Christmas shopping

Christmas shop

 And the rains came as predicted. It started with drizzle in the early evening and it turned to showers during the night. The temp. dropped to 8 degrees and lower during the night as well. Snow began to fall on Mt. Hermon. Now it really feels like winter. Ig anything, the Spring bulbs need this cold weather to kick start their growth and flowering in January. However if the rains are not sustained, then we'll have a drought year in 2022.

Yesterday I had to go buy Christmas stuff for the Caritas Baby Hospital in Bethlehem. Despite being a Catholic hospital, it has nothing to decorate for Christmas. The sisters there told me to help buy a tree and lights and bulbs so I went to get them in East Jerusalem. The shop was full of new decorations brought in from Greece. After 2 years of lockdown, the owners need business. So the little that I bought was a good beginning for them.

I'm trying to finish all my work today for this week so I'll have free time tomorrow to prepare the Christmas presents which we give our workers in the libraries every year. It's a tradition that we take half an hour off to greet each other Christmas wishes and we give them gifts of panettone and a little manger scene or something like that. So I'm back to work now ... on a cold, wet day that makes me sleepy.

Goodbye Sr. Monica

Very cold and wet today

 There was another stabbing this morning. A 16 yr old girl stabbed a jewish woman in the Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood which is 1km away from my house. Tensions continue and police presence has been stepped up. It's all quit unpleasant.

The rains came today ... mostly on the coastal cities. Up here in Jerusalem, we got drizzle. But the temp definitely dropped. It's 8 degrees right now and I've got 2 heaters full on. Yet I'm feeling the cold. I might not go to work tomorrow if it continues to be like this. The very strong winds are biting cold. The palm trees in the muslim school opposite are swishing vigorously and almost seem to be snapping in two. I've wearing 2 layers of clothes and staying under the blankets tonight.

Goodbye Sr. Monica

As the temp began to drop last night, I walked 2.5kms to the Capuchin monastery where the Sisters of the Eucharist live. I had to celebrate Mass for them as Sr. Monica will be leaving us for Assisi, her new mission. I've known Sr. Monica for over 11 years and celebrated the first Mass in the new convent back then. She asked me to celebrate her last Mass here which I obliged. It's been a long time since we first met, and it was always fun because she'd cook pansit for me. Good luck to Monica on her new mission. We'll miss her.

After Mass and dinner at her convent, I decided to take a slow walk home in the cold. It was tiring but I enjoyed the walk. Crowds of locals were everywhere, shopping or eating in restaurants. Hardly anyone was wearing a mask. It was back to as normal as it could get. I think the vaccination programme was a great success as infection rates have dropped, as much as the weather has.

St. Nicolas

Beggars and hawkers

Another busy day for me. Started early as I had to go to Bethlehem's Caritas Hospital to deliver some things to the sisters and wish them an early Happy Christmas. Then it was a quick rush out of Palestine back to Israel to buy some things and deliver them to the Chinese Sisters convent. Then it was to my office where lots of work has to be done, transfers and acquisitions and closing last month's financial accounts. It's quite a lot of work.

The violence at Damascus Gate over ... and we await the next one. It always happens toward Christmas. The muslims created trouble so Israel will close the borders and Christians cannot go to Bethlehem to celebrate. Like clockwork this happens every year. It's disgusting. Anyway in between the violence, people continue their daily lives. Beggars and hawkers regather at Damascus Gate. Life goes on.

Apparently Israel struck Syrian military targets yesterday. It might appear to be an escalation in tension but then again, tensions never eased. We'll just see if there's any retaliation. These strikes are just warnings to Iran, which is the  main problem. Until the nuclear talks are resolved, there'll be no easing of tensions in our region.

It's almost midweek and we're in December. 2021 is almost over. Christmas is in 3 weeks time. We just hope for the best that 2022 will see and end to the pandemic, and everything going back as much as possible to normality. Today is Santa Claus feast day ... St. Nicholas of Myra, the ancient bishop who defended the divine nature of Christ at the Council of Nicea; but was more famous for his works of charity. Maybe he'll bring us a gift of peace.

Weekend over

New Gate's
Christmas tree

 It was a crazy weekend, starting with another stabbing at Damascus Gate. Security cameras caught the whole thing on video. It was shocking. The attacker was killed on the spot by nearby police, while a victim is in hospital with moderate injuries. This took place on Saturday evening while I was having class, about 500m away. I could hear gunshots and tear gas/stun grenades exploding. Apparently after the attacker was killed, arabs in the area began rioting. The City Gates were closed and no one could go in or out. I realised the severity of the situation, and could only go home within the Old City itself, through the alleys. It is a disturbing trend, every week now an attack of some sort. 

And this in the midst of the Advent season and the jewish Hanukkah feast. Thousands have descended to Jerusalem to celebrate the jewish feast and see the Christmas lights. It's a miracle nothing has happened in the crowded areas but only at Damascus Gate. 

My sufganiot last night

Last night Linda from Mian Restaurant gave me 2 sufganiot (jelly doghnuts) which jews eat during Hanukkah. It was very nice of her. I had one chocolate and another strawberry. They were very fanciful .... and costly. But Linda said they had good business lately and wanted to share God's blessing. It was the last night of Hanukkah anyway (8 day celebration) so there'll be no more sufganiot to eat till next year.

The Advent lights in the Christian Quarter have drawn lots of jews (secular of course) to come and take photos. Religious jews despise the decorations. They say the Christmas Tree is an idol, like Santa Claus. They would spit when they pass by our streets ... which they could easily avoid by going through their own streets in the jewish quarter. They're provocative and intolerant.

Light show

Light show on City Wall

 It's the 2nd last day of the jewish feast of Hanukkah. The City is alight with giant hanukiot (9 branch candle stands) to commemorate the miraculous pot of oil that burned for 8 days during the Maccabee revolt. Crowds of jews come to visit the Old City during this holiday season as schools close for a week. Local tour guides take advantage of this by leading hebrew speaking tours around the country since foreigner groups are forbidden from entering the country during this Omicron pandemic.

The weather continues to be chilly. But it's not raining as much as we want. Let's pray for more rain.

The other day a couple of jewish settlers drove mistakenly into the heart of a palestinian city. Their car was lynched but they were unhurt. Palestinian police protected them and escorted them out to the border. You won't read about this in the international news.

Giant hanukkah at Jaffa Gate

But what you probably read was this: Tel Aviv has become the most expensive city in the world to live in. It beat Singapore and Hong Kong, which came in 2nd and 4th respectively. The high cost of living is palpable and affects everyone and everything. Everytime I think of buying something, there's an internal dialogue in my mind that goes: Do I really need it? Is it worth buying it? Would anything change if I didn't buy it? Then 90% of the time, I'll not buy it. It's a great money saving device - self questioning.

I'm feeling better today because I've started a course of prednesone. It almost immediately ends the asthma, wheezing, and other pains. But the side effects are awful. Depression, hallucinations, suicidal thoughts. It's not the first time I've undergone prednesone treatment, so I know what to expect. Believe me, it's awful but the benefits of living without pain and discomfort makes me undergo it ... yesterday night I managed to sleep 5 hours without waking up choking, wheezing or pain.

Brutal attack

 The Pope has arrived in Cyprus for a pastoral visit. The island is a refuge for many christians and muslims escaping from persecution in Iraq and Syria. The speeches of the church leaders all repeat this. Hopefully the pope's visit can change something. It was good to see one of our friars as official translator for the pope. He's very proficient in modern greek as he studied his MA in the Athens University. Really proud of him.

Man is handcuffed while
wife collapses on ground

Yesterday night on my way home, I saw an arab beating up his wife who was bleeding profusely in the face. She was crying. The police came to arrest him while other people came to help the woman collapsed on the floor. Such brutality in public ... it was appalling. You can imagine the violence behind closed doors of their houses. Utterly appalling.

The Omicron variant is causing so much contradictory news and statements. While medical experts worldwide are calling for caution against this contagious variant, the S. African medics are saying it's not very dangerous. Countries close their borders, the WHO calls for opening the borders. News yesterday said vaccines are useless but those previously infected are safer; today newspapers are saying those previously infected are in danger while vaccines cut down infections. You just don't know what to believe anymore. It's all so confusing.

The rains trickled to a drizzle today and the skies continue to be dark and the winds are cold. Though it'll be dry for the weekend, rains are again expected next Wednesday and Thursday. I don't mind that. I'm prepared for the cold.

Santa's House

Visiting Santa's house

 The rains have returned. Well, a drizzle really. But we need it, so even a drizzle is something to celebrate. The temp has dropped a couple of degrees and it'll be only 10 degrees in the afternoon. I've got my heater on as it's already quite chilly. Th sky is grey but there's a little sun shining through. I think the coastal cities will be experiencing heavier showers as is usually the case.

I was very sick yesterday afternoon and thought I needed to be hospitalised. But at 5pm it subsided and I felt much better. It was not a good feeling.

Santa's House

Santa's House is open again. It's a local basketball star who converted his father's home into a wintry house where lots of people go to visit every year. His father used to dress as Santa Claus and entertained the local christian kids, and now he has taken over. You've definitely seen him. He's the Santa Claus that rides a camel and everyone takes photos of him and is circulated in major newspapers around the world.  Yesterday morning a group of handicap were wheeled in by nuns and volunteers to visit it. I was passing by that way because I could not walk the distance to my office, and our doorman's son drives me there in his golf cart. 

After 3 hours of frantic phone calls back and forth, I managed to get Sr. Sarita's green pass. Now she can travel back to Israel. The Omicron variant is causing a scare and Israel is pushing for children from 5 yrs and above to be vaccinated. More people are wearing the mask again. I'll need to be even more careful as I'm sicker than usual these days.