Busy days

Graffiti pro-life

The past 2 days have been hectic work. Running several kms between institutes to teach and work. My strength is still at an all time low. Don't know how I will have to run from Ratisbon to my house in an hour from one class to another. I hate Mondays and Wednesdays ... teaching is no longer fun. It's draining my energy and sapping my life. Not sure I agree with a graffiti I saw at a road corner. I'm looking forward to eternal rest.

Luckily a couple of retired volunteers came from Italy to help me move 250 boxes of 18th century books. I couldn't have done it alone. I've got a pinched nerve on my left arm. Hurts like hell ... can't even sleep. My allergic reaction is still bad ... swellings and fever. Rani at the pharmacy gave me some cortesone cream. I  hope it helps.

Dinner at Legacy

And things couldn't have gone worse - my office computer - 3rd hand - was a total disaster. And worse ... no one knew how to reinstall a MAC computer. Waited for 3 weeks till I heard an Italian volunteer at our Technical Office knew something. Thank goodness he solved the major problem ... threw out everything, and reinstalled the entire system from scratch. I treated Domenico to dinner later in the evening. He deserved it. We had seafood Madras and entrecote steak. I was of course sick after that. But Domenico had a good meal and that was important.

Papayas in Israel!

For once in a very long while, I have a Saturday off. No school, no library, no classes. First thing I did after my daily chores was to grab the shurut for my other community in Jaffa. The sea breeze and calm is good for my fever and allergic reaction of the past few days. I managed to sleep for several hours. It was good.

Papayas for sale!

And being a Saturday, the bazaar in front of St. Peter's Church was bustling with business. Tel Aviv municipality has waivered the Sabbath Law of no-work so many hawkers and shops open. I caught up with Jenny and Meier who sell souvenirs to tourists. And finally met with Shlomi after a very long time. He sells honeyed-nuts and fresh juice. Spent some time chatting with them. It was good to catch up with old friends. And surprise! I found papayas on sale in Tel Aviv! I miss the fruit very much. It's been 2 decades since I tasted a fresh papaya. Now apparently Israel is growing them in Ashkelon near Gaza where the humidity and climate are suitable for papaya plantations. In fact the government has hired a filipino franciscan friar to help in the development of this plantation.

Anyway Meier recounted what happened to the guy in the opposite stall last week. His name is Rudy and he sells trinkets and wallets. Last week he lost his wallet containing the whole week's earnings, driving licence, ID card, credit card etc... He was panicking and spent 2 hours searching the entire area. Rudy is known for his right-wing anti-arab sentiments. Then came an arab muslim family. They saw him searching distraughtly but they could not communicate with him as they spoke no hebrew, and he no arabic. They pointed to the wallets he was selling and Rudy said it cost 40 shekels each. They shook their heads and kept pointing and he kept saying the same thing, getting angrier each time. Finally he realised they were asking if he was looking for his wallet. He gestured that he lost his wallet and the family produced the wallet they found down the road. Every cent was intact. Rudy was very touched and cried. He could not believe his arab enemies could be so honest. He offered them a reward but they refused. He offered them a gift but they again refused. Rudy had changed his mind about arabs and muslims. A little act of honesty and kindness changed one man's concept of the Israeli-arab conflict.

Coincidence?

Today Friday passed off without incident. Even though it's the Easter Octave, and our official Way of the Cross is never done ... lots of groups still come to make the Way of the Cross. Pretty weird. But then again they're tourists, and Holyland tourists have their own strange ways.

Wild carrots among the weeds

Have been having a severe allergic reaction to something. Swollen eyes, mouth and bad asthma. And several other people are getting it as well. They say it's something in the air. Hope it's not some chemical or biological warfare tests .... Anyway I trid to get some fresh air - ironically - by doing some gardening. Among the weeds growing in the tubs of jasmine and bougainvillea, I found wild carrots growing. Now how did they get there? There was lots of wild parsley as well.

A dog-walker and his
charges in Tel Aviv

Because of my severe allergic reaction, yesterday I went off to see the doc in Tel Aviv. After the checkup and buying medicine from the pharmacy, I decided to meet up two of our church helpers near Thai House - the great thai restaurant. We actually went to a cafe opposite the restaurant when the strangest thing happened: walking pass the restaurant was a french lady I once knew back in Hong Kong 15 years ago. Unbelievable coincidence?  To be in Tel Aviv, at that road corner, at that time ... it sounds so incredible ... like one in a million chance. Back 15 years she was facing a tragic time as her daughter took her own life. I helped out identifying and collecting the body and funeral arrangements. Then after that tragic incident, she said she might migrate to Israel as her family was jewish. Since then I never had any contact with her. Then 15 years later in Israel, I meet her. She had come to Israel 6 months ago to seek citizenship but was granted only residency as she is not a practicing jewess. Not being able to speak hebrew, not knowing anyone and not having a job, she was about to go and pawn her jewelry to pay her rent when I saw her. I gave her what I could to help her out. But what a coincidence .. or did God planned it all out?

Of food, Pesach and riots

Spinach and eggs/tomatoes

The past few days have seen good fare at Mandarin's restaurant. Xiao Yang the new cook did up fried eggs with tomatoes, white rice and garlic spinach on Tuesday evening. Then Wednesday evening Ah Ling boiled herbal soup with pork ribs, mushrooms and mu er. It was all very yummy.

After the Pesach ended, all restaurants were packed with Jews who could finally eat normal food after 8 days of unleavened bread and boiled food. Tuesday saw restaurants working overtime to serve all the customers. Practically every place had a queue lining up outside the door.

Herbal soup on Wednesday

An upset was caused during the 8 day Pesach holidays. As leavened bread is forbidden, there was an unprecedented raid on arab hawkers selling bread at Jaffa Gate. It has never happened before as non-Jews were always allowed to continue their business. This time police raided their wares, carts and making the hawkers pay fines. Then it was leaked in a social media that orthodox jewish sector was behind this move to "judaize" Jerusalem. Now that's a frightening thought ... a precedent that bodes badly for us non-Jews in future Jewish holidays. No more freedom to express religion.  http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/.premium-1.586432

Riot police storming Herod's Gate

Yesterday evening saw another riot ... one of a series this week. The Al Aqsa Mosque compound had been closed several times and tensions have been rising. Yesterday's altercation however did not take place inside the Old City. It happened outside the City at the plaza in front of Herod's Gate. I was coming home from Mandarin's after the herbal soup dinner and took a rest at Damascus Gate's Palm Plaza when several police vans and ambulance sped down to Herod's Gate. Sensing something was wrong, i walked down and there at the Gate was a huge crowd of arabs confronting a squad of riot police. Stun grenades were fired, arbas ran inside the City, police chased. Lots of grenades fired inside the City. I sat outside taking photos with a group of arab spectators. But the riot police came to chase us away. We moved up a few metres under the trees, just in case we were fired upon, but continued to watch. After half an hour, it was all over and life was back to normal.

Easter Monday

Khalil working on dough
to bake buns

It's Emmaus Monday ... when we remember the road to Emmaus. Celebrations took place in two Emmauses: the Custos presided at the Franciscan one which is the village of Qubeibeh, and the Patriarch at the ruins of Nicopolis in Latrun. Blessed bread is usually distributed to the congregation after the Mass. And at home, Khalil our cook has been baking bread for Easter Week. It's also time for mamoul ... the dates/walnut filled cookies shaped into the Crown of Thorns, the Sponge (of Vinegar) and the Nails (nailheads) eaten during this Easter time by local christians.

Home-baked Mamoul cookies

Today is also the last day of the Jewish Pesach. No work is allowed. But that did not stop a group of Jewish protesters near the Knesset (Parliament) who blocked the roads. They were demonstrating for the right to legalise marijuana in Israel and had organised a "Big Bong Night" at the nearby park. Police made sure it never happened! The muslim riots on our side of the City has ceased. There was no trouble this morning and life went on as usual.

Jewish news is working on the emotions and fears of Jews by publishing an article insinuating a conspiracy by the Vatican to "take control" of King David's Tomb. A masterpiece of misinformation and opportunistic propaganda because it never mentioned that the Franciscans own that property for some 750 years, with proper title deeds that were never challenged by the muslim conquerors nor the State of Israel; that archaeology has proven it is not the Tomb of David but an early church with it's apse oriented toward the Holy Sepulchre and not the Temple (today Al Aqsa mosque) as a jewish tomb should; that the anti-semitic photo attached to the article has nothing to do with the subject of the article ... the list goes on. It's provocative and likely to fire protests and violence against christians. And the editors and author of that article will be responsible for the damage. And I'm posting this as a warning first before it happens so when it does, everyone will know the misinformed and twisted facts and who is responsible. http://virtualjerusalem.com/news.php?Itemid=12653

Easter Sunday

Easter dawn over the Mt. of Olives
The Son rises

The Easter celebrations should have been joyous here in the very City that it all happened .... but for us in the Muslim Quarter, it was riots and disorder in the streets. Yesterday evening saw tensions as the police closed off the Al Aqsa esplanade to everyone. Protests grew in Bab Hutta area. During the Blessing of Fire at 9pm, street battles were being fought between muslims and Israeli soldiers 5 metres away. This morning more running battles ... we had to close our gates otherwise rioters might have entered to seek refuge and soldiers would have followed with tear gas and stun grenades. Many protesters were suffering from effects of tear gas. I went down to bab Hutta to take photos but the soldiers would not let me go too near.

French Students
Bible study

Later when we opened the gates, a hundred or so french students came in and occupied out courtyard because their original meeting place - St. Anne's Church/Sheeps' Pool - was closed due to the riots. They spent an hour divided in groups, studying the Bible and sharing faith experiences. A touching sight when you consider what other youths are doing on Easter Sunday.

Riots ended just before noon. Soldiers were still everywhere but the tensions died out. Probably because it got too hot for people to be in the streets. It went up to 18 degrees and the sun is relentless today.

In Haaretz online newspaper, there's an article that smacks of typical disdain and ridicule at Christianity. Purports that Christianity is a mixture of eclectic Jewish beliefs with pagan superstitions: ultimately its an invention
http://www.haaretz.com/news/features/.premium-1.586391

The Holy Fire being shared around
the Empty Tomb

Yesterday at about 2.30pm the Holy Fire "appeared" in the Holy Sepulchre and the Orthodox Christians were elated. It's supposed to come from heaven, appearing inside the Empty Tomb each Holy Saturday for the past 1000 years. For the orthodox, it's a confirmation of the Resurrection.

Tomorrow everyone will go to Emmaus to celebrate the apparition of the Risen Lord there. Problem is there are several rival "Emmaus" and each one has organised its own liturgy. Pretty confusing. But it's not a scientific test ... faith is not dictated by science. So long as you believe, and it makes you a better person ... then go to Emmaus ... whichever one you choose.

Triduum

Thousands stuck at the 2nd Station
of the Cross due to police block

Holy Thursday and Good Friday saw utter chaos in the Old City. The police decided to close off the City Gates and all streets leading to the Holy Sepulchre. Entry by tickets only. You can imagine the thousands of orthodox "pilgrims" fuming and getting testing as they cannot enter the Church. The police also closed off our house entrance. Groups could not proceed from the 2nd Station to the 3rd Station of the Cross because of the road block. Tempers were high. I was caught there for half an hour, unable to move forward or back. Finally after yelling for help, my security friends came to my rescue ... plus our doorman Majed. It was hell just trying to move 5 feet back into our courtyard without getting crushed by the human wave.

Veneration of the Cross
at St. Anthony's

I went to my other community in Jaffa for the liturgy. Mass of the Lord's Supper was with the Indian community - celebrated in Konkani which I don't understand. A good 600 people showed up. It ended around 9pm and I had to rush back to Jerusalem because in the morning I have chores to do - water the plants, feed the birds, clean the courtyard. Then on Good Friday, after surviving the great crush at our door (see above),  I was at St. Anthony's parish for the Veneration of the Cross. A small crowd there though. But it was good to be with a congregation.

Being the jewish Passover holidays, there was a special bazaar at the piazza in front of St. Peter's Church, and open-air tango classes. Didn't quite fit the solemn Good Friday mood ... but they're not christians, so they won't know.

We still have the Easter Vigil to celebrate ... then the Triduum is complete. We'll see whether there'll be road blocks tonight.