Its been a cold few days here.
So cold.
Bitterly cold in fact.
The photo's of sunshine and blue skies belies the fact that its been super chilly!
I heard that people were swimming right into December last year and the summer seemed to just keep on going, which means that usually, winter follows suit and goes on into spring, keeping the cold temperatures and chilly winds we are seeing now. With a week to go until April arrives, I hope it starts to warm up soon!
The store in Masouri has opened its doors to the climbers, and there are a few more appearing every few days. I've been out climbing a couple of times, nothing hard, seeking the sun to feel its warmth. I've climbed with old friends Josh and Lloyd. Its been great to see them both again, and weird that they met each other here too proving that it is indeed a small climbing world. Last year Lloyd and I spent a day with Ben from Colarado, and here today I climbed with Ben again, together with his wife Carolyn, on a cold windy but sunny day, and of course I've climbed with Themi. usually only 3 or 4 routes, nothing harder than 6a+, just to keep moving and stretch the body. Still no sign of work from the Adventure Centre, that's ok with me for now, but frustrating. I'd like to know if I'm needed or not. Simple really.
Beers at manifesto after climbing at Arhi sector
The elbow injury is very frustrating. Its ok one day and sore the next.... The bone still looks swollen but surely it can't be. It's been a month now and the last few weeks have been mainly rest and ice. It must be the tendons underneath that are swollen and inflamed. I have a couple of Therabands to help now and work on the tendons is on going, stretching and massage follows in the hope that it will recover and allow me to climb harder soon. God knows its taking an age and I'm worried. From what I've read there is no quick fix. Patience is needed and I'm not too good at that.
Ben and Carolyn on Beautiful Helen, Illiada. 6a+
I'm already missing hard moves, the routes I've done have been fine, especially Beautiful Helen, but I miss that feeling of making hard technical moves, of the fear, the challenge, and the magical feeling of clipping the chains after trying hard. I have to go back and remember Happy End, the sequences from the half way point, the undercuts to long reach crimp, that 'all or nothing' move that I couldn't quite remember so just made a lunge for and got it, and that feeling when you know it should be in the bag and you don't want to blow it now..... the hard move right then up to get the flakey jugs to the chains.... brilliant.
Tameer from Israel on a 6b, Spartan Wall.
I've learned a lot this past week or so. I've been listening and watching. Taking on board various views, opinions and a fair amount of complaints about Kalymnos, Greece in general and the EU.
For years now I've come here, enjoyed the climbing, the sunshine, the hospitality and the lifestyle, then gone back to Scotland. End of. Now a different picture is starting to emerge, not quite so rosy but a damn sight more realistic.
The Greek mentality and how it affects the country has been an interesting subject of discussion a couple of times recently, from politics on a national scale, down to grass routes and how local tourism is affected by it. How the local people live and how immigrants behave here. How they affect the local area, even influence it sometimes. Immigration in general is vital for introducing new ideas, for seeing things with fresh eyes and can bring skills and technology not seen before. Its always happened, and it always will. The desire to travel and explore new places will see to that if nothing else. But the world has changed so much in recent years. TV, news, social media, connectivity. Its all had an affect.
There seems to me to be two different types of immigrant to Kalymnos. Those that just want to accept, relax and fit in, and those that see how things could be better, how easily things could be improved for everyone, local and tourist alike with only a little more imagination, organisation and cooperation. They find the way things 'are' very frustrating. So they battle away, beat their heads against the establishment and slowly get frustrated, angry, stressed out, and lose sight of why they came here in the first place, what it was that attracted them here.
I know I haven't had to deal with too many issues so far, but for me some of the very things that frustrate are all part of the attraction, the very nature of the society here, its lack of 'sense' sometimes, the general 'easyness' of things that back home are tied up with Health and Safety, or Political Correctness. All that modern bollocks that we just shrug our collective shoulders at, accept that we can't change, just...... grin and bear it.
Then of course there's the flip side. At dinner the other night one of Josh and Lloyds friends was with us, Christina, a Danish travel rep on the island told us the long and sometimes painful story of how difficult its been for her father to build a small house here for the family, even with Christina here in situ and speaking the language. She's been tied up with bills for this, bills for that, bills for changes to plans forced on them, things being built they didn't ask for and how only the threat of legal action has finally, slowly, made things happen. This type of thing perhaps more than anything is where a more open and transparent way is needed.
I, like Themi, straddle both camps in our own way, both a little modern, and old fashioned. I accept and understand that the way things are is the Greek way, but I and so many others, locals and incomers alike can see (and have said) what could be improved, and with some subtle and some not so subtle changes how life could be better for everyone here, or better than it already is, because in reality, its not bad as it is right now.
But under the sunny surface the local politics can make even the most obvious and seemingly easy changes an absolute nightmare. What appears obvious to fresh eyes can, once you dig a little deeper, be so hard to achieve when you consider all the implications, who will be affected and who you might upset. As an incomer these are massive considerations if you want to succeed. The relationship with Kos is also a major consideration..... Nothing is as easy as it first appears to be, and even once you commit, the new laws, the tax changes and the red tape all kick in and you're faced with many hurdles and unpleasant surprises.
I ask myself, do the things I'm used to from the UK have any bearing here? Is it my place to moan about something because its not the way I'm used to doing things? No of course not. This is not my country. I'm an incomer here and as such I need to accept things for what they are. For the most part anyway. There has to be a few little tweaks here and there that can be made to simply improve the odd thing or two here surely!?
Themi can also see these things but we both agree that its the next generation that will probably be the ones to make the required changes to the local culture. Maybe nationally too. Greece has a young Prime Minister now in Tsipras, voted in on a wave of painful austerity measures and rebellion with promises to make changes, to ease the punitive taxes the average Greek has been facing since the EU and the Euro. The modern Greek will surely make things change soon and the old ways will slowly fade out. Things will surely change. Whether that's a good thing or not remains to be seen. The very thing that makes Greece so special could change too. Yes sometimes change is vital and good, I'm an advocate of change. In my own life change has been regular, scary and exciting. The risk is often rewarding, but I feel here on Kalymnos, it needs to be considered carefully or it may destroy the very thing that's attracts us to it.
On a wider scale, its always amazed me that some immigrants to the UK these days expect, and usually get everything they want. Their own schools, churches, shops etc. Back in the day folks used to go to the UK and try and blend in and integrate, and yes I know many that still do. They had enough of a struggle just being different. Seems that the opposite is often true now and the UK government generally bends over backwards to be PC, to not make waves or upset anyone, and so many people new to the UK no longer try and fit in but seem to create a new little 'home', insist on their 'rights', insist on maintaining their culture with their places of worship, their own schools, taking over whole areas of cities and towns, and even having their meat prepared their way without offering anything tangible in return. To me this is totally wrong. They're here for the wrong reasons.
I'm with the Ozzies here, "fit in and accept our way, or fuck off back to where you came from", maybe not in those exact words. I've always wandered why when Brits go to live and work abroad we obey the local rules. In Muslim countries the women cover up and in the Emirates we have our own compounds and we only drink in the place we're allowed to, yet when folk come to the UK they scream for this and that. Why is that? Why don't we just go around as we please and insist on a little church of England being built in town, our own little post office in the city? Why do we say ok, we'll do everything you ask?
Why do people come if they don't like what we have to offer? Whatever reason you come to the UK for, remember that it is in fact, the UK and its ways are different to the ways you are used to. Accept that in public and try to blend in a little. At home feel free to do as you please. Integration is never easy, I know how it feels to be different, but I tried (and try) to be myself while also fitting in as best I could. It was a compromise but an acceptable one.
And that's how I feel about coming to Greece. If we choose to live in another country, then I feel we have to accept the way things are and work with it as far as possible. We move for a better life for one reason or another so why should it be acceptable to insist on having things your way, to moan and fight against a society we chose to go to rather than being born in to. That's surely how it should be.
Telendos!
Clarkson....
Sorry, I couldn't resist this. I like TG. Very much!
What a fuss. Really...!!
The Beeb know, they must do. Clarkson has created a slice of TV genius, a great car based entertainment show that seems to cover most bases, and appeals to most people as the viewing figures, ratings and repeats go to prove. The show is based around him and his personality, the others bounce off him and I believe the show would simply not be the same without him.
He says what so many of us kinda feel like we'd like to say sometimes. I like that he is non PC and his previous issues have been around this point. utter nonsense! What any normal person sees as the joke intended, some toss pot complains about because they got slightly offended... Oh get a life, please!! Switch channels or something. Sometimes society today just beggars belief!
I like a lot of what he says about politicians and transport in particular, but I don't agree with his politics as such. And I like cars. Its true that they don't feature many cars that I could afford these days but I still like to watch and dream and laugh. Usually quite a lot.
Stu..........
Top Gear will die without Clarkson. Anyone else wouldn't have his style, and anyone trying to copy his 'way' simply wouldn't work. Look at 5th gear and other car programmes. 5th gear had no soul, no characters... And I couldn't stand the posh totty VBH.... Awful. Jason Plato was ok, and Tiff can be ok on occasion... The others? Clarkson wannabies!!The only other I really liked was Whealer Dealers, and its not a patch on TG.
I heard that the shows audience was sold out for the next 8 years or something like that...
Enough said!
At the end of the day, if you don't like Clarkson, or anything on TV for that matter.... Turn the fucking thing off..!!!!!
The Mighty JJ
So cold.
Bitterly cold in fact.
The photo's of sunshine and blue skies belies the fact that its been super chilly!
I heard that people were swimming right into December last year and the summer seemed to just keep on going, which means that usually, winter follows suit and goes on into spring, keeping the cold temperatures and chilly winds we are seeing now. With a week to go until April arrives, I hope it starts to warm up soon!
The store in Masouri has opened its doors to the climbers, and there are a few more appearing every few days. I've been out climbing a couple of times, nothing hard, seeking the sun to feel its warmth. I've climbed with old friends Josh and Lloyd. Its been great to see them both again, and weird that they met each other here too proving that it is indeed a small climbing world. Last year Lloyd and I spent a day with Ben from Colarado, and here today I climbed with Ben again, together with his wife Carolyn, on a cold windy but sunny day, and of course I've climbed with Themi. usually only 3 or 4 routes, nothing harder than 6a+, just to keep moving and stretch the body. Still no sign of work from the Adventure Centre, that's ok with me for now, but frustrating. I'd like to know if I'm needed or not. Simple really.
The elbow injury is very frustrating. Its ok one day and sore the next.... The bone still looks swollen but surely it can't be. It's been a month now and the last few weeks have been mainly rest and ice. It must be the tendons underneath that are swollen and inflamed. I have a couple of Therabands to help now and work on the tendons is on going, stretching and massage follows in the hope that it will recover and allow me to climb harder soon. God knows its taking an age and I'm worried. From what I've read there is no quick fix. Patience is needed and I'm not too good at that.
I'm already missing hard moves, the routes I've done have been fine, especially Beautiful Helen, but I miss that feeling of making hard technical moves, of the fear, the challenge, and the magical feeling of clipping the chains after trying hard. I have to go back and remember Happy End, the sequences from the half way point, the undercuts to long reach crimp, that 'all or nothing' move that I couldn't quite remember so just made a lunge for and got it, and that feeling when you know it should be in the bag and you don't want to blow it now..... the hard move right then up to get the flakey jugs to the chains.... brilliant.
I've learned a lot this past week or so. I've been listening and watching. Taking on board various views, opinions and a fair amount of complaints about Kalymnos, Greece in general and the EU.
For years now I've come here, enjoyed the climbing, the sunshine, the hospitality and the lifestyle, then gone back to Scotland. End of. Now a different picture is starting to emerge, not quite so rosy but a damn sight more realistic.
The Greek mentality and how it affects the country has been an interesting subject of discussion a couple of times recently, from politics on a national scale, down to grass routes and how local tourism is affected by it. How the local people live and how immigrants behave here. How they affect the local area, even influence it sometimes. Immigration in general is vital for introducing new ideas, for seeing things with fresh eyes and can bring skills and technology not seen before. Its always happened, and it always will. The desire to travel and explore new places will see to that if nothing else. But the world has changed so much in recent years. TV, news, social media, connectivity. Its all had an affect.
There seems to me to be two different types of immigrant to Kalymnos. Those that just want to accept, relax and fit in, and those that see how things could be better, how easily things could be improved for everyone, local and tourist alike with only a little more imagination, organisation and cooperation. They find the way things 'are' very frustrating. So they battle away, beat their heads against the establishment and slowly get frustrated, angry, stressed out, and lose sight of why they came here in the first place, what it was that attracted them here.
I know I haven't had to deal with too many issues so far, but for me some of the very things that frustrate are all part of the attraction, the very nature of the society here, its lack of 'sense' sometimes, the general 'easyness' of things that back home are tied up with Health and Safety, or Political Correctness. All that modern bollocks that we just shrug our collective shoulders at, accept that we can't change, just...... grin and bear it.
Then of course there's the flip side. At dinner the other night one of Josh and Lloyds friends was with us, Christina, a Danish travel rep on the island told us the long and sometimes painful story of how difficult its been for her father to build a small house here for the family, even with Christina here in situ and speaking the language. She's been tied up with bills for this, bills for that, bills for changes to plans forced on them, things being built they didn't ask for and how only the threat of legal action has finally, slowly, made things happen. This type of thing perhaps more than anything is where a more open and transparent way is needed.
I, like Themi, straddle both camps in our own way, both a little modern, and old fashioned. I accept and understand that the way things are is the Greek way, but I and so many others, locals and incomers alike can see (and have said) what could be improved, and with some subtle and some not so subtle changes how life could be better for everyone here, or better than it already is, because in reality, its not bad as it is right now.
But under the sunny surface the local politics can make even the most obvious and seemingly easy changes an absolute nightmare. What appears obvious to fresh eyes can, once you dig a little deeper, be so hard to achieve when you consider all the implications, who will be affected and who you might upset. As an incomer these are massive considerations if you want to succeed. The relationship with Kos is also a major consideration..... Nothing is as easy as it first appears to be, and even once you commit, the new laws, the tax changes and the red tape all kick in and you're faced with many hurdles and unpleasant surprises.
I ask myself, do the things I'm used to from the UK have any bearing here? Is it my place to moan about something because its not the way I'm used to doing things? No of course not. This is not my country. I'm an incomer here and as such I need to accept things for what they are. For the most part anyway. There has to be a few little tweaks here and there that can be made to simply improve the odd thing or two here surely!?
Themi can also see these things but we both agree that its the next generation that will probably be the ones to make the required changes to the local culture. Maybe nationally too. Greece has a young Prime Minister now in Tsipras, voted in on a wave of painful austerity measures and rebellion with promises to make changes, to ease the punitive taxes the average Greek has been facing since the EU and the Euro. The modern Greek will surely make things change soon and the old ways will slowly fade out. Things will surely change. Whether that's a good thing or not remains to be seen. The very thing that makes Greece so special could change too. Yes sometimes change is vital and good, I'm an advocate of change. In my own life change has been regular, scary and exciting. The risk is often rewarding, but I feel here on Kalymnos, it needs to be considered carefully or it may destroy the very thing that's attracts us to it.
On a wider scale, its always amazed me that some immigrants to the UK these days expect, and usually get everything they want. Their own schools, churches, shops etc. Back in the day folks used to go to the UK and try and blend in and integrate, and yes I know many that still do. They had enough of a struggle just being different. Seems that the opposite is often true now and the UK government generally bends over backwards to be PC, to not make waves or upset anyone, and so many people new to the UK no longer try and fit in but seem to create a new little 'home', insist on their 'rights', insist on maintaining their culture with their places of worship, their own schools, taking over whole areas of cities and towns, and even having their meat prepared their way without offering anything tangible in return. To me this is totally wrong. They're here for the wrong reasons.
I'm with the Ozzies here, "fit in and accept our way, or fuck off back to where you came from", maybe not in those exact words. I've always wandered why when Brits go to live and work abroad we obey the local rules. In Muslim countries the women cover up and in the Emirates we have our own compounds and we only drink in the place we're allowed to, yet when folk come to the UK they scream for this and that. Why is that? Why don't we just go around as we please and insist on a little church of England being built in town, our own little post office in the city? Why do we say ok, we'll do everything you ask?
Why do people come if they don't like what we have to offer? Whatever reason you come to the UK for, remember that it is in fact, the UK and its ways are different to the ways you are used to. Accept that in public and try to blend in a little. At home feel free to do as you please. Integration is never easy, I know how it feels to be different, but I tried (and try) to be myself while also fitting in as best I could. It was a compromise but an acceptable one.
And that's how I feel about coming to Greece. If we choose to live in another country, then I feel we have to accept the way things are and work with it as far as possible. We move for a better life for one reason or another so why should it be acceptable to insist on having things your way, to moan and fight against a society we chose to go to rather than being born in to. That's surely how it should be.
Clarkson....
Sorry, I couldn't resist this. I like TG. Very much!
What a fuss. Really...!!
The Beeb know, they must do. Clarkson has created a slice of TV genius, a great car based entertainment show that seems to cover most bases, and appeals to most people as the viewing figures, ratings and repeats go to prove. The show is based around him and his personality, the others bounce off him and I believe the show would simply not be the same without him.
He says what so many of us kinda feel like we'd like to say sometimes. I like that he is non PC and his previous issues have been around this point. utter nonsense! What any normal person sees as the joke intended, some toss pot complains about because they got slightly offended... Oh get a life, please!! Switch channels or something. Sometimes society today just beggars belief!
I like a lot of what he says about politicians and transport in particular, but I don't agree with his politics as such. And I like cars. Its true that they don't feature many cars that I could afford these days but I still like to watch and dream and laugh. Usually quite a lot.
Top Gear will die without Clarkson. Anyone else wouldn't have his style, and anyone trying to copy his 'way' simply wouldn't work. Look at 5th gear and other car programmes. 5th gear had no soul, no characters... And I couldn't stand the posh totty VBH.... Awful. Jason Plato was ok, and Tiff can be ok on occasion... The others? Clarkson wannabies!!The only other I really liked was Whealer Dealers, and its not a patch on TG.
I heard that the shows audience was sold out for the next 8 years or something like that...
Enough said!
At the end of the day, if you don't like Clarkson, or anything on TV for that matter.... Turn the fucking thing off..!!!!!
The Mighty JJ
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