Thank you, farmers!

Olympus
Originally uploaded by Dimitris Mazarakis.

There is a big issue in Greece right now and that's some EU money that hasn't come in for the cotton producers. So the way to get over this, is for them to block the national highway from Athens to Thessaloniki and close the circulation, essentially cutting the country in 2! They actually did this in the past, and they also did it yesterday! They use it as a negotiation means with the government, basically if you have 10,000 tractors on the street, it's not easy to pull them out, essentially the police or anyone else cannot do much.

So why I am thanking them? Because I was in Thessaloniki, coming back to Lamia, and since the trains were all full I had to take the bus. Now, we couldn't drive through the highway, so we had to take sideroads and climb the mt. Olympus, making a route of 3 hours in 7! But the view was just amazing, this picture is not my own but it's more or less what I was viewing for an hour or two. Amazing sceneries full of snow. And you can't imagine how relaxed I was feeling, since there were only 5 people on the bus, the bus driver had cool music on, and I was just staring at the view and making thoughts about the future.

I promised myself that I am going to hike in mt. Olympus during year 2005. I've always wanted to do it, and now is the time!

All those people

asking for change on the streets, in the bus/train stations etc. Where do they all come from? Why do they need the change for? Do they only exist in GR or in other countries as well?

Just yesterday in Thessaloniki there were 2 different people that asked me for change on the street, not in the begging mode but just approaching me and saying that they need to buy sth (i.e. a phonecard) and they are like 50 cents short...I try to understand the situation. Some of these people look pretty normal (like people who could actually be working or somehow earning their living). A lot of them look like they are actually homeless or drug addicts and basically do not have any sources of income, and instead of begging they ask for money in this way. The truth is, in any case, that they don't need the change to buy a phonecard. They know it, you know it, everyone does. But what's the deal: do you give them the change they need, or you don't? I still don't have a definite answer on this one, as it mostly depends - i am sorry to say that - on my mood or on how much in a hurry i am every time i meet a person on the street asking for change.

It's the same old story with the children in the traffic lights selling different stuff, like tissues etc. Do you buy to support them or do you say no to them? If you don't buy, they might starve. But if you do, you are actually supporting the people who are taking advantage of them, who took them out on the streets to sell procucts for them and make some profit out of children who cannot defend themselves in ages below 10 years old.

Reality is that it's all a big game of lies. I really wonder how these people feel, lying all the time ("I need some change to buy a phonecard") and being lied to all the time ("I don't have change on me, i am sorry"), their days remaining desperate and similar to each other, not improving a single bit. Fact remains that apart from some organisations with the aim of helping exploited kinds in my country, there's not so much of a movement to help these people get a decent life for themselves, cos i am sure they would probably prefer having a place to stay and earn a steady income if they had the chance to.

I am very interested in looking more into this phenomenon for Greece at least. Last night there was a big concert with 50 very popular Greek singers for aiding the people of SE Asia struck by the tsunami. The total amount raised so far from Greek citizens is about 20 mln EUR, which is a lot compared to the external debt of the country, and the salaries that we earn here. It shows that there's been a great deal of humanitarian effort by everyone to help people in far away lands.

However, one more thing that struck me was what one of the singers said on stage last night: "I am grateful for all this movement support our fellow peoples, but i hope the next such concer we organise will be for the purpose of supporting the homeless people of Athens".

How many times...

...can a weekly schedule change?

The correct answer is: uncountable number of times. The truth is that i am right now on the way to Lamia (i have to be there tomorrow) so i decided to stop in Thessaloniki last night and take an exam on one subject tomorrow noon, b4 i leave to my hometown for my 4 week training.

Do i have any chances to pass? Well, if i get lucky, i do. I sat for this exam again in september so everything is quite recent to me, but i need to focus in order to recap a lot of the things. And that's the difficult part, as i am in no mood for studying, i am too excited about going home for almost a month!

a few milimetres short...

of losing a finger! Following the exercise - where we camped in nature through storms and so much rain - apart from not having been so soaked again in my life, I almost ended up having a finger less.

I was unloading a truck with a lot of random things on it when a table fell on my hand and, well, took just a small slice of my right hand index finger off. It will be recovered soon - but it just gives me the creeps to think that just a few mlm further and i would have 9 fingers now! :S Don't worry though, i am fine, just a little strange to type or hold a pen for a couple of weeks more.

Other than that, since i didn't get pneumonia or any other sickness ater coming back from the exercise, i think i am not bound to have it ever in my life!

wikinews.org

There is this website that I came accross where you can actually post your own article on news or what you consider news. Check it out. You might argue that it's not objective as a medium of information but then, which one is? BBC? CNN? Any media from the place you are settled at? You always tend to read the news from a source you consider trustworthy or interesting enough. In that case, give it a shot.

I found an article on a conference themed "Credibility of blogs" on www.wikinews.org today, interesting enough to read, since blogging is a phenomenon with huge growth over the past year at least.

Digital lifestyle

"The vision is that people should have the ultimate in convenience. Being able to get the things they care about on the appropriate device" - Bill Gates on a recent interview.

Whether you enjoy microsoft or not, it's interesting to read part of the interview. Makes you think about how life has changed (and it's going to change even more) over the past decade at least. And how much this affects the world or creates a bigger gap between countries with/without access to technology and funds to get there.

change of plans again...

yep - that's the way it goes. The plan has changed again. I am not going to Xanthi for training, as we have a general exercise which includes my unit, next week. BUT, after the exercise, that finishes on Wednesday, I am leaving to Lamia for my four weeks training as sergeant. This is for sure (so I said the previous time but things changed again) - as I have checked it out with fellow soldiers from other camps that are going for the same training on the same dates.

Fair enough, these days we are in alert for the exercise, but on Wednesday I am leaving to Lamia, where I get to spend 4 weeks in my hometown. You give something, you get something, that's the way it goes.

Music

makes a big difference. I have been in the army for 2 and a half months and it's the 1st time i got a small radio player in camp - it makes a huge difference even in teh time I have to go to to bed and listen to music for just 10 mintes before I close my eyes. you know I am a person who cannot live without music.

on the road again

or rather on the train. Two weeks out of the camp have been too cool, I almost forgot I am a soldier these days. Some of it cos I saw my family again, some of it cos I had good partying time in Athens, some of it cos I was in Thessaloniki studying as a student again, and some of it cos in my favourite city I had the chance to see friends, walk around, enjoy myself with simple things.

I had the chance to see a lot of contrast in things. I was so happy to see friends whom I hadn't talked to in months, but through that I also realised how idle I have been, because of my current status in life (=soldier). And I have made on grand decision on that as well.

I have decided that no matter how much I don't like what I am into right now, and the effect it might have on slowing down next stages of my life, I have to accept it and go one step beyond. The step beyond is to completely bypass the fact that I am a soldier, and find other things to do to pass my time creatively. Study, read, surf on the internet, communicate with friends, try to find what to do in the future, make plans and generally follow the quote that says "act as if, and you will become". I'll try to do the things that please me, ignore every situation that brings me down, and make use of the year off (everything) that I am currently living.

Sounds very simple and easy, but beating compulsory idleness is not so much of a piece of cake. More from the front soon :)

One year of blogging!

Last year about this time of the year (maybe around 10th Jan or a bit earlier) I was starting my first blog :) Feels good to see that I am keeping it up after a year, and indeed I am much more into it than I was one year ago!

My exam period started...

...and finished within 2 hours! This was the sole exam I could take for now, as the exams for the rest of the three subjects remaining will take place during the week (yes, the same week) when I am going to be trained on my specialty - next week - so I cannot take them.

Result: in the best case I should be getting my degree after September, if i succeed in 2 in the summer and 1 in September. I'll give it a shot. Today's one seems to have gone smoothly, btw, but i should wait for the result in a few weeks before making any statements.

Now I have 2 days of holidays in Thessaloniki, nothing to do till wednesday noon, when my train to the camp leaves. For starters, I will go sleep, since I didn't do so last night. Depending on the time I wake up, I'll figure out a plan :)

enough with this tsunami

i know...everyone is overwhelmed and overstuffed with info about this great disaster. But there's just one thing I heard about that impressed me: that the animals managed to escape the tsunami. Some people claim it happened because of a "sixth sense", some because of their acute hearing sense that gave them the time to flee.

The fact remains that after a few thousand years of human civilisation on this planet, though we are "the animal with the bigget intellect" we still haven't managed to learn from the rest of the animals on how to protect ourselves. Don't take it literally as written above, but there might have been a way to save all those people that died in vain.

To make your day better

or to start your week in a cool way if this is a Monday you are viewing this on, follow this link

the army - an unpredictable organisation

Who said that I am moving on a fixed schedule?
As of now, the plan that I had announced a few days back on another posting has changed to:
- Until the 19th of January I will be in Thessaloniki
- on the 20th I will be in Alexandroupoli
- on the 24th I will be in Xanthi
- on the 30th I will be in Lamia for my training as sergeant for a month.
- Beginning of March heading back to Alexandroupoli for another 2 and a half months.

Not radically different, but still different. The good thing about it is that I get to spend less winter days up north, and lose the cold and humidity. Hurray!

Thessaloniki

This being my favourite city out of the four I have lived in during my life so far (Lamia, Athens and Rotterdam being the other three) it's always good to come back, even if this is for an exam at the university. Indeed sometimes I am glad I have these few exams left, so I can always get some days off the camp and come here in June and September as well :)

Right now at the university enjoying the feeling of normal life again, even if this means studying in the library or surfing at the computer lab. The night can always be more fun anyway, if the day has been a hard working one.

Right now I am being hosted at George's place, who of course is an AIESECer (we met yesterday at the office and he offered to host me). What a coincidence - he also lives in my old neighbourhood (like the other George that hosted me back in September). The difference is that his house (and esp. the room where I am staying) has an amazing view of the city. Too bad my camera is relaxing in Istanbul with my sister these days - but i am sure in due time I will find the way to share the view online.

Article about data never getting lost on the internet

"So it may say delete on the key, but in cyberspace getting rid of information is easier said than done."
Read the rest of the article.
I read this a while back and thought it's a good read. Check it out.

The Future

Just to mention that lately I hve ben thinking a lot into what to do in the future. Well, it's no coincidence that a lot of the people around me are there already, I mean working their way through a job, a relationship, a family, a home.

It's no coincidence at all. Look at the people I hang around with - in the past week!: Out of my 3 best friends in Greece 2 are both into a long-term relationship, and one of them is married. My friend Evi got engaged recently, two friends from Lamia got married last year, my sister has had the same job for the past 4 years and owns a house. And only last week's updates has several examples of friends abroad that moved in a new place, country, house or got a job! Ok, so if THIS doesn't get me thinking and moving, what will? It's a hint straight-forward enough not to be a hint anymore.

Truth is, I don't even know where I will be in one year from now. I only know what I will be doing till November 8th and what "I plan" to do for the time after. So the plan is basically to finish university before I am done with the army, which is pretty much under my control, and start looking for an interesting job abroad. That's too general, I know, but at least it's a start. March onwards I will start looking into it, so by autumn I will have advanced, hopefullly sending CVs and queries around, and arranging interviews.

FAQ:
Why not Greece?
Big issue. But for now I would say I am a bit prejudiced around this. I think that it's not so much worth it to work for a company in Greece. And I don't wanna work in Athens, which is the city around which everything revolves in this country. I'd rather do something of my own if I am here and I don't feel like I will be ready for that in the next 3 years. Besides, my social circle abroad is probably bigger than in Greece and I find the whole scenery more exciting.

Whereabouts abroad?
Hmmm - dunno yet. But probably western Europe for now. Would easily go for Asia which I find very exciting as well.

Field of work?
Unknown, though there are a few ideas in my head but for now I am flexible as I haven't had the time to look into it in detail. That, my friends will help me work out :)

Seriously looking fwd to advance with this in 2005, start a new - exciting life!

299 + 1

I thought it was a progress significant enough to mention, breaking the 300 day mark till i am finally done with the army.

Other than that, after lots of fun in Athens and a bit of studying in Lamia, now it's time to get serious. 2morrow morning boarding the train to Thessaloniki, for my Monday exam, then on Wednesday going to the camp again!

Paradox

I am in Athens now, at my sisters' place, just for the weekend - a bit of fun, a bit of shopping, a lot of seeing friends :)

I was just thinking while driving here of a paradox. I am currently stationed in Alexandroupoli which is just a couple of hours away fron Istanbul - I always wanted to visit that city btw - but I cannot go out of the country. My sister lives more than 1000 km away from Istanbul - in Athens - and she's going on a business trip there for a week's time, starting Tuesday. Isn't it ironic?

Moving on

well, I spent a good 2 hours trying to figure out how to add a counter, links etc etc on my blog and I managed to get somewhere - still need to work on it though. Maybe reading through some html related stuff would help...plenty of time to do that once i head back to the camp.

On another note, it feels great to see more friends blogging, i.e. Sathe in the US! Cool or what? :)

Change of plans and general update.

Well, once you start with it, you can never stop. There's been a good amount of negotiating in the camp, and I ended up having a leave till the 20th. It seems I will miss half the winter on leaves, which is really cool as the camp is at the North and it's bloody cold in the winter.

Other than that - yesterday I took a 10-hour trip by train to end up in Lamia at 20:00, and had a 2-hour stop in Thessaloniki, to have lunch with my good friend Valia - we were in AIESEC EB back in '99 six years ago - as she now leaves in Germany and don't have much of opportunity to talk these days.

Now just chilling in Lamia and figuring out what to do over the next few days, apart from studying for the exam that is. Just the first week of 2005, and I already have read 3 books! One idea is to catch up with friends wherever possible, but also fix my blog. Don't know how to do the last one though (links, counter, permanent content etc.) so if anyone has a clue, pls mail me :)

Tides that rise and fall

...and despite the poetic title, they tend to f**k up your entire bloody schedule.
Well, I wanted to take 2 exams now in January, out of the 4 pending for my degree. I had arranged the days off etc, one of them being the 24th of Jan, and today I discover that I am being transferred (again!) on the 24th to Xanthi, another North Greece city, for 10 days training on ...whatever - inventory management in the army or sth.

So, well, I can say byebye to my exam on the 24, taking only that of the 17th for now. The other one goes straight for September, and I hope it will be my only one (well, that depends on my summer exams as well). You get to adapt, anyway.

For now my schedule is:
5th - 17th January: leave. I will be in Lamia, Athens, and finally Thessaloniki for my exam. I am taking in one go almost half my days off for the year, but i couldn't resist the temptation.
18th - 23rd: Alexandroupoli
24th Jan - 4th Feb: Xanthi
5th Feb - 12th Feb: Alexandroupoli
14th Feb - 7th March: Lamia, training for sergeant.
7th March - mid May: Alexandroupoli.

After that, I should be transferred to another place, hopefully I will spend there the remaining 5 and a half months from May till beginning of November. It almost feels like my old AIESEC times, when I had a travel schedule on my signature :) Never thought I would get one again this soon!

January - anti-smoking month

There's a lot of you that know my passion for smoking (nothing to be proud of, really) and others that know of my love-hate relationship with smoking. To act on that, I am once again at one of these points a little bit fed up with smoking. So I declare January 2005 non-smoking month. No cigarette will be lit by me for the next 30 days. After that, we'll see.