Kali Mera!

I do have a good reason for neglecting my tremendously popular blog - I have been holidaying in Greece!

My mother and I took a well-earned trip around the mainland and a few of the islands.

While I considered writing a travel blog it became very hard to stop and find an Internet cafe while we were on the move, so instead I kept a journal.
Here are some of the observations I made and the experiences I was a part of - summed up as neatly as possible...


Athens - Olympia - Delphi
Greece's major capital city was very clean and not as busy as I anticipated. It was only semi-hard to dodge the scooters and taxis that came screaming down the one way streets.
Shopping was amazing with endless sandals and shoe stores - Mum and I cleaned up with almost 10 pairs between us. The staff are incredibly helpful and you just can't say no to them!
One thing I found odd were the number of homeless dogs just sitting on the sidewalk, sleeping mostly, not bothering anyone. Think 'pigeons in Sydney' except not as annoying. I enquired about this and it turns out Athens Council supports the 'Friends of Dogs' program where people come around to feed the dogs once a day and vaccinate them when necessary. What a brilliant program, and another testament to how lovey Greek people are.

We took a tour of the ruins in both Olympia and Delphi, brushing up on Greek Mythology and basically the beginning of civilisation. Our heads exploded with stories of Gods and Oracles and our feet walked some of the oldest paths and climbed the oldest structures still in their original forms. The Greeks sure know their architecture!


Mykonos
Coincidentally our first day on the party island was also my 25th birthday and I was surprised by my best friend from England who came to help me celebrate a quarter of a century.
It was still low season so there weren't as many crowds on the beaches or in the towns - excellent.
We shopped in 'Little Venice' and as we attempted to manoeuvre our way up and down tiny alleys without getting lost I imagined that if the Gods were watching us they were probably taking bets on who came out first.
The streets surrounded by white walls and blue decorative paint reminded me of the movie 'The Labyrinth' and I half expected David Bowie to come round the corner on a scooter.
We partied one one and a half nights out of the three, but didn't get to taste the sleazy-come-raunchy nightlife Mykonos is known for and I wasn't sure whether I was happy or sad about that.


Paros
Known less for its party atmosphere and more for its landscape, Paros fit the picture of laid back exquisite Greece.
We hired a Quad Bike and ventured around half the island in less than a day - perfect for a tourist who wants to catch a glimpse before they have to move on.
Quad Bike - 20Euros. Insurance - 8Euros. Petrol - 10Euros.

Bugs in the face doing 50km/h along the beaches of Paros....Priceless.

I got used to (possibly too used to) the Greek road rules - assume everybody else will move for you. It wasn't scary driving on the other side of the road, I believe I adapted well and my lack of scars and injuries prove it :)
Driving around Paros I found I could definitely live the Greek lifestyle and I could definitely live in Paros.


Naxos
A smaller island like Paros, Naxos is more of a family destination and this was evident from the beaches we visited where lots of children ran amuck.
I learned not to go overboard with the 'trying new things while on holiday' as I accidentally stumbled into a Nude Beach for members of the older generation, hidden in an alcove. They were large, dark and leathery and I quickly moved on.
We did some shopping and alot of eating, there were plenty of Seafood restaurants to choose from which were reasonably priced.
The highlight of this quieter island would have to have been the Greek boy I met on the beach who hardly spoke English but he made up for that by having no shirt on...I'm only human!
The next best highlight was that my learning a little Greek made itself useful while my Mum was trying to haggle with a shop owner who didn't speak English about the price of a scarf. Lana to the rescue, I got 5Euros off!


Santorini
At first glance as our Ferry swam closer to the Port, it struck me that the houses sitting atop the cliffs didn't seem 'on top' of them, but more part of them. As if the towns were uncovered over time having already been there.
Mum and I marvelled about how much work would have gone into creating Santorini, and why anyone would have thought to go to all that trouble.
The answer - I believe - lies in what I already know about the Greeks. They are hard workers when it comes to architecture, sometimes biding over 20 years so as to make their creations perfect. They also like to build up high and it doesn't get much higher than Santorini.
We had six days in Fira which were spent around the expensive and a little 'too touristy' town and in our gorgeous hotels, sitting by the pools with couple on their honeymoon. Yes, couples on their honeymoon and Mum and I.
Day trips were fun, we visited the black sand beach Kamari which was beautifully quiet and with water so clean you could see the hairs that I missed whilst shaving my legs.
We climbed our way over rocks and jutting cliffs to check out the Red Beach (aptly named the 'Red Beach') and we of course watched a sunset in Oia - where we saw more couples on their honeymoon.
The sunsets were remarkable. Sitting on the edge of the caldera I was able to watch night envelop us from East to West, swallowing us as the towns along the cliff turned on their night lights.


So. Greece. Wow.
I loved the language, I loved the people and I loved their attitude.
Everyone we met was so happy to be working in Greece, even though they work non-stop for six months. This is of course followed by a six month holiday so I can see why.

There is inner beauty to Greece.
Being the third most mountainous country in the world, the landscape at times was all brown and rocky, so one has to look deeper to find what I found.
The beauty is in the people and their culture, they love their life and they are only too happy to go out of their way to share it with you.

Lana Hearts Greece - Forever.


It's been a pleasure - and for me too ; )

Waste Not.

Ever wanted to punish people who don't follow your views?

An article in The Sydney Morning Herald on Sunday titled "Clear your plate or clear off: this iron chef will make you pay" has given restaurant owners the opportunity to achieve this.

Chef and Owner of 'Wafu', a Japanese restaurant, Yukako Ichikawa has solved the problem of waste on an individual level -

• Haven't finished what's on your plate? You are charged 30% more than guests who lick the plate clean
• Ordered take-away? Bring your own containers or you will not be served
• Don't believe in either of the above 'Restaurant Rules'? You will not be welcome back

Whilst her firm and vigorously executed policy has earned her some pretty bad reviews, I whole-heartedly support her cause.

A visit to the ABS website gave me a five-fingered-plus-palm slap in the face when I read how much waste Australians dump each year.

"Australians generated approximately 43.8 million tonnes of waste (approximately 2,080 kilograms of waste per person) in 2006–07" (Article 4613.0 - Australia's Environment: Issues and Trends, Jan 2010)

Two thousand kilograms per person!

And the worst state is New South Wales. Shame on us.

Yukako is a brave woman in my opinion, risking sales and positive word-of-mouth for a better environment. Less waste means less pollution to our lands and less guilt about the fact that we ordered a 400g Rib Eye and only ate half, while there are millions of starving people all around the world.

'OzHarvest' is an organisation whose actions will no doubt award them good karma for the rest of their lives.

Taking lead from 'AmericaHarvest' which has been in operation for over 20 years in the US, Founder Ronni Kahn started with a small team and one van in late 2004, and begun collecting kilos of unused waste from local businesses in the Hospitality industry and delivering them to charities where they could be put to better use.

Today, OzHarvest deliver 100,000 meals each month.

So please, next time you order out from a restaurant or go shopping for tonight's dinner, have a think about how much food you will actually eat. Less is more.

It's been a pleasure - and for me too ;)

The Music Makes the Movie

Action, Drama, Comedy, Romance, Fantasy, even Sci-Fi. The movie can be slow, lacking a story-line or even star Jennifer Lopez. But if the music can evoke the passion, intensity, excitement and sentiment that the movie so desperately needs, then in my books its a winner.

Enter 'Hot Tub Time Machine'.

Blasting back to the 80's via a magical hot-tub are four friends who set out to repeat history but then realise their lives are worthless and that by making a difference in the 80's they may find themselves happy in 2009....sounds like a winner!

My first thought when I heard about this movie was that it looks ridiculous, but in a funny way.

And I do love John Cusack.

Whilst the jokes are dirty and the action a little lame, the soundtrack to this film is absolute GOLD.

David Bowie, Poison, Cutting Crew, Public Enemy - to name a few. But the real show stoppers in the film all happen to Motley Crue with a special take on 'Home Sweet Home'...

Classic 80's anthems highlight the hilarious plot and completely unrealistic circumstances the four main characters get involved in.

But with music like that, who cares!

Music defines people, occupations, fashion, eras and most importantly to me - film.

There are moments when you hear a song and it reminds you of a place or a person and you sit back and have a little chuckle or perhaps get a little teary.

I enjoy when I hear a song and it triggers a scene from a film to replay over and over in my head.

My favourite would have to be from Ferris Bueller's Day Off...

It just so happens that my fav scene makes an appearance in 20-to-1 'Scene-Stealing Shows' - I hope yours does too!

It's been a pleasure - and for me too ;)

Hocus Pocus

When I first set out on a personal experiment to see whether or not being superstitious actually had a prominent effect on my life, I had no idea the journey of superstitions is one long and winding road.

We have the Elizabethan times to thank for most of the evil, omens and all round awful luck that is apparently waiting to pounce on us. They did not like to tempt fate.

Aim - To dis-prove superstitions by creating a situation where one would use a superstition and then purposely not using it to see what happens.

Method - In my day-to-day life, when an opportunity arises that I think I may invite bad luck by saying or thinking something I shouldn't, I simply do it anyway.

Then I wait and see if a piano falls on my head.

I started off small first, stating (out loud) that work was slow and boring and I wasn't going to get any busier - the result, I was correct.

Then I got a little more of my game on by verbally acknowledging "wow, there's a bit of traffic here, perhaps this is a sign of a very slooooow drive into the city" - the result, the traffic was due to a broken down car and cleared up once I was passed it.

I was on a streak kicking superstition in the butt when this time I decided to toy with my dating life.

I was hoping a certain somebody would call and seeing as I'd been right so far I purposely thought that they wouldn't call and I'd be disappointed - the result, of course they didn't call, and yes, I was disappointed - I had jinxed it.

Conclusion - After a series of experiments I was able to reach the satisfying conclusion that being superstitious is a bunch of hoo-hah nonsense. "Touch Wood", "don't jinx it", its all bollocks.

Yes, I was beaten on occasion but only because of my powerful mind. It's tough to try to think about something bad happening just so you can prove yourself right. I've always been a big believer in the power of the mind so this probably hindered my experiment.

Another factor that I would be ridiculous not to point out would be that there are 'x' many variables in this experiment that nobody would be able to control. And it is for this reason my study has proven my Aim true.

If people believe that saying "God Bless You" will stop demons entering your body when you sneeze or walking under ladders and seeing black cats will cause bad things to happen then my message is simple - how can one action affect so many aspects of life?

This being so, I can understand that being superstitious allows a person to feel more comfortable and more in control of a situation - just in case.

Even though I stick by my conclusion of it all being a bunch of Hocus Pocus, I don't think I am ready to risk human or animal life just yet.

It's been a pleasure - and for me too ;)

An Australian King

Yep, move over Kevin Rudd because Chris Egan has hit the big time in NBC's TV drama 'Kings', which depicts the biblical story of King David set in the modern-day fictional Kingdom of Gilboa.

Long time Home and Away Fans will remember Chris Egan as blonde haired babe 'Nick Smith' from Summer Bays shores between 2000-2003.

Since then he has had a few appearances in some under-the-radar American TV shows and a couple of Supporting Roles in the cinema.

I accidentally stumbled across 'Kings' one Wednesday night on 7Two and only watched the entire episode because I was eager to see what Chris had become.

He portrays the lead character with ease and still looks dam fine and dam Australian.

Starting off as a boy-next-door soldier, he is haphazardly thrust into the limelight when he rescues the son of the King of Gilboa and stands up to a 'Goliath-Class tank ' - a tank of a neighbouring warring country.

Yes, this is the David from the well-known biblical story of David and Goliath.

What I love most about this drama - other than the brilliant mix of family hierarchy and corruption - is that it makes me feel good knowing I'm watching something based (albeit loosely) on religious history - if you are Jewish or Christian that is.

It also makes a pleasant change from the 56 crime shows currently monopolising free-to-air TV.

'Kings' is halfway through its first season on 7Two so I strongly recommend downloading it and adding it to the 'must-see' library.

It has been a pleasure - and for me too ; )

Submission Complete

My first post goes out on behalf of the NovaFM 'Chief Entertainment Officer' Competition, hence the name and address of my Blog.

Over two weeks ago I learnt of the competition which could send me overseas to travel and report on three major music festivals - SummerSonic, Sziget and Pukkelpop.

While I carefully created Cover Letters and CVs, I thought an excellent way to demonstrate my creative and passionate personality would be to dive straight in and show NovaFM that I am the best person for the role.

The other Pages in my Blog relate to my CV, giving insight into what kind of person I am and the determination I have when I set out to achieve the daring and impossible.

I have attempted to win a competition like this before, for a festival which was supported by Strongbow a couple of years ago. I submitted a three minute video as my application and I succeeded as a finalist but sadly I did not win.

The venture of writing a script, acting and adding the video to YouTube really tickled my fancy, so I worked extra hard this time to make sure I did everything I could to prove I was the ideal candidate.

The Competition ends this Easter Sunday, so get your entries in ASAP!

It's been a pleasure - and for me too ;)

http://mycareer.com.au/novaceo/default.aspx