Crowds and police confront

 Yesterday on my way home, I saw a crowd gathering at Damascus Gate. Crowds were jeering and whistling. Inside the Gate there was a tussle between arabs and israeli police. After 15 minutes or so, the police charged and dispersed the crowds. And the dragged out a man who was detained. From the newspapers I read that the arab man had attacked the police without a weapon. But at the same moment, another attacker inside the City near the Wailing Wall attempted to stab police. Two attacks at the same moment. I was hoping to walk home slowly and calmly to enjoy the cool breeze and clear my head ... but instead there were two attacks just as I was walking by. It's not my week.

I'm resigned to the fact that I cannot walk long distances anymore. My legs and my lungs give up on me. I can only walk slowly and need to sit and rest. There're so many things I want to do but the body is not able to do it. And my memory is not going as well. I just got a message and went straight to our finance office ... and forgot why I went. Sat there for a minute and then remembered I was asked to help pay 2 phone bills for the indian sisters. That's becoming more often ... forgetting.

Shock

St George Cathedral

 We woke up to the shocking news that a Christian arab journalist was shot dead while reporting in Jenin. She was a veteran, reporting since the 2nd Intifada and every arab household knows her from the daily news. She was an icon of the Palestine voice. The whole West Bank is shocked. I fear what will happen in the next weeks. Let's pray calm will prevail. 

I've been correcting and proofreading lots of academic articles. It's mentally very exhausting. By the end of the day like now, my brains stop working. It's 10 hours of solid editing in my office. I really would like to take a long quiet walk ... the weather is great with a cool breeze blowing. The area around the anglican St. George cathedral is quite lovely and serene. But the political events turning tense, it'll not be safe to walk in the neighbourhood of both east and west Jerusalem. So I guess I'll go home to sleep. Not much of a choice.

Yesterday I had nothing to eat so on my way home I bought a lahfa, which is awrap with chicken or beef. It cost 27 shekels for as long as I know, but yesterday it went up to 33 shekels. The food of the poor is not becoming the food of the rich. Now I'm bringing an apple with me to work. If I'm hungry I'll eat that.

Tuesday

 The Old City is back to normal after the terrorist attack. I'm still a little shaken and am wary whenever I pass by Damascus Gate. It's unnerving. Now any popping sounds startle me. It'll take some time to get back to normal ... if there's such a thing.

Celebrating a new
convent

Last Sunday our Indian sisters officially received the decree from Rome recognizing the establishment of their convent in our house. All their sisters from Nazareth and Bethlehem came to join in the celebration, as well as the provincial from India. It was a solemn mass and the decree was read by their provincial. Then there was a big breakfast in our house.

The weather for the past 3 days has been cold ... down to 11 degrees in the night. And daytime is no more than 25 degrees. But today it's up to 30 degrees I think. Still many people in the streets are wearing jackets because you never know when it'll swing back to cold again.

My lung infection is getting better though I still have difficulties breathing. Every 2 days I test myself for Covid. I'm negative. So my lung infection is not Covid. But it's weaken my breathing very much and I can't walk far without feeling exhausted due to lack of oxygen. I guess I'll have to go back to hospital for a better checkup. Meantime our foreman from the technical office had recovered from his cancer operation. I spoke with him yesterday. I'm glad it turned out fine. There are several workers around my office who are recovering from cancer too. Something's wrong here ... maybe radioactive underground?

Attack

Plainclothes security rush in

Last night I walked home at 7pm hoping to get home and eat my only meal of the day. I was very tired and hungry. As I reached 500 meters from the police post at the top of Damascus Gate, I heard a series of quick popping shots. I recognized it to be gunshots and quickly ducked. People were running away, others were stunned and stood there not knowing what to do.

Within a minute plainclothes security fully armed rushed through the crowd, barely half a meter from me. Other security started to push the crowds back. I went further down to Palm Plaza and sat down as I had an attack of asthma form all the adrenalin rush. For 2 hours I was out there in the cold and feeling very hungry as security scoured the place with dogs, ambulances came to take away the injured policeman who was stabbed. Soldiers pushed the crowds further back from Palm Plaza but they let me stay as I was under an asthma attack still.

Police cars block the road

Within an hour of this attack, another terrorist attack took place 10km south of Jerusalem. If this continues, summer will be a very unpleasant and violent.

I got home only at 10pm and I went to sleep immediately as I was simply too tired from all the excitement and danger. I want to go home safely tonight with no incidents. It won't be nice getting shot by a stray bullet.

 The past weekend was filled with last minute work, meetings and a small exhibition for a group of visiting Israeli tourists led by a good friend Hanna. It was a 5 book exhibition but told the story of the Franciscans in the Middle East for 800 years. The group enjoyed it very much and had many questions. Another group will come this Friday ... all violence barred.

Holiday

Doves on the wall

 It's Independence Day today. A public holiday. I usually would go to Jaffa and watch the military flypast. Covid had cancelled the last 2 years' parade. But today I have class ... so I cannot go to Jaffa. Disappointed. But the planes will fly paJerusalem at 11.38am .... so I might get to hear it.

Jews are again allowed to enter the Al Aqsa Mosque compound today after a 5 day freeze fo the end of Ramadan celebrations. Just now we could here stun grenades being fired ... which means Jews have entered the compound and Arabs are rioting against it. I hope it won't spill into our streets. It could get very nasty.

The weather has suddenly turned cold again. 13 degrees now. It was almost 30 degrees yesterday afternoon but in the evening it started to drizzle and the wind was very strong. Temperatures dropped and this morning, it was cold enough for people to be out wearing jackets and sweaters.  I won't be surprised if many people fall sick this week. The turtledoves were all lined up on our wall this morning waiting for food. I feed them every morning and when it's cold like today, they huddle and wait to be fed. Otherwise when it's warm they will fly off and look for food outside. Many have built nests around our courtyard. It's good to know their numbers are growing.

An elderly guest priest in our community is dangerously ill with Covid due to the outbreak in my house. Still there are stubborn selfish people here who continue to go about even though they show symptoms and refuse to be tested. I heard another nun in our neighbourhood is also very ill with Covid. The fact is that over 2000 new infections are being recorded everyday but many people think it's over. That's recipe for another major outbreak. 

Holidays

 

Clowns and families

Tonight Remembrance Day begins. I hope there'll be no violence. It'll not be to anyone's interest. The muslims are still celebrating the 3 days of Eid el Fitri. Damascus Gate is full of families enjoying the warm evenings. Clowns entertain children in the park. Young villagers bring their horses for people to ride. It's a beautiful early summer for all these activities. It just seems right for summer. So we don't want violence and clashes. On Thursday is Independence Day and my community in Jaffa reminded to go and watch the fly-past of military jets. They fly directly over our church as a landmark and then turn from where we are to the east towards Jerusalem.

Lovely lunch

Yesterday a family of Armenian catholics invited me to their house for lunch. It was very nice and simple. Lovely baked bass fillet and potatoes and rice and salad. The bass was juicy and well-baked ... which is a rarity since fish here are mostly frozen and dry because of kosher laws. The wife is a very good cook and pastry chef. And there was karkadeh ... a hibiscus-infusion drink which is great for the hot summer days. It's tart and tangy with a little sweet from adding sugar. I liked it very much. I wonder where I can buy some. It's still the Eid el Fitri so all shops are closed.

My health has deteriorated rapidly. I can no longer walk beyond 100 meters without going breathless and dizzy. I am reducing my activities alot and sadly see myself being limited to my room soon if I find a solution to better my health.

Long weekend

Jews going to the Wall

 Last night at 7.20pm the Ottoman canon fired 7 shots to proclaim the end of Ramadan. Some elderly muslims that I know sighed in relief and said "finally." Not because fasting was difficult ... but the violence in the Mosque will end. Those young trouble-makers from outside the City will no longer be around to provoke clashes with the police. Tomorrow is Remembrance Day and the next day is Independence Day for Israelis. It's a long weekend. Usually it's tense but we think it'll not be violent. We're tired of this lawlessness caused by a handful, which the rest of us suffer the consequences. Enough!

To the Wailing Wall

The weather is warmer up quite a lot. Daytime can go up to 30 degrees and the nights are hot enough that I cannot sleep. Summer is promising. Dreaming of walking by the beach, eating Thai food , reading a book in the shade of the boardwalk .... but it's exactly that ... dreams. Haven't done that in years.

It's May and most students are preparing for exams. The library is getting crowded again as a result. I hope this semester will pass quickly as it's the first in-person classes after after 2 years of Covid lockdowns. Some students are slowly getting back to the routine of library research again.

Last Saturday a new auxiliary bishop was ordained as vicar for Nazareth. It was a very crowded affair held at the Basilica of the Annunciation. Next week another bishop will be ordained in Amman to be vicar there. The old guard has retired and the Patriarch is alone without help. And by the way we heard that the pope is considering uniting with the Orthodox to celebrate Easter on a common date. We're already doing this here in our region. The people accept it. It's no problem for us. But it'll definitely kick up a fuss in the Europe and America ... though their numbers in church worship is falling, and  nwith lack of vocations.