Anastasia

Saturday Night Out at Ktima Georgiadi

Located on the old road Nicosia-Limassol, between Skarinou and Kofinou, at about 25 km from Larnaca, Ktima Georgiadi is probably one of the best options in Cyprus for a night out with good friends or family. The well-known Greek Cypriot singer Stella Georgiadi and her brother Pieris have made their father's dream come true: the return to innocence, the return to their roots, the return to tradition far away from the bright lights of the city. 

Ktima Georgiadi - my friend Andreas Morfitis on the dance floor.

Stella Georgiadi Live

My friend Andreas Morfitis who invited us to a great night out at Ktima Georgiadi.

My friends Stavros Rossos and Andreas Morfitis - alias "gerondas" - wise man.

Pieris and Stella have turned a traditional, old mansion into a Greek taverna  where you can let off steam, eat, drink, dance  and sing with Stella and her band.  In the summer, you can enjoy the show under the stars and the orange trees where Stella and her siblings played when they were kids.

Stella Georgiadi and her daughter Eleftheria who had her b-day yesterday. Her gorgeous mum sang Happy Birthaday to Eleftheria.

Stella Georgiadi who did not hesitate to give up on a bright career as a singer in Athens and return to her roots.

My husband Alkis

Last night, Alkis and I had a great time there with good friends. After a long week at work, it was THE perfect night out. Stella will welcome you to her mansion with an old Greek song which she sings amongst her guests without music or micro. A big hand follows and then the show begins with Stella and her band.  Prices are reasonable, yet the food needs to be improved. 

 

Photos and video by Anastasia Marou for Anastasia

 

Carnival Fun

The Limassol Carnival is one of the most important events in Cyprus, related to the Dionysian Festivals of the classical antiquity. It is a joyful and colorful event that attracts both young and old, locals and visitors, making Limassol the carnival center of Cyprus.

The festivities begin on Shrove Thursday (February 16th) with the entrance of King Carnival in town and  last for ten days. The Limassol Municipality organizes various events such as open-air parties, children’s parades and serenaders evenings.

Τhe Grand Carnival Parade on Sunday, February 26th, is the culmination of the carnival events. It will start at 13.30 from St. Nicholas roundabout and will proceed along Makarios III Avenue.

For the detailed programme click here

via www.cyprusevents.net

In Nicosia where I was born and reared, the Carnival was certainly not as popular as it has been for years in Limassol. As a child, I never used to dress up or go to fancy dress parties. Having been to the Carnival in Limassol about 10 years ago, I had so much fun that I decided to dress up for Carnival and go to fancy dress parties in Larnaca! Neredless to say I had a great time! But just like in hometown Nicosia, the carnival isn't very popular in Larnaca either, so I haven't been to a fancy dress party since 2008!

Funky Nurse in 2006

Crazy hippie in 2007

Brazilian Girl in 2008

Is Carnival popular in your area?

 

Cyprus Trivia Results

Here are the correct answers to Cyprus Trivia questions:

1. A kind of salty, sheep cheese
2. Troodos
3. Saint Paul
4. Makarios III
5. Green line - so called because it was originally drawn on a map with green ink.
6. On 1 May 2004
7. Nicosia
8. Greek
9. the mufflon
10. On average, Cyprus receives 326 days of sunshine  - approximately 3000 hours in a year
11. In September 1992
12. 9,251 square km of which 1733 are forested.
13. In the eastern Mediterranean
14. Glafkos Clerides
15. Demetris Christofias
16. Catherine Cornaro
17. Greek orthodox
18. Lefkara
19. Ledra
20. Sweet red wine

 

Here are the results:

1. Jeff Atkins - 75%
2. Alexia M - 65%
3. Christina P - 60%
4. Jim - 60%
5. Lisa A - 50%
6. Andy - 45%
7. Laura - 45%
8. Haruko N - 35%
9. Jafar - 35%
10. Katie White - 35%

So , the winner is Jeff who will receive a bottle of Commandaria which you can see in the photo above.

Peeking into the Future Or Que Sera Sera...

When I was a little girl, I wanted to know what my life would be like in 20, 30 or 40 years from then. My mother sang this song to me:

Que Sera Sera

Whatever will be, will be

The future's not ours to see

Que Sera Sera

 

Seeing that I didn't understand, my mother went on to explain the lyrics in Greek. And then I asked her again: "Whose is the future then?" And she said: "God's" I think she is right, because only God knows what will be. I don't believe in horoscopes or any kind of fortune telling, but I do believe that God also gave us free will, therefore we are basically the architects of our own future.

Since Doris Day and my childhood, the advances of modern technologies allow us to peek into the future, just for the fun of it all. I am, by nature, a very curious person in the positive sense of the word. So, when I came across See You in 20 Years on Danaioq's blog, I gave it a try and was...amazed at the results. Here's what I'll look like in 20 years from now. Not bad, huh? :-)

Oh my! My fingers won't change but I'll look angry and ...wild at 73 and ...wow! Not many wrinkles!

Would you dare to peek into your future, just for fun? Do you believe in fate or do you think that we are the architects of our own future?

 

Folders, Subfolders and Other Organisational Issues

It seems that my biological clock hasn't been set to summer-break-time yet, so I got up at 6:00 this morning, as I always do on Saturdays when I work. After a hearty breakfast taken on the veranda with Alkis, Alkis went to work and I was left to decide what to do with the rest of the day.

I decided to spend the day at the beach, but I suddenly remembered my long-forgotten "Things-to-Organise" list in My Documents. I opened the file and here's what I found:

THINGS TO ORGANISE  BEFORE SEPTEMBER 2011

• My Pictures
• My Documents
• File Manager on TypePad
• Categories on TypePad
• My Videos
• My Bookcase – dvds and books
• Kitchen cupboards
• Wardrobe(s) and Shoes
• Drawers in my study
• The wires in my study
• Drawers in general
• Store  Buttons and sewing stuff in ONE box
• My printed photos (must get a new paper photo album)
• My paper-oriented electronic diary
• Store shoe polish in ONE drawer
• Store keys in a box.
• Organise my beauty stuff in categories – eye shadows / eye pencils / nail polish etc

However good I am at organisational issues at the workplace, I'm rather negligent, in this respect, when it comes to organising my home computer and the house in general. I'm not trying to make excuses, but this happens because of the bulk of work during the school year. At work, everything is in the right place and I never have to hunt for it. If you could see my computer at the office, you would be impressed by my organisational skills in file management. Often one click is enough to find in a flash specific documents, students' files, homework assignments, absentee lists, teaching material, audio and video files, test / exam results and many more - all updated without delay. I've never taken up computer lessons - I sometimes wish I had - but learned the basics by clicking on Help or by asking questions online.

I am well aware that we should never postpone for tomorrow what we can do today. So I finally abandoned my plans for the beach today, printed my list and got down to work. To begin with, I set myself the task of organising My Pictures. I have more than 10,000 photos on my computer and, although I created a folder per upload, I came up with more than 150 folders. More often than not, it took me ages to locate a certain photo - I often forgot where I had put it! Today, it took me only 2 hours to create folders and subfolders in such a way that I can now locate a photo...by the pricking of my thumbs!

Next task: My Documents. I partly organised my documents as you can see in the photo below, but I know I can do better! Any ideas are more than welcome.

Then I moved on to the File Manager on TypePad. It is in such a terrible mess that it will take me days to organise it properly. I guess most of you know perfectly well how to organise your File Manager, but assuming that some others might be new on TypePad or computer illiterate like myself, here's how to organise your File Manager efficiently as explained in TypePad for Dummies by Melanie Nelson and Shannon Lowe. This is by no means a sponsored post as I have purchased their book and found it extremely helpful.

A. To Create a Folder

• Go to the File Manager (in Library)
• Click in the textbox under Create a New Folder (in the right sidebar)
• Click the Create button.

B. To Create a Subfolder

• Click the folder you'd like to open.
• Click in the textbox under create a new folder.
• Type the name of the new folder.
• Click the Create button and you are done.

Having finished with the computer, I noticed that many of my books and dvds were lying all over the room. I had a coffee break, took a deep breath and ..tidied up the shelves of my bookcase.

Carrying my precious list, I went into the kitchen to organise my cupboards. As you can see, the cupboard with the glasses looks neat and tidy, but I made a mental note to re-arrange the glasses according to utility - a kind of ..."folders" and "subfolders" . For instance: wine glasses / red wine glasses / white wine glasses, then water glasses / juice glasses / soft drinks glasses and so on. See what I mean? I do hope I won't break any in the process!

Finally, I organised my wardrobe and one of the two places where I store my shoes. I put sandals and summer shoes on the lower shelf, so that I can reach them more easily and winter shoes on the upper shelf. But , to be honest, I envy my friend Bing's immaculate organisation of her wardrobe as described in her post Mission Organization and Surprise No2 . It was this post that reminded me of my "Things-to-Organise" list!

Most of the items of my "Things-to-Organise" list still remain unchecked. But I hope to check them all by the end of August - such as the drawers in my study  and the kitchen cupboard where I am supposed to keep pans, cake tins and various pots and dishes. I guess I'll need some kind of "folders" and "subfolders" in this area as well.

WARNING! THE FOLLOWING PHOTOS MIGHT CAUSE SEVERE SHOCK TO WELL-ORGANISED PEOPLE.

Are you organised or disorganised? Do you know where everything is in your house or do you need to hunt for it in order to locate it?

If you are in doubt take the following quiz and find out!

Are You Organized or Disorganized?

 

P.S ~  It's not like me to write such long posts. Hope you enjoyed it, anyway!

Relaxing in Protaras

Protaras is by far my most favourite summer resort in Cyprus and, more generally, in the eastern Mediterranean. With 300 days of sunshine, golden sandy beaches, clear waters, great hotels and a myriad of restaurants and bars, it's no wonder why European holidaymakers flock to Protaras every summer. For the party animals, Ayia Napa nearby (about 16 km) boasts the best clubs where you can dance into the small hours.

Situated at about 64 km east of Larnaca, Protaras is a tourist village - just a breath away from Ammochostos (Famagusta) - illegally occupied by Turkish forces for 37 years now.  Protaras occupies about 5km of the golden Ammochostos coastline. Having lost Kyrenia and Ammochostos - our two greatest summer resorts during the Turkish Invasion in July 1974, we had to do something in order to revive our economy which largely depends on tourism. Or else we'd die. The Greek miracle happened again and Protaras was created in the early 80s out of nothing in those difficult years following what I call "the war of the cowards." The Turks,you see, unlike Hitler, did not declare war!!!

The main reason why Protaras is my favourite summer resort in Cyprus is because it reminds me of my beloved Ammochostos where I used to spend my summer holidays as a child and as an adolescent. What's more, after a long school year and long hours at work, I took the time to relax and unwind and enjoy the sun and the sea and those gorgeous sandy beaches!

Clever Definitions for Familiar Words

This is what I got in my inbox yesterday and had such a good laugh that I thought I'd share it with you. It was sent to me by my friend Walid who I'd like to thank for brightening up my day.

These fit so well they should be in a dictionary.
 
ADULT
A person who has stopped growing at both ends
And is now growing in the middle.

BEAUTY PARLOR
A place where women curl up and dye.
 

CHICKENS
The only animals you eat before they are born and after they are dead.

COMMITTEE
A body that keeps minutes and wastes hours.

DUST
Mud with the juice squeezed out.

EGOTIST
Someone who is usually me-deep in conversation.

HANDKERCHIEF
Cold Storage.

INFLATION
Cutting money in half without damaging the paper.

MOSQUITO
An insect that makes you like flies better.

RAISIN
A grape with a sunburn.

SECRET
Something you tell to one person at a time.

SKELETON
A bunch of bones with the person scraped off.

TOOTHACHE
The pain that drives you to extraction.

TOMORROW
One of the greatest labor saving devices of today.

YAWN
An honest opinion openly expressed.

WRINKLES
Something other people have,
Similar to my character lines

Sunday's Trivial Pursuit

Photo by Anastasia - Platres 2006

My long weekend seems to have almost flown by in a flash! Although our planned weekend away to Platres was cancelled unexpectedly, I refused to cry over the spilt milk and found ways to enjoy it. I read Maria Tzirita's "Αν Δεν Υπηρχε Αυριο" recommended by my friend Phivos Nicolaides quite some time ago. At least I kept the promise I had made to myself: no more Eliot, no more Faulkner, no more English Lit at least for a while - and started reading Greek books. I loved the book! On Friday night, Alkis and I had dinner at our favourite French restaurant - the French Rendez-Vous. I hadn't eaten frog's legs in a long time! And I loved them! The Executive Chef is French so he knows how to cook them! After a  typically French béarnaise fillet de boeuf ( at last a decent saignant- rear!) avec pommes frites (french fries / chips) there was no room for their divine deserts!

Tonight we are invited to a party. I've at last decided what to wear:

 

By 8:00 pm I need to decide which pair of sandals to match the dress with.....

PS ~ On Saturday night, we played Trivial Pursuit and I lost - ah well, Alkis is a human wikipedia!

Twins

Photo Credit

I closed the door behind me and from that very moment I felt that there was somebody there and that this somebody was very friendly and pleased to see me.In my heart of hearts, I hoped it was Paul Belinsky..Pauk Belinsky? No, no, not him! In 1968, Russia ruffled her feathers and showed her power to the rest of the world when in August she and members of the Warsaw Pact invaded the country of Czechoslovakia. Paul Belinsky was one of the members of the Warsaw Pact. No, no ,no!! It can't be him! So I turned my head, and to my utter surprise, I was looking at a woman who looked exactly like me. I was speechless. I kept staring at her not believing my own eyes!

" Won't you ask me in?" , the woman said with a fixed, abstract expression on her thin face.My heart was still racing as I finally managed to mutter:"Who are you?" The woman smiled at me and said:

" Belinsky...Francesca Belinsky."

" I am a woman, she added, who has, for some years contended against the pressure of pecuniary difficulties. Sometimes I have risen superior to my difficulties, sometimes my difficulties have...floored me."

I didn't know what to think. Seeing that I couldn't understand, she went on with her narrative: August 21 1968. Soviet Union and members of the Warsaw Pact allies invaded my country...our country, Czechoslovakia, to stop the reformers of the Prague Spring. OUR father, Paul Belinsky, was the leader of the Pact. We were born in September 25 1968. I was sent to France in a foster family who abused me. You were sent to America. You were much luckier than me. You were received by a wealthy foster family that loved you and spoilt you. See...sis? All my life, I had to cope with money problems to make ends meet.

Words were failing me. "I.... I.... I.... have a sister? A... a... a twin sister? ... And our father.... is..... I.... I..... I have to sit down" ..

I sat down feeling as if I was in a dream. I plucked up the courage and asked angrily: " How the heck did you get in?"
She laughed her head off and said : "Oh ma cherie, your housekeeper let me in. I said I'd lost my keys...See? She thought I was you!!!"
"Right... of course..." I said. "So... your name is Francesca, right?"

"Right Vicky or should I say Victoria? After all, you are Victoria Belinsky - my twin sister!"

"Apparently so..." I mumbled, still in disbelief.

I was silent for a moment. Then our eyes met - the same deep green - and locked.

"There's something else you should know." she said, maintaining eye contact.
"Really?" I said concentrating on my cup of coffee. "But you should listen to me first. When my housekeeper said I had a visitor from Europe, I wished it was Paul Belinsky. I wanted to find out who my biological father was - that's all. Instead, it's you - my twin sister. So, Francesca, what else should I know?"

"You're in danger Victoria" she said matter-of-factly." Oh, by the way,Paul Belinsky is dead!" He died in an accident five years ago. So...I'm the next of kin, dear sis."
"In danger?" I was at a loss what to say.
"Yes, my dear Victoria. You're in danger because I can destroy everything and everyone you love, unless....you do exactly as I say."
"I'm not taking orders from you, Francesca!"
"I thought you were pleased to see me," Francesca replied softly.

She paused for a while and then added:"I know you have a lovely family and I'm sure you wouldn't like any of them to get hurt....not for $500,000. Once I get the money, you'll never hear of me again, dear sis."

"I'm afraid it's too late, Miss Belinsky." Surprised, I turned round and saw a police officer standing at the door next to Mrs Gibbs-the housekeeper. "The French police have been looking for you since you left the country. You are under arrest."

Petrified, I stood there looking out the window. The sun was now bright and warm and the air was filled with the children's happy laughter playing by the pond. Teddy was sailing a model boat and Linda was playing with her dolls on the grass. My heart leapt as I watched them play knowing that no one would ever harm them. Yet deep down I knew that I would probably never see Francesca again and felt so sorry for her - my twin sister I had known for a while and had only just lost.

Written By ( in alphabetical order):

Agnes

Alexia

Anastasia

Christina

Constantinos

John

Karolina

Lakis

Laura

Lisa

I would like to thank you all for your great contribution to this story. As promised, I'd love to send you a small thank-you gift from Cyprus if I could have your address.

This story is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the authors' imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

All rights reserved. No part of this post may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior permission of the blog owner.

Let's Write a Story!

Those of you who have known me for quite some time now, you know what I mean. This is my favourite online game.

Here are the rules of the game:

1. I will write the first sentence of what I hope to be a gripping tale. In the comments section, you must add to my sentence and what you add must make good sense to what the previous commenter has written. Please bear in mind that in order to avoid unwelcome spammers who would copy and paste your comments, you must sign in using your TypePad, Twitter, Facebook, Blogger, Yahoo and more.... As you all know, a story has a beginning, a middle and an end. So, be inventive and imaginative!
2. I promise to put everything together so that it reads smoothly.
3. Those of you who choose to participate in the writing of this story will win a small souvenir from Cyprus if you email me your address.
4. I'll give our story a title after I have put everything together. 

My Facebook friends don't need to sign in - they can post their contribution to the story on Facebook.

OK Here Goes!

I closed the door behind me and from that very moment I felt that there was somebody there and that this somebody was very friendly and pleased to see me.

Your Turn!

Please note that all contributions are either product of the commenter's imagination or used fictitiously.