Mementos

 

When I visit a new  country, one of my favorite types of shopping is buying,  some piece of clothing with the name , map , or some icon of the place , printed on it. I have no intention of wearing the piece, just keep it as a memento.

From Moscow, (visited in 2015), I've got three cotton shirts . Two of them (one black, one blue) have the map of the Metro in the middle, under the russian name of the city 'Mockba'  ( I was very impressed with the city's Metro system). 

blue shirt with Metro map

The front of  the third shirt, a white one, has the CCCP letters which stand for USSR  - an abbreviation of Soviet Union Socialist Republics.   In addition , under CCCP,  it has the symbol  of hammer & sickle representing proletarian solidarity between agricultural and industrial workers (adopted at the russian Revolution at te end of world War 2. 

The back of the shirt is covered with  the hymn of the Soviet Union in russian language.

front

back  -  lyrics  of the hymn

In October 2016, I visited the greek island of Crete .I bought a white cotton cap and a black fine cotton shirt with the name  Crete on both items.  The little white cap has , in addition,  a tiny, delicate map of the island.  Now,  autumn 2023, I wear that for the first time and  feel good with the outfit.

One of the advantages of age is that you don't care about what people might think or say. So, there's a name or map there. Big deal.

By the way, I liked everything about Crete, so much so, that I even considered getting myself a small living unit and try life there for a year or two.  Even now I'm inclined to do that; however, islands , in these days of climate change, are a scary option.

Crete-   top and cap

Reflection...

Our High  Holidays are over; War is still going on.

The  Holidays have made me a bit reflective. Here it is:

'We come into this world alone and  depart from it alone, although on both occasions, birth and death, there are people around us.

During our lifetime, we ignore this 'alone'  thing,  by making friends and starting families. In addition, we have holidays that celebrate Life in all its aspects, with good food and especially with warm human gatherings.  

Our most important jewish Day, though, Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement) is not a celebration . This is a solemn  day which allows us, through fasting and praying,  to repent for our sins and ask forgiveness.  As a result, we might get a good new year, and with every new good year  our soul's journey: birth - life- death,  becomes a meaningful one, not just something 'gone with the wind'.

We all go through the same process and journey regardless of our achievements or failures .  This should make us more modest and kind to each other. Unfortunately, it does not. 'Conflict' is the name of the game. 'Wickedness' gets to be discovered even among our best friends and  closest relatives, causing us great distress.  

In our prayers, we ask and hope for our soul to go to Heaven when life ends; our  body gets burried, upon our death, into the earth, like all  other animals.

Life is everything; we should value and cherish it.  We should not take it for granted. Belief in God helps us be good, behave better, save life.

Break From Blogging

 

I'm taking a break from blogging  to prepare for and welcome our High Holidays  which are:   New Year (Rosh Hashana) , Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur), and  - the less solemn, more joyous 'agricultural' holiday of Sukkot  (dwelling in the sukkah,  celebrating Harvest).

Last but not least, Shemini Atzeret / Simchat Tora (celebrating the love for the Thorah : the first five books of the Hebrew Bible) by parading and dancing with it.

Yom Kippur (the day of Atonement) is the holiest day on the jewish calendar -  a day of Awe,  of Fasting, Praying, Remembering our departed  loved ones, seeking Forgiveness from God and our fellows.  It's a day that requires both physical and spiritual efforts.

Wishing you the very Best!      God willing, I'll hopefully resume blogging by mid - end of October.

Ayurveda

I 've mentioned more than once the fact that I like the quality of certain categories of items produced in India: fabrics, clothing, kitchenware, decorations.  Most of all, I like their ayurvedic bar soaps.

The ayurvedic soaps are  based on the Ayurveda traditional medical system originating in India, and  practiced in India and Nepal.

The basic principle of Ayurveda is both  to prevent and treat illness by creating balance  between body, mind and environment. It does so by using products, mainly (but not only), derived from plants, in combination with other well-known wellness factors such as diet and exercise.

There's quite a  variety of ayurvedic hand bar soaps to be found in Health  Stores. The stuff is imported, and thus not cheap. Most of them are handmade, and enriched with  oils derived from the Tulsi (holy basil) and Neem plants. 

They usually come  in standard size and mini size (fit for travel).  People buy them for their anti- bacterial /anti-fungal properties, and also to treat certain bad skin conditions.

My favorite brand is called Medimix. It is said to be enriched with 18 herbs and some natural oils.  I use liquid soap as well, but  I won't give this bar soap up as I like its texture and scent. 

* web picture

On "Killers" and 'Protein'

I recall a doctor's article emphasizing what he considered as two food basic principles: 1. sugar and salt are bad, practically killers.  2. going heavy on garlic and onion, is good.  It was not an academic article, but rather an account of his personal and his patients'  nutrition experience over the years. 

Whatever we buy at the store  has already sugar and salt in it (especially salt which is a food preservative).   I do check the label on the product to find out how much.   As  for garlic and onion, we all have them in our kitchen and use them in cooking, salads, side dishes. The question is - how much is 'going heavy'.

Sometimes, I find myself telling people that I wouldn't mind  turning vegetarian or vegan , except that I 'm  afraid to do so because of Protein.   Eggs and meat, are the best source of quality protein;  so, it won't be wise to give them up entirely. Protein  is essential to life, and you don't 'play' with that.

Fish is also a good source of protein and it has its place  on my menu.   A daily drop of milk in the coffee, and  a cup of cottage cheese now and then, also add to the animal protein picture.

I know, of course, about plant- based protein. There are many good sources  :  chia seeds, hemp seeds, tofu, quinoa,  oats, chickpeas, nuts, broccoli, lentils...  

Still, it doesn't convince me to eliminate eggs, meat, fish and their derivates from my nutrition.   Perhaps that has  something to do with the autoimmune illness I was recovering from some twenty years ago. It has made me cautious on all levels of my existence.

Vive La Difference !

I've been blogging since 2008! (started with the mere purpose of preserving my knowledge of  English as a second language). 

Blogging has opened up a whole new world for me, rich in people of different nationalities, and topics of a great variety.

Reading other people's blogs , makes me  highly aware of differences in background, lifestyle, viewpoints. That's both interesting and helpful.  Through blogs, one can learn a lot about oneself and others; make comparisons, consider options and suggestions, draw conclusions. 

I like writing. As with reading, there's a great deal of blessed escapism in it, but there's more than that - there's struggling with your own words and ideas, and that struggling, can do a lot of good to your cognitive ability.

I greatly appreciate  people with talent and skills in one or more fields of life: arts, crafts, culinaria (cookery), gardening etc.. I  enjoy viewing, in their personal blogposts,   the display of this talent, in different formats.    I myself have got no specific talent or skill.  I'm just the average kind of person.  (However,  if I need or want something badly, I'l find a way to learn how to do it, talent or no talent). 

Anyway, it seems to me there are generally more similarities than differences. Most people love Nature, Travel, good Food, their Family and Pets.  They might show their love in different ways, but in the end , love is love anyway one shows it.

Good blogging, to my mind, usually involves reciprocity (of 'follow' and 'comment'), respect given to other people's beliefs, acceptance of different opinions to be published on your blog.

Hopefully,  Climate Change with its terrible wild fires, or/and Social-  Political unrest within and among nations, will not prevent us to go on with our blogging  as long as we can and wish to do so.

Where To ?!

 

Things are rather 'messy' ( politically, economically, socially)  in my neck of the woods .  I'm not surprised.  I've even anticipated the situation.  Poor management, high corruption, an extremely 'mixed' population - can  lead to nothing good.

 What bothers me most is the threat of food shortage. If I mention that to people, they react with a smile of disbelief (after all,  lots of food is thrown away daily by individuals, families, restaurants, stores). 

There are a couple of reasons that trigger my thoughts on the above matter.

It's not only the Holocaust background of my  late mother eating potatoe peels (on a good day) in the Ghetto,  not only the ongoing russian- ukrainian war preventing a smooth supply of wheat to the world.  It's also  the very  fickle climate having a disastruous impact on food growth , distribution , and all that has to be done to feed the world.

Will food crisis (that usually starts with a rise in prices ) lead us back to some sort of nomadic lifestyle,  relocation, perhaps?! 

Possibly.  Relocation might or might not help. What's sure is that it requires a lot of planning especially where families with little kids are concerned. One also  needs an additional passport, languages, money, right timing (you cannot relocate at the last moment, as you won't be able even to come near a plane, certainly not be on the plane itself).

Age does have a  say in this. People of the third age, like myself,  are not keen on relocation, for obvious reasons. They'll stay where they are with whatever comes their way.  No energy for new beginnings, although - 'never say never',  might apply to them too. 

Anyway, I believe in God, in God's guidance and protection - and that gives me the peace of mind  I need to carry on with my everyday life, regardless of the  increasing  unrest around me. I'm grateful for that.

 

Not Curable But Treatable

 

The above statement refers to many health problems.  Available treatments, which could potentially  help manage a problem without curing it,  include besides medications, a variety of external  aids, and  replacements (full or partial) of organs and tissues. 

The existing  external aids on the market are visual aids (eyeglasses , contact lenses), hearing devices for hearing loss, mobility aids (walkers, wheelchairs, canes, crutchers, rollators, scooters).  The replacement procedures widely practiced are cataract surgery (replacing the eye lens with an artificial lens), and knee surgery.

It's a pity that little or no research is done on what's called medicinal plants and other Nature's  elements,  to find more cures to illnesses. In every culture and period, the healing properties of plants were identified, noted , conveyed  to next generations and passed on  to other societies and cultures for the benefit of all.

However, for the healing property of a plant to be recognized as cure, it has to be research- based. (Cure eliminates sickness whereas Healing repairs, mends the body).

Well, I suppose research is  not profitable enough for the big pharmaceutical companies, as a lot of effort (trials, failures), time and money, qualified professionals , and more, is involved in conducting  a research.  How frustrating!

Blame It ...

 

I was listening the other day, to one of my favorite 'oldies' : "Blame it on the Bossa Nova"  with Eydie Gormet. The very lovely lyrics of the song, put the 'blame'  on  the Bossa Nova dance for  enabling the singer (or some other young girl) the good fortune of  meeting the right one.  " Oh, it all began with just one dance. But soon it ended up a big romance" . 

That brings me to the opposite  topic - blaming for misfortune.

People usually blame age, climate, luck, parents,  school,  for their... misfortune in life.   I also blame my own self,   and quite often.  I ask myself questions like 'how could I do this or that', 'how stupid was I to act in this or that manner'.

I believe direction in life shown to us by an older, more experienced person, can in some way help avoid gross mistakes, and by this, even turn  misfortune into good fortune.  But then, when we are young, or even middle-aged, we think we know better, so we don't listen to advice, and then, it's too late.

I remember telling a young relative before starting his first job, something like : "Hard work won't kill you; people around you might. Beware!" He smiled, thanked me politely, and said he'll remember that.

In another case, I tried to give some slight advice to the daughter of a late cousin of mine. The daughter, sixteen years younger than me, reacted  rudely: 'My mother has no less life experience than you do, so , I have her to learn things from'  (actually, she wasn't on good terms with her mother, so I thought advice coming from a third party might do her some good.). Well,  I thought... 

Moves and Moans

Sometimes , I best remember a performance seen on video or TV screen due to a mere gesture, sound, outfit, opening trick, that is -made to help  emphasizing the special essence of that performance.

Charles Aznavour's performance of his famous song "Hier Encore", will always be remembered by me for the singer's...moans;  yes, moans. 

Aznavour was accompanied by two young, beautiful female singers. Whenever it was the turn of each one of them to sing, he raised his eyes up to the young girl, and...moaned. The moans were to express suffering and pain at his lost youth (the subject of his song).

The entrance to singer Cher's show 'Dove Lamore' (in italian, Where's Love) features a guitarist, and a male dancer. The later performs some electrifying moves and steps. One rarely has the chance to view such a mesmerizing act before the actual show begins ( here, the show of Cher's song, and her lady dancers).

The above are only two examples; there are some more in the mentioned category.

The Minister

One of the ministers in our government is a young (41), handsome person.  He's got 17 (!) siblings and 8(!) kids. He looks well, considering his large family background.

He belongs to the  orthodox religious circles which emphasize studying text (Thorah, talmudic books), over physical and worldly activities. In his case. he has studied beyond religious subjects, and got a profession in accountancy and industrial management.

The state invests a lot in families of this sort - religious with many kids (by way of alowances, benefits, stipends) without getting much if anything in return, in terms of taxes and army service. That causes great and persistent tension between the secular and the orthodox communities, and nothing good is going to come out of it.

The logo "Shivion Banetel" (sharing equally the burden of both security and economy) is constantly on the lips of  the secular people of the israeli society. This will actually determine the future and stability of the country in the years to come. 

Rhyming

Rhyming  adds rhytm, beauty,  solemnity to the text. I like it, and whenever possible, use it. There are rhyming dictionaries available in many languages,  and that helps  give the 'masses'  access to some basic form of rhyming 'poetry.'

Usually, it is the sad, tragic events in life that trigger the need to 'color' the text in rhymes-  at least in my case. I wrote about the loss of my dear ones in rhymed verses.

I composed  the speech for my Mom's funeral (delivered in hebrew to the participants) in three languages: romanian, hebrew, english - and used rhyming. 

Here' are some examples of rhymed little poems ( the english part only;  naturally, the romanian and hebrew parts are more elaborate, as I have a better knowledge  of these languages) :

Siblings

Mina-Ruhale, my elder sis.  I wish I could hug her and kiss.

I've got no photo of her, never had.  In Transnistria she starved to death.

Just try to imagine the tragic event:

A small girl in the concentration camp  

No food, no water, no air,  only disease.  

She closes her eyes, her tiny soul for Heaven leaves.

So, I never felt what's like

To have a sister by my side

Sharing things, dreaming together,

 making plans, helping each other.

Herman  (Hersh) my beloved brother

Tall, handsome, a real charmer

His virtuous playing the violin

Raised pleasure bumps on the skin

His great, catchy sense of humor

Became  a widely persistent rumor.

Suddenly, taken away from me

July 98, in Budapest, Hungary.

Hershole, my older brother

Was a Holocaust child survivor

Should have been given more years

To wipe out suffering and tears.

The Season Connection

In Spring,  Mom got ill and fragile.

It sure looked an ominous sign

In Summer, when all outside was bright

My mother and my brother Hersh, died.

In Autumn, with the sky cloudy and grey

Father David and nephew Shai, passed away

In Winter, in the cold, gloomy weather

We had to part from uncle Chaim forever.

Crocks

It was love at first sight- me and the casual crocs shoes. They immediately caught my eye and conquered my feet: lightweight, comfortable, roomy (my feet are small but wide and the toes need room) easy to slip into and out, holes for ventilation, great variety of colors. Not cheap, as they are made of Crosslite which is an expensive material.

Over the years, I found out , to my surprise, that for me, crocks are not only the best for outdoor light walking , but also the best indoor shoes. It appears that all the various sorts of house shoes are too light and soft, and might cause an elderly person to slip and fall. Crocks, on the other hand, (the first, classic brand) are more solid, without being heavy.

I choose dark colors  (black, blue) for outdoors , vivid colours (such as orange, pink), for indoors. Although they are not considered  very healthy (lack arch support, the plastic structure might cause sweaty feet), everyone I know loves them: kids, teenagers, adults, elderly.

Crocks are versatile and the outdoor shoes come in various sizes and styles   (with or without laces, with or without platforms, sandals and even crocks with...heels) . Something for everyone.

* web picture

It's Crowded Up There

 

We don't have direct Land routes and transport (trains, cars, trucks, motorcycles) - from Israel, Out.

 Maritime transport by ship - through our ports Haifa in the north, Ashdod  in the center,  Eilat in the south - is chiefly for cargo (freight).   Naturally, it's slow and awkward.

So, we are left mainly with Air Transport from our central  Ben Gurion Airport, to go abroad, reach the world.  Lately, I saw a piece of information in the Media that both surprised me and frightened me.

Surprised, because its mere publication might badly affect our tourism; frightened because it says something like: 'it's too crowded up there'.  It is not referring only to the increase in number and size of planes and flights, but also to the fact that Iran (not a friend) is trying to reduce our air space activity.

Iran does so, through Hezbollah ( a terror organization,  located in Lebanon , on our northern border). It is suspected that  Iran provides Hezbollah with all kinds of  air systems capable of creating air chaos for us. Even if there's some exaggeration in this kind of news, still it gives one food to thought.

It's interesting to note that almost every major religion (christian, catholic, jewish etc..) has a travelsafe travel prayer. Most of the prayer texts I've seen on the Web are beautiful and touching! 

I've got one too (in hebrew), and I keep a copy of it in the suitcase, bag, purse.

May God protect us!

What Was All That About?!

 

Who's Wagner? Who's Prigozhin? It appears, 'Wagner' is a russian mercenary group led by a character named Prigozhin. The group was on the way to Moscow threatening the government with mutiny.

At the end of  a very dramatic Saturday,  they abandoned the rebellion plan and left for Belarus in exchange for the lifting of criminal charges against them.

I'm not in politics; in fact, I detest politics and politicians. However, I can't stay indifferent when all kinds of  adventurers  (and that includes charismatic Zelensky of Ukraine) put people's life in jeopardy, endanger the security of their nation, and might even lead to a World War 3. 

To defy and challenge a super power like Russia and its leader Putin,  is not heroism, but suicidal adventure.   

Each nation has its own problems - big problems (economic, military, social) . Instead of concentrating on solving them, politicians in various countries waste their time  trying to interfere in the affairs of other nations . They make use of disinformation, and even supply of arms. This could lead to nothing good.