The most beautiful story of the world

I have lots of bad habits (one day I'm gonna make a list of them), and here is the one that bothers me the most: I never learn my lesson. I mean, I do something, it does not work and the next time I do exactly the same. I can not even count the times I said to myself "I'll close my eyes just for 5 minutes, and then I'll get up and keep on", just to wake up 8 hours later. Or the times I delayed doing something believing that I have plenty of time, only to rush and stress out 1 hour before the expiration of the deadline. Or all the ideas that occured to me, didn't write them down immediately, forgot them and then spent hours pressing my memory without results.

This last one happened to me once again last night. I was in bed and somehow, this idea of a post I should write occured to me. It came all ready, nice and coherent and in english. Obviously, I didn't get up in order to write it down, I ignored the voice warning me that the next day I will have forgotten it and I drifted off to sleep. Sure enough, today I woke up and do not have the faintest idea of what I thought last night. No matter how hard I try, all I remember is just that I had thought of something good and nothing else, not even what it was about.

Ok, nevermind my silly ramblings about an unimportant idea for an unimportant post for an unimportant blog... Isn't it strange, though? That ideas, like golden dust, fly all around, dance in the air, touch us for a moment and then disappear, unless they find us available to let them root, grow and bloom?

What if the most beautiful story will never be written because it is already lost?

You know what I did last summer?

Volos and Pelion mountain are not more than 2 hours far from my hometown but I did not really know the region. I had gone once for holidays with my family when I was 9 and a couple of times with my school during winter. This time, I went with F. I was eager to show him Greece; it was his first time in my country and I wanted to show him not only my region but also our life. It was a wonderful holiday, even I experienced it as if it were something different and exotic.

We spent three days at Volos and four at Agios Ioannis. Agios Ioannis was supposed to be the most touristy place but, to be honest, it was very calm - at least when we were there. Anyway, we hadn't chosen it for the parties but because from there we could go on foot to 3 different beaches (Agios Ioannis, Plaka, Papa Nero).

I wish I could describe the beauty of Pelion without repeating cliches and sounding cheesy, but I can not; I suggest you to google it and look at the photos. All I can say is that there are several stories of the Greek mythology that take place there. I also think that some scenes of "Mamma mia" were filmed in Pelion (the rest, was filmed at the islands nearby).




Things to know and things to do:

• Go to a tsipouradiko (most of them are located at the port of Volos). The tsipouradika are taverns where you drink tsipouro. You order the tsipouro and the waiters bring you small portions of food (mezedes). Usually it's appetizers, salads, fish and seafood. One of the things I personally love is the surprise on what they will bring next. Obviously, the more you drink, the more and better the food.
• Go to bouzoukia. Those are like clubs, with live folk-ish greek music, lots of dance and people throwing flowers to the singer and to each other. In general, go out! For coffee, for drinks, for food, everything. It's a part of the Greek life you should not miss.
• Get a car in order to manage to visit as much of Pelion as you can, both beaches and villages. Pelion is a beautiful, beautiful mountain, full of green and traditional villages and beaches with clear, blue-green waters. There is also a small train that gives you a tour at Pelion, but the timetables are not so convenient. (We didn't use it)
• There are ATMs only at the main villages, so don't leave Volos without money. At, Agios Ioannis, for example, there was none. And, remember, prices in Greece are as high as in western Europe.

More information you can find here (right now the site is under construction, hopefully it will be ready soon) and at Wikipedia, too. By the way, the beaches in the photos here are: Fakistra (ph.2), Mourtias (ph.3-4), Vromoneri (ph.5-6), Milopotamos (ph.7-8), Papa Nero (ph.9), Plaka (ph.10), Agios Ioannis (ph.11-12).

Last year, at Cervia...

Don't drink...

1. ...and drive, no matter how confident you feel. Please.
2. ... and call your ex. Or any guy for that matter. You can thank me later - or just tell me the nice story you will get. (Nice for me. Embarassing for you, most probably.)
3. ...too much after a certain age. It will result in big headaches, huge hangovers and inability to function for a couple of days. (Or is it just me? Am I too old?)
4. ...and touch your hard disk. It might fall down, break and cause you immeasurable pain. (Unless you are some kind of guru detached from earthy belongings; in this case, just tell me how you managed to reach that level.)

Ο έρωτας περνάει από το στομάχι

Το μητρικό φίλτρο

Υπάρχει το μητρικό ένστικτο? Κάθε κοριτσάκι που γεννιέται θέλει ενστικτωδώς κάποια στιγμή στο μέλλον να γίνει μάνα? Κι αν αυτό το περί ου ο λόγος κοριτσάκι δεν μεγάλωνε περιστοιχισμένο από κούκλες τύπου μωρουλίνι-κατρουλίνι, αν στο νηπιαγωγείο δεν απάγγελλε ποιηματάκια του στυλ "είμαι μια καλή μανούλα και καλή νοικοκυρούλα", αν δεν είχε μια γιαγιά/μαμά/θεία/ξερω-γω-τί να της πιπιλάει το μυαλό "δασκάλα, η καλύτερη δουλειά για μια γυναίκα", θα σκεφτόταν ποτέ να κάνει παιδιά?

Υπάρχει βέβαια και το κοριτσάκι που μικρή νομίζει ότι είναι αγόρι. Προσπαθεί να κατουρήσει όρθιο. Παίζει κυνηγητό με τα αγόρια της γειτονιάς, με πλέιμομπιλ και αυτοκινητάκια. Η μαμά της τής μιλάει για την παγκόσμια ειρήνη και τα παιδάκια που πεθαίνουν στη Σομαλία από την πείνα. Ο παππούς της τής λέει τα βράδια ιστορίες με ιππότες που ζουν χίλιες μύριες περιπέτειες και πολεμούν δράκους και τέρατα, όχι για να σώσουν-παντρευτούν-γκαστρώσουν (με αυστηρή χρονολογική σειρά) μια καημένη, ανήμπορη πριγκίπισσα και να ζήσουν χάπιλυ έβερ άφτερ, αλλά για την ελευθερία και τη δημοκρατία ή έστω για το γαμώτο.

Το κοριτσάκι μεγαλώνει. Οι φίλες της κάνουν μακροχρόνιες σχέσεις με τύπους που δεν ταιριάζουν, γιατί, μήπως η Ωραία Κοιμωμένη ήξερε σίγουρα αν ταιριάζει με τον πρίγκιπα? Την έσωσε όμως, δεν την έσωσε? Τι θα γινόταν η Ωραία Κοιμωμένη αν δεν την είχε ξυπνήσει ο πρίγκιπας? -Αποκλείεται να είχε ξυπνητήρι? -Ωχ πια, εσύ δεν τρώγεσαι, δεν θα σοβαρευτείς ποτέ.

Μια ωραία πρωία, όμως, το κοριτσάκι αντίκρισε τη ροζ γραμμή που δεν πίστευε ότι θα ’βλεπε για αρκετά χρόνια ακόμα. Ταράχτηκε, δεν λέω. Μετά από λίγο όμως το ’νιωσε. Το περιβόητο φίλτρο, που νόμιζε ότι δεν διέθετε, ξαφνικά ανάβλυσε από μέσα της. Όπως και να ’χει, δεν είναι μικρό πράγμα να ξέρεις ότι κουβαλάς μια ζωή μέσα σου. Και πάντα πίστευε πως τη ζωή πρέπει να την υπερασπιζόμαστε, κι αυτή θα μας ανταμείψει. «Ναι, αυτό θα κάνω», σκέφτηκε κι ως μοντέρνος ιππότης έβγαλε το σπαθί από τη θήκη και ας ήξερε ότι κινδύνευε να τραυματιστεί. «Αφού σε άφησα να βρεθείς στην ανάγκη μου, θα σε φροντίσω. Μην ανησυχείς, ακόμα κι αν μείνουμε μόνο εσύ κι εγώ, θα τα καταφέρουμε μια χαρά. Θα σε προστατέψω». Η ζωή όμως αποφάσισε να φροντίσει μόνη της τον εαυτό της και το ’βαλε στα πόδια.

Καλά λένε πως τα παιδιά ξέρουν περισσότερα από τους μεγάλους.

(4/2006)

Why I Hate Reading Maps

I have unrolled a map
onto my kitchen table
and put one finger
where you are and
another where I am.

The space between
is only inches. That close,
I could feel you breathing.
I could reach out and
run my fingers through
every strand of your hair,
touch your lips and
barely need to move.

In the corner of the map
there is a guide for judging scale:
every inch a hundred miles
full of roads and rivers and trees,
the guide a sharp reminder
that you are where you are
and I am where I am,
inches apart.

Gabriel Gadfly

3 things I miss from Italy

• Crema di limoncello (that's what heaven must taste like)
• Malvasia (I would sell my soul for a bottle right now)
• Francesco (did I mention they are at random order?)

One yellow spring photo

High treason

I do not love my country. Its abstract splendor
is beyond my grasp.
But (although it sounds bad) I would give my life
for ten places in it, for certain people,
seaports, pinewoods, fortresses,
a run-down city, gray, grotesque,
various figures from its history,
mountains
(and three or four rivers).

Jose Emilio Pacheco

Learning Italian in Italy: the good, the bad and the info

The story starts with me wanting to learn Italian and continues with a bunch of Italians who travelled last February to Bratislava, told me how beautiful Bologna is and inspired me to search for schools, finding by pure chance one that offered me a 4-month internship in exchange for the course.

I have to say that I was not a total beginner; I had the most basic knowledge of grammar and thanks to french and spanish, I could more or less understand. I followed a 4-hours-a-day course for a couple of months, passing the Celi 3 exams succesfully in June. Then, a big pause and in October, a 10-hour packet of private lessons that almost gave me the Celi 5 (C2 level). Almost, because I only passed the oral part. Ok, the C2 level is anyway high for only 8 months of learning the language, but, to be absolutely honest (and it's the first and the last time I admit it), I do believe that if I had been more focused and determined, I would have made it. Stupid me.

Study the language at the country where it is spoken is something I can not reccommend enough. The progress achieved was incredibly fast and deep, what was taught at school was immediately after practiced in the streets, learning became an automatic procedure. Of course, I needed a little bit of patience for the first days, when all this linguistic input had left me almost silent (or english-speaking). But after a couple of weeks... I still remember my friends' faces when one day, seemingly out of the blue, I started having long, coherent discussions on their mother tongue. By the way, Italians' incompetence on english (sorry guys) also helped :)

Bologna turned out to be a wise choice too - even though by chance. It is beautiful, historically and culturally rich, full of students, vivid and lively, not too small (doesn't let you get bored), not too big (doesn't prevent you from meeting people), not too touristy (you can easily avoid hanging out with tourists or foreigners). Plus, from there you can easily visit the main cities of the northern Italy, and there are also some Ryanair flights to the south (personally, I didn't travel that much, but it's good to know you have the option).

The school I went to is called Madrelingua; they were great! I felt welcome and at ease from the very first day, everyone has been helpful, friendly and supportive, from the teachers to the directors. They were always there in case I needed something, ready and willing to answer my questions and find solutions to the problems I faced - from learning difficulties to coping with the bureaucracy while preparing the exams applications. I can not thank them enough. Here is their website (the Greek part is my work, impressed much?)

Dance Me to the End of Love

by Fabian Perez

Dance me to your beauty with a burning violin
Dance me through the panic 'til I'm gathered safely in
Lift me like an olive branch and be my homeward dove
Dance me to the end of love

Oh let me see your beauty when the witnesses are gone
Let me feel you moving like they do in Babylon
Show me slowly what I only know the limits of
Dance me to the end of love

Dance me to the wedding now, dance me on and on
Dance me very tenderly and dance me very long
We're both of us beneath our love, we're both of us above
Dance me to the end of love

Dance me to the children who are asking to be born
Dance me through the curtains that our kisses have outworn
Raise a tent of shelter now, though every thread is torn
Dance me to the end of love

Dance me to your beauty with a burning violin
Dance me through the panic till I'm gathered safely in
Touch me with your naked hand or touch me with your glove
Dance me to the end of love

Leonard Cohen

My missions as stated on CS*

(so far and updating)

• Get my degree (2005)
  
• Spread love and peace all around (2005-2008)
  
• Fly (2009)
  
• Manage to pack all my stuff in 2 days (2010)
  
• Get one dress for each day of the year (2010)
• Wake up early in the morning (2010-2011)

*Couchsurfing

New Years' Resolutions

1. Sleep less
2. Quit smoking
3. Write
4. Get Celi5+Superior
5. Travel outside Europe
6. Survive the crisis
   
7. Go to the gym
8. Get a job
9. Be calm, be cool, be strong, be happy
10. Make a short New-Year's-Resolutions list so as to be able to stick to it and realize it, instead of a huge one that I end up postponing for the next year
    

Things should be so simple #2

Things should be so simple #1