Anastasia

Snail Mail Vs Email

Long ago, I used to have a lot of penfriends from all around the world. I'd receive 70-80 letters weekly and answered them all. But since I connected to the Internet in 2000, emailing has been a much faster way to keep in touch with friends and family or make new friends. So penfriends became epals and very often I'd get a reply within minutes. I recall having exchanged 30 emails in one day with an epal from the UK. Email is also cheap since it allows you to send long documents immediately and with hardly any cost.

However, snail mail is much more personal and private. There is a unique charm in the handwriting, the paper, the envelope, the stamps. A letter is something you can touch, file away and keep as a souvenir. It is also something you can smell! I still remember that beautiful, perfumed fancy letter paper I once used.  What's more, unlike email, handwritten letters are safer as they can't be hacked or get viruses while it is practically impossible to forward them to hundreds or thousands of people instantly. .So, this is why I still enjoy writing letters and sending handwritten cards to friends and family. I guess it all depends on the recipient.

How do you keep in touch with friends and family? Do you still write letters? Do you believe emailing is a more effective communication tool?

Your Opinion Matters!

I've been blogging on TypePad for almost seven years and this has been an exciting journey and a unique experience I have derived so much pleasure from. Back in 2004, I never thought anyone would ever read my posts. In the course of time, I realised that quite a few people in the blogosphere would stop by and read my blog and even leave a comment. As a result, I started taking my readers into serious consideration and trying to see what interests them most in my blog. I would like, therefore, to thank you all from the bottom of my heart for stopping by regardless of whether you leave a comment or not.

Sitemeter - 27 March 2011

Naturally, your comments are precious and your opinion matters. I don't have a niche as I usually blog on the spur of the moment or whenever I have some free time. I'd greatly appreciate your feedback and constructive criticism. 

• Is there anything you would like me to post blog about?
• What do you like most in my blog? What do you like least?
• Any recommendations?

 

25 March 1821 - The Greek Revolution

March 25 is a landmark in the history of the Greek Nation. The Greek War of Independence against the Ottoman Empire leading to freedom and independence started on March 25 1821. All over Greece and Cyprus, the day is celebrated with parades and tributes to our illustrious ancestors and the great heroes of 1821 whose self-denial opened up the road to Independence: Georgios Karaiskakis , Theodoros Kolokotronis, Athanasios Diakos, Laskarina Bouboulina,  Lord Byron and many others told the world that freedom can only be gained through sacrifice and patriotism.

The Byzantine Empire fell to the Turks in 1453 and the Greeks remained under the Ottoman rule for nearly 400 years. During this time their language, their religion and their sense of identity  became stronger than ever before. On March 25, 1821, the bishop Germanos of Patras raised the Greek flag at the Monastery of Agia Lavra in Peloponnese and the Greek revolution started against the Turks. Shouting out "Freedom or Death", the people of Greece, faithful to their heroic heritage, fought the War of Independence for 9 years  until a small part of modern Greece was finally liberated and  declared an independent nation. The struggle for the liberation of all the lands inhabited by Greeks continued. In 1864, the Ionian islands were added to Greece; in 1881 parts of Epirus and Thessaly. Crete, the islands of the Eastern Aegean and Macedonia were added in 1913 and Western Thrace in 1919. After World War II the Dodecanese islands were also returned to Greece.

The banner says: "Return to Ammohostos", now under Turkish occupation. In my heart of hearts, I know that one day we'll go back.

The Greek Revolution is interpreted by many Europeans  as a battle between the ideals of the ancient Greeks against the ruthless Turks who had been occupying and suppressing the descendents of Pericles, Socrates and Plato. Many, including  the British poet Lord Byron volunteered to fight in order to support the greek cause for freedom. Lord Byron spent the last year of his life in Greece, where he had fully invested himself in the Greek War of Independence against the Ottoman Empire.

In Larnaca, just like in every single town or city of the Republic of Cyprus, 25 March was celebrated with a grand parade of the younger generation determined to preserve our heroic heritage.

  Hope you enjoy the video - just a glimpse of the parade in Larnaca.

 

Moody March and a Sunday Outing

The village of Mosfiloti - a haven of peace and quiet

March arrived on the Island of Venus quite aggressively greeting us with downpours, stormy days and stone- cold nights while temperature ranged from 2*C inland to 5*C on the coast and to -5 in the mountains (23*F-41*F). Then all of a sudden we had sunny days, clear blue skies and temperature rising to 25*C (77*F). Just when I thought that spring had come at last, today felt more like early autumn. Despite the slate-grey sky and the fine drizzle, Alkis and  I decided not to allow moody March to spoil our Sunday trip to the surrounding countryside.

The village of Mosfiloti is essentially a rural community with pine-covered hills on either side of an evergreen valley. It owes its name to the "mosfilia" - loquat tree - a fruit tree which thrives in the area. Mosfiloti is located at an altitude of 250m, at about 22 km from Larnaca. The village is surrounded by the mountains Pipis, Vizakeri, Petromoutos and Kalogeros,  regarded as the "lungs" of the village, which provide the luxuriant vegetation and Mosfiloti's natural beauty. We had lunch at Kokkinou Restaurant - strongly recommended if you visit the area. The food is excellent - mostly local cuisine- and the service is impeccable.

Kokkinou Restaurant

 

Working Out

In my childhood and adolescence, I hated gym. I preferred reading books to exercising and I'd always come up with an excuse provided I missed gym at school. However, I loved cycling. As a child I'd ride my bike in the back yard, as a teenager I'd get around by bike and even cycle to school which was quite far from where I lived. Later, at university, I took up horse riding. Owing to the long hours of  training, I didn't have any free time left for gym.

It was in my late thirties when I took up gym on a regular basis. I started out with pilates and aerobics but soon step aerobics became my favourite. I had been working out uninterruptedly for 20 years despite the fact that I changed gym centres in-between. Two years ago, I thought I needed a break and that was the main reason why I gave up gym. I felt I needed to exercise in the open air. But I only practised my favourite sports occasionally - I had to wait for the summer to go swimming as I hate swimming pools. And I had to clean and feed the horse afterwards which was time-consuming considering my busy schedule both workwise and socially.

So, I've been back to gym since January - a brand new gym centre - not far from home. My new gym instructor proved to be right. On my first day there, he said: " Don't worry. The body remembers.." Indeed, after a couple of classes, here I am back to my favourite body attack (high impact aerobics), step, and body pump. Now, I enjoy my gym classes more than ever!

Premonitions

A great thriller starring my favourite actress - Sandra Bullock

According to the Cambridge Paranormal Research Society, premonitions or its scientific term precognition is the apparent ability to predict future events beyond the normal expectations of chance. Maybe you have had a sense that someone was about to call or a bad feeling that something is going to happen to you or somebody or maybe you have had a dream that comes true at a future date.

From a scientific point of view precognition can be simply attributed to coincidence. How many times have we had a bad feeling or have been thinking about somebody when nothing at all has occurred. If nothing takes place then we simply dismiss it from our minds but if the phone rings as we are thinking about someone we put it down to a premonition. On the other hand there is also the chance that you may have a precognitive dream but, as the event does not take place for a few weeks after the dream then you may simply not connect the dream with the event when it occurs.

I don't think I've had any precognitive dreams - the truth is I can hardly ever remember my dreams- but about eight years ago, I had a premonition that something bad was going to happen. It was end of June, the first day of the summer break for us teachers. To celebrate the end of yet another school year, I went out with Alkis. He had arranged dinner for two at my favourite restaurant and I was really having a great time. By 10:00 pm, we had finished dinner. I was beginning to feel a bit worried and uneasy. Alkis asked me if there was anything wrong. I smiled at him and dismissed the thought. I told him that it was nothing but the stress and fatigue soon after the final exams. After dinner, he suggested going to a music bar, but I said I was a bit tired and wanted to go back home. No sooner had he parked the car in the garage than my mobile phone rang. It was my mother. She told me in tears that dad had just passed away - at exactly 10:00 pm.

Have you ever had visions of future events - great or small - but you didn't know how to report them or who to tell?

 

Friday Night

For most people, Friday night marks the end of the work week and triumphantly announces the beginning of the weekend. Most of my friends plan a late night out but I can only join them on school holidays. As I come back home from work late on Friday night and go back to work early on Saturday morning, I am unable to keep my eyes open after midnight. So I spend most of my Friday nights reading my favourite books, listening to my favourite music or playing a game of chess with Alkis. If he doesn't beat me within an hour, we'll continue the game on Saturday afternoon.

How do you spend your Friday nights?

Green Monday 2011

Green Monday not only marks the beginning of the greek orthodox Lent, but also presents the perfect opportunity to enjoy the great outdoors, have picnics, eat lots of vegetables, dress up, and maybe fly a kite. Today was a typical early spring day, slightly windy albeit perfect for flying a kite, with occasional showers in Larnaca and long sunny spells in-between. I woke  to bright blue skies and had breakfast in the sun, but, as per usual in early March, the sunshine gave way to rain, yet  by lunchtime the sun was back again or almost. At least, it wasn't cold and it wasn't raining! Alkis and I had invited some good friends to celebrate and, of course, I had planned lunch outdoors. I spent all morning cooking but when I cook for good friends, it's a real pleasure.

Here are some of the dishes I prepared:

Chick Peas with Spinach - Revithia Me Spanaki

Ingredients

• 2 cups chick peas
• 3 bunches of spinach
• salt and pepper

Directions

• Soak the chick peas in water overnight.
• Drain, place them in a medium pan and cover them with water.
• Bring to the boil on high heat, then cover and reduce the heat to medium-low.
• Cook for about 45 minutes, then add salt, pepper and the spinach.
• Cook for 20 minutes with the pan uncovered.
• Drain and serve hot or cold with some olive oil and fresh lemon juice.

Spring Salad - Anixiatiki Salata

Ingredients

• half of a small red cabbage
• half of a small green cabbage
• 2 bunches of rocket
• 4 red onions cut in rings
• 4-5 radishes 

Directions

• Finely grate the cabbage in the blender.
• Finely cut the rocket leaves with a sharp knife.
• Cut the onions in fine rings.
• In a glass bowl put one layer of onions, one layer of red cabbage and salt to taste, one layer of rocket and salt to taste, cover with the green cabbage and salt to taste.
• Decorate with radishes.
• In the blender mix salad herbs, some olive oil and the juice of three lemons and pour over the salad before serving.

Serve everything with lagana

 

In Memoriam: Grigoris Afxentiou

Grigoris Pieris Afxentiou (Greek: Γρηγόρης Πιερής Αυξεντίου) was a fighter during the Cypriot struggle for union with Greece. He was second in command to Georgios Grivas in the leadership of EOKA (National Organization of Cypriot Struggle). His nom-de-guerre during the struggle was Zedhros.

Afxentiou was born, on February 22, 1928 in Lysi village in Messaoria, Ammochostos (currently in Turkish-occupied Cyprus) and he studied in the Military school in Athens becoming a reserve officer in the Greek Army. In the Spring of 1955 he conducted attacks against the power company and the British-controlled Broadcasting Corporation in Nicosia. The British authorities put a bounty of 5,000 pounds on his head. In December of that same year, Afxentiou was trapped in the mountains of  Troodos, near the village of Spilia, along with Grivas and the hierarchy of EOKA. It was through his cunning that the EOKA fighters escaped during the Battle of Spilia while the British ended up fighting each other with heavy casualties.

Finally, on March 3, 1957, the British trapped him and his small team once again near the Machairas Monastery. At the ensuing Battle of Machairas, Afxentiou held off the British, mostly single-handedly, for 10 hours before they burned him alive by pouring petrol in the cave in which he was hiding and igniting it.

Afxentiou's body was buried, without a funeral, in the yard of the Central Jail of Nicosia.

via wiki.phantis.com