Estonia, Here We Come

My most traumatic childhood memories are related to the   overflowing, after heavy rains, of the local Baseu river -  (north-east Romania). It involved evacuation and being  cut off from supplies.

Since then, I've never lived  too close to a body of water.
In fact, I 'm not keen on living  close to any of Nature's major elements: forests , volcanoes , mountains, seas  - certainly not now, with all those ominous predictions following climate change.

Although things have somehow improved regarding warnings, Nature always seems to surprise us in the most devastating of ways. I feel deep sorrow for all those who experience evacuations and loss due to wildfires, hurricanes, tzunami, earthquakes, volcano eruptions, floods, etc..

They say, based on statistics, that so far, Estonia is one of the safest countries ( natural hazards considered). Next on the list are tiny Andorra, Bahrein, Qatar. Estonia and Andorra are in Europe; Qatar and Bahrein in Asia.

Estonia (blue spot) - between Finland, Latvia, and Russia

 I know very little about Estonia, but we  are all acquainted with the fact that Qatar and Bahrein sit on great petroleum deposits. As for Andorra, it has one of the highest life expectancy in the world. Besides, it attracts thousands of shoppers as  it's a duty  free zone. Lucky places!

Anyway, I've got a theory. It seems to me that natural disasters have greatly increased  in number and intensity since Globalization  has been accelerated (namely, during the last decades). Globalization is kind of a challenge on the God-created world order. It is not new, it started in the days of Columbus. Perhaps, if we withdraw from it, things will calm down. Worth a try, considering the alternative of getting swallowed by the oceans. 

IMTM 2019

On Wednesday(13.Feb.) in the late afternoon hours, I went to the International Mediterranean Tourism Market (IMTM) at the 'Convention Center' of "Expo Tel Aviv".

to the main entrance of Expo TA

Quite a colorful, entertaining event!  Less lively and versatile than in previous years, I must admit, but that's not surprising. Things around us get more instant and/or business-like all the time. Besides , I visited on the second day. It is the first day that gets all the buzz.

Lovely poster!  it attracted attention.

There were many touristic booths to be seen (some of them very nicely decorated; Guatemala, Greece, Czech Republik, Cypress), and  a lot of walking to be done among them.  However, it was all worth the effort.
The event had a cosmopolitan air about it which made one feel part of the big world, and that was a good feeling.

Guatemala's attractive space

Czech Republic; nice!

 near the Serbia booth- reminder of my  Belgrade visit last summer

The fair is an opportunity to get free quality maps of all of the participating countries and cities.  A good map is priceless, and it always comes handy when you're away from home. Sometimes, the map offered at the stand is accompanied by small ,cute mementos (pens, bags, coasters, cards, tiny calendars, mini maps) which make the visiting experience even more pleasant and rewarding. 

exchanging information

Some booths offer special attractions. This time it was Taiwan with a contest and prizes. Certain countries have their representatives wear national costumes (the girls from Odessa, for example- a delightful sight). A filipino girl attracted visitors with some specific technique of creating a picture.

Taiwan contest with prizes

we have a winner

Odessa girls in traditional embroidered blouses

filipino young woman creating a picture 

the picture as seen on the nearby screen

Food , as always, is the star ; fast food  outside, in the lovely warm weather, before or after entering the huge Expo building. Cafeteria food (pastry, sandwiches, coffee and beverages ) in the main entrance hall.  Inside the booths' area -   there were  offers of biscuits, candies, cheese, wine to visitors.  Culinary brochures with specific food of various regions, were displayed on most of the stands.

Fast food stand in the open air

Fast food stand

eating fast food outside

Cafeteria in the entrance hall

cakes and sandwiches

people eating in the entrance hall

Information pamphlets on Wellness opportunities (spas, beauty, health treatments), are also quite an attraction at these fairs. To mention a few: ayurvedics (India), aquatic pool at Debrecen (Hungary),  mineral springs (Romania, Czech Republik, Slovenia).

I came home loaded with stuff I'll have to sort out , view and read. I feel I'm behind with certain geographical and political knowledge, and this stuff will definitely help me catch up with things. 

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A well-known israeli author and literary critic, Amalia Kahana -Carmon, died recently at the age of 93.  In her stories, she focused on the plight of women in a male dominant society.

It appears the family (three surviving children: a daughter who lives in the UK, and two sons) hasn't issued any announcement, and the news of her death reached the public indirectly, some time after her private funeral. I've even read somewhere that they won't participate in  public ceremonies in her memory. If that's true, it sounds a bit far fetched. 

Perhaps, it's too early to know the reason for the family's decision to go entirely private. As far as I know, Amalia Carmon was honored with all the literary prizes and awards possible. So, no ground for frustration in this respect. 

Shortly before her death, another israeli famous writer, Amos Oz, left us (RIP). The latter(aged 79), was an internationally acclaimed writer and  a man of great charisma. . His death opened an "orgy" (in the ancient sense) of events in his memory,  and perhaps that scarred a little the Carmon family. There are people for whom  privacy is  above all public interest.

And who knows, may be, it was Amalia Kahana- Carmon's explicit wish to have a private funeral and no memorial ceremonies, and that, of course, has to be respected.  We shall probably hear something about it later, or....not .

May her soul rest in peace!

YAMA

'YAMA'  stands for :Yaakov Agam Museum of Art.

I visited there two days ago,on Thursday, and  experienced a unique sort of viewing art.  It was trying to see "beyond the visible", to see "the hidden" and the 'constant change' in any of the exhibits which were 'art' movable and transformable. This was made possible by looking at the exhibit from each side, coming closer to it, or going a bit away from it. That was quite fascinating, and I was deeply impressed !!

Yaakov Agam,  90 year old, internationally  known as the father of kinetic art movement, painter and sculptor, was born and raised in  a  very religious family,the Gebstein family, located in the israeli town of Rishon Lezion.

 Agam's portrait , white beard and hat, welcomes the  visitors
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His works are displayed in famous museums  such as Gugenheim in New -York,  Pompidou Center in Paris, and many other museums and art venues. His environmental works adorn public spaces in major metropolitan areas of the world.  In Israel, he's mostly known to the local public, through his iconic fountain in Dizengoff Square of Tel Aviv, "fire and water"(see my two posts on that : feb.4, 2011 and march 12, 2016), and the facade of Dan Hotel near the beach of Tel Aviv.

mini hotel Dan facade  (on the wall) and some of his tower works

The little museum in Rishon Lezion, dedicated to Agam's work, was opened in 2017- so it's actually a new place.

 name of museum in hebrew, english, arabic (tiny letters)

blue sign indicating the entrance to the museum

Both inside and outside the building there are  kinetic columns of great beauty and color ( tin +acrilic ) in memory of his late wife Clila, and named after her "the pillars of Clila" (20 pillars outside, near the entrance, and 9 pillars inside the building).

Me, and the pillars outside

women on the bench chatting and contemplating the pillars

The various exhibits (paintings, objects, sound works, interractive digital works), are displayed on the  two levels of the building: the ground level and the upper one (reached either on foot, or by a cute, little lift). The museum also has activity rooms/halls for both children and adults. 

curved ground floor and upper floor

visitors listening to museum's guide explanation

contemplating exhibits

visitor trying to capture an exhibit called 'waves'

corner  for sitting  and watching screen running constant kinetic motions

pillars inside the gallery

During the whole vist at the museum, I kept telling myself: 'the man is a genious'. Here are some of the exhibits on the wall:

Sale at the Interchange

Ikea's big winter sale was mainly a pretext for a trip to the Poleg interchange zone  located south-east of the central city of Netanya.

The coastal route leading to the interchange, passes by some notable places: Levinsky college of education, Cinema City Glilot, high-tech zone with Microsoft's imposing building, 'Gaash' mineral springs Spa, Wingate  physical education institute and other.

The weather was wonderful!  Warm and sunny. I could hardly stay indoors on such a beautiful day.  On approaching Ikea, I  felt caressed by a very gentle breeze coming from the sea. (The latter is  not too close;  good thing, as it's winter  and easy to catch a nasty cold from the encounter with the Mediterranean).

Before entering the store, I like to take the time and contemplate the palm trees and the flags. I do so from under an adorable, slightly distant tree overlooking the Ikea complex.

tree overlooking Ikea complex

'Poleg' is a major central interchange leading north, and Ikea store is adjacent to it.  Every year the  area gets some new comercial companies added , becoming crowded, and somehow unesthetical. According to  economic articles, Ikea, with its beautiful blue/yellow colored complex is considered  key factor in the development of the  vast industrial-commerce area by the Poleg interchange. It certainly attracts a lot of customers.

There are some well-known firms (Ace, Office Depot, Auto Depot..) and less known firms and shops here, as well as bank,supermarket, and institutions.
I was rather surprised to see also the one and only popular "dollar store" Max, in a huge building ( huge, certainly compared to its branches in the city).

column with part of the business' names on it

Max  "dollar store"

Acostel, Optical center, H&O, Fox, WeShoes, Superfarm, Supermarket

Red  'Sale'  posters were greetting customers  not only at Ikea but also at some fashion stores. 

red Sale posters at Ikea

Sale posters at a fashion store

At Ikea, I intended to buy a certain new light fixture to replace an old one, but I was told the last one got sold out shortly before my arrival at the store. Pity. I might try my luck at another Ikea store (this one is the closest to my hometown). 
I didn't come home empty-handed though;  bought some trivial, things like a door entrance mat, some glass / metal candle holders, AA alkaline batteries, and a few other small items.

Inside the store - a festival of consumerism.; no other phrase would describe that better. And, of course, no one dares leave the place without sampling some swedish meat balls, soup in a bread bowl, salmon delicacies, and other swedish specialties at the store's cafe-restaurant section.  

When I leave Ikea, I take another look at the palm trees and flags, but this time from across the Exit direction.

                              

'Silver' which is 'Gold'

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There's a brand called Silver Line that makes me  happy due to its cheap prices and good products. It all started  with my buying their computer periferials, especially, keyboard and mouse, for my desk computer.  The product could last forever, if you don't happen to spill some liquid over it. And if that, God forbid, happens, I always have a spare one. 

Then, I spotted Silver Line nirosta pots (nirosta - a specific type of stainless steel alloy)  -  light and easy to clean. 
Pots and pans are a different matter; I don't want them 'to last',  as their bottom gets toxic after a lot of heating - and that, regardless of their brand, quality and price. 
(I once overheard a doctor saying that women tend to ignore the danger of applying hair dyes, wearing a bra, and... cooking in pots).

It seems Silver Line has a hand in almost any Home category, and its products are sold almost everywhere in my country;  at big chains like Home Depot  and Ace, at discount stores, and in small shops.

At first, I thought a chinese company was behind the Silver Line products.  Lately, I found out that an israeli company called Benda was boasting of being the "mother" of the Silver Line brand.

The truth is, in today's global world, one can never be completely sure of the origin of a brand or the company manufacturing/selling/importing it - and, frankly, I don't care, as long as the product meets my requirements of price and quality. If there's a problem with it, I'll just return it to the store.




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The ' Faceless' Conductor and the 'Oldie' Singer

On a  lazy day, I like to stay for a while in my pajamas, near a bowl of popcorn and/or a bowl of fruit salad, and enjoy some musical performances available  on Youtube. Here's a selection:

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One of my favorites is Rondo Siciliano. This orchestra has all the right 'ingredients': a beautiful soprano singer, a charismatic violin player, a good choir, but... a somehow, faceless conductor.That is, we're seldom shown his face.  Sometimes, like in the video below, we get a glimpse at his profile. He's mainly'n the dark, his back at the audience, tall and stiff, with only his hands moving. That's the basic, effortless technique in conducting, we're told.

The Storm violin (Vivaldi)

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Unlike the above conductor, the 'chief' of another favorite orchestra (a much smaller one,  a band , called  Pink Martini),is omnipresent. He usually opens the show, closes it,  jumps on his chair, moves every part of his body, especially the hands (he's the pianist) .

Quite an attraction, I would say, although not as much an attraction as the lead singer, Storm Large. Oh, my, she's good, very good, and...sexy (see the  tattoo on her nude back).

'Amado Mio' ('My beloved') with singer Storm Large

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The croatian cello player, Hauser,is too theatrical for my taste,regardless of whether he performs solo or in a duet. And yet, I keep watching him again and again (especially in Adagio). I suppose it's the combination of his acclaimed virtuosity and his obvious  beauty that attracts me to his videos. The conductor, a woman for a change (short cut hair, masculine black outfit...), 'watches' carefully over him. Shall we call her Maestro or Maestra?

Adagio (Albinoni)

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And last but not least, the famous  american 'oldie but goodie' Cher. What a performer!! She completely dominates the scene with her voice and presence. She  glides around with such easiness and elegance! ( no need for all the fuss around her, made by male and female  flamenco dancers;  they are all, however,very exciting, especially the one with the scandinavian looks, opening and leading the show!).

Dov'e  L'amore (Where's love) with Cher

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Good Things That Might Happen in 2019

According to the Media, tiny Luxemburg is to become the first country in the world to make its public transport - free.  That would be a very smart move, worthy to be followed by other small countries with  limited territory and lack of natural resources.
The advantages of such a move are enormous: it would ease congested traffic and make the roads safer,  improve ecology, and above all - improve people's health. 

Cannabis is gradually getting legalized in various parts of the world. It's a positive direction, and it should include as many countries as possible. I'm in favor of legalization of this plant which is said to have the potential of easing the suffering of the sick (cancer/ parkinson patients and others). They say, it is not addictive like alcohol, and not harmful like smoking.

Egypt's president, El-Sisi, has recently launched a rhetorical 'attack' on the overweight in his country and told egyptians they should take better care of themselves. Opposition to his words is loud, invoking poverty, junk food, faulty health care, and the other usual slogans; but his clear voice on the matter is a start, a good one, even though he might do nothing practical about it.
It seems El-Sisi is the right guy  in the right place who might bring about significant changes in his country (including the issues of obesity and the alarming birth rate), setting an example to the other countries in his continent.

Scientific researches  of the last couple of years might give us, in 2019, a clue as to the workings of the human mind. It's quite a mystery when a person who has it all: career, family, money, love,  - takes his own life (recent case in my country), and leaves family and all around him utterly devastated and grieving. We need some more insight into that super computer - the brain- to be able to prevent, perhaps, this kind of tragedy.

Happy 2019!