The Internet Ain't All Bad

A while back, I wrote an article about retiring a pair of my favourite underpants, to which somebody commented with the words, 'the world is dying'.  Science indicates that this statement is true, but humanity is married to its ways.  Petty attempts to reduce carbon footprints and to recycle one or two yoghurt pots is a little trivial when we drive to the supermarket to buy the yoghurt in the first place.  Every little doesn't really help...it just slows the process.  There is little point in me chirping on about Global affairs as I am not attuned to the politics involved in them in any way shape or form.

Today, I was sat in front of my laptop in my favourite cafe when John Mayer's 'Slow Dancing in a Burning Room' comes on the sound system. It reminds of a friend - of a better time.  It brought a bit of happiness to my sour morning gurn.  It is more than welcomed.  Sifting through Facebook, my 'catch-up' routine before starting my writing, I come across something posted by a ridiculous facebook page I subscribed to for some reason or another. The majority of things that pop up on my newsfeed are about people's new cars, haircuts, boyfriends, ex-boyfriends, the female equivalent, holiday snaps etc... Generally people living their lives, showcasing joys and sharing woes.

However, today I found something truly enriching. An example of social networking being used to bring something good about.  Of course, under the gleam of beauty in this story these is a cash cow business looking to gain from the publicity, but aside from this and on a personal scale, it is great to see something like this happen to make an individual happy.  It just my morning a little more happy.  With all the crap that saturates the Internet; all of the hideous personalities it spawns and the fakeness...at least someone benefited from it in this case.

So here it is:

http://onestophumour.com/picture-9434-i-read-something-beautiful-today-story-written-by-karrie-s-mom-.html


ALSO, here is an amazing rendition of a great song. I hope you enjoy hearing it as much as I do every time I listen to it.

Today I... Resurrect Halloween

Greek Halloween is a holiday that occurs over a two week period. It is similar to the Orthodox tradition 'The Burning of Judas' [seen here on An Idiot Abroad], Halloween in Greece is full of excitement, wonder and a heedless use of fireworks. Differing from the celebration depicted in the video, there is no real manner of organisation in the deployment of the pyrotechnics. It is simply children with a, seemingly, never-ending armoury of firecrackers. No-one is safe.

Two weeks of shid blowing up by your ankles. Two weeks of racing hearts. Two weeks closer to death? More like a year after all of the shocks that I have had over this past fortnight; it must have taken its toll on my heart. Every day at school many of my students would proudly reveal a pocket full of exploding danger laughs to me. Confiscation seems futile, as you don't know what else these kids are packing. I simply continue with my lesson and hope that a projectile wouldn't by some long shot find its way out of some boys pocket and shatters against the back of my neck.

As I write this article now, there are intermittent bangs and crackles outside the cafe, reminding us all just how close we all are to death at all times. Especially at Halloween. In Greece. Also there were costumes. But we are all used to those at Halloween, so no real use mentioning them.

*I am guessing I should put a disclaimer refering to the origin of video footage in this blog post. The rights of this video do not belong to me. I do not even own a video camera. It is the property of Ricky Gervais' media army.