Friday 31 December 2010

Happy 2011!

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO EVERYONE!


Καλή Χρονιά!


Wednesday 22 December 2010

Christmas almost here

As the post title denotes, Christmas is almost here and that means sometime off the usual, sometime off the stressful everyday life. Since my last entry into this blog, I have had some of the most difficult time for this year. A year which has been amazing, ends in a not such an amazing fashion. I guess that makes it a complete year, with ups and downs and I would never appreciate the ups without the downs..  I aint gonna go to details on the 'downs' I will think they are sometimes necessary to make us stronger and look forward for a brighter future.

 Although, there are still 7 days to get to 2011 and they suppose to be good ones. I will be going back to my family, back to Greece for few days and I am on countdown since many days ago. I miss them all so much, first my family and then aaaall those good friends. I am sure the days will go so fast again untill one day I will wake up and I'll have to get the plane back to London. I feel I had enough of this place, I had enough of the manic city life, of Oxford Street and all the rest. I am looking forward for the great escape but in order to do this I will have to be patient and find the best opportunity out of this. I keep my eyes open... Although, there are people in the UK who I feel them very close and also new people coming into my life and I love all this but are they enough to keep me here for good? I've been already many years in this big island and I simply need a change to the unknown (or to little known), to discover new things and acquire new experiences, all sort of experiences, good or bad, ups or downs...  Or simply go back where I feel I belong..

I'm sure most of you have heard or experienced (if in UK) the weather has been veeeery cold. The snow arrived for second time early this winter. I love the snow and the fun part of it(snowboarding) but when it comes to commuting and moving around, oh my god, nothing is really operating as it should. Sometimes I think of my time in Stockholm where for 5 months all were white frozen but life was moving as usual. Here, with the first snow flake and the most popular word is 'disruption'. Flights cancelled and I keep a close eye on the Heathrow situation.. It seems services have been restored now and hopefully I will get my flight with no problem.. Because if I dont.......... 


London_Dec'10 from my window


I don't want to leave this post on a negative note. Maybe it's the winter blues or Christmas who bring me this attitude these days. There are things to cheer for, ENVIRONs Christmas card was finally distributed and L4L was on it which I feel very pleased and proud at the same time! We have managed to acquire more funds and further support the community in Dhawa and the lovely people (see previous posts) who really need it! Also, I have finished working in another modelling(!) job for a large company called KPMG. A nice short video to go with their annual report. My role was mainly to drive a large 4x4 around London. Really nice shots and background music and the whole concept I think. I will post a link as soon as this is published. So some extra cash from there not bad at all as well as a small Xmas bonus from ENVIRON for all staff always welcomed and give you something to cheer up, especially when few nice presents are always required for those few who will appreciate. New Years is the birthday of my good childhood friend Tseke and a biiig party is prepared at their new home! He is also coming (as he said) in the UK in February for some (indoor) sky diving! Yeaaah! 

That's all for now, I wish to all of you a nice, warm (in feelings too) Christmas and festive days. I promise my next post will be more cheerful! :) 


Love u all


Nektarios~




p.s 'Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take but by the moments that take our breath away'   

Sunday 21 November 2010

Powering up in Portugal

Things looking better, being to Portugal for few days and that was a good break, a nice long weekend. I found the cheapest airfare and in only about 2 hours I was landing at Porto airport. I went to see a good friend who, for the last 18 months, works on a power plant construction project nearby Pego village, central Portugal. I wanted to see my engineer friend and also have a close look at the brand new power plant in almost commissioning stage. I had already sent details, diplomas etc to be able to gain access in this Siemens project.

So I arrived.. the weather in Porto kind of cloudy but still warm and ok to be outdoors with a light jacket on you. I had all time schedules calculated and noted and even though I had a delay on my way to the airport (jumping security check queues etc) I was on time. Got the tube on time and the train to Lisbon also on time. In just 1 hour from landing I was on the train glazing the Atlantic on a scenic route through fields and the coast.


Porto_On a train glazing the Atlantic


Couple of hours after I was picked up by my friend and headed to the plant for a first tour and walk around. Went to all systems, cooling towers, hybrid condensers, gas and steam turbines, generators etc etc and showed me the work they do in these two identical units, 415MW of power output each. Quite substantial, it can cover the 15% of power needs in the country.     


Pego CCGT_Cooling towers



Pego CCGT_Gas turbine


Pego CCGT_Pretending at the hydrogen skid..


I spent a relaxed few days around Abrantes, the village I was staying, with lots of sleep, 'sightseeing' and Portuguese food. Portuguese people seem to be quite slow, something like taking life very easy and the tempo in general terms is slooow.. Took 15 minutes to order and pay for two pints of beer.. The food was good, lot's of chicken in their cookings however the best dish I tried and indeed popular in Portugal was duck with rice cooked together and finished in the oven, as a bake. mmmm Natural beauty left me indifferent and generally nothing to go too excited for. Maybe because there wasn't mountains or my tempo from London cannot ease even when it should. I decided on my way back to stop for a tourist walk in Porto, but again apart of the beautiful buildings that you'll see next below nothing to spark my curiosity and/or thinking. (Hmm maybe the fact that Greece won the Euro 2004 here did! :)) Of course I should have stayed longer however I think someone can feel the vibe even with a short walk around the centre.   


Porto_Igreja da Trindade


Porto_at Praca Liberdade



Next holidays in Christmas.. There is something more than a month left to this so heads down and do some work. Along with the schools in UK and my diplomas coursework, I work with Learning Planet to setup the water supply project in Dhawa as well as the new infant school (see previous post). Finally after weeks I managed to open and use a GPS file received from a guy from the water authority of Gorkha with the suggested route of the water pipeline and reservoirs. I managed to transfer this file in Google Earth and having the ability to view in 360' fine resoltuion, tilted etc it is just amazing!! See the print screen below, the image and location relief of Dhawa, at the foothils of the Himalayas. Actually, I managed to find the mud house we were staying in summer! Point 012 is the Shree Prabhat school we installed the solar panels. The network runs all across Dhawa community and is somewhat complex and challenging.


Dhawa_Clean water supply project

Dhawa_Clean water supply project2

Dhawa_Clean water supply project3



More info about the project @ http://www.learningplanet.org.uk/projects/





May the force be with you all


Nektarios~

Friday 29 October 2010

Moving on

It has been quite sometime since I have last updated this blog, October was very very busy with lots of house hunting, busy at work and generally still adapting to the hectic way of London life. There is another -long- winter to go through and I dream countries in the southern hemisphere where 'summer' just begins! In couple of weeks I travel to Portugal to visit a good friend so there is something to look forward to. Not in the south hemisphere but still in southern Europe!

Working with schools for the last month and the next, this is what I mostly do at work. I really enjoy it, I visited many primary schools and there is another 20-30 to do. We are undertaking energy audits and advise the local County Council and Headteachers how can they improve the energy performance of their school buildings, make them more efficient and why not more environmental friendly. Lots of infant and primary school kids around, they are all so cute, so British! 

I do bring in my mind the school in Dhawa and I realise how different the world is from places to places. One thing only is standard though, kids are happy with the minimum little something. As long as this something sparks their imagination and creativity. And this can happen without the need of unnecessary toys or plastic dummies. It's us, the grown ups who should make them feel important (and they are indeed) and facilitate them to learning. I, personally, find it very interesting to interact with them and believe me, some of the most difficult questions to answer are made by children. 


Learning Planet has another project in planning, this is the infant addition for Shree Prabhat, the school we installed the solar panels on. It is located 2 hours walk from the main school and the kids aged 4-7 are too young to do the walk therefore they study there till the grow up a little so they can walk to the main school. This is not a school as we know it. This is just a shed! LP is planning to built a proper 3 classrooms building instead, with respect to its surroundings and the environment. A fully passive building, design with the help from Architecture for Humanity. Our corporate Xmas card will feature the school so all donations will also go towards improving further the learning conditions of the school. More information soon.


            
                              Dhawa_Infants classroom!



I have also received some photographs from the completed library room in the main school. It looks amazing! It has been painted, with nice carpets on the floor, all the furniture is colourful and many cushions to sit their bums! Creating such a space in a such remote part of the world is just a huge success! Have a look at the photos.




Dhawa_Finished school library/study room


Dhawa_Finished school library/study room (including Deepak, little Babbu, Dita, Amrit and Kashindra relaxing:)


A really interesting website I've recently browsed

www.ted.com   Watch  - Tim Jackson - Economic reality check
                                     - Ken Robinson - School kills creativity  


Best wishes and hope to see you all soon




Nektarios~
  

Sunday 12 September 2010

September, just like a Monday

I had an amazing break in Greece, it was exactly what I needed. In just over three weeks time I managed to gain 6 kg back and really felt better. Lots of good Mediterranean food, didn’t cook any of it on my own of course as I had mum doing it for me as well as all the lovely tavernas I visited… :) Been to the sea quite a lot and also travelled around. I did almost 1000 kms with my Rebel and I really enjoyed driving it with its new set of tyres. Been to Naflpio and Thassos island. Nafplio used to be the capital of newly independent Greece in the early 18th century. Now is a beautiful modern city with the old part still remaining intact. You can walk through the alleyways, wonder around the castles or have a nice cold beer at the cafes by the sea. Really nice atmosphere…

Nafplio_Bourtzi castle



Nafplio_Keep the faith



Nafplio_Rocky passage




My Honda(olo prosonta) Rebel



Thassos island was also reeeeally nice. Spent few days guest in a beautiful villa just by the sea. The island meets all requirements. Beautiful sandy beaches, nice fish tavernas by the sea as well as mountain villages with stone paved little streets, stunning views of the Aegean and big sycamore trees. Fish by the sea and/or meat in the mountain… Not much of nightlife and going out but really it was the last thing I was after… The weather was brilliant every day, guaranteed sunshine always over 30oC. Just perfect! The nights were little bit chilly just right to sleep nicely. There was also the night of the August full moon to watch and contemplate it in the starry night. Sooo nice!


Thassos_Sailing to the island



Thassos_Sunset



Thassos_Culinary high!



Thassos_...and a postcard to Jamie



I didn’t go to Athens at all except one evening to meet a good friend and then out of there. It was boiling hot and mostly empty with most of my friends out of the city on holidays around the islands or elsewhere. I stayed around my hometown Megara, with friends and family around me all the time, I feel so lucky to have them all! Sleeping outdoors on my parents' house veranta, waking up relatively early (because of the sun), taking it easy, afternoon at the beach and in the evening for a good dinner with friends or at home.


Last day I went to get the flight, last customer in, almost missed it. Paid excess baggage (like an amateur(!) and now I am back in London… grrrrr Still adapting back to the city hectic life. Started working and looking for a new place to stay, hopefully for my last winter in UK. This is one of my worst tasks; finding a new place, new flatmates, new neighbourhood, adapting into the house and so on… oh gosh, I’m just sick of this all… I’m looking for a change, looking for something new as soon as possible. Maybe another exciting project somewhere… Do you guys have anything in mind? If so, let me know and I will try to make it a success!! :) Sustainable energy is needed everywhere on this planet, energy efficiency is a key thing to achieve results, the technology is already here, the knowledge too. And after an amazing summer, one of the best of the last few, I have lots of sustainable energy to drain it into something that will spark my motivation and imagination too! Remember, IMAGINATION is the greatest nation on earth and IMAGINEERING is required to bring change and a better future.


Best wishes


Nektarios~

Wednesday 18 August 2010

With Love from Greece (and Sweden)

The weather in Greece the last 10 days I am here never dropped below 32oC. It has been really hot for my UK standards but I love it and have absolutely no problem with it! The first week I had to work from home therefore most of the days I stayed indoors in air conditioned areas and then, went to meet some good friends at Poros island and had some really nice summery time. Since I’m back, I go to the sea every day to cool down and sometimes we stay until midnight on the beach.


Poros_No national flag on the ferry boat but there is a Panathinaikos one!



Poros_Noble beauty


Got my bike on and riding it gives a sense of freedom, something you certainly can’t get on the London underground… :)  I still have many days until I return back so I don’t think of it at all! I do fully enjoy my lazy holidayzz and now looking forward for my next destination. The food is gooood and I feel tottaly recovered from the hardship of the last few months. It has been difficult but rewarding at the same time.


Alepohori_Sunset 20mins from home



Veniza_Checking a new PV farm



As I wrote on my last post, I feel really honored to be appointed the Alumnus of the Month for my university in Stockholm, Sweden. It means a lot to me, the largest technical university in Sweden, to choose me for August 2010 as the Alumnus of the Month. I have completed an interview and sent few photos from the project. Please find it below, the university link as well as the facebook one (the same text/interview).




KTH Alumnus of The Month


KTH FB Alumni network




I hope you all enjoying summer time



All the best


Nektarios~

Sunday 18 July 2010

LondON CityZen

A few days back in London and I have just start realising what I have been through and the impact that had on some school children, the teachers and villagers on the remote Himalayan community of Dhawa. Life in a city like London is totally different in every aspect. There are so many people here never understood that a third, or even more, of the world’s population still struggling to secure the basic needs in life (food, water, energy) while we looking to buy the best gadget, the best computer or iPhone. I feel determined to spread the message and try to help those communities further. Although people in such communities are happy and see things positively they still need help and every little support we offer makes a huge difference to them.



Learning Planet is still in Dhawa trying to complete the works. The school is now getting painted and arrangements for satellite communications are well underway. I do admire their efforts and I believe they do great job. I feel very lucky I had he opportunity to partner with them and assist on the solar energy installations. For everyone of you that wants to help further, visit www.learningplanet.org.uk to read about the progress and what comes next. A locally sourced clothing series is getting prepared, really nice clothes which the money goes back to the people who really need it.


Five days in London now, I have already stacked on the underground three times. It is quite difficult to adapt quickly. I believe I need few more days to get back on the city rhythms. Even before my experience in Nepal I couldn’t really adapt to the crazy fast tempo this city dictates. The weather is another issue. It is so frustrating to think that back in Greece the weather is 35oC and here is raining with maximum temperature of 24oC. However this is something I am used to but in the summer months it’s just too much to handle. It is very common the weather to turn bad here just the day I arrive(!). In few weeks I go back home so this will compensate my wait here. I am currently working on an interview, I am delighted to say, that I have been chosen as the Alumnus of the Month for my university in Sweden (KTH) and I am writing some text plus photographs that will be published in August. I will upload the link here…

I feel homesick and I desperately need to see friends and family, have some proper Mediterranean food and relax under the sun or the summer night sky.



Best wishes to all for an amazing -remaining- summertime!





Nektarios~

 
 
London_Stunning Tower Bridge on river Thames

Tuesday 6 July 2010

Tibet: The roof of the world

Some things we experience in life cannot be expressed in words. There are unspeakable; especially in a language other than your native one. I will try however to transfer the feeling of how it is to travel at the roof of the world. It is certainly not an easy task.


It took several days, five in particular, to reach Lhasa from Kathmandu. The first part of the trip, from Kathmandu to the Tibetan border, was relatively boring. The only really interesting thing was some landslides blocking our way. The previous night, a strong monsoon rain moved a land mass from the mountain down to the road and the nearby village. We had to wait for the road to clear while looking at buses and trucks trying to get out of the mud. Lucky enough, we managed to move on and reach the border. The Chinese control was very strict. No pictures of Dalai Lama, no Tibetan flags, nothing related to Autonomous Tibet or Dalai Lama in general. Even my precious guide Tibet Lonely Planet had to be returned to the agency in KTM because there is a preface written by Dalai Lama. Using my spy skills I photographed the pages of the guide I needed to have with me… At the border they checked my camera too but wisely enough I had just inserted my second memory card in. Pheewww…


After living the border behind, we crossed the Himalayas from the south side to the north in Tibet on the ‘Friendship Highway’. For four hours we were driving in a huge gorge, lush green with waterfalls and with the clouds low enough to touch them. We reached our first stopover in Nyalam and slept in a guesthouse. Next day we continued on a totally different landscape. Tibet is not just remote, it looks like another world. The mountains are spectacular, the glaciated valleys are wide and the horizon is vast and empty. No houses, trees or towns mark the landscape. In this infinite land, the mind reaches out to the horizon. Yaks and people move like tiny ants. We’ve seen 2-3 cars per day on the highway crossing our way. We stopped in high passes and took photographs; all of them, bursted with prayer flags as well as with nomads selling artifacts. In one of them we could -barely- see the Everest peak as some clouds were blocking clear views. We stand at the roadside and contemplate it at a distance of around 80 km. On the same range, snow-topped peaks included the neighboring Lhotse at 8501m, Makalu at 8463m, Cha Oyu at 8153m.



Tibet_Crossing the Himalayas


Tibet_Crossing the Himalayas2


Tibet_High altitude desert


Tibet_High altitude desert2


Tibet_Everest north side


Tibet_Easy on the Friendship Highway


Tibet_Tong-La high pass


Tibet_Kharol-La glacier


Tibet_Kharol-La and local nomads



On the way to Lhasa, we stopped at few small towns to sleep over, visited monasteries and passed through amazing lakes and landscapes. Tibetan people look so different than the Nepalis. They live in higher altitudes, working hard at the bared inhospitable frozen earth but it seems hopeless trying to scrape a living from this barren soil. Under the blue heavens, the whole weight of the universe seems to press down upon them. Development from the Chinese brought insignificant change to the Tibetan people living at the plateau. Other than electricity and some administrative changes nothing really improved the life of Tibetans and it seemed to me that they live the same way as they use to 150 years ago. Despite the harsh environment they live in and all difficulties they are smiley and happy. Very friendly and happy to discuss many things with you (in Tibetan) :)

Tibet_Villagers on the Friendship Highway


Tibet_I think we are lost


Tibet_Enjoying the local beer


In the monasteries, the atmosphere was sacred. Tibetan Buddhism is an ancient religion, so rich in culture and arts. All monasteries we visited were colorful painted with amazing detail. No photography was allowed in the chapels (unless you pay 10 yuan per chapel) but we manage to sneak a few. We were lucky to see the monks’ assembly at the Tashilunpo monastery, the largest -Gelugpa sect- monastery in Tibet and the seat of Panchen Lama, the second highest ranking after the Dalai. The monastery is a town in itself. It took a whole afternoon to wander around with the smell of yak butter to burn hundreds or even thousands of candle lights. I felt I was in another world while trying to find similarities with Mount Athos region in Greece, a sacred land too full of Greek Orthodox old monasteries prohibited for women(!).

Continuing to Lhasa we crossed another high pass, Kharol La, on altitude of 5560m., the highest altitude I ever been. My walk around was light and my breath short. A glacier was just above us but the cold was bearable. Nomads were selling local artifacts and some women were asking for money to be photographed. An out of this world scene…

Yamdrok Tso, the largest highest water basin in the world, sacred for the Tibetans, was another breathtaking landscape in its serenity. At an altitude over 5000m a huge turquoise lake lies between the glaciated peaks, calm and easy. The Tibetans regard all water as holy and looking at the lake, it is understandable. The camera was on fire taking at least 50 photos of the lake views in an hour to cross it. The landscape thereafter to Lhasa included cultivated land and the lush patchy colours of the fields were a feast for the eyes after four days of driving through dry brown desert. A sense of civilisation came as we were approaching Lhasa with more cars and tourist buses, better roads and more people walking across the highway. After five days crossing the Tibetan plateau we reached Lhasa.


Tibet_Monks at Tashilunpo monastery


Tibet_...and their boots


Tibet_A big stupa at Palcho monastery


Tibet_With a monk at Palcho monastery


Tibet_School kids at Tamalung


Tibet_Amazing Yamdrok-Tso


Tibet_Amazing Yamdrok-Tso2


Lhasa is a holy city in itself for all Tibetans. Today, is a modern city (of Chinese standards) capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR). It lies on a valley at an altitude of 3600m it is one of the highest capitals in the world. Chinese influence is everywhere however Barkhor, a Tibetan neighbor, is still original with only Tibetans living amongst the alleyways. I was amazed to see Tibetans living in a city; they were not much different from those living in the dessert. We hanged around the city for 2-3 days. Jokhand temple, a religious center for all Tibetan pilgrims, was just a five minute walk from our guesthouse. Hundreds of local artifact sellers were shouting ‘Lookie Lookie, cheap cheap!!’ So funny! So nice, they were all so touchy, wanted to attract you to their stall, one of same as all of the others.

We also visited Potala Palace, a World Heritage Site of enormous scale built on top of a hill in the Lhasa valley. Breathtaking views from the palace and the palace itself. The sight of the palace from below was just unforgettable. I was waiting for years to see this and it was all worth it! Photography inside was prohibited with no yuan exchange. We seen some huge Buddha statues, tombs of previous Dalai Lamas and the private rooms of the current one, now self-exiled in Dharamsala, India.


Lhasa_Mighty Potala Palace


Lhasa_Mighty Potala Palace2


Lhasa_Mighty travel in Tibet team- Nektarios_Alicia_Erin_Thiago


Lhasa_Barkhor square


Lhasa_Looking for new sunglasses


Everest peak (middle)_ the top of the world



Political situation in Tibet is sensitive, and is something I wouldn’t like to discuss in this post. It’s a long discussion which I will be happy to discuss it in person rather in this blog. My travel companions, Erin(Cuba), Thiago(Brazil) and Alicia(Australia), have had interesting ideas and opinions and we had some really good talks about that. All three were such good fun and I feel very lucky I experienced Tibet with them. Throughout the trip, we had gone through difficult times. Accute Mountain Sickness (AMS), of a light form, plus headaches, motion sickness from the bus, diarrhea, dry lips and more was affecting us all (hmm, maybe except Thiago who was previously traveling in Mongolia and China). I, personally, had difficult times but despite all this I really enjoyed the whole experience. It was once in a lifetime experience and I would recommend it to anyone who seeks high altitude adventure with a big hit of cultural and religion aspects.

Now in Kathmandu, I am organising my return to London in few days. Time has gone so quick; it feels like a single camera click. I am sure it will take me few days to adapt back to the -western- city life. I am happy everything went perfect in these two months and I now have my energy stash fulfilled to continue back in the harsh world where I belong. In my last days here, I have a strange mixed feeling, kind of sad leaving behind a place I love which I now feel comfortable to be and a gentle happiness that I have done something good for the rural indigenous Himalayan people. Moreover, the trip in Tibet was the adventure I was after and I feel complete I have accomplished what it seemed a dream few years ago.





Peace ‘n’ Love



Nektarios~