Mooncake

After Sabbath
prayers

This is getting quite predictable ... Fridays here in Jerusalem pass off serenely. Then in the evening I read the news of clashes at the Gaza border. Last night's report says over 100 injured. Well you just never know what happens next. Or where. One thing's for sure ... the jewish high Holy Days are coming and security will be stepped up. However since the last Yom Kippur war, there has been few incidents during the autumn feasts which include the New Year (Rosh haShanah), Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) and the 8 days of Sukkoth (Feast of Tabernacles). I doubt this year will be any different. We're all tired of violence. Right now ... an ambulance is passing by my window. I wonder what happened. Maybe I spoke too soon.

We're just bracing for news about the upcoming Syrian war in Idlib ... the last stronghold of ISIS. Casualties will be high and both the armies will be merciless. How dreadful.

Anyway it's Sabbath. The City as usual is deadly quiet. I had planned to take a walk around the lovely northern  neighbourhood of Ottoman bungalows and villas ... but was caught up with an assignment that I must finish asap. So it's work as usual. I might just go for a walk later in the evening when it gets cool. Today is 32 degrees maximum at 3pm. I'm staying indoors till the sun sets.

Mooncake!!

The Feast of Sukkoth falls on the same day as the Mid-Autumn Festival ... a celebration of the full moon. Linda and Billy from Mian restaurant gave me a mooncake (double yolk lotus paste) which was very nice of them. I shan't be celebrating it much as the chinese sisters and friars are all busy guiding groups. And anyway I start my preaching schedule tomorrow till Oct. 1st. Very intensive and hectic as it's 30 days flat with no rest days. September is not going to be fun.

Of monks and nuns

Lutheran franciscan nuns

It's Friday again and as usual security was stepped up. But given the circumstances and mood of the people, the day passed without incident. The weather too was rather cool so all in all it was a pleasant start to the weekend. Now if this would keep up for the rest of the month till autumn begins, that would be perfect. I have a month's intensive courses to teach and the last thing I need is bad weather and violence. It's the last stretch of my summer "holidays" .... spent working.

The other day while walking pass Tsahal Square near New Gate, 2 Lutheran franciscan nuns were crossing the road. Few people know that Lutherans and Anglicans also have religious orders, mostly franciscans. They follow the same religious community life as those in the Catholic Church. Interesting.

Ethiopic monk in
orange robes

Last night there were so many events in the City. I wanted to hear the concert at Sultan's Pool but the other concert at Independence Park was a lot louder and drowned out the other. Then there was a night cycling group of some 20 cyclists riding around various off-the-track routes. And a segway group that went on the track routes. Some ultra-orthodox families were barbecuing in the parks. Tourists and locals had various night walking tours. And of course the young had hundreds of parties all along the New City. I have never seen the City so crowded and lively before ... not even during the day. It was remarkable. It was so "summer". Well I guess school starts next week for Israeli schools so it's the last summer fling. It was really festive ... and security was not as intense as I would have thought.

A strange thing happened this afternoon when I was on my way home from work. An Ethiopic Orthodox monk walked past me ... but he was dressed in orange from head to toe ... like a buddhist monk. I couldn't help laughing and taking a photo of him. This City never stops in amazing me. Surprises at every corner.

Taiji at the Park

Taiji at the Park

Last night I woke up with an excruciating pain in my right knee. That's the one without meniscus. It wasn't cramps ... just a dreadful pain at the kneecap. At 5.30am when I had to walk to the Ivrea Convent for Mass ... I was limping and walking very slowly. It's still tender all day but I can manage to walk. I wonder what happened.

On my way to Mass I have to pass by the Rockefeller Park each morning. Today I had a surprise .... a chinese guy was doing Taiji ... Chen style ... alot of stomping and punches. That was the last thing I expected. Given that it was so early, there was no one

Well anyway yesterday I was very tired and by 5pm I fell asleep ... without dinner as usual. I slept right through till about midnight when my knee hurt. After that episode I fell back asleep till 4.30am. That really needed the sleep ... it's something I wanted to do for summer ... to catch up with sleep. Then it occurred to me that it's the end fo August. My summer "holiday" is over. Tragedy.

Ultra-orthodox pressure is growing in Jerusalem ... especially in keeping the Sabbath. They are now harassing a very famous restaurant that opens on the Sabbath. And apparently the police are not doing anything about it. The implosion deepens. All I can say is with this internal struggle and division going on ... it makes hollow the claim to unite Jerusalem both east and west when this unity is just geo-political. There is no unity in the soul of Jerusalem.   https://www.timesofisrael.com/ultra-orthodox-mob-harasses-central-jerusalem-bar-for-opening-on-shabbat/

Full moon and free concerts

Full moon over Damascus Gate

I still have no news about the lost old lady in Ben Gurion airport. Her name on the passport is Anna Kadoorie which I presume must belong to the famous Kadoorie family in Singapore and Hong Kong. Strange that Israeli security never contacted that family. I hope she's alright.

There's been a step up in security today in the streets. Not sure why. But as I came home from mass at the Ivrea convent at 7am there were many police stationed at various places in and around the Old City. Maybe it's because Palestinian schools have started the new semester. Lots of arab students are entering the Old City to attend school and maybe security is afraid some altercation might happen. And now that the weather is cooling down ... about 21 degrees in the nights ... more people tend to go out and again there's chance of trouble starting among the crowds.

Tourists ignore the moon and photo-
graph the fountain instead

Anyway talking about schools for arabs ... the Israeli gov is pumping lots of money to upgrade the much neglected East Jerusalem schools. Arabs immediately protest that it's israeli brainwashing that'll be introduced into the arab schools. Well I think it's the best idea so far ... education is the key. The very low quality of education in arab govt-funded schools have churned out drop-outs, unemployed youths who cause trouble. With a proper education they will be able to find work and own a house. Once they have vested interests to protect, they will not risk losing it through violence. Smart move. I say Israeli should pump money to upgrade the facilities and also quality of teachers. That is the first step to peace.    https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.premium-critics-five-year-plan-for-e-j-lem-focuses-on-israelization-1.6429472

Healthwise I am still breathless and easily tired ... but I think it's more from the weather then health. But the ankle still hurts. I have only a week left before I start a one month retreat. That means no more summer activities like concerts and festivals. Last night I was again cheapo by sitting across the valley listening to a concert of traditional musicians. Entry fees are getting more expensive for these events and more cheapos like me are gathering near the concert venues to listen free of charge. Last night the security blocked off all roads near the venue so my usual free-of-charge site was off-limits. Many like me had to climb up further the hill to hear (not see) the concert.

Help needed

Protest at Paris Square

It's the feast of St. Augustine. Not among my favourite saints ... to say the least. It was Mass as usual at 6am at the Ivrea convent. I leave about 20 minutes prior because I can't walk fast. In summer it's ok because the sun is up early and these few weeks it's been cool and pleasant. If I reach the convent early, I spend some time walking around Rockefeller Park which is totally restructured ... fantastic but always littered by the arabs.

Just after lunch we received news that the Paris Square junction in front of Terra Santa College and Supersol supermarket was blocked by hundreds of protesters. No one seems to know why but the traffic jam was horrific. I had to warn the other guys who're guiding groups to avoid that road or they might be stuck for hours.

New 7th Station
chapel

Yesterday I paid a visit to the 7th Station which I have not done for a long time. It was a big surprise as the Custody had bought the shop next to it and excavated and found an ancient building below. It'll probably serve as a 3rd chapel for the 7th Station. It's certainly expanding.

Just got a call from Singapore High Commission asking for help. An elderly Singaporean lady called Anna Kadoorie was found wandering in Ben Gurion airport for several days. She is unable to give any information about herself except that she holds a Singapore passport. No air ticket. Can anyone in Singapore help identify her family so they can take responsibility for her?

West Nile fever has hit Israel. Yesterday a 3rd person died, 14 are critical and 68 hospitalised. It's getting more widespread. I'll need to buy anti-mosquito spray.

Drizzle in summer!!!!

Drizzle in midsummer

Yes it actually drizzled this morning ... at 5am ... and quite heavily too. In mid-summer!!! I had to go early to say Mass at the Ivrea convent because they start school today (summer vacation over) ... that means 6am Mass. As I walked out into the streets I could feel the raindrops and I was getting wet. Rain clouds were floating pass above and a very cold wind was blowing. There was no going back to get an umbrella as I will be late for Mass so I walked the 25 minutes to the convent ... by which time I was quite wet. Passing by the bakery, a driver was shouting "It's raining" ... meaning keep the fresh bread indoors because the boys were loading cartons of fresh bread by the roadside for vans to pick them up and distribute to various stores throughout the City and villages. Well miracles do happen ... and it drizzled in midsummer.

Altar of the Crusader
Chapel

Our streets continue to be crowded with orthodox christians as they swarm down to the Kidron Valley and venerate the Tomb of the Virgin Mary. Greeks, Russians and Ethiopics are the most numerous. Today is the end of the week of celebrations and the orthodox gather flowers offered at the Tomb as a souvenir to bring home. Soon in a couple of weeks the jews will celebrate their New Year and Day of Atonement and the feast of Tents. It is a pretty crammed month of religious feasts ... pretty intense ... and the roads and streets will continue to be heavily secured. That is what I dislike ... though I realize it's import for security.

Yesterday I celebrated Mass at the Holy Sepulcher in the Chapel of the Crusaders. I was alone so it was very calm and there was no stress in finishing it in 20 minutes as is required by the Status Quo rule. Remembered you all during the Mass.

Koimesis of the Theotokos

Procession at dawn

4am and the Old City was woken up by the clashing of gongs from the Holy Sepulcher church. They are not really bells as the Greek Orthodox have never mastered the art of bell making so the tonalities of each bell never match or complement .... just a cacophony of clashing metal. But it was very loud. I definitely heard it and woke up. It was the feast of the Koimesis of the Theotokos ... or as we would call it "The Assumption of Mary". Thousands of orthodox priests, nuns and laity made a procession from the Holy Sepulcher down to the Tomb of Mary in the Kidron Valley, chanting hymns. The Patriarch carried the silver icon of the sleeping Mary and the procession went slowly down the valley while the sun rose above the Mt. of Olives. It was quite a sight. After yesterday's muslim feast of Adha, this followed. It made the Old City very crowded and busy. Well in a way it was a nice break in the August routine of hiding from the sun ... to have a procession in the night amidst the cool breeze. I don't think the muslims were thrilled at being woken up by this din ... but they had kept us awake for the past 4 nights ... so there!

Well I wasn't quite so correct yesterday to say that it was all calm and peaceful. There were scuffles at the Gaza border yesterday with several injuries. In another case, jewish illegal settlers attacked leftwing protesters. And then in a Haifa beach, 3 arabs were allegedly attacked by jews.  https://www.timesofisrael.com/three-arabs-hospitalized-after-beating-by-jews-at-haifa-beach/

Jews after Sabbath
Prayers

Still summer continues and in a few weeks the Jewish New Year will begin and autumn would start. The fruit in the market are already a sure telltale that the autumn harvest is due. Pomegranates ... the symbol of the New Year ... is in abundance. And there's a lovely article on Palm Plaza and it's surroundings that make summer so special. It has many summer activities around it.   https://www.timesofisrael.com/museums-markets-caves-and-concerts-an-ancient-plaza-is-reborn-in-jerusalem/

Well the weekend is upon us and I will not be getting any rest. It's more work than usual. Sabbat Shalom.