Friday 28 November 2008

Friendship criteria


Friendship, this wonderful thing/feeling/value that helps us weave the net of our lives.

This word has always played a very important role in my life, especially in my adult life, friends are my company, good friends are my family. I've got many friends. I've got some good friends and a few best friends, the latter ones are my brothers.

What are your friendship criteria? Who's your friend? Who's your best friend? Does he or she know that they're your best friends?

Have you ever dropped a friend? Have you ever let down a friend and regretted doing that? Have you ever been let down by a friend? I'm sure all the answers are positive.

Now tell me, what would you do for a friend?

I miss my friends, a lot. We sometimes speak over the phone or skype, we also send text messages or e-mails etc, however, some of them don't use the internet and we rarely speak.

The other day it was my birthday, I expected (and so it happened) my good friends to call me, since I am far away calling to wish me happy birthday would be a good chance to talk and catch up too.

And here are some criteria, it's like a rule I've set up myself. On a friend's birthday best friends ought to call, good friends ought to send a message or an e-mail and the rest friends/acquaintances are to write on the Wall on facebook. I always try to apply this rule when it's a friend's birthday. I' m referring to cases that the friend is far away and it's difficult to see them that very day.

Don't get me wrong, of course it's reasonable (and excusable) if someone forgets my birthday (I forget theirs too) but I prefer my best friends to forget it rather than send a text/e-mail. And the main reason is that I am far, in another country, and I really miss them so I'd like to hear them, especially on my birthday.

I wouldn't write this post if the postman didn't hand me an envelope the other day, it was a birthday card from a friend, coming from the other side of the ocean. As soon as I saw it I wore a smile for the rest of the day. That added a criterion to the rest ones and, tell me, wasn't that a wonderful surprise from a wonderful friend?

I don't know how to thank you my friend, I'm grateful.

Thursday 20 November 2008

A challenge


I went to the supermarket, Mercadona (it's considered as one of the cheapest in Spain), the other day.

Here is the receipt

a four-pack fruit yogurt (125g each)...1,05
a four-pack Greek yogurt (125g each).0,95
2 cartons of milk (1 litre each)............1,90
shampoo fructis................................2,90
shower gel (750ml, it was an offer).....1,35
toast bread (16 slices)........................0,60
Gouda cheese (10 slices).....................2,15
a cereal box.......................................2,05

Total...............................................12,95

Here is the challenge, go find better prices in a supermarket in Greece.

Thursday 13 November 2008

Something is going on here or Citizens in action


Just heard on the radio about some very interesting stuff.

Street Panthers. Guys, I am very happy to hear about what you do, keep up the good work. Let´s all order some stickers, let´s get this message across to everyone who insists to behave like a donkey. The New York Times about them.

Carpooling. A very clever idea, we all should think about it seriously.


Last but not least, an article I´ve read on the newspaper ta nea about things you can do for free or with little money.


Should you know any other sites or whatever like the ones above, let us know.

Sunday 2 November 2008

Dormirse en los laureles






Segovia









The Aqueduct












The Cathedral







The Alcazar







I am jealous. I envy this country (Spain). Compared to my country, this one is so clean, so nice, so beautiful. There's enough space for people to breath, for children to play, for animals to live. I don't know why our country is so abandoned (my Spanish teacher told me she went to Athens some years ago and the city was 'abandonada'). Why?

Segovia is a candidate city for the European Capital of Culture for 2016. The European Capital of Culture-as wikipedia informs us-was initiated by the Greek Minister of Culture in 1985, Melina Mercoury. Athens was the first European Capital of Culture in 1985, then Thessaloniki in 1997 and more recently Patra in 2006. However, I doubt that the Greek cities can compare to the most European cities, in terms of cleanness, green, recycling and legacy maintenance.

Athens.5 million people in a city. Half of the Greek population. 'Who cultivates the earth?', my flatmate asked. It's true, among the inhabitants of my village there are only few who are young. Everybody flees to the big city.So much money given by E.U., nothing, however, happened. No civilization (I mean a modern one, of here and now), no space, no green, no parks..Fuck! I thought that being a politician means working for the citizens' well-being (respectively, citizens would vote for those who work for their own well-being). I am jealous.

Today I came across this expression in Spanish dormirse en los laureles. Yes, it comes from ancient Greek and means 'Resting on your laurels' in Greek 'επαναπαύομαι στις δάφνες μου' (in ancient Greece, the winners of a race were given a laurel wreath and we use this expression to say 'Don't stop now because you get this, you need to continue, don't give up your effort). And it is true that many Greeks (e.g. politicians) still rest on their (?) laurels using the bright of the past as an alibi...(We invented everything, we...we..we...). Come on, what's this? Bullshit. It's high time we did something ourselves. What we should do first is to take some lessons from some other countries. I really hope that the next generation of politicians will work to make us feel really proud of being Greeks.

Click on the pictures to see them full-screen.
Should you like more information about Segovia and the sights depicted in the pictures:
www.segovia.es
wikipedia


PS1. I write my posts in English to practise the language and also to give the opportunity to some non-Greek friends to read my blog. Of course, you can comment in Greek if you want.
PS2. No comments on the PS1, please!