Olympian gods

I was thinking that it would be interesting if I stopped being a Christian (as a matter of speech) and devoted myself to the Olympian gods. Out of the 12 playing in the major league (there are hundreds in the minor leagues) I would have to find the One, to whom I would devote my life to. That’s not an easy decision though. I would have to deny myself and my needs and dedicate myself completely to a god or goddess, something like dating (yeah, right). So, which god would I date / surrender to?

Zeus (archaeological museum of Athens, 460BC)

Zeus is the ultimate god who rules them all! It would be cool to be with him. Think of the status! However he’s so full of himself! He’s been screwing everything from males, females to relatives, even animals! His sexual desires are uncontrollable…

Hera is the sister and wife of Zeus. She’s generally portrayed as nice and earnest. Probably because no one wanted to do something to cross her! Her jealousy over Zeus and vengefulness is well known! Simply ask Heracles! The poor boy without any fault of his own was the bastard son of Zeus. Hera wanted so badly to kill him! Or ask her son Hephaestus who suffered at her hands.

Poseidon is the god of the seas and also controls the earthquakes. He’s generally a nice guy and I do love the sea and everything related to it. However, think of the smell! He must stink like dead fish, seaweed and nets all the time!

Demeter is the goddess of harvest and agriculture. She’s generally a nice lady. She hasn’t caused much stir in the past, as far as I know. If you’re into a calm life in a farm or cottage, that’s the girl for you.

Athena is the goddess of wisdom, culture and justice. She helped Athens prosper to an incredible degree back then. That sounds all too nice but I fear that she is miss know-it-all to an infuriating degree! Who wants to associate with someone who believes they are right all the time? And what’s worse? She is right all the time?

Apollo of Belvedere

Apollo is the god of arts, medicine and prophecies. He is handy to have around since he can foretell the future. Homer didn’t really like him and pictured him horribly during the Trojan Wars but that’s probably a personal opinion.

Artemis is the goddess of hunting and birth. I don’t know that much about her, but I think that she’s generally well liked. However, it is believed that she killed her companion Orion which sounds a bit fishy.

Ares is the god of war! A feisty strategist with many scars and tales to tell. He does sound experienced in life and interesting. However, he seems very strong willed and stubborn. He’s not an easy person to deal with.

Venus de Mylo (100 BC)

Aphrodite is the goddess of beauty, love and pleasure. Who wouldn’t like that? She’s generally prone to temptation and she likes to create a stir. She can also be jealous of other women and mean. Look what happened to poor Psyche.

Hephaestus is the god of construction, metallurgy and fire. He is the craftsman of the gods. Unfortunately his appearance is a bit distorted and he looks a bit like the hunchback of Notre Dame. Zeus married him to Aphrodite as a solution to prevent conflicts between the other gods because he didn’t think that highly of him! I generally like him. He’s the geek of the gods.

Dionysus is the god of performing arts, hedonism and wine. He is the centre of the party and knows how to enjoy himself. Celebrations in his name in most cases ended in massive orgies and parties that lasted for days. Although appealing as an idea, I fear it might be much for me.

Hermes with baby Dionysus by Praxiteles (343 BC) 

Hermes is the messenger of the gods, he’s the guide to the underworld and he’s the god of trade and speech among lots of other things. In my opinion, he’s a very interesting and complex character. With all this running around he must also be very fit. Various stories are linked to him. To give you an idea he’s the father of Tyche (Luck) and Hermaphroditus (with Aphrodite) where the word hermaphrodite comes from all these years ago. He is the god I’d probably choose if I had to make a selection.

Online diagnosis and various other thoughts.

Lately I’ve been thinking issues related to my health, wellbeing. Hopefully, this is not related to the fact that I’m getting older! I was actually asked a couple of weeks ago that since now I’m over 30, if I’ve noticed changes to my body or metabolism because of old age!! I ‘grrrr’-ed back and refused to answer.

My burnt hand’s getting better. I poured boiling water over it 10 days ago. For days it was stiff and brown. A few days ago it started peeling, revealing some new pinkish skin and it is much better now. But it is still not completely healed. There are some patches of burnt skin (dark), new skin (red) and the dry areas that are still peeling. I could probably scare a child with it, so I will not share pictures with you. I’m no Freddie Krueger though. Give me a couple of weeks and I’ll be fine.

On a different health topic, I have been noticing on my skin some kind of marks that itched but never lasted long. They look like mosquito bites and they are the same colour as the skin surrounding them. They itch and normally appear in batches around my torso or legs for a very short period of time, like 20 minutes and then disappear. Because they don’t appear every day and they always go away after a small period of time I’ve never actually done anything about them. I have been seeing them for a couple of years though.

JJ’s noticed how I scratch myself sometimes and we laughed how I might be allergic to sex, because these marks appeared or we noticed them while or after sex. It’s easier to see these marks with no clothes on. What I had to do is take some pictures and see a dermatologist. I don’t believe I could ever go to a doctor and by coincidence have them at the same time. However, being a guy that will not easily go to a doctor JJ started looking online of what this skin condition could be.

I don’t generally believe in online diagnosis. If a doctor doesn’t properly poke you, you can’t be sure about what you find online. Yes, there are some legitimate online sources, but still, so many symptoms do look alike. However, what he found online looks accurate enough. I simply get (?) hives in the simplest form that doesn’t last long. I believe that a normal allergic reaction to something whether it was food, soap, detergent, animal or something else would have a more persisting reaction. In any way, I’ll look a bit more into it. At least, checking things online I can exclude more serious skin conditions.

Leaving the slightly disgusting health issues aside, I’m looking forward to going to Greece next week. I fly really early in the morning Thursday to return the following Wednesday afternoon. It will be almost for a whole week of sunshine (it’s 25 degrees there now), food and politics! It’s been raining almost nonstop for the last two weeks in London and it’s getting to a depressing level. Greece will be a nice escape.

By pure coincidence, the weekend I’ll be in Greece, the national elections will take place! These will be the first elections taking place after the major financial crisis occurred. The time is crucial and the outcome of this very important. The people look really divided and none of the major political parties receive more than 20% of the public approval in any polls I’ve read. I believe that a coalition is inevitable. It is unlikely that a government will be formed in the first round of elections, so my vote will not really make a difference. I’m not even sure who to vote!

However, I always enjoy a healthy political debate. It’s in my genes I think.    

Getting in touch in nature

I grew up in a small Greek town by the sea, at the northern part of the country, with population of around 65,000. The size of the city, according to my standards, is perfect. It is small enough to have a neighborhood, safe, environment outside the city centre for the children but also means of escape for the adolescents. It is built amphitheatrically overlooking the sea and a very picturesque older area. However, what it greatly lacks is green areas!

The surrounding mountains of the city, the small availability of land, the lack of proper city planning and people’s greed forced my hometown to rise much higher than other cities of the same size consuming almost every bit of open space. Apart from some conserved (thank god) older structures, most buildings are 5 to 6 floors high, creating a forest of grey with no traces of green. To give you an idea, there is one designated area called ‘the park’ and another called ‘the garden’! That’s it.

What’s generally saves the picture is the sea! Almost any town or city by the sea can be beautiful! There are so many places, small cafes, cosy tavernas or romantic spots in my town overlooking that ever changing blue that makes it one of the loveliest towns of the country. There are also so many amazing beaches in such a close proximity that made my childhood’s summers unforgettable! I’ve spent hundreds of hours every year by the sea swimming, fishing, sun bathing, playing summer sports etc.

When I moved to London all this changed. There is no sea close by with warm blue waters to go swimming. Still, nature’s all beautifully around in my everyday life. Even in such a vast metropolis of about 8 million habitats, there are so many large parks, commons, forests, open spaces, rivers and animals. Every time I go to my local supermarket, I walk next to a small river surrounded by trees with ducks, some swans or the occasional heron. I spot squirrels and foxes on that footpath so frequently that I never thought possible in such a large city! I’m not delusional; I can see the pollution and the garbage. I’m not denying that. However, I choose to ignore it, focus on the green surroundings and try to escape to a large park when no building can be seen or a car heard when possible.

 a heron?

 relaxing ducks

 walking around the river

sleeping in the back garden