New saint

Notre Dame

 Another exhausting day with 2 classes. I could hardly rest between classes as it's my feast day and I had to be present at lunch so the community could offer a cake for me to cut.  We had paella (seafood and rice) and steamed fish (Wednesday is an abstinence day for us)  and then a home baked cake.Thanks to everyone who celebrated it with me.

Tensions have been rising even higher today. Last night at 7pm I heard gunshots form the south of the City. Later I learned there were some gunmen in the neighbouring southern village of Abu Dis threatening university students for parking their cars in residential areas.

Then the army intercepted missiles fired from Gaza toward the sea. It's escalating and the newspapers are calling for caution. 

But there's good news too. One is the coming canonisation of Charles de Foucauld, the martyr of Tunisia who spent his first hermit years in our village of Taybeh and Nazareth. We're all very excited about it.

Then there's the coming lunar eclipse on the 19th. I hope to catch it.

Meantime I need to rest ... am not feeling well at all.

Time flies

Street scene

 Mondays are traumatic ... I have 9pm class on Sunday evening, then 4am on Monday and another class at 8am. When I finish with lessons by 10am, I am so exhausted that yesterday I was vomiting with chest pains. Was in bed till 4pm before I went down to the kitchen to get food. Age has caught up. I could have easily done this 20 yrs ago with no problems ... but now I no longer have the energy nor focus.

Tensions at the northern border with Syria continue bombings continue to take place. I thought I heard sirens last night, but I wasn't too sure. But locally tensions are even higher at the largest supermarket chain Supersol because they sell goods cheaper to ultra-orthodox jews while double the price for other people. It's awful because with the yearlong lockdown, people are poor. And a favourite Sushi restaurant has been forced to close because of hygiene problems. Many people have had food poisoning there but nothing was done till now ... almost after 5 years. 

The shekel is getting higher against the US dollar, so changing from US$ to shekels is a big loss. The news says it's the highest in 25 years. It used to be 3.6 shekels to a dollar, today it dropped to 3.1. Time to keep the money under the pillow. Not buying anything. 

It struck me that we're now in November and 2021 is almost over. Our Christian Quarter Christmas Shop will open in 2 days and I saw many boxes of goods at its entrance this morning. Time flies. I hope this year Bethlehem will open and tourists can come back and spend Christmas there. It's such a unique experience. And by the way, Israel is now letting tourists in even with 2 shots so long as they remain in their tour group. No free time to wander around alone. Up to groups of 40 people. That's a good start.

Visit

Crypt of the Patriarchate

 Yesterday was very busy. I had to organise a meeting of our chinese catholic migrant workers with the Patriarch who wanted to see them. It was a good meeting .... the migrant workers were excited to see the patriarch, and he was pleased to meet for the first time the chinese community. He even allowed us to use his meeting room to eat our picnic lunch. We also celebrated Mass in the cathedral and then were allowed to enter the crypt where past patriarchs and canons are buried where I was asked to bless the tombs.

Cafes are packed

Outside in the streets, crowds of tourists have returned, both local and foreign. The small cafes are packed with people, many sitting on the floor as there's not enough tables. It's a good sign. Our churches were told to reopen from 8am to 5pm. Lots of americans, mexicans and french tourists are already here visiting our churches.

Yesterday I woke up with a swollen left hand. It was hurting very much. I think it could be a nerve problem because the pain was excruciating. No idea what happened, whether I twisted it or banged it on something.

Today will be a busy day. I have to deliver a lectern to the chapel at Caritas baby Hospital in Bethlehem, then prepare my lesson notes for my MA course that I'm teaching in India, a former student is coming for lunch and then I have to pick up fresh veggies for my meals this week. 

Weekend

 

Fresh fruit stock

The weekend has started. From 4am the streets are filled with muslims coming from all around the country to pray at the Al Aqsa Mosque. The prayers over the public sound system is louder than usual. And shop keepers open their shops earlier in order to catch the morning crowd.

As usual I went to the Ivrea convent for Mass, but today I felt better with minimum coughing and choking. That's because I took 2 mint sweets to open up the airways and loosen the phlegm in my throat. At 7.15am on my way home after Mass, the streets were empty, most of the muslims had gone to eat their breakfast in restaurants outside the Old City. There was a huge amount of fresh fruit and vegetables left in front of Herod's Gate, waiting for shop owners to transport it into their shops inside the Old City. The harvest this year must have been good.

There's no sight of rain in the next few days. That's bad news. If it doesn't rain this winter, then we'll have another year of drought. And the water tax will rise. And the drought tax will be reimposed. 

Anyway I've lots of work to catch up with, and I really want to finish them by today so I can have Sunday free to rest.

Another day

Cemetery altar

 As temp. continue to drop slowly ... 12 degrees last night and maximum day temp. was 23 degrees, ashops begin to sell winter clothes and heaters. Even the food and drinks industry is switching to hot soups, sahlab and other cheap but warm foods. I can buy hot soups because the pots are put outside the shops. And a large cup is 15 shekels. Maybe I'll try it one day. 

I try to keep myself warm in the night, especially at 4am when it's coldest. That prevents an heavy attack of asthma caused by phlegm in my lungs and windpipe. That makes my 1km walk to the Ivrea Convent extremely difficult. Even dangerous as I might collapse or have a heart attack. I carry my nitro-glycerin spray always in my pocket.

Fighter jets flew overhead twice today. Seems like tensions at the northern border are not abating. Fingers crossed nothing serious will result. Winter is gloomy enough. We don't need a war with it.

All Souls

Sunrise at Rockefeller Park

 There was a national air-raid drill this morning and evening. It wasn't warned in the newspapers so it caused alot of consternation to people. School children opposite my house were screaming and crying as the dreadful sirens wailed throughout the country. I was in my room trying to rest after a tiring early morning ... and when the sirens sounded, I thought if it's war, I'm too tired to run and hide so let the missile come and I'll trust my luck. This drill is timed just when tensions with Syria and Lebanon are rising. Better safe than sorry.

This week it's my turn to go to the Convent of Ivrea to celebrate Mass. It's 1km away in the Zahara neighbourhood bordering the Wadi Jooz (Kidron Valley) village. It takes me a good half hour to walk there and my asthma nearly suffocates me each time. I am very exhausted when I reach there and throughout the Mass I'm wheezing and coughing. Only one consoling point going there ... I stop by Rockefeller Park to rest and breathe slowly ... and get to see the sunrise. But since we're in winter, it's mostly dark and cold. Bad for asthma.

At the cemetery

Yesterday I went to the cemetery to bless and pray at tombs of friends and workers. With my asthma it was a hard walk of over 1km. The cemetery is on a steep hillside so climbing up and down was very difficult for me especially since I was searching for Armenian Catholic Tombs to bless and pray. They have no priest for decades and many tombs are abandoned. Having served the Armenian community, I thought I could do this service for their dead. After all it's All Souls Day. I laid 100 shekels of flowers on over 60 tombs in all.

Tourists are back

Reporters at Damascus Gate

 Yesterday was a hectic day as I had to prepare a new course for the Bible Institute in India with Powerpoint presentation. It's a Masters level course. I didn't know how to install Powerpoint, or use it in Zoom so I had to learn from others. Very interesting. It makes the class alot more interesting and engaging.

It is still tense in and around the Old City. Israeli soldiers stop and search arab youths - male and female - and I have seen in one day alone 2 arrests at different times of the day. Both handcuffed. They probably entered Israel without permits.  I feel nervous being around there, as I myself was stopped and almost shot by a soldier several years ago in winter. It was a traumatic experience.

Today Israel opened its airport to tourists again after 20 months of lockdown. But  to tourists with 3 vaccinations that are recognised by Israel. Our streets are seeing small groups of americans all week already. It a prelude to the Christmas season when Israel expects crowds to return. The problem is now to agree with Bethlehem (Palestine) how to allow tourists into the enclave and if they are allowed to remain overnight there. All the tourists are old americans who have the time and money to spare. The younger ones need to work and pick up from the months of lockdowns that left them jobless and moneyless.

However the weather is gloomy with heavy clouds. It's cool but not very inviting ... nevertheless the tourists enjoy themselves. It's a new beginning.