Water .....

Yesterday was All Souls' Day. Remembered during Mass all the family, friends and benefactors who passed away.

Trouble is brewing in the Holy Sepulchre because the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate's bank account is frozen. The water company is demanding 9 million shekels of past water bills. However the Church has never paid water or electric bills because it's been exempt all these centuries. If any payment is made now, it'll start a precedent for other companies to demand retrospective payments for electricity, land tax etc... for all church properties including pilgrim hostels, schools, churches, hospitals, orphanages. It's not right as mosques and synagogues are exempt. http://www.jpost.com/NationalNews/Article.aspx?id=290257  and  http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/holy-sepulchre-bank-account-blocked-over-water-bill-1.474045#.UJSMko0k6W8.facebook  In a united move, all the churches are in agreement to close the Holy Sepulchre as a protest. So you see, water is not only a contention between desert-dry countries in the Middle-east ... it's moved into the churches as well.

"Thirst" - statue at
Mamilla Mall

So next time you thoughtlessly misuse water, stop yourself. Don't take it for granted. Every drop counts.

Weatherwise there's no sign of rain though it's terribly cloudy. Let's hope this winter will be kind and allow some heavy rains to fall later in the year. A couple of stormy days would be great.

All Saints Day

Managed to get an appointment with my physiotherapist this morning. 3 hour session to get the neck and shoulder back in alignment. Actually he found out that it's mainly due to my ankle (I fell 4 years ago and it wasn't healed) and knees (no miniscus) that projected it's misalignment to my neck thus causing most of the pain on the nerve. It was a slow long session but he did quite alot of good. Am having less pain now. But the problem is it will recur when I start overworking, stressed or carry heavy things.

Great burger at Jabontinsky Road

Anyway he was very nice and we chatted alot and he brought me out for a burger as it was past lunch time. It was certainly one of the best burgers I've ever eaten ... well, I don't eat much burgers in the first place. And as expected, I got really sick almost immediately after.

And it's All Saints Day ... not just a day to remember the holy people who went before us ... but rather a day to remind ourselves that we too are all called to be saints. And this includes carrying all our pains and aches ....

Chains of St. George

What a few days ... hurricanes, earthquakes ... the earth is rebelling and there is nothing science or technology can do to halt it. The primal energy of earth, wind and water cannot be domesticated for the greed of humans ... it only follows the natural law of God; and whoever breaks this law will face the full force of the primal elements, the defenders of creation.

The chain of St. George

A visit to the church of St. George in El Khader proved interesting: I found the famed "chains" of St. George, supposedly used to bind evil and sickness. Since Medieval times, people have had the chains put around their necks to "arrest" the demons that caused schizophrenia and other sickness. In fact, the lunatic asylum is just next door to this church. St. George is the guy who battled the dragon (a metaphorical representation of fighting evil), the patron saint of England. Too bad I forgot to put it around my neck ... to get rid of my own illness.

It's unlikely the chains of St. George would prove effective in arresting earthquakes and hurricanes.

Stromata

Rocky on his outdoor divan

Paid a visit to Rocky yesterday. He was very excited and couldn't stop jumping.  Brought his qibble and tuna fish that he used to eat, and a couple of pig's ears which he enjoys chewing. He's quite thin but now with the food that he's used to eating, he should be better. And the large garden is good for him as he enjoys running around chasing the numerous cats that come in. He's still a baby - only 6 months. And Sabrine and Faadi are taking good care of him. They love him very much.

Olive harvesting by hand

It's time for the olive harvest. People are out everywhere to collect the fruit that will either be pickled or crushed for oil. It's an important fruit here for the locals. For the villagers near Jewish settlements, it's a bigger problem. Settlers have been burning or destroying arab olive orchards, as the newspapers tell us. The livelihood of many families are now threatened. It's a sad situation but nothing will change till the next elections ... God willing.

Weatherwise the hot dry winds have returned but the nights get very chilly. Easy to fall sick. You never know what to wear when going out.

Of mooncakes and tea

MeiSum mooncake!!

Had a lovely Saturday afternoon tea with myself. Mooncake and Chinese tea (Tie Guan Yin). Thanks to Bernadette and Nicholas for their thoughtfulness. I know ... with the sugar and starch, I'll be paying for it healthwise. But meantime let me enjoy this rare treat. And ... thanks for the TimTams (Auntie Chan!!!). That'll be my next guilty pleasure!!

Weatherwise it's been awfully cloudy but not a drop of rain. Elsewhere in Israel it's still a downpour. The wind is quite chilly and people are going around in jumpers, windbreakers and scarves.

Rain

So it rained cats and dogs over Israel yesterday ... even a boat sank off the Tel Aviv coast. But not a drop in Jerusalem. As the rabbis say ... "God is not happy with Jerusalem". In fact the sun is beating down pretty hard while the rest of Israel is inundated.   http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/boat-sinks-off-tel-aviv-shore-as-stormy-weather-covers-israel-1.472521  and  http://www.jpost.com/NationalNews/Article.aspx?id=289412

Drummers on the march

Meantime the Eid al Adha celebrations continue. Last night a motley group of 9 muslim drummers marched through the Muslim Quarter in festive mood (love the alliteration). Little children trailed them, skipping and chanting to the beat. Sheep were slaughtered and roasted, families eating their share and the rest distributed to the poor.

Today being Sabbat, numerous jewish groups have entered the Old City to sightsee. It's a phenomenon not seen in the past 20 years. There're special tours tailored for Jewish cultural heritage ... in the muslim quarter. No wonder the muslims are feeling afraid. Just this afternoon there was a stabbing up in the alleys behind the Ecce Homo convent. Crowds were collecting at the crossroad and an ambulance managed to negotiate its way there as well.  I'm staying away from all that by locking myself in the library and doing my research.

Eid al Adha

Bazaar at Damascus Gate packed
with people

Today is the Feast of the Sacrifice ... which according to the muslims is Abraham's sacrifice of Ishmael (not Isaac) on the rock that is inside the Dome of the Rock. Each muslim family kills a sheep and the meat is distributed to the poor. The Old City is full of muslim pilgrims from all over the country as well as from overseas. I hear the Israelis did not close the checkpoint at Bethlehem even though it's also the Jewish celebration of the death of Rachel whose tomb lies directly next to the Bethlehem checkpoint.

So with all my recent sickness, some of the muslim shop owners opposite my house are telling me someone has cast an evil eye on me. They're certain of it.

And now the weather ... cool and breezy as should any autumn day. But we hear next week will bring back the heatwave. Not looking forward to it.