I am officially back on track...the damage control on my good old laptop has been made, the weekend is over. Back to work tomorrow and a new week is about to begin. There is something that has been bothering me for sometime now and I wanna let it out, so here it goes...
Have you ever had the opportunity to have a random acquaintance, an encounter with a complete stranger that made a difference in your way of thinking?
The truth is that we are all travellers and visitors on this rock that we call Earth. We create our own small world. We interact with the people we wanna interact, let out as many information as we want about us, sleep, eat, love and care about certain things and people. Or at least this was the case until...the internet came into our lives and marked our little worlds for good. Now it is the time we all realise that 'it's a small world after all' (and the realisations keep on coming)!
I had an on-line 'encounter' a few months back, with a person that made me realise one thing. Sometimes we forget that behind the PC, there is a real life human being, with feelings. That behind the buttons and the clicks there is a person like you and me...the anonymity makes it hard to remember sometimes but it is there, it is true and when you forget it...it can hit you in the face.
I wanna say an 'I'm sorry' and a 'thank you' to that fellow human being. A sorry for the way I acted and a thank you because I realised many things about myself from our little encounter. I know I am not perfect (nobody is), I make mistakes...but the best thing about mistakes is that you can correct them, learn from them and...move on! This is a post I wanted to write so that I can look back at it and remember that a stanger someday, somewhere in the sphere we call 'the net' made me realise that there is more to it than just kilobites and pixels. It is a great, big net-world :)
This song is for you fellow stranger (wherever you are)...and for you fellow bloggers!
Have you ever had one of those days ,when everything just go...wrong! Where the universe just doesn't conspire so that you can do whatever you want (I gotta read 'the alchemist' again to restore my faith:-)!
Well my computer broke down, I am officially 'internet homeless' and been taken in by a good friend of mine so that I can use their net and (maybe) try to revive my laptop :-). However I had thought about my TT post a few days back so I give you...fire!
My mother painted this when she decided to close up the fireplace (don't ask)! She wanted to create the illusion of a fire, something you can watch but not..touch (or the illusion is gone:-)!
It came out OK I guess. Or it could have been better (in my opinion). What do you think my Theme Thursday fellow bloggers?
I will come back to check all your posts in a day or two, when and if I get my PC fixed! Till then...
Well Easter is officially over for us here. Great time with family and A LOT of eating and drinking (as usual :-). The only thing we have to get used to now...going back to work lol
The above is a picture of my favorite Greek delight-/dessert. Fruit boiled in water and sugar (in this case orange and fig). The recipe is a bit more complicated than that but the bottom line...it is the perfect, light dessert. Good for the stomach (after a huge meal), good for a diet (no fat-just fruit and sugar), good for...everything (well it's sweet, what more can I say lol)
Have a SWEET day and week! I leave you with one of my favorite scenes from the movie 'My Big Fat Greek Wedding'. It shows a 'normal' Easter day for us (the food and the amount of relatives gathered in a house to celebrate!). Have you had days like that? Enjoy :-)
It is funny how one can wait for a holiday or a break from work and then when it comes...well one finds his/her hands with much more things to do (like me!). It is our Easter break (and weekend) now in Greece and I hear people (especially with stores) talking about how much work they have had in the past few days and how tired they are. One even told me .."I wish holidays are over soon so we can...rest"! I never realised what he was talking about till I saw my blog updates...none. I even missed out on Theme Thursday :-(
Well that is life, c' est la vie, ce sera sera (OK I stop now:-)
I wish you all to have a great, happy and good Easter and an unforgettable weekend!! Off to read as many remarkable blogs as I can. A song that has been on my mind these days...sing along if you know it!
This Theme Thursday's post-title is a phrase (my, funny, translation) we use quite often in Greece and its story goes way back in time. Let me take you to ancient Rome, one sunny May day...
Once upon a time, the Romans-in order to honor Aphrodite and Dionysus-used to celebrate by doing something that was both 'crazy' and odd. Every year, on May 15th, people would go out on the streets and squares and start fighting by throwing...soft-boiled eggs at each other! Thousands of eggs would be used that day--for entertainment purposes only--and people used to laugh their hearts out! All this laughter would go on and on for weeks after the event...
This little...celebration was for everybody, with no exception of social status or rank and hierarchy. Even emperors would take their turn to throw...an egg at their empress. For example, it is said that this 'egg fight' was one of Neron's soft spots. He would even throw eggs at his army officers without it being the 'egg fighting' day!
Today this custom is long gone and doesn't exist (we opt for eating the eggs rather than throw them at somebody:-). However there is one thing that reminds us it existed...the interrogative phrase: "Are they peeling you eggs?" (Avga sou katharizoune;). We use it when we see someone laughing for no apparent reason or cause...much like this little fellow :-)
Other Greek egg-sayings or proverbs:
1. "I would rather have the egg today, than the hen tomorrow" (a proverb from Cyprus)
2. Take the egg and 'cut its hair' (The literal translation of a Greek saying. The metaphorical meaning is "anyway...". We use it when something makes no sense, is weird or when we wanna avoid talking about something :-)
That is all for today. Happy Theme Thursday everyone lol
Another Sunday gone. In less than an hour a 'newborn' week will take it's first...minutes in my part of the world. I'll start my week with a bloggathon and a big smile, provoked by the kindness of a fellow blogger :-)
They say that in order to receive you have to give. First I'll tell you what I've received and then maybe try to give something back. Let's see...
Today I have received kindness when I least expected it. A wonderful and remarkable fellow blogger, Cinnamon (which by the way is my favorite of all spices lol), offered me the following "kind blogger award", which I accepted with great joy.
The difficult part though was how to figure out to which 4 bloggers to pass it on. At first I figured it's too hard and can't do it...there are so many many kind bloggers out there I wish to give it to! Then I thought that the 4 blogs I will pass the award on, will pass it on to 4 other blogs (each). S0 this means 16 more blogs will get it! Now (after clearing my conscience) I am happy to give this award to the following kind fellow bloggers...
Jodi (Thank you for everything you've done. It's been great 'meeting' you)
Subtorp77 (Thank you for the kindness you showed me)
Please pass it on to 4 more bloggers lol
Now on the 'giving' part of this post...
I have been a proud reader of Raymond De Felitta's blog. He is a director/musician/screenwriter from New York and he recently finished filming his movie "City Island" with Andy Garcia, Julianna Margulies (and many other talented actors). Some of you living in NY may already know what I am about to...link you to!
I live far far away and don't know anyone (personally) living in, or the areas around and near, NY. I do, however, know that many of you, my dear fellow bloggers, come and blog from this (beautiful) part of the world. So in my attempt to participate in a peculiar bloggathon, I will post the link to a blog entry...If you wish to know how you can help Raymond and 'City Island' just click here...and you're there!
I leave you with a clip from the backstage of City Island. Let Andy Garcia entertain you and have a great week lol
What first came to mind after seeing today's theme was...numerology. I remembered a few months back I came across an article on numerology and it was fun learning about all these different interpretations of numbers and what they stand for. I remember reading that a first and loose interpretation of number '10' in numerology is 'rebirth'.
So Theme Thursday came full circle and is about to be reborn in a way...for new, interesting, worldwide adventures. I am glad I' m a part of this blogging adventure. Theme Thursday gave me the opportunity to 'meet' fellow bloggers from all around the world and I am thankful for that. In Greece we say "to deka to kalo" meaning "ten a good number" (literally). Metaphorically it means that something good has come your way...Theme Thursday is my "good number ten"!
To all the fellow bloggers out there, I dedicate the following instrumental song performed by a Greek band. The title is "to deka to kalo" so it is perfect for the occasion...
We lost an hour of sleep, we 'earned' one hour of daylight and the promise of better, sunny, spring and summer days.
So the 'times are a-changing' and I wish for some extra 'sunlight' on everything bad in this life. I had a discussion today about how things are more 'less' today than they ever were. From 'wireless' phones to 'valueless' education (the incentive was an e-mail sent to me discussing that theme)...
Well I wanna believe that as long as the time will keep changing twice a year, in the literal sense...we must keep trying to change the times, in the metaphorical sense. I dedicate Bob Dylan to you and you and you...
This is my mum's birthplace. A village named Loutra (The Springs)
And that's the place where people go to take a bath in...mineral water!
The name (Loutra aka Springs) is relevant to its history and the fact that there are mineral, thermal springs in the area. The mineral 'spa' is located near the ancient ruins of a city which was built by the Romans in 98-117 A.D.
The ancient Greeks used mineral springs and water for their health care. Today doctors claim that there are certain, special qualities in the water. It is said that the minerals contribute to the prevention and therapy of things like kidney stones or arthritis. I don't know about that, but I can tell you this. If you try to drink the water...the taste makes you say "No thanks. I'll just stick to the bathing part"!
Happy Theme Thursday everyone! Peace and love xoxo
Greece without tourism is coffee without...coffee. Everywhere you go, especially the islands, you're destined to see and read bilingual messages (or tri-lingual and so on...)!
Someone send me an e-mail a few days ago with translations gone bad (in China)...
"Excuse me, where is the Gollum section, please?
"Our corporation knows all about good...behavior"
The truth is that I like noticing translated signs and leaflets. If you look and read closely you may discover some...interesting (and hilarious:-) things. There are numerous translations out there that were and are...too lost in their own meaning!
Now I am proud to present the Greek version...
....AND...FOOD?
It's a butcher's...paradise
Grammar...no! Food...YES lol
I love taking pictures like that. These are from Samos, a beautiful island I've been to last summer. Wonderful people and I tell you the food...yummy!
I remember signs like that, signs I didn't take pictures of and now I regret. However...
I'll tell you the story of a sweet and adorable street vendor (selling goodies like sweets and honey). Has this piece of carton where he writes the name of his products and their prices. It 's all great so far, till you reach the point where you want to know how much money you have to give for a big jar of honey. You search and read, but all you get is a "honig 5 Euros" and you are like "hmm, 'honig'...wonder what that is?!?!"
Traveling is such a great think to do, beneficial in so many many wonderful ways. The mind broadens, images spin around in your head, new faces, languages, words, food, buildings, history, customs...I could go on and on really.
There are so many places I wanna (and plan to) visit (health and money permit)! To name a few: France-Paris, Portugal, Spain-Barcelona, Italy -Tuscany/Venice/Rome, Hong-Kong (my friend Chi-ho!!), Australia-Sydney, San-Francisco, California-LA, Hawaii-Honolulu (aloha :-), and these are JUST a FEW! Which places do you want to visit?
Today however, I am in a New York state of mind!
I wanted to upload a version of "new york state of mind" by Joanna Wang but...I couldn't do it (if someone has any idea of how to 'put' a single song here feel free to help me...please:-).
However, I found something sweet and beautiful made by a musician on YouTube, TheMoss101, from the UK. This is his piano version of Billy Joel's "New York State of Mind"!
Enjoy and have a great week lol Peace and love xoxo
In the words of Frank Sinatra, to whom we pay aleegiance to, we wanna be a part of it...New York...New York. This is a blog about a gang who simply wants to visit New York. It is all about the journey AND the destination. Enjoy the ramblings of four New Yorker wannabes and travel happy!
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