IMTM (international mediteranean tourism market)

Before Covid-19 hit us, I used to go, more or less, regularly to the International Tourism Fair, held once a year for two days, at the Expo Center  (Rokah Gardens), in Tel-Aviv.     It was  quite the event!

main entrance to the Expo Center

The mornings of the two days were for the tourism professionals from the participating countries to connect, establish contact, do business. The afternoons (after 14 o'clock, methinks) were for us,  the public. No entrance fee, and that attracted hundreds of people to the  pavilions and booths representing the various countries.

One could well spend several hours in an international atmosphere, getting maps and info booklets for free, as well as small souvenirs such as bags, pens, coasters, mini calendars; tasting foods specific to a certain country; watching artistic shows  in various languages and styles etc.. 

                                        by the Serbian booth

I really miss that Fair ,both as entertainment and culture, but since Covid, large crowds still scare me. Besides, this year there's a war going on and who knows what the outcome of it will be. So,  probably, no tourism Fair in the near future.

                                        Odessa  girls in embroidered  costumes

From my visits so far to this Fair (the last one was on February 2019. I wrote a detailed post with pictures on 16/2/2019),  I've accumulated quite a lot of maps. Part of them were of great help to me when I travelled abroad. The remaining part , and especially the booklets and leaflets, are  a declutter project. Decluttering, as you well know, is never easy.

Regrets

There are people who claim they have no regrets whatsoever.  They'll tell you something like  "if I had to live my life again  I'll make the same mistakes,  take the same decisions,  change nothing".   

Well,    I belong to the opposite category.  I do have regrets on things done / said,  or on things not done at all (inaction). I usually blame myself ( ignorance, naivety, trust in the wrong people) for the matters regretted.

There's a famous song , originally performed by the french singer Edith Piaf (rip) ,  named  "Non, Je ne regrette rien" (No, I regret nothing).  According to this song, things that went wrong, make us strong.  Grief doesn't last, it's a matter of the past.  

True. Even if we regret our choice, some good  might come out of it. We can't change the past. We can, however, try to focus on the present and the future. We can learn to apologize. Apologies give us peace of mind and sometimes save relations.

Still, I have regrets  regarding many topics in my life, among them:

Staying in touch with friends from childhood and youth;  Romance  (breaking ups, getting dumped, dumping someone);  Career and Jobs;  Family ties.  The only consolation is the thought that with any choice made there would probaby be positive as well as negative aspects to deal with.

                    here she is, EDITH   PIAF  at the Olympia, Paris, 1960 (Youtube)

The Unsolved Mystery

 

                                                        *Web   picture

Nine years ago, on March 2014, the Malaysian plane MH370 disappeared while flying from Kuala Lumpur airport (Malaysia) to Beijing  airport  (China).   Over the years, there were many theories  about the disappearance.

 The most 'popular'  theory was that of the pilot's plan to commit suicide and take the plane with its passengers and crew  ( 239 people)  down with him.  The second 'popular' theory was that the plane, a huge Boeing 777,  was carrying something or someone, that  a certain factor wanted gone and never to be found.

Since 2014, there have been  some three major very expensive searches, and three main countries involved: Malaysia, Australia (the plane was believed to have dissappeared close to  her area),  and China (most of the passengers - 153 - were chinese).   Nothing conclusive. Some examined debris found  in the Indian Ocean and other areas,  gave no indication as to the location of the missing plane.

Now, we are being told by aviation experts that the mystery could be solved in a matter of days with the help of advanced technology. They propose a new search based on the belief  that the plane was hijacked and deliberately downed into the ocean  ( in fact, that  resembles the theory with the pilot's suicidal plan).

The missing MH370 has captivated my attention for many months. It's sadly, one of the best mystery stories ever!  I do want the plane to be found,  as this will bring some closure and comfort to the families of the victims, and on the way, will satisfy our curiosity.