Wildflower Soul

Σύνθημα μας η επισφάλεια

2011-04-13T13:19:00.002+01:00

Η σημερινή κατάσταση επισφάλειας θυματοποιεί πρώτα από όλα τους ευάλωτους πληθυσμούς. Ενώ οι κυβερνήσεις ακόμα έχουν το θράσος να επικαλούνται τον ανθρωπισμό και την κοινωνική πρόνοια, στην πράξη όλα αυτά θυσιάζονται στο βωμό του κέρδους ή του σημερινού χρέους. Θα ήθελα πολύ να πω ότι αυτό είναι ένα κλισέ ωστόσο η πραγματικότητα με διαψεύδει. Το 2010 κλείνει η σχολή τυφλών στην Θεσσαλονίκη. Σήμερα, το εργαστήρι ειδικής αγωγής Μαργαρίτα,* το οποίο και απασχολεί 100 εφήβους και ενήλικες με ειδικές ανάγκες, κινδυνεύει να κλείσει μιας και το κράτος (Νομαρχία, ασφαλιστικά ταμεία) έχει αφήσει τους 30 εργαζομένους απλήρωτους για πάνω από 6 μήνες. Σε επιστολή που απέστειλε προς τον υπουργό Υγείας το Διοικητικό Συμβούλιο του Μαργαρίτα γίνεται γνωστό ότι όχι μόνο είναι αμφίβολη η καταβολή των καθυστερημένων ποσών αλλά και ότι το ποσό της τακτικής επιχορήγησης θα περικοπεί περαιτέρω.

Ζώντας με το ένα πόδι στο εξωτερικό και το άλλο πόδι στην Ελλάδα βλέπω ότι η μείωση κοινωνικής πρόνοιας δυστυχώς δεν είναι μόνο ελληνικό φαινόμενο (αν και στην Ελλάδα οι συνθήκες ήταν πάντα πολύ κατώτερες). Στις πρόσφατες διαδηλώσεις στο Λονδίνο μητέρες και κοινωνικοί λειτουργοί κατέβηκαν στους δρόμους με πλακατ ζωγραφισμένα από παιδιά που ανέγραφαν συνθήματα όπως: 'Joe is angry'. Ο Τζο είναι θυμωμένος που του κόβουνε την κοινωνική απασχόληση του μιας που δεν είναι παραγωγικό μέλος αυτής της κοινωνίας και δεν μπορεί να ξεπληρώσει κανένα χρέος.

"Ο Γιώργος είναι θυμωμένος" γιατί μπορεί από δω και πέρα να μένει στο σπίτι γιατί η κοινωνία στην οποία ζει δεν μπορεί να του προσφέρει αυτό που άλλοι θεωρούν δεδομένο. Δυνατότητες για κοινωνικοποίηση, κατάρτιση και κάποια αξιοπρέπεια.

* Το ΕΕΑ Μαργαρίτα ιδρύθηκε το 1979 από ιδιωτική πρωτοβουλεία μητέρας ατόμου με ειδικές ανάγκες και προσφέρει κατάρτιση σε παιδιά με νοητική στέρηση.

Parallel Cities/Parallel spaces/Parallel Stories

2011-03-28T20:05:00.002+01:00

'Although everyone knows that the dramaturgy of capitalism has created its theatre in the shopping arcades, a theatre in which everybody plays nobody ought to notice that they are the subject of the production.'

Rimini Protokoll's Stefan Kaegi in collaboration with a number of international artists on a project across cities, spaces and languages.

Buenos Aires, Berlin, Warsaw, Zurich.

Hotels, rooftops, libraries, shopping malls, courts

http://www.ciudadesparalelas.com

Trisha Brown's Walking on the Wall

2011-03-28T17:15:00.000+01:00

Barbican, March 2011

New York, 1970s

I so much want to try this.

The remains of the day

2011-03-27T20:56:00.001+01:00

(Don't) Tell her

2009-02-22T10:43:00.010Z

Double Bill

Seven Jewish Children: A Play for Gaza by Caryl Churchill
Duration: 8 minutes
Place: Israel
Admission: Free (but with collection of funds for Medical Aid for Palestinians)

The Stone by Marius von Mayenburg
Duration: 1 hour
Place: Dresden (1935-1993)
Theme: 20 years since the Fall of the Berlin Wall

A chilling combination that negotiates ideas about home, ownership, war, death, national identity, family ties, truth, enclosure, separation.

4
Don't tell her who they are
Tell her something
Tell her they are Bedouin, they travel about
Tell her about camels in the desert and dates
Tell her they live in tents
Tell her this wasn't their home
Don't tell her home, not home, tell her they're going away
Don't tell her they don't like her
Tell her to be careful
Don't tell her who used to live in this house
No but don't tell her her great grandfather used to live in this house [...]
Don't tell her they said it was a land without people
Don't tell her I wouldn't have come if I'd known
Tell her maybe we can share
Don't tell her that. (SJC, for free download www.casarotto.co.uk/page/sjc )

The play has caused a heated debate and uporoar from members of the Jewish community as well as reviewers and common people. Many found it anti-semitic and one-dimensional and fiercely attacked the Royal Court, Churchill and critics who positively commented on the play. One can just visit the Guardian blog to get an idea of some of the comments circulating.

Churchill explains the urge to write the play as such: 'It came out of feeling strongly about what's happening in Gaza - it's a way of helping the people there. Israel has done lots of terrible things in the past, but what happened in Gaza seemed particularly extreme.'

The Royal Court has responded to the attacks: 'While Seven Jewish Children is undoubtedly critical of the policies of the State of Israel, there is no suggestion that this should be read as a criticism of Jewish people. It is possible to criticize the actions of Israel without being anti-Semitic. In keeping with its philosophy, the Royal Court presents a multiplicity of viewpoints.'

Although this is not exactly accurate, one cannot deny the atrocities committed by Israel fairly recently. Casting the spell of anti-semiticism nowadays is quite banal and I think we should move beyond these binaries because they never did any good. During the recent war I was (as everybody else) outraged to say the least with both Israel and the West for being incapable to act; no one can erase these war crimes not even the Jews who actually live in Israel and are not commenting from afar. On the other hand, I am still equally upset by the discourse and practices of Hamas that are doing quite the same. Yet, I find Christopher Hart's (The Sunday Times) argument equally preposterous as the one he tries to argue against; he attempts to prove that Hamas is less accurate in their bombings rather than the Israeli's: '[the Israelis] despite having directly caused the deaths of more than 1,000 civilians in Gaza recently, does not deliberately target queues of people at bus stops [Like Hamas]. [...] The enormously complex reasons for such horrors are not considered here.' So is it a matter of how you kill and not the fact that you kill Mr Hart?

Although I would have been furious if anyone staged a play that made claims that Turkey did not actually commit crimes against Greek and Armenian minorities during the 20th century, I am equally upset by propagandistic and nationalist disources circulating in Greece that want to build and extent this hate against them. But the point is to accept and not to forget history. And I am also skeptical of the fact that nobody dares to touch muslim issues but it is easier perhaps to attack Jews.

However, let us not forget the most political play of the last years, My Name is Rachel Corrie drawn from the personal diaries of the American activist who was killed by an Israeli buldoze and the resistance to stage it in the United States.

Libel or not, Seven Jewish Children certainly triggers debate and needs to be assessed with regards to the emphasis on the young generation of children who will learn to hate and be afraid.

2009-01-09T16:00:00.004Z

Robert Fisk: 'Why do they hate the West so much, we will ask'
The Independent 7 January 2009
http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/fisk/robert-fisk-why-do-they-hate-the-west-so-much-we-will-ask-1230046.html

Brilliant article by Robert Fisk published on Wednesday in The Independent. Fisk articulates the outrage many of us feel about the current situation in the Gaza Strip and reminds us that Israel is making its own 'contribution' to the war on terror that reinforces the binary West/East christianity/Islam. This article was written after the Israelis bombarded a UN school. Still today, Israel refuses to back out while over 700 Palestinians are already dead. As Rosi Braidotti argues in Nomadic Subjects 'transformations or change are not possible, unless the vicious circle of dialectical violence is completely broken'.

Here are some extracts from Fisk's article

'Have we forgotten the 17,500 dead – almost all civilians, most of them children and women – in Israel's 1982 invasion of Lebanon; the 1,700 Palestinian civilian dead in the Sabra-Chatila massacre; the 1996 Qana massacre of 106 Lebanese civilian refugees, more than half of them children, at a UN base; the massacre of the Marwahin refugees who were ordered from their homes by the Israelis in 2006 then slaughtered by an Israeli helicopter crew; the 1,000 dead of that same 2006 bombardment and Lebanese invasion, almost all of them civilians?'

'What is amazing is that so many Western leaders, so many presidents and prime ministers and, I fear, so many editors and journalists, bought the old lie; that Israelis take such great care to avoid civilian casualties. "Israel makes every possible effort to avoid civilian casualties," yet another Israeli ambassador said only hours before the Gaza massacre.'

'What happened was not just shameful. It was a disgrace. Would war crime be too strong a description? For that is what we would call this atrocity if it had been committed by Hamas. So a war crime, I'm afraid, it was. After covering so many mass murders by the armies of the Middle East – by Syrian troops, by Iraqi troops, by Iranian troops, by Israeli troops – I suppose cynicism should be my reaction. But Israel claims it is fighting our war against "international terror". The Israelis claim they are fighting in Gaza for us, for our Western ideals, for our security, for our safety, by our standards. And so we are also complicit in the savagery now being visited upon Gaza.'

Vive la Resistance

2008-12-17T11:13:00.001Z

http://www.kathimerini.gr/4dcgi/_w_articles_kathremote_1_17/12/2008_260563

Where does violence end? Part I

2008-12-10T00:48:00.002Z

Ελεύθερος Τύπος 9/12/2008
http://www.e-tipos.com/newsitem?id=65016

A New Era has Begun

2008-11-30T12:40:00.001Z

Theatre Notes: some trace of her

2008-10-08T22:19:00.010+01:00

Traces of Dostoevsky's The Idiot, Emily Dickinson's poetry, of life and death, of theatre and cinema, of stillness and movement, of artificiality and physicality.
Traces of me trying to remember, to forget, to experience, to absorb.

I heard a fly buzz when I died;
The stillness round my form
Was like the stillness in the air
Between the heaves of storm.

Emily Dickinson circa 1861

http://www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/sometrace

http://www.bbc.co.uk/cultureshow/videos/2008/07/s5_e9_mitchell/index.shtml

Theatre Notes: Lipsynch

2008-09-14T23:09:00.008+01:00

Voice falters/ can't speak/when silence is physically present/what if live voice becomes mediated/meaningless language carries meaning/shut the windows to listen/ethereal music/
the noise on the street/to observe what nobody else sees/the mother/the child/the ghost/the father/

How do voice, speech and language interact with each other? How does the stage communicate ideas to its audience? Lipsynch(ronising), Robert Lepage's latest collaboration with Ex Machina, is a 9-hour, multinational journey into the mysteries of human voice (natural or artificial, live or mediated) and its effect on human beings. 9 stories, 9 interconnected trajectories of the human voice unravel, narrate, shout, cry, laugh, haunt, from London to the Canary Islands, from Quebec to London, from Nicaragua to Hamburg. Unforgettable experience.

The Bιg Blue (Όταν το διδακτορικό σου φαίνεται μια αιωνιότητα)

2008-08-20T18:56:00.005+01:00

Αυτό το ρητό 'τα αγαθά κόποις κτώνται' δεν μας ενημέρωσε αν κτώνται και μετά παραισθήσεων...
Εδώ και μερικές μέρες αναρωτιέμαι αν τελικά πριν 3 εβδομάδες όντως βουτούσα σε αυτά τα νερά... Μωρέ μπας και το φαντάστηκα τελικά;

2008-08-13T19:55:00.004+01:00

While we are mere spectators to the war that erupted against all odds on the first day of the Olympic games (in ancient Greece they ceased fire while the Games were taking place) no one can take a clear stance as to what is really going on up there. Are the Russians really retreating or just claiming so? Are they trying to overthrow Saakashvili? Certainly the political costs are many more than what meets the eye. But the bottomline is more bombings that claim to "punish the aggressors", more innocent victims and more refugees.
Today's Independent represents the climate provoked by rallies and protests around the world against Russian tactics.

New Discoveries

2008-07-12T15:57:00.008+01:00

"The name Phoebe Killdeer suggests an action hero to rival Lara Croft and on stage she is that and much more than a member of Nouvelle Vague" one critic wrote for the superb Australian Paris-based chanteuse who recently released her first solo album "Weather's Coming". And it is quite true. Phoebe is a brilliant performer on stage (in the theatrical sense), constantly reaching out to her live audience making you feel you are there and contributing to the show. Even when the gig is taking place on small stage in the courtyard of the French Institute in London as part of the annual Fete de la Musique festival held in the streets of South Kensington in plein daylight, she makes a real difference. This is a voice to watch and enjoy both physically and mentally.

Her band The Short Straws is formed by Cedric Le Roux (guitar), Raphael Seguinier (drums) and Alex King (bass).

http://www.myspace.com/phoebekilldeer

For a minute there, I lost myself

2008-06-30T20:31:00.009+01:00

Radiohead 25/06/08 @ Victoria Park, London
I have to admit I have an issue with Radiohead. I was never one of their biggest fan, maybe because after OK Computer everybody became mad about them which kind of appalled me. When I saw them first time in 2000 in Athens I was not at all thrilled but probably it was not their fault but my own bad mood on that day. Last Thursday I experienced something much different; I was overwhelmed by a mixture of contradictory feelings. On the one hand, I felt bored and very but very pissed off at a bunch of twats who were in front of me and who had already seen the gig the previous night so all they did was to take pictures and videos of each other, talking loudly and generally annoying people.... I also caught the supporting act (Bat for Lashes) right at the end which was a pity but from what I could tell the singer sounded somewhat between PJ and Bjork which I think is a terrific combination!
On the other hand, once the sun set well down, the lights came on and I moved a little to the left, I began to feel a communion with the people surrounding me. I think what contributed to that was that the crowd unanimously began to sing when they played The Bends and then My Iron Lung and Karma Police and Paranoid Android. In the end I must admit that, yes, for a minute (or more than that) there I lost myself....

Gig Tip: It is a fact that attending gigs should be preceded by a sort of ritual, meaning, a "preparation" that consists in listening to all the albums in advance and think of which songs you look forward to listen to etc. Unfortunately, few of us have the luxury to perform this ritual due to time constraints, however I strongly recommend it so that you enjoy gigs to the fullest, or as a very good friend of mine would argue, in a phenomenological way. In retrospect, I wish I had prepared myself more so that I could ignore any external distractions....

Set List
1. Reckoner
2. 15 Step
3. There There
4. All I Need
5. Lucky 6. Nude
7. Weird Fishes/Arpeggi
8. Myxomatosis
9. National Anthem
10. Faust Arp
11. No Surprises
12. Jigsaw Falling Into Place
13. Optimistic
14. Videotape
15. Everything In Its Right Place
16. Idioteque
17. Bodysnatchers
Encore
18. House of Cards
19. The Bends
20. Bangers and Mash
21. My Iron Lung
22. Karma Police
Encore
23. Go Slowly
24. 2+2=5
25. Paranoid Android

For some youtube videos that manage to encapsulate the expriential quality of the particular concert go to http://www.andyvortex.com/2008/06/radiohead-victoria-park-review-setlist/

Vantage Point

2008-06-19T21:23:00.007+01:00

It is beyond doubt that Deus have reached the vantage point of their career as their eponymous latest album claims. From 1996 (when I first heard the magnificent For the Roses which made me an ardent fan) until now, they have never ceased to positively surprise me. They have never made a mediocre album; on the contrary they have found a poised style combining experimental, jazz, indie and more mainstream sounds (I am not really elaborating on this since I am not a music critic nor will I ever want to be) that make them unique and recognizable. Vantage Point works along the same lines urging me to either dance or cry depending on the song mood (but really urging me not just teasing me to do so).

Personal highlights

Eternal Woman
Architect

Slow

Favourite Game

Αποχαιρετισμοί

2008-06-14T15:13:00.003+01:00

Throughout almost 4 years living abroad, I have met so many people from different cultures and backgrounds I cannot even begin to count. I have said goodbye so many times that in the end, I thought I got used to it feeling proud of myself that I manage to refrain from sentimentalisms and such. However, there is a moment when you realise that your feelings cannot be repressed for long. It is always painful to experience the absence of people who really matter to you. This post is dedicated to my 4-year Drama companion who I know is going to be much happier where she is travelling to at the moment which makes me happy too. Nevertheless, I cannot deny that I feel that something very dear is missing. It is just hard to get used to things.

A (Belated) Irish Anniversaire

2008-06-13T11:26:00.009+01:00

As highlighted last year, spending your birthday travelling is a great experience! This time I was luckier weatherwise. Here is my Irish travelogue (did not go that far though, next time we should visit the West and wilder coast).

Dublin bridge, reminscent of Lulu on the Bridge

Taking the dart and going to the seaside (Bray).

Visiting the Guinness factory and experiencing the process of its making

Seeing Dublin from Guinness factory tower. Observing the odd way seagulls fly.

Where the Streets Have No Name. Discovering new places in the Irish coast and mainland that remind you of your own country, deciding to cross bridges that apparently lead you to the same place, and at the same time listening to U2 really loud.

La Verité, c'est quoi?

2008-05-17T12:53:00.006+01:00

The relativity and subjectivity of truth is definitely not a new concept; since the downfall of the grand-narratives and humanist thought, truth and reason seem to remain hidden (caché) in the sea of subjectivity giving way to a multiplicity of interpretations. Yet, in film or theatre there are many who get irritated by the lack of narratives which offer a resolution and thus, satisfaction to the reader/spectator. In case I have not mentioned this before, I am particularly intrigued by well-crafted unresolved stories that express their own aesthetic point of view and refuse to abide by the logic of singurality of truth, simply because there is never one truth but many. This is one of the main reasons why I enjoy Haneke's films so much.

Caché, Code Inconnu, The Pianist all explore the maladies of the human psyche and the position of the individual in their social milieu. They open up different interpretations that allow the reader to choose what to believe instead of prescribing the story's outcome or morale like most mainstream (American) cinema does. The last scene in Caché or the narrative in Code Inconnu encapsulate this point and make a case for multiple verités, celles du spectateur.

Turtles

2008-05-14T01:17:00.005+01:00

One of my most favourite animals (it just is, don't ask why). If you try really hard you can hear one of them singing to the other:
"You got a thing about you I just can't live without you I really want you, Elenore, near me Your looks intoxicate me Even though your folks hate me There's no one like you, Elenore, really..."

The Turtles, Elenore

There is an intertextuality/pun there but I can spare you the details...

Lazarus appeared in Hammersmith Apollo

2008-05-10T17:30:00.008+01:00

7th of May 2008, Hammersmith Apollo
Barry Adamson/Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds

It has been a while since I last went to a gig and was really sad when leaving (obviously because I think, "that was it, when am I going to the see them live again??"). Last Thursday night, I felt that really strongly and for a damn good reason. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds (no Blixa of course) performed their latest album Dig! Lazarus Dig! as well as many songs of the past live at Hammersmith Apollo.
Despite the new ominous moustache-bearing look, I still adore Nick Cave and his music. It was in 1998 when I actually saw him live in Athens while I am trying to forget the year (was it 2001 or 2003??) when a terrible thunderstorm made it impossible for him to perform and left us in the rain just hoping we would see him the next day.....

In 2008, Nick Cave does not feel older a bit, his performance on stage is absolutely breathtaking while he still maintains his communication with the audience. Dig! Lazarus, strongly reverberates the good old days of Murder Ballads and even before that (a sign evident in Abattoir Blues as well). In a nutshell, on Thursday he proved my enthusiasm and long-term devotion right.

Highlights: Stagger Lee (especially the cock-sucking imitation)
Nick instructing us how to sing along "O Mamma" in The Lyre of Orpheus.
The incident with the weird sound that scared Nick but entertained Sclavunos and Wydler who indulged in pretending to shoot each other.
Papa Won't Leave You Henry!!!
Warren Ellis' (Grinderman) arm strokes while playing several chord instruments
The 2 encores!

In case you are wondering we missed Barry Adamson's performance (why performing at 7.30 in a closed space in the beginnging of May??)

Set
Night of the Lotus Eaters
Dig! Lazarus Dig!
Tupelo
Today's Lesson
Lie Down Here (And be my girl)
Deanna
I let love In
Red Right Hand
Jesus of the Moon
We Call upon the Author to Explain
The Ship Song
Papa won't leave you Henry
Midnight Man
More News from Nowhere
Get Ready for Love
Stagger Lee
The Lyre of Orpheus
Into my Arms
Wanted Man (written by Dylan for Johnny Cash)

(I am sure I am not forgetting too many songs, only a couple maybe)

Photo by Purplecatster

2000+8 Μουσικολογίες

2008-04-06T23:11:00.012+01:00

Λοιπόν δεν ξέρω αν το καταλάβατε, αλλά το 2008 είναι η χρονιά των επανεμφανίσεων... Ο μουσικός οργασμός που έχει κατακλύσει τη μουσική βιομηχανία τελευταία είναι απίστευτος! Μετρώ:

1) Radiohead, In Rainbows (εντάξει εδώ κλέβω λίγο αλλά δεν μετρώ την ψηφιακή εκδοχή)
2) Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Dig! Lazarus Dig!
3) Portishead, 3rd
4) Deus, Vantage Point
5) REM, Accelerate
6) The Chap, Mega Breakfast
7) Massive Attack, tba

Last minute addition

8) Spiritualised, Songs in A & E

Αναρωτιέμαι ποιός να έχει σειρά...

Η μοίρα του υποψήφιου διδάκτορα

2008-03-16T18:31:00.002Z

Η αλεπού κόβει βόλτες στο δάσος και βλέπει το λαγό να γράφει στο laptop κάτω από ένα δεντράκι. -Καλημέρα λαγέ. -Καλημέρα αλεπού. -Τι γράφεις λαγέ; -Το διδακτορικό μου (γέλια η αλεπού ακατάσχετα) -Και τι θέμα έχεις; -Πως ο λαγός τρώει την αλεπού. -Με δουλεύεις, γίνονται αυτά τα πράγματα; -Έλα να σου δείξω. Πράγματι, προχωρούν προς μια κοντινή σπηλιά, μπαίνουν μέσα, ακούγονταιθόρυβοι πανικού και μετά ησυχία. Στο τέλος βγαίνει μόνος του ο λαγός,κάθεται και συνεχίζει το γράψιμο. Περνάει αργότερα η ύαινα, τα ίδια:- Καλημέρα λαγέ. -Καλημέρα ύαινα. -Τι γράφεις λαγέ; -Το διδακτορικό μου.(γέλια η ύαινα αυτή τη φορά ακατάσχετα) -Και τι θέμα έχεις; -Πως ο λαγός τρώει την ύαινα. -Με δουλεύεις, γίνονται αυτά τα πράγματα, θα σε κάνω μια μπουκιά; -Έλα να σου δείξω. Ξανά το ίδιο σκηνικό, μπαίνουν στη σπηλιά και μετά από το σχετικόσαματά και τη νεκρική σιγή (σταματήστε επιτέλους τα τύμπανα) βγαίνει ολαγός cool όπως πάντα. Περνάει τέλος και ο λύκος.- Καλημέρα λαγέ.- Καλημέρα λύκε . -Τι γράφεις λαγέ; -Το διδακτορικό μου.(γέλια ο λύκος μέχρι δακρύων)- Και τι θέμα έχεις; -Πως ο λαγός τρώει το λύκο. -Με δουλεύεις, πρέπει να στο κόψουν το διδακτορικό;- Έλα να σου δείξω.Πλησιάζουν στη μυστήρια σπηλιά και όπως μπαίνουν στο σκοτάδιανατριχιάζει ο λύκος που βλέπει βήματα ζώων να μπαίνουν και να μηβγαίνουν και κόκαλα σκορπισμένα παντού. Εκεί που κοντεύει νακατουρηθεί επάνω του βλέπει στο βάθος το λιοντάρι να κάθεται. -Τι είναι αυτά που μου κάνεις ρε λαγέ, είπαμε πως ο λαγός τρώει τολύκο, όχι το λιοντάρι τρώει το λύκο, που με έφερες; -Δεν κατάλαβες: το λιοντάρι επιβλέπει το διδακτορικό μου. Εγώ δουλεύωκαι αυτός τρώει.

(αυτό το ανέκδοτο το έλαβα μέσω μέιλ, δεν είναι δικό μου και δεν αφορά στη δική μου θέση ως υποψήφιας διδάκτορος, ωστόσο εάν έκανα τη διατριβή μου στην Ελλάδα σίγουρα θα ταυτιζόμουνα.......)

Blog Game

2008-03-05T16:52:00.006Z

Jason's invitation was an excellent motivation for me to write on my blog after such a loong time....

So basically the book that is closer to me or at the top of my pile is Gender Trouble by Judith Butler which you can also see on your left. The cover of the book is in Swedish as somebody informed me and it says something like "gender is burning".

There it goes, page 123, line 5:

"The significant difference between Foucault's position in the first volume of History of Sexuality and in his introduction to Herculine Barbin is already to be found as an unresolved tension within the History of Sexuality itself (he refers there to 'bucolic' and 'innocent' pleasures of intergenerational sexual exchange that exixt prior to the imposition of various regulative strategies [31]). On the one hand, Foucault wants to argue that there is no sex in itself which is not produced by complex interactions of disourse and power, and yet there does seem to be a multiplicity of pleasures in itself which is notthe effect of any specific discourse/power exchange" (Gender Trouble, Routledge, 1990)

I think that is enough for today. I believe that this is also an indication why I have not been around lately so now you know why! (And for those who know me well enough, it is no surprise that this book is sitting on the top of my pile. Shall I call it coincidence or intertextaulity??)

I also invite Dr Gonzo, Andromeda and Pixie to play along if they want!! Log on to Jason's blog for details!! http://www.littleargonauts.blogspot.com/

Patiently Waiting for

2007-12-08T16:42:00.000Z

It is funny how our lives have become a succesion of deadlines and how we try to keep ourselves motivated by looking forward to specific dates we have marked as important in our personal diaries. Fragments in time that we patiently anticipate and hope to fill our lives with joy, like young children wish Christmas was here. That is the meaning of life after all isn't it?

December 15: Flight to Athens

March 1: U.N.K.L.E at Brixton Academy

June 25: Radiohead, Victoria Park.

and many more to come....

And then, you start thinking I do not want time to go by so quickly, I do not want to look forward and just feel my life slipping, I just want to find myslef again.

What are you patiently waiting for?

White Chalk

2007-11-25T18:06:00.000Z

Polly Jean Harvey's latest album White Chalk, is a superb amalgam of atmospheric music, poignant lyrics and minimalist aesthetics. Personal highlights White Chalk and Silence. Simply aetherial.

Control

2007-10-22T11:21:00.000+01:00

Out of control, she's lost control, the title of the biopic on Ian Curtis' life brings to mind many allusions to Curtis' songs and life and thus, is more than relevant. Based on the book Touching from a Distance, written by his widow Deborah Curtis, the film attempts to shed light to the enigmatic and inscrutable personality of Ian Curtis the frontman of Joy Division who took his life in May 1980 (ironically, some days before I was born). Control's director, Anton Corbijn (who knew Curtis back then and had taken pictures of him and the band; he is also the creator of the Atmosphere video) succeeds in imbuing the film with an atmospheric quality. In a way, it gives a feeling of touching Curtis from a distance, using black and white colours and highlighting the turmoil and isolation that epilepsy, depression and personal problems caused him. Performances are excellent and I have to add the casting needs credit too. As far as I know, the songs were performed by the actors themselves which makes the film even more original.
Personally, whenever I listen to Atmosphere I cry. This time there was a more concrete reason for doing so.

Blog Action Day

2007-10-15T10:44:00.000+01:00

Outside my window I have a view of a bosque; I know that the leaves are soon to turn red, brown, and fall to the earth. I often see rabbits, dear and loads of squirrels playing around and eating and I feel like I am on the little house on the Prairie or Alice in Wonderland. I am thinking about back home when I used to live in a forest area which burned down in 1995 and 1998 and since then it has never been the same. I am thinking about what happened to Greece this summer, (and certainly not exclusively Greece, or this particular summer) and words fail me. The list of the reasons why the environment should be protected is really long; on the top of mine rest RESPECT, QUALITY OF LIFE and EQUILIBRIUM.

http://www.blogactionday.com/
S
P
R
E
A
D THE WORD

Edinburgh specimens

2007-09-20T22:33:00.001+01:00

At least this time Scotland was really generous... The weather was brilliant and the place is full of parks and greenery!

Catching the sun under the unfinished Parthenon...

Andy Warhol exhibition

Yes, it is real!

Tons of feathers, man!

I don't wanna be buried in a pet (dog) cemetary...

Sonic Youth @ Roundhouse, Camden

2007-09-02T17:25:00.001+01:00

More than 30 years ago the legendary Roundhouse hosted Jimi Hendrix and Pink Floyd. In 2007, Sonic Youth performed their album Daydream Nation (unabridged) providing a 20-year cross-over reaching their newest album Rather Ripped.
Last time I saw them live @ Rodon club, Athens, in 2000, they had just released A Thousand Leaves, one of my old-time favourites and the inspiration of my blog's name (Wildflowersoul).
Since then, it seems that time stopped. Lee Ranaldo, Kim Gordon and Thurston Moore may all be in their 50s, however, watching them perform felt like I were in my 60s. Still resourceful and replete with energy (Kim danced and twirled) they made the audience refusing to let them go.

Photo taken from http://flickr.com/photos/plain/

At least we 've got the sea

2007-08-28T16:05:00.001+01:00

There is no point wondering why...what is done can never change. At least we still have the sea to soothe the pain.

The Truth is that...

2007-08-22T10:36:00.000+01:00

...Folegandros really caught my eye and rocked my body and soul.
...I am back to the UK since the 8th of August and I need more holiday.
...the weather sucks and I am sleeping with my duvet.
... Tony Wilson died last week at the age of 57 (RIP)
...Greece is going to have early elections in less than a month.
...next week Sonic Youth will perform at the Roundhouse (tbc)...

Next Destination

2007-07-02T20:06:00.001+01:00

Destination No1 (after flying back to Greece tomorrow) is Dublin! I think we waited for a long time, so did our recently awarded Dr Zapoufia! And since we are going to be around Ireland we will not forget another sweetheart who lives somewhere around there!

Yes, good things come to those who wait indeed!

5 favourite destinations

2007-06-14T11:25:00.001+01:00

Pixie has asked me to provide my top 5 favourite destinations. I decided to include places I have often mentioned I want to go and could stand for my immediate (this means within the next 10 years I guess...) travel plans. I also wanted to add Australia and Thailand but probably this would take longer...

I want to prompt all my blog friends (even if they do not have a blog) to make their own lists if they wish to so that we can all travel virtually at least!
Istanbul; because Deniz is waiting for me and I will feel at home.

Greece; everywhere, especially the islands. The best topos on earth. This is what I miss when I live abroad.

Berlin; I want to see the remains of the Wall and stroll around the streets that Wenders' angels were observing (and because Ennis will be there!)

Japan; because I love Japanese people and I miss Akiko

Cuba; asi, asi!! I do not think I should explain porque!

Ερωτήματα που ζητούν απάντηση

2007-06-09T11:39:00.000+01:00

Άλλο ένα email που με έκανε και γέλασα! Οι ερωτήσεις είναι πολύ περισσότερες, για όποιον ενδιαφέρεται, του τις στέλνω!

Από τι υλικό είναι φτιαγμένο το πελεκούδι και καίγεται συνέχεια;
Σε ποια ακριβώς περιοχή του ουράνιου θόλου βρίσκεται το σφοντύλι;
Γιατί ο Donald Duck όταν βγαίνει από το μπάνιο φοράει πετσέτα ενώ κυκλοφορεί τις υπόλοιπες ώρες χωρίς παντελόνι;
Τι σκατά σημαίνει επιτέλους Ζαβαρακατρανεμια;
Ποιος είναι επιτέλους ο ανιψιός του Μπάρμπα Μπεν και ποιος του Μπάρμπα Στάθη;
Η απαγόρευση του καπνίσματος σε χώρους εργασίας ισχύει και στις καπνοβιομηχανίες;
Θα είχε διαφορά αν αντί να τραβάει κανείς ένα ζόρι, το έσπρωχνε;

Με ποια ακριβώς επιχειρήματα έπεισε ο Νώε τα ψάρια να αφήσουν το νερό και να μπουν στην κιβωτό;

Ποιος ήταν ο αντικειμενικός σκοπός αυτού του Αλέξη όταν κρυβόταν πίσω από τις λέξεις;
Υπάρχει λογική απάντηση στην ερώτηση 'Γύρισες';

Αφού ο άνθρωπος προέρχεται από τον πίθηκο γιατί υπάρχουν ακόμη πίθηκοι;

Πως πήρε το όνομά της η μακαρονάδα 'πουτανέσκα';
Τι σημαίνει κάθομαι όρθιος;

Τα ΑΤΜ γιορτάζουν της Αναλήψεως;

Γιατί τις λέμε ατομικές βόμβες αφού σκοτώνουν πολλούς;

Πώς λέγεται ένα αγριογούρουνο όταν είναι ήρεμο;

Σε τι τεστ επιδεξιότητας υποβάλλεται ο κώλος ώστε να αποκτήσει τελικά δικαίωμα στο μεταξωτό βρακί;

Υπάρχει επιστημονική εξήγηση γιατί το παρδαλό κατσίκι έχει μεγαλύτερη αίσθηση του χιούμορ από τα υπόλοιπα μονόχρωμα;

Το @ σε τι ακριβώς μοιάζει με το παπάκι;

Τι βύσμα έχει τελικά αυτός ο ουδείς και όλοι τον θεωρούν αναντικατάστατο;
Στην Αφρική πως ονομάζεται το αράπικο φιστίκι;

Η τσαπα-τσούλα, είναι αγρότισσα ελευθέρων ηθών;

Τι χρησιμεύει η τρύπα στα ντόνατς;
Αυτός που βρίσκεται παγιδευμένος ανάμεσα στο 'γκρεμό' και στο 'ρέμα', έφτασε εκεί κολυμπώντας ή σκαρφαλώνοντας;
Αυτός που γράφει το 'ακόμα πιο νόστιμο' στις συσκευασίες των γατοτροφών, πώς είναι τόσο σίγουρος;
Αυτό το 'διαφανές περιτύλιγμα με τις φουσκάλες που κάνουν τσούκου-τσούκου και κάθονται όλοι και τις σπάνε σαν υπνωτισμένοι', ξέρει κανένας πως λέγεται με μία λέξη;
Οι επιγραφές που λένε πως 'επιτρέπουν την είσοδο μόνο σε σκυλιά που οδηγούν τυφλούς', περιμένουν να διαβαστούν από τα σκυλιά ή από τους τυφλούς;

Τι εργαλεία έχουν πια αυτά τα 'πράσα' και πιάνουν συνέχεια διάφορους εκεί;

Paris anniversaire

2007-06-02T23:09:00.001+01:00

Essentially, birthdays are as normal as any other day in life. When we try to make them special preparing and organising things for that allegedly 'special' day, we normally get disapointed because they do not turn out the way we planned or wished. Birthdays can be the most miserable days on the planet if you add up the usual melancholy that you are growing older. This year, I admit I committed the 'crime' of organising mine months ago, with the fear of something going wrong. Apart from a mini-storm when climbing the hill of Monmartre that pissed me off, I believe that everything conspired to make this day as well as the previous and the next one really memorable. This is one of the best ways to celebrate the day you grow older: by travelling (always with good company!). 2007, Paris. Next year who knows?Barcelona?

Mini-Interview

2007-05-21T17:53:00.000+01:00

Μετά από παράκληση της Pixie αποφάσισα να απαντήσω κι εγώ σε αυτό το μπλογκοπαίχνιδο εμπνευσμένο από το ερωτηματολόγιο του Μαρσέλ Προυστ και ζητάω από τους, Andromeda, Dr Gonzo, Jason, και Traumgeist αν θέλουν να παίξουν και αυτοί...

Η απολυτη ευτυχία για σας είναι;

Να κάνω τους άλλους να χαμογελάνε

Tι σας κάνει να σηκώνεστε το πρωί;

Το ξυπνητήρι...

Η τελευταία φορά που ξεσπάσατε σε γέλια;

Χτες το απόγευμα

Το βασικό γνώρισμα του χαρακτήρα μου είναι;

Ότι δεν μπορώ να προσποιηθώ

Ποιο είναι το βασικό σας ελάττωμα ;

Η ανυπομονησία και τα νεύρα μου

Σε ποια λάθη δίνετε επιείκεια;

Σε αυτά που δεν έγιναν σκόπιμα.

Με ποια ιστορική προσωπικότητα ταυτίζεστε;

Περνάω φάση απομυθοποίησης οπότε δεν νομίζω ότι μπορώ να απαντήσω

Ποιοι είναι οι αγαπημένοι σας ήρωες σήμερα;

Ομοίως...

Ποιο είναι το αγαπημένο σας ταξίδι;

Τα ταξίδια που έκανα και κάνω ακόμη σε νησιά των Κυκλάδων

Ποιοι είναι οι αγαπημένοι σας συγγραφείς;

Ουγκώ, Marques, Τόλκιν, Baudrillard, Beckett και πολλοί άλλοι....

Ποια αρετή προτιμάτε σε έναν άνδρα;

Χιούμορ, αυτοσαρκασμό και τρυφερότητα.

Ποια αρετή προτιμάτε σε μια γυναίκα ;

Χιούμορ, αυτοσαρκασμό και τρυφερότητα

Ποιος είναι ο αγαπημένος σας συνθέτης;

Τσαικόφσκι (μου θυμίζει και τα παιδικά μου χρόνια εκτός των άλλων...)

To τραγούδι που σφυρίζετε στο ντούς;

Ότι έχει πιάσει το αυτί μου πριν μπω στο ντους

Ποιο βιβλίο σας σημάδεψε;

Πολλά. Αυτό που μου έρχεται τώρα στο μυαλό είναι η τριλογία του Γιώργου Μιχαηλίδη Της Επανάστασης, της Μοναξιάς και της Λαγνείας που αφηγείται με τα μελανότερα χρώματα την ιστορία της Νεότερης Ελλάδος.

Ποια ταινία σας σημάδεψε;

Το Velvet Goldmine

Ποιος είναι ο αγαπημένος σας ζωγράφος;

Θεοτοκόπουλος, Salvador Dali

Ποιο είναι το αγαπημένο σας χρώμα;

Το φούξια, το μωβ, το γαλάζιο και το μαύρο

Ποια θεωρείτε τη μεγαλύτερη σας επιτυχία;

Ότι έχω καταφέρει να ξεπεράσω το παρελθόν

Ποιο είναι το αγαπημένο σας ποτο;

Το κόκκινο κρασί και η Kalhua

Για ποιο πράγμα μετανιωσατε περισσότερο;

Για πράγματα που έχω πει

Τι απεχθάνεστε περισσότερο από όλα;

Την υπεροψία και τη σκληρότητα

Όταν δεν γράφετε ποια είναι η αγαπημένη σας ασχολία;

Θέατρο, μουσική, ταινίες, βιβλία (πάλι!) και καλή παρέα με φίλους

Ποιος είναι ο μεγαλύτερος σας φόβος;

Να συμβεί κάτι κακό στην οικογένεια μου

Σε ποια περίπτωση επιλέγετε να πείτε ψέματα;

Οταν κάπoιος δεν θα εκτιμήσει ή δεν θα αντέξει την αλήθεια

Ποιο είναι το μoτο σας;

Αυτές τις μέρες, όχι στην εξουσία

Πως θα επιθυμούσατε να πεθάνετε;

Γαλήνια

Εάν συνέβαινε να συναντήσετε το Θεό τι θα θέλατε να σας πει;

Ότι θα αποκατασταθεί η παγκόσμια ειρήνη

Σε ποια πνευματική κατάσταση είστε αυτόν τον καιρό;

Σε προσπάθεια αυτοσυγκέντρωσης

Question

2007-05-21T17:51:00.001+01:00

Why aren't there any whole grain baguettes?

The Madcap did not Laugh

2007-05-15T16:54:00.000+01:00

Last week's tribute to Syd Barrett at the Barbican could not have made the Madcap, or the so called Crazy Diamond, laugh. What if Chrissie Hynde, Damon Albarn, The Bees, Captain Sensible et al showed up to perform. What if Waters came on stage to play one of his songs and Gilmour, Wright and Mason appeared later amidst a crowd of effervescing aficionados who were ecstatic about their chance to see Pink Floyd live? It was apparent that everything was polished and unfeeling, not resembling to a tribute to a recently dead artist but to some distant figure that was long gone (partly true of course). Two summers ago, I was somewhere near Hyde Park crying while watching Pink Floyd live from TV performing at Live 8. Last week I was watching them live - separately since Waters and Gilmour never appeared onstage at the same time - but I had no tears to shed this time.

Best Moment: Astronomy Domine performed by The Bees

2007-05-04T10:34:00.000+01:00

Et finalement the whole thing is ready! Θα αργήσω να ξαναγίνω editor πάντως....

http://www.rhul.ac.uk/drama/platform/

Buffalo Gig

2007-04-29T13:33:00.000+01:00

Friday, 27th April Buffaro Bar Highbury & Islington
The Chap & Thee More Shallows

1) Δεν συνάντησα άλλους Έλληνες εκτός από αυτούς που ήταν στην παρέα.
2) Τώρα έχω και μια κονκάρδα παραπάνω (δωράκι από τον ντράμερ).
3) Παρατήρησα την ομοιότητα του Johannes με τον Κιμούλη επί εποχής Λούφας.
4) Πέρασα πολύ καλά εναλλάσσοντας το γέλιο με τη γλυκειά μελαγχολία.

OSTs

2007-04-26T13:35:00.000+01:00

I am not sure if I have already mentioned this but I am not really fond of lists and numbers. However, I needed to share some of my favourite osts online. In order to avoid the taxonomical value of lists I chose to randomly point out the soundtracks I have listened to the most (which means I also like others but I did not have the chance to listen to them as much). I hope I havent forgotten many, please feel free to add yours!

Delicatessen

2007-04-21T13:42:00.000+01:00

Sometimes I feel we are living in this weird flat Jeunet dreamed of where you can hear the squeaking of the spring mattress...

Δεν ξέρω...

2007-03-31T14:43:00.000+01:00

Δεν ξέρω τι θέλω να πω...Μάλλον θέλω να μιλήσω για τα πράγματα που έχεις κάνει στο παρελθόν για τα πράγματα που σου άφησαν σημάδια αλλά και για τα ταξίδια που ήθελες να κάνεις, τους ανθρώπους που γνώρισες και εκείνους που ήθελες να γνωρίσεις. Για αυτές τις μικρές στιγμές ευτυχίας και θλίψης που έχεις βιώσει. Αυτές που αποτυπώνονται μέσα σου και παίρνουν μια άυλη μορφή που δεν μπορείς να ορίσεις με λόγια. Απλά τις αισθάνεσαι να ζουν χωρίς να καταφέρεις να τις εντοπίσεις.

Ίσως πάλι θέλω να μιλήσω για το μέλλον που, ακόμη, είναι μεγαλύτερο από το παρελθόν και που κρύβει όλα αυτά που επιθυμούσες ή άλλα που δεν σου πέρασαν καν από το μυαλό. Για αυτά τα μέρη που έχεις επισκεφτεί νοερά και μπορεί να μην υπήρξαν ποτέ ή για τους ανθρώπους που ονειρεύτηκες και ξέρεις ότι δεν υπάρχουν.

Δεν είμαι σίγουρη ποιο είναι το νόημα όλων αυτών. Το μόνο που ξέρω είναι πως ακόμα κι αν νιώθεις πως έχεις χάσει το στόχο θα τον ξαναβρείς.

World Theatre Day

2007-03-27T11:23:00.000+01:00

I hope to celebrate the day properly at the National Theatre today....

Αν μη τι άλλο...

2007-03-26T18:58:00.000+01:00

Αν μη τι άλλο έχουμε και χιούμορ... Κάντε κλικ στην εικόνα.

Μάρτης

2007-03-23T20:22:00.000Z

Στην πατρίδα λέμε "Μάρτης, γδάρτης και παλουκοκάφτης." Άντε να τους το εξηγήσεις τώρα εδώ... Τουλάχιστον αυτή τη βδομάδα δεν ήμουνα η μόνη που φόραγα σκουφί και παλτό! Σε λίγες μέρες βέβαια που λέει ότι θα έχει 17 βαθμούς θα σκάσουνε πάλι μύτη τα καλοκαιρινά συνολάκια συνοδευόμενα μετά της απαραίτητης σαγιονάρας (aka flip-flop). Προς το παρόν έχουμε μπει όλοι σε πνεύμα Χριστουγέννων ξανά.

7 Film Fixations

2007-03-18T23:24:00.000Z

1. Wings of Desire by Wim Wenders (1987)
Angels in Berlin when the wall still existed. Music by Nick Cave. I cannot resist to that combination! Although I was close to putting Paris, Texas.

2. Babel by Alejandro Gonzalez Innaritu (2006)
Those who read my blog should know already why Babel is one my favs.

3. Velvet Goldmine by Todd Haynes (1998)
This is a film I will never get tired of watching. And the particular scene where Jonathan Rhys Meyers (Bowie) sings Sebastian with the purple dress is insurmountable.

4. Arizona Dream by Emir Kusturitsa (1993)
The most poetic film I have ever seen...

5. Pulp Fiction by Quentin Tarantino (1994)
I guess I feel I have to pay tribute to the 'Nasty Nineties' and to the Tarantinoesque aesthetic which has always fascinated me. It also stands for Jacky Brown and Kill Bill 1,2.

6. A Clockwork Orange by Stanley Kubrick (1971)
Book and film are classics. No further comments...

7. Billy Elliot by Stephen Daldry (2000)
What 7 already? Not fair! I just started...

Well, I should also make a list of the other nominees as well that do not fit in lists (Donnie Darko, Mullholand Drive, Corpse Bride, Carne Tremula, A Night on Earth, Sur mes Levres , The English Patient, Amores Perros) and this could go on and on and on... Thank you Jason for the invitation, it made my weekend less carefree trying to figure out my top 7!!

The illusion of The End?

2007-03-08T00:24:00.000Z

On Monday we went to a talk given by Judith Butler at Goldsmith's and we mentioned how much we would like to hear Baudrillard talking. On Tuesday we came across his book The Transparency of Evil and Dr Gonzo rushed to the library to borrow it. On Wednesday we read about his death. Coincidences sometimes are delusional, or not?

"Since the world is on a delusional course, we must adopt a delusional standpoint towards the world. Better to die from extremes than starting from the extremities."

Baudrillard, Jean. The Transparency of Evil, Verso, 1993: 1

Lunar Eclipse

2007-03-04T22:27:00.000Z

I don't know about you but that lunar eclipse really exhausted me...

Stick Boy and Match Girl in Love

2007-03-04T12:09:00.000Z

Stick Boy liked Match Girl,
he liked her a lot.

He liked her cute figure, he thought she was hot

But could a flame ever burn
for a match and a stick?
it did quite literally;
he burned up pretty quick

Tim Burton, The Melancholy Death of Oyster Boy&Other Stories

Daffodils

2007-02-27T18:37:00.000Z

Daffodils (νάρκισσοι) are blooming again...Is this nature's signal or is it just a reflection of what we want to see?

*In ancient Greek mythology Narcissus fell in love with his reflection on a lake but because he could not access the object of his desire, he died. What remained of him was this beautiful flower that was named after him.

I year old

2007-02-21T19:58:00.000Z

A year ago I remember sitting in front of my laptop meditating on whether I should create a blog. I liked the idea of creating a platform for virtual discussion with my friends and people who could potentially become something other than simply a 'blog view.' I liked the interchange between an online diary and an outlet for creative anxieties. I am not sure what is revealed by your virtual persona or by the way you write and expose your thoughts. Probably too little. Possibly more than you would have intended. The first thing revealed about me I guess was my devotion to Sonic Youth (hence the title, wildflowersoul taken from a song title in their 1999 album A Thousand leaves). The second thing one may have guessed is my being an Uma Therman aficionada (when she does not play crappy roles) or even a Tarantino fan. So what? From little fragments, can you make out what constitutes someone's personality? Do you want to? What of someone is really infatuated by creating a persona that does not correspond to the real image of himself? But what is real anyway? Is it subjective or objective?

I started narrating the story of the blog and I ended up addressing all sorts of questions....Oh well, it' s reading week and I do not have who to address these questions to I guess...

I want to thank you all for reading, sharing, commenting, cursing, thanking, joking on this blog. I wish you continue accompanying me!

5 Πράγματα που δεν χρειάζεται να γνωρίζετε για μένα

2007-02-19T21:08:00.000Z

Αυτή η λίστα δημιουργήθηκε ύστερα από ευγενική πρόσκληση του φίλτατου Βροχοποιού. Με τη σειρά μου προσκαλώ τον Dr Gonzo, την Ανδρομέδα, την Pixie, την Traumgeist και τον Solitary. Παρόλα αυτά μου ήρθε η ιδέα για ένα άλλο παιχνίδι: να γράψω ένα σχόλιο/αποκάλυψη (μικρή) για τον καθένα από τις επαφές μου...Αλλά αυτό σε άλλο ποστ...

1. Είμαι μεγάλη φαν των Στρουμφακίων. Όταν ήμουνα μικρή περιφερόμουνα εις τας εξοχάς αναζητώντας στρουμφαλίνη!
2. Στο δημοτικό ήμουνα συμμαθήτρια με τον Solitary. (ούπς τώρα αποκάλυψα και την ηλικία του!)
3. Η μνήμη μου με βοηθά μόνο όταν είναι να θυμηθώ γενέθλια και πάλι όχι πάντα (τα γενέθλια του μπλογκ μου είναι αύριο και όχι σήμερα!!) Κοινώς αλτσχάιμερ!
4. Δεν μου αρέσει το 24.
5. Δεν έχω πάει ποτέ στο The Mall.

Ελπίζω να μην σας διαφώτησα πολύ για το ποια είμαι, άλλωστε προσπαθούμε να κρατάμε και τα προσχήματα του εικονικού εαυτού βρε αδερφέ! Πλάκα είχε πάντως.

Una Mezcla

2007-02-19T20:23:00.000Z

Yesterday I was observing the scenery from Tower Hill station. This mixture of the City buildings with the Tower of London and the medieval surroundings, this co-existence old and the new seems harmonious. But is it?

"Cradled in one culture, sandwiched between two cultures, straddling all three cultures and their value systems, la mestiza undergoes a struggle of flesh, a struggle of borders, an inner war. Like all people, we perceive the version of reality that our culture communicates. Like others having or living in more than one culture, we get multiple often opposing messages. The coming together of two self consistent but habitually inconsistent frames of reference causes un choque, a cultural collusion" (Gloria Anzaldua, Borderlands: The New Mestiza, p.78)

Ways to keep your brain young

2007-02-12T23:52:00.000Z

I promised didn't I? Here are some of the ways suggested by the Independent to keep your brain young:

4. Counting: Count out loud by twos up to 100 as fast as you can. Count backward by twos from 100 to zero. Now count by threes up to 100. Now count backward by threes from 100. Then for the optimum challenge, count forward by sevens. Then count backward by sevens.
(I have a better challenge! Try to count the chewing-gums stuck on Camden pavements!)

9. Upside down reading: Choose an article from a newspaper or magazine. Hold it upside down and try to read it. Most people will have some difficulty doing this. However, it is good exercise for the brain. Speed is not a concern. Read as many sentences as possible until the brain feels challenged. Repeat the exercise regularly.
(Can I do it with a Lacanian text?)

21. New Titles: Write down the title of the last film you saw. Now suggest three other titles that you think could have been chosen for it instead. Repeat the exercise with other films, or books or songs. (Now I see the real point of Hornby's Top 5s...)

28. Draw an egg: Most of us have more artistic ability than we recognize. Set an egg on the table in front of you, observe it carefully, and try to sketch it. Try several times. The purpose of this exercise is not to see how well you can draw but to sharpen your ability to really see. An egg is an elusive shape and not easy to draw-but your brain cells will be dancing because of your efforts. (Can I draw Humpty-Dumpty?)

Flies and Angels

2007-02-10T15:33:00.000Z

Last night I dreamt of angels and flies. They were wishing happy birthday to a crowned king sipping wine, raki and rum and singing 'I feel low and loved, scandinavian feelings...' They were playing Palermo and laughing incessantly. They were on their way to a gig in a dingy, dark club somewhere near Tottenham court road. When I woke up I saw the king beside me sleeping like a baby. His face had turned pale but happy.

Έτσι απλά, χρόνια πολλά!!

Angels: Angel B New Album by Film
Flies: The Fly, London Club @ New Oxford Street.

Photo: Angel B cover, Film

Ανασκοπήσεις I

2007-01-22T00:44:00.000Z

Μπορεί αυτή τη βδομάδα να μας πήρε και να μας σήκωσε το αγέρι του βορρά στο στρουμφοχωριό αλλά ανακαλύψαμε ότι στο greek-movies ανεβάσανε το "Είμαστε στον Αέρα" (γιούπιιι!!!). Κατά τα άλλα λέει ότι η Arsenal νίκησε τη Manchester United και οι οπαδοί ώς είθισται ξεχύθηκαν στους δρόμους. Άλλοι βέβαια αρκέστηκαν στο να καλοπιάνουνε τις αμέριμνες κοπελίτσες στον υπόγειο και να τους ζητάνε μια αγκαλιά. Μάθαμε επίσης το Sudoku και 40 τρόπους για να κρατήσουμε το μυαλό μας σε εγρήγορση και να μην πάθουμε Αλτσχάιμερ! (για περισσότερες λεπτομέρειες επί τούτου θα επανέλθω γιατι το φυλλαδιάκι δεν το πήρα μαζί μου...) Μιας που προβλέπεται δύσκολη εβδομάς (και κρύα επίσης) διαβάστε τον Αρκά σας να ευθυμήσετε! Καλή εβδομάδα!!

Babel

2007-01-10T11:27:00.000Z

"If you want to be understood, listen" is the trailer's motto in the latest film by Alejandro Gonzalez Inarittu. I feel that his previous exquisite work (Amores Perros and 21 Grams) had already foregrounded his ingenious way of narrating fragmented stories establishing strong emotional links among them. When I saw the film it really went beyond my expectations. Babel is a masterpiece, a riveting film that addresses issues of the new world order (globalization and terrorism) where personal stories are skillfully mingled with politics. It is the story of a rifle that triggers an undeclared war between the U.S and a muslim country such as Morocco, also linked to Mexico and Tokyo.

The different geographical narratives really suck you into them creating feelings of unrest not because they are strange or violent but because they are strongly familiar. Excellent cast, photography, soundtrack, direction. I cannot remember the last time I went out of the cinema more stunned and amazed. A must-see...

New Year

2007-01-09T21:22:00.000Z

All is quiet on New Year's Day...

As I grow older I realise the change in my perspective. I used to make new year's resolutions, plan what to do on New Year's Eve, make sure that I have my room tidy before the the coming of New Year. As I look back I sometimes I long for these moments where everything had a sense of magic.

When I was young
It seemed that life was so wonderful
A
miracle, oh it was beautiful, magical
And all the birds in
the trees
Well they'd be singing so happily
Oh
joyfully, oh playfully watching me
But then they sent me
away
To teach me how to be sensible
Logical, oh
responsible, practical
And they showed me a world
Where I could be so dependable
Oh clinical, oh
intellectual, cynical

There are times when all the
world's asleep
The questions run too deep
For
such a simple man
Won't you please, please tell me
what we've learned
I know it sounds absurd
But
please tell me who I am

Supetramp, The Logical Song

HoMe?

2006-12-17T23:56:00.000Z

Bewildered and not sure which place is home for me, I pack my bags and I get ready to travel to the South. I wish you all a relaxing holiday!! We will meet again next year for more wanderings on the human condition or, rather, our condition....

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec: The Full Story

2006-12-17T12:39:00.000Z

This small in stature man who used to drink a lot, infamous for his brothel posters and his paintings of prostitutes. An insightful documentary that scratches the surface of Henri Toulouse Lautrec to uncover what lies beneath his craft and his short life. How he left his aristocratic past to root his life in Montmartre. Stories of his acquaintance with the poet/artist Aristide Bruant, and with models that posed for painters like Suzanne Valodon and with Moulin Rouge dancers such as the gluttonous Goulue, the attractive Jane Avril, the childish and not very successful May Belfort; small narratives that are illustrated in his paintings and posters. An exquisite artist that dies of alcoholism at the age of 36. Toulouse Lautrec is one example of how popular culrture can be transformed into Art.

The cycles of Life and Death

2006-12-12T10:46:00.000Z

Life; a spinning wheel that moves us forwards and backwards, straight or laterally, throwing us into deep shit or raising us high to stare at the sky and then again the same, cyclical movement; unfathomable, unpredictable, cruel. Such huge cliches but so true... There are sometimes that all you want to do is scream but yet you never do it. One day you talk casually online bullshiting about stuff with a friend , next day you hear that his mother passed away the previous night. Death; the opposite of life? I wish I was there to be by your side and support you but I am miles away. But just that you know, I am screaming with you.

Do you believe in Ra(u)pture?

2006-12-03T15:09:00.000Z

The latest album by Sonic rocks!!!!!!!!!Rather Ripped prefectly encapsulates the current state of foreign and personal affairs; an in-between, liminal stage....

Stand behind his drunken amp
Stand behind his light of love
Hear him yowl his bloody tounge
Hear him yell 4 blood and war

Do you believe in his sweet sensation
Do you believe in second chance
Do you believe in rapture babe

A terrible hit strikes today
A terrible hit for the parade
Burnin' eyes seek jesus comin
Jesus comes to pave the way

Can you tell me what to feel
Open up your tender soul
Can I drink your drunken mercy
Wine burns the devils hole

Nostalgic Video from the new album by SY

Rupture: Open Hostility or War between Nations
Rapture: A state of experience of being carried away by overwhelming emotion, ecstacy.

Glasgow

2006-11-28T21:04:00.000Z

(Well, not quite...!)

Birthday Boy

2006-11-27T14:13:00.000Z

Χρόνια πολλά Βροχοποιάκι!! Εύχομαι πάντα να βρέχεις δημιουργικότητα!!

Identity Trouble

2006-11-22T23:08:00.000Z

Identity categories tend to be instruments of regulatory regimes [...] I'm permanently troubled by identity categories, consider them to be invariable stumbling blocks, and understand them, even promote them, as sites of necessary trouble.

Judith Butler, "Imitation and Gender Subordination"

Categorization, labeling, classification, taxonomy, stereotype. Favourite past-times in which we constantly indulge to satisfy our sense of belonging and to legitimize and safeguard our existence. Do sexuality, nationality, class, race, age, taste to name but a few (and be my guest to add some more...) really matter?

Paradox

2006-11-21T18:55:00.000Z

They say that (post) modern societies are marked by alienated individuals who suffer from a lack of communication, hiding in their cement boxes and not reaching a hand to bridge the distance with other people. True. But isnt it funnily bizarre that at the same time you feel that you are an everyday witness of your neighbours' lives? You know when the guy next to you has a cold, the girl on the other side is having guests, what the chick on heels (or no heels but still noisy!) upstairs is watching on telly, if the new guy is an insomniac, or what the indian guy downstairs is cooking in his kitchen. You end up sharing small fragments of their life like it happens when you overhear a random conversation on the bus or in the street. So many stories in such small spaces...

Confusion is my illusion

2006-11-14T21:12:00.000Z

Είπα κι εγώ να υποκύψω στις νέες τάσεις της μόδας του blogger και να ανανεώσω τη σελίδα μου και τσουπ, αυτομόλησε η μπέτα και πήρε πρωτοβουλίες... Στο προφίλ μου λέει ότι είμαι 250 ετών! Μάλιστα, το 1756 γεννηθείσα παρακαλώ, αλλά πάντα Δίδυμος φυσικά, μπορεί να γεννήθηκα δυόμισι αιώνες νωρίτερα, να έχω ζήσει τη γαλλική επανάσταση και να είμαι σύχρονη του Μότσαρτ, αλλά το ζώδιο δεν αλλάζει! Θα το αφήσω λοιπόν για να γελάμε αλλά το ξεκαθαρίζω από τώρα, η ηλικία είναι ελαφρώς παραπλανητική...!

Zerbombt

2006-11-10T00:31:00.000Z

08/11/2006, Blasted by Sarah Kane, Directed by Thomas Ostermeier.

Blasted, the notorious play that received the most belligerent reviews after its 1995 London premiere, and is rarely revived, is undoubtfully everlasting. Having as impetus the civil war in Bosnia Kane brings this war into a Leeds hotel room and engages with the absurdity and decadence of war puttting forward questions such as if there is a God and what constitutes human ethics. Cannibalism, sodomism and violation of the body onstage did not affect me as much as the visualisation of the atrocities of war that are narrated by the soldier to Ian; pure sickness and claustrophobia. It rings a bell for all the bestialities we have heard of during the latest wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, former Yugoslavia...
That night a bomb had exploded in our minds and deprived us from the ability to utter a phrase that made sense.

In order to visualise read what my friend Andromeda has written about it.

Hola Gael!

2006-11-09T11:04:00.000Z

And guess who I run into yesterday at the Barbican....

Οργή

2006-11-06T10:08:00.000Z

Τυχαία το έμαθα, πίνοντας κρασί και μιλώντας για τούτο και για κείνο έτσι απλά την Παρασκευή το βράδυ. Και πάγωσα. Κι ύστερα πικράθηκα. Και μετά θύμωσα. Το περιστατικό στην Αμάρυνθο Ευβοίας δεν είναι μοναδικό στο είδος του αλλά αυτό δεν του αφαιρεί τη φρίκη και την αδιαντροπιά στο απειροελάχιστο.

Έχουμε συνηθίσει να αναμασάμε το σενάριο για το πόσο η ζωή στις πόλεις είναι απάνθρωπη και αλλοτριωτική. Φαίνεται όμως να ξεχνάμε όμως τις μικρές (rural) Αμερικές που κρύβονται στις πιο κλειστές κοινωνίες, οι οποίες αποδεικνύονται εξίσου βάναυσες και αποτροπιαστικές καθώς επίσης και τη σκληρότητα των παιδιών που απορρίπτουν το διαφορετικό και πιθηκίζουν αυτά που τους πλασάρουν θεαματικά τα ΜΜΕ. Όπως πριν από 16 περίπου χρόνια γινόμουνα έξαλλη και με εφήβους ενός χωριού σε ένα ελληνικό νησί που δεν ήθελαν να δεχτούν ότι ο αδερφός μου είναι άτομο με ειδικές ανάγκες, το ίδιο οργίζομαι όταν είμαι μάρτυρας οποιασδήποτε ρατσιστικής συμπεριφοράς.

Όσον αφορά στις λεπτομέρειες του γεγονότος, το πώς το χειρίστηκαν οι 'αρμόδιοι' (τελικά σε αυτή τη χώρα όλοι 'αρμόδιοι' είναι), επιβεβαιώνονται τόσα πολλά στερεότυπα, προκαταλήψεις, στενομυαλιές σχετικά με τον άκρατο εθνικισμό της Ελλάδας που δεν έχει δα βομβαρδιστεί από Αλβανούς, Βούλγαρους και Πακιστανούς αλλά εξακολουθεί να επιδεικνύει μια ψευτοανωτερότητα που μετά χαράς αποδίδουμε στους Γάλλους αλλά δεν συνειδητοποιούμε οι ίδιοι.

Το γεγονός στην Αμάρυνθο τα έχει όλα. Εκτός από εθνικό ρατσισμό, επιδεικνύει και μια άκρατη βαιότητα απέναντι στο γυναικείο σώμα το οποίο έχει ενοχοποιηθεί ανά τους αιώνες για φιληδονία και προκλητικότητα. Συγκεκριμένα, ένα παρόμοιο περιστατικό στο Ισραήλ, έγινε η αιτία να γραφτεί ένα θεατρικό που να αναπαριστά το βιασμό μιας μαθήτριας από μια ομάδα παιδιών της ηλικίας της με τέτοιο τρόπο ώστε να απενοχοποιούνται οι θύτες και να αποδίδεται ευθύνη και στην άτυχη κοπέλα. (Και μετά μου λένε γιατί ασχολούμαι με το φεμινισμό....)

Δεν θέλω να πω κι άλλα. Βρήκα απλά την ευκαιρία για ένα ξέσπασμα οργής η οποία έχει θρονιαστεί μέσα μου και δεν με αφήνει σε ησυχία. Κυρίως γιατί ξέρω ότι κι εγώ φέρω ένα μικρό μερίδιο της ευθύνης.

(Apologies to all my English-Speaking friends. This has to do with a frightful event that occured last week in Greece and I had to express my anger and frustration in my own language about bigotry, rascism and conservatism Greek society exhibits).

Marie Antoinette

2006-10-31T21:15:00.000Z

Sophia Coppola's latest film aims at dismantling the myth surrounding Marie Antoinette who has been accused of lascivious behaviour and exaggerated extranagance and present some aspects of a more humane and down-to-earth queen (which does not mean that she attempts to mystify her). Loosely based on the historical biography Marie Antoinette: A Journey by Antonia Fraser. Excellent shots, nostalgic atmosphere, punk rock attitude and music by New Order, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Gang of Four, The Strokes et al. A must see! (did anyone notice the purple Converse in one shot or is it just me??)

Joy Division/New Order Wembley Arena

2006-10-30T22:24:00.000Z

There are some things in life you cannot wipe from your memory. The house where you spent your childhood, your best summer holidays, you first pet, the first time you uttered the words 'I love you'. Last Friday was one of those times.

After the last song by Maximo Park we felt the Arena would not be filled by the end of the night. However, everything changed within the next hour. At around 9 p.m followed by a western film tune, Bernard Sumner, Peter Hook, Stephen Morris and Phil Cunningham appear on stage. Bernard Sumner greets by saying: "Good evening. Tonight we are Joy Division." And the familiar base of She's Lost Control is on! Then comes Shadowplay (wooziness), These Days (joy), Radio Transmission (asphyxiation), Love will Tear us Apart (nostalgia), Atmosphere (tears). One of my fantasies came true at that moment...

After the Joy Division tribute, the stage belongs to New Order offering a mixture of rock, pop, dance and electronica playing songs from the 1980s to 2000s making us dance, laugh, push, scream. I do not even care about the no smoking restriction for the Arena! Around 11ish we set off for the tube station singing one of the songs we didn't hear (Shell Shock)
It is never enough
it is never enough
until your heart stops beating...

At the other end of the road, a guy with a micro tries to persuade passers by to believe in Jesus. Well, at 11.30 we certainly believed in the fact that anything is possible!

True Faith

2006-10-26T01:41:00.000+01:00

I feel so extraordinary

Something's got a hold on me
I get this feeling I'm in motion
A sudden sense of liberty
I dont care cause I'm not there
And I dont care if I'm here tomorrow
Again and again I've taken too much
Of the things that cost you too much
I used to think that the day would never come
I'd see delight in the shade of the morning sun
My morning sun is the drug that brings me near
To the childhood I lost, replaced by fear
I used to think that the day would never come....

(But it finally came! 27/10 Wembley Arena)

Τώρα αρχίζω και θυμάμαι...

2006-10-22T23:15:00.000+01:00

Θυμάσαι τα μισόλογα που άκουγες άθελά σου πίσω από μισόκλειστες πόρτες;

Θυμάσαι όταν σου έλεγαν ότι είναι ώρα για ύπνο αλλά εσύ προτιμούσες να κουλουριάζεσαι στο κρεβάτι και να αφουγκράζεσαι τη νύχτα;

Θυμάσαι τον πρώτο σου εφιάλτη;

Θυμάσαι όταν είπες το πρώτο σου ψέμα και μετά κρύφτηκες για να μη σε δουν να κοκκινίζεις; Θυμάσαι όταν ανακάλυψες το πρώτο τους ψέμα και μετά κρύφτηκες για να μην δουν ότι κλαις;

Θυμάσαι την πρώτη φορά που κουκουλώθηκες κάτω από το πάπλωμα και ευχήθηκες να κοιμόσουν για πάντα;

Θυμάσαι την πρώτη φορά που ένιωσες ότι μεγάλωσες;

Τώρα αρχίζω και θυμάμαι....

*Πίνακας: Personnage et Oiseau de Juan Mirό

A Poem Without Words

2006-10-15T22:15:00.000+01:00

Use your Illusion...

Triptychon

2006-10-11T13:25:00.000+01:00

Apologies for being unimaginative for so long and for not bothering to write any posts... I guess it is the disease of the autumn. New beginnings and many 'stages' that run simultaneously...But who doesn't live a hectic life nowadays?

Francis Bacon, Triptych

Άστραλον

2006-09-23T14:55:00.000+01:00

Μπορείς να δεις καθαρά τώρα απ' αυτό το λόφο
ένα τετράγωνο αυτού του κόσμου
ένα αεροπλάνο στο χλωμό ουρανό.
Θέλω να φυλάξω αυτές τις εικόνες,
αυτές τις λέξεις μέσα σου...

Στέρεο Νόβα, Άστραλον

(From this hill you can see clearly now

a square of this world

a plane on the pale sky

I want to save these images,

these words within you...)

Stereo Nova, Astralon

Stuck in front of a window or a pc, in front of a small square of this world that -in physical inertia- lets you travel very far away...

How Is Your Life Today?

2006-09-21T17:27:00.000+01:00

The letters pile up in the hallway

Junk mail and bills from the catalogues
And the neighbours have guessed 'cos I've cancelled the milk
And they don't hear your voice through the walls anymore
How is your life today ?
I was kissed on the cheek by a cold mouth
While the taxi was waiting like a getaway car
Each second seems like a lifetime
And the cat it's been staring at me all this time
How is your life today ?

Lightbulb Sun, Porcupine Tree

Are we satisfied and grateful for the course our lives are taking? Or do we always have this sense of unfulfillment? Do we assess our lives in terms of what has happened in the past or the present that we currently inhabit?Do we ever reach happiness? And if we do, do we feel guilty about it?

How is your life today? That is the question...

Mythologies II

2006-09-20T13:06:00.000+01:00

Here is my dilemma: I always try to avoid categorising/stereotyping and putting things in boxes without really succeeding however... Anyhow, I continue my previous exploration on the mythological nature of the dream and after the precious inputs from my blog friends I am adding more films/series to my immense list. Some of these also deconstruct the binary illusion/reality blurring the two in a Lynchean way (Donnie Darko can also fit into this category).

Citizen Kane by Orson Welles (1948)

Dogville by Lars Von Trier (2003)

Happiness by Todd Solonz (1998)

The Deer Hunter by Michael Cimino (1978)

Six Feet Under HBO series (2000-2005)

Abre los Ojos by Alejandro Amenabar (1997)

In my Room

2006-09-10T18:06:00.000+01:00

This is a photo I took while strolling in Michigan Avenue a month ago. The irony is that my room should have this notice outside the door at the moment. Let me tell you something: after 2 years you really accumulate loads of stuff!!! (and because people want to help people in general they give you a 4 day notice before you move out). I am not going to travel much, just a km away (however, the postcode is going to be different). But still after 2 years living on this side of the road, i got used to it. I am saying farewell then to my little room where I spent very precious times this year and hope that my next nest is going to be equally generous. Goodbye 2266!

Inland Empire

2006-09-08T15:59:00.000+01:00

For what I have always appreciated David Lynch's cinema is his refraining from formal structures and his aesthetics on screen. His latest achievement is called Inland Empire that won the Golden Lion in Venice Film Festival 2006. The Guardian characterised it as "a Russian doll of a film." Geoffry Macnab reports: "Narrative coherence has never been much of a concern for Lynch. Here, disconcertingly, there are sequences not explained at all, involving a family on stage in rabbit heads as well as a murky subplot about Eastern European prostitutes. Hollywood myth and Polish gypsy folk taleclash haed-on with startling but uneven effect. the director deliberately blurs the lines and so we are never quite sure whether we are watching the film-within-the-film (being directed by Jeremy Irons) or the film about the film-within-the-film." (The Guardian 7 Sep 2006: 15).

And why the hell should Lynch conform with conventional narrative patterns anyway and aim at explaining what he is portraying? After all, these traits have been his hallmarks especially in films like Lost Highway or Mulholland Drive. Personally, I am a fan of self referentiality and I support blurred narrative styles and plots that provide non-naturalistic and non-teleological results.I am really looking forward to watching it!

Released in November. Starring Laura Dern, Jeremy Irons, Justin Theroux.

Mythologies

2006-08-27T21:32:00.000+01:00

Having a bulk of papers on my desk, struggling to finish the thesis chapter I am currently writing, I can't help but been drawn into the chaos of sign paraphernalia. In any case here is a VERY provisional list of some films that deconstruct the notion of the American dream unearthing its illusionary nature which is restricted into a facade of happiness and success. Feel free to make additions!

Easy Rider (1969) by Dennis Hopper

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998) Terry Gilliam

Pleasantville (1998) by Gary Ross

Fight Club (1999) by David Fincher

American Beauty (1999) by Sam Mendes

Donnie Darko (2001) by Richard Kelly

The Matrix (1999) by the Wachowski bros

And there is more coming up...

Eraser

2006-08-25T19:28:00.000+01:00

A sonic and lyric diamond by Thom Yorke accompanied by inspiring artwork; Eraser.

Please excuse me but I got to ask Are you only being nice

Because you want something My fairy tale arrow pierces

Be careful how you respond 'Cause you'd not end up in this song

I never gave you an encouragement

And it's doing me in

Doing me in

The more you try to erase me The more, the more

The more that I appear Oh the more, the more

The more you try the eraser The more, the more

The more that you appear You know the answer so why do you ask

I am only being nice Because I want someone, something

You're like a kitten with a ball of yarn

And it's doing me in

Doing me in

(Φρ)ουτοπία

2006-08-22T19:43:00.000+01:00

Παιδικές σειρές μέρος β'! Και αυτή τη φορά ελληνικότατες. "Ας μην κρυβόμαστε πίσω από το κοτσάνι μας" που λέει και ο Αιμίλιος το Μήλο, η Φρουτοπία υπήρξε μια από τις πιο έξυπνες και ποιοτικές παιδικές σειρές της ελληνικής τηλεόρασης. Η διασκευή του ομώνυμου έργου του Ευγένιου Τριβιζά, σε κουκλοθεατρική απόδοση από την οικογένεια Σοφιανού, προσφέρει μια φοβερή αλληγορία για τις δομές της κοινωνίας, την εξουσία, τα στερεότυπα, και φέρνει μια νοσταλγική διάθεση για το παρελθόν, τότε που όλα φάνταζαν τόσο απλά, μέσα από τα μάτια ενός "μεγάλου παιδιού." (Για να μην αναφερθώ στους φοβερούς φρουτο-λαχανοχαρακτήρες και την γκάμα των ηθοποιών που τους χάρισαν τις χαρακτηριστικές φωνές τους)

Είναι μία, μόνο μία, η ονειρεμένη φρουτοπία, είναι μία, μόνο μία, δεν υπάρχει άλλη καμία...εκεί τα βλήτα δεν είναι κουτά, και τα πατζάρια δεν είναι δειλά, κάθε κρεμμύδι μοσκοβολά, τα κολοκυθάκια είναι δυνατά...

An Ode to Allen Ginsberg

2006-08-12T14:33:00.000+01:00

America I've given you all and now I'm nothing
America two dollars and twenty seven cents, January 17 1956
I can't stand my own mind
America when will we end the human war?
Go fuck yourself with the atom bomb [...]
America when will you be angelic?
When will you take off your clothes?
When will you look at yourself through the grave?[...]
I'm sick of your insane demands[...]
Your machinery is too much for me
You made me want to be a saint[...]
My mind is made up there is going to be trouble
You should have seen me reading Marx
My psychoanalyst thinks I'm perfectly right
I wont say the Lord's prayer
I have mystical visions and cosmic vibrations
America I still havent told you what you did to Uncle Marx after he came over from Russia[...]
America you sont really want to go to war
America it's them bad Russians
Them Russians them Russians and them Chinamen. And them Russians
Russia wants to eat us alive.
The Russia's power's mad. She wants to take our cars from out our garages[...]
I'd better get right down to the job
It's true I dont want to join the army or turn lathes in precision parts factories
I am nearsighted and psychopathic anyway
America I'm putting my queer shoulder on the wheel.

Allen Ginsberg, America.
*Ode to Allen Ginsberg is a song by Sonic Youth (A Thousand Leaves)

Chicagoland

2006-08-09T12:09:00.000+01:00

2/08/2006

4.50 pm, Heathrow, Flight AA009: Body search and opening of hand luggage for non-American citizens. And the trip begins.Destination: Chicago, Illinois.
7: 05 pm, Illinois. The pilot informs us that we cannot land because of a great thunderstorm. The clouds are huge and the thunders and lightnings intimidating...
08: 18 pm, Chicago. I land in the midst of the jungle; at least, this is how I feel. My crutch helps me to avoid queues but not lack of sympathy by some people. At the immigration desk, the guy reminding me something of the 'bad cop' of Hollywood who never smiles, greets an American citizen saying "Welcome home." Without looking at me in the eye and while checking my visa and taking fingerprints he asks "What is the purpose of your trip?" (To throw a bomb at yer face you fucking morone!). "I am attending a conference" I answered. Outside, humidity does not let me breathe. Thunders tear the sky into two parts. The taxi driver reminds me an aged version of Samuel Jackson (with hair). I am tired and stressed. My foot hurts. Suddenly, the city of Chicago emerges as if from a film trailer or a postcard. I am speechless. It is really impressive.I think I must be dreaming.

02.13 am, Chicago. My body clock refuses to adapt immediately to the 6-hour difference. It is impossible to sleep. Even reading fails to help.

The clock outside Robert Morris Center says 12.45 pm. I am having coffee and lunch at Panera Bread next to University Center. The girl sitting opposite my table, with the laptop on her knees is probably surfing on the internet constantly pressing keys. It is funny that I am writing about her. She maybe wonders about what I am writing too, sitting on that table in the corner with my half-eaten panini (I hate bacon!Why didnt I realise I ordered a sandwich with bacon?) Next to me, a group of four American academics chat incessantly about their careers. I an too tired and jet-lagged to follow their conversation. A yellow cab is parked outside the door and the Afro-American cabbie rushes out probably to get some take-away lunch, talking on his cell-phone. The rain refuses to stop (bbc weather said it would be sunny). You know, traffic lights for pedestrians are really weird. They have a red palm for 'stop' and a white little guy for 'go'. Somewhere at the background, the infamous flag is flapping slightly. Why didnt I get my umbrella?

6/08/2006

2.00 pm. Canada. I am flying over the Atlantic again. The other way round this time. Over Detroit, Toronto, Quebec and all these places I will probably never visit. There is this ineffable feeling between drawing an imaginary itinerary on the world map where everything seems so close, or look for places you've seen in films or you have visited on Google Earth and actually physically reaching these places. Time and space are so relative. 6 hours ahead, 6 hours behind, somebody wakes up, someone else goes to sleep, another is waiting for his/her loved-ones to come home, a woman is walking on the beach, a man is looking at the moon, I am waiting at the bus stop watching a plane taking off and thinking "tomorrow at that time I will be on the other side of the Atlantic." As simply as that. The world is inconceivably huge and yet so small. Even in Chicago I accidentaly met one of my former classmates last year.
I sit back and I recall. I remember yesterday's walk with Judy after my presentation, crossing Michigan avenue formally dressed and strolling along the lake. On the one hand, skyscrapers stand still, inscrutable, on the other hand, the port with the yaughts and people celebrating at the pier playing saxophones. We walk in-between, to reconcile these two opposite images, among people who are dressed in shorts, who are cycling or strolling or have come for the Loolapalloza concert at the Grant Park. I can hear a song I know, but I can't remember the band! "....see me, they don't believe me..." I hum. Happy faces everywhere, Latinos, Blacks and Whites, a vibrating mixture of colour and sound. Why do I have to leave tomorrow?I feel that I belong everywhere now. I wish the world was always carefree and kind like at that very instant. Unfortunately, sooner or later I had to wake up. This was a very short break from reality when the war in Lebanon is still raging and bigotry - this everlasting King - is as powerful as ever.

Chasing two flat tyres at Isterni (Κυνηγώντας δυο τρύπια λάστιχα στο Υστέρνι)

2006-07-29T17:17:00.001+01:00

They say that you should be careful for what you wish for! Did I wish adventurous holidays at the previous post? Well, I have had an adveturous closure for my holidays indeed... After a marvellous week in Paros and a short trip to Antiparos -and when things could not get better- the odyssey began:
1) we woke up on the day of our departure to find our car with the two back tyres flat! As we were practically in the wilderness of Paros up on a hill with very few houses surrounding us and most of their inhabitants away we managed to find somebody to give us a lift to naoussa to fix the tyres.
2) However, we had to carry them to the main road and we thought it was best to roll them down to a path (and do not think about asphalt or even cement roads...). While I was chasing one of the tyres in order to avoid a ditch, I sprang my foot!
3) After we managed to fix them, we arrived home trying to clean the house, wash the dishes and pack our stuff before we left. We arrived at the port just on time after speeding on the road to Paroikia and praying we wont miss the ship.
4) The ship -typically- arrived half an hour later. While we were waiting to enter with the car, we had a fight in order to get in and the guy refused to let us in!! After apologising for 10 minutes and after seeing that I was injured he let us in...
5) We flew back to England on Thursday being lucky enough to arrive just after a thunderstorm that had caused tremendous delays and flight divertions to Gatwick instead of landing to Heathrow. Therefore, we had to wait for 1 and a half hour for our luggage. (A propos, I am still walking with a crutch!)

That is what I call an adveturous holiday finale!!!

(Re)Construction Time Again

2006-06-26T17:51:00.000+01:00

There I go again, switching places and countries in no time...Transcending time, space and reality I will try to refill my batteries for August which is going to be dedicated to work. I am going to be there watching, but maybe not often updating my blog (the choice of spending more time on the beach!) I wish everybody an adventurous and great summer! So long...

Reach Out ,Touch Faith

2006-06-26T13:14:00.000+01:00

My faith is restored. I believe in black Angels. I saw them yesterday in Hyde Park. They did not let me down... They were singing in haunting and dark voices and promting us to raise our hands to the sky singing along Reach out, Touch Faith...Simply magical! Around 20.48 A pain that I am used to, A Question of Time follows and then you are sucked into it. And yes my love, they played In Your Room! Encore around 22. 00 with an excellent acoustic version of Shake the Disease -sang by Martin Gore-, Photographic (oh, yes!) and the grand finale with Never Let me Down Again (Set). Dave Gahan was full of energy as always, stripping down to disclose his tattooes and feeling really sexy touching his leather pants...

A festival worth noticing and praising with excellent organisation and timing! They only run 6 minutes late from the original schedule. Apart from the 'angels' I really enjoyed The Mystery Jets, Goldfrapp and The Dears. We missed Gang of Four because they were playing simultaneously with Goldfrapp on another stage and since we managed to find a place near the main stage for Depeche we wouldnt risk losing it!Weird weather with a white and cloudy sky with some sun and a cool breeze. Many stages, a lot of distractions and a biigg crowd, the most heterogeneous I ve witnessed.
I am still singing.................

Puzzles

2006-06-21T18:26:00.000+01:00

I often think of how our lives have become pastiches, how our identity is fractured, how our concentration is constantly dissipated, how our thoughts proliferate and give birth to other thoughts, how our perspectives are multi-dimensional. Are we losing our sense of self? Why are we constantly seeking to solve this huge puzzle that we always find a piece missing? Why is our satisfaction evanescent and repetitively deffered? Human nature or nurture?

Painting by Jackson Pollock, Birth (Tate Modern, London)

Parental Guidance

2006-06-20T15:19:00.000+01:00

The other day, we were drinking a couple of pints with a Russian girl from the States. At least this is how she was previously 'advertised.' We then realised that the identity 'Russian' was nothing but a euphimism. The girl was absolutely a product of American society, having nothing to do with Europe, not to mention Russia, who indulged herself in reproducing the mass media/conservative discourse: "In America you feel safe". The fact that people are monitored everywhere is not a bad thing really. Oh no! On the contrary it makes you feel you are not in danger (for a moment I wanted to mention Discipline and Punish or 1984 but then I said to myself: WHAT IS THE POINT?)

Censorship of nudity was the other issue that prevailed (oopsidaisy!) The fact that american television censored scenes from the 2004 Olympic Games opening ceremony just because they displayed the breasts of ancient greek statues or the body of a pregnant woman, is a token of democracy and the state's grand generosity of providing the opportunity to choose how to raise their children (because the child does not have to know how the body of a naked woman looks like anyway. If s/he does, s/he will begin a career in brothels!)

I do not mind people expressing their opinions and sparkle discussion. What I mind is narrow-mindedness. What I mind is that some people fail to understand the illusory freedom and security we are provided with. But again, who am I to judge people?

Enjoy the Grass!

2006-06-12T22:34:00.000+01:00

Life is sweet! Enjoy the grass and heat as long as it lasts...!

27/10

2006-06-08T20:46:00.000+01:00

Here to Stay! New Order finally announced their UK tour.
27/10 Wembley Arena, hurray!
Btw I discovered an extract from their concert in Athens dating back in 1982!Αυτά είναι!!!

In God We Trust

2006-06-06T11:53:00.000+01:00

I had completely forgotten about how uncritical and stupid people can really be. I remembered it again yesterday when I switched on the telly and watched God's Next Army. It is not like listening to Bush trying to persuade people that Saddam is evil and that they mean well when they attack Iraq. It is even worse because it comes from people younger than me; the encapsulation of neo-conservatism. I heard that Patrick Henry College's students who are chosen/recruited very meticulously, are taught all the courses according to the Bible's 'ultimate truth'! Imagine even biology and geography are taught in relation to biblical allusions... (so what is the difference with the teaching of the Koran or the muslim religion?) I heard the following:
1) About guns: An armed republic is the best defense to fight tyranny.
2) About homosexual marriage and abortion: It is a sin, against the will of God and should be eradicated.
3) About Bush: So far our society was after the path of decadence and darkness whereas since G.W.Bush came to power I would say that we switched more towards the light.
4) About the interns of the college: These kids are the hope of our nation.

I can't go on...This is indeed an army of imbeciles that think God speaks through Bush and every moron that governs this fucking country and belongs to the Republican party.

That is when I reach for my revolver....

Dedication

2006-06-05T12:25:00.000+01:00

In your room
your burning eyes cause flames to arise
will you let the fire die down soon
or will I always be here
your favourite passion
your favourite mirror
your favourite slave

I am hanging on your words
living on your breath
Feeling with your kiss
Will I always be here...

Εξαιρετικά αφιερωμένο για να σου φτιάξω λίγο τη διάθεση... Ελπίζω να το ακούσουμε και live λίαν συντόμως!

The Tiger Lillies

2006-06-01T18:54:00.000+01:00

I punched him in the face I know that wasnt nice
I trod on both his testicles I know that wasnt right
I slit his throat from ear to ear I know that wasnt good
If only Mummy loved me I've been misunderstood

Soho Theatre 31/05/2006

Excellent night by three unique and brilliant performers, a parody of manners that entails melancholic, slapstick lyrics and a variety of animals (sheep, poultry, flies) on stage!
Absolutely hilarious!!
After hanging out with Martin Jacques at the bar you realise that the man behind the 'mask' is a normal Brit from Slough very humble and sweet. Check them out in Greece soon...
www.tigerlillies.com/2003/index.php

Wildflower Birthday

2006-05-30T00:46:00.000+01:00

Sing your birthday, your birthday blues
Sing your wild light, wildflowers bloom...

Sonic Youth, Wildflowersoul

I am grateful for all the love I receive from everybody surrounding me (physically or mentally). That is the best gift for my 26th birthday...