Weekend over

Anemones in bloom

The weekend was very tense with a large number of police in the Old City. Stop-and-search were made at every corner. Police helicopters circle overhead as early as 6am. Our street was blocked to traffic today. Entry or exit is a space large enough for one person ... so the queue was long and slow.  There's a sudden surge of tourists this week so the closure wasn't a help.

The weather turned warm today and very sunny. It was 14 degrees at noon. Many of us took advantage of the fair weather to walk along our terrace after lunch. But by evening the rain clouds have gathered and possibly it will rain tonight. Forecaste is rain all week.  

Rose canes budding again

Anyway my fever and pain continued this weekend. Lost of appetite and becoming quite confused. I was leading vespers this evening and kept standing up to read my part ...  only to realise the psalms weren't ended yet. Everyone was giving me curious looks. Last week I kept mixing up the days of the week and got my schedule all wrong. It's becoming a burden for everyone.

Rain and hail

Muslims scattering in the hailstorm
at the Arches of Mercy

The expected violence did not take place today Friday at the Al Aqsa compound. Though thousands marched toward the Golden Gate (where muslims, jews and christians believe the Messiah will come through) and broke down the barriers that Israeli soldiers had put up to shield off the Gate form muslims. The police did not retaliate. But the real hero was Mother Nature .... when noon day prayers ended and the expected riots were to take place, it started raining harshly and eventually hail began to fall. People scattered for shelter and that was the end of the riot that was to be. From the photo, you can just see the dome of the Golden Gate/Gate of Mercy among the trees (bottom left). The arches at the centre are the Arches of Mercy.

Similar large demonstrations were organised in Hebron but everything was peaceful and the Israeli soldiers did not confront the arab demonstrators. Today the muslims there commemorate 25 yrs ago a jewish extremist shot and killed 29 muslim worshippers inside the mosque of the Tombs of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and their wives. But at the Gaza border, the demonstrations turned violent and 1 youth was shot dead.   https://www.timesofisrael.com/thousands-of-palestinians-break-into-closed-off-temple-mount-section/

Full moon

Last night in our neighbourhood, Israeli police were going house to house arresting some 60 arabs who were planning to riot today at the Al Aqsa mosque. It was a nip-in-the-bud operation which seemed successful. But the chaos, shouts and shooting of tear-gas last night to stave off arabs resisting arrest.  

Anyway the cold and rain is bitterly harsh and I've spent the hold day in my room. My fever is now 3 weeks' old and the pain was so excruciating I have not slept since midnight last night. That makes 17 hours awake in pain.

Full moon

Tsahal Square on a cold night

Tensions continue to rise as Israeli police continue to barricade the area of the Golden Gates in the Temple Mount. Muslims continue to protest and I was warned in the streets to avoid our neighbourhood this Friday because they expect riots. We've not had major riots for many years now ... I guess the pent-up frustrations all these years are now surfacing with this event. I'm just wondering if I should stay home or go to my other office 1km away and stay there. Must make up my mind soon. Should the police lock down our neighbourhood, then I might not be able to come home. Serious.   https://www.timesofisrael.com/19-palestinians-arrested-in-fresh-temple-mount-clashes/

Full moon

The weather continues to be cold and cloudy. No drizzle today though it was forecast. I didn't go to work today as I felt unwell. Still with fever and pain. I did go to buy bread though ... and I found a new type which are packed with zip-locks. Great ... because they can stay fresh for several days. It's a new type of bread ... unleaven and thin but wholemeal. It's like Lebanese bread but it's a lot thinner. Good for my diabetes and necessary diet change.  

The full moon is up but the clouds are constantly hiding it. Last night I caught a glimpse of it when the clouds cleared for a while. It looked so surreal with clouds like pieces of jigsaw floating around it. I just realised that after this full moon comes the jewish feast of Purim. But not before Ash Wednesday. This year it doesn't fall on the Lunar New Year so there'll be rigorous fasting. For us it means lentil porridge. I dislike it ... so eating it is penance.

Stromata

Busker in the cold

It's Chap Go Meh, the 15th day of the New Year. Realised I've miscalculated it by a day. Should be nice Spring weather ... but here we're having very cloudy days and very cold nights. The past few nights were down to 3 degrees again. Daytime is about 6 degrees ... and it drizzles. It's like winter doesn't want to go away.

Some good news though ... the Sea of Galilee has risen 1.5m though still below the red line. Forecast is the summer heat will evaporate it all and the sea level will fall again.

Cleaning the oil
lamps at the Holy
Sepulchre

Am still feeling lethargic and slow. It now takes me some 30 minutes to walk a 12 min. distance. And being uphill, I have to be very slow. Been feeling terribly dizzy and a little scared to go out on my own. 2 weeks ago I blacked out in the streets, luckily in front of the Spanish Sisters convent. A passing friar got help there. So I'm very careful now when I go out.

This morning I went to the Holy Sepulchre. There was a big crowd lining up to enter the Tomb but it was closed for cleaning. It's one of those rituals rotated among the 3 Church denominations - Greek orthodox, Armenian Apostolic and Latin franciscans. This morning was our turn. It was very interesting to watch the various oil lamps being cleaned and filled with oil, wicks trimmed.

There was some tension yesterday when Israeli police closed off the area around the Golden Gates of the Al Aqsa compound. Muslims demonstrated and police spiked their presence including helicopters. The tensions continue today. The king of Jordan who is the guardian of the holy place condemned the Israeli move. We'll see how it'll be resolved.  https://www.jpost.com/Breaking-News/Police-chase-suspect-onto-Temple-Mount-developing-report-580994?fbclid=IwAR2HspqhYiSucVWLph8DgLXKICNvkIFK6XJEoc7LQatKTTM75j-2XXoOaTY

13th day of CNY

Crowds at the 3rd Station of the Cross

What a dreadful start of the day. I was feeling very dizzy and nauseous the moment I got up. And I was like that all morning .... in fact all day. It's a very light-headed feeling, everything spinning around ... like the last few seconds before you actually faint. And I've lost my appetite even though I've forced my self to eat something otherwise I'd get more giddy from hunger. And the fever continued all day. It's not looking good.

Armenian seminarians with sisters of
the 3rd Station

Same thing said about the weather. 6 degree weather all day, very cold winds and it even drizzled just after lunch. Still it did not dampen the crowds coming into the Old City. There was a sudden influx of european and american tourists today. The 3rd Station of the Cross is the intersection where people of all 3 religions pass ... and this morning the crowd was unbelievable. I had the Armenian Mass at the 3rd Station this morning and it was very nice to have our armenian seminarians coming to help me. The White Fathers' seminarians also came to help with the readings. It was a good liturgy ... I'm beginning to do more parts of the Mass in Armenian now. The PDDM sisters who are in charge of the Armenian cathedral at the 3rd Station invited us for breakfast after the Mass. It was a nice moment.

After that I needed to rest as the dizziness was getting worse. And talking about dizziness, the govt has issued another warning of an impending massive earthquake. I should repack my earthquake backpack again ... restock the medicines and water bottles in it.  https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium.MAGAZINE-southern-israel-is-hundreds-of-years-overdue-for-an-earthquake-1.6933565?fbclid=IwAR2vsJr_4bDl6PFh6q2RGvWH2Tn0IftnUSXUYnydIJS0vFWkWqFrCcH35ns

12th day of CNY

Cloudy skies

It was a slow day today ... after yesterday's hospital visit. I had an antibiotic drip as I have an upper chest infection. Been very lethargic today despite having class and meetings. I still have a fever. Yesterday was 34 degrees. Today was not so high. The weather was very encouraging for my health ... a little drizzle with sun but very cold and occasionally very cloudy. I stayed home all day even though I should have gone out to do some work. Maybe I'll go tomorrow if I feel better.

Hawkers at Herod's Gate

Being the weekend for jews and muslims, hawkers sell their wares at all 3 muslims city gates - Damascus, Herod and Lions. Things are cheaper during these weekends. Many muslims from throughout the country come to pray in the Al Aqsa so hawkers make brisk business ... especially the food stalls and restaurants. The food is therefore fresh and the desserts are especially good on weekends. They make kattayef which is pancakes filled with cheese or walnuts. That's my favourite dessert.

Yesterday despite the weather there was the weekly riots at the Gaza border. Some injuries on both sides of the fence. There seems to be no let up to this.  https://www.timesofisrael.com/hundreds-of-palestinians-join-weekly-protest-at-gaza-border/?fbclid=IwAR3UK0fQtdDkq_b4jwz7urBIdrJIdaIJoAIpX9-nNz1NSxis8Tnko8tN35E

11th day of CNY

New MRI machine in hospital

It's Friday and cold but dry. The forecast rain didn't come ... but I noticed it did rain overnight in Tel Aviv and Nazareth. I had a hospital appointment in Nazareth so I left early at 5am to avoid the traffic on the highways. Outside Jerusalem the air was crisp and clean .. obviously washed clean by the rain. The journey took only one and a half hours because the roads were still relatively empty of cars.

Once at hospital at 7.30am, the sisters showed me the developments of the last 3 years. And it has changed a lot. An entire new wing of 4 storeys with full maternity ward and children's ward. A latest MRI machine and many other things. It was very impressive. I only hope the service they provide is as upgraded as the physical structure. Well my checkup ended at 11.30. My fever is due to an upper lung infection. I was put on a drip of antibiotics. Then there was ultra-sound and other stuff. The sisters gave me some breakfast since I fasted since last night for the tests.

Then it was a 2 hour drive home because the driver decided to use the Jordan Valley road in order to avoid the heavy traffic on the central highway. And the entire ride was costly ... US$400. Well the taxi driver did wait for me. Still that's the prices we have to pay in Israel ... an expensive country to live in.

Road-blocking sheep

The Jordan Valley road back was very delightful because it crosses the desert lands which are all green and blooming with countless flowers because of the rains. Many local Israelis drive out there to see this spectacle. And our taxi was stuck when a huge herd of sheep crossed the highway to graze on the fabulously lush slopes along the road. It was a great sight ... all the sheep herded by 2 dogs and 3 shepherds.

Well I'm very tired easily and was quite dizzy all morning. Doc's orders are a change of diet, lots of rest and no stress. I nearly died laughing. Maybe I should just move out to the desert and live with the bedouins ... and learn shepherding.