Όταν τον ακούς, τραγουδάς, δεν μπορείς...

Αννόβερο μεσάνυχτα... Βγαίνω από το μικρό κλαμπ μετά από μια συναυλία progressive rock, είναι ώρα να γυρίσω σπίτι.. Βάζω τα ακουστικά στα αυτιά και ανεεβαίνω στο ποδήλατο. Με το που πατάω το play παίζει 'Εγώ και ο ίσκιος μου' του Παπάζογλου. Κατεβαίνω από το ποδήλατο και πάω με τα πόδια. Αυτή η μουσική θέλει πόδια... Εδώ και 6 μήνες με έχει στοιχειώσει ο Παπάζογλου, έχω κάνει μια επιλογή από όλους τους δίσκους του και την ακούω συνέχεια, στο σπίτι, στο αμάξι, στο ποδήλατο, στη δουλειά, δεν τον χορταίνω. Έχω βγάλει τα τραγούδια στην κιθάρα, στο μπουζούκι, προσπαθώ να τραγουδήσω λιγάκι (τι να φτάσω...). Ο Νίκος είναι μαζί μου κάθε λεπτό και δεν έχω βαρεθεί την μουσική κι ας την ακούω από μικράκι κι ας ξέρω απ'έξω κι ανακατωτά τα λόγια, κι ας μουρμουρίζω κάθε πενιά του μπουζουκιού...

Φρικιό στην εμφάνιση, αλλά είχε φτιάξει ένα στούντιο μόνος του. Έγραφε βαρυά ζειμπεκικά ουσάκ, αλλά αγαπούσε την τεχνολογία, τις γρήγορες μοτοσυκλέτες, τα αεροπλάνα και φυσικά την θάλασσα και την ιστιοπλοΐα. Ήταν αντιφατικός θα έλεγες. Όπως είναι γεννημένος να είναι ο Έλληνας, ίσως. Με το Αιγαίο να του βρέχει τα πόδια, να μαγεύεται ακούγοντας αμανέδες από την Τουρκία απέναντι... και μετά να του παίζουν ροκάκια και να την βρίσκει, να μεταμορφώνεται. Ένας στατικός εξερευνητής, ενας παρατηρητής που κάθεται σε ένα σταυροδρόμι και μπορεί και καταλαβαίνει κόσμους διαφορετικούς... φτιαγμένους πότε στην ανατολή και πότε στην δύση. Που έχει πνεύμα ελεύθερο και μυαλό να χωνεύει και να ζυμώνει πράγματα νέα και διαφορετικά. Που αγαπάει τον τόπο του, αλλά δεν τον νιώθει κτήμα του, απλά είναι ο χώρος οπού ζει την νιρβάνα του και την βρίσκει γενικά.. Ο Έλληνας θα μπορούσε να είναι κάτι μοναδικό και πολίτιμο για την Ευρώπη, με την έμφυτη πολιτισμική ευρύτητα ...

Την ψυχεδέλεια που είχαν οι πρώτοι δίσκοι του Παπάζογλου δεν την έχει βγάλει κανένας άλλος κι ας μην κρατούσε πάντα η ορχήστρα του ηλέκτρικά όργανα. Το κέφι που έβγαζαν οι μπάντες (παρέες) του ήταν ότι καλύτερο είχε να δώσει η Θεσσαλονίκη στην υπόλοιπη Ελλάδα. Μια παραλιακή λεωφόρο όπου μουσικοί ροκάδες, λαϊκοί και new wave, μαζεύονταν και τα λέγανε στον καφέ, στη μπύρα, στο ούζο και στο μεζέ. Και όταν έπιαναν τα όργανα κάνανε αριστουργήματα που ούτε οι ίδιοι φανταζόταν. Και ο Νίκος ήταν εκεί στο επίκεντρο, δημιουργούσε καταστάσεις αυθεντικές και 'χειροποίητες'. 

Δεν τον είχα γνωρίσει, μόνο κάνα δυό φορές του είπα 'γεια σου Νίκο' στον δρόμο, που να βρείς θάρρος και τι να πεις σε έναν τέτοιο άνθρωπο όταν είσαι πιτσιρικάς. Αλλά τώρα που πέρασα τα 35 δεν μου έρχεται άλλο καλύτερο παράδειγμα για το πως θα μπορούσε να είναι ο Έλληνας πολύ διαφορετικός από τα σημερινά του χάλια.... Αν ήταν δουλευταράς και είχε μεράκι... Αν δεν έτρωγε κουτόχορτο και τραβούσε τον δρόμο του.... Αν έπαιρνε από τους παλιούς την λεβεντιά, το κυμπαρλίκι και την παράδοση, κι ας ήταν και μοντέρνος όσο ήθελε και χωρίς να κολάει στην βιτρίνα... Αν είχε καταλάβει πόσο όμορφος είναι αυτός ο τόπος και επιτέλους τον χαιρόταν με γούστο και ποιότητα όπως του αρμόζει. 

Αν μπορούσαμε να πατήσουμε όλοι stop και rewind και γυρίζαμε πάλι στο 80, θα άξιζε να προσέχαμε λίγο καλύτερα τι έκανε ο Νίκος τότε. Αν είχαμε δώσει λίγο παραπάνω βάση στην στάση του, στο μήνυμα που ήθελε να περάσει, ίσως και να είχαμε τώρα πίσω μας τρεις δεκαετίες που θα είχαν περάσει όμορφα στις ταβέρνες και τις ακρογιαλιές με τα φιλαράκια μας. Και ένα μέλλον ίσως ακόμα καλύτερο μπροστά, κύριοι και αφέντες στην πανέμορφη Ελλάδα μας και όχι πάροικοι και ταπεινωμένοι. 

Και για τα τραγούδια του Παπάζογλου τι να πω... Πιο ρόκ κι απο τα ρόκ, πιο ανατολή και απο το ρεμπέτικο, πιο κουλτούρα και από την ποίηση, φευγάτα και χαμένα έτσι όπως διαθλάστηκαν στις διαστάσεις ενός μυαλού ανοικτού, που ήξερε να μαστορεύει και να ζει. 

Και τόσο δυνατά, που σαν τα ακούς πελαγώνεις, θυμάσαι φίλους, αδέρφια, γονείς, έρωτες, γελάς και κλαις.... Και τραγουδάς θες δεν θες...

Κι ας είσαι στο Αννόβερο νύχτα μόνος, κι ας περναν παρέες από δίπλα και γίνεσαι ρεζίλι. Κι ας είναι δίμετρες κουκλάρες γερμανίδες ή και αστυνομικοί. 

Όταν ακούς Παπάζογλου τραγουδάς, δεν μπορείς...Και ταξιδεύεις...

Life and death

Our perception towards questions of the kind 'what is life?', 'why are we here?', 'what is our destination?', etc define a lot the way we move in this world. At the same time, many of us seem to take life for granted, as if it is a privilege that we deserve somehow and that nobody can take from us. Events like the loss of someone close inevitably result in a brutal reality check, and this is where I am now, so I apologize for this heavy post...

One important issue is about what is destiny and whether it exists... We all know that we are born with certain gifts and restrictions and maybe you have shared a similar emotion in your life: many of our successes seemed too easy, as if there was no way to fail. On the other hand, our obvious lack of some skills, cuts us off from many exciting activities and there little we can do. So the point is that our talents and weaknesses, together with the place of birth, parents and all other circumstances we inherit, define our life so much... In the end it comes natural to wonder,  what is OUR role in all this? Isn't this just another way to describe 'destiny'? (even though I also believe that there are many things that are up to us and of course to luck)

And then come people who feel that they fulfill their mission in life following ethical codes inherited by religion, society, etc; either because of being taught that way, or out of sober realization that we are not going to stay here for ever, so at least 'let's do some good'... But when we talk about 'good' comes the issue of perception... Always do the right thing -even though often this may not be the best for you and many others-; be nice to the people -at least the definition of 'being nice' prevailing in your country or town-; and do good for the society -even though there are whole countries that blindly go to the wrong direction (if there is any right or wrong after all, which kind of my is point). Of course nobody can question that there is some kind of basic true, a 'sediment of virtue' in many religious or ethical codes...

On the other side are the carpe diem, hedonists, etc, group... Cherish every moment, or live fast, or both; learn from your mistakes instead of being afraid of them, etc, etc... And of course the profane truth that what we want and need goes beyond what is available in the space provided by all the existing ethical codes and religions. We cannot limit ourselves,  our body and soul crave for things without caring about their  righteousness, and we can get sick if we don't get it! Depression, cancer, psychosomatic malfunctions, skin reactions, etc... And I don't mean (only) desires like driving a better car, but mostly about more social freedom of all kinds; definitely more than what current constitutions like work, marriage, family, friendship provide. We all know that we are struggling to be happy inside these boundaries and some of us try to 'hack the system' in order to steal some extra happiness.

I am not trying to put the world in a small box, especially one the size of my intellectual capacity, which is definitely limited to understand what there is around me. I am only trying to say that social constructions are forcing us to live within walls which obscure the deepest questions and issues that exist. And religion comes to make us passionately believe in some easy answers. (Robert Pirsig said: 'People are only passionately supporting something that cannot be proved by solid arguments. There is no reason to be passionate about ideas that are obviously true'). 

And today, that I am looking at the starts, I realize once again that the system that we have created is nothing but a setting for a movie. There are costumes and make up artists and actors, and somewhere between there are people, ideas, places and items that are very important for me. And all these things, me included, are not meant to last forever because time is the most brutal and stubborn director, who likes to change the scenes without warning. So I have decided today not to read my script, but just to go for what is there for me. I will improvise my lines, enjoy as much as I can and keep looking at the stars, because this is what is going to stay there after all this will be gone. And of course, I will make mistakes and I will apologize, and I will show even more respect and I hope that the people will understand that.... Because I didn't want to offend them...

I am just trying to be happy....

When life becomes long enough to care...

Greetings from Vienna, I am here for a conference and I am having a great time. Back in Greece, there is a lot of controversy those days about the ‘I am Hellene’ video and all the repercussions it created (for example this one, among others, since there is a lot of public discussion currently).

Of course in Greece there is a lot of controversy about everything and the good thing is that most of the people are trying to look themselves at the mirror. We are trying to understand what brought us to this point, we are going back to our history (I am referring mostly to the last 100 years and not the ancient one), trying to really find our identity. It is a healthy and constructive, but painful process which covers your life like a dark cloud.

Here in Vienna it’s sunny with 20^oC and the streets are full of people and life. Delicious chocolate cakes, cold beer, white wine, and ice cream. People are relaxed, smiling, making contact, while others are making business, they all seem to be taking their lives forward. A big contrast compared to Greeks, Italians, Spanish and Portuguese. 
Vienna is an beautiful city, full of monuments and history, but also a strong present. It is obvious that there is a lot of money, like there is a lot of money in the States, Switzerland, Germany, France, the Netherlands, etc. Part of this money is result of hard work and sharp minds, but there is also a big ‘dirty’ part. Colonies and wars, investments and bank deposits of third world mafia and corrupt dictators, manipulation of politicians, sweatshops in Asia, you name it. Ugly stuff that have become the foundation of our prosperity… Human rights activists and other political organizations try to remind us about the backyard of our capitalist system from time to time, but life goes on 'as usual'.

Let's face it... What we all know well is that we are in this world for only a century or so and this is not enough time to fulfill our own dreams and desires, not even to make ends meet or feel safe. Our life may also not be enough to make our friends and family happy, so why should we bother, especially when we are legitimate and we pay our taxes. Leonardo da Vinci made masterpieces in art and science, being the protégé of Dukes while people were living with the basics. Our politicians who should have the vision and responsibility to make the world better, have the same time available in this planet. So it is not surprising that they end up sweeping the dirt under the carpet, so they can live their unique moments of glory (and profit), instead of making the change which nobody knows if is feasible anyway…

After all people who are willing to die in order to make the world a better place, go against nature, throwing away our unique and  irreplaceable gift, the privilege of life, having friends, family, love... the anyway limited moments of laughter and happiness that are so precious and ingrained in our nature. So how can these heroes serve as an example, especially when there is such a sunny beautiful day? And finally, philosophy and religion, our intellectual effort to extend the scope of our existence beyond the duration of our life, has proven insufficient as a motivation to oppress our dark side and give our best to our society… At least in a big part of the western world…
So it comes out that only crises are moments of reflection, the moments when ‘you cannot sleep, since the beds are burning’. Greeks have no ‘sunny days’ any more, so inevitably they are reflecting… They are putting blame to themselves, to capitalism, to their politicians, to emigrants,  to communists, to multinationals, everybody has his own arguments and is right to some extent. This crisis is expected to be a long one and it will come the moment for the whole Europe to look in the mirror. Let’s just hope that we will all reach to the right conclusions… And most important that we will not end up fighting against each other...

Οι εκλογές οι πολιτικοί και εμείς

Έρχονται εκλογές σε λίγες μέρες και οι περισσότεροι παρακολουθούμε και σκεφτόμαστε... Το γεγονός ότι ζω στην Γερμανία μου δίνει το πλεονέκτημα να μην επηρεάζομαι από το αρνητικό κλίμα της Ελληνικής τηλεόρασης, ενώ από την άλλη  η 'μοναξια του μετανάστη' μου παρέχει αρκετό χρόνο για να ενημερώνομαι. Ειλικρινά δεν ανοίκω σε κανένα κόμμα, πάντα διάβαζα την εφημερίδα της αντιπολίτευσης για να ακούσω μια πιο κριτική άποψη. Και σε αυτήν της περίοδο δεν έχω πλέον αυτήν την δυνατότητα. Καθημερινή, Νέα και Βήμα είναι τα ίδια, μια όποιο από τα δύο μεγάλα κόμματα και να βγει πρώτο, έχουν ήδη συμφωνήσει ότι θα συνεργαστούν και τελείωσε, 'χαλαρά' που λέμε. Λέφτα υπάρχουν, τουλάχιστον για τριακόσιους! 

Έτσι το μόνο που μου μένει αν θέλω να εκτεθώ σε διαφορετικές απόψεις είνα το ιντερνετ. Είναι λοιπόν πρακτικά η πρώτη φορα που αφιερώνω χρόνο στο να 'γνωρίσω' τους πολιτικούς μας. Να ακούσω τις συνεντεύξεις τους, να δω videos και να τους ψυχολογίσω, όσο μπορώ πάντα. Είναι επίσης πολύ ενδιαφέρουσα η πρωτοβουλεία του protagon.gr, με το Εκλογές2012 κανάλι στο youtube (https://www.youtube.com/user/Ekloges12?feature=watch), με τα debates, και τις προσωπικές συνεντεύξεις όπου μέρος των ερωτήσεων να έρχονται από εμας. Άσχετα αν αναπόφευκτα εκφράζει κάποια πολιτική τάση, δίνει την ευκαιρία να ακουστούν κάποιες φωνές που πριν ήταν καλυμμένες. Ενοείται βέβαια, για αυτούς που ψάχνουν και διαθέτουν χρόνο. 

Κάτι που με εντυπωσιάζει λοιπόν παρακολουθώντας συνεντεύξεις πολιτικών είναι το επικοινωνιακό χάρισμα τους... πραγματικά πολλοί από αυτούς φαίνονται ... πολλοί ωραίοι τύποι. Ξέρω ότι γελάτε, αλλά σκεφτήτε το λίγο καλά, αν δεν γνωρίζαμε το ποιόν τους και καθόμασταν δίπλα δίπλα σε καμμιά ταβέρνα θα γινόμασταν πρώτοι κολλητοί. Από'κει και πέρα το πόσο κολάνε τα άτομα, έχει να κάνει με το πως την ...βρίσκει κανείς, αλλά άλλο θέμα αυτό... 

Προσωπικά μόνο ο Σαμαράς και ο Βενιζέλος μου φαίνονται λίγο παθιασμένοι με την εξουσία, επιθετικοί και αγχωμένοι και αν δεν χαλάρωσουν λίγο ...δεν πάω για ρετσίνα μαζί τους! Και την Παπαρήγα την φοβάμαι λίγο αν και είναι ωραία τύπισσα. Πανέξυπνη, με χιούμορ, απλά φοβάμαι μήπως μετά από το τρίτο κρασί μου αρχήσει με τον Λένιν, τον Στάλιν και την λαική επανάσταση. Άλλα είμαι σίγουρος ότι ο Καρατζαφέρης θα με πάει στα 'σωστά μαγαζιά', αφού πρώτα βάλει την 'κυρά' για ύπνο και θα είναι ασταμάτητος μέχρι πρωίας. Ο Κουβέλης δεν θα μείνει μέχρι αργά, αλλά θα έχει μαγειρέψει καλό παστίτσιο και θα κάναμε ωραίες συζητήσεις για ιστόρία και το Βόλο που ήταν σαν χωριό στα νιάτα του. Ο Τσίπρας κι αυτός θα με πήγαινε σε ωραία κουτλουρικα μπαράκια και μπορεί να βλέπαμε και καμμιά ταινεία του Μπενίνι πριν. Καλή φάση και αυτή... Ο Βορίδης πάλι, ξέρω ότι δεν με πάει κουτουκάκι, αλλά πο ποιοτικά, πχ για κανένα γεμιστό κοτόπουλο με προσούτο και σπάραγκια και είμαι σιγουρός ότι κάνει καλό χαβαλέ. Άσε πού αν πέρναμε και τον Λοβέρδο μαζί μπορεί να γνωρίζαμε και τιποτά φοιτήτριες της Αρχιτεκτονικής ή τψν Καλών τεχνών. Ωραία κόλπα...

Αυτό που θέλω να πω είναι οτι οι πολιτικοί δεν είναι τυχαίοι, είναι πανέξυπνοι άνθρωποι με ένα έμφυτο χάρισμα επικοινωνίας. Ξέρουν να σε κερδίζουν, μιλάνε χαμηλόφωνα, δείχνουν σεμνότητα, ευαισθησία και λόγική, εμπνέουν εμπιστοσύνη και τιμιότητα, έστω και αν είναι σάπιοι μέσα. Για αυτό αν τους κρίνουμε από τη φάτσα είμαστε χαμένοι, γιατι οι περισσότεροι είναι εκεί για την ωραία φάτσα τους. Ούτε στα λόγια τους μπορούμε να βασιστούμε μόνο, γιατί ξέρουν να παίζουν την μπάλα καλά και να σε τουμπάρουν, άσε που έχουν τσακάλια συμβούλους με μάστερ και διδακτορικά. Δεν τους πιάνουμε στο μπλα μπλα λοιπόν....

Θα έλεγα εγώ καλύτερα να τους κρίνουμε από τα έργα τους. Η κοινοβουλεύτική δημοκρατία στηρίζεται στην εντολή από τον λαό, αφού προηγηθεί η δέσμευση από τον πολιτικό. Η μόνη δύναμη  του πολίτη είναι να αλλάζει τον πολιτικό αν δεν του κάνει. Αν μας λέει ψέμματα και αν τηρεί την υπόσχεση που έδωσε. Αυτός είναι ένας από τους σημαντικούς ρόλους του πολίτη στην δημοκρατία, να κρίνει τους  πολιτικούς, όχι μόνο στο καφενείο, αλλά και στην κάλπη. Γιατί και οι πολιτικοί είναι άνθρωποί πάνω απ'όλα, οπότε αν δεν τιμωρηθούν για τα λάθη τους, καβαλανε το καλάμι. Παράδειγμα η Αμερικάνικη 'δημακρατία' που πολλοί κοροιδεύουμε, αλλά ο Bush ο πατέρας έχασε από τον Κλίντον το 1992, γιατί προηγουμένως αθέτησε την προεκλογική του υπόσχεση του 1988 να μην αυξήσει τους φόρους (διάβασε το περίφημο 'read my lips'). 

Εδώ οι πολιτικοί μας κοροιδεύουν για χρόνια και εμείς συνεχίζουμε να τους ψηφίζουμε. Αυτό κάνει του τίμιους πολιτικούς της αντιπολίτευσης να νιώθουν το ίδιο αδύναμοι όσο και εμείς σαν πολίτες... Και αυτές οι εκλογές λοιπόν δεν είναι θέμα μνημονίου ή ευρώ, όπως θέλουν να μας πείσουν. Άλλωστε δεν έχουμε πλεόν τίποτα να χάσουμε, μας ρίξαν στα σκοινιά... Εγώ μαραζώνω εδώ στην Γερμανία και εσύ ασφικτιάς στην Ελλάδα μας...
Αυτές οι εκλογές, όπως όλες οι εκλογές είναι για να εκφράσουμε ποιοι πολιτικοί μας εκφράζουν, ποιοι θέλουμε να μας εκπροσωπήσουν, μάλιστα αυτήν την στιγμή που η Ελλάδα μας έχει ξεφύγει τελείως και χρειάζεται μεταρύθμιση. Εγώ λέω ότι τα δύο κόμματα που μου λένε ψέματα κατάμουτρα για δεκαετίες πρέπει να τιμωρηθούν με την αρνητική ψήφο μου και θα έρθω να την εκφράσω, παρά την απόσταση και τα έξοδα. Επίσης λέω ότι τίποτα δεν προκειται να αλλάξει σε αυτήν την χώρα αν τους δειξουμε άλλοι μια φορά ότι τους θεωρούμε ως τους 'πιο κατάλληλους να κυβερνήσουν'. Αν εσύ πάλι πιστευέις το αντίθετο, πάω πάσο. Άλλωστε έχει ήδη μεταναστεύσει...

Horoscope, experience and the quest for true love and happiness

Hello my dear friends. I have to admit that I just came from the pub and I had completely different plans about my evening, but I had a revelation today that I need to share... So, I am sitting at Jack the Ripper, one of the nice pubs in Hanover, together with a Sri-Lankan couple which are my new friends here. Things are nice in general, we already had some wine at a restaurant, we found a nice corner at the bar, I am on my second Guinness, and we are chatting. I don't know how it occurred but for a moment we are at the 'relationships' chapter when my male Sri-Lankan friend (let's call him 'T' for the sake of simplicity ...and privacy!) drops the line that starts it all:

T: Well. in Europe you have the 'practical' approach while in our country we follow the 'traditional' one...

And my female Sri-Lankan friend (we call her 'K') adds..

K: Which I find preferable because I don't want to complicate my life more..

You can imagine that my instant reaction was:

M: And what is the 'traditional' approach?

K: Well, the parents will give the date and time of birth of the future husband and wife to an 'expert' who will tell them if it will work out.

M: And how will he know exactly? (of course I couldn't resist to ask...)

T: He will evaluate if the personalities and the sexual desire match and he will approve or discourage the marriage, accordingly.

K: In the past weddings were settled only by these experts and the families, but nowadays the couples can get together before the wedding  chat, so they can also see if they like each other...

T: But what is for sure is that the person we marry is our first and only companion...

T: You see, here in Europe you live with a person 2-3 years to 'try', while we trust the people with experience to tell us... And divorce rates are extremely low in our country...

I don't know if the reproduction of the dialogue is enough for you to get the point, but for me being there and feeling these two people being one for the other FOREVER, it was a shock... I instantly needed another Guinness and of course I couldn't help asking stupid questions about everyone who is different and some of us that can be VERY different. There were not many things to discuss from their side (a pattern that is standard in our meetings), but I just tried to mumble fuzzy concepts about individuals who would not fit to the monogamy model, the possibility that the 'expert' would go wrong, about the natural-born gays, lesbians and nymphomaniacs and all these things that seemed so strange and distant to them.

Of course the harmony and their calmness could not stop making a point on its own and I couldn't help thinking that the civilization of Sri Lanka dates from 500 BC and earlier.. So why not? These experts could actually have found a way to do their job well (for the specific nation and genetic pool, as my logical part kept mumbling)... At least, I wouldn't be surprised if they were efficient in foreseeing happiness in the relationship, more efficient than drunk students, adults exhausted from tight working schedules, anti-depressant addicts, adults who masturbate daily on the internet, and all these bodies around me carrying silicone transplants... The number of people around us who are psychologically fit to pursue love and happiness are probably reflected in the divorce rate statistics (not to mention  the ....suicide rates!).

Then I came back home and I started to write this post. In parallel I confirmed what they told me about the low divorce rates; in fact 0.15%, even though they come with one of the highest female suicide rate... I read about their BC tradition of a 9 planet solar system and I was impressed about their history...Then I said to myself: 

Social structures are the result of a tendency to make things work for the majority, always given the geographical, political, economical, etc context. And they are everywhere, in Sri Lanka, US, Europe, you name it. Rules, religions, traditions, perceptions and attitudes. They emerge through our combined behaviors and become obsolete if they don't reflect what we desire from life. In the meantime, some people definitely suffocate in them ... They may be isolated, exterminated or just unfulfilled...

The point that I made today was what I could see in my friends eyes, and what reminded me this that I have always found funny in these older cultures (or societies, nations, etc whatever you name it)... people rarely starve for 'freedom'...

Any ideas why?

Tango in Catania-Feel the rhythm

When the bus left me somewhere near the center of Catania, my first sight were the old, almost destroyed buildings, polluted air and dirty streets; it was difficult not to make the comparison with Latin America. Of course few minutes after walking around I was already overwhelmed by the countless beautiful spots of the city. It was clear to me that Catania had thousand ways to surprise you. It wasn't only the breathtaking monuments, but the way these merged with the people and the atmosphere of the city which is full of life. Later in the afternoon having some beers with a friend in a beautiful small square at Cona, we were observing the traffic on the streets. Cars and scooters moving constantly as living organism, never stopping, just filling the empty spaces, mixed with pedestrians, parked cars and an endless list of other obstacles that can be found on the street. Suddenly I made the very cliche comment: 'Oh man they really drive like crazy here' and he made the discussion again interesting with this very clever answer: 'You have to feel the rhythm of the traffic, otherwise you just go on foot'.

His words came back to me later at the milonga. Tango is all about feeling the rhythm and fitting in... The rhythm of the music, the partner and the space, a completely non-linear process that needs brain capacity but most important, acute senses. And the Catanians they know very well how to do this, because life for them is not only what you are and believe, but also reacting constantly to a fluid environment. They are connected with this ever-moving city, dispersing in its narrow streets, interacting with each other, constantly receiving stimulations and responding by instinct. And while the numerous monuments reminds them about their past, an active volcano nearby also makes a clear statement that nothing is to be taken for granted. As a result, it was not surprising to me that the milongas in Catania have a similar magic and frenetic rhythm.

The first day I arrived at the milonga early. Many people weren't exactly polite, you could immediately sense the strong character around, even though after starting to talk a little bit the sweet voices and the smiles were honest and generous. When more people started to showed up it was a revelation. It was an atmosphere that if you are not used to, has a paralyzing effect... One that I have experienced only in some other places in Italy and of course, Buenos Aires. If you are not confident, fully immersed and concentrated, you should just forget it. People dance 100% with their mind, body and soul.

I have written before about tango in Italy and I don't want to repeat my previous post, but Catania was even beyond my experiences in the North of Italy. Tangeros don't go to the milonga just to spend their time or fight their fears and loneliness. They are there! You touch them and you feel the energy and their feelings. If they like dancing with you, you will experience it 100%, same as if they don't. And if you are not honest or you don't dance with your heart they will just turn their back like you don't exist. There is no space for well educated, fine behaviors and manners, it's what you have inside what matters and what you can only use. And just like they want their pizza, espresso and pasta to be perfect like it has been for decades, similarly they will not take your tango unless it tells them a story...

The other impressive thing is that it has been a long time that I enjoyed so much watching people dance. One important characteristic is that tango in Italy is social and even though Catania is smaller than Hannover where I live now, there were at least twice the amount of people on the dance floor. Moreover, unlike most places in Northern Europe, young Italians are very interested in tango and they give a completely different vibe. But it's not only quantity and age that make the difference, it's the character...

In the chaotic, dirty streets and between the weathered buildings of Catania, every now and then a bakery, or a barber shop shows up, looking like an art gallery. It is not like the typical North European thing of keeping things clean and in order, it's even beyond. It is exactly this stylistic touch that is the magic of Italy and that makes you stare something for hours without being able to understand what exactly lured you. Similarly, you can find this magic touch in many people, on the way they smile, their eyes, their voice, or the way they make contact; milongeros in Catania have this element of pure artistic creation, beyond perfection. It's not only that they are stylish and look good, nor about how they move (and they really do!), but it's the sensitivity and the musicality. I believe that milongas in Italy are unique in Europe for the possibility to have so many unique interpretations of the music in the same room. So many people that open a window to see tango or milonga with a different way.

So, if somebody asks me how was dancing in Catania I reply 'once you feel the rhythm, it's magic'!

Meandering rivers, the echoes of the past and Don Corleone

The Godfather movies were one of the most successful sequels of all times and among my favorites. In 1990 Coppola and the cast reunited for the last Godfather III, 16 years after Godfather II. Many things were different since the first Godfather in 1972 and one big difference was that they were all stars now, rich and famous; and of course 16 years older... The movie shows a softer, tired Don Corleone, who wants to change his life track and switch to legitimate activities and most of all, to make sure that his kids (Copola's daughter plays the daughter of Corleone) will not repeat his mistakes...

But old rivalries try to drag him back to his sinful past, people cannot forget who he was and this shadow which was the result of his previous life will not let him change... The story has a tragic ending, his beloved daughter is shot in an attempt of his rivals to assassin him, and the movie ends with him recollecting all these tragic memories, seconds before he dies old and lonely in Sicily... The ruthless, unstoppable young Corleone destroyed the wise and regretful, older one, just because the former came first...

Our present mistakes will echo in the future and not only that... they will probably resonate. Like rivers which are initially flowing straight and suddenly a rock or softer soil at one side makes them turn... Once they start turning they cannot stop and they will form large meanders. This feedback and growth mechanism is everywhere in nature, from the smoke of the cigarette, the sand dunes and our lives. Small mistakes grow and suddenly cast shadows upon us and cause great pain and damage. What is interesting is that often we are not even able to feel these shadows and this probably the reason that psychologists will never be without job!

So it is not out of luck that I recalled today Don Corleone, since I watched Godfather III years ago. When I try to look around me I can see the meanders and I can even sense when the divergence occurred. We all do mistakes and one of the burdens of growing older is to the fact that somehow our mistakes have more impact upon us. So apart from avoiding making them as much as possible, I think that wisdom is a lot in being able to walk out of the shadows. Even though meanders make beautiful, mystical landscapes, they grow to the point that they are too big and eventually the flow breaks them and continues straight.

The question is if this will happen within a lifetime...

...and of course, what is …'straight'!

It’s nice to be a ...pi(i)g!

Erwan had just had his forty birthday few weeks ago, he is handsome and athletic, his native language is French, but he introduces himself as ‘Breton’. He is a Geologist, doing research on estuaries for the University, he has a very clever dog, Dexter, and he lives in a small and humid place, right in from of Faro Beach. He is a nice guy, and a friend…

Inside his place you will find all kind of tools and various athletic equipment, most of which seem old and used hundreds of times. He has a van, a scooter, a bicycle and a boat; it’s very unlikely to find more than half of them functional at the same time and he is constantly engaged in the activity of repairing them, with a bottle of beer somewhere nearby. If you ask him, he will tell you that he doesn’t care about cars and motorbikes and all that is important is ‘to go from point A to point B’ (and he seems to be serious about it).

I am spending one week of holidays in his place, enjoying his company, the barbecues on the beach, doing some surf, throwing sticks so that Dexter would fetch them and all sorts of such vitalizing activities. Of course Portugal, like Greece (but hopefully not as much) is burdened by the economic crisis. People are complaining about their jobs, or the ones they lost and they are thinking to go abroad. My body itches when I hear this, since I am automatically transferred from the sunny Faro Beach back to Hannover, where a different concept of fun and relaxation is prevailing. One that most south Europeans would simply describe ‘not a life’.

Erwan knows that since he is well travelled and has lived in England, Germany among others. For him better salary, cars and security worth nothing compared to good weather, fresh fish, the view of the ocean and a lot of space for Dexter. He knows well what he wants… And he talks about the crisis as less as he can, because ‘it doesn’t affect him’.

There is no doubt that South Europe is corrupt and inefficient and to some extent deserves to be poor and less developed. On the other hand, nobody can really doubt that small poor countries can be easily exploited by the larger and more powerful ones. It is the duty of historians to show which mistakes and interests allowed or helped this absurd consumer culture to emerge in the poor South European countries, during this EU experiment. Back in Greece of the 90s another friend was telling me: ‘They are out of their minds… How many kilos of tomatoes do we have to sell, in order to buy a BMW? How can this work?’. My friend still doesn’t own a car and he also avoids the crisis, because ‘it doesn’t affect him’ he says.

Poverty, when it is not extreme remains a problem, but is not tragedy, especially as long as the social structure is not collapsing. Unemployment is tragedy because it doesn’t let people ‘go from point A to point B’ and this crisis brings to the south unemployment and social collapse. There will be consequences from this situation, we are all facing them already. If there is some justice in the world, the ones who let this paradox grow, will face them even more sometime in the future…

Living in more developed societies like in the North of Europe you enjoy being part in a more sober, more fair and less corrupt system, surrounded by people who often have a more intricate and better structured way of thinking and functioning. On the other hand, when you are sitting under the sun, eating sweet, juicy Algarvean oranges after a good surf; thoughts get buried under the avalanche that your senses create. What you are doing, or will do becomes less important when you are immersed to the beauty of nature. You feel insignificant and alive at the same time, especially if you are born in this latitude.

So, it’s not bad to be a …PIIG after all…

As long as they let you ‘go from point A to point B’.

What would you do if....

What you would do if....

...you were Greek...
...and you knew that soon your family would not be able to afford their house, car, etc...
...and your pensioner parents would probably die or have serious health problems due to a collapsing social care system...
...not to mention that you will never get pension yourself...
...and even job...
...and that your country is ruled by a corrupted oligarchy of politicians and their proteges, who have deposits of millions of euros at foreign banks...
...and who are anticipating like crows a disorderly default, which will allow them to buy the whole country for peanuts...

What you would do if....

...you read on the news that people in Europe are protesting to support you...
...and that politicians in other countries offer their salaries to support Greece...
...while none of the Greek politicians has even thought of doing something similar...
...the Greek politicians who are among the best paid in Europe in comparison to the average wages...
...and who can get pension for life just for being MPs for 4 years....
...and their salaries remain intact while the society is in the verge of collapse.

What would you do?

You would cry out of anger and shame...
You would feel despair...

Please tell me what would you do, because I am lost....