Rhodes and Athens

This time last year, I was in Greece. Unfortunately, this year, nothing so exciting is happening in my life. I'm just more or less biding time until I get a phone call telling me that my mother's condition has deteriorated to the point that my presence is required in Missouri. That kind of precludes much travel for fun. So I'll content myself by reminiscing about last year's trip. The purpose of the visit was to present a paper at a conference in Athens. But, quite frankly, the conference was lame, and there weren't many interesting presentations to attend (we did try). So, a trip to the top of the Acropolis is far more educational, don't you think? This was actually the view from our (otherwise crappy) hotel room balcony. (Three stars my ass. This hotel is actually a much better deal, and has tons of charm. I stayed there on my first trip to Athens in 2005. Unfortunately they were full this last time.) We also stumbled upon this little-visited park that had some nice ruins and an amazingly large tortoise population. We lost count after 30+. I've been meaning to post photos for Cristi for ages! You can't tell in the photo, but the turtles were about the size of human infants. They were enormous. The staff told us that they had more or less taken over the park as the area around it became more and more developed, and the turtles lost their habitat. But as good as the museums and sights are in Athens, it's still a crowded, polluted city that I don't much care for. Rhodes was much nicer. Unfortunately much of the island has been built up as a package-tour, concrete-hotel-monstrosity, beach holiday destination for vacationing Europeans. I can't imagine a more revolting type of travel, with the possible exception of Carnival Cruises or Disney theme parks. In the resort areas we drove through, we passed more fish and chip shops showing cricket on the telly than we did Greek restaurants. We also came across a hotel offering "Friday: Greek Night!" Uh, yeah, it's Greece. Shouldn't every night be Greek Night?! But the Old Town of Rhodes is still relatively unscathed, maybe because of its UNESCO World Heritage site designation. It's a citadel, and walking around the cobblestone streets enclosed in the castle-like walls is like a trip back in time. Like in Northern Greece, you see minarets in Rhodes. It's very close to Turkey and was controlled by the Turks for some time. We got to take a bath at the hamam, which I actually liked much more than the one I visited in Istanbul. You can walk around the ramparts and up the towers. Outside of the Old Town, there are many beautiful places if you avoid the aforementioned package tour ghettos. I fell in love with this Art Deco bathing/beach cabana complex that was being restored. I also loved the area around Lindos. Driving around the periphery of the island and across the center took us to several little villages and beaches that were untouched by tourism. Luckily, since I was travelling with a Greek person, communication was not a problem and we could find great little local places to eat. I had one of the best meals I've ever had in some out-of-the-way village on Rhodes. Lots of fiber-producing animals, even on the beach! Those aren't all rocks. Some of them are sheep.

Ok, but how do they taste?

U.S. beef got banned in Japan, but this is ok? This is some of the quirkier Engrish that I've seen lately. It was on the blackboard menu in front of a pseudo-Italian restaurant. I took a picture with my cellphone and pointed it out to the people I was with--we had just come out of the bar next door. The hostess saw us congregating and ran out to tell us that last order was in just a few minutes. She thought we were poring over the menu because we were going to eat there, and proudly informed us (in Japanese, of course) about this new English menu that they have "prepared for". I didn't have the heart to tell her that we were just laughing at their sign, or what it meant.

Morocco tips, anyone?

I'm off to Morocco in a week, but haven't really planned much yet. I'm thinking of an itinerary something like this: Day 1: Arrive in Casablanca/crash there Days 2-4: Head to Rabat for 2 nights Days 4-7: Chefchaouen for 3 nights Days 7-8: Tangier for 1 night Days 8-14: Fes/Meknes/Volubilis Days 14-17: Travel through the High Atlas on the way to the South; see Todra Gorge Days 17-20: Zagora/Draa Valley Days 20-22: Ameln Valley or Tarodannt/Anti-Atlas Days 22-25: Essaouira Days 25-30: Marrakesh, with possible side trips to the Cascades d'Ouzoud and Oukaimeden (I want to ski in Africa!) Day 31: Go back to Casablanca and stay there before flying out the next afternoon It's probably too ambitious. but better to aim for more and cut stuff out along the way if necessary, I think, than to not even try. If anyone out there has any suggestions, tips or warnings, I'd love to hear them!

Greece, March 2007

Bulgaria wasn't the only country I visited in March. I also spent some time in Northern Greece. I had been to Greece before, but only Athens and Crete. Northern Greece is completely different. For starters, it was cold! This was actually quite a relief because I hate hot weather. I was also surprised at how desolate a lot of it was, how flat Thrace is, and what a large, visible Turkish-speaking Muslim minority there is. In every town and village in Thrace, there were minarets and women in headscarves. Mostly we were in the countryside, but some of the cities (towns?) we visited were Xanthi, Kavala, Alexandroupoli, Komotini, Edessa, and of course Thessaloniki. I wanted to make a pilgrimage to Oreo, but alas, we didn't have time! My favorite city was Xanthi. It's in wooded hills, with a lovely cobblestone old town and a lively atmosphere. Everywhere you go, there are ancient ruins. Usually there's a big sign, advertising how many Euros the EU has provided for excavation, some abandoned looking bulldozers and buckets, and a surly guard with a key to the gate. The most impressive ruins, I thought, were the mosaics at Pella. I don't know much about Alexander the Great, but I do know that this was his city. These photos don't show the scale well--these are absolutely massive, and very intact, considering how old they are. One of the towns we visited, Soufli, is famous for its history of silk production. I was really looking forward to going to the local Silk Museum, which details the process and is housed in an old Ottoman building. No such luck. It's closed for refurbishment until 2009. Cute though, isn't it? My favorite thing about Greece is the food. Thick yogurt, amazingly fresh and colorful produce, plus an obsession with butter pastry...it's so good.

Bulgaria, March 2007

So I've always intended to blog about the international trips that I take, because I know some of my friends and family who read this blog are interested, but last year I was really bad about getting around to it. In 2007, I went to Ireland, Sri Lanka, Korea, Canada, Bulgaria, Turkey, and Greece (twice, different parts of the country). My trip to Canada was just a few days in Vancouver to visit friends, and I've been there several times before, so I don't really have much to say about it, and I've blogged about Korea and Ireland. Bulgaria is somewhere than I hadn't really thought much about visiting previously. I mean, I'm always interested to go anywhere, but it's not a place that has long held a sense of enchantment over me, like Morocco and Namibia. But when I decided to spend a couple of weeks in northern Greece in March, it seemed silly not to look into what Bulgaria had to offer, since it was so nearby, and because I didn't want to spend much of that time in Greece proper...long story. In my research I found out about Plovdiv, a historical city in southern Bulgaria. The Old Town is a UNESCO World Heritage site. It's truly a fascinating place, especially for those interested in history and architecture. Roman, Greek (well, Macedonian), Ottoman, Soviet Bloc...it's gone through several changes of power and these are all evident in the buildings, ruins and monuments. This sounds completely cliched, but Bulgaria is truly a landscape of contrasts. I remember donkey carts and BMWs on roads with massive potholes, scary Soviet-era nuclear power plants and beautiful Ottoman houses, mountain monasteries and women in glittery polyester hotpant outfits. In any case, Plovdiv and the surrounding Rhodopi mountain villages are lovely, and I would highly recommend visiting there if you have the chance. And there's inexpensive wool yarn, and lots of folk knitting and textiles! I bought some traditional handknit socks as a souvenir. The hotel where we stayed, the Hebros, is in an old Ottoman house and is one of the most characterful and charming places I've ever stayed. I'd be thrilled to go back someday. I'm not a good photographer and these pictures don't do the place justice at all, but if you're really interested I suggest you check out Emilofero's photos on flickr. Plovdiv is his hometown, and he's done a wonderful job capturing it.

Family and other animals

Remember how, in my last post, I mentioned that Christmas always culminates in a major drama with my family? Well, I thought we had gotten off unscathed. On the 30th, my sister, her boyfriend, and her kids showed up, we did a quick gift exchange, and then all of my mom's extended family arrived from all over the state for our annual soup and sandwich lunch. It was actually *nice*. Almost everyone--about 50 people--came, except a skiing cousin, another cousin's new spouse, and my black sheep brother. My 85-year old grandma was confused about who was who, but didn't make any nasty comments aimed at my sister's boyfriend-of-another-race or any of the Catholic spouses-of-cousins. No drama! After that, my sister's family and I went to our father and stepmother's for the meal he prepared especially for us--frozen pizza. Not even the good ones. The ones that are less than 99 cents and only have one topping each. Crappy, yeah, but if that is the worst that happens on Christmas, then it's a banner year for us. Or so I thought. The 30th came and went, and still, things were pretty quiet. That is, until the day before I flew back to Japan. We had gone to St. Louis that afternoon as my flight was early the next morning, and it was a chance to have dinner with my sister's family and my brother too. Except my brother didn't show. We had just talked to him earlier that afternoon...what had happened? My mom left him some messages and thought he might turn up at the restaurant later, but he didn't. I wasn't really worried, because my brother is a flake and a liar--he pulls stuff like this a lot. Later that evening we were at my sister's, hanging out with the kids while she was at work. She called, my mom took the call, went white and started bawling. Seeing as my sister is a nurse in one of the biggest hospitals in St. Louis, I assumed my brother had been brought to the ER or something. Nope. Of course not. His teeny tiny house had been raided by the cops for 4+ hours that afternoon, and he was in jail. The fact that the DEA was involved in the raid will give you some clue as to why. I don't know a lot of details. I do know, however, that he is facing felony charges, including drug trafficking, and that he's out on bail and now living with my poor mother yet again (she just got him out of there last April). I know that all of his money and gold bars (he didn't trust banks or the Federal Reserve) were seized, so he doesn't have any assets to speak of. I do know that he is 29 years old and old enough to understand the consequences of whatever he may have been doing. I know that he knows our mother is very sick and can't really take this kind of stress. I also know that he is completely selfish, dishonest, and he knows that no matter what happens, my parents will do their damnedest to bail him out. Especially with my mother feeling like she doesn't have much time left. I doubt she wants the last time she sees her only son to be when he is being taken off to the state pen. Before this mess, my mom had been considering spending the rest of her money on an expensive experimental, alternative cancer treatment center in Mexico. A scam, maybe, but her money and her body. But is my brother using the services of a public defender? No. Where did he get the 10k retainer for the lawyer he talked to? Hmm. I'm pissed. Especially at my brother of course, but at my parents too. Am I being unreasonable? Maybe I am, and if so, tell me. I don't have a kid so it's easy for me to say "cut the strings". I've seen him verbally and physically abuse, manipulate and scam both of them, and so many others, for years and years. My parents' failure to refuse to take this anymore smacks of enabling to me--especially from my mom, who still talks to him like he's a little boy. I've gotten to the point where I don't have any qualms about declaring that I no longer have a brother, and least not until he radically changes his behaviour. Is that wrong?

Bah humbug

Yes, I know it's December 28, but my family isn't "having Christmas" until the 30th, so this is still timely for me. I was tagged by Undercounted Sassy. I'm not going to tag anyone else, because for most people, Christmas is probably already a memory. What was the best Christmas present you got as a kid? I got almost exclusively lousy gifts. My parents were of the "let's get them something they need" ilk, which meant I usually got something like sheets or a new chest of drawers. They only fun things I can dredge up out of my memory are my maternal grandmother's habit of giving us the Montgomery Ward or Sears catalog and telling us to pick what we wanted (limit=$10--the only thing I remember choosing this way was a purple acrylic argyle vest when I was 11, but looking through that catalog sure was dreamy) and the time that my paternal grandparents got us a generic (Sears-brand) Atari. We were stigmatized because it wasn't a REAL Atari, but it did play Pac-Man and Donkey Kong cartridges, so we dealt with it. What was the best Christmas present you got as an adult? I'm not really sure, but my ex-boyfriend did go brave a yarn store, and then sent me 10 balls of Noro Silk Garden in a heart-shaped box. That one would have to be up there. What’s your favorite Christmas carol? Traditional: Adeste Fideles (The Latin version of "O Come All Ye Faithful". Everything sounds better in Latin.) Contemporary: Band Aid's "Do They Know It's Christmas?" Simon Le Bon, Boy George, Bono, George Michael, Bob Geldof--what's not to like? At karaoke though, I'm more apt to do Wham's "Last Christmas." This song is hugely popular in Japan. In fact, the Muzak version of it was playing as I walked through the grocery store last week. How long can you stand to listen to Christmas music before you break? I won't break. I love it! I start listening to it as soon as it starts to snow, which in Sapporo is October or November. How many Christmas albums do you own? Several. They range from Alvin and the Chipmunks (on vinyl) to Johnny Cash, from Frank, Bing and Nat to the Korean punk band "PiPi Band". Did you ever go caroling as a kid? Yep. Would you willingly eat fruitcake? I'd try it. Do you own any Christmas sweaters? Please. Do you own any Christmas jewelry? What? Again, please. My grandma has quite a collection though, and I loved dressing up with it when I was a kid. Do you wear them? n/a Did your family have any Christmas traditions? Like what? There's usually a screaming match that devolves into someone leaving and swearing they'll never talk to any of the others again. We're quite dysfunctional. Do you buy Christmas presents for your pets? I don't have a pet. What’s your favorite Christmas cookie? Classic cookie-cutter Christmas-shaped sugar cookies, preferably with frosting. What’s your favorite Christmas candy? I don't have one. I hate candy canes. What’s your stocking look like? My mom made matching Holly Hobby ones for us sometime in the late 70s or early 80s. Mine's beige with an appliqued Holly Hobby in blue and red calico quilting fabric with ric-rak trim. It's quite ugly. She still puts them out. Filling=Little Debby Christmas-tree shaped cakes and an orange. How do you feel about the “Steal from Your Neighbor” Christmas present game (the one where people pick gifts from a pile, but others get to steal it)? I love, love, love this type of gift exchange, especially when it's done with White Elephant gifts. I acquired some lovely handknit Ecuadorean socks in one of these swaps. What is the oldest ornament on your tree? I don't have a Christmas tree. I remember having one in college once--it was 1991 and we stuck a picture of (hot!) Jesus Jones (remember him? "Right Here, Right Now") on top to be "holy". For Christmas, I either travel, or go to my mom's. She always has a tree, but she's an interior designer and will not deign to put our old handmade kiddie ornaments on her tree. Real or artificial? Real if I had one, which I don't. Artificial trees--what's the point? They don't have that Christmas tree smell. Plus they're tacky. How do you feel about Christmas letters? Like I would never feel the need to write one. This year I went the nengajo （年賀状）　route, because I'm a Rat. Do you have Christmas decorations or lights outside your house? What are they? Nope. How far would you drive to see Christmas lights? I hate Christmas lights. What a waste of energy. Are you a fan of tasteful or tacky? Tasteful, please. If I were to decorate for Christmas, I would prefer something a la Shimandsons. Do you have any Christmas collections? Nope.