Season's change

Will someone please remind me of the date today? Or let me rephrase my question. What’s wrong with this image? :

I am having my morning coffee outside on my balcony, wearing shorts and a t-shirt, where the sun is shining, the birds are singing and a fly is constantly bothering me. And the date is? I mean don’t get me wrong, I am a natural born summer person, and I do enjoy the sun like a lizard but is this normal only a few days before December?
I may appear a little obsessed with the weather as I have published similar posts in the past, however allow me to remind you that I am located at 38°00′N 23°43′E and not 13°10′N 59°32′W although on a day like this it’s hard to take that in consideration.

Current outside temperature:

Temperature: 24.5 °C / 76.1 °F
Dew Point: 7 °C / 45 °F
Humidity: 43%
Wind: NW at 6.4 km/h / 4.0 mph
Pressure: 30.20 in / 1022.6 hPa
Hourly Precipitation: 0.00 in / 0 mm
Updated: 37 sec ago

Should the weather carry out like this, I’m guessing we’ll be singing Christmas carols in bathing suits.
If this phenomenon isn’t a warning of global warming then I don’t know what is. What concerns me most is that a lot of people don’t realize that things are far more serious than they can imagine. We don’t really need activists or documentaries to see what’s going on as the signs are right here, in front of us, on a daily basis.
And as scientists worry with their recent studies which have concluded that we are far behind in correcting the severe environmental damage that has been caused over the years and that catching up will be an extremely difficult task, governments sit and watch carelessly focusing only on local and global economy.
Should we destroy the planet; will there be any reasonable ground for economy at all? Was the Kyoto protocol a superficial treaty after all? Will it take more than Katrina or the South East Asia Tsunami to realize that humans will become an endangered species on a deteriorating planet?
And although I am conveniently taking advantage of this beautiful spring déjà vu on my balcony, there’s nothing I would enjoy better than enjoying my coffee relaxed, without any disturbing thoughts whatsoever.
Ps: above pictures have been taken on the spot while listening to the following song on my ipod.

simply a test

this is not exactly a post but I'm actually testing something for the blog.
Hope it works like they say it does.
Here it goes!

edit : it worked just fine!

will be back with more

"2"

The man is back and (2) twice as strong. After a significant 2 years of absence in the field, Dimitris Papaioannou, avant-guarde artist, choreographer, dancer and creator of the opening and closing ceremonies of the Athens 2004 Olympic Games, is back with his latest creation “2”.
This past Monday, I had the opportunity to attend to the avant-premiere of “2” and get an exclusive first look at the much awaited show which took place in the recently renovated Palace Theatre “Παλλάς” in the center of Athens.
The venue was flooded by an eager audience which included a good amount of the “who is who” from the Greek showbiz. A total of 20 dancers, among which a good friend of mine, where still warming up on stage as we entered the theatre. A brief introduction followed, by the perfectionist creator himself who also asked us to disregard any flaws that may occur during the show as this was the preliminary presentation to the official opening night.
Lights dim and the show finally begins.
An impressive opening I must admit, in what was just the prelude of what lied ahead. 2 dancers on the palely lit blue stage, a minimal yet abstract set which was vigorously intensified by the dreamy sounds of Konstantinos Vita (master artist in electronic music, who has composed exclusively the original soundtrack of “2”).
A suitcase appears on stage on one of the 2, incorporated (and well hidden) luggage belts of the floor, followed by a series of events that remind us of an arrival terminal in some futuristic utopist airport.
Passengers come and go, all with carefully synchronized movements and some well choreographed stunts such as slow motion running on air as if watching a repeat of a winning athlete’s run in track and field. Stage themes change randomly and so does the music in a story without story, a plot without plot as the journey continues with more and more dancers, mostly in couples, appearing on stage.
Abstract situations such as a men’s bathroom, an executive office workplace, a hammam, a virtual army, a football TV night among guys, boy games, a satiric night at the Greek “bouzoukia” live shows, toy gun fights all of them reflecting several aspects of human life and the male element. There was love, anger, confusion, frustration, hope, sadness, passion, fear, happiness but above all unity.
“2” is a symbolic number of many interpretations. It may very well be the number that represents duality as it may just as well be the number that represents the “divided terrestrial being” as described by Pythagorean philosophy. Opposites yet united. 2 also symbolizes the “pair” in everything in nature, life and even our own existence. And while the male element imposed everywhere, this dance theatre managed to evoke a feminine side in almost everything. In Chinese philosophy however “2” is Yin, which represents the female element or entity. Nevertheless the only female presence throughout the show was the appearance of a gigantic Barbie-like doll and one dancer tap dancing in complete shadow while one foot was dressed in pantyhose and high heeled stilleto. A wise and well adapted concept which in my opinion was harmoniously portrayed on stage.
Inevitably, the sexual element prevailed in almost every single theme which was at times sensual, satiric, lustful and erotic. A few nude appearances may have contributed in some way but it was mostly the dancing and the motion that predominated this feeling.
Other highlights of the show included the elevation of the stage from the backside thus creating a huge slide where most of the dancers performed vertically their unique routine and some beautiful and serene video-projected displays of the sky in the background.
Having reached its zenith and most culminating climax, the show ended after a no less than “2” hour run. A rather long period of time considering that the 20 dancers were literally involved in restless performances throughout the act.
Having experienced some of Dimitri’s earlier works which I personally found astonishing, it would be unfair to start comparing with this latest. I did however acquire a blend of feelings strong enough to make me appreciate him even more as a diverse and innovative artist. A man depicting his inspiration by the means of his own creativeness.
Unaware of how the critics will embrace this, given the fact that he has to also carry the weight of delivering an unforgettable Olympic ceremony, I am certain that “2” will not pass unnoticeable!
Dimitris delivered once again.

PS: I am unable to publish any of my mobile photos as we were instructed that pictures were strictly forbidden.

Briefly...

Much going on these days (as always) but not too much time to sit and post (I'm running out of excuses) so here's a brief.
Friday night was French Crepes night.
Our dedicated Chef worked wonders! Salty, sweet, the whole deal, I coincidently lost count of how many crepes I've had that night (and to think that I'm actually trying to stay fit). Fortunately she's on a short vacation right now therefore I must take advantage of her absence and start some starving diet before she gets back.
Saturday was a somewhat easy day or at least that's how I had planned for it to be.
But as they say, never predict nor avoid the inevitable.
Further to a conspiracy which rose by the collaboration of my masterminded friend "I" and my seductive friend "P" who joined forces in trying to get me out of my "coccooning night" and into the Saturday night frenzy, I've ended up having an "all-nighter" instead. No complaints whatsoever as we had a wonderful time and an even more wonderful, or shall I say, adventurous, return as we performed a 3-way stunt ride that I dare not describe. And although I captured the moment with a few pics from my mobile, I'd rather not post them here at this time ;-)
A few hours of sleep and then off to a dvd-night gathering at my place, accompanied by the finest red wine possible and some mind breaking conversations for some couch crashing.
End of weekend.
More to come as a charged and crazy week lies ahead

Alexander the Great was indeed delicious

While I haven't been in an Indian restaurant for ages, thanks to my best friend and fellow blogger, I had the opportunity to do so last Wednesday night at Iskander restaurant in the southern suburbs.

"Iskander" Hindu for our great Greek ancestor, Alexander the Great, was a reminder of how much I love Indian cuisine, the spices, the taste the ambiance.
The whole space was completely decorated with Indian artifacts, from carved wooden statues to the bronze Buddha who welcomed us by the entrance (not to mention the music).
A party of no less than 12 attending, occupied one of the longest tables available in the room. All Aude Sapere members present (of course), we stuck together on one end and mingled mostly with each other as the rainfall of Indian delights kept coming like a rainfall thus preventing us from further talking with the other end.
Not having the slightest idea of what we were eating the guessing game begun.
"this must be chicken" "this must be lamb" and so on, but one thing was certain. We tried everything and it was delicious. Curry being present in almost every single dish, from the entrees to the salads and even the main course, we couldn't help but appreciate and acknowledge the importance of spices in meals, or as others would say, in our very life.
It seems that Alexander the Great had left some significant heritage beyond civilization, the heritage of the excellent mixture of tastes.
The only thing that wasn't Indian must have been our red wine, which was from Chile, but no point of mentioning it as it was fine and obviously well consumed.
A great thanks to Rahid, our dedicated waiter with his humble smile who ensured we had everything to our satisfaction.
Next stop : the French home made Crepes.

(Note: this is to be read while listening to the accompanying track below)

With a little delay in posting, this past Sunday, after an impomptu Saturday night, I've decided to go for a coffee by the beach and meet with some dear friends of mine.
With a hang over reminding me of the night before along with a few hours of sleep, I headed to our meeting point. Influenced by the National Weather forecast which had predicted extremely low temperatures for this day, I covered up with multilayers of clothing, jackets, scarfs and what not. To my surprise, we ended up having our coffee (freshly squeezed fruit juice in my case, in a desperate effort to get some vital vitamins) on the outdoor section of the cafe, right by the water. The temperature must have been above 24 degrees, which under the sun, a scarf and a jacket become unbearable! Undressing quickly begins while I notice that there are also people who are actually swimming. No, I'm not talking about the regular winter swimmers, as these people were also sun bathing on their beach towels. Momentarily I thought I had some season identity crisis. Was this summer or late fall? Could it be that on the 12th of November, summer had forgotten to leave us? Am I to worry about Global Warming or was this simply a much needed oasis? I may never get an answer but there's one thing I know for sure. It was a "bright, bright sunshiny day"

Remember remember the 8th of November

They thought
They called
They wrote
They sent
They wished
They remembered...

Zwei gläser von wein bitte!! (Of Mice and Men)

Excuse my German but I'm sure you'll find this way more fascinating than the language barrier!
A recent study from Harvard University has shown that red wine has expanded the life span of laboratory mice. A substance called Resveratrol (an extract of red wine) was responsible for this groundbreaking discovery that increased the mammals life span by 10-20 human years.
Initially the tests were performed on obese mice in order to examine the effects of Resveratrol on their body compared to normal diet/thin mice who weren't given this specific substance.
Moreover, the hearts and livers of the mice getting resveratrol looked healthier and also appeared to have a better quality of life, retaining their activity levels and agility.
Further testing has already begun to see its effects on humans.
Are we that close to the fountain of youth?
The dosage used on mice was equivalent to 100 bottles of red wine per day so I wouldn't start drinking just yet.
Here's the best song to celebrate!

TGIF or not?

Strange day today, a lot going on, a lot on my mind but hey, it's only a day right?
The weather isn't helping much either, as we went from a lovely 26C down to 11C in only a couple of days.. Luckily, the sun is still out there.
At least it's comforting when I think of all the good things that are coming up in the next months..
Not being disenchanted in any way, until then, here's one song that has been on my ipod repeat list these last few days.
It's from one of my favourite artists, Damien R, who happens to be a master of his kind. Here's : "9 crimes"