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An amazing world

How much do we know about our world? How much do we know about the thousands different cultures? How much do we know about the thousands different traditions?

I remember when i was in the kindergarden and i was taught about the 4 different cultures that exist:
the chinese: that had the vietnamese hat, japanese eyes; their skin was of the color of the north chinese and it was really yellow and were leaving in pagodas- that ok, are all around mainland china, hong kong, thailand, vietnam, cambodia etc etc :)

Then there were the indian indigenous of Latin America;
red skin, bids all over, living in the forests, running like horses, talking with the animals, understanding the nature as noone else, having square faces and big eyes

The black Africans:
all black people had the same black skin, curly hair, were walking around naked & barefoot, wearing bones to be pretty, running like tigers and living in huts.

then the white ones; ourselves...

But no one told us about the Arabs, the Scandinavians, the Russians, the Indians, the Australians, the Aboriginals, the Japanese, the Chinese, the Male, the thousands of different tribes that exist in Africa even in the same city, the same village- eg. the Luo, the Kikuyu, the Meru..
no one told us about the Peruvians, the Central Americans, the Mexicans, the South Africans that are black and white, the Ethiopians..

the world is so big and so beautiful..my god, it s so beautiful! so diverse, so different, so contradictory, so colorful, so smelly, so clean and so dirty, so miserable, so happy, so free, so conservative, so liberal, so traditional, so pure...

Our horizon is endless and the borders that human race is setting are relative. I dont believe in boarders in the way they are nowadays.

I understand that there needs to be clear distinction over the area that certain people live etc etc BUT i dont believe in the boarders between nations, between traditions, between people.
i dont believe in boarders that limit people's mobility, people's chances; limit innovation, diversity, discovery, evolution, knowledge...


Today i ve read about Polynesia. It s somewhere, there in the Pacific, over New Zealand..
Polynesia, with the Easter Islands, Hawai, Tahiti, the Cook islands, the Samoa islands..

Do you know about the political institutions in Samoa or in Tahiti?
Do you know about Rapa Nui and that at 1860s the inhabitants destroyed completely the earth because of the agriculture, and only the 2% of its nature was left there?
that almost the enitre population was removed from the island because of slavery, famine and poverty? that there were spices of landbirds that are extinct?
Do you know that technology and information arrive there many many years later because they are far away from anything?

Do you know about the great dances and traditions they have?

Take a look here and in the following videos

National Geographic- Hula the island:



Hula Hula- the Men:


Women Dancing & singing (for more check here)


Man.. the world is great!!! I love the world..

I wonder how many things our planet, the nature, the human race and tradition can teach us?

The Genographic Project- National Geographic

Online History of the World over the past 7,000 years- Great project by National Geographic

(click on the image)

The choices we make

The choices we make; and the trade offs...

Very interesting article by Amit Varma, whose blog, India Uncut, is the most widely read blog in India starting from 2004, awarded many times throughout the last years;

"There are far too many smart, educated, talented people operating at quarter speed, unsure of their place in the world, contributing far too little to the productive engine of modern civilization. There are far too many people who look like they have their act together but have yet to make an impact. You know who you are. It comes down to a simple gut check: You either love what you do or you don’t. Period.

So do you love what you do?"


Do read the complete article here

Life management principles

Drunk from the ocean...


Sea...

I m very lucky because i m leaving in one of the biggest ports in Europe- Rotterdam..

and not only that, but as the Netherlands are, water is EVERYWHERE.. under our house, IN our house (when the pipes broke and the ground floor turned into a lake), around us..

canals everywhere! the old port 15minutes by bike! the big harbor 40minutes ride!

Water.. as all old civilations & traditions say, water has healing powers. And it does actually..!!

How many times for example we are totally wasted and the only thing that we need to make us feel better is the water?
How many times we are sick and by drinking enough water we feel better? more alive?
How many times we are tired and the only think that makes us well is a shower?
How many times we are tired and we drink water and get more energy?

The human body is consisted of 58%- 78% of water..

Healing powers for the sould and the body.. for the mind!

When i m stressed out, or my head is full of thoughts, i m confused, i have all these crap on me and i go to the swimming pool, then i know that everything will be fine.. and it always is! -sooner or later

I really want to live by the sea!!!

Close to water that will make me calm, that will take every bad emotion and thought away; that can take us apart but bring us together..
Close to the water that is alive, with emotions- when it s angry it has waves, when it s calm is crystal clear.. when it s happy the sun is playing around the small waves..

This is my dream island where i will go with Ioanna to retire when we are older.. :) with our dogs, our art, our stories...


And i will be evey day drunk from the ocean!



(i dont know the artist, but i follow his blog! it s really good! You can find it here)

African wisdom

Connecting songs...


We all have OUR songs..

You know which songs..

...the ones that whenever you listen, your heart just explodes because of the love that you feel inside; because of the memories they accompany; because of the experiences on which they were the music background?

This is for us THE song: No te pido los flores :)

4 Greek friends traveling around Oman with a Colombian listening to latin American music..
the power of the friendship, discovery, excitement, curiocity & joy.

Enjoy it with us!

Playing for Change - Don't Worry

One of the most amazing movements ever! We totally support :-) Enjoy more songs on YouTube, at user's PlayingForChange account.

Happy

Created at Vancoucer Film School by the student Michael Lewicki. Found at user's ItsNotATuma account on YouTube.


Beautiful Losers

What happens to our creativity when we grow up?
What happens when a group of artists come together and build a community?
How a generation of Do It Yourself artists was formed?

More stories in the most beautiful movie:

Change yourself


from my favorite cafe URBAN, in my city ROTTERDAM having breakfast with my Australians KATE & LUCE

What matters and what does not? Who we are and who we are not?

I m reflecting recently very much on the influence that the environment and the context can have to our personalities, to what we show we are, to what we think we are.

Which are the characteristics that we really own and which are the ones that we adapt from the beautiful individuals that we have around us?
Which are the characteristics and the competencies that we aqcuire because we are in a certain situation or because the culture is like that?

When an experience is ending, when a circle is closing, when a part of your life comes to an end how do we become aware of what had happened? Of what was the impact of our behaviors and actions to everything that is surrounding us?

Not only when the end comes, but also throughout; how often do we capture what is happening to us?
How often do we crosscheck the perceptions of the others on what we thing we are, on what we think we do?
How often do we take pictures of ourselves at different moments and compare them so that we can become aware of the evolution, the compromise, the characteristics that are always constant and the ones that come up to the surface or are being surpressed?


And if we do that.. are we open to this feedback? are we open to the truth? do we know what to keep and what not?

How can we support the people around us & ourselves, to become more selfless, to become ready to let things go, to grasp opportunities to learn, to develop, to change!! to become better...

So in this topic, we play different roles; we can be a receiver but also a sender. But, are we accepting the responsibillity that we have over the development of the others?

and even if we do take the step, to talk to people, to give feedback and be honest and the other person doesnt listen? doesnt want to be helped, when should one let it go?

when should one be selfless and insist or selfish and dont bother anymore- or maybe it s the other way around?
- you are selfless when you let it go, respect the person's choice not to be helped or be selfish and insist to do something that is good in your perception...

Are we authentic to ourselves and to others?
Do we express what we feel, what we think, what we see freely? And do the other people take it in, respect it or act upon it?

M... i wish the world one day will be authentic; honest; expressive.

But i wonder..
Does this matter or does it not?

What matters to me

A digital design video from a competition for a VFS Scholarship. From the user Jr0carnert on YouTube. And one of our favorites :-)


100 & 1 faces

A wonderfully creative video by the user julienlassort on YouTube. Enjoy it :-)