Shabbat Shalom

Sunrise over the Mt. of Olives

The Sabbath is over ... the sun is setting over the Mediterranean Sea. And it's still very very hot during the day but the nights are very cool.  Another week gone. This morning's sunrise however was beautiful. It was so crisp you could see every silhouette on the Mt. of Olives. The muezzin makes the first call to prayer at 2.30am (3.30am daylight saving) and the second at about 3am (4am daylight saving). The sun is usually up by 3.45am (4.45am daylight saving) and the streets are already filled with people going to or from the mosques.

The Tel Aviv "White Night" celebrations went ahead on Thursday night to Friday morning. It's an annual event where the city stays awake the whole night with parties, cultural events and food. It's named "white" because of the white Bauhaus's built along Rothschild Boulevard where the event mainly takes place. It's usually lots of fun and there's something for everyone. But from news reports we hear that a protest "Black Night" was organised to highlight police brutality on social activists last week.  http://www.jpost.com/NationalNews/Article.aspx?id=275788

Lots of my friends and classmates have already returned home for the summer. Some have graduated like Matthew, while others are transferring to other houses. 2nd and 3rd year students will be doing their language courses around Europe. Sabbath is going to be alot quieter now. Shalom all the same.

Ss. Peter and Paul

Yummy homemade fig jam

Anyone for fig jam? All organic fruit, no preservatives .... fresh from the fig season. Ready for sale soon! What a nice way to start the solemnity of Ss. Peter and Paul. Both jewish guys, one a fisherman, the other a scholar. Both travelled extensively. And definitely one thing for sure ... they ate figs from the Holyland!

The weather is not letting up one bit. The summer solstice was last week and the heat is accumulating in the atmosphere. Last night was barely sleepable without a breeze. Everyone is moaning that if August is worse than this, then we'll all move out. Well it'll definitely be Ramadan so the muslims will be fasting in the heat, with longer fasting hours (daylight hours are longer). Too bad.

And tensions between Syria and Turkey are heating up, with both sides lining their military along their borders. The last thing we need is a war on our northern frontier. Don't they know it's too hot to fight in summer?  http://www.jpost.com/MiddleEast/Article.aspx?id=275723

Friday today ... another week gone. Before you know it, even summer will be gone.

Bus ride alone

Again with the heat ... it's unbearable. And the forecast is for hotter weather this weekend. I think I'll just stay in my room and not move an inch. But easier said than done.

My first public bus ride to
Bethlehem; surrounded by
noisy german tourists.

This morning I made my first trip alone to Bethlehem by public bus!!! Horrors! After living through 2 Intifidas and watching buses being blown up - I never sat on a bus all these years. But this time I had to save money and time - so it was the public bus; an arab one of course as Israeli buses cannot enter Bethlehem. Quite an experience especially when the bus got all full with a gaggle of german women (15 - 20 of them) led by one man. And the two noisiest, loudest, incessantly talking women had to sit behind me. Can you imagine 40 minutes of shrill, guttural chatter non-stop? I nearly went crazy ... the thought of suicide bombers crossed my mind ..... hahahahahahaha

Home-cooked lunch

Arrived in Beit Jallah, the village next to Bethlehem where my friend Firas picked me up and brought me to his house. He cooked lunch and we ate it with his sister who's at home studying for the exam finals. The lunch was nice - baked chicken with veggies on saffron rice. Loved it. And of course we did up the bottles of mishmish and fig jams; packed them into 3 boxes. Very heavy. I worried about how to get it out to Jerusalem alone. And of course at the checkpoint I'd have trouble because food is forbidden to cross the borders. But everything worked out fine and I crossed the checkpoint despite the soldiers opening the boxes and knowing it's food. They let me off this time.

So it was a hot day but it was very nice when spent with friends. Somehow problems seem alot smaller when there's someone around to share it with. That goes for the weather too.

Fire

Massive fires around the outskirts of Jerusalem today. And also along Highway 1 that links Jerusalem to Tel Aviv. The weather is terribly hot and dry ... and the forest brush is perfect kindle for a forest fire.  http://www.jpost.com/NationalNews/Article.aspx?id=275297  Fires were sparked as far as Ein Kerem (home of John the Baptist) and Yad Vashem (Holocaust Museum).

Red hue hanging over the
skyline of Jerusalem in the evening

In the evening, the skyline of Jerusalem shone a hue typical of a heatwave and fire : glowing red. Luckily the heat died out and a very cool breeze kept blowing.

I managed to escape the fire on Highway 1 because I left very early in the morning for Tel Aviv ... 6am to be exact. Had to go to my other community to help them do a major cleanup because the nunzio (papal ambassador) will be celebrating his last Mass with the diplomatic corp before his retirement from the diplomatic service. Security will be tight but they'll only sweep the church and monastery for security purposes after we clean the place up. Hugo and Mario - 2 mexican friars - also came along and we all helped out.

And the saga continues in the world of Judaism: this time over 100 orthodox rabbis protested because the State is recognising Conservative and Reformed rabbis. The orthodox rabbis have so far held absolute power over the running of Judaism but now with this recognition, the conservative and reformed rabbis can perform matrimonies, circumcisions, bar mitzvahs which till now orthodox rabbis refuse to recognise as valid. This Judaism implodes.

And so the fire rages ...... in the land and in the minds and hearts of those who occupy the land

New week ....

Another new protest movement - this time by thousands of ultra-orthodox Jews in Jerusalem against the proposed law to draft their young adults into the army. Many wore sackcloth and smeared ash on their heads - true to biblical tradition. It's a compulsory draft in Israel but the ultra-orthodox managed to evade that for 60 years. Now they can't escape and they're fighting to have the law stopped. Of course they'll win - the rabbis will threaten to excommunicate the ministers and military and send them all to hell if the law goes through ... believe me, eternal damnation is more powerful than any war on earth.  http://www.jpost.com/NationalNews/Article.aspx?id=275104

Jerusalem Light Rail
The only thing that's running smoothly
in the City ... until protesters block it

Meanwhile the social protest movement that ended in violence and lots of arrests in Tel Aviv, made a debut here in Jerusalem. Protesters marched to the PM's house but got arrested because the march was not legally approved. http://www.jpost.com/NationalNews/Article.aspx?ID=275081&R=R1

I have never been more keenly aware of local Israelis who today, before they introduce themselves, make friends or chat .... ask themselves the question "Is he/she left or right? secular or orthodox?" Everyone seems to be aligning themselves on one side or the other. Battle lines seem to be drawn across the social network of Jews. It's a psychological war, a mind game .... and it can get so very tiring. I just wish all these people would just chill out, go tot the beach and enjoy the sun and sea ... allow nature to teach them what is harmony. But of course in Israel, going to the beach is another point of contention: should men be separated from women? Are bikinis allowed? Is the sunblock kosher?

It may be a new week but lots of old problems are carried forward.

John the Baptist

The weekend saw lots of violence in Tel Aviv between police and social protesters. And this is just the beginning.  http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/israel-police-may-have-been-ill-prepared-ahead-of-violent-protest-officials-say-1.443540  Rockets continue to be fired from Gaza into Israel. Iran continues to warn Israel of an imminent war. Turkey and Syria are at loggerheads over the shooting of Turkish jet in Syria. And over 70 buddhist monks were attacked by swarms of bees from their apiary. Apocalyptic scenario!  http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-18568448

Charred remains of shop

This morning the remains of a shop burnt down in the Old City were collected and dumped outside the City gate. Horrific. Don't know the details of this fire but it sure didn't look good.

I wonder if this had to do with the police presence in the Old City yesterday and the propaganda they were spreading to everyone. Makes me think of the fire and brimstone promised by John the Baptist. It's the solemnity of his birth today and solemn masses are being celebrated in Ein Kerem, the place of his birth.

Well this is just a taste of summer ... I hope it'll not be as bad as predicted. I'll be studying and working in the library as usual ... no holidays this year like as in past years. Fingers still swollen with arthritis and asthma every night. It's going to be one long summer.

Arthritic attack

Agapanthus in my garden

Just when we thought the weather was cooling off, it got flaming hot again today. The lovely flowers in bloom like the agapanthus in my garden belie the dreadful tension beneath the fabric of both arab and Israeli societies. The war in Gaza - I think that's the proper name now that there's so much dead - is not getting better and Israeli security is afraid arabs here in Jerusalem might start violence in support of Gaza. Lots of police in the streets fighting a propaganda war ... distributing leaflets and talking to arabs throughout the muslim quarter and East Jerusalem. This is serious stuff.

And the summer protesters in Tel Aviv are also facing very tough action from the police.  http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/israel-police-deploys-large-forces-in-central-tel-aviv-as-protesters-gather-for-mass-rally-1.443379    and another african migrant is attacked by locals   http://www.jpost.com/NationalNews/Article.aspx?id=274796

My poor arthritic fingers

On the personal front, my asthma is not getting better. And for the past 2 days my fingers on the left hand are all swollen from arthritis. They're painful and stiff. Moran (my physiotherapist) said he can do nothing except to massage it to soothe the pain. I had to go to Tel Aviv to see Moran because my neck problem was getting worse - the pain coupled with the asthma have made sleep practically impossible.

And Turkey and Syria appears to be heading for war because Syria shot down a turkish plane.

So much bad news ... maybe St. John the Baptist will come back to call for repentance and penance. It's his solemnity tomorrow.

Another Friday

So if you think that tensions are limited to the Gaza border, think again. Yesterday at the monthly service of the New Moon (Rosh Chodesh) at the Wailing Wall, a woman was arrested by religious police for wearing the prayer shawl. There's actually a law stating that women are not allowed to wear the shawl, or the phylacteries or read from a Torah scroll because these are men's prerogatives. With judaism so divided in itself, I wonder how things would go with their dealings with non-jews.   http://www.jpost.com/JewishWorld/JewishNews/Article.aspx?id=274668

On the otherhand, the muslim authorities in the Al Aqsa mosque asked a jewish student to remove his kippa (skull cap) because he was in a muslim site. He refused and chose to go out. Rabbis are raising a hue and cry against this as anti-semitism .... but hang on .... the jews don't allow christians to wear crosses at the Wailing Wall too; the rabbi even wanted Pope Benedict to remove his cross when visiting the Wall. So how come two standards?  http://www.jpost.com/JewishWorld/JewishFeatures/Article.aspx?id=274642

And in the course of the week, several mosques were vandalised and torched by Jewish extremists. But attempts to reconcile are underway.  http://www.jpost.com/NationalNews/Article.aspx?id=274789

Anotehr quick update: Isrealis have returned to protesting in Rothschild Boulevard this morning as part of continuing social unrest in the country.  http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/hundreds-amass-in-tel-aviv-s-rothschild-blvd-in-bid-to-revive-social-protests-1.440457   Now I'm getting news from everywhere that the blackout the night before at the airport was almost national level ... Jerusalem was outted for 2 hours during that time.

Stir-fry by Firas

So it's another typical Friday - marked with contention and tension ... be it on ground zero or in the newspapers. It won't feel the same if there weren't trouble on a Friday. But just for a little cheer, here's a pic of Firas' stir-fry beef and veg  ... looks good, but I haven't tried it. He only sent me the pic. He lives on the other side of the wall separating Jerusalem from Bethlehem where he lives.

Blackout at airport

Blackout at airport

Strange that it should happen to an international airport ... but it did; an electrical outtage just about midnight. The place went black and then only a few lights linked to emergency generators came on. The whole place was eerily silent and dim. Everyone was expecting a terrorist attack or something of that kind. It was scary. Security was dashing about, securing all exits. Some say it's just a test-run. Well after some 20 minutes, the electricity came back on. But the backlog of flights landing and departing, the computer system at the immigration counters .... all resulted in long delays.

Just after the outtage, a group of black clad guys walked in and started singing a capella. Weird. They went on for some 15 minutes before walking off again. Surreal.

Anyway I was there to send off Ilie and Vax, and meet up an inbound group. Lots of delays. I only reached home at 3.30am and overslept this morning. Got up at 7.40am and the poor canaries were chirping their heads off because no one fed them yet.  I've got a bad headache now.

The heatwave is finally ending. Last night there was a constant strong cool wind blowing ... very nice. Cool enough for me to wear a long sleeve t-shirt. But political and military heat is still raging at the Gaza border. Over 100 missiles have been fired across the border this week, and several killed and injured.

Thanks to Letty, the Caveros, Angela Leung and Rose Chiu for their kindness.

Summer vacation begins

And the heatwave continues and we're all withering away in this sweltering oppressive heat. Forecast is gradual cooling from tomorrow ... but the heat'll pick up again by the weekend. Everyone is saying what a dreadful start to this summer - it augurs bad days ahead.

More rockets are fired into Israel from Gaza yesterday. More injured as Israel responded in typical manner.  http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/four-israel-border-patrol-officers-injured-as-rocket-hits-western-negev-1.437433  And on the home front, a panic as a hospital reused an improperly sterilised endoscope on 150 patients after it was used to test HIV patients.

Says it all .... 

Well it definitely isn't the most pleasant day today. My best friend Vax is going back to England after 3 months of intensive studies here. He needs to finish his thesis and earn his licentiate which he started here 4 years ago. Maria is wife will be glad to see him back again but I'll be left with no one to chat with for the rest of the year. Last night he wanted to have a shwarma for our last dinner together. I suggested a lahfa (larger version made with large srek bread instead of the small pitta) at HaShamen near the chinese restaurant. It wasn't classy - chips and roasted eggplant on the side - eating facing a wall .... but the company made the difference. As the can of Coke Zero says - it's all " ...  a state of the mind". He'll be back in Durham University and he plans to continue his PhD in Oxford; well I certainly hope so. He's a smart guy.

Today is the official last day of school. The council of professors will meet in the morning and this evening there'll be a barbecue in our courtyard to end the academic year. Yesterday was the last licentiate defense - pretty well done by Leonardo. And so summer vacation officially starts .... in a heatwave, in the midst of war, alone .....

Goodbye Sakura

As the heatwave lingers on today, fires around the forests and parks are getting more frequent and intense. Some have been deliberately started   http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/palestinian-teens-suspected-as-12-idf-soldiers-injured-in-brush-fire-1.436996

And the heat is up at the Gaza border too, where cross-firing has been taking place for the last 2 days.  Shootings and missiles involved. Several have been killed on both sides already.  http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/israeli-killed-as-idf-terrorists-exchange-fire-along-egypt-border-1.437066   It's not going to be a nice summer ....

Empty unset tables at Sakura

And more heat is up as students are taking the library's fans to their rooms to cool off in the night!!! Fireworks this morning when the power-that-be (or that's what she thinks) found out that fans were missing .... I've reached the end of my patience, so I just switch off and walk away. People forget that I am the director and they work under me ... but being typical of their occidental attitudes, they try to walk all over me like a doormat. They mistake courtesy for weakness ... well ... just a little more of stretching my patience and then I'll turn the heat on for them and show them who's boss.

Meantime I'm also stressed trying to get end-of-year reports done on time. There's so much paper-work .... and I have no secretary!!! Beryl (just finished her MA in archaeology here) offered to do some of the secretarial job but as she can't read italian, there's not much help. So I'm stuck alone.

Our last sushi at Sakura

And sad news .... my favourite and definitely the best japanese restaurant in town "Sakura" is closing down. All the regular waiters are gone ... only one part-time to cover the last few days. The LCD menu screens were removed from the walls. Tables were not set. Gyoza were restricted to vegetarian ones. Limited amounts of sushi could be ordered as they no longer buy ingredients. It's terribly sad because it was such a great place with great food. Had lots of fun there, made lots of friends, shared lots of laughter ... now all will be memories.

Heatwave

It's been officially declared that the past few days were a heatwave. It's 34 degrees now and still climbing. Forecast is 40 degrees.  http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/heat-wave-envelopes-israel-causing-disruptions-at-ben-gurion-airport-1.436857   It's so hot people are getting dehydrated. Staying home is not much of a solution either unless you have an aircon ... but aircons only cause more hot air.

Crowds at Piazza Roma watching a
match

But the heat has not deterred crowds from gathering at pubs and watering holes to watch big screen football matches of the EuroCup. It's THE thing every evening now in Jerusalem - both east and west - to hang out and watch a match while downing a beer and/or smoking a nargile.

Well at least the evenings are alot cooler - 26 degrees. I've got my portable aircon on in my room as it's the hottest room in the house. It's  small thing - but my room is pretty small anyway. In August, my room can hit 38-40 degrees in the night.

Anyway my asthma is not getting amy better. What a trial. I hate every evening when it attacks and I can't breathe. Must find a solution somehow. School ends this week and some will go to Turkey on summer excursion. I'll have to continue working on my paper like all other doctoral students. No holidays for us. It's same old routine.

40 degrees!

Yesterday passed pretty unnoticed. There was not much tension in the streets. Tourists are coming back - mostly asians. But it was 40 degrees at noon. Unbelievably hot. Don't know how they survived that walking around under this heat. Some places have water-sprays to mist the air while others splash water on the floor to cool off the paving stones.

Mean-looking lizard

Had to go out to buy some essentials yesterday evening when it was cooler. Went out with our museum volunteer who needed to buy veggies for dinner. As it was Friday evening, the western/jewish side of the City was closed due to the onset of the Sabbath. So we had to go to the eastern/arab side. Most shops were also closed due to the Friday muslim prayers. But we managed to find some places that were open ... those near Damascus Gate where there is a bazaar type of makeshift stalls in the streets.

At the "pet shop" - really a few planks on which are sold pet food, accessories, fish and budgies, I bought some canary food by the kilo. There was on the table what looked like a plastic/toy lizard ... yellow orange in colour. I thought it was really gross. Until it moved. It was a real thing! A pet of the owner Ali whom I know. He laughed when asked if I wanted a photo with it. So here it is.

Later this morning, Jakub will be defending his thesis. I've been helping him correct his english as he wanted to write his thesis in english. Hope he does well in front of the examining commission. Meanwhile my asthma has become extremely severe. I'm back to taking steroids to stop it ... I hate doing that as it has bad side-effects, but I can hardly breathe or sleep anymore.

Friday again

Here's a very interesting article by Rabbi Schiffman regarding the split between Judaism and Christianity 2000 years ago.  http://www.myjewishlearning.com/history/Ancient_and_Medieval_History/539_BCE-632_CE/Palestine_Under_Roman_Rule/Jewish-Christian_Schism.shtml?fb_xd_fragment  I guess it's beauty is in its objectivity, which can be pretty rare.

Baked salmon

Yesterday was called out to meet a good friend whom I've not seen for a while - an israeli. We chatted alot in 45 mins, and had a goreng pisang (bananas fried in batter) with maple syrup ... enjoyable in good company. Right now for lunch I'm having oven-baked salmon (no oil, salt; only pepper and a tartar sauce with fennel). Nice.

And talking about friends, Firas my friend in Bethlehem was terribly sick. Very high fever. Called me at 9.30pm to say a doc was in the house to give him injections etc... but I was fast asleep so I didn't see his message till midnight when I woke from the heat and asthma. Hope he gets better.

School is practically over, with the last exams scheduled for next week. Then summer holidays begin. I'll be busy with work as usual ... not much of a holiday for me.

Kohinoor

Yara Qahhaz

An urgent call for help - please be generous and let baby Yara have a normal life ... or even live at all.  http://holylandassist.blogspot.com

The Basilica of the Nativity in Bethlehem is now embroiled in a political tussle. The Palestinian Authorities have submitted a request to UNESCo to designate the 1,600 year old church as a world heritage site in Palestine. Israel is blocking it because it does not recognise Palestine as a state. Poor baby Jesus ... even after 2000 years, they cannot leave his poor crib alone in peace.  http://www.jpost.com/DiplomacyAndPolitics/Article.aspx?id=273666

The burdens we carry .... 

I guess it's all the burden of cilvilisation ... as this wall painting in Bethlehem represents so well. Unnecessary baggage ... and the one who suffers is the camel.

A happy smile on a new deacon

Last evening I brought Ratna, my former student who was ordained last Saturday as deacon, to dinner. He was the only guy whose family could not come for the ceremony ... and I know he must have felt very sad. Ratna is from Andra Pradesh. So I promised him I'd celebrate it with him as we're family : asians. Hidri came along. We went to Kohinoor's which is the only Indian restaurant in Jerusalem. Good food ... lousy service. We had samosa and naan for starters, then briyani rice with chicken masala and ginger lampchops. It was very nice. Then Ratna treated me to an ice-cream at Nahalat Shiva. I'm glad Ratna did not feel alone ... if my presence is anything to count by. It's terrible not to be able to share such a great moment in your life - an ordination - alone with no family. The burden of civilisation may be heavy ... but friendship lightens the load.

St Anthony's Feast

Homemade goodness

Here's a pic of the mishmish jam made by Firas and his mum. 500g (contents), pure fruit with no artificial colouring or preservatives. As the mishmish is going out of season, the next batch of jams will be figs; followed by quince. Grape jam will come in autumn. Any takers?

Today is St Anthony's feastday. He's the patron saint of the Custody in the Holyland. There's a solemn Mass at St. Saviour's this morning and there'll be celebrations in all the Custody's churches. Children will wear the franciscan habit as a sign of consecration to St. Anthony and his protection. He's known as the caster of devils, so many locals are specially devoted to him. Can't imagine the number of devils in the streets of Jerusalem .... but believe, I've come across several.

I've been suffering from bad headaches these few days ... I think it's due to the heat and dehydration. Also the asthma has become very bad. The doc said I must operate on my broken septum in the nose as soon as possible as I'm only breathing 30% with that nostril. And in the night it causes my asthma. Well ...  time to invoke St. Anthony ....

Vigil of St. Anthony

Rafaele defending his thesis
in the Crusader Hall

Another defense this morning - this time it's Rafaele Petti. His research was on Jeremiah ... a pretty complicated book in itself. He did a good job, and the commission of examiners - 2 of them - praised him. Rafaele earned his SSL - which is a postgraduate degree which licenses one to teach. I know he's very happy to be able to go back to Italy now, and start his teaching career.

There'll be several more defenses for the next week. Lots of graduates this academic year ... the mill has been churning overtime. I'd hate to be part of this machinery ... but I am. Life becomes so robotic, stressed and meaningless and that's bad for my health. But the machine moves on and everyone is afraid of being left behind.

Yesterday's banquet hosted by Matthew was excellent and there was alot of food left over. I doggy-bagged rice, chicken, veggies, dessert, kubbeh and sfiha ... a whole box full. It was so heavy Daniel (a professor) and myself had to share the load halfway home, then Jacub who's a huge guy, took over for the other half. I gave some to our 3 Faustina nuns who didn't come to the dinner, and the rest I brought to Mother Teresa's sisters this morning. It's always good to share others' joy.

This evening we begin the feast of St. Anthony (of Padua if you're italian; of Lisbon if you're portuguese).  He was portuguese but died in Padua. Patron saint of lost things. Well I've got alot to ask for tonight - lost my health, lost my time, lost my memory, lost my energy .... I wonder if the miracle saint will help me find them back.

Congrats Matthew!

Matthew in a relaxed mood
chatting with a schoolmate

Today Matthew Olickal, my indian classmate, defended his thesis and earned his SSD. He was good presenting his research in front of a commission of 4 professors and an audience of friends and school mates. Mother Theresa's sisters came in quite a big force. Matthew had been celebrating Mass for them for some years now. He even had friends from Amman come over ... he goes ther once a month to celebrate Mass for the Indian community there. The SSD is a doctorate in Sacred Scripture. It was not an easy journey for him as he was ill several times and had an operation, I think.

After the defense, he hosted a banquet at the Azzahra Restaurant in East Jerusalem. It was a great meal - 44 friends, schoolmates and professors came along. The food was a nice mixture of asian, middle-eastern and western. Matthew was visibly relieved ... after 4 years of hard work. It's all over ... that's what I said to him. And he agreed. Now I guess it's my turn to finish my work .... sigh .... looks like there's no light at the end of my academic tunnel.

Banquet at Azzahra

It's been very hot again today ... 31 degrees during the day. But the evenings are fine and cool, down to 17 degrees. Matthew will have a great time celebrating with his friends this whole week ... many indian communities in the country will be feting him on his success. And the weather works fine for this. Good show, Matthew!!!

New deacons

So I don't know what's happening again - it's been so busy from the moment the sun rises at 4.30am (3.30am solar time). I hardly have time to breath. Just running from one work to another, people visiting ... David one of our volunteers celebrated his birthday today and we had a small party in the Students' Kitchen in the afternoon. It was a good break from all the rush. And the weather was scorchingly hot again.

My students ordained by Patriarch Fouard this morning

One very proud moment was this morning when my students - all 12 - whom I taught and followed and preached their final retreat - was ordained deacons this morning in Bethlehem. The come from the world over, and are one of the most excellent people I have ever come across. I am so very proud of them. Unfortunately with my diarrhea, I didn't trust myself to stay for a 2 hour liturgy, so I decided not to attend.

Face display

Face changes

Took a walk this evening to see the rest of the Festival of Lights that I didn't see the night before - the Armenian and Jewish Quarters. It was very impressive there as well, with some very creative light displays. High on the City Walls at the end of the straight Armenian Quarter street is a lighted face display that transforms constantly to show the different faces of Jerusalem. Very interesting.

Well faces change, people change .... my students change ... everything is moving ahead ... but I'm feeling stuck somewhere, a little lost ... can't seem to catch up with all these changes.

Festival of Lights

Another Friday ... the weather is still hot, the sun can get even devastatingly savage ... I think I was dehydrated as I was feeling giddy all morning and nausea. Mind you I only had one meal since yesterday morning - a brunch of Shaqshuqa. Don't feel hungry though but feel very giddy under the heat.

The Dome

Last night I went to see the Festival of Lights in the Old City. It starts at Jaffa Gate Square where the Dome of Lights is. It's a very impressive structure ... the dome represents the Old City as it has the dome of the Holy Sepulchre for Christians, the Dome of the Rock for muslims and the dome of the Hurva synagogue for Jews. It's the symbol of religious unity ... I think.

Then entering the Old City, there are 3 routes to follow: green, red and blue.

Damascus Gate become a pinball
machine!

The green follows the City walls from Jaffa Gate down to Damascus Gate with exhibitions in the park all along the walls up till the cave of Zedekiah where there is a pyrorama spectacular. The park offers some 5 different light exhibitions from various countries around the world. Damascus Gate is lighted up like a pinball machine. The ball spins up and down and "enters" into the turret window right in the middle of the Gate. Very ingenious.  It then turns inside Damascus Gate through the Suq and back to Jaffa Gate.

Dancers with illuminated tentacles
at Tancred's Pool near New Gate

The red line is the shortest and leads around the Armenian Quarter. The blue line goes around the Christian Quarter and has lots of performers at various street corners, and graffiti in light on house walls along the route. This event draws lots and lots of locals to come into the Old City ... it's a very ingenious propaganda tool. It sure brings alot of fun but the tension is constantly reminded by the heavy presence of soldiers every 10 metres of each route.

Corpus Christi

Today the basilica of the Holy Sepulchre celebrates the feast of Corpus Christi. It differs form the normal calendar ... since the Basilica keeps the status quo and has its own liturgical calendar. Strange ... but it happens.

Fresh mishmish and jam made by
Firas and his mum

Well yesterday before leaving Bethlehem for Jerusalem, I made a stop over to visit my friend Firas and his family. I've met them only twice this year and his mum was telling me to come over this week because she made something great - mishmish jam. It's the apricots or mini-peaches that're in season right now and people of the Bethlehem area ... it's reputed that the best mishmish come from that area ... make jam out of the fruit. Well she made lots and lots mishmish jam .. enough for a year!!! And she gave me a bottle to try. It was out of this world. Smooth, fruity, tangy and tart ... and Firas helped to add the nuts of the mishmish pits into the jam as well ... it's an arab specialty. It gives the jam something to bite on, a nutty flavour, chewy in texture. Very very nice. Anyone wants to buy????  Honestly its very good ... I'm thinking of getting these stuff sent back home for sale. It'll help our arab christian families financially and you guys can have something nice to eat from the Holyland. Tell me what you think.

Meantime students throughout the country are having their exams. A tense time. But not as tense as the racial attacks on africans in Jerusalem ... last week's arson was meant to kill, not scare the eritreans living in the apartment. http://www.jpost.com/NationalNews/Article.aspx?id=272852  I'll need t talk to Hidri whom some of you are sponsoring for his seminary studies about this ... he needs to be careful otherwise he might be attacked. Well perhaps it's pretty telling about Corpus Christi - the Body of Christ ... all broken, beaten up, crowned with thorns, whipped, crucified ... and we all are going through it day after day physically or psychologically.

Far from the maddening crowd

View from my window

Been away for a couple of days ... away from the crazy situation that Jerusalem is. Needed a rest from the tensions, noise, sickness, madness alla round me. Enough is enough.  So I was away in the Judean wilderness ... not too isolated - just near Bethlehem. Rolling mountains, birds of all kinds, fruit trees and vines in abundance. The scenery is so like the Umbrian hills of Italy - with italian cottages dotting the vineyards hugging the steep mountain slopes.

The weather was hot in the day but cool in the nights. The valley was swathed in fog in the early morning. Birds were chirping.

The vineyards were flourishing in this weather. Many already have fruit in its early stages. Most of the grapes will go to make wine. Simple peasants work the slopes, clearing weeds and tying up loose vine branches. There is a silence that you cannot experience in Jerusalem. And no muezzin calls at 3.30am, no vendors shouting, no smog, no honking of cars, no wifi, no computers .... it's rustic.

Apricots in abundance

Fruit trees especially apricots and peaches weigh heavily down on trees throughout the orchards. It's amazing. And they're very sweet and juicy.

Well it was a good break. And being accompanied by 10 of my students, it was perfect. We had lots of time to chat. I'm very proud of them ... they'll soon graduate and move to their own missions somewhere around the world.

Well all good things must end and I had to come back to the reality of Jerusalem.

June 4th

Well ... it's the day that most chinese will not forget. 23 years ago ... it's amazing but there are some people who weren't even born then and have never heard about it. I was talking about it to some youths and they knew nothing of that summer in China.

Well the strife 23 years ago plays itself out in different countries and cultures. Yesterday an apartment belonging to africans was torched in Jerusalem. http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/jerusalem-migrant-home-torched-in-suspected-arson-attack-1.434266  Like I said in an earlier blog, Jerusalem is much less tolerant than Tel Aviv, the emotions and psyche much more sharpened by convictions and prejudices. The africans don't stand a chance here in Jerusalem. And this comes after the PM orders the repatriation of illegal africans yesterday.

Mini-peaches

I bought some mini-peaches - compare the size with 2 normal peaches in the pic. They're juicy and not very sweet. Good on a hot dry day. It was quite expensive as it was the first harvest of the season. The shop-keeper said it'll get cheaper in a couple of weeks.

Was resting alot yesterday after the bout of diarrhea from the 3am cold spaghetti meal to stop my hunger. Lesson learnt. In the evening Ah Ling from the Chinese Restaurant called to say they cooked cantonese porridge and asked me over. It was very good - chicken, mushrooms, peanuts in porridge. Por Por and her husband are back from a 3 month break in Hong Kong - the old man was sick and needed medical care. Well the porridge was good for my stomach. But I'm afraid such comfort eludes those who suffered through June 4th 23 years ago, nor the africans who are being hunted down in the country.

Trinity Sunday

Somehow time seems to be flying past and I'm not aware of what's happening around me as everything is whizzing pass .... still can't remember much of anything these few days. Living in a daze. ALl I knonw is I have a bad back ... sitting too long reading on my research. Found something interesting ... a good lead into my thesis. Was so engrossed I sat for hours reading till I have a sore back. Read until 3am when I felt very very hungry - haven't eaten anything for 30 hours. Ate an apple, then a pear, but still felt hungry. SO went down to the fridge and found some leftover spaghetti ... something I'm not allowed to eat. Well I ate it anyway. Then immediately I got the diarrhea of my life ... cramps, nausea and diarrhea. What a price to pay.

The Dome at Jaffa Gate Square

Anyway before that bad experience, I decided to take a walk in the evening to clear the head. Passed by Jaffa Gate and saw the huge Dome of Lights - it's the main fixture for this week's Festival of Lights in the Old City. The festival is an annual event that draws Israelis from all round the country to come visit the Old City.

Closeup of the Dome

The Dome is intricately woven with fluorescent lights in floral patterns. Quite a work of art and patience.

Fluorescent figures at
Damascus Gate

This year there'll be more lights and more involvement of the Muslim Quarter. There's something being planned in the park beside Damascus Gate - it's been cordoned off and workers appear to be working. For the moment I can only see two figures made from fluorescent lights. It's going to be interesting to see what developes. Anyway the opening of the festival is tomorrow - at least that's what I hear.



Now I need to rest ... I think. But my books are calling me ..... It's Trinity Sunday ... a mystery of revelation; maybe a little more reading may enlighten me more.

Feasts and fights

Yesterday was the feast of the Visitation and many people went to the Visitation Church in Ein Kerem on pilgrimage or for the solemn Mass in the afternoon. But being the last day of May, the arab christians make the traditional procession of Mary's statue around the the Old City, ending with hymns and blessings at the courtyard of St. Saviour's monastery. So yesterday was a very festive day.

The day had turned very hot but the past few nights it was very chilly. Not helping my asthma at all. I've also had a fever the last couple of nights ... must be the reaction to the new medicine. This clash of weather systems seem to reflect on the social/political situation of this country.

Violence is back in town - one Israeli soldier and one arab killed at the Gaza border.  http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/idf-soldier-palestinian-militant-killed-in-exchange-of-fire-on-gaza-border-1.433844  One Israeli friend told me yesterday that this summer is going to be one of violence. I don't look forward to it.

Creativity at work

Here's a funny/creative name for a barber/hair salon - "Judaicut" a play on "Judaica" ("of things Jewish"). It's in the very quaint and delightful neighbourhood of Nahalat Sheva whose small ancient stone houses have been converted into a shopping-restaurant area. Can't remember when I took it ... must have been sometime back as I found it in my archives.

Anyway being Friday, the muezzin begins singing at 3.30am (daylight saving. It's actually 2.30am solar time). Crowds start flooding the muslim gates of the City by then. But I can't get over the sheer contradiction of this place - holy yet full of violence; feasts and fights all rolled in one. If you don't learn to laugh at it, you'll certainly go crazy because of it.