Treasure the old and welcome the new

Spending time in a foreigner country has this one disadvantage - when your time there is up you leave people you like and people you like leave you. That is the price you pay for seeing all the amazing places on Earth.
The advantage is you will have a lot of friends all over the world; some of them will be the great kind of friends with whom you can pick up a conversation you started years ago, the kind of friends who will let you sleep in their place and feed you and share what they have, the kind of friends who will help you in spite of the fact they are thousands kilometres away.

I am sure I found precisely this kind of friends here. This was the second best 9 months I have spent somewhere (naturally the best 9 months I spent in my Mum's womb). Unfortunately everything comes to an end and so is this adventure. The hard part is to leave the people and the place and move on. But it is all part of the process and you just need to let things go so better things can replace them. If you cling to something that is already over but you insist on sticking to it you stand in your own way. It's a natural order of things that what is once finished cannot continue, something new has to replace it.

 


Life is a constant change and the best way how to deal with it is to accept it and move with it. Our very essence is to be on the move. Don't you feel alive everytime you leave your home for an adventure? Even if it's just 10 days holiday. Something somewhere deep inside you is excited by this change.

Do not stay at one place all your life. Move around. See the world. It will open your eyes and free your spirit.
To see how differently people live in South and North America, Africa, Europe, Asia and Australia will help you understand that although we all come from different backgrounds, religions and societies and despite the fact we all talk different languages, we are humans and that connects us on much deeper level than all the above.

There is something about these islands...

Paphos International Airport. Ok. We are here. On time. Another trip. From one island to another. It doesn't matter, as long as I am moving. I am flexible. In motion. My style. 

And this is the first image of paradise I can see from my small airplane window.

Not bad, right? Not bad at all. But, please do ignore the brand marked on the wing. No place for promotion here. 

What is this combination of blue, green and white? Is this some kind of a flag? And it's like 27 degrees out there! 

How did that snow get there? I am truly fascinated. 

Hi Crete! Nice to meet you. I wasn't expecting you would be so lovely and charming. What a cool surprise. 

Did I mention that is summer here? 

Very hot. The window is melting. Good thing I have my swimming suit with me. Sometimes you just know what is important to take with you. You know that feeling. Intuition?

Ok. Enough already with the praise. I am not going to tell you where is Crete, how many people live there, which is the main city, how is the economy doing (maybe you don't have to google that one :D) and stuff like that. You can search it for yourself. It's not that important because...

...I would like to tell you how Crete made me feel.

Time for another photo. Right now.

Chania. Our harbour. Our starting/finishing point. Our home in Crete.

My favourite city in Crete. There is something magical in the air. The streets. People. Atmosphere. Smiles and laughter. Cheerfulness. Joy. Lost parts of forgotten paradise. It seems so eternal. Natural. The way it's supposed to be. 

Also... The city is so vivid! All the time! Even on Monday mornings, afternoons, evenings ;). Restaurants and bars full of people just hanging out, il dolce far niente, Mediterranean style. Is it related to the economy in this part of Europe? Nooooooo. Impossible.

It doesn't seem there is a crisis. Maybe I am just not capable of recognizing it? No. No crisis here. Human spirit seems to be quite fine here. General happiness everywhere around me. And nature. Amazing nature. You can have a glimpse of it.

Not now. Not yet. First some advising and good practice examples (checked) :). 

The best way to explore the island is to have a car or hitchhike, or have a friend who has a car or something similar. Uf, my point is next: don't use the buses if you want to act as a real traveler ;). Just go places. Buy a map and just wander around. You cannot get lost on an island so don't worry. Please, don't check TripAdvisor, Lonely Planet and all of those tourist security channels. Be spontaneous, be an explorer, adventurer, take some road which you have no idea where it might lead. You will get an opportunity to see much more than you have imagined ;), Trust me on that one. Just be sure to have enough gas and food in storage, you never know...

Now the nature part I promised before.

 

700 kilometers. Excitement. New horizons. Snowy mountains. Loooooong, sandy beaches. Greenery in between. Greek food - no need for explanations. 4 "big" (it's hard to define this on an island) cities. Lots of happy and chubby stray dogs. That like to cuddle. Comfy evenings with wine on our balcony. Seaview. Lighthouse. The sea traffic controler that made our hotel view fabulous. Pure magic.

I am telling you... There is something special about these islands... They are a reminder of some lost world which we still yearn for... It's not easy to define it. It's just a way they make me feel. Infinite. 

Just like this photo...

The Human Library

Sunday 7th of February was long, intensive and full of emotions. It started early in the morning for some of us, doing a workshop about migration, what actually was an appetizer, waiting for the main dish that took place in the afternoon, a Human Library with a specific theme, refugees and migrants.
It was a different day for all of us who took part of it, receiving some calls from some of the residents of Kofinou, asking when are we going to pick them up, how are we going there...something special was in the air that day.

Migration workshop

When I got there, some of the people were already waiting, ready, prepared and excited with the plan, some of them needed their time to get ready and put their best clothes, finally, after many months, they could have the chance to go to Nicosia and meet people from a completely different background and environment.
I remember the trip in the taxi, when one of them saw Nicosia for the same time and exclaimed, "This is like Beirut, but much cleaner". Looking through the windows, asking where the center was, where our place would be where Lidra Street is... But totally determined with his task: "I will deliver the message"
Finally we arrived to Ifantourgeio, where the venue took place, all of us where hungry, so before starting anything lunch was needed. I remember the faces and the shine in the eyes of the Palestinian-Lebanese when having a lahmajoun, drinking a whiskey and having the feeling of being living a normal life, out of the context of the camp.
But not only people from Kofinou camp participated, also other migrants who struggle for survival in Nicosia, who have many things to say and to tell, and a story that must be told. When talking with one of them a few weeks before the Human Library, he told me: "I don't exist anymore, I cannot work, I cannot study, I cannot do anything, I cannot get money, I cannot go anyhere. Just eating and sleeping, like a baby, too much time to think and nothing to do with my time". Reasons enough to count on him for the event.

And then it started, with many doubts at the beginning, uncertainty about what to say, or what to ask, or how to do. Doubts that were going away as they felt more comfortable telling their stories and being listened and understood. "I delivered the message, to Cypriots, now they know who we are and what we want to do here. Now they know we are not terrorist, we just want a future for our kids".
As the venue was getting to the end, the tiredness and exhaustion was obvious in some of the "books", too many times telling a painful story that they had experienced is never easy, and, as a reader said: "after reading two books in a row you need a break". Now just imagine if it's your own experience and you have to reveal it again and again.

Finally, the Human Library ended, then time for dinner with all the people who organize it and the "books". It was the perfect closure, forgetting the labeling of being refugee, Cypriot, African or Spanish, just people with people having dinner together, enjoying the end of a long, intensive and beautiful day.

A day to remember for all of us, a day when their voices were heard, when the Cypriots and migrants, refugees and asylum seekers could mingle, listen to each other and understand each other. The seed is planted, now is everybody's task to take care of it and let it grow, a better future is possible, for all of us, it's us who can make it possible.

Welcome Mister Fear!

WELCOME MISTER FEAR!

Mister Fear is very clever, always finds the right time to sneak out of your untidy closet, slither out from underneath your dusty bed, peep out of the darkest corner of your house (or of your mind)... No matter where you are, no matter where he's hiding, he always finds his slimy way to you.
He's unpredictable: sometimes you make an appointment, you wait for him hours, even days, and he doesn't show up; he lets you cook in your own steam, untill you start looking for him, calling him and even wanting him back, because "it is simply impossible that I'm not afraid this time". And then, just when you started to believe the impossible and forget about him, the moment you let your guard down...Surprise! There he comes, totally unexpected. 

He's a quick-change artist, too. He's a master... I wonder where he learnt that? He can take as many forms as you allow him to: it can be the shiny yellow eyes of your cat, waiting to assault you on your way to the bathroom during the night. Or the shut wrinkled lips of your grandma when you broke the special vase that your grandfather painted, the irreplaceable one and only. "How many times did I tell you not to play with the ball inside the house?" "Ooops". It's the never-ending waiting that precedes the inevitable impact of your dad's enormous hand with your innocent and way too soft butt. That's pure Fear! It's the dark, the void, silence, heights, loneliness, responsibilities, the white coat of the dentist, failure, pain, something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue,... All of them or none, and, the most amazing thing, all their opposites as well.

Animal or person, tangible or intangible, he likes special effects and fireworks. Loves being in the centre of the attention and making some drama...Oh yes, he (or she?) is the perfect drama queen!

Very considerate of him, he sometimes comes in the very good company of the lovely Miss Insecurity and the adorable Mrs Anxiety. What he absolutely lacks, is some generous portion of Trust and Self-Confidence. But, well, what to do? Nobody's perfect!

He's an unscrupulous and cruel teacher, has no regards for anybody, not even for himself, because you can be afraid of Fear itself. And if you feed him too much, he may turn into mister Panic, the Hyde-version of Dr Jekyll or the secret picture of Dorian Grey, that we all keep in our most remote attic. And trust me, you don't want to meet Mr Panic very often!

Whenever Mr Fear is there, you become lazy, you prefer not to take the risk, you avoid things, run away from people and situations, from emotions and from life itself. Sad, isn't it?

No matter how many mountains you climb, how many continents you explore, if you jumped out of a plane or sank into the deep blue ocean. No matter how many people you met, how many times you stood out, spoke for yourself, faced him, he's always there to accompany you.

But he was also there every time you needed him, to remind you how much it hurts to put your hand on fire, to stop you when you wanted to escape the house jumping from the second floor, to pull your sleeve when you were about to cross that road exactly in the same moment when a car was coming. He was there to prevent you from repeating always the same mistake (at least he suggested you not to do it again, it is your choice if you keep making it). He can be very bossy and strong, sure, but only if you let him take the lead. If you learn how to domesticate him, you will find him a very loyal companion, and he'll become smaller and smaller, not more than a reassuring and pleasant presence whispering in your ears from time to time, just in the right moment, when you need that wise advice from a friend who knows you from very close.

He's not a huge monster with terrifying teeth and claws, he just disguises himself, but deep down he's not more than a

puppy who invites you to play.

And if you accept the challenge, that's when the two of you can have some real fun!

Ok, holidays are gone, now where's summer?

Hello everyone! We wish you a prosperous, happy, joyful and loving 2016!

Did you had fun? Was it calm, amazing, surrounded with the people you love? Or was it far from home, another dimension, unfamiliar ground and strangers around you? It doesn't matter, the most important thing is that another new year is in front of us. New possibilities, new plans, new encounters, new people and new lessons. Leave all the things and people that hurt you and make you feel small behind, in 2015. In 2016 take your wonderful personality and positive attitude with you. It's quite enough for new beginnings.

Please, don't make a new year's wish list. You will give up on it in February, like you do every year. Just learn how to become the master of your own mind. You don't need a new year for that. It's something personal. Hard. Full of temptations. It's very difficult to put your mind and your ego in a proper place. When you accomplish that you will be in peace with yourself. Trust the process of letting go. That's an important part, as well. You know, letting go of friends whom you don't get along the same way you used to. Letting go of memories. Of past experiences. They did their job, now it's time for new adventures. Get ready for what you really deserve! ;)

And, by the way, where's summer? Has anyone seen it? ;)

MALAQUINHA AND KITTY (THE VERY SAD LOVE STORY OF A STREET AND A DOMESTIC CAT)

A drama inspired by a Saturday morning breakfast on the terrace.

(May Shakespeare forgive me!)

CHARACTERS :Malaquinha, the young and cool street cat of the neighbourhood;

Kitty, the young and most beautiful domestic cat of the neighbourhood;

 With the appearance of Fluffinda, the old and meanest female cat of the neighbourhood;

 

Malaquinha

(coming back from a fight)

He jests at scars that never felt a wound.

[Kitty appears above on a tree.]

But soft, what light through yonder branches breaks?
It is the east and Kitty is the sun!
Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious Fluffinda,
Who is already sick and pale with grief
That thou her maid art far more fair than she.
Be not her maid, since she is envious;
Her feline fur is but sick and grey,
And none but old stray cat do wear it. Cast it off.
It is my lady, O, it is my love!
O that she knew she were!
She miaows, yet she purrs nothing; what of that?
Her eye discourses, I will answer it.
I am too bold: 'tis not to me she purrs.
(...)
See how she leans her cheek upon her paw 
O that I were some dirt upon that paw,
That I might touch that whiskers!
Kitty
Ay miaow!
Malaquinha 
She miaows.
O, miaow again, bright feline, for thou art
As glorious to this night, being o'er my head,
As is a winged messenger of cat's heaven.

(...)

Kitty
O Malaquinha, Malaquinha! wherefore art thou Malaquinha? 
Deny thy pack and refuse thy name;
Or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love,
And I'll no longer be a domestic cat.

Malaquinha
[Aside.] Shall I hear more, or shall I miaow at this?

Kitty 
'Tis but thy name that is my enemy:
Thou art thyself, though not a Street Cat.
What's Street Cat? It is nor paw, nor claw,
Nor whisker, nor tail, nor any other part
Belonging to a cat. O, be some other name.
What's in a name? That which we call a sardine 
By any other name would smell as sweet;
So Malaquinha would, were he not Malaquinha call'd,
Retain that dear perfection which he owes
Without that title. Malaquinha, doff thy name,
And for that name, which is no part of thee, (50)
Take all myself.

Malaquinha
I take thee at thy miaow.
Call me but love, and I'll be new baptis'd;
Henceforth I never will be Malaquinha.

Kitty
What cat art thou that, thus bescreened in night,
So stumblest on my counsel?

Malaquinha
By a name
I know not how to tell thee who I am:
My name, dear saint, is hateful to myself,
Because it is an enemy to thee.

Kitty
My ears have yet not drunk a hundred words
Of thy tongue's uttering, yet I know the sound.
Art thou not Malaquinha, and a Street Cat?

Malaquinha 
Neither, fair pussy, if either thee dislike.

Kitty
How cam'st thou hither, miaow me, and wherefore?
The terrace trees are high and hard to climb,
And the place death, considering who thou art,
If any of my humans find thee here.

Malaquinha
With love's light wings did I o'erperch these trees, (70)
For wooden limits cannot hold love out,
And what love can do, that dares love attempt:
Therefore thy humans are no stop to me.

Kitty
If they do see thee, they will murder thee.

Malaquinha
Alack, there lies more peril in thine eye
Than twenty of their brooms. Look thou but sweet
And I am proof against their enmity.

Kitty
I would not for the world they saw thee here.

Malaquinha 
I have night's fur to hide me from their eyes,
And, but thou love me, let them find me here;
My 9th life were better ended by their hate
Than death prorogued, wanting of thy love.

(more and more miaowing is following, but we will not report it all here, since translation from Miaowish to English got lost. We will just say that the story will end up in blood, with a lot of street fights, severe injuries and death, for the delight of all the humans desperately trying to sleep in the neighbourhood).

THE END

Cause every little thing will be alright :)

It is really hard to write something when you don't know what to write about. So many thoughts running through my head. So many decisions to make. Too many roads, not sure which one to take. That sounded so poetically. It wasn't my intention.

This crossroads looks like a candy shop. Colorful. Standing in the middle. Pretty confused. Distracted. Maybe it's only me, I don't know. Why I am writing this? Well, the half of our Cyprus adventure is gone. That means that is time to start thinking for the future. Where to go, what to do? Back home? To some other country/continent/planet? Difficult one.

These past 5 months are written in our minds, hearts and souls. New people, now good friends. New experiences, now personality traits. New difficulties, now the strength of character. Each and every of those moments are big pieces of the puzzle called life.

8th of July...

Looking at this photo right now. Our first photo together :). Time goes by very fast... You realize that when you're going through your old photos, just like me now. Did I say old photos? Oh my, you see my point? Everything comes and goes. 

I don't know why I am writing all of this. It's not like we are leaving tomorrow, we still have 4 months in Cyprus... But somehow April is getting closer. Together with light panic. There are lots of opportunities out there. We are just not quite sure which one suits us best. How are we supposed to know? All of us got to this planet without instructions, it's kind of you'll reap what you sow. Fair play. 

Maybe it's because I was home for 10 days recently and it felt like I never left my hometown. That I will be back soon, too. Crazy mixture of emotions. A lot of stuff going on in my mind and heart. When you miss everything and everyone but you are still not ready to go back. Time for new project? New country? Could be... Time will tell...

Our stories are being written for us. We are on the right place in the right time with the right people. Everything will be alright :).

Modern addiction

There was a high possibility that I will write this in a good old way on a piece of paper and then just rewrite it. My laptop has some serious health issue. I do not want to talk about its conditions, because it's kind of medical secrecy, but believe me, it's bad. So naturally, I could not use it, among other things, to write this blog. Luckily my lovely roommates are always willing to help me out.

I had troubles with my laptop couple times before but it always ended up good. This time it takes more time to fix it. And it made me realise how much I depend on it. I also have a phone which I use for most of my internet stuff, but sometimes I prefer to do it on my laptop because it's more comfortable. Now I cannot. Sometimes I want to watch a movie on a bigger screen. Now I cannot. Sometimes I want to use the soft light of the screen for a romantic setting in my room. Now I cannot.

Lots of things have been written about this modern addiction and I have nothing new to add. I just found it interesting when I realized how obsessed I have become with all this electronis devices. So in the end it's a good thing that my laptop is on a sick leave, because I have time to learn how to live without it. Altough I am not quite sure it is possible in this era.

WHERE IS HOME?

I've been asking myself this question because last week I went back "home", to my biological home, the one that gave me birth, where my family is, where my mother tongue is, where I put my feet on the ground for the first time.



My parents' house, no language barriers, the familiar smell, the perfume my mum puts in the wardrobe for my clothes, the sound of my father's snoring when he sleeps on the couch, sharing secrets with my sisters, the belly of my six months pregnant cousin, my sick friend in her pyjama, my mum's pumpkin soup, the fresh vegetable from the grove, and then the mountains and the colours of the autumn, the cold air on your face, my old but loyal car, and much, much more!
Of course that's home!

But then I went to Verona for three days, for a dancetherapy meeting, and the moment I first stepped into the door, I felt home again: the familiar music, the colours of the people's clothes, the smell of the incense, my teacher and friend, the hugs, smiles, eyes, hands, tears, sweating, laughing, the weight of another person's body, the contact with another person's skin, the contact with the floor (sometimes a bit painful), the sense of fulfillness and freedom, and then dancing, dancing and even more dancing! Isn't this a wonderful home, too?


After that I went to Milan to take my flight. I woke up at 5.00 a.m. to get there on time. I survived the sleepless night, the morning cold air slapping my face, the traffic and the check-in queue with my 20 Kg suitcase (not one gram more not one less!), just to find out that my flight had a delay of more than 4 hours. Life has a wonderful way to remind you how flexible you should be, doesn't it?

Not too bad: after a 2 minutes disappointment, I chose to take it with philosophy and just enjoy my time at the airport. The most surprising thing is that, even there, I found a piece of my home: I found it in the kindness of a shop assistant, in a French family passing by, the jokes of some teenagers, a small child learning how to make her first steps, an old man falling asleep on a chair, some cypriot friends laughing together (probably flying back home?), pleople coming and going, stopping or just passing by, faces, histories, so much humanity! So much home!

Finally, the plane, the take-off, the gentle voice of a steward, the landing and...home again!

This time  it's another home, the one I've been living in, in the past 4 months. Again, the moment I step inside the door, everything is familiar: Doris, Lenka, Pablo, the miaowing of cats, Iron Man, my room, something or someone new in the house, old things, new things, presents, food, sharing, laughing, and the sense of deep relaxation and happiness you have when you can just be yourself!

I remember a poem my mum wrote to me, wich says:

"Ogni terra è la mia terra, 

ogni paese è il mio paese, 

ogni lingua è la mia lingua, 

in ogni punto dell'universo sono a Casa."

"Every earth is my earth,

every country is my country,

every language is my language,

in every corner of the universe I feel Home"  

Dedicated to all the pleope who make me feel home!

GRAZIE! THANK YOU! ΕΥΧΑΡΙΣΤΩ! HVALA! DĚKUJI! GRAZAS! MERCI!

  

Who/What am I?

Let me tell you a story...

I am very old. Nobody knows exactly my age. But old. Very old. In my time there weren't hospitals nor birth certificates. Nowadays you have everything, so many information. You know it all. I prefer to stay mysterious. Classy. A symbol of neverending changes. Passing seasons. They think they know who I am. They tried to find my roots. You have it in your history books. With lots of names, years, wars and other "important" stuff. They don't have a clue.

I was important. I still am. They fought over me. They fight over me. Long lines of kings and queens used me. I was a symbol of power to them. Royalty. I was an honour guest at all of their parties. I saw it all. All the important events, I was there. My role was to make the atmosphere easygoing and pleasant, cosy. My role hasn't changed. I am here and there. I am everywhere. Even here, in Cyprus. Even today they are still fighting over me. Incredible. Centuries passed. Same problems stayed. Now is all about the label, even in my case. So shallow.

Not only the rich people loved me. The poor ones did, as well. I helped them make their life softer. Friendly. Life was never easy on this kind of people. I enrich their everyday life. I put some fun in their gray days. I helped them bring food on the table. They are very nice to me. Gentle. I know they love me. They appreciate me. They cannot imagine their life without me. I was at their parties, also. I participated in all of their wonderful events. Those people know how to have good time, trust me! They have big and warm hearts. There is the magic. Everything is inside of you people. Why can I see this? You can see it as well, especially with my help. When I am with you, you open your hearts, you talk with each other, deeply and sincerely. You say things you usually wouldn't. And that makes all the difference.

I came here a long time ago. I stayed. I don't know why. Maybe because I like to make people happy. I like to connect them. I like to give a flavour to everything. I come in two colours. Two colours, countless nuances. I can be sweet. Bitter. Strong. Weak. Cold. Warm. Dark. Light. Thick. Thin. It depends on how you treat me. I depend on your love for me. If you love me and treat me well, I will be perfect!

I am happy. Energetic. I love to shine. Especially with my friend Sun. Rain is also my friend. I need both of them. It is teamwork. Our shows are magnificient!

Do you know who am I?

Cheers people! ;)

P.S Inspired by our Sunday's wine tour. Dedicated to all of the beautiful grapes and wines around the world that make us happy and cheerful ;)

A jail for "illegals"

Those who commit a crime and harm other individuals on purpose or in their behalf should be punished, and a stay in a prison might help these people to get back into society and don't repeat the same mistakes.

But what about the people whose only crime is not getting a passport, a visa, or other travel documents? What about the people who are running away from opression, injustice and harassment from their own compatriots and their leaders? What about those people who just were born in a place where there are no chances to grow up as a person, to satisfy the basic needs, to live with dignity? What about the people who cross a whole continent carrying nothing but the hope that Europe will bring them a better future? 

Is it fair for these people to be in a prison? Is it necessary to treat them as criminals just because they don't have a piece of paper with them? What is the teaching they are given while staying there? Which is the profit for the society? What about history? Did not Europeans ranaway from wars and misery before? Were not Cypriots refugees 40 years ago? Is it that easy to forget? Apparently it is.

Today I went to Menoya detention centre, better said, the jail for "illegal" imigrants. It is, indeed, a jail. Even though the food is good and the policemen treat them nice "if you do what they tell you to do", "they can go outside and play basketball or football in the morning and afternoon, and they can have their phones", one might say, "it's not that bad". It's not that bad except for the lack of essential aspect of the human nature, freedom.

It's hard to describe the feeling and the emotions that arise when you enter a prison, big fences, wire with spikes, document control, eternal security control, exhaustive checking, and doors closing behind you. I don't know if it's because imprisonment is against human nature, or because of the feeling that something is wrong, something is not working in the society, in the system, in the world and in ourselves, but the fact is that being in a prison, even for a 2 hours visit, always provoke a strange feeling inside you.

It's an awkard situation when is the first time you meet the people there, a lot of questions come to you while driving there: what to say? what to ask? what to do? how should I behave? what can I do?

I guess there are no answers for that, every person is different, every situation and circumstances are not the same, nor are the needs or what they are looking for.

A person who only has one bullet left or will be deported, after seven years living here and speaking fluent English and Greek; another person who only has the Supreme Court left to appeal and try to make his life in Cyprus; and a man who is already 8 months in prison waiting for the answer for his asylum request. Different cases, common complaint: "Why do I have to be in a prison?"

However, not everything was bad today, our last visit today came into the visitors room with a big smile, despite his difficult situation, we laughed about the danger of playing volleyball in the court, about African footballers and their superhuman speed and power, about other fellows we know...

Maybe that's the key to stand it, keep positive, keep smiling, assuming the situation and don't let it get you down.
I know you can, I know you will, you are a survivor, you went through many difficult experiences that made you stronger, stay strong man, don't give up, we are waiting for you outside, we don't forget you, better must come.

To all the people in Menoya

Cats, cats everywhere

Have you noticed that Cyprus is full of cats? It could easily change its name to Catpurrs. They are all over the place. Wherever you go, look closely. Do you see it? Yes, right there, that is Mr Whiskers.

Since we agreed that this is an island of cats I think it's quite important to know your cats. I mean our cats. Therefore I decided to dedicate this post to all the cats around our apartment. I have been observing every single one of them and now I can tell you what is going on here. And yes, pictures are included.

I should definitely start with Brownie.

Brownie (or as I like to call him: Pumpkin) was the first cat we met here and from the first moment it was clear that he thinks he runs this place. And as you can see on the picture, he surely is the 'big boss' material. He is very friendly to people, enormously cuddly but kind of an ass to other cats. Expects food everytime he sees someone and then is very hurt if he does not receive any. At the beginning he tried his best to meow in order to get some food, but according to some of us these attemps were just riddiculous, since his meowing sounded more like a princess who was expecting a prince on a white horse but he showed up on a dappled horse instead.
Needed to be said that he is used to go inside the apartment. But because one of us is allergic to cats all the cats are forbidden to go inside. However this little rascal just does not care and everytime we leave a window or a door open, suddenly we can hear his meowing somehow closer... One of us could tell you a story about how he/she came to his/her room just to find this crook lying in the bed. Upon request to leave he just stretched his body and complained about disturbing his sweet sleep.

Next cat should be Soft Guy.

This guy is so soft it will melt your heart. He never fights and is very submissive. If you give him food he is happy if you don't he does not mind, because more than food he is interested in cuddling. Recently we agreed that he is probably just a dog trapped in cat's body. He does not fetch, but he is always merrily happy to see someone. Also, he is here all the time or just a call away.



Then there are cats we do not know much about.

Pirate

He does not have a wooden leg, but he has just one eye, thus Pirate. Altough I cannot imagine him drinking rum nor on a boat, I imagine he fights a lot; he looks like a typical street cat. He does not visit us often and when he does he just sits and observes. When I try to approach him he runs away, but I am sure I am close to pat him on the head. Cats cannot resist being worshiped.

Happy cat on the left

Angelinos

One day we were sitting on our terrasse and enjoying breakfast before going to our Greek lesson. And we had a lovely guest, friend from Canada who was also in the Greek class. Because she was soon about to go back to Canada and because we all like her we asked her to name a wild cat that just appeared on our terrasse. She decided to name her Angelina. Weeks passed, we did not see Angelina for a while but then we did and we found out it's a male cat. And since we wanted to keep the name our friend chose I think you will agree that the only logical conclusion was rename the cat as Angelinos.
He turned out to be quite a funny cat. He likes to play with other cats, preferably with their tails, and if you approach him slowly he will let you rub his head, sometimes even playfully uses his paws.


As you can see so far it has been just male cats. Probably because it's three women in the house the cats decided to help the only man in the house. But we do have female cats.


Ginger

Like most of women this cat is a pure mystery. We know nothing about her. And just like the Loch Ness monster or Yetti you can barely see her on the picture. But just as Nessie and Yetti, Ginger exists. She spends most of her time in the front of our house with her girl friend and she is extremely timid. My secret thought is that she is actually Brownie's sister, they had to look alike before someone put him in the washing mashine.

Fluffinda

The fluffiest cat we have around. She is Ginger's best friend and they often hang out together. Somehow she is always here, but hiding so no one sees her. She likes to sleep on our table or chairs, when she is alone here. If you are lucky enough you might get closer to her and even touch
her. But you would clearly see that she does not enjoy it much. And the moment you stop focusing on her she slips away.
It is just a matter of time when we will have some fluffy kittens.





I saved the best for the end. Sometimes you see a cat and you fall in love. To me it happens with almost every cat. But then there are special cats with which you do not fall in love, you just are (in) love.
From the first time I saw this cat I was captured. There was something in his eyes that left me speachless. But because he would never let anyone to come closer, he ran away everytime, I named him

Tough Guy.

He showed up twice a month, spend some hours and disappeared. Every effort to get closer to him was wasteful. But I know that if you want to win heart of an animal (or a man) you have to make it with a help of food. So once in a time I left slice of cheese, or a piece of meat outside. One day, not that long ago, I left bit more food and when he finished eating I stayed and offered him my hand. He just could not resist.

From this moment we became friends. He is always around, almost everytime accompanied by Soft Guy. And everytime I offer him my hand he comes and lets me cuddle him. Or they just lie on our terrasse. Often meowing loudly to demand some food. And since Tough Guy is here, Brownie's meowing has improved and now he sounds properly. So basically begging for food turned into a concert of symphonic orchestra.

Oh, I almost forgot. There is one more cat. We saw it just three times or four times so we are not even sure if it is a female or a male. It always just goes through our backyard, never stops. From Brownie's reaction it might look like it is his arch enemy, but the cat does not give a damn. I call him Capo di tutti capi. For obvious reasons we do not have a picture.


Two times there was a dog too. But it belongs to a fellow neighbour so we do not count it as our pet, and we can barely count it as a cat. Although it made a poo here and ate the food for cats (but just because the cats did not want to eat it at all).
And that's it. Now when you know basic things about them you can have a nice chat when you come. Cats always appreciate decent conversations.


I am not saying this piece was written by a cat, but I am not saying it wasn't.

Do not judge a book by its cover!

I usually do. When I go to a library or a bookshop, first thing I do is wander around in search for inspiration. I let the book call me and then when it jumps in my hand, I look at the cover, reading every single tiny detail on it, even the most unusual, like the name of the graphic designer who took care of the "outfit" of the book. Even the touch or the smell are important...is it smooth, or rough? Does it smell of paper and ink? Next step is opening the first page and reading the incipit, just a couple of sentences are enough, and then I go to the last page and read the last word. If it is convincing and awakes my curious, the adventure starts and I bring it home.

That's how I judge a book...but what happens with humans?

Last Thursday, the 1st of October, we went to a human library.
Before applying for this project I had never heard of it, but the name was convincing enough to make me do more research and when I found out what it was, I liked the idea very much. It was one of the tiny details that made me choose this evs instead of another one. It was exciting to finally take part in this event and touch with my hand what it meant and how it worked.

In the frame of Phaneromeni Square, there they were, the human-books, sitting on their shelf, waiting for somebody to be attracted by their cover and starting consultig them. None of them was left to dust, there were enough curious readers for everybody. The organization was very efficient and quick: read the description, choose your book, book your reading and here we go...half an hour of consultation and you return the book to its shelf undamaged, ready to move to the next one.
And what you share is much more than a catchy title or a colorful cover (sometimes white, sometimes black, sometimes both)!

The first minute could be a bit awkward, maybe because it is the first time you read such a book, maybe because you have so many questions that you don't know where to start. But if you allow yourself to go deeper in the conversation, this awkward minute will last just one second and you will dis-cover pages and pages of beautiful different stories. What makes them special is that they are full of feelings, emotions, welcoming smiles, eyes that look directly into yours, eyes that change with every word as the story develops, page after page.

And in the end, when the clock tics its last second, you will find yourself filled with that story, your mind open, your heart thankful, your eyes different. Maybe even your way of looking changed. After sharing somebody else' story, you may realize that in the end, even if we all are different from one another, with different covers, titles, year of publication, graphic designer, stories, ... we still have so much in common, each one of us is special and worth-reading!


Special thanks to the two beautiful books I read and to the ones I didn't read, hoping to have the chance to read them in another library.      

You are the writer of your own destiny...

“Every morning we are born again. What we do today is what matters most.”

What do you think about your life? What kind of people are you surrounded with? Do they make you happy? Are they there for you when you need them? Do you laugh a lot? Are you having fun? Do you follow your passions? Are you living your dreams? Are you happy? 

Do you ever ask yourself questions like these? Or you are on autopilot like most of the world. Tell me, when was the last time you did something silly, but in the same time meaningful? Something like a midnight swim, a long walk along the seaside, playing with your dog, eating tons of sweets, gardening, visiting your grandparents, watching the stars, travelling to some random destination you know nothing about or walking around without a plan... Sounds funny, right? But it isn't. It's the small things that we do that make our life sweet and beautiful. Small things that you do and share with people who mean everything to you. People who make your life path worth exploring and enjoying. 

How would you react if I told you that all that is happening in your life is your own fault? Would you be surprised, angry, sad, happy, disappointed? It's hard to acknowledge this fact. It puts a lot of pressure on you. Responsibility as well. Are you familiar with this saying: 

Do you believe in yourself? Do you truly believe that you, and only you can change your life? Think about it. Life is too short to compromise.

"Find a place in your life where you choose passion over skill, adventure over comfort, intuition over logic, and faith over fear. As you begin to break free from all the “should do’s” and obligations, your new life path will be revealed, and with it all your heart’s desires will become a reality!"

We wish you a marvelous week :)

                                                                               

Here we go!

Last Monday we all started with our weekly routine: working in the office or going to the Migrant centre in the morning, having and preparing our workshops in the afternoon.....but it seemed that we needed to energize a little bit before starting the week and....is there anything better than an African dance workshop? It was Saturday morning, too soon but....we enjoyed it so much! It's amazing the energy that the teacher had, and how she transmitted it to us! We were dancing and jumping as crazy, we didn't mind the heat...just wonderful!

And we had to chill as well before starting the week, some of us accidentally ended sleeping in a wonderful beach under a thousand millions stars, others chose to relax at home, or went to the beach, as you can see we have many ways to do it.

The week started with the language courses, on Monday Spanish, and on Tuesday Italian. It's the first time for both of us that we teach, it takes us a while preparing the lesson, decide what to do, how to explain....a lot of questions come to our heads, making us even hesitate about our knowledge of our mother tongue. But I must said that we are personally enjoying the fact of teaching our language, and we find it very interesting and productive for our personal development, and also we are getting important skills that can be used in the future, a Spanish and a Italian teacher can be requested anywhere in the world, isn't it?

On Monday we have as well the Theatre workshop, where we started with improvisation exercises and some ice-breakers, starting to prepare the field for further activities we have on mind, maybe there will be new movie stars after this workshop, there is a lot of potential!

And on Wednesday took place one of the most lovely events we have done. Despite the ammount of time it took us, the problems organizing it, the continuous change of plan, number of participants and so on; we must said that it was amazing and perfect our Veggie Kitchen! The atmosphere was great, and we discovered very skill cookers! We had three groups preparing the plate, and we cannot say which one was the best, all of them were delicious....we couldn't even take home any leftovers of the tasty and wonderful caponatina!

Finally, to finish the week, we had a special guest in our radio show, Tune your souls. We had a very interesting person in the studio, he told us about his experience in India, and how he understood that you don't need to have loads of money to be happy, even in the slum you can. We also talked about music, the first years of Stevie Wonder, the power of the bassline, the musicality of reggae music.... A very enriching conversation that ended watching a fado concert in Phaneromeni Square.

And then was Friday, time to rest and to prepare the weekend, it's Cyprus, so September is still summer!

And that was it fellas! Stay tuned for next post!