I got my first Statement of Accomplishment!!! :)

I've recently (last months) discovered Coursera - https://www.coursera.org/ - I can't tell you how grateful I am for the new worlds coursera opened for me, my learning hunger and my innate curiousity for things I love, don't ask me why.
I started with Introduction to Astronomy and the wonderful professor Ronen Plesser, I just love the guy and his ability to transfer not only his knowledge but also his passion and love for the universe.  Unfortunately, it wasn't to happen!  After the first week I lost valuable time with a pc crash and a heavy program, so I had to stop, for now... Buuuuut, me and many other miserable (at that time) students communicated with him and the course will be up and running again after some time.  I am sooooooo grateful. :)
So, the first course I actually finished is Astrobiology and the Search for Extraterrestrial Life with professor Charles Cockell.  I also recommend it since it is very interesting and the professor is a great lecturer.  And guess what?  I got it with 95.8% success and with distinction, of course!
Now I am running with three other courses and I am entering a fourth in a week.  I may be crazy but I am a happy one. :)

Dancing at the square

Dancers entertaining the people at the square under the sound of popular dancing music.  A nice characteristic event of the days.  A way to lighten our hearts.

Carnival children's play at the main square of Katerini

My friend Dionysia, is a wonderful entertainer and she loves kids.  On Saturday she was a clown at the square entertaining children.

Happy Carnival!!! :)

Woman's Day - part 2

Union of Artists of Pieria exhibited paintings with women or about women at the building of Ekavi.  Some photos below.

A lot of positive comments by a lot of people who came to participate in this event. A lot of smiles also. The whole point though was to remember that women don't celebrate once a year but all year around.  And this is very important to have in mind. 

Although I also heard a complain from a man who told me that it's not fair. Women have women' day, mothers' day and etc., men have no celebration day... I reminded him that there is fathers' day but, as he said, nobody remembers this particular day, which was, as all of these celebration days, an invention of florists. :P 

Women's Day - part 1

The president of the Union of Artist in Pieria, mrs Giota Kazantzanidou, during her speech about the position of women in art.  Women were absent or second behind men when it had to do with the artistic endeavor in a men's world.  Men painters believed that we didn't have the ability to express ourselves through art like this could ever have to do with gender.  Even right now, in some places, women are still thought as not capable of things that are supposed to be done by men.
On the other hand, the president of the Union of Lawyers praised women as artists, mothers, wives, colleagues and in so many other roles, since men also come from women and the worthy can not come from the unworthy.
After the speeches, the music band of the Lawyers' Union filled the air with quality music and songs about the woman. It is so good to see lawyers play music or sing fantastic songs with such beautiful voices instead of pleading at the court.

The lawyer's band in action

And even dancing, tango in particular...

Woman's Day painting

I made this painting in Tuesday and Wednesday, a couple of hours after work of each day, since we set the exhibition on Thursday and I wanted a new painting also.  This one and two older ones were my contribution in this event at Ekavi center of Katerini that celebrated the Woman in many ways. The event was held this Friday evening and it was a pretty successful cooperation of the Union of Artists and the Union of Lawyers whose music band made the evening unforgettable.  Pictures of the event coming up... ;)

Grito Rock painting

This is my contribution to the third day's events of Grito Rock in the city of Katerini. Grito Rock is traveling around the world from city to city covering 300 cities of 30 countries.  During its three days in Greece, two of them were held in Thessaloniki and the third in Katerini. Why Grito Rock to come in a small city? Because we live under the protective shadow of Olympus, the mountain of Gods, and our task this year is Olympus to be recognized by UNESCO as a protected area, our wish is to help the mountain be let alone and its plants and animals, its magnificent ecosystem, keep on living away from the "plans" of some humans, excluding the mountain fans and the wanderers who wish only to visit the mountain for a while, breath the beauty and lighten their hearts.

The Totem

I am proud of it.  It's my third app but it has a unique place in my heart.  I truly truly love it.  And I can write a lot of this loving stuff here, as much as you can handle, till the universe gets too bored and my pc starts to send thunders all over the place and make me send you the next post from the other side.

It's in apple store for some week now and I am still thrilled of the event.  It has to do with our animal friends/guides/protectors/advisers/healers who are with us in each lifetime and help us in various ways and how we can find out our personal totem, how to communicate with it and built a real stable relationship that can change our lives for the better.
We will all gather at facebook totem pages to meet, play, learn and have fun.  I can't wait for The Totem community to start coming alive.  The perfect work of the designer is unique and I love it also.  And at its first update, The Totem will include a matchmaking quiz that will give specific results according to each ones totem animal.

The description I wrote for The Totem says:

"Humans were always connected with animals in various ways from the dawn of our existence. Ancient tribes were driven by their familiar animal spirits to the lands of safety and prosperity. Wise men and women called shamans were communicating with their totems to heal and get rid of negativity. Animals in physical and non physical forms were always helpers, guides, healers and protectors throughout our written and non written history.

Although in our "modern" world we don't usually understand the deep connection and the vital importance of this relation, all of us, deep in our souls, we recognize the need to find and connect with the spiritual guides that appear in different forms. The most usual form is the form of an animal. Any animal can be a totem, but each one has a specific animal that it's the basic totem of this person. Shamans and Native Americans had developed the ability to be in synch with their totems and nature and make the most of their lives.

We don't choose our totem, the totem chooses us. Sometimes we have expectations or specific ideas of what our totem should be. This can only withdraw us from our real spiritual helper. This app is made with respect and love for the spiritual beings that wait beyond the veil to communicate their wisdom and strength. It can help you find the one basic totem that it's your steady companion at least for this lifetime and also help you communicate with him/her in visualization and create a real relation that will change positively and enrich your life in ways you can't even imagine right now.

70 totems were chosen carefully to participate in this test. 100 questions with multiple answers lead to your own totem that waits for you. 5 different question categories search for your totem's attributes in different levels. The more questions you answer, the most probabilities there are to find your true totem. That's why you should start at least from 20 questions. Answering all the questions will lead you not only to find your totem but also to start a fantastic journey of self-discovery since our totems' attributes are in fact very similar to our own. Each totem has special characteristics that make it unique and you will find out that even the most humble animal guide can be an awesome helper and open worlds of wonders for you to travel.

Don't wait any more. Open yourself to the miracle, meet your best friend and make the first step to the wonderful next part of your life."

new exhibition :)

Back in action.  Yesterday we hold the opening of a new art exhibition at Katerini's Art Center - I was there with a selection of paintings from various periods of my life, a retrospective exhibition, and I was glad to hear great reviews. :)
I will post photos as soon as possible. Life is wonderful.  Again!

Apperception

My elder daughter has a talent in making small films (small so far! :P) and I am not the only one who thinks like this.  Although it took some time to forgive her camera for taking me from below in a way that it seems I am talking to the ceiling, I can surely recommend her next small film, where I am not inside (how lucky can you be?!).
It's called "Apperception" and it worths seeing it, not only because I am not there but mainly because it has a message to share.  I would tell you what this message is for me if I wouldn't believe that discovering it is something personal and that new messages can come up in an open mind.
An other good thing is that, although the previous video (with me!) was in greek and a non greek person would need to develop his/her imagination, not to mention intuition, to get something from it, this new one is in english and can save time and mental efforts to be watched...