Out of Ideas

Not surprisingly, societies that have low rates of gender equality also belong to the ones that are the least innovative in the world. Repressing 50% of a population is a hell of a job. Not much time and energy left, I guess.

Damn Stewart!

This day was not meant for greatness. It started late, it ended early and somewhere in the middle I got bitten by a mouse. There are days like this and, needless to say, they are annoying from beginning to end. But the part with the mouse was truly humiliating and will hopefully not be repeated. Ever.

It just so happened that as I had decided to give up any further attempt of healthy cooking and instead retreat with a bowl of granola onto the couch (quinoa pancakes…what was I thinking anyway!), that little critter planted himself right there between me, my bowl, the promise of five minutes of peace and thereby confirmed my sneaking suspicion that this was not my day.

But just to top it off, instead of making a speedy exit, as I had hoped, the mouse continued to remain where it was, and I had to call for backup. Leroy!

But, alas, that no good son of mine took one look and two sniffs at the little fellow and lazily retreated to Zoë’s bed where he has spent the last three month of his fat life. I was left with Mr. Little.

So I did what I had to do to prevent little Littles from entering the world. I caught him. Ah, yes…but that moment of glory didn’t last, of course. Instead that sneaky big ear dug his little chompers into my thumb and escaped.

As I said, not my day. Not at all.
Glad it’s over.

Never say Never

Sometimes you just wonder. You sit there and shake your head thinking, “I can’t believe he just did that.” And maybe you even think, “I would never do such a thing.”

And, of course, you wouldn’t, but then...maybe you would too. Maybe, just like that ill-fated guy you thought you were saying something completely inoffensive, when you said “I am tired.” However, everyone in the room fell over backwards and spilled their beer, because what they heard was “I am tired of you all!”

In a way, it’s good to know, that at some point everyone is left behind dumbstruck wondering.... It makes the world just a tad bit fairer.

All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident.
Arthur Schopenhauer

ΚΡΕΤΑ

Crete, two weeks of rocks, thyme, shards, copious amounts of wine, honey, and feta.

There is so much to discover on that little plot of land suspended half way between Europe, Asia and Africa. It’s one of the corners of the world, like Egypt or the Ganges valley, where civilization started early and then went dormant to remain in that wistful state of forgotten glory for centuries. Much has been unearthed but there are still secrets that lurk under the surface for some eager, sweaty archeologist to poke around in.

And yet, Crete is developing fast. A coastal highway now snakes along the Aegean to connect the four major cities. Sprawl mars the face of Venetian ports and gas stations have sprouted up everywhere like smallpox. But, then, that is happening almost everywhere. It’s part of our civilization.

But when traveling in the ‘hinterland,’ one still finds expansive areas, where the traces of modern civilization are less visible. Little mountain villages cling to the sides of rocky slopes, and where women and men, dressed in black, populate the streets, and the popular Tavli (backgammon) is played on the shady terraces of the town taverna.

Cretans, the ones who haven’t ever left the island, are a people unto themselves. Fiercely independent, they have fought off invaders, including Turks, Venetians and Nazis, for centuries and to this day they keep their rifles handy, just in case. But it seems that they are not too worried about the more recent invasion that is sweeping across their land. Granted, it’s of a more gradual and gentler kind but it is an invasion none the less: tourism.

What one will find when visiting this island is a society divided between new-comers, the ones who have returned after making their fortune abroad to build their ostentatious dream house, and those who are set in their traditional ways, with the occasional family feud, week-long weddings, and the inevitability of bow-legged old age on the town platia.

But that side is vanishing. Crete, just like other developing regions around the globe, has become a place for gold diggers. Land speculation is on the rise and private property is slowly taking over public space. But still beautiful beaches lie hidden away in rocky coves and mountain goats graze between thyme and sage bushes, undisturbed by the bustle of the 21st century.

Go see it now!