavy grey with rain clouds reflecting the street lights.

Last night Johannes invited the 5 of us chinese out for an early Chinese New Year dinner at Mandarin Restaurant. He's retuning home for the celebrations in a few days time, and Sr. Marie Ann will also be returning next week. It's been a very long time since I was at Mandarin's. The food is still good but the prices have gone up. The cooks are still the same but the waiters have changed. It was nice to get together as a chinese catholic community. Everyone is usually so busy, we have little chance of meeting up. In the cold wet weather, the hot "lao huo" soup, dumplings and rice were very welcome. Thoroughly enjoyed it. In fact I think I ate a little too much. Had to go for a little 2 km walk to digest the dinner. The streets in Ben Yehudi Mall were crowded with people despite the drizzle. Of course one fear at the back of my mind was slipping on the wet smooth paving stones. I almost did fall on my way home but I managed to catch myself. The younger guy in front of me was less lucky.

Despite the rains, the Sea (Lake) of Galilee remains well below the red line. It's not good because in a few weeks the raining season will end and drought will be declared, and water prices and taxes will rise. It's the poor people who will suffer most.  http://www.jpost.com/Breaking-News/Lake-Kinneret-water-level-remains-remarkably-low-477275

And one sad news for us asians ... the creator of Lao Fu Zi cartoons died yesterday. He was 93 years old!

2nd day of 2017

Divided skies

It's barely 5 degrees right now at 1.30pm. The sun is shining brightly but the wind is so cold, it's freezing. The sky was strangely divided into 2 parts ... the south was sunny but the north was covered by dark clouds. It was ominous ... like a premonition of what 2017 has in store for us. Light and darkness in a battle ... the line was very clear in the sky. Terrifying sight to see.

Israel and Palestine continue with the working week ... the western New Year is not celebrated here because there's the autumn Jewish and Muslim new years. As a result, most christians who can afford, go overseas to celebrate. That ranges from going to Tel Aviv or Eilat, to Greece and Turkey where New Year is celebrated. That happened to the christian 18 yr olds - israeli arab christians - who were injured (one killed) in the Turkish club 2 nights back. Christians are targets of these muslims whenever they celebrate their feasts ... it's like shooting fish in a barrel. Easy targets because they're all gathered together in one place, all dressed unlike muslims, They're too easily identifiable.

Yesterday Haaretz newspaper carried an article about the wild mynah birds that have suddenly flourished in our parks. It was something I noticed in the past 2 years. They're invasive and destroy the local fauna. In fact they are so agile and intelligent, they have reduced the crow invasion by eating their their eggs and nestlings. That was what the crows were doing to the local birds. http://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/science/.premium-1.762316

Emoticon flipflops

And another bad news for the new year: Israel is deporting children of migrant workers; they may be born here and educated here but they have no status, so they will be deported to their parents' home country which the children know nothing about, nor relatives whom they know.  http://www.jerusalemonline.com/news/in-israel/local/children-of-foreign-workers-to-be-deported-25648

Sounds like a bad start to 2017. Well to add a smile despite it all, I saw  in Jaffa Street a tiny shop selling emoticon flip-flops. Very cute. Couldn't help laughing when I snapped a photo of it.

New Year's Day

Sunrise on New Year's Day

2017 has started ... I'd wish you all a Happy New Year ... except that I'm pretty cynical. Each year  that I've seen has been no better than the last ... with the same problems or even worst. But lest I dampen the spirit, let niceties be and "Happy New Year".

For starters yesterday I had a bad allergy reaction. I was offered a chocolate which I reluctantly accepted because most chocolates contain some race of nuts. Though I was told there are no nuts in it, just one bite and out came a hazelnut cream soft-centre. I spat it out immediately but damage was done. My hands were swollen and itchy, and so was the rest of my body. Eyes were red and swollen, tongue swollen and I couldn't breathe. Luckily there was a seminarian who stayed with me for a while. Being Sabbath and also Hanukkah, getting a taxi to hospital would have been a very big hassle and expensive. I took my medicine and Epipen ... and the reaction slowly faded in 4 hours. And Coca-cola was a big help too. What a way to end the year.

Jaffa Gate and the hanukkia

Anyway I was in my office till 10.30pm when I felt much better and could safely walk home alone. It was very cold ... about 3 degrees. But I decided to walk instead to Jaffa Gate to see the lights of Hanukkah and perhaps fireworks at midnight to welcome the New Year. There was a large crowd of tourists, locals and ultra-orthodox jews in the Jaffa Gate Plaza, watching the audio-visual on the City Wall. There was also a giant hanukkia at the Gate.

I remained there till midnight, hoping to see the fireworks that are usually stationed at Sultan's Pool down in the Gehenna Valley. Many other people were waiting as well. But nothing happened. This year there was no fireworks. Everyone went home disappointed.

As I was only just recovering from my allergic reaction, I walked home very slowly and cold. That was when I felt very cynical. Nothing good has happened to me, not last year, nor the years before, so why should the new year be any different?

Last day of the year

The giant hanukkia
at Zion Square

It' the last day of 2016. Can't say I'll miss it ... 2016 was wrecked with bad health, misfortunes and very unhappy events. And frankly I'm not optimistic that 2017 will be any different. There seems to be a great rush to die ... see how many celebrities died last week? As if no one wants to see 2017. What an omen for us.

However there were some bright moments - like the liberation of Aleppo last week. For once in 5 years Midnight Mass could be celebrated without bombings. Our friar in charge of the parish there has been sending out information about the joy they are experiencing. But the process of restoration will be arduous and painstaking. Basic facilities like water, electricity and sanitation. Then there is vital need for food and medicines. The franciscans in Syria are calling out for international help ... not from international bodies which will never respond, but private peoples especially christians to donate a little bit each. Help comes from the little people who are not caught up with bureaucracy and invested interest. It comes from the heart.  http://custodia.org/default.asp?id=779&id_n=32486

Hanukkah will end tomorrow - New Year's Day. The candelabra at Zion Square will be taken down by Monday and life will go on as usual for winter. Usually each house should have its own candelabra called the hanukkia and a candle is lit for each day of the 8 days to recall the miracle of the holy oil found in the Temple. Well yesterday there was an article claiming that this holy oil and fire tradition was probably borrowed from Zoroastrianism. I doubt the rabbis would be happy to hear that. The next feast will be Passover in Spring so there're 4 months to prepare.

A pizzaria and 2 burger shops open
during the Sabbath in Jerusalem

Meantime as Hanukkah ends - a feast that celebrates Judaism against paganism - news is that the city of Beit Shemesh in Central Israel is now totally occupied by ultra-orthodox jews. Secular and moderate jews have abandoned the city. The ultra-orthodox will now impose strict segregation laws for men and women as well as other things. I doubt they will tolerate shops that open on the Sabbath as some are doing in Jerusalem. These shops take the risk of being fined by the Municipality or attacked by the ultra-orthodox.   http://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-1.762153

Very cold weather

Fingers crossed ... we're getting news that a ceasefire has been signed by rebels and govt. forces in Aleppo which will take effect midnight tonight. Let's hope it'll hold. People need food, medicine and shelter in this bitter winter cold. Pray hard.

My 1st cup of
sahlab this winter

And it still is very cold tonight here in our city. It's not been raining and it shouldn't for the next few days. Forecast says it's 12 degrees now but it feels like zero degrees .... feels a lot colder than yesterday. Even local guys are wearing gloves and beanies to keep warm. It's times like this that a warm cup of sahlab is most welcome. I had my first cup this winter last week when I was in Netanya for midnight Mass. My friend Shlomi who runs a juice / crunchy-munchy hawker stall in front of our church was also selling sahlab, and he offered me one. It's actually a turkish beverage made from the roots of an orchid. The crushed powder is mixed with milk and a dash of cinnamon ... and it's one great comfort drink in this cold weather. I skipped the optional peanut and coconut topping because I'm allergic to the former and dislike the latter. The dried form of sahlab ... mixed with jelly ... is the world famous Turkish Delight.

Today's papers carried the news that some Israeli arabs were removed from a plane  at the request of Israeli passengers. They felt threatened by arab presence onboard. In any other country it would constitute racism and discrimination.  http://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/1.695633

Sufganiot from Gagou de Paris

Hanukkah will end on New Year's Day, so security has been heightened. It was quite noticeable today as the holiday nears. Even police helicopters were hovering over the Old City all morning. Let's hope everything will be fine as 2017 approaches. One consolation - Hanukkah means sufganiot (polish "ponschki") ... my favourite!! I passed by Gagou de Paris ... the fantastic french bakery at King George Street run by a family of french jews the other day to watch my friend (can't remember his name) cook some sufganiot. It's always so captivating to watch great chefs at work.

First blooms

Dark gloomy skies

There was no rain today. But it remained very very cold and dark all through the day. Everything was gray and gloomy. And the ground was wet and very slippery. It's 8 degrees right now but it feels so much colder. Forecast for next Monday: heavy rains, hail and graupel. That looks like a start to snow. I dread that because I must shovel snow from the roof. If it snows only lightly and will melt away quickly, then I don't mind.  http://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-girds-for-storms-snowfall-as-winter-takes-firm-hold/

The lack of sunshine is not good for my flowers. The anemones have begun to open but because there is no sun, they have been stuck in a semi-bud stage. Same with the narcissus. Let's hope the sun will come out for a couple of days so they flowers can bloom .... before being torn apart by the hail and graupel next Monday.

We received news that Salesian Fr. Tom is alive. A video of him has been released by his captors. Let's hope he will be released soon. It's such a horrible nightmare he's living through. 4 of Mother Teresa's sisters were killed in the attack in Yemen but Fr. Tom was taken away alive by his captors. Please pray very very hard for him. The following article is in italian https://www.avvenire.it/mondo/pagine/padre-tom-video

The 1st anemone to
bloom

Tourists have now dwindled to a handful again after the Christmas crowd. For once the hotels in Bethlehem registered full booking. That is good news. But it's not enough to sustain the industry for the rest of the year, this one week of abundance. Usually January and February are low season due to the cold, rain and snow. You can't see much because places open late and close early due to the winter sunrise and sunset hours.

My shoulder is feeling better today because it was adjusted by a physiotherapist. The ligament/tendon however still hurts but not as severely. The cold air however agitates my lungs and I get asthma attacks as well as a terrible headache. Winter is definitely not for me. I wish I could stay indoors everyday and not have to go out. The Sisters of M. Teresa are very kind and they have cooked a warm meal for me so that I can feel a little warmer and not suffer from asthma during the night.

Storm

Rain in the Suq & slippery streets

The rains continued this afternoon .... heavily. Infant there was a hailstorm at 1.15pm before the downpour. But prior to that the sky was bright and blue, though very very cold. The hail caused a lot of noise as it beat down on the zinc roofs. Then the rain pelted down. I had to go up to my other office because I had 2 meetings and 2 chores to do in the New City. By the time reached my office, 1 km uphill by foot, I was totally drenched despite the raincoat  I wore. On one hand it felt like what winter should .... but on the other hand, it's terribly inconvenient. The stone pavement in the Old City is a death trap ... almost everyone has had a narrow escape from the slippery streets.
Most shops are closed though those serving hot food are doing brisk business.

And anyway we really do need the rain after these 15 years of drought.  Tel Aviv and the coastal cities are receiving 2 consecutive days of rain. But it's not as cold as in Jerusalem here. The Sea of Galilee however is not rising because the water is flowing towards the Mediterranean Sea instead of the lake. So we might still have a drought year in 2017.

Freezing weather before the rains

But this weather is nothing compared to the political scene here. Israel is furious over the UN security council voting to draft a resolution against Israel's building of settlements in Palestinian land. Ambassadors of the council were summoned on Christmas Day and roundly rebuked, with promises of aid withdrawal. In fact aid has already been cut or stopped to several countries as punishment for not taking israel's side. Mad with Obama, the Israeli PM thinks he'll have a better deal with Trump.  All I can say is: Trump is a businessman; if he sees no profit in an endeavour, he'd cut his losses by pulling out and going the opposite direction. Israel has one very unpredictable ally in Trump. Israel had better have a Plan B and C  when Trump dumps Israel.

The revenge of having to withdraw one settlement from south Jerusalem this week is the demolishing of hundreds of arab houses in east Jerusalem. And though permits are granted for other arab houses to be built, for each permit granted 18 existing houses are demolished. http://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-1.761306

Another scary news of the rising power of the religious far right. Some soldiers died of cold because after exercises in the freezing weather, officers denied them turning on the heating because it's against the sabbath law. I think 3 died of hypothermia as a result this weekend. The Sabbath Law was meant to serve man, to preserve life but now it's man serving the Law. It's pharisaism like once upon a time. Sad because Israel's security is at risk. http://www.jerusalemonline.com/news/politics-and-military/military/commanders-refused-soldiers-to-turn-on-heating-in-tents-for-fear-of-sabbath-desecration-25559

On a happier note, there's an article about what food christians here eat during Christmas. Apparently the christians in the south have different food traditions than those from the north. Interesting. http://www.haaretz.com/jewish/food/1.693702