Thanks to Janet Yeung, David Lin, the Cavero family, Rose Chiu, Katherine Wong, Lai ? Si, Daniel/Helen and Family, the graduate students, the Monday Class for donation to the Silent Workers (handicap religious), Vicky Lee for the donation to Musky's children, the HS College group for the donation to Missionaries of Charity in Gaza.
Also found lots of other things - sandals, candle holder, medicines, biscuits, chocs.
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Thursday, July 29, 2010
A night at the opera
What utter extremes! Have you seen the photos in the news - severe rain and floods in one part of the world, and heatwaves in another. Nature is turning wild. Try reading that in the backdrop of the eschatological discourse in the gospels!
Over here the heat is cooling off and the night breeze is amazingly refreshing. That means more people are coming out into the streets ... and therefore more demonstrations, parades and such. Well at least it's alittle more eventful since tourism has practically died off - the streets are empty and many vendors are taking a holiday. Most muslims are going to make the Haj pilgrimage to Mecca anyway this week.
Was talking at dinner with Fr Marcello that I haven't heard the opera Turandot for a year now .. I was humming "Non piangere Liu" and he heard it - so after dinner I went up Youtube to hear it. Nice. That's what I need for a hot summer's night when I can't afford to go to the opera. Well, "Non piangere Liu" led to "O sole, vita, eternita" finale of Turandot which of course led to "Inneggiamo" and "Regina Coeli" of Mascagni's Cavalleria Rusticana and inevitably leading into it's imcomparable, celestial, the ultimate of ultimate intermezzos - the Intermezzo of Cav. Rust. (don't forget you're supposed to play this piece at my funeral). What a night at the opera ... in Youtube!!!
Thanks for the chinese tea, computer battery, shrimp noodles, goodies, chocs, shower curtain, documents etc... they arrived safely and tax free.
This morning Khalil our cook saw me for the first time in t-shirt and bermudas and he was shocked to see how thin I was. He grabbed me and said he's going to feed me up for the next few weeks. Well with my diet I doubt there's much to eat. The sisters at TS College have been trying to fatten me up as well for the past few months but no success ... I've been giving the food to the other workers in the office!! Well it's not that I'm not eating ... it's too much food and my appetite has been down to minimum so rather than let it waste, I share it with other people. That's what I did today for lunch as well at the Convent of the St Vincent sisters. They cooked rice and chicken specially for me but I passed it on to someone else and when the cook came out and saw it, she was screaming her head off that the food was meant for me and I should be eating it and getting fatter. It' going to be a long summer .... with this conspiracy to fatten me up. sounds like I'm being fatten for the slaughter.
Over here the heat is cooling off and the night breeze is amazingly refreshing. That means more people are coming out into the streets ... and therefore more demonstrations, parades and such. Well at least it's alittle more eventful since tourism has practically died off - the streets are empty and many vendors are taking a holiday. Most muslims are going to make the Haj pilgrimage to Mecca anyway this week.
Was talking at dinner with Fr Marcello that I haven't heard the opera Turandot for a year now .. I was humming "Non piangere Liu" and he heard it - so after dinner I went up Youtube to hear it. Nice. That's what I need for a hot summer's night when I can't afford to go to the opera. Well, "Non piangere Liu" led to "O sole, vita, eternita" finale of Turandot which of course led to "Inneggiamo" and "Regina Coeli" of Mascagni's Cavalleria Rusticana and inevitably leading into it's imcomparable, celestial, the ultimate of ultimate intermezzos - the Intermezzo of Cav. Rust. (don't forget you're supposed to play this piece at my funeral). What a night at the opera ... in Youtube!!!
Thanks for the chinese tea, computer battery, shrimp noodles, goodies, chocs, shower curtain, documents etc... they arrived safely and tax free.
This morning Khalil our cook saw me for the first time in t-shirt and bermudas and he was shocked to see how thin I was. He grabbed me and said he's going to feed me up for the next few weeks. Well with my diet I doubt there's much to eat. The sisters at TS College have been trying to fatten me up as well for the past few months but no success ... I've been giving the food to the other workers in the office!! Well it's not that I'm not eating ... it's too much food and my appetite has been down to minimum so rather than let it waste, I share it with other people. That's what I did today for lunch as well at the Convent of the St Vincent sisters. They cooked rice and chicken specially for me but I passed it on to someone else and when the cook came out and saw it, she was screaming her head off that the food was meant for me and I should be eating it and getting fatter. It' going to be a long summer .... with this conspiracy to fatten me up. sounds like I'm being fatten for the slaughter.
Monday, July 26, 2010
Back online
Have been offline for some time now. Extremely busy. The weather has been extreme, to say the least. Yesterday was 41 degrees! Seething hot!
The heat has been so intense there's a huge slow down in tourist groups. The streets are alot more empty and the churches are quieter. In a way it's nice. Less chaos.
Received tonnes of good stuff from you guys - from durians and durian cakes and chiffon cakes to medicine and donations to the kids whom you're sponsoring. Thanks for everything.
Right now my toilet is leaking from the roof and floor is all wet. Have to get it fixed immediately. Will get back online again ..... soon.
The heat has been so intense there's a huge slow down in tourist groups. The streets are alot more empty and the churches are quieter. In a way it's nice. Less chaos.
Received tonnes of good stuff from you guys - from durians and durian cakes and chiffon cakes to medicine and donations to the kids whom you're sponsoring. Thanks for everything.
Right now my toilet is leaking from the roof and floor is all wet. Have to get it fixed immediately. Will get back online again ..... soon.
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
After Tisha B'Av
So Tisha B'Av is over and the rest of Israel is passing 9 days of consolation - that is, after the day of penitence, they now read passages from the Bible that consoles Israel. I think it consists mainly of passages from Isaiah.
Ramadan, the muslim season of penitence will start in 2 weeks time. Now weddings are taking place almost every night so that it may not clash with Ramadan which is 40 days of fasting.
Although its summer holidays here, I'm trying to catch up with my studies. I only have free time in the nights so I try to do some reading. The mind gets awefully tired after a day's work, so sometimes I don't know what I'm reading.... or perhaps it's a sign of old age.
The heat these few days is quite bearable because a lovely cool breeze blows constantly.
Lots of arabs are going to Ramallah to enjoy the cool evenings. Ramallah is coming back to live again - from a refugee camp to an urban "event" place... at least for the arabs. I haven't been to Ramallah for almost 7 years now since the 2nd Intifada. perhaps I'll make a trip there one day .... when I have free time. Sigh!
Ramadan, the muslim season of penitence will start in 2 weeks time. Now weddings are taking place almost every night so that it may not clash with Ramadan which is 40 days of fasting.
Although its summer holidays here, I'm trying to catch up with my studies. I only have free time in the nights so I try to do some reading. The mind gets awefully tired after a day's work, so sometimes I don't know what I'm reading.... or perhaps it's a sign of old age.
The heat these few days is quite bearable because a lovely cool breeze blows constantly.
Lots of arabs are going to Ramallah to enjoy the cool evenings. Ramallah is coming back to live again - from a refugee camp to an urban "event" place... at least for the arabs. I haven't been to Ramallah for almost 7 years now since the 2nd Intifada. perhaps I'll make a trip there one day .... when I have free time. Sigh!
Monday, July 19, 2010
Tisha B'Av
The sun has set. Shops and businesses throughout the New City have closed. The streets are quiet. No more public transport. It's Tisha B'Av ... the 9th Day of the month Av in the Jewish calendar. Tonight and until sunset tomorrow, all observant Jews will fast, sit on the floor, go unwashed, will not greet anyone, and mourn. It's the day when both Temples (built by Solomon in the 9th century BC and Herod's built in the 3rd century BC) were both destroyed on the same day 656 years apart. It also commemorates the 12 spies sent by Moses who discouraged the Jewish people from entering the Promised Land, the destruction of Jerusalem in the 1st Jewish Revolt (70 AD) and the failure of the Bar Kochba revolt against the Romans (c.135 AD). It is the saddest day in Judaism.
But some restaurants are opened - like the chinese restaurant. The manager told me that non-observant Jews will come to eat. In fact she called me up yesterday to come for dinner because they made a whole bunch of dumplings (kautzee as they call it here). So I went over for kautzee, and spicy/sour soup and some fried noodles. Real bad for my sugar level. This afternoon she called again to say the old Por-por who works in the kitchen had boiled chicken porridge and asked me over for dinner again. It was really nice "chicken chok" and she also gave me two tumblers to bring home. And she refused to take any money for the two dinners. It's a quiet season for tourism and she said she has more time to cook for the religious people. She's a protestant and she also sends food to some chinese pastors and their families living in Jerusalem. That's very nice. And the Por-por remembers me when she cooks cantonese food (not in the menu). But wow .. it's bad for my sugar level.
Now it's late at night and helicopters are flying overhead. Soldiers and police have flooded the Old City, even the mounted police are here with their magnificent horses. It's said that they're in the Old City not so much to prevent arab protests but rather to stop fervent Jews from entering the Mosque to tear it down and rebuild the Temple. Whatever the reasons, the tension can be felt throughout.
As a christian, it's easy to overlook Tisha B'Av because Christ taught of a new temple, the body which is the abode of the Holy Spirit. But one can not deny the historical reality that once the Shekina - the glorious presence of God once resided in this most Holy of places, just 500 meters from my room; a presence that was withdrawn because of senseless hatred for each other.
Tonight the Jews will read the Book of Lamentations and Job. I think I'll read abit of it before I sleep.
But some restaurants are opened - like the chinese restaurant. The manager told me that non-observant Jews will come to eat. In fact she called me up yesterday to come for dinner because they made a whole bunch of dumplings (kautzee as they call it here). So I went over for kautzee, and spicy/sour soup and some fried noodles. Real bad for my sugar level. This afternoon she called again to say the old Por-por who works in the kitchen had boiled chicken porridge and asked me over for dinner again. It was really nice "chicken chok" and she also gave me two tumblers to bring home. And she refused to take any money for the two dinners. It's a quiet season for tourism and she said she has more time to cook for the religious people. She's a protestant and she also sends food to some chinese pastors and their families living in Jerusalem. That's very nice. And the Por-por remembers me when she cooks cantonese food (not in the menu). But wow .. it's bad for my sugar level.
Now it's late at night and helicopters are flying overhead. Soldiers and police have flooded the Old City, even the mounted police are here with their magnificent horses. It's said that they're in the Old City not so much to prevent arab protests but rather to stop fervent Jews from entering the Mosque to tear it down and rebuild the Temple. Whatever the reasons, the tension can be felt throughout.
As a christian, it's easy to overlook Tisha B'Av because Christ taught of a new temple, the body which is the abode of the Holy Spirit. But one can not deny the historical reality that once the Shekina - the glorious presence of God once resided in this most Holy of places, just 500 meters from my room; a presence that was withdrawn because of senseless hatred for each other.
Tonight the Jews will read the Book of Lamentations and Job. I think I'll read abit of it before I sleep.
Sunday, July 18, 2010
catching up
On the 15th we celebrated the dedication of the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre. it's a feast that's celebrated only here in the Holyland ... unfortunately. It's the center of the Christ event - the death, bural and resurrection .. but it's remembered only here in the Holyland. On the otherhand, the dedication of St Peter's Basilica in Rome is a universal feastday. I wonder why? Is the resurrection less important than St Peter?
The feast of St Bonaventure, which falls also on the 15th, is transferred to the 17th, here in the Holyland. This is because the 16th is the feast of Our Lady of Mt Carmel - an optional memorial for you all but a feastday here in the Holyland because Mt. Carmel is here 200 kms away from Jerusalem, and the feast is celebrated on the site itself.
As usual I've been working overtime ... this Friday it was up to 1am. Walked home 2km and had dinner and slept at 2am or so. It's exhausting. Tried to rest on Saturday but the ubiquitous phone call kept ringing. Didn't fare better in the afternoon. I think the best solution is for me to move into the Judean desert and live as a hermit in the caves. There're still hermits out there, you know?
The usual events in Jerusalem - demonstrations, demolitions of arab houses, military presence heightened in the Old City, summer camps for kids throughout the country. It's been 37 degrees for the past few days so usually these events take place during the cooler part of the day.
Fr Vincenzo will return to Musky tomorrow. He thanks you all for your donations to sponsor the children in his area of Cairo.
It's interesting to see the Gaza story in the Straits Times. That's what's life is like in the Strip .... no hope, poverty. http://www.straitstimes.com:80/BreakingNews/World/Story/STIStory_554994.html
The feast of St Bonaventure, which falls also on the 15th, is transferred to the 17th, here in the Holyland. This is because the 16th is the feast of Our Lady of Mt Carmel - an optional memorial for you all but a feastday here in the Holyland because Mt. Carmel is here 200 kms away from Jerusalem, and the feast is celebrated on the site itself.
As usual I've been working overtime ... this Friday it was up to 1am. Walked home 2km and had dinner and slept at 2am or so. It's exhausting. Tried to rest on Saturday but the ubiquitous phone call kept ringing. Didn't fare better in the afternoon. I think the best solution is for me to move into the Judean desert and live as a hermit in the caves. There're still hermits out there, you know?
The usual events in Jerusalem - demonstrations, demolitions of arab houses, military presence heightened in the Old City, summer camps for kids throughout the country. It's been 37 degrees for the past few days so usually these events take place during the cooler part of the day.
Fr Vincenzo will return to Musky tomorrow. He thanks you all for your donations to sponsor the children in his area of Cairo.
It's interesting to see the Gaza story in the Straits Times. That's what's life is like in the Strip .... no hope, poverty. http://www.straitstimes.com:80/BreakingNews/World/Story/STIStory_554994.html
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