Jumpin'Journal - pages of a diary (III)

     We clean our bodies and our lingerie, our houses and our cars, we take care of the outside on a regular basis, but what about the inside? What about our soul, our interior self? When do we make time to clean our inside path?
     Sometimes we live like pigs, we are disgusted by the mess we are living in but we don't do anything about it because we are incapable and we realise we could move on and change the scenery but we remain attracted to the mess we've been living in all our life the same as a person is attracted to danger even though the first instinct it should be to run.

     I wonder how long it will take me to finish Fernando Pessoa's "The Book of Disquiet"?! After each extract I feel the need to analyse myself.

Ancient Temple of Zeus, Athens(1), Zappeion, Athens(2), Marmaris Castle, Marmaris, Turkey(3)

     We live in the age of narcissism and social alienation, when society tryes to divide us and to sell us per parts. Every day there's a new ad showing how to have the perfect bottom, how to have the smoothest legs, ageless skin, ripped abs, perfect smile etc, what is this craze with having our bodies sold per parts just like machines? The same happens with the inside, there are so many books on how to get wealthy, how to have confidence, how to talk, walk, breath and die. Too many confusing ads and info make us get lost and become materialistic, self centered, money chasing robots.
     Last night I read a very beautiful article that made me sleep peaceful and aroused my creativity. It was about how we endure and find hope in a crazy world. Here are couple of lines that spoke to me:

     "I’ve always loved funky rustic quilts more than elegant and maybe lovelier ones.You see the beauty of homeliness and rough patches in how they defy expectations of order and comfort. They have at the same time enormous solemnity and exuberance. They maybe made of rags, torn clothes that don’t at all go together, but they somehow can be muscular and pretty. The colors are often strong, with a lot of rhythm and discipline and a crazy sense of order.They’re improvised, like jazz, where one thing leads to another, without any idea of exactly where the route will lead, except that it will refer to something else maybe already established, or about to be. Embedded in quilts and jazz are clues to escape and strength, sanctuary and warmth. The world is always going to be dangerous, and people get badly banged up, but how can there be more meaning than helping one another stand up in a wind and stay warm?" Anne Lamott

     We are not machines, we don't have a switch on/off button. I can't be happy from 1pm to 2pm and then switch off my happiness button and switch on my sadness button. Neither one of us is only good or bad, or just sad or happy, we are all a complex of feelings, emotions, thoughts and experiences and they are all interconnected inside of us. Sometimes we're up, sometimes we're down, sometimes we take good decisions and other times not so good decisions but at the end of the day we are able to stand up brush the pain and remorse away and embrace the good side, the positive part of this wide experience called life. All the pieces inside of us can be united by either positive or negative thoughts. I used to think that all this mess of fragments of experiences that is my life doesn't make anything else but to confuse me and get me lost, but now , slowly but surely, I started to change my way of thinking, all those patches that I use to see as a mess, made me the person that I am today, stronger, braver, more down to earth while still allowing to have my head in the clouds from time to time, more balanced, mare peaceful inside and out.
     Everything happens for a reason and even though sometimes it seems hard to find out which is that reason, don't lose hope, keep on working with yourself, improve your body and mind and be patient. Enjoy every moment, make time to spend with your loved ones and enjoy as many happy moments as possible. Allow yourself to live every emotion, be mad when you feel like, cry when you feel like, don't hide your emotions and close them in the back of your mind and find excuses saying that you'll deal with them later because otherwise you'll risk to have a breakdown out of the blue, to fight over meaningless things and hurt the people that care about you.

Platia Ammos, Kefalonia(1,2), Myrtos Beach, Kefalonia(3)

     When you're young you have more energy, more spontaneity. Sometimes I'm thinking of things that I've done in my past and I laugh at myself saying that I was so crazy and naive, but maybe this is exactly what I needed to be in order to experience as many and different things as I could. As the years go by, sadly but true , many of the people that I know, neighbours, work colleagues, highschool colleagues. acquaintances etc, follow the same trend, they get married very young, make some children, work and work, have a holiday one time per year, buy a house with money from the bank and then spend their lives in an unstoppable money chase... you get the point, the conclusion is that many forget to enjoy their youth and they grow up too fast, they forget about the small details, exactly the things that make the difference. And they wake up when it's already too late, some never.
     I met also happy people, fewer but they still exist, and they told me the same thing "don't forget to play, otherwise you'll grow old", Fairy tales can come true if you're young at heart. Keep your mind open, allow yourself to make mistakes, travel the world, learn new languages, laugh every day, be excited and love with all your heart, be rich with experiences, travels and people and not with material things.

"Don't you know that it's worth

Every treasure on earth to be young at heart

For as rich as you are 

It's much better by far to be young at heart

And if you should survive to a hundred and five 

Look at all you'll derive out of bein' alive

And here is the best part, you have a head start 

If you are among the very young at heart"

Frank Sinatra

Skala Beach, Kefalonia(1), Ionian Sea Hotel & Waterpark, Kefalonia(2)

     The pictures were taken on Kefalonia Is., such a wild, delightful place, Athens, the full of contradictions capital of Greece, and Marmaris, Turkey on a short trip from Rhodes with a fast ferry.

Read more pages of the diary HERE and HERE and stay tuned, I'll be back soon.

To be continued.

Beldi

Jumpin'Journal - pages of a diary (II)

"Popularity is the slutty cousin of prestige."

     Let's go back in highschool, a period of time so important for every person's development, a time for questions, confusion, discoveries, competitivity, a period that marks everyone in one way or another. We've watched so many movies showing the american highschool life, we see the popular boys and girls, the jocks and the cheerleaders, the nerds, the outsiders and we realise that almost everywhere is the same; highschool is a very hard period of time. If it was for me I would recommend highschool to be attended when we are 25-30 years old, this is how hard it can be going through this hell of a phase.

Kalithea Therme, Rodos

     It's a time for labels and bullying, for superficial values, but hopefully there is also a silver lining, a time for good, healthy friendships and beautiful romantic love stories. But what I wanna talk about today is popularity. Let's be honest, we all wanted at a certain time to be popular in highschool. We know how important are the looks, the car, the clothes, the people you're hanging with, but all of this is such a shallow way of going through adolescence, without parent's money the popular ones wouldn't be anything else but empty recipients. And still we all wanted to be in the limelight for a reason or other. As the years go by I realise being popular is just as ephemeral as the smoke of a cigarette that back then the cool ones were sneaking around the corner to inhale.
     This is when I realise that having prestige is a whole new page of the book. There is such a big difference between being popular and being prestigious. Having your work appreciated by relevant people, offering unselfish help, being a respectful person is much more rewarding than being popular. Leaving a mark in a certain domain of activity or being noted for the contribution brought to a discovery, touching someone's life in a positive, uplifting way, these are things that really, truly matter.
     Living in a world dominated by non valors is very easy to lose yourself in the abundance of information, people and places. They say the future belongs not to the strongest one but to the most adaptable to change. Well, I come and ask: what is this suppose to mean? Should I change as a cameleon from a day to another, just to keep up with the changes? It feels false and antagonic compared with staying true to yourself, right?! And if I would want to survive and so become flexible, that means I approve being false and narcissistic, selfish, hedonistic. Well I dare to say every person has the right to live their lives the way they please as long as they don't influence negatively the ones around.

Lindos Beach, Lindos, Rodos(1), Kalimera Kriti Hotel, Sissi, Crete(2), Vai Beach, Crete(3)

     Let's talk a little bit about friends and friendships. Being friends lost its main purpose. Too many people are pretending to be so called friends but actually having hidden interests. They say you see who your true friends are when you hit rock bottom. You see their true faces when you need somebody's help the most. It use to be a time in my life when I used to say that I have so many diverse friends and they are all the kind of people I could call at 3 in the morning from the middle of nowhere and they will rush to help me. Aw, well, as time passed by my so called "friends" got sifted the same way as you do with flour through a sieve. Every relation, either is a friendship, a partnership or love, it has to have, in my opinion, 3 solid bricks at its ground: understanding, respect and trust. Friends should not judge each other but listen and support, they should not gossip each other but trust each other and respect their privacy. They should accept each other and learn from one another.
     I met many types of people, some of them became my summer friends, others just acquaintances, good friends that I have since I was in primary school and many many more. Every friendship is different, with some you can be friends for life, with others for a short period of time and with others you just grow apart slowly but surely.

Kalithea Therme, Rodos

     Now I arrived at the point where I can honestly say: who left, left, who stayed, stayed, who will come, will come. I'm gonna enjoy the very present moment, learning from the past and keeping an eye on the future - balance restored. I will spend my time with people that I love, people that care about me truly and not waste any other second with cheap people.

     "I no longer have patience for certain things, not because I've become arrogant, but simply because I reached a point in my life where I don't want to waste more time with what displeases or hurts me. I have no patience for cynicism, excessive criticism and demands of any nature. I lost the will to please those who not like me, to love those who do not love me and to smile at those who do not want to smile at me.
     I no longer spend a single minute on those who lie or want to manipulate. I decided not to coexist anymore with pretense hypocrisy, dishonesty and cheap praise. I do not tolerate selective erudition nor academic arrogance. I do not adjust either to popular gossiping. I hate conflict and comparisons. I believe in a world of opposites and that's why I avoid people with rigid and inflexible personalities. In friendship I dislike the lack of loyalty and betrayal. I do not get along with those who do not know how to give a compliment or a word of encouragement. Exaggerations bore me and I gave difficulty accepting those who do not like animals. And on top of everything I have no patience for anyone who does not deserve my patience." Source

Kounopetra, Kefalonia(1,3), Ancient Acropolis of Same, Sami, Kefalonia(2)

     The pictures in this post were taken in Kalithea Therme and Lindos on Rhodes Is., two very beautiful places where you can relax, sunbathe or explore the surroundings, places I totally recommend for a may/september getaway otherwise are pretty busy during the summer months; other pics were taken on Kalimera Kriti beach and Vai beach on Crete Is. -  Crete is the biggest and southern island of Greece and it's a marvelous place with so many attractions, from long sandy beaches to high mountains, caves and gorges, from mosques and castles to shopping malls, lakes, monasteries, lagoons and many other. It is a must see.
     Last but not least the last colaj is composed by pictures taken on the wild, stunning island of Kefalonia, a great holiday retreat for young and elderly and especially for those nature lovers.

    Catch the first Jumpin'Journal post HERE!

Discover some good music for the road below:

Hozier     Jessie Ware     Bruno Mars

To be continued


Beldi

Jumpin'Journal - pages of a diary (I)

     Summer - when I think about summer I immediately associate it with my experiences in Greece. I have worked and lived there for 2 years and a half during 7 summer seasons. In couple of words I went there for the first time in 2007 and I kept going back all over again because I was mesmerised by the beauty of the landscapes and the false but sweet impression of freedom.

Kalimera Kriti Hotel, Sissi, Crete(1,2), Rodos Maris Hotel, Kiotari(3), Rodos

     When I started this journal I had to lookup pictures from years ago. Watching these pictures I became nostalgic at first, angry and then calm, contemplative. After that I started thinking why are all these emotions in my head?! Every summer I spent in Greece was unique: new places, new people I met, new experiences but the thing that for me connects all the pieces together is the feeling of independence, of freedom. I was doing something for my own. I was travelling, making my own money, I was enjoying the climate, the views, the friends, the drinks, the food, the parties, the job and the list can go on and on. I felt that I was enriching my soul and everytime I have a conversation with someone about what makes us rich I say with all my heart: our experiences, our memories.

     I watched a very good movie recently, it's called "Birdman", it's nominated for the Oscars. The main idea of the movie was, in my opinion, how to stay relevant in a society in which values fade in the shadow of the grotesque which is promoted with a shameless nonchalance; it becomes frustrating to struggle to stay relevant. And I'm asking you now, how do you keep yourself relevant?

Costa Lindia Hotel, Lardos, Rodos 

     Most of us, mostly without even acknowledging, are in a permanent race to stay relevant. We are struggling on a daily bases, buying new clothes, books, games, downloading the newest aps, attending events that we consider important, following trends, trying to set new trends, having conversations, planning holidays etc etc. Nowadays internet allows us to upload anything we want and to access such a diverse palet of information. Sometimes it becomes frustrating to find a way to stand up from the crowd. We were raised in a society that sustains competitivity and I don't have anything against it as long as it doesn't go off the rails but at the end of the day we can't all be the best. And that is that. And now I'm asking you: is it that bad to be simple? Is it that bad to just be your own self? We weren't all born to be math geniuses or to walk on the Moon but the fact is nobody is totally the same like another. We are unique and we have a purpose. Everything happens for a reason and even though sometimes we don't know what is that reason , we need to keep moving, stay true to ourselves by evolving in a better us and keeping a balance and a mutual positive relation with the environement and the people around us.
     I know it sounds utopic and many other more intelligent people wrote about this subject but I arrived at the conclusion that all of this is true.

     Back to the subject of relevancy, some people are so desperate to stand out that all they achieve is to show off so much falling on the ridiculous waggon. The lucky ones make peace with themselves and realise that it's not about what the others think but themselves and the persons who truly matter in their lives.

Costa Lindia Hotel, Lardos(1), Prasonisi(2), Tsambika Beach(3), Rodos

     Looking back at the pictures I relive those moments when subconsciously I was trying so hard to stay relevant in the eyes of everyone else , except myself. Now I arrived at the conclusion that it's ok to struggle to impress for a while in an experimental phase, it's ok to make mistakes, especially when you feel the need to try everything at least once, but as the time goes by the purpose is to grow, to improve yourself, to learn from the previous experiences and to evolve into a better self.

     Even this blog if I take it as an example is in fact a way to stay relevant at a certain level. I don't have followers and probably not more than 20 people will bother reading until this point but what matters the most is that I leave a mark, a small one, an insignificant one, but still it is there in the big blogosphere, so maybe one day, who knows, somebody will read these lines and if at least one person will feel intrigued or touched by these words then even better.

     "Jumpin'Journal" I called it and I called it so because at a first sight you'll see pictures with me obviously jumping out of enthusiasm or for fun but the real meaning is between the lines, sometimes jumping over obstacles, other times smashing my head into them, jumping to conclusions compared with thinking first before I speak, a trajectory of my way of thinking and evolving over the years.
    The pics shown in this first page of this journal had been taken on Crete and Rhodes Islands between 2008 and 2011, 2 beautiful places that are worth visiting.


     Looking for a great summer holiday destination, check out also one of these:

  Kefalonia     Zakynthos     Lefkada 

 To be continued

Beldi

Cronicile Kefaloniene - ep.2: In jurul insulei

     Cu scuzele de rigoare, la mai bine de o luna departare de primul capitol al Cronicilor Kefaloniene, rapit fiind de astenia primavaratica, va infatisez o noua calatorie la ceas de seara.

     "Zilele treceau rapid. Noptile deveneau din ce in ce mai calduroase. Introducerea era facuta si dupa prima intalnire cu insula urma sa intru in cuprinsul aventurii.
     Intotdeauna e ceva special legat de primii turisti pe care-i intalnesti la inceputul sezonului atunci cand lucrezi intr-un hotel. Cu multi se leaga prietenii si sunt schimbate numere de telefon, adrese de mail si conturi de Facebook, iar in peste 90% din cazuri pana la sfarsitul verii sunt uitate toate, insa primii turisti din sezon au ceva special. E momentul acela cand totul e nou atat pentru ei cat si pentru tine. Se creeaza o conexiune mai apropiata. De data aceasta mi-au ramas in minte frumoasa Marina, care nu stia o boaba de engleza, insa cu care comunicam atat de bine nonverbal, Boris, sotul ei, veniti din St. Petersburg pentru o vacanta prelungita de 3 saptamani si Alexander, rusul grasut si jovial care dansa pe "I'm sexy and I know it" la cei peste 50 de ani ai sai amuzandu-ne copios.

     In primele zile am cercetat imprejurimile hotelului. Plaja e ingusta insa odata intrat in mare exista o portiune considerabil de mare in care apa se mentine la un nivel scazut iar in zare zaresti insula Zakynthos. La 15 minute de mers inspre stanga o a 2-a plaja se intinde, retrasa si misterioasa, perfecta pentru nudisti, langa creste inalte de clei intarit, tufisuri de aloe si o moara de vant. Tot la un sfert de ora de mers insa in directia opusa se afla o alta plaja cu mai multe facilitati (sezloange, umbrele, teren de volei si un bar), Vrahinari, si cu o priveliste extraordinara a soarelui apunand in mare. 

     Mi-am intalnit colegii, de fapt colegele, doua poloneze, o rusoaica si o slovaca, si am inceput sa ma acomodez pe zi ce trece din ce in ce mai mult. Pe langa pregatirile ce tineau de munca( am mentionat oare cu ce ma ocup??? -  animatie hoteliera: sport, jocuri interactive, seri cu evenimente artistice) asteptam cu nerabdare primele zile libere pentru a porni in explorarea insulei. Auzisem ca este un loc minunat, nu prea turistic insa atat de frumos iar asta mi-a fost demonstrat in repetate randuri incepand cu o duminica de iunie.
     Treaz de la primele raze ale diminetii, o dimineata de zi libera (iti dai seama ce bucurie), in compania celor doua colege poloneze, Paulina si Marysia, m-am urcat intr-un autocar plin cu turisti polonezi si am pornit in turul insulei.
 

     Drept vorbind insula e destul de intinsa si pentru a face un tur intreg ti-ar trebui cel putin doua zile asta incluzand si opriri in toate punctele de atractie. Ei bine drumul nostru ne-a dus cu pasi lenti pe la un numar parca interminabil de hoteluri pentru a aduna alti turisti. Incet dar sigur am lasat satul Lixouri in urma si ne-am indreptat catre extraordinara plaja Myrtos. Imi amintesc atat de bine mixul de sentimente pe care le simteam atunci: entuziasm datorat descoperirii noilor locuri, teama pentru ca autocarul mergea pe un drum destul de ingust care avea in dreapta munte si in stanga prapastie, oboseala si deci putina iritare, na!, daca mi-a trebuit bauta aseara, toate infasurate intr-un zambet copilaresc, acoperite cu ochelari de soare si ornate cu multe cereri de traducere caci ghidul vorbea doar in poloneza. 

     Soarele ardea de la primele ore, drumul serpuia coborand si urcand pe versantul vestic al unui munte. De la primele licariri turcoaz ochii mi s-au marit si-am pus mana pe camera foto. Dupa o coborare destul de abrupta, autocarul a oprit in apropierea superbei plaje. Cu toate ca sunt un fan declarat al plajelor cu nisip fin, nu pot spune ca nu mi-a placut pietrisul Myrtosului, modelat de vant si apa, descult sigur primesti cel mai bun masaj al picioarelor pe care l-ai putea vreodata primi. Am stationat pentru o ora jumatate, timp in care ne-am plimbat pe plaja, am inotat in apele clare si reci si am descoperit o mica pestera langa plaja. Cateva capre mancau frunze in copacii apropiati. Cuvintele sunt de prisos pentru a descrie frumusetea peisajului. Sper ca fotografiile sa exprime mai mult decat am incercat sa fac eu in scris.
     Putin trecut de ora 13:00 si ne aflam din nou in autocar doar ca peste cateva minute sa oprim pentru a admira plaja Myrtos de la inaltime. De cealalta parte se intindea satul Assos, cu aerul sau italienesc, retras si pitoresc, insa despre el o sa va povestesc cu o alta ocazie.

     Ziua isi torcea firul, torida si plina de nenumarate alte suprize in fata noastra. Urmatoarea oprire am facut-o in, asa cum se zvoneste, satul cel mai pretentios de pe insula. Aflat in partea nordica a Kefaloniei, Fiskardo este considerat cel mai scump de pe insula, cel mai probabil din cauza prezentei frecvente a vedetelor internationale in el. Vara trecuta am auzit ca Pink si Sarah Jessica Parker au fost vazute pe stradutele satului-port. De asemenea Nicolas Cage si Penélope Cruz sunt alte nume de talie mare care au trecut prin acest loc. 

     Adevarul e ca Fiskardo este un loc plin de culoare, arome mediteraneene si un port plin de ambarcatiuni de la barci pescaresti pana la iahturi de dimensiuni mari. Dupa o scurta plimbare pe faleza si cateva fotografii, m-am oprit cu colegele mele la un supermarket pentru a cumpara cateva suveniruri.
     Din Fiskardo puteti lua feribotul catre insula Lefkada care se afla la nord, la doar o ora jumatate distanta. Despre peripetiile avute pentru a ajunge in Lefkada, ziua petrecuta acolo, drumul de intoarcere si  cele opt masini schimbate in timpul rocadei de autostop facute de mine si Marysia o sa va povestesc intr-un capitol viitor.

     Urmatoarea oprire am facut-o in satul Agia Efimia unde am luat si pranzul. Din acest sat putem ajunge pe insula Itaka, locul nasterii lui Ulise, aflata la nord estul Kefaloniei; sper anul acesta sa o vizitez si pe ea. Dupa o masa copioasa bem un frappe racoros pentru energie. Urmeaza sa pornim catre pestera Melissani.

      In mitologia greaca este denumita "pestera nimfelor". Inconjurata de copaci, aceasta este alcatuita din doua sali, avand forma literei "B". Ambele sali sunt umplute cu apa, prima nu are tavan astfel lumina soarelui patrunde in zilele insorite si reflecta turcoazul transparent al apei pe pereti, iar cea de-a doua are o mica insula in mijloc. Afara sunt in jur de 35 de grade C, inauntru temperatura scade pana la 14. E o oaza de racoare bine venita. Ne urcam in barci simple in care vaslasii canta si rad din plin cu toate ca nu cunosc foarte multe cuvinte in alta limba decat cea materna. Apa lacului este atat de limpede incat putem vedea pana pe fundul sau. Turul este scurt, in mai putin de jumatate de ora deja pornim catre urmatoarea oprire, fabrica de vin Robola.

     In drumul catre fabrica trecem pe langa manastirea Cuviosului Gherasim. Situata in Valea Omala, manastirea este inchinata sfantului ce ocroteste intreaga insula, fiind totodata si cea mai mare manastire de maici din intreaga insula.

      Dupa amiaza a continuat cu un tur al fabricii de vin Robola. Vinuri albe, vinuri rosii si roze, vinuri seci, demiseci si dulci, toate sunt degustate spre deliciul nostru si al tuturor celorlalti turisti. Unii decid sa achizitioneze cateva sticle ca suvenir, altii se rezuma doar la degustare. Usor, usor, calatoria noastra se apropie de final dar nu inainte de a ajunge in orasul principal al insulei, Argostoli.

     E timpul pentru cateva minute de relaxare pe faleza golfului pentru ca mai apoi sa pornim in cautare de suveniruri in magazinele invecinate. Am cumparat cativa magneti de frigider dintr-un magazin in care la o prima vedere vanzatorul; era de departe cel mai simpatic intalnit pana atunci (vezi foto).

     Timpul se scurge mult prea rapid si ne indreptram catre feribot cu promisiunea sa ne intoarcem cat de curand. Jumatate de ora dureaza sa ajungi din Argostoli in Lixouri cu feribotul si in jur de o ora ca sa ocolesti intregul golf prin munti cu masina. In timpul sezonului estival, cu precadere in lunile iulie si august, programul feriboturilor este prelungit astfel incat ultima cursa are loc in jurul orei 1 noaptea. In restul timpului ultima cursa se efectueaza la ora 11 seara.

     Am ajuns aproape de sfarsitul zilei si soarele apune usor in Marea Ionica. Autocarul inainteaza lenes cu opriri dese la fiecare hotel intalnit. Ajungem la hotelul nostru in jurul orei 8, cu un apetit grozav, tocmai la fix caci cina este in toi. Rucsacul este plin de suveniruri iar camera foto numara sute de fotografii. Sunt inca sub vraja entuziasmului si abia astept sa impart cu cei de acasa momentele zilei.

     Sunt obosit insa atat de fericit. Cine a zis ca daca calatoresti devii mai bogat a avut mare dreptate. Simt ca am vazut mai multe intr-o zi decat altii intr-o luna. Adorm gandindu-ma la urmatoarea aventura pe aceasta insula. Atatea locuri noi sunt inca neexplorate de ochiul meu curios si in cautare de frumos. Vara asta tocmai a devenit mult mai interesanta!

Va urma.

Beldi