Joy and happiness. Happy times. An incredible few days in Greece, included everything; work, two weddings, bike riding, sea, sailing, sun, good food and good friends and family. Whatever you read on the news, whatever you might think why Greece is in this economic trap, this is the country to adore the magnificent natural beauty of an ever changing landscape; lush green mountains, flat plains and plateaus, volcanoes, islands, open seas, peninsulas, small bays and secluded beaches. Adding to it the glorious spectrum of history and myths, gods and deities, someone could say that yes, Greece is the exotica of Europe.
The country's political situation is indeed in turmoil. Insecurity of what's coming, especially to younger generations, injustice, inequality, confusion and despair. Working relationships to unacceptable levels, employer-employee never happy with each other, when at the same time skilful people are forced to the unemployment agency. Where are we going, everyone asks?
The question does not only apply to Greece. It applies to worldwide scale. The so called financial 'crisis', it's again nothing more than the rich to get richer, the poor poorer, and the middle classes to vanish. The 'markets' drive the game and governments will do as they wish to keep their A credit ratings. Masses of people, cultures, societies are transformed in force, rapidly, for the gain of the rich, the multinational corporations, money launderers, bangsters. I am sick to watch politicians unable to lead, to take initiatives and stand against the flow and give hope for something better to the people. They are all players into an unspoken underground game, where very few have already accumulated enormous amounts of power and influence, globally. Sounds scary but I hope the headline stories of the last few months/years to awaken the masses that we are all driving to a wall if we continue like this. Constant positive index of growth is unsustainable, earth resources are diminishing while we pay higher taxes for everything, borrowers buy from borrowers and they borrow to others and there is no real value for anything any more.
Recently, I had an interesting discussion with a colleague in regards to the food crisis in the Horn of Africa. While the 'markets' are happy to bail out Greece with 105+110billion euros there is absolutely no intention to fund just 80million to philanthropic organisations who work there and save millions of people and children dying from famine and starvation. And these are real people, like you and me, in year 2011. Well, bailing out Greece it is just a change of some numbers in the state accounts but helping the poor is not. Real money needed to buy supplies, food, water, pharmaceutical material and assist with major improvements in infrastructure. The conclusion was that there is no profit there for the 'markets', the money will not be returned back with interest, with gains. So let those people die. 0% interest in people. At the same time fund Greece to acquire more debt, put Greeks to austerity, force privatisations, change the country as they want it. Greeks, as well as the rest of the world, are anxious. The weeks coming we are going to see a very fragile situation, with many countries risking default sooner rather than later.
How do we escape out of this? Well this is a big question, that even a group of nurtured, educated, 'visioners', global leaders cannot solve. They are all trapped to a vicious cycle of short term visions, addiction to power and of course money. In Greece, the 'traditional forces' such as the family and often religion are bouncing back strong to keep people together, stronger.
Επίσης, θα ήθελα να πώ σε όλους τους φίλους και αδερφούς εκεί στην Ελλάδα πως όσο κι αν η κατάσταση σήμερα είναι οδυνηρή, άδικη, όσο κι αν επικρατεί ατιμωρησία, πιστεύω πως τα πράγματα θα καλυτερεύσουν, πως σε αυτό το σημείο που έχουμε φτάσει δεν γίνεται να πάει πιο χαμηλά. 'Εστω κι αν η χώρα πωλείται σε πολυεθνικές, έστω κι αν το βιοτικό επίπεδο του μέσου 'Eλληνα περικόπτεται συστηματικά, θα πρέπει να μάθουμε να 'παίζουμε' με τα καινούργια δεδομένα. Να κατανοήσουμε πως η εποχή του άληκτου καταναλωτισμού πέρασε, και είναι ευκαιρία να δώσουμε πιο πολύ βάση στο πνεύμα παρά στην ύλη. Να αισιοδοξούμε και να είμαστε χαρούμενοι. Ίσως να τα λέω εκ του ασφαλούς, αν και στην Αγγλία η κατάσταση τείνει να βγεί κι εδώ εκτός ελέγχου, και για να είμαι ειλικρινής, μου μοιάζει πολύ δύσκολο να επιστρέψω πια στην Ελλάδα σύντομα. Με όλους όσους συζητώ, ακόμη και με τον οικογενειακό μου κύκλο, με αποθαρύνουν. Ωστόσο, ήμουν ήδη 24 όταν άφησα τη χώρα για το Λονδίνο, και πρόλαβα να ζήσω, να δουλέψω, να κάνω φιλίες μιας ζωής. Γνωρίζω, δεν είμαι αουτσαιντερ, και γι αυτό θα πρότεινα ηρεμία και έμπνευση απο το πνεύμα και όχι το σώμα. Το περιβάλλον, η φύση στην Ελλάδα είναι μοναδική για έμπνευση και περισυλλογή. Κλείστε την τηλεόραση και απολαύστε το! :)
Here in England, riots spread all over the country in just few days. Shops, businesses, small and big, were looted and burned down. Youngsters most of them excluded from well paid jobs, unappreciated and faced with the government's budget cuts, tried to show off their powers to the police(=state) by burning the livelihoods of their fellow citizens. In fact, only few of them had a reasoning behind, the majority just wanted to confront the police and steal clothes, electronic equipment, cigarettes and whatever else was on 'offer'. The absurdity of our days. Sad.
Only recently, Bhutan's representative to the UN suggested to make happiness a development indicator rather than the GDP or other indicators showing happiness is money and vice versa(!). Indeed his vision is 'utopian' but has already the backing of another 66 member countries in the UN. We cannot measure prosperity with GDP, it shall be replaced by the GNH, the Gross National Hapiness.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-14243512
Anyhow, it is not my intention to analyse solutions to exit the crisis in this blog. This is only a wish for something new, something different. Money can't buy anything. When aaaall the money of this world run out then we will realise we can't eat money. We will realise there is no price tag for what it really counts in our lives, for what it makes all people happy. Love, appreciation, a healthy living (in body and mind), the grounds for people to flourish, to devise novelty, to expand on their talents, to create and feel good. To be able to give without the requirement to take back. To love one another, unconditionally.
Atmospheric refractions
I didn't really see the misery I was expecting. Maybe because I stayed only for a short while or because weddings are a good occasions to cheer up, and not to talk about problems. My very good friend Zacharias got married to Evangelia. Lovely couple. I really wish them the best of life and as they grow older together to get happier and happier. The night before the wedding, went out for drinks with him and after a few we decided to go for a serenade to her house. At 3am, we arrived five of us, including the groom-to-be of course, with a guitar (none of us knew to play the guitar), couple of shakers and an uplifting mood. The bride was at the fourth floor so we had to take the lift and go up. We sang couple of songs, we woken up the whole block and then left.. haha it was such a good fun! Next day at the church for the ceremony was hot and sticky but it was a nice summer wedding..
Megara_In church
Alepohori_Happy couple
The ceremony was followed by a big fiesta in a beautiful country house in Alepohori. Loads of people turned up and the spirits were up and high! The food was amazing, the music, the people, the newly weds, everyone, including me, was really enjoying the night. After dinner, the dance started and ended early in the morning. Many good friends were there as well all my brothers and sister and girlfriends and boyfriend. It was probably the nicest evening/night of this summer.
Alepohori_Wedding fiesta
Alepohori_Sis and Bro's (Panayiota, Sergios, Nektarios, Christos)
Alepohori_Early morning after wedding
After all this, next day I got my bike and went to Lefkada island. My good friend Angelos was there with his daughter Eliana. His father and grandparents are from the island, so there is a nice house in a beautiful mountainous village available. I have visited Angelos in Lefkada many times and also been in the past again but the beauty of the island is tempting to go back again and again. The island is so close to the mainland that there is no need of taking a ferry, instead there is a bridge connecting the island with the mainland, making it easily accessible without the hassle of waiting for a ferry boat. The island is in the Ioanian Sea and features some of the best beaches in Greece, if not in the world. Long white sandy beaches with clear blue waters. The island also features the best honey in the country.
Lefkada island_Egremni beach (search this on google images for more:)
Lefkada_Summer time
Lefkada_Leave (not live) your myth(!)
The beauty of the island is that someone can go to an amazing beach and after drive up the mountains and visit some lush green traditional villages. Certainly this is not unique to Lefkada but having the option to leave the sea and go to the mountain in 20 minutes is a great advantage. Karia, the village Angelos has a house, has a leafy large open plaza where all villagers spend their evenings talking, drinking coffee or eating in the nice warm summer weather. The food was delicious whether that was from a fish tavern next to the sea or a taverna up in the mountain villages. Of course we had the typical Greek souvlaki and few other local delicacies like Karsaniki salata (see below).
Lefkada_Traditional alley way
Lefkafa_Karia plaza
Lefkada_Giant 'Karsaniki' salata
After few days in the island, we had the fine idea to go get a boat and sail a block of small islands around Lefkada. We visited Meganisi, Madouri, Thilia, Skorpidi, and the privately owned, Skorpios island. It is owned by the late Greek shipping billionaire Aristotle Onassis. It was the site of his wedding to former US first lady Jackie Kennedy. As it is private, we could not walk on the island and allowed to moor only in one location. We had the motorboat for a full day, so there was plenty of time to stop to places, dive in and then continue to other secluded beaches. Angelos daughter Eliana was the main captain and she performed her role perfectly! The waters were warm and crystal clear. We arrived in a taverna by boat, the waiter drop a rope to catch us and we had nice food and drinks. We continued our tour until sunset..
Lefkada_Our sailing playground
Lefkada_Secluded beaches
Lefkada_Out sailing (well, speed boating) :)
Lefkada_Fancy a dive at Skorpios?
Back in Athens the weather was warm and nice, the city was on its summer moods and despite the recent events, people were out and about. Although, from discussions someone could feel the tension, the disappointment people have, including me, from the situation the country has been in. I was lucky to be in Athens when Thievery Corporation were playing in Lycabettus hill, an open theatre on top of the hill opposite Acropolis. It was a top concert, very uplifting, quality performers and music and lyrics.We danced all night. The two rasta men bang the crowds with a song dedicated to the people of Athens called Vampires. A song against the IMF (International Mother Fuckers) as they were saying. Everyone went crazy! I think when people are under pressure, with money worries, over worked, without a bright future to look forward to, then celebration and partying gets intense and it is used as a form of resistance against those you wants us to be dejected and under constant fear. Thievery's new album is called Culture of Fear, tottaly worth listening.
Athens_Lycabetus hill theatre
Athens_Thievery Corporation in action
Athens_Thievery Corporation in action (against IMF)
The sunset below was captured with two different filters, with seven minutes difference from the same spot, Psatha beach, Alepohori. I like the sky colours and the fading mountains on the right. Nobody could resist of taking a photo of this and I sometimes wonder if we should start clapping when the sun disappears, as the tourists do in Santorini. I really couldn't decide which one to choose so I post both of them. The first is sharper, with more warmth and light as the sun is higher. The second includes movement from the two guys with the canoe. It was a nice beautiful moment, happy I captured it.
Alepohori_Sunset1
Alepohori_Sunset2
I hope all of you are enjoying the summer and the starry night tonight and the August full moon tomorrow. I hope you are enjoying your time, enjoying the beauty of life whether you are in rainy England, hot Greece, monsoonal Nepal, or gazing the majestic Grand Canyon.
Πάντα καλά
Bisous
Νεκτάριος~
