And the T-shirt Goes To...

We finally have a winning t-shirt for the blog!!!And that is...... Ta Ta Tam!!!
The Logical Schema design. 
In total there were 18 valid votes, out of these, 8 were for this design. 
 

I want to thank everyone for participating and for helping me choose. To show my gratitude, I decided to have an extra price, a second a t-shirt for the first runner up. 

First of all, the winning number was written on a different blog before the contest started and it is 682. To make sure you can check it here.
 
And now....the winners are:
First winner is Shock  - who will receive a t-shirt with the "Twisted Roads"
First runner up is, who also gets a t-shirt, is Mer who will receive a t-shirt with the winning design.

Stay tuned for the next competition that is going to start in November:) Then you'll get to create your own hero.

Thanks again everyone!

Fatebook the Gyros of Fate

Fatebook the Gyros of Fate

The first time I saw this logo was on a delivery bike that passes by me in a big rush. I didn't have time to reach for my phone and take a picture.

As a person who speaks mainly English these days, my first thought was that the name comes from the English words "fate" and "book" and they were using a "Facebook" look alike logo to help people recognize them easier. Not that this would be in any way legal but who cares, we're in Greece. Then again why would you need a delivery bike if your business involves "fate". It's kinda complicated to deliver a kilo and a half of "fate". (Though with how strong the church is in Greece they must have found a way to buy and sell that also, maybe even internet delivery:D )

Then, I had a sudden wake up call. I'm in Greece! Here things are never what they seam. So, apparently, "fate" (read "f a t e") comes from the Greek "φατε" (read "f a t e") being the Imperative form of the verb eat (φαω). You didn't see that coming, did you? 

Gyro

Finally, the place is a Gyradico. A local kind of fast food where they serve Gyros. That would give a more logical explanation the delivery bike also:)

If you find yourself in Greece make sure you try a gyros, not necessarily from "Fatebook" who's recipe I haven't tasted yet, but do try it. For a more tasty experience, try gyros from a northern city. People there tend to be more giving with the salads and sauces so the taste is going to be richer. As a second thought you should consider having your cardiologist on speed dial considering how much cholesterol it has. :) Enjoy!

Delphi - The Bellybutton of the Ancient World

I always knew that Delphi is a real place but since I never had the opportunity of visiting it, I had this impression of it being more mythological real, a place in between the worlds, in between earth and sky and being claimed by both. 

Recently I had the chance to visit Delphi and I must tell you, I wasn't very far from reality. Delphi looks suspended in mid air, staring at the Gods while pulling the strings of the humans. 
The ancient Greeks seem to have been very inspired in choosing this place. The view from it is breath taking even now, after thousands of years. 
Delphi, was not only a place of Gods, temples and prayers, it was also a very important cultural and economical center. Since it was sacred ground and no war could touch it, arts, sports, businesses, they all developed and flourished undisturbed. You can think of ancient Delphi a bit like the New York of our times.

This place was the center of the Earth or at least that is what they used to believe. 

The Bellybutton of the World

One of the many legends regarding this rock says that Zeus, wanting to find  the center of the Earth, sent his eagles around the world. When they found the place, Zeus threw a stone to mark it and for everyone to know. 
Another legend, one that I like more, is that this rock is the one that Rhea, Zeus' mother, gave to Chronos to swallow in order to save her son. 




 A funny story about this stone is that in Greek the bellybutton of the world is called "ο οφαλος της Γης" read "o ofalos". Since "ofalos" and "o falos" are pretty close you will probably have the surprise of people in Greece knowing the rock to be "the falus" of the world and not the bellybutton.

Apollo's Temple

The Temple of Apollo was also the home to Pythis, Oracle of Delphi, the most important oracle in the ancient world. The Pythia was priestess of Apollo and was chosen only when the previous Oracle had died. The woman chose to be The Pythia had to cut all ties with her previous life, even if she was married or had children, and dedicate her life to Apollo.

P.S Don't forget about the on going contest on the blog
Contest - Choose a T-shirt for "It's all Greek to Me"

The Horn Sign

Yesterday I revisited the Thessaloniki Archeological Museum and something pretty odd drew my attention, the "sign of the horn" known these days as "the devil's horns".

Paul Stanley-KISS :)
making the Horn sign

While I'm used on seeing this gesture being made by rock stars I must admit I was a little by surprised to see it on a first century B.C. bas-relief.

This is a picture I took Yesterday while in the museum. As you can notice, the lady sited on the chair is making the horn sign with her left hand while pointing it to the ground. This bas-relief represents a grave stone made by the mother (sited) for her dead son (standing). Why was she doing that sign? Was it bad luck for the living to appear alongside the dead and she needed to protect herself? Was she trying to ensure the safe passage of her son to the other world? One thing is for sure though, this sign was used for keeping away or fighting of evil.

Tomb Stone Bas-Relief - 1st Century BC

Back in those days, magic had a very strong grasp over people. Amulets and protective signs were of daily use. The sign of the horn was a protective gesture and also an implicit curse since in the Mediterranean area (but not only) fighting of evil would mean threatening to curse or cursing it.

Even from the beginnings, magic has been associated with the Moon (Artemis is the Goddess of hunt but also of the magical arts and of the Moon). A waxing moon, or a growing moon was believed to have a positive impact on people lives. It was auspicious for new business, for new beginning. On the other hand, waning moon was considered to be unfavorable to any activities, what we would call "unlucky" these days.

Waning moon

While there are not that many theories about the origins of this gesture, the most believable is that the sign of the horn bares the meaning of the waning moon being a curse and a protective gesture in the same time.

The direction of the fingers indicates the direction in which you send the curse. In that bas-relief, being pointed at the ground, it meant protection from the underground forces by cursing them. In Greek mythology, the underground was the home of Hades, one of the twelve Olympian Gods and probably the less loved of them all since he was in charge of the dead and their souls. 

P.S Don't forget about the on going contest on the blog
Contest - Choose a T-shirt for "It's all Greek to Me"

Expressing "Yes" and "No" in Greek

The basic "yes" and "no" words in Greek are pretty simple to pronounce
"yes" is "ne" while "no" is "ohi".
Exactly as the nice lady is explaining in the videos bellow.
 

What no language course prepares you for is how Greeks really use them because here body language is most of the times more important then verbal expression. According to statistics only 35% of the communication is verbal, the rest consists in gestures, face expressions, body language in general. In general, Greeks tend to be expansive when they talk, their hands are restless while their faces very expressive.

Now, getting back to our sheep...Expressing "yes" and "no" in Greece is a bit more complicated then just saying it. This might sound a bit like "Twister" to you because I didn't find any videos to go with my explanation but I hope I'll manage to make myself understood. 

Yes - is pronounced "Ne"- but in a conversation agreeing will probably be expressed by a slow downwards movement of the head on one side while closing his or her eyes. The person might also say "ne" but it's not necessary, the meaning is implicit. 

No - is pronounced "Ohi" - In a conversation though the gesture accompanies or even replaces it. Saying "no" implies a short and quick upward movement of the chin, leaving your head to lean a bit on the back. The movement is sometimes accompanied by the rising of the eyebrows and a short "tz" or "tzouk". This movement may be so quick that you won't even notice it so pay close attention.

P.S Don't forget about the on going contest on the blog
Contest - Choose a T-shirt for "It's all Greek to Me"

Greece is Boiling Again

Today in Greece there is a national strike. While I admire their sense of unity I can't help but wonder what effect is this going to have on the internal policy, if any. 
You see, it took me a while to understand this but I think I finally got it. Greeks in general are of rebellious nature. They feel the need to protest loudly when they think their rights are being stepped on. 

Unemployed

So, with the current situation, demonstration became a very frequent fact. The sad thing is that the more they demonstrate the less they are heard and the more violent the protests get, the more they lose the support of people from outside the country who were siding with their cause. 

In Thessaloniki things didn't get out of hand, yet, even though they were expecting more protesters here in the north then in the south but in Athens...Athens is a totally different story. There the blood is boiling.

 

I wish I could tell you that this is not as bad as it looks. I know that most of the times these are just isolated incidents that the press catches on tape and are spread like wild fire all over the world because violence sells but these look pretty generalized.

The videos sources are taken from www.tsantiri.gr

Greek Jedi Priests

Today I decided to write another article and I started researching a theme I've been wanting to write about for a long time BUT I stumbled about this picture and I just couldn't help it. I had to post it.

Greek Jedi Priests

 Greek Jedi Priests!

On the holly war of defending their right to not declare or pay taxes since the dawn of Christianity

This picture is taken from uglyshit.net

P.S Don't forget about the on going contest on the blog
Contest - Choose a T-shirt for "It's all Greek to Me"

Pankration the Ancient Greek Martial Art

The Spartans were never known as being the most friendly nor the most welcoming of people but they were known for being the best fighters among the Greek tribes. Their own existence evolved around wars and warfare in general so training for battle was their main activity. 

Pankration was called the martial art the they created that was later on introduced in the Olympic games. But since Spartans didn't know the meaning of "play" or "sport", their only aim being to kill, they weren't accepted in the Olympian fights. 

Don't think that the Olympian games were in any way soft. Death was part of the routine there also. There have even been a player who won the Olympic games post mortem. His opponent got him into a strangulation that he couldn't get out of, giving up was not an option since pride was a man's best value, so with his last strength he broke his opponents fingers. Pierced by the pain of broken bones the fighter gave up and the winner was declared... post mortem. They realized later on that, because of the suffixation, he died. 

So the Olympic games were a pretty serious thing, still, Spartans were not allowed. They had the general tendency of not playing well with others. 


The things we know today about Pankration are taken from literature sources or from paintings and sculptures. Unfortunately there is no continuance to Pankration to these day. Pankration was forbidden from practice by Emperor Theodosios in 393 along with the Olympic games. Most probably it hadn't been practiced ever since then.

The one who reintroduced Pankration to the world in the 1960' was Demetrios Arvanitis. He studied the techniques and introduced it as the first Mixed Martial Arts.

I found some youtube videos that I think is going to help you make an opinion about Pankration far better when whatever I would say.

This could also be interesting to see.

P.S Don't forget about the on going contest on the blog
Contest - Choose a T-shirt for "It's all Greek to Me"

ME TRELA!! ME TRELA!!

On Saturday I went to an open air music festival organized in Thessaloniki. My expectations were not very high since I'm nor very keen on Greek music in general but I thought of giving it a try anyway. 

I must admit I was pleasantly surprised by this band (I never heard of before) of particularly nuts people that appeared on stage wearing kilts, being as loud as loud can be but most of all enjoying what they were doing so much that is was contagious. I found later on that they are called Koza Mosta.

Balkan rhythms started filling the thick evening air and along with it rose tones of dust from people of all ages dancing, jumping, singing, some even dancing barefoot. At some point the dust was so thick you couldn't breath but that didn't seem to bother anyone since the music was so intense and the rhythm so electrifying.

I made a few videos, I'll post two from the beginning of the concert and another one close to its end with a pogo "demonstration".
I hope you'll enjoy, I know I did.

For those interested I saw a poster today in the city saying that they'll have another concert in Thessaloniki on the 18th of September. 
 

P.S Don't forget about the on going contest on the blog
Contest - Choose a T-shirt for "It's all Greek to Me"

The Business of Begging

The other day we were in the center, waiting in the car for a traffic light to turn green. At some point, a gipsy kid comes and starts cleaning the windscreen. I doubt he was older then 10. His cloths were all dirty and almost turned to shreds.

In the middle of cleaning the windscreen he stops and starts looking for something in his small bag. Then, he takes out a phone and starts talking while passing impatiently in front of our car. When he finished, he put the phone inside his bag and continued cleaning the window. We were both watching him stunned...

Digging through my old emails I found a short movie with a similar situation. The only difference is that the scene takes place in the subway, in Bucharest.

If I had any doubts before now I'm pretty sure that there is such a thing as the business of begging and they must have international conventions because the strategies and the approaches are always the same no matter the country. I guess it's safe to call it the most blooming business during crises.
 

An incredibly realistic movie about this business and how well organized the whole system is, is Philanthropy. You might have a rough time finding it since it's a Romanian movie but if you have the opportunity to see it, don't hesitate. It will really change the way you think.


P.S Don't forget about the on going contest on the blog
Contest - Choose a T-shirt for "It's all Greek to Me"

Contest - Choose a T-shirt for "It's all Greek to Me"

I was thinking of making an official t-shirt for the blog and I got so excited about the idea that I made lots of designs. Finally I managed to make a short list of 4 design but I'm gonna need your help to decide. 

To make this more interesting there is also a price. You get to win the t-shirt you chose and liked (even if that t-shirt is not the winner of the contest). 

The whole idea is simple.  
1. Comment at this post  - only comments added at this post will be considered as part of the contest
2. Your comment should contain the following elements:
                      a. your t-shirt preference
                      b. a number between 1 and 1000.

Why a number? Because I only have one t-shirt to give and I will give it to the lucky person who chooses the closest number to the one I've already posted on a different site.

The models are the following: 

1. Logical Schema

2. Maze

3. The Mixed Writing

4. Twisted Roads

The contest will end on the 15th of October 2012. The announcement of the winner will be made at the latest on the 20th of October 2012.

It is advisable to make the comment while logged in your account or to leave some kind of contact info in the comment so I won't find myself in the situation of not being able to trace the winner. If that happens the second runner up will get the t-shirt.

Star Mitsos Cafe

I was looking for this video for a long time on youtube and today I was lucky enough to remember the name of the coffee place. As I found out it's not just one but a whole series of voice registrations made in a coffee place somewhere in the US, owned by a guy called Mitsos.

The whole conversation is hilarious but what even more funny is that the reaction is so typically Greek that I really doubt this is a made up movie. More then that, the Greeklish (Greek and English mixture) he's speaking is exactly how most Greeks speak when they started getting agitated (well, more agitated then they usually are) that usually goes with a lot of gesticulating and rising nerves and voices.

Dictionary you might need:

μετριο - read "metrio"  - means medium sweet coffee

τα παπαρια του Καραμπελλα or τα ααρχιδια του Καπαμπελα- the balls of Karabelas - meaning "you've got squat", " you don't have anything"

σκατα - shit

βεργα - rod

Αντε, τελειωνε! - Cut it out!

γαμοτο - fuck

κωλοπαιδο - Stupid - it literally means "the kid who came from his mom's ass" 

γαμο το κερατο σου - fuck your horn

To enjoy more of this Greek traditional temper you can go on youtube.com and look for "Star Mitsos".

Made in Greece

Here is a collection of pictures I've gathered in the last month, capturing... a bit of Greece.

Church in the middle of the road

This is a print screen from Google Maps. I figured you'd get a better idea seeing it from above rather than from the road. So, what you are actually seeing is a church popping out in the middle of a highway and making a four lane street a three lane street for a few meters. If you miss to see it in time - and let's face it, who expects to see a church in the middle of a highway - you will learn the meaning of "instant delivery" because the entrance of the churce is facing the direction of traffic.
How did this happen? Nothing simpler...in Greece. The church was there before the highway. When they started building the car road, the church wasn't moved on the principle "it was there first" and considering that "the Church" is more powerful then the state in Greece, who would argue with the church?On the other hand the road builders probably needed to rethink the whole project in order to go around the church ...so they didn't. And there you have it!

Blind walk in Thessaloniki

Greeks have always been

resourceful people. They somehow manage to find an utility even to things they shouldn't find an utility to. Like this blind walk that is just suppose to be there in case, god forbid, an actual blind person would use it. Until then though, some visionary person with a great deal of initiative decided it looks better as a flower stand.

The car doesn't even rise any attention anymore. Lots of people park their cars on the blind walk, on the bicycle road, on the wheelchair road pass, it's already "normal" (for abnormal as it might be) but the flower stand? that is really something new. I mean that requires imagination and a strong dose of... stupidity, of course.

Opened Store in Greece

 In case you were wondering this is an opened door of a store. Yes! That's what it's written on it."We're open". That goes right along with the iron door protection and the big lock on the door. this situation is not unique, there are lots and lots of others here in Thessaloniki and not only.

It obviously has no working hours on the door and no contact number of any kind, it's constantly closed but it says it's open. Well, you can't really blame them, Greeks are logic people: "If I'm getting payed anyway why would I bother working?"

Flexible Working Hours

From the same chapter as the previous picture,this is a notification from the Greek Postal Office, ELTA.

Please notice the delightfully delicate omission on the paper. They say what time they open but the closing time is... uncertain. In order to not be bothered by clients the program is up to ".00". You never know what could be before that .00, it could be 16.00 or 14.00 or why not 12.00.

So it's kinda the same as the previous one. We work when and if we want and we get payed as if we work.

Keep Greece Tidy

This last picture is more of a funny translation. On the transaction receipt from Alpha Bank Greece you will find the message "Please keep Greece Tidy".

I suppose they intended to say "Please keep Greece clean" because tidy is kinda hard for a country to be.

The Magic of Samothraki

Here is the other half of Samothraki, the not submerged one:) I really hope a managed to capture at least a bit of the island's... aura. If you visit it someday maybe you'll let me know. Till then, Enjoy!

One of the things that is usually left out about Samothraki is that here they've found the statue of Nike. No, no, not the American sportswear company statue, the original Nike, the goddess of Victory.

The original is now a center piece at the Louvre Museum in Paris while in Samothraki you can only see a replica and the chamber in which the statue was found.

Original( Louvre Museum)    Replica(Sanctuary of the Old Gods)

Underwater Samothraki

Samothraki is the first island I have ever went to so it holds a special place in my heart. I like its secular trees, the '60-'70's perfume of time with flower power accents, the untainted nature, the ancient historical roots that seem to transcend time itself and last but not least the people.

Last week I visited the island again and I'm still under its spell.I guess it shows:)

For the first time I managed to take some underwater movies and pictures. I hope you enjoy!

A Ride with the Ambulance

The other day we were in traffic and we end up behind this ambulance. There was something different about it but at first I couldn't put my finger on what. 

The door was open and they were driving undisturbed. At the next street light we stopped and told them. The were totally unaware that they were driving with the ambulance door open. I can imagine the conversation they had when they closed the door: 

- Iani, wasn't there suppose to be a patient on our ambulance? 

- Eh, what can I say, maybe he felt better and went home!:)

A Commercial that Captures the True Greek Spirit

Part of a commercial campaign for Aegean Air, this TV spot captures the true Greek Spirit in all its....splendor:)The spot is called "Greeks in London"

This is the English Translation. While making it I realized once more how much meaning it's lost and how polite and consequently inadequate is the English language for insults.

That is why I decided to translate it to another language that at least as "sparkly" when it comes to swearing as Greek, Romanian.

You probably noticed at the end of the spot the gesture that the lady is making to the driver, "Moutza" with both hands. 

The Modern Olympic Games

In the 19th century, probably influenced by the romantic current in the literature, people started rediscovering old values, forgotten traditions and all those things that were not modern enough for the current society so they have been thrown in a small dark corner to be disposed of.

Panathinaiko Stadium - Olympic Games 1896

During that period, there was a revival of the concept of Olympic games. One of the most known people to resurrect this concept was Dr. William Penny Brookes. He organized, starting from 1850, some local games known as the Meetings of the Olympian Class. A few years later he actually manages to organize national Olympic Games in London. That being the first Olympic Games to be held outside Greece even if they were of national amplitude and not international.

The one who made the Olympic Games international was Baron Pierre de Coubertin. With the help of Dr. Brookes he managed to convince the Congress from Sorbonne in 1894 to organize the first international Olympic Games. There was a dispute about where they should take place but finally Athens was the winner. 

Philanthropists Evangelos and Konstantinos Zappas offered their financial support in rebuilding the Panathinaiko Stadium, the place where in 1896 the first Olympic Games as we know them today took place. 

The first Olympic Torch 1936

You might be surprised to find out that the Olympic Torch has a way shorter history than the Olympic Games. 

The origin of the torch resides in the fact that, in ancient times, Greeks would keep a fire burning throughout the Olympic celebration as a symbol of Zeus. During modern times the Olympic Flame was introduced in 1928 at the Olympics that took place in Amsterdam. The Torch relay though was introduced at the controversial Olympics in Berlin 1936 (during the World War II) by Carl Diem.

Yesterday in Thessaloniki

Thessaloniki is not known for it's summer rains. Why? Because it hardly ever does rain here. 

Yesterday though, something must have went wrong with the Almighty's weather forecast because not only did it rain but it poured.


Knowing the city to be always dry and dusty I must admit this was a welcomed change.

Too bad today is just as warm as before the rain. The only difference is that the humidity is sky high so the air is even less breathable than before..if that's even possible.

The music from the video is a Romanian chant for invoking the rain. It's called "Păpărudă".

The Ancient Olympic Games

Olympic Games - Wrestling

The Olympic games are thought to have started sometime around 778BC as a celebration in honor of Zeus, the god of thunders and ruler over the human kind. The event took place every four years and, it was the only opportunity to see the Spartan generals near the Athenian politicians going along with philosophers all over Greece. For just a few days the Hellenic world would forget about all their feuds and embrace sports as their common language.

The Sacred Truce was an understanding between Hellenic tribes to stop all wars during the Olympic games and to allow free passage to pilgrims on their way to Olympia. Nothing was above the Sacred Truce. That is why even Philip II, Alexander the Great's father, well known for his temper agreed to pay a huge fine for disturbing the pilgrims that were considered to be sacred. Also, that is why King Leonidas was left alone with only 300 of his men to withstand the Persian invasion.

Olympic Games - Chariot Race

Greeks being of a very competitive nature, winners were not reworded with wealth as you might expect but with a simple olive wreath. What they would win though is social status. A winner at the Olympic games would obtain the right (socially speaking)  to merry a rich woman, he would be invited to feasts, get free meals or lodging. He would be the now days equivalent of a TV star. People would look up to him and everything he would touch would turn to gold (not literally of course - King Midas is another story)

At these events,  women were not allowed to participate or even to watch  but that doesn't mean that they did not come to the event. Pompous carriages, fatuous dresses and sparkling jewelry, they would do anything to impress. As Indro Montanelli says in his book " The History of the Greeks", women came there to be seen rather then to see. Around the close gates of the arena there was the today's equivalent of a Luna Park. From taverns to jugglers, from boutiques to street vendors you would find anything you could think of.

Regarding the women not being allowed in the arena...Well, there was one  exception. A mother who disguised herself as a man in order to see her son fight in the ring of the sports arena. Her happiness  gave her away though when her son won the olive wreath and she was taken away in order to be killed since that was an offense punishable by death. The story says that Hercules himself appeared to defend her since she was descendent from his family. She was not executed but as a result of this incident all spectators from the arena had to attend the events naked. That way there would be no chance of disguise. Simple problem, simple solution:) 

Stadium Entrance Olympia

The ancient Olympic games came to an end in 393 AD through a decree of Emperor Theodosios I. Since the Romans adopted Christianity as their official religion they tried to discourage and later even outlawed any form of pagan ceremony. And since the Olympic games were mainly a religious event being dedicated to Zeus it has been abolished. Olympia fell into decline and what was left of it was destroyed by the Romans in 486 AD through a decree given by Theodosios II.

An interesting thing that, I believe, is worth mentioning before the end is that the Marathon was never part of the ancient Olympic games. It comes from the battle of Marathon (490BC) in which the Greeks have won against the Persians. Pheidippides who was a courier by profession ran more than 40km from Marathon to Athens to bring the news of victory. Νικωμεν (nikomen - meaning "we won") was his last word. After that he collapsed and died. The was the first one to run the Marathon but he was also the only Marathon winner who did not enjoy the spoils of victory.

Cornucopia

Cornucopia

Cornucopia, also known as The Horn of Plenty, is used as a symbol of prosperity and abundance. Many countries use it as part of their coat of arms  (Colombia, Panama, Venezuela), there are festivals named after it but probably the most known celebration that uses Cornucopia as it's symbol is Thanksgiving.

But how did it end up there and where did it come from in the first place? The first question is a bit more complicated to have a short answer but the second one..I'll give you three chances to guess.. 1, 2 and 3. Yes..Greeks, Greeks and Greeks.

To my great surprise though people here never heard of Cornucopia ...and to think that they are generally very proud of their cultural heritage.

Anyway, there I was asking if anyone have heard of Cornucopia and people started making small eyes at me trying to figure out what language I'm talking or if I'm making fun of them. My first thought when I realized nobody knew what I was talking about was: "HA! Here is something you missed taking credit for!" since the "all words have a Greek root" attitude is very widely spread in Greece. But then my second thought was: "Shit! Now I'm actually giving them more argument to persist in that attitude."

But what's fair is fair. Cornucopia does come from a Greek myth, Zeus' birth to be more precise. Zeus' father, Cronus, found out that one if his offspring was destined to overthrown him so, the solution he found was to eat his kids at birth. Rhea, Zeus' mother, tricked Cronus and gave him to swallow a rock in stead and hid her child in a cave of Mount Ida. Here the young Zeus was raised by Amalthea, the goat goddess. One day, the story says that Zeus, playing with Amalthea, broke one of her horns by mistake. From that point on the horn provided endless nourishment for the young god.

Demeter holding a Cornucopia

As a symbol, Cornucopia appears along side lots of Greek deities like Fortuna, the goddess of luck, Demeter the goddess of crops, or Gaia the goddess of the Earth. When the Romans come adopting most of the Greek pantheon, some of their deities also start being depicted with the Cornucopia like Abundancia, the personification of abundance. 

This is how Cornucopia as a symbol spread all over the Roman world. Later on, when Christianity started rising, Cornucopia continued to be used as a symbol of abundance and prosperity despite its particularly pagan roots. Useless to say that in time, the Christian world became even bigger then the Roman world and so Cornucopia traveled oceans. 

Meanwhile in Greece - No comment

Ambulance being pushed by people passing by somewhere in Greece

The Origin of "The Finger"

The Finger

Have you even wondered where does "The Finger" gesture come from? I always thought that it had something to do with the Battle of Agincourt (1415) during the One Hundred Years War between the French and the English. 

According to the story, the French soldiers cut off the middle fingers or the English archers to prevent them from using the longbow. In respond, the English soldiers gave the French "The Finger" to show them that they still have it. But this story seams to be also the origin of the "Flicking the V" which would actually make more sense since you need both the index finger and the middle finger to draw a longbow. 

Flicking the V

That was too much of a coincidence for me so I started searching...

And guess what? "The Finger" was used for the first time (that we know of) as an insulting gesture in Ancient Greece. It's meaning, I doubt it needs any further explanation. The finger itself represent the falus, the meaning of the gesture symbolizes anal intercourse in a manner meant to degrade, intimidate and threaten the receiving part of the message. 

"The Finger" gesture was also used as a protection against the Evil Eye. In many European countries, tradition that is kept to this day in some rural areas, a curse could be diverted with a threat of a bigger curse.

In Ancient Greece, the gesture was called κατάπυγον (katapigon) meaning someone who would willingly submit themselves to anal intercourse and, as a gesture, appears in some very intellectual contexts. The first historical attestation of "The Finger" in a theater play was in 423 BC in Aristophanes' "The Clouds". While Socrates considers the gesture to be boorish and childish, philosopher Diogenes makes use of it by addressing it to orator Demostenes (4th Century BC) as related by Diogenes Laertius.

The ones who are really responsible for spreading it around the world are the Romans. Who, even though they called it "digitus impudicus"  - the offensive finger - were still using it in official or less official circumstances.

So, next time you use "The Finger" think of how old it is and that you are actually handling a 2,5 thousand years artifact:))

Earth Festival - Vlasti

Vlasti is a little village near Kozani, in the western part of Macedonia, that no one would have heard about unless the people there really wanted to put their village on the map.

Until the 80's, the place has been deserted, as many other Greek villages in which the young generations left in search of work and the hope of a better life.

http://www.oikotopia.gr/

Some of those young people decided to come back and revive the village by transforming it into a touristic place but something was missing.

They needed to find a way to make their small village more attractive then the others. So, they managed to bring there The Earth Festival (Γιορτες της Γης), an annual event where people all over the world meet in a very flower power atmosphere to enjoy good music, good food and last but not least good times. 

Unfortunately this year I didn't manage to be there from the beginning but I got there just in time to get a refreshing doze of energy and good mood. 

From South American rhythms to African drums and back to Greek traditional music, those forests have head them all. The camping site covers a whole side of a mountain and people come there for the event, the atmosphere but also for the environment. 

It was nice to see whole families with kids being there and enjoying themselves, people dancing barefoot in the dirt, wearing colorful clothing and  speaking all languages of the Εarth. For some reason I felt like I belonged there.

The festival  takes place in the second weekend of July so if you think of going, keep it in mind. 

When God Weeps for Greece

For those of you who were lucky enough not to have to learn Greek as a foreign language, this is a strip from the B1 Greek manual. I remembered about it and I figured it goes very well with the subject of my blog so I translated it and here it is.

This strip was a bit surprising to me mostly because Greeks are not very well known for their self irony, some have the tendency of taking themselves too seriously sometimes, but this proves beyond doubt that self irony it's not extinct just yet in Greece.

"One day, before the end of the World, God tries to give one last chance to the nations so they will change their politics. Thus, he chooses randomly three head of states in order to talk to them: The US President, The Russian President and The Greek Prime Minister.

The American President goes to God and tells Him:
- Oh My God, tell me, when will the United States become the strongest nation and will never again have problems?
- In 100 years.(says God)
(The American President starts crying)
- Why are you crying, my child?
- I would have died by then. (answers the US President)

The Russian President goes to God and asks:
- When will Russia become the strongest nation in the world?
- In 200 years.(says God)
(The Russian President starts crying)
- Why are you crying, my child?
- I would have died by then. (answers the Russian President)

The Greek Prime Minister goes also and asks God:
- My God, can I also ask you something?When will Greece become the most powerful nation on Earth?
(God starts crying)
- But, Your Sanctity, why are You crying?
- Until then even I would have died.(says God)"

Hello Crete (Kitty)

I don't know if you remember my post about Problem Solving in Greece, particularly the part about Crete but I found this picture which says more than I could ever say.

The Summer Grinch

In case you're wondering...that is me, the summer Grinch. Everybody else comes for vacations in Greece during summer only I wish I could visit the North Pole or at least some northern country with a summer temperature of 25 degrees Celsius. Don't get me wrong, I like summer as a season but I really don't like heat.

The funny thing is that I was talking with someone from Oslo, Norway yesterday and he complained of how warm the day have been. A whole lot of degrees, 25! Woow!

Ok! Now let's take a look at the thermometer here.

Notice anything different? It's 8.34 AM and there are 36,5 Degrees Celsius.

And I was wondering how come when I went running I felt like I ran 50 km and i was totally exhausted.