Turmoil as 2014 ends

Municipality workers handing out
Christmas trees

The Israeli PM's sudden decision to call for a snap election in 3 months time seems to backfire .... or is it exactly as what the PM intended? Originally he wanted to shake off the 2 new coalition partners who cannot agree with him on many issues. The intention was to build another coalition govt. with the old allies made up of ultra-orthodox parties that tow his line. However the past week saw the collapse of the largest and most powerful ultra-orthodox party "Shas" - there were defections, leaking of defamatory tapes, general mudslinging, resignation of it's leaders from Parliament .... And the other old ally coalition partner "Israel Beiteinu" has had dozens of its members under police investigation for graft. Looks like the PM has no one to work with if he wins the elections ... nor any other party for that matter as political factions have splintered into myriads.

On a local scale, Christmas was a chance for the Israeli municipality to flex some publicity muscle. Hundreds of small Christmas trees (really small cypresses) were given free to christians at Jaffa Gate. It was a clear sign to the world that while christians are being persecuted all around the Middle East, Israel remains the only ME country to protect and support christians.

My first anemone bloom

And that seems to be the way 2014 is ending ... a mixture of turmoil and assurances. Seems to reflect my health situation. Yesterday someone said my health is like a pendulum swinging from one extreme to another all within one week. The medicines I'm taking are very strong and it makes me dizzy, sleepy and always out of focus. Difficulty in concentration. And that sucks as I have alot of study and work to do. Feeling really sick.

The first anemone that I planted has bloomed. A white bloom. A red one is also coming up, and a purple one is also budding. However it's too soon for them to bloom!! It's only December! They should bloom in February and later when Spring breaks. Perhaps it's a positive sign that good things lie ahead in 2015.

Emergency Ward again

Emergency Ward: 6th time
this year

Spoke too soon. Am back in Emergency Ward at the French Hospital. After carrying pails of compost 2 floors down to the courtyard to fertilise the plants, a slow attack of asthma started. It was still manageable during the evening but by 2am I practically suffocated. I couldn't get to hospital as it was only 4 degrees outside and there was no transport and I couldn't walk 2 km to the French Hospital which is the closest to my house. I managed to celebrate Mass but after that began to collapse.

At the Emergency Ward the panicky nurse drove the catheter into my arm but it hurt very much ... and like the last time, he missed the vein but instead of withdrawing it, he manipulated the catheter tube inside my arm with his 2 thumbs until it went inside the vein. Can you imagine the pain? If I didn't die of asphyxiation, I'd have died of maltreatment. Anyway they also gave me oxygen TOGETHER with a nebuliser ... had the mask over the face as well as tubes into my nostrils.

Now I have loads of medication to take ... including Prednesone. Simply hate that. All the 5 types of medication make me very sleepy. I can't function during the day. And I have tons of work waiting for me.

It's not a fun way to pass the New Year.

Awesome satellite photos

Clearly visible are the Sea of Galilee (R)
and the larger Dead Sea (L)

Some amazing pics from astronaut Barry Wilmore who flew over the Holyland on Christmas morning. Just think of it ... of all places, in this desert surrounded tiny strip of land ... God chose to become a human. Awesome.

The Holyland ... the connecting land bridge between Europe, Asia and Africa ... 3 great continents. What a better place for God to manifest himself.

Close-up of the Holyland with the 2
lakes as landmarks

Well back to mundane things. Christmas is another working day for me. Had to clear up the stinking compost and fill up hundreds of flower pots. Under the sun, the stench decimates. But last week the mound of one year's compost was simply too much to bear. The awful smell was fouling up the entire house. The plants and flowers are going to enjoy the nutrients though. We can expect lots of beautiful flowers in Spring. And the lemons should be abundant too. I harvested the lemons of this year ... not very many. About 50 in all but they were dry and hard the tree looked sickly.

Healthwise my asthma is much under control though it occurs several times but not severely. The feet are still alittle swollen though and they still hurt alot. The neuroma problem is not solved. Wearing the orthopedic shoes help alot to alleviate the pain. Well I hope 2014 will pass with all these ailments gone. I really wish 2015 would be better to me.

More violence after Christmas

Family lighting candles at
the Grotto of the Nativity

A whole series of violent tit-for-tats yesterday. A jewish car was firebombed near Samaria and a little girl inside the car was badly injured. Back in East Jerusalem, 8 arab cars were damaged overnight. Israeli navy then fires at Palestinian fishing boats, an arab then steals a truck to ram into a police car ... it's a vicious cycle.

And the weather is warming up.

Let's hope things will calm down. Not a nice way to start the new year with violence all round. But it has been like that for the past few years. Maybe all the prayers at the Nativity Grotto in Bethlehem will be heard and we enjoy some peace at last.

St. Stephen's Day

The peace and calm which we had been experiencing for the past week shattered early this morning when an arab stabbed 2 police officers down our road ... about 200 m away. There was an immediate shut down of our Quarter. Security helicopter flew very low down searching for the assailant who escaped into the alleys of Bab Hutta. The attacker is still at large though the police have reopened out Quarter. Massive military presence though ... I think there'll be a door-to-door search soon.

A very unique Nativity Scene at the
Flagellation Chapel

So it's St. Stephen's Day ... and like every year, I read T.S. Eliot's "Murder in the Cathedral". It's something I enjoy doing on St. Stephen's Day. St. Thomas a Becket's murder in Canterbury Cathedral on 29 Dec. is poignantly depicted as his struggle between personal pride and the common good of the Church. His final resolution is the crux of the play when he realises "to do the right deed for the wrong reason" is the ultimate lie any person can decide to live with. It's his murderers chose this lie but tried to justify their deed as right because the reason to maintain political stability and independence from the Church was right. A very relevant study of modern ethics, I'd say. To do the right thing for the right reason; or to do the right thing for the wrong reason; or to do the wrong thing for the right reason? It's the human dilemma.

Andreusz restoring the panel

Our Flagellation Chapel this year has a very unique Christmas Crib. It's not made with statues and crepe paper. All our statues were stolen last year by a Russian woman. This year it's a marble slab engraved with the Nativity scene weighing some 20 kgs. No fear of the Russian woman stealing it this time. The marble slab was part of a basin in the Basilica of the Nativity in Bethlehem. Now it's housed in the Flagellation Museum and for Christmas, it's proudly displayed for all to see. Our conservator Andreusz spent some time cleaning and restoring the panel prior to it's display.

Christmas Day

A Peaceful and Holy Christmas to all

... celebrated Midnight Mass at Shepherds Field, remembering everyone.

Christmas Eve

My Christmas wreath

Christmas Eve. Appears to be very calm ... unless you realise there's a security helicopter hovering overhead since dawn which means there's danger of a riot somewhere in the neighbouring villages. Police presenc eis down to a minimum. But in the Christian Quarter it's bustling with activity. The scouts are practicing with their bagpipes which drowns out the entire Quarter. Christians are doing their last minute shopping. The parish church is being spruced up last minute for the Midnight Mass.

I think Bethlehem will be crowded. Entry to the Basilica is by tickets only. I'm going to Shepherds Field instead where masses can be celebrated by groups. In the Basilica, all the bishops will be there and priests concelebrate. Local christians and diplomat corps will be present as will also the Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas. That means lots of Palestinian security around and inside the Basilica. But in Shepherds Field, we're free. By the time Mass ends and the trip back to Jerusalem, I think it'll be 3am. And it'll be freezing. Right now at 3am it's 14 degrees. Tonight it'll drop to 4 degrees in Shepherds Field.

Stewed lamb dinner

Yesterday was an unbelievably exhausting day. I actually walked over 5 kms up and down the hill from one hotel to another visiting several groups of pilgrims from Asia. They called and asked to see me so I had to meet one group every 40 minutes. That included walking/running time between the various hotels in the City. My feet are killing me. Anyway I had to stop by Mandarin's to drop off some chinese medicine that Ah Ling will boil later during the year. She had stewed a lamb shank and it was absolutely delicious. Her son-in-law and I ate 2 helpings.

Well my feet are still hurting very much. I need to rest them before going to Shepherds Field tonight.

Grateful thanks to all for your gifts: Marvien, Yvonne, Fiona, Agnes, Miriam, Gigi, Rose, Cecilia, Paulette, Irene, Letty, Jordan and Joanne, Auntie Chan, Cavero family, the Sunday Mass group, Theresa and Roger. Everything arrived. Appreciate them very much. Gifts for the poor in the Holyland are acknowledged in the Holylandassist blog.