False alarm

The little crowd

Yesterday was the 3rd Lenten Pilgrimage Mass - this time held at the Flagellation Chapel. It is a very small place so more than half the church was filled by the clergy. The crowd that came had to sit mostly in the courtyard. Wasn't a huge crowd but enough to fill half the courtyard. Most were nuns and friars, with only a couple of lay people. The Gospel is the Passion according to John and is sung in 3 parts. Next week the pilgrimage Mass will be celebrated at the Condemnation Chapel.

Bird's eyeview

Yesterday there was panic and chaos in Tel Aviv .... for a while. The war siren sounded as a test run but the public were poorly informed so confusion and panic set in.  http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/i-was-in-the-shower-and-thought-missiles-were-falling-on-israel-1.420081  If they had only lived in Jerusalem ... we get this almost every other week. In fact we're so used to it, if the real thing happened, we'd not take it seriously.

If there's any panic in Jerusalem, it's when Israeli police enter schools during school hours to arrest arab children for throwing stones.  http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/israel-s-border-police-entering-east-jerusalem-schools-in-search-of-stone-throwers-1.419851  I'm against kids throwing stones; I think it should be stopped. But to kidnap kids off the streets or crashing into schools with weapons is crossing the line. I wonder why war sirens don't sound when these raids take place.

Mother's Day

Kids on holiday today

In Palestine and the arab world, Mother's Day is celebrated on March 21st. Today school children seem to have a holiday. Shops selling flowers, guys buying them for their mothers. Kitsch toys and souvenirs for Mothers' Day pack the shops in the streets - all made in China. Well I guess its a good excuse for people to take a break from the tensions and war. Let them enjoy.

The elbow epicondylitis is crippling me as I can no longer hold moderate-weight objects. The brace helps but it cuts off circulation of the blood if I wear it for too long. I'm definitely not going to a physio as it'll cost an arm and a leg. But I also need it to heal fast. Any remedies you can suggest?

Tourist group at the museum

I was surprised to find the Damascus Gate museum has reopened. It used to be the City Gate and military post of Aelia Capitolina (the romanised city of Jerusalem in 130 AD). I remember it had several chambers, exhibiting artifacts from that era. I should go back and have a look ... it might have new stuff in there.

A very sad scene on the Mount of Olives today - the 3 french killed in the Toulouse shooting were buried here: Rabbi Sandler and his two sons aged 3 and 6. I can't imagine the sheer and awful distress of Mrs Sandler whose world has turn upside down. She lost her entire family. What a terrible day for her... on Mother's Day.

The Ladder

Finally and finally I got my document. Sigh of relief. Travelled the usual 90 km to get there, spent over US$100 on transport and after many apologies from the Consul, I got my document.

Safra Square and the date palms

The weather is still very chilly despite the sun shining. Yesterday the weather forecast website read 6 degrees but feels like -4. It certainly did. Freezing. But in Netanya today it was about 24 degrees and very humid. Felt more like summer. This evening it's alot more warm ... so much so that the bats are out. They're fruit eating bats and there were dozens flitting round the date palms of Kikar Safra (Safra Square) - they're huge things, about a foot in length. People stopped to look at this wondrous sight as they bite on ripen dates while in flight, causing the fruit to fall on the ground. You can't see the bats in the photo but they're there ... too quick for the camera to snap.

Had a nice slow dinner with Leonardo at Pera e Mela (Pear and Apple) - an italian restaurant of 20 years standing. Owners and cooks are italians. Good homemade fare. I'm not particularly fond of italian food, but this was ok. Hope my stomach doesn't rebel tonight.

Saw parts of the funeral of Pope Shenouda live broadcast on computer. Total and utter chaos at St Bishoy Monastery where the pontiff was to be interred. The police simply lost control and the crowds surged toward the hearse.

The infamous ladder

Well everyone is talking about Easter. It'll be more calm this year as the Orthodox Easter falls a week after ours. Less confusion in the Holy Sepulchre, less tensions. I couldn't resist snapping a photo of the "Status Quo Ladder" that is put out during Lent in the Holy Sepulchre ... a relic of times past, dictated by the Status Quo law. Nobody remembers why it was put there, but it must be there. I guess life sometimes is like that - we do things that many times we don't even know why, maybe simply out of habit, without reflecting or evaluating. Perhaps the uncontrollable chaos at the Pope's funeral was something like that. We just feel better doing it ... and we feel uncomfortable and insecure if we don't. I wonder why. What's your "status quo ladder" in life?

Utter despair

Today is the feast of St Joseph, spouse of Mary, protector of the Holy Family. Although there were celebrations all around the country for this feast, I was totally out of sync. Thats because my document is here in Tel Aviv but I can't get it because the clerk working at the Singapore Consulate is utterly incompetent. She doesn't work everyday and she didn't and still doesn't do anything to help a citizen of Singapore .... but she gets paid by Singapore taxpayers. I am boiling mad. Her two best answers today when I called to insist I get my documents tomorrow morning - 1) "I'm not in the office now so I can't tell you anything. Not working hours"; 2) "We're a consulate not an embassy. We don't open everyday." I have reached from anger to despair .... I see that a Singapore citizen means nothing to the Consulate here even though it receives its salary from Singapore taxpayers.

In the meantime we received news just a few hours ago that yesterday's bomb explosion in Aleppo, Syria occurred at our Franciscan Church and monastery. Part of the building walls have been destroyed. Luckily the children of the care centre had been evacuated a few minutes earlier otherwise there would have been many dead and wounded. Despair .... St Joseph protector of children, pray for them.

Pope Shenouda R.I.P.

Coptic Pope Shenouda died yesterday. Head of the largest Christian Church in the Middle East, Pope Shenouda had to steer the church through rocky times and time again, even being exiled, he managed to serve as the bulwark and protector of the Christian minority in a muslim nation. Today the pope was placed on his throne as people came to pay their respects. He will be buried soon. It might be news to you that the title "pope" was first used by the Coptic Patriarch and then later assumed also by the Bishop of Rome. In Jerusalem, Coptic and Ethiopic christians have been mourning and carrying pictures of the pope in the streets.

Very well done

The weather has become so very cold, everyone is complaining. The wind is not biting or cutting - it slices right through bone and sinew. It's nothing like we've experienced in these past 10 years. Yesterday evening I went out with a friend to a bistro that caters for orthodox Jews. Photos of rabbis hung on the wall. All the patrons were in black and white. It was very funny, I thought at one moment. Anyway I had a forbidden piece of cappuccino cheesecake which tasted really good .... I took it only because my friend said he'd share half with me. Luckily he took most of it, thus saving me from a bad reaction of diabetes.

Cactus parade

Today I had to go to Tel Aviv to retrieve a document ... but the office was not opened. Walked down the Boulevard, had an orange juice at my usual Arcaffe. Haven't been here for so many months. The Boulevard still looked familiar, though very cold from the strong winds. The koi were still in the pond in the middle of the Boulevard. Caffes and restaurants were less crowded, and the few patrons huddled indoors. Al fresco dining was out. Few trees had their leaves on ... and a lovely bed of cacti in front of a typical Telavivian bauhouse caught y attention. An ordered parade of rounded thorns - so emblematic of the bureaucratic and human foibles that make the retrieval of my documents an impossible task.

Saturday

Sunrise

It feels almost like summer if you judge by the time of sunrise. This morning I was surprised to see the sun rising at 5.17am. Really early .... but the very cold wind tells me Spring is reluctant to leave. My weather forecast website say 8 degrees but Praveen says his site knotched 4 degrees. It certainly feels like it. People are all wrapped up despite the lovely sun shining now. Crispy and cold.

Fan, Huang, Shi & Kang (L-R)

This morning was a crazy rush of activities. Hate it especially when you have implant and elbow problems. Had a class, meantime a guest came, then an emergency call came. Finally had time to go out to lunch with the chinese group of students. We're getting quite a big group - Fan who's a permanent deacon from Ottawa but originally from Hong Kong; Huang a layman from Montreal but originally from ShanDong; Shi from Hebei and Kang who's originally spanish but is now 18 years in Taiwan. I hear there's also a Singaporean student around but I couldn't contact her. Lunch was at Legacy's since the whole of West Jerusalem is closed due to Sabbath. I couldn't eat anything as I felt very unwell. Just had a small bowl of mushroom soup.

Yesterday's Marathon went well despite the heavy shower of hail and rain at 10am. Many braved the awful weather and completed most of the 32 kms. Security was tight as only yesterday a soldier was stabbed on the Light Rail.  http://www.jpost.com/NationalNews/Article.aspx?id=262119

Meanwhile tensions were high in some parts of the country as Palestinians demonstrated right after noonday prayers. Some were injured, one by a police dog (Belgian shepherd) who refused to let go.  http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/several-injured-in-friday-west-bank-demonstrations-1.419118

Stabbing

Fra Ovidio R.I.P.

Fra Ovidio died 2 days ago. He's a robust spanish friar who was in charge of our religious objects. Many groups that come here would have known him. After several years of suffering cancer, he finally died in the infirmary. Always a brave man, typically spaniard ... right up to the end. I've known him since I was a student here 20 years back. Can be gruff but always with a soft spot. He always offered me coffee and cakes (from Spain) whenever I stop by his office. Always with a crackling laugh and a slap on the back ... and his memorable "Bueno!" God will reward him abundantly. R.I.P.

The weather has turned cold and rainy again. The wind is biting icy. Still the Jerusalem Marathon went ahead this morning. 32 km in all. I wonder how many people actually took part. http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/thousands-set-off-for-the-second-jerusalem-marathon-1.418968

Beginning of warmer days ...

Despite the change in weather, al fresco cafes are opening up ... a sure sign that summer is round the corner, if not already in. The occasional shower sends patrons scattering indoors but soon they're out again with their coffee and cakes. Can't wait for summer holidays to come.

Meantime I have to deal with the pain - implant and epicondylitis. My face is still swollen and the pain though reduced is still lingering. Am on painkillers ... which is killing two birds with one stone since it also helps with the pain on the elbows. My left arm is still braced with wrist and elbow guards.

Yesterday a soldier was stabbed while riding the Jerusalem Light Rail. Awful ... and just in the height of the Gaza-Israel bombings. http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/israeli-soldier-stabbed-on-jerusalem-light-rail-1.418835  Tensions are high and everyone is unhappy that relationship between arabs and jews have soured again. Now it's suspicion and anger and hatred ... the fragile peace we've enjoyed the past year all shattered by one act of violence. Now we'll have more security checks in the City Gates, in street corners ... more obstacles both physical and psychological. It makes living here a wearisome chore.