L-O-N-G COVID

 Lovely design: flower heads, magnified snowflakes? These pretty things are SARS-Cov2, the virus that causes Covid-19. Why have I selected this as a topic today? Because as you may know from my last post, Z’n’me both fell prey to this virus over the New Year. Sadly, it seems I am now suffering from L-o-n-g Covid. ☹

Apparently the symptoms are:

·         Brain fog

·         Headache

·         Sleep problems

·         Dizziness when you’re standing

·         Pins and needles sensations

·         Change in smell or taste

·         Depression or anxiety

Well I seem to have dodged most of them. For me it has opted for a dry cough and fatigue.

                                           

Now we had had flu jabs and Covid boosters exactly two weeks previously. Sources say that one may need 7-14 days to be fully protected after the shots. So we must really have been on the cusp. They say that 3+ doses reduce the risk of Long Covid by 73%. Clearly I am one of the select few. :o

We were staying at a hotel with all our food included and at the time we did not feel at risk as we kept ourselves to ourselves and spent a lot of time just the two of us walking great distances, enjoying the beautiful weather and scenery in the Mont Olympos area.

We know the  ilness is spread by respiratory droplets and so we thought we could well have contracted it from the buffet spread – so to speak ! - but currently there is no evidence that the virus is transmitted through food.                                              

However, it can survive on different types of material for different periods of time – some of this information is quite alarming!

We passed through several toll gates and thought that coin exchange could be the culprit but that seems statistically less likely since the virus can survive on coins for only about four hours.

But the concerning stats are that the little monster can survive on drinking glasses, dishes and silverware for up to five days so this looks like the most likely source of contamination.

                                       

Our current score lies at Vaccinations: 5; Covid :2

LC symptoms are said to endure from several days to some weeks. And the more severe the symptoms, the longer recovery period required. However, it’s very much an issue at the individual level and hard to predict. I’ve heard of the 100-day cough which might indicate I still have two months of hacking and spluttering ahead of me!

The chronic fatigue is said to come in waves and I have felt it lift, only for the incredible sense of tiredness to engulf me once more. Bearing in mind ones system is battling with the virus and needs to use its energy in that field of combat helps one try to conserve ones strength and just take things easy.

Yet another wave of Covid -19 is said to be on its way so: mask up and sanitise assiduously!!

 

                                                  

Robert Burns - Auld Lang Syne

 We had a fun evening with friends recently – a delayed Hogmanay do. And a special one too: first of the year, first meal in our new dining room, and first use of Z’s dinner service and golden :o glasses bought in Kuwait in 1990 and unused!

                                                  

 The meal, as usual, ends in a wee dram for the lads with whisky preferences being expressed.   Here Z displays his collection of miniatures.                                               

Cutty Sark was mentioned and someone said that was the name of a ship moored at Greenwich, which it is of course. But ahah – time to educate our guests on our national bard!

                                                         

When I explained that Auld Lang Syne, a universally known song, was an old traditional Scots air revised and recorded by Robert Burns, another guest confessed she thought it was a Greek song that had been given English lyrics!

So, there you go. To honour the Bard on his birthday and to share the positivity and warmth of the lyrics, I’m sharing a rendition of Auld Lang Syne  I posted on Facebook.

And so, my joes, may we appreciate our current need for sharing a ‘cup o’ kindness’ and giving others a ‘hand o’ thine’ as e enjoy the haunting tones of Highland Saga’s Maeve Mackinnon. (If the link doesn’t work, you’ll find her on Youtube. Ignore the ads – the video is grand !! )

Happy Burns’ Day! Slainte  

https://youtu.be/xX47kd9L6oc?si=ewwJwLlm2KIIhbOe

                       

Last Post of 2023.

 

As this is the last post of the year, let’s focus on positive topics in what has become a really bleak mid-winter here: harrowing reports of fatalities accidental and deliberate, illness, aggression. We need a break in more ways than one.

I’d like to share two of our little Christmas corners.

 One is our reading nook brightened up by a candle-design cloth and crystal tree.

                                                              

The other is our hearth, as yet unlit, but Hogmanay will see it ablaze. In the meantime, these seasonal poinsettias bring chromatic warmth.

                                                        

We enjoy going away for Christmas, but not to venture too far lest bad weather prevails. We returned to a place we had enjoyed last year – a hotel in Leptokargia, near Katerini.

 This year sadly for the Reveillant they had decided to forego the silver service and went for a buffet instead. This definitely lowered the tone of the meal. ☹ Silver service generally offers a reduced range of selected foods, delivered fresh to the table.  This time the turkey had got cold, one had to jostle for access to the serving tables and – worst of all – most of the sweets were cream-based so, after the scrum to cram plates to the fullest, they had been reduced to a sludgy mess – not appealing. I went instead for the traditional melomacarona sweet, steeped in honey. I adore them so this was no hardship.                                                         

Here I am sitting- in short sleeves even - in front of the hotel with the glorious Mount Olympos in the background.                                                        

We decided to drive up a little closer to it. I’m proud to say that Z has scaled its slopes and reached the summit where the final phase is a fairly sheer climb. :o

 We walked down to the Enipeas river that flows from the seat of the gods. Z can confirm that that water was ice-cold.

                                          

In contrast, the atmosphere of 16oC despite being at a fair altitude. The town of Litochoro we were visiting is 293 meters/ 961 feet above sea level.

                                      

Z, as ever, always seems to find cute animals to cater for. This local doggie wagged his tail every morning to greet this kind man who brought him breakfast treats.

                                         

And then it was time to be homeward bound. In Greece Santa does not come on December 25^th but comes in the guise of Sant Basil – same coca cola outfit !! – on December 31^st as he celebrates his name day on January 1^st. We leave our presents to be opened until then.

                                              

 We had just finished organizing how we were going to celebrate the New Year and were getting down to planning the menu. BUT Z then had to phone round our six guests to cancel – he had just tested positive for Covid! Fortunately, his symptoms are not too severe but it does seem our trip to Leptokrgia came with an unexpected value-added component!

Have a Happy Hogmanay and may 2024 smile on all of us!

My New Decoding Project

 

This is the new project I’ve embarked on: to break what is for me the impenetrable code that is written music. To be more precise, my challenge is:

1)      To be able to read these unfamiliar symbols, this foreign language,

2)      To translate it into notes     and

3)      To be able to play these notes on the keyboard.

That’s my aim – no exams to be sat, no levels to be attained, just these three abilities to some extent.

Now, when I use the particle ‘just’, I by no means wish to imply this is simple. From my eight lessons so far, I know this is certainly not the case. I am involved in complexity. So, every Thursday, I make my way to the music school Crescendo in the nearby village of Souroti, along with lotsa little ankle-biters! 😊 The school is owned by Loukia and is tastefully decorated with notes and other musical symbols, which contribute to a cheerful atmosphere.

  Here’s the welcoming outer-door design.                                                

 The 45-minute lesson comprises:

Theory – where I grapple with new symbols and concepts

Solfez - which must be the Greek equivalent of the French term solfege - which relates to the musical quality of each note     and

Keyboard practice which is self-explanatory.

 

 Here it should be noted that I’m following the course in the Greek language. I started out at least feeling a little familiar with school-day memories of where the notes were placed on the pentogram with the use of the mnemonics EGBDF (every good boy deserves favour) and FACE, for the lines and the spaces, respectively.  Alas, here the notes positions are rendered differently: do re mi fa sol la si do.  So back to square one to commit new mnemonics to memory☹ - and to refer to the good Julie Andrews from time to time.  😊

You might be wondering why at this late stage I’m taking up music. It all goes back to the time when I was working in Yemen. I had a lot of spare time on my hands and decided I would try to learn to sketch. This was a skill I yearned to develop but always thought it was way beyond me. The Art teacher in Tarbert further confirmed my doubts to be reality-based! :( But then I found this wonderful book ‘Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain’ by Dr Betty Edwards. The blurb describes it as a life-changing book and for me it was. It is fascinating and I can’t recommend it highly enough. I managed to produce images I was happy with – and isn’t that all that matters? Fired up with this success I then turned my attention to music and bought a mini-electric keyboard. But I was moved to a new BC management post in Kuwait which was much more time-demanding, so that lyrical dream was shelved.                                                   

Back to the now. With the move to our new home, I have more free time and while unpacking I came across a box unopened since the 1980s. With a little bit of tinkering from an electrician friend, my long-abandoned keyboard burst into sound! :O

I tracked down the music school in a nearby village and they were ready to enrol this oldie! 😊 And things got even better. A friend of ours, hearing about my new venture, gifted me a wonderful Yamaha keyboard- he’d bought it for his daughter who showed no interest at all. It’s magic! It comes with all sorts of facilities, including an attached music stand- which kind of implies the user can actually read music. :o                                                

I started out the lessons with a friend but she decided to drop out. Kind of scary to go to my first solo lesson last week – I really need to prepare my homework very carefully now.

 I love my teacher and I enjoy the fact that I can feel I’m making progress- albeit slow. I’m actually beginning to use the left hand as well but my middle and ring fingers find it a bit hard going.

 And I think it’s gonna be a long, long time before Elton Joan emerges!

                                            

Climate Change and Sudden Chill.

 

I suspect that climate change does not seem to impinge on us much – unless you feel the desire to slap Greta as she gabbles on on-screen.

This year in Greece we have become more conscious of changes in the air – literally: increased flooding, droughts and wildfires which have already been focused on. This summer we had an extended period of hot weather - some friends have even been sea-swimming till late October – not the norm.

This meant the tourist season was extended as visitors continued to arrive here in large numbers - good news for our economy, given that tourism accounted for 18% of the Greek GDP in 2022.

Agriculture, too, which contributes to the GDP to the tune of 4% is also sensitive to such changes. Cotton is a significant crop in this sector since Greece supplies the EU with 80% of its cotton and with Greek cotton prices increasing by 82% since 2000.  

                                   

 Warm tropical temperatures are exactly what cotton thrives in and  its deep roots are more resistant than other crops to water scarcity and drought. So it is no wonder that cotton can be seen as a ‘winner of climate change’, yet in September 78% of the Thessaly cotton crop was damaged by floods while Storm Daniel was held responsible for the loss of about one fifth of the country-wide cotton crop. It is a case of win some, lose some here.

                                         

Olives are a well-established crop here and are relatively drought resistant. However, the tree goes through a dormant phase which needs colder weather to end and for new growth to be promoted. Without much cold weather last winter, producers are complaining about a drop in olive productivity.

                                           

                                              

And, of course, we cannot ignore wine production/ consumption, which is dear to the Greek heart. The ancient Greeks believed it was a gift bestowed on them by the god Dionysus. It is surprising to learn that only about 10% of the total wine produced is exported.  It must be noted, though, that the ‘home’ market is catering for the thousands of tourists who quaff at the Greek table! We’re not dipsomaniacs here – well not all of us !

Here is what a local wine producer, Gerovassiliou, in nearby Epanomi, has to say in his report on Harvest 2023:

 

Spring saw relatively low temperatures for the season, averaging around 13.5°C, leading to a delay of approximately 12 days in bud break (around March 20th). There were many rainfalls during this period, promoting plant growth but also diseases, which required immediate intervention when necessary.

                                              

These are his extensive vineyards which were saved from such diseases ‘with a lot of hard work and constant vigilance’. Home producers with limited knowledge and resources had vines which produced no fruit at all or were unable to save their plants from disease. This year in general wine production is expected to drop by 30%.

 

It is unsettling to think what lies ahead, things being so changeable. Last week we were basking in midday temperatures of around 18-20 oC. At the weekend there was a huge drop in and huge falls of snow in the north. We even had a delicate powdering on the local Hortiatis mountain.

                                                 

Hard to adjust to the sudden cold but, at least it will help us get into the festive mood and now we know it’s helping next year’s olive crop! 😊

 

Chores.

 

In my second-last post I may have given the impression, with the swing and all, that it’s a lazy life we have here – not so.

Let me give you some examples of the kinds of chores we carry out.

Since there are more of us living here now, it’s prudent to check the level of the septic tank contents.  :0 Nobody said it was all going to be clean living! That entailed quite a lot of heavy digging in clay-hard soil and opening the hatch into the tank. Then a cane was inserted to ascertain the content level – all cool! 😊 Not so cool was the day the decision was made to set fire to the garden debris, a huge pile having accumulated during the months when such activities are forbidden to avoid wildfires.

                                          

I had just happened to hang out a white washing and every now and then the wind gusts would decide to head in that direction, carrying with them blasts of hot air and particle-carrying smoke. ☹ Z ensures all is under control with no fear of fire spread.

At the same time, you can see ploughing and planting going on in the background- those are broad beans that are being sown.

But, of course, there is an upside to all these chores: the results of your effort.

Here we see the collecting of the pomegranates has been done.

                                                 

Then follows the cleaning and juicing.

                                                      

Even with an electric juicer this involves quite a lot of effort. However, we now have several litre bottles in the freezer- the juice is excellent, especially with a wee tot of gin. 😊

Next up are our quinces. For this recipe you simply scour off the fuzzy outer covering and roast them whole, skin still on, in a roasting tin with a little water. Once they have softened, you remove the inner stones, weigh the flesh and place in a large pan along with the equivalent weight of sugar.  I tend to add a little less sugar to avoid it being over-sweet and often add a little lemon juice for good measure.

                                

The hardest part of this process is stirring this mix until it thickens but without burning on the pan base. It can take quite a time and requires regular attention. Then you spread our thickened mixture onto a baking parchment-lined tray and brush the surface with a little alcohol – I use brandy – to help form a skin. You pray for good weather and leave in sunny spot to assist the drying process. After some days, when the mix is ready to peel off from the paper it’s ready to be cut, and dusted on both sides with sugar, then left to dry out a little longer.

                                                

Below, it is in its final phase, lasting for months in an air-tight container. At a festive table, I like to serve it at meal-end with a glass of port, a home-made liqueur, - or even a pomegranate gin! -  biscuits and oatcakes.

 

                                                 

 It really is worth all the effort to share your ‘creations’ with friends.

 

Decoding.

 At an early age a frustration for me was my inability to tell the time – everyone else seemed to be able to do it. It seemed to me to be the badge of grown up-ness.

                                            

The first stage was for me to identify the numbers themselves. Above you see a clock face with Arabic numerals.  Now you may not recognize them at first but you can identify their values by using both their location and your time-telling skill. Incidentally it’s quite easy to remember these numbers using my method: the number 1 has one stroke, 2 has two strokes, and so on to number 5 which unhelpfully looks like a nought. Confusingly, the number 6 looks like a seven. :O Then the numbers 7 and 8 are the same symbol inverted.  Think of a soft drink to help you here: comparing the two, you get seven-up and the other is the 8! The 9 is recognizable as such, while the zero is a dot. That’s it, you’ve got it! 😊

So we have accomplished our number recognition, but there is a further stage to be completed and that is to interpret what each number represents in terms of its relation to the passage of the hour.                                  

Helping us do just that is a clock that was formerly used for Early Learners at The British Council Teaching Centre, Thessaloniki to help them tell the time in English. I love it.

As well as coping with the numbers, I was, when living in the Arab world, obliged to come to grips with the Arabic alphabet. As with all languages, you will reach the level of competence required to meet your daily needs. Beyond that it depends on the individual drive, interest, commitment, aptitude, etc. as to how much further you will progress. So I could go to the souq, greet people and ask for foodstuffs and their prices. At work I could converse with clients to learn their personal data required for the registration procedure at the Teaching Centres in both Sana’a and in Kuwait.

 But my language was at a basic level. On occasions, I would sound out the letters forming an unknown word and Z, who grew up in an area where the local Greek dialect was imbued with imported Turkish words, could recognize what this shared cognate meant. Great team work!

                                          

Note that above, the first column is on the right as writing in Arabic is a left-to-right affair.

In my youth, when studying English Literature, I noticed that some poems would be prefaced by extracts from Greek writing that had inspired the poet. This always intrigued me and I longed to be able to unlock this code, just as I longed to tell the time.  

                              

(This is a quotation from the Nobel Prize winner, Odysseus Elytis, wondering if loneliness feels the same to everyone everywhere.)

And, of course, it was my fate to come and live in Greece. Despite having attended some lessons and having a rudimentary awareness of the language, my first encounters with the language being spoken around me were quite disturbing. Spoken Greek was an inaccessible wall of unidentifiable bricks; a sea of sound with a continuum of waves that defied being broken into semantic units.  It took me months before from that wave continuum I could identify the general topic, and it took even longer for me to understand roughly what was being said about that topic. But, oh, the joy when it begins to make sense and when you can respond, even at a simple level. Decoding and communication achieved- yay!

I regularly do crosswords and sudoku which really are forms of decoding. In sudoku you use arithmetic hypotheses to complete the grid. The crossword clues will often deliberately try to lead you off the trail, just like a good detective mystery. The solving is so satisfying. 😊

 

 For years there has been one more code that has eluded me and that I have wanted to break. I’ve just embarked on a project to learn to decode what is to me a completely opaque system.

To be continued ..........?!!?!!

To be continued ……….. ?????