D-Day

Checkpoint at New Gate

Clashes in Qalandya, Nablus and south Jerusalem. 1 killed. But in the Old City there was relative calm. Massive police/military presence. City Gates and streets leading to the Muslim Quarter have all been closed. Only men above 50 yrs and tourists were allowed to enter.  I wanted to take some photos but couldn't.  http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/report-palestinian-killed-in-west-bank-clashes-with-israeli-forces-1.386341

Till now, Abbas has not brought up the issue to the UN. It will be a little later today. Then the vote will be taken, and we'll see how the arabs will take the result. If there'll be any violence, it should come later tonight when the vote is taken. Let's see and hope for the best.

Meantime many shops have remained close due to fear of riots. The streets were deathly quiet. Hardly anyone walked outside. Only the few tourist groups continued to make their usual route.

I'm still down with a virus ... or some say it's bronchitis. Rasping cough, fever, sore throat and lots of phlegm. Got antibiotic and flu tablets from the pharmacy - but the medicine makes me very sleepy. In fact slept during work yesterday. Dydy my editor had to wake me up several times. I hope to get better by Monday when I see the doc for pre-op check-up.

Important

Dear people, thanks for your concern but please stop circulating emails and collection. I did not authorise them and I do not need them. It is causing me great distress.

Wednesday of discontent

Thousands of Palestinians throughout the Occupied Territories are marching right now to support their bid for independent nationhood. Let's hope it won't get violent. I can't believe Obama as we watched the news this morning. He actually welcomed the Libyan leader of the Transitory Council with words to the effect that USA is supporting the independent movement in Libya and will continue to support it; but Obama will NOT support the Palestinians as they seek independence this Friday. Bloody hypocritical and double-standard. You see the true face of American leadership this week. "You have been weighed and found wanting" ... divine justice can be so simple yet terrifying.

Whoever sent me 3 boxes of mooncakes - NO THANKS! I had to pay US$50 taxes and walk 1km with the huge postal box back home. And I DO NOT eat mooncakes. It was a bloody waste of money, time and energy for me. I can't even afford to pay for my next operation and am trying to save as much as I can ... and now I have to pay US$50 for something that I cannot use.

And there is a place in hell for some people who continuously harass me ....

Another day nearer

Rhetoric is tuned up as Mahmoud Abbas goes to NY for the UN session, to push for Palestinian statehood.  Goodness knows how things will turn out. No one wants war or violence ... that much we are sure. Please let this Friday pass quietly.

As Sukkot draws near, Egypt has decided to stop its export of palm fronds to Israel required for the feast. Israel is now turning to Gaza and Palestine for fronds. http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/egypt-bans-export-of-palm-fronds-ahead-of-jewish-holiday-of-sukkot-1.385247

And the big crocodile escape last week is now responded by an expert warning that these escape specimens might be breeding in the wild. But think about this ... why were they killed off in the first place? They were in the rivers of Israel long before humans came to inhabit it. http://www.jpost.com/Sci-Tech/Article.aspx?id=238366

The sisters of Mother Theresa boiled rice and veggies for lunch for me. Very kind of them. But it ended with cramps and diarrhea. Apparently I'm not the only one suffering from this ... several other people I hear also suffer from the same effects after eating just about anything. Must be a powerful virus.

Tuna sandwich and war

Thanks to Sr Emilia's group, I could buy a nice bun for Sunday breakfast - something I stopped doing over a year ago when bread now costs over US$1. Went to my friend's shop "Everyday" and bought a tuna sandwich. It's the only day of the week that I eat breakfast ... well, actually twice a month to be exact ... since I only have half a cup of coffee and nothing else. Arik my friend makes the sandwiches himself. And it cost 10 shekels which is about US$2.

On a sombre note, yesterday saw the first test of Israel's military in the face of Palestinian violence. At the Qalandya checkpoint between Samaria and Judah, Palestinians held a demonstration against Israel which the IDF responded with might - closing down the checkpoint. Some of Motehr Theresa's sisters who came out of Samaria to Jerusalem could not return home and had to spend the night at their Jerusalem convent. Lucky for them I had extra fish curry cooked and brought them over for their dinner.

This morning during Mass, military helicopters were flying very low above our place. Everyone was buzzing that there's problems in the Mosque. No one was optimistic about this week. We all expect some form of violence.

As things get heated up this week, the govt. is considering declaring emergency law to clamp down on violent demonstrations. http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/israel-mulls-emergency-laws-to-handle-palestinian-riots-in-west-bank-1.385065  But of course these  laws apply only to arabs and not provocative rightist Jewish settlers who equally create the violence.

So Friday 23rd is the day to watch. Whether or not the UN votes for Palestine, some form of violent reaction is expected .. if not from the arabs than from the jewish settlers.

Stigmata of St Francis

Opening of school year at Ratisbonne. Accompanied Hidri as he was alone. He was anxious over financial matters so I had to try settle his nerves. Poor chap. Anyway I need to find 5000 euros to finance his studies, food and lodging in order for him to be a priest. He'll be the first Ethiopic Catholic priest here in the Land if he succeeds. You might remember him as the refugee seminarian from an older blog. So if you can help, please do. This is an urgent appeal.

Anyway at the inauguration of the school year, I had the opportunity to meet some of my old students. They're into 3rd year now. And I'm very proud of them. Many professors say that they are the best batch of students the school ever had. Everyone from the class except Chuen the American Vietnamese was there. He's still in America. And Boris from Africa came in a football sports-shirt ... but the inauguration was a formal affair! He didn't bat an eyelid and felt comfortable as he was. That's how much confidence he has.

So far nothing unusual has been happening despite the rising tensions that you can feel in the streets. Police on horses now patrol East Jerusalem ... the horses are taller and larger than cars. People tend to walk faster at Damascus Gate, avoiding direct looks.

The markets are selling the last harvest of figs and peaches. The peaches are huge but not very tasty, being the last batch on the tree. So are figs, which are much smaller. Prunes are almost over by now and the short season for limes is defnitiely over. Wish we could get bottled lime juice. It goes well with everything. Anyway yesterday I tried to make fish curry ... must say it tastes pretty good. Cooked it for Valerian from S'pore and Praveen from India. I can't eat it myself as my stomach still ends up in cramps and diarrhea.

Today we remember the Stigmatisation of St Francis. He received the 5 wounds on Mt. La Verna during a vision. It's a reminder that we all have to carry the wounds of Christ ... to be a christian is to be wounded for love and by love.

Time

As next Friday Sept. 23rd approaches, jitters are overwhelming the country. Israel is proposing another solution other than statehood for Palestine. http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/netanyahu-israel-will-agree-to-upgrade-of-palestinian-status-not-statehood-1.384716  Today soldiers were dressed in war fatigues throughout the Old City ... a frightening sight. Seen all that during the 1st and 2nd Intifada.

Unrest at Israeli embassies in Amman and Istanbul happened as expected. http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/thousands-protest-against-murderous-israel-in-turkey-and-jordan-1.384702  Let's hope it doesn't spread. It's distracting from the main issue at hand.

Meantime groups have trickled to almost nothing ... fear of war. The feasts of Yom Kippur and Sukkot will not help much in drawing in groups. One just has to remember the violence during Sukkot 2 years ago.

Students are returning slowly as school starts in a few weeks time. For the new ones, it's an exciting start to a new adventure. For the old ones, well it's another year of trudging. Ilie, Vasile and Thiago were all married a week from each other.

So the summer holidays are ending. The weather is changing. Autumn strides in and we're all waiting for the change from Daylight Saving Time to normal time. It should be Oct. 2nd. I think Palestine has already switched. Time stops for no one.

Our daily bread

Regional tensions escalade like dominoes falling. Now Jordanians are protesting against the Israeli embassy, just like in Cairo. Israel is pulling back it's embassy staff for safety. http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/netanyahu-orders-evacuation-of-israel-embassy-in-jordan-fearing-violent-protests-1.384512

And locally, fears of violent riots following the expected declaration of a Palestinian State is sending jitters throughout the country. Both Israeli and Palestinian armies are getting ready for the worse. http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/israel-okays-pa-s-acquisition-of-antiriot-gear-ahead-of-un-vote-1.384530

And the strike by the Medical workers continue. http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/doctors-sue-israeli-medical-association-over-botched-finance-ministry-deal-1.384536  However I managed to secure my appointment with a doctor on Sept. 26th. That's after my surfer friend, Ron, taught me to be "an Israeli when dealing with Israelis" ... meaning bang on the door till they either open it or the door breaks down. It worked.

Yesterday was a very busy day ... alot of rushing around. Had to be careful because I realised my diarrhea is not over. It comes almost immediately after I eat anything. That's not convenient when you have to go out and work. And talk about eating ... in the midst of rushing around and not eaten for 22 hours, my friend asked if I wanted to eat anything - we were out in another city. I wanted a cappuccino (Israeli style with lots of cream ... yucks). He then asked if I needed to eat, not drink. So I said a piece of bread is good ... eyeing the sandwiches in the store window. He came back with a cappuccino and 3 slices of plain, whole-grain bread served in a swanky dish! I laughed my head off. He took me literally ... and the Cafe was so surprised by the request for plain bread that they gave it free of charge! Actually I was more touched than surprised by my friend's action. He really cared for me. He didn't think of a sandwich because knowing my stomach problems, he thought I was referring literally to plain bread that would settle the diarrhea instead of a complex meal of sandwiches. Now that's a real friend. And we both shared the bread over two cups of cappuccino. And that was the best meal ever ... served with love and concern.

Mid-Autumn Festival

Over the Old City

Tensions are rising as Turkey sends warships to confront Israeli navy blockading Gaza. Not a nice piece of news.   http://www.jpost.com/DiplomacyAndPolitics/Article.aspx?id=237670

Mid-autumn festival has passed. Here we don't celebrate it of course. Usually it coincides with the Jewish feast of Sukkot (Tents/Tabernacles/Booths) but due to an additional month added to the calendar, this year Sukkot falls a month later. Anyway here are two photos of the full moon in our Land.

Over the City walls

School begins at the Salesian Seminary. Yesterday I brought Hidrimariam over to start 1st year Theology. It's very exciting for him. And thanks to your donations, he can continue his priestly studies. However it's still not sufficient to cover his food and lodging at the Seminary. More generous donors are welcome.  Another student also moved into the school ... a Maronite from the village of Jish. That's the arab name of ancient Gischala where it is believed St. Paul's parents came from.

Managed to clean my room. Took 3 days. Well I'm not as energetic as before, and get tired easily. Asthma had been quite bad these few nights. The night before, after an attack, I took a walk on our terrace. Then up in the starry sky I saw a shooting star ... ok it was more probably a satellite. But it was amazing to watch this dot of light moving across the sky ... from below Orion to towards the north. The Disney song "When you wish upon a star" (Pinocchio) came to mind. Lots of nostalgia.

Day of grief

Yesterday was a day of international remembrances - the 9/11 massacre in America, the tsunami in Japan, the Bali bombings ... It was a day of grief for all. But the Sunday readings shed new light - it challenges us to forgive. Fr Massimo who preached the homily yesterday spoke of the sacred link between God and man, and man and man ... the link of forgiveness. May this chain never be broken.

I'm drinking lots of milk now as it helps stop the pain of the ulcers in my stomach. However it gives me diarrhea. You just can't win. The diaphragmatic hernia is causing less pain as I am careful not to assert force. So all in all, things are not so bad. And to cheer up a day of sadness, here's a photo of the portulacas planted on our terrace.

Forgiveness Sunday

Today's readings has as it's theme "forgiveness". Here's a thought from Dag Hammerskjold: "Forgiveness breaks the chain of causality because he who ‘forgives’ you—out of love—takes upon himself the consequences of what you have done. Forgiveness, therefore, always entails a sacrifice."


And here's a reflection from Fr Foley sj : "The real motivation for forgiveness is loving gratitude. If someone has had pity on me out of love, then my authentic reaction will be deep appreciation. I will want to pass the gift on. Especially if God has forgiven me, I will want to give to someone else the liberation I have received, especially if that person has hurt me."

Chaos in Cairo

It is very worrying that Egyptian forces cannot bring control to the crowds that attacked the Israeli embassy. The attacks going on right now are not a good sign and only push the regional upheaval to another dangerous level. But of course building a wall around the Israeli embassy to protect it is itself the biggest mistake - what were they thinking???? It's not enough to build a wall around Bethlehem and the Territories but now it's exporting it's walls to foreign countries as well?  http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/egyptian-protesters-break-into-israeli-embassy-in-cairo-as-obama-expresses-concern-to-netanyahu-1.383574

But someone is befitting from all this chaos though - the Israeli PM ... this attack in Cairo will refocus the homeground protesters' problems to foreign affairs; and serve to unify the nation again.

Friday

Ever tried Coca Cola ice-cream? Tastes weird.

The weather is fine ... cool, breezy and very autumnly like the rest of last week. So trying a little Coca Cola ice-cream was called for. Change of season, change of taste.

Sukkot and Yom Kippur are round the corner. The Jews will be celebrating the High Holy days ... and as usual, tensions will rise again. Other than this, the past few days have been largely uneventful ... which is good news for us. Let's see what the new week brings.

No bright days ahead?

Yesterday we received the alarming news that all-out war in the region is very likely.  http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/idf-home-front-command-likelihood-of-all-out-middle-east-war-increasing-1.382728  But today the Min. of Def. tried to play it down.  http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/israel-s-enemies-wouldn-t-dare-launch-chemical-attack-barak-says-1.382863

After the stupid happening of overdosing, I tried to eat something this morning. Nadia our asst. cook boiled some whole-grain pasta with chicken breast - and I ate it and I had the worse stomach cramps since I was put on medication 2 weeks ago. Could it be that my stomach really shrunk and can't contain food? Sr Emilia said I'm only a quarter of what I used to be. And yesterday someone said I look older than I am ... like 60 years old.

Later today is Fr Samir's funeral Mass and burial. I'm glad at least he is no longer suffering. His liver transplant didn't work. And he suffered so much.

With all the dark news floating around us ... how about a photo of monster bats in Jaffa's famous Haunted House? They are massive and their squeaks can be heard several metres away.

However they are quite a tourist draw ... so they're economical productive ... helping to boost the tourism trade.



And a little good news ... SuperSol, the largest supermarket chain, is cutting back prices on essentials to appease the Tent protesters about rising cost of food. http://english.themarker.com/super-sol-reaches-deal-with-protesting-israeli-students-1.382785  Does that mean I can now afford to buy my Sunday cinnamon buns again? of course, the next question is - after buying it, will I be able to eat it?

Accidental overdose

Today the Greek Orthodox celebrate the end of the Feast of the Assumption. The procession bearing the silver icon of the sleeping Virgin "Dormition" started from the Tomb of the Virgin up to the Holy Sepulchre. There was a small crowd following - all old people. And it passed right past our doors.

Great excitement in the Jordan River as a cage of crocodiles escape and are loose in the holy river. Don't think of even trying to get "baptised" in the water!! Tourists watch out!!!   http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/crocodiles-great-escape-from-farm-provides-sleepy-jordan-valley-with-some-real-excitement-1.382549 

Tit for tat destruction: Israeli govt. destroys illegal Jewish settlement, settlers burn mosque in nearby village. When will it all end? It's these little things that ignite ferocious wars. http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/settlers-set-fire-to-west-bank-mosque-after-israel-demolishes-illegal-structures-in-migron-1.382617

And the Tent cities throughout the country are voluntarily being taken down as protesters change tactics.  http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/israel-s-social-activists-begin-taking-down-tents-day-after-largest-ever-protest-1.382493

So much going on ... it leaves you breathless in this country. And the weather is absolutely charming. Only thing that spoiled my day yesterday was I overdosed on a new version of medicine. I usually have to take one or two in the morning but not having read the instructions on the new box, I took two and then got tremors, cold-sweat, difficulty in breathing, nausea, giddiness. Finally vomited last night and felt better. The new version is alot more potent than the old version - which I didn't know. Anyway I survived the overdosed. Frightened the people around me ... they kept checking my room every hour to see if I was dead. They probably thought they'd have a double funeral - me and Fr. Samir. Well I made it to today. Samir will have to wait for me.

Fr Samir Narouz R.I.P.

Rally in Jerusalem

Last night's March of the Million was a poor show - only half a million showed up. Nevertheless it was impressive - the largest ever rally in the history of Israel. In Jerusalem, 50,000 people marched to Paris Square in front of our Terra Santa College next to the PM's house. But the PM has his own tactics - ignore them and they will fizzle away. The protesters must change their tactics if they want to be effective. http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/some-450-000-israelis-march-at-massive-march-of-the-million-rallies-across-country-1.382366

The weather has chilled so much, winter blankets are brought out from the closets. Soon it will be Yom Kippur and Sukkot ... and probably the riots that follow it every year.

Fr. Samir died on Friday. He was 55 yrs old and was an Egyptian who worked in several capacities in the Holyland. He was my good friend. Despite his liver illness, he was always cheerful and patient. Finally as his liver transplant failed, he prepared for his final journey to heaven, always with a smile.

Any one who had encountered him during these last few months will tell you of his constant gratitude to everyone and for everything.

Eternal rest grant unto him O Lord, and may perpetual light shine upon him. May he rest in peace.

Shot

Some hooligan arab shot me with a toy gun 2 days ago. I was coming home late in the night as I had spent an exhausting day (10 hours) working in our Media Center editing clips. damascus Gate was packed with people and somehow street-vendors were selling plastic guns (noticeably missing throughout Ramadan). The hooligans were shooting at the decorative lights in the streets to see how many they can destroy. The plastic pellets are fired with such force, it can crack the glass of our windows, let alone light-bulbs. A pellet shot to the eye will cause blindness. As I walked past, I could hear them talking about shooting me. I quickly turned to protect my eyes, and they shot my right side instead. It hurt - caused the skin to go black and blue because it was close-ranged, less than a meter away. I turned at them and shouted in arabic because I know one of them lives behind our area. The rest were abit afraid because they thought I was a tourist; and when they realised I could speak arabic and lived in the Quarter, they kept silent and some walked away. Bloody hooligans, that's what they are. Ramadan is supposed to be a period of compassion and goodwill - it obviously did nothing for them.

Tonight begins the March of the Million. The Tent protesters are calling a million people to march in the streets of Tel Aviv; besides other cities throughout the country. I'll see if I can join in, either in Jerusalem or Tel Aviv. http://www.haaretz.com/weekend/week-s-end/ahead-of-the-march-of-the-million-israel-s-social-protest-leaders-are-put-to-the-test-1.382130

Today is the 1st day of school for the arabs. It was delayed because of the 3 day holiday of Eid il Fitr. Israeli schools on the otherhand started on Sept. 1st but with the Tent protests going on, I wonder if any school actually functioned.

The weather has absolutely changed! It's surprising all of us - very autumnly, something you'd expect in November. The nights get chilly, going down to 23 degrees but with a very cold wind blowing. Summer flowers are fading and winter plants have sprouted - like the freesias that I planted last year. They have all shot up in a week, but they should have done so only in November/December. Very strange.

September begins

Eid il Fitr passed without any major incidents. Thank God. Damascus Gate was eerily silent last night - not a shop was opened in the Old City Muslim Quarter. No vendors in sight.

Today school officially begins in Israel but there is a call for a student's boycott of school in support of the social protest enveloping the country.  http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/facebook-group-calls-on-israel-students-to-ditch-school-for-social-protests-1.381835

And the medical strike - though officially ended - has made a turn for the worse. We're expecting mass resignations and a hospital crisis is looming. No hope for my operation, I guess.  http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/israel-hospitals-implementing-emergency-plan-as-mass-resignation-looms-1.381825

And a creeping xenophobia is taking over the country - a record 2000 illegal immigrants crossed into Israel last month. http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/all-time-high-of-2-000-illegal-infiltrators-crossed-israel-egypt-border-last-month-1.381829  We can expect a round-up of illegals soon. And those who find some way of remaining will face separation from the local community. http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/tel-aviv-sending-israeli-foreign-children-to-separate-schools-1.381831

But what is keeping everyone on their toes is the govt. warning that a terrorist attack is expected in the next few days. http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/home-front-minister-sinai-based-cell-may-try-to-attack-israel-in-coming-days-1.381510  and  http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/idf-boosts-presence-in-south-based-on-terror-1.381512

All these fears accumulating as September begins. The weather is very autumn-like : cool mornings and cloudy days. At least the weather is kind to us.