Last Saturday

Full moon

It's the last day of the liturgical year. This evening Advent begins. Another liturgical year begins. Let's hope it'll be a blessed one. After class at 5pm I had to go down to the chapel to help the Indian sisters prepare the Advent wreath. It is a simple decoration but it sets the atmosphere for the waiting season. The weather is also conducive ... it's cold like winter should be ... and it gets dark by 4pm so candles do bright up the chapel. And tonight we also have a beautiful full moon.

Being the Saturday before Advent, the solemn entrance of the Custos of the Holy Land to Bethlehem took place this morning. It's a very orchestrated event, with Israeli police escort waiting at New Gate to accompany the Custos and entourage in their cars to the Tomb of Rachel (wife of Jacob) which is the border between Israel and Palestine. Once at the Tomb, Palestine authorities welcome the Custos and mounted police accompany the Custos for 1 km into the Basilica of the Nativity. It's a Crusader tradition that the Custos entered Bethlehem on horseback by nowadays he rides a car with 6 mounted police ahead. Once at Nativity Square 2 rows of franciscans wait with cross, incense and candles to lead him into the Basilica. Hundreds if not thousands of christians join in. It's a big deal. And this solemn entrance will take place on every Saturday of Advent.

Fountain at work

I had to work as usual on Saturdays as our workers don't work on this day. So I couldn't join in the procession. And anyway I had class at 3.45pm so I was stuck at home all day. And right now I'm at the other library at work as well. It's 8pm. I'm still feeling unwell though the fever is over. Constant nausea and no appetite. But work is work. If I don't do the work today, the backlog will be too much next week.

On a happy note, 2 evenings back the fountains at Palm Plaza were turned on. They were very beautiful with lights changing colors and the water flowed down to the lower pool ... like it did 17 years ago when it was first built.

December 1st

Woollen clothes
gifts to the poor
from Singapore

It's the 1st of December and what a horrible way to start ... with a possible terrorist stabbing in the southern city of Arad. An israeli soldier, 19 yrs old, died. I've noticed a pattern this past year, that terrorist attacks get more frequent toward Christmas time ... because the Islamist know that with each attack the soldiers will tighten restriction of arab movement hence disrupting Christmas celebrations. It's deliberate and provokes enmity between christians and jews.  https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5050358,00.html

The past few evenings I've been busy running from one hotel to another gathering donations from pilgrim groups. It consists of heat packs which are very heavy, as well as toiletries and woollen clothes. Then it's repacking them into smaller packs so that the sisters can carry them into the Palestinian Territories to give to the poor for Christmas. The winter is cold, and the poor, aged and handicapped have little to stay warm. So while you're enjoying your Advent, please don't forget the less fortunate christians here in the Holy Land.

Santa's House in
Jerusalem

Bad news for 3 bedouin villages as the govt. sent notices to the 300 bedouins that they will be evacuated and the desert land be left for the neighbouring jewish settlements. Sad but true ... I wonder if the shepherds on Christmas night felt the same.    https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-1.825706

It's definitely not going to be a merry christmas for many people this year. Not even if Santa moved to Jerusalem's Old City and has his front door all decorated for the season.

People jam

My escape route: the
upper City alley

The muezzin had started singing long and loud this morning and I thought it was Friday. Later in the morning I had to go to the bank only to find it closed. It then struck me that today is the birthday of Mohammed and all muslim institutions are shut. And the worse was yet to come ... when I tried to go home from Damascus Gate, it was literally filled with thousands and thousands of muslims coming from all over the country to pray at the Al Aqsa mosque. And police presence was very high ... since last night I recall when I was coming home from work at 10.30pm.

Anyway to avoid a half hour jam at the narrow El Wad street, I quickly took the first right alley leading to the highest point of the Old City in order to get home. It's a long and tiring detour but it's definitely better than getting stuck with thousands of people. I was exhausted when I got home but it was just time to eat a piece of bread before rushing off to the other library for work. And that means going out through the alleys again to avoid the crowd. Had a meeting, then class, then rushing off for a meeting with the archbishop. Got a call from M. Teresa's sisters that I was late for adoration and confessions ... so left the patriarchate back to my office to grab my bag and rushing to their convent downhill. After all that, I had to battle the crowds (yes it's 9 hours later and the crowds are still there ... it's human jam) to get out of the Old City and buy myself dinner ... my first real meal of the day. It's 7pm.

Dove dead from the cold

Weather has been at a constant low of between 7 degrees to 14 degrees. Well to show you how cold it is, this morning there was a dead dove in the sisters' courtyard. Dead from the cold.

I'm going to bed and keeping warm. The fever is gone but I still queasy and constantly forgetting things. Not getting enough oxygen to the brains I guess.

Getting better

Lighted reindeers
for sale

My fever has subsided to a slight fever but I still have stomach cramps. And I now found out that there are several other people about town who has the same symptoms. Must be some virus. Anyway I started work yesterday evening with a whole series of meetings that ended till 9pm. Then today another meeting at 9am and class at 1.30pm. Tonight another meeting at 8.15pm. I dread it but I mist work.

The thermometer reads 10 degrees now but it feels like 4 degrees. Our library was heated up to 27 degrees to keep the students warm. Tonight it will get to 7 degrees again. Must keep warm.

Christian shops are already selling Christmas stuff ... and one annual feature is the lighted reindeer that moves it's head left and right. Pretty kitsch. But local people like it ... I guess. Now let's see if the all powerful ultra-orthodox jews will protest and stop us from putting up lighted reindeers because they are idols. They've stopped us 2 years ago from putting up Christmas trees and banners.

New fountains

And yesterday they organised a huge protest at the Military conscription centre. And the Education Minister resigned in protest that railway works took place on Sabbath in Tel Aviv. If the coalition govt. falls because of this, it's the ultra-orthodox who stand to lose because the non-religious Zionist parties are gathering more support against the daily disruptions caused by the ultra-orthodox. A snap election will mean the ultra-orthodox losing their seats in parliament. So if the rabbis don't stop this public disruption, it's they who stand to lose, and they congregations.

Well it's time I went to the meeting. Hope I'll survive the walk in this cold.

Sick

Our indian sisters in the kitchen

Yesterday evening after class at 5pm I was walking back to my office when I began to shiver. I felt extremely cold and the shivers got more violent. I wore 3 jackets and barely dragged myself home 1km away. I felt really sick ... dizzy, stomach cramps ,,, and the sisters at home said I had a very high fever. I went straight to bed, covering myself in layers of blankets to sweat the fever off. And it was hot. At 10pm I woke up and felt a little better. At 2pm I woke again and the fever had subsided a little. I was feeling very weak and dizzy so I went down to make a cup of coffee. It was hot and gave me a little strength. Our sisters prepared some rice later in the morning but my nausea and cramps isn't helping my appetite.

Now I have cramps in my stomach and there's still a fever. I thought it's because it was cold yesterday and I was exhausted from work ... Mondays begin at 3am and there's no break till 5pm if I'm lucky. So probably a combination of cold, hunger and exhaustion took its toll. I'm totally out of action today. Staying in bed as my library colleagues told me not to come to work.

Christ the King solemnity

Just half an hour ago, a thief came from behind me and opened my backpack. I felt something and turned around and he fled ... in broad daylight, on a main road filled with lots of people. And I had just come out from the bank. The bag pack was opened but luckily in that section there were only keys. But that's how it is here in East Jerusalem .... ruthless petty thieves with no conscience whatsoever while professing to be devout muslims.

The King of Hearts

Yesterday was Christ the King solemnity. I did a series of photos from the 3 sites what recall Christ being crowned with thorns and Pilate declaring him King of the Jews while Jesus responded that his kingdom is not of this world. Not many people, in fact I think everyone, doesn't know that these sites are the sanctuaries of this feast. First there is the Flagellation Monastery where the  Crown of Thorns features in every feature of the church ... from chandeliers to dome. On the tabernacle door is a bejewelled Crown of Thorns and the words "Rex Cordium" meaning "King of Hearts". Then there is the Ecce Homo arch where tradition says Jesus was brought up to the top and displayed as king of the jews, wearing the crown of thorns and purple cloak. Third is the ruins of an ancient church commemorating the Crowning of Thorns. Today it is part of a muslim school.

Ecce Homo Arch
inside the modern
basilica

After solemn Mass in the morning, I had a whole series of errands to do. Walked almost 5km to do this and that, from the Old to the New cities. First it was going to buy a purple cloth and Advent wreath for next week for our chapel. The one we had is missing. Then it was going to the supermarket to get toiletries etc. I sat for lunch but had nothing to eat as everything contained nuts or pork ... the former I'm allergic to and the latter I don't eat. It happens every Sunday. Well I was so busy after lunch I couldn't go out to buy something to eat. In fact I only managed to do it at 7pm after 2 doctors' appointments. By that time I was so died I didn't even feel hungry.

While on my way to the 2nd doctor at 4pm, I noticed agitated crowds waiting at the Light Rail stations. Found out later than all traffic had stopped for 4 hours because the ultra-orthodox jews have blockaded the main roads. And there were thousands and thousands of them. Well everyone is saying how can the police allow them to do this day after day, disrupting people's lives. If they were leftist groups, the police would have stopped them immediately; and if they were arabs .... how much more. But because they are ultra-orthodox jews who hold a lot of power in govt. though they are a minority, the govt. is afraid to offend them. They're demonstrating against compulsory military service.  https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5048146,00.html  and  https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-1.825097

Today at 3.30pm the ultra-orthodox are calling for another massive disruption. I think this implosion is distracting Israel from more urgent issues on the Golan and Sinai borders. If the Israeli army is not able to defend Israel in a sudden case of conflict with the Syrians or Lebanese or ISIS in the Sinai, then it is the ultra-orthodox who are to blame because they are causing too much chaos internally.

Eve of Christ the King

Poinsettia in bloom

The Black Friday sale is on ... and our students are busy trying to buy Bible programmes and computer products as much as possible, to take advantage of the 20% discount. Yes Bible study can be expensive. To speed up research and get more accurate information, specialised programmes are available but for quite a hefty price. I think all our students and profs. are using these programmes ... except me. I'm still in the Stone Age ... using catalogue cards, writing down bibliographies, searching page by page. Now several profs. are encouraging me and teaching me to use some of the basic programmes. But I'll have to eventual buy them and install them into my computer ... and I dread it.

Today was so much colder than yesterday ... against the weather forecast. Everyone felt it. Most of our students are hiding in their rooms to stay warm. I would too if not for the fact that I had to go out after lunch to buy some things for our sisters ... well actually for our church. Since our Polish sisters left, no one knows where they kept the Advent wreath. We searched everywhere and cannot find it. So I had to go and buy one. Too bad we can't sue our live poinsettia that are flowering now. They die once they are cut. Not useless at all for indoor decoration.

My student

Before going to buy the Advent wreath, I had to stop by St. Anne's Church down the road to see a seminarian student. He's writing his thesis with me so I had to go give him some instructions on how to get started. He looked very solemn in his habit.

Tomorrow is Christ the King and it's our chapel's feast as it was here Jesus was crowned with thorns, mocked as a king and began to carry his Cross to Calvary about 800 meters away. Will remember you all at Mass tomorrow.