Monday, April 20, 2009
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Terrorist attempt
Yesterday a terrible terrorist attempt was made in front on our monastery. At about 5pm a muslim terrorist came passed our monastery on his way to the 3rd Station crossroads where Jews were going to the Wailing Wall to pray. As he came pass our monastery, Fr Lino, our septuagenarian professor emeritus was coming home. He got pushed to the ground and his hand was cut by the knife the guy was carrying. The guy then went on to Ecce Homo and struck 2 Indian pilgrims before rushing on to the 3rd Station where soldiers over-powered him. It was lucky that Fr Lino was not seriously hurt. But we were all shocked by this event.
The enormous bells (Orthodox) of the Holy Sepulchre are all ringing right now as I write - signaling the Resurrection (It's Easter Vigil for the Orthodox today). The Sacred Fire that "appears" in the Empty Tomb is carried out by the Orthodox Patriarchs (Greek, Armenian, Coptic and Syriac) to the faithful who literally fight for it. But despite this Easter rejoicing, the fact is that we're still living in hatred and fear; in persecution and terrorism. We believe the death and resurrection of Christ has overcomed all this evil, but it takes time for it to unfold.
Yesterday the Holy Sepulchre bells belonging to the Greek Orthodox were tolling the death knell (Good Friday) ... even into the night. Very foreboding because the neighbours' damn cat killed our 2nd canary last night - this time it's little jughead. The cat grabbed its leg through the net and ate it. Poor little jughead died bleeding. And it's the 2nd time the cat(s) has done this. The night before, the cats jumped on one of the breeding cages and threw it down on the floor, smashing the feeding troughs and the nest with 2 eggs in it. All the other birds were scared and refused to eat the whole day. I had to keep them inside the school last night; but that's when the cat(s) got little jughead, who was in the large cage in the courtyard. Last week the cat(s) got one of our yellow males. Same thing - had a leg missing. Everyone here has agreed something drastic has to be done with the cat(s) - there're actually 3 of them.
The enormous bells (Orthodox) of the Holy Sepulchre are all ringing right now as I write - signaling the Resurrection (It's Easter Vigil for the Orthodox today). The Sacred Fire that "appears" in the Empty Tomb is carried out by the Orthodox Patriarchs (Greek, Armenian, Coptic and Syriac) to the faithful who literally fight for it. But despite this Easter rejoicing, the fact is that we're still living in hatred and fear; in persecution and terrorism. We believe the death and resurrection of Christ has overcomed all this evil, but it takes time for it to unfold.
Yesterday the Holy Sepulchre bells belonging to the Greek Orthodox were tolling the death knell (Good Friday) ... even into the night. Very foreboding because the neighbours' damn cat killed our 2nd canary last night - this time it's little jughead. The cat grabbed its leg through the net and ate it. Poor little jughead died bleeding. And it's the 2nd time the cat(s) has done this. The night before, the cats jumped on one of the breeding cages and threw it down on the floor, smashing the feeding troughs and the nest with 2 eggs in it. All the other birds were scared and refused to eat the whole day. I had to keep them inside the school last night; but that's when the cat(s) got little jughead, who was in the large cage in the courtyard. Last week the cat(s) got one of our yellow males. Same thing - had a leg missing. Everyone here has agreed something drastic has to be done with the cat(s) - there're actually 3 of them.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Collecting eggs
So it was a very tense day here in the Old City. The jewish Passover ended last night and it's Simchat Torah today. Unfortunately the call for jews to enter the Dome of the Rock (where the ancient Temple used to stand) today to pray has raised alarm among the muslims who began to protest. Police everywhere, soldiers too. Terrible tense. http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1239710704144&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
And today is also Maundy Thursday for the Orthodox. They're packing the Old City - those little old ladies with their foldable chairs. To prevent another annual fight among the various Orthodox communities and their processions, police are also out in full force in the Holy Sepulchre. It looks terrible, riot police with guns and shields inside a church. I wanna get a photo of it!
And I haven't quite slept off my exhaustion. I'm a zombie shuffling between the library and my room and the courtyard of the canaries. This morning Majed our watchman and Jadallah brought me to our hidden garden - it's a piece of property behind our monastery that's always locked up. It's really big, almost an entire block of open space surrounded by a greek orthodox church on the east and houses on all other sides. And .... Majed has decided to keep chickens in there. There're about 8 of them and about a dozen chicks. This morning we went to collect eggs - 6 in all, pretty small but considering what little the hens get to eat, it's a miracle. I'll boil 3 for the canaries to eat tomorrow and maybe I just might fry one for myself later ( or rather early in the morning like 3am, that's the only time i get to use the students' kitchen in the school).
Meantime the zombie is getting back to what zombie's do... which is whatever that's done in true blue braindead fashion.
And today is also Maundy Thursday for the Orthodox. They're packing the Old City - those little old ladies with their foldable chairs. To prevent another annual fight among the various Orthodox communities and their processions, police are also out in full force in the Holy Sepulchre. It looks terrible, riot police with guns and shields inside a church. I wanna get a photo of it!
And I haven't quite slept off my exhaustion. I'm a zombie shuffling between the library and my room and the courtyard of the canaries. This morning Majed our watchman and Jadallah brought me to our hidden garden - it's a piece of property behind our monastery that's always locked up. It's really big, almost an entire block of open space surrounded by a greek orthodox church on the east and houses on all other sides. And .... Majed has decided to keep chickens in there. There're about 8 of them and about a dozen chicks. This morning we went to collect eggs - 6 in all, pretty small but considering what little the hens get to eat, it's a miracle. I'll boil 3 for the canaries to eat tomorrow and maybe I just might fry one for myself later ( or rather early in the morning like 3am, that's the only time i get to use the students' kitchen in the school).
Meantime the zombie is getting back to what zombie's do... which is whatever that's done in true blue braindead fashion.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Go Susan go!
Just when I'm crawling out of my sluggish hibernation from that incredible tiredness (Fr Giorgio caught me in the library and said I still haven't slept enough), I went through the BBC news and caught this article on Susan Boyle http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/edinburgh_and_east/7999727.stm .... visited the Youtube posting and WOW!!! Like man! WOW!!!
And I thought Paul Potts was a whammer ... here is the country girl Susan Boyle!!! Watch it! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lp0IWv8QZY
Like most of the comments posted say - don't judge a book by its cover! She is fantastic! Go for it, girl! You could see Piers had a lump in his throat, and Amanda was going to cry. It said it all - everyone was a hypocrite who prejudged her before she sang.
But even greater that Susan was that priceless smile of Simon - you didn't even see him smile at the Paul Potts audition till the end, but here you see him raise his eyebrows in the first few seconds, and then that smile throughout the song. He was impressed. Someone finally made nasty Simon smile .... Catch him at 4.04 when Susan catches his eyes and he breaks out in a grin. For that few seconds you could see her eyes saying "You didn't think I can do it, did you?"
Susan is amazing! She proves that each and everyone of you has something great hidden and all it takes is a lucky break. You are better than you think you are. God created you for greater things. So go for it, people! Susan is proof of it!
And I thought Paul Potts was a whammer ... here is the country girl Susan Boyle!!! Watch it! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lp0IWv8QZY
Like most of the comments posted say - don't judge a book by its cover! She is fantastic! Go for it, girl! You could see Piers had a lump in his throat, and Amanda was going to cry. It said it all - everyone was a hypocrite who prejudged her before she sang.
But even greater that Susan was that priceless smile of Simon - you didn't even see him smile at the Paul Potts audition till the end, but here you see him raise his eyebrows in the first few seconds, and then that smile throughout the song. He was impressed. Someone finally made nasty Simon smile .... Catch him at 4.04 when Susan catches his eyes and he breaks out in a grin. For that few seconds you could see her eyes saying "You didn't think I can do it, did you?"
Susan is amazing! She proves that each and everyone of you has something great hidden and all it takes is a lucky break. You are better than you think you are. God created you for greater things. So go for it, people! Susan is proof of it!
Important!
Just a note to all of you who intend to send by mail your donations to the various projects here in the Holyland - DON'T !
Here in our part of Jerusalem, mail theft is very common. Only last month one such case occurred here inside our monastery. Mail not only go missing but sometimes we find them opened with contents partly or totally missing.
So please don't send anything important through the mail. Thanks.
Here in our part of Jerusalem, mail theft is very common. Only last month one such case occurred here inside our monastery. Mail not only go missing but sometimes we find them opened with contents partly or totally missing.
So please don't send anything important through the mail. Thanks.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Thanks
Thanks for all your greetings, cards, gifts and well-wishes. I received everything and appreciate your kind thoughts and prayers.
Also on behalf of the various communities, I wish to thank all those who contributed for the various intentions:
1. Sponsorship of children in Musky (Cairo) = US$1,300
2. Gaza = US$2,986
3. Holyland = US$1,343
4. Projects = US$2,302
5. Sponsorship of chinese clergy studying in Jerusalem = US$1,000
Also on behalf of the various communities, I wish to thank all those who contributed for the various intentions:
1. Sponsorship of children in Musky (Cairo) = US$1,300
2. Gaza = US$2,986
3. Holyland = US$1,343
4. Projects = US$2,302
5. Sponsorship of chinese clergy studying in Jerusalem = US$1,000
Bye Thiago
Well, I should have rested yesterday .... but things continued to overtake. Got a morning call from Sr. Regina (an African missionary sister of Calvary - spanish congregation) that I had to pick up an Easter gift in the morning. I managed to push it off till the afternoon. Fell asleep for only 15 minutes and then at 4pm had to go to the Holy Sepulchre to return some liturgy books I borrowed; (I was so tired and walking like a zombie, Mahmoud the cameraman came up to wish me happy easter and asked if I was ok as I looked very ill and lost/confused) then went down to Sr Regina's convent - the first time I've been inside. It's beautiful, clean and bright. They had baked me a cake ... very nice of them. Well what preceded this was Maundy Thursday, when we finished praying in the Garden of Gethsemani, I saw from among the 15,000 people some of the sisters. The walk up the Kidron valley to their convent is almost 2 km up a steep hill, so I offered them a ride in our bus. They were very thankful for that ... hence the cake! Oh and they asked me to stay and rest awhile and have a cup of tea and traditional arab Easter cookies baked like a crown of thorns and the sponge (filled with vinegar, but in this case filled with dates). I must look like a wreck because everyone can see I'm sleepless and tired. Earlier Arafat another cameraman caught up with me at the 9th Station and asked if I was sick because I looked really bad.
Before I went to the Holy Sepulchre, I had to rush off to Bethlehem to say goodbye to my best friend Thiago, at 2pm. Our janitor Jadallah who nearly cut off his left hand yesterday in an accident, insisted on coming back to work, and he drove me to Bethlehem with one hand. He's a workaholic. Anyway I managed to meet Thiago in Nativity Square in front of the Basilica of the Nativity. We had a quick moment to say goodbye. He is really my best friend - he looks out for me and instinctively knows what I want for my filming (Thiago was my cameraman and editor). But above all he knows how to make me laugh. Thiago has a problem with his right shoulder (his filming shoulder) that caused inflamation and pain. He needs to go back to Brasil for medical care, but also eventually to marry Adileine; and he is not likely to be posted back here in Israel. But he'll be so happy back in Brasil. But the crew will miss him. I guess having to lose Thiago had also taken a toll on me. I'll never get another collaborator who can read my mind like him; and a friend who cares for my real needs, and not impose his/her own on me. He kept telling me to stay healthy and that I have to go to Brasil for his wedding.
And before that at 1.30pm some Italian friends stopped by and I was in the parlour chatting with them - have to help arrange their wedding here in Jerusalem. And before that was lunch. And before lunch I was catching the canaries with our cook Khalil to put them into 4 breeding cages. It took 3 hours to clean the cages, prepare the nesting material, food etc.. before catching them which is the toughest part. By the way the turtledove that managed to build its nest on the drainpipe has laid a second clutch of eggs. The first batch hatched and the two baby turtledoves have flown away.
So yesterday I had no rest at all, much as I wanted to. let's see if I'm lucky today.
Before I went to the Holy Sepulchre, I had to rush off to Bethlehem to say goodbye to my best friend Thiago, at 2pm. Our janitor Jadallah who nearly cut off his left hand yesterday in an accident, insisted on coming back to work, and he drove me to Bethlehem with one hand. He's a workaholic. Anyway I managed to meet Thiago in Nativity Square in front of the Basilica of the Nativity. We had a quick moment to say goodbye. He is really my best friend - he looks out for me and instinctively knows what I want for my filming (Thiago was my cameraman and editor). But above all he knows how to make me laugh. Thiago has a problem with his right shoulder (his filming shoulder) that caused inflamation and pain. He needs to go back to Brasil for medical care, but also eventually to marry Adileine; and he is not likely to be posted back here in Israel. But he'll be so happy back in Brasil. But the crew will miss him. I guess having to lose Thiago had also taken a toll on me. I'll never get another collaborator who can read my mind like him; and a friend who cares for my real needs, and not impose his/her own on me. He kept telling me to stay healthy and that I have to go to Brasil for his wedding.
And before that at 1.30pm some Italian friends stopped by and I was in the parlour chatting with them - have to help arrange their wedding here in Jerusalem. And before that was lunch. And before lunch I was catching the canaries with our cook Khalil to put them into 4 breeding cages. It took 3 hours to clean the cages, prepare the nesting material, food etc.. before catching them which is the toughest part. By the way the turtledove that managed to build its nest on the drainpipe has laid a second clutch of eggs. The first batch hatched and the two baby turtledoves have flown away.
So yesterday I had no rest at all, much as I wanted to. let's see if I'm lucky today.
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