Doing Nothing

I thoroughly enjoyed today, and it isn't over yet!

As I mentioned in my previous post, today is a public holiday in Greece. It is Holly Mary's Assumption day (thanks rebecca for the terminology) and every thing in Greece is closed.

I woke up late - at least by the standards of the past couple of weeks - at around 8.30, had some breakfast and listened to some music while taking a long hot shower.

Stood in front of the mirror and looked at my reflection for some time and noticing my "love handles" have significantly reduced. Even in my grossly overweight days, I never did have a pot belly. For some strange reason, I've always expanded laterally. I was what you would call two-and-a-half-dimension fat!

The black circles around my eyes have reduced, too, since, I started applying a soothing lotion, and though unshaven for a day, the stubble on my face had some "designer" quality to it.

I felt comfortable enough with my appearance to be in the public view!

We spent the day at my Uncle and Aunt's place in the north suburbs of deserted Athens. We had a barbecue lunch and a good laugh. I hadn't seen them for weeks, and even then it was in a hurry!

Returning home, I decided to make yet another significant donation to the mobile phone company, and rung up my girl in Rio. I've been trying to get through for the past couple of days, but it was all in vain. Today was different! Though I didn't succeed in waking her up - I believe I've mentioned how much I like her sexy, freshly awoken voice - it was a sexy discussion nevertheless! My non existent Portuguese flowed effortlessly from my mouth, and she made sense of it! I do improvise well, I suppose.

She will be visiting soon for what she describes as a "lua de mel" (moonlight of honey = honeymoon) vacation, and I'll reciprocate with a "lua de mel" visit to Brazil soon after. A hell of a lot of "mel" coming my way, and, boy-oh-boy do I have a sweet tooth!!!

My next task in this do-as-little-as-possible day, will be to listen to the football match on the internet and hope that ManU don't fail to score again today!

Tomorrow is back to the old daily routine! Doesn't time fly when you're having fun?

Tired

A doodle prepared between several phone calls

Driving to work each morning I pass through a junction with a little memorial in the shape of a Greek Orthodox church on one of the corners. It was placed there by the family and friends of a poor 25year old who was killed -run over by a truck - on that particular spot.

It always makes me think of the cliche "Live each day of your life as if it were your last one".

Have I done that today? Have I in fact done so in the past weeks and months? The answer is "No"!

I even wonder sometimes whether I actually have a life!

Going through the daily routine of getting up at 5.00am and being at the office until 8.00pm or 9.00pm hardly constitutes having a life. (Keep in mind that it's a job that I do not like, for a company I like even less)!

Returning home exhausted with enough energy to only prepare a bowl of corn flakes for dinner, trying to steal some minutes to write a post so that I don't alienate myself from new friends - I have not seen your childhood friends for almost a year now! - perhaps make a phone call to my girlfriend half way across the globe, getting a shower and five hours sleep before I hit this vicious circle again, hardly constitutes having a life!

I ask the Big Guy upstairs to cut me some slack, knowing deep inside that I should be grateful for my health, my family, my friends.

Yet, I still know that there is more to life than this!

There must be a better job out there for me! There must be some way of making a family with my girl! There must be some way of filling up my life!

All I am asking for, BIG GUY, is Cut Me Some Slack Already!!!

True Love

Whenever I mention my support for Manchester United, people think that I support them because of their on and of the field success in the past decade. Nothing could be further from the truth!

My dedicated love relation with this historic club started when I was six or seven years old growing up in Ghana.

My dad's Greek team was going through a spell of continuously getting beat by their strongest rivals. Supporting them brought a lot of stick from kids at school so things had to change. I looked outside the borders for a team worthy of my support, but I didn't like the outfits of the teams in the English First Division.

It was then that I asked a friend of mine, who was at the time going to boarding school in the UK, who the champions of the Second Division were.

"Manchester United" he said, and it took me a couple of months reading it of a piece of paper to memorise it and be able to recite it myself.

Three years later, I watched them live on television beat their bitter rivals Liverpool in the FA Cup final. It was the the concrete set on the foundation of my love for this club.

I wrote a letter to them, asking how I can get some memorabilia and a book of their history and, lo and behold, two weeks later I got a letter back from them. I was ecstatic, that a club of their stature would actually reply to a letter of a nine year old kid!

I smashed my clay piggy bank to smithereens - my dad offered his kind donation - and I ordered all the memorabilia I wanted, including the book.

I learned about the championships, the Cups, the Medals, the honours, the records and, above all, their strength and resolve in the face of disaster when more that half of the team died in the Munich air disaster of '57.

I was a ManU fan through and through!

I listened to the broadcast of their matches on BBC world, watched them on TV, and went to Old Trafford to watch them almost every home game during my studies in Manchester, becoming a club member back in 1987.

Looking back, it's been a love affair that has taken me from the highest depths of despair and sadness to the greatest heights of elation, thrill and excitement.

A love affair that will only end the day I close my eyes!

Parajito - with sound

To all you kind friends out there reading this blog I dedicate this - especially the ladies!
A minute long love song - in perfect broken English - by one of the cutest little creatures I've come across!




http://www.irlmeier.de/bird.swf

My top 15 songs

I love my music! I cannot live without music! Almost in everything I do, I have music playing in the background.
My first job when I get in my car-actually second, since I have to put the key in the ignition-is to turn the music on. When I take a shower, the music is on. There's nothing better than a good singalong when taking a shower, though my neighbours I'm sure will disagree.
But there are some songs that have become part of me, closely linked to good and bad memories alike. You will notice that of the songs I'm listing, most have sad, or even depressing lyrics. That's me! Even when I listen to music, I need to think!

1. Blue Monday - New Order
   My all time favourite song, of my all time favourite band!
   "How does it feel to treat me like you do?" - The story of my relationships
2. Shake the Disease - Depeche Mode
   "...you know how hard it is for me to shake the disease
   that takes hold of my tongue in situations like these..." - I asked my first love to go out with me by playing this song on her walkman. I was too scared to ask!
3. Diamonds and Rust - Judas Priest
   Yeah, I know it's a Joan Baez song, but I prefer the Priest version.
   "...yes we both know what memories can bring,
   they bring diamonds and rust..."
4. Touched By The Hand Of God - New Order
   "...and now I'm down here all alone, with every feeling that I own,
   you can't take that away..." - what can I say?
5. Subculture - New Order
   "...what do I get out of this?
   I always try. I always miss..." - Applicable on many periods of my life!
6. Heart - Pet Shop Boys
   "...if I didn't love you, I would look around for someone else,
   but every time I see you, you have the same effect.
   My heart starts missing a beat!" - For my certain someone
7. Comfortably Numb - Pink Floyd
   "...when I was a child I caught a fleeting glimpse out of the corner of my eye.
   I turned to look, but it was gone. I can not put my finger on it now..." - It always brings tears to my eyes. The solo guitar at the end goes through to my bones!
8. Appetite - Prefab Sprout
   "...I don't want to sell you lies,
   I only mean to do you right..." - That's me!
9. What Difference Does It Make - The Smiths
   "...heavy words are so lightly thrown..." - For all my ex's.
10. Landing in London -3 Doors Down
    "...and all these days I spend away,
    I'll make up for it. I swear!..." - reminds me of my girl! (I always keep my word)
11. Take It Easy - Eagles
    "...don't let the sound of your own wheels drive you crazy..."
12. Missing - Everything But The Girl
    "...and I miss you, like the desserts miss the rain..."
13. P.S. -James
    "...You're falling, you're falling, falling from your god-like distance.
    You're fashion, just fashion, fashion doesn't keep.
    You're sour, so sour, all is hope and trust is misplaced.
    You're sour, now you are alone..." - I was playing this song when I resigned from my previous job
14. Five-O - James
    "...if it lasts forever, hope I'm the first to die..."
    "...are you here for the party, or are you here for the pain?..."
15. Alaskan Pipeline - James
    "...oh, you say life's so unfair,
    ooh, you can ill afford to hold to this views,
    ooh, you need something to blame.
    But it's you! It's your truth!" - Helped me through so many difficult times!

For my Girl

P'ra a minha menina!