Acting again!

For my local readers.
Today at 9 o'clock in the evening we are presenting our children's play "Koutornithia" at Tsoukes theatre in Drymos village outside Thessaloniki! Free entrance!
Those who haven't seen it yet please do come!

Two book presentations and a performance.

I guess you might be tired to read all about the same type of performances and things I do with the Teachers' Association Drama Club but that takes a very big part of my life so I have to show you.
It was last week we attended an evening of a book presentation.
Members of our team (not hubby and I) presented Agis o Mathimagos (Agis the Maths Wizard). It is the story of a little boy who was afraid of Maths! Oh well, I was always afraid of Maths too. The book is by the talented Helena Artzanidou who is also a kindergarten teacher and it was presented at Ianos Bookshop.
The presentation included prose, games and puppets.

 We then all went together at Cafe Palermo. Coffee was good but the atmosphere of this cafe was maginificent! It was filled with antiques and glassware. I was of course mostly attracted to the latter.
And there among other items I spotted a piece I also have, a jar for spoon sweets. The spoon sweet was put in the jar with the lid and the spoons in the one next to it. I have exactly the same pattern as the jar with the lid.

 But look at this collection!

 There was also a collection by a pottery painter but unfortunately I don't remember his name.

 And my favourite piece....

Hubby of course took much better pictures!

 And last but not least my favourite of his photos, a lamp on top of one of the dressers.

Our team (again not hubby and I ) are also presenting this Friday at 7.30 at Protoporia Bookstore the book Zahara . I had blogged about the previous presentation of that book  here. Those of my local friends who missed that presentation might want to attend this time.
Last but not least this Sunday our team (me included) will present our children's play Koutornithia at Thermi Cultural Centre for the Kinoniko Iatreio (A free clinic for people in need, unemployed and uninsured). You can attend the performance for free and you can also bring medicine to give to the clinic to cover their needs. We will be happy to see you there!

It will be another long weekend and I haven't even yet blogged about the previous one!!!!!!

September so far...and the Invisible people.....

Let's take a break from the Summer 2013 posts to tell you what I have been up to till now in September.
Well, of course I go to school every day.
This year I will be teaching English to 1st,3rd and 6th graders.I have prepared my books and everything so we will be starting lessons from tomorrow.
That doesn't mean that schools will function properly. Thousands of teachers all over Greece have not been yet placed in their positions, hundreds are facing redundancy and we are all getting prepared for a striking September!
In the meantime....I have been Spring(!) cleaning!Well since the flat was closed all summer what did I expect?It needed that now. To get ready for winter!Although it is too hot to be speaking about winter at the time.
I had to radically clean my son's room as he had accumulated so many books and papers in it at his last year of High School. As he will be studying to sit for the Entrance University Exams again in May his room had to be cleaned and his desk well organised.
I have also finished the bathroom, the bedroom, the balcony, and most of the living room!It is only the wall to wall bookcase that is left.Only???!!!!Oh and the kitchen of course but part of it is ready too. So I guess I haven't got that much left. So maybe I will manage to find time for hobbies after finishing the house chores!
All that with a bit of a cold added to them and a nose running.....
Hence there were some visits to doctors for annual check ups too!
Also the Teachers' Association Drama Club started its performances already.September and October will be heavy in performances and rehearsals.
The play "Griothesia"(Old women's Adoption) was presented at Drymos village on Friday the 6th. We were given a beautiful amphitheatre,

 we put our stage parafernalia,

and did a rehearsal

and then a preformance.
The view was lovely.

 The sunset was wonderful from the top of the hill where the aphitheatre is!

But it was cold and maybe that's how my nose started running!
The performance was followed by dinner at the restaurant and a birthday cake for our friend Areti.

Next Friday the 13th we will present the children's play "Koutornithia" (Silly Hens) again at Drymos at Tsoukies Amphitheatre.And again on the 21st at Nea Elvetia amphitheatre in our city.
September is also the month of the International Trade Fair in my city.

 The opening ceremony and the arrival of the Prime Minister have become a chance for the people to demonstrate against all this awful financial crisis that has brought Greece to so much frustration.
Therefore there is a war like preparation atmosphere where streets get blocked by the police.

 The police get prepared for a fight....

 But thousands of people demonstrated peacefully... and the media didn't even show the demonstrations.

 For the media and for the Government we are invisible...

More about September tomorrow.....

Life is full of happy moments and sad moments....

I know I haven't blogged for some time but as the title says life is like that, filled with all kinds of moments....
and I am starting with the most recent and unfortunately the saddest moment.
On Saturday my son was the witness of the death of a young man at a motorcycle accident at his dad's village. He and his friends were playing football when a motorcycle roared by and in a flash they heard the awful sound of the accident. They immediately ran to the spot and they saw the young man die on the street.
For a teenager to witness the death of a young person is shocking.I know he will never forget it in his life as I have never forgotten the deaths I have witnessed in mine. But that is how life is and maybe he will grow more mature through this.
Sorry I made you sad at the beginning of my blogpost today but I wanted to share this with all of you old and new readers and followers.
To happier things...
December, which came rushing in with sunshine, then torrential rain and then cold and sunshine (today), is leading us fast to Christmas and I am not ready, not ready at all.
I haven't decorated yet or cleaned up or put the carpets.
I haven't written Christmas cards or made parcels.
And I really don't know when I will as there are so many things happening here.
For example last Wednesday 28th hubby and I spent hours outside the courthouse supporting our friend teacher who was on trial unfairly accused for assault against the German delegate. Fortunately he and the co-accused where found innocent which made us really really happy!We were all crying outside the courthouse that day!
Here is a video of the short speech our friend made after the trial.
"...I fight for my children , my grandchild to be and my students..." he said in court and everyone applauded.

Edited on the same day: Unfortunately the three accused are going to be in court again for the same accusations as the Public Prosecutor of the area decided that the result of the trial was false!

On the other hand school goes on as usual with all the things we have to do before Christmas!!! Tests and grades and songs and lots more! I am ready with the tests and the grades,that's good!So I will be spending all the next weeks singing all kinds of Christmas songs at all levels!
It was hubby's birthday last week and at last I told him what my gift for him is. At first he was shocked because I told him "I will give you your present in six months although I got it three months ago!" I don't know why but he thought I was pregnant and wasn't happy at all.LOL! That wasn't intentional I assure you!
Well his gift is a painting he admired very much some time ago at an exhibition but could not buy as he thought it was rather expensive. I made a secret arrangement with the painter Konstantinos Kougioumtzis and the painting will be with us in six months after travelling around Greece and abroad to various exhibitions! Themis was absolutely thrilled with the news!
Here's a photo of the painting showing Karaghiozis as a soldier at the war for the liberation of Macedonia.

A couple of shadow puppet performances will be given by hubby this month to benefit various causes. It is this time around Christmas we do such things.
Finally an announcement....
We are rehearsing heavily to prepare for a performance with the Teachers' Association Drama Club to present our play Koutornithia at the State Theatre to benefit children with cancer and their society Lampsi.
So whoever from my local friends wants to attend and contribute  this will take place on December 16th at 11 in the morning at the State Theatre ( Θέατρο Εταιρείας Μακεδονικών Σπουδών) with a ticket of 7 euros, all procceeds go to Lampsi. We are so happy and proud with this collaboration!

What a week!

At times weeks pass when nothing really happens.
But this week was totally different.
After a long rainy cold Winter Spring came with a sunny week filled with all kinds of emotions.
At first it was happiness and satisfaction at the Pensioner Teacher Performance and half-day trip to Kilkis.

Then it was unbelievable sadness hearing the death of a dear friend.

And then it was a long weekend filled with all kinds of various feelings.
On Friday I accompanied my mum to the funeral of our dear friend.
On Saturday we spent some lovely time with my sister-in-law talking and sipping coffee. The views of the sea at the sea front cafe were wonderful! After so many months a coffee outing with sea and sun!

And on Sunday it was the exhilaration of the last performance of our play "Koutornithia". The theatre was filled with people standing everywhere and little children sitting even on the stage! The reaction of the audience to the play was fascnating!
I am totally tired but deep inside me I feel so satisfied with what we managed to do!