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Small Steps

2011-11-06T01:27:00.005+02:00

Simple, small steps makes you more aware of the present, the beauty around, the variety of nature!

Autumn in the northern Israel

Bird migration might be also an
interesting subject in this area:
http://www.carmelbirdingtours.com/birding-sites.html

Eco in Israel

2011-02-27T01:34:00.001+02:00

Waiting to enter!!!

Umberto Eco is giving a lecture in Tel Aviv University

"The Confessions of a Young Novelist"

...but where is he? Everybody is waiting to enter! NO more seats!!! Hundreds of people in the entrance hall, others outside in front of the sliding glass doors that don't slide anymore.

In Israel, invitations are on big scale, organisation on minimal scale. Is it a game of power or just planning for the size of an ant? Closing doors in front of the guests is the new method of attracting more people? Sometimes it works...

The Locals

Students, professors and guests waiting

Is there any chance?

Hopeless and tired

Hands up!

Better eat than just look!

Guards enjoying

The animator

What a public event! A manifestation!

Can't see the light!

Finally I decided to leave this event, because there was no chance to enter. The power of the guardian is what matters in the end. Therefor I went outside to enjoy the springtime and a good coffee.

Actually, there where many other huge halls at the University Campus of Tel Aviv. Maybe it wasn't expected that Eco will be such a super star. Originally, he was invited to the International Book fair in Jerusalem. There was a whole week session of famous writers, some of them Romanians. The lecture in Tel Aviv University was just an extra add to Umberto Eco's trip and success among intellectuals of Israel.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZM1ApaFrKo

http://topnews360.tmcnet.com/topics/associated-press/articles/2011/02/26/148776-novelist-umberto-eco-opposes-boycotts-israel.htm

Children Between Walls

2010-02-09T11:00:00.014+02:00

Exhibition at Cafe Neto
Haifa, Israel
by Simona O.M.

Our lives are surrounded by walls. These walls are found around old cities, Medieval Citadels, public buildings and private houses. Some Walls are built to protect people, others to separate them.

Children who grow up enclosed between walls are often limited to a certain physical and mental space, dictated by their society. Once they get out of these walls they can discover a brighter world, and experience the freedom to explore their individuality.

Most of the children in these photos are at a transitional stage between childhood and adolescence. They try to surround themselves with walls that will protect them from the outer world. Some kids are tougher, others are softer, some allow themselves to smile, others are too shy. I tried to capture some of their inner beauty.

Children everywhere are joyful, authentic and innocent regardless of the certain walls of family, society, religion and nationality that surround them.

Alladin

The Three Musketeers

Cindarella

Ali Baba

Alice in Wonderland

Alshech

Alfonso

Al Jundi

Allah Akbar!

Alpacino

The seven heavenly virtues

2009-11-25T10:04:00.026+02:00

Exhibition at "Humanitas" Bookshop, Cluj-Napoca, Romania

December 2009

For the welcoming of Jesus Birth, the Christian Fasting time started and the religious conscienceness is growing. The most important virtues that one should develop are the following seven :Purity, Temperance, Charity, Persistence, Patience, Kindness and Humility.

1. Purity

"Baby Mihael"

2. Persistence

"The Golden Ball"

3. Temperance
"The Sea of Galilee"

4. Patience

"Fisherman"

5. Generosity

"The wishing well in Cisnadioara"

6. Kindness

"Woman making wool in Ieud"

7. Humility
"Keep knocking on Heaven's Door!"

9.9.9

2009-09-09T23:13:00.008+02:00

What is this day about?

9th of September

It's Saint Anne's Day

The day my beloved grandmother Ana died...

The day I saw again photographs in front of my eyes

The day I deciede to fight for my own ballance

I want to learn

I'm here to give

It's so simple

One day like this you just see

There is light

Life cycle

2009-07-16T13:03:00.018+03:00

Exhibition in Cluj- Napoca, Humanitas Bookshop

by Simona O.M.

Water is the primary element in the forming life of the embryo.

During puberty, the physical body is yet undefined.

Later on, it becomes just a shadow in the midst of society.

During the years, the soul looks for it's partner, trusting there is another shadow similar to itself.
As years pass by, the ego shrinks, partners are closer to each other, together looking forward to the end.

In the final stage, the water leaves the body, which comes back to the earth.

As for the spirit – nobody knows where it is flying.

Embryo

Puberty

Society

Love

Reflection

Aging

Dissolution

Wadi Siah Festival

2009-05-28T02:54:00.020+03:00

by Simona O.M.

One of the most beautiful valleys (wadi) in Haifa leads to the spring "Ein Siah", meaning also the spring of communication.
Many pools are created from that water, that once belonged to the Arab family Khayat, called "The Garden of Khayat". Nowadays, Eyal Friedander is the focalizer of the Coaltion "Bustan Khayat".During the year he is taken care of the place and once a year he's organizing a big festival with music, food, street acrobats and other activities. It seams very natural to be there between Jews and Arabs, without politics. The City hall didn't support the event, so there was no security, no guns, no force.

Ein Siah

Overview

Children peeing from above

Busy organizer

Food from the local families

Their children

Michael, the acrobat

Capuera dance
`

Musicians

T-shirts with "Bustan Khayat"

Party in and around the pool

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Get your own

Exchange Party

2009-05-12T14:06:00.015+03:00

by Simona O.M.

Tveria 15, Haifa

April 2009

Recently I was at a cool event in Haifa , where people exchanged different things and ideas. Many young people came, as well as older ones. There was a live jazz concert, food and drinks at student prices. But mostly you could find there clothes and books for free. The good purpose of the exchange party, to give old and take new, attracted many people (that found out about it). It really helped one to clean and renew his one storage , it created a social event that is friendly and with good atmosphere, and also remembered the citizens that Haifa has many lively sides.

Book Exchange

Concert

Audience enjoying

Office

Tasty food!

Inside atmosphere

Clothes Exchange

Look what I found!

Hmm...Nice belt on you!

Not me, I'm just sitting here!

Organizer's job

He's the one!

Friends

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Get your own

Passing through religion and security

2009-04-21T21:12:00.029+02:00

by Simona O.M.

The following article tells a story of one day during Passover in the fascinating Old City of Jerusalem.

My Dhyan and baby Michael are caught between religious and security people at the Zion Gate.

Here is the famous Wailing Wall and behind it Al-Aqsa Mosque, a scene of an age long Jewish-Muslim tension. As you can see, the flag in the middle belongs to Israel, very proud of the power of the star of David (or of being a star of the world?!). Both are very sacred places for the two religions. The wooden bridge leads to one of the entrances to the Temple Mount with its Mosque and golden roofed Dome of the Rock.

At the beginning of the wooden bridge there are lots of security people. Here I got stuck, because I had the bag of my mother who visited the first time Jerusalem and bought souvenirs, like Christian candles and Jewish "menora" that are forbidden in the Muslim area! I had two options: either to leave outside the bag full of little things (not in a locker, just there where all the people queue up!!!) or remain outside. So I stayed out, because I was angry like a child that doesn't understand "why". Anyway, I saw the sacred places on another occasion, which could be the subject of another blog entry. On that occasion, I didn't come as a tourist, but was disguised as a Muslim and could actually enter the buildings.

It is worth noticing that women are separated from men, in Jewish and Muslim religious places ("Women Ntrance")!

"Pesach"! Jewish people going to pray at the Western Wall, where the Temple once was. The men section is the most important. Here they look more tired after "Leil HaSeder" (the long holiday dinner with the "Haggadah" reading, which was the origin of the Last Supper in Christianity). The two men in front are chatting and smoking (is it allowed on a holy day?) and the two children behind, yawning over the kippah table.

Before entering the Wailing Wall area everyone has to wash his hands.

The Jewish father (who is actually wearing normal clothes) with his little boys is coming back from the prayer at the Wall. The concept behind the large Jewish orthodox families is to increase the number and power of their nation and religion. Isn't it confusing that the nation and religion are both "Jewish"?! Also, the morning prayer "Thank you God for not making me a woman", is quite understandable, because the woman's job is merely to produce babies(which are lovely, but how can you take good care of so many?!), to cover her hair and mainly to be an obedient wife in the house, doesn't sound very interesting. Instead, the man has to study the religion every day of his life and is not obliged to serve in the army, and he gets some money for that too.

The little boy in the middle plays with guns. Toys for boys, but not only...

"Illegal" bread for Jewish Passover baked by the Arabs. During Passover anything that contains yeast is not allowed for seven days. In the time of Moses, when the Jewish people escaped from Egypt, they didn't have time to bake bread, so they ate only Matzah (flat bread).

It happened that in that Thursday the Christians Catholics celebrated the Maundy Thursday. It's one of the most intense liturgy during the year, before Easter. The Holy Sepulcher, where Jesus tomb supposed to be on the Gologota mountain, was packed with pilgrims.Security people were on guard, but more interested in their own thoughts.

Christians come all around the world to pray and touch the Holy place. The most influent Christian religions like greek/ russian orthodox, catholic, franciscan, armenian, ethiopian have their own space here and reasons for confrontation therefor.

One of the most popular jobs in Israel is security. Every place you enter has one or more security people guarding it. They check your bags and anything else they think is necessary. The guns they are wearing remind me of the metal chains punkists wear, hanging on them as a symbol of power.

What do children learn with all these weapons around them? And what do they teach their little brothers?

Even adults show children with enthusiasm how to deal with guns in order to be cool. The security people are their role models.

There it goes: BOOOOM!

I'm an alien in this country

2009-03-28T21:33:00.015+02:00

by Simona O.M.

The story begins with the nice Carnival of Purim, in Haifa last month. High up on the mountain of Carmel, on the promenade with the view to the Mediterranean Sea many children and adults walk in a parade to show their interesting costumes and roles allowed without restrains. Happily this goes only for one day!

I'm an alien, am I...?

Do we need magic wands to rule the world?

Or it's enough to have a stick to blow soap bubbles in the wind?

Children dressed as Indian and cowboy feel comfortable to walk with guns in the hand...

Sometimes I see the world from above, on high legs, getting annoyed by soldiers with real army clothes and guns over the whole back. That should be normal for Israel!

Where joke meets reality (carnival dressed people and the real "security")

Does army anything to do with human beings? The mark that this are female soldiers (dressed the same as males) is that at least they hide their guns on the street. Serving the State of Israel make young people proud. Is it the same when they go to the real war?

Very often you meet green people covered with guns and black people with magnetic sticks.In crowded places you can't avoid them, because they sit next to you in the bus or check you every day in each public building you want to enter. Is this NORMALITY? What is this game for?

The answer is: SECURITY!
Actually we don't care to clean the dog poo from the street, because we are protected...

roof

2007-01-26T17:17:00.001+02:00

" rainy day in the old city"

jaffa gate

2007-01-24T01:56:00.000+02:00

expression

2007-01-24T01:49:00.000+02:00

" what? am I so funny?!"

connections

2007-01-24T01:46:00.000+02:00

little prince

2007-01-24T01:43:00.000+02:00

"going somewhere..."

rainy jerusalem

2007-01-14T11:33:00.000+02:00

"the old city"

hair stylist

2007-01-11T22:25:00.001+02:00

"the importance of the fashion in the middle east"