Weekend

sunrise today

Friday was very busy ... only because I thought Thursday was Wednesday and got all my work schedule wrong. Had to recuperate the meetings and jobs on Friday. The weather was awfully cold so after 2pm I went home to stay in my room and get other things done on the computer. At 4pm it was confessions and adoration and bible conference with the MC nuns till 7pm. Immediately had to rush off to thank my volunteers from Milan with an arab dinner. I was exhausted when I returned home.

Seafood soup on a cold day

This morning was class with library work; then room cleaning before meeting several families in need. Then Ah Ling of Mandarin Restaurant called me over. She prepared a fantastic seafood soup ... the chef said it's to strengthen my constitution as I'm still coughing and wheezing and listless. The chef is a new one, from Tel Aviv's Peking Duck restaurant  ... so the food is fantastic. She also fried some noodles and didn't charge me anything. That's very kind of her.

Meantime the weekend - in our case it's Friday and Saturday -  was very tense in and around the Old City. I guess the police are afraid of arab retaliation because an arab terrorist's house had just been demolished. Some leftwing newspapers are questioning why arab terrorists are treated this way but jewish terrorists never have their houses demolished.

Let's hope there'll be no escalation in the violence. Tomorrow will be the jewish arbor day or Tu Bshvat. It marks the beginning of Spring and the first blossoms - the almonds - should be out now.

Snow!!!

Our sisters in the
snow

Well I was wrong ... it did snow last night. The hail storm preceding the snow was heavy. And there was lot of thunder and lightening. My students at Ratisbonne messaged me saying it's snowing up at their place. They're living in higher and larger grounds so the snow usually starts there and remain on the cold ground for a longer period. Here in the packed Old City, the heat from the narrow streets and overcrowded houses melt the snow even before it reaches us. Anyway by 11pm it snowed lightly here for us. Our sisters were out in the courtyard playing with snowballs. Our seminarians further uphill at New Gate were out in the streets. For many, it's their first time seeing snow. Lots of pictures flooded social media. In many parts of Jerusalem, the snow was quite heavy. Bethlehem's roads were covered in snow.  But all ended by 2am when heavy rains and winds melted the snow. This morning remained very cold ... barely a couple of degrees above zero ... but no snow.

Burnt substation

During the night we lost electricity 3 times. We're lucky. Further uphill in the Christian Quarter, the electric substation blew up and burnt. The residents there have not had electricity since midnight last night. No heating, no lights ... it's awful. Municipality workers were trying to repair or replace the burnt equipment but I doubt they managed to do much. I walked passed the substation this morning and it was all black from the fire. Let's hope electricity is restored soon. The old and sick living there cannot survive this cold without heating. Even the healthy are finding it difficult to withstand this cold.

In a bizarre twist to the "MacJesus" exhibit - a Ronald MacDonald figure crucified on a cross, made by a Finnish artist - that drew riots and protests by christians and the Assembly of Bishops and the Minister of Culture calling the exhibit to be removed but which the museum refused - the artist himself now called for his work to be removed. He said he was not informed of this exhibition and did not have his permission. The object is in fact been borrowed from another museum without the artist's knowledge. The latest news I hear is that the museum has relented and will remove it. Well seeing is believing.

Hail storm

Very cold, wet and dark before
the hail

I am still skeptical it'll snow this evening. It's 3.30pm now the sky has gone very dark and the wind is typhoon-force and extremely cold. It's practically 2 degrees now ... and the drizzle is slashing the air. But there's simply not enough precipitation for even hail to fall ... and that's a pre-requisite for snow. Anyway like I said yesterday, the forecast snow is the biggest talk about town ... no one is talking about Brexit or Trump or anything else.

Hail in my pots

Well now I take back my words. Suddenly a hail storm has broken. Very strong winds and heavy hail. My window was pelted so loudly Buddy and Chilli were petrified and were flying round the room screeching in fear. The boys are now hiding in the toilet where there's a heater and its dark .... they feel safe there. In Tel Aviv the winds were so strong, shop glass doors and windows were broken. We'll see how much damage was caused throughout the country tomorrow morning. So well maybe we might have snow later in the night. But being dark, I doubt I'll be able to see it unless I actually go out. Wow there's lightening and thunder right now. Reminds me of 28 years back ... when winters were really winters.

Hail on chairs

My dreadful cold 3 days ago is gone and the asthma has gone. The air is a lot cleaner with the strong winds blowing away the desert sands. But now I have a cold sore. Luckily I quickly bought medicine to apply to prevent it from blooming. Trying to nip in the bud. Still it's unsightly. Good thing it's a storm so I don't have to go out to work and show myself. I've got a fever too ... people are dressed in layers of coats and when they see me in 2 medium hoodies, they think I'm mad ... till they shake my hands and feel how hot I am.

One frightening news : with the US pulling out its troops from Syria, the threat of Iran to Israel has grown. Now Israel has voiced the possibility of invading Iran in a preventive strike. Well of course there're lots of rhetoric in the region ... but still this has been the most outspoken threat yet.  https://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Israel-may-need-to-invade-Iran-says-strategic-report-577590?fbclid=IwAR12uaf4ogItIkofADmLeyUABFTSmRgKMU0d4WMjhW-sHaUXE8pECpLjJ60

Snow tomorrow?

Very sunny today

The weather continues to be very cold but it was very sunny and bright today. Forecast of snow in Jerusalem tomorrow ... I am skeptical. Not a drop of drizzle today. It usually requires a day of rain and hail before snow precipitates. But still it's a land of miracles so it just might snow ... against all odds.

Even though the nights are not as cold as last week (6 degrees instead of 3 degrees), it feels so much colder. My 2 heater-fans aren't enough and I've waken up the last 2 nights shivering and covering up with 2 blankets. In fact the cold has kept me awake most of the night. Yesterday's sandstorm that triggered my asthma has subsided though I still have a dry cough. Breathing today is a lot easier. Maybe tomorrow's "snow" will clear the air and make it cleaner for breathing.

Sunrise today ... snow unlikely

Today I did minimal work ... settling bills and payments as usual but staying indoors at home most of the time. That helped a lot. I spent most of my time working out a project ... that took a lot of brain storming. I'll probably be stuck in this for the next days till the weekend.

Yesterday there was a report from the leftwing newspaper saying in the last 3 years the Israeli military courts have fined arabs up to $16 million. Good for Israel's coffers but are they justified and were Israelis treated the same way?  https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-in-three-years-israeli-military-courts-have-fined-palestinians-16-million-1.6830009?fbclid=IwAR2sxjyW0HA_HnYP71UGWhvRNoZme_CfrBWbQ5PxfwvpQo9PZYiqQPDiO2E

Beggar at Damascus Gate

While Brexit is the big news in Europe and Trump's Wall and the govt. shutdown in America, both are not bothering us locally. We worry about the war in Syria, our northern border with Lebanon and the southern border with Gaza. We don't want trouble ... it's hard enough to live day by day. This morning on my way to work I saw the arab beggar in the middle of Damascus Gate plaza ... despite the cold. That's tough. The women beggars stay inside the Old City streets to keep warm.

Dust storm and asthma

Conference on ancient travelogues

An utterly dismal day today as desert sands were blown by strong winds into our country ... so bad that people were told to stay indoors. I unfortunately had to go to work twice and do an errand in the New City. Simply breathing in was impossible. Again and again I was suffocating. But once I was indoors it was alright. What a trial. I won't want to go out again this evening though I was invited for a dinner with several visiting professors who had given a conference earlier in the afternoon. It was on ancient travelogues kept in our Custody library.

Kaya and bun

Well on a happy note, despite the cold and dreadful sandstorm ... I had kaya for breakfast. Haven't had it for decades. Yesterday I specially bought a submarine bun to go with it. `Was so happy eating it with a cup of hot coffee. It was a little consolation on a Monday morning because I have to wake up at 3am for class.

Anyway it drizzled a little during the day but which didn't help in washing away the sand from the air. There was a storm in the central parts of the country which caused flooding and snow blizzards up in the north. 2 persons died. Wednesday forecast is snow in Jerusalem. I doubt if it will .... and if it does, it'll be very light. It'll be an adventure for the 1st year students but I for one dislike it because I have to shovel the terrace, It's backbreaking ... and no one helps me.     https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5446522,00.html?fbclid=IwAR261UZAtojJyuuvqebWDgVJbj_ciq8xXm3C7_BNJucm3Rd3d4xJzQGpFpU
and
https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5241033,00.html?utm_source=Taboola_internal&fbclid=IwAR2P40F8nME2kUs7JbjKy5LqEww7PToZwgOhTDZlwlgPzKnUKlxPpm4VcfY

Tensions have been building up in the Old City. Muslims and Israeli police clashed in the Al Aqsa mosque when a jewish policeman wearing a skullcap was stopped by muslim guards from entering the compound. I saw police rushing past our house to get into the Mosque compound but didn't know why till I read the news online.  https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5446595,00.html?fbclid=IwAR0jOPd4OcfUFdJNTHa7-9GNLjFkMYN9hdiY1AUN9UTOUFPQL8_UPKwAi_s

Mass in the Tomb

Mass inside the Empty Tomb

It was a difficult moment this morning when I found out I had to celebrate Mass at the Ivrea convent at 6am but another Mass at 7am in the Holy Sepulchre for the filipino community from Jaffa. It's one and a half kms apart ... and I only have 15 mins to get from one place to another. Luckily at the last minute I found our Indonesian student who was able to go to the Ivrea convent so I could go to the Holy Sepulchre in time.

The weather was still cold and the sky dark when I walked out to the Holy Sepulchre. My student Pushpa who is now a deacon came to help me. We started Mass without the filipino group because they were late and in the Empty Tomb, Mass is restricted only within that half hour. Anyway I prayed for you all. The group arrived only at offertory time.

Altar piece of the Empty Tomb

Consternation this morning as reports flow in saying Israel bombed Damascus again. Many military depots were destroyed. We're not sure if there will be retaliation ... we're all just waiting tonight to see what will happen. But down south there were also riots at the Gaza border with one arab killed. I'm surprised they rioted in this bitter cold. They must be really desperate ... or Hamas must be twisting their arms to do it. https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5445112,00.html?fbclid=IwAR3NlE3OfOY9HJT9YqiJ3JtX9K0-qz5aWnDzVxg7IbGy7QjV0FGl6-ZmETE

Meantime Israel opened a road only for israelis. Arabs must use the old road. Cries of apartheid are heard on the left wing and foreign press. Well this isn't the first and it won't be the last road to be built.  https://www.haaretz.com/.premium-apartheid-on-the-roads-1.6829222?fbclid=IwAR3rCFOVkN96wNLwMbzBmLimnXbq6DTnVESuMEic-0dPD7ENpwTHnBgFiCo

In the northern city of Haifa there were riots and scuffles with police as christians protested against an exhibit at the Haifa Museum depicting Ronald MacDonald crucified on a cross. Even the controversial rightwing Ministrer of Culture called for the exhibit to be removed ... but the Museum will not budge. If it were a figure of Muhammad, you can be sure a war would have started and the museum would have shut down that exhibition. And if it were jewish ... the organisers of the exhibition would be in jail for antisemitism.  https://www.timesofisrael.com/arab-christians-in-violent-clash-with-police-in-haifa-over-mcjesus-sculpture/

And finally epic apocalypse ... the sacred Mosque in Mecca was swarmed by a plague of locusts. You should see the photos.  https://www.timesofisrael.com/meccas-grand-mosque-plagued-by-swarm-of-locusts/?fbclid=IwAR27AbRUDZ3ZiLqlYBF1R96SBiCJA9zYlS2m7X47MEZbPkrfEo3IxBE6M5Q

Cold but sunny

Muslim crowds to the mosque

Yesterday was a very hectic day. The prof and his team from Milan had arrived to prepare for a conference and an exhibition on some of our ancient books so I had to get the logistics right ... room, food, booking of conference room etc... Then there were the payments to make which means going back and forth from our Finance Dept. to the relevant institute. We couldn't do anything online as our server was down. The rains always interfere with the Old City's electric and telephone lines.

Later I had a short "guiding" job at the Hill of Evil Counsel just south of the Old City. And immediately after that at 4pm there was confessions, eucharistic adoration and vespers at the MC convent. By the time I reached home it was past 7pm. I went straight to sleep ...

View of Jerusalem from Mt. of
Evil Counsel

This morning I was out early to go to the Ivrea convent for Mass at 5.30am. The rains have stopped but it's still very cold ... about 3 degrees. I had a very bad asthma attacked when I reached Damascus Gate. Thought I'd pass out. Anyway I finished the Mass, came home to work in the library, then off to the other library with meetings and payments and orders of books. It was pretty rushed as I wanted to go home before lunch ... mainly to avoid the Friday muslim crowd  that passes my way home. My timing was bad ... when I reached the 3rd Station there were hundreds of muslims coming down the street. I had to squeeze through 20 meters of road with them before breaking off to the east to get home.

The debate around town is the arrest of several jewish extremist youths suspected of killing an arab woman. Protests have been taking place in cities and social media that jews should not be treated like that. But tacitly it's saying it's alright to treat arab suspects that way. There is a clear double standards in law. It's frightening how one can claim that rule of law governs this country.