Festival of Lights

I was terribly confused yesterday ... thinking that it was already Friday. So I went to the wrong places, waiting for wrong meetings .... Today I had work in the morning and class in the afternoon and then I felt very very sick. High fever, dizziness, painful joints. Could it be the flu? Some of our workers have the flu and I might have caught it from them. It's going to be a lousy weekend.

Carpet of lights below the City Walls

Last evening I went to see the Festival of Lights. It was very very crowded ... definitely much more than the last 2 years during the stabbing attacks. And there are certainly much more participants from around the world exhibiting their artistic works of light. And it was much better than previous years. And the crowds were really really huge. But it was very noticeable that the major part of the light show and route that runs through the Christian, Armenian and Jewish Quarters were predominantly visited by local Israelis. Exhibits lower down at Damascus Gate and the Musim Quarter had hardly any Israelis but a handful of tourists and arabs. The racial and religious divide is still very real and palpable even though nothing is said openly. Very sad.

Damascus Gate lightshow

An example in today's newspaper: an arab living in the mountainous Samaria region was granted permission to enter Israel during Ramadan. He decided to go to the beach as he has not seen the sea in 20 years. Not having swimming trunks, he wore only his underwear at the beach ... something which many Israelis also do. But the police came to arrest him and fined him US$200 for not wearing swimming trunks. The poor guy has no money because that will cost him 2 months salary ... but if he doesn't pay, he will no longer have a permit to enter Israel, never get to see the sea again for the rest of his life.  http://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/1.798538

Meantime the jewish internal struggle is gathering momentum .... sadly. Emboldened by the support of the PM, the ultra-orthodox jews have begun declaring all other forms and expressions of Judaism as non-jewish, even declaring that conversions conducted by non-ultra orthodox rabbis are invalid. Wow that would mean thousands of jewish converts being wiped out of the records.  http://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/all-stories/.premium-1.798647

Ss. Peter & Paul

Tourist overwhelmed
by the heat

I guess the inauguration of the Festival of Lights was a success last night. I didn't go out to see it because I was feeling quite unwell. Several other guys were feeling the same ... must be something in the air. During vespers I just lost my voice ... and it was my turn to lead the prayers so I was terribly out of tune and half an octave below everyone else. Dreadful. I was nauseous and had a fever. So I slept early. This morning I felt better ... but being the solemnity of Sts Peter and Paul I had to go down early to the Church for Lauds and Vespers. Then It was a straight day of work, meetings and more meetings.

Well the heat must be awful because at Palm Plaza today I saw a tourist just giving up on walking and slumped in the shade. In the park, arabs were huddling below the trees seeking shade. Even the soldiers and police have portable shades to protect them. And they have a huge stock of bottled water to hydrate themselves.

Banana flowers,
String beans ...

I had a nice surprise several days ago when I passed by the Filipino / Asian grocery ... they were selling lots of truly asian stuff grown in the Tel Aviv area which is warmer and humid.  Things like banana flowers, lotus roots, bitter gourds, quail eggs .... Fabulous. Too bad I have no time to cook.

Well news is out that the extremist rightwing jewish youths who hold rallies twice a week at Ben Yehuda Mall had tried to attack 3 arab youths. A jewish youth who tried to protect was attacked and the police did not seem to want to get involved. http://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-1.798449

And then there is a video going around showing jewish settlers confronting Israeli soldiers and then possible setting arab olive groves on fire.  http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4982291,00.html

May Ss. Peter and Paul help us all .... because sooner or later we foreigners will also be the target of rightwing hatred.

Happenings in the heat

Festival of Lights
exhibit at Palm
Plaza

The heat yesterday was dreadful ... 36 degrees or above. Today was no different. It's times like this that I think of rain ... the monsoon rains in South East Asia that cool down the hot afternoons. Unfortunately it never rains in summer here .... in fact it hardly even rained in winter. We're officially in a drought. The drought tax has been enforced. How awful for the poorer people. Too bad here the locals have never learned of water rationing. Civic education is very wanting. Everyone only thinks of themselves.

On the way back from work, I saw that most of the exhibits for the Festival of Lights are in place. This year there are many more participants and it promises to be very exciting and fun. Palm Plaza has a long stream of coloured ribbons fluttering in the wind, causing a visual effect that is stunning. Further uphill there are some 5 or 6 other exhibits .... much more than in previous years. Anyway tonight is the opening and maybe I'll go around and have a look. It beats staying at home in the heat.

The new Singapore Consulate in
Ramat Gan

Yesterday morning was pretty hectic. I had to go to the Singapore Consulate General to fetch my new passports. It was a harrowing experience to apply for the new passports as the Consulate General is not authorised to handle passport renewals and extensions. Anyway after 6 months the new passports arrived. What a relief! Going to the Consulate was quite an ordeal though ... the traffic was very heavy so the usual one hour ride became 2 hours. But the Consulate was relatively easy to find ... as compared to it's old premises. The Singapore flag flew at the entrance of the building along the main road so it was easy to identify.

Then it was a quick ride home ... only 45 mins because the traffic cleared up. Then it was a series of meetings one after another, lawyers, accountants, secretaries .... I didn't quite finish all the paper work that needed to be done but I felt I had to go home. I was just too exhausted. But the heat was tremendous .... it suffocates you as you walk out. Firing heat from the ground rises up ... and there is a heavy pressure on your chest as you try to breathe. I fear the rest of summer will be like this.

Fantasy and reality

Musrara open market with no one

The streets are slowly becoming normal again ... with the daily chaos creeping in. Most muslims would end the Eid celebrations this evening but there are some who would continue to celebrate for 2 more days. Most fruit and grocery shops remain open during the day but there is hardly a soul in the streets as most people are sleeping after celebrating all night. That's wise as we're again having a heatwave this week .... daytime temp fluctuates between 34 to 36 degrees. The sun is scorching despite the occasional cool breeze. I pity the workmen and artists who are putting up their exhibitions for tomorrow night's Festival of Lights. Setting up huge contraptions in this heat is awful. But the Festival of Lights is something I look forward to because it's so hot in the evenings, no one wants to stay indoors after dinner. A walk along and inside the Old City seeing the light exhibitions is a nice way to cool down.

After yesterday's victory by the ultra-orthodox jews in controlling the conversion laws and praying at the Western Wall, leftwing newspaper rings more alarm bells that the ultra-orthodox are now emboldened to push further by closing down all shops during the Sabbath ... in effect a more vigorous observance of the Sabbath Law ... hence eventually no transport etc... Well I guess most people will then move to East Jerusalem which is arabic and doesn't have to observe this law.  http://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-1.797958

Light display at
Palm Plaza

Tensions at the Syrian border has heated up because for the past 2 days syrian rockets were fired into Israel. Israel responded by firing back. Today Gaza fired rockets into Israel and Israel responded. So both north and south we're getting shot at .... not good news. Honestly ... anyone would have thought that the heat would dissuade anyone from going out and fight. You'll die of sunstroke before you can even shoot a bullet.

Well it's another summer "vacation" ... my plan is to study and do some writing. Sounds like fantasy ... but that's all I've got. And I plan to go to our house in Jaffa as well ... another fantasy. But one fantasy did come true today ... I got my 2 passports at last ... after 6 months of unbelievable problems and obstacles and hurdles. One problem solved, 2 more to go .....

2nd day of Fitri

Sunrise on a very quiet Palm Plaza

2nd day of Eid el Fitri ... the roads are thankfully quiet and calm. The feast will continue for another couple of days and then the people will be back to their daily routine. It's a great respite after one month of chaos every night. I could sleep last night. It was good. bad thing was it's Monday so I have to get up at 3.30am to prepare for classes. Then it's a mad rush to get to church for Mass at 6.30am which I'm presiding this week. Immediately after that I must open and prepare the library for the students. Then off to see the lawyers and accountants and all the other people for meetings after meetings. I think I had 5 meetings in 1 and a half hours. Mad rush all morning. Afternoon I have a remedial class to teach. Anyone mentioned "holiday"???

Wearing the 祭巾at the ordination

Last Saturday 5 of my students were ordained priests in New York City. Very proud of them. 3 vietnamese among them. One wore the traditional 祭巾 which clergy back in China used to wear. He's vietnamese and the vietnamese still use it. Well I wish them all the best in their new ministries.

The country is buzzing with the latest controversy : the PM rebated on his promise to allow a section of the Wailing Wall be used by liberal, reform and orthodox jews - egalitarian space where men and women mix. The ultra-orthodox hold the rabbinate of the Wall and they have pushed the PM to recant despite the High Court having approved it. And the ultra-orthodox have also succeeded in security its monopoly in the conversion of gentiles to judaism ... all other rabbis have no right. The consequence is of course that all converts must become ultra-orthodox. The backlash is going to harsh tomorrow ... but the ultra-orthodox will ride it out. They have shown their power in the last few years and it looks like they'll be dominating the running of the country and religion.   http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Politics-And-Diplomacy/Israel-shelves-plan-for-egalitarian-prayer-space-at-Western-Wall-497859   and   http://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-1.797805

The power of the religious right has grown so significantly that the jewish settlers are emboldened in attacking arabs in the open, get filmed in the process and still will not be arrested or prosecuted. Their religious leaders will protect them from any political and judicial consequences.   http://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-1.797636

Peace at last?

Soldiers behind
barricades in the
Muslim Quarter

Yesterday was the last Friday of Ramadan. Despite the closure to Palestinians from the Territories, the muslim population from Israel was large enough to crowd the Old City and East Jerusalem. Security was super tight. I Had to go to my other office up the hill 1 km away and I thought at 10.30am the traffic would be at its lowest ... but I was wrong. When I reached the Austrian Hospice / 3rd Station of the Cross, the main street El Wad was so packed with muslim pilgrims coming down to the Mosque that I could not cross it to get to the Christian Quarter. I turned back and headed home. By evening the crowds got very large and the prayers in the Mosque were almost continuous ... in between the meals. And the noise throughout the night was a total nightmare. There is this motorbiker who keeps riding up and down our road all night till 5am. And then there are the people who walk and talk at the top of their voices. I had my double windows closed and music on throughout the night but still I could hear the chaos outside. I'm certainly looking forward to Eid el Fitri which hopefully is tomorrow .... and Ramadan finally ends. No more crowds in the streets, no more noises in the night, no more super tight security every 10 meters in the streets. Peace at last ... maybe.

Anyway Damascus Gate is getting the reputation of being the terrorists' target ... majority of the stabbings and attacks have taken place there in the past 2 years. Now the PM is getting the police to put up security measures ... which will restrict our movement even if the PM says otherwise. Security towers will be built, the stepped gardens will be flattened, entry and exit will be channeled through metal-detectors and individual body searches. What a nightmare.  http://www.timesofisrael.com/after-attacks-officials-seek-unprecedented-damascus-gate-security-boost/

Morning scene: a
Jew walking down
a muslim street

Well today our chinese sisters should have celebrated their patron feast - the Immaculate Heart of Mary - but because we are celebrating instead the birth of John the Baptist, this feast is postponed. The sisters will celebrate it on Tuesday with a visiting chinese priest to preach them an afternoon recollection.

I had a crazy day after yesterday's lock-in due to the Friday crowd. Had to do everything that I left out yesterday. Plus I had to wait for a group at 5.30am coming to make the Way of the Cross and then a journey to Bethlehem to the Carmelite monastery at 7.30am. Came home by 9am to work in the university library till 12pm and then it was personal work till now.  Feeling exhausted. And I fear tonight I'll not get any sleep because it's the last night before Eid el Fitri. God help us all.

Thursday in between feasts

Pickled olives sold
in the streets

Last night's muslim feast of Laylat el Qader ... was as expected. Lots of people in the mosque and streets. And prayers were chanted the whole night at the Al Asqsa Mosque well into 2am. Loud. And then the pre-dawn call to prayer was called out and the canon fired to signal the start of the Fast. I had the double windows closed in my room and turned on music to drown out the noise from the street ... for the whole night. Things only became silent at 4.30am.

But before that, hawkers lined the sides of El Wad street - the main artery that leads from Damascus Gate down to the Wailing Wall, passing by the entrances to the Al Aqsa Mosque. They sold everything ... from candied apples to potato chips to pickled vegetables and arab pastries. Everyone was buying and eating anything and everything. That's what Ramadan nights are all about.

Today was rather calm ... at least in our Quarter because the residents needed to recover from all the feasting. But this evening the last Friday of Ramadan begins. Now that worries us as it usually gets very rowdy and spills into riots. So for the 2nd night running, police were on extra alert ... every few metres are 4 to 6 soldiers. No nonsense.

"Taliban" jewish woman

I had a full day running back to the bank early in the morning but still not resolving anything, then to a couple of meetings, then to meet a group at lunch time and after that a lunch meeting with a couple of belgian professors. After that it was back to work in the library for an hour before running off to the MC sisters for a bible conference and confessions. Today we had no Eucharistic adoration as the sisters wanted me to go home as quickly as possible to avoid the evening Ramadan crowd. But I had to go back to the other library one km away uphill to retrieve something and then go down to Mian restaurant because Billy boiled some herbal soup for me, then it was a quick rush back home through the alleys to avoid the crowd.

Well in the midst of my rushing from one corner of the City to another, I came across a "Taliban" jewish lady ... a new phenomenon in the ultra-orthodox circle where women cover themselves totally ... not even eye-slits. This lady was pushing a pram across the train tracks and I thought she'd better be able to see if the train is coming under all that cloth. It was like she threw a blanket over herself. Actually 5 minutes before I saw this lady, I saw 2 others further down the street, similarly covered. Most people think they're muslims but they're actually jews. It's quite a fad now.

Night of Destiny

Lots of uneaten bread wasted

Tonight is Laylat el Qader (Night of Destiny) ... muslims believe the Koran was revealed to Mohammed on this night, and that the heavens open this night and God hears all prayers, forgives sins and write the names of those deserving heaven. Hence the crowds will be overwhelming (relative term as a quarter of a million Palestinians are no longer allowed to enter Jerusalem) and they will be praying in the Al Aqsa all night. For sure none of us will get any sleep. And the military presence is very strong as they want to avoid any further riots and attacks like last week. I need to go to work this evening ... lots of workload undone ... but the thought of facing the crowds and the crush at Damascus Gate and the possible impossibility of getting home ... I think I'll stay home and study instead.

But I did go to work in the late morning. And on my way home I saw lots of uneaten bread thrown by the parking lot ... it upset me very much when I thought of all the hungry refugees in Syria and Iraq, and what the MC sisters are trying to do to feed them.

Where I get my dinner

I feeling better today after the last 2 days' discomfort. I think it's partly caused by exhaustion of work, the hot weather and total stress. Today was much better though the stress of running 3 kms between 2 banks to solve the taxation declarations have worn me out. Because of my feeling ill, I had no eaten during the day o avoid vomiting but by evening after work at 10pm, I get very hungry. The only reasonably priced shop is Arab Fried Chicken. For 50 shekels, I get a decent meal and can go to sleep without feeling hungry. Well tonight I'm not going to work and I won't be eating AFC .... I think I'll have to resort to instant noodles ... but that will make be suffer from severe diarrhoea as I've developed an intolerance to it. But better than the hunger pangs. Imagine what the Syrian refugees must feel. How grateful we ought to be for what we have. If tonight is the Night of Destiny, then God should surely deal justice to those who cause all the suffering in our region.

Church spat at

While Jerusalem was relatively quiet, the outskirts saw some violence. An arab terrorist was shot when he drew his knife against checkpoint police.       http://www.timesofisrael.com/knife-wielding-palestinian-attacks-israeli-troops-is-shot-dead/

But beneath the calm of Jerusalem, leftwing newspapers are publishing articles that seem disturbing: East Jerusalem arabs who are stateless and without citizenship ; and arab housing has been trumped up to stir fear among the jews. This actually amounts to incitement. And the plight of Gaza's now that electricity has been reduced to almost only 2 hours a day while raw sewage flows in the streets.
http://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/six-day-war-50-years/.premium-1.796711  and
http://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-1.796709   and
http://www.jpost.com/Arab-Israeli-Conflict/Raw-sewage-seeps-out-of-Gaza-as-electricity-supplies-dwindle-497418

Pickled olives on
sale in the street

The arab shopkeepers opposite our place have videoed a jewish girl spitting at our Church every time she passes by. She does it all the time in front of jewish security men who do nothing. If anyone else had spat at a synagogue, it would be anti-semitism and be arrested. This is the type of christian persecution we face here in Israel.

The weather continues to be very hot but luckily today there was a nice breeze blowing. Shopkeepers have moved their wares out into the streets because it's cooler and also to draw more business as muslim visitors have fallen by a quarter of a million since the crackdown after the stabbings last week. I managed to go to work but it was such a hurricane of meetings that I almost could not catch up. I was exhausted by the afternoon but there was more work to do ... some other M. Teresa's sisters came from Syria and Amman and I had to go give something to them. Got the latest news of the region from them. By the time I returned home it was 10.30pm. Tomorrow is another hectic day ... so I'll have to sleep early.

Tensions

Streets in the night
are a lot quieter

The streets in the Muslim Quarter and around the Old City are peacefully quiet now that a quarter of a million permits were revoked. There is more silence ... and more space to walk. Shops are emptier. And in the nights, the streets are less noisy and sleep is much more possible.

The police have stepped up security checks and more people are being stopped and frisked. Security cameras have also been added .... some 1700 all over the Old and New City. The carparks at Damascus Gate which was overloaded with cars and motorbikes the past 3 weeks, is now reduced to 3 cars. But strangely we have not heard of muslim dissatisfaction ... at least not openly. Shop-keepers don't seem to be complaining of the lack of business.

Only a trickle of
muslims now

However underlying this apparent calm, tensions are high. There were scuffles in the Al Aqsa Mosque compound between stone-throwing arab youths and Israeli soldiers. Then arabs in our Quarter set fire to Jewish apartments with the intention of frightening them out of living in our Quarter. It took place several nights and finally the police made raids last night to arrest the culprits. These guys are really stupid ... there arriver 270 security cameras in the Old City watching every step you take ... how could they think they could get away with torching people's houses?   http://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-1.796467   and   http://www.jpost.com/Arab-Israeli-Conflict/6-Arab-suspects-arrested-for-throwing-firebombs-at-Jewish-homes-in-Old-City-497187

And as if bad news aren't enough .... newspapers are warning everyone of an imminent earthquake ... one which is long delayed .... the big one. Emergency drills were conducted last week and the public are being advised how to react when an earthquake strikes.  http://israelnewstalkradio.com/israel-is-preparing-for-a-serious-major-disaster-that-can-come-at-any-time/

The weather has been extremely hot and I have been terribly ill ... probably because of the heat. Almost fainted while walking to work. Wish I could start my holidays and stop work this week. I need the rest.

Manna from heaven

Empty streets after
muslim permits
revoked

Yesterday I was back at the MC sisters' convent to speak with their provincial who had come after a visit to Syria and Iraq. She spoke of the terrible situation of persecution and constant bombing in Aleppo and Mosul; of the numerous orphaned children hiding in ruins, coming out at night to look for food and water; the work which the sisters have been doing by bringing 200+ food packs to these people. It was a story of horror and heroism ... of christian youths volunteering to help the sisters walking through the deserted streets looking for the poor. Just as we were speaking a phone call came through and we were told not to go in or out of Damascus Gate (which is round the corner from the convent) because muslims are targeting christians for attacks. The sisters sent me out through a side street and I stayed in our other monastery for 3 hours till things were safer when I returned home.

The govt has revoked 250,000 permits for muslims from the Palestinian Territories to come to Jerusalem for Ramadan. It's something the majority of people totally agree for all our safety. The PM has even suggested making Damascus Gate a closed zone where all entries and exits must be individually checked with metal detectors. More police are stationed at Damascus Gate and hundreds more arrests have been made in view of next week which is the last Friday before Eid el Fitri.  http://www.jpost.com/Arab-Israeli-Conflict/Israeli-police-arrest-350-bolster-security-in-Jerusalem-after-deadly-attack-497183   and  http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4977378,00.html

Meantime the police and military are facing violence also from their own people, when jewish settlers stoned and blocked an ambulance. The Defense units are facing violence from both fronts ....  truly an unfortunate affair   http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4977263,00.html

A piece of manna

On a happy note, the MC sisters in Iraq sent me a gift of "Manna from Heaven" ... an Iraqi sweet made from the sap of a tree ... the sap drips onto the ground and solidifies in white globs hence the biblical "manna". This is boiled and cooked with various types of nuts and cardamon ... and becomes a sticky glob which needs to have flour thrown over it so it doesn't stick to the packaging or other things. It is very very good. Because of the war in Iraq, this sweet is now becoming a rarity as collecting the manna sap requires long hours out in the fields and is therefore dangerous.

MC sisters punched by muslim; terrorists kill police at Damascus Gate

Muslims sitting in
front of Ecce Homo
Convent

2 M. teresa's sisters were assaulted yesterday by muslims at Damascus Gate. They were on their way home when the crowds of muslims came pushing through Damascus Gate. They spat at the sisters, cursing them and one punched a sister in the mouth. The sisters turned back to their convent and remained there. It was a very shocking incident ... and I was at their convent just a few minutes after this happened. Fanatics ... all these youths .... brainwashed by extremist imams who are never arrested. To those who talk about dialogue ... they have never lived here. We are being destroyed by leftwing ideology and political correctness. Mind you I'm not pro-rightwing but there is such thing as common sense and moral limits.

2 hours after this, 3 terrorists armed with knives and a submachine gun made 2 simultaneous attacks at Damascus Gate. They killed a female israeli soldier and wounded 2 others ... but all 3 terrorists were shot dead. They were only 18 and 19 yrs old. All from Ramallah inside the Palestinian Territories. I sure hope the govt will stop being so benevolent to these people and revoke their permit to enter Israel for Ramadan, and close all the borders. The worse news was yet to come ... ISIS has claimed responsibility ... but so hard Hamas in Gaza. http://www.jpost.com/Arab-Israeli-Conflict/ISIS-claims-responsibility-for-Jerusalem-attack-497078    and    http://www.timesofisrael.com/police-officer-critically-injured-in-coordinated-shooting-and-stabbing-attack-in-jerusalem/

Well things don't look good of the next summer months. Not for christians who seem to be the target now .... and here in Israel as well.

Corpus Christi

The Archbishop with the Blessed
Sacrament in front of the
Empty Tomb

Yesterday was Corpus Christi .... but the diocese of Jerusalem chose to celebrate it on Sunday for pastoral reasons. Only the Holy Sepulcher, for status quo reasons, kept the original date of
the solemnity and solemn pontifical Mass was celebrated by the Archbishop and many clergy in front of the Empty Tomb. There was a small crowd of lay people and nuns attending the Mass. Moving around the Old City has become a tricky business as many streets are closed off due to the Ramadan crowds. As a result few christians want to wander about and go to the Holy Sepulcher.

Mass ended with the traditional procession around the Empty Tomb, with the Archbishop carrying the Blessed Sacrament under the canopy, which led to the Chapel of the Blessed Sacrament for the Eucharistic Blessing. It was on the whole very nice and meaningful.

Procession around the Empty Tomb

But in the Muslim Quarter however, police presence intensified as Thursday evening approached. Greater crowds were expected to enter the Old City because it might be the last Friday before Eid el Fitri. You never know when exactly Ramadan ends as it all depends on the viability of the New Moon. If it's cloudy, then the feast might be postponed for the next night. On my way from work, I got not go before the entrance of Damascus Gate. Everything was at a standstill .... people couldn't move forward or backward. It was horrific. Some shopkeepers near me were shouting for the people to go through the back street to relieve the dangerous pressure of over-crowding. I was lucky enough to be near this back street and so made my way there .... but the journey was a trial in itself. It was a very steep flight of steps that had several downhill side alleys. One of them should lead to Ecce Homo convent near my house but I wasn't sure which one so I tried my luck. Made several turns and finally found The Nun's Ascent which is the alley down to Ecce Homo convent. It was traumatic.

This morning was even more traumatic as I could not even get out of my house ... such was the crowd of muslims in the streets. But I promised to meet the parents of one of my students so I had to fight through the crossroads in front of the 3rd Station and Austrian Hospice. Once I reached the first side alley I turned uphill and managed to escape from the crowds. The visit was very nice ... it was a Porto Rican family and the dad had lived and worked in Singapore before. Now it's 2pm and I cannot return home. Streets and roads are all closed to traffic and the muslims coming out of the Mosque from noon prayers number by tens of thousands. I cannot fight against the current to get home so I'm spending the afternoon in my office in West Jerusalem. Goodness knows how many hours I need to stay here till the crowds disperse. From experience and also advice from neighbors, the crowds should leave by past midnight. Good luck to me.

Scarified

Lights around Herod's Gate

I barely slept 3 hours last night as the noise from the streets were unbearably loud .... kids screaming and crying, adults talking at the top of their voices, motorbikes roaring up and down the street. Next year I'm moving out when Ramadan comes around. Well there is the good side of Ramadan .... great food on sale, lots of different desserts, festive lights .... but when it carries on till 3am then it becomes a nightmare.

One man's feast is another man's nightmare.

Exams continued today. Lots of our students were nervous. In the govt schools, secondary and tertiary students are also having their exams. Lots of stress ... but in 2 weeks all will be over and summer holidays begin. The students would have forgotten about exams for the next 3 months. Well I for one am for stricter exams and more rigorous teaching of english. Yesterday an online newspaper actually used the word "scarified". Honestly????? Scarified??????? don't you mean "scared" or "frightened"????  http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4975170,00.html

Lots of fruit sold late in the night

Well BBC is now reporting the great fire in London and the reporter actually said "the causation of the fire". What???? Isn't it "cause of the fire?" Even BBC english is going down the drain. Bring back the English exams during job interviews.

The heat is quite bad these few days and I feel sick just thinking about going out to work. This morning I thought I was going to faint while climbing up the hill to work. And imagine doing that walk after only 3 hours of sleep. Well as you can see from today's blog ... the world's problems can take a backseat while I deal with my own problems. First thing is sleep .... Tomorrow is Corpus Christi and I intended to go to our Jaffa monastery to sleep and rest. Fat Chance. We have a meeting in the afternoon so during the morning I must prepare the agenda. There goes another holiday ... another day to rest.

Feast of St. Anthony of Padua

Statue and relic of St.
Anthony

June 13th is a solemnity for us in the Holy Land because it's the feast of the Patron of the Custody of the Holy Land. St. Anthony of Padua (or Lisbon depending if you're portuguese). There was a solemn Mass at the parish church of St. Saviour which is the seat of the Custody, and the parish of St. Anthony in Jaffa celebrated it later in the afternoon.

The statue and relic of St. Anthony was brought out onto an altar near the sanctuary in St. Saviour's church. It was splendidly done by our korean sacristan Sr. Concettina Kim, a sister of the Pious Disciples of the Divine Master congregation. St. Anthony is very popular among the arab christians, and little children on the day of their baptism and the feast of St. Anthony, wear the franciscan habit as a sign of St. Anthony's protection. I think this is due to the legend that St. Anthony once revived a dead boy. Few people know but St. Anthony was a young friar whom St. Francis of Assisi met him and gave some instructions.

The Custos with children dressed
as franciscans in Jaffa

Tomorrow is back to work and Thursday is another holiday - the Solemnity of Corpus Christi. I hope I can have some free time to rest. Today was a nightmare as I had calls and visits that were totally unscheduled. Then in the evening I had to go far out into the City to speak with a chinese group. It was at a hotel on the outskirts and reaching the place is very complicated. Now I'm home .... tired and hoping to go to bed without further disturbance. And being hungry I stopped byArab Fried Chicken to buy dinner. I really like that place ... or rather the food. Anyway my head is very giddy and I nearly blacked out twice. That's exhaustion.

Meantime there's news and a video of thousands of ultra-orthodox jews in New York demonstrating against the compulsory drafting of their youths to the Israeli military service. This is solidarity with the ultra-orthodox jews here in Israel who have not only been rioting the past few weeks but also attacking soldiers.  http://www.haaretz.com/us-news/.premium-1.795270

Touring tunnels and ancient pools

Farewell dinner at Mandarin's

Last night the fare-well dinner went pretty well. Almost everyone came on time. Only Johannes could not make it as he was guiding a group. There were 9 of us in all .... and Mandarin Restaurant had a big makeover. New chairs and tables ... and a round glass turn-table that doesn't work. We had the usual rice and noodles and sweet-sour pork  .... and Therese made zongzi (rice dumplings). It was a farewell dinner for Deacon Philip Huang who studied here for 4 years now and will return to Hong Kong for his ordination. He's a great guy ... quiet but very disciplined and strong in his values and principles. He'll make a great priest. It was also a farewell to Therese Yuen who studied at the Hebrew University, earning an MA in biblical studies. She's very studious, often coming to use our library and she's a very good cook.

Going down the Canaanite tunnel

The dinner was especially great because Sr. Maria Ko found time to join us. She was my professor 26 years ago and I am professor to Philip. That makes 3 generations. And there was also permanent deacon Peter Fan from Ottawa diocese but originally from Hong Kong. That's the chinese religious community here in Jerusalem. Hopefully it'll grow.

I got home by 11pm last night from the dinner and tried to sleep but the noise from the Ramadan crowds kept me awake. There's this crazy guy who rides his T-Max up and down our road till 3am. If you know the T-Max, its a monster that roars so loudly you can hear it 1 km away on a Jerusalem night. And it was less than 4 meters from my room. And then I had class at 4am which meant I had to prepare my lessons at 3am. I hate Mondays.

At the Pool of Siloam

In the afternoon, though utterly exhausted, I accompanied 4 of my students to visit the ancient Canaanite tunnels and the Gihon Spring in the ancient City of David - today in the arab village of Silwan. We went down the very steep entrance tunnel and I showed them the Upper Pool where King Solomon was anointed king and where Isaiah prophesied the Emmanuel prophecy. It was a fantastic trip .... extremely tiring as it was going down and up very steep slopes, sometimes in the hot sun. We ended up in the Pool of Siloam where Jesus told the blind man to wash his eyes. I think the students learnt a couple of things that they've never heard off. I was more than exhausted climbing up the hill back home but I was very satisfied that my students are still interested to learn even after the exams.

Ordination Day

Basilica of Gethsemane - ordination
of deacons this morning

This morning 17 of my students were ordained deacons. The Basilica of Gethsemani was packed with family, friends and religious. Unfortunately it was very very hot in there as there are no windows and no aircons or fans. I managed to congratulate several of the candidates before the Mass but because of the heat and crowd, I decided to leave when the Mass started. Walking down to Gethsemane and up again home is very difficult for me. The Kidron Valley where the Garden of Gethsemane is situated is very deep ... and with the heatwave ... I had to stop several times to rest.

In order to get to the ordination Mass at 10am, I had to wake up at 3am, celebrated my Mass at 4am and finished as much work as I could till 9am. Now I'm exhausted. Need to rest. But tonight I have to organise a dinner for another student from Taiwan who will return in a few days for his priestly ordination so I'm gathering the chinese religious for a meal and say goodbye. Hope it'll work out fine. I'm just so tired to do any planning.

Sun at 6am

Well the sun rises earlier each day ... by 4am (3am solar time) the first rays are out and the Ramadan fast begins. By 6am the sun is so bright it looks like noon ... and the heat also gets unbearable. Groups are getting less but we think it'll pick up in July when school holidays in the northern hemisphere begins.

This coming Tuesday is the Feast of St. Anthony which means I get a holiday ... and on Thursday is Corpus Christi so it's another holiday. But whether I really get to rest is another matter. I should go to Hadassah Hospital as one of the doctors there made an appointment for me ... I might have a melanoma which they want to check. Also my tooth is aching so I might to go to the dentist. But without medical insurance, the fees are very high so that deters me from seeing a doctor. Luckily I've a steady stock of other medicines and that saves me a lot. Thanks to benefactors in Sydney, America and HK.

Genocide of Christians

El Wad street packed like sardines

What a tiring morning. Was up at 3.30am to prepare for Mass at 6am in the Holy Sepulchre with some of my students. They booked the Mass and asked me to preside as for most of them it'll be the last Mass before they get ordained deacons tomorrow morning. For those who can afford, their parents have come for the ordination ... but for those who can't, they're alone without family. It's sad ... so I try to be around them. I know what it's like to be a foreigner. Hope they'll have a meaningful celebration tomorrow.

Well I didn't just have one Mass at 6am ... I had another Mass in the Empty Tomb at 8am for the filipino community from our parish of St Anthony in Jaffa. And at the end of both Masses I had to bring first my students then the filipino community to visit the whole basilica of the Holy Sepulchre and explain the different places inside. After that at 9.30am I had a bible class with the filipino community as well. At the same time there was a thesis defines of one of our students and a conference that I was to attend. So many things at the same time. I also had to rush home to close the university library at 12pm. I was dead tired but I still had to clean up my room. Tried to rest for half an hour but the phone kept ringing.

Jews and muslims
jostle at
Damascus Gate

Yesterday was Ramadan Friday and I had to work till night as usual. I try to get home between 8.30pm an 9pm when the muslims are at home eating so the streets are empty. But because I got called to do this and that ... I could only reach Damascus Gate at 9.30pm. What a mistake. Tens of thousands of muslims were flocking into the Old City for prayers at the Al Aqsa Mosque after dinner. And to make it worse, it was the Jewish Sabbath so hundreds of Jews were coming out of the City after evening prayers. It was a jam I never want to experience again. El Wad street (ancient Tyropoen Valley) is the common artery that people of all 3 religions cross ... and it's the road that leads to my home. It was jammed packed with people going both ways. And to top it all with the heat people were fainting there were several ambulances trying to squeeze through the crowds to get to the sick. What chaos. Well next time I'll definitely time my walk home a lot better ... either that or I come home after midnight when the streets are less crowded.

News continue to flow out about killings of christians in Egypt, Syria and Iraq but not much has been reported on the major news entities. It's so sad but the fact is the world has forgotten about the GENOCIDE of Middle-Eastern Christians. Or the world doesn't want to know about it ... which is worse.  https://t2gospel.wordpress.com/2017/06/02/im-afraid-to-look/

More heat

Pouring water down
on the crowds

It's well over 35 degrees now and the crowds for Friday Ramadan prayers are finding it difficult to cope ... especially with the fasting. Many have resorted to drinking water. Shop owners and residents on the upper floors constantly pour water on the people to cool them down. Others buy bottles of water to wet their faces and necks. There're still 2 more weeks of Ramadan to go so if this heat keeps up, many will find it a difficult struggle.

As usual on Ramadan Fridays, the police block off Damascus and Herod's Gates .... anyone trying to go enter Damascus Gate from New Gate will have to make a big detour round the arab bus station and car park and go to the Musrara neighborhood which is the only entry point to Damascus Gate. And exit? I don't know ... there're so many thousands coming into the City it's practically impossible to go against the current and go out. I had to take the side streets and alleys within the Old City to get to work ... but it's a very steep hill and the streets have in all over 100 steps ... and in this heat ... I just felt like collapsing halfway through. It's so hot the Sea of Galilee has dropped to its lowest point in 97 years.  http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4972407,00.html

While the rest of you enjoy the benefits of eBay and other online shops, here in Israel it's a nightmare. Everyone has experienced it but nobody talks about it ... till yesterday's newspaper article studied the problem which is mainly the very high charges. Customs charges and taxes can come up to 50% of the purchase price. That dissuades people from shopping online.  http://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/business/1.794408

And if you think that's expensive ... yesterday also featured a study on just how much toiletries cost in Israel ... 36% to 91% more than other countries. That's how expensive life is here.  http://www.globes.co.il/en/article-economy-minister-imported-toiletries-cost-48-more-in-israel-1001191694

Full moon over Damascus Gate

Well no use complaining as the prices are not likely to come down. So we'll live as simply as we can ... grateful for the little that we have. And enjoy things that cost nothing ... like the cool evening breeze, and the full moon over our City.

Extreme heat

AFC in East Jerusalem

Last night passed pretty calmly ... no major violence. The streets were packed with people though and a military helicopter kept flying overhead. I decided to go home through Herod's Gate to avoid the major crowd .... Herod's Gate being a minor gate so fewer people use it. Along the way I bought some Arab Fried Chicken ... the local version of KFC. I've been working late every night these past few weeks and have no food back home so I needed to buy something to eat. It's quite reasonable ... good actually. The chicken pieces are not cooked and placed on a tray waiting for your order. Instead the chicken pieces are cooked only when you order, so it's fresh and juicy. And it's cheaper than Broaster Chicken, the rival food chain. It would be the best and most convenient meal if not for Ramadan. The shop opens only at sunset because cooked food is forbidden on sale during the fasting hours.

4 pieces of chicken, fries, bun,
coleslaw, garlic mayonnaise and a
can of Cola for 50 shekels

The weather has become stifling. It was 34 degrees today and 26 last night. So hot I couldn't sleep ... I had to walk in the terrace twice ... it was so much cooler outside as there was a wind blower. The room instead is like an oven because the building is built with stones ... the stones keep the heat of the day and release the heat during the night. It's good for winter ... but summer it's unlivable. I might have to pour water on the roof in order to cool down the stones. Weather forecast is hotter days to come. I dread that thought.

Tomorrow is Friday and the roads tonight will be closed again in order to contain the tens of thousands of muslims entering the Old City. I doubt I will go to work as the roads will be unnavigable either because of the crowds or because of the road blocks. Ramadan Fridays means Stay-Home Fridays. I just need to check that I have sufficient medicine for tomorrow as it will not be possible to buy medicines when pharmacies close.

Timing

Wasted bread each evening

The cannon just fired ... time for the muslims to eat as sunset has begun. Now that the strict law of arresting muslims who violate the fasting during daytime, there are fewer muslims eating and drinking openly. But still you see them. They are tired ... tired of a tiny extremist group that tries to command their lives, enforce their views on the majority ... and of course the relentless heat which Ramadan falls for the past 5 years. The severing of ties by 4 arab countries with Qatar has embolden the moderate majority of muslims here to eat and drink in a discreet but not hidden way. That's because Qatar pays the extremists here ... and now that the funds are being cut off, the influence of the extremists are also collapsing.

But still the main feast begins when the cannon is fired. So much food is cooked and not all is eaten or given to the poor. This morning I saw boxes of bread by the roadside ... fed to the birds. What a shame. when the cannon is fired each evening, thousands of muslims gather in the Al Aqsa esplanade for a free meal that other muslims offer. Well they should be poor ... but we see them arriving in BMWs, parking outside the Old City then enter the mosque to be"poor" to get a free meal.

Lock-down of my street

Last night I came home at 9.30pm after work and found my street was locked down by the police. Something must have happened but nobody was saying. Everyone was turned away and only residents in our neighbourhood were allowed to enter to go home. I wonder what happened.

The past 4 nights I had to work ... i.e. meet a pilgrim group. It got very tiring as I have to walk up 1km in the very hot weather at the exact time between 5pm and 5.45pm in order to avoid the crowds of muslims entering the Old City to pray. Then coming home is a lot more tricky. The only window which allows you to enter the Old City is 8pm to 9pm while all the muslims are eating. The streets are empty. But once dinner is over, tens of thousands will flock out of the Old City to walk, chat and watch street performances till 3am. So it gets very stressful for me as I have to time myself just right. Last Sunday after visiting a Singapore group I was stuck outside Damascus Gate for 2 and a half hours before I could even try to enter the City. That was 11.45pm!!! I am really tired of all this work in the night. Daytime I have 2 libraries to supervise and so many classes to teach. It's summer!!!! Give me a break!!!

Bazaars day and night

Ramadan night bazaar

News just in ... terrorist attack at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. It never stops ... and will not unless European countries wake up and realize that this is a war. Not isolated incidents but a consistent pattern of attacks. I say it's all the consequence of "political correctness". To avoid calling things with their true names, invent euphemisms for evil ... you end up with this. History is reversed: the Saracens have entered the Crusader lands and begun conquering.

Meantime western hypocrisy continues. White House was lighted in the Union Jack while the Eiffel Tower turned off its lights in memory of the Manchester/London killings ... but for the murdered Coptic Christians who were no less human there was no such public show of solidarity. Don't tell me that there were people praying for them ... that's not my issue. I'm talking about governmental public recognition of the loss of human lives .... Middle-Eastern christians are dying in a genocide but their lives are apparently cheap and disposable. Not a single christian European country flashed the Egyptian Flag. Only Israel ... a Jewish State .... flew the Egyptian Flag in Tel Aviv's municipality building. Now the Islamists are in the European countries ... conquering it's spirit, subjugating it's ideals to fear, confusion and division. No Joan of Arc, no Richard the Lion Heart will rise from such a society. "Christian" Europe has lost Christ.

Meantime local tensions are high when riots broke out in an arab village that led to one youth being shot dead.  http://www.timesofisrael.com/father-arab-leaders-accuse-cops-of-murder-after-man-killed-in-riot/

Turning the tables, Israeli extremists have vandalized arab property in East Jerusalem, calling for "Death to Arabs".  http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4971611,00.html

Day bazaar at Safra Square

Well despite all the bad news, Jerusalem tries to be festive. It diffuses much of the tensions. In East Jerusalem which is arab ... night bazaars spring up everywhere for Ramadan revellers. In West Jerusalem which is Jewish, there is a day bazaar at Safra Square (Municipality Square) as well s the weekly night bazaar all along Jaffa Street. Let's hope people on both sides realize that life is precious and not worth killing it off.

Enforced fasting

Thistles have dried out

The weather is continuing to be fluctuating between very hot in the daytime to cold in the nights. Not at all nice. I usually like the heat but this year the heat is killing me ... I have no strength to walk up to work at all. The heat just drains away my energy. And to show you how hot it is, the thistles int eh fields and roadsides are all dried before time. They've become brown and spiky. No wonder we only had a couple of weeks when artichokes were on sale. Artichokes are the immature thistles that we cook and eat. But because the weather was too hot, they've all dried up and turned spiky before they can be harvested and cooked. What a waste. I like artichokes.

Bread seller in
Ramadan

I mentioned in an earlier blog that I noticed this year the muslims are a lot more relaxed about Ramadan and Fasting. Food and drinks are sold in the streets ... you even see muslims drinking and eating and smoking though discretely. Yesterday the Palestinian Authorities asked the Muslim Authorities to enforce a strict ban on eating and drinking during Ramadan. Any Muslim caught will be imprisoned for a month. That is really tough ... and I doubt many muslims like it even though they don't dare to oppose it. I think the laced reaction is due to the past years of fasting during the hottest seasons of the year, and also a reaction to the extremism of fanatical islam. Well the PA is not taking it lightly but the enforcement of this law would be the 1st time in Palestine's history and will set a precedence that a political institution can direct the course of the Supreme Court.    http://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/Palestinian-Authority-bans-public-eating-during-Ramadan-494765

Some violence were nipped in the bud yesterday when the Israeli Security arrested several terrorists who had planned to attack jewish visitors in the Al Aqsa Mosque. http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4971315,00.html

But on a positive note, there's the news that a jewish nurse is breastfeeding an arab baby because his mother is in serious condition and father died in a car accident. Other jewish women on social media volunteered, some offering to travel 270 km just to care for the baby. It's very touching. Every mother with a baby would understand. It crosses cultures.  http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4971345,00.html