A Becket Day

Sunset yesterday

 The weather is freezing cold even though it's supposed to be 14 degrees. Feels more like 5 degrees. Everyone is in thick winter clothes, with hoods or woollen caps. And how would I know if there's a lockdown now? I went out of course! Much as  didn't want to, I had to go to our Finance Office to get money to pay a stipend to Sr. Laura who works as a volunteer in our library. She's leaving for Italy next week so I need to pay her stipend for the past 3 weeks. Out in the streets, food and electric shops are opened. People are out buying veggies and bread. Police don't seem to be enforcing the lockdown.

At our headquarters, everything was closed. Even our Finance office. Lucky the head was in his office, so I managed to get the stipend from him. I watered the plants in my office and then walked home. And luckily my plantar fasciitis didn't play up so I could avoid the crowds in the main streets by climbing up the hill behind my house through the alleys and side streets. And they were very quiet and empty of people. 

Sr. Sarita's birthday

Israeli inoculation programme is going full steam ahead. But priorities is for israelis of course. Infection rate was 5800 yesterday. Compulsory hotel quarantine is being scrapped because no one is observing the rules, people are escaping from hotels and police and security are not enforcing the lockin at all. The govt has given up. It is a wild land here ... everyone does whatever he wants. No wonder the corona infection is always in the thousands. It's a hardheaded people. Everything here is such a joke ... it could never happen in Asia. Over here no solution will be easy to implement.   https://www.timesofisrael.com/in-u-turn-government-cancels-forced-hotel-quarantine-for-arrivals-from-abroad/

Sr. Sarita, one of our Indian sisters, celebrated her birthday. Georgette our cook baked a really soft butter cake and we feted her during lunch. It was nice as it added to the Christmas cheer .... which under lockdown wasn't very much. And it's the feast of St. Thomas a Becket, the Archbishop of Canterbury who was killed at the altar for challenging the king. My tradition is to read T.S. Eliot's Murder in the Cathedral. Maybe today I'll watch the movie instead.

Cold

Notre Dame Center at night

 Small shop owners are threatening to rebel against the national lockdown as they will lose massively. The finance ministry predicts a loss of almost 3 million shekels this time round. I think what ultimately will turn the infection curve down is not closures but public observance of wearing masks and social-distancing. It's as easy as that. Asian countries have proven that it works. But over here, many people disregard these simple rules. It's always the argument of personal rights and political conspiracy. There's no concern for others' welfare, no civic mindedness, no love of neighbour. It's the worst of western democracy without a spirit.   https://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-set-to-impose-3rd-lockdown-ramp-up-vaccine-distribution/?fbclid=IwAR3L27848ZYSBNRyGwn2cK28dzIX5cDSImKorhn_6PH9mH1o--1TsV9qBNQ

The weather is terribly cold even though the weather stations say it's 14 degrees at noon. It felt like zero. A very strong cold wind is blustering through the country. Feels like from Siberia. Last night I couldn't sleep because even my 2 heaters weren't enough. I'll have to use an extra blanket tonight. Too bad it's not raining or snowing. It would be nice for Christmas.

My lemons

Yesterday morning I pruned our 2 lemon trees and harvested 2 cartons of lemons. Many were not ripe ones as it's mid-winter and there's little chance they'll mature. But they're all very fragrant. Good for making limoncello. We've been using them for several years now ... and the limoncello is great. At least that's what they tell me ... I don't drink alcohol. I just provide the lemons!

I'll be working from home now the lockdown is in place. I want to avoid going out ... but knowing my luck, I'll get called out to do something or other, and will have a lot of explaining to the police who're stationed at every corner of our streets. Fingers crossed.

3rd Lockdown

Christmas gifts
from MC sisters

 The lockdown has begun. I'll try my best to stay indoors unless there are important business like payments to be done. I'll still have to go out once in a while to buy bread and medicine. We're allowed to do that. We can walk not beyond 1km from our homes. I've planned to do alot of reading during lockdown. And spend quality time with JJ and Buddy who've been missing me the few days when I've been busy at the office clearing up work before the lockdown starts. I'll need to stock up food for them .... but I cant buy anything today as it's the Sabbath.

M. Teresa's sisters gave me alot of Christmas presents.: a scarf, a beanie, 3 pairs of socks and a lovely comfortable pair of loafers. I guess they've noticed my socks full of holes and shoes glued together by superglue whenever I go to their convent for weekly confessions and adoration. 

Our sisters

In the Christian Quarter, there's a little more cheer than usual. The Christmas trees at the La Salle College is the landmark of Christmas every year ... with a smaller tree at the Catholic Scouts center and another at Terra Sancta College. The scouts and school have organised Christmas parties and given out presents to the kids ... it's a nice cheer to an otherwise quiet Christmas because parents have lost their jobs and cannot afford new clothes or presents. I've been trying my best to distribute clothes and food to the MC sisters to distribute to the poor but the restrictions and now lockdown have made it impossible.

In the southern Gaza borde,r tensions have risen. Gaza fired 2 rockets into Israel on Christmas Day and Israel fired back. No peace. Our Christians must be frightened by these bombings ... besides the dreadful Hamas muslim directive from the Ministry of Religious Affairs calling muslims not to join christians at Christmas celebrations ... implying Christians shouldn't celebrate the feast publicly. There was huge backlash fro other muslim organisations and the Fatah govt in Ramallah, calling it discriminatory and divisive. Christians have always enjoyed the right of religious freedom and the Hamas Minister was sowing division and intolerance. Just wait till the European govts stop funding the Hamas govt because of religious discrimination and persecution .... then they'll learn their lesson. 

Christmas

Merry Christmas

 It's been a terribly busy Christmas ... the days leading up to the feast was filled with cleaning and going through the liturgies. We had a Vigil Mass at 9pm on the 24th and everyone in our house attended including our Indian sisters. The superior presided and he used incense ... which I have difficulty in breathing when it gets too  smoking. After Mass we had the traditional hot chocolate and panettone ... and everyone was taking photos to remember this strange Christmas when we're all locked indoors because of the pandemic. Our diocesan students for once had put on their cassocks ... very elegant and everyone wanted photos with them.

The weather has been sunny and bright these few days but a very very cold wind is blowing. It still feels christmassy ... though lots of public banners and lights have been reduced. The police allow christians to go for Mass ... there's hardly any social distancing in the streets but the police are not enforcing the law so as not to dampen the festive spirit. It was nice of them though healthwise it's a big risk. Already we have 5 cases of the new strain of corona virus and 1 death. The govt is imposing a nationwide lockdown tomorrow after Boxing Day so we can enjoy a little. Bethlehem and all the churches there are however ordered to close by the Palestinian govt because the pandemic is out of control. Israel will close the borders tomorrow. I'm just wondering how the Orthodox will celebrate their Christmas on Jan. 6th when the lockdown is in process.

Our diocesan
students

Last night the chinese community gatehred for an evening Christmas Mass at the Notre Dame Center. Though we were only 9 persons, the Legionaries of Christ who're in charge of the center, gave us the enormous auditorium to celebrate Mass so as to keep social distancing. It was very nice of them. Besides the 2 chinese sisters and Fr. Abraham, there were 5 chinese migrant workers from different parts of the country. They are very fervant catholics and we try to meet them for religious services and  meals as much as possible. They were very happy to have Mass since where they work there are no churches nor christians.

Today is Boxing Day or the Feast of St. Stephan. Usually the Dominican Fathers have a solemn Mass in their monastery as the burial place of St. Stephan is under their main altar. But due to the pandemic restrictions, it's been cancelled ... or at least closed to the public. Let's hope next year things will be back to normal.

Tense

Wild flowers at
Bethany

 The streets remain tense as police stepped up its presence in and out fo the Old City. Jews have been taking revenge on arabs for the killing of the jewish woman; and revenge on the police for the death of the jewish youth who threw stones at arab cars. The ultra-orthodox jews on the other hand rioted and demonstrated in the City Center for a different reason: one of their kind was arrested for evading mandatory military service. There was overall chaos everywhere for different reasons. What a day.

And to add to that, the govt. collapsed last night as the coalition broke up. Israel is set for a 4th election in 2 years in March 2021. But that means that in the meanwhile, nothing will be decided on stopping the pandemic which is now raging at 3800+ new infections a day. Vaccinations have begun for Israelis over 60 yrs of age and all high risk persons ... but palestinians and foreigners will have to wait till end of 2021 for their turn. There was one bungled vaccination yesterday when a pharmacist was given 4 doses instead of one. Apparently each phial contents about 5 dosages but the nurse wasn't aware and emptied the whole phial into a syringe. Maybe it's just as well that we foreigners wait for a year, when nurses are better experienced with the vaccination and its protocols.

Yesterday afternoon I went to the St. Vincent de Paul convent in Bethany to collect fir branches to decorate our refectory. I do that every year. There was alot and I managed to cut 5 boxes of it. The hill on which the convent is built is full of beautiful small wild flowers ... orange and yellow. Very pretty. It was good to get away from the tense situation in the City. And I got to meet Sr. Ursula and Sr. Noel and Sr. Sophie, my old friends who are very elderly. They care of 18 orphan girls and depend on tourists to stay at their guesthouse to earn some money. Now that tourists have all gone, the sisters have great difficulty so I brought some offerings to them. 

Now I have to go cut the red berries ... which are more difficult to find. Those around the streets are not allowed to be cut. Its searching time.

Terrorist attack

Police below
our house

 In the middle of Vespers which I presided, we heard police sirens wailing just outside our chapel walls along our street. After prayers we found out that an arab tried to shoot israeli police 20 meters away at Bab Hutta gate. He used a makeshift submachine gun ... but he was himself shot dead by the police. Now our street and the entire neighbourhood is locked down as police comb the area for other suspects and evidence. Nearly yesterday a jewish settler was found killed when she went out jogging in the central Samaria region. Looks like violence is rearing its head again this winter.

My plantar fasciitis has also suddenly returned. The pain is excruciating and I'm hobbling around. I wonder if there's a permanent solution for this malady. It's crippling me. I can't go about to work, though I don't mind staying in bed reading or working on the computer. But reality is I must be moving about from one office to another. There're payments to be made, books to transfer and students to attain to.

There;s great fear the british mutated virus might come here, so the PM wants the airspace to be closed. No foreigners allowed into the country and all israelis returning must be quarantined in a designated hotel. However not everyone agrees ... and just a few hours ago, one of these returning israelis committed suicide in the hotel. Rather foolish reaction for being told to stay in the room. But that's the worse of human nature during the pandemic. It reveals the utter fragility of the human mind and spirit.

Last Sunday

Sunrise on 4th Sunday Advent

 It's the last Sunday of Advent. In 5 days we'll celebrate Christmas. Still not sure how the celebrations will take place in Bethlehem. We're just told in the news that the authorities are considering strictly restricting Masses and crowds in the Basilica of the Nativity. All our communities will be celebrating behind closed doors. The surge in infections is frighteningly high on a national level ... but especially in our arab areas. And there is little police enforcement of corona laws in these areas.

The first vaccinations against coronavirus started yesterday night with the inoculation of the PM and the cabinet. Now health frontline workers will be vaccinated, followed by elderly and high-risk people. Of course, this means Israelis. The arab citizens and palestinians in the Territories will have to wait till the israelis are finished with their vaccination, for their turn. And lastly foreigners like us. That means 2022.

Geraniums galore

I just found out why my tooth ached so much. A filling from a molar fell out and exposed the root. I'll have to get a new filling but first I must be sure I can travel to Tel Aviv to get it done. Intercity travel might be prohibited in the next few days to prevent christians from gathering for Christmas.

The rains have stopped and the sun is shining brightly. But it's still very cold. Yesterday was no higher than 9 degrees and that seems to be the forecast for the rest of the week. Newspapers say it'll be one of the coldest winters we'll have in recent years. Well let's hope it rains more.