Jerusalem of Gold

Well you might have been led to think that I've been gorging myself this Chinese New Year ... what with all the meals and photos of food. Actually I ate very little of it ... and was dreadfully sick after that. So it was not much fun.

Sunset - Jerusalem of Gold

Also not fun is the growing tension following the death of the Palestinian in jail. He's being buried right now in Hebron. http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/thousands-attend-funeral-of-palestinian-detainee-who-died-in-israeli-prison.premium-1.505692  Newspapers talk of growing violence and clashes as a result and even talk of a possible 3rd Intifada. http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/israel-tries-to-calm-nerves-in-the-west-bank-but-outbreak-of-third-intifada-depends-on-palestinian-authority.premium-1.505566  Massive soldier and police presence all around the City. Israeli jews are still celebrating Purim and there is fear something awful might be attempted in the crowded streets and malls. We don't want trouble ... nobody does. But in the thick of all this, Obama is coming to town. I can't imagine the traffic chaos, road closures and stepped-up security this will entail.  http://www.jpost.com/NationalNews/Article.aspx?id=304345

For the rest of us little people, we're enjoying the flurry of blossoms this week has brought. The sudden chill last week and sunny skies this week have forced the bulbs to break out in buds and blossoms. And last evening's sunset was stupendous. It really showed what "Jerusalem of Gold" means - and a little hope that all might just go well after all.

Political Purim

The death of a palestinian in custody after 5  days is causing alot of disturbance around the Territories. Unrest in most places. Israel is asking the Palestinian Authorities to settle calm among the arabs. Things are getting tense. After Friday's rioting in the Al Aqsa Mosque, I don't think anyone wants an escalation of tensions. But clashes continue to blow up.  http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/live-blog-idf-palestinians-clash-in-west-bank-after-detainee-dies-1.505444

Home-cooked chinese
food for lunch

Lunch was pleasant as Tiff came over and cooked home-made dumplings (jiao zi / gau tzi). She also cooked rice noodles and made pickles. There was also red bean pudding. Joseph our chinese student and Beryl our HK volunteer of our museum joined in. It was really very nice. And we had alot of fun chatting and laughing. Beryl actually didn't realise it was Yuen Xiao. That shows you how far we are from chinese culture. We're a minority where our food, practices and being are not kosher hence not encouraged at least, forbidden at most. But not if you're a chinese jew of course. A group of KaiFeng jews have made aliyah (immigration to the Jewish homeland) and hit the news. http://www.haaretz.com/jewish-world/jewish-world-features/made-in-china-blessed-in-israel.premium-1.505007

Purim this year is not just fun, costumes and lots of booze as is called for on this feast. It's  got a political twist to it. Firstly Haaretz questioned if it's ok for jewish children to dress as muslim women in a burka, or ultra-orthodox jews with beard, hat and coat. Is it disrespectful to religious beliefs? Well one thing for sure, it never stopped them from dressing up as Catholic monks and nuns ... these are legitimate caricatures in Purim ... but ooohhh not jewish or muslim caricatures. http://www.haaretz.com/blogs/routine-emergencies/would-you-let-your-son-wear-a-burka-on-purim.premium-1.505317

Then of course everyone remembers Purim is all about Persian persecution of the Jews. That rings a bell .... of course, Iran (modern Persia) and its nuclear programme that's set alarm sirens ringing throughout Israel and filled the PM's speeches and agenda for the last year - "Beware Persia!" Whatever happened to a simple fun feast where families can gather and enjoy quality time .... perhaps soon Yuen Xiao will also get politicised here.

Purim and Yuen Xiao

Yesterday after the noon prayers at the Al Aqsa Mosque, arabs and israeli soldiers fought in the esplanade. I heard over 20 stunt grenades being fired. People were running out of the mosque complex. Lions' Gate was choked with cars and people fleeing ... it was chaos. http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/palestinians-clash-with-israel-police-at-jerusalem-s-temple-mount.premium-1.505213

Yuen Xiao party at
 Mandarin's

It's Purim this evening but celebrations have already begun several days earlier. People in crazy costumes, dancing, singing and drinking. It's also Yuen Xiao or Chap Go Meh. Ah Ling of Mandarin Restaurant organised a party for her family and friends. I was invited. Really fantastic food ... shanghainese cuisine. Then lots of games and fun. The chinese embassy staff and families were also invited. Several chinese tour guides were also invited. I had to give the opening speech in hebrew ... which I struggled through. Thankfully the Israeli family side of Ah Ling understood me.

The PM is gambling dangerously by forming a coalition with the smaller ultra-orthodox religious parties. He still can't form a majority so he needs to compromise and add a few center-right parties that don't threaten him. But now it seems the 2 larger parties that he's trying to leave out due to irreconcilable differences seem to ganging up on him. It's history repeating itself - the very same tactic he used to usurp the elected Livni several elections ago. Not a happy Purim for the PM this weekend.  http://www.haaretz.com/weekend/netanyahu-suspicious-as-the-coalition-building-race-continues.premium-1.505099

The Esau syndrome

A new species of SARS virus is hitting the Middle-East originating from a japanese bat that spreads through camels, sheep and goats and onto humans. http://thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=11&art_id=131322&sid=39037980&con_type=1

And a very sad story of an Israeli child suffering from leukemia, gets "abandoned" in a Thai Buddhist monastery for over a year by his family. http://www.jpost.com/NationalNews/Article.aspx?id=304078

Jitters and cynicism when a political party leader known to oppose the incumbant govt, suddenly turns 180 degrees and joins in the coalition of a new govt. Politicians sell out their agenda, promises and principles made during election-time, for the sake of getting a seat in the Knesset. A story of political betrayal of the public for personal power - the story of Esau all over again ... selling his birthright for the sake of a bowl of porridge http://www.haaretz.com/opinion/israelis-beware-coalition-deals-may-turn-election-promises-into-horsemeat.premium-1.504950

Midnight processions and prayers
at the Holy Sepulchre during Lent

As bad news seem to get worse, we naturally turn to the comfort, security and stability of religion. Last night I was at the Holy Sepulchre from 3am to 5am. It was very very empty ... no one except Andrew our sacristan, Arkadeusz who celebrated Mass in the Tomb and myself. Not an orthodox in sight. Not a police in sight. Not a tourist in sight. It was amazing. This is so different from the weekend when the Lenten rigours step up in tempo ... with prayers and processions going way into 2am. Thank goodness Jesus didn't sell his birthright as the Only Son ... unlike Esau.

Heartless

And I continue to get more perturbed by the day. This time we hear of clashes between Palestinians and Israeli armed forces, dreadful reports of children caught in crossfire, swine flu on the rise, police spying on facebook accounts, a Nazareth girl splashed with acid on her face by a spurned lover twice her age ....

Police confiscating woman's
goods into a police van

The police continue to be hardhanded with bedouin hawkers at Damascus Gate. I saw a bedouin woman's goods (several bags) were confiscated and put into a police van while she screamed and protested and cried. She tried grabbing some bags back but was shoved back. She slapped a police man but he just ignored her. I think she lost several thousand shekels worth of goods.

Inside the Gate, panic all around. Other bedouin hawkers were grabbing their wares, running, asking nearby shops to help hide their goods ... I think it's a terrible shame. Arabs have been buying and selling at Damascus Gate for over 1000 years, and before them Romans, Greeks, Jews .... Damascus Gate has been a market place ever since Jerusalem was a city ... thousands of years ago. The new police chief and his heavy handed policy to make life difficult for arabs is a shame. The bedouins may not have a license; but what is the crime for selling parsley, mint and cucumbers? It's all so heartless for these old women who travels for miles just to sell some veggies.

Happy manhole

What's worrying me is Israel is not talking about the Swine Flu that has reached epidemic levels in the country. It's a known fact that it's rampant in Palestine and more than 7 arabs have already died. Israel has tried to close its borders but discretion has allowed the virus to enter Israel. Today we learn that a famous singer has died of Swine Flu.  http://www.jpost.com/NationalNews/Article.aspx?id=303590
I'm sure Israel is keeping this low-profiled because it will affect the tourism industry.

The weather has gone brutally cold. Though the forecast is 6 degrees, it actually feels like zero. The wind is unforgivingly harsh. And this weather is only helping the spread of the Swine Flu as people huddle indoors or stay in crowded enclosed places to stay warm.

The happy manhole

The only things that seem to enjoy this cold are the flowers. The cold shock puts many bulbs into flowering mode. I certainly didn't enjoy the cold as I had to stay outdoors the entire day till 5pm because the workers came to install 2 emergency exits. Missed lunch (which I never take anyway) and under the cold cold wind, I really felt sick. But I found a manhole in our courtyard that seemed happy enough. Couldn't resist taking a pic. Imagine I walk over it everyday but never noticed it till today.

And the rigours begin ...

The newspapers are awashed with the "Prisoner X" case. But on ground level I don't see many people interested in it. More interesting is the private budget of the PM ... among the annual costs is 10,000 shekels for ice-cream provided by a little store near the PM's home and behind our Terra Santa College. After this news broke, the tiny gelateria has become an overnight sensation - people from all over the country are coming here to have a piece of pistachio ice-cream reputedly the favourite of the PM.

And the weather changes again. From a lovely sunny 19 degrees yesterday, it dropped to 11 degrees now. It's very cloudy, with occasional drizzle. And everyone I meet says they have a headache ... including me. Definitely not nice.

Haman's ears I bought

But on the happy side, Purim is round the corner. It begins on Feb 23rd evening. Streets are selling masks, costumes and other tacky stuff as usual. Bakeries everywhere are selling Haman's ears. I bought 2 boxes, about 1 kg in all. Both have date fillings but one box is without sugar, for diabetics. I shared it with our kitchen staff and nuns. It's not everyday that they get to eat this festive treat.

The lenten rigours have begun as with every year. Midnight last night was vigils with matins and prime plus the obligatory procession around the empty Tomb at the Holy Sepulchre Church. The Masses are celebrated up on Mt. Calvary from 1.30am onwards. This goes on for the next 4 weeks, and most of us will take turns attending the midnight services otherwise all of us will be out of action during the day.