sw11

surprise! dimi has moved yet again. i think it's about number 15 in the last 12 years, and it is definitely the 4th place in live in london in the past 2 years. but it's the best one so far, and have been thoroughly enjoying it for the past 7 weeks!

so after a tour in the East (the infamous E17), the West (W14, barons court was not all that bad), the North West (golders green), i am now a resident south of the river, in clapham junction. i love it so far. the combination of northcote road with wandsworth common and me being in the middle of that, is great!

i also just realised why i am getting so restless these days. it's because i have crossed a threshold of staying in the same city (london) and the same job (!) for two years in a row (completed june 13th for london and june 19th for the job) for the first time since...??? i think the last time i stayed in the same place for 2 years in a row was 2000-2002 in athens and have been pretty much a nomad ever since. if i manage to stay in the same flat for 2 years in a row that must really mean i'm growing up then!

the last thought was really not needed, since i'm turning 30 in just 10 days!

το δίμηνο που πέρασε...

λοιπόν, μιας που εξαφανίστηκα, να δώσω τα νέα σε τίτλους, για το τι συνέβη το τελευταίο δίμηνο
- πήγα ελλάδα προς τα τέλη μαϊου για τη βάφτιση της ανιψιάς μου, και πέρασα ωραία, οικογενειακά και με φίλους εννοείται. μόνο ένα 3ήμερο
- είμαι και πάλι ένας σινγκλ
- ΜΕΤΑΚΟΜΙΣΑ (γουάτς νιού?). το 4ο σπίτι μου στο λονδίνο σε 2 χρόνια, αλλά το καλύτερο προς το παρόν. να έρθετε να επισκεφτείτε, οτσέι?
- Α! έκλεισα 2 χρόνια στο λονδίνο και στη δουλειά εδώ. και νομίζω είναι το περισσότερο που έχω μείνει συνεχόμενα στην ίδια δουλειά ή πόλη από το 1997 ! ! ! μισός χρόνος ακόμη και σπάει το ρεκόρ για τα καλά. ρε λες να φύγω?
- είδα 2 πολύ καλές συναυλίες (ακολουθεί πόστινγκ) τους radiohead (για δεύτερη φορά) και τους bon jovi
- παρακολούθησα ολόκληρο το euro, από αρχής μέχρι τέλους, χωρίς τις υπερβολές της ελληνικής τηλεόρασης, την οποία και δεν έχω στο κεφάλι μου. απλά απογοητεύτηκα από την ελλάδα κ ευχαριστήθηκα το τουρνουά
- πήγα μια βόλτα στις βρυξέλλες για ένα Σ/Κ, όπου και πέρασα τέλεια, με παλιούς φίλους
- ετοιμάζω τον εορτασμό της 30ής επετείου (30 χρόνια επιτυχίες!) στη μύκονο, στο τέλος του μήνα

αυτά. ελπίζω να σε δω σύντομα, ονλάιν ή οφλάιν. για στείλε κανένα ημέιλ!

long overdue

i know i know...it's not the end of december, it's the fucking end of february. and it's no time for new year's resolutions or evaluation of the past year. yet, you know, my OCD won't allow me not to do this, and the posting was drafted kinda like 2 months ago, but i never leave things in the middle. so here's what i set out to do in 2007...

[before i move on to what i'll do in 2008, actually]

1. make important and conscious decisions and steps for my future
didn't really. i have made one major decision in the negative way, which is that i am not leaving the uk before the summer of 2009, but other than that i have not decided on a definite career or life plan, unfortunately. that would probably have to move to the new year

2. not smoke for at least 6 months (have already quit for now in case you were wondering)
i think i roundabout made it to 6 months. i lost count at some point, despite being on and off smoking, but i spent at least 5 and a half months in 2007 not smoking, which was the purpose of this goal in any case, to keep me off cigarettes for half the year. trouble is, i do realise it's just about one of the worst things i can do to myself, but i still fancy smoking and don't wanna quit completely. but as far as the goal goes, it's a first step, and it's been achieved.

3. start exercising
i did start, i didn't continue. :-) this is a complete failure in the year that ended!

4. read more than in 2006
this is also a measurable failure in the year. i read less books than in 2007,only about 26 or so. unsurprisingly, year 2008 has started with a lot of reading, i guess the weather in the winter also helps that out. i'm happy to have been through 9 interesting books, but there's a huge queue waiting for me, in my room here in london, on the internet, and at home in lamia.

5. travel to at least 4 new countries
this one was achieved. ireland, denmark, china, malaysia, thailand and oman were my six new countries for 2007. i showed a preference to these countries as opposed to some easy destinations that are within reach in europe (prague, berlin). very proud of my travelling achievements in 2007. in plain numbers, 2007 saw me enter a plane at least 39 times, all for pleasure and none for business.

all in all, 2007 was a good year and i can't measure it all by the resolutions i had set at its beginning. it was a year of action, and not thinking, planning or reading much.

in 2007 i had some of my happiest family times ever. i saw my sister and my first cousin get married, i managed to go back to Greece 5 times, including 2 weddings, Easter and Christmas, i got back in touch with a lot of friends, my sister gave birth to my first niece, and generally it was a happy year. not a year of major achievements, but a year of strengthening relations with close ones and creating new ones. discovering london, and learning to like it bit by bit, though i did spend a considerable amount of time and money away from it.

2007 set high standards, and 2008 ought to be better than it!

:)

monday morning

what a great weekend i've left behind me. things have suddenly started moving on a lot of levels, personal, work, social, travel, and everything else. i left to work with this site today, which was pretty depressing for a monday morning, with all the fog. but the day wasn't quite as foggy. a good day at work, followed by a lecture at the lse and meeting some new people there as well.

now back home, just resting up and planning the next step.

becoming an uncle for the first time

yes, it's true: other people are getting older :-) they've become parents, which makes me now an uncle. i met the most wonderful little baby girl ever in greece in december, my sister's new born baby. her first one and my first niece as such. the joy of having a baby in the family has changed everyone, we all seem much more relaxed and happier somehow. how could we not? she's just so amazing! [or maybe it was just the holiday season?]

boy am i looking forward to spoil her :)

a bit of a greek overload in london

while in my first year here i was enjoying mainly the internationalism and being in touch with friends all over the world in london, i am now seeing the other side of things as well. hanging out with all my greek friends here, but also gaining access to so much i wouldn't have the chance to see in greece, in relation to greek politics, music, etc in a different context.

in october i attended the speech of costas simitis (former greek prime minister) at the LSE, which was not as interesting for the content, but for the questions that followed, in relation to current greek politics [podcast can be found here]. in november, again in crucial days for greek foreign politics, i got the chance to see dora bakoyiannis (greek foreign affairs minister), at her LSE speech, followed by a very thought provoking q&a [podcast can be found here]. randomly, a couple of nights before that, on a bus to notting hill i came across the president of a newly formed greek party [laos]. that's more exposure to greek politics in a matter of weeks than i could ever get back in athens.

to top this, i even got the chance to see a concert of greek music abroad, like a genuine immigrant :-). [though the classic concert of that sort would have been to see dalaras play live] i saw lavrentis mahairitsas, antonis mitzelos, vassilis kazoulis and eleonora zouganeli all play live, and it was indeed a great concert.

now getting ready for the real greek experience, upon landing in athens on friday night after 5 and a half months.

2 σουρρεάλ καταστάσεις

1. αρχίζω από τα πιο απλά. ρεάλ-ολυμπιακός. δεν είμαι ολυμπιακός. το αποτέλεσμα αν το έβλεπε κανείς μόνο ως αποτέλεσμα (4-2) θα έλεγε πως είναι φυσιολογικό. είναι όμως η πρώτη φορά που ελληνική ομάδα στέκεται παληκαρίσια μέσα στη μαδρίτη, κι είναι η πρώτη φορά που ελληνική ομάδα τρώει τεσσάρα στην ευρώπη κ δεν αισθάνομαι ντροπή. μέχρι κι οι παίκτες της ρεάλ το είπαν. ο ολυμπιακός βάσει της εικόνας του παιχνιδιού θα μπορούσε να φύγει τουλάχιστον με ένα βαθμό.

2. πήγα χτες στην ομιλία του σημίτη στο lse. αντίθετα με ό,τι είπαν τα μέσα, ο άνθρωπος δεν "άφησε αιχμές" ούτε τίποτα τέτοιο. απλά έλεγε τη γνώμη του. τα υπόλοιπα είναι απλά υπερβολές. ο σημίτης, είτε μας αρέσει είτε όχι, είναι ο πιο πετυχημένος έλλην πρωθυπουργός, τουλάχιστον τα τελευταία 50 χρόνια. δε γίναν όλα τέλεια, αλλά είναι ο πιο πετυχημένος. και guess what: επειδή δεν είναι πια πρωθυπουργός, λέει πια τη γνώμη του ανοιχτά.

το ύφος του δεν ήταν να "αφήσει αιχμές" ή να "επιτεθεί" ή να "κριτικάρει". ο άνθρωπος είπε τη γνώμη του. ότι είναι βαρύνουσα, είναι άλλο θέμα. πάντως τόσο χαλαρό σημίτη πρώτη φορά βλέπω. αστειεύτηκε, απάντησε ευθέως (ακόμη και σε 1-2 ανάρμοστες ερωτήσεις), έκανε τα σαρδάμ του ακόμη και σε σπαστά αγγλικά (νόμιζα ότι θα βγει video του θέμου από καμιά γωνιά!) κ έπαιξε με το κοινό. ήταν απλά...άπαιχτος! και η εμπειρία σίγουρα ενδιαφέρουσα - είναι ένας άνθρωπος που έχει πολλά να πει, και τα λέει με χαρακτηριστική απλότητα σε σχέση με τα όσα έχει πετύχει.

what's been up!

since i haven't been keeping this blog up to date lately, i thought i might do so now, in headlines:
- lots of work. this will last till the end of september (literally on the 30th) when our peak period ends and therefore my life will come back to its normal pace. at the momen i barely do anything else than work, although i try
- a great Prince concert last friday night at the O2 arena. just imagine: i am not a fan, and don't know more than - say - 5-6 of his songs. but the whole thing was like a huge party. i would pay to go again any day.
- a fantastic weekend in oslo, where i went for kristin's an alexander's wedding. great city, freat ceremony and of course celebration, and catching up with old friends (volodi, nuno, susana, sjoerd) and meeting new people of course. i just have to go again!
- next weekend i am off to nl for vivek's and lonnie's wedding. the season of wedding tourism never ends :D (γαμοτουρισμός, που λένε και στο χωριό μου!)
- if you wanna get in touch, pls do...i am in london all the rest of the days, lets catch up for a drink (after 9pm or so) when you're in town :-) call, e-mail, facebook!

the drama continues

"Greek emergency workers continue to find the charred bodies of people burned to death by forest fires that are raging in the south of the country." read the rest of the story here.

basically this is all about the fires back in my home country. and it's both to express my anger, and to explain the situation to someone who wouldn't have experience from the greek reality. 62 people reported dead since friday, and 89 new fires on from the middle of the night (4am) on sunday till monday morning. the entire country is currently in a state of emergency as there isn't enough capacity to set the fires under control.

the fires come about every summer, in different places around the country. some people blame it on the hot weather, or on other environmental phenomena or accidents but everyone (and i mean it) knows that the fires are all due to arson. why? the reason is simple: people want to burn down forest areas, and one way or another make their way illegally to building there (since they wouldn't be forest areas anymore) or getting a permit (by bribing or any other means) to build there legally (which wouldn't happen under normal circumstances since even a burned forest area is supposed to be protected). but most of the time, as one wouldn't want their fire to be easily set under control, they would start it when there are strong winds, which is usually the reason why it gets completely out of control and we have this environmental drama every summer.

but this has been the worst summer of all i remember in the past 20 years. multiple forests have been burned down to ashes, and we now have even human casualties. words are not enough to express my grief and anger for the people who are lost, for people whose lives have been destroyed and for the damage that human greed and governmental inability to plan and react can cause. WE HAVE THE SAME PROBLEMS EVERY SUMMER. No government I remember in the past 20 years has ever done anything serious about it. No significant additional capacity and incentives/training for the fire brigade, no arson plotters EVER found or arrested, no serious consequences for anyone involved in all of this tragedy. it's a shame, as in these cases, tragedy could have been pretty limited, if not prevented, but noone up there realises what their role is in prtecting the citizens and nature of this country.

in 3 weeks we are electing a new government in greece. whether it's one or the other of the two parties in charge of the country for the past two decades that wins, i am convinced that people will still vote for one of them, despite the fact that the country is in a state of wreck at the moment and they haven't done anything to stop this in the long run.
i don't really know what it will take to get someone with a real plan to govern the country.

finally - and good timing with the bank holiday weekend

finally, after a couple of weeks of winter weather (by Greek standards) - we can see the sun again! woohoo!

αν όλη η ζωή ήταν σαν αυτό το σαββατοκύριακο...

...θα ήμουν οριακά από χρήματα - σε σχέση με το τι έχω και το τι θέλω να κάνω (ποιος δεν είναι?)
...θα περνούσα τις μέρες μου ήσυχα σ'ενα πάρκο, με πολύ ωραίο καιρό και καλή παρέα...
...και τις νύχτες μου σε πάρτυ με ακόμη πιο καλή παρέα!
...δε θα σταματούσα στιγμή να κάνω σχέδια που για τους γύρω μου μοιάζουν παλαβά. εμένα γιατί μου φαίνονται νορμάλ?
...θα έκανα διαρκώς ενδιαφέρουσες γνωριμίες
...δε θα ανησυχούσα που είναι δευτέρα άυριο

η ζωή είναι μοναδική περιπέτεια. κι έτσι θέλω να τη βλέπω. και ως μοναδική (the time is now που λένε και στο χωριό μου, δεν ξαναγυρίζει η στιγμή) και ως περιπέτεια.

birthday boys

saturday night at the queen mary in embankment...! vivek and dimi:

sad...

happy...
serious...
and after a tequila shot!

thanks to everyone who was there to celebrate our birthdays!

.nl contd

...2 days in a country where i feel at home [the netherlands]
...2 days in two cities with unique characters in europe [amsterdam and rotterdam]
...1 night in a party of an organisation with the craziest and most creative people i have met in my life [aiesec]
...2 days of reunion with friends i have not seen in quite a while
...2 days of meeting new and bright people, dancing, having lots of fun and interesting [incl. some drunken] conversations.

a great weekend in the netherlands. i think i'll be coming back for a lifetime, there hasn't been a single time it wasn't worth it.

contentment

friday night, 6th of july. after multiple tube delays, changes, and security checks at the airport, i board the plane to athens. 1 and a half hours delayed, i land at 03:30. panos is waiting at the airport and we go straight out where the rest of the gang is. after a few hours there, at 7.30ish am we are heading home, with all friends from the school years who are in town for chryssa's & socrates' wedding. clear blue skies and heat. we have a laugh, and i take to sleep on the floor, since not all of us fit in the house. just like the old times.

surprisingly, during these few hours of sleep, i had a dream. i dreamt that all my friends from school years and family lived in london with me, and all of this was taking place in london. very nostalgic type of dream, but i wake up in a very pleasant feeling. and realise i have a little more than a day ahead of me to live the rest of this experience.

12ish noon i wake up. i go to my sister's place - see my parents, georgia and dionysis, and have our usual lunch together, and all sorts of discussions and updates. later, we start preparing for the grand event: the wedding itself. by 7pm we are heading to church.

the wedding is great. the couple are very happy, and so is the entire family and all friends who are in church and at the reception to wish them their best. the celebration lasts all night. dancing, talking, drinking, laughing. 5:30 am, after the party is over, we are again heading to the centre, have something to eat and continue talking till 8am over coffee and cigarettes. old friends. just like the old times. not a single day has ever gone by.

all of us have followed such different paths in life and yet all of us - family and friends - time and again, discover that the same connection is still there. and getting stronger by the day.

it is now sunday. after another 4 hours of sleep till noon, again lunch with my close family, and then heading to the airport. last goodbyes, till the next time we meet. it looks surreal, but by the evening i will be in london again, and by morning time i am again in my routine, at work. on the plane i can't keep my eyes open for long.

when i land - i take the tube and head home. all of this seems like a dream. a very pleasant one. but i simply know that it's not a dream. it's as real as it gets, and i couldn't be luckier and happier than that, to have all of these people in my life.

Χρύσα και Σωκράτη, να ζήσετε ευτυχισμένοι!

παραλία

ακούω mad radio σήμερα το πρωί προ δουλειάς κι ακούγεται η παραλία από τα ημισκούμπρια (πάμε όλοι μαζί...σε μια παραλία κτλ). καλοκαιρινό τραγούδι και τα ρέστα - εδώ όμως βρέχει εδώ και 2 βδομάδες κάθε μέρα, κι από ό,τι διαβάζω θα χειροτερέψει ο καιρός! (!)

μετά την πρώτη εύκολη δευτέρα εδώ και ενάμιση μήνα όμως, το κέφι δε χαλάει με τίποτα! χαμογελάω και φεύγω για δουλειά! καλήμέρα.

half year review

well, new year's resolutions are there for a reason - to try and achieve them - so as we've passed the point that indicated half the year is gone, i had a look at what i am achieving so far from the goals i set in the beginning of 2007:

1. make important and conscious decisions and steps for my future
i have narrowed down a couple of important issues that i need to decide on within the year. career wise, money wise, purchase wise...so i am on the right track with this one, though no tangible results yet...

2. not smoke for at least 6 months
i am just through my third non smoking month, which means i am exactly on the threshold with this one, so far i haven't smoked for half the months of 2007.

3. start exercising
...i started - but i stopped somewhere along the way. i spent a good one month jogging every day in january, and then somehow let it go. good effort though, and i plan to take it up again now in the summer.

4. read more than in 2006
i'm left slightly behind on this one. 32 books in 2006, 12 so far in 2007, although 4 are work in progress currently. i guess than i will catch up in autumn :-) since i only have 1.5 day of holidays left and that means that my travels will be restricted at some point in time...so more reading to be done there!

5. travel to at least 4 new countries
ireland, denmark, china, malaysia, thailand. these are already five! and i have norway and the czech republic waiting for me ! ! !

overall it looks like i haven't done badly, but need that extra push to

μεταμεσονύκτια...

είπα να γράψω κάτι να πω πως είμαι καλά. μια χαρά. τρέλα! και μη μου πεις πως ακούγομαι μελαγχολικός ή θλιμμένος, γιατί δεν είμαι. είμαι ό,τι μπορώ να είμαι σε ενα λονδίνο που τέλη ιουνίου βρέχει επί μία βδομάδα κάθε μέρα, και μετά από έννα σαββατοκύριακο με πυρετό στο σπίτι (και βροχή απ'έξω παρακαλώ) και μια δύσκολη δευτέρα στη δουλειά. θα γελάει η άρια, μιας που πρώτη φορά που με διάβασε απόρησε με την αισιοδοξία μου (άκουσον!).

εντάξει, και τώρα αφήνουμε τις υπερβολές. δεν ήμουν δα και του θανατά. και τώρα είμαι σχεδόν μια χαρά στην υγεία μου. στο κάτω κάτω ευκαιρία έψαχνα να μείνω λίγο σπίτι κι απλά να διαβάσω λίγο και να μην κάνω τίποτα. μέχρι που μαγείρεψα κιόλας την κυριακή (!). απλά με περιμένει δύσκολο καλοκαίρι στη δουλειά, κι αν έφτιαχνε λίγο ο καιρός θα βοηθούσε. όμως από κέφια δεν πάω άσχημα.

κι εξηγούμαι (για να μην παρεξηγούμαι, που έλεγε και μια καθηγήτρια στο γυμνάσιο):
- το άλλο σαββατοκύριακο πάω ελλάδα!
- έχω ήδη 20 μέρες χωρίς τσιγάρο κι αλκοόλ, 10 ακόμη και το κέρδισα το στοίχημα. και μετά πάλι κραιπάλη!
- σήμερα πληρώθηκα (say no more)
- σκέφτομαι πως το καλοκαίρι με μερικά ευχάριστα διαλείμματα - σαββατοκύριακα, κι επισκέψεις που θα δεχτώ, δε θα είναι καθόλου άσχημο
- έλιωσα όλο το σαββατοκύριακο να βλέπω θέμο από όλη τη χρονιά, όλα όσα έχω χάσει, κι έχει πέσει πολύ γέλιο
- κι έπειτα, αν δε μας βγει ο πάτος το καλοκαίρι, πώς μετά θα απολάυσουμε ολίγη χαλάρωση το φθινόπωρο? (μεγάλε, το παρατράβηξες!)

αυτά. και τώρα γκάλοπ τάιμ:
τι προτιμάς για τέλη ιουνίου: 44 βαθμούς στην αθήνα, ή 18 και βροχή στο λονδινο?

3.02

3 το πρωί...μόλις με άφησε το night bus πριν λίγο - ένα ακόμη βράδυ που τα κατάφερα - έστω και αργά - να έρθω σπίτι...

έβαλα τα πλυντήρια, ζέστανα φαγητό, το ράδιο να παίζει ("το αίμα μου όμως ακόμα σε θυμάται", τραγουδάει ο κατσιμίχας), και τέτοια λωρα πια, οι σκόρπιες σκέψεις πολλές (και χωρίς αλκοόλ άμα λάχει!).

σαν χρώμα που ονειρεύτηκα και πια δεν το θυμάμαι λοιπόν...κουβανέζικοι ρυθμοί, καλές κουβέντες με παλιούς και καινούργιους φίλους, και γενικά πολύ ανθρώπινη η μέρα. μερικές αλήθειες που άκουσα με τάραξαν (λίγο), παρότι δεν είναι νέα. ένας φίλος είπε πως βιάζομαι να κάνω τα πάντα στη ζωή μου, και γι αυτό δεν είμαι ευχαριστημένος με τίποτα. ένα mail είπε πως φεύγω συνέχεια - όχι από τόπους, αλλά από ανθρώπους. πιθανόν. πιθανόν και όχι. πάντως τελικά κι ένα σαββατοκύριακο τόσο απλό μπορεί να κρύβει πολύ ευχάριστες εκπλήξεις.

όπως και το μέλλον.

έξω βρέχει, το ράδιο το γύρισε στους u2, κι εγώ ετοιμάζομαι για μια ακόμη ξεχωριστή κυριακή.

one year

it's been one year, since i moved to london. tuesday the 13th, 2006 was my arrival here. and how has it been? fast. can't say i am 100% happy with how my life looks like right now, there's a long way to go still. career wise, on a personal level, on a financial level etc.

but i can't complain.

...i have been financially independent, though not doing my dream job.

...i am back in touch with friends i had long lost touch with.

...the past year has seen me travel to portugal, the netherlands, belgium, greece (5 times), ireland, denmark, china, malaysia, thailand, singapore

...i have made new friends, explored london, although not to its fullest extent

...i have moved 3ice in a year, and this is probably one of the things i could have done better in

...i have erroneously trying to chase the lost time of the army and stagnation in my post AI studies completion. i gave up on this, and did well.

...i have shared ideas, drunken nights, dancing spreas and pool recitals with old and new friends

...i still keep making plans for the future (thank God).

it's been a good year, and i am thankful for that. hopefully the next one will be even better, and you'll be in it!

the move

once again - moving to a new place - glad i took the day of for this and well, in just a little while we are getting the van to move our stuff to the new place along with my 2 flatmates...

hopefully i will manage to stay there for more than a year in a row :-)

the moment of truth

i couldn't help smiling yesterday in schiphol. i was boarding my transit flight to london city airport in my 3/4 pants, t-shirt and backback, and i was the only person on a morning flight not wearing a suit and having more than cabin luggage to take with me :-)

although the weather was bad (10 degrees and rain both in amsterdam and london) and i hadn't slept in more than 30 hours, i thought it was quite funny. i got back to work (straight from teh airport) tired but in a good mood. jetlag did kick in at afternoon time, but with a good night's sleep i am now officially over it and ready for the next big thing: friday i am moving to the new flat! boy, life moves fast...

leaving

well, ready or not, here i come.

spent a busy week at work, and the result was that i didn't plan all aspects of my trip that i planned to. i only took care of a few must-do's. tickets, and part of the accommodation, buying my lonely planets, some clothes, and taking down a few friends' phone numbers. packing up my flat (by the time i am off to the airport, i should vacate the flat as well, as i am changing flats upon my return here in london).

but that's beside the point. today is the last day at work until the end of may. i'll start getting excited when i come back home to pack after work tonight. and tomorrow morning i am on the plane to shanghai. just a short rundown of the dates:

may 6-18: china (shanghai, beijing and elsewhere)
18-20: malaysia (KL)
21-26: thailand (Ko Samui & elsewhere)
26-28: singapore
29: back to london

i have mailed a lot of you guys and planned to meet up, but if i haven't reached smn, please mail me, or if you just happen to be in the neighbourhood! asia, here i come!

a picture is worth a thousand words

i have been back to london from greece for a week now but still haven't adjusted...anyway i can't really describe the great time i had for 4 days in lamia and athens. lots of family and friends time, minimal sleep, going out till 6 am every night, traditional food and drinks, great conversations, trying out some new things (like horse riding - i am the guy on the right) and participating in the same old easter celebrations that have been imprinted on my mind since i was a kid. now have to move on and plan my next trips as china is only 3 weeks away and still not finalised!

below are also photos of meeting agnes' s beautiful baby :-) and jenny (mcp china 02-03) after 4 years!

καλημέρα

hola a todos!

i am writing my news in headlines since i have to rush to work:
- i am still alive
- i got my visa to china! and that's about the only part of the trip i have planned aalong with the tickets and the holidays from work
- i am going to greece on friday for 4 days (woohoo!)
- i am working like a dog these days - feels like i have to earn these holidays this week. with a record 8am to 10pm at the office, the scene just reminded me of how everyday reality is bound to look like, come september
- i am reading the secret history (donna tartt) and am completely drawn into it for some reason
- my insomnia is back! (how cool)

and now i'm off :-) see you all offline and online!

και να'μαι πάλι εδώ...

να 'τα μαααααααααας. μετά από σήμερα ξέρω πως και πάλι μετακομίζω. πότε? τέλος μαϊου, βασικά με την επιστροφή μου από την ασία θα είμαι στο νέο σπίτι (το οποίο θα βρουν οι μελλοντικοί μου συγκάτοικοι γιατί εγώ θα λείπω). δε μπορώ να πω πως χαίρομαι που φεύγω από εδώ που είμαι, αλλά μια αύξησξ ενοικίου δεν την αντέχω, κι έτσι φεύγω. βέβαια, η αλήθεια είναι πως το saga μιας ζωής συνεχίζεται και γι'άλλη μια φορά δε μπορώ να στεριώσω πουθενά. είναι το τρίτο σπίτι που θα μείνω σε λιγότερο από ένα χρόνο στην αγγλία. όλες οι μετακομίσεις έγιναν για καλούς λόγους, αλλά αυτό δε σημαίνει πως πρέπει να είμαι κι ευχαριστημένος, μιας που κοντεύω χρόνο εδώ, και δεν έχω βρει ακόμη ένα μέρος που να αποκαλώ σπίτι μου. κι υποψιάζομαι ότι το ίδιο θα γίνει και με το επόμενο, αλλά οψόμεθα.

ίσως αυτός να είναι κι ένας από τους λόγους που δεν τα πάω καλά με τη χώρα που με φιλοξενεί. εγώ τις έκανα τις επιλογές, ναι, και της δουλειάς, και των εκάστοτε συγκατοίκων και των σπιτιών και του να έρθω εδώ. αλλά δυστυχώς (ξέρω, υπεραισιόδοξος?) δε μου έχουν έρθει πολλά σημαντικά πράγματα όπως τα ήθελα, κι έτσι κατά καιρούς ξενερώνω. κι όπως έγραψα και σ'ενα φίλο σήμερα, "δεν είναι ότι κάτι συγκεκριμένο πάει στραβά στην αγγλία, απλά η ζωή μου εκτός αγγλίας είναι καλύτερη", εξ 'ου και κανονίζω συνέχεια ταξίδια.

το άλλο θέμα είναι ότι έχω εδώ και χρόνια φτάσει σε σημείο ισορροπίας με την αλλαγή. δεν είναι ότι δε με πειράζει, αλλά δε με αγχώνει γιατί έχω συνηθίσει. κι έτσι δε με αγχώνει το ταξίδι ενός μήνα στην ασία με δεδομένα που αλλάζουν κάθε μέρα, δε με αγχώνει που θα μπω σε ένα σπίτι που δεν έχω δει, και δεν με πειράζει που δεν υπάρχει αρκετός χρόνος για να σχεδιάσω όλα αυτά που πρέπει. ξέρω ότι όλα θα γίνουν όπως πρέπει. αλλά το μείζον ζήτημα είναι ότι πια δεν έχω καμιά αίσθηση της μονιμότητας σε κανένα επίπεδο στη ζωή μου τα τελευταία 10 χρόνια. κι ίσως σε κάποιο βαθμό να με βλάψει αυτό, γιατί είναι καλό να είναι κανείς προετοιμασμένος για την αλλαγή, αλλά είναι επίσης καλό να έχει προετοιμαστεί και για τη μονιμότητα (ή τη διάρκεια σε κάποια πράγματα) γιατί κάποια στιγμή θα πρέπει να την επιδιώξω, σε κατοικία, δουλειά, προσωπική ζωή κτλ, κι απλά έχω συνιθίσει να αλλάζουν όλα γρήγορα γύρω μου.

από την άλλη ίσως η "μονιμότητα" ή η σταθερότητα είναι ίσως state of mind που έρχεται μοιραία κάποια στιγμή στη ζωή, όταν κανείς νιώθει πια έτοιμος για κάποια πιο σταθερά πράγματα. κι ίσως απλά δεν έχω ακόμη φτάσει εκεί. οψόμεθα...

idle

i was thinking of maybe getting on my feet and going on an excursion, maybe to oxford, today, but the saturday mood just got to me once again...just sitting at home, doing my laundry, going for some shopping and basically spending most of the day on the internet, reading and listening to music. it seems to be the norm for the past few months that have been intense, as this might be the way to relax from work and everything else that the week behind me entails.

and it's not like i don't have other things to think about or plan/arrange. i have a 20+ day trip to arrange in may. i am moving again right upon my return from asia. and there;s a lot of logistics for both of them, and franly speaking, not a lot of time left. i have the next friday trip to greece to look forward to. but much as i would like to do otherwise, saturday is usually spent thinking abstractly and it's hard to concentrate on anything specific.

murphy's law...multiplied

1. monday morning (need i say more?)
2. may holidays most probably called off. i need to be in london mid may as of today, and i had pretty much scheduled to be away for most of may beginning to the end. this is really something.
3. still got this cold since thursday (though i'm getting better) but it doesn't help to look back and see i spent the entire weekend at home
4. bank account has hit rock bottom (long live the overdraft facilities)
5. growing pressure at work these days, which causes the highly unusual effect of taking work home with me
6. housing situation post april still uncertain

however, as in all cases, there's always light at the end of the tunnel.
1. going to ireland this weekend
2. going to greece in 3 1/2 weeks
3. going to copenhagen end april
4. generally making plans about the next year...lets see where this takes me...

coolest few days in london

these last few days in london, looking back at the - almost - nine months i have been living here for, must have been the coolest so far. panos, one of my two longest standing friends, and his girlfriend christina were in town. and much as the times have been intense at work, that didn't stop us from roaming all around london and have a great time!

i've only had a couple of visitors with whom i also had a very good time (athena and kostas) but this was beyond expectations by far. we did some of the touristic stuf i hadn't done, went to madame tussauds, to the aquarium, to portobello market and the london eye. we went to shoot pool, drunk all night with the indian gang, pub crawled, walked around the center, piccadilly, green park, leicester square, covent garden, oxford and regent street, had paella and sangria at st. christopher's place, walked around bayswater, camden and basically coverd lots of miles within only 4 days. miraculously, every morning and despite the hangover, i have made it to wake up at 7 and be at work on time.

i think it's one of the nicest times we've spent together with friends. and for me, playing host to the people that are the closest to me, is always a lot of fun. but there's an added point to this all: to some of my closest friends, who haven't managed to visit me as i always met them at their home place, i have always been living a different kind of life. thessaloniki, athens, the army, rotterdam and now london have all been just mere descriptions of me to them and this includes the aiesec years and all my international friends, whom they have never met. my life is more or less like a story to them, as they have no visual image or experience of what it looks like. that makes me a complete alien when i go back home, as i cannot even discuss my good or bad times in a number of occasions. in any case this was the first time that a friend who has known me for 14 years now, gets exposed to my life abroad and my international friends and gets to see how i live here. and it feels absolutely great.

thank you guys for visiting, looking fwd to the next time!

a box fish at the london aquarium

panos and christina at portobello market

jaws

panos & christina on a classic london tourist photo

portobello mkt, trying to be artistic

3 drunk caballeros in bayswater

"as much as you can fit in there..."

"and for you, sir?"

Panos and the City

alive!

you know you're alive and you're important when the phone rings at 1am, you wake up and chat to a friend for an hour for something urgent. and when you have people that think (and they're right) that you don't mind being waken up like this, cos you'd do the same when in trouble. call them!

still have the wedding stories pending. it's actually beyond description, but hey, it's been a week and i'll find my way of telling a couple of stories. this weekend has been uneventful, save for sunday. spoke to a couple of people whose voice i had missed after a long while, went out with the indian gang and ripun/nicole who are in town, caught a glimpse of the fireworks in leicester square for the chinese new year, reminded myself that the holiday season for me is only a couple of months away and i still haven't sorted myself out.

there's a bit of a mess in my life currently at all levels, but it at least makes me feel alive.