Anastasia

Holy Tuesday - The Parable of the 10 Virgins and Our Readiness to Meet Christ

 Holy Tuesday services urge us to be spiritually prepared to receive Christ. We should take this time to reflect on:

The Parable of the Ten Virgins. The maidens who filled their lamp with oil were prepared to receive the bridegroom. Those with empty lamps were shut out of the marriage feast. So each of us should light our lives with faith and good works and be ready to receive Christ.

Our Readiness to meet Christ. This is the message of the hymn proclaiming: "Thy Bridal Chamber I see adorned, O my Saviour, but I have no wedding garment that I may enter. O Giver of Light, enlighten the vesture of my soul and save me.

via users.esc.net.au

Tsiknopempti - Fat or Burnt Thursday

Tsiknopempti (Burnt Thursday)  is the Greek equivalent of Fat Tuesday (Mardi Gras). It is  celebrated eleven days before the start of Lent. The "Burnt" part refers to the grilling of meats (barbrcue), a big part of the celebration of this day.

Photo Credit

The weekend following "Burnt Thursday" will also have parties and other events such as  the Carnival. Technically, that Sunday is the last allowable day for eating meat and is sometimes called "Meat-eating Sunday" .  In Cyprus it's called "sikoses" from the greek verb "sikono" literally meaning "to rise" , but , as a metaphor it means to be up and dance and be merry and eat to your heart's content ! Right now, all the Greek restaurants and tavernas are literally packed and the Greeks party, eating grilled meats, drinking wine, ouzo or retsina and dancing. Many Greeks also paint their faces black ...to match them with the spirit of tsiknopempti (Burnt Thursday).whereas others prefer to make their own barbecue at home and invite their friends and family.

Photo Credit

Such a pity Tsiknopempti always falls on a school night! I'll sign off wishing you "Kales Sikoses" - a traditional wish we exchange in Cyprus on Tsiknopempti.

February in Cyprus

February arrived in Cyprus with a huge grin and gorgeous sunny days. I could almost smell Spring in the cool breeze coming from the sea, flirting with my veranda throughout the weekend and spoiling us with mild temperatures rising to 20 degrees celsius on the coast. But just about as I was starting to consider getting rid of coats, boots and umbrellas, today's stormy weather made me have second thoughts. February in Cyprus is  a moody month. It will drift along lazily with its moods...on a whim. Now it's sunny, now it isn't! 

Larnaca Medieval Castle

Mosfiloti

Mosfiloti - Larnaca

 

Regardless of its moody attitude, February is one of my most favourite months. Its birthstone is the amethyst which symbolises piety, humility, spiritual wisdom and sincerity. Its main zodiac sign is Aquarius like my husband whose birthday is on February 17. It's an unfortunate coincidence that this year his birthday is on the same day as the Presidential Elections. We'll vote and then celebrate over lunch for a change in order to watch the results of our Presidential Elections in the evening. 

Alkis's 60th Birthday

Valentine's Day 2010

February is also the month which celebrates Love. Just like we celebrate Christmas,Easter,  name days and birthdays on a special day, Love  is celebrated on February 14th , Saint Valentine's Day. 

I'm looking forward to yet another great Valentine's Day! How about you?

 

Tuesday's Positive Thought - How to Improve a Bad Morning

Getting up on the wrong side of the bed doesn't necessarily mean that your whole day will go disastrously wrong. My grandma used to say that there was something good in every day. Here are a few easy ways on how to improve a bad morning and eventually turn it into a great day to remember.

1. Ok, when the alarm went off, you threw it away and went back to sleep. To your horror, you woke up at 9:00 am and you were still in your pyjamas while you had to be at work. So what? Don't panic! Don't curse your bad luck! Don't be moody!  Make a phone call at work to say that you will arrive late because your alarm had been playing up. Then take a shower singing "Que Sera Sera", do not skip breakfast and go to work. Everyone , including your boss, will appreciate your honesty AND good mood! And you will feel a lot more productive, which is something positive.

2. Unless something life-changing has happened - e.g. the loss of a loved one or your other half has been fired - laugh at your misfortunes and if someone tells you how terrible you look, take it with a pinch of salt, smile at that person and say: "We all have bad days but it's up to us to improve them" Laughter is the best cure and it's contagious!

3. Instead of thinking of all the terrible things that happened to you on a bad day, think of all the positive things you've already had in your day and look forward to a very relaxing evening at home.

4. The ancient Greeks said : "Ouden Kakon Amiges Kalou"  meaning there's something positive in something negative. Every Cloud has a silver lining, doesn't it?

You are the architect of your own future! 

Tuesday's Positive Thought - Don't Cry Over the Spilt Milk

Sunrise at Mackenzie Beach-Larnaca

My positive outlook on life has often helped me get a much better quality of life even when things go wrong. Life is certainly not a bed of roses, but what's the point of being negative in rocky times? When things go wrong, I never think of the negative consequences which would certainly lead me to misery and depression.

Photo Credit

My illustrious ancestors - the ancient Greeks - said that that there's always a good thing in every bad thing. For example, in 1989 I lost a good job after an argument with my boss.  My first thought was: "Never mind, I will find a better job, with a better pay and great job satsfaction." I refused to cry over the spilt milk. Three months later, I got a great job at the American Academy in Larnaca. And I had the best boss ever! Seven years later, I started running my own language school.

I tend to think like Scarlett O'Hara in Gone With The Wind: "Tomorrow is another day." That was the last line of Margaret Mitchell's great novel.

 

Positive Self-Talk

It is very common to hear people say "Think Positive" to a friend or relative who's been through rocky times. Few people, however, take this seriously. On the contrary, they'd rather ruin their health and poison their lives with negative thoughts.  They hardly ever count their blessings and feel responsible for all the bad things in their lives. Their mistake is that they never see the good things or that silver lining in every cloud.  They never see beyond the storm, they just see the storm. It's the way they talk to themselves - that's what it boils down to, to my mind.

Positive self-talk can lead us to a much better quality of life. We can then realise that we are not always reaponsible for all the bad things that happen to us, we can  believe, after all, in the promise of the dawn after the darkest of nights. On the other hand, negative thoughts drain our energy and, as a result, we become much weaker. Anyway, I believe that  through positive self-talk, we can all expect great things to happen in the forseeable future.

How positive or how negative are you?

 

Sunrise at Mckenzie Beach, Larnaca

 

Mckenzie Beach - Sunrise- 6:41 am

 

It took Alkis almost three months to talk me into going walking with him along Mckenzie Beach which is only 5km away from home. On the one hand, there was the problem with my leg and on the other hand  I love to sleep in on my short but precious summer break. I thought he was simply crazy to ask me to get up at 5:45 am every day. I like trying new things, though, so yesterday I said ok but... "would you please wake me up if I fall asleep on the sand? " His answer was: "You won't!"

Mckenzie Beach - Sunrise - 6:45 am

 

 

Sunrise - Mckenzie Beach - 6:47 am

 

 

Sunrise-Mckenzie Beach - 6:48 am

 

When we got there, I was breathless! The most beautiful sunrise  in Cyprus - and probably in the Eastern Med -  was just next door! Only then did I realise what I've been missing all this time. Today I got up at 5:30 looking forward to walking along McKenzie Beach. I walked about 45 minutes at a slow pace right now as I'm following doctor's orders and covered 3,5 km.  If you live in the area or nearby, get up early in the morning and take a walk along Mckenzie. You won't regret it!

On this gloomy and rainy winter day, I can hardly resist a glowing fire and a cup of hot chocolate

 

August is Special

Time for me has passed by in a flash since June 17 when school broke up for the summer. I had so many things to do in these last five weeks, like shop for the holidays, see good old friends I don't see very often when I work, go to the cinema, go to concerts, go to beach parties, read books, create a new blog, spend a long weekend  in Protaras and a week in Kos.

Photo Credit

When I had a quick look at August 2011 Calendar, I realised that I've only got 19 days left off work. I'm back to work on the 22nd to start preparing for the 15th school year at my language school. and the 4th online year at English Today. which is a free online course of English as a second language. But. right now, I'd rather feel the salt in my hair and my feet in the sand!. Alkis went back to work soon after we came back from Kos, but I hope that we'll have the chance to get away for a weekend before lessons start in September.

August in Cyprus is not only the hottest month of the year but also the month when everyone goes on holiday - both in public and private sectors. A few years ago, I used to enjoy spending time in my hometown Nicosia which is a ...ghost town in August since almost everyone is away.  Larnaca has nothing to envy, now. On the contrary, this small seaside town has a lot to offer such as great beaches, summer concerts, beach parties, the best greek tavernas and many cultural events.

August is a very special month for me because on 21 August 1976, Alkis asked me to be his girlfriend and I accepted. I could never imagine then that we'd spend a lifetime together filled with so much love and happiness.

 

The Moon

I sometimes wish I were a better photographer so that I could take a better picture of the moon as I saw it tonight from my flat. It was so bright and shiny against a black cloudless sky. The moon has always exerted a strong fascination on me, hence I love:

• its magic
• candlelit dinners under the stars and the full August moon
• a good reason to dream or daydream
• a good reason to feel romantic.

And whenever there is a new moon , I love to watch it or simply contemplate it. In what ways has the moon affected you, if it has at all?