Weekend starts

Loquats 

Daylight saving started last night. We lost one hour of sleep ... but those working night shifts like my friend working in security had a hour less to work. I had a very tiring day yesterday so I went to sleep as soon as I got home from work.

My heart still isn't very good and today I still had hand tremors, sweaty palms, a painful chest and constant fatigue. Also dizziness. I had to go out of my office to get some fresh air. And I was holding on to my heart attack spray all day. It feels so awful. Thankfully the weather was good and sunny ... 15 degrees though it feels very cold in the shade. When I felt better I went to my other office to finish another job. A student came to get advice about writing his thesis and I also had to deal with some issues faced by poor families who were threatened of being evicted for not paying the rent. Landlords are aware that the economic situation is getting worse and are demanding 6 months rent in advance but many families cannot afford that. Eviction is in order. I had to help out one bad case where a single-mother, bedridden with cancer, with 4 children (eldest is 17 yrs old in school) was threatened with eviction. Things don't look good for many other families this summer.

In a bizarre twist, the series of bomb threats to Jewish Community Centers around the world have been traced to one teenager who was arrested ... here in Israel, a fellow Jew at that. Leftwing newspapers are asking if he will be tried as anti-semitic since that was the accusation when the culprit was not yet known.   http://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/1.779087

On the other hand, Israeli humanitarian groups have started a school in Greece for Syrian refugees. It's a great gesture and honestly, Israeli groups have done much to help Syrians during this war, especially in the medical field.   http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4939967,00.html

And back to bizarre, a brawl broke out when Israeli police - jewish and arab - got into a fight during a karaoke competition when one of them started singing in arabic.   http://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-1.778600

News is out that Israel will evacuate thousands of residents in the northern border should a war break out with Lebanon. It's the easier option than making residents run to bomb shelters everyday.  http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Politics-And-Diplomacy/Govt-prepared-to-evacuate-hundreds-of-thousands-from-northern-border-in-a-war-484926

My freesias are
in bloom

The Spring festival "Sounds of the Old City" ended yesterday and I was only aware of it today. That explained the concert at Tsahal Square I saw on Wednesday night on my way home. Didn't miss anything as I don't feel well enough to have seen it anyway. But what I won't miss is the loquats growing now throughout the country. originating from China they were probably introduced to the Middle East centuries ago via the Silk Road. They are delicious in the hot summer weather.

Doctor needs doctor

At the Emergency Clinic last night

Yesterday I was feeling quite sick ... must be the heart as I had no strength to walk. There was a heaviness over the chest. I called my doc and he came after work from Tel Aviv (60 km away). But as he alighted from the Light Rail he tripped and fell, breaking his left forearm. I was up in the clinic at that time but he managed to call me with his right hand. I rushed down to the main street below ... and it wasn't difficult to find him because 3 mobile emergency units (motorbikes) were racing up the road. When I reached him the 3 medics were testing his arm to see how severely injured he was. They put it in a sling and told him to get to the closest hospital as soon as possible as he had refused an ambulance. Being a stranger to Jerusalem, he didn't know where the closest Kupat Holim clinic was, so I had to bring him there. That's 4 stations away by the Light Rail. The Kupat Holim is one of the main health insurance agencies here, and they have their own clinics (even emergency units) but not hospitals. It's meant to help relieve the load of patients in the hospitals, and only those holding Kupat Holim insurances can use it because the insurance covers it.

Concert at Tsahal Square last night

Well I was with him for 4 hours from 6pm to 10pm. When his girlfriend came from Tel Aviv, I went home. I walked over 4 kms back home, very hungry and still ill as no doctor had attended to me (I'm not a Kupat Holim holder). Halfway home I saw the "Thai" restaurant still opened so I bought a plate of fried rice to eat. It was almost midnight when I got home. Utterly exhausted. Anyway I called my doc today to see how he is. He's back in Tel Aviv in hospital and he may need surgery. Well I can only say how lucky he is because had he fallen when a train was passing, that would have been it.

Billy and his wife were calling me all evening because they had boiled herbal soup and wanted me to pick it up. I only managed to go this afternoon to get it. They were very kind and gave me rice as well as they saw I was tired and hungry. I still have to teach 2 hours now and later 2 hours more of adoration and confessions with the nuns. Its a tiring day. Hopefully I can go straight to sleep tonight. No more drama .... please. Enough for one day.

Mother's Day

Flowers for sale on Mother's Day

It's Mother's Day in Palestine. Flower shops are plying their flowers all along the streets. Kids are buying bunches of flowers for 10 shekels to bring home to their mothers. The school opposite our house is having a party ... everyone is in the quadrangle, singing and dancing. Well most families are too poor to really celebrate so the schools help. Most mothers are at work anyway so they'll only see their children in the evenings. But a little joy is always welcome in this sad tragic world.

More news coming in that Israel admitted to bombing convoys of missiles in Syria. It's necessary that's for sure. But it also raises tensions in our northern borders. And internally tensions are also rising over as Hamas threatens to attack israelis during the Passover holidays. Now the jewish Passover coincides with ours so we too will be affected, if not as collateral casualties of Hamas attacks, then victims of road blocks and body-searches by the Israeli police.  http://www.jerusalemonline.com/news/in-israel/local/shin-bet-head-warns-hamas-will-target-israelis-during-passover-27337

As Easter approaches, christians in Syria and Iraq try to return to their towns and villages. Those who succeed find themselves among ruins ... their homes and churches destroyed by islamists. It's so sad but that is the reality of the Cross. While the rest of us pray the Way of the Cross in the luxury of churches this Good Friday, there will be thousands who will do so walking in the mud, among the debris, in rain and snow, cold, wet and hungry. They are the truly blessed ... who suffer persecution for the sake of Christ.  http://www.persecution.org/2017/03/18/christians-in-iraq-hold-onto-hope/

Very strong winds today

And we here in the Holy Land don't suffer as much ... but the persecution is a lot more subtle. Today's newspapers carry a sensational news that the stone ossuary (casket) of Christ has been found. That's old news ... it goes back some 15 years. But every year it comes back on the news as "new" and international media will pick it up as if it was only discovered yesterday. And of course the local news coverage is to discredit christianity ... that there was no resurrection, that the casket and bones have been found. Just watch the online newspapers ... these 2 weeks this type of news will flood the papers.  http://www.haaretz.com/archaeology/1.778379

Dementia?

Procession of the Apostolic Admin.
(in purple) from the Holy Sepulcher
back to the Patriarchal Palace

I've been checking up on the date of the Jewish Passover. It's on the 11th till 17th April which coincides with our Holy Week and Easter. The Julian calendar also coincides with our Gregorian calendar ... that makes the Orthodox Churches celebrate Holy Week and Easter with us. That week is going to see chaos in the streets of the Old City, intense security presence, road blocks, street blocks, closures of periphery roads around the Old City ... and possibly curfews for the muslims. I don't want to be around ... really I don't. I'll ask to go somewhere outside Jerusalem for that week.

The Empty Tomb will be publicly opened on Wednesday at 10am with all the heads of the Christian Churches in the Holy Land present plus the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of the Greek Orthodox Church. The Vatican will send a high-ranking envoy as well. I'd like to go and witness this inauguration event but  it'll depend on my work schedule.

Lots of tulips in the parks now

Tell me about forgetful. I had to rush off yesterday evening to my other office to get some work finished and it was only halfway along the road that I realized I forgot to wear my specs. It was already dark so I decided I wasn't going back to get my specs ... I just had to work without it. And that was just one of the many moments that I forget things or events or names or faces. It's getting really bad. I should get tested to see if I have dementia. I mentioned this at lunch time to the guys around my table and they said anyone who has dementia doesn't know they have dementia so they can't talk about it.

The Egged bus service that runs the southern region's bus routes will strike tomorrow at 5am onwards to protest over pay. Many people will be affected. That's bad news.

An Israel made a 2nd strike at Syria killing an official. Everyone thinks this summer will be a heated one with Israel against Lebanon and Syria. But frankly both Lebanon and Syria have their hands full with the rebels and ISIS. I doubt they have the power nor time to fight Israel. Summer will be fine. No worries.

Feast of St. Joseph

A Judas tree still in bloom near
Mamilla neighbourhood

The local Church, while keeping the Lenten rigours, celebrated today the Feast of St. Joseph. Of course it's a big deal ... Joseph is a local boy from this Land. I celebrated Mass at the Armenian Cathedral ... I didn't manage to go to the Vigils last night as I was very tired by 10.30pm. So I prayed for you all at Mass at the Armenian place. I'm glad some of my students come to help me there ... 2 as acolytes, the others as readers and choir. Not an easy job as I have to teach them and the organist how to sing the armenian hymns and prayers. But it's all worth it when the Armenian Catholic families come back for Mass. Today we had half the crowd made up of Armenians and the other half foreigners. Not a big crowd .... only 20 persons or so. But it's a big improvement from one Armenian and 2 nuns.

One scary news is that Syria is receiving missiles from North Korea. Yesterday the Israeli airforce bombed a convoy of these missiles in Syria.  http://www.jerusalemonline.com/news/middle-east/israel-and-the-middle-east/idf-attack-target-north-korean-missiles-in-syria-27306

Homecooked
noodles

One surprising good news is that the Vatican has offered half a million dollars to help with the renovation of the Holy Sepulchre ... and another similar sum for the renovation of the Basilica of the Nativity in Bethlehem. So far all the costs are covered by the Franciscans' benefactors on behalf of the Catholic Church. Nice gesture.

I'm keeping a vegetarian diet this Lent. It's not that difficult as vegetables and fruit are plentiful. They're still relatively cheap ... well almost. 5 stalks of chives cost US$1.50. Is that expensive? Anyway yesterday I managed to boil some noodles and spinach ... and added some leftover vegetable dumplings I cooked for Matthias. Simple meal but satisfying. St. Joseph always provides.

Sabbath

Capoeira demonstration at
Damascus Gate

Thank goodness the Marathon is over. I'm sure it was fun ... lots of families joined in. But the traffic was awful and thankfully it's all over. I hope next year I don't have to go to school when there's a marathon. Well we weren't the only ones stuck with traffic closures. Up on Highway One to Tel Aviv, cars stopped and many people demonstrated in the middle of the Highway because there are no govt. measures to protect workers from termination of contracts. For almost half an hour traffic on both sides were halted.

There's a touching article in the leftwing newspaper Haaretz about the mother of the arab boy burnt alive by jewish youths several years ago. She and some 200 women - jewish and arab who have lost children to the conflict - gathered to speak ... and that mother spoke of reconciliation. http://www.haaretz.com/opinion/.premium-1.777393

Meantime a raid by police on rightwing extremist jewish youth had uncovered  in their homes graffiti calling for death to arabs,zionists, jewish police, jewish left-wingers  .... As long as this hatred is being fanned by religious leaders on impressionable youths, it is unlikely peace will ever be achieved.  http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4936290,00.html

Arab sesame bagels
known as kaik: a
typical breakfast

Thew weather continues to be cold and the skies grey. There's probably a sandstorm as well as fine yellow desert sand covers the roofs and terraces. I sculled stay indoors. But I'm thinking maybe tonight I will go to the Holy Sepulchre for midnight vigils. Without asthma attacks, I feel better to go out ... but I must walk slowly. Only thing is I'm afraid I'd be attacked as I go through the dark streets of the Old City. Perhaps Al our Indonesian student will accompany me. Anyway if I do go, I'll be praying for you all.

Yesterday was fasting day. I realised it wasn't any different from my daily meal routine because I usually eat only one meal a day. I do eat several dates during the day when I'm hungry during this Lent but usually when I finish work at 9pm or later, I'm too tired to eat else anything anyway. But the downside is I become weak and faint.

Dreadful Friday

A little after midnight last night, we heard a very loud explosion. It was scary ... but the sirens did not blare so it was safe. This morning we learned that Syria had fired a missile into Israel but the Israeli Defense Force fired an anti-missile rocket which blew it up in the air before it could land. Newspapers are all reporting a tense situation  ... asking if this is a new stage of Syria's war.  http://www.jpost.com/Arab-Israeli-Conflict/Analysis-Will-the-Israel-Syria-missile-flare-up-set-a-new-precedent-484473

King George Street
closed off

Today was also the Jerusalem Marathon. You cannot imagine the chaos when roads were closed at 6am. I had an examination with 41 students up in the New City but that area is totally closed off. Some of my african students living in the Old City actually left the house in a car at 5am but already parts of the roads were closed. One of them has a broken leg and cannot walk far. They could not enter the school at 5.30am because police refused entry to the road. They had to park in the Jesuit House 2 km away and walked to school and wait till 11am for my exam. Poor kids.

I was the last to leave the house as I had to work in the library till 9am. By that time the Marathon was in full swing and roads were definitely closed. The police would not let me cross Damascus Gate so I had to walk 1km north along Prophets Street till I reached King George street. In order to get to school another kilometre away, I had to enter King George street but it was totally blocked off by thousands of runners. But a blessing in disguise saved the day ... as hundreds of ultra-orthodox jews were on my side of the road demonstrating against the arrest of one of their men for not showing up for compulsory military service. They had vowed to disrupt the Marathon.   http://www.timesofisrael.com/jerusalem-marathon-up-and-running-despite-disruption-threats/

Police move in to arrest ultra-
orthodox jews 

As I stood there trying to figure out how to crosse into King George Street, the ultra-orthodox were singing and mocking the police and soldiers. Suddenly the soldiers moved in to arrest some of them, and scatter the rest of them. In the midst of the chaos, I found my chance to hide between the runners and crossed the barriers. Sneaky but necessary. The normal 2 km journey had become 4 km and if I were to take another detour, it would have been 6 km. I was too tired as it is.

Anyway I managed to get to school and the students had their exam. Going home at 12.30pm was smooth. The Marathon had ended and the roads were opened. But having reached Damascus Gate at 1.30pm I found myself stuck outside the Old City as thousands of muslims were coming out from noon prayers. I had to wait for 20 minutes before the crowd lessened enough for me to squeeze against the current. Harrowing.

Anyway all this tension and problems had made me very tired. But thank God the new medication worked well and I don't have an attack of asthma.