Feast of the Holy Cross

Police and military are on standby as Friday prayers begin. We're expecting some problems with muslim worshippers ....  http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/jerusalem-police-brace-for-protests-over-anti-islam-movie.premium-1.464851   Let's hope it won't get too bad ... but in this land, reason never rules; rumours rule. The sad thing is now the accusation that the film's maker is a christian. It will only fan more persecution of christians. The US embassy here has issued warnings to americans from going to Jerusalem today. Let's see if today's Way of the Cross will be canceled.

Now it's after the noon prayers .... the streets are deadly quiet. The soldiers have closed off our street. I hear several gunshots far away towards the Wailing Wall ... could be stun grenades. More volleys now. Could be serious. A helicopter is hovering very very low over the Dome of the Rock. Now we here that muslim youths have marched towards the US Consulate in E. Jerusalem but were turned back by riot police and stun grenades. Scuffles broke out.  http://www.jpost.com/NationalNews/Article.aspx?id=285114

Today we celebrate the feast of the Holy Cross. Solemn Mass at Mt. Calvary with procession around the Tomb. But it's poignancy lies in the fact that here we have to carry the cross ... to suffer constant persecution. The pope certainly knows that - he's started his 3 day visit to Lebanon and mentioned the plight of christians in the Middle East.

Thursday 13th

The violence in Libya that saw the deaths of 3 US diplomats have spread to Egypt, Yemen and even Gaza. Tomorrow Friday we expect some tension here in the Old City. Americans better stay out of the Muslim Quarter tomorrow.

Swollen like a melon

My ankles and heels are all swollen still. Cataflam has helped reduced the swell and pain but not enough. Have to stop walking ... but with the renovaitons in the library to oversee ... I doubt it. There're 2 floors in 2 buildings that need overseeing. Lots of climbing .... aaaaggghhhhh

So I'm hobbling all around the house. Moran my physiotherapist is asking to see me again but I simply don't have the time. Too much work.

The weather is changing quick. The nights get chilly. Easy to catch a cold ... so it's wrap up time.

On Sunday we start Rosh HaShana or the jewish New Year. A week later it's Yom Kippur or Day of Atonement and a week later is Succoth or Feast of Tents, ending 8 days later with Shimini Ezret and the day after, Simchat Torah. It's a whole month of feasts and most offices will be closed. Long holiday after the summer vacation.

9/11

Another memorial day ... 9/11 ... a time to consider our options and consequences. The tension is so palpable, it's reverberating here in our part of the world.

A day of heavy protests in the Territories ... one major showdown of simple ordinary folk against the Palestinian mis-government.  http://www.haaretz.com/news/middle-east/watch-violent-clashes-persist-as-palestinians-protest-rising-cost-of-living-in-west-bank.premium-1.464114

And a weapon's cache was uncovered under veggies at Damascus Gate .... like 300 metres from where I live. This is really frightening!  http://www.jpost.com/NationalNews/Article.aspx?id=284679

Swollen ankles and feet

My feet hurt sooo bad ... they're both swollen. It's a complex of tendonitis and some other pains ... now I'm on Cataflam to get the swell and pain down... but it makes me sleepy. The nausea and headaches have reduced alot, but not enough to make me cringe a couple of times a day. Coca-Cola seems to be the only remedy for me ....

But can you imagine some countries still don't sell Coca-Cola!!!!  http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-19550067

Thanks

Sincere thanks to Ma Po Ling, the O.T. group, Paulette, Cecilia Tsang, Monica, Mak, Winifred Ng & Brian Pun, Julia & Susan, Vincent Siu & family, Rose Chiu, Ken Yeung for your generosity and well-wishes.

Monastery church doors burnt

An unbelievably hectic week. And so much pain in my usual spots .... well at least I managed to survive another week in spite of the pain. I'm just trying to remember what a vacation feels like. Or a painless day.

Sunrise over Nazareth

Anyway it was fun to run into the Palestinian Trade Expo in Nazareth a couple of days ago. Pretty small by any standards but despite the constraints of space and products, it was a good show. It's the first time Israel has granted permits for Palestinian territory products to be showcased inside Israel. So I thought it was pretty nice. There was embroided clothes, glass products, ceramics, olive oil, beer from the Christian village of Taybeh, nuts of all types (the edible type, not the people!!!), linen products, metal products, furniture ... quite a vast array. And I got to see a lovely sunrise over the city of Nazareth. Fabulous sight.

Sunrise over the Annunciation
Basilica in Nazareth

There's been tensions in the streets. Road blocks everywhere, more police presence. I understand it's due to some violence resulting from Israelis taking over arab houses in Jerusalem. It's making the traffic intolerable ... all these road blocks.

But of course what shocked everyone was the burning of the Trappist Monastery's church doors and anti-christian graffiti sprayed all over.  http://edition.cnn.com/2012/09/04/world/meast/israel-monastery-attack/index.html?hpt=imi_c2   The fanatical fringe of zionist jews has gone too far. But like all the other attacks on christians these few months, nothing will be done. Just a shrug of the shoulders. And christians continue to get bashed.

Dead tired

Finally the paint goes
on the wall

An unbelievably busy day. Can't believe how I managed it despite the constant pain. There was the stress to get two rooms in the library painted in one day. Sounds simple enough except I have an arab painter who promised to come at 8am but arrived at 10.30am. Then  disappeared for an hour before returning to work at 11.30am after I called him 3 times to threaten. Knowing he can't finish the job because it was already midday, I started helping out in the painting. We finished the 2 rooms at 6pm. No lunch, no toilet breaks. I guess the painter felt guilty so he never complained but worked right through.

By the way, all the painting and plastering the last week .... destroyed all 3 of my bermudas. Sorry to you guys who donated them but paint and plaster respect nothing; not even bermudas. Promise I'll take better care of the future ones you'll be sending me .... right?

So I'm off to rest now. Need it. Otherwise my spleen will rupture, if it hadn't already ... so warned my doc.

Stromata 2

The weather has been characteristically hot though not heatwave level. And the nights are cold. Quite pleasant.

The door on the proposed
2nd floor

Have been working so much these last few days, despite my pain in the shoulder and tummy/spleen area. Painting,  plastering ... I'm getting good at it. Of course there're workers to do the job, but they're 3 months behind the dateline. I have no patience, so I dig in and do something to push them by grabbing the spatula or brush and working. When I work, they feel obliged to work as well. Otherwise it's long meal breaks, cigarette breaks ... it never ends.

A study on Israeli and arab youth violence show a frightening rising trend. http://www.jpost.com/Features/FrontLines/Article.aspx?id=283317  Well I can assure you in East Jerusalem, kids as young as 6 years throw glass bottles, spit, curse at foreigners ... and of course fight each other over nothing. And I mean not just kid fighting but really violent beatings and revenge attacks.

Fish cake & noodles

My stomach is still feeling sore; actually I'm not sure if it's my tummy or my spleen or whatever. No fever so that's a good sign. Haven't had an appetite for several days now but once in a while there is a pang of hunger and I cook instant noodles. This time round I managed to find a shop selling Thai fish cake! That was very nice. I think I'll go buy some more and store them. It's all sold frozen of course, but a quick 2 min. zap in the microwave oven makes it ready for eating.

Israel is biting it's lip as it nurses its hurt by travel warnings made by various countries. Actually I can come up with a few warnings myself ... but in the Territories of course. http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/visit-israel-at-your-own-risk-warn-many-western-countries-1.461842

By the way, if you haven't understood "stromata" yet ... go check a dictionary.