R.I.P.

Retreat in
Gethsemane

 Had a bad shock this morning when I received news that our neighbour had died. Only yesterday morning at 9am I met him driving off to work with his son, while I was returning from preaching a retreat to the MC sisters in the hermitage of the Garden of Gethsemane. He's about my age, or a little older. At 2am his son sent a message and photo saying his father is in hospital feeling sick and at 7am he messaged to say his father died. The fragility of human life. So unexpected. It came as a shock as he looked so alive and without illness in the morning.

This morning the Old City was in chaos as a 30 yr old arab woman tried to stab an israeli soldier in the Suq (market) near the mosque. She was shot dead. The City Gates were closed to capture any accomplices who might have been there. Attacks have become more frequent now. It's a worrying sign for the coming winter when its cold and people wear thick clothing. They can conceal weapons which otherwise summer clothes can't.

This morning I was suffocating from the phlegm lodged in my airways and couldn't cough it out. I almost blacked out due to lack of oxygen, and I had just gone to throw out the garbage and was downstairs in the courtyard. That's an awful place to blackout because it's all hard stones and nobody passes by there till 8am. But I managed to walk in circle vigorously and it dislodged from my throat. It's a very bad feeling. I'm continuing to lose weight and the abdominal pain is still there.

The weather is changing and many people are wearing jackets and hoodies. Winter is coming early. I'll have to be ready for it as the cold will provoke more asthma attacks and other problems. I'm just wondering is I should get my flu shot.

Day [off]

Explaining Magdala

 Yesterday I took a day off from work ... well sort off. It was another kind of work outside the library. The chinese catholic migrant workers asked me to bring them to visit the churches around the Sea of Galilee. We managed to visit a couple as the travel time from Jerusalem is 2 and a half hours. And churches close at 12pm due to Covid restrictions. The Legionaries of Christ however were very accommodating and let us stay around the archeological site of Magdala for several hours, where we could eat our picnic lunch and celebrate Mass. I didn't feel well but I managed to keep up with the whole trip. However 3 of the group became very sick along the way. But we survived. I guess the weather change was a contributing factor, but also the long traveling distance. Anyway it was work for me, though I wasn't up to it. I'm just lucky I got home safe and sound with no major health problems.

The govt. is not taking the advise of health experts in imposing a nationwide lockdown. Infections have dropped to 4000 which is very low by our standards, but health experts seem to be worried. Anyway it seems life will continue under Green Pass system, so people and the economy can get back to normality.

The Jewish High Holy Days are over and the heavy police presence is also gone. We don't have to through barriers and checks; and aggressive jews who spit at us. A little peace at last.

Newspaper reports say the army has prevented massive terrorist attacks in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem after the raid and arrest of people inside Palestine. For the sake of security, these raids are necessary. But collateral damage should be avoided. Anyway one thing we learn after years of war is never to be in a crowd. Crowds are always the targets of terrorist attacks as it guarantees maximum casualties. I'll be mostly indoors anyway as I have no Green Pass and cannot enter any shop, restaurant or indoor activity. The police are very actively catching people without Green Pass and handing out 5000 shekel fines as well as enforced home isolation for 2 weeks. 

Crowds

Jew praying with the Sukkot
plants

 It's the last evening of Sukkot. This morning our street was filled with jews chanting. It gets quite intimidating when hundreds of jews packed in a narrow street marching down in waves, shouting at the top of their voices. Many were carrying the 4 plants required during prayer during the 8 day festival. These are the palm, the myrtle, the willow and an etrog which is a type of inedible lemon. They are held together and waved in the air during their prayer. Many of these jews try to enter the Al Aqsa compound to pray but are prevented by police as the muslims refuse to allow them to enter for prayers. So they crowd around the dozen or so gates to the compound and pray there. This causes alot of traffic inconveniences as the streets are very narrow and even people on foot cannot break through the mass of people crowded there. I dread going home tonight as it occurs right in our street and in front of our gate.

There's news of a dreadful murder where a muslim man killed his mother because she converted to Christianity. Yes it's the 21st century but such ideas still encrust the mind of some people. It's sad and one can only guess at the future of such a religion that fears everything other than itself. 

I am still feeling quite unwell. But during the day I get better though the upper abdominal pain gets quite bad several times a day. I might buy some pain relief medicine. And strangely my right bunion is causing so much pain it's difficult to walk. Everyone says it's because of the change in weather. Many people with arthritis are also suffering pain.

Well I've been up since 1.20am today. That makes 16 hours now of non-stop work, going down to Gethsemane then going up 1.5km up a very steep hill from the Kidron valley to my workplace. I'm terribly exhausted. I'll have to sleep early.

Rest

1st Mass for the nursing nuns

 It's chilly ... autumn has set in and some trees have begun to shed their leaves. In fact Spring bulbs have already sprouted! My freesias and muscaris have sent out leaves, which is too early. They usually do so at the end of December. The Passion fruit vine is finally flowering after a year's dormancy and the golden spider lilies are also flowering after several years of refusing to put up blooms. 

After yesterday's exhausting work, I slept most of the morning today. I did have to go to Gethsemane to preach a retreat but came home in an hour and slept. Had no energy to clean my room or prepare the laundry for tomorrow. The abdomen pain was acute several times today. And I've no appetite to eat anything. I had 3 small drumsticks for lunch ... leftovers from yesterday's meal I think. I'll just have to rest more till tonight when I have class at 4am.

Yesterday I managed to celebrate Mass for the Maria Bambina sisters at Caritas Baby Hospital, the first Mass in their convent chapel. I had to consecrate 2 large hosts for the convent chapel and the hospital chapel, as well as many small hosts because the sisters have no priest to celebrate Mass for them. Let's hope for the best for them.

Tomorrow is the eve of the end of Sukkot ... the most important day of the 8 day feast. Lots of extremist jewish youths have been passing through our streets, provoking locals and police alike. We feel unsafe walking in the streets as these people get violent and aggressive. Some have been sitting opposite the basilica of Gethsemane, watching our schedule. They had burnt part of the entrance of the basilica last year ... and they have tried to reenter it again yesterday. There are no police watching our basilica, no protection.

There's been clashes when Israeli police raided several arab towns to capture terrorists. 5 arabs have been killed. I think there'll be a rise in violence these next few days. Dreadful cycle.

Beer Sheva

Moon between the trees

 Yesterday we had drizzle and heavy dew in the early morning again. It sure feels like autumn now. The full moon os slowing waning but it still draws a large crowd every night at Damascus Gate.

With the weather cooling down to 23 degrees with a strong wet wind, many families come out into the park to sit, eat and enjoy the weather before the rains come.

And yes ... the rains are coming. Every morning is humid and heavy with dew. Drizzle for several hours as well. Very promising winter of heavy rains. Fingers crossed. Maybe we'll get several days of snow as well.

Heavy dew every morning

Today was totally out of control. I was supposed to have 6.30am Mass with the MC sisters in Old City, then 8am Mass for the Maria Bambina sisters at Caritas Baby Hospital in Bethlehem, 12pm meeting with a jewish family from Tel Aviv, then 3.30pm retreat conference with the MC sisters at the hermitage of Gethsemane ... mind you I am already quite sick as it is without this punishing schedule. Then came a call to say I must go to Beer Sheva 130km away in the desert to organise the removal of furniture from a house whose family was moving out. It took almost 2 hrs to reach the city and another 2 hrs to carry fridges, furniture etc... into a huge truck that I hired for this. Result was I had to cancel everything else for the day and spent day travelling and working in Beer Sheva. I only managed to celebrate Mass in Bethlehem. 

It's been a crazy day. I need to rest now. My feet and head are hurting very much. And tomorrow is not going to be any easier. What a dreadful weekend.

Mooncakes

Mooncake!!

 I managed to eat a mooncake for the Mid-Autumn Festival. I thought I'll not be able to eat one as no groups have come to bring mooncakes to us. But somehow someone gave a box to the owners of Mian Restaurant, and they gave me one. It was very nice. The moon was super large as well, and very bright. The Chinese sisters cooked a simple dinner and invited me over. So the Mid-Autumn festival wasn't that bad after all. 

The Jewish feast of Sukkot is also underway ... for 8 days. It's a festive celebration but there're always some bad hats that want to create trouble. We've had youths chanting slogans and singing loudly after midnight in our Muslim Quarter. Yesterday a tour guide was carrying a huge israeli flag walking through our muslim neighbourhood while guiding local jews, It was very provocative. Every street corner has police stationed in groups of 4 or 6. It's quite tense and intimidating. Mounted police also patrol the streets outside the Old City.

Homecook dinner

I've been feeling quite sick the past few days. Maybe it's lack of sleep, maybe it's something else. My respiratory problems get quite bad by 5am every morning and I cannot breathe. This hurts my lungs and my heart rate goes very high ... at times I thought I'd get a heart attack. It makes me faint due to lack of oxygen. And every night my upper abdomen hurts very badly. It's sharp and acute. I'm still not sure when my turn will come for doing the tests in hospital. The Covid restrictions are affecting many of us non-Covid people ... we get shut out of hospital care because the Covid patients are priority ... those people who do not want to be vaccinated, who deny there's a pandemic; while we who abide by Covid rules are penalised by not having hospital services available to us for other sicknesses. It's very unfair.

The weather has changed drastically and it started to drizzle heavily last night till the late morning. The sky is dark with rain clouds and the wind is still cold. The raining season has started early and we hope it will be consistent and heavy. We need the rains.

Mid-Autumn Festival

Full moon

 It's the Mooncake festival ... but this year there're no mooncakes. It's pretty sad. But our little Chinese community in Jerusalem will meet up and celebrate in our own little way ... eat some home-cooked Chinese food. That's the best we can do. 

The past few evenings I've been working late, so on my way home I could catch the full moon over Damascus Gate. It's beautiful. The area has been quite tranquil after the capture of the 6 prison escapees. Police presence is less and so is the tension. However last evening saw crowds of Jews going to the Wailing Wall to pray for Sukkot. This morning too the street from Damascus Gate leading to the Wailing Wall was full of Jewish families carrying the 4 species (palm, myrtle, citron and willow) to wave during prayers.

Last night I had a long sleep ... about 7 hours. I was really exhausted. But when I woke up at 4am, I couldn't breathe. I was struggling for 2 hours, almost blacking out due to lack of oxygen. But it finally passed and I was back to normal. I went to the pharmacy just now to see what I can take but the pharmacist told me to see the doctor. I did get a nitroglycerin spray for heart attacks though ... I always carry one with me because I won't die from suffocation but a heart attack provoked by the suffocation. That's a handy spray to have in the pocket.

Well I guess everyone will be having a great Mid-Autumn festival despite Covid restrictions. Enjoy but stay safe!

ps* Yesterday's viewers to my blog reached 931. Don't these people have something better to do? Stalking me online is a waste of time.