Quiet weekend

Quiet market today

 2 days ago was the solemnity of Our Lady of Palestine, patron of the Holy Land. Today all the Catholic bishops of all rites concelebrated the liturgy at the church of Deir Rafat where the patronal sanctuary is ... a village parish out in the Sharon Plains. Over 1000 catholics from all over the country came to the celebration. It was a very happy event. Good to see some normality during Covid recovery. The infection rate has dropped significantly so the 3rd shot is showing positive effects. Monday sees the opening of the airport to tourists again ... those who have had 3 shots of vaccines that is.

Quiet street

The temp. has dropped significantly and the weekend market was less crowded. Tonight daylight saving ends and we wind the clock one hour back. Everything spells winter ... except the lack of rain. It's disappointing.

Today Israel bombed Syria again. Jet fighters were flying overhead this afternoon. It's a scary prospect ... sounds like the Gaza wars of the pat 2 decades. I was at Jack's Lebanese restaurant to buy some spaghetti for lunch when the jets flew overhead. People came out into the streets, looking at the sky to see what happened. Even guys from the barbershop opposite the restaurant. There were however hundreds of local jewish tourists wandering around the Old City. They couldn't care less about the jets and continued gawking at the buildings and shops, discussing among themselves which restaurant to eat their lunch.

I'm overloaded with work. Am exhausted as I've been working over 16 hours straight today. Need a good sleep this weekend if possible.

Autumn leaf

Autumn leaf

 It's midweek and the temp. keeps lowering to 12 degrees at night. I needed to turn on the heater at 4am to stop from shivering. If this continues, winter will be very cold this year. But still not a drop of rain. Let's hope for the best. We need the rain.

Tensions continue to rise in and around the Old City. I just learned from the newspapers that the arabs were rioting because a planned park was being built over a muslim cemetery to the east of the Old City and there are allegations that bones were being exhumed without proper reburial. 

The wild animals that came out during the nationwide lockdown and still roaming the streets today. Newspapers report that wild boars still roam the streets of Haifa in broad daylight with heavy traffic, and even attacking people. Not sure how the authorities will deal with that.

Also found out that Hebrew University here in Jerusalem actually offers a degree in Chinese Traditional Medicine. Rather surprising. Looks like Chinese medicine will soon be an important alternative to the western system as more and more people are wary of new pills and invasive methods of healing.

The MC sisters came today to help me clean my office as I'm too sick to do it alone. Still with dizzy spells and nausea and lost of appetite. I dread going to do the colonoscopy but I must. It's just a question of time. And talking about time, daylight saving switches on Sunday morning. I bet there'll be some people who'll get caught and come to Mass an hour later.

Sahlab

My 1st Sahlab this year

 The Minister General's visit has kept us all very busy. There were processions and meetings and discourses all through to Sunday. Now that he has returned to Rome, our Visitator General will come this week to start a one-to-one meeting with all of us, in order to vote for a new Custos or re-elect the present one plus electing a new government for the next 6 years. This preparatory stage will last 4 to 5 months before the actual Chapter (elective meeting) actually takes place. Then once this is confirmed, there will be changes to our work and residences.

On Sunday, a good and longtime friend invited me and the chinese sisters out for tea. We had sahlab - the turkish beverage served in winter. It's made from orchid root mixed with milk and rose syrup. It's a tradition for us to have sahlab as a sign that we're in winter. And it's quite cool ... afternoons are only 20 degrees and nights go down to 12 degrees. It's very humid and it feels like there'll be rain any moment though it never rains.

News locally brings lots of tense moments. Israel bombed syrian military spots but Iran sent in aircraft to intercept. Looks like a direct conflict with Iran is inevitable. Jewish settlers have continued to attack arab olive pickers, destroying trees and property while Israeli soldiers did nothing to prevent them. This yearly violence is growing worse. And in Silwan a village south of the Old City, an arab family was evicted by Israeli soldiers so that a jewish family could occupy it. Violence broke out and police are stopping arab youths in the streets and checking on their IDs to make sure they're not trouble makers. Hence there's so much tension in the air right now.

I'm easily exhausted and have not been feeling very well. I guess I should go get the colonoscopy done ... so I'll have to find someone to babysit Buddy and JJ.

Meeting

Meeting with new Min. Gen.

 Yesterday was rather busy despite me feeling ill. I had class at midday and then confessions from 4pm to 7pm. In the morning I had to go inspect a house belonging to our Custody, for renovation work. There was no lunch or dinner leftovers for me so I had to go out and buy some food for dinner. It was an exhausting day and I was very hungry. By 9pm my feet were swollen from work and I fell right to sleep when I got to bed.

And I slept till 3am, which was a good 6 hours. Rare. Then I woke to cough up all the phlegm. It took me till 6am to cough out everything. Then I had to rush off for Mass and then to a meeting with our new Minister General and his vicar. Then I had to run back home to instruct our library workers on emergency drills for earthquakes, fire and missile attacks. it's an annual drill that I conduct and I believe we're the only library in Israel to do this annually.

The weather has suddenly gone very hot again and luckily I didn't put away the portable aircon. I still have a paper to correct and an article to write so I better get started or I will not be able to enjoy my Sunday. Back to work.

Eventful

Autumn leaf

The riots yesterday were quite bad. Running battles between stone-throwing arab youths and Israeli police with stun grenades and water cannons. Today the streets smelt so bad of skunk water I vomited while walking to walk. I dread having to go back home now.

https://www.ynetnews.com/article/r1le5d2st?fbclid=IwAR3r31NsPvvmxvlJOSuDqGx4uH6OvyCMbFYaWye_PxhSDysG3ocOZxONeww#autoplay

The Minister General has come from Rome to pay his first official visit outside Italy after his election. There's the traditional "solemn entrance" where all heads of Churches (Orthodox, Catholic and Protestant) welcome him at Jaffa Gate and then a procession to the Holy Sepulchre where he will enter the Empty Tomb to pray. I had class so I had to skip that. Tomorrow he'll be meeting students and Friday he'll come to visit our university. I have to be home for that.

The quince leaf tea was very good. It reduced the diarrhea significantly as well as the stomach cramps. But today after 36 hrs of the tea, the diarrhea is back. I'll have to find a way how to get dried quince leaves. I could ask some people in Bethlehem who grow these trees. Just hope they don't spray insecticide on it. Meantime I sprained my left ankle again. It hurts very much and I've tied a bandage around it to stop the swelling. Well such an eventful day with riots and ecclesiastical visits is great but not for sprained ankles.

Marching bands

Busy market

There's been quite alot of rioting today. Stun grenades and skunk water. Oppps there's another round of shots right now ... sounds like from the Al Aqsa compound. It's the muslim feast of Muhammad's birthday and many muslims from around the country are in the Old City to pray at the Al Aqsa mosque. Youths have decided to riot and protest around Damascus Gate and the police stepped in to disperse them. I couldn't get home from outside along the City Walls .... the clashes were just out there, so I walked through the alleys inside the City to get home, while avoiding the crowds in the main streets.

At our gate, the muslim boys and girls marching band came out in parade. I think it's the first time they're doing it. They started a bagpipe band as well and was trained by our Catholic Scouts bagpipe band. But this band didn't come out in parade ... I guess they were not prepared. Anyway it was a moment the muslims were proud of. 

Boy Marching Band

The main streets were filled hawkers selling everything. I had to cross from the alley through the junction of the 3rd Station of the Cross and Austrian Hospice, and it was filled with people and hawkers. I was afraid of catching Covid as no one was wearing a mask. While rushing through the crowd, I wobbled on a loose flagstone and twisted my left ankle. It's a little swollen and it hurts alot. I'm staying in bed now. Can't walk.

Quince leaf tea

Quince leaf tea

 There were loud explosions this afternoon ... probably from Damascus Gate area. It was too early for riots ... but then I realised it's the eve of the prophet Muhammad's birthday. The streets were packed with muslims coming from all around the country so it's no wonder some type of clash happened. I guess it'll get worse tonight. I avoided the trouble spots by walking home through the alleys within the Old City. But I couldn't avoid the crowds coming like waves, along the main road which I have to cross in order to get home. Let's see what'll happen tonight.

Yesterday one of our profs heard that I'm suffering from diarrhea so he boiled a few quince leaves and gave me the infusion to drink. It's the first time I've drank quince leaf tea. It tastes very familiar but I cannot put y finger on exactly what .... a delicate taste like in agar agar. Now we'll wait to see if the diarrhea will stop. Herbal medicines are more gentle than Imodium that I took, which caused constipation.