Carmel feast

Typical alley with
lots of trash

We can feel the rising temperature these past few days ... and now we received news that tomorrow a heatwave will hit us. Temp will rise to 40 degrees and above. People are advised to stay indoors and drink a lot of water. Hope everyone takes heed. It's really no joke.

The rising temp is causing so problems in our side streets and alleys ... trash and garbage rot and stink very quickly ... rats and cockroaches are overrunning the neighbourhood. Only this morning I saw cats scratching apart plastic bags of garbage, chasing mice and generally most of these cats are sick. I find it difficult to walk along these alleys every morning when I go to the Convent of Ivrea to say Mass. It's very unpleasant. At 5am the temp can go up to 28 degrees. That's perfect for an infection.

Hematoma on my
palm and fingers

It's the 2nd day of library cleaning. We're till on the top floor ... and there're 4 other floors to go. 3rd floor is extremely large, covering 3 buildings. Good thing we have air-conditioning in there. Otherwise I'll faint from the heat and work. Today after transferring 100+ books, the veins in my fingers and palm burst. The hematomas hurt and swelled and I couldn't carry anything. Years of taking cortesones for my asthma have thinned my veins and they burst easily. I quickly soaked my hand in a cup of cold water and that reduced the swelling. Let's see if I can work tomorrow.

Today is the feast of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel ... a solemnity for the carmelites. Our carmelite student Biju who defended successfully his PhD left for his home in India on the feast day. There was a big celebration on Mt. Carmel where the carmelites have their spiritual centre in the Stella Maris monastery. Tomorrow is our feast day of St. Bonaventure our 2nd Minister General and theologian. It'll be a big celebration ... and our sisters will bake a cake. That's a nice consolation from the heatwave.

Solemnity

Umbrella shade at
Nahalat Shiva

Today is the feast day of the dedication of the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre (the Empty Tomb). Back in the early 4th century, St. Helena the mother of Emperor Constantine, built the Basilica over Mt. Calvary and the Empty Tomb and it was consecrated on July 15th. Here in Jerusalem it's a solemnity, not just a feast. It's one celebration you will not experience as it is not celebrated outside of the Holy Land.

No change in the weather ... scorching hot during the day but chilly in the nights. Solomon street in the Nahalat Shiva neighbourhood has it's iconic umbrellas up and every tourist and most locals stop to take a photo. It's quite a sight.

We've started cleaning the library ... which is 5 floors high and occupies 3 buildings. I've got extra help as the Dean recommended. So far today one floor was done. Another 4 to go. I was so exhausted I fell asleep at 6pm and woke up at 9pm because I was hungry. Missed dinner. And talk about missing ... the past 3 days have been utterly confusing as I cannot get the day right. It started already last Tuesday but it's getting worse. For example yesterday I woke up knowing it was Sunday so I had the Sunday Mass. But by 10am I was convinced it was Saturday ... and after a few reminders, I slowly realised it was Sunday ... only to confuse it with Saturday again in the evening. Don't know what's wrong ... I've been eating a banana every morning so I should have potassium and magnesium in my blood. No reason for the lost of memory.

Some very interesting news ... if you're an archeologist or like history: the slope outside the Last Supper Room has been excavated and the head archeologist claims it's definite evidence of the 1st Crusader attack on the muslim occupied Jerusalem in 1099. That would make it the first ever physical   remains of that event ... which appears to be a moat and some fortress walls. For sure the muslim residents will not be happy about this discovery.  https://www.timesofisrael.com/first-evidence-of-crusader-siege-from-july-15-1099-uncovered-at-old-city-walls/?fbclid=IwAR13DHJJs74rzBPnEdTbPirSLHHtE7P70CQt9_oVA0dRbpfnPsOdd8eF_-w

Tensions are rising as the Israeli army sends more troop to the Gaza border. Let's hope nothing serious will result.

More hot days

Night market at Damascus Gate

It was hot yesterday and still hot today .... not just hot but scorching. Even the hardy sun-loving sunflowers have wilted. Energy just saps away and security and soldiers, not just the normal resident and tourist, just find a simple walk difficult and requiring a lot of effort. Everyone is drinking plenty of water ... and for sure, a drought warning will soon be declared. I've been telling our sisters to keep the water used for washing vegetables and fruit so we can reuse it to water the garden. We must find more ways to conserve water. Because the sun sets at 8pm, night markets flourish everywhere and most people spend the evenings outdoors to catch the breeze.

Promenade by the sea

Yesterday afternoon I made a quick visit to Jaffa ... mainly to accompany a student who had been working overtime on his thesis and really needed a break. There was a very strong wind and the waves were high and violent ... but it did little to cool down the scorching heat. I had to clean the aquarium at our house in Jaffa of course ... but I managed to catch up with some good jewish friends who run stalls at the plaza in front of the church. They're really good buddies.

I've been thinking of the christian, yezidi and other minority refugees who have to suffer through this hot summer. It must be terrible. Pray that they get water and shelter.

waves crashing at the barriers

By the way the Courts have ruled against jewish residents of a northern city who barred arabs from entering a public park. The parks must be opened to all public in 2 days time. The city has also seen jewish residents refusing to rent or sell apartments to arabs. This far-right swing in dividing society will end in open conflict.  https://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Afula-to-open-its-parks-to-Arabs-non-residents-in-2-days-595615

Meantime rabbis of a city have declared all dogs as bad and dognappers are accursed. The rabbis dislike dogs and are trying to stop people from keeping them. Not good news for dog lovers.   https://www.timesofisrael.com/all-dogs-are-bad-and-their-owners-accursed-israeli-citys-rabbis-rule/?fbclid=IwAR2DTkBK5PMNWEyE2AajqzZTlfiHnHxb1SndugN1Q6o-O4Mc3V4NLVvLpek

Hot

Jerusalem artichokes in bloom

The heat continues to beat down on us ... and it feels so much more intense these last 3 days though the maximum is 32 degrees. The sun scorches the skin and it feels terribly painful. Most plants have withered but some simply enjoy this heatwave ... especially sunflowers and date palms. They're flowering everywhere in the country. I planted 6 pots of Jerusalem Artichokes last winter and they've started blooming. They're neither artichokes nor from Jerusalem but a type of sunflower with edible tubers. Their small bright yellow flowers are very cheery when they swing along with the wind.

Flowering date palm

Tourists are coming in lesser numbers now as the heat overcomes the country. Asian tourists however outnumber westerners as it's probably the school holidays now. It will be a nice break for most of us not to be constantly stressed by tourists.

However any happy thoughts for summer is soured by a warning of a possible Gaza war. Not a nice prospect... and definitely not in this heat.  https://www.jpost.com/Arab-Israeli-Conflict/Security-and-Defense-Five-years-later-another-Gaza-war-on-the-horizon-595382   and   https://www.jpost.com/Arab-Israeli-Conflict/Netanyahu-We-are-preparing-for-broad-surprising-campaign-in-Gaza-595342?fbclid=IwAR2ud1i32J_7tbX3y3fBBN-y5mOEyggsM7KtTKvRfOjk8D1wdbhJDtHFI00

And the northern city of Afula had recently banned selling or renting property to arabs ... not it's disallowed arabs from entering public parkas well.  https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-attorney-general-backs-legal-petition-to-allow-israeli-arabs-to-enter-public-park-1.7494383?fbclid=IwAR0XjyT5sEHygHhxBJGI5XwyLJQOUc--3X8vxcyZvExznzYao5hkrYgtIfk

Theories ...

Installing barbed
stakes

Seems fishy to me that within days of each other, several catholic institutions along Nablus road have put high high metal fences and barb stakes. I wonder if they've wind of some news that we don't. It certainly gives a sense of drama to an otherwise hot and uneventful summer week. Conspiracy theories abound.

Well the weather is getting the bettie of me and I'm unable to walk to or from home in the heat without getting dizzy and nauseous and disoriented afterwards.  And I'm still terribly worried about the things I've lost (I think) ... as I cannot remember where they were in the first place.

Tensions rise at the southern Gaza border because Israel mistakenly killed a Hamas official while he was preventing gazans from breaching the border. Lots of secret negotiations now to settle this problem. Hopefully it will not ignite riots tomorrow.  https://www.timesofisrael.com/idf-troops-mistakenly-killed-hamas-member-who-was-preventing-border-breach/

Hundreds of olives trees belonging to palestinians have been chopped down by jewish extremists the past week. This certainly destroys the livelihood of many families ... and is a hate crime but as with previous years nothing will be done to bring the extremists to justice. This could be another flashpoint for violence;ence tomorrow though usually the arabs in Jerusalem are not interested in  village woes. https://www.timesofisrael.com/police-investigate-reported-vandalism-on-palestinian-agricultural-land/

 Maybe the conspiracies theories are all that farfetched ... and putting high fences and barbed stakes are a wise measure.

Summer cheer

Sunrise at 5am

It's total confusion again ... for the past few days I've not been able to tell which day it is. Yesterday while meeting several commissions, people had been reminding me that it was Tuesday and not Monday. Then today I was rushing through my schedule for Thursday only to have my 5 volunteers telling me it's only Wednesday today. I don't know ... I've lost all sense of time and space. So now I'm totally lost ... it's Wednesday and I'm not sure what I'm supposed to do. I need to recalibrate myself.

Transporting food to the poor

Meantime I guess I'll spend time organising clothes and medicine and food care-packs for the poor around the country. There're lots of it and it'll take some time to organise them and distribute them to the MC sisters in the 4 regions of the Holy Land. At least the poor will have a little summer cheer.

Today's national tension is not jewish-arab but jewish implosion ... a leftwing activist was attacked and slashed by 2 right-wingers in Tel Aviv. The country has become so rightwing and vocal ... it's dangerous being a left-winger nowadays. They're considered traitors to the State and more of a threat than the arab enemies. As long as this implosion continues, the country will be divided and remain vulnerable. https://www.haaretz.com/opinion/.premium-activist-assault-in-tel-aviv-should-be-wake-up-call-for-israel-s-ordinary-people-1.7486047?fbclid=IwAR1CxhU6kiQ1Y9xnLvauK2XqwuJKyum6QLu1zZ1ZOA_UQACUNki-8U9N-NU

And the implosion deepens ... between secular and ultra-orthodox jews when a bus driver refused entry to a woman because it was an all men's bus going to an ultra-orthodox neighbourhood. And another implosion this morning when the mayor of Ramat Gan planned to run a shuttle service in the city during the Sabbath ... and a backlash from the ultra-orthodox  rabbis who are now threatening him.  https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5547298,00.html?fbclid=IwAR3QwfNePAyrhf6TJspnVMohZ7nobQ5K1XenXMvD9g2_woJB-bHRASXxpgU

OK so now I'm slowly sinking into the fact that it's Wednesday. What am I supposed to do today?

Bethlehem

The Wall & graffiti 

It was a sudden decision to go to Bethlehem this morning as our sisters had a lot of food which they wanted to give to the poor. The MC sisters in Jerusalem are busy with the parish youth camp and they have no fridge to store food, so I decided to bring it to the MC in Bethlehem. As we passed the checkpoint and along the separation Wall, some bottles fell out of the boxes and we stopped below the Wall to reorganise the boxes. It was the first time I've come so close to the Wall. It is massively high ... and the graffitti are actually very well done ... especially of course the Banksy ones. Anyway mission accomplished. All the clothes and food were delivered and I came back safely. I consider that my morning off. The wide spacious mountains and desert is so refreshing from the concrete jungle which is Jerusalem.

My booze ruqeb

Then it was work in the library and special class. Several times thoughts came about how I wanted to pass this summer ... studying more armenian and arabic, eat at my favourite Thai and Chinese restaurants, leisure walk along the Tel Aviv beach at sunset .... all dreams now ... It'll be another working summer vacation. I try to make it up by sleeping early ... at least I can spend more time sleeping in. Nowadays I sleep at 6 or 7pm skipping dinner ... and have at least 5 to 7 hours of sleep which I lacked during school days. And that is nice. And last Sunday I had my first Booza Ruqeb ... homemade ice cream peddled by vendors walking the streets of the Old City. It didn't taste anything fantastic ... but Booza Ruqeb is a summer institution which the poor people can indulge in. I'm glad I had one.

Meantime saber rattling is the game of the day. The PM threatening Iran because yesterday Iran threatened to attack Israel. We've seen it before and we're not too worried. More immediate danger is the discovery of tunnels from Gaza leading into Israel ... luckily the army destroyed them otherwise terrorists would have been able to infiltrate the country. And local politics are heating up in preparation for September's 2nd election. But that's all bit too much for me ... I'm into vacation mode despite work.

And I still can't find my wallet and bag of notes and cap ..... my memory is really going or gone.