Money speaks

We're expecting some 10,000 pilgrims this week to follow the pope in his pilgrimage to the Holyland. But as the reports states clearly - it's meant to support Israel's economy. http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1239710873750&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

Sponsorship

Name: Jacqueline NATHAN ABDUL-HANNA
DoB: 5 May1993
Class: Secondary One (2008-2009)
Sponsor: Benefactors from Hong Kong / Singapore
History: Jacqueline's father has no specific work. He is unemployed and tries wherever possible to do anything that is available. At the moment he occasionally works at the Franciscan monastery at Musky. Jacqueline has 3 elder sisters who study at university. Their educational expenses are partly paid for by their uncle. But transport and other school needs are paid by their father, who is ever trying to make ends meet.

Money matters

So the Tourist and Interior ministries of Israel see money as the main issue not to hand over churches in the Holyland to the Vatican. "If we were sure that this present to the Christian world would bring millions of Christian pilgrims here, then we would have a good reason to think about it," Tourism Minister Stas Meseznikov was quoted as saying. read all about it: http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1239710858577&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

And reactions on both Israeli and Palestinian sides to the Pope's visit are mixed. http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1239710855476&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

MacCheat

So strange things do happen - this time Canada says it's a man who gave the flu to the swine!!! The guy got the flu from Mexico and passed it to his pigs when he got home. No joke!!!! http://edition.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/05/03/swine.flu.canada/index.html Watch out! What next?

And by the way, the Israeli Big Mac IS unlike any other Big Mac - it's a cheat! There was no centre loaf; the beef patty was from the normal MacBurger; the lettuce was very tired looking and worse than the lettuce I feed my canaries; no onions or pickles or cheese when I asked for it. Hey anyone of you guys who know MacDonald's management - make a complaint for me. They're cheats in Jerusalem!

Kosher Big Mac

Studied the whole day yesterday - way after midnight as well. Only got 4 hours sleep. Which is just as well since it kept the asthma at bay.

3 baby canaries were born from the Red Factor pair. Let's hope the other pairs' eggs will also hatch soon. Everyone here is very excited and happy about it. Though they complain sometimes about the birds, the friars here actually love them - if they don't have to clean the cages and feed them, that is! Anyway with the fledglings out, that means extra feeding of eggs. I have to buy the eggs myself, boil them and feed the parent birds so they can in turn feed the fledglings.

This week is my turn to be hebdomedarius. (remember that word? it's latinised greek for "week" and is taken to mean the priest in charge of the liturgy for the week). I have Fr Lino and Fr Daniel to help out as well. Don't know what we'll arrange this week - maybe sing some hymns for Mass and vespers - usual thingy.

This weekend Sr Veronica has gone to the north (Galilee) so Sr Vicenta is left alone to cook in the kitchen, watch the 2 chapels for Masses, prayers etc.... water the 3 gardens ..... I could see she couldn't handle it from the 2nd hour. So despite my asthma and aching ankle, I helped out. Like I also help out the rest of today and last night - doing all the washing of plates, sweeping the courtyard, basic cooking etc..... Now I'm even more exhausted than ever. I need a weekend from this weekend!

I managed to grab an hour and a half to get out to the New City after Mass ended at 9am. Had to rush off to buy more canary things. Had to pass by MacDonald's as usual, where the birdshop is just right at the corner. Today I decided to do the unthinkable - get myself a Big Mac. How about that? 18 years passing by MacDonald's and I never batted an eyelid to the burger. But today I decided I wanted to do something different. Boy, the Big Mac is expensive - like 20 shekels or HK$80. But it's once in a lifetime so ..... and by the way, it's not like the Big Mac in other countries. This is Israel - we have kosher Big Macs I guess. Duuuuuuhhhh

ok even if it's Sunday, it's back to studies. Today being Good Shepherd Sunday - let's pray that we be good sheep.

Today

Today's Jpost article focussesd on Messianic Zionists - Jews who believe in Jesus and are Zionist at the same time. Sounds pretty complicated http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1239710831191&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

And more houses are being demolished by the State in East Jerusalem - terrible to see families helplessly watching bulldozers knock down eveything. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8028564.stm

So HK has its first case of H1N1. It was good to see on BBC news how prepared it tackled it's first case - impressive and definitely a model for other countries to follow. No chances taken. It's shameful how relaxed and naive some other places are when confronting this virus - some of the guys here from Europe say it's a culture of feeling embaressed and ridicule if one wears a mask; but i said that it was the same in HK before SARS and H5N1. All it takes is a little education and some public example by leaders to show that it's nothing wrong in taking precautions. Anyway way to go HK! Show the world how it's done!

Yesterday was the Feast of St Joseph the Labourer. We prayed for all workers. May St Joseph give us all an example of the dignity of work.

Yesterday

Another article on the pope's visit to the Holyland - this time more optimistic. http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1239710831760&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

Yesterday I was so into my writing my paper that mistook the time for dinner. When I got downstairs to the refectory, it was already all dark and dinner finished an hour before. Thank goodness for the stuff you guys sent up - could eat something in my room to fill the stomach.

Yesterday morning I got more medicine for Gaza as the sisters there called for help. There's not enough stock at the pharmacy so today I'll have to go back and get the rest of the stuff.

Also went to visit our doctor. The worst of my flu is over - it's the asthma that's worrying. I got a new batch of prednisolone as the ones I was taking dates 2007! Also I'll have to go back to the hospital to check many other things but the doc told me to wait till I'm over with the course of pred. before I travel up to Nazareth. Presuming it will be next week - I think it's going to be difficult because the pope will be in the Holyland and Nazareth will be packed with people. Let's see how it'll work out.

And it's good to know the PM Netanyahu is taking seriously the level 5 alert of H1N1. That's the official name of the virus since yesterday - no more "swine" or "Mexico". http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1239710828696&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

Another intersting news - world's oldest benedictine monk dies. http://edition.cnn.com/2009/US/04/30/oldest.monk.obit/index.html

SO much for now - have to continue with my work.