Invention of the True Cross

Reliquary of the Holy Cross in the
Holy Sepulchre Basilica

The proper name for today's feast is the "Invention of the Holy Cross" .... which is not what it means. "invention" from the latin means "to discover / find". It's the commemoration of the finding of the Holy Cross by St Helena in the 4th century. It's not celebrated outside of the HolyLand as this event is practically forgotten or ignored. But it's very important for us here in Jerusalem, and this feast is kept by all the Orthodox Churches as a solemnity.

The cave where the Cross was found

There was solemn Vespers at the cave where the Cross was discovered by St. Helena. It still belongs to the Franciscans. Then at midnight there was vigils with the singing of the Office of the Hours. Then this morning there was solemn Mass at the same site. Later this evening will be 2nd Vespers. All our seminarians have to be there for the singing and processions, hence no school today. Which is just as well as I feel so tired. It' not just the Monday class that begins at 4am but the crazy weather.

The spot where the Cross was found

The weather is making everyone sick. Today is no better than yesterday. Overcast, heavy, humid but no rain. A few drops of drizzle but nothing else. Lots of thunder though. But no rain. In Tel Aviv there was a hailstorm. But here we had nothing but a lot of noise. Well at least I don't think there'll be those flash floods like last week that killed 10 students. My plan to go to the University where I teach was cancelled as I didn't feel it was safe to walk the 2 km should it start to rain. And I already am suffering from a cold.

So I stayed home and worked on the translation project. Hope it finishes successfully. Then I'll spend more time to sleep. Am just too exhausted.

Of clouds and cacti

Cloudy gloomy sky today

Last Sunday of Easter. Though I usually buy something special for breakfast on Sunday, this morning I just wanted to sleep longer. Usually I would go to the 24 hr bakery in Musrara outside Damascus Gate to buy arab "Kaik" or a bun just to celebrate Sunday. This morning I just drank a cup of coffee at 5am, watered the plants and prepared for Mass. I was going to be mentally tired today as I have to translate an 8 page document. I was told that it will be a difficult document as the italian is elegant and high literary. Actually after reading it, my only problem is to find out where the full stop is. An entire paragraph of 11 lines has 5 commas and only one full stop. Now that's a challenge. Every paragraph is of this structure.

Flowering cacti

So I was locked in my room working all Sunday. At 4pm I had a break and accompanied a student to see the doctor, when I noticed the weather was very strange. It was very very overcast. Grey clouds but no rain ... though it felt as if a storm would break. It was not cold but it wasn't hot either. Just a humid sticky uncertain wind which couldn't decide if it should rain or not. Only at 7pm did it start drizzle. You're never sure what to wear when going out ... pullover or just T-shirt? Too much or too little?

One thing for sure, this warm humid weather is good for cacti. All our cacti are flowering profusely. And they are huge blooms that last a couple of days. Other plants are dying due to this erratic weather. That means a lot of sweeping up dead leaves.

There's a sad bit of news ... perhaps angry for those involved ... when the govt. ruled to bar widows,a widowers from being buried next to their spouses. This is beyond me.  https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-mourners-distraught-gov-t-deal-bars-them-from-burial-beside-spouses-1.6055422

Exams

Students waiting for their exam

Not everyone was excited over the Giro d'Italia. Many locals lament that traffic is all blocked. And we have a lot of it this year with so many of such events organised by the Municipality, so many times we are stuck in the Old City. But the anti-Israel movement has been posting ads online calling for a boycott, that Israel is again pouring money to whitewash it's treatment of palestinians, taking over palestinian lands etc. Well I don't agree with some policies of disenfranchising the palestinians ... but I don't agree with boycotts either. If the events are opened to everyone, it will forster greater understanding and encounter with the other side.  There are other ways to make changes, but I am not convinced boycott is one of them. You be the judge.  https://bdsmovement.net/news/shameongiro-lets-give-giro-ditalia-reality-check

Nuns carrying food donations

One good news - my ankle stopped hurting. This morning I woke up and I could walk properly. Somehow the bones fell back into place an I could put pressure on it again. I was very happy. I could meet my students all morning to discuss their theses. Then it's class at 3pm. Then another meeting with another student to discuss his exam. Yes some of our courses have their exams early ... today was one of them. Our students were nervously reviewing their papers along the school foyer, waiting for their turn. It's mostly oral exams. Those with poor knowledge of italian sometimes ask me for help for revision.

And as the summer vacation so beginning, it's time to fund-raise for sponsorship of students for the new school year in September. In the past weeks, some groups have been donating food for the poor. I organised them into bags and called the sisters of M. Teresa to pick them up and distribute them among the poor. Summer vacation means kids staying at home and therefore cooking more food. You can do your part to help the local poor christians here in the Holy Land.

The sandstorm and heatwave continues today but one refreshing news we got is Saudi Arabia permitting the Vatican to build churches in the kingdom. It's a sign of opening up ... at least that's what the Vatican is saying. I only ask if the Saudis will also provide and guarantee security for our christian migrant workers who go to church.   https://www.rt.com/news/425888-saudi-arabia-churches-cardinal/

Giro 2

Competitors of the Giro in front
of Mian restaurant

Most of west Jerusalem is closed because of the Giro d'Italia bike race. Just a few meters from New Gate the Jaffa Street junction is totally closed off. Many who are working in that side of the City just don't go to work anymore because public transport and parking are all not functioning. There's a heatwave and sandstorm today .... a week after the rainstorm. All the newspapers are saying not many of the competitors will survive this leg of the tour. Good luck to them. The rest of the jerusalemites are enjoying the concerts and street parties that come with the Giro D'Italia.  https://www.timesofisrael.com/giro-ditalia-bike-race-set-for-historic-ride-through-hot-and-hilly-jerusalem/

Mind you despite the festivities on the west side of the City, there's rising tension in the east side. Jerusalem Day will fall on Sunday 13th and there'll clashes between the triumphant zionist jews who are celebrate the conquest of arab east Jerusalem, with the arabs who see it as the lost of their land. And in the middle of this, the muslims will be celebrating Ramadan. And on the 15th, the American and Guatamalan embassies will move to Jerusalem. In fact the Guatemalan flag is already hoisted in a building where the embassy would be situated. It's ruffling lots of arab feathers. However we read from the newspapers that Trump is going to ask the Israelis to move out of 4 East Jerusalem villages just beyond the mT of Olives as this will eventually be the capital of Palestine.

Our chinese sisters' convent is
directly above the race

Well I was just down at Mian restaurant to collect some soup they made and the road was packed with people for the Giro d'Italia. I had to navigate through barriers after barriers, and crowds after crowds to get to the restaurant. The race passes directly in front of their front door. And it passes directly under the convent of our Chinese Sisters.

Well last evening the concerts were already in full swing and the live broadcasts were being shot any every corner of the road, and interviews in italian as well. I was  out for a walk with another italian professor ... and I just couldn't resist causing trouble in the crowd. So while the  concerts were going on ... all in italian ... I started shouting in italian "Down with Italy" The crowds around didn't understand a thing as they're all israeli. Then I had to run as security  started moving in. I'm going to crazy I guess. Then when an italian live interview was going on, I shouted in italian "Here's a chinese who speaks perfect italian. Anyone wants to interview me?" The cameraman told me to shut up. If you see me on italian TV .... welcome!!!!

Giro D'Italia

Night market at
Damascus Gate

Streets along the Tsahal Square and west Jerusalem have already been closed for the bike race "Giro d'Italia". Which is very strange because it's a bike race all around Italy but somehow it's staring the 1st 3 legs here in Israel. People are talking about the money paid to move the "Italian Bike Race" to Israel. In fact the Tourism Ministry had even invited the Pope to come and open the race. It's meant to draw the crowds ... and ultimately to raise the economy.

Anyway what everyone is talking about is the weather ... today is 29 degrees here in Jerusalem and in Eilat it's 36 degrees. How will those cyclists manage the heat? It's a 6 hour ride through the Negev desert to Eilat. We here in Jerusalem already find it unbearable at 29 degrees. Let's see how many will faint or collapse with heat stroke tomorrow.

Some good tomatoes

Well for one thing security is at maximum red alert. Helicopters have been flying above us since 2am last night. They still are flying above as I write. They're police security helicopters. Tonight and tomorrow will be dreadful for us here in the Muslim Quarter as everything will be under heavy surveillance.

Yes today is very hot. In fact there's a sandstorm in the south. The sky is terribly yellow. But the effects of last week's storm is now affecting us - few fresh fruit and vegetables. The night markets are quite empty of village produce as the storm destroyed much of the fruit and veggies. Only few produce are of saleable quality ... most were damaged, bruised and sold at cheap prices. Good quality produce are expensive.

My ankle continues to hurt very much but I still have to walk to work. And under the heat, walking the 1km uphill becomes so much more difficult. I still have to hear confessions later and then accompany a student to hospital after that. It'll be a late night but after all is done, I think I can rest my ankle. Thank goodness I'm not in the bike race ... I won't make the first 50 m. with this ankle.

Ankle problems

Boy selling bread in the early morn

The weather is hot during the day but cloudy ... looks like a sandstorm because the sky is a dull yellow. Not good for asthma sufferers. And I realised that the sun is rising very early ... 4.30am and the sun is already up. A definite sign that summer is here. That means I have less time to sleep as I am  a sun-person. If there's sun, I can't sleep.

My ankle is playing up again today. 6 years ago I fell in Bethlehem and twisted it. I never saw the doctor but when I did which was a year later, it was too late and the ankle is messed up. I usually have pain when I walk down stairs or when I first get out of bed but today it's every step I take. And walking up and down the stairs is impossible. I hop on my right leg instead. I guess I need to wear my ankle guard again. We just had a very interesting talk by the archeologist of the Herodion fortress. Loved it. But I had to walk down 4 storeys and after that walk back up. Awful pain in the ankles. A professor had to help me up the flight of steps. I guess I'll have to avoid walking stairs for the next few days. Wishful thinking .... it'll be like my much-awaited vacation that never comes.

War drums continue to sound as US officials are quoted to have said that Israel is preparing for a war with Syria/Iran. Most people try to push it behind their heads and pretend nothing will happen. But I can tell you it's troubling everyone ... just that no one wants to face it.  https://www.timesofisrael.com/us-officials-say-israel-behind-latest-syria-strike-preparing-for-war-with-iran/?utm_source=us-officials-say-israel-behind-latest-syria-strike-preparing-for-war-with-iran&utm_medium=desktop-browser&utm_campaign=desktop-notifications

The Israel Museum is reported to cover up exhibits describing evolution and dinosaurs because it would upset the ultra-orthodox who do not believe in it. Yes the ultra-orthodox are influencing museum exhibits as well.  https://www.haaretz.com/jerusalem-museum-covers-exhibit-on-evolution-when-haredi-visit-1.6045697

Bicycle race preparations

Golden grevillea
in flower

It's May 1st ... Labour Day for most of you, St. Joseph's Day for us here. Unfortunately it doesn't get much publicity because May is also the month of Mary, so most churches are celebrating the start of the marian month. Gets confusing when so many things are rolled into one.

Yesterday was very hectic as I had to correct a last minute thesis, then there was a class, and then I had to go up the Mt of Olives to meet a group. I finished work and came home at about 9.30pm ... and I started work at 3am ... so that was 18 hrs of work. And I had eaten nothing. This morning I woke up early at 4am to complete correcting the thesis so the student can hand it in to the school. I walked the 2.5 km to the school to see the secretary and principal to discuss exam timetables and outstanding assignments of other students. Finished at 11.30am then was back in the other library for work.

Municipality Square and stage

On my way home I noticed a huge grevillea in bloom. It was at least 5 storeys high and it stood in the small park next to the tram station. I guess no one ever paid attention to it when it isn't in flower, but once it blooms the incredible golden flowers catch your attention. And of course the birds and bees love its nectar.

Tsahal Square building something
for the bicycle race

Going home too witness a massive preparation to lock down the New City. Trucks carrying metal barriers were at every corner. Tsahal Square had something being built there. Municipality Sure had a stage. I found out it was for the Giro D'Italia ... the bicycle race in Italy but this year it's starting in Jerusalem to Tel Aviv to Eilat before returning to Italy for the rest of the competition. It's a big affair and security will be super tight as international competitors will be coming. I guess I'll be staying home on Friday then ... as all major roads around the Old City will be blocked. My confusion is it's an italian bicycle race "Giro D'Italia" so why is it starting it's first 3 days in Israel?

Well ... time to go back to another job before I crash from fatigue.  I have a feeling there're a couple more assignments to be corrected ... they creep up behind you to surprise you. That will ruin the rest of my week.