Dubai

It is absolutely a mystery to me the attractiveness of Dubai to so many people for holidays. For business I totally understand. It is the most western - or rather - not too arab - location in the middle east, where west and east (far east as well) can share the distance and do business.

By not too arab, I did not want to sound cocky but the outer shell of arab culture can be too shocking to western eyes, especially women...well..fashion.
First of all Dubai has absolutely no color. It is fake. It is a city of scyscrapers - some half finished that could be the manifestation of rich arab competitiveness. Not of doing better, but of showing off bigger than the next guy. To my mind I find no other excuse of not keeping any of the color of the magnifiscent and long arab civilization with so much to offer the world in aesthetics and architecture. Would it be a burden to all the western architects that were flown in on a golden flying rug (or lear jet) to build such monumental buildings to give some of the color of this ancient civilization. Dubai looks more like Gotham City and one would expect Batman and the Batmobile to turn the corner than a reminder of the thousand years old descendants of a thousand and one nights people.

There is an 'old Dubai' which is about forty years old, but would rather be the 'poor Dubai' where the indegenous population and workers are housed.
I assure you, the only thing that reminds the visitor that you are in an arab country is the heat and the burkas.






Now, this I can not tolerate. I consider myself a relaxed person when it comes to religion and someone who welcomes differences no matter how big they are. Actually 'live to be different' could be considered my motto. Ask anyone who knows me. On the flipside, I consider myself a deeply liberal person. The theocracy of the arab world shook that liberalism to its core. From one hand, I am damned if I dont accept others no matter how different they are. They have the right to live anyway they want as long as they dont harm others. On the other hand, being a woman, I consider equality as a natural given. Nope. Not in the Arab world. Islam means surrender. Man surrenders to God and Woman to both Man and God who have almost equal power of soveignty over her.

Now I am in rebellion. My inner self is extremely aggravated to watch these poor - in my eyes - women walk a few feet behind their husband, not talk to anyone other than the husband or be talked to - not to be touched by their husband in public and not show anything of their body or face besides the eyeline - it would be impossible for them to walk if they did not. And of course they are covered in black - a sign of modesty and mourning for the loss of innoscent as they are responsible for the world's biggest sin: desire. They being the object of desire for men they are evil. And they have to cleanse their sin by total surrender to God and His intermediary, their father, their older brother, their husband or older son..

Yet, I have to understand that these women are for the most part not forced into that religion. They are born into it and they feel it is the right thing to do. They are proud to wear the burkas, those in Saudi Arabia have no choice they have to. The ones that have a choice and are proud to do so are a mystery to me. Men's outfits on the other hand are crispy white and of course they dont hide the face...
If only they had lost the Crucades....

Please Help MIMA

Mima, a four-year old beautiful crossbreed dog, was living peacefully in a small town in Bulgaria. Unfortunately, one day she was brutally mutilated by a sub-human who had differences with her owner. This sub-human chopped off all her legs. There is a collective worldwide effort to raise money for Mima's surgery and her prosthetics legs. Please contribute as much as you can...

I am running for animals!

Mima and the cruelty of Man

Junior is Back

All this time that Junior was gone, I had not cried. For some reason I was hoping that this was not the end of him. Until yesterday I saw Grizoulis on his bed like if nothing happened. Like if he had not been away for more than ten days. So after I saw Grizoulis and fed him, I burst into crying as I thought then that Grizoulis is back, Junior isn't this means that he is dead...
So I cried for some time and then when I was exhausted just sat on the sofa and turned on the TV. Five minutes later Klelia was barking and wanted to get out to the garden. I opened the door without looking and sat on the sofa again. Then a miracle happened. I heard a cat miewing with a very low voice - nothing like Patty or Minnie (Yes, I have to tell you about Minnie - or minou, my new pet addition) - it sounded like...Junior I thought. And immediately I turned my head and he was there looking for me and waiting for his food. As if nothing happened. I was so ecstatic, he started purring the moment I called his name in joy and for ten minutes I just held him in my arms and kissed him. I have never seen a cat hungrier. It is as if he had not eaten in days. Well, served him right for leaving his mummy like that.
So, all good, Junior is back and I am not sad anymore

Day 5

and Junior (and Grizoulis) still gone. Today I talked to some construction workers nearby to check the building in case animals are trapped inside...The guilt is starting to built up. I can't help to think that had I not taken in Aristos making him the third dog, and not punishing Klelia enough for chasing Junior, he would not have gone...
I am hoping he will be waiting for me tonight...

My baby is gone

My baby cat Junior, is gone since last wednesday night. He never left for that long. I found Junior in early June 05, about two months old, outside my home at the time, in Nea Filothei. His left eye was covered with a thick white layer of something, not sure what it was. He was hardly moving and very small for his age.
I immediately took him to the vet, and he took good care of him, but told me that this cat was not going to make it. But we tried, gave him the medications, had him in a self-made incubator-type box that I created out of a thick moving box placed ontop of a heater for about a month. Every day for two months I was afraid that I would come home and find his tiny little body frozen.
But he wasnt. He and Zizou became best friends. Junior grew up to be a very tall grey tabby, his eye was clean after a year that I had to put ointment on it twice a day but never totally healed. His left eye kept running so he needed some eye drops, but that was it.
In March 2007, just a couple of days before I left for Argentina, Junior stopped eating. Again, rushed him to the doctor and his sugar lever had gone sky high, close to 700 (normal level for cats is about 150)....The vet was my friend and kept him in his clinic for eleven days, treated him and Junior was back to life again.
Since that time, Junior had no problems, medical checks but he was fine. His eye would run but that was it
A healthy lively gorgeous cat. He was the ruler of the neighborhood. Grizoulis, the only bigger cat around, I knew him when he was born, he was raised in my porch but never let me touch him and take him to the vet. However Grizoulis and Junior became best friends and they would sleep very often in their little houses in the terrace looking at each other.
Since Wednesday, both Junior and Grizoulis was gone. Both gorgeous cats.
Junior was one of the tenderest cats I have known, he would purr just by recognizing my shadow and he would be just like cats should be. Tender yet autonomous, walking around yet coming home every night, afraid of people yet extremely protective of his mummy and home. At times I would walk the dogs to the park and he would shadow us, coming with us but afraid of the other dogs just kept to himself on a tree nearby overlooking the dog play in the park
He was not a people cat, but he loved me. He understood I saved his life. I dont think he appreciated so many other cats and dogs in the house, that's why he spent most of his time in the great outdoors. I was always worried about that, but then again, that is what a cat nature is: to hunt outside. His life was five star in terms of cat standards. His presence was always so aristocratic and discreet you could not tell he was in..well, only when he was hungry he could make sure he got noticed.
I am devastated that my gorgeous baby is gone missing. I can only imagine the worst..Tomorrow will be the fifth morning that he is missing...I can only think that I gave him five more years than what fate had stored for him. I can only hope that he did not suffer has he met with his end.
My only consolation would be if he understood how much loved he has been

Scientists say dolphins should be treated as 'non-human persons' - Times Online

Scientists say dolphins should be treated as 'non-human persons' - Times Online

Christmas is here again

Only yesterday I have realized that Chrismas is round the corner. I am not a big fan of holiday fever, I hate the traffic and the crowds and the spending and the hype only to get the downturn of when that is over and receive the credit card bill. I love the lights though. All cities look better and neighborhoods look happier.
Yet, the same problems that haunted each family exist hidden under those lights- sometimes magnified. But we put our best dress and smile on and pretend to forget them. For a short while
I also like playing cards this time of the year. The problem is since I don't play any other time during the year, I usually lose as I am out of practice haha, but still it is fun
What really saddens me around holidays, especially Xmas and New Year that everybody gets high on festivities - especially when kids are involved - is the contrast between those who can celebrate and those who are much less fortunate. I can not really celebrate when I am thinking of all those orphan children or abandoned old people in greek institutions, or those who have lost the loved ones in war.
It is really impossible for me to celebrate and I end up being gloomier than any other time of the year.
My favorite christmas song describes how I feel

Bazaar 2009

This year the annual bazaar for our SOS ADESPOTA VRILISSION (SOS Vrilissia strays) organization was held last weekend. Not as successful as previous ones as the weather was quite cold, people have less money and everyone is throwing a bazaar...

Like every year I brought my pets, three this time with Aristos, but was not able to go inside as dogs were not allowed - a senior member of the town hall would not let us. They made us pay for the space but would not allow the dogs in. In a bazaar of a humane society for dogs!!!

Anyways, because I am against any discrimination especially that targeted to animals or weak parties, I only entered the bazaar space very briefly and was sitting outside with my babies and chatting to other people coming with or without their pets.

I did enjoy myself but the cold would not allow me to stay for a long time

My dogs were very well behaved and everyone was playing with them