Lightning storm

Rain!!

What a show it was yesterday night! At 11pm the sky over Jerusalem flashed with hundreds of lightning for an hour. And the thunder was loud. I was woken up by the celestial show and could not sleep as it was so unexpected and incredible. This morning there were so many amazing pictures of the lightening storm on social media. And being the first day of Sukkot, there were some jews who slept in those wooden huts but had to go back to the safety of their homes others they might be struck by lightning.  https://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Sukkah-sleepers-soaked-by-thunderstorms-throughout-Israel-604672?fbclid=IwAR1depDOlqk5H7LQgZlchn4EeLyf3yWJuP9YQTx7z9F6mQXsL9RRaGoD24w

Rain on lemon trees and passionfruit

Right now a heavy rainstorm just started. It feels so good to hear rain pattering on the window again. It's such a rarity for us in these past 15 years of drought. News coming in says it'll rain for only 1 hr and then it'll be clear again. I'll enjoy this one hour. Raindrops trickling down my windowpane .... incredible. The plants in the courtyard are all bathed in the rain. The ground smells musty as the rain soak into the hot dry stones.

My bronchitis is not improving. My cough is worse and sore throat is so painful. My head is so painful. And my fever has not subsided. And my joints are aching as well. I don't want to take antibiotics. Just drinking lots of water. People are saying it's a virus going around ... and it's true many people are sick for the past 3 weeks. I've spent the whole day in bed. The body is aching too much to move around. So I'll stay in bed and enjoy the rain.

Sick

Schindler's tomb

It's Monday ... meaning I have to be up at 3am (solar time) to prepare for class. I was running a fever and having a dreadful cough. The fever continue all afternoon. By 4pm I went to see the doc round the corner from the 5th Station. He said it's bronchitis and I need an extra dose of Seretide besides the daily dosage I use; then antibiotics for a week ... plus an injection. It shouldn't really hurt ... except that he's an old man with beginning Parkinsons. His shaking hands and the syringe become quite a frightening and painful experience. I'm hoping to rest and sleep today.

Last week many jews came to our Catholic cemetery on Mt. Zion. They came to visit the tomb of Oscar Schindler ... of Schindler's List fame. Yes he's buried here in Jerusalem and he was a catholic. He died on Oct 9th 1974. Descendants of those he saved and one last survivor from his List came to pray and remember and thank Schindler. It was very moving. He was not a perfect man ... far from it ... but for that one courageous act in saving 1,200 jews, he is remembered as righteous and worthy of commemoration in jewish history.

And it's Sukkoth today. I've been only to work 1km away and not entered the jewish side of the City s I don't know what's happening. I just hope nothing serious will erupt in the following days.

Stromata

It's extremely worrying that the turkish attack into syria has led to the escape of ISIS prisoners. This is bad news as they will regroup and restart their oppression and violence. Meantime news is also coming in from syrian bishops saying turkey has bombed churches and christian houses. It is so terrible. The consequences will be dire for the surrounding region. Yesterday hundreds of Israelis protested in Tel Aviv against the turkish attack.   https://www.ynetnews.com/articlesrkish attack./0,7340,L-5606796,00.html?fbclid=IwAR3thZWq3meZ24hTCmPwhPflkOK0HjSDCIgV6-9uh1cIvznBeqWDPIw_t6E

Grotto of St. Joseph at MC convent

Sukkoth begins this evening ... the country will stop for 24 hrs. Only the arab towns and palestine will continue with daily life. The feast lasts for 8 days and while most shop reopen on the 3rd day till the 7th, there are many other services that close down totally. If we need anything, we'll have to go to East Jerusalem - the arab side of the City. On the 3rd day of Sukkoth, jewish priests will gather at the Wailing Wall to give the ancient blessing. It's quite an experience. I make it a point to attend.

5 or 6 new students have arrived and settling down in our house. Now it's introducing them to the house rules and obligations. It's difficult for some as being a university community, we're quite regulated and disciplined.

Here's a lovely photo of the grotto of St. Joseph at the MC convent. We're praying that St. Joseph the protector of families will protect our christians and other minorities in Syria from turkey and ISIS.

Worries

Bus to Bethlehem

Another busy day with Mass at 6am in the Holy Sepulchre followed by class and 2 more hours with students writing their thesis. Then a quick rush home to meet the chinese community. Accompanied them to make the Way of the Cross and ended at 4pm. Then accompanied 2 migrant workers cutting with them. It was good to get away from books for once and do some pastoral work with people.

,,, And chat with everyone was centered on if a war would break out... or an earthquake ... and what to do if it does. Not very uplifting talk but it seems to be bothering all of them. And of course everyone is talking also about Trump abandoning the Kurds. Armenian christians in Syria have been posting photos and news of Turkey's bombardment, killing many christians. It's horrific.

Well the border with Palestine ha been closed this afternoon in anticipation of tomorrow's start of Sukkoth. A lot of inconveniences for workers ... and us.  Buses and all transport to and from Palestine are stopped. Only tourist coaches can pass through. But that's not my worry. What I'm most worried is the possible violence that will break out between muslims and jews. The past 3 years were calm ... but we can't take that for granted.

Soto Ayam

It's Friday and what a hectic day it was. Having forgotten to prepare the weekly salary of our cleaning lady in the Central Library, I went to the office at 5am. Prepared the money in an envelope and then did some cataloguing before returning home at 7am. Then it was preparation for 2 meetings at 10am and 11am on emergency procedures should there be an earthquake, fire or missile attack. It's an annual drill I conduct in the university library every year for staff and students/profs alike.

Soto Ayam dinner

Immediately after that I accompanied an indonesian family that came for a visit. Did the Way of the Cross. At the final stations in the Holy Sepulchre we met 2 exchange singaporean students and they tagged along for the rest of the afternoon. At 5pm while still in the Basilica, got a call from the MC sisters asking where I was because I should have gone to their convent for confessions and adoration at 4.30pm. It was a mad rush to their convent and everything ended at 7pm. A total of 14 hours non-stop work. Am totally exhausted. My feet are swollen. And my sprained back was hurting. But it was fun to be in asian company again ... a lot of local jokes.

One consolation ... the indonesian family cooked soto ayam for me. It was delicious. It had homemade ketupat as well. I ate it for dinner when I got home at 7.30pm and shared it with our indonesian student. What a treat!

Yesterday there were scuffles inside the Al Aqsa compound when police arrested 5 muslims and removed several furniture form a disputed hall. We expected demonstrations today but despite the fiery sermon preached by the imam, nothing resulted. Let's just hope this continues throughout the Sukkoth holidays.  https://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Israeli-police-arrest-5-Palestinians-at-Temple-Mount-gate-report-604159?fbclid=IwAR3ErR2yQ2JQZtkHjd6lj16OB8qUHsyv7Kbq0RhypTOECLuTaCYF49kZerQ

New day

Sunrise today

The turkish incursion into Syria is terrible ... and is causing ripples of dismay if not fear around our region, not least Israel. Thousands of christian and yezidi and Mandean refugees under Kurdish protection are now open to attacks ... by turks and ISIS.  If Trump could so easily dump the Kurdish allies after so much suffering .... no one is harboring any illusions that America will always have Israel's back. Time to have backup plans. Just received news that 3 have died by turkish fire ... including a baby.

School has started .... 2nd day today. Already the tables in the library are half filled and within the coming week, all will be filled. I need to put up rules to free up some tables otherwise many students will not be able to study. So much logistics to consider ... it's giving me a headache trying to fulfill everyone's requests. Added to this, the jewish holidays have deprived me of workers living in Palestine because the borders are closed ... and those who can come are sick.

Sunset today

Soon the feast of Sukkoth will start and everything will close down again ... some for 8 days. I've been warning our students living in Palestine to look for lodging in Jerusalem during this time otherwise they will miss school for a week ... the borders being closed for the week.

I sprained my back a 2nd time ... it put me back in bed for a day. But I've learned to adjust my position to relieve the pain so I can walk and work again. Adaptation is the key to survival.

Reparation day

Mounted police at Damascus Gate

It's Yom Kippur today ... popularly known as Day of Atonement but more properly Day of Reparation. All public activities stopped by 3pm yesterday and at sunset the whole country was silent. No cars in the street ... the only day in the year when the streets are totally empty of traffic. Its a day when israelis go out in bikes ... not to go anyway but simple to enjoy the empty streets. Along the City walls of the Old City, the main street was also empty of cars except for police cars and police motorbikes and mounted police. It was eerie. Some families of jews walked home from prayers at the Wailing Wall ... talking softly. Some were barefoot to show repentance.
https://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-shuts-down-for-yom-kippur-2/?fbclid=IwAR3X4JM7UNBc6PJD7eBJQOYBDvVLRL-s_5A_IccutI9POOKebPh9x2hC160

On the eastern/arab side of the City, life was as usual last night. Kebab sellers were roasting in the streets and people continued to loiter around in the chill, enjoying the breeze. But this morning most arab shops were closed. Not because they observe Yom Kippur but because all the borders with Palestine are closed and shopkeepers living there cannot come to Jerusalem to open shop. Hence even East Jerusalem was also relatively quiet.

Only police cars on the streets

Closure of the borders meant that our workers living in Palestine could not come to work. I was rushing between the 2 libraries because both were short of workers due to the closure. Then those workers who have Israeli citizenship have Yom Kippur as a compulsory day off. I could get no paper work done in our IT and Finance departments due to this. I'm quite afraid for next week when Sukkoth starts because the borders will be closed for a week. No workers for a week!!! I'll be working time and stretching to the limits.