Well, at least for today!
The weather is going gaga this week, 32 degrees and glorious sunshine in the British Capital. In deep contrast with the constant rain Greece is experiencing, Londoners are enjoying the hottest days I can remember since I moved on this island.
People are packed in parks, getting red instead of getting a tan, hillarious! The weirdest show is girls walking on the streets of London wearing nothing but their bikinis. They are desperate one might thing. Nobody is complaining about sweating and stinky Tube, they prefer getting dirty and smelly than being wet. Extraordinary.
A walk at Southbank by the river is a must. You should try it, even if it costs you your lunch break.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Saturday morning: a guide to mess up your weekend
Saturday morning...
why do I even bother making plans for Saturday morning? I know they never gonna happen. About a year ago, I booked myself and 3 other friends in a sailing course and I went clubbing on Friday night. I met them on my way back home, around 8am!!
Lessons not learned...
This time, I booked myself and my pal to a boxing class on Sat midday and guess what happened...we were partying until 4am the night before and over-slept. He woke me up at 12pm, when we were supposed to start the class. First mistake. If you are not going, at least don't bother waking up. Second mistake...don't get mad. Don't try to fix it. I looked up the club's website and decided to join the Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) which was starting at 2pm. I thought this way I would at least utilise my 50 quid deposit and do something useful instead of being angry all day.
But I misjudged. MMA sucks. You spend most of your time hagging your fight partner, feeling their sweat on your face. How on earth do they like this shit? It was a complete waste of time and money (another 65 for the equipment, gloves, etc).
Even more upset, I rushed to take some lunch. My iPhone battery was dying (it happens all the time, i miss my good old reliable Sony Ericcsson) and sent some really nasty messages I didnt mean to, I answered the phone and talked as if somebody killed my mother. Which led me to messing up my Sat. night :(
I had to do something to change the way things were going. Off to Regents street for a shopping spree. Sales are on, so I'll save my day...not! Why do i even bother driving to Oxford road, the traffic was ridiculous, not to mention the parking nightmare. On the first shop, AIX was full of shit, my boxing buddy showed up and I couldn't even talk to him, so he disappeared while I was trying a XS t-shirt (looked good but too gay). I left with a designer's bag I didn't really need, only to see the sunny weather turning into a storm
But the weather deserves a different post altogether, so I'll save my words for another day.
All is not lost, I'll go shopping tomorrow. And this time, I'll hold my umbrella ;)
why do I even bother making plans for Saturday morning? I know they never gonna happen. About a year ago, I booked myself and 3 other friends in a sailing course and I went clubbing on Friday night. I met them on my way back home, around 8am!!
Lessons not learned...
This time, I booked myself and my pal to a boxing class on Sat midday and guess what happened...we were partying until 4am the night before and over-slept. He woke me up at 12pm, when we were supposed to start the class. First mistake. If you are not going, at least don't bother waking up. Second mistake...don't get mad. Don't try to fix it. I looked up the club's website and decided to join the Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) which was starting at 2pm. I thought this way I would at least utilise my 50 quid deposit and do something useful instead of being angry all day.
But I misjudged. MMA sucks. You spend most of your time hagging your fight partner, feeling their sweat on your face. How on earth do they like this shit? It was a complete waste of time and money (another 65 for the equipment, gloves, etc).
Even more upset, I rushed to take some lunch. My iPhone battery was dying (it happens all the time, i miss my good old reliable Sony Ericcsson) and sent some really nasty messages I didnt mean to, I answered the phone and talked as if somebody killed my mother. Which led me to messing up my Sat. night :(
I had to do something to change the way things were going. Off to Regents street for a shopping spree. Sales are on, so I'll save my day...not! Why do i even bother driving to Oxford road, the traffic was ridiculous, not to mention the parking nightmare. On the first shop, AIX was full of shit, my boxing buddy showed up and I couldn't even talk to him, so he disappeared while I was trying a XS t-shirt (looked good but too gay). I left with a designer's bag I didn't really need, only to see the sunny weather turning into a storm
But the weather deserves a different post altogether, so I'll save my words for another day.
All is not lost, I'll go shopping tomorrow. And this time, I'll hold my umbrella ;)
Monday, June 22, 2009
Returning
Athens2London this time, once again at Eleftherios Benizelos airport, having plenty of thinking time.
Looking back, you carry with you all kinds of memories. The good and bad times, all these things that you love back home and those that you could live without. Your family, your friends, the food, the sun, the sea. The traffic, the snobbish behaviour and the drama.
A constant trade-off
Looking ahead, your life back in London waits for you. Back to the routine office work, to your flatmates. To cooking, cleaning and ironing your own shirts. Back to the miserable weather, after-work drinks and driving on the wrong lane. Back to a melting pot that offers endless opportunities to meet new people - but at the same time knowing that sooner or later you'll have to wave goodbye to most of them...cause nobody stays in London for life, we are all passengers here. With a destination unknown...
When you are flying, you get 3:30 hrs of "me" time. A weird time between these two worlds. You switch on your iPod, choose a lounge tune and if you are lucky you'll fall asleep. If not, you utilise this time to plan for the future.
At least you try. How on earth can you plan life? The unforeseen circumstances which make things so complicated are endless. Even the slightest detail can change your life. I'm sure you heard about the butterfly effect. I had too many of these life changing experiences the last 2 years and I can tell you it's not as fun as it used to be. Change is exciting but comes with a price (as with all great things in life). You need stomach to deal with it, it's not for every one. And some times I envy these middle-class family men with a wife and two kids, a mortgage and a secure (low-paid) office job. At least they know where they are gonna be tomorrow, next month, next year. I don't.
I guess you desire what you miss. As simple as that. Most family men would trade their lives with mine without second thinking.
The difference between me and them is that I would give it some thought before accepting this magic deal :)
PS. I really CAN'T STAND when Greeks start to line-up BEFORE "group B" (easyJet's boarding system gives priority to Speedy Boarding if you pay £5 extra, then to families/older people, then Group A when you check-in online. Group B goes last). I really don't get it!!! WHY??? Sit down and wait your god damn turn!!!!
PS2. Stop clapping each time we land!!
Looking back, you carry with you all kinds of memories. The good and bad times, all these things that you love back home and those that you could live without. Your family, your friends, the food, the sun, the sea. The traffic, the snobbish behaviour and the drama.
A constant trade-off
Looking ahead, your life back in London waits for you. Back to the routine office work, to your flatmates. To cooking, cleaning and ironing your own shirts. Back to the miserable weather, after-work drinks and driving on the wrong lane. Back to a melting pot that offers endless opportunities to meet new people - but at the same time knowing that sooner or later you'll have to wave goodbye to most of them...cause nobody stays in London for life, we are all passengers here. With a destination unknown...
When you are flying, you get 3:30 hrs of "me" time. A weird time between these two worlds. You switch on your iPod, choose a lounge tune and if you are lucky you'll fall asleep. If not, you utilise this time to plan for the future.
At least you try. How on earth can you plan life? The unforeseen circumstances which make things so complicated are endless. Even the slightest detail can change your life. I'm sure you heard about the butterfly effect. I had too many of these life changing experiences the last 2 years and I can tell you it's not as fun as it used to be. Change is exciting but comes with a price (as with all great things in life). You need stomach to deal with it, it's not for every one. And some times I envy these middle-class family men with a wife and two kids, a mortgage and a secure (low-paid) office job. At least they know where they are gonna be tomorrow, next month, next year. I don't.
I guess you desire what you miss. As simple as that. Most family men would trade their lives with mine without second thinking.
The difference between me and them is that I would give it some thought before accepting this magic deal :)
PS. I really CAN'T STAND when Greeks start to line-up BEFORE "group B" (easyJet's boarding system gives priority to Speedy Boarding if you pay £5 extra, then to families/older people, then Group A when you check-in online. Group B goes last). I really don't get it!!! WHY??? Sit down and wait your god damn turn!!!!
PS2. Stop clapping each time we land!!
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Relationships by distance
London2Athens, many of you who live like this probably know how difficult is to keep a healthy relationship when she/he is so far away. You schedule your holidays very carefully in order to securel some moments with them, even though this often leads to a stressful phase where you have to come up with a master plan that leaves everyone happy. It's more obvious during the summer, but it can stretch throughout the entire year.
You seize these moments, you want to make the most out of it. At least that's the theory. Because you soon feel that time is slipping away, and you start to freak out. You ask more. And in most cases you don't get it. Cause relationships can't work like that. They need the luxury of time to develop in a harmonic way. Speed it up and you'll crash. Slow it down and you'll get there eventually.
Phone calls, Skype, MSN, e-mails and text messages are just a cheap alternative, I just can't get enough, I just can't get enough as the famous (stupid) tune goes. These alternative types of communication miss the body language interaction and in the cases of two lovers, they are almost useless. A couple needs to look each other in the eyes when they share words of affection, they need to hold hands when they are dreaming a common future. Distance is killing all these moments that trully define a relationship.
And you keep waiting and waiting for these rare moments. These everyday-life moments.
When I think about it, distant relationships miss exactly this point....
every-day life
You seize these moments, you want to make the most out of it. At least that's the theory. Because you soon feel that time is slipping away, and you start to freak out. You ask more. And in most cases you don't get it. Cause relationships can't work like that. They need the luxury of time to develop in a harmonic way. Speed it up and you'll crash. Slow it down and you'll get there eventually.
Phone calls, Skype, MSN, e-mails and text messages are just a cheap alternative, I just can't get enough, I just can't get enough as the famous (stupid) tune goes. These alternative types of communication miss the body language interaction and in the cases of two lovers, they are almost useless. A couple needs to look each other in the eyes when they share words of affection, they need to hold hands when they are dreaming a common future. Distance is killing all these moments that trully define a relationship.
And you keep waiting and waiting for these rare moments. These everyday-life moments.
When I think about it, distant relationships miss exactly this point....
every-day life
Friday, June 12, 2009
Denial
Isn't it a shame? We are supposed to be logic human beings who think, analyse and draw conclusions. This is harmful for me, therefore I shall forget it. This is all so easy in theory and it's oh so easy to preach these kind of things to your friends who are in a big emotional struggle. But it's a totally different story when YOU have to put this theory into practice and make tough decisions.
Decisions that can tear you apart...but will in the end set you free...
Evolution, progress, going forward
Each time we are facing such hurdles we must keep in mind that things always get better. All it takes is courage to accept the facts and make the decision that even YOU know it's right. Linking this with my last post, time is precious, so why on earth do we drag these decisions? Why do we like to be prisoners of our own inability to act? Why do we freeze our logic and let our emotions take over?
The answer is simple
We are just human beings
Decisions that can tear you apart...but will in the end set you free...
Evolution, progress, going forward
Each time we are facing such hurdles we must keep in mind that things always get better. All it takes is courage to accept the facts and make the decision that even YOU know it's right. Linking this with my last post, time is precious, so why on earth do we drag these decisions? Why do we like to be prisoners of our own inability to act? Why do we freeze our logic and let our emotions take over?
The answer is simple
We are just human beings
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Time...
Is Time the most important asset or not?
Depends who you ask and when...
Busy people will certainly agree. But what about those who argue that "relax, take your time" is their key philosophy (as the trendy tune goes...)
What's the balance you need to strike to get this time issue right? I really don't know, I feel useless when I take my time but I feel lost when I don't have any time for myself. I feel the need to blow my agenda with meetings, traveling and projects but I usually find that this hyperactivity end up with a gigantic overload, sometimes associated with illness or excessive stress.
Is this a London virus spreading, is it only in my head or everywhere?
Depends who you ask and when...
Busy people will certainly agree. But what about those who argue that "relax, take your time" is their key philosophy (as the trendy tune goes...)
What's the balance you need to strike to get this time issue right? I really don't know, I feel useless when I take my time but I feel lost when I don't have any time for myself. I feel the need to blow my agenda with meetings, traveling and projects but I usually find that this hyperactivity end up with a gigantic overload, sometimes associated with illness or excessive stress.
Is this a London virus spreading, is it only in my head or everywhere?
Brief introduction
London2Athens is dedicated to those who live and work abroad and have second thoughts of coming back. At least not just yet.
Everyone is talking about returning, but everyone wants to get the best out of this whole experience. To return under our own terms, setting our own rules. Compromising the "deal" means that we'll be just another graduate searching for a job, instead of an experienced cosmopolitan with an international career who is ready to take over Greece with new ideas and sophisticated style.
We are hybrids, people who I like to think get the best from the two worlds. The laid-back and friendly Greek culture combined with the super-organised and polite British attitude. We are Greek Londoners trying to make sense in this ultra complex world. Taking the first available flight to wherever, travelling from US to China, from Canada to India, from Portugal to Hungary and beyond...
Let us raise or voice!
Everyone is talking about returning, but everyone wants to get the best out of this whole experience. To return under our own terms, setting our own rules. Compromising the "deal" means that we'll be just another graduate searching for a job, instead of an experienced cosmopolitan with an international career who is ready to take over Greece with new ideas and sophisticated style.
We are hybrids, people who I like to think get the best from the two worlds. The laid-back and friendly Greek culture combined with the super-organised and polite British attitude. We are Greek Londoners trying to make sense in this ultra complex world. Taking the first available flight to wherever, travelling from US to China, from Canada to India, from Portugal to Hungary and beyond...
Let us raise or voice!
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