Que Sera Sera

On the 1st of November we had general elections (five rounds of voting in three and a half years!!). Nothing to write home about. As expected (by me, at least), it went from bad to worse. (the results, I mean).

What happened? Well, Democracy got hijacked by demograpy and religiosity. The winners were the right wing party with its natural allies of extreme religious factions.

So, secular and traditional way of life are under threath. 

It's all man-made and local. No point in blaming God or foreign factors. It's not temporary either, as people would like to believe.The winners have obtained a solid majority of mandates which will enable them to set up a steady government.

At my age, I don't plan relocation.  Besides, things look pretty bad  everywhere in this divisive world.  So,  que sera, sera, as the song goes, whatever will be, will be.

Anyway, the concept of Democracy has to be reviewed and revised. It has sadly become  a big farce in many countries.

Our so called democracy is going to be controlled by the orthodox who actually form a state within a state contributing almost nothing  useful to the wellfare of the country; using all its resources but giving nothing in return.

Go Cognitive

The other day, I was reading  about a  new supplement  named 'StayIn' (stay in), introduced by the  israeli startup company Biomind and meant to boost cognitive function. It is made up of seven ingredients among them vitamin B6, vitamin B12, karnitin, rhodiola.

As a retired, third age person, in fear of cognitive decline associated with the aging process (memory loss, dementia), it caught my attention. 

So far, all I did was to look for mind stimulating activities.

I don't  mean all those 'word and mind games' (sudoku,  crosswords, puzzles, etc..). I personally prefer practicalities that help me in my every day  life - like learning to fix things in the house or with the computer. In this way, I also don't get dependent on others. 

Luckily, there are written guides as well as online videos that can teach us  things, and do wonders to our mental skills.

Among some of the more known ways of  improving cognitive ability are : learning a foreign language, learning to play a musical instrument,  memorizing texts/ poems, focusing on specific activities that are supposed to contribute to our health (meditation, yoga). 

(Reading fiction and watching TV  are activities that mostly entertain me and /or help me escape daily worries, but I feel they do little to 'sharpen' my mind).

Writing, as opposed to reading is a more efficient form of stimulating the brain, especially writing in a language that is not one's native language, and so requires more mental effort. I say this from personal experience as both Hebrew and English are not my first language. 

The blog helps me 'catch two birds with one hand': writing (exposing facts and views) , and preserving my knowledge of English which is an acquired language for me.

Turkish

                                                mineral water

I wrote  in the past about 'turkish delight' - food/beverage items produced and imported from our neigbour country Turkey.

This year I've become acquainted with a certain type of their mineral and soda water -  small bottles of mineral water (500 ml), and tiny glass bottles of soda water (200 ml).  It's good stuff and decently priced, but it's  sold only in a few places because of the objection of the local monopols.

                                mineral water, soda water

Lately, there was shortage of these bottles at my supermarket (they come in packages of 8 water bottles per package , 6 soda tiny bottles per package); so I complained to the guy in charge. He said some nonsense like: 'the bottles are on the way,  swimming  from Turkey to Israel..' He thought he was being funny. He wasn't. 

After several days, though, the bottles were in the store . Great performance!

He listens to the customer and takes immediate action (probably by contacting the warehouse, the other branches, or the import firm). I like that. It's not for the first time that I notice his efficiency.

 I've  heard from another employee in the store, that he makes it very hard for suppliers to raise prices. I like that too. He may seem strange sometimes, but does good work , and understands the importance of each and every customer.

At my age, I have a more or less fixed menu. If an item is missing at the store , it disrupts my nutrition routine, and might affect health.   Luckily, there's no shortage of local basic products (milk, eggs, cottage cheese, veggies, ...), but rather of some imported stuff (from east-central Europe, mainly). Anyway, I'm pleased the place has a reliable person to turn to in case some item is not available. 

The Saxophonist

Several years ago, I wrote a post about a  cafe in my hometown - a small place specializing in coffee brands and selling  a variety of pastries and snacks (rather expensive).

Sometimes, the cafe  would also offer its customers a mini musical show, performed by one or two music players.

Since Covid , things don't look too bright about this place. Anyway, they've come up with an attraction: a metal little statue of a jazz saxophonist. It is placed outside the coffee shop ,near the pavement. The sight of it is enjoyed by its customers, as well as by customers of the adjacent McDonalds eatery  and  passersby.

                                                              jazz saxophonist

I enjoy contemplating it too . Whenever I'm in the area I stop to have a look at it. It reminds me of some great music and musicians. Of course, it also reminds me of Bill Clinton, the USA president ( a saxophone player in his college days), who has contributed to the popularity of the sax.

(Examining closely the several photos I took of the figurine, made me angry.  It is not well-maintained; it seems to be covered with a thin layer of dust. It should be cleaned often as it is outside, close to traffic and subject to climate elements).

Dear Readers

 

I'm taking a break from blogging to welcome our High Holidays : New Year (Rosh Hashanah), The Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur).

These are sacred days - days of awe, days of feasting and fasting, of prayer and spirituality.

These days are important for  the reflections on the past and for shaping our life in the present, experiencing  belief and hope in God.

See you soon!

'Every Dog Has Its Day'

 

The above idiom means that everyone gets eventually a chance to be successful at something,  sometimes, in his/her life. The phrase even appears in Shakespeare's play, 'Hamlet'. There was also a successful movie with this title.  It is said to have been first uttered by Queen Elizabeth 1. 

The idiom can also mean revenge. In hebrew this is a very popular revenge saying :(kol kelev ba iomo) כל כלב בא יומו The source in this case is arabic, and  the word 'dog' stands for a despicable person whose day of punishment will sure arrive. Strange as it may seem, I believe there's some truth in this rather primitive saying. How come? 

Well,  I notice  over the years, that although I've completely lost touch with people that have done me wrong at one time or another, nevertheless , news about them reach me through all sorts of  unexpected ways, as if to notify me that  'justice has been done'.

I never ever rejoice at bad news ( I get sad even when I hear of a captured terrorist being "neutralised"), but being human, I can't help feeling sometimes pleased that things have come full circle. The person who has done me wrong has been somehow punished (or.. perhaps not; if it's a divorce, may be he's happy about it, lol).  

Anyway, the  mere belief in this kind of saying, sets one free from remembering such a person or  having any  feelings about him - and that's  a big Relief. 

'Investment' Affairs

Starting with May next year, there will be some new visa regulations for  those who intend to visit countries of the European Union. There's still time to look into these regulations and see what's it all about. The news ,however, made me think of  visas and passports in general, and how they have become a highly profitable business in particular.       

Not only does the service of issuing / renewing/replacing a visa/passport cost the applicant good money, but countries are  willing to sell these documents  to those not elligible at all, for a substantial sum of money invested in a house/business/bank account . Requirements such as basic knowledge of the language by the applicant for the passport,  has been shamelessly removed in many cases.

Don't you worry, said someone to me; after getting the money for the passport, at the tiniest move or request they'll send the new passport owner to learn the language and culture of the place. Money first, national pride next, but still there.

A passport does not only serve as a travel document, but is also evidence of citizenship.  I've got double citizenship : romanian (by birth) and israeli. As Romania is part of the European Union its passport is an european one. 

An additional passport is an asset, and a sort of investment.  It might help with retirement, relocation, taxes, work, studies, life improvements.                                                                           

At my age, I don't plan any relocation , but one never knows what God's plans are. Suppose personal safety gets treatened by certain events (war, famine,earthquake,crime)  one might consider migration to what looks like a safer place.

In my nearby area, Cyprus followed by Portugal, seems to be a popular EU citizenship source. Many hundreds of russians, brits, and israelis have relocated on this island. 

Among the non-EU passports in the near area, the turkish one is quite sought after. No wonder, Turkie  has a more or less steady regime, it is more or less a self-sufficient country. We, in Israel import quite a lot of essentials from Turkie ; it's all good stuff (potatoes, mineral water, canned food etc..) and no less important, decently priced.

Times Have Changed

 

It once used to be solely a matter of raising the salary, with or without a preceding strike. Not anymore. Workers have additional (justified) demands; they refuse to put up with violence in schools, in hospitals, on buses etc.. They demand besides anti-violence measures,  better working conditions, especially less working hours, decent recreation facilities. Teachers, medical personnel, drivers, threaten to desert their working place if their demands are not met.

Demographics is growing at quite an alarming pace in certain circles in our country. I believe increase in demographics, causes crowdedness which in turn brings about violence . It also has a bad impact on the country's economic ability.

Politicians are not capable of dealing with this issue; in fact with any serious issue, and poor governance prevails. The approaching general elections won't solve a thing;just the usual waste of time and money.

Workers (inclusive teachers and doctors)  are not as professional as it used to be in the past when standards required were much higher. Moreover,  few or no digital 'toys' were available then. Now wherever one looks, at any hour of the day - people  are 'glued'  to their smartphone and tablet. Work can wait, service can wait. 

Well,  we can't give up  digital 'toys',can we;  just as we can't  give up polluting  cars - so what's to be done? Not much...

Not To Be Encouraged.

 

The other day, I had to do a few things in a neighboring town. Before returning home, I took a stroll along its main street. My eyes caught a new, nice little shop ( since Covid,  there seem to be more empty/closed shops then active or new ones ).            

When I approached it, I got rather surprised . It was a shop selling... smoking accessories.  After all, smoking is no longer a popular habit because of its negative impact on health . So, what's the 'profit' logic behind it?!

I don't remember a similar physical  'specialized' shop even in those "jolly" days with people heavy on smoking and no ban on smoking in public. As I 've never been a smoker myself, I don't have the proper background to go into details, but I'll admit there is a rich variety of nice  items in this shop with great potential of attracting customers.

'So, smoking is back in town'? I asked the guy in the shop. 'It never quit town', he replied with a smile. He had russian accent;  that made me suspect  people of russian origin could be the basis of his customers. It is said that many "russians", especially middle-aged and elderly are quite addicted to smoking.

I suppose it was not easy for the owner to get a licence for opening the store. There are many rules and regulations ( such as age-restriction) controlling this kind of business.

The location of the shop is optimal: on the main street, no competition in this area, as far as I could see .   It will be interesting to notice at a later stage, if it does well, considering that tobacco is the cause of  major lung diseases. 

Anyway, I believe this kind of business  should  not be encouraged neither by the authorities nor by the population.

The Power of the Mind

There are certain people among us (fortunetellers, magicians, illusionists, mentalists) who claim to have special powers. Many years ago, one of them, an israeli by the name of Uri Geller became famous all over the world,  through his ability to bend  spoons (his powers have even been certified by the CIA after testing).

Next, he used his mental  powers to trace oil fields. This was probably where he had made a little fortune which enabled him to buy an uninhabited island in Scottland, and open his private  art collection Museum in Old Jaffa city.

I wish to believe that God has given us all, special abilities. We just have to look into ourselves, discover these abilities and  make use of  them the best we can. People  do this when trying to find healing powers, and it usually works.

We live in a period when  special powers might help us. Our life systems (education, health, justice etc..) have collapsed long before Covid's appearance, and it's probably going to be worse.

I'm not interested in bending spoons, or moving objects with the power of my mind. But, how about  moving a bad neighbor to another location?! Theoretically, I think it can be done, but I haven't got the energy and time to focus mentally on that person.

I'm not interested in tracing oil fields either, but I'm afraid we'll have to trace food sources in the not so distant future. Considering climate change, famine might be knocking on the door.

Anyhow, I'll have to do some reading on the subject and watch some relevant youtube tutorials.

Henna

 

Henna plant powder does a lot of good to women's hair and scalp.

To be effective, it has to be applied at least once in 1-2 months. I'm kind of lazy about it as it's  rather a messy little job : turn the leaf powder into a smooth  paste, apply it to the hair and scalp, wrap the head with a plastic cover to keep it warm, stay with it for several hours, rinse, etc.. So, I usually do it once in... about six months, when I feel my hair is lifeless and on the verge of falling out.

Lately, I've been asking myself and Google if henna could help with male baldness.  It's no secret that lots of men are undergoing hair transplant. I'm not familiar with the details of the transplant procedure and the rate of success, but it suffices to know that's surgery, and it's not cheap.  Surgery. in cases which are not life-saving, should always be the very last resort.

The answer is yes, henna could help; applying it regularly when one still has hair on one's head might prevent baldness (the henna treatment should come , of course, as an addition, to a  balanced ,protein based diet including eggs and fish).`

The man going bald will need a loving mother/ wife/girlfriend/ to apply the stuff, otherwise he'll soon get bored and tired with it. Improving and maintaining our looks is hard work, but, it's worth it.

Henna is natural; it strenghtens and adds volume, conditions, promotes growing, reduces dandruff, might prevent premature greying and hair loss. 

My favorite brand is the american 'Colora Henna' which offers both natural color and some color shades. Unfortunately, for some reason, the import to my country seems to have stopped. I'm at my last package..

'Dancing To The End Of Love'

I never get tired of listening to Leonard Cohen's song 'Dancing to the end of Love', and viewing the various Youtube videos presenting it.

The song itself, Leonard's low voice and his warm smile, serve as a charming background to dancing couples, most of them approaching the end of love and...life.  Sad, and yet so beautiful! 

These couples dance "like there's nobody watching them" (famous quote), concentrated only in their dancing moves and partner. The physical dance  is an outer expression of the inner feelings of love, kindness and sensitivity towards the partner.

Browsing through the video clips I came upon a pleasant surprise : my favorite male  film actor, Al Pacino, in a scene from the movie that brought him the Oscar, 'Scent of a Woman'. Pacino, playing the role of a blind, medically retired army lieutenant, is  dancing with the young woman of his choice, to the music of the above song. (By the way, I may be wrong, but as far as I remember, Dancing till the end of Love  was not the original song in that movie).

Anyhow, both Leonard Cohen, the singer and song-writer, and Al Pacino the movie actor - are very charismatic, and a delight to our senses.

Gamble

There are people  among us with known allergies to various food components. Eating out means gambling with life for these people. Yet, they  keep doing it and trusting the waiter and the chef  to take care the served food is without the fatal allergens.

Every now and then we read and hear about allergy caused tragedies. The most recent one - the death of a 22 year old israeli allergic to milk , on a trip in Colombia. News like this leave me  hurting inside and speechless.

I remember well when my father (no allergies) was offered to work for a while after retirement. He consulted his family doctor who was not happy about it because of the daily commute involved. 'But I don't drive, just sit on the bus chair', he said. 'Well, that's it', she replied. 'You sit, and sitting is bad for your high blood pressure'.

His work was mostly physical , albeit of a light nature. She was not worried by that, only about his daily commute to and fro work.

Go figure! Millions sit in cars and drive for hours, and she made  a fuss over less than a two hours commute (40 min to, 40 min. fro)! She was referring, however, to an existing health condition (high blood pressure) of a person at a certain age (retirement age) when things might deteriorate and become a kind of gambling with life (she did use the phrase 'don't gamble with your life').

We tend to philosophically say  'All of life is a gamble'. Still, by taking the right measures, we can minimize, avoid, prevent - in fact, control - to a certain extent,  the gambling side of life.

Can't Live With Them, Can't Live Without Them

 

'Can't live with them; can't live without them'. Men say that about women, women say that about men, siblings and cousins say that about their families.  The saying expresses frustration with someone or something you ultimately cannot give up. 

I myself use this idiom to refer to people in general. As I advance in age, I become more aware of the wicked, treacherous nature of the human kind. Humans weaken you when you mostly need strength. They'll  criticize you at a time when you're in need of support and compassion. 

And yet, in spite of all, we need people, 'we can't live without them', their companionship , their wisdom or ..stupidity. (In a previous post I mentioned Barbara Streisand 's famous song "People, people who need people...").   We're constantly on the look out for interraction. Isolation is not the answer, and we've seen that during the two and a half year of pandemics.

In order to avoid getting hurt or wasting precious time exchanging futile words with some rude, infantile human being ,one can train oneself to keep distance from certain people. It's possible and quite efficient.

Anyway, I believe in God, pray to God for help and protection, and this gives me, among other things, confidence in my ability to handle humans.

I definitely have to buy some new shoes.

The Blessing From Stefanesht

 

The  90+ year old age actors who're still on the stage are a wonder. Being able to memorize the lines and moving according to the script - is nothing but a miracle.

One of them is the israeli actor Yaakov Bodo. (Bodo short form of 'Bodoaga', which is , I think a distorted romanian word. It should probably be 'Bodega', meaning 'wine bar'). 

The actor was born in a small town called Stefanesht (north-east Romania, border town with Ukraine).

The name of the town is known to many of romanian and israeli jewry, as it was the place where the prominent rabbi Matityhau Friedman lived for 70 years. (In 1969, his remains were transferred to the cemetery Nachlat Yitzhak in central Israel).

They say, that whoever was born in Stefanesht  carries the blessing of the above rabbi. Yaakov Bodo is definitely blessed: with a versatile talent, successful carreer, awards, longevity, good family, admirers.

His uncle (his father's brother) was  our neighbor for some time. The uncle and wife were also blessed with longevity (they both died in their mid 90-s).The uncle was also blessed with 'golden hands'; he was a tailor of the highest skill. He worked at home, alone, with some help from his wife, and was able from his earnings to move to a new, better location.  

Their only son studied engineering. I don't exactly know what has become of him as we lost touch after their move to another city. As far as I  know, the son kept the original family name of Bodoaga. He wasn't tempted to shorten it to Bodo as his cousin, the actor, did.

I don't remember knowing anyone else from the little town of Stefanesht, blessed or not.  I was born not far from Stefanesht, but there was no train connection, and in those days other forms of transport  were rather scarce, so we've never been there.  As far as the rabbi was concerned I heard stories about him from my parents, and others , and it felt natural to wish to pray at his grave.

portrait of the rabbi

He's not alone; additional members of his family are burried near him  which makes the place not easy to access, given the many visitors that come to pray here.

leaflet cover

There's a sign with his name indicating the direction to the tomb. The area has a wooden roof above, so it's easily detected.

direction sign

A Ray Of Light

main building

The prestigious school of contemporary music 'Rimon' is a ray of light in my neighborhood. ('Rimon' is the hebrew word for pomegranate fruit).

'Rimon' school of Music was founded in 1985. It has over 500 students (israeli and international), and 90 academic staff members. 

The school offers studies in all contemporary fields of music: Jazz, pop, rock, hip-hop, folk, blues, country, electronic - and  seven (7) majors; composition, arranging, conducting, songwriting, performance, music education, music production.

Of great importance are the ties of cooperation established with 'Berkley' college of art in Boston. There are agreements, connections, and exchanges between these two schools with great benefits for both parties.

'Rimon' school is located on a quiet residential street, in a modest neighborhood. Its buildings and the various facilities, encircle a green lawn and yard in the very center of the campus. So, the classrooms are actually at the back, less interfering with  the street and neighboring houses.

 tiny entrance

green lawn

Students that come from afar rent flats in the vicinity and become during their study period , part of the local population, contributing to its quality and standards. Most students get involved in community musical projects and in volunteering performances and activities in hospitals, elderly care facilities, at-risk youth clubs.

It should be emphasized that many of 'Rimon'  school graduates have become well-known music professionals and performers both in the local music industry as well as throughout the world.

Parcel Or Money

 

At the beginning of March, I ordered a small parcel from an american supplier. I got it on the 15th of June!!

A month after the order and confirmation, I checked with the local post office. I was told that the tracking number I had was invalid.

I emailed the supplier more than once, but no reply. That surprised me. I was not a new customer, and it had never happened to me before. I thought to myself, perhaps there was a new factor that took over the company, and for some reason wanted to discourage me from being their customer.

So, I turned to the credit card company through which I paid for the parcel. They gave the supplier 60 days to clarify the matter for them. I've got the parcel, they haven't got the clarification yet.

Checking the outer papers glued to the box, it seemed to me the parcel was already here but sent back as unclaimed. I saw the 'invalid' number too; probably belonging to UPS carrier.

Something definitely  went wrong with the shipping. I hope the credit card company will enlighten me on the matter when she gets the clarification.  It seems to me that both the supplier and our post office have failed in assuring smooth and on- time delivery of the parcel.

green everywhere

Summer Visitors

 

During summer, we might see some uninvited visitors in the house: ants, cockroaches, mosquitos (small flies).

As I don't like to use chemicals. my favorite 'killer' is water. Yes, water kills.  I spray  the ants with plain water, and instantly get rid of them.

water sprayer

With the cockroach it takes a bit more time. Water seems to disable it from running across the floor, but it can still crawl. After a day or two, I'll find it tough, inactive or even dead. Cockroaches are said to carry disease, so the water method is good but not good enough. I should find a way to dispose of them faster.

Mosquitos are also considered disease carriers.  I can handle the bite - usually by applying vinegar on it. I could prevent the bites with clothing covering arms and legs.  In my experience, the best mosquito repellent is a fan. I've got a small fan on my desk, and when ON, it definitely keeps mosquitos away.

There are many species of these 'visitors'  in Nature.  Luckily, mine are of an 'inferior quality' with regards to breeding and damage.  It's possible to have zero such visitors, but I live in an old building, with the kitchen facing south, and other enviromental issues. 

Anyhow, no need to waste time, and money on chemicals. The natural things we have at home can help provide adequate  solutions (garlic powder, baking soda powder, mint, lavender, citronella candles, fans, etc..).