Rail against railing

Damascus Gate & ugly railing

It's my turn this week to celebrate Mass at the Ivrea convent. I rather like that ... the walk there is very pleasant especially in summer. Though it is not so far, I take at least 25 minutes to walk there because of my asthma and also because of the heat. It was 28 degrees today. I'll enjoy this week's masses. The sisters there are also very kind. And they provide a simple but delicious breakfast of cheese and bread.

The Municipality has put up an ugly railing along Suleiman Street facing Damascus Gate so that no matter how you take a picture of the most beautiful and famous gate of the Old City, the railing is there to mar the view. That's certainly one way to chase away tourists. I really have no idea what those people are thinking when they do these ugly things. No doubt they'll say it's for security reasons ... to prevent terrorists. But the jump from there to the plaza below is 4 meters and not a single terrorist has ever used this area to commit a crime. It's simply too high up and far from the Gate. I would hope that a movement be started to pressure the Municipality to remove this railing.

Lily in my garden

Infection rates continue to soar and the govt and the corona-commission cannot decide what to do other than to pull the brakes on further easing of the lockdown. They need the economy to get back to  normal but at the price of more deaths and infections. Are the hospitals prepared for an influx of patients? Are there enough masks? Testing kits? Ventilators? What the officials say is true ... all it takes is for people to be civic-minded and responsible: wear masks, keep distance, wash hands ... and the pandemic will be under control. But unfortunately there are those who actually believe the pandemic is only a media invention; no one has died, there is no proof anyone died ... yes, someone actually told me this this morning ... and just now I read another similar idea on social media. It's shockingly unbelievable that people in this day and age can remain in a fantasy.   https://www.timesofisrael.com/ministers-permit-events-with-up-to-250-but-expected-to-delay-other-reopenings/?fbclid=IwAR3tSMNuOfqhOPQkkVfKwGYCUT99pVmvnklm4sn-uwzHkfPSKDuW8X5FshI

Trinity Sunday

Grapes and cherries at the market

It's Trinity Sunday ... one of those feasts based on an abstract dogma instead of a biblical event. It's been a point of dispute for most of the early centuries but eventually the orthodox position held ground and became dogma for all the mainstream ancient churches. Preaching a homily on this topic is tough ... it can get very philosophical so usually preachers remain in the description of trinity as relationships. It's a lot easier for the people to understand ... not to say that the preacher himself fully understands this mystery.

After Mass at the armenian church, I decided to go to the other library where it's very quiet and cool. The weather is 28 degrees and the sun beats down harshly ... making it feel more than th thermometer records.

Playing petanque at the Boulevard

Top health officials are warning of a 2nd wave which has no visible end. However they're not in favour of lockdowns. One top medical authority has been fighting political bureaucrats who are using the pandemic as leverage ... and his solution is really logical and feasible: test everyone ... those who are negative go back to work; those positive go to quarantine. That way the economy does;t have to close down. But like in many other countries, politics is more important than human lives.   https://www.ynetnews.com/article/ByWmzG53I?fbclid=IwAR0r-VuHoWqqVzthh5f2uA3FgTYVmE_eVawBL86Y1BpP3PTuw0wB4OQAFAU
and
https://www.timesofisrael.com/outgoing-health-chief-warns-fresh-virus-outbreak-of-unknown-scope-underway-tv/?fbclid=IwAR1JBbaoKH-YP6XsoN4vRdW0GslQD42ZSbQQNwJlUENDobc6ume7SkREY08
and
https://www.jpost.com/health-science/hadassahs-rotstein-leads-charge-in-israels-fight-against-coronavirus-630366?fbclid=IwAR0StmAWFFSlN9n8XIsNDIZdccyBBLFUXxZlhu3mRF5mYeoaeQOzLA8_jXY

The tragic killing of the autistic man near my house has drawn admission and regret from Israeli authorities. The Chief Rabbi went to visit the arab family to offer condolences; and finally today the PM himself publicly said the killing was "unjust" and a "tragedy". Demonstrations have been taking place throughout the country ... likening to the killing to america's George Floyd ... whether rightly or wrongly. And the demonstrations grew into the thousands yesterday when it included the annexation plans of the PM in palestinian land. With worldwide demonstrations and violence over the Floyd killing and the pandemic and the economic crash ... the PM cannot afford to fight all these. Better make peace first. Now the anti-annexation groups include not only left-wingers and arabs but also rightwing settlers themselves who now see Trump's plan as a disaster, isolating their settlements in a midst of an arab state which they refuse to accept.   https://www.timesofisrael.com/thousands-rally-in-tel-aviv-against-netanyahus-annexation-plans/?fbclid=IwAR3pTOt1ZiO5yvhxzdOrN8Qfr4ssnyUhK5jB_OpPvqFzFjuyRCYS8BruhPE

What a Sunday ... so many things going on ... it leaves you breathless.

Humpty and Dumpty

Dumpty 

Updating on our 2 orphaned kittens Humpty and Dumpty. The 2 are very playful and everyone delights in watching them chase each other, playing with the mop and broom, hide-and-seek among the pots of roses. They don't have any worries, know nothing about economic crisis and coronavirus pandemic. They just eat and sleep. And when they wake up, they play and play. Care free. Innocent.

Yesterday morning on my way to work, I met the Archbishop walking alone in the empty street. He was going to visit some community as he usually does every morning during the lockdown. He celebrates Mass for them since many communities cannot go to church for Mass. And he spends time talking and encouraging them. He's a great shepherd.

Yesterday also saw one dead from coronavirus complications. 144 new infections. Much as I dislike it ... I think the govt needs to impose another lockdown. People have become careless and irresponsible. Majority no longer wear masks nor keep social distancing. Human lives should not be the price for economic stability. The fault lies above all with that irresponsible minority ... the super spreaders   https://www.timesofisrael.com/what-makes-a-superspreader-and-how-central-are-they-to-covid-19s-growth/

Archbishop on way to visit

It's another weekend. I have to prepare the monthly stipends of our workers ... re-order their jobs now that the number of workers have been reduced. Even working hours have been reduced. Everyone must work a little more and a little quicker because of the reduced work hours. That's a lot of logistic planning ... and I'm alone in organizing this. And of course tomorrow is Sunday ... I have to prepare for the armenian Mass as well. It's a very difficult language. I've learned more coptic in the same amount of time that I studied armenian. The alphabet is the first hurdle. But I'll strive on. Nothing like a good challenge to keep my brains working.

Stromata

Fresh bread

Yesterday was a very busy day. It was work non-stop. And my bp was high again ... I was dizzy most of the time, nausea and feeling fatigued. But I managed to get through the day. Today was a little better. But it was work-filled too. The end-of-year reports are finished and I'll hand them in tomorrow to the Council. Then we prepare for the end of the semester and summer officially starts in 2 weeks. I'll need make plans as most students are stuck here with no flights out. I'll be planning an english language course as several have asked for it.

This morning I went to the english Educational Bookshop and got several grammar books and short stories with exercises. Now I'll have to fix a timetable so the students can join in class. That'll keep summer busy for them. And for me.

The funeral of Fr. Stephen was at 3.30pm. We are all very upset. The rector of the Salesian seminary cried while giving the eulogy. Fr. Stephen was 87 yrs old. He was always calm and kind, available to everyone anytime. Even in his old age and sickness he offered to teach english to foreign students. He was like grandpa to everyone. And he loved gardening ... that's how we clicked. I used to bring plants for him and we'd discuss gardening for a long time. I'll certainly miss him. He was a great man.

Humpty

Another 133 new infections today and another 5 schools were closed. Some newspapers are calling it the 2nd wave ... and I don't doubt it. And it's all because people are not wearing masks and keeping distance .... even our own students and a lecturer staying in the New City. They just scoff ... even though it's mandatory by State to wear the mask. The appalling thing is not the ignorance but the arrogance ... and of all people, people who are studying the Bible to be professors but incapable of keeping basic morality and responsibility which the Bible teaches. Utterly appalling.  

Our lockdown has been brightened by 2 orphaned kittens. We found them meowing pitifully ... about 2 weeks old in our courtyard. The sisters handed them milk and now they're over a months old and are very playful ... jumping around the plants in the sisters garden. We call them Humpty and Dumpty. Soon we'll have to give them away ... we're not allowed to keep them.

Deaths

Amaryllis and Calla lilies in bloom

My FB translation app and downloading app have been blocked for almost 2 months. Then yesterday suddenly they all worked again. Something fishy. Like I said before, someone's trying to hack into my FB and email and other stuff for a long time ... and the police sort of know who it is ... but nothing has been done to stop it.

This morning I received news of the deaths of 2 priest friends. One who served in the Holy Sepulchre for several years ... died suddenly from a heart attack back in Italy. The other is a much beloved teacher ... an indian salesian ... who died of cancer. He was elderly and all the students have treated him like a grandpa. He was always gentle and patient and smiling. Everyone will miss him much.

Cloudy sunrise today

Yesterday saw demonstrations in several major cities in the country in support of the american who was killed in Minneapolis and also for the autistic man killed near my house. Demonstrations also took place in Palestine. To a large degree it was all violence free. Thank goodness. Israel is trying to prevent an angry uprising from the arabs by trying to fix relations. Even the Chief Rabbi has gone to the arab family to offer condolences.   https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/hundreds-across-israel-and-west-bank-protest-for-police-brutality-victims-1.8892819?fbclid=IwAR1SGsIRt5pe-h8P5JklzZ2rM67M-KTRGVYsiL1PSJShP9Arph3wqPN59UI   and   https://www.timesofisrael.com/fearing-us-like-unrest-police-minister-says-fix-needed-after-autistic-man-slain/?fbclid=IwAR2M8nfZj-hFC5xNYbx1IPIrHnOcu-MNDH7d-lei8TwYYScr48BOZB6gML0

And reports this afternoon is 7,500 students in quarantine and 43 schools closed because of the sudden spike in corona infections. 116 new cases have been detected in 24 hours. There just might be a new lockdown because of all the irresponsible and care-less attitude that has led to this upsurge. That's just terrible.

Tourists are back

Sunrise today

The outbreak of infections have flooded Israeli schools. Over a thousand just in Jerusalem alone. There are calls to close the schools again. Parents have refused to let their children go to school. And hundreds are in quarantine. Now we learn that a synagogue in the next neighbourhood has been detected with one case. Newspaper reports say 2 or 3% of the country's population has been exposed to the virus. That's not good if asymptomatic carriers continue to spread the pandemic. The solution is to test, track and isolate in order to break the cycle. And we read from the newspapers that Japan is facing a 2nd wave ... so it's like a global trend.   https://www.ynetnews.com/article/Syv1PqQ2I?fbclid=IwAR3E-9rIB9BY5kf6WwpmsBlWAghjaHY5oLiEBjr1Fo0bQgPHxWs4IcJNizw

Tourists are back!!

Summer is really on us because the sun rises at 3am (4am solar time). The muezzin begins predawn prayers 15 mins before that. It's early ... to wake people up. By July it'll be as early as 2am. It may be a bother to most people but it is summer to me ... early muezzin calls on the PA system, hot days, holidays, reading up on books, gardening, long evening walks. That's summer for me.

And the tourists are back. Just a few minutes ago I saw a group of 10 westerners pulling their luggage up our street to go to Austrian Hospice. Every morning small groups of tourists ... between 2 to 6 people ... make the Way of the Cross. Israel has allowed Greeks and Cypriots to enter the country ... and a couple of slavic countries like Georgia. We've been enjoying the silence and peace of lockdown ... I'm not sure if we're ready to receive crowds of tourists again. I certainly don't want to be stressed out with those unruly foreigners.

Anyway I'm excited planning what to do during the summer holidays. Certainly I want to study more of armenian and coptic languages, maybe read a couple of plays by Shakespeare again, definitely I want to go and have a meal at Thai House ... This summer is going to be stress free. No more high bp.

New month

Marian altar

Tensions are under the lid after the killing of the autistic man near our home on Saturday. Police presence is still heavy around our streets. It's quite unsettling. We can only wait and hope nothing happens. June has begun and the year is half gone ... let's hope the 2nd half of the year will be less tense.

The weather continues to be very chilly during the nights but daytime is hot. It's rather pleasant but there's not much opportunity to enjoy the weather because a new spike in infections have occurred. In a school outside the Old City, 160 persons have been infected including students, staff and parents. 5 other schools around the country have also been closed due to infections. The PM has warned several times that disregard of the norms for masks and social distancing has caused this spike and might consider another lockdown. Scientist are also warning the same. One newspaper even called this spike a 2nd wave of infections.    https://www.ynetnews.com/article/SkklhBfh8?fbclid=IwAR2qeduWjhkbGWN5XLOVCVurpDk2LHgx3VD52Gfkg6OM2wb4bOx6G5UPREE

Armenian altar

The month of Mary is over. I wonder if all the prayers offered for the end of the pandemic would be heard. Our Marian altar in our armenian church is very simple and I cleaned it out yesterday before Mass. The ceiling is falling ... the plastic and sand have dirtied the altars and sanctuary. And there's no one cleaning it. I'll need help to clean it thoroughly.

My bp is floating around 138/85. There're times when I still have heart palpitations and dizziness. On Saturday the bp shot up to 157/92. Not sure what's happening but I can't go to hospital or see the doctor yet. With asymptomatic carriers arife, it's not safe to go to those places. I'll have to stick with raw garlic and lemon juice as home cures.