Lights

Lights at New Gate

 The Christmas lights are on at New Gate and the Christian Quarter. It's not as subdued as last year, but still it was restraint. The economic strain on the people is palpable and celebrations are pulled back on a lesser scale. Nevertheless celebrations do bring a little cheer and distraction away from worries and troubles. 

Despite its simplicity, the light decorations are beautiful. Fringes of white and yellow lights hang over walls and huge drops of sparkling lights are interspersed throughout the streets. It's elegant and dignified, much better than previous when it was overdone with kitsch decorations and colours. I liked this year's decorations much better.

However there's been an influx of jews walking pass our Quarter - to avoid muslim areas - and I'm not sure how they'll take this. Every year they come to destroy our decorations, especially tearing down Christmas trees which they say are idols. Let's see if they'll start to cause trouble this year. Unbearably intolerant.

New Gate

One of our sisters who had gone back to India for holidays is now stuck at Delhi airport, because of the changes in Israeli policy. Her main problem is she doesn't have a Green Pass even though she had her 3rd shot. The queues were so long at the Municipality Square for booster shots that the medical team did not take down all the personal details, so now it's impossible to trace her vaccination record and get a Green Pass in order to come back. I hope after 2 weeks it'll all pass and we get ack to normal routine again. It's terribly stressful. I'm helping her contact and find her Green Pass at the Ministry of Health. It's a series of busy calls here and to india. I hope it gets resolved as soon as possible so she can come back.

Healthwise I'm feeling very sick. Yesterday was pretty bad. Today I'm a little better but much weaker. Am waiting for the hospital to give me a time for my appointment.

Closed borders again

Friday night, Damascus Gate

 The weekend was chaos for some people as the govt. suddenly closed the borders to all incoming non-israelis due to the outbreak of the Omicron variant. Suddenly 2 of our profs had to cancel their planned trip to Rome as they will not be able to reenter the country. Tourist groups cancelled, hotel bookings cancelled. The virus mutant has struck fear throughout the world. Strict enforcement of covid laws are in place. I wanted to go out for a walk yesterday but decided to stay home instead. Not worth the risk.

Sunset at Jaffa street

And this sudden closure came in the midst of our 1st Advent Sunday and the jewish feast of Hanukkah, coinciding on the same day. The annual solemn entry into Bethlehem went ahead; our Custos accompanied by Israeli soldiers up to the border, and then by palestinian soldiers on the Bethlehem side. Scout bands marched in parade and hundreds cam out to Manger Square to welcome the Custos, as Vespers and a candlelight procession took place. I'm not sure of jews had gathered in public places to celebrate the lighting of the 1st candle of Hanukkah. It's usually a crowded affair but with the restrictions in place, it could be more subdued this year.

Last night till now my lungs have been filled with fluid. It's like drowning. I can't cough it out. It's cutting the oxygen supply for me and I'm getting dizzy and blackouts. I must find a way to get rid of this fluid otherwise I can't continue with daily life anymore. As it is, I've not had a night's peaceful sleep in decades due to these ailments. 

Stromata

Damascus Gate
Veggie seller

 Catching up with updating the blog. Though the temp is higher than last weekend and it's quite sunny, the indoor temp is still very chilly. Forecast is rain next Wednesday. I hope this time it'll be very heavy in Jerusalem. We don't get enough of rain here while the rest of the country is inundated. We need that wintry feel as we approach Christmas.

The new mutant strain of Covid has hit Israel with one case. The govt has warned the country is on the brink of another emergency as 2 other suspected cases have eluded authorities and are on the run. I'm staying indoors as much as possible and not mixing with crowds. And its always mask-wearing whenever I have to go to work, or buy necessities like medicine and bread. It's awful this time round because the new strain is resistant to all the vaccines.

The Pope will be visiting Cyprus next week. No one knows why as the Catholic population there is minuscule and there's no particular need such as persecution to warrant such a visit during this pandemic. It'll cost alot of money, that's for sure ... security-wise. And with the new strain of Covid going around, I don't think it's wise.

Busy market today

Today's newspapers report that Titus Brandsma, a dutch Carmelite who spoke against the Nazis and was killed in Dachau, will soon be canonised. Likewise Charles de Foucauld, who lived some years here in the Holy Land, will also be canonised. That's some good news. Added to that, newspapers today say the govt. is issuing 500 entry permits to Gaza Christians for Christmas visits to Bethlehem. That's really a major shift forward, and we hope it will actually be carried through.

The 1st Sunday of Advent is upon us, and I look forward to making the little decorations on my room altar for it. I don't want to mix in the crowd for fear of catching the virus, so I'll do a minimum of buying. It'll be a good break from the routine of work.

Stromata

Fresh veg for sale

 The skies remain overcast and it's chilly indoors. We're hoping more rain would fall. It would be more wintry if it does. Still the bedouin women come to sell their vegetables at Damascus Gate. Prices have gone up all round as the shekel becomes stronger over the dollar. In a 20 year low, US$1 is now 3 shekels when usually it's 3.5. It's not worth changing USD to shekels now. And the cost of living keeps going up. The pandemic lockdowns have ruined many people's livelihood and now as the cost of living shoots up, it will drive many to desperation. 

Christ the King
tabernacle in our
chapel

The end of the liturgical year was marked by the feast of Christ the King last Sunday. That's a special feast for us because our chapel commemorates the Crowning of Thorns and the mockery of the soldiers when Christ was made to dress as a king. Historically it took place someone around our monastery compound. So it's very significant for us. While the rest of the world celebrates feastdays in the abstract, here we do it on the actual spots.

Meantime the govt is ramping up aggression against Iran's nuclear programme. Not sure if it'll lead to a major war. The arab states around Israel are already in good terms with Israel, so a war with Iran would be regional. I doubt Iran will want to risk several states attacking it. But it might get its proxies in Lebanon to create trouble. I'm no political analyst but I've lived through several wars ... and I can tell you no one wins. Innocent people will suffer. May Christ the King reign and bring peace to our region.

Cold and dark day

Storm clouds at noon today

 Yesterday morning a terrorist fired a submachine gun just 200m from my house, wounding 4 people. He was killed by the police. It's getting very violent. Later in the afternoon, a suspected terrorist stabbed a jew in Jaffa, Police in return had raided an arab refugee camp, arresting terrorists who were planning large-scale attacks. It's no longer safe to walk in the streets as innocent bystanders are wounded. And the streets here are very narrow. There is no chance of escape. I try to change my routes everyday, taking the least crowded ones so as to avoid any attacks. It's very unsettling and you have to keep watching your back.

Tourists have been flooding the Old City though, despite the cold, wet weather we're having. Yesterday drizzled alot but today it stopped. Still the sky is very overcast and a cold wind is blowing. I'm never quite prepared as I walk home after 6pm which is very dark, and I'm shivering most of the way.

It'll be a busy week as our General Visitator arrived from Rome to prepare us for the Chapter to elect the new Custos. I've finished all my reports to be presented to him, and I've already cast my votes. I think I was the first one to do so. There's so much going on, I can't catch up. So I'm living day by day. I must go to get my colonoscopy soon. The situation isn't getter better. So if I'm offline and no updating, it's because I'm in hospital.

Full moon

Full moon over the wall

 The rains came yesterday. It was quite a heavy shower after lunch and then it was drizzle right through the evening. Then in the night it rained again and in the morning was again drizzle with dark clouds. I think it'll rain again in the afternoon. It's a nice break from the dry summer we've had. 

And the full moon is out. On my way home yesterday I couldn't resist taking photos of it over the City Walls in various parts eastwards. It was spectacular. 

The Empty Tomb
this morning

I've decided to stay home today as I don't want to slip on the slippery stones that pave the Old City. I only went out early at 5am to celebrate Mass at the Holy Sepulchre for your intentions. It was cold but the air was crisp and clean after the night rain. With my asthma, I had to take half an hour to get to the basilica, which usually would take 10 mins. Age has caught up. 

Well there were hardly any people in the basilica. Only 5 praying at the Empty Tomb. I had Mass inside the Tomb and prayed for all your intentions. Then I took a slow walk home, careful not to slip down the many steps leading home. I intend to clean my room today and finish my lesson notes for Monday. That leaves Sunday free for my own ... which I hope I can go out to buy some ponschki (or the jelly doughnuts) that jews eat for Hanukkah. But if it rains, then I'll decide to stay home and read. Buddy and JJ will be happy to spend time with me.

Attack and roadblocks

Roadblock on Wednesday night

Wednesday saw a stabbing attack 50 meters from my house. The streets and City Gates were all closed. That was when I decided to check the news and saw the alert. I had to go home from work and walked all the way down to Damascus Gate, noticing the main road blocked off to traffic by the police. Then crowds were walking upwards to New Gate, telling me to turn back as Damascus Gate was closed. New Gate was the only City Gate opened because there was a small music fest which could not be postponed. SO I walked back uphill to New Gate where and roadblocks I started from, got an attack of asthma that made me very sick. The gatekeeper gave me a glass of water and I sat there for a quarter of an hour before walking through the dark streets of the Old City to get home. When I reached the inner fork road of Damascus gate, it was blocked by police who won't let anyone enter. So I had to wait for half an hour and the police told me to take the side alley as the main street will not be opened any time soon. So I had to walk up hundreds of steps uphill to get back home ... and I was very sick after that. Yesterday I spend the whole day resting in bed.

Before the rains begin ...

And my internet connection was broken for over 36 hours. It was a mystery why. The technician came and spent 2 hours trying to find out the problem and suddenly the main router restarted itself and it worked again. That was a relief. I cancelled several classes due to this break in the connection.

 Everyone is excited that the rains are coming. Yesterday the coastal cities had their first wet winter this year. It still has to come inland to the central mountains hopefully by today. There was a slight drizzle and you can smell the dampness in the air. People are buying foodstuff at the weekend markets now to avoid being caught in the rain later. I certainly hope it comes. It'll clean the air off the dust and sand from last week's sandstorm.