Rules is Rules!

 

Today my focus is on rules; my trusted Chambers defines this as: ‘a regulation that must not be transgressed, a maxim or formula that is generally, but not compulsory to follow.’ That seems to encapsulate a cline of seriousness. 😊

As a teacher much time was spent dealing with linguistic infelicities which left me with a red pen twitch and a lack of confidence in some spellings, having seen the wrong form so frequently. But a favourite time at the new term was negotiating classroom rules with new students. You could learn lot about them and - if their rules for teachers included ‘coming to class on time’ and ‘being prepared’ – their past experience! Their rules for the teacher and my rules for the class were boarded then discussed. Interestingly, what they tended to boil down to was ‘mutual respect’.             

That is a feature that is generally lacking when we see behavioural norms not being adhered to. My time in Greece has shown me that many locals have an innate need to be number one. This is expressed on the road, where drivers loop out forming imaginary lanes and zoom along the outside, only to force their entry into the proper lane where the road narrows later on. This habit can cause irritation in other drivers, delays, congestion and, of course, accidents.

As a regular city bus user, I still cannot grasp the logic behind, as a member of a 6-person queue, being shoved from behind by someone in a rush to claim a seat …. on a 30-seater vehicle! ☹ The number one syndrome again. Oh, and then you have the cheapskate non-ticket payment. Our buses all have automatic ticket vending and validating machines.

 Recently 3 ladies of Slavic origin boarded my bus, pretending they didn’t understand anything, ticket systems, language, nothing – despite fellow passengers‘ attempts to explain and assist. The trio did a bit of pondering over the vending machine then sat down chuckling away among themselves at the ruse they’d pulled off. An Oscar-worthy smooth performance of a stunt clearly honed to perfection by frequent rehearsal!

Such blatant bad behaviour reduces me to outrage and I morph into the unbearable good kid in the classroom with a need to expose it: ‘Miss, miss ….!’ It expresses selfishness and anti-social conduct.

The students got it right. We need mutual respect for the rules, for others and for ourselves.

Medical Knowledge and the Islamic Golden Age

In a recent post, stimulated by the murals at the Papageorgiou General Hospital, I explored what the Ancient Egyptians contributed to medical knowledge. Now I turn to see what the Arab culture had to contribute. Our point of historic reference is the Islamic Golden Age which roughly spanned 7^th-13^th centuries AD.

Islam is said to have emerged from the desert of the Arabian Peninsula, conquering the old Egyptian, Persian, Roman and Near Eastern Empires. Its language being Arabic, it integrated elements of these cultures into its own and became the centre of a brilliant civilization, of great scientific, philosophic and artistic significance. It should be noted that some scholars term this ‘Arab Science’ though not all the scientists were Arabs and not all were Muslims. The main centres of learning were widespread, ranging from Baghdad, Damascus, Cairo, and later, Cordoba in Spain.

But, of course, our focus is the field of medicine, which was the central part of this culture. Physicians and scholars were greatly influenced by Galen and Hippocrates. Below we see an image and text showing the muscle system as they understood it.

During this time, they established the foundations of clinical practice, including supervised pharmacies, hospital systems and experimental medicine.   

The image above shows an impression of an operation being carried out. Clearly there they are not using the instruments below which were used for trepanning or trepanation – drilling a hole in the human skull!

A great contribution of theirs was to collect, translate into Arabic and collate knowledge from disparate sources. It was from their summaries and encyclopaedias that western doctors learned of Greek medicine, making it more systematic and accessible. For example, Ibn Sina created the Canon of Medicine, a five-book encyclopaedia, which was translated into Latin and disseminated in printed form throughout Europe. Below we see a depiction of him examining a patient.

During this time Europe, in stark contrast, was going through the so-called Dark Ages. It was largely the Arab Golden Age that contributed to development in mediaeval Europe towards a culture of free inquiry and rational scientific thinking.

 We owe much to the contributions to knowledge made at that time.   

Basking in Bansko

 

We decided to have a break from organizing and attending medical appointments and headed north to Bansko, a large ski resort in Bulgaria. Mountains for Z, spa and pools for me. 😊 😊 You could actually see the distant ski infrastructure from our balcony. The highest peak in the Pirin mountain range is 2,914 metres and Bansko itself lies at an elevation of 925 meters above sea level.

Three hours after we arrived, our Greek phone provider sent us storm warnings despite there being a clear, blue sky all around. We went for a wee stroll and suddenly the wind got up, black clouds rolled in and we just made it back to the hotel at a great pace before the really heavy rain started.

The following day the weather was fine – nicely cooler than back home – so we did a bit of exploring. The population of Bansko is under 10,000 normally, but ski high season – December to February – an annual total of more than 360,000. So it was no surprise to see the town centre is packed with of hotels, guest houses, gambling joints, and tourist services: ski equipment rental and purchase, gift shops, restaurants, with new buildings being erected everywhere. This being off-season many of these were closed, though locals were expecting crowds to arrive in August. And we did try some local food.

The International Jazz Festival from July 31^st to August 9^th will ensure many additional visitors.

A daily activity was our visit to the various heated (well-heated, I must say) pools, saunas, jacuzzies- all housed in the most beautifully decorated spa area. With my skin sensitivity to the sun, this was the option for me, rather that the also-heated outside pools.  Anyway, with the changeable weather conditions they weren’t always in use.

 As we headed home after our Bansko break, the winding road followed the route of the River Strymon where activities such as canoeing, rafting and kayaking are organized. We also saw several hikers scaling the slopes leading to the ski runs. Decidedly not for us!

 But we did enjoy our time there, especially our daily swims and the breakfast buffet with its huge array of fruit, vegetables, breads and sweets and, of course, my scrambled eggs, toast and baked beans! :o 

Now it’s back to our daily routine, auld claes and parritch!

The Papageorgiou Hospital and Ancient Egyptian Medicine.

 

 Recently as we clambered up the steps to the state Papageorgiou General Hospital, I was reminded of long-past visits to Dr. Mayer’s surgery in Tarbert – ironically you had to be in reasonable health to negotiate the slope leading to access the required medical assistance!

The hospital is an extensive, modern building, in an area of 150 acres, operating since 1999 and is one of the most technologically advanced medical centres in Northern Greece.

We were directed to the foreboding-sounding Nuclear Medicine Department where Z underwent testing after our medical ‘MOT’ tests indicated some slightly higher-than-normal measures. Our family doc is meticulous and she demanded multiple follow-up tests – just to be on the safe side!

Z found the hospital doctors efficient and polite but thought it must be soul-crushingly tedious for them to repeat the same instructions day in, day out!

I meanwhile explored the large, airy entrance hall which boasted some really interesting murals.

The first one depicted scenes of Egyptian practitioners. We certainly know of their mummification skills from findings excavated from the pyramids but it was really interesting to look at the knowledge and skills of medical practitioners around the Nile area in the times of Ancient Egypt: 3,300 BC- 525 B.C.

They had a surprising knowledge of the anatomy, detailing diseases of the alimentary, respiratory circulatory, muscular and nervous systems, among others.  Surgeons at that time used instruments that can be recognized today as the scalpel, forceps, scissors and splints. They sutured and cauterized wounds, surgically opening septic wounds to drain them.

Herodotus in 450 BC wrote that they had divided the practice among them so there were healers for the eyes, the teeth, what pertains to the belly as well as some of the ‘hidden diseases’. There was a hierarchy within the profession: the ordinary doctor, the overseer of doctors, the chief of doctors, the inspector of doctors. Evidence shows that there were women physicians too. Medical practice was outlined in the Hermetic Book of Thoth, describing strict lines of treatment.  

They used a wide range of plants, animal products and honey for a wide range of treatments. Interestingly there was for them no clear distinction between medicine and magic, considering health and illness being consequent of a person’s relationship with the universe ie people, animals and good or bad spirits. So, the Egyptian pharmacopeia also included magic spells. Much of their knowledge and procedures have been recorded either on hieroglyphic stone or clay carvings and from papyrus scrolls. On these scrolls the language used was mainly Hieratic, which was a handwritten form of hieroglyphs written fluidly, horizontally from right to left.

It was the French scholar, Jean-Francois Champollion who, using the Ancient Greek, Demotic and Egyptian hieroglyph scripts on the Rosetta stone, decoded the hieroglyphs in 1822, thereby giving us access to this vast treasure – insight into the Ancient Egyptian culture and knowledge.

Summer Senses

Summer season when our senses are assaulted to the full in the nicest possible way. Although I don’t miss the work entailed in its upkeep, I do miss the garden in our former home. So now I compensate with potted plants on the terrace.

The other night we had friends for supper there. After preparation and serving up was done, it was a joy to sit and relax, listening to people eating, drinking, laughing, generally enjoying each other’s company, with the glorious scent of jasmine wafting over to the table.

I help maintain the colourful rose bushes on the property – a pleasing and rewarding pastime.

 Here we see the vines bearing copious cones of fruit. We hope for as good a wine as last year’s.

In Z’s veggie patch, the cucumbers grow large and succulent, while the tomatoes start to ripen.

The cherry tomatoes, freshly plucked from the vine, are like a mini-explosion to the taste-buds!

If you look to the right in the picture below, you can see the lime tree in full bloom. In the morning cool it exudes a pungent aroma – attractive to many insects – but lots of leaves and petals drop into the pool, a salve for our heat-parched bodies. The Boss decided it needed some protection and erected this Arab-style canopy which both keeps the water cleaner and protects my sensitive skin from harmful UV rays - all good. It does look like an exotic Bedouin desert encampment!

The oleander is poisonous - sap, leaves, flowers, all highly toxic, containing cardiac glycosides which directly attack the heart. But it is a beautiful tree.

In the evening I often sit at the piano admiring it and enjoying the final chirruping, droning chorus of the cicadas before they end their shift as the summer sun goes down.

Nostalgia

All the coverage of the World Cup Tartan Army has got me nostalgic for the homeland and I began to look out photos of previous adventures there. This one is a favourite family shot celebrating Marina’s 70^th birthday.

We were standing outside our previous home - now The Kilberry Inn- sipping champagne and nibbling canapes to the skirl of live bagpipes as the mist rolled in over Cnoc-an-Ibhair!

Nearby is the beautiful village of Tarbert, Lochfyne where I went to secondary school. A popular tourist spot, it is particularly busy in the summer when the Scottish Series- one of Britain’s largest sailing regattas - takes place, bringing yachters from all around Britain. The area, with its rugged coast line, offers unique challenges, even Corryvrechan, the world’s third largest whirlpool!  

I adore The Kelpies and was delighted to come across this mobile mini-exhibition near the Crinan Canal, the 9-mile long navigable route between the Firth of Clyde and the Inner Hebrides.

I really enjoy exploring my homeland with Z – here we are on a recent trip to Mallaig in the north-west. Another pretty fishing village, but decidedly over-fished by tourism.

Being a linguist, the different local dialects intrigue me – especially their rich lexical variations. Below  are some of my favourite words, found mainly in the west coast and Glasgow area.

Being born in that dear green place, as its name translates, affords me the privilege of calling myself a ‘Weegie’. When I’m there it is important to meet up with family and friends.

I love Glasgow for its soul, its people and its humour. The traffic-cone be-decked Duke of Wellington statue has now become a global tourist attraction!

It’s fitting that my last nostalgic shot is of me admiring the River Clyde backdrop before leaving.

May The Tartan Army continue to bring us joy and make us proud to be Scots.

HASTE ME BACK!

Sea Life, Brighton.

 While in Brighton, we visited its Sea LIfe which claims to be the oldest, continually operating aquarium in the world. Designed by architect Evgenius Birch in 1869, it opened in 1872.

This was my first aquarium visit and, as you enter, the 68 metre vaulted corridor lined with water tanks containing rays, snails, turtles, etc., your attention is certainly held, especially with the constantly changing coloured lighting.

I think my favourite character there was the octopus. They have three hearts and blue blood, thanks to the protein haemoganin cyanin which contains copper. They are camouflage artists, possessing chromatophores which allow them to change colour, and papilli – tiny areas of skin which can expand and contract to change the texture of their appearance. Their 500 million neurons allow each arm to taste, touch and react to the environment independently. They are intelligent beings, able to solve problems such as navigate complex mazes and unscrew jars to access food. They can recognize individuals of other species, even human faces.

 Certainly, this one kept the one eye we could see trained on us, happily performing lazy, elegant arm movements before rising up the tank to retrieve his plaything resting atop a branch–a ball!                                         The octopus apparently has an artistic sense! Collecting their meal debris – the shells of clams and scallops – they adorn the entrance to their home. Cue in The Beatles’ ‘Octopus’s Garden!

As a linguist, I was interested to learn the collective nouns for jellyfish: a bloom, a fluther, a swarm or a smack – the latter being a sharp reminder of being a sting recipient in Greek waters! They are very simple organisms, being 94% water, and have a short life span, ranging from a few hours to several years. They have, however, been around for a long time – 500 million years or so - which means they predate the dinosaurs.

They move by contracting the muscles of their body and the water squeezed out from the cavity of their jelly belly😊 jet propels them in the required direction. I watched in fascination as the fluther – good word, that! – in the tank moved gracefully to and fro. They needed the accompaniment of some dreamy classical music. 

I was really happy to see some sea horses which I find beautiful. Despite their name, Hippocampus or horse animal, they are fish. Without a stomach, they suck food in through their snouts. Monogamous, it is the male who carries the eggs in his pouch, deposited there by the female, until they hatch. They, too, can change colour to avoid predators and, being poor swimmers, they tie their tails to plants as anchors, so as not to be swept away by currents.

 It was amazing to see several fairly large sharks swim overhead in some glass tunnels formations.

And it was fun to go into the little alcove and have the beluga whale holograms appear to rush over to welcome you.

 I was glad I had had that experience but, overall, my overall impression was that the aquarium was like a tired old dame, definitely in need of a revamp. Not like this bright, young dame below!