Full moon

Full moon over the wall

 The rains came yesterday. It was quite a heavy shower after lunch and then it was drizzle right through the evening. Then in the night it rained again and in the morning was again drizzle with dark clouds. I think it'll rain again in the afternoon. It's a nice break from the dry summer we've had. 

And the full moon is out. On my way home yesterday I couldn't resist taking photos of it over the City Walls in various parts eastwards. It was spectacular. 

The Empty Tomb
this morning

I've decided to stay home today as I don't want to slip on the slippery stones that pave the Old City. I only went out early at 5am to celebrate Mass at the Holy Sepulchre for your intentions. It was cold but the air was crisp and clean after the night rain. With my asthma, I had to take half an hour to get to the basilica, which usually would take 10 mins. Age has caught up. 

Well there were hardly any people in the basilica. Only 5 praying at the Empty Tomb. I had Mass inside the Tomb and prayed for all your intentions. Then I took a slow walk home, careful not to slip down the many steps leading home. I intend to clean my room today and finish my lesson notes for Monday. That leaves Sunday free for my own ... which I hope I can go out to buy some ponschki (or the jelly doughnuts) that jews eat for Hanukkah. But if it rains, then I'll decide to stay home and read. Buddy and JJ will be happy to spend time with me.

Attack and roadblocks

Roadblock on Wednesday night

Wednesday saw a stabbing attack 50 meters from my house. The streets and City Gates were all closed. That was when I decided to check the news and saw the alert. I had to go home from work and walked all the way down to Damascus Gate, noticing the main road blocked off to traffic by the police. Then crowds were walking upwards to New Gate, telling me to turn back as Damascus Gate was closed. New Gate was the only City Gate opened because there was a small music fest which could not be postponed. SO I walked back uphill to New Gate where and roadblocks I started from, got an attack of asthma that made me very sick. The gatekeeper gave me a glass of water and I sat there for a quarter of an hour before walking through the dark streets of the Old City to get home. When I reached the inner fork road of Damascus gate, it was blocked by police who won't let anyone enter. So I had to wait for half an hour and the police told me to take the side alley as the main street will not be opened any time soon. So I had to walk up hundreds of steps uphill to get back home ... and I was very sick after that. Yesterday I spend the whole day resting in bed.

Before the rains begin ...

And my internet connection was broken for over 36 hours. It was a mystery why. The technician came and spent 2 hours trying to find out the problem and suddenly the main router restarted itself and it worked again. That was a relief. I cancelled several classes due to this break in the connection.

 Everyone is excited that the rains are coming. Yesterday the coastal cities had their first wet winter this year. It still has to come inland to the central mountains hopefully by today. There was a slight drizzle and you can smell the dampness in the air. People are buying foodstuff at the weekend markets now to avoid being caught in the rain later. I certainly hope it comes. It'll clean the air off the dust and sand from last week's sandstorm.

The Boss is back

The Boss is back

 It's midweek and the sky is very grey and cloudy. Forecast for rains from Friday through the weekend might just come true. We need the rain.I'm hoping for a storm. It'll be terribly inconvenient because I plan to go to Bethlehem to bring lots of clothes and medicines to the MC sisters, and the rain will not help one bit. But we've had a very dry year so I'll not complain if there's a tempest on Friday.

The weather yesterday must have been good because everyone with dogs in the Old City were bringing them out for a walk. I've never seen so many dog walkers in Jerusalem before. Huskies, Pit Bulls, Alsatians, Belgian Shepherds .... and our Boss the English Bulldog whom I've not seen for a year now during the pandemic lockdowns. He's a great specimen, show dog quality. Wish I had one too. Miss Rex and Regis very much!

I've been very busy with work so I had no time to see the news. Not sure what's happening outside the walls. Here it's always essential to update on the news because roads may be closed; curfews may be enforced, riots may take place along the streets that I take to go home. So I'm taking my chances today ... going home without checking the news. I guess I'm more interested in the weather. I guess the rains will also put out any residual fire in the forests that devastated the land last week and caused the sandstorm to worsen. So let it rain!!

Storm over

Open market during
the sandstorm

 The sandstorm has finally died out, and same with the wild fires raging form the north to central Israel. Buffeted by strong winds and the sandstorm from the south, the past2 days was horrible. Just coming out of my room would provoke an asthma attack.  I stayed in my room and tried to seal every window and door opening. Still I coughed all night and now my chest and throat hurts. Nevertheless it's over and hopefully the rains will come this weekend, as forecast. It's not very promising as they say November will be unusually hot and dry, with strong winds.

There's been another shooting in a southern Jerusalem suburb of German Colony, or Emek Refaim as we call it today. It's arab family feuds and gang violence, and its rampant throughout the country. Over 100 people have been killed in daytime roadside killings. It's terrifying because you could be a casualty walking innocently along the road. Well I stay indoors mostly now because I'm not vaccinated, and I can no longer walk distances without having breathing difficulties ... so the risk of getting shot is less. Unless it takes place inside the Old City streets where I have to go to and from work.

Workload continues and there's no abating. I'm just trying my best to clear the work of today and not think ahead. Soon I'll have to do my colonoscopy which I dread. Hope I'll be able to get it done serenely, after the CT Scan showed something wrong in the colon.

Sandstorm

Sandstorm

 What a sandstorm we're having right now. The Mt. of Olives is hardly visible. Every corner is filled with very fine sand from the southern desert. It gets into your eyes and mouth and nose. I was working in the library and noticed the sky was getting darker by the hour ... and cold too. Then I started coughing. Didn't know why till the librarian came to tell me there's a sandstorm blowing. I went home slowly walking .... with a mask. Many others were also wearing masks. The sun was blocked out by the yellow clouds and visibility was up to 3km. Just read from the news that sand from as far as Saudi Arabia are blowing into the country due to very strong winds.

Still it was a Saturday and I had finished my work for the week. Time to celebrate. I called Fr. Romeo to come out and join me in a little walk at the Damascus Gate open market. He came wearing a mask too ... and coughing from the sand in the air. We chatted about our day while sitting in Palm Plaza. 

Sandstorm at Palm Plaza

Then we walked along the open market. Lots of minivan taxis yelling for passengers to go to Tel Aviv. Being Saturday migrant worker get a day off and they come to the churches in Jerusalem. Indians, filipinos and ethiopians all flock here every Saturday to pray and make a pilgrimage. 

We went to the bakery to buy bread for tomorrow's breakfast - Its Sunday and we try to enjoy our breakfast with something a little more substantial. Then we wen to buy a few chicken nuggets at Miami Chicken ... something to celebrate the weekend for dinner tonight. Then we walked down East Jerusalem through Herod's Gate and got home. A nice walk in the sandstorm. Something different to break the routine of a busy week. Well I'll be staying indoors as the air is really bad for asthmatics.

Music fest

Little - Big New Gate

 The President gathered heads of different religions today and they made a common call for everyone to be vaccinated. It's a nice gesture but they should have done that last year. Anyway infection rates have dropped to below 500 a day, which is remarkable! While experts are fretting that a 4th wave might come de to the opening up of the country to foreign tourists, the rest of the country is feeling confident. Right now only indoor mask-wearing is imposed. Crowd limitation has been removed for indoors and outdoor gatherings.

And that is good news because for the past few evenings there was a music fest in the Old City. I noticed something was going on when there were bands and small arab orchestras playing in the street corners and crossroads. At New Gate they made a replica of New Gate, mini in size, where a band performed. I would have loved to walk around listening to the music ... but I'm not vaccinated so I avoid crowds. And it gets chilly by 7pm when I go home and the bands start performing .... so I don't stay back. Missed it this year, hope I won't miss it next year!

I was at the MC convent in Bethlehem this morning to bring all the bags of clothes and toys, and celebrated Mass for the sisters there as well. They work very hard and I try my best to give them some rest by visiting them. Well they would be very pleased if you can share some generosity this Christmas. A little donation goes a long way here in Palestine where the sisters serve the poorest of the poor. 

Uneventful day

Donation of toys &
clothes

 A grey gloomy day today. A cold wind is blowing and it feels like it might rain. I had only one class today as the evening conference and confession was cancelled. There was still other work to do in the libraries though. It was nonetheless a less stressful day than the past few days. Thankful for that.

The parish in Beer Sheva sent lots of clothes and toys for the poor. I think tomorrow I'll have to bring them to Bethlehem, because Nablus is too far away for a morning trip and back. I hope there's someone around to help me carry all that stuff. They're quite heavy.

Christmas is round the corner ... I know everyone's had had a bad time last year with the pandemic ... but I'm still appealing to all your generosity to think of the poor in the Holy Land and share with them. We try our best to help the poorest of the poor, those that slip out of the charity net. And the cases are many and desperate. Winter is upon us and the cold will affect those who cannot pay electric bills. 

I'm not sure what's happening around the country today as I haven't read the news. Well I might go home early and sleep. The sun sets by 5pm and it gets cold and dark by 7pm. Best climate for sleeping early.