quinta-feira, 23 de abril de 2009

Green Roofs

"Hello world."
As my project has been having some problems mainly due to a local partner organisation that is not doing the reforestation as they were supposed to. Anyway, I have been searching some things for the "office" work. My mentor told me about "Green Roofs", something I have never heard before. Some easy search and I have lots of information already!
Today's step was to make a list of materials so we can buy them in order to make a small "maquete". I found some easy-finding materials that are generally used, so I hope next week I can start making it! With this we can estimate a price/m2 for extensive green roofs too.


domingo, 19 de abril de 2009

Easter in Greece

I wasn’t expecting anything special in the Greek Orthodox easter celebrations. I just had no idea. Everyone wanted to go to the church “just to see it”. So I went to. “Just to see”… Well it starts from the best way. As we were walking to the huge square around the Metropolis Church we noticed that everyone in the streets were very well dressed, dressed as “Domingo”. Tonight was Saturday night, but okay it is easter, let them use their good dresses once per year!

Arriving at the square we moved through the people to get closer to the outside “altar”. First impression: “Que CARALHO ‘tá aqui o exército a fazer?!”. An army battalion was just standing making like a human cord so that the people didn’t occupied the space for the priests to pass. WTF?! The army?? And 6 or 7 police officers too? It was enough to see the army parade in the greek liberation day after all the schools and everyone looked soooo happy! Now....the army together with religious celebrations? WWWWTTTTTFFF?! In this moment I got sick. Ah! And the soldiers looked like cheap actors who don’t even know exactly how to be in those situations... Advancing. Lots of children too, with candles in the hands, listening to 2 men “singing” things (yes, something) that didn’t even worked as “mantras” for buddhist people. Disgusting, I am sorry... Poisoning those small heads with chants who look that directly came from a book of dark sorcery. The whole ambience reminded me of that indeed. Dark, only light from the candles that 80% of the people had and one or 2 light poles. People from all ages could be seen there. Really, all ages without exception. All well dressed for a celebration that took like 15 minutes. As all the bars were closed, I suppose they used their fancy clothes for like half an hour! “So much for the All-Stars”! Show-off, contest, exhibitionism... Fake...

The only thing that kept me there was the army. I will never understand how could they use the army in religious celebrations. Control maybe, it is all about [mind] control. Anyway, my airsofter side was active and real G3-A3/4 were there and some very ugly costumes too. Just have been observing in case someone wants to re-enact (such bad tastes!...)

Enough. It is just to say that my children will never be exposed to such demonstrations of fanaticism. Neither religious or militarist or now both as it seems it is possible. I won’t choose for them anything so decisive for them. You don’t agree, you don’t marry me. Kiss, see you tomorrow!

Volunteerism

For most of the EVSrs in Greece holidays have come in easter time. I had only two days but many of them have 1 or 2 weeks. It is okay! So, we are now hosting 8 volunteers (and 1 extra) here for the weekend! House at around 250%!

Most of the volunteers we met in our on-arrival seminar, established contacts and now here they are. We just met 2 new people. It’s good to have the house full of movement, but it is easy to start missing privacy and “solo” moments. Anyway, it is greeeeeat! We can now know better some of the friends we made in our on-arrival seminar and that is fantastic as you my assiduous readers should know. Interculturalism is just fantastic for me!

Ahhhh! You come from there!