Wednesday 23 December 2009

Two days before Christmas... only 1 present pending... everything else done and neatly hidden way to be revealed on Christmas day. The power of rituals, after all we are not so far way from our savage ancestors with their ritualistic rites and ceremonies.. What is Christmas and our celebration of it if not a ritual? an annual festival... We humans need our routines, it makes our calendar steady and robust and gives us something to look forward to. And indeed I am fool for Christmas every year, no matter what our budget for presents and my mood going into it, it will catch up with me eventually and this year was no exception.

Tuesday 22 December 2009

WRAP UP... that is all i can think of. As I try to gather thoughts, send emails, think about the coming holidays and tie up loose ends, my mind is becoming increasingly exhilarated.

A few days away, a few days here... and a deep sensation that 2010 might deliver some of the promise that a New Year brings despite statistics and general gloom...
Have you noticed that when people are in somewhat dysfunctional relationships they tend to put the blame on gender differences?? "there is no making sense of women!" or "all men are the same"!! Have you picked up on that? I see it quite often, esp. after heated phone arguments... the minute the phone is down I would hear comments like "I simply do not understand women".. Of course women as a gender and a statistical sample would be quite difficult to assess so it is my guess that the colleague I have in mind simply cannot understand his girlfriend, with whom he has been together for donkey's years. I also think that he never did understand her and she probably feels the same. Because of course it works both ways...

People fall out of understanding and out of love more often than we think but it is simply too much effort to go through the technicalities and break up, so instead they spend a lifetime going through the motions, looking the other way, blaming men, women, stress, routine, etc etc. As I have said before, I am not one for advice on matters of the heart... but come on... confront it!!!!!

Monday 21 December 2009

All good things to those who wait...

The end of 2009 can only be described as a good thing, a year the last three months of which felt like a battering ram to my stomach and to the stomach of a lot of people around me. I often feel that I am grateful for a healthy year for my family and that is the biggest blessing I can ask for.

It took me a while to accept things and take some things less for granted than I used to... so now I can safely say that I can rejoin the living after a long introspective pause. I am grateful and I am happy and wait for 2010 to dawn its magic upon us...

Wednesday 16 December 2009

Talent... no matter what it is, how it emerges, how it is cultivated and nurtured talent is a rare expression of godliness among humanity. Why pay 200EUR to see someone dance? or 100EUR to hear someone narrate a story? Talent is attractive and it comes in all shapes and sizes.

I believe the mistake we often do is to ignore or fail to realise where our talents lie, painting, dancing, acting are the obvious ones but there are soooo many others. Connecting with people, thinking clearly amidst the chaos, even loving are talents and we are not all capable of these things to the same degree... some of us are really talented.. others less so. And we admire that, even if we do not realise it immediately.

Friday 11 December 2009

There is something to be said about the mind-boggling treadmill-induced boredom! In fact it is so effective in clearing my head that all sorts of ideas pop in!
I feel a veil was lifted this morning while on the treadmill at the gym... I realise what I want to do, how I want to do it and the plan to get there. Crystal-clear! It is no surprise that as time goes by my writing will consume more and more; just the thought of my play actually going on stage next year thrills me beyond belief... and I have so many ideas.. so much I want to put on paper. But there are other things before that and it is up to me to make sure they happen and they happen correctly.

Not sure where I will end up and what kind of a father or a husband I will be if I see all this through. But i do know what kind of a man I am now: a mopping, miserable one who does not react to the ugliness around him, and anything is better than that!

So watch this space for developments; first inside... then outside...

Thursday 10 December 2009

under pressure.....

I am a firm believer in down-time... our ability to switch off without sleeping! Lately I have found it increasingly difficult to switch off, as if my mind is rebelling to the notion of rest and relaxation and as a result I am constantly stressed. It is work, surroundings along with a number of factors that contribute to my mental demise and I am starting to realise that I will have to put an end to it very very soon if I value my sanity.

So down-time it is... even if it means planning ahead and making time amidst the perceived chaos. When your days last approx. 14hours of constant alert the precious 30min. left to relax in are extremely important. I therefore decided to infuse those 14hours with a higher degree of nonchalance, therefore trying to ensure my survival!!

I know that 2009 was disastrous for many people, I myself have felt the impact of this year to varying degrees and as we turn a leaf and move over to 2010, I find myself wishing for the same things as I on January 1st 2009, but now all the more fervently and passionately.

Tuesday 8 December 2009

A few years ago I purchased a mobile phone that I simply thought was the stuff that technological miracles were made of! I loved the style, design and the general approach to technology... it was great. Why am I telling you this... a few months ago and 3 phones after my dream-phone I was given a new high-tech, 3G, touch screen contraption which was supposed to be the latest in mobile phone technology, a marvel of modern know-how and execution. I hated it... it unnerved me, it could not even obey my simplest commands and placing a call was in fact a chore.

Last Sunday I was cleaning out one of my drawers, and I saw my dream-phone, which I had carefully laid aside as my expectations changed due to the advent of new technologies. I felt angry that somehow I had been too weak to stand by my desires and instead fell victim to the ongoing marketing merry-go-round, want more, buy more etc etc. I did not need the high-tech phone that looked a kitchen tile!!! All I wanted was my dream-phone with the funky ring tones and the rounded-off design. So i replaced it. I am now walking around with a 2006 model!!!! much to the horror of my colleagues who cannot understand how this can be. And I feel great.

Resist... that is the only sound advice I can give to anyone willing to listen. Sure we will keep on buying and consuming, I am all for that, but we have to stay in touch with ourselves.. what we like, what we need and what we want. Really like and really want

Monday 7 December 2009

Of course death is such a natural part of life, like going to the toilet or being born even that its presence should gives us comfort. But it does not. Death, pretty much like the threat of pain, stands around us all-menacing as we perceive a risk entering our comfort zones. It is true, death ruins our plans, it destroys lives in a fundamental way, your dreams, expectations and emotions are often shattered, albeit momentarily, on account of someone's death. New dreams and expectations take their place...

But death itself cannot be avoided and no matter how far ahead we plan for a concert or a dream holiday, the truth is we might not make it or someone we love might not make it... I had to face that grueling reality over the weekend as I watched a very dear friend of mine say goodbye to the love of her life... and I realised that as we spoke her old dreams meant nothing and they were going to be replaced by new ones and such is the way of the world. We pursue endlessly until we face a dead-end and then we start all over again towards a new direction. And that is life...

Tuesday 1 December 2009


There is a sigh of relief... a deep one... like the worst are behind us and as dawn breaks on this most glorious of months i feel bright, trying to shed the greyness of the past few weeks away. I wrote a few days ago about endings, I am still not sure what is happening but I am sure of that 'gut feeling'.

It is just that endings or not, I need to savour these few days leading up to my birthday and allow myself to relax. I am starting to resent this constant feeling of angst and 'stolen' relaxation, like a 'how dare you relax?' attitude.. Well i do dare, and if i don't dare i will probably die. Yesterday I met a girl who spent 4 days in hospital suffering from work-induced exhaustion. She is 22 and takes home well below half my pay packet. Yet somehow in today's day and age this is considered a normal turn of events... noone is going to apologise to her or her family and as I am getting increasingly fed up and disgusted with the 'sacrifices' we are called to make in a thousand subtle ways, I resolve to putting up walls: never again will I allow myself to be placed in such a vulnerable situation where I have to excuse myself for not overworking or feel bad because I have to give my son a bath. It is a sorry and miserable time when performance is based on how much you are shown to sacrifice rather than how much you are producing and at what quality.

Friday 27 November 2009

over and out...

there is an end coming... i can feel it! I sound like a soothsayer but I am hardly ever wrong about these things. The important question I hear asked, is 'when' and that I cannot answer dearest reader. If I knew that I would be bracing myself for the impact but right now there is only a feeling and little else.

There is nothing wrong with endings... getting there is the hard bit, otherwise I do not mind them at all. I am a natural fan of beginnings of course but still...

Thursday 19 November 2009

I guess I am impatient... and tend to lose focus far too easily for a man of my age. I also tend to react pretty badly to criticism not even malicious criticism but anything other than "it was wonderful, well done u are a genius" has me ready to give up whatever it is I am doing.

The truth is I like the iteration... bouncing ideas of walls.. well other people really. It is crucial to me I have realised.. I have also realised that I might never 'might' it but the fact that I took one giant step less than a week ago still sends shivers up and down my spine. And I still have more inside me, pouring out...

Monday 16 November 2009

Some weekends are thin... like water or even air. Others are thick... like almost-dry mud or quick sand. I had a 'think' weekend, full of energy and change of scenery, noise, tension, tenderness and exhaustion.

By Sunday evening I was ready to give up and then I realised that I can no longer give up. ''Quit" is no longer an option on the menu and I felt all the better for it. This morning I woke up with a weird sense of energy even though I was completely worn out the day before and I think this is the reason why. I no longer struggle with reality; I have just about given up on peace and quiet on demand and instead start to come to terms with controlled chaos at the best of times. It works for others so it might as well work for me. And why not?

Thursday 12 November 2009

This is the dawn of a most productive day... even though it is afternoon... the juices of creation are flowing in quite an unprecedented manner.. one Act down..

Monday 9 November 2009

this week is made of paper... like origami... I am not sure why! origami is fragile, it is also fake and colourful. Not sure what this impression means, not sure where it comes from. I m not thinking of it in negative terms and certainly this Monday started out with a lot more promise than my previous week.

A crystallized realisation has formulated in my mind, visions of the future that might not be as distant as once imagined. And that keeps me going. Weekend also kept me going, and that is now my daily-fuel, snippets of weekend keep me going all the way through Friday.. that is how important these couple of days have become to me. Thanks to both of you.. and i don't mean the days, you know who you are.

Thursday 5 November 2009

Just how do we connect to people? is it every day-ness? is it sex? is it 'love', the feeling of connection? It is baffling to me how bridges are formed, maintained, left to rot and eventually collapse.

As a married man I have often wondered this in my quest for betterment. It is not easy task of course and it requires at least a degree of insight and understanding. I am not sure I understand anyone, let alone my wife, her dreams and wishes but the aim here is to understand us and our dynamics and that is where the connection comes from.

Wednesday 4 November 2009

Reading back on my entries it would be easy to imagine that I have somehow contracted a horrible mental illness slowly dragging me to the pits of depression, insanity and ultimately a slow, deranged death. I mean they are hardly uplifting and for the life of me I cannot understand why they are not.

Every time I start writing with the best intentions and then all this comes out. It could be my idea of therapy and I 'exhale' all these negative thoughts but obviously there is something wrong with my surroundings or with the way I process all this information. I have this constant feeling of 'let-down'... somehow... somewhere and an unfaltering sense of betrayal. I am not sure how to explain it. Hence my writing comes out all twisted and out of shape. Because I am funny... I mean I write funny, I laugh a lot but lately everything has been decreased and I am tired, just tired of fightin...

Monday 2 November 2009

OK so blogging is like sending an email to noone and everyone at the same time, one of those random 'spam' emails we receive on a daily basis from friends and friends of friends of friends, in the address book of whom our emails simply appeared... It is also therapy, an instant gateway to cyber universe, like opening a window to a starless night sky. The truth is that blogging is everything and none of the above; I am actually writing more or less regularly even though I am convinced and I in fact know that noone is reading any of these posts or at least most of them.

So why go on? Because writing is about sharing to a very grand scale, and i write and i will post it up here even if noone gets to read what I am writing. I would love for everyone to read this, I cannot tell a lie but it would it make a huge difference to the content? probably not... what it would do is give me pleasure, and lots of it, but somehow I was not destined to derive pleasure from my literary skills... which is kind of a bummer really, because deep down I would have liked to... really really really liked to....

Thursday 29 October 2009

oh what a beautiful morning...

So how are you this fine day? I must say as I get older the variations in my mood become more acute on an hourly basis and they are almost always reflections. I find myself in bad moods because others are in bad mood around me and I seem to absorb stress and bad moods. I also absorb good moods so in light of positive energy I tend to reflect that too. But alas? Where is positive energy to be found aplenty?

On the phone to a friend of mine living abroad this morning I realised that the day is coming closer that we might have to wave goodbye to our current country of residence. I have no preconceived notions of home, that much I accept. Home is where our stuff is... and we make our home where we can as long as we have those we love around us, at least some of them. It might be time...

Wednesday 28 October 2009

I wanted to write today, felt the urge after a particularly horrific day yesterday and then I read this, http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/oct/26/aa-gill-shot-baboon. So I will not write much as I stand dumbfounded by the level of cruelty among our human race. Just when we think we have seen enough, new heights are reached.

I will not write any more today, I will let you all read this article in the Guardian.

Tuesday 27 October 2009

I realised over the weekend that I had never REALLY heard anyone utter my name the way my son does... and I don't mean that cliche that it puts everything in perspective and nothing else really matters. A lot else matters but we learn to prioritise; so a lot else matters but I am now pretty certain that nothign really matters as much and that for me is a huges realisation. It was merely a suspicion but I know now. And I think every parent knows when they realise that their own life has become that little bit less important.

I guess there are a lot of people around expressing their views on parenting and the everyday complications and pleasures of it all, but I think we all fail in our insights to truly grasp 'their point of view'. I mean if you are short and overpowered and unable to express yourself clearly wouldn't you be frustrated? Let's face it, we are lucky that toddlers are as calm as they are given what they have going against them. But somehow, somewhere they make a breakthrough and they let us know what they are all about... and then we get a glimpse of their world imagivnary or not.. It is full of stories and running around and opening drawers and trying out new things, a neverending appetite for all things new. It is truly a magical quality to have and one that remains fundamentally human, the curiosity to understand the world.

Tuesday 20 October 2009

People tend to experience pressure differently.. the same amounts can have different effects and what is important is not how much pressure we are under but how we perceive it.

Pressure can cause you to unravel, lose your sense of direction and ability to regroup and I fear I am living with that and it is not nice. Love should protect us from unravelling, maybe in a perfect world, but it does not, perhaps it adds to the pressure... perhaps...

Friday 16 October 2009

the rain in Spain...

We are in the middle of the rain season it seems... and we are all the better and 'cleaner' for it. And there is plenty to wash away trust me.

But that is not the big issue of today, we are in the middle of cosmic rearrangement it seems because after 12 years in the workforce it might juuuuuuuuuuust be likely that I will be getting an office space all to myself. I am almost there right now but sharing is somehow not the same. I am therefore thinking that all this could very much change my own approach to work, I mean it is possible. I am very much into spaces around me and very much into defining them so that they do not end up defining me! I must say that is an interesting development, although it appears that it is raising eyebrows and it might not even happen but it is good to dream and somehow this little void of an event has created joy out of nowhere... just joy... is that not very very bizzare?

Tuesday 13 October 2009

life in the fast lane or not....

People around me keep commenting on the values of leaving the 'big city-living' behind and going off to a village somewhere and let the kids grow a bit wild, as they should, picking berries and climbing pine trees in the wilderness. It sounds very appealing, I even know a couple of acquaintances who have 'dared' to take the plunge and go for it. Whether they look back or not I am not sure about, but nonetheless it is a decision filled with anticipation and awe, at least in my eyes.

I am fed up with cities; have been living in them for most of my life. And now I have a choice to play house in big-time suburbia, I have been thinking about it in earnest and it is something that my wife and I have discussed in varying degrees of sincerity. But I am not convinced that children will thank me for it. Something about small-town mentalities scares me, makes me apprehensive, because it is one thing moving to a picturesque village in your 30s and quite another growing up there, having known nothing else as home, quite different. Am I ready to deprive my son of the choices I had as a child or a teenager and present him with a host of other opportunities. Do I even have the right to make that choice?

Tuesday 6 October 2009

There is a sudden crashing realisation when faced with the middle-class reality of our existence. Middle-class status is really a burden on the mind and one is faced with ugly choices. For example when my income was really really low I knew and accepted that my choices were extremely limited so I was essentially 'satisfied' with my lot. I presume that really high incomes can afford a wide variety of choices that exceed the usual "paying rent and bills" and buying a couple of sweaters.

But middle incomes and middle classes are faced with this: "we will be ok, we will make do, we just need to cut from somewhere else".... In other words, we start entering a phase of financial rearrangement when it comes to our lives and our children's lives. In fact having or planning children forms part of a greater middle class equation... shall i? can i cut from somewhere else? should i? could i? It is a terrrible choice and one that burdens me almost daily... this is not a sweater, this is not a choice about a new car or a pair of shoes... it saddens me to think that giving life is reduced to measurements, how much i make, how big is my house, how much do i pay for rent??

Wednesday 30 September 2009


Interesting pastimes hardly ever make it as 'worthy job aspirations'... and this is accepted by most! The other day an old friend of mine described to me how his boss threw at him a tower of boxes in a rage, right before he quit. Yet another friend mentioned her fuming rage as she was exiting a 15-minute staff meeting about developments at work.

Neither of those people of course is particularly fond of their day jobs, nor are their day jobs in any way remotely linked to what they actually like to do when they get a chance. But why are we simply resigned to the fact that our 9 - 17:00 existence (well not 17:00... 20:00 for most) is something to be viled and resented. It does not have to be, yet it is... and what is worse we are ok with it, because viled or not come the end of the month and we sigh a big sigh of relief that we are not destitute for another 2-3 weeks.

But there was a time and even working was fun and I remember it clearly! It was not even that long ago for most of us. It is not ancient history or some myth told around the office! Getting up in the morning and hurrying up in the shower so we could go to work. From what I hear, I was lucky to have ever lived through such a period at all, because most people have not... And now what? I am supposed to be ok with joining "most people"? I think not... I try every way that I can to make the most of my days and recapture a sense of fulfillment, achievement and even success, I dare say, which has long departed from my everyday pantheon of feelings and emotions at least in the workplace. But I am failing or I think I am.

And when we fail we are faced with the obvious question: do I keep on trying or change directions?

Monday 28 September 2009

consolidate... or perish...

Well, I always thought that doors closing, windows opening, is all part of life. But open too many windows and suddenly you have a draft. So there is no winning... but I must say I prefer a draft than second-hand, stale air! There is a lot going on you see and when there is a lot going on I tend to lose focus but perhaps this is for the best. Focus and I do not really go hand-in-hand, I might as well admit it now and get it over and done with. So it is best not to focus too long on one thing and when I have the luxury to do that I am happiest.

I will never concentrate on one thing, that much I have gathered. I will have 2,3,4 projects on the go and hope they will work out. The problem is constantly finding new areas of stimulus... and surely this must be a finite list of items that "can raise for flag" for a long time. But for the time being, something is going well... something has given me wings... and like Daidalus I might crash but it feels like a good ride..

Monday 21 September 2009

Somewhere not far away, actually very near from here, life is carrying on... right now... but rather differently... weekends away are normal. We have them quite often. Escaping in the heart of September is a luxury I agree but we had to use our free air-mails so the Greek isles seemed ideal.

There is something to be said about island life... our life away from the city. They wake up, go about their business, have fights, love, hate, eat, sleep, have sex, get up again and another day begins but there is something different. The constant hum of the waves crushing, the lack of connectedness, the feeling of solitude unique to an islander. This is therapy in the shape of a land mass! I feel like I spent the weekend at a parallel universe... where i was convinced that life continued in the universe i came from but it did not really seem tangible, it was so far away from me.

Wednesday 16 September 2009

one of life's little jokes... routine


I was told that I need a break, that the routine might be getting to me... I was also told that I pay attention to small things too much and let them get to me.

The fact of the matter is that as we grow older putting up with routines is what we get to do best. In fact I do not mind my routine at all, it is the breaking of my routine that I mind and affects me negatively. And routine is all about small things, it is all about a succession of small things leading to the bigger whole. So of course small things get to me, they always have. But people get to me too... more people than ever before in fact and that kind of worries me.

What I know that is am going through a pretty cynical time right now although I never meant to; it is just that I need some sort of defence against the ineptitude of certain coworkers, the stupidity of fellow drivers, the injustice that surrounds me all around. All this of course should be part of the routine by now, but I refuse to assimilate them, you see... that is the problem! Accepting is approving and I cannot do that..

Wednesday 9 September 2009

I go to this gym in my neighbourhood, nice enough place, known the people for years. There is one guy who refuses to say hello to me in there! It baffles me! He is there early in the morning as I am, talks to everyone apart from me. This morning it was the same. I think I need to fight the overwhelming desire I have for pleasantness and simply not care. However, it seems so intriguing to me and I cannot help but wonder. I should understand it; maybe he does not like my face, maybe he does not like the way I work out :) but in any case he pretty much refuses to talk to me...

For me of course that is a huge deal.

Friday 4 September 2009

OK, so you have a two-year old son with a birthday coming up! The whole house will be decked out and ready to receive guest, McQueen theme aplenty but I cannot help but wonder... does it really mean anything to him? I am pretty sure he will understand that there is a big deal, especially with all the people around interfering with his normal schedule but in actual fact, I am not entirely certain that this is even what he would have liked and that kind of scares me!

I mean the point is that he has a great day, a special day... after all birthdays should be special! Especially when you are two and you derive pleasure from a bowl of cereal. But why do we find it so difficult to connect to a 2-year old brain, when we were in that exact same position just a few short decades ago?

Friday 28 August 2009

fight or flight


There is something to be said about peace of mind... the kind of peace you get only when children are asleep and for a moment or so there seem to be no worries in the world. It is not really linked to holidays at least not for me; holidays are Pause, they are not a Stop button, therefore all unsolved issues remained unsolved, we just put off their solution, which can be source of worry in itself.

I am usually worried, I spend my life worried, but lately I am starting to experience quite strong "flight" instincts. For me that is not an all good sign, when I start to get the urge to leave I eventually succeed but often the cost varies. This time I am not ready for any cost, but I do know that something has got to give and the tide must change. It could be of course that change is nothing but a state of mind which can eventually lead to peace but I have not figured that out either. For the time being I am struggling with the urge.... and peace is far from my mind!

Tuesday 25 August 2009

It is the trees' fault... after four days of devastating fires sure to lead to flooding aside from the obvious ugliness, the official word is that the trees are partly to blame for the fires! you know, their shape, structure, position was provocative!! As incompetence, ignorance are hailed as 'government position', I cannot help but wonder what has gone wrong with us. It is obvious that we live in a country we deserve, run by people we deserve, so basically it is our fault.

What happens to humans with power? Why is power seen as nothing more than an entrance way to all those things we are groomed to envy all our lives?! A house on a hill... in the middle of the trees... away from everyone else... It seems to me that we are now more than ever prepared to do anything for money and getting what we want, burning a few acres of land, bribing a few officials etc etc etc. The price is constantly higher of course but we seem to accept it, because deep down we know that we might find ourselves in a similar position. Yes, we 'hate' all those bad people who go and built houses where once stood great pine trees... BUT we see the house with the pool and we know, we know what we are too scared to admit even to ourselves....

Monday 24 August 2009

ashes to ashes.....

I need to write today... I have been meaning to write this post all weekend in one form or another. I did nothing yet I feel exhausted; once again this morning I woke up and my mountain balcony view was an apocalyptic scene of bellowing smoke hiding the sun. Fire everywhere burning down tomorrow. These are not just trees, these are tomorrows trees, but alas.

Sunday morning, we got up at 6:30 am and the flames visible from the living room window revealed just how close hell was, about 15min by car to be exact. And yet we never learn, we will forget this tragedy like we forgot others before it, we will get used to driving through bare mountains were once stood 100-year old pine forests. And we will get used to more people building their dream houses on burnt down hopes. So we probably deserve this, we must deserve it because it has been going on for so long, it is obviously ok by us, by all of us. and that is what makes me so sad...

Thursday 20 August 2009

A friend of mine, whom I have recently caught up with, is soon moving to the US with his family for a new start having been offered a brand new position in his field. Apart from the gutsiness of his move, I believe 100% that people were put on this Earth to make such decisions, to change our lives to pick and go where we believe we will be better off, not just us but our families too. I wish all three of them the best of luck!

Tuesday 18 August 2009

hail to the new season...

So we are settling back, trying to shake the sand out of our Birkenstocks and our loafers, looking for the After-sun lotion and wondering when the phone in the office will ring again so we can set the big wheel in motion again.

Holidays in the Greek islands has its good and bad points; but one of the best points is the deep sense of escape one gets after living the island-life even for a few days. It is not just the beach or the sun or the endless walks around green-less specks of rock darted around on a blue blanket. It is the sense of belonging to that place, of doing things their way and not missing your keyboard or your Wi-Fi or your Outlook. For me the biggest holiday crime is asking that terrible question "Do you have Wi Fi connection?" to the hotel manager of the cutest bungalow complex in the southern Aegean sea. Unfortunately there is Wi Fi access, by popular demand. But in spite of the lap-toppers holidays are indeed an event that bring us face to face with at least some of our demons, yet another time for resolutions, decisions and even actions. And I hope and pray I will find the strength to be resolute, decide and act in this new season that is dawning... Welcome back...

Friday 31 July 2009


As the final bits of summer attire are being arranged in duffel bags or rucksacks (I avoid suitcases in the summer holidays.. they are too formal...) I look back at an unseemly season, one with so many ups and downs, which left a particular mark on me. The 08-09 period was a particularly harsh one and even though my life was full in every respect, a fact for which I remain extremely grateful, I long for the brakes... pushing down on them hard and then simply letting go, albeit for a while.

Wednesday 29 July 2009

i m going slightly mad...

... Too much noise.. I do not live in a particularly noisy area but apparently it is noisy enough, and lately I have come to realise that in fact there is so much noise in my life that it has strangled any glimmer of silence in there. Whenever I am, wherever I go, it is impossible it seems to get at least some downtime, a noise free void that could allow me to collect my thoughts. It cannot be good for me, in fact I am pretty convinced it is probably very very bad for me. But what to do.... Shutting the world outside has become increasingly difficult lately especially since the world is fighting so hard to get in. Over the next few weeks I will try my utmost to keep that promise, trying to stay sane and hope for the best. I already believe I am fighting a losing battle but...

I think holidays and travelling is good, however, there is a daily need for down-time otherwise we will all go mad. And that is a prospect I do not particularly cherish!!

Monday 27 July 2009

end credits... for summer renovation

There is a reason why we put up with so much ugliness around us... and the reason is weekend outings. For us blessed enough to live near enough to the coast, going to beach can indeed indeed be a simple process. We spent the entire day by the sea yesterday, and I must say it was worth the 10min traffic jam we faced on the way back.

As the city is slowly winding down for summer holidays, we ponder the end of a merciless winter-spring season. Wasn't just the 'financial crisis' that drove most of us to our wits end this winter, it was a continuous pressure to continue putting up with an overwhelming pressure on most fronts. But we survived, with a few more scars to show for it, a few more aches and pains that warrant further investigation and a bit more stressed. But we survived, and as we hope to pack and bid farewell to our lovely city for a few weeks we wonder, I wonder whether there will be any strength to make the return journey when the time comes.

Thursday 23 July 2009

We go through our daily routines trying to fit our wants and needs with our musts and have-tos. It is not easy, it is not even pretty sometimes, yet we continue doing it and doing it until we decide one day that this really is a bad fit and we suddenly realise that we had options open to us all along.

Of course this is just philosophy and as I write this in the midst of a severe stress-induced stomach pain, I wonder just how easy it is to practice what we preach when we are faced with uphill struggles where previously we had green meadows.

Wednesday 22 July 2009

Oh it's such a perfect day...

ok ok they are rare and something usually ruins such days half-waythrough... but when there is even a breeze in downtown infernal Athens at 3pm then it is obvious: there is an inter-galactic conspiracy geared towards that day's perfection! That was yesterday, today was a new story. It was indeed an excellent day and one that got me thinking on many levels about decisions, attitudes and 'letting-go' just a little bit.

It is a rare occasion for me when someone i trust holds a mirror to my face and essentially shouts "look!!" albeit subtly... On general terms the view is not all that bad, but I catch a glimpse of what needs changing and what doesn't and a fresh perspective is always welcome around here! So... I know what I need to do I just need to go ahead and do it...

Friday 17 July 2009

calm and patience

it is to blow up... it is easy to receive an email/phonecall and immediately react... I have done it sooo many times. But no more! There is really something to be said about lag-time and delayed reaction! I think I will make my mid-year resolution not to get entangled in these messes, especially when I am in the right, or right as I perceive it.

Our days are filled with angry emails and unheard of statements... we can feel our hearts race as we process the info. We feel heart attacks coming on as we force ourselves not to scream. But there is no reason... really... calmness is the only tool we need to muster!

Thursday 16 July 2009

ideas aplenty.....

Apparently we all have the capacity to write at least one book in our lifetimes. Which is a pretty good thing! However, how many GOOD ideas are we likely to have? You know the ones, those that are likely to change the course of our lives... I have been pondering ideas lately, perhaps a little too hard but I never seem to get around to THE ONE, even though I feel poised to do so... something is missing, a couple of crucial pieces the puzzle can take shape and everything can fall into place..

Any ideas???

Monday 13 July 2009

all i want in life...


I read somewhere "all I want in life is a pleasant woman who will like me"... Very interesting insight into male mentality, and indeed for most of us it is true but there is a pathetic ring to this statement simply because the gentleman in question (an otherwise pretty upbeat 29-year old) has conveniently neglected to comment on his feelings. It sounds as if it is taken for granted that he will like her, as long as she likes him... not even loves him, just likes him.

As we grow older, are we really becoming more desperate? Are we really lowering our standards? and when is the cut-off point? I think this is not the case... I see it around me, I see it in me, as I grew older, I raised my standards expecting more, from people, from relationships and it is happening right now. All I want in life is what I have and more. That is not greed, it is our quest for evolution, our need to grow based on solid foundations. I am not sure if I am lucky, hardworking, lazy, careless or whether I believe in chance, but I do know that life has very "few" presents, most of what we think is given to us, we pay for and we grow to deserve in one way or another.

money can't buy it...


To be honest there is very few things money cannot buy... but it is worth pondering on those sometimes so that us not-rich folk can feel good about ourselves and carry on with our illusions!

This weekend money did go a long way though... bought us some tranquility by the beach and great food BUT it did not buy the smile on my son's face and for that I am grateful. Nor did it buy a sleep-in on Sunday morning on the sofa with wife and son. That cost nothing and that is what I remember on Monday morning and what I am writing about on my blog so it must have had some impact.

As I wonder what the week has in store I try to hold my breath and weather the storm that is brewing... I hate storms, I am sick and tired of them. And unfortunately money CAN buy those, or rather money can sell those... alas

Wednesday 8 July 2009

So it is either anxiety, stress, a fatal disease or everything combined but for the last few days I have a constant weight on my chest... like I cannot draw breaths as deeply as I would like. Apart form my constant belief that I am dying, I have no other way to rationalise this. I have had X-rays, cat scan and heart check-ups a few weeks ago with a clean bill of health at the end of it. So what is this? What rare combination of events has my brain lined up this time to result in this??

Well what can I say? I should try and put it out of my mind but I am not entirely sure I have the capacity. And besides it is not as if, my brain and I are strangers! If I have to stop thinking about it, my brain has to tell my brain to do something, which is sort of an oxymoron... I will do my best but I expect very little in return...

Monday 6 July 2009

keep in touch...

Such is our need to connect that we are willing to devise and take part into complex technological schemes to ensure we stay in touch with our cousins living just outside Oakland, New Zealand and to whom we have spoken all of twice in our lives! So why do it? why take part in the social networking wave?

There is a simple answer to this question and many complicated ones, I am sure. As we "edit our profiles" we realise that displaying our emotions and letting others comment on them appears to be a vital part of our online existence. It is of course part of our effort to infuse the web with humanity. In our day-to-day conversations we can shout, be sweet, be quiet and even fight if we have to and all that just by ranging the volume of our voice and using body language... but online whatever happens TimesNewRoman looks the same, even if we choose Bold as an option, no matter how angry or in love we are!

So do we keep on networking? or should we just pick up the phone?

Friday 3 July 2009

enough....


Sometimes in life we have choices, and sometimes we are accused of the choices we make. Sometimes we claim we have no options, but deep down if we reeeeally wanted to we would have found a way.

A lot of changes take place in our lives and it is not always easy to adjust. For some bizarre reason it appears that my choices have been particularly under scrutiny by people around me; well that and the impact they have on my availability. Judgment is soo easy, I should know; but perhaps I am now paying the price for being judgemental in years gone by. For years, I was available, people would ring me up and I would be there; and I knew for a fact that it was not reciprocal but at that stage I did not mind.

For a while now I have been hearing ALL sorts of subtle and not-so-subtle hints revealing people's state of mind towards me. It all boils down to the fact that my limited availability is a punishable offense and for that I will be forever shunned. And now I am angry...

Thursday 2 July 2009


I feel stuffed... as in EATEN A LOT!! for the past couple of days I seem to have developed a far-too-healthy-for-my-waistline appetite. It could be a sign, I could be missing wife and son too much (am currently on a business trip) and choose food as a way out. Although that seems a bit far fetched to me.

During one of my food escapades yesterday I had dinner at a really interesting eaterie serving everything from crustaceans to strawberries with cream. While I was consuming some french fries, I heard the most wonderful utterance from my dinner partner: "I often wonder about those people's homes, don't you?". Actually I didn't but apparently my friend daydreams about the internal state of people's homes. Strangers that she sees on the street. Given my unique warped sense of excitement I found this fascinating and digged some more. My friend actually tries to picture where the sofas are placed, whether it was all done in good taste and whether the place is a mess when the people leave for work in the morning!

I immediately could not help but envy such a brilliant chain of thought! Utterly pointless of course but brilliant nonetheless! And of course I have been thinking about it ever since... all those little things we wonder about. Living in cities means proximity, our flats are stacked on top of one another so it is easy to see my friend's point. We interact with strangers all the time, we see them close to us sharing nearby tables, using the lift or sitting really close to them in the cinema. Do they wonder about us? Of course they do! Well at least I think they do, because if they don't then this post is verging on the weird!! :))

Tuesday 30 June 2009

when i grow up...

So I was thinking, why should we have to stick to our teenage dreams regarding our future professional paths?? Most of the adults around us when we are 16, 17 try to convince us that "we have so much to learn" regarding life and everything else. Yes somehow the same people appear concerned when by the age of 17 we have planned our entire academic careers at the graduate and postgraduate levels. Not only that but we are also expected to stick to that decision for the next 30 - 40 years or so.

So I have NO idea what I want to be when I grow up and I am 33. When I was 17, 18 even when I was 25 I remember having dreams about the future, I even remember what they were, I just don't have the same ones any more. So is it so difficult to make my new dreams come true? Is there an age threshold past which all dreams for the future are banned?

Monday 29 June 2009

For years now during the run up to summer holidays, I make a list in my head with all the possible things that can possibly go wrong before we go. Naturally this is a pretty long list; but I have decided not to do it this year. And I have also decided that for the first time that holidays is most underrated event in our adult lives.. people skip holidays altogether; people are often hindered in their holiday requests; people are asked to take holidays later or not to take more than one solid week.

For me I no longer care about what can go wrong. I need a holiday so badly that I cannot even think about my List. I do not believe I am overworked, but I do believe that there is a lot of grey matter involved in my daily work routine (if you call this routine) for which there is no compensation. The only thing I can think of that can come close to compensation is a few loooong days with a book at the beach.

Friday 26 June 2009

holy matrimony

Someone I work is getting married right now; not too far from here actually. And she is organising a simple family-only celebration afterwards. Marriage is mysterious, although cohabitation is not; it is not mysterious at all. But somehow the act of matrimony is this fanstastically super event that keeps parents happy and everyone else overwhelmed with joy.

Humans are social animals; most of us do get married but very few of us do it for the same motives... and it appears that there is a whoooole set to choose from. In my (admitedly not too long) life, I have met people who have married out of spite, out boredom, out of lack of options, out of comfort, out of money, out of pressure and also out of love. Whatever love is... as Prince Charles now famously uttered when he and Diana announced their engagement to their world.

Well I am not sure what love is, I bet you noone is. People experience love differently; it is a lot like pain in that respect. We never know what the other is feeling. But love is... and that is enough. Andd when it comes to marriage, it should feature pretty highly on the list of reasons. Not that I criticise anyone but being married for just over two years, I simply cannot understand how people manage it without love. At the end of the day it is two people sharing a bed, and would you really share a bed for a lifetime with someone you are "not really sure about"??

Thursday 25 June 2009

filtering and other tasks

I was always under the impression that communication is the solution to most problems. You know, keeping communication channels open for signal transmission and reception at all times. I was corrected this morning; while I was boasting that all my communication channels are open hence my tendency to constantly react to my environmental stimuli, I was in fact corrected by a friend who pointed out that what I suffer from is not a lack of communication but rather an overt level of signal processing. In other words not just transmission and reception but a lot more besides.

This is in fact a great notion; my 'problem' lies in the over-analysis of the signals I receive and likewise with the signals I transmit. Could this be? Are we becoming too analytical for our own good? Is there always a hidden meaning? And should we care even if there is one?? This last question I am particularly fond off.

Learning to put barriers up is an art form; barriers are usually full of windows, big gates, tiny doors and general gaps that can open and close at will. Some of us maybe never got round to putting up those barriers in the first places, so every tide washes away everything, leaving us in the midst of destruction at its aftermath. I might not have wall-building skills but at last I might have a little more insight... and that can go a long way

i had a dream...

I woke up this morning trying to put the pieces of last night's dream together. I was definitely on a game show, that much I remember. Some sort of question-answer thing, like Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. For some bizarre reason it was stuck in my head that shoes were not allowed on the TV set and I was walking barefoot throughout. There was a host, loads of lights and I remember walking on what a resembled a basketball court and thinking that I should have worn shoes. I even remembered the type of questions that would be directed at me but we never went that far in the game.

I also remember very distinctly an overwhelming sense of fear and worry that I would get the first question wrong or draw a blank, make a fool of myself and be escorted out!

I was not really afraid of losing, you win some you lose some. It was the disgrace that filled me with fear! Like so much else in life, saving face is more important than the reason behind it. In any case, I do not find it all that surprising that that particular dream formulated itself in my neurons over the course of the night. In actual fact this is probably the only dream I should be having for the last few months, given my state of mind when awake. After all, why should we expect our sleep not to mirror our mood? I woke up actually tired of the mental anguish and it was not until several sips of my coffee later that I realized that art might imitate life but life itself imitates sleep patterns!

Wednesday 24 June 2009

tomorrow never dies...


If you would like to ruin my life push me around first thing in the morning... and nag me and generally tell me how crap I am at doing something. I knew it this morning; even though the sun was shining and in spite of the cool breeze I knew that come 10:00 am it would all lay in ruins around me. And I was right.

This morning is one of those mornings when one retains a faint memory of what it was like to be calm and collected during your coffee break, or actually have a coffee break.

Things are going wrong, and when things are going wrong even though they were predicted to, tensions rise and it is our job to control tension. That is a key feature of work I believe, manage mounting tensions. Actually, no not just work, this is a key feature of life. But sometimes I cannot help but wonder why we struggle so much? It is as if we are trying to put on a pair of shoes 3 sizes too small. It will not work, yet we try and when friction is created we wonder ... and wonder...

Tuesday 23 June 2009

crossing lines and back again..

Is there a giant bell that tolls and summons those for whom change is coming up or long overdue? And do these people go away and prepare for that change and make it happen? Just what is it that makes us say the big YES and take the plunge? How much should we tolerate or put up with before we do? Worst-case scenario someone else decides for us, but that may be because we have been hesitating for too long. And in these turbulent times, decisions suffer and those who take them often suffer too. Change is sacrificed out of fear for the unknown

Change is nourishment; it allows us to set new goals, reevaluate ideas and reconsider our position... but going about it is not very nourishing at all! It is exhausting and the doubt and the worrying is almost certain to act as deterrents.. but one thing we should be aiming for is a chance to make the difference in our lives and we deserve that at least

it has come to this...


Over the years I have been known to "suffer" from a host of pathologies, ranging from the mundane to the ultra-exotic... Being a biotechnologist by virtue of my academic inclination did not help in my desire to answer the question "i wonder what's wrong with me?" .

Ok so maybe hypochondria is too strong a word to use but it is likely that the shoe fits in this case! I can take on stress like no other and transform it into a form of physical manifestation that actually causes ailment! This is something that I have come to terms with it but to see it in the people around me fills me with more than sorrow. I have had certain beacons in my adult life; certain people that I turn to and whose happiness I cherish; but above that, I cherish their outlook on life, so when they describe to me mystery symptoms that can be attributed to anxiety it is earth-shattering. When the hell will it stop? This modern attitude to worry and anticipation? Not sure if it is global warming or the financial crisis or something else entirely but it seems that we are slowly placing ourselves in a position of constant worry, almost always circling around the fact that we might lose our status quo. Possessions, life style and general standard of living.

And that is the trap of possession... the price we all pay is anxiety and stress. And even though I hate it is perfectly understandable. I will be more than anxious if we cannot make rent next week; and I will be seriously stressed if we cannot pay utility bills. So why do we choose to place ourselves in this position? Because somewhere along the way we convinced ourselves that aaaall this we now call our lives is better than a small house in the country or on an island with minimal requirements. For years I have been longing to leave the 'metropolis' behind and move the family away but we never quite make it and we are not likely to... so the price tag remains... for now..

Monday 22 June 2009

how best to handle stolen goods or ancient artifacts... (part 1)

The first thing one has to do is donate them to the British Museum. That way:

- maximum security can be ensured
- lack of legal implications is definite
- complete disregard for state and international laws can be guaranteed.

Once in the British Museum you can rest easy the Museum officials will do anything in their power to make sure that your artifacts (especially if they are barbarically removed from the original site) will NEVER be returned to their origins in spite of global outcry and demand. Furthermore, the Museum officials will enlist the help of every sarcastic nitwit airhead in the Greater London area in order to further its idiotic cause: holding on to stolen goods.

So if you are a bankrupt criminal not sure what to do with your loot, follow Lord Elgin's example, donate it to the British Museum and get the rightful owners off your back once and for all!!

Sunday + lunch = sunday lunch

As my wife and I were putting our son into his car seat yesterday I was already drafting this post in my head... I had a bit of an epiphany yesterday lunch time. Not sure if it was the venue, which was breathtaking or the fact that lunch with my parents and sister was truly enjoyable. Not that it had not been always but I, for a change, could sit back and relax. By no means a seasoned husband and father I usually find myself stressed in family do's, fantastically stressed that is! Which of course leads me straight to indigestion... a wonderful time to be had... BUT yesterday.. was the epitome of the family lunch! Could this be the turning point? The reaching of the balance?

When can we say we have reached at least some level of maturity, experience and knowledge to truly enjoy moments for what they are? Nothing more, nothing less. I am not entirely sure. However, there is hidden treasures to be had all around, a restaurant tucked away in the middle of the forest, a lemon mousse garnished with mint, a smile. And yesterday I savoured all these in away I had not done for a long time.

Friday 19 June 2009

all this and brains too...


Yes of course I have written a book! A much anticipated crime mystery (well it is hardly mysterious but there you go, I did my best at the time) written in 1997.. 12 years ago. A very interesting time indeed and one of the best times I have ever had. Researching, writing, fixing, rewriting, reading, editing... it was great.. and then somehow I forgot about it; as if the urge had been satisfied. I guess I was destined for other things but what if we really have no idea what we are destined for and we stumble from one judgement error to the next? And besides, the jury is still out on whether we can count on the existence of destiny altogether...

I had invested nothing in writing and yet at the end of the day after I had finished a chapter I could hardly believe that I had produced something, something for me to read, to share with the people around me and perhaps with the world. I never went through the 'publishing-rejection' round not sure I had the stamina for it but as one grows older, decisions and past dilemmas are reevaluated under a different prism and who knows..

But would it not be heavensent to once again wake up with that feeling? A sensation that your day will be filled with purpose, and will not just be devoted to often-futile exchanges, bill paying and commuting... think about it

and it looks great on you too....

I heard a horror incident this morning! I know there are people starving in the world and disease and a lot more besides, however, getting dressed and ready for THE social event only to find another guest wearing the same dress as you once you get there features very very high on the list of Urban Social Disasters.

I will not name names but the story was relayed to me by one of the 'victims'; once she walked up to the red carpet and into the venue, she turned for that "identification" glance, a quick once-over of guests, which she helped invite. And there she saw the Other! And this was not one a little black dress, this was an ornate affair of silk and organza with embroidery and a stand-out belt to match! Everyone must have noticed.. no matter how one chooses to accessorize a dress like that, it can be spotted a mile away.

So what to do on a situation like that? drape a pashmina over your shoulders? leave? dispose of your adversary? what do you suggest? Well in this particular situation they both stayed and waited for the night to end...

Thursday 18 June 2009

children and other animals


I read the most incredible story: a Canadian mother saved her 3-year old daughter from a cougar attack. The cougar had the young girl pinned down and her paws had immobilized her head and arms. After the rescue the girl turned around and asked her mom: "Mummy why wouldn't the kitty play nice?". Such a refreshing take on things!

I have no idea what curse falls upon as we enter puberty but that kind of outlook on life is really lost past the age of 10. And we become adults and everything is forgotten!

Me and the singer...

Those who know me are well aware of my propensity and fear to physically resemble a well known Greek iconic male singer of the 1970s. My starch + protein combination during lunch has triggered a whole new onslaught of suggestions from my peers that indeed I should start rehearsals very soon!

In an effort to avoid a lifetime of solitude and misery brought on by excessive intake of anything edible, I will ask for you assistance! not sure what form that should take but you better help!

make 'em laugh...

I have already been accused of quoting the people around me too much on these posts and that I am being too austere and serious!! Me?? I have been known to crack a joke or two but not everything is funny!

And besides monologues are rarely funny... give me a line, and I can give you a punch-line, that's how it works! I spend my days trying to humour my way through a series of professional messes and guess what, it works! So yes, i will try to make you laugh from time to time.. but I need help (well you probably already knew that..)

taken for granted...

Friends are a funny human breed.. funny strange not funny ha-ha, well they can be funny ha-ha but that is not the point here. I always thought that being yourself around your friends is a given, but it actually depends (i realised) on how ugly your real self is. Yes friends accept us and can see our point of view but even friends have lines that should not be crossed and then it is time to say goodbye. Not sure if losing friends is like breaking up with lovers, but it takes a lot longer to realise and deal with the pain. So I feel l have lost at least one very close friend recently, well may be not so recently but as I said it has been a slow realisation process. I cannot help but feel guilty, whether or not I should is another story but still that's what I do when faced with such meltdowns.

So what now? The encouraging thing is that friends come in numbers, so we can find solace in the people around us, even if some come and go. New experiences and new faces can be therapeutic if therapy is indeed needed. But there is that nagging feeling...

age of doubt...


just how much of a spill-over should we allow between our personal and professional lives...? I am not talking about workplace romances but rather about workplace catastrophes eating away at our sanity on a daily basis. I constantly find myself listening to or talking about disaster scenarios at work and I wish I could say it leaves me unaffected. I long for those days when work stopped at around 17:30 and it did not cross my mind until 14 hours later.

Naturally things progress and people change along with their responsibilities but I was at the supermarket last night trying to choose the best tomatoes when I realized I was not even thinking about tomatoes I was thinking about work and a client we lost. And it was not the first time either. One of my best friends is having her endurance tested daily by her boss who does not approve her "lack of enthusiasm". Another friend was recently fired and yet another is between jobs trying to make ends meet. So we work to live or live to work? Why can't we just live and work... ? I am not suggesting we completely separate those two states but we have to somehow rebuild those barriers that will not allow us to feel guilty if we leave earlier than 18:30...

Wednesday 17 June 2009

I received an email (forwarded a while back) full of "insights" into life... although there was a long list I picked out one: Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about. I have done it so often, most of the people I know have done it, again and again. I think only as I grow up I have become more and more critical towards "success" and "claims of happiness" and "easy life".

happy hour snack...

The ever-tormenting question: what to possibly munch on around mid-afternoon when you simply have to eat something!!! Yoghurts, fruits, nuts, chocolate and a whole lot more besides is constantly on the menu. Any suggestions?

how hard could it be possibly be??

for some bizarre twist of fate a few million of us have decided to 'share' a few square miles of an otherwise perfectly fine piece of land and the result: CHAOS!! Why is it so difficult for a HUGE number of us to let go a bit of ourselves so that others can get on with their lives too... Ok I know i moan but come on!!!! why must people park their cars in front of our driveways? because it is convenient for them you say... and that's where the trouble begins! Convenience is SUCH a misunderstood concept, usually expressed as a complete disregard for anything and anyone around! At least that is how it is expressed in my neck of the woods...

another day... another 50c...


As a friend of mine used to say... we drive to work (today in 32 degrees), spend all day typing and then back where we came from. I was faced with an interesting predicament regarding work yesterday and I was called upon to answer a simple (seemingly) question: who owns our work?? Very interesting indeed considering that we produce copious amounts of output on a daily basis and very few of us actually sign it in any way. Apart from the legal aspects of it, which i know very little about anyway, there should be a moral implication behind the ownership of our work. Clients want to own it, we want rights to it and this "thing" which we call work is starting to become more and more complex. My friend is trying to navigate through a series of legalistic and customer-service maneuvers in order to ensure what should come her way naturally: fair compensation for her input. Just something to think about in these troubled times...

Tuesday 16 June 2009

You have to love technology... and even if you don't it's your loss, and you can lose out on a lot! Within the space of a few hours since this morning I have communicated with the US, Middle East, Cyprus, Athens, Belgium, Spain and the Netherlands. We take if for granted but I have to admit that if it were not for the web I would not have remained half-as-close to people that are not just friends, practically family. So even though I am not as technology-savvy as I would have liked perhaps, I can still say that I have seen the light... and it is online!

Guardian article about the Parthenon Marbles

http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2009/jun/16/acropolis-museum-athens-elgin-marbles

Of course it is an event when a UK-based newspaper writes an article about the Acropolis museum and the return of the Parthenon marbles. Subtle as it may be there is that ever-present air of superiority and smugness in the writing and naturally in the oh-so-clever title. There is a semblance of balance or at least an attempt but in my view the key message is that they are not coming back.. these Marbles are not being returned by the British Museum, not now or any time soon. It is a shame really just goes to show that there are very few surprises when it comes to international relations!

little pleasures

I had the privilege of gaining my son's permission to put him to sleep last night... I had forgotten what it was like and it had been a while for me; lately he has been using me more as a "walker" and as the "man-for-fetching-stuff" and less for putting him to sleep. It was good... and mellow and am looking forward to next time.

Ears, throats and possibly noses

You would think that with a 21-month old son in the house, the one susceptible to infections and ailments would be him! Well this is the 4th time in less than 3 months that I seem to me coming down with something albeit, throat-, nose- or ear-related.

Mind you I am not the world's most easy-going 'patient', hell I am not even my building's most easygoing patient but still I find it unfair. The fact of the matter is that I am looking forward to getting over this new painful ear of mine, not least because there is only so long one can stand 35 degrees without the A/C on.

Speaking of 35 degrees, with the summer firmly upon us perhaps the thing to do is more blogging and less concentrating on work... but...

Monday 15 June 2009

Monday blues

Forget Sunday blues, Monday is the new blues-central... well it depends on how your day went but there is something profoundly sad about a Monday morning. Unless of course you are a born-again optimist, in which case it simply does not make a difference what day of the week it is, because the "sun will shine through no matter what"..

I drove to work in the middle of the 8am rush hour, not too heavy on this side of town but still a force to be reckoned with, especially on half a coffee and a warm glass of water. Not many surprises but then again, "day time is the dress rehearsal, anything worth happening happens at night". And even though I cannot take credit for this particular phrase, I must say that it tends to be true for us morning persons as well as for the night-owls out there.
a life in contra... not really against the grain, just KONTRA...

About Me

There is not much to say that is not covered in my posts... this blog was created because, well because writing has been a passion of mine and communicating is high up there on the list too...