For women of the third world

 

What always fascinated me is the question of dignity of women in many countries is unfair. I call them so, and whether they feel disenfranchised is another matter. I think that to get to the need for equality in the present century, will have to go very fast path that women in advanced countries have already walked for centuries.
 

In my 40 years of touring I have visited for a long time only  United States, Mozambique and Angola and of course Bulgaria. For the short time I've bean in, some other countries, where there are Muslims - Turkey, China and Taiwan. Recently, I was in Dubai and Israel. On this occasion, it occurred to me to share the numerous episodic impressions of women gathered there. I picked the listed countries for discussion consciously, because I saw them in a different form of inequality.

I was a child, when for the first time in the Bulgarian town of Shumen saw a veiled woman. She worked in the public bathroom and her name was Emine. My mom didn’t explained to me a lot and I was thinking this is a group name for women who hide their faces – Emines. I asked childishly why, are they ugly or something bothers them? I finally received the necessary explanations.

Do you remember the wise green eyes of Afghan girl Šarbat Gula, its name in the Pashto means freshwater flower? A decade ago we watched her face  on television screens often and on one of the covers of Smithsonian magazine, unsettling the powerful eyes, staring at us. Šarbat disappeared somewhere for a long time.

After several years  a journalist found her and took a picture of her. So was changed, It had to make the retina-test to confirm the authenticity of the photograph. Where are already those eyes-projectors? By veil was snooping with indifference tired broken-down woman's face. It seems to me that the only thing she accepted by the Foundation, was the education subsidies to his son.

Two years ago another case has attracted global attention, the little Pakistani schoolgirl Malalas Ûsafzaj, hired with an impossible task for adults. After the attempted of murder this very matured, for her age girl recoverd from severe trauma, operations and phsychological stress. She devoted her entire life to the cause - the right to education for Afghan and all the girls on Earth. Time magazine ranked her among the 100 most influential personalities in 2013. Malalas received other honors, including a proposal for a Nobel Prize...

These are just two examples of the fate of two beings placed in extrim situations. I ask myself: How long time will take for these as Šarbat to reach the thinking of the little Malalas?

 I saw various forms of inequality among the various layers of the population.  Wealthy women in the Oriental world live in splendor, but outside the home, they still become black silhouettes. I watched them in Dubai to come out of expensive cars. From under the broad black "shrouds" I sew for the moment, luxury clothes and expensive shoes, but only so much. How to handle in this heat? I sew them to go out of expensive stores with a lot of packages. Sew them seated in expensive restaurants and cafés, but is that enough? Well, that very few of them hiding their faces.

I have to admit, I couldn't figure out how those with covered faces drink coffee on public places. For me it is not an easy destiny to live "under the burka", but Muslim women for generations are like this. We see most of them already concerned about their rights.

Long ago in Alaska Eskimos women wore in thick warm ugly cloths to protect from frost. Why the women of mostly desert countries not covered themselves end protect from the Sun and dry desert wind?   If we delve in religious traditions, we will see that many of them follow hygiene rules, but let us not forget that we are now in the 21st century, by when? Is it time to change an iittle bit living condition, sufficient to move towards more practical?

 In the end, who should decide, such as me or Muslim women themselves?   I read somewhere recently that they are spending the most money for cosmetics, but what's… under the burkas?  What these women feel like watching a compatriot to them dressed in a light, elegant clothing, showing their pretty black hair as only orientals can have?

 A friend of mine years ago was on the Congress in Cairo and its co-workers invite her to the party in a house. Even at the moment of entering black vestments  were gone and Egyptian turned into elegant European. Then? Why obsess them these standards?

To go to pray in the temple, to be separated from her husband and her sons, to look at the world through the wooden bars. 100 years ago, I accept to somewhere, but now? Not to have the right of public appearances, of education, to drive and how many more restrictions?           

 In fact, maybe men know, what they did. The Socialist Bulgarian heaps of things I hated, but I take my hat off to one. The legacy of Ottoman rule to suppress woman, was liquidated for several years.   Do you know what happened, smart girls, resilient and in no case less clever part of the Bulgarians showed what they can do. It got to the restrictions to protect men ....Some number of seats in the universities and many competitive positions maintained for them. Naturally, when Mother Nature care any grown kids, has given a little too much for women to continue the mankind. 

  As I see now, some aggressive Muslims by Malthus's idea, surely, try to purge the world from individuals that dare to oppose them. Unfortunately, the fire does not burn only dry wood and. ..

             Speaking of Muslim restrictions, you only need to add that in poorer families, who often have no elementary living conditions, expensive price is paid by women. To raise a family with income "below the level of survival, to keep household without running water, to see your child sick because of a lack of money for a doctor and medicines? And all this on a woman's head clock. You say, nothing new, sunny little tales. That is, whatever happened, happened, but why to go back again to the limitations to the slavery of women?

Where are most of Muslim men in this moment? They fight, in Africa, the Middle East and make attacks worldwide. How can, why the world accept this?  What again is set in Muslim lands? New state - ISIS or  killing machine? While you kill in the name of fanaticism, who pays? The expensive price is paid from women and children, mothers who mourn for their lost sons.        

We finish this year with 51 Ml people refugees of whom the majority are women and children, the victim of religious bigotry, what do you think of that?     Can we count the depth in the World, their victims?

  We started with the clothes and we came to the brutal truth, Muslims are subject to mutual destruction and the most expensive price is paid by those with the burkes and their children, until when?

 

 

 

 

 

 

The stolen toy

I really feel like a kid whose new toy was stolen. Actually, my toy is my travelling to Israel and Dubai. I have so many thoughts to share about the live of Jewish and Palestinians and what? Everything broke down.

 

Is it possible to convince people how many nice things were created on the past and now among the arid desert of the Arabian Peninsula, when again and again, the most blood was shed? This is their own blood and that of their children. Their own cities, where they have to live with their children were ruined. The farms that supposed to feed their families were burned. Bitterness and vengeance have altered the eyes of so many fighters for "faith" that soon these lands do not remain faithful. Is there a universal belief? Who has rights to punish "crooked believers"? Who gives us the right to be judgmental?

What luck we had to sneak in a lull and see what the Palestinians and the Jewish do, if they not fight. And why, the first, is this fight? How many times I'm asking this question and I'm not the only one. The history gives the answers, but they depend on who, when and why  wrote them. Everyone chooses those who supports his cause. Join point of course is that these lands are populated longer from Jewish and Palestinians, as well from Romans and neighboring Empires. Convenient summary, which is close to the facts of the millennium.

That is why the event, which I want to tell begins and ends with the reign of the cruel, selfish King Herod. Something remind you of that name, or the expression "evil like Herod? He is the son of a highly placed officer of the Roman Jewish ancestry (74/73 BC)  With the help of the Roman Senate, he became the King of Israel for 37 years. His name remains for generations connected with building of significant architectural monuments such as the Temple of Herod in Jerusalem nearly destroyed later, the fortresses Hedorium and Masada.  Imagine, he and Cleopatra had a monopoly on the asphaltum deposits in the Dead sea, which help a lot in building fleets.

If you're known as one of the most brutal rulers, who among other evils is ordered  the murder of 14000 innocent children in Bitleem, out of fear for his throne, who killed his own wife and child, then you won't be wondering why he had 2,000 people personal security. You won't be wondering that when relations with Rome worsen to extreme, King Herod ran in the fortress Masada.

I wonder if someone from modern rulers has surpassed Herod in self-protection? Whether if any protection has the power to keep them from what bed rulers deserved?

Masada is one of many archaeological monuments, which are supposed to show us the meaninglessness of the wars. King Herod, roman, accepts Jewish faith because he wanted to become King of Israel, but with the support of the occupiers. Later he had started war with them. What is its cause? Why exactly, he and many like him led people to war? Is the protection of the throne and crown their "high politics". Is this all the intrigue in the world, so thousands of people are dying?

I wonder, how can there be a “higher policy” in the World, and there is no overriding “global wisdom”? If it is a stalemate of unresolved  problems, then  it is better to talk about the traveling experience, for flowers, for birds of love, for everything else that makes people happy. Why should we put the finger on the exact spot where it hurts the most, it is better to drive around. We need a distraction, but In my “distraction” there are quite a few rocks. I will tell you something about the place – Masada (Fortress). Herod went there when Jerusalem become very "hot" for him in, even though there was no shadow under the scorching sun among the rocks of desert.. There he spent the last years of his life, in the siege of the Romans. Those`, who 3-4 decades ago gave him the Jewish crown.

 

We are on the road to Masada. The greenery around us is over, after the bus left the Jerusalem’s outskirts. The highway crosses the infinite white plain. On one side elevates  equally white high mountain plateaus. Here there are oases of Jewish kibbutzim.  It turned out that these groups do not differ too much from former Soc-collective  farms, but only the idea. Do you remember French philosopher Jan Jack Russo? But everything is divided according the work people do. If you need something extra, then the General Assembly decides. Residents gather every evening on the report and the design for the next day. Moreover, children live in hostels apart from fathers and mothers and spend too little under parental custody.  This was for a more effective protection of children in the attacks.

Great! So, this is the way to do good and strong people. O, yes only if you start your preparedness from childhood you may resist intense years in these wars? Maybe the discipline with which they are bred  contributes  to a surprisingly high standard of living in Israel, until recently. Unfortunately, the wars and the incoming Palestinians who together with Israeli nationality, receive unemployment progressively drain the country.

 

Masada was founded in the 1st century BC. by Alexander Janneus on a vast plateau near the Dead sea. It has a natural slope to the sea, and this has enabled the defenders to collect  pelting in huge underground reservoirs. In other similar repositories was stored their food. So the defenders of the fortress  resisted there 3 years of siege. The plateau was only 400 meters above sea level, but long was impregnable for the opponents.  Finally, 10,000 Roman army built an enormous trestle, which got to the plateau. The defenders, 960 cikarii (zioni), headed by Herod suicide and only women and children left alive.

 

Alexander Janneus and later Herod have created big and luxurious settlement. The fortress with all its reception halls, the Throne Hall, patios and sleeping accommodations were arranged on three terraces, one below the other, along the edge of the slope. The wind even now carries the freshness of the sea, although it is catches a few miles away. Little remains for us, despite the efforts at excavations in the 1960 's. However, it is enough to make us wander how in such a place at the former technique level were built marble halls, bathrooms and even a swimming pool on the middle of the desert.

 

I walked away from the band, so I can imagine the white walls of the three main buildings, sparkling in blue sky. It is the only one that has not changed. I have imagined the worried defenders, who knew that their end is coming.  I could see down into the plain eager Roman soldiers. I thought, if the war can be a good thing, which is more acceptable, their primitive, denouncing the enemy of slow death, or modern our instantaneous dealing with opponents?

 Our guide shows very thoroughly all that's left of the distant centuries and how it is protected now. Posters and three-dimensional shapes help us implement the idea of the fortress and the small village of servants.

 

I don't want to get a lift back. This place is like halfway between heaven and Earth. I look up, shoreless blue sky,  down - valley full of white, yellow and brown overlays of dolomite. Forward the gaze is lost in the blue of the Dead sea. A nice breeze and the spirit invites me to stay longer. What songs were sang the erstwhile inhabitants.

 

 

The blue Dead sea invites us, it is our next goal. In minutes, we come to the humble beach complex.  Once the picture has been another, medical sanatoriuns and hotels were scattered along the coast, but the withdrawal of the sea for miles  has destroyed their business. We stop at a nice shopping center, with regular commercial stores and restaurants.   A small path leads to the sea.
 

      I wonder how some tourists haven’t gone in the water, at least out of curiosity. There is also another attraction – black healing mud, thrown down in a pile right on the sand. Around it, like Devils lurking black, shiny bodies. I coated from head to toe for the first time in my life and I went timidly in the water. Nothing special, you don't feel a difference, try to swim, it's even easier. They told us to keep the eyes and nose out of the water, of course that I put on doubt, but why you should keep your head higher than your body? If I kick twice I can restore my balance. No, not kicking helps, but the surrounding people reacted quickly. I apologized telling that maybe my very heavy head irresistibly pulls down ....If this head weighs that much… it might be smart?

Here's a new method for measurement of brain weight, my patent. .

 

 

За спиралите (The English translation included on the end) The spirals

 

                            
 

 

          Толкова много неща се повтарят в моя живот, но за щастие не вървя в затворен кръг, това би било отчайващо. Всичко се мести с една стъпка по-високо и по-различно и най-подходящото пространствено измерение дава  тя, спиралата. Ние хората отиваме на горе и колкото по-голяма е площта на първото стъпало, толкова по-далече може да бъде върха. А после накъде?
           Нашето пребиваване на Земята има граници. Само великите личности са  вечни, другите остава да мислят как по-бавно и по-внимателно да вървят по обратния път на своята спирала. Да стареят без да им „личи” и да са си „все същите”.
             Аз забелязвам с безпокойство, че идва моментът на слизане, а долните сегменти на спиралата са с по-голяма площ. Понякога  нещата от горното стъпало не са достатъчни, за да ги запълнят както преди. Тогава какво?
           Това, което ни трябва е рецепта за щастие, способност да се събудим и тази  сутрин с готов план за действие, сила да се радваме и да правим и околните щастливи. Желание да бъдем полезни на себе си и на другите. Има и още едно голямо нещо. Трябва да гледаме нагоре, защото  небето е все така синьо, дърветата се полюшват все така от бриза, тревата е все толкова зелена, а цветята са много и красиви, колкото са били преди 30-50години.
       Има много рецепти за спасение от старостта. Аз, например, не спирам да работя интензивно, каквото и да е. Не спирам и да ходя, из града, из Щата и по-далече. Така времето ми се разделя на откъси: след последното пътуване и преди следващото пътуване, за години не се говори, само за дати.
            Тази есен семейно пътуване беше отново до Уислър, Канада. Изглежда природата е доволна от нашия непрекъснат мерак до ходим там, защото винаги пази няколко хубави зимни дни за пътешествието. На отиване шосето е сухо, небето не е мрачно, а на връщане винаги е слънчево. Не само това, винаги имаме удоволствието от 2-3 красиви снежни дни , за да направим още няколко зимни снимки из новите райони, които случайно не са „документирани”.
          Селището расте с дни и това е добре дошло за обиколките  ми из Уислър. Аз тактично спрях да карам ски още на 70 год.  Искаше ми се още, но за да предпазя костите си, така намалих скоростта на спускането, че мускулите ми стенеха от напрежение. Вместо да се спусна надолу и да оставя вятърът да брули лицето ми аз трябваше да „кръжа „ по пистата. Питаха ме шеговито филм ли правя или давам уроци...
           В този момент към моята спирала се притъкми едно мъничко, страхотно  безпомощно човече, решило да се роди доста преди да е готово за житейския път на останалите бебета – осмаче. Такива  същества не знаят да ядат, даже и да заспят както се полага.

           Проточиха се дни на „ открития”, победи и загуби, сред които млади и стари понаучиха нови и забравени неща. Новороденият индивид преди всичко научи какво силно оръжие е гръмовитият плач. Научи, че има съвременни начини да се храниш обилно без да се напъваш да сучеш, откри колко е приятно да намериш „жертви” да те забавляват...Изобщо кръжеше из моята спирала

 във всички посоки.

             Как успяват тези мънички човечета да се ориентират толкова добре?  Само с един слух, обоняние и още нефокусирано виждане?

Ски ли, това отмина. Там ти си господар, забавяш, спираш и тръгваш, когато ти решиш, с бебетата е  малко по-различно, друг командва парада. Затова вместо напразно да шариш нагоре надолу по снежните писти  на Уислър сладкото бебенце ти предлага да се разхождаш из улици и градинки с него. Удоволствието да сте заедно се плаща , първо го возиш в количка, по-късно в шейничка, а после се добавят снежните човеци. Ако много се загледаш в красотите на планината някоя снежна топка ще те цапне но носа.

 

Някъде по стъпалата на спиралата ми пак се стигана до ски, само че този път скиорът е внукът, а от мене си изисква до го водя и връщам от училището по ски.

            Според науката това не е двойна, трябва да я нарека оплетена спирала? Виждате ли как се променят нещата в нея? Не знам слизане ли е, качване ли е, но сега трупам знания за училището, за компютърните игри, за Тай Куандо-то и други. В седемдесетото си десетилетие, трябва да се върна и към спортното каране.
„Защо не отрежеш тази жълта кола пред тебе от дясно и тогава ще надминеш този бавния от ляво...?” Така правят мама и татко. Внукът е на девет, но „наблюдава” шофирането от бебе.  На 4 години ме молеше да мина „на преко”, защото това водеше до близкия магазин с играчки...
            Как странно се повтарят нещата, наближава Коледа, подбираме подаръците и слушаме коледни песни по цял ден. Образът на Дядо Коледа, превъплътен в най-различни одежди не слиза от екрана. Не ни омръзва, защото го гледаме с очите на внука, а той така много иска да вярва, че Дядо Коледа витае някъде из космоса...Не бяхме ли някога и ние възрастните от групата на тези вярващи щастливци?
            Не знам накъде и колко ще расте моята спирала, но съм ощастливена да кръжа из нея, заедно тези, с които разделям живота си и най-вече, вплетена с тази малка спиралка, която се появи преди 9 години.

Не е за вярване, но малката вплетена спиралка е вече ученик и ни радва с успехите си.

Сега пакетирам коледните подаръци и като погледнах, кому един, кому два, а на внука 4 подаръка само от баба и дядо. Ето как в нашия живот от всичко най-мили са тези малки вплетени спиралки, които изпълват сърцата ни с радост.

 

 

 

 

 

So many things are repeated in my life, but luckily it does not go in a closed circle, it would be frustrating. Everything goes one step higher and different and most appropriate spatial dimension gives it, the spiral. We the people rise and the bigger is the area of the first step forward could be the top. And then where?

Our stay on this earth has limits. Only the great personalities are timeless, others remained to think how more slowly and more carefully walking on the way back to its spiral. To grow old without their "shows" and are "still the same".

I noticed with concern that comes the moment of disembarkation, and lower segment of the spiral are of a larger area. Sometimes things from the top step are not sufficient to fill them as before. Where then?

What we need is a recipe for happiness, ability to wake up each morning with a plan of action, the power to be happy and to make others happy and to have a desire to be useful to themselves and to others. There is another big thing. We must look up, because the sky is still blue, the trees are always so sensual bondage swinging from the breeze, the grass is still green, and the flowers are many and beautiful as they were 30-50 years.

There are many recipes for salvation from old age. I, for example, do not stop to work intensely, whatever it is, I don’ stop and walk around the city, around the State and beyond. So my time is divided into snippets: after the last trip before the next trip for years does not speak, only for dates.

This fall, a family trip is again at Whistler, Canada. Seems like that the nature is pleased with our ongoing wish to go there. It always keep a few nice winter days for our trip. The road is dry, the sky is not dark, but the return is always sunny. Not only that, we always have the pleasure of 2-3 beautiful snowy days to do a few more winter pictures in new areas, which coincidentally are not "documented".

The settlement grows with days and this is a welcome development for the tours around Whistler. I tactfully I stopped skiing since 70 years. I wanted more, but to protect my bones, so I lowered the speed of the descent, that my muscles groaning from the tension. Instead of “faying” down and let the wind blows in my face I had to "circle" in the track. Friends asked me jokingly movie you do or give lessons ...

At this moment, to my spiral joined a little, awesome helplessly man, who decided to be born 30 days before the time set for the remaining babies. Such creatures don't know to eat, even to sleep as lays.

Ran is the days of "discoveries", wins and losses, among which the young and old discovered new and forgotten things. Loved the individual above all, learn what a powerful weapon is thunderous crying. Learn that there are modern ways to eat copious without pushing to suck, discovered how to make "victim" to fun ...The little baby was circling around my spiral in all directions.

How do these tiny creatures navigate so well? With only one hearing, sense of smell and still not focused vision?

Ski, that's over. There you are Lord, slowing down, stop and go, when you wan. With babies is a little different, another is in charge. So instead of vainly to move up and down the snowy slopes of Whistler the cute baby offers you to walk around the streets and gardens with it. First the pleasure to push the stroller, later ride in the sled, then doing snowmen. If you look closely at the beauties of the mountain one snowball may hit you but your nose.

Somewhere in the soles of my coil came skiing again, only this time the skier was the grandson. Of myself requires to bring him back from the ski school.

According to science it is not double, you must call this braided spiral? Do you see how things change in it? Some more duties popped-up, now shop knowledge for school, for computer games, for Tai Kwando and more. In my seventh decade, I need to return to sports driving.

"Why not cut this yellow car in front of you on the right, and then we will outperform this slow from the left ...?" so do mom and dad. The grandson's nine, but the "observed" driving by baby .At age of 4  he was begging me to go “short-cut" because it led to a nearby store with toys ...

How weird things are repeated, approaching Christmas, we select gifts and listening to Christmas songs all day. The image of Santa Claus appeared in a variety of garments on screen. We don't get tired of looking at him with eyes of grandchildren, because ours so much wants to believe that Santa Claus is floating somewhere in space ... lucky believer?

I don't know where and how much will I grow my spiral, but I'm blessed to circle around it, along sharing my life sewn with this tiny spiral, which appeared 9 years ago.

It's hard to believe, but the tiny woven spiral is already a student and enjoys with his successes.

Now wrapping up the Christmas gifts and as I looked, who gets one, who gets two, but - 4 gifts for the grandson from Grandma and Grandpa? Here's how in our life from all the miles are these tiny woven spirals that fill our hearts with joy.

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