April's Major Events

Heads of the electoral parties - from "Haaretz" newspaper

On the 9th of April we had the General Elections;  on the 19th we will be  celebrating Passover (Pesach).. Both April  events are a bit of a madness thing.

the polling station in my neighborhood

'blue evil eye'  poster on the wall, in the entrance hall 

There were 47(!!) registered political groups  (including the regular parties) participating in the elections. That hardly looks to me like democracy,  more like anarchy.
I went "to do my duty" as a law-abiding citizen, in the evening hours, when  it's quieter, with less people waiting in line to enter the polling room.  

inside the booth with the ballots

election workers;  the blue box where we cast the ballot

 voter handing in his ID and after check, getting an envelope

After the elections, forming a coalition is not an easy task. The largest parties rarely get more than 30-35 seats each (61 is needed for a government). so negotiations start, and this is a real circus or nightmare - depends on the beholder.

I'm rather indifferent to all this  'more of the same' show. 
Politicians see only the votes that will assure them a seat in Parliament, with all the power that comes with it; they don't care about the people, or the country.

*

Passover (Pesach), commemorates the journey from slavery to freedom. What sort of freedom?! We are slaves to cleaning, scrubbing, burning , spending, cooking - before, during, and after the holiday.

Plate for the symbolic essentials (egg, horseraddish, charoset etc)

Moreover, during Passover, we, the people in the land of the glorious Pita bread, have to abstain from bread made with raising flour, and from grains and their derivates (beer). We are said to eat  unleavened bread, called  'matza'. One gets used to that, but it's not the greatest of eating pleasures. 

Matza, near the green bottle

The weather is fine and drags people out to trips and picnics.
Kids have vacation during the Passover week ; many adults also take the days off, so places are crowded, traffic is congested.
And yet, we don't stay at home. As long as we can stand on our feet, we are all out and about.

Cycling - Experience and Tests

bicycle lane marking

Two bicycle riders, aged 44 and 54, suddenly collapsed and died, at different spots, several days ago (rip). Sadly, it's not for the first time that such a tragedy happens. In fact, we're told that more cyclists die of cardiac arrest than in accidents. 

In an emergency situation like this (cardiac arrest), only a defibrilator (a device sending an electrical shock to the heart) can save the life of the unconscious cyclist. This device is not always accessible, and the resuscitation efforts done by paramedics or others on the road, are not always successful.

cycling along the promenade

According to the News, the two were experienced riders, and had undergone all the neccessary medical tests.

The thing is that the Heart organ can often be unpredictable, so one cannot fully rely on experience and tests. Besides, tests are not always accurate, and doctors don't always have the right answer or medication at hand.

female bicycle rider

male bicycle rider

waiting for the green light - on Kalisher street  Tel  Aviv

I suppose the best thing  one can do, in addition to the tests, is to practice moderation and caution, especially after a certain age. This applies to any of our life's  activities: eating,  work, walking, sports.
(The world ,it appears, is full of 'nutters'. I myself was one of them till recently; I used to walk  like there was no tomorrow).

photo taken through the bus window

Cycling has lots of physical, mental, and social benefits. Unlike other sports (running or jogging, for instance) it is not weight-bearing. No wonder it has become so popular over the years. Anyway, its dangers should not be overlooked

jogging in the park