Testing
Just a short post to check if everything is working ok after a question by my friend Voula.
Hmmm...let's see...
test
test
one,two
one,two,three
Voula,do you read me?
The Eagle has landed!Good luck,Mr Gorsky!
Adversus solem ne loquitor
Macedonian issue is once more hot.
Macedonia is Greek,Macedonia is Slavic,Macedonia is Bulgarian,Macedonia is...Macedonian(sic) etc etc.Now look I am talking about the ancient people of Macedon,not the guys that live there now or in the middle ages etc.The people of Macedon were Greek,there is proof everywhere and every serious historian and archaelogist knows that.But of course there were other people in the area.Paeones,Thracians and other ancient tribes in ancient times,Slavs in the middle ages,Turks later on etc etc.Hell,a visitor would see 19th century Thessaloniki as a crossroad of nations.Greeks,Turks,Bulgarians,Jews...you name it!But Greece defeated Turkey and sent away the Turks.Then the same happned with Bulgaria.The Jews were mostly victims of the genocide by the Nazi and some perhaps had a better luck going to Israel or wherever.Even the president of France had a grandpa like that,that makes him part Macedonian.
I have talked with all kind of people these days.
Anyone with the slightest knowledge of History will laugh at the claims of FYROM.It's not that these people don't deserve a right to Macedonia.But their right is no bigger than the right Israelians could have.That is grandpas that lived there and that their current country was once part of the Macedonian empire.But I can't understand their obsession.So big is the power of propaganda?Slavs and Bulgarians that were taught they were descendants of Alexander now make stupid claims from Greece demanding that their land should be free and that the borders should be at Ioannina and Larissa,cities well outside Macedonia anyway.A foreigner may think there are populations that are not Greeks in Macedonia(the real one,the Greek province).Well they aren't.Did the Turks and Slavs etc turn into Greeks and we can't recognise them?Maybe.
I had a talk with a guy from Turkey who insisted on the theory that Macedon was a non Greek country that got Hellenised.Suppose it was so.And in fact it may have been so before 1200BC.But then there was no "Macedon" as a country.It all began with the Argead dynasty that said they were from Argos,Greece.So,these guys moved there.Of course there may had been natives who weren't Greeks.But the people that came with the Argead dynasty-the Macedonians-were Greek.Also historians say that the natives were Doric tribes,thus Greeks.But anyway,the Macedons didn't change.They didn't adopt Greek names or language or architecture.They always had them.How can you claim that some people got hellenised when you can't show that they weren't Hellenes before?!?
Of course this guy said that perhaps we don't have found these evidence yet(a theory based on things that aren't there at all,very...scientific!).That perhaps they became so much like Greeks that we can't distinguish them from the Greeks.(By the way what's the difference between "x" and something that all tests prove that it's "x"?!?).According to this theory 98% of the Turkish are not Turkish at all as DNA researches have proved.Proved?Well I think all those "dna this,dna that" is unreliable in such cases.But the fact remains that If you look the map of the world you'll see it changes as centuries go by.And what happened to the millions of people that lived in Asia Minor.Ionians,Lydians,Phrygians,Bithynians,Cappadocians etc?They moved to another planet and suddenly millions of Turkish were beaned down by Scotty in their houses?
Enough with all these.How about the name of
FYROM?We talk about a name other than Macedonia and they come up with..."Republic of Macedonia"!Yeah,right...then I guess they will refer to them self not as Macedonians but as "Republicofmacedonians"?No.So who are they kidding?This behaviour is at least insulting in a dialogue.And what about "Slavomacedonia"?No,they say they are not Slavs although they look,sound,and speak like them."Vardaska" is out of the question although it's the name of the place they live.A negotiable name is "Upper Macedonia" or "North Macedonia".These sound fair for both.Actually they aren't since Vardaska is not a part of Macedonia,it's not Upper nor North.But Greece accepts these names.FYROM doesn't.I guess the name that both will agree is "New Macedonia".FYROM rejects this name too(as everything except "Macedonia" and "Republic of Macedonia")although it's what they want and it's a disgrace to History itself.Greek politicians accept it.Greeks don't.New Macedonia sounds like a colony.Like the New Ionia in Volos,built by people from Ionia.
I would accept "New Macedonia" to end the issue.Foreigners call FYROM Macedonia now,so it's better to accept the diplomatic defeat with "New Macedonia" than let the whole world confuse the real Macedonia with FYROM.People from thrid countries accept to call FYROM Macedonia,and why not?If I come and introduce myself as Patrick,you'll call me Patrick.The fact that I have nothing to do with that name changes nothing.
Let's all go on holidays
15th of August.A great celebration of Mary the mother of Jesus and a day off for the Greeks.That's not so important.But it is also the period when almost everybody who is able gets some days off and goes to some beach to relax,flirt...whatever.And why is that everybody goes on vacation during this very same for all week?Why do they cry there are no rroms to stay afterwards?Service at restaurants is not working well and how could it work if there are so many people asking for food.The beaches are full of people.Children playing,babies crying,middle aged mothers bring their food to feed their already fat offspring.But,few choose to take some days off in June or July.Oh no,15th of August,that's the date!
I am making this comment after trying to find a hair studio for a mere haircut as I was ordered by my officer to do.I found one open after checking about 12!
Greece is nice,perhaps better,in June,July and December too.Don't go on holidays like sheep.
Hungry seamen
When you think of a military base what are the first things that come in mind as far as accomodation is concerned?A room with many beds,one above the other and even a third above the other two.Big kitchen where they make a lot of food-of low quality usually.The beds have sheets given from the base and blankets given at the beginning of the service,right?
Wrong!What would you think of a military base that doesn't have bed sheets nor kitchen,not even a place where you can sit and buy a coffee or eat something?Where you have to order fast food from outside everytime you are hungry?Of course there is no set time when you eat since there is no kitchen.Food is out of the program.And if one may not care about bed sheets,I guess food is a major issue.
Should I stay or should I go
The Clash sang it better than I wonder about it.
History repeats itself,or so they say.It was back in 2000 when I had a hard time away from my house with no friends,stranger in a strange land,in Ioannina.I went to study there while I dreamt of Thessaloniki.So,I tried to leave that place and go study/live in Thessaloniki.When I finally managed there were tears and memories I left behind.Best days of my life perhaps,though I had a very good time in Thessaloniki too.So now,I am at a similar point.
I had some hard time in Limnos.Too few men,too much work,too many hours of guard,virtually no days off.Now I take many days off,there are many men,few hours of guard of my own choice(!) and less work.But I am finally getting transfered to my beloved Thessaloniki.I can spend 3-4 nights outside the base with friends but there will be only limited days off.Also I will leave behind all of my friends-including some nice officers.For what?I don't know what to expect there plus it will take me some time to get used to it.
If there was a way to stop the transfer I would probably stay in Limnos.Of course it's not so terrible-moving to Thessaloniki.It's only for 4 months.I guess they will pass rather quickly.But I am wondering as I did 7 years ago whether the Transfer is good for me.
Be careful what you wish.It may not be better than what you already have.
Testing who is what
Those who know about it,please don't spoil it!Instead have the test yourselves!Give the answers at your comments.Thank you.
1.It’s your birthday. Someone gives you a calfskin wallet. How do you react?
2.You’ve got a little boy. He shows you his butterfly collection plus the killing jar. What do you do?
3.You’re watching television. Suddenly you realize there’s a wasp crawling on your arm.
4.You’re in a desert walking along in the sand when all of the sudden you look down, and you see a tortoise, it’s crawling toward you. You reach down, you flip the tortoise over on its back. The tortoise lays on its back, its belly baking in the hot sun, beating its legs trying to turn itself over, but it can’t, not without your help. But you’re not helping. Why is that?
5.Describe in single words, only the good things that come into your mind. About your mother.
That was all.Hmmm...I think I should go test my family too.And for those who think about it,I have been tested myself... :P
Brave Sir Robin!(Monty Python's Holy Grail)
Brave Sir Robin ran away(No!)
Bravely ran away, away(I didn't!)
When danger reared its ugly head
He bravely turned his tail and fled(No!)
Yes, brave Sir Robin turned about
And gallantly he chickened out
Bravely taking to his feet
He beat a very brave retreat
Bravest of the brave, Sir Robin
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_JmoLbU_pYQ
