Easter Monday

Today solemn Mass is celebrated in Emmaus (also known as Qubeibeh) ... amd we recall the two disciples meeting the resurrected Christ along their way home. After Mass the Custos would distribute bread among the faithful. Well I hope you'll meet Christ along your way home too - if you just stay put, you'll never get to meet him.

Musicians at Jaffa Gate

Pesach (Passover) is in its 3rd day - and this means the Priestly blessing at the Wailing Wall. Traffic was halted for several hours, police and soldiers everywhere, thousands of Jews descended on the Wailing Wall to receive the blessing by Jewish priests. The Old City was packed to the brim ... jews for the blessing and Christians for Easter / Holy Week in the case of the Orthodox churches. In the afternoon, festivities were organised at Jaffa Gate - musicians, choirs ... lots of stuff.

Yummy shaqshuqa with Pesach bread

Yesterday I had a brunch that I did not intend. Had just returned from the usual Sunday 5km walk with Buscemi ... it's practically me accompanying him. But just about 1km away from home, received a call from a friend who needed help to transfer some money home in Latin America. As he's absolutely new and speaks no english or any other language other than spanish, he wanted me to help him. So rushed home, left my knapsack and returned to find him and accompanied him about 2 km to get his job down. I was utterly exhausted, knees were aching and it was a boiling 28 degrees. As luck would have it, he being a total greeny here, he brought no documents - nothing - so Western Union couldn't do the transfer for him. I was quite furious with him for making me walk all the way, and even after telling him to bring all the documents, he did not. Anyway in all the disappointment, I decided to cool down and make peace ... the poor chap was almost crying, and sweating lots and his hands were shaking. It was traumatic for him in an Israeli bureaucratic machine that doesn't understand his language. So I brought him to Cafe Hillel on Hillel Street and ordered a shaqshuqa to share. It was nice ... poached eggs in tomato sauce and spices, with Passover bread (bread without leaven). And it was good that he calmed down too.

Shar Pei joy

On the way home, I saw the most adorable sight in all these years. No, I didn't meet the resurrected Christ. But I came across the cutest Shar Pei puppy in Jerusalem. It kept right on sleeping even though we moved it around and pulled its cheeks. Well if meeting the resurrected Christ like in the story of Emmaus, is meant to bring joy and hope, then the Shar Pei puppy certainly did .... God works in mysterious ways.