Summer creeping in

Amazing dawn today

Already 3 days since I updated the blog? Unbelievable how quick time flies! I've been extremely busy as usual every weekend. My head still hurts from the blackout last Sunday but my nose is much better though it's now slightly crooked. I'm hiding it under the ask.

The weather was typical summer. I think it reached 26 degrees this afternoon ... it was hot. I even wore only a T-shirt. Looks like summer will be quite a hot season. However forecast is rain and a drop of temp from Thursday to Saturday. This see-saw temp is causing lots of people to feel sick ... and vulnerable to Covid. 

Joseph the Jew

The other day was the solemnity of St. Joseph, and this year is dedicated to the saint, There was a major celebration in Nazareth at the house of St. Joseph and almost everyone was there. Don't ask about distancing ... it doesn't exist in real time though it does exist on paper. St. Joseph's been called many things ... patron of a good death, the worker, the carpenter, foster father ... but never the jew. And he was a jew ... a good, righteous jew. In Bethlehem there's an icon of him as a jew. I think that's the best title to give him.

On Tuesday it'll be elections again ... the 4th in 15 months. Nobody knows which way the votes will swing. People are tired with the ultra-orthodox parties because of their disregard for Covid measures and rules. Maybe they'll be voted out. Then again the left are totally in disarray (for the past decade) and the right is wrecked with infighting. So it's anybody's guess. All I'm bothered with is that it'll be a holiday for my workers so I'll have to do their work that day ... alone.

We're closing in on Holy Week. Don't know how it'll work out now that churches are allowed to open but with restricted participation for those inoculated. Those without, like me, might have to celebrate the liturgy alone, or just participate on video. I'll go ask the bishop for  instructions. It's a little bothersome, all these restrictions that are not totally clear, and which most people don't bother to observe. Well I'm terrible observant as my health is at risk.

Cold again

Damascus Gate tonight

What a switch in weather! Yesterday's almost 18 degrees have dropped to 9 degrees now. Freezing cold again! Guys in T-shirts suddenly are back in the streets in pullovers and hoodies. But the cold didn't deter people from coming out. The lockdown is eased alot and today the govt has agreed to ease even more ... so everyone is taking advantage to go and walk ... stretch the legs ... even if it's only 9 degrees. 

The walk back home from work tonight just showed how everyone bounced back from the lockdown. Damascus Gate was all lighted up. Youths were seated in the cavea chatting, drinking, smoking. Hawkers with pushcarts are back at the Gate selling sweet corn-on-the-cob, nutella pancakes and other snacks. Almost all shops that survived the lockdown are open, and those closed have gone bankrupt. 

Storm clouds today

There's been a rise in requests for help now that life is getting back to normal. People who cannot pay rent, school fees, medicines, repairs to houses after the snow storm ... I had a meeting with M. Teresa's sisters and our Custody aid office , so that we don't duplicate  helping the same cases ... yes there are some crafty people out there ... and M. Teresa's sisters will visit the houses to check on the real situation of each case. Just yesterday I spent over 1100 shekels  buying medicines for M. Teresa's sisters in Gaza who lack lots of medication due to the pandemic; they care for 68 handicap people in the enclave,

My nose is healing fast ... maybe because of the cold weather. But my headache is still a 24 hr problem. I'm hoping it'll go by tomorrow. I can hardly concentrate on my work. Luckily I still have a lot of food which people have given me, so I don't have to add another headache and figure out where the next meal is coming from. Thanks to all those kind people.

Lenten pilgrimage

Pilgrimage Mass now

 It's the 3rd Wednesday of Lent. That means a pilgrimage Mass at our Flagellation chapel this evening. The lenten pilgrimage Masses is a traditional series of celebrations recalling the suffering of Christ every Wednesday of Lent. They cover the chapel of Dominus Flevit (The Lord wept), Gethsemani, Flagellation chapel, Condemnation chapel, and one other which I now cannot remember. Solemn Vespers is chanted within Mass and the Passion of John's Gospel is sung in 3 parts. Due to pandemic restrictions, few people are allowed to participate. And we have no doorman yet, and we cannot leave the gate open as jews and muslims will come in to cause trouble. So a lot of logistical problems have not been ironed out.

Pansit from MC sisters

The MC superior of Gaza came today. She needed medicine for her 68 handicapped patients in the MC  convent there. I brought her to the pharmacy and we bought 1100 shekels worth of medication. We'll buy some more next week when there is more stock.

My nose still hurts, so does my head. But the bruise is quite reduced. Looking in  the mirror today, I noticed my nose is now crooked. It's bent to the right. I'll have to wear a mask forever.

It was another busy day today. I really wished I could sleep as with my coughing spasms at night, I've slept only 2 hours last night. Cam home by 4.30pm and though I still have work to do, I've decided I'll go to sleep early. Too exhausted and my brain isn't working anymore.

Kind people

Wandering rooster in the park

My nose is hurting less today and the bruised marks are less visible. Good thing I wear the mask so people don't notice it. The seratide is kicking in and my asthma is very much reduced now. It'll take a couple more days for it to be totally under control. I'm hoping a new sandstorm won't hit us by then. However I still have a throbbing headache and find it hard to concentrate and work. I don't want to take any paracetamol as I'm tired with all these medications. 

An incredible bit of news today ... archeologists have discovered ancient documents dating 2000 years back. It's the first time in 60 years since the last discovery of ancient documents from the Dead Sea. It's very exciting and everyone wants to see it and study it.

Flowering Judas
tree

Today I was loaded with food by many kind people. The M. Teresa sisters in Bethlehem sent bread and noodles for me. The chinese sisters made sandwiches for me. The cleaning lady made makloubeh and chicken for me. And Mian restaurant boiled chinese soup. I'm very grateful to everyone for their kindness. During this year of multiple lockdowns and moments of my illness, many people have been very kind and I was never short of food. God will bless you all. 

The good news regarding the pandemic is ... Israel is reaching herd immunity as almost 7 million people have been inoculated. Masks may not be mandatory anymore, gatherings may be allowed by Jewish Passover (which coincides with Catholic Holy Week) ... but not for people like me who cannot have the vaccine. We'll be sidelined and it looks like we'll never get back to normal life. Some say it's unfair. Some say it's necessary for self-survival. I'm playing along day by day. I need to go to work, but I also am very careful when I go out ... wearing masks always, no touching of anything, and keeping distance which means walking through alleys and sidelines where few people are found. That's all I can possibly do.

Ides of March

Praying at the
Holy Sepulchre

Yesterday was bad. My asthma was so bad I blacked out several times in the evening and once I blacked out so bad I bashed my face on the table, bruising my nose. Got up a few seconds later with a very sore nose, blue and black, with a pair o broken specs. Disaster. This morning I still felt very sore and couldn't wear my other pair of specs.

Then my seratide inhaler was zero ... for the past 5 days. That was the reason why my asthma was so bad. And my anti-allergy Telfast finished and I had no spare tablets. All that exacerbated by dreadful asthma that caused me to blackout and smash my face on my table. I must be more careful monitoring the stock of my medications. It can kill me even by not taking it for one day.

At noon I went to the pharmacy to buy the medicines. The Anglican family that runs the place are very nice to me. The mother told me to be careful and not overdose, I'll be careful. It's been a dreadful past 4 days and I can't imagine how one simple puff can mean life or death for me. I'm feeling much better now that I've taken my medications. And that's the Ides of March for me .... near death experience.

There's one very nice news article about Sister Aziza who works with illegal immigrants from Africa in ISrael. A very brave woman. Read it   https://healingdivides.org/2021/03/08/women-behind-the-healing-meet-sister-aziza/?fbclid=IwAR2ScGJVSa5mj0f_TLtnTmEiFkE7GtDdWJTp2I-HC1bzHHrin-uzWZh2yw8

And another viral photo this weekend is a wild boar sleeping on a dumped mattress in Haifa. That's exactly what I need after 4 nights of sleeplessness due to the asthma. See the photo and have a good laugh.  https://www.timesofisrael.com/sleepy-haifa-boar-becomes-internet-star/?fbclid=IwAR2AZwnMsOqfzCyEKs2ygJotABfX8Ajv6gN6qLaZfAtc2tpqORILRQJbTA8

sick

Been very sick today. The asthma is killing me. I just cant draw in oxygen. My brearhing is very shallow.  Then my windpipe gets into spasms, choking me. I blacked out more than once today. Knocked my head on the table. Now I have an awful headache.

Despite that, I managed to translate a 7 page document in 5 hrs; write a 2 page research paper in 6 hours. That was my entire day .... blacking out in between. 

The doc changed my medication yesterday but I was so dizzy from lack of oxygen, I forgot to bring it home. What a disaster! Had to ask a student to go buy another this morning. Just checked on the seratide inhaler I'm using. It's zero!!!! No wonder its not working!! Tomorrow I'll have to go buy one. 

Way of Cross

Crowds at Damascus Gate

Thank goodness there was a storm last night. Temperatures plummeted to 4 degrees again (It was about 20 degrees in the afternoon yesterday) and today the highest was 16 degrees. The air was clear from all the sand and dust, and this morning though it continued raining, the air was breatheable. My asthma was much reduced as a result ... though I still wheeze and cough, at least oxygen was entering my lungs. 

The plants and flowers however took a beating from the rain. The wind was very gusty and many anemones which have weak stems have either lost their petals or snapped off their roots. That's a price to pay for clean air ... but the plants are robust and will spring back in a couple of weeks. i wonder how the 2 oak trees fared. They're at the Damascus Gate park and were flowering yesterday when I walked past ... long strands of yellow flowers dangling downwards. Very iconic for Spring. Towards the end of Summer, little acorns would be falling from the trees.

Flowering oak

Much as I wanted to stay home and recuperate, I was asked by the Custos to lead the official Friday Way of the Cross in mandarin. Surprising lots of people showed up ... though only 50 are allowed in public. There was no distancing ... which is impossible as the streets in the Old City are very narrow. I wore double masks to be careful. And as usual those young friars were rushing from one Station to another ... we have only a 50 minute allowance to make the devotion. I could hardly catch up, climbing up the hill to the Holy Sepulchre while reciting prayers. Anyway I managed to survive the whole thing ... and all the religious (there were very few lay people) wowed because it was the first time they saw me in habit and mantel. It was cold and windy. M. Teresa's sisters and Sr. Regina of the Spanish convent accompanied me home, and insisted on taking a photo with me. I guess they think I'll die soon ... as I've not worn the habit for many years. Anyway I prayed for all of you and your intentions at the Way of the Cross.