Wild Ocean , South Africa

Each year an unbelievable feeding frenzy takes place in the oceans of South Africa as billions of sardines migrate up the Kwazulu-Natal Coast. WILD OCEAN captures spectacular breaching whales, feeding sharks, diving gannets, and massive bait balls inside and up close on the giant screen.

The migration has provided an annual food source for both life in the sea and the people living along the African shores for countless generations. The film demonstrates how business, government, and the local people have joined forces to protect this invaluable ecological resource. WILD OCEAN will delve audiences into an epic underwater struggle for survival and reveal the economic and cultural impact the migration has on the coastal communities.

Produced by the creators of STOMP and Academy Award nominated directors of Pulse: a STOMP Odyssey, WILD OCEAN is an explosive, symphonic documentary film about man and nature.

"A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step." -- Lao Tzu
Copyright © Demetrios the Traveler






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Greek Dance

Greek dance is a very old tradition, being referred to by ancient authors such as Plato, Aristotle, Plutarch and Lucian. There are different styles and interpretations from all of the islands and surrounding mainland areas. Each region formed its own choreography and style to fit in with their own ways. For example, island dances have more of a "watery" flow to them, while Pontic dancing closer to Black Sea, is very sharp.
There are over 4000 traditional dances that come from all regions of Greece. There are also Pan Hellenic dances, which have been adopted throughout the Greek world. These include the tsamiko, syrtos, and kalamatianos.
Traditional Greek dancing has a primarily social function. It brings the community together at key points of the year, such as Easter, the grape harvest or patronal festivals; and at key points in the lives of individuals and families, such as weddings. For this reason, tradition frequently dictates a strict order in the arrangement of the dancers, for example, by age. Visitors tempted to join in a celebration should be careful not to violate these arrangements, in which the prestige of the individual villagers may be embodied.
Greek dances are performed often in diaspora Greek communities, and among international folk dance groups.

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This was an event that took place in Federation Square. The dance was rather exhausting by this group of dancers. They perspired and they struggled to breathe.
The day was rather harsh with sun light that olympus 150mm f2 does not seem to adapt to the high contrast scenes too well. Quite a few images were prone to the clipping as the result of this type of lighting setting.

Posted by roentarre Monday, December 8, 2008 at 9:46 PM

"A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step." -- Lao Tzu
Copyright © Demetrios the Traveler

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Clean Monday the First day of Great Lent

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Date

7th weeks before Orthodox Easter

2008 date

March 10 (Gregorian)February 26 (Julian)

2009 date

March 2 (Gregorian)February 17 (Julian)

2010 date

February 15 (Gregorian)February 2 (Julian)

Related to

Clean Monday (Greek: Καθαρά Δευτέρα), also known as Pure Monday, Ash Monday, Monday of Lent or (in Cyprus only) Green Monday (actually translated as such), is the first day of the Eastern Orthodox Christian and Eastern Catholic Great Lent. It is a movable feast that occurs at the beginning of the 7th week before Orthodox Easter Sunday.

The common term for this day, "Clean Monday," refers to the leaving behind of sinful attitudes and non-fasting foods. It is sometimes called "Ash Monday," by analogy with Ash Wednesday (the day when the Western Churches begin Lent). The term is often a misnomer, as only a small subset of Eastern Churches practice the Imposition of Ashes. The Maronite Catholic Church is a notable Eastern rite that employs the use of Ashes on this day.

Liturgically, Clean Monday—and thus Lent itself—begins on the preceding (Sunday) night, at a special service called Forgiveness Vespers, which culminates with the Ceremony of Mutual Forgiveness, at which all present will bow down before one another and ask forgiveness. In this way, the faithful begin Lent with a clean conscience, with forgiveness, and with renewed Christian love. The entire first week of Great Lent is often referred to as "Clean Week," and it is customary to go to Confession during this week, and to clean the house thoroughly.

The theme of Clean Monday is set by the Old Testament reading appointed to be read at the Sixth Hour on this day (Isaiah 1:1-20), which says in part:

Wash yourselves and ye shall be clean; put away the wicked ways from your souls before Mine eyes; cease to do evil; learn to do well. Seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, consider the fatherless, and plead for the widow. Come then, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: Though your sins be as scarlet, I will make them white as snow; and though they be red like crimson, I will make them white as wool (v. 16-18).
Clean Monday is a public holiday in Greece and Cyprus, where it is celebrated with outdoor excursions, the consumption of shellfish and other fasting food and the widespread custom of flying kites.

Eating meat, eggs and dairy products is traditionally forbidden to Christians throughout Lent, with fish being eaten only on major feast days, but shellfish is permitted. This has created the tradition of eating elaborate dishes based on seafood (shellfish, molluscs, fish roe etc). Traditionally, it is considered to mark the beginning of the spring season, a notion which was used symbolically in Ivan Bunin's critically acclaimed story, Pure Monday.

The happy, springtime atmosphere of Clean Monday may seem at odds with the Lenten spirit of repentance and self-control, but this seeming contradiction is a marked aspect of the Orthodox approach to fasting, in accordance with the Gospel lesson (Matthew 6:14-21) read on the morning before, which admonishes:
When ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face, that thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret... (v. 16-18).
In this manner, the Orthodox celebrate the fact that "The springtime of the Fast has dawned, the flower of repentance has begun to open..."

"A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step." -- Lao Tzu
Copyright © Demetrios the Traveler

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Κούλουμα & Χαρταετός

Από τη Βικιπαίδεια, την ελεύθερη εγκυκλοπαίδεια

Υπαίθριος πανηγυρισμός της «Καθαρής Δευτέρας».

Δεν έχει εξακριβωθεί η αρχαία προέλευση της εορτής αυτής που αποτελεί εορταστική ανάπαυλα ενώ ταυτόχρονα εορτάζονται τα μεθεόρτια της Αποκριάς και η έναρξη της Τεσσαρακοστής.

Οι γιορτάζοντες τα «Κούλουμα» τρώνε άζυμο άρτο «λαγάνες» ενώ καταναλώνουν κυρίως νηστίσιμα (ταραμά, ταραμοσαλάτα, θαλασσινά, ελιές, κρεμμύδια, χαλβά κ.ά.).

Η γιορτή αυτή είναι πανελλήνια και κατ΄ άλλους έχει αθηναϊκή καταγωγή, ενώ κατ΄ άλλους βυζαντινή. Στη Κωνσταντινούπολη γιορταζόταν έντονα από πλήθος κόσμου που συνέρεε σε ένα από τους επτά λόφους της πόλης και συγκεκριμένα σ΄ εκείνο του ελληνικότατου οικισμού των «Ταταούλων».

Χαρακτηριστικό είναι ότι στα τούρκικα η γιορτή ονομάζεται «Μπακλά χουράν» από τη λέξη «μπακλά» που σημαίνει κουκιά.

Στην Αθήνα από προ του Α’ Παγκοσμίου Πολέμου τα Κούλουμα γιορταζόταν στις πλαγιές του λόφου του Φιλοπάππου όπου οι Αθηναίοι «τρωγόπιναν» καθισμένοι στους βράχους από το μεσημέρι μέχρι τη δύση του Ήλιου. Οι περισσότεροι χόρευαν από τους ήχους πλανόδιων μουσικών, κατά παρέες, είτε δημοτικούς είτε λαϊκούς χορούς υπό τους ήχους «λατέρνας».

Το σούρουπο όλοι οι Ρουμελιώτες γαλατάδες της Αθήνας έστηναν λαμπρό χορό κυρίως τσάμικο γύρω από τους στύλους του Ολυμπίου Διός παρουσία των Βασιλέων και πλήθους κόσμου.

Σήμερα τα Κούλουμα γιορτάζονται σχεδόν σε όλες τις πόλεις της Ελλάδας μαζί με το κύριο της ημέρας έθιμο του πετάγματος του «χαρταετού». Ειδικότερα στην Αθήνα με την ιστορική συνέχεια της παρουσίας του ανώτατου άρχοντα τονίζεται ιδιαίτερα η λαογραφική αξία του εθίμου αυτού.

Ο χαρταετός είναι μια ελαφριά κατασκευή σκοπός της οποίας είναι να πετά με τη βοήθεια του αέρα. Ο χαρταετός κρατιέται από αυτόν που τον πετά μέσω της καλούμπας, ενός λεπτού σχοινιού.

Η συνήθεια του πετάγματος χαρταετού προέρχεται πιθανότατα από την Κίνα. Είναι δημοφιλής σήμερα στην Κίνα, στην Ιαπωνία, στην Ινδία, στην Ταϊλάνδη και στο Αφγανιστάν. Στην Ελλάδα το πέταγμα του χαρταετού είναι μέρος των εθίμων της Καθαράς Δευτέρας και συγκεκριμένα του υπαίθριου εορτασμού της - τα λεγόμενα κούλουμα. Ο σκελετός των χαρταετών κατασκευάζεται είτε από ελαφρύ ξύλο είτε από πλαστικό, ενώ το μέρος που φέρνει αντίσταση στον αέρα από πλαστικό φύλλο ή χαρτί.

Σημαντικά σημεία του χαρταετού για επιτυχημένο πέταγμα είναι:
τα ζύγια της καλούμπας
τα ζύγια της ουράς
το μέγεθος της ουράς
Οι χαρταετοί φτιάχνονται σε τεράστια ποικιλία σχημάτων. Παραδοσιακό σχήμα στην Ελλάδα είναι αυτό με τον εξάγωνο σκελετό.

"A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step." -- Lao Tzu
Copyright © Demetrios the Traveler

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beautiful girls from Rio, Brazil ...πανεμορφα κοριτσια απο το καρναβαλι του Ριο (Βραζιλια)

"A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step." -- Lao Tzu
Copyright © Demetrios the Traveler






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Halloween special...Witches' Brouhaha

Fending off religious tourists and struggling to organize a coven on
Halloween.

By Lee Ann Kinkade lives and writes in Charlottesville, Va.
Lee Ann Kinkade
Posted Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2008, at 6:56 AM ET

In a grove near you, pagans are gathering to celebrate Samhain, the night when the veil between the living and the dead, between this world and others, is thin. We will wear cloaks and have ritual daggers, called athemes, at our waists. The prerequisite silver jewelry will gleam in the firelight. Natural fabrics flow as freely as the mead. There will be an unfortunate excess of tie-dyed material. In other words, we will look most like your picture of witches.
This picture leaves out an important detail, and I don't mean the whole human-sacrifice-and-stealing-Christian-babies thing. Planning a ritual, whether it's for Halloween or any other holiday, is a conflict-filled battle. It's like trying to herd jack rabbits on horseback. Those who practice witchcraft tend to be strident nonconformists, and the very nature of paganism, which has no unifying body or text, means that we have no obligation to believe the same thing or listen to anything beyond the dictates of our own consciences to unite in perfect accord. Often we flow together, achieving unity in which we are transported beyond ourselves, connected with the earth we love and the energy we feel from it.
And just as often, we don't. .....

Read the rest of the article in the link below:

Article URL: http://www.slate.com/id/2203117/


"A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step." -- Lao Tzu
Copyright © Demetrios the Traveler

Great Pretenders

Great Pretenders - The New York Times

a fantastic slide show!

ένα καταπληκτικό φωτογραφικό άλμπουμ!

may the force be with you
Copyright © Demetrios the Traveler

Bizarre Foods - Halloween Special

"A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step." -- Lao Tzu
Copyright © Demetrios the Traveler

Halloween and Diwali the end October festivities

"A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step." -- Lao Tzu
Copyright © Demetrios the Traveler

Munich..Oktoberfest .......Φεστιβάλ μπύρας στο Μόναχο το απόλυτο πάρτυ!

Oktoberfest in Munich is the biggest public festival in the world.



This year's celebration, the 174nd (some were canceled because of wars and cholera outbreaks), will begin Sept. 20 and end Oct. 5.

About 7 million visitors are expected to consume more than 7 million liters of beer.

At the foot of the Bavaria statue, the huge Oktoberfest grounds also provide carousels, roller coasters and all the spectacular fun of the fair. Activities are accompanied by a program of events, including the Grand Entry of the Oktoberfest Landlords and Breweries, the Costume and Riflemen's Procession, and a concert involving all the brass bands represented.

How it began

Crown Prince Ludwig, later to become King Ludwig I, was married to Princess Therese of Saxony-Hildburghausen on Oct. 12, 1810. The citizens of Munich were invited to attend the festivities held on the fields in front of the city gates. The fields have been named Theresienwiese ("Theresa's fields") in honor of the Crown Princess ever since. Horse races marked the close of the event. The decision to repeat the horse races in the subsequent year gave rise to the tradition of the Oktoberfest.

The first Agricultural Show was added in 1811. The horse races, which were the oldest and - at one time - the most popular event of the festival are no longer held today. But the Agricultural Show is still held every three years during the Oktoberfest.About the beerVisitors in the early years were able to quench their thirst at small beer stands which grew rapidly in number. In 1896 the beer stands were replaced by the first beer tents and halls set up by enterprising landlords with the backing of the breweries.

Today there are 14 large beer tents. About 30% of the year's beer-production of the big breweries in Munich are drunk during these two weeks.And getting it 'delivered'About 1,600 of the 12,000 people employed at Oktoberfest are particularly famous - the waitresses who deliver the beer. They are between 18 and 80 and work long hours, hauling up to 10 steins at a time (usually 40-60 pounds), each full of a liter of beer, through rowdy crowds.

Tips are generous, because of a special Oktoberfest currency - the beer coupon. Company bosses treat employees, business owners, their regular clients and the city's senior citizens to the printed cardboard currency.

By the numbers
The official festival area covers 104 acres and has seating for 94,000 in the festival halls.
The festival grounds has about 1,440 toilets.
About 900 tons of waste will be generated during Oktoberfest.
The 2004 festival drew 6.1 million visitors. They consumed 6 million liters of beer and 200,000 liters of non-alcoholic beer.
Food consumption included 91 oxen, 56,036 pork knuckles, 487,487 chickens and 190,635 pairs of pork sausage.
In contrast, 1950 more than 1.5 million liters of beer was drunk and nearly 650,000 pairs of sausage eaten.
1970, the numbers had grown to nearly 4 million liters of beer and 800,000 pairs of sausage. While total (if not per capita) beer consumption has continued to rise, sausage sales have fallen dramatically.


"A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step." -- Lao Tzu
Copyright © Demetrios the Traveler