The Dreamer Is Still Asleep

Missing Boy

2007-05-08T00:22:00.000+03:00

White to play and win

2006-03-25T23:26:00.000+02:00

I've been away from my local town chess scene the last 4-5 years. Last weekend, the trainer of our chess club asked me to help them as the country team championship was on the way.
The 4th round was taken place on Sunday evening, i played quite well and won! The above diagram was the ending of my game. I had the white pieces, it's White's move. Find out the wining move(line) and you'll get a CD

PS: I still try to get over some personal ...difficulties.

Organizational Chart

2006-01-29T23:39:00.000+02:00

I'm the bird at the bottom ; right branch, U?

Αγέλαστος Πέτρα (Mourning Rock)

2006-01-22T19:57:00.000+02:00

Have been sick, in bed, for 10 days and happily enough didn't go at work. Yes, no more walking and shoegazing in the cold for me.
A friend of mine gave me the DVD of Phillipos Koutsaftis 'Mourning Rock' film. The greatest greek documentary film made ever! 'Mourning Rock' plots 10 years of change in the small industrial town of Elefsina (a sacred place in ancient years) 40km west of Athens, revealing a unique meeting point between the ancient Greece of the Elefsinian mysteries, the refugee influx of the 1920s and the heavy industry of 1990's progress.
'Mourning Rock', says Koutsaftis, is an appeal for the importance of "historical memory" in a society that has changed beyond recognition.
I caught myself crying in the end of the movie, highly recommended, even to non-Greek people, you have to watch it!

/I've kept a hold on my life,
kept a hold on my life, travelling
among yellow trees.../

I've kept hold of my life - G.Seferis (Epiphany)

Thieves

2006-01-07T23:51:00.000+02:00

Kastoria's Lake 2006

We stole from the drugs that sent us to sleep,
We stole from the drink that made us sick,
We stole autumn leaves and summer showers,
We stole the burning sun in the open sky,
We stole the twinkling stars in the black night,
We stole everything that we could see
-The Jam - Thick As Thieves

Reading these days some blogs, magazines, newpapers about "How's to" how to make a new year's resolution, lists like @be realistic, @aim for things that are truly important for you bla, bla and i try to remember myself doing such things; never did in my life!
I just go with the flow, find what has been forgotten and put it together in a new way. So...
My resolution for this year is:
To steal everything that i can see

songs:ohia - The Black Crow

Arkas

2006-01-02T15:35:00.000+02:00

Monday morning at the office after 5 days been away. Here's what i found in my e-mail box
So funny!
Sorry, it's only for the greek friends

Another Day,... (Another Year)

2006-01-01T20:09:00.000+02:00

The kettle's on, the sun has gone, another day
She offers me, Tibetan tea, on a flower tray
She's at the door, she's want's to score, she really needs to say:
"I once loved you a long time ago, you know
Where the winds own forget-me-nots blow, you know
But I couldn't let myself go
Not knowing what on earth there was to know
But I wish that I had, 'cause i'm feeling so sad
that I never had one of your children."
Across the room, inside a tomb, a chance is waxed and waned
The night is young, why are we so hung-up, in each other's chains
I must take her, I must make her, while the dove domains
See the juice run as she flies
Run my wings under her sighs
As the flames of eternity rise
To lick us with the first born lash of dawn
Oh really my dear, I can't see what we fear
With ourselves, sat here between us
And at the door, we can't say more, than just another day
Without a sound, I turn around, and I walk away

This Mortal Coil - Another Day (Roy Harper)
(lossless format flac)

PS: To E. , together till death do us part.

The Triffids

2005-12-29T00:38:00.000+02:00

Spending the Christmas weekend in my parents home, i found 'lost' and forgotten vinyl LP's of the Triffids. A great Australian band, with epic sprawling songs and poetic lyrics. I think, the Triffids disbanded in the late 80's due to lack of commercial success.
I brought the vinyls at home and i'll try to transfer them to CDR, not an easy procedure though. My turntable and cartridge are quite old and crappy but i'll give a try. Lots of info about transferring LPs to CDR can be found here: LP to CDR tips

Here's Alexandra, my friend's L. cat. The photo is dedicated to Chloe , who is very sad, her cat passed away yesterday. I've never had pets at home, however, i really enjoyed playing all night with Alexandra in 2004 New Year's Eve at L.'s house.

So, my playlist for today was:

The Triffids - Bury me deep in Love (LP - Calenture)

The Triffids - Kathy Knows (LP - In the Pines)

The Triffids - Born sandy devotional (LP- In the Pines)

Chet Baker - You don't know what love is

Chet Baker - Grey December

The Cure - Love Cats (for obvious reasons!)

Christmas Tree or...

2005-12-27T22:25:00.002+02:00

...or Christmas Ship?
Every December, Greece’s second city, Thessaloniki, erects a huge, illuminated metal structure in the shape of a ship next to the Christmas tree in its main Aristotelous Square.
The ship is viewed as a quintessential Greek symbol. Greeks have been seafarers for thousands of years and the country is today one of the world’s mightiest shipping nations. On the islands, children sang Christmas carols holding illuminated model boats in their laps.
I like it so much!

Most of the time, during Christmas, i was listening to some Chet Baker's recordings, a 3CD box-set, the Pacific Jazz years.

But the song that i'm whistling all the time is :

"Gee, if i could only have my two front teeth,
then i could wish you Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! "

All i want for Christmas is my two front teeth

Been Tagged...!

2005-12-22T22:57:00.000+02:00

I've been tagged by Chloe . I've never done this before, mainly because i don't like to talk about myself. Anyway, as it's requested, here goes...

10 years ago...
Making my first steps to Telecommunications area, couldn't believe that i"ll become a GSM mobile expert in Greece someday :)

5 years ago...
- Broke up with my girlfriend-fiancee after 6 years of living together
- My father passed away
- Bought a small apartment close to my job to live on my own
- Had my first nervous breakdown

Last year...
Started with a bad car accident on February.
Had a great time on summer vacations in Peloponnisos (South Greece). I had a chance to visit Ancient Olympia, for the first time in my life Epidaurus (shame on me!), Mystras, Diros Cave and so on.

Yesterday...
I was working till very late in the evening, 22:00
Had a very bad pain in my waist, time left the marks on me, i'm already 38y/o, damnit :)

5 yummy things...
chocolate(addict), i need it everyday :)
espresso
potatoes
yoghurt
Jameson and red wine

5 things i know by heart...
internet and e-banking ID's ... err, to be true my memory doesn't serve me so well :)

5 things i'd do if i had lots of money...
Utopia

5 places i escape to...
My apartment
My PC (need to buy a UPS asap)
A faraway beach (in Chalkidiki, Glarokavos )
Cinema
Anywhere, so long as to escape the human myth :)

5 things i'd never wear...
leather clothes and underwears
fur
ties
suits
expensive clothes

5 fav TV shows...
dont watch tv, only the news
may i tell you some of my fav movies instead? :)
- Lost in translation
- The Double life of Veronica
- Wings of Desire
- Pulp Fiction
- Paris, Texas

5 things i enjoy doing...
listening to music (all day long)
web surfing
Reading
Playing Chess, i used to play a lot, taking part in tournaments, nowdays i play only in the weekends for my chess-club, teaching ,also, to junior classes when i have free time :)
Walking in the streets and shivering with cold (0 to 3 Celsious degrees in Thessaloniki these days)
Hearing the Englishmen speaking, i adore the English accent, guess that's why i love more the English performers than the American ones, like Morrissey and Dan Treacy (TV Personalities)
:)

Wish you all the best for the 2oo6!
Love and Peace...

Oh, Mama!

2005-11-27T23:01:00.000+02:00

"Oh,mama, i'll never let you down..."

On Sunday morning i visited my mother-since my father passed away 5 years ago, she lives on her own.

"...i'll always be there for you,

i promised you, it's true...'

We were drinking cafe and tea-staring at her figure, i realized how weak-feeble-fragile she'd become.

"...Oh, mama,
i love you more than words can say,
there is no one in this world,
who can feel my heart like you do,
Ohhh mama, mama,
i'll never let you down..."

The Times - 5:30am (Oh, mama)

Froth on the Daydream Soundtrack!

2005-11-26T01:20:00.000+02:00

Oh, Chloe, thank you for the nice tunes, sounds and words!

Well forked, but not dead...

2005-11-19T21:06:00.000+02:00

09:00 - stepping in at the office;Good moooorning, wearing my shinest smile ever-response: morning,orning/

'...I've got shears pointed straight at my chest
And time moves slow when you count it
I'm better than them, and I think I'm the best...'

11:00 - hearing them chatting-buy,buy,buy-if you couldn't find peace in mind, perhaps a BMW would do-caricatures-scarecrows/

'...I feel trapped by mutual affection
And I don't know how to use freedom
I spend hours looking sideways
to the time when I was sixteen...'

17:00 - didn't quit-once again; coward; instead, took 5 days off/

'...Cause I'm in a trance.
I'm frightened.

The Fall - Frightened

(intro) Dreaming...

2005-11-18T22:11:00.000+02:00

-a splash of ideas-a paintbox-a rush of clatter and colour flashing-its always this way-its always a shout; pure rush-yelling,falling up and down-clasp and capture that idea going haywire; the pencil sketch of your moment, your little breathing steps-you run in the rain, you back from the rains, you're a veil like calm sighing sweet shouts of words; to try it, to be into your eyes-when sad is so easy you just do not call it to question; its not what we're saying, its only wanting to clear the air-snapshots; stored to some sideways angle; fisrt impressions, subtle distortions that blink again again again-rerun them; go rerun your Kodak ghost songs and cracked dances... run them amok someday, someday when I'm haunted, when i dream you, when i dream you here-and then blink again; there are always so damn many new things, so many new risen and haunted...singing haunted, just as ever, far into your eyes, your running amok eyes; all the more wider now, all the more sad-happy to be running oh so very amok-but dreaming-sure---
==============================================================
So, here i'm, following Chloe's advise to blog, post, write-
more to come...