Stromata

E-scooter accident

There was an e-scooter accident along the tram tracks and Damascus Gate park this evening. The young arab guy was out cold. I don't think he was the rider because there was another guy with a helmet rushing around the ambulance crew. Hopefully the guy's neck isn't broken. He was motionless on the ground and paramedics brought a hard-stretcher to carry him into the ambulance. Much as it's a convenient and cheap way to travel short distances, e-scooters have become a danger to the public. There are stringent laws draconianly enforced in Tel Aviv but here in Jerusalem where e-scooters are a rarity, such laws have yet to exist.

After yesterday's stabbing attempt, the possible inability to form a coalition govt, and alleged israeli drones shot over Lebanon ... one major concern of everyone is the suspected Iranian bombing of Saudi oil depots. It's unthinkable that Saudi defense is so low and inadequate for such a world important site. There are of course repercussions here in our region ... petrol prices rise together with military alert. And as the jewish High Holy Days approach, the alert will be raised even higher and the borders with Palestine will be closed.

Parkour at sunset

The weather continues to get colder by the night and much more damp. The Spring bulbs that I planted have all sprouted ... like 3 months early!!!! Nothing is like before ... the climate change is drastic. One thing though ... the young people are enjoying this early cool weather. Everyday the group of Parkour youths are out in the park practicing .... and there's always a crowd of locals and tourists watching their twists and turns.

The weekend is upon us ... frankly I'm hoping to have a long sleep ... like 24 hrs flat. I'm thoroughly exhausted mentality, psychologically and physically. My confusion of days and times have struck again today. Can it be an early onset of dementia?

Polls are over

Our sisters celebrate
their feast day 

The election results are out and the centre right party won 33 seats which is the largest share in the polling population .... and the PM's party had only 32. And the biggest surprise, the arab party is the 3rd largest place ... first time ever in Israel's history. Everyone is saying it's a backlash from the PM's tactic to scare jewish voters by announcing "the arabs are coming in droves" ... something which he did in the past 2 elections. He also tried to scare arab voters away by installing security cameras in polling stations ... like he did the last time. All backfired and the arabs did come in droves and took out his party from the govt. Now we're all waiting to see how the coalition will amalgamate. Everything will affect us foreigners ... we're praying for a coalition that'll treat us fairly.

Mounted police at night

There was a stabbing attempt at the Qalandya checkpoint north of Jerusalem. A 50+ arab woman brandished a knife and the soldiers shot her dead. Security suddenly tightened in and around the City and all checkpoints as well. I guess this will continue for the next month as the jewish High Holy Days (New Year, Atonement and Booths) will begin next week and roll through 3 consecutive weeks. Violence usually occurs on the Feast of Booths (Sukkoth or tabernacles) when jews try to destroy the Mosque and rebuild the jewish Temple in its place. Every year I go to Jaffa and stay to avoid the violence along our street. The roadblocks, the curfews and the bullets sprayed into our library .... that's too much tension for me to take. I am already fazzled by this plot to harm me ... I don't need more.

Stigmata feast

Passionfruit vine

It's Election Day today ... and the City is very quiet in the morning. Everyone sleeping in on this national holiday. Later in the day the traffic jams started .... everyone was out to enjoy the sunny cool weather outdoors. News online says there's a low turnout in voting. That's bad because it means the extremist racist parties stand a better chance of winning. These groups vow to remove all non-jews from Jerusalem and advocate physical attacks on non-jews especially on arabs and christians. It's scary. Now later in the day newspapers report voter participation to be slightly higher. Still it's anybody's guess who will lead in the polls.

1st passionfruit

Autumn has begun and like I said previously .... most fruit are in the harvest stage. Our recently planted Passionfruit also started producing fruit ... I found 2 in the mass of vines. That's a good sign. I had taken a lot of care and now it's rewarding with some fruit. The huge vine climbs a 15 foot wall with 2 jasmine vines ... they support each other as I have no trellis for them to climb.

Today is also the feast of the Stigmata of St. Francis. That's when the crucifix with 6 seraphic wings appeared to Francis and imprinted the 5 wounds on his body. I didn't celebrate with the community because I had to go to Bethlehem and celebrate Mass for the MC sisters there. It's quite a distance and I was afraid the checkpoints would be closed due to the Elections and arab buses cannot travel in and out of the town. Lucky everything was open and I could go and come home safely.

Autumn fruit

Dates

The week starts and the autumn weather is taking over .... very cloudy days and very chilly nights. The autumn fruit are all ripening ... especially the pomegranates and dates. Pomegranates are the symbol of the jewish New Year which will be celebrated in 2 weeks time. Dates are the choice fruit for the feast of Sukkoth or Booths/Tabernacles. There are of course other autumn fruit such as grapes, plums, peaches ... and new introduced fruit such as guavas, mangoes, star fruit, custard apples and lychees. It's amazing how much fruit we can get here ... and it's all fresh.

However harvest time is always the time of clashes when extremist settlers destroy the crops of the arabs. That's one flashpoint for local violence. Then off ourse on Sukkoth extremist jews would try to tear down the Al Aqsa mosque and rebuild the jewish Temple so that the messiah will come .... and that is an annual flashpoint for violence. And there's more to come ...

Damascus Gate yesterday

It's the eve of Election Day ... and the PM is ramping up all the tricks to win votes ... and its the usual fear tactic ... the arabs are coming. He did that for the past 2 elections. This time he's adding promises to annex palestinian lands for Israel. It's a reckless move. Already the palestinians are talking about violent retaliation.

Well that's the last thing I need ... more violence. It only makes my position more precarious.

Holy Cross feast

Relic of True Cross in procession

Yesterday was the Feast of the Holy Cross. It's very solemn here and the altar on Mt. Calvary was ornately decorated. Solemn Mass was sung there and hundreds came to participate. The relic of the True Cross was brought up to Calvary during Mass but was brought down to the Altar of the Apparition for the blessing and veneration.

I was very busy in the morning as I had 6am Mass at the Ivrea sisters' convent then a mad dash to the Holy Sepulchre for another Mass at 7.30am on Calvary for the parishioners from the Tel Aviv parish. Immediately after that I had to preached a recollection. I was free only at noon but not before going to East Jerusalem to buy flowers for our dining room and some desserts for our indian sisters. After all it was a feast day.

Relic on Mt. Calvary

I was terribly confused yesterday ... convinced that it was Sunday. People had to keep reminding me it's only Saturday. Losing my memory again ... but surely not because of lack of potassium. I've been eating a banana every morning so my potassium level should be ok.

This morning ... Sunday of the Prodigal Son ... I wanted to take things easy. I'm exhausted to the point of collapse so I needed a no-stress day. Finished Mass and took a slow walk to the New City and bought some treats for Buddy and JJ. Chatted with the store-keeper and friend Eran before strolling through the park and then down the main street back home. Bought 1 kg of chicken breast and went home to cook Phad Kra Pao because basil is in season. It was nice. Our indian sisters enjoyed it.

Mooncake festival

Mid Autumn full moon

Friday passed without incident in the Old City ... and I stayed away from the Muslim Quarter to avoid any trouble. Some friends in Tel Aviv have offered a room for me to stay till I feel better and things quieten down. It's very nice of them ... and I might just take up their offer.

The moon was wonderfully full and bright yesterday for the Mid Autumn festival. Our small chinese catholic community gathered in the afternoon for a short recollection preached by a chinese priest studying here for a month. Several migrant workers in the Jerusalem area also came to join us. It was a nice gathering and the jesuits where very kind to let us use their chapel and garden for Mass and gathering.

Moon cakes and tea

Later we went for a Mid Autumn dinner at Mandarin Restaurant. Ah Ling the owner was very kind and cooked up 2 extra dishes free of charge apart from what we ordered. We had only 2 mini-mooncakes among the 11 of us but we all appreciated that. It was a great gathering and Ah Ling cried as she joined us for the mooncakes because she too has no family and is alone here. She said she finally felt part of a family with the catholics.

Autumn

Cloudy morning

Tomorrow is the Mid Autumn Festival ... it doesn't coincide with the jewish feast of Sukkoth this year because they have inserted an extra month into the lunar calendar. It won't be anything special as we chinese are a very small minority. And anyway the Sabbath begins in the evening so everything shuts done and there is nowhere to go.

The weather is turning colder by the day and I'm wearing a hoodie jacket every morning on my way to Ivrea. And the dew is heavy. It's autumn for sure.

Several neighboring arabs came to speak with me separately yesterday. Much as they watch my back and show concern, there's no guarantee for my safety anymore.