Festival of Lights 2

Inside Zedekiah's Cave

And the political circus gets darker ... the extreme right-winger was sworn in as Defense Minister. The bill will be passed for the death penalty for arabs (only ... and not for jews who commit the same crime). The fear is now that any arab can be deemed a terrorist and can be killed legally. See
http://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-1.722390

Right wing groups are rejoicing. Now they have their leader in the govt. Now in social websites, the right-wingers are throwing out the left-wingers .... no more house rents to leftists, no more sales for leftists ... it's an all out attack on the left.  See http://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/1.722103  The country is becoming a terrifying place for non rightists and non jews.

The amazing caves and tunnels

The jewish Pentecost or Shavuot will soon be celebrated on June 11 and 12. The days between Passover and Pentecost is the Lag BaOmer when the jews light bonfires ... probably to burn away the sheaves after the wheat harvest. Well the other day the ultra-orthodox community burned an israeli flag as part of the bonfire. Shocking ... but the ultra-orthodox do not recognize the State of Israel and consider it an abomination against God's Will.

The tiny unassuming entrance
to the Cave

Anyway I managed to see the rest of the Green route display of the Light Festival. This is the Muslim Quarter but outside the Walls. The last display is inside Zadekiah's Cave. I've never been inside it ... but last night I went (it was free). The cave is amazing! It is so huge ... over 200 meters long, 10 meters below street level and at places 100 meters wide. Above that immense space are hundreds of houses .... I couldn't stop thinking if it cave would collapse. The cave ends 100 meters away from the Al Aqsa Mosque and very close to the Struthion Pool (Ecco Homo) and my house. I was very tired but it was worth the walk. Simply amazing. And it's all underground ... below our houses. At the largest space in the Cave there was a light display synchronized with music.

Festival of Lights

Christian Information Center becomes
a screen for light display

I finally went to see the Festival of Lights. But not before having a good rest in the late afternoon. I find myself easily exhausted nowadays ... the asthma is not helping me much in getting more oxygen and energy ... and I'm getting old. But the night walk was pleasant.

The routes of the Festival have changed a little : the Christian and Jewish Quarter exhibits have been reduced and more have been placed along the City Walls. Perhaps it's for security reasons, as the roads inside the 2 Quarters are very narrow and filled with many small and dark alleys. Hence more displays were organized along the Armenian Quarter and additional sites outside the City Walls even across into the Artists' Quarter in the Hinnom Valley and all the way up Jaffa Street into Ben Yehudi Mall.

Outside the City Walls along
Jaffa Gate

And the crowds were huge ... quite like several years back. Only difference is this year there is a noticeable increase in ultra-orthodox jews. Secular jews were markedly few this year. And security was not as heavy as I expected.

Among the many jewish orthodox visitors were a scattering of arabs and tourists. Again they were much fewer than previous years. Nevertheless it was a pleasant change of climate. People were enjoying themselves. The displays were not as spectacular as the previous years. The economic crisis must be biting. Exhibits as usual came from various countries besides local ones.

And I must be getting old ... or very sick as I could not walk the entire festival routes. I only went through the white route (main route from Jaffa Gate to the jewish quarter) down to the red route which passed through Mt. Zion (Dormition Abbey and Last Supper Room) and outside the City Walls back to Jaffa Gate. I didn't see the Blue route in the Christian Quarter nor the Pink route in Jaffa Street and Ben Yehudi Mall. On my way home I had to pass by part of the green route (toward Damascus Gate and the Muslim Quarter but outside the City Walls). It was almost midnight by then. Almost 2 and a half hours of walking seeing only half the festival lights. Must definitely be getting old.

Another week begins

Palm Plaza decorated
with lights

Another work filled weekend for me. I had to go to Netanya to celebrate Corpus Christi Mass for the community there. It's well over 100 km away and I had to stop by at our house in Jaffa to rest. Almost all our churches throughout the country celebrated the feast with First Communion for the children. As such there were not enough priests to go to all the Mass centres and chapels in the outlying cities and towns. Anyway by the time I ended Mass it was past 9pm. It takes an hour's ride to get back from Netanya to Jaffa. And the taxi-drivers scalped me ... the onward trip cost me 300 shekels and the return journey ought to have been 220 shekels as agreed but demanded 250 when we reached Jaffa. Crooks. Add that to the US$200 cost for going and returning from Jaffa to Jerusalem ... it becomes a very costly journey. Nothing is cheap in Isreal.

The festival of Lights will continue for the next 5 days. I hope to visit it one of these nights. They look exciting enough during the day even when the lights are not on.

On the political scene, things continue to churn. 2 ministers have now resigned in protest over the PM's choice of the extreme right-winger to be Defense Minister. It was a move done out of spite, above all cutting his own nose to spite his own face (the PM's) because this right-winger is the PM's most aggressive and dreaded enemy. Yesterday there was a huge demonstration in Tel Aviv against this extremist politician - jews and arabs alike came out in force. They fear he will lead the country into another series of wars which he did when he was previously in govt. They are accusing the govt of becoming fascist. See http://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-1.721996
and http://www.timesofisrael.com/in-tel-aviv-thousands-protest-israels-fascist-new-defense-minister/

Anyway it's exam time for all the schools throughout the country. And soon after that it will be summer holidays.

Weekend

Dr. Ewa studying
some ancient
Geez manuscripts

For the past month we have been hosting a team of polish art restorers at our library. They are part of a project sponsored by Arcadia and the British Library to safe endangered manuscripts by digitalizing them and putting them online. Given our precarious situation here in the Middle-East and how the national treasures of nearby countries have been destroyed by islamists, it was a good move to undertake this project now.

Though not really ancient, our manuscripts are nevertheless interesting in terms of curious forms of book-binding, covers and sometimes content. The team did a great work by restoring a couple of really damaged books and taught us how to conserve these manuscripts in a proper way to prevent or delay further corrosion.

Rain on Monday

Anyway Phase 1 of this project is over and I'm back to doing other daily works that have been backlogged. I'm really longing for a summer break ... the sun is back up but it's not as hot as the previous days. Nights get chilly though. The unusual rains last Monday and Tuesday are over but it drizzled this morning. Weird.

I still haven't had time to visit the Festival of Lights. When I reach home in the evenings, I go straight to sleep ... without dinner.

The political turmoil in the country continues to unravel as one minister resigned in protest over the PM's choice of the extremist right-winger to be Defense Minister. Everyone else is nervous ... we're expecting wars now that this guy is in charge. He's too belligerent. Next week will be the test - when Jerusalem Day falls on the same day as the start of Ramadan.

New beginnings

The Eiffel Tower alight as
part of the Festival

The Festival of Lights has begun in Jerusalem. It appears to cover quite a big area including the traditional 3 routes through the Armenian, Jewish and Christian Quarters; this year including a section of the Muslim Quarter (outside the City Gates though) and a new route in the New City running through Jaffa Street (from New Gate) up to Ben Yehuda Pedestrian Mall.

I didn't go to see it last night as I was utterly exhausted. Despite my dreadful asthma that makes me blackout several times a day, and the scorching heat (forecast describes it as "hot as hell" today - 34 degrees), I have already ran 4 km up and done the hill twice because people wanted this and that but they don't consider my health.

The new Custos will soon make his official entry into Jerusalem and the principle churches under his custody. It's a medieval (Crusader) tradition which is still kept today ... when the crusader patriarch/bishop arrives to claim his juridical See and the churches under his care. Since 1342 the Franciscan Custos held the title of Patriarch of Jerusalem ex officio until 1847. Hence the prestige and honor are still maintained and the new Custos must make a solemn entry into the Old City from Jaffa Gate with the heads of all the christian denominations, religions and govt. ministries in attendance there. He will then be led into St. Savior's Monastery where he will officially claim his residence (should be the Last Supper Room but since the Ottoman's kicked us out in the 16th century, our residence is now St. Savior Monastery in New Gate). This will take place on Monday June 6th.

On June 7th he will make a solemn entry into the Holy Sepulcher to claim his authority over the latin rite areas and times. On June 8th he enters the Last Supper Room solemnly as its guardian. On June 9th he enters the Nativity Basilica in Bethlehem, then June 11th he enters Jaffa - once the crusader and christian port that led to Jerusalem. Finally on June 18th the Custos will enter the Basilica of the Annunciation in Nazareth.

All the friars should be accompanying the Custos to all the sites ... but some of us have heavy workloads that demand our presence.

Police lynch arab citizen in Tel Aviv

The horrific lynching by police on an arab citizen is still in the news. It's more than horrific ... especially no govt. leader has yet to make a statement about it. More horrific because it's this xenophobic, fear and hatred based attitude that the govt. is inculcating on its jewish citizens that has led to this type of attacks and violence on innocent non-jews. If it were the other way round, it would be anti-Semitism and a worldwide outcry would be heard. More horrific now because not only are non-jews not protected by the law but now the law will apply the death penalty only to non-jews. Where is this country going? Where are the Torah values? Why are the rabbis silent? Can YHWH be pleased with this?  http://www.haaretz.com/opinion/1.721155

More horrific because it took place in Tel Aviv, the most open and liberal and tolerant city in the country. More horrific because the attackers were off-duty police who did not identify themselves when they approached the arab citizen. This is all so tragic.

Ex. 22:21 "Do not mistreat or oppress a foreigner, for you were foreigners in Egypt."
Deut. 10:19  "And you are to love those who are foreigners, for you yourselves were foreigners in Egypt."
Lev. 19:34  "The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt. I am the LORD your God."

Full moon over Damascus Gate
Empty streets

And as if to show nature's displeasure ... strange changes have been taking place in the weather. Temperatures dropped drastically last night and it began drizzling all night. This morning it rained and the skies continue to be overcast. A very cold wind is blowing and noon temperature is barely 15 degrees.

The moon is once again full .... very eerie as it sits above the City Walls in this cold wet night. The streets are deadly quite and empty as local arabs in my Muslim Quarter fear attacks from the police. Everyone stays home. At 3am, police raid houses without warrants in the arab quarter and gather information from arabs above other arabs.  http://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-1.720994

Franciscan Monastery in Aleppo bombed

Bombed sitting-room

On Saturday evening at about 6pm, our franciscan monastery and Terra Santa School in Aleppo was bombed. An elderly lady was killed and two seriously wounded. Others suffered various levels of injury.

The monastery and school has been sheltering elderly and homeless christians during the past 5 years of war. It was a safe haven for many. Now it was targeted by a missile and it is not known if it was a govt. missile or russian or rebel muslim.

One elderly lady dies

Please don't forget to pray for the christians in Syria who are being persecuted in a war that does not involve them. Pray for the franciscans who are risking their lives to remain in the abandoned city to serve the christians to the end. Pray for Mother Teresa's sisters who are serving these elderly and sick sheltering in our monastery; for the St. Vincent de Paul sisters who remain to run their hospital (Sr. Munira the former cook of the Bethfage convent is now in this hospital working) to help the injured.

You cannot remain indifferent yet call yourself a catholic.

Sigh ***

As Israel inches towards its most ever extreme rightwing govt. (quoting newspapers, world leaders and Israel observers), more bad news flooded in today.

Firstly news abound of how plain clothes Border Police beat up an arab shop-worker in Tel Aviv in broad daylight and in full view of Israelis. Witnesses say it was a lynching and Israelis who tried to intervene were threatened by the attackers who numbered around a dozen. It's not known if the arab is alive or dead. This reminded me of my own close brush from being shot by Border Police 2 weeks back. All I can say is that the police and military seem to have lost its senses and treats even non-jew as an enemy.  http://www.timesofisrael.com/cops-in-tel-aviv-said-to-assault-arab-man-who-doesnt-show-id/

Eiffel Tower in
front of Mandarin
Restaurant

Then we are told by the media that the extremist kingpin of assaulting and destroying arabs and their properties (including also non-jews) has been released from detention with apparently no charges laid on him. Scot free.

Then we're  told that the death penalty which the extremist rightwing new Defense Minister is pushing (with the backing of his archenemy the PM) applies only to arabs and non-jews. The death penalty does not apply to jews who commit the same crime as non-jews.

Any wonder why a veteran israeli military correspondent openly said (and quoted in most newspapers) that he would not want his children to live in Israel anymore.  "Israel has been taken over by extremists" he said. A jewish british life-coach interviewed at the airport put it succinctly: "Doing things out of spite is part of Israeli Culture".

On a happier note, workers are preparing exhibitions of Jerusalem's annual Festival of Light. It will start on May 25th and end on June 3rd ... two days before Ramadan and coincidently also Jerusalem Day. To cater for israelis afraid to enter the Old City, there is now a section of the festival all along Jaffa Street starting from Tsahal Square (outside New Gate) to Ben Yehuda Mall. For example in front of Mandarin Restaurant there is a huge4 story model of the Eiffel Tower.

Rain in May?

So we finally have a new Custos. It's been quite a surprise to many if not all of us - an outsider was chosen by Rome and not any of our nominees. He has never lived in the Holy Land so he'll have a lot to learn ... especially in dealing with the delicate political situations in Syria and the Israeli-Arab conflict. May the Holy Spirit lead him in wisdom and courage.

Frogs in a pond

The Old City is preparing to celebrate the Festival of Lights ... an annual event that winds it's way through the Christian, Jewish and Armenian Quarters with light displays and performances. The Muslim Quarter is always left out because of fear of violence and attacks. Last year it was canceled because of the rising tensions between the jewish and arab communities. This year the organizers feel confident enough to go ahead with it .... but definitely with all precautions taken into consideration.

The heatwave has passed and the daytime weather is more bearable .... about 25 degrees. The nights are chilly though ... down to 12 degrees. Forecast is rain on Monday and Tuesday. Rain in May???? Well if the frogs are right, it should rain. There were countless frogs in the pond of the local nursery that I visited yesterday. I had to buy some flower pots for the Chinese Sisters convent. And as I entered this huge nursery in the valley just after the Valley of the Cross, you can hear the loud droning of frogs that drown out even our voices. The frogs are making their mating call and this happens only when the rains come so their eggs and tadpoles have survive in the temporary pools and ponds. Being so deafening, the frogs must seem very confident that it will rain.

Mother Teresa's sisters organized a
Mass inside the Empty Tomb for me
to preside for my Jubilee celebration

On another note, the City will also celebrate Jerusalem Day or Unification Day on June 5th Sunday. That's when the Israelis recall the Israeli army taking over the Jordanian side of the Old City including the Wailing Wall and all the territories of the West Bank. For the Israelis, it's a unification of the country. For the palestinians, they were chased out of their homes and land, becoming refugees ... and hence it's not a happy occasion. Like every year we expect some violence. Sadly it's the violent and extremist zionist israelis who will enter the Muslim Quarter of the City to provoke the arabs, mock them and deride of their loss of land and statehood. The govt is tripling its funding to these groups to march through the Muslim Quarter this year!!! http://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-1.720161  As if things cannot get worse, this year it also happens to fall on Ramadan. Tensions will be high. I might just go out like every year to take photos. But it's getting risker by each year. Last year there was the real fear of being attacked by these extremist jews because they want all non-jews out of the country. I think they feel the same way this year.

Bad news

We are in so much trouble .... the PM has done a U-turn that would costs us and the State of Israel a heavy price: he re-nominated his arch-rival and critic and extreme right-winger to be Defense Minister. It's like cutting off the nose to spite the face ... because the PM was angered by top military brass criticising him so he sends in this ex-minister (whom the PM kicked out in the previous govt) back to head the military, knowing well that this ex-minister despises the military chiefs. However he also despises everyone else ... arabs, non-jews, leftwing jews ... his own PM and govt .... We can expect a cut in visas for foreigners, more wars with neighbouring countries, more arrests of local arabs and leftwing jews, a rise in xenophobia, Adding to bad news for re-introduction of the death penalty ... We can expect Israel's international standing to fall (as it did when this minister was in power in the previous govt), more fear-mongering, more appropriation of palestinian lands ... The govt. is now the most extreme rightwing this country has ever experienced.

Attempting to make
goreng pisang
yesterday

See http://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-1.720327 and http://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-1.720541 and http://www.jpost.com/Arab-Israeli-Conflict/Netanyahus-offer-to-Liberman-to-join-coalition-shows-that-Israel-favors-extremism-says-PA-454428

Meanwhile the missing egyptian airliner is worrying us all as it's made us more aware that terrorists have not back downed in the present fight against terrorism; and this adds fuel to the new extremist rightwing Defense Minister to up his call for more restrictions, curbs, arrests and shoot-to-kill policies.

News just in ... the PM has agreed with this Minister to impose the death penalty.

Adding to the bad news ... 5 non-kosher shops selling pork on Saturday as been targeted by religious extremists to enforced closure. Luckily the Court papers to be dismissing this ruling. And the govt. is raising by one third the budget to fund jewish groups to march through the Muslim Quarter in next week's Jerusalem Day with flags or other nationalistic emblems: something very provocative in an already sensitive area in town. And of course .... where I live. Expect some big time violence next week.

Heatwave

Well Nakba Day was pretty quiet here in Jerusalem ... nothing happened. But in the Territories there were demonstrations and scuffles at the border.

This morning though there was a stabbing at Musrara, the open market opposite Damascus Gate. The Old City was closed off for about an hour before reopening. Then life went on as usual.

Sunset in Jerusalem during the heatwave. Sickly yellow.

We're in the middle of a heatwave. Rare and extreme ... that's what the weather bureau is calling it. Right now it's 42 degrees. The heat from the ground rises up and suffocates, And of course there's the sand and dust from the desert blowing in. My asthma has become so bad I cannot sleep at all. I'm just gasping for air every minute. I don't want to be back on a course of Prednisone as I just came off it last week. Too much cortisone. It's making me sick. My daily Telfast 180 tablets don't seem to be working and neither are the puffers. Walking back and from work, I need to stop twice to rest. And climbing up stairs. And the headache is awful.

Anyway the heatwave is one probable cause for the lack of violence on Nakba Day. I think it can be statistically proven that during the hottest days of the year there is a slow down in violence. Everyone just wants to stay indoors.

Let's hope the weather cools down the next few days as forecast. Not that I want violence tor return ... but this heat is really killing us. And asthmatics like me ... it's literally a death sentence.

Nakba Day

It's Nakba Day today ... 15th May. It's the Palestinian commemoration of how they lost their land when the Israelis established their independent State. How 2 million palestinians were moved out of their land to become refugees in Lebanon, Egypt and Syria till today, stateless and still refugees. You can read more about it:
http://www.haaretz.com/opinion/.premium-1.719641
http://imeu.org/article/quick-facts-the-palestinian-nakba  (a concise fact-line of the Nakba)
http://www.patheos.com/blogs/writingfromtheedge/2016/05/thank-you-chief-rabbi-now-i-know-judaism-is-to-blame-for-the-palestinian-nakba/

There has been no violence today ... which is strange since demonstrations against the Israelis usually result in scuffles. Well then again I won't know as I'm at home. I'd love to go out and see the demonstrations but it's too hot and I have a headache. In fact we're having a heatwave these few days. In Eilat it's 48 degrees!! Tel Aviv is 40 degrees ... and Jerusalem is a few degrees below that.

The Custos presiding at prayers in the
Upper Room

And lest we forget, today is also Pentecost day. Solemn Mass and prayers at the Cenacle which once a year, the Israeli govt. opens up for us to celebrate Pentecost. The Upper Room is still officially Franciscan property but the govt. refuses to return it to us ... using it as a bargaining chip in negotiations with the Church over taxes, property and other stuff. Shameful.

Chinese sisters say thanks

The Chinese Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary here in Jerusalem are very grateful to everyone for their prayers and kind donations to help them start a convent, especially the following:

Margaret Leung – 8.5 cm Pyx & statue
Glenda, Vincent & Eva – Monstrance
	HK$
Naomi Chui	500
Cheung Oi Yee	1,600
Tam Yuen Hing Regina	4,600
Li Ying Wah	4,600
	US$
David Lin	500
Rebecca Choy	100
Kathleen Wong	500
Joni Cheng	250
Imelda Cheng	800
Teresa Ho	300

Thanks also to Theresa Tse for the gift of books and DVDs.

The sisters assure you of their daily prayers and intercession for your intentions and well-being.

Sr. Maria Jiang
Superior General of the congregation
comes to visit the convent.
She sincerely thanks all of you
for your kindness and support.

2 days to Nakba Day

Mass at the Grotto of the Finding
of the True Cross

And as Israelis continue their long weekend of Independence Day holidays, groups of arabs are rising up and protesting at the lost of their land, lost of their citizenship. A few million are living in exile in Jordan and Lebanon as refugees for the past 60 years with no hope of returning to their homes or lands. The arabs call it Nakba Day or Catastrophe Day. Officially it's celebrated on May 15th which falls on this coming Sunday. We're expecting riots and violence as Jewish right-wing groups will provoke the already angry arabs. Yesterday on the Israeli Independence Day, a group of jews joined hands and blocked Damascus Gate to the arabs (It was Thursday just before the muslim prayer day; the arabs were entering the City to get to the Al Aqsa Mosque). Scuffles brought out and police had to drive away these extremists jews. Arabs went to the Negev desert to protest their lost of land.

Inside the Grotto

By the way for the isareli celebrations of Remembrance Day (haZikaron) and Independence Day (haAtzmaut), the borders with palestine were closed. No arab could get out of those areas hence many lost 2 days wages.

Last Saturday we celebrated the Finding of the True Cross. This took place e in the chapel of St. Helena or the Finding of the True Cross. Solemn Mass was celebrated there and vespers was sung, It was a beautiful liturgy. Down in this grotto of the Holy Sepulcher church, tradition holds that Queen Helena discovered the true Cross.

So another weekend has come upon us. I just want to sleep .... am so very tired.

Relic of the True Cross

Yom haAtzmaut

IAF fly over our church

Today Israel celebrates Yom haAtzmaut or Independence Day. It's a national holiday of course and Israelis traditional go out to the parks and forests to barbecue. This year was a record - some one million israelis went out in force to all the parks and forests for their family barbecue so much so that traffic jams along the 2 major highways lasted several hours during the evening.

I had to go to see the doctor because one of the antihistamine jabs (some time ago at the Emergency Ward) had become infected. It's painful to walk or sit ... and subsequent antihistamine jabs on that spot had exacerbated the infection.

Crowds along Tel Aviv beaches
watching the airforce display

After the visit (which I went very early at 5am because I was afraid of the traffic), I decided to go and rest in Jaffa nearby.  There was one job I had to do but I managed to rest for an hour there. The rest of the "rest" was filled with phone calls and messages .... some 38 within and hour. it ruined my sleep that I needed very much.

Anyway the Israeli Air Force (IAF) performed a flypast that was impressive. Remember the past 2 years it was dismal ... first because of the Gaza war (Gaza was firing missiles into Tel Aviv so the IAF had to call off the flypast), and last year because of poor weather.

Flyover the City

This year 4 fighter jets did somersaults which wowed the crowds ... followed by flypast of helicopters and various fight planes. All in all it was very impressive .... and something which assured the Israelis in the light of the stabbing attacks these last half year.

I was in a very unique spot ... on the roof of our church in Jaffa. Being built up on the promontory of Jaffa, the highest point in the City, all the planes use it as a landmark in their flight routes. So also the IAF flypast. The planes fly directly over our belfry ... and I was below to take photos. And besides this festivity at noon, I had the chance to meet up some old friends who have stalls in the plaza in front of our church. They did brisk business as not only tourists had filled the area but much more local Israelis seeking a good view of the flypast from the promontory.

Memorial Day

Bedouin women selling mulberries
and vine leaves at Damascus Gate

Today is Yom haZikaron ... memorial day of the fallen Israeli soldiers since the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948. Sirens will sound at 10am for a minutes silence and the whole country stops (at least the israeli part of the country).

Tomorrow begins Independence Day celebrations. It's a national holiday and there'll be an air and sea show along the Tel Aviv coastline. Last year it was cancelled because of the Gaza war .... missiles and rockets were fired into Tel Aviv from Gaza. Anyway the arabs will soon celebrate their lost of land on Nakba Day. It's two sides of the same coin. In the end, the fact is everyone wants to live a normal life ... no wars, no fights ... just a co-existance where everyone wins.

Peaches and plums

Life is pretty quiet without Miss Bird. There is no more clucking and whistling or imitating the telephone ring. Buddy is quite nervous being alone now. I have to buy him some toys to distract him and keep him busy otherwise he screams his head off for attention. Yesterday we could hear him 3 floors down, across the courtyard into the street.

Anyway summer is practically upon us. Daytime is hot ... over 28 degrees. But nights are still chilly around 12 degrees. The first summer fruit are on sale: lots of peaches, plums, pears and mulberries. I should eat more fruit.

Goodbye Miss Bird

Still recovering from the trauma of the Damascus Gate incident. I've been thinking that no one now is above suspicion from these Israeli soldiers and police. Not tourists, not foreigners .... these security people have all the powers in the State. They can kill without asking. The Law is on their side. And all this is driven by fear .... fear which kills the spirit from within. I say that if Israel is indeed so afraid, the it has already lost the war.

Goodbye Miss Bird

My jewish friends would work in security were the first to contact me and asked if I was alright. They understood the severity of the situation and knew the soldiers would not hesitate to shoot me. It was nice of them. Some even went on social media to publicly highlight this incident and berate the all-powerful army that now has gone berserk and disregards foreigners and tourists who have nothing to do with their arab-jewish war.

Anyway this has all affected my health. My asthma has become even worse now ... mainly from psychological stress.

I managed to get away to Jaffa on Thursday ... not so much to rest as to substitute the 2 indian priests who are on holiday. No one was saying the indian masses so I was asked to do it. That means going to Herzliya some 90 kms away, then Tel Aviv which is 30 kms away from Herzliya. I managed to grab 2 hours of sleep in between at Jaffa and it was very refreshing.

It was also my last outing with Miss Bird. I decided to give her away to my friend Chaim at the petshop. She's not for sale. That's clear. I've given her to Chaim as a pet and he cannot sell her away. Chaim has long experience with parrots so I know he'll understand Miss Bird's needs. I realized she needed a mate as she laid 4 eggs this year. So Chaim has many parrots which he can try match her up with. Hope Miss Bird is happy now.

Near death experience

It's been over a week since I updated own the blog. The reason being I'm recovering from a terrifying situation that I never thought in all my years here in the Holyland, would ever happen to me. I was stopped by soldiers, accused of being a terrorist and was nearly shot.

It happened at 5am when I was waiting for a group of pilgrims to come to my house to make the Way of the Cross. As they did not call or show up, I thought they had lost their way, so I decided to walk out to Damascus Gate to see if they were there. It was cold, 12 degrees. I wore a cap and over it I pulled the hood of my jacket over. Hands in pockets. As I approached Damascus Gate, 8 soldiers rushed out to block my way shouting in arabic. I thought they were stopping someone else behind me as it was obvious I'm chinese. I continued walking towards them and the 6 footer soldier went berserk, screaming in hebrew and arabic that he'll shoot me if I took another step closer. They cocked their sub-machine guns and aimed at me.

That moment I realized they were talking to me and were prepared to shoot any minute now. It was scary. I shouted back to speak in english. A female police among them said "It's a foreigner, a tourist" and the berserk soldier screamed "You're a terrorist! You're hiding a weapon!  Take it out" ... all the time aiming his sub-machine gun at me. I said I didn't have a weapon but he insisted I was hiding one. Then they dragged me to the side of the bridge, and stripped searched me. I protested and said in hebrew that I am a priest. But the berserk soldier refused to listen. Another soldier stepped on my right food to stop me from running away while the berserk 6 footer took off my jacket and t-shirt and pants, searching for a weapon. He saw my ID as well when he emptied out my pockets.

Realizing that he made a mistake, he still would not admit it. He just shouted to em to get out of there and if any police asked me to stop again, I should do so immediately otherwise I risked getting shot. "You're lucky today ... I was ready to kill you then".

Working holiday

Tel Aviv alight on the last night
of Pesach

The Orthodox Holy Week has just ended ... and so did the Jewish Passover. Security was very tight. And the Old City was in chaos despite the heavy military presence .... not because of any violence but because of the hundreds of thousands of egyptian copts and ethiopians who came for the Orthodox Easter. All were poor simple folk .... kind-hearted and devout ... but their conduct was not suited for our situation. They stomped into our church at 6am while we were celebrating Mass, talking loudly, eating, drinking, taking photos .... totally oblivious to the 45 priests and nuns inside the church celebrating Mass. It was as if we didn't exist. Finally a couple fo our priests shooed them all out and locked the doors. And it happened not once but everyday of the week. Unruly and chaotic .... that's what everyone says ... from us to muslims to jews. They caused huge traffic jams because they would cross the streets in their hundreds, then linger to chat and eat in the middle of the road .... oblivious to the honking of cares, shouts of drivers and threats by the police. They belong to a totally different world.

Anyway I had a very busy weekend myself and luckily not in Jerusalem. I had Mass with the Konkani community in Herzliya 90 kms away. It was a long driver but jam-free because of the Pesach holiday (no driving allowed). By the time Mass ended and I returned to Jaffa, it was past 10pm. I was exhausted ... but sitting out on the terrace facing the sea, watching the lights of nearby Tel Aviv ... it was very relaxing. The balmy salty breeze from the Mediterranean Sea always gives me an appetite that I lack in Jerusalem.

Miss Bird on holiday

But leaving Jerusalem for over 24 hours always has its problems ... like who will feed the canaries and Buddy and Miss Bird. So Buddy was sent to Bro. Clovis who is his official babysitter when I'm not home. The canaries stay at home and I put in extra food to last 48 hours. And Miss Bird gets to come with me to Jaffa. She hates the long car-ride and made a big fuss screeching at the top of her voice all the way. But once there she enjoyed the terrace, walking on the flower pots and enjoying the breeze and sun.

Saturday evening came and it was time to go home ... exactly 30 hours of break from Jerusalem. That's all the free time I can afford. A working holiday is better than nothing.

Thanks to Rebecca Choy (US$100) for her contribution to the Chinese Sisters' Convent.