Pessach in Israel

Pessach has caused me a serious trauma - "kosher for Pessach" or not, "chametz" or not ...
It's quite shocking to enter a supermarket and to see entire shelves covered by a white curtain on which sometimes is written "chametz".

Out of empathy I ate "matzot" and I realized that the exodus was a cruel thing. Out of empathy I ate food on which was written "kosher for Pessach". But there are some things that bother me seriously: why I cannot eat cereals with milk on breakfast, why there are chips on the shelves on which usually used to be put the bread, what makes the milk suddenly kosher for Pessach ...?

I miss my "chametz" cereals ...

Happy (late) Valentine's Day

So, this is Valentine's Day in Israel - NOTHING SPECIAL! Once again I felt like these people don't celebrate ... take me to the streets and ask me if there is any holiday or celebration, and I would say NO for sure, because I don't see anything special. I can "smell" the Shabbat but I cannot "smell" holidays, Jewish or not it doesn't matter. Well, on Hanukka I did see some palm trees wrapped in lights on Ibn Gvirol Blvd. ... and Dizengoff mall full of decorations. But, hey! this time I missed Dizengoff Mall's decorations on Valentine's Day - if there were any ...

However, BIG THANKS to the Indian restaurant on the corner for the beautiful heart-shaped baloons. If it hadn't been for them, I wouldn't have known it was a holiday. Still, with a single heart there won't be any Valentine's Day ...

I miss the crowded metro exits with hundreds of people selling kitsch stuff for Valentine's Day. I miss hanging around with friends at the Valentine's Day fair. I miss the young women with red roses received from their lovers. I miss happy faces. But I don't miss this day spent without my Valentine!