Feeling disappointed

And the weather continues to drive us crazy. Now suddenly the temp. has dropped drastically during the night. Blankets are out again. But this is not as crazy as the news (and video) of fake rice made from plastic being circulated around the newspapers. No wonder I'm allergic to so many foods ... most of it must contain something poisonous that's causing all my asthma attacks.

A Shanghai group celebrating Mass
at the Flagellation Chapel

There's also news that Hainan Air and Cathay Pacific will both soon fly to Tel Aviv. Sounds like good news as it appears the Israeli govt has finally realised the largest tourist market is now from the Far East. In any given one day, there are at least 10 chinese-speaking groups visiting our sanctuary. On an average, each group would have 40 people, so an average of 400 chinese would have visited the Holyland. In a week that would make 2000 people. That is a lot. And these people spend! The crazy weather doesn't seem to bother them. But given this boom in chinese tourists, some agencies feel obliged to include some "sites" just to fulfil the quota of places to visit as per price of the tour package. Hence ridiculous roadside statues are included as a "site" ... e.g. the sculpture of a cartoon-like whale in Old Jaffa. These "sites" of course are free-of-charge so the agencies earn in a sense ... I dislike this practice only because it detracts from the meaning of a real pilgrimage. It's ok for a tour ... so sell the package as a tour, not a pilgrimage. The term "pilgrimage" is being badly abused. Many catholic groups have spoken (complained) openly to me about their dissatisfaction with the "pilgrimage"; they feel it's more a tour and not what they expected as a religious experience, spending more time to pray in churches and celebrating the sacraments. What is even more shocking is there are groups who celebrate Mass in hotel rooms! Imagine that! In the Holyland where the Eucharist was first established, where churches are always available for the eucharistic celebration ... non-christian agencies just bypass this important element of a pilgrimage. Of course by relegating the Mass to off-excursion hours, agencies earn one more free hour during the daily tour for shopping or visiting irrelevant free-of-charge sites. Very sad. I've heard so much of these complaints, I think it's affecting me very much. That might be a contributing factor to my ill health.