Hallow's eve

Bar Mitzva boy with
Torah scroll

The tensions have toned down a lot today ... with less police presence. That's a great relief for all of us. And the weather has been very agreeable .... cool and sunny. Perfect day to be out. I visited the Western Wall today ... being Thursday the young jewish boys become men by celebrating their Bar Mitzva. It's very festive ... and I managed to witness at least 6 ceremonies going on at the Wall. The boys carried those huge Torah scrolls and read them publicly for once in their lives. That is the rite of passage ... to proclaim the Torah is to be an adult. Wealthier families could afford hiring drummers and horn-blowers to lead the procession ... others simply performed the ceremony in dignity with a public reading from a Torah book.

A little later I went to the Information Centre to book for a  Mass but all the churches in Jerusalem are fully booked. At the Centre there was an exhibition of "Women and Textiles" ... where richly embroidered liturgical vestments from the 17th century are shown. Very wonderful collection.

Western Wall prayer section

Meanwhile Gaza fired a rocket into Israel. No panic ... it was a minor incident. We're watching the northern border ... an israeli drone was shot down in southern Lebanon. Now that could become explosive. That's scary.   

Israeli embassies around the world have gone on strike. The financial budget for embassies have been stalled for a long time now and I guess the embassies are desperate. Anyway if you're expecting to collect a visa from the embassy in your country ... it'll take a while.

Anyway it's All Hallows' eve ... or halloween. That's the eve of All Saints day. It's a feast and we'll be having a solemn Mass. I'll need to rest early so I can keep up with tomorrow's celebrations.

Rain?

Empty street at
Damascus Gate

Someone's been hacking my blog. One day my viewers number 190+, another day 10+. The fluctuation is too big to be normal. But I'll still blog ... to let you into a bit of my daily life in the Holy Land and let you know that I'm still alive. When there're no updates for several days in a row ... then you'll have to start worrying.

There was another stabbing attack this morning. This time at Hebron and the attacker was a female. In winter time when people wear thick clothes, it's easier to hide weapons. I guess this is just be beginning of another wave of terrorism. We did have a relatively quiet summer though. Last night coming home at 8pm, the streets inside Herod's Gate where the last stabbing attack took place a couple of days ago, was totally deserted. It was eerie. People are avoiding that area as police security is extra tight around there. Nobody wants any trouble. Usually the place is packed with people, from shops filled with people buying fruit and meat ... to kids riding bicycles and youths smoking and chatting at corners. Last night the silence and emptiness reminded me of the war years, the curfews that were imposed. It wasn't a good feeling.

Grey skies today

The weather is very cool and today the sky is dark with rain clouds. It would be great if it rained. I do have to walk 1lm uphill to another school to teach though ... but rain is always welcome.

One great piece of news: Tel Aviv municipality has banned all plastic utensils in schools. What a great move! Hopefully other cities will follow the example. But I'm not counting on Jerusalem to do that. Jerusalem lives by its own rules.

My health is on a plateau now. Mostly stable. Even my right ankle has stopped hurting. It's only old age that's impeding normal work ... walking long distances, climbing stairs ... all have become very difficult. It's part of life, I guess.

Day after

Police stop and
search youths

The tension from yesterday's stabbing attack still lingers. Police are on heightened alert in and around the Old City. Arab youths - male and female - are stopped and searched any and everywhere. It makes freedom of movement alot more uncomfortable and scary. There's always a consequence which we living here have to pay ... from actions committed by people who live outside our City. We detest that ... believe me .. even the local muslims detest that. We don't want problems ... we just want to pass one day without trouble.

We'll just have to grit our teeth and tolerate the next few days.

Meantime the weather has really turned cold. Last night was 13 degrees and I had 2 heaters turned on. Soon I'll have to get my winter clothes out. I only wish it would rain more. We need to overcome this drought with a significant downpour.

I'm feeling much better ... much less coughing, no more pains in the joints, no more fever. But alot more other guys are very sick. They say it's a virus going wildly round. Well I'm glad I'm well over it and getting back to normal work routine.

Police at Damascus Gate

I just realized what a packed schedule I have in November. A visiting professor is sick and unable to teach at the African Missionaries' institute and I was asked to substitute in the mornings. In the afternoons a group of students and professors from the U. of S. Africa has requested a course of 2 weeks from me. Added to this are my usual english classes and Bible classes around the world. It's going to be a tough juggling act. And I will be very exhausted. I must organize my time and energy well so I won't tire myself.

Events in neighboring Lebanon is troubling ... now that the PM is resigning, it'll leave a political vacuum which hardline islamist might take advantage. Not good news for us.

Terror attaempt

Crowds gathering in front of police
station

I could hear police and ambulance sirens blaring at 3.45pm from my office. But I didn't go out till an hour later. People were telling of the chaos in the streets ... police blocking roads, cars crashing into one another, tram crashing into cars ... well nothing of that when I went out of my office on the way home. But the roads were all closed and the traffic jam was unbelievable. Something serious must have happened. Police at every corner ... anyone looking below 25 yrs old were stopped and checked. 4 mounted police paced up and down Damascus Gate. Crowds walked quickly to avoid the police or any clash.

Police at Damascus Gate roundabout

I walked down Herod's Gate and there were crowds gathering around the police station. No chants or protests ... just crowds waiting for something to happen. And there were lots and lots of police there. Inside Herod's Gate, another large group of police stopped and checked every youth, male or female, going in or out. It was very tense. No one spoke in a loud voice as they usually do in my neighbourhood. Just scurrying to avoid being stopped by the police. I asked some locals I know, what happened and there were many versions of the story. Apparently an arab youth on a bicycle tried to stab a police at Bab Hutta (near St. Anne's Church). He was shot by the police. A rapid search led to the arrest of 2 other youths believed to be collaborators. Well the hunt continues and I believe in the night the police will be raiding homes. Very tense.  https://www.jpost.com/Breaking-News/Stabbing-attack-in-the-Old-City-in-Jerusalem-Report-606077

The storm yesterday has led to a profusion of flying ants along the coastal cities. Newspapers are talking about an invasion. Well here in Jerusalem I've not see flying ants since 30 years back ... that's how dry it's been. Give me rain! Give me flying ants! Our poor geckos are starving!!   https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5614708,00.html

After the storm

Tel Aviv lightening (photo by N.B.
from Facebook

The medicine came with a bang ... but on in Jerusalem. Gaza was struck early and remains in a state of emergency. A couple of hours later Tel Aviv was hit. Lots of spectacular thunder and lightning over the city and heavy rain. There's a lot of photos of the electric storm on social media and I've included one photo downloaded from FB.

Our guys in Jaffa sent messages to say the storm was tremendous.  But like I predicted, the medicine travels only on flatland. It could not climb the western mountains where Jerusalem is situated ... so we had only very dark skies and drizzle. Still it was good that some water was falling because it cleaned the skies and the thirsty ground soaked every drop after 8 months of hot dry weather.

My ankle is hurting so much I'm limping today. My cough is still around but not as bad as last week. I'm off the antibiotics so that's good. People have been saying that I was very bloated and swollen in the face and hands when I took the antibiotics.

News is flashing that ISIS leader in Syria was killed. I don't know what consequences that would entail ... so let's hope it will not be negative for the surrounding region, such as revenge attacks on christians and other minorities.

Safra Square today

One positive thing yesterday was a phone call from my former student now in India. He was recounting his work and I was very proud of him. Later in the night another student in Puerto Rico messaged me as well. It was good to chat with him too. It seemed only a short time ago when they were my students studying my courses and writing their theses ... now they're ordained and leaders in their own institutions.  

This morning I decided to take a long walk around the New City with our filipino and armenian students. It was a good break from all the work and preparation for exams. The weather was cool and there were lots of people in streets. The after-storm effect was great for Jerusalem though I imagine in Gaza and other coastal cities, it's a day cleaning up the debris that the storm had wrecked.

Medicane

Dark sky at 8am

A rare and strange meteorological phenomenon is forming to the west .... a mediterranean hurricane known as a medicane. It's whipping up winds of up to 70km per hour and will bring heavy rains. People in the central and south of the country are warned of possible flooding, electric shortages ... so they have to stock up on food and water. Gaza has already declared a state of emergency. All roads in the southern desert are closed.  Here in Jerusalem the sky is very dark but it's only drizzling. We expect the medicane to strike at 2pm but it might also not happen because jerusalem is high up in the mountains and hurricanes cannot travel uphill. It'll probably skirt around our mountains. Still I think it's a great experience if it does come. I've put all my flowerpots on the ground so they don't get blown down and smashed.

2pm came and went ... there was no hurricane in Jerusalem though Egypt and Gaza was battered. The sky is very dark and the drizzle is heavy but not hurricane level. Still it's lovely to hear the pattering of raindrops ... and the dry thirsty ground is soaking in the water. I took advantage of this perfect weather to plant the numerous Calla lily bulbs that I dug up from an old pot. Managed to plant the margarita daisies from the MC sisters in a huge flat pot. That's quite a lot of work in the drizzle while I'm still coughing from my bronchitis, though I'm getting better.

Public pigeons eating before the storm

This storm was quite something in the southern border ... but nothing like the political storm right now. The elected candidates cannot form a new govt and everyone dreads having to go back to the polls .... for the 3rd time. It's very bad because it shows instability in the leadership and govt ... thus opening the country to outside attacks. The military now must be on its toes and exercise judicious execution of its role now that the political entities are deadlocked and impotent. This is what I call implosion at its worst.

I'm going to sleep early ... enjoying the rain and cool weather. It's a rare treat.

Weekend again

Autumn leaves

Autumn is always short here. A couple of weeks and then winter starts. The trees are losing their leaves ... some are already half bare. Creepers change colour ... deep red. Amazing. Our passionfruit has suddenly produced 12 fruit ... but it will not last because temp. have dropped and other neighbouring passionfruit vines have already died.

Yes temp. have dropped quite a lot. Early this morning at 4am (it's the coldest part of the day) it was so cold I had use a blanket to keep warm. In fact I even had to turn on the heater for an hour. I can imagine what it will be like in December and January when it rains and snows. This afternoon we had a sudden shower and it stopped just as suddenly. News reports are warning of a fierce storm tomorrow. Warnings about flooding and falling debris have been published. I wonder if I should go out tomorrow morning because I must preach a retreat. we'll play by ear. Right now the sky is red ... a sure sign that rain will come.

Cloudy cold sunset

My day was filled with work in the morning, class at midday and then more work in the afternoon proof-editing articles. It takes a lot of concentration because I need to understand what is being written before correcting the text. It's not merely grammatical mistakes but a correction of style. By 5pm my mind was blocked. Too tired. Guess I'll go to sleep early.

The weekly Gaza protest at the border had been quite tranquil the past weeks ... till today. Reports say 77 have been injured by Israeli fire. Well a strong rainstorm will certainly deter any protest and keep everyone home ... what politics and military cannot do, Mother Nature can and will.  https://www.haaretz.com/middle-east-news/palestinians/.premium-israeli-army-wounds-50-confronting-weekly-gaza-border-protest-1.8026955?fbclid=IwAR30iK2MhbI_4A8AfSnuNDDu3zFfo54FAs_prZvpZN97_rYh5kPeq9JcKAk

Meantime army chiefs are warning of a precarious northern border which could lead to war.  https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/idf-chief-unveils-plan-for-massive-overhaul-of-israeli-military/?fbclid=IwAR27L6PKQ-YQS3H-5mnOl7xpkxmuATvvrxyqLci3yh2eb-zh3rURr2hIHBE

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