Stormy night

It's 2.30am now. Just got back from sending off Ephrem our Gabonese student who's off to Italy. And the storm! I'm soaking wet despite the raincoat and umbrella (useless in this tempest). His shuttle bus to the airport was to arrive at 2am so we left at about 1.15am. Actually Jean Paul (the Cameroon student) was to accompany Ephrem to the New Gate. But because it's dangerous to walk in the Old City at that hour, Jean Paul asked me to accompany him back home. So I agreed.

We had to go out through Damascus Gate because of the luggage - there's no way you can carry luggage up the myriad of stairs in the Old City except through Damascus Gate which has a gradual slope. That means leaving the Old City and walking outside along the main road with no shelter. So of course we were caught in the mother of all storms this winter. The freezing cold wind kept pelting rain. It was about 2 degrees or less. The streets were deserted except for the Israeli soldiers dotted every few meters. Not even the rats were out - nor the bats for that matter.

We reached New Gate (up the hill about 1km) and had to seek shelter under the awnings of the shops there. The awning was useless when the wind blew the rains at a 45 degree angle. We got soggy wet all the same. But it was fascinating to watch the storm at 2am - silent, occassionally a car would shoot past, nothing but the pattering of harsh raindrops against the cold stones of the City walls; the wet stone streets giggling with light from the lamposts.

The shuttle bus finally came after a long wait. We sent Ephrem off and decided to walk home through the Old City now that we don't have the luggage to carry. Not a wise choice normally as it's pretty dangerous - but it beats getting wet walking through the open road to Damascus Gate.

After 20 minutes we got home but wet, wet, wet. I was afraid I'd catch a cold so changed very quickly, turned on my hot air fan, filled up my hot-water bottle and am staying in bed. Jean Paul has to go to Tel Aviv tomorrow morning to celebrate Mass for the African community so he's only got a few hours of sleep. Me? 2.30am is usually my wake up time so I can't sleep at all now. Will do some reading or maybe do the rosary or Way of the Cross with EWTN.

Graupel attack!

4pm and the Way of the Cross was cancelled today because of the weather. We're having graupel right now - that's "soft hail". Lots of it. Actually they look like very light snow. Round little solid ice balls that disintegrate on landing. They don't fall like rain or hail but flit around like snowflakes in the wind. A little more of this tomorrow and hopefully we'll get snow.

Winter at last

Wow! It's really winter now! The rain is not heavy but contnues to pour; with occassional thunder. But it's cold. It's about 2 degrees now but the wind, which is strong, is minus 1 degree!!! I was at the upper chapel of the Condemnation to say Mass this afternoon and it was freezing cold in there! And with all this rain, I expect a blackout sometime this evening. It always happens after a rain. Got my candles and torches ready.

The first reading for Mass from Isaiah was very appropriate for today. It not only talks about the true type of fasting God wants (feed the hungry, clothe the naked, home the homeless - all social changing actions; so remember that! Lent means soul-changing and social changing); but what is more important, it assures us that we are all people sincerely looking for God and struggling to keep His Laws. But in our weakness we slip up, we don't bring the consequence of our search into our daily practical lives of buying and selling, eating and drinking. Lent is meant to remind us that faith touches every facet of our lives, and we must live it at all occassions.

1st Friday of Lent

It rained last night as predicted. But the skies cleared up at dawn, only to turn stormy by 8am. But the rain was not as strong as forecast. Probably some other parts of Israel are getting the rain. The thunder continues to rumble though. And the winds are quite gusty.

First Friday of Lent. I've decided to skip lunch - yes we're having lentil soup. I'll have some fruit instead. And am reading up on my research, but not writing anything just yet till my computer is fixed. I figured the virus probably entered when some other guys who borrow my computer probably downloaded an email with the virus. Anyway my netvigator account is almost impossible to open although gmail and hotmail are still usable. That's what the other guys are telling me. Or is it that someone is hacking into my netvigator account?

Storm coming

The virus in my computer is causing chaos! I've lost pages of my thesis, the computer keeps turning off every 5 minutes .... it's driving me crazy. And apparently mine is not the only computer affected. Several other people's computers have also crashed. Now our Custody engineer is repairing them. I know nothing about computers so I'm totally lost - which is aweful when several pages of my thesis is gone for good and I have to redo everything. Disaster.

The weather is fine - very sunny and hot. The sky is perfect deep blue. So it's difficult to believe that it'll storm and hail tonight and tomorrow; and snow on Saturday. But the locals are saying anything can happen in just hours - it's the last kick of winter before moving on to Spring. Several of us plan to go out this afternoon to get whatever we need for the weekend otherwise when the storm comes, we'll be locked in and can't go out.

I'll have to study but I can't use the computer so I'll be using snail-age methods: pen and paper. But that's so much more dependable than the computer.

Thanks

Thanks to all for your generosity this Lent:

1. Catherine Pang for helping the children in Gaza. Right now they need diapers and wet-wipes which I'll be buying soon.

2. Mr. & Mrs. Poon, the HK Millenium Pilgrim Group and May Yu for helping the DSBC Centre.

We will be praying for you all here in the Holy City of Jerusalem this Lent.

Ash Wednesday

Lent begins. Today's Gospel reading from Matthew 6 reminds us of the 4 things to be practiced during these 40 days of conversion and renewal: good-works, almsgiving, prayer and fasting.

Half of the community didn't show up for lunch today because they were on full fast - no food at all. Very examplary. I had lentil soup with 2 pieces of dry bread. I guess I'll skip dinner tonight.

Well some guys confirmed my feeling that the weather is awefully cold - colder than Dec. 2008. They said it's never been so cold this last winter. We're all wrapped up as the winds whip about with a cold dry cut.

Weather forecast is storm this Friday. It's going to be the big one everyone is waiting for. The forecasters say the temperature will fall to 2 degrees by Saturday. Lots of rain, hail and graupel. Snow for higher places (hopefully Jerusalem!) I'm wrapping up and staying in!