From here (@jpost) to there (@epinions)

Now that the dust has settled and the rallies are behind us, I will say a farewell from JPost...
 
"Dear reader", oops, there may be more than one reader.. so "dear readers",
 
Way back I was invited to write stories to be  posted as blogs here at Jpost, ..and I did just that.

 
I continue to write a series of assorted stories, on various subjects and topics, at different weather seasons... and I never write about politics and religion, and never being nasty or insulting.
 
I am happy that so many readers responded with kind words and clever comments, and emails sent to me, and many also mentioning the pictures that showed them a place, or a thing, or people or whatever.

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Car Rally - This time I / we got it right

Two-words about my not seeing anything in my previous story is...."bad-luck" ?
 
And NOW some many GOOD-LUCK words about this CLASSIC CARS RALLY, which turned into several major events especially for me.

 
The moment I read about this CAR rally, I began making enquiries, and as soon as the office concerned opened after that weekend, I was given an incredible amount of info.
 
Then...always via emails, Su put me onto Deb who put me onto Dan who supplied me with a route and approx. times of events.. and put me onto Shai who put me onto Ko, who arranged important entrance permission, and a couple of days later he escorted me into the cargo complex at Ben Gurion airport, where the cars were being offloaded onto Israel soil for the Israeli part of the Rally.

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Two-Wheeler big event

A  "TWO-WHEELER" get-together event happened here in Israel recently, with Harley Davidson Motorcycles, and MANY other fancy and expensive motorbikes taking part, in a GIANT RALLY. 

Riders from Canada and Australia, and Israeli riders came together, to ride ALL around Israel to celebrate the 60 Years Anniversary...and for them "To Remember".

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SAR-EL: believe it or not...you better believe it

There was a time way back when "I knew little" and altho' I was a successful smalltime window fixer I knew little about "living in Israel" and nothing about "volunteering in Israel"..

And then one day I heard about Sar-El, and that was the beginning of a changing of my life.
 
When I first was given a pamphlet I couldn't tie up a meeting with other earlier volunteers to ask about. Eventually I made a miracle phonecall, and was invited to attend a meeting; a sort of reunion
 
SAY no more. I immediately signed up and my first program flew towards me and in  October 1998, I was on an El Al jet, heading to my first SAR-EL program - only 2 of us from South Africa, heading to meet a group of volunteers from USA and Canada.

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Just for the fun of it

A few of the many things I did for the fun of it..and the experience.

Within reason I am prepared to try anything, even some things daring.

Like that time when I was a volunteer in Sar-El at an army base, and I was dared to have an "army haircut at the army barber"..he never spoke a word of English, and at that time I knew no Hebrew, so I just closed my eyes and let him work fearing the worst. 

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Banias = caves and waterfalls and streams and..

There are 2 main roads to the only Ski Site in Israel way up north..on top of Mount Hermon.
 
The more popular route, takes you past the foot of Mt. Hermon where the source of Hermon Stream flows...at a mysterious place called BANIAS.

I had visited Banias several times by scooter and in a rented car, and because I knew I couldn't walk much, I usually stood at entrance gate to this awesome place, received brochures and map with walking routes..

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The march of time!

Once upon a time it started

and it showed me the hour twas eleven,
11 oh something ?
and I'll be with you in a coupla secs
or just a minute
or 'a coupla minutes please'

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Where I like and don't like

Story #1
 
On the street where I live.
 
I live in a nice small apartment in a nice block in a nice street in a nice area. SO how lucky can I get ?
 
My nice apartment that I rent has windows facing north overlooking the pool, that is surrounded by 5 highrise buildings.

4 are still under construction...once there was a view of the fields in the distance...now only high-rise apartment buildings.
 
So how lucky can I get?

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Money and food -

Borrow / spend / waste / throw away.

It is amazing how many people waste money by leaving so much food uneaten!
 
This is a short roundabout story about me taking pictures...and about money...and food.
 
Once I was at the beautiful gates of Bahai Gardens in Haifa and I asked a man to take a picture of me and my scooter. He did, and he asked me for money. I didn't know the language, so I never gave him any money.

 
Another time I volunteered to take a few pics of a touring couple, with their camera and they were so happy, they offered me money. I did know the language. I did not take money.
 
"So, where is this heading"?
 
Okay..A few days ago at the Jaffa fleamarket, I was taking a picture of myself looking in a mirror...

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J...?

"Why J" ? you ask.  "Why not A or M or R ?"
 
A few places and people's names comes to mind..so let's go.
 
I gotta start somewhere !
________________________________________________
 
Jaffa...more than 4000 years old, and I have already walked about 4000 kms in and around the fleamarkets where many stores sell "just everything" and often the owners sit at the entrance (and some are asleep,) and walked at the Port and the parks and the promenades and the narrow streets and by the landmark Clocktower, and into a Morroccan restaurant where about 50 older men seated at small tables (for 4), are playing cards and talking and keeping score in a cloud of smoke from the many items being smoked, while the television blares music and songs...and bakeries and antique shops and fancy new boutiques and clothing stores and hairdressers and more, and more.

And I will return again and again in every season.

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