HEAVEN AND HELL JOKE

IN HEAVEN:                                                     

1. The cooks are French,
2. The policemen are English,
   
3. The mechanics are German,
   
4. The lovers are Italian,
   
5. The bankers are Swiss.                               
   

IN HELL:

1. The cooks are English,
   
2. The policemen are German,
   
3. The mechanics are French,
   
4. The lovers are Swiss,
   
5. The bankers are Italian.

HAVING FUN WITH STEREOTYPES...  AFTER ALL, MOST GENERALIZATIONS ARE GENERALLY TRUE, NO?

GREECE AND PATIENCE

ACROPOLIS FROM ABOVE

Living in Greece, I noticed that Greeks are very impatient about things I considered not worth getting upset about, and extremely patient about things I thought were worthy of impatience (like being on time, government services, garbage disposal, riots).

I am, by nature, an impatient person.  Anyone who really knows me, knows this! ;0)

FIGHTING BACK--AT LAST!

One of the greatest challenges to my impatience was living abroad.  Everything seems so different.  If you don't adapt, remain or become flexible, cool down, and change perspectives, your impatience can ruin wonderful experiences, create more stress, and can even be dangerous.

After "banging my head against the wall" many times, I slowly began to let go.  I let go of trying to control situations and others.  I stopped judging so much.  I actually became (in comparison to before, at least!) LAID BACK.  Yes, it IS possible to change!

Do I still lose patience from time to time--yyyyeeessss!  But I've learned to be patient with myself for not being perfect and get over it faster.  (If you aren't an overachieving, perfectionist, type "A" personality...impatience is probably not an issue for you.  You may need to learn to be less patient!  ;0)

I'm very grateful for my experiences living in other environments and cultures.  Learning more patience was just one reward of challenging myself to change and grow in my travels and living as an expat.

TRAVEL CARTOON

Like many people, I am very concerned about our civil liberties being eroded!

I am so glad that most of my travels happened before all these current security measures.

Hey, I can remember when anyone could see you off from the gate at the airport!  Can you?  And we weren't "handled", searched, and X-rayed.  THOSE were the days...

GREECE CARTOON

OOOOOOPAAAHHHH!!!!

 

 

 

Will Greece "bite the dust?"
How long before the other "poorer" countries end up on the same heap of broken plates?

Ach, Ellada...

INDIAN ART: AVATARS AND DEVIS

I'VE BEEN TO INDIA 8 TIMES...
AND LEARNED TO LOVE INDIAN ART!

HANUMAN (MONKEY GOD)

VISHNU

The Indian Pantheon is very intricate.  The main representations are Krishna, Vishnu and Brahma--and their consorts, in order, Lakshmi, Parvati (and Kali and Durya, depending on the powers needed), and finally Shiva, a name more familiar to Westerners.  These are all "avatars" of God.

Then there are devis that are representations of the avatars that are very powerful entities like Ganesh, Hanuman, Rama, Sita, (the Rama/Sita story is a romantic legend that involves Hanuman--very well known throughout the Hindi cultures) Indra, Agni, Viruna, Soma, Prajapati,  and Mitra.  I think 33 gods altogether, though somehow in history it became 330 million to indicate eternity.  (Are you getting the picture of how confusing this can be?)

Interestingly, the Krishna/Vishnu/Brahma depictions are the main aspects of God. It is called the "Trimurti" or "Tridevi" (like a Godhead?  Trinity?).  ("Tria" means 3 in Greek.)  

Atman is name of the ultimate God--he is at the top. God is believed to be everywhere and in everything.  There are no depictions of the ultimate God that I know of.  I'm not sure, but perhaps it is prohibited to depict God in Hindu religion as it is in Islam?

To add to the complexities of Gods, there are different sects of Hinduism.  I never got it all straight--and I doubt that few Westerners have (maybe even Hindus?!).  (Do you have all your religious  beliefs straight? :0)  

The best way I can describe this pantheon (Greek word, by the way, meaning many gods) is that through the one God, Atman (There's the word "man"; is that anglicized?  Atman--good name for a God.) there are aspects of power and life that are personified by different avatars or entities, like Saraswati who is intelligence, Agni who symbolizes psychological power or the power of the will (my favorite), and Kali, who represents destruction and recreation. (She seems to be pretty popular.) And there are many more... 


Hindus can choose which avatar to worship as their inclination or needs dictate.  (Kind of Catholic, no?)  Lots of icons are used as in Orthodoxy.  They say it helps the people to envision what they are worshiping.  (I think they have a point. Unfortunately, it easily becomes the object that is worshiped, not the entity or idea.)

VISHNU

I find it interesting that many of these names are also Greek words (Agni=pure; Mitra=womb; Soma=body).  Mmmm.  Does anyone know if there is a connection here?

Anyway, fascinating stuff!

VISHNU

                                                                   DURGA

KALI

SHIVA

              GANESH

KRISHNA

                                                                         RAMA

 SURYA BHAGWAN

           GANESH

If these depictions strike you as androgynous, don't feel like the lone ranger.  I think it is like creating an ideal of both sexes--the best of both.  Just my opinion...or the artists were gay...bah, just because they're artists, they're not gay, right?

THE MANY FACES OF BRAHMA 
(The Main Avatar)

Anyway, aren't they beautiful?  Or am I alone?  On one of my trips to India, I made sure to buy postcards replete with Hindi Gods and Goddesses to take home with me--just to look at.

Many times people have told me to write a book because of my travels and experiences.  I don't have the confidence that such a book will be interesting to many people.  So, this blog is the closest I may get!

NAMASTE!

P.S.  If I got any of this information wrong, feel free to correct me.  I don't want to be perpetuating myths about myths!  ;0)

ECONOMIC CONFLICT IN GREECE

GREECE FOR SALE

The current US economic conflict reminds me of the time I worked in Greece.  At first we lived with 20% inflation!  (You might understand how crazy that was.)  However, the money we made went SO much farther than it did many years later when I left.  (When inflation was officially 2-3%-though, in actuality, it was really much higher.)  When change comes too quickly, people rise up.  Change, especially negative change, is difficult to assimilate.

  

The gap between generations in Greece is felt much more than in other Western countries. Advances are moving much more quickly than in other western countries.  

Try to keep this in mind when trying to understand how they are responding politically.  They are responding in the traditional democratic way, a way they are very proud they initiated!  Evidence:  the regular and frequent demonstrations held in Greece. In this effort they seem united.

It is easy to blame Greeks for the economic problems; they are generally disorganized.  (But then they are not Germans!)  Tax evasion has been joked about as being the national sport.  There are very understandable reasons for this, however. 

These economical problems were a long time coming from outside of Greece, from the European Union and banks, and from shortsightedness on their economic. 

Now their backs are really against the wall.  Most Greeks did not want to be a part of the European Union.  And now they are paying the price.

Greeks are not naive.  They are aware of the rampant corruption in government and big business.  Small business is being driven out.  (And small business is a strong tradition in Greece!)

Greeks feel they are slaves to the current system!  Their attitude is:  why should I pay taxes when most of it goes into the pockets of corrupt politicians and business owners?! Time and time again, Greeks have been proven that they are correct in this assumption.


Greeks are a very proud people and have no compunction in doing whatever it takes to survive.  And more power to them!

Some Greeks are still holding on to a beautiful lifestyle with money earned during times of prosperity. However, as usual, the middle and lower economic classes are suffering--really suffering.


This level of this poverty is difficult to imagine for a European.  The primitive level of living in some areas, especially in small villages, can be shocking to the average U.S. citizen.  The positive side is that those poorer people living in the far off places in Greece know how to survive!  (I doubt that many of us know those skills.) 

This is a culture that does not often censor their thoughts.  They are passionate and vocal.  As it fits my character, I admire those national characteristics.

Greeks fight back.  They want to be free.  They may not know very well how to fight, but they are not cowards.  They have the small country mentality of fighting to survive, knowing that they are essentially alone.  That is why their sympathy extends to other small countries, like Palestine, a country they support.  Being an "underdog", they know what it is like.

What is their Achilles heel?  Their individualism is so strong that organization and teamwork becomes very difficult.

I say, Bravo to the Greeks!  They lived under a veritable system of slavery for over 400 yrs. under the Turks and were only relatively recently “liberated” in 1922--and they don't forget. The country was only formed as it is now as late as 1957.  Their memories are relatively fresh regarding how they suffered slavery.


I have never known a country to be more obsessed with freedom, at almost any cost.  They may not always understand the best way to go about keeping it, yet I respect and admire them for their drive and ideals. 

Being under the thumb of Turkish domination has affected the Greek culture immensely.  Being at war in WWII and later in the civil war, the older people have not forgotten their trials and have passed on their memories of war horror to younger generations.

Now Greece has a strong youth culture that is in rebellion against outside forces that are threatening to ruin their lovely laid-back lifestyles.  A beautiful lifestyle.  A healthy, happy lifestyle.  It grieves me that they may lose it!

They may not be as strategically important to the U.S. as Turkey or other countries, but it would be a great mistake on the part of the U.S. not to value and preserve what Greece has to offer!

HELLAS, HELLAS, HELLAS!!!

THE BEAUTY OF INDIA

 
TAJ MAHAL

 PALACE AT JAIPUR

THE HAREMI WOULD LOOK OUT OF THE WINDOWS ONTO THE WORLD

 

INDIAN ELEPHANTS

  INDIAN TIGER (PROTECTED SPECIES)

COLORS OF INDIA

SPICE SELLER

BALI, INDONESIA

One of my favorite destinations for travel and business was Bali.  Where is Bali?  You've probably heard the name, no?  It is in Indonesia.  What is Indonesia?

TERRACED RICE PADDIES

There are over 300 tribal-ethnic groups living on 6,000 islands. The remaining 11,000 islands are uninhabited.  If you are European or American, I am sure it is difficult to imagine that kind of country.  (The Greek word for islands is "nisia."  I wonder how that word became part of the name of these magical islands?)

Is everything perfect there?  Of course, not.  No where is perfect!  But Bali could be considered a Hindu paradise.

Bali changed me as a person.  (How can travel NOT change you?)  I was very impressed by the craftsmanship of these people.  Whole cities, families, were devoted to creating separate arts:  jewelry, sculpture, carving, stone carving, etc.  SUCH AN AMAZING PLACE IN THIS WORLD!

The people are beautiful--really beautiful--and kind and gentle.  Other islanders in Indonesia even have jokes about the Balinese and their passive ways.  

The countryside is rippled with terraces of rice paddies, with bamboo forests and mountains in the background mist.  You can often see people walking along the roadsides with giant banana leaves over their heads to avoid the frequent rain (in the rainy season which is when I always went).

When I traveled there, the people were always hospitable, always a joy to be with.  I admired their arts and crafts very much!  Many expatriates settled there due to a law allowing them to buy land and houses with Balinese partners.

Kuta, on the south coast, is a typical tourist destination and replete with all the nastiness of tourism.  Yet, it still is beautiful!  

Denpasar is the capitol city.  The crowds and traffic create a congested and crazy atmosphere.  And yet, even Denpasar, lacking any sign of island paradise, is so very interesting to Westerners.

I didn't like the water around Bali.  I find that interesting because even the Balinese have a fear and prejudice against the ocean, preferring the volcanic mountains.  After being used to the waters of the Mediterranean, the ocean seemed ominous and fearful to me.  But I didn't go to Bali for surfing as many do, or for partying, as many Australians do, but for business, as many others do.  (I had tourist shops in Greece.)

The business angle created stress.  The islanders didn't seem to understand the added stress we suffered from trying to make business decisions in the constant heat of the day.

As we passed along the roads, we saw delightful scenes like women washing their tremendously long hair in the streams, and children playing in them, always smiling, laughing. 

Who can know what they really thought of Western tourists?  Probably not much good, really.  Except that we brought money and prosperity to the island.  Yet, there were many other times when we could not mistake the Balinese sincerity and goodwill, especially among young students.

Stone carved temples dot the landscape; there are often processions of Balinese in their finery with decorated offerings of food stacked on their heads, on their way to the temples.

My one regret:  bargaining down the prices of their artwork.  Having lived in Greece and traveled in other countries where is was normal to bargain, I saw that in Bali, over time, the quality of merchandise went down--and I'm sure it is due to the competition to sell.  How could they sell quality merchandise at the prices we were asking?

MAP OF INDONESIA

I probably will never again return to Bali since I've left Greece and my tourist business behind.  I haven't been on Bali since 1994. Maybe it has changed very much since then; but my memories never will.

SEE POST:  INDONESIA