Wintry Advent

Palm Square and mounted
police

It's the weekend again ... and in 3 weeks 2024 will be over. Another year gone. Everyone I spoke to says time is flying so fast. The new moon is just up and it's the last new moon before a new year begins. Jupiter and Venus are shining extra bright these nights ... astronomers say it's aligning so its brightness is more accentuated. At least that's what I thing they said.

It's quite chilly now ... every night is 4 - 6 degrees. Maybe it'll rain later. Better still ... maybe it'll snow. We haven't had a snow storm since 2021. It'll be fun to have another one.

Our school bombed

Our school and chapel in Aleppo was bombed by missiles several days ago. Luckily no one was hurt. It's frightening how fast the violence had spread in just a few days. We were hoping Christmas would be a quiet time with our Christians celebrating in relative peace. Instead it's war all over again. We can only pray and hope things will get better.

Yesterday all the chaplains of the migrant communities had a retreat led by the auxiliary bishop. He spoke about the Jubilee Year and what it means and what we can do for our migrant communities next year to celebrate it. Ideally it should work. In reality many of our migrants are spread from the north to the south of the country. The only day off is the Sabbath which means no public transport so they can't come for Mass or any other celebration. And those who can come must pay a lot for special transport to get them to where there is Mass. Others are simply too poor to afford special transport. Or they live so far it takes 3 hours to come and 3 hours to go back. Logistically it's not possible.

Stromata

Cold, wet and slippery

The weather is cold but no rain so far. There's heavy dew in the mornings. And it's necessary to wear a moderately thick coat outdoors. A flu-like virus is going around ... some people say it's a mutated form of covid. But I'm not so sure. I've had it for 2 months now. More people I know are getting it. Lots of coughing and heavy phlegm ... so thick it chokes you. 

And one mystery solved : my lost of memory is probably due to the 3 types of statins that I'm taking. 3 different types for morning, noon and night. It's destroying my brains and liver. My memory lost, fatigue and difficulty in breathing  can all be traced to the over-dosage of these statins plus other medications. I stopped taking Nexium and I'll go see the doctor if I can reduce the rest. I'll probably die from these side-effects rather than a heart attack.

I was blocked from logging into my blogs for several days. And I'm not even going to question why. Mystery not solved.

Sr. Thankamani's birthday

Last weekend we celebrated Sr. Thankamani's birthday. She's 2 years older than I, a registered nurse who now serves in our monastery in the chapels and kitchen. She works hard for her age. Sr. Clara on the other hand has returned to India for a spinal operation. It's due tomorrow so she wrote to ask me for prayers. If not for these hardworking nuns, who often are unacknowledged, our daily routine would not be possible. They provide the background help so we can have food and celebrate Mass without worries. Nowadays nuns don't want to do domestic work ... and rightly so. There are many lay people who need jobs and more suited to do domestic housework.

More rain

Rain

It's been raining all night, The streets are wet and slippery and the air is cold and crisp. It feels like winter. We've not had a rainy winter last year. Young children have never seen a rainstorm or snow. And it was so common 30 years ago. The climate has changed. I've experienced it.

The year is ending and we're all winding up our reports. It's a busy time. People are running from one department to another to cross-check information or get backup documents. I see our central department has even hired 2 more staff to help out.

Raindrops

I'm losing alot of my memory. This morning I had a call from our sisters asking where I was because they were waiting for me to celebrate Mass. I was already in my office 1km away. I forgot I had Mass with them. I'll make it up this evening ... if I don't forget.

It'll be a quiet Christmas for me this year. Life has slowed down alot since my operation. The heart is old and can't carry this old body around. I'll do my best to go to Bethlehem to pray for you all. It's the least I can do.

Another cold day

Cold, wet and quiet

More rain, more strong winds and temp hovering between 4 to 8 degrees. Thanks to my new shoes I can walk a little more confidently, the risk of slipping on the smooth sandstone pavement greatly reduced. My other greater problem is my heart, which finds it difficult to climb hills and steps. This morning in the rain I needed to stop several times along the road without shelter. I was wet through.

I have class at 6am and because the electric current is unstable in my house, it's unsafe to use my computer for class so I walk 1km uphill to my office where the wifi is more stable. But this morning it was very cold and wet ... and the street at 5am is very dark and quiet. I would have been a nice slow walk if it were not for class. I was afraid I would not reach my office in time. 

Damascus Gate in the rain

My memory is so bad now. I was totally confused about the dates. I was convinced yesterday was Dec 2 and had been preparing for meetings and reports. In fact I was scheduling my classes and meetings for the 1st week of December. Until I was told a few times it's still November. I need to test for dementia I guess. It's scary. Each evening I pray I reach home safely and not get lost in the streets.

In the early afternoon I heard fighter jets roaring overhead. It's been some time since they flew over the City. 

Winter

Rain clouds all day

The temp has dropped by 10 degrees. Last night was about 5 degrees and this morning 11 degrees. Winter has come. There was a short burst of rain yesterday morning and then drizzle throughout the day. Weather forecast says it may snow today in the northern mountains. All that sounds wonderful and christmassy. Except at war time, there\ll be many people roofless and without heating or warm covering. It will be cold, wet and without food. It's a terrible plight.

Waiting in the rain

On my way home yesterday night, the City Gates were all closed due to a stabbing attack somewhere around the Old City. We had to wait out in the rain and cold for an hour before the blockade was lifted and I could go home.  It's inconvenient if you need the toilet or are carrying babies to be standing in the rain and strong winds for an hour. But I can understand the necessity for it. It's not simply to prevent terrorists from escaping but more importantly if there were a gunfight in the narrow streets, we might be collateral damage. So we are kept out for our own safety.

Advent will start in a week's time and soon Christmas will be around. Another year will pass. We can only hope that we'll have peace. We'd gladly trade all the festivities and celebrations for a lasting peace.

Drizzle

New Shoes!!

A week has passed so quickly since my last blog. Can't believe it. I've been very busy meeting a dateline on a paper and there were lots of classes as well ... 5 days a week. Hardly any time for personal work. I did buy a new pair of walking shoes ... thanks to a sponsor. The ground is very slippery with dew every morning, and everyone struggles to walk up or down the road linking Damascus Gate to New Gate. Lots of people have fallen. I did ... 3 times last week. So my new shoes with good grip should lessen the risk. It's never 100% risk-less because the trees are losing their leaves and clumps of wet leaves on the slippery stone pavement just makes walking a lot harder. I still have to hold on to the railings while walking.

Full moon

This morning it started drizzling. Forecasts is for rain but here up in the mountains, it'll only drizzle. And it's cold ... 11 degrees every night. Hoodies and thick jackets are worn outdoors. And good slip-resistant shoes. The cold weather sets the tone for Christmas. Shops have already started selling Christmas decorations and gifts. But with the ongoing war, out celebration this year will be low-key. Everyone is asking if we'll be allowed to enter Bethlehem this year for midnight Mass or at least the Vigil Mass in Shepherds' Field. We're waiting for some instructions from the police. 

Meantime the full moon was out 2 days ago ... amazingly large. As the sky gets dark by 5pm, going home means I get to see the moon. It's a lovely sight ... but it reflects the loneliness that we all feel during this tragic time. T

Sunday conference

Eli holding up a scroll

My deteriorating breathing problem is becoming critical as I'm getting blackouts ... and I finally found out why. One of my medicines for my lungs ran out but I didn't realise it. I usually take it first thing in the morning in the dark so I cannot see how many dosages there are left. Turns it had been zero for some time. So I'm off to the pharmacy today to get a new one. It's expensive, US$100 for one.

Despite my situation, I managed to organise another Sunday morning conference with the local religious. I had Eli the scribe come back to demonstrate how a scroll is written. It was a fun and informative morning that ended with Mass. It's a pity that many religious stay here for decades and still know nothing about the locals and their traditions. And the locals don't know us too. I organise such talks so that both sides can encounter each other, learn more about each other and dialogue.

Conference

It also happened to be my feast day - St. Leo the Great - so 2 groups of nuns baked 2 cakes for me ... both with apples. My favorite kind of cake. Everyone had a piece during the break, and Eli then continued with his talk. Let's hope this builds mutual understanding and avoid the tragedies that we're facing now.