Full moon

There's more talk about the 3rd Intifada than real fears that it will realise. But that's Israel. The violence seems to have died down in the Territories but tensions are rising in the media world ... a call to boycott  the Jerusalem Marathon because of Israel's policies against the Palestinians; and the heated issue over forced repatriation of immigrants in Israel without informing the UN.

Full moon over Jerusalem

Nevertheless while the mood is souring in the cyberworld and printed papers, the moon shines bright and regal ... a nice reminder of constancy, comfort and calm.

Thanks for the curtains (May), missals for Mother Teresa's sisters, hat/sweater/headphones (Caveros), beverage packs, and gifts from Teresa/Roger/Eugene/Gerard, Mary po po, Angela Leung, Miriam, the Caveros, OLMC bible class, Rose Chiu, Dominic Tam, Jenny Chu and friends, the Little People, Janice Hui, Monday and Wednesday class, Amelia Lau and friends. Will be celebrating Masses for all of you in thanksgiving and for God's blessings.

Jerusalem of Gold

Well you might have been led to think that I've been gorging myself this Chinese New Year ... what with all the meals and photos of food. Actually I ate very little of it ... and was dreadfully sick after that. So it was not much fun.

Sunset - Jerusalem of Gold

Also not fun is the growing tension following the death of the Palestinian in jail. He's being buried right now in Hebron. http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/thousands-attend-funeral-of-palestinian-detainee-who-died-in-israeli-prison.premium-1.505692  Newspapers talk of growing violence and clashes as a result and even talk of a possible 3rd Intifada. http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/israel-tries-to-calm-nerves-in-the-west-bank-but-outbreak-of-third-intifada-depends-on-palestinian-authority.premium-1.505566  Massive soldier and police presence all around the City. Israeli jews are still celebrating Purim and there is fear something awful might be attempted in the crowded streets and malls. We don't want trouble ... nobody does. But in the thick of all this, Obama is coming to town. I can't imagine the traffic chaos, road closures and stepped-up security this will entail.  http://www.jpost.com/NationalNews/Article.aspx?id=304345

For the rest of us little people, we're enjoying the flurry of blossoms this week has brought. The sudden chill last week and sunny skies this week have forced the bulbs to break out in buds and blossoms. And last evening's sunset was stupendous. It really showed what "Jerusalem of Gold" means - and a little hope that all might just go well after all.

Political Purim

The death of a palestinian in custody after 5  days is causing alot of disturbance around the Territories. Unrest in most places. Israel is asking the Palestinian Authorities to settle calm among the arabs. Things are getting tense. After Friday's rioting in the Al Aqsa Mosque, I don't think anyone wants an escalation of tensions. But clashes continue to blow up.  http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/live-blog-idf-palestinians-clash-in-west-bank-after-detainee-dies-1.505444

Home-cooked chinese
food for lunch

Lunch was pleasant as Tiff came over and cooked home-made dumplings (jiao zi / gau tzi). She also cooked rice noodles and made pickles. There was also red bean pudding. Joseph our chinese student and Beryl our HK volunteer of our museum joined in. It was really very nice. And we had alot of fun chatting and laughing. Beryl actually didn't realise it was Yuen Xiao. That shows you how far we are from chinese culture. We're a minority where our food, practices and being are not kosher hence not encouraged at least, forbidden at most. But not if you're a chinese jew of course. A group of KaiFeng jews have made aliyah (immigration to the Jewish homeland) and hit the news. http://www.haaretz.com/jewish-world/jewish-world-features/made-in-china-blessed-in-israel.premium-1.505007

Purim this year is not just fun, costumes and lots of booze as is called for on this feast. It's  got a political twist to it. Firstly Haaretz questioned if it's ok for jewish children to dress as muslim women in a burka, or ultra-orthodox jews with beard, hat and coat. Is it disrespectful to religious beliefs? Well one thing for sure, it never stopped them from dressing up as Catholic monks and nuns ... these are legitimate caricatures in Purim ... but ooohhh not jewish or muslim caricatures. http://www.haaretz.com/blogs/routine-emergencies/would-you-let-your-son-wear-a-burka-on-purim.premium-1.505317

Then of course everyone remembers Purim is all about Persian persecution of the Jews. That rings a bell .... of course, Iran (modern Persia) and its nuclear programme that's set alarm sirens ringing throughout Israel and filled the PM's speeches and agenda for the last year - "Beware Persia!" Whatever happened to a simple fun feast where families can gather and enjoy quality time .... perhaps soon Yuen Xiao will also get politicised here.

Purim and Yuen Xiao

Yesterday after the noon prayers at the Al Aqsa Mosque, arabs and israeli soldiers fought in the esplanade. I heard over 20 stunt grenades being fired. People were running out of the mosque complex. Lions' Gate was choked with cars and people fleeing ... it was chaos. http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/palestinians-clash-with-israel-police-at-jerusalem-s-temple-mount.premium-1.505213

Yuen Xiao party at
 Mandarin's

It's Purim this evening but celebrations have already begun several days earlier. People in crazy costumes, dancing, singing and drinking. It's also Yuen Xiao or Chap Go Meh. Ah Ling of Mandarin Restaurant organised a party for her family and friends. I was invited. Really fantastic food ... shanghainese cuisine. Then lots of games and fun. The chinese embassy staff and families were also invited. Several chinese tour guides were also invited. I had to give the opening speech in hebrew ... which I struggled through. Thankfully the Israeli family side of Ah Ling understood me.

The PM is gambling dangerously by forming a coalition with the smaller ultra-orthodox religious parties. He still can't form a majority so he needs to compromise and add a few center-right parties that don't threaten him. But now it seems the 2 larger parties that he's trying to leave out due to irreconcilable differences seem to ganging up on him. It's history repeating itself - the very same tactic he used to usurp the elected Livni several elections ago. Not a happy Purim for the PM this weekend.  http://www.haaretz.com/weekend/netanyahu-suspicious-as-the-coalition-building-race-continues.premium-1.505099

The Esau syndrome

A new species of SARS virus is hitting the Middle-East originating from a japanese bat that spreads through camels, sheep and goats and onto humans. http://thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=11&art_id=131322&sid=39037980&con_type=1

And a very sad story of an Israeli child suffering from leukemia, gets "abandoned" in a Thai Buddhist monastery for over a year by his family. http://www.jpost.com/NationalNews/Article.aspx?id=304078

Jitters and cynicism when a political party leader known to oppose the incumbant govt, suddenly turns 180 degrees and joins in the coalition of a new govt. Politicians sell out their agenda, promises and principles made during election-time, for the sake of getting a seat in the Knesset. A story of political betrayal of the public for personal power - the story of Esau all over again ... selling his birthright for the sake of a bowl of porridge http://www.haaretz.com/opinion/israelis-beware-coalition-deals-may-turn-election-promises-into-horsemeat.premium-1.504950

Midnight processions and prayers
at the Holy Sepulchre during Lent

As bad news seem to get worse, we naturally turn to the comfort, security and stability of religion. Last night I was at the Holy Sepulchre from 3am to 5am. It was very very empty ... no one except Andrew our sacristan, Arkadeusz who celebrated Mass in the Tomb and myself. Not an orthodox in sight. Not a police in sight. Not a tourist in sight. It was amazing. This is so different from the weekend when the Lenten rigours step up in tempo ... with prayers and processions going way into 2am. Thank goodness Jesus didn't sell his birthright as the Only Son ... unlike Esau.

Heartless

And I continue to get more perturbed by the day. This time we hear of clashes between Palestinians and Israeli armed forces, dreadful reports of children caught in crossfire, swine flu on the rise, police spying on facebook accounts, a Nazareth girl splashed with acid on her face by a spurned lover twice her age ....

Police confiscating woman's
goods into a police van

The police continue to be hardhanded with bedouin hawkers at Damascus Gate. I saw a bedouin woman's goods (several bags) were confiscated and put into a police van while she screamed and protested and cried. She tried grabbing some bags back but was shoved back. She slapped a police man but he just ignored her. I think she lost several thousand shekels worth of goods.

Inside the Gate, panic all around. Other bedouin hawkers were grabbing their wares, running, asking nearby shops to help hide their goods ... I think it's a terrible shame. Arabs have been buying and selling at Damascus Gate for over 1000 years, and before them Romans, Greeks, Jews .... Damascus Gate has been a market place ever since Jerusalem was a city ... thousands of years ago. The new police chief and his heavy handed policy to make life difficult for arabs is a shame. The bedouins may not have a license; but what is the crime for selling parsley, mint and cucumbers? It's all so heartless for these old women who travels for miles just to sell some veggies.

Happy manhole

What's worrying me is Israel is not talking about the Swine Flu that has reached epidemic levels in the country. It's a known fact that it's rampant in Palestine and more than 7 arabs have already died. Israel has tried to close its borders but discretion has allowed the virus to enter Israel. Today we learn that a famous singer has died of Swine Flu.  http://www.jpost.com/NationalNews/Article.aspx?id=303590
I'm sure Israel is keeping this low-profiled because it will affect the tourism industry.

The weather has gone brutally cold. Though the forecast is 6 degrees, it actually feels like zero. The wind is unforgivingly harsh. And this weather is only helping the spread of the Swine Flu as people huddle indoors or stay in crowded enclosed places to stay warm.

The happy manhole

The only things that seem to enjoy this cold are the flowers. The cold shock puts many bulbs into flowering mode. I certainly didn't enjoy the cold as I had to stay outdoors the entire day till 5pm because the workers came to install 2 emergency exits. Missed lunch (which I never take anyway) and under the cold cold wind, I really felt sick. But I found a manhole in our courtyard that seemed happy enough. Couldn't resist taking a pic. Imagine I walk over it everyday but never noticed it till today.

And the rigours begin ...

The newspapers are awashed with the "Prisoner X" case. But on ground level I don't see many people interested in it. More interesting is the private budget of the PM ... among the annual costs is 10,000 shekels for ice-cream provided by a little store near the PM's home and behind our Terra Santa College. After this news broke, the tiny gelateria has become an overnight sensation - people from all over the country are coming here to have a piece of pistachio ice-cream reputedly the favourite of the PM.

And the weather changes again. From a lovely sunny 19 degrees yesterday, it dropped to 11 degrees now. It's very cloudy, with occasional drizzle. And everyone I meet says they have a headache ... including me. Definitely not nice.

Haman's ears I bought

But on the happy side, Purim is round the corner. It begins on Feb 23rd evening. Streets are selling masks, costumes and other tacky stuff as usual. Bakeries everywhere are selling Haman's ears. I bought 2 boxes, about 1 kg in all. Both have date fillings but one box is without sugar, for diabetics. I shared it with our kitchen staff and nuns. It's not everyday that they get to eat this festive treat.

The lenten rigours have begun as with every year. Midnight last night was vigils with matins and prime plus the obligatory procession around the empty Tomb at the Holy Sepulchre Church. The Masses are celebrated up on Mt. Calvary from 1.30am onwards. This goes on for the next 4 weeks, and most of us will take turns attending the midnight services otherwise all of us will be out of action during the day.

1st Friday of Lent

Fasting and abstinence today. That probably means lentil porridge for lunch. Definitely not my favourite hence a perfect penance for me. Then again I think I'll do a full fast and skip the lentil porridge ... hahaha.

At the pita bakery

Maybe a simple piece of pita would do for today. I visited a pita bakery last week. They do it with machines nowadays instead of baking it in mud-ovens. Hundreds are churned out every hour and quickly transported to various venues for sale. Pita is the rounded flat bread that locals eat at every meal.

Purim is also round the corner - the jewish feast that recalls Queen Esther outsmarting Haman the conspirer to kill the jews. Jewish bakeries are selling Haman's ears - triangular biscuits filled with dates. Nowadays they put chocolate, butter-scotch and anything else you can think of. Nice for tea ... but not on a Friday in Lent.

Those of you who have want to make the Way of Cross in a special way in the Holyland, visit http://elwebcast.blogspot.com and make a virtual devotion. Very nice video.

Healthwise I've not been very pleased. Two suspected melanoma patches found on my face. Dr Rizan removed one from my lip two years ago but it seems it's back again. Will have to make an appointment with the hospital for its removal.

There's an article in Haaretz praising the pope for setting the example of humbly accepting old age and leaving office ... and that rabbis should learn this lesson from him: "A group of clueless nonagenarians, feeble in body and mind, are not capable of handling these existential crises. The rabbis would do better to take a page out of Benedict XVI’s missal and make way for a younger generation of leaders, hopefully better equipped to navigate the 21st century."

Flowers

Alot of goings on today ... Valentine's Day. Jews, Muslims and Christians are all celebrating it though without it's religious significance. Pretty sad I think. I think Valentine's Day should not just be a day to appreciate love and romance but above all it should be a pro-life celebration.

A Judas tree in full bloom

And talk about life ... the trees are waking up from winter sleep. Almonds trees are the first to blossom even before the leaves appear. Same with the Judas tree. Winter flowers of course are in full swing of its flowering season, especially cyclamen. It's an amazing sight to see swarths of cyclamen flowering in the wild across stony cracks of walls and cliffs. Wild mustard are also beginning to flower, providing explosions of yellow flowers hugging roadsides. And the anemone is also just sending off buds. After this year's heavy rain and snow, the wild flowers will be a stupendous sight.

Meantime things are cooling off in the Old City after the red alert on a possible terrorist strike in the city. I don't believe it's lifted yet but people are less nervous. However this morning the country was engaged in a war/earthquake exercise in all schools. Better safe than sorry. A bit of a damper on Valentine's Day.

Ash Wednesday

Ash Wednesday with a smile ...

So Lent begins ... the period where physical and material renunciations reflect an inner conversion of heart and mind. It a very fitting time for Benedict to announce his resignation. It caught everyone by surprise but then again, there's nothing to stop a papal resignation; there have been precedents. What I was surprised was the negative way people took it - one going as far as to say the year of the snake began badly, a poisonous snake year. Well my take on that is snakes shed skins in order to grow bigger. The snake remains the same though the skin is sloughed away. So too the papacy remains the same even if the pope changes. Benedict's choice was brave and intelligent and love-motivated. He knows he cannot continue his ministry with the same vigour and it will not be fair to the Church if an incapacitated pope stays in office while everything stagnates. His choice would ensure that the office continues to function optimally through the next decade. Smart man.

Israel is on red alert for a possible terrorist attack in Jerusalem. http://www.jpost.com/Defense/Article.aspx?id=303024   What a way to start Lent.

Healthy and successful New Year to you!

Reunion dinner

The annual New Year's eve reunion dinner was a success. Besides the chinese who are studying or volunteering at my school, I invited 3 professors, Osvalda our librarian and 2 other students along. It was avery nice group - alot of chatting and laughs. The food was also great - all specially made. Soup, dumplings, lion's head meatballs, sweet and sour pork, steamed fish, sesame shrimps, vermicelli, tofu with mushrooms, spinach, noodles, rice, dessert ...

On New Year's morning, our sisters made paczki (jam filled doughnuts) for breakfast for me. And for lunch my friend's family made a nice arab meal of kousa maashi and warraq dawali (stuffed zucchini and vine leaves). Dinner time, Sr. Nimfa our filipina student gave me Phad Thai. So it was very international this New Year's day ... at least in terms of food.

At 5am on New Year's morning, I went to the Holy Sepulchre to celebrate the New Year Mass. Remembered you all in my prayer. Then this morning we got the shocking news that Benedict XVI is resigning as pope. Well he certainly is brave to make such a decision. Thus the Year of the Snake begins.

CNY round the corner

The past few days of cold wet weather has finally been broken by solid sunshine today. A very nice change despite the fact that we need the rain. And some very nice things have happened as well during this time - a very good friend has found a job despite very difficult circumstances; a sick friend recovered; a friend in desperation found hope ... I'm happy for them.

Gifts from the pack

Today a lovely package arrived full of gifts - TimTams, book, chinese couplets for the New Year, a Peanut calendar ... but what I really enjoyed were the newspapers that wrapped the package - all Sunday comics! Haven't seen these in umpteen years! Thanks!!

That was a great pick-me-up because the past few days have been horrid healthwise. The asthma has practically crippled me. Then there's the nausea and headache. Yesterday's fainting spell actually scared me ... I didn't think it could get that serious. But I still have to teach. So I float between illness and work. Hope this ends by the weekend ... after all it's the Chinese New Year.

Comfort food

So there's more tension in the streets. A new police leadership in Jerusalem has seen numerous raids and arrests in East Jerusalem. The arabs are perturbed. The newspaper headlines read :

Operations included numerous arrests, roadblocks to inspect vehicles, tax collection, house demolitions, shutting off water, various fines, searches and random checks of identification, and more.

  http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/changes-in-jerusalem-police-brass-bring-crackdown-on-arab-residents.premium-1.501246

Meantime up in the govt eschalons, the 2 new kids on the bloc (Lapid and Bennett) are teaming up to form a center-right coalition to force the incumbant's hand (Netanyahu) against the ultra-orthodox religious. It's going to be messy and divisive.

Orange cake 

The political weather is reflected in the skies - very cold winds with occasional sunshine. And that's affecting me. I guess it's the weather and work-stress that's getting to me. Been having fainting spells today, nausea and the asthma that refuses to go away.

But a nice consolation yesterday. My good friend Firas made an orange cake. It was really good ... comfort food. It softened the awful week I'm having. Need to rest more. Am totally exhausted. A piece of orange cake would help.

Stromata

The people are tense though I can't say the country is. Israel's attack in Syrian territory has shocked everyone. But while everyone is talking about Syrian retaliation through Lebanon, a possible war ... I think it's most unlikely. It's not the first time Israel has attacked a target inside Syria and the event just passed by and was forgotten. The govt knows this so there's no warning for extra security measures. Life goes on as usual.

Then of course there's the attack of the USA embassy in Turkey. Another reason for jitters here ... but while people are talking about it, there's no panic in the streets. Life goes on as usual.

Now what really upsets the people is the cold weather we're having. Snow up in the north and central highlands, rain in the south. Strong blustery winds that are very cold. I dread having to go out in this weather. So I'm finding every reason to stay in my room. Heaters are on, hot tea on the boil. No appetite to eat today. And had extremely bad asthma the last 2 days. Had to be helped back to my room yesterday morning when a severe attack cut me short from a trip to the library. And I'm on the verge of total mental exhaustion. Told you I "lost' my phone last week only to find I unconsciously threw it into the dustbin 3 days earlier. Now I lost my set of some 30+ keys for the past 3 days. Frantically searched for it, and lots of people helped. This morning Nadia called to say she found it in the store-room while cleaning. I'm losing my mind. Wonder what I'll lose next week ... oh yes, my mind.

Dinner yesterday

One nice consolation - my palestinian friend's mum made another lovely dinner. Spiced rice with roasted pine nuts stuffed into veal. Loved every bite of it. And one hot fresh green chilli to go with it. Sure takes the cold out of the body after a meal like that. Well it was a pleasant happening as it was the first time he invited me to his house - very neat and tidy as all palestinian muslim homes are. I enjoy visiting local houses and sharing the food and culture and history of the land. Unless of course it gets too cold for me to go out. But it's the only thing that keeps me sane ... so I guess I'll have to brave the cold and go out to visit his family ... if only not to lose my mind.

My friend Vasile defended his thesis yesterday and earned his MA. He'll return to his wife in Durham and continue with his PhD.