Soon Hocks in Israel

Tensions are rising as both the Jewish Feast of Yom Kippur and the muslim feast of Eid al Adha will crossover on the same day Thursday. Police are heightening their presence ... 4 times more than previous Yom Kippurs. Other cities with mixed jewish - muslim communities are also on the alert. The problem is for the jews, Yom Kippur is a day of fasting and solemnity, a day of repentance. But the muslim feast of Al Adha is a festive celebration of song and dining of roasted lambs. If both communities cross paths ... a clash is inevitable.  http://www.haaretz.com/news/national/.premium-1.618262  Jerusalem's Al Aqsa Mosque and the adjacent Wailing Wall and the road leading to them from Damascus gate is the flashpoint. I'm sure the Way of the Cross on Friday will be cancelled as the 3rd, 4th and 5th Stations are along this same road. Unfortunately that's where I  stay ... right at the angle where believers of 3 religions share the same road. I certainly hope I can move out for the weekend.

A baby Soon Hock

Weatherwise it's very cool now and evenings require a jacket or pullover. The new bronchitis medicine is kinder to me ... no more fatigue, asthma and hallucinations. Let's see if it'll cure the bronchitis in these few days. The other day when I was at Yossi's petshop, I found a little surprise. Huddled in a corner of a tank was a very familiar fish .... a marble goby or Soon Hock as Singaporeans know them. Never expected to see them here but they're becoming popular pets because they require little attention. What will be demanding is keeping the water warm during the winter. That reminds me ... I'll have to keep Mr. Bird indoors too.

Bronchitis 2

Dragon chasing the legendary pearl

It seems ironical ... and I'm not trifling the fact ... that this week instead of me reporting about riots and tear gas in Israel, it's Hong Kong that's the center of riots, demonstrations and tear gas. Our side here is very peaceful and calm. The weather has been kind and nighttime temp. drops to 14 degrees. So to see Hong Kong embroiled in social unrest while we're experiencing a lull comes as a surprise, to say the least. All respect is due to the people who are standing up for their rights ... but speaking as one who's lived in Hong Kong and now many more years in the Middle East, a realistic and practical evaluation comes to my mind: Beijing will never back down. it can't. Think of the consequence for Tibet, Inner Mongolia, XinJiang and other minority regions. The Hong Kong people has made a point ... very loudly. And Beijing has noted. Now it's time to step back while you're ahead and think of the next phase while you still hold the upperhand which inevitably must include negotiations and compromise. Otherwise when the Dragon stirs, the Pearl will inevitably be swallowed.

My bronchitis is still at its peak. The medicine "Broncholatte" is too strong for me. Within 2 minutes of drinking 15 ml, my head goes dizzy, I lose all orientation and fall asleep for 4 hours. And it contains ephedrin which provokes asthma. Awful. It tires me out easily and I have not much energy to work. Today my pharmacist recommended another medicine. Let's hope it works. And the pharmacist insisted that if in 2 days the bronchitis and asthma persist, I must go back to hospital.

Peaceful Rosh haShana

New chic supermarket on
the jewish side of Jerusalem

Rosh haShana on Friday and Saturday passed without any incident. Military presence was heavy but no rioting or scuffles were recorded. So it was peaceful for us ... a rare event during these High Holy Days. We'll have to see how Yom Kippur will pass. It'll start on sunset Oct. 3rd and end on sunset Oct. 4th. It's a day of solemn reflection, fasting and prayer. Unfortunately it falls on the feast of St. Francis (Oct 4th) so we can't go out and enjoy. All our celebrations will be held indoors so as not to injure the religious sensitivities of the Jews. But the muslims start their Eid el Adha on sunset of Oct 4th and ends on Oct 5th sunset. It's the feast of Abraham willing to sacrifice Ishmael (not Isaac).

I'm totally wrecked by bronchitis. It's at its peak now, and it also triggers asthma. So I'm having a very dreadful time. Hardly sleeping at all due to the coughing and suffocation. But the medicine I'm taking is very very strong. Knocks me out for 4 hours ... so that's the time I actually sleep. I can't take it during the day as I need to work. Yes there's no sick leave here. You have to work even if you're sick. And my feet hurt so much I can only hobble. But its sporadic. Sometimes I can walk perfectly well. And diarrhea is less these 2 days.

I understand Hong Kong is going through some upheaval. I can understand the fear and consternation when there are massive demonstrating crowds confronting tear gas and military offensives. It's very common here in our country though ... so I can empathise. Let's hope cool heads and reason take over from emotions.

Natural splash of colours in the open
 market on arab side of Jerusalem

Jerusalem is undergoing lots of changes ... new buildings and shops everywhere. My usual Sunday 5 km walk was leisurely because of my bronchitis and feet problems. One thing I noticed was how markets are organised on the Jewish and Arab sides of the City. A new supermarket was opened in Shotar Square in front of Mandarin Restaurant. Upscale place, very chic ... and hence costly. Everything wrapped, well advertised in colourful packages and lighting, and organized on the shelves. Then in the arab side, things are still being sold in the streets in a splash of natural colours, haphazard, prices are negotiated. Both are appealing ... reflective of their cultures.

Bronchitis

Morning in Jaffa

Today was very quiet. No clashes, no riots. Police presence was still heavy but life went on as usual. The Mosque remained closed to muslims while many jews converged to the Wailing Wall to pray on the 1st Day of the New Year - Rosh haShana. Tomorrow however is Friday and if the Mosque continues to be closed, I think there might be more than scuffles. Let's see.

I was hoping to spend the New Year at my other community in Jaffa ... by the sea. But I have class tomorrow and the internet line is not strong in Jaffa. So I'm stuck in Jerusalem. And on a Friday ... with potential clashes between muslims and jews. Can't say I look forward to it.

Sunset on the same site

I'm down with severe bronchitis. Lost my voice. So I don't know how I can teach tomorrow. The chest pain and coughing is dreadful. I can't sleep. And there's a fever as well. Am taking medicine for this but it makes me very drowsy. Still work is work so I have to trudge on.

Students are coming back from the summer vacation. Most schools have started. While all israeli schools are closed - in fact everything is closed - the arab side of Jerusalem continues as usual. School, markets, transportation ... are all running on routine. It's such a strange country when 2 systems are running parallel. It takes quite some time to get to used to it.

Clashes

Muslim women outside
Ecce Homo protesting the
closure of the Mosque

Rioting in our Quarter this morning for some 3 hours. Apparently some jews entered the Al Aqsa esplanade but since it was the eve of Rosh haShana, muslims fear the jew will try (again) to tear down their mosque and rebuild the Temple, so stones were thrown, israeli soldiers fired stun grenades and tear gas ... and  full blown clash enveloped our Quarter. Running battles along our street. We had to close our library windows as grenades were fired directly below.

The Mosque was closed to everyone and muslims were protesting in the streets. As Rosh haShana lasts till Friday evening, I think the Mosque will be closed throughout this time. There's going to be some heated encounters in the streets these few days.

That will make life difficult for me as I need to go out to work. If our street becomes a battle ground, then I'll be locked in. And tear gas will be blowing in. And I'm allergic to it ... and my window faces directly the street. Not good news.

Rosh haShana food

Not going to work doesn't mean that I'll be lazing around at home. Today I managed to correct a 40 page article. Very tiring to the eyes. But it was just as well I stayed home in the afternoon (I went to work in the morning despite the clashes), because I'm suffering from severe diarrhea again. Dreadful cramps that make me double up in pain. And my feet continue to hurt so bad I've been hobbling for 2 days now. Perhaps a little Rosh haShana food will cheer me up. it's customary to eat honey cakes and apples dipped in honey ... a sweet start to the New Year. Pomegranates are also traditional ... they symbolise abundance. Ironically we're experiencing clashes on the New Year ... perhaps things might calm down and everyone's lives get sweeten up this year. Our New Year wish? No more wars.

Break

Soldiers at Bab Hutta in
our quiet street

Managed to squeeze a short break last weekend to rest in my other community in Jaffa. It's always nice to get away from Jerusalem - away from the racial and religious tensions which seem to be growing this week. That's probably because the Jewish New Year is this Friday, followed by Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) a week later, and then the 8 day Feast of Sukkot (Tabernacles / Tents) the following week. Police and soldiers have stepped up their presence since yesterday. They're expecting trouble ... as they do every year this time. And rightly so. Usually jews will try to enter the Al Aqsa Mosque area and symbolically try to pull down the mosque in order to rebuild the Temple. This inevitably will lead to muslims throwing stones and israeli soldiers firing back in retaliation. Then the riots will spill out of the mosque esplanade into our streets. Happens every year.

Fresh sea breeze in the morning

Anyway a couple of days by the sea is good. No air pollution so I can breathe better. And I get an appetite ... so I do eat 2 meals a day ... hot meals at that. And talking about hot food ... the doctors think they know why I'm suffering from diarrhea most of the time. I probably caught an infection after the operation but because I eat cold leftovers, it caused the bacteria to continue spreading in the tummy thus the diarrhea. The docs fear this may lead to stomach cancer. I really don't know ... just that it's too troublesome to warm up cold leftovers at midnight when I have some time to eat. Maybe I should stop eating all together. And my feet still hurt and the docs continue to tell me to go to a podiatrist.

An ethiopic bride striking
a pose for me

Back to seaside ... a morning walk down to the bakery is pleasant. Warm salty sea breeze, several people jogging or riding bikes or swimming. In the afternoon, lots of couples taking wedding photos in the garden opposite our church. Jews, muslims and christians come to this scenic spot when Pharoah Ramses II built a triumphant gateway some 3000 years ago.

Then on Sunday it's back to work as usual. All through to today. Despite the short break, I'm already feeling tired again. Some fo the shopkeepers opposite our house tell me to slow down ... it appears that I'm burning out ... again. Well let's hope I can spend Rosh haShana this Friday back by the sea again.

Mr. Bird

Mr. Bird loves the news

Mr. Bird was in my room again after a long time. I haven't had the time to play with him and left him with the cockatiel in the large cage out in the courtyard for several months now. He's become quite aggressive so I thought a little TLC was in place. He was very happy to be in my room ... especially when he gets to watch the news from the Internet. He's fascinated by colours and moving objects.