Movie Watching....

So, persuaded by Marius, (and not having any other better way spending my evening) I decided to join him and his friends in their movie watching adventures. For those of you who don't know, this is the time of the Montreal World Film Festival , the last event for the summer. The first film we watched on Wednesday was totally by mistake and it ended up being a weird Spanish movie titled La Caja. Though there were some funny moments, I have to admit Ifound some of the scenes a bit gross for my taste.
The second film we watched yesterday was far funnier and more entertaining. It was titled Ciudad en Celo and it was an Argentinian-Spanish production. The story revolved around the lives of a group of friends who are reunited under a tragic event. Ordinary people caught in ordinary circumstances, a very realistic, funny and yet dramatic film as life usually is. Moti, a friend of his visiting from Washington and Francis also joined in, as well as many other people (the theatre was almost packed!) and seemed to enjoy the film also (at least they did not disliked it!).
Definitely a good choice for the evening.

BTW, there was a Greek film participating (Eduart) playing at the same cinema (the movie had just finished) and as we where standing in line, I heard a Greek lady commenting how she was pleased that some Greeks showed up, because usually Greek films are not supported by Greek fans.... (OOPS!)

Facebook....

As a parting favor to Raphinou (I still think this was a low blow), I have just created my facebook account. My profile needs still updating, but I guess had to start from somewhere....

(I will also make an lj entry of this just in case people do not read this blog anymore...)

Των οικιών εμπιπραμένων υμείς άδετε....*

It's been a long time since I have made a post. I guess I have been busy and feeling down for a long time now....
Anyway, I had a good time yesterday visiting the Biodome and the Botanical Garden with Raphinou, Aemilius and Francis. Though I have been in this city for 4 years, it was my first visit there and I really enjoyed everything (including the bugs in the insectarium; I guess as long as me and those bees are separated by glass, I am fine.)
However, having seen all this green and nature I couldn't help not thinking about what's happening in Greece right now...


For those of you who haven't heard, southern Greece (that's the Peloponnese) and the island of Evia (the second biggest island of the country after Crete) have been devastated by raging forest fires which are still burning (for over 5 days now) resulting to 63 people dead and hundreds left homeless since whole villages have been literally burnt to the ground. (Here are links to CBC, CNN, BBC.) My aunt and her family who were in my grandfather's village on vacation, have barely escaped as the fire approached the village. We learnt later that my grandfather's house was not seriously affected (the fire just passed through the front yard), but other houses were not that lucky.
As for the ecological disaster, that goes without saying. Whole ecosystems have been destroyed, forests that will take decades to regenerate, if ever, I am afraid. The ecological and financial disaster (initial cost estimates are about is €1.5 Billions) are actually incalculable because the fire consumed also crop fields and farms, leaving nothing behind.

I am shocked and I am furious. Shocked from the disaster and the death toll, furious with the response of an incompetent administration, people who not only did nothing to prevent this disaster, but also failed to organize a proper response.
The forest surrounding the archaeological site of Ancient Olympia (the birth place of the Olympic Games), and the surroundings of the International Olympic Academy (I' ve been there in the past, a beautiful building inside a magnificent forest) they are all gone. Thank God, the ancient monuments were not affected, but I guess stone cannot catch fire in the first place.
Once again, this administration managed to embarrass the whole country. How can we even claim the return of the Parthenon marbles, when we are incapable of protecting what we already have?
And to add to their incompetence, they are looking for an excuse in international conspiracy theories. They speak of an 'asymmetrical threat' meaning terrorism. Yes, of course, how couldn't anyone think about that? It is Al-Qaeda, or maybe Turkish spies, or Kossovo Albanian nationalists, or maybe every right wind extremist's scapegoats, the illegal immigrants, the Gypsies, the international Zionism or "social radicals", (yes, of course, it has to be members of the opposition socialist party, after all, this is an election period in Greece, and that would make the conservative administration look so bad.) Who knows, maybe the fires were caused by extra-terrestials!!!
It's everybody else 's fault except theirs. They did all they could! (Exactly like they have been doing everything the could (and that's nothing) for the last three years, since they came to power.)
Well, so will I! At least I will try to... (If I get my passport on time). I will go to Greece to vote and hopefully put them and us out of our misery.

ΦΤΑΝΕΙ ΠΙΑ (ENOUGH IS ENOUGH)


*The saying chosen as a title is from Aesop and it translates: " While your houses are on fire, you are singing tales". I think that is most appropriate.