A little water ...

 my Hollyhocks

Last night on the way home there were crowds of people in the streets ... stalls were hawking food and toys, some people all dressed their best. It's not quite Eid al Adha yet ... it begins tonight ... but already people are celebrating a day early.

The weather hasn't stopped them though. A sweltering 40 degrees yesterday ... and today as well. The wind is extremely hot and dry ... and the ground is like an oven plate. The soles of my shoes were melting as it got pretty sticky. That's a kilometer's walk in this heat. And thank goodness I still have my portable aircon. Sleeping would have been impossible in this heatwave. I also have to sprinkle water on our terrace otherwise the cracks will widen because of heat expansion. It's a yearly thing to do during summer otherwise rain will leak into the building in winter through these cracks.

A little water

Even the plants are wilting. I water them once in the morning and then again in the evening. The soil turns to powder in this heat. And the water that collects at the plates of the flower pots are visited by insects and birds that come to drink. I'm particularly happy the hollyhocks have bloomed after 3 years. Bees and butterflies come to it for nectar ... and doves and bulbuls drink from the water at the pot's base. I think I should also leave a bowl of water for the stray cats. I can't imagine the poor people who have no electricity for fans, or even fresh water to cool themselves. Summer, l;ke winter can be merciless ... and it's up to humans to make up for this mercy.

Heatwave

Market day

It's the weekend already - Friday and Saturday here. The 1st working day is Sunday. Tomorrow evening also begins the Muslim feast of Eid al Adha - the sacrifice of Abraham of Ishmael on the rock that stands the Golden Dome mosque. Christians and Jews believe it was Isaac who was to be sacrificed. Anyway in both cases, nobody died. A sheep was slaughtered in its place ... hence tomorrow Muslims will sacrifice sheep and the meat will be shared out to feed the poor. 

It's very very hot. Scorching hot. Although the weather stations say it's 37 degrees, it actually feels like over 40. Under direct sunlight, your skin feels like burning. It's very intense. Even the wild birds - crows, sparrows, bulbuls - all disappear. The only birds out in this heat are the mynahs - an invasive species from Jordan that has taken over most of our ecosystem.  They're very aggressive. They eat the eggs and chicks of others birds, thus slowly killing off local species. There's no culling practice here ... unfortunately ... so crows and mynahs now almost decimate our local birds and small mammals and insects.

Fresh village produce

I'm still getting sharp headaches in the mornings, fever and giddiness throughout the day. And I still wear the mask indoors because the docs are not sure when the contagious period is over. I don't want to be blamed for spreading Covid in the house. Better safe than sorry.

Despite the heatwave, market day goes on. 2 days ago I saw village women selling fresh fruit and veggies in the street. It's a lot more expensive than before. Still people buy some of these seasonal fruit ... they're nice to quench thirst in this heatwave.

Stromata

Mass in the Tomb

Mass was celebrated for all your intentions, for the living and dead in the Empty Tomb. I haven't forgotten you all. The purpose of this blog is so that all of you are in contact and updated about what's happening around here. It's not possible for me to write to everyone so this blog is very useful. So stay tuned.

The exams are ending for our seminarians. Then some will be sent to various sanctuaries to help out. Others will go overseas to study languages or short courses during the summer. Some lucky ones get to go on home leave. And the final year students will be preparing for ordination in a couple of weeks before returning home to celebrate with friends and family. Another cycle is ended and soon new students will be coming into the seminary from the world over. I think right now we have about 60 or more seminarians from 4 continents (Africa, Asia, Europe and Latin America). They're so many there's not enough rooms here in the seminary so a 2nd seminary was opened in Ein Kerem for the philosophy students. Final year students live in various monasteries in and around Jerusalem. Next year I think we'll have 20+ deacons in various stages of formation. There's no shortage of vocations from Africa, Latin America and Asia. I guess another dozen or more new seminarians will come for the next academic year.

The 3 fledglings sleeping

The 3 bulbul fledglings are very big now. Mostly eating on their own but still coming to me for mashed bananas. I had planned to release last Sunday but the heatwave would have killed them. They won't know where to look for food and especially water. So they're still with me till the weather cools and food and water is more available. Sometimes I worry as they have become dependent on me for food and have lost their instinct to look for their own food. Other times they're rowdy and aggressive and chase each other, showing their wild side which is very reassuring. Maybe next week is freedom for them.

Accident

The weather has cooled a couple of degrees during the weekend but not enough. This week it'll rise to 36 degrees for several days. We're bracing for a very hot summer this year as the heat came very early ... in the beginning of June. Many people are already planning to leave the country to escape the summer heat.

Tuktuk accident

On Saturday there was the 1st accident on our light rail in 13 years since it started working .... right in front of our monastery at New Gate. The tuktuk (golf cart) driver was reckless ... turning left into the City Gate even when it was red light ... and the tram was speeding uphill. Both drivers had their visions blocked by a row of cars between them ... all stationary because it was a red light. The tuktuk driver Ali who lives in my neighbourhood in East Jerusalem was injured as he and his tuktuk were dragged several meters up the road by the tram. Well the municipality has banned tuktuks in and especially outside the Old City now ... so those who own tuktuks are very angry at Ali. These guys drive tourists who can't climb the steps in the Old City around and earn a good sum of money. A ride to the Holy Sepulchre that easily costs 5 shekels becomes 50 shekels! And tourists pay it!

Mass at Tel Aviv

My Covid symptoms are not gone. I still have fevers and splitting headaches and diarrhea. And I still cannot taste or smell  much. I can taste citrus fruit but not much else. The doctor said my resistance is very very low and I can catch easily any sickness so he warned me to stay away from people. Good idea. But I already have a bad case of cold sores on half my mouth ... it's vicious. Not one blister but over a dozen. Luckily the doc had given me medicine so it doesn't hurt ... but I look like a leper. Wearing the mask now has it's use!

My weekends are now busy celebrating Masses for the Chinese migrant community. They're so many I have now one Mass in Tel Aviv and another in Jerusalem. The workers work in construction and the heatwave is terrible on them. And the war ... with missiles flying overhead is no comfort for those working around the south either.

Heatwave

Sprinklers in the heat

The weather has been very hot ... in fact the newspapers are saying it shot past the record for pre-midsummer heatwave. Everyday it's above 30 degrees. It was as high as 38 degrees several days ago. Though I love to be in the sun especially now with Covid symptoms, it's unbearable after a few minutes. You get scorched! People go out only if necessary. 

The grass in the park is turning yellow from the heat. Every morning the municipality workers come to turn on the sprinklers. The soft sprays are very cooling and not only birds come to cool themselves, ever school children walk near it to be splashed and feel refreshed from the heat.

Noon time heat

It's exam season and you see many students walking to and from school holding open books, trying to cram last minute. Another academic year will end and summer holidays will begin. Some students will have to decide if they want to register for the next year because their families can't afford the school fees. The economic situation is bad and most parents can no longer afford many things. They're barely living hand-to-mouth while paying rent, electricity, water, food and medicine. School is a luxury for many. I try to sponsor as many as I can ... usually the poorest ... from your generous donations. Please don't stop your kindness. Education means breaking the cycle of poverty. Help me help them.

Market

Mahane Yehuda

Yesterday the temp hit 38 degrees. It was very hot. On one hand this is expected in summer ... but not so soon. It's only the beginning of June. We usually hit over 35 degrees in August. This year the heat came early. I made sure to water the plants as I could see some were already wilting.

Last Friday I had to go for my 3rd rabies vaccine. Opposite the Health Bureau is the largest market in Jerusalem - Mahane Yehuda. It runs along 2 parallel streets with many smaller alleys linking them both. I decided to stroll through it as I have not been there for over 7 years. It was bustling as the Sabbath would begin in the evening. People were buying up food and ingredients for the Sabbath weekend. There was so much variety of bread and fruit and pickled veggies. I couldn't help but think of the poor starving people who live in another reality. 

Floral & fruit tea
infusions at Mahane Y.

Our computer system and wifi have been hacked for the past 2 weeks. Sometimes we have connection, sometimes no. Some websites are blocked. I couldn't enter Zoom for my classes. Certain academic papers and online research journals were blocked ... I couldn't do my research yesterday. It's very frustrating.

The war in the north has escalated. Both sides are bombing each other and yesterday a huge fire razed across part of the north due to rockets landing on dry fields. I don't know how much damage has been done.

Meantime my Covid seems to be coming back. Yesterday I had severe headache and high fever, with diarrhea, sore throat and I lost my voice. I hear that 2 others living in my house who had Covid 2 months and 6 months back are still having respiratory problems. It's very long term.

Processions

Our Marian altar in the 
courtyard

The past 2 weeks were filled with feasts and processions. There was Corpus Christi on Thursday and many churches and chapels had processions of the Blessed Sacrament. On Friday it was the end of May, and traditionally we have a street procession of the statue of Mary around the Christian Quarter. Because of Covid, the procession was either cancelled or had few people attending the past years. But this year it was much more crowded. There were still no pilgrims but locals made up the crowd.

The main Marian altar in our courtyard was set up and it brought back the splendour of past years. This year the Patriarch came personally to lead the procession. He carried an icon of the BVM while further ahead 6 school girls carried the statue of the BVM. Sick and elderly christians peeked out of their windows or waited at their doors for the procession to pass, to kiss the icon and sing a hymn with the crowds. It was very joyous ... a moment of faith in the sombre reality of war. Everyone prayed for the intercession of the BVM to end the war and bring comfort to our suffering people.

Statue of the BVM