Pests

The squabble of religious jews to close down all  or most shops on the Sabbath is reaching a tense stage where cities across the country are taking sides. The patriotic zionist party is pushing this agenda forcefully ... even threatening to close shops that are legally authorised to open. Secular jews vow to fight back. It's going to be a long summer .....  http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/tel-aviv-city-hall-weighs-changing-laws-to-let-shops-remain-open-on-saturdays.premium-1.532240

A plate of fresh herbs
as natural insect
repellent

On a happy note, my friend Firas graduated from the university yesterday. It's a big step for him. And we were all happy for him when we joined in the convocation. It was a very long affair with speeches after speeches ... and nobody paid any attention. Everyone was talking and eating and snapping photos.  Anyway now he must start looking for a job ... and that's the tough part. No more talk ... just work.

I noticed there's a stepped-up military presence in and around the City but I'm not sure why. There must have been a tip-off. Anyway we're into the first week of renovations and already I'm totally exhausted. I take my job seriously because everyone else in school depend on me to get the job done by the next school semester. No more delays allowed. What a struggle when you have to call and call the workers everyday to come to work, push them to work when every hour there's a coffee break. keep them working when they want to stop work at 2pm. I am exhausted. I really really need a break.

And the mosquitoes are not helping ... those pesky insects spread germs that cause huge painful boils after they bite. I'm using herbs as a natural repellent. If only this could also solve all those pesky problems of this summer .....

Israeli lychees or is really lychees?

More unease in the news. For example the ultra-orthodox Jews are now forcing a shopping mall in another part of town to close down on the Sabbath. That's causing alot of conflict with the secular residents who want to enjoy a day out. http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/jerusalem-neighborhood-becomes-flashpoint-for-religious-conflict.premium-1.531931  Apparently the enforced closure of shopping malls is because the rabbis are afraid their flock would be out and about on the Sabbath and the rabbis start losing their influence (hence income) on their flock.

Another twist to the enforced closure of shops is in Tel Aviv. This time is not being pushed by rabbis but by religious shop-owners who close on Sabbath and say they're losing out financially to supermarkets that open on the Sabbath. http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/court-orders-tel-aviv-municipality-to-close-stores-on-shabbat-or-change-the-law.premium-1.531998

Fundamentally in both above arguments to enforce closure of all shops on the Sabbath ... the fundamental issue is MONEY, and not "keeping holy the Sabbath". Mammon is much more powerful here.

On the christian front, a storm is brewing over a Greek Orthodox priest in Nazareth who's advocating military service for arab christians. For him and other advocates, it means better integration of arabs into Israeli society and benefits all round (financial, medical, educational). For opponents it means serving in the oppressor's army which tantamounts to treason. http://www.jpost.com/National-News/Priest-under-fire-for-prompting-Arab-national-service-317712

Is really lychees?

Even the simple lychee has got its problems. Israel has cultivated its own hybrid of lychees and supermarkets are selling them profusely. Well sooner or later the rabbis are going to declare lychees non kosher. But even before that, we've got a poor hybrid whose skin is brittle like sun-baked plastic. It snaps when you squeeze the fruit. Next problem is it's terribly sour. A little tangy but dreadfully sour. Israeli scientists need to work on that. So the joke around town is: Israeli lychees or is really lychees?

Fr, Francois Mourad - martyr R.I.P.

Lots of happenings this weekend. Another hate vandalism perpetrated against arabs by jewish extremists. Again the govt. insists it's not a crime ... but I noticed on the same newspaper that a graffiti on a jewish tombstone was an anti-semitic crime. http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/tires-slashed-graffiti-sprayed-in-fourth-suspected-price-tag-attack-in-a-month-1.531662

The weather continues to be oppressively hot but the nights are very chilly. Creates an atmosphere of great unease physically and beyond ...

The supermoon over
the walls of Jerusalem

We received the shocking and sad news that Fr Francois Mourad, a young 49 yr old priest was killed by Syrian rebels in our franciscan monastery in Ghassanieh village on Sunday. The monastery was robbed and destroyed. Friars from a nearby city came to bury Fr Francois and moved the Rosary sisters out of the village to safer towns.

The supermoon gloated over Jerusalem on Sunday night ... to many it was a wondrous sight ... but for us it was a sign in heaven that Fr Francois was in paradise ... a martyr

Assaf Assaf Assaf

Signs of a bad summer ... so the police say. That's because a Sudanese man went on a stabbing spree in Tel Aviv this morning. http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/sudanese-man-stabs-six-people-in-south-tel-aviv.premium-1.531478

So they're predicting a summer of more violence. And that comes in the wake of the jewish man shot dead at the Wailing Wall for shouting "Allahu akbar".  Now we have news that Israeli soldiers confiscate a portable toilet from a bedouin family because it was an "illegal" structure. The toilet was meant to serve a handicap family member. What next ..... ?

When the karub-tea
seller is in the streets, you
know everything is well

But Palestinians have no time for violence .. at least for the moment. Last night saw Palestinian boy Muhammed Assaf win the Arab Idol contest in Lebanon. The whole territories was celebrating with fireworks and parties in the streets. The incredible odds Assaf had to undergo in order to leave extremist muslim Gaza to get to Lebanon has left a deep impression on all the poor palestinians that they too can make something out of themselves, overcome difficulties and make their dreams come true. So right now the only word in every arab's mouth is "Assaf" and his winning song is playing non-stop in the streets. A little joy ... so much welcomed in this sad country with a people who have lost hope.

Not a good Friday

The past two days was an internet fast ... lines were cut and/or mismatched to rooms and offices. Total chaos. For one brief half hour I had access again yesterday but someone pulled my line and I lost contact again. Absolute frustration.

On the larger scale, the country is not fairing better. This morning a Jewish man at the Wailing Wall started screaming "Allahu akbar" and was immediately shot and killed by Israeli police. http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/security-guard-shoots-kills-jewish-israeli-man-at-western-wall-1.531167  Yesterday there were scuffles in the Al Aqsa mosque compound when a jewish man attacked muslim officers.

Then the UN accuses Israel of torturing Palestinian children in jail. http://www.jpost.com/Diplomacy-and-Politics/UN-Israel-tortures-detained-Palestinian-children-317210

Canary chick hatching
this morning

And Costa Rica accuses Israel for harvesting live organs from an international ring  http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/israeli-mds-harvesting-organs-for-international-trafficking-ring.premium-1.530848

And arabs and christian victims of jewish hate vandalism - following the spate of fires on churches, mosques and cars, graffiti etc for the past 2 years - cannot claim compensation from the State because these are not considered "crimes". http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/palestinians-targeted-in-hate-crimes-left-to-cover-costs-unrecognized-by-israel-as-terror-victims.premium-1.530991  But if it were done against jews, then it is a crime. Unbelievable right?

Palestine is not faring better as it's PM resigns just after one week in office.

So it's a Friday of bad news. The poor canary chick that was hatching this morning hasn't the slightest clue what world it's entering

Dogbite

Tonight is the school barbecue that closes the academic year for most of the students. Not fun as the courtyard is tiny and will be filled with smoke. We'll be choking more than eating. I might just avoid it as I don't want an asthma attack. Had to keep the canaries near the choir away from the smoke and noise and Mr Bird is back in my room for some peace. Tonight is mainly an occasion to say goodbye to the final year students.

Beryl's arm and the dog
bite

Joseph Li is returning to Hebei after completing one year of studies here with us. Beryl also completed her volunteer service in our museum and is returning to Hong Kong. We went out for dinner at Mandarin's but as usual with my busy schedule, I had to ran off midway to meet a group. My exhaustion is beyond description. Anyway Beryl was bitten by a dog on Mt Tabor, but even worse were the mosquito bites. Her legs have broken out in boils. I hope she sees a doctor. Anyway thanks to your generosity, Joseph was able to come and do his studies. He's very intelligent and I'm sure he'll be a great help when he returns to Hebei to teach.

Haaretz today reports that the Israeli Police have expressed pessimism in catching or preventing anti-christian / hate vandalism after 2 and a half years since the first attack occurred. Wow ... so how do we feel secure? http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/israel-police-officer-tells-haaretz-war-on-price-tag-attacks-far-from-over.premium-1.530744   "Police officials believe that the main problem is the complete lack of deterrence among young right-wing activists. The officer added that a series of solved crimes would restore the feeling that the rule of law prevailed. He said that in addition to the radical settler youth that grew up in the West Bank, there is also a generation of copycats, mainly teenage dropouts that engage in less sophisticated activity but who draw encouragement and a feeling of immunity because police have failed to track them down."

Thanks

Grateful thanks to Mavien, Francesco, the Little People, Mabel Shek, St Joseph's Ladies Guild, anonymous and Rose Chiu for the food and gifts.

Also belated thanks to the April group for bringing the gifts over from : Ma Po Ling and Anthony, Rose Chiu, Bertha (Rosary Church),Kwok Yee Shan (Martin's group) and Our Lady of Mt Carmel Church.