BOOK CHARADES

Saying goodbye today was made easier by playing the Library Angel. He whispered the answers to the student's questions through the wisdom of the books. Indeed, Aris opened "On the road" by Jack Kerouak only to read an excerpt containing "Catalina", which, spelt "Katalina" one of our twinner's name!
Since only one team had sound, we then decided to play charades. That really was fun, especially after an exam day, which accounts for the poor turn-up of the Greek team. But the boys did well, and the teams were once again in harmony. The Library wishes them both all the best in their lives and studies. It was an unforgettable partnership!

WAITING FOR Mr MENIS KOUMANDAREAS

In a few hours we are meeting a famous author in the Greek Libary, the multi-prized mr Menis Koumandareas. As we did our "homework" for his visit, we came across a story within a story, about a Romanian youth. Constantinos translated the excerpt in eglish with the help of his friend Panos:

“How do you like the kid?” I asked Manolis.
“There is something about him” he confessed, “something that one can’t find in kids of his age, especially Greek kids. Somehow, great capital as Bucharest once was in the turn of the century, it might have had some effect on him, his character, his manners, and hopefully his soul…”
In his turn, he seemed charmed by the youth. “One thing made an impression on me” he told me a bit later . “I don’t know if you noticed it too; His eyes turn to green now and then, like a swamp, like the depths of a lagoon, where the remnants lie in stillness.” From the book Η μυρουδιά τους με κάνει και κλαίω (Their scent brings tears to my eyes)

International Children's Literature Day

TheHappyPrince

View more presentations or Upload your own.

Members of the Greek Bookclub are interested in following Pedagogical Studies. Teachers of tomorrow are preparing by turning a famous Oscar Wilde fairy tale into a multimedia story to be told to remote primary schools in Greece via skype. Our first attempt is with Dimitritsi Primary School at Serres, an etwinning runner-up in this years prizes. We'll keep you posted!

March talisman

“I will stay with you one night longer,” said the Swallow, “but I cannot pluck out your eye. You would be quite blind then.”
“Swallow, Swallow, little Swallow,” said the Prince, “do as I command you.”
So he plucked out the Prince’s other eye, and darted down with it. He swooped past the match-girl, and slipped the jewel into the palm of her hand. “What a lovely bit of glass,” cried the little girl; and she ran home, laughing.
Then the Swallow came back to the Prince. “You are blind now,” he said, “so I will stay with you always.”
“No, little Swallow,” said the poor Prince, “you must go away to Egypt.”
“I will stay with you always,” said the Swallow, and he slept at the Prince’s feet.
The Happy Prince by Oscar Wilde
We receive a March talisman from Romania along with a kind invitation for a visit.
In Greece we also twist a red and a white piece of string and make a bracelet-talisman for children to wear until the first sparrow appears. A sweet way to welcome spring...

Από τη Ρουμανία μας ήρθε ένας "Μάρτης" μαζί με μια ευγενική πρόσκληση στην Ταργκοβίστε. Τα κοινά μας έθιμα μας παρέπεμψαν πάλι στο τρυφερό παραμύθι που μας απασχόλησε πριν από καιρό, τον Ευτυχισμένο Πρίγκιπα του Όσκαρ Ουάιλντ, όπου το χελιδονάκι γίνεται ο βοηθός του πρίγκιπα-αγάλματος για να απαλύνει τον ανθρώπινο πόνο, και τελικά, χάνει την ευκαιρία να αποδημήσει στην Αίγυπτο και πεθαίνει στα πόδια του φίλου του.

Why does the swallow have a forked tail?
Legend has it that during Constantinople’s siege in 1453 (not far from Dracula’s era), a swallow flew from the city to seek help, but was attacked by the Turks who cut his tail in two, and wounded him in the neck, which explains the red colour around his beak. From our library book “Birds that live near us” by biologist Costas Vassilakis, Livanis pbl, Athens, 2002, ISBN 960-14-0534-8

Γιατί το χελιδόνι έχει διχαλωτή ουρά;
Γιατί σύμφωνα με το θρύλο που διαβάσαμε στο βιβλίο του Κώστα Βασιλάκη "Τα πουλιά που ζουν πλάι μας", Λιβάνης, Αθήνα 2002, ISBN 960-0534-8, το σπάθισε Οθωμανός ενώ έβγαινε από την Πόλη να ζητήσει βοήθεια, το 1453. Έτσι εξηγείται και το κόκκινο χρώμα γύρω από το ράμφος του.

Carnival means dressing up and making merry!

“I was not alone. The room was the same, unchanged in any way since I came into it. I could see along the floor, in the brilliant moonlight, my own footsteps marked where I had disturbed the long accumulation of dust. In the moonlight opposite me were three young women, ladies by their dress and manner. I thought at the time that I must be dreaming when I saw them, they threw no shadow on the floor. They came close to me, and looked at me for some time, and then whispered together.” Dracula, chapter 5
It’s the last Carnival week in Greece and kids at school dress up and have fun before the 40-day lent period that is a preparation for Easter.
Many customs go back to the ancient greek and roman era, but their survival and mutation enforcens social bonds within villages and towns.
A bookclub member is the perfect Dracula’s bride(s) (a modern version!) and revokes one of the most discussed excerpts in the book. The one we discussed last year in our etwinning forum, Johnathan’s seduction by Dracula’s bride who wanted to drink his blood. Here is the “beastly” side of human sexuality, the one that Plato in Phaedros compares to a lewd and ugly horse, that needs to be tamed by reason.
Στο τελευταίο διήμερο του Καρναβαλιού, οι μαθητές μας έρχονται ντυμένοι για να δώσουν μια γιορταστική νότα στο σχολείο. Μέλος της Λέσχης ήταν η ιδανική νύφη του Δράκουλα (εις τριπλούν), θυμίζοντας τις περσινές μας συζητήσεις πάνω στο γνωστό απόσπασμα της αποπλάνησης του Τζόναθαν (οικειοθελώς;) από το βαμπίρ που ήθελε να του πιει το αίμα. Η ανθρώπινη σεξουαλικότητα εκφράζεται στο βικτωριανό μυθιστόρημα ως κάτι σαγηνευτικό και τερατώδες, θυμίζοντάς μας το αγροίκο άλογο του Πλάτωνα στον Φαίδρο, που συμβολίζει τα ένστικτα που χρειάζονται χαλιναγώγηση από τη Λογική.

Timing in love

On Valentine's day the teachers were sitting at the kiosque of the project in Prague. But since the Greek bookclub on the 22 of March wanted to share the books they read with another bookclub at the Geniko Lyceio Melission joining the topics of love and time together, we post it on this day.

Maria Vergou and Maria Gerandreou delved in the topic of love in Dracula and Dorian Grey. Press here for their work in Greek.

Kyriaki Regou gathered the photos for the poster.

The discussion was very interesting and we promised to have a second round soon.

Η Αναγνωστική ομάδα της Ελευσίνας συζήτησε στις 22 Μαρτίου με την αντίστοιχη του ΓΕ.Λ. Μελισσίων στη Σχολική του Βιβλιοθήκη. Οι ομάδες ένωσαν τα θέματά τους Χρόνος και Έρωτας, για να συζητήσουν το Χρονισμό στον Έρωτα. Αν και στις 14 Φεβρουαρίου οι δασκάλες είμασταν στην Πράγα, στο περίπτερό μας, η δημοσίευση γίνεται εδώ λόγω του θέματος. Πατήστε εδώ για την εργασία της Μαρίας Βέργου και Μαρίας Γερανδρέου. Τις εικόνες της αφίσας βρήκε η Κυριακή Ρέγκου. Η συζήτηση άνοιξε την όρεξη για δεύτερη συνάντηση των δύο σχολείων σύντομα!

Can a book do harm?

“His eye fell on the yellow book that Lord Henry had sent him.[...] After a few minutes he became absorbed. It was the strangest book that he had ever read. [...] Things that he had dimly dreamed of were suddenly made real to him. Things of which he had never dreamed were gradually revealed. [...] There were in it metaphors as monstrous as orchids and as subtle in colour. The life of the senses was described in the terms of mystical philosophy. One hardly knew at times whether one was reading the spiritual ecstasies of some mediaeval saint or the morbid confessions of a modern sinner. It was a poisonous book.” The Picture of Dorian Grey, chapter 10

We started discussing it in one of our chats, remember? Will the bookclub members please comment on this question, so we can have a bookish roundup of our project?
«Το μάτι του έπεσε στο κίτρινο βιβλίο που του είχε χαρίσει ο λόρδος Χένρι. […] Μέσα σε λίγα λεπτά είχε προσηλωθεί. Ήταν το πιο παράξενο βιβλίο που είχε διαβάσει. […] Ό,τι είχε φανταστεί σα σε όνειρο τώρα έπαιρνε σάρκα και οστά. Κι ακόμα ό, τι δεν είχε φανταστεί τώρα του αποκαλύπτονταν σταδιακά.[…] Συνάντησε μεταφορές άγριες σαν ορχιδέες με λεπτότατες αποχρώσεις. Οι αισθήσεις περιγράφονταν με όρους μυστικιστικούς. Δεν ξεχώριζε κανείς μερικές φορές αν διάβαζε την πνευματική έκσταση κάποιου αγίου του μεσαίωνα ή την αρρωστημένη εξομολόγηση ενός μοντέρνου αμαρτωλού. Ήταν ένα δηλητηριώδες βιβλίο.» Το πορτραίτο του Ντόριαν Γκρέυ, κεφ. 10

Θυμόσαστε τη συζήτησή μας στο chat για το αν το βιβλίο έβλαψε τον Ντόριαν ή ήταν φύσει επιρρεπής στη διαφθορά; Καλούνται τα μέλη μας να εκφράσουν τη γνώμη τους στα σχόλια για το αν και πότε ένα βιβλίο είναι επικίνδυνο για τον αναγνώστη του, ώστε να δώσουμε βιβλιοφιλικό τέλος στο πρόγραμμά μας!

1-YEAR anniversary

A year back it all started. A year after we are richer in ITC knowledge, glad to have made friends, and looking forward to meeting in person!

Always a celebration is an opportunity to review the past and appreciate it through the value of the things you realized, as good or bad. I consider was a good time for us if we consider the results of this project. Yesterday Helen ask me if I believe a book could be harmful. I answered her Yes. I believe a book could be like a knife, it has two sides and depend only on us to use it properly. This is one reason for to be a teacher, to teach kids to use books as inspirational. I don’t think forbidden the books is a right way to provide good education as well as the absence of evil could offer us a wealthy understanding of good. Our world is created based upon relationships and as far we will feed our relationships the world will be wealthy as well. I think we did it in the last year and we all felt the world is became a better place to live on.

I remember a song of Whitney Huston, One moment in time, and some words expresses very well what I feel now, at the end of this project. ZOE

You're a winner for a lifetime
If you seize that one moment in time
Make it shine”

Whitney Huston-One Moment in time

Waiting for the prize....

13th of February....For us, 13 it will be our lucky number. It was very exciting to find out our project's name between the finalists nominated to the European award within eTwinning competition...
Now, we are waiting for the special day...See you in Prague!!

You can see below an interview with the headmaster of Economic High School, Mrs. Suzana Ilie, and some evaluation feedback from Romanian Team.

Πατήστε κάτω για να δείτε τη συνέντευξη της Διευθύντριας του «ION GHICA” κας Suzana Ilie, και την εργασία πάνω στο ΧΡΟΝΟ των μαθητών στην Ελευσίνα, καθώς περιμένουν την απονομή των βραβείων.

Click here for some media announcement.

So let the Elefsina Tower Clock do the countdown till zero hour!
Our team ponders on time, while waiting for the prize...

Short bracket about Time…

We understand Time starting by the feeling that our inner life (Thoughts, feelings) is always changing. Every change is made in time and every phenomenon has limits in time.
The philosophers had understood time as an interval between two different events, or medium, substance, in which events were happened.
There are also some definitions concerning our way to relate to time: subjective time or objective time.
There were also some opinion which denied that time exist. Saint Augustine said that time has only one dimension: the present – and we all know his opinion had influenced the youth of the 80es – as well as the epicurean scholars – Carpe diem – is a well known quote. Why? Because the past has already gone, we just got a present memory of the past events; the future is only a present waiting for the events will happen.

Newton has understood time as an essence independent from the things; Leibniz on the other hand has understood time as a relationship between things. Only in that way we can perceive the time, only in this way time has reality.

Debate is still continue in the modern age with Kant who understand time as a inner objectivity, some kind of medium, intuition. He said time and space are the category of our sensibility. Without these categories, we cannot live and understand the world as an existence.

Κάνοντας μια συνεισφορά στην τηλεδιάσκεψη Ελευσίνας – Γιαννιτσών με θέμα το χρόνο, η κα Ραντουλέσκου μας έστειλε μια σύνοψη των θεωριών περί χρόνου, από τον Ιερό Αυγουστίνο που είδε το χρόνο σαν ένα συνεχές παρόν, μέχρι τον Νεύτωνα, τον Λάιμπνιτς και τον Καντ, που όρισαν ο καθένας με άλλο τρόπο το χρόνο, σαν υποκειμενικό βίωμα ή σαν αντικειμενική αλήθεια.


There are some opinions talking about time as a cultural meaningful. In Romania, Lucian Blaga and Mircea Vulcanescu have written about the Romanian feeling of existence, which is related to time. There is, following them, a national, cultural, meaning of time. We, as Balkans we got different social behavior, only because we understand time in another way. We are living into a continuum present….that why we are always late.

Click on the clock to read a discussion summary in the Greek Library on the theme of Time in our novels with Maria Vergou and Maria Gerandreou.
Πατήστε στο ρολόι για να διαβάσετε την περίληψη της συζήτησής μας για το θέμα του Χρόνου στα δυο γοτθικά μυθιστορήματα που διαβάσαμε.

TODAY'S CHAT (great themes in a nutshell)

"How old is Dorian Grey's portrait?"

Now there is an intriguing question from the Romanians! Some of the answers were, 17, 90, 36, but when we thought about it better, we agreed that the portrait is ageless, just as good and evil in human nature. Whether man is born good, was a philosophical debate and most of the Greek team gave a Socrates-like answer "Ουδείς εκών κακός", "Nobody is evil by nature", while the Romanian team went for an Aristotelian anwer saying that good and evil is found in different degrees within us all, and is a matter of influence and circumstances which dominates. Speaking about influences, personal responsibilities and choices, based on the book, we were under the impression today that the chat merely touched the themes and opened questions, rather than came to a definite answer. That's philosophy for you! We had to hurry to our math term exams and biology lessons and had an etwinning chat break, which whetted our appetites for the next one on Phaedros.

Library moments before the chat

"So, you want to toy with the projector?" Then listen to Plato's allegory of the cave, and make your own shadow of the prisoner who thought that what he saw was reality.

Fresh news from the Greek Library. We are preparing for our chat on Dorian Grey, anticipating Phaedros from Plato, and library members came to make hand-shadows (typical!). But mischief was soon turned to story-telling and philosophy-within-a-school-break. Panos and Yiannis joined hands to make the "troglodytis" (a little like Quasimodo, don't you think?) and we can use it as a starter for Plato's theory of Forms.

The "appearance and reality" theme haunts all classical literature. Where is it found in Dorian Grey? See you soon!!

Πριν το τσατ, ήρθαν στη Βιβλιοθήκη τα πιστά μέλη και έκαναν σκιές στο βιντεοπροβολέα που είχε στηθεί για την τηλεδιάσκεψη. Ευκαιρίας δοθείσης, άκουσαν το μύθο του σπηλαίου του Πλάτωνα, και η μικρή αταξία μετατράπηκε σε πεντάλεπτο μάθημα φιλοσοφίας. Αργότερα... συζητήσαμε για το ποια είναι η πραγματική ηλικία του πορτραίτου του Ντόριαν Γκρέυ, που ήταν μια ενδιαφέρουσα ερώτηση των Ρουμάνων. Η απάντηση που προτιμήθηκε είναι ότι είναι άχρονο, όπως η αρετή και η κακία στην ανθρώπινη φύση. Στη συνέχεια επιχειρήθηκε να απαντηθεί η κλασική διαμάχη αν ο άνθρωπος γεννιέται κακός ή γίνεται. Η ελληνική ομάδα ήταν σωκρατική στην απάντησή της "Ουδείς εκών κακός" ενώ η ρουμανική έκλινε προς τον Αριστοτέλη, υποστηρίζοντας ότι καλό και κακό συνυπάρχουν στον άνθρωπο και εκδηλώνονται ανάλογα με τις συνθήκες. Αντί για απαντήσεις τρέξαμε πίσω στα μαθήματά μας με περισσότερα ερωτήματα περί αρετής. Άξιζε πάντως αυτό το ζωντανό φιλοσοφικό μας διάλειμμα!

Our own Dorian Grey-The Marathon youth

The Youth of Marathon, a copy of the 4th century b.C. statue we had in the library (the original travelled to Bejing for the Olympics, this year!), seemed different after reading Dorian Grey. Maria Gerandreou and Maria Vergou, created the library version of Dorian, looking at himself in the mirror in his library (a slight adaptation of ours!), just before he shuttered it at the end of the book. The shuttered mirrors motif appears in Dracula, too, remember? We hope the image unites our two gothic novels with Phaedros, and the theme of art, love and ...books, which Socrates seemed to disapprove of.
Ο έφηβος του Μαραθώνα, αντίγραφο του κλασικού αγάλματος του 4ου π.Χ. αιώνα, (τον στείλαμε και στο Πεκίνο για τους Ολυμπιακούς) είναι ο δικός μας Ντόριαν Γκρέυ, με την αιώνια νεότητά του, που κοιτάζει για τελευταία φορά τον καθρέφτη, πριν τον θρυμματίσει, σαν προείκασμα του δικού του τέλους. Θυμηθήκαμε ανάλογη σκηνή στο Δράκουλα, τον απέθαντο, που όμως δεν είχε είδωλο. Ελπίζουμε η σύνθεση και φωτογραφία της Μαρίας Βέργου και Μαρίας Γερανδρέου να ενώνει τα δυο γοτθικά μυθιστορήματα με τον επικείμενο Φαίδρο, και τα θέματα της τέχνης, του κάλλους, του έρωτα και των βιβλίων, που δε συμπαθούσε ο Σωκράτης!

The connection between Phaidros - The portrait of Dorian Gray - Dracula

One of Plato’ dialogues, tradition added subtitle peri tou kalou - About beautiful. It is the dialogue that Plato named after the name of young companion Phaidros. But during the tradition, this dialogue has been further named: peri psyches - About soul; peri to erotic - About love. About all those listed, about beauty, about love and the soul - and not just passing - is here. But also, and very detailed about techne - about art, but also very closely, the speech - the speech and language, but also, and even chip in essential aletheia about - the truth, but also really pressed about mania - the crazy, loss of self, and finally, in the face constantly, and the idea of being, immortal soul.

The truth, The Good, The beauty- have been always the most important approaches to the writers and to philosophers.
To talk about in our Wednesday chat meeting, we are in mind the Myth of winged soul (part.246a - 249b) and the Myth of Theuth (274b - 275b)

Click here for the excerpt in Greek. Find the first myth with Edit, Find on this page, "Όσο λοιπόν για την αθανασία της". Ask the librarian where to find the myth of Theuth in Greek.

Click on the handmade and digital image to see the myth though the Greek Bookclub's eyes. Mouslum and Elton worked for the posters. Take a look at our discussion notes!

Πατήστε επάνω στις εικόνες για να δείτε τις αφίσες του Μουσλούμ και του Έλτον. Ρίξτε μια ματιά στις σημειώσεις που κρατήσαμε από τη συζήτηση στην ελληνική ομάδα.

Below, there is a debate map, you are invited to compete with your arguements related to the soul (mortal or immortal).

Is Human soul mortal or immortal?

ETWINNING XMAS

Father Xmas came from Romania yesterday bearing christmas gifts (schools in Greece always open on the 8th of January) and gave a festive aftertaste to the school library. Melodic Romanian choirs sang the carols, handmade Xmas cards and beautiful decorations and treats were exhibited. Our customs, as written by our twinners are very alike, just as they are in Easter. We thank you very much and wish you a Happy and Prosperous New Year!
Το εορταστικό αντίδωρο από τη Ρουμανία γέμισε τη βιβλιοθήκη με μελωδίες, διακοσμητικά και χειροποίητες κάρτες. Με ιδιαίτερη χαρά καταχωρήσαμε στο Ευρωπαϊκό Περίπτερο τα βιβλιαράκια μινιατούρες 3 εκατοστών (!) με το σύνταγμα της Ευρώπης στα Ρουμανικά. Ευχαριστούμε τους συνεργάτες μας και ευχόμαστε Καλή Χρονιά και πάντα προόδους!

In Targoviste the Father Christmas has also came and offered us precious gifts. We ate the sweets and shared between us the calendars for the new year (Hope we won't be late anymore) and the Art Posters, listeninng the Greek carols. It was marvelous.

Dracula's influence. Part 4. Filmography

The most recent Vampire hit is Twilight, based on Stephenie Meyer's novel. Have you seen it? Please add your summary, links and comment. The Library suggests The Internet Movie Database (imdb), where you can read all about it!

Στα πλαίσια της επιρροής του μύθου του Δράκουλα, παρακολουθήσαμε και σχολιάσαμε την ταινία Λυκόφως, βασισμένης στο ομώνυμο βιβλίο της Στέφανι Μέγιερ. Ακόμα ένα ισχυρό σύμβολο της εφηβείας, της θυσίας, της φιλίας, της πίστης. Το μοιραστήκαμε με τους Ρουμάνους. Πατήστε εδώ για πρόσφατο άρθρο στον Αθηναϊκό τύπο!

11th of December. Universal Day for Children's Rights

"Climb up! little boy," said theTree, and it bent its branches down as low as it could; but the boy was too tiny. And the Giant's heart melted as he looked out. "How selfish I have been!" he said; "now I know why the Spring would not come here. I will put that poor little boy on the top of the tree, and then I will knock down the wall, and my garden shall be the children's playground for ever and ever." He was really very sorry for what he had done." The Selfish Giant, Oscar Wilde

Make the world a happy playground for all the children in the world.

Ο Εγωιστής Γίγαντας του Όσκαρ Ουάιλντ γκρεμίζει το τείχος του κήπου και της καρδιάς του με αφορμή ένα Παιδί (το μικρό Χριστό) κι εκείνος αποφασίζει να αφήσει τα παιδιά να παίζουν πάντα στον κήπο του για να διατηρηθεί η άνοιξη.

Ας κάνουμε αυτόν το κόσμο τον Κήπο των Παιδιών.

On the right you see a page from Hilda Boswell's Treasury of Children's Stories, (1971), which, as a child introduced me to Oscar Wilde.

Library comment

10th of December - Universal Day of Human Rights

An important day to remember every single day... Only then can Oscar Wilde's quote be put into effect: “The aim of life is self-development. To realize one’s nature perfectly –that is what each of us is here for”. The Picture of Dorian Grey, chapter 2


And we did in the last time....As a proof that e-Twinning collaboration can establish friendship, is our project http://partilhandodiferencas.wordpress.com/ , which is a photoproject related to Universal Day of Human Rights. Students from three schools (Romania, Greece and Portugal) took Black and White pictures and made an expo in their school. To improve the impact of their action, students from Targoviste made also postal cards with these pictures and sold them. The money collected will become presents during the week before Christmas for the children from Boy's Centre in Targoviste. We are very thankful to our partener from Greece who made calendars and sent them to Targoviste to increase the results of our charity action. Not in the last time, we have to remember a target associated to our action which is...Telis, Geniko Lykeio's dog - he will receive some crispies to eat in Christmas day....


On the other hand, we realize a research concerning the relationship between art and life, in Wilde's opera and also in the opera of some Greek Philosophers. The results of our research you can access here:
1. A virtual dialogue about art
2. Wilde's quotes or....ancient wisdom

Library note following:
Telis, the shcool guardian-dog, comes from Aristotelis (=Aristotle). Since we started our etwinning collaboration, our school has been renamed to Aristoteleio Geniko Lyceio Elefsinas, just like the ION GHICA Targoviste Economic Colegiul.
The calendars were made to twin Targoviste's work on Human Rights. Our first thought was to collect money for Telis (who broke his leg more than a month ago). After discussing it with him (and bribing him with a can of meat) we sent the calendars for the Boy's Centre in Targoviste. For his generosity, he was allowed to take a snooze in the school library (he prefered the art department!)
Από την έναρξη της συνεργασίας μας με τη Ρουμανία, το Λύκειό μας μετονομάστηκε σε «Αριστοτέλειο». Ο αδέσποτος σκυλάκος της φωτογραφίας έσπασε το πόδι του τον Οκτώβριο, υιοθετήθηκε από το σχολείο μας και ονομάστηκε «Τέλης». Τα ημερολόγια που φτιάξαμε για να ακολουθήσουμε τους συνεργάτες μας για την Παγκόσμια Ημέρα Δικαιωμάτων του Παιδιού θα εξασφάλιζαν τη σίτισή του. Αντ’ αυτού, στάλθηκαν για το φιλανθρωπικό σκοπό των Ρουμάνων, που σε αντάλλαγμα, θα έστελναν μπισκότα στον σκύλο μας. Πάντως, για την καλή του συμπεριφορά, η Τέλης, αποπαρασιτωμένος και εμβολιασμένος, επιτρέπεται να πάρει τον απογευματινό του υπνάκο στη Βιβλιοθήκη!

PAINFUL LOSSES

Albert Oprea ( student ION GHICA Economic School, Targoviste, died of aneurism)

Alexis Gregoropoulos (everybody's student, Athens Greece, shot at student demonstration)

Words are not enough. Our sincerest condolances to family and friends.

Τον μήνα αυτό είχαμε δύο οδυνηρές απώλειες. Ο Αλμπερτ Οπρέου του Οικονομικού Λυκείου ΙΩΝ ΓΚΙΚΑ, που έφυγε ξαφνικά από ανεύρυσμα και ο μαθητής ολονών, ο Αλέξης Γρηγορόπουλος, που πυροβολήθηκε σε διαδήλωση μας άφησαν πρόωρα. Βαθύτατα συλλυπητήρια στις οικογένειες και τους φίλους τους.

DORIAN GREY'S COLLECTIONS.Chasing the shadows away

“he used to give curious concerts in which mad gipsies tore wild music from little zithers, [...], while grinning Negroes beat monotonously upon copper drums...” The Picture of Dorian Grey, chapter 11The aesthet Dorian creates his own little worlds of beauty to chase away the fear that rises from his terrible secret, guarded by his ageing and decaying portrait in the attic. Click here for this collection of exotic musical instruments, Anastasia’s work, and here for his precious gem collection, Socratis’ work. We also brought whatever perfume we had, and placed it near the book, so library visitors asked about it and were told the story.

Ο εστέτ Ντόριαν Γκρέυ, προσπαθεί να διώξει το φόβο που πηγάζει από το φοβερό του μυστικό, το οποίο είναι καλά κλειδωμένο στη σοφίτα, στο περίφημο πορτραίτο του που γερνάει και αποσυντίθεται, με το να συλλέγει μανιωδώς πετράδια, αρώματα, υφάσματα και εξωτικά μουσικά όργανα. Πατήστε εδώ για τα υπερκείμενα της Αναστασίας και του
Σωκράτη. Τα αρώματα και τα πετράδια που φιλοξενήθηκαν αυτή την εποχή στη βιβλιοθήκη ήταν μια πρώτης τάξεως βιβλιοπαρουσίαση!

Wilde - Kavafis. Reflecting pictures. Eminescu. Their poetical alter ego.

They both lived in the same era, were aesthets who worshipped Art, were doomed to a secret love life, and are deemed among the top authors and poets of their time. Oscar Wilde and Konstandinos Kavafis never met but "the similarities between Dorian Grey and Kavafis' poems are astounding" as Efi puts it. Read her work here.

"Είναι εκπληκτικές οι ομοιότητες ανάμεσά τους" παρατήρησε το μέλος της Αναγνωστικής Λέσχης που ανέλαβε τη σύγκριση χωρίων του Ντόριαν Γκρέυ και ποιημάτων του Καβάφη. Η Έφη το αποδίδει στην εποχή τους, την κρυφή τους ζωή, στον αισθητισμό τους. Διαβάστε εδώ.

In the February 2009 issue of the enewspaper DIA TAUTA, we found an article on Romania's national poet Michail Eminescu, Wilde's and Kavafis contemporary man of literature. His verses are heroic and patriotic, he has a force and a social vision the other two poets wouldn't share.Read Costas' Papageorgiou translation of the article here. Catch a glimpse of Eminescu's wonderful world of poetry below, in the musical score of Hyperion.

Στο τεύχος του Φεβρουαρίου 2009 της τοπικής εφημερίδας ΔΙΑ ΤΑΥΤΑ, βρήκαμε άρθρο για τον σύγχρονο του Ουάιλντ και του Καβάφη, Μιχαήλ Εμινέσκου, ο οποίος κινείται περισσότερο στο κλίμα του Βαλαωρίτη και του Σολωμού, διαπνεόμενος από ηρωϊκό ιδεώδες και πατριωτισμό, οραματιζόμενος την κοινωνική δικαιοσύνη, γι' αυτό είναι και ο εθνικός ποιητής της Ρουμανίας.Δείγμα της ποιητικής του μαγείας η ενορχήστρωση του "Υπερίων" που ακολουθεί.

November 20th webcam chat summary

Oscar Wilde’s fairy tales are for children as well as adults, not only because adults have a right to recall their childhood, but also for the bittersweet melancholy they convey. In the Selfish Giant, the Rose and the Nightigale, the Happy Prince the “big” and the “small” are complementary, they need each other to form a duo. There is love that transends sexes evoking parentship (Selfish Giant), friendship (Happy Prince), unreciprocated love (Nightingale and Rose). Sacrifice for the loved one, that doesn’t even know you exist, is meant as the culmination of selflessness, and is catered through aesthetic criteria, in order to reach beauty, which according to the author is the goal of art. The heart motif is everpresent, melting, offering its blood to create a flower, breaking at the loss of a loved one. There is no apparent sign of didactisism, yet reading between the lines you can find Wilde’s critisism on society. In this light what isn’t appreciated in this world, obtains a place in Paradise, so all is not in vain...

Τα παραμύθια του Όσκαρ Ουάιλντ απευθύνονται τόσο στα παιδιά, όσο και του ενηλίκους, όχι μόνο γιατί οι τελευταίοι έχουν το δικαίωμα να ξαναγίνουν παιδιά, όσο και για τη γλυκόπικρη μελαγχολία που τα διαπερνά. Το «μεγάλο» και το «μικρό» αλληλοσυμπληρώνονται, ενώνονται για να αποτελέσουν ένα ζευγάρι. Η αγάπη με τη μεταφορά της καρδιάς που προσφέρει το αίμα της, που λιώνει ή που σπάει, υπερβαίνει τα φύλα ανακαλώντας τη στοργή του γονέα (Εγωϊστής Γίγαντας), τη φιλία (Ευτυχισμένος Πρίγκιπας), τον έρωτα χωρίς ανταπόκριση (Αηδόνι και Τριαντάφυλλο) φτάνοντας ως τη θυσία, που αποτελεί την υπέρβαση του εγώ. Τα μηνύματα διυλίζονται από τα αισθητικά κριτήρια του συγγραφέα για να πραγματώσουν το σκοπό της Τέχνης, που κατά τον Ουάιλντ είναι το Ωραίο. Ενώ δεν υπάρχει εμφανές ηθικό δίδαγμα, η κοινωνική κριτική του συγγραφέα είναι ορατή σε δεύτερο επίπεδο. Με αυτή την οπτική γωνία, ό,τι δεν εκτιμάται στην παρούσα ζωή, δικαιώνεται στην ουράνια, απαλύνοντας κάπως την ανθρώπινη αχαριστία ή άγνοια...

Both Bookclub members illustrate the Rose and the Nighingale with their silhouettes.

Οι σιλουέτες των Ρουμάνων μαθητριών και των Ελλήνων μαθητών εικονογραφούν Το αηδόνι και το Τριαντάφυλλο.

20th November a special chat in Philosophy Day

UNESCO has established, since 2002, as the third Thursday in November to celebrate PHILOSOPHY- The best school of thought and freedom of human!

That's why the pleasure to chat with our twins was increase, especially because it was a special day, Philosophy Day. Celebrated since 21 November 2002, as the intellectual and ethical arm of the United Nations, function without promoting philosophical reflection as the basis for democracy, human rights and a right society.

Philosophy, as the term signifies, is the love of wisdom. Regardless of its specific terminology in various cultures all over the world, tetsugaku in Japanese, indicating the discipline of wisdom, or in Arabic, falsafa, meaning science of wisdom, this act of thinking about thinking turns by definition around the fundamental concepts and ideas that lie at the heart of existence, both individual and collective. It is this act of philosophizing that is the lifeblood of philosophy. And it is precisely this act of reflection, of analysis, of questioning – whether of concepts that are taken for granted, ideas dulled by time, or long-established paradigms.

Today we were in chat and we discussed those topics, following the philosophy direction, that influence and helping students to develop honesty, integrity, character and a life-long love for the pursuit of wisdom as a foundation for a happy, successful and generous life.

Sidarta - Another Happy Prince

During one of his few excursions from the protection of his father's palace, Sidhartha saw three things which opened the harsh realities of life to him. He saw an old man, suffering from the frailties of age. He saw a sick man, suffering from disease. He also saw a dead man, which shocked him greatly. He finally realized that the infirmities of old age, and the pain of sickness and death caused suffering that he had never experienced. This revelation caused him to begin a search for truth that drastically changed his life, and, eventually, the lives of millions.

In a way, Budda is a...happy prince. The difference lies on timing. Oscar Wilde's character only saw human pain in his "second life" as a statue

...There many things should be cover...at least with our eyelids. But it is not too late to act. Even if one cannot move, some feathered friend is there to help.

Το παραμύθι του Ευτυχισμένου Πρίγκιπα μας έφερε στο νου έναν άλλο πρίγκιπα, αληθινό, που, κλεισμένος στο παλάτι του, δεν είχε ιδέα από τη δυστυχία του λαού του. Όταν μια μέρα βγήκε, και είδε τα γηρατειά, την ασθένεια και το θάνατο, έκανε στροφή στη ζωή του και επηρέασε και τις ζωές εκατομμυρίων ανθρώπων. Ήταν μια ευκαιρία να αναζητήσουμε πληροφορίες στο Ίντερνετ και να βρούμε και τη σχετική ταινία.
Η διαφορά με τον ήρωα του Όσκαρ Ουάιλντ είναι ότι ο τελευταίος είχε μια δεύτερη ζωή να διορθώσει τα λάθη του, έστω και ως άγαλμα. Το ερώτημα που απασχόλησε τις ομάδες μας είναι «Γιατί κλείνουμε τα μάτια στην δυστυχία;».

Happy Prince - Tragic Poet

Well, if it isn't our own "Happy Prince"! Look what we found in our Local History archives. This is the statue of the ancient tragic poet Aeschylus... In 1977, he shone like gold . "He was gilded all over with thin leaves of fine gold" (actually it is bronze when polished) "Leaf after leaf of the fine gold the Swallow picked off, till theHappy Prince looked quite dull and grey", just like our statue 31 years after. (Photos from Elefsina, The Chronicle of a town, Elefsina Municipality Edition, 2007)

"Why, then didn't we tear it down?" I asked the bookclub members."What happened to his "gold"?" The answer was obvious. Aeschylus's gold was, is and will be the timeless dramas he bestowed to civilization, that shine through the centuries. The statue has been moved many times, but is a landmark in our town and we like to see it in the years to come. On the left, our library maskot disguised as Aeschylus, holding the tragedy mask, as the library members like to toy with it every once in a while...

Το άγαλμα του τραγικού μας ποιητή στέκει μετά από 31 χρόνια χωρίς την πρώτη λάμψη του στιλβωμένου μπρούτζου, αλλά σε αντίθεση με τον Ευτυχισμένο Πρίγκιπα του Όσκαρ Ουάιλντ, δεν αποσύρθηκε επειδή πήρε το χρώμα της μόλυνσης, γιατί το χρυσάφι που πρόσφερε όπως ο ήρωας του Ουάιλντ στον κόσμο είναι τα διαχρονικά του αριστουργήματα, Ορέστεια, Προμηθέας Δεσμώτης, Πέρσες, Επτά επί Θήβας, Ικέτιδες...δεξιά, τα μέλη της βιβλιοθήκης μεταμορφώνουν τη μασκώτ σε Αισχύλο...

The library users in the photo are part of the theatrical team that won the 3rd prize at the 2008 Hellenic Student Arts Contest for Aeschylus’s Iketides (Suppliants) directed by the headmaster of the 3rd Gymnasium of Elefsina, Mrs Aggeliki Levendi.

The girls have fond memories of the rehearsals and the play. Marianna says you forget everything once you’re on stage. Others said the theatre strengthened the bonds between them. They recited the verses they still remember: “Oh, thou mountainous land of Apia, take pity on me, if ever our foreign language you comprehend”
“Do not kill me, for I come from far away, hunted down by godless people”. These words can very well be the silent cry of contemporary refugees.

Τα παιδιά της φωτογραφίας που εργάζονται στη βιβλιοθήκη είναι μέρος της θεατρικής ομάδας του 3ου Γυμνασίου Ελευσίνας που τώρα φοιτούν στο λύκειο, που βραβεύτηκαν στους Πανελλήνιους Μαθητικούς Καλλιτεχνικούς Αγώνες 2008 για την ερμηνεία τους στις Ικέτιδες του Αισχύλου. Θυμήθηκαν εμπειρίες από το ανέβασμα του δράματος, την παρουσίασή του στα Αισχύλεια και στίχους όπως: «Ω, εσύ βουνίσια Άπια γη, λυπήσου με αν την ξενική λαλιά μας συ καταλαβαίνεις» και «Μη με σκοτώνεις την κατατρεγμένη, που από άθεους διωγμένη είμαι από μακριά φτασμένη». που ηχούν σα σιωπηλή κραυγή των προσφύγων όλου του κόσμου, τόσους αιώνες μετά τη συγγραφή τους…

A month of protest against human trafficking (18 Oct -18Nov)

"Something whispers to me that all is not well.
Oh, what will tomorrow bring to us? We go to seek the place where my poor darling suffered so much...." (Dracula, p.418 - Memorandum by Abraham van Helsing)

18 October - 18 November
An entire month against human trafficking.
Thinking about Stoker's character, there is a real psychoanalysis. It seems that weak human beings have always tried to become more powerful in an illicit manner - eviction. The Count wants to possess Mina's soul (DRACULA: "People are my greatest resource. I rarely turn down a chance to meet new blood"), Dorian Gray wants to possess youth forever (“To become a spectator of one's own life is to escape the suffering of life.”) and while powerful human beings have always been those who have given themselves to the others, they were the ones who sacrificed themselves on the shrine of human understanding. Let's think for a while about all victims who suffered so much because of the weak people.

I remember a text written by an well known Romanian poet, Nichita Stanescu, in his book - Respirari - claiming the force to transform the verb "to have" into the verb "to be" and to give the last one the sense of possession, of good wealth:
"Oameni sarmani si distrusi prin nastere trebuie ca au fost acei inaintasi ai mei de mi-au micsorat instinctul posesiunii, labartand in mine bucuria de a fi pur si simplu, schimband pe "a avea" in "a fi" si dandu-i nuanta acestuia de lucru, de avere."

or, as Oscar Wilde would tell it: “Ordinary riches can be stolen, real riches cannot. In your soul there are infinitely precious things that cannot be taken from you.”

In order to celebrate that, we are proposing you an interactive video to complete Thursday, when we'll meet in chat.

Proceded only with Google Chrome browser / Flash Player 10

Dracula marks/ global mark

As... experts (:D) in Count Dracula topic, we've been contacted by a Russian colleague who has asked us to help him to fill one column in his school's magazine. So, two of our school girls had wrote letters for our Russian colleagues, told them which is our perception about Russian schools and country.
Below you can see the selected articles appeared in the magazine and written by Mariana Apostol (11th degree) and Gabriela Groza (12th degree):

Of course there are in Russian but, the Dracula cartoon marks all you need to know.
If you want to see their magazine you can make it CLICK HERE
By the way, our rubric is on 8th page.

We also noticed that other etwinners tackled the theme of Dracula. The Count is ever-popular!

Click here to read a presentation in French from the finalists for the European prizes MYTHES, LÉGENDES ET CONTES DE FEÉS

Oscar Wilde's fairy tales

Tale quale

Today it was very pleasant. Even our slowly connection didn't allowed us to have a sound, we followed the Helen's advice and...we enjoyed the chat as it was. CLICK HERE for the transcription of the chat.

You can see below some pictures and, at the end...a quiz that we propose for both teams.
Keep working!!!

Match the meaning » Free Online Quizzes

Oscar Wilde. An admirer of ancient greek culture

"To be Greek, one must have no clothes.To be Medieval, one must have no body.To be Modern, one must have no soul."
He knew how to read Ancient Greek by the age of twelve. The learned Oscar Wilde was an admirer of Greek-Roman Antiquity. We found references in The Picture of Dorian Grey and made hypertext to share with you, i.e. "She had all the delicate grace of that Tanagra figurine that you have in your studio, Basil"On the right you can see a Tanagra clay statue replica in the school library. Arranged and photographed by Elton, Mouslum and Vaggelis.

Click here for Socrates' work.

In the photo, he is posing with the traditional Greek male costume of the 19th century, worn in our area back then.
Ο αρχαιολάτρης Όσκαρ Ουάιλντ, που ήξερε να διαβάζει αρχαία ελληνικά στα δώδεκά του χρόνια, κάνει πολλές αναφορές στην ελληνορωμαϊκή αρχαιότητα, π.χ. "Είχε όλη τη λεπτή χάρη μιας μικρής Ταναγραίας, όπως εκείνης που έχεις στο εργαστήρι σου, Μπάζιλ.' Ο Βαγγέλης, ο Έλτον και ο Μουσλούμ έστησαν φωτογράφησαν τη φράση του Όσκαρ Ουάιλντ με το αγαλματάκι της Ταναγραίας στη Βιβλιοθήκη. Ο Σωκράτης έκανε ένα υπερκείμενο με σχετικές εικόνες.

Στη φωτογραφία, ο συγγραφέας ντυμένος τσολιάς, ποζάρει με λεβεντιά που του δίνει η παραδοσιακή μας στολή στο φακό.

Διαβάστε το άρθρο της ΚΑΘΗΜΕΡΙΝΗΣ για την επίσκεψη του Wilde στην Ελλάδα, την άποψή του για την Αθήνα και τον Παρθενώνα, για τα Ελγίνεια (!) εδώ

DISCUSSING OSCAR WILDE IN MAGOULA SCHOOL LIBRARY

We initiated our second book "The Picture of Dorian Gray" in Magoula Junior High School library. Four new bookclub members and one of the old ones visited the neighbouring library and did some research of digital and non-digital sources on Oscar Wilde. The result is a list of questions for our next webcam chat with our twinners in Targoviste. Beauty, art, selfulfilment, society's normes, hedonism, good and evil, we've got some tough ones, for you, girls!
Just name the day...
Many thanks to teacher librarian, mr Manolis Lemontzoglou for his assistance.

TO BRIDGE THE TWO BOOKS: Which person did Oscar Wilde and Bram Stoker have in common? (hint: wife)

Η βιβλιοθήκη του Γυμνασίου Μαγούλας φιλοξένησε την πρώτη συνάντηση της Αναγνωστικής μας Λέσχης, που σήμερα είχε τα νέα μέλη (και ένα παλιότερο). Κάναμε έρευνα πάνω στη ζωή και το έργο του Όσκαρ Ουάιλντ από έντυπες και ψηφιακές πηγές και πολυμέσα της Βιβλιοθήκης, και ετοιμάσαμε λίστα με ερωτήσεις προς συζήτηση στην επόμενη τηλεδιάσκεψη με τις φίλες μας στη Ρουμανία. Όλα τα μεγάλα θέματα θίγονται στο Πορτραίτο του Ντόριαν Γκρέυ. Ανυπομονούμε να τα συζητήσουμε.
Τις ευχαριστίες της ομάδας στον υπεύθυνο κο Μ. Λεμοντζόγλου για την αρωγή του.

Talk to me!

European Day of Languages, 26 September
Celebrating linguistic diversity, multilingualism, lifelong language learning
Dear friends from all over the world, we celebrate on Friday, in the European Union, European Day of Languages. On this occasion, we thought that we can transform the blog into a FORUM, a space for dialogue (not only European but also international), which can establish a bridge between cultures and peoples which, in the traditional way, are in affirmation of permanent competition. You are invited, therefore, to post to the topic below your comments and your views on multiculturalism and multilingualism.
LANGUAGES ARE THE LAB OF DREAMS.
Words of wisdom written by Lydia, Maria and Anastasia, 16 during their English class. Many thanks to Ms Dretaki for her help.
In the photo you can see old and new members of our book club who commented on today's post, holding the Library's dictionaries.
Ms Radulescu's invitation set our library on fire today!!
...we don't know which is the angel's language, but today we felt the angels very close to us, because we heard them in so many ways. Thanks again to Helen and Greek team from Elefsina, for the gift they offered us today. A great day.

A visit to the Athens Book Festival

Click on the image to see us visiting the Athens 2008 book Festival beneath the historic site of the Acropolis. We browsed, bought, and suggested books for our school library. Not a bad way to spend a Sunday!

Πατήστε στην εικόνα για να δείτε την επίσκεψή μας στη Γιορτή Βιβλίου κάτω από την Ακρόπολη. Περιηγηθήκαμε, θαυμάσαμε, πήραμε και προτείναμε βιβλία για τη σχολική βιβλιοθήκη. Περάσαμε όμορφα και θέλουμε να ξαναπάμε την άνοιξη.

A TRUE READER. The Virgin Mary

A festive day for Greece today, the Dormition of Virgin Mary, mother of Christ, is celebrated in every Greek church and chapel. We visit friends named after Her, Despoina (=Queen (of heavens)), Panayotis (Takis of Panos as a nickname) and Panayota (Penny or Yota), Maria (for the married women, the unwed Marias celebrate in November), and enjoy a holiday as summer turns to its end. Today, while the Bejing Olympics carry on, Athens is a deserted city. No traffic, less pollution, the market is off. It is wonderful to take a stoll under the Acropolis and listen to all the languages spoken in the narrow streets of Plaka and Monastiraki.
As a Bookclub it is only appropriate to celebrate this day with a presentation of Mary with her books.Martini, Boticelli, Raphael, the Flemish masters, and many others have painted their masterpieces on the subject. Just click on the image for more!

Πατήστε στην εικόνα του χειρογράφου που δείχνει την Παναγία πριν την Κοίμησή της με τους 12 Αποστόλους, για να δείτε αριστουργήματα της Δυτικής Τέχνης που Την απεικονίζουν να διαβάζει.

Library post

Dracula simile-Reading is a ritual of rebirth

Alberto Manguel, the author of "History of Reading" likens his own library to the coffin of native earth that Dracula carries with him from Transylvania to London, since he is old, wise and sad enough to see that the future of Reading lies in cds. Reading, as Peter Conrad states in the Observer, is 'a ritual of rebirth', which both invigorates the reader and awakens old books to new life.
The Count himself was the proud owner of a huge library in his Transylvanian castle, in which the wretched Johnathan Harker, imprisoned in reality by Dracula, spent many of his mornings.


Ο Αλμπέρτο Μανγκουέλ, συγγραφέας του βιβλίου "Ιστορία της Ανάγνωσης", φανατικός βιβλιόφιλος, δηλώνει με πικρία ότι η παραδοσιακή του βιβλιοθήκη είναι σαν το φέρετρο του Δράκουλα, που περιέχει το χώμα που τον αναγεννά, και το οποίο πρέπει να κουβαλά μαζί του για να επιβιώσει. Αυτά εν όψει του ζοφερού κατ' αυτόν μέλλοντος όπου τα βιβλία θα συμπιέζονται σε ένα cd και θα αποκλείσουν την ερωτική σχέση με τον αναγνώστη τους. Από την άλλη, ο κριτικός βιβλίων Πήτερ Κόνραντ, είναι πιο αισιόδοξος λέγοντας ότι η ανάγνωση είναι τελετουργία της αναγέννησης που αναζωογονεί τόσο αυτόν που τα διαβάζει, όσο δίνει νέα ζωή σε παλιά βιβλία. Πατήστε εδώ για το άρθρο.
Στο βιβλίο του Στόκερ, ο Δράκουλας κατέχει μια πλούσια βιβλιοθήκη, στην οποία βρίσκει καταφύγιο και παρηγοριά ο δύστυχος Τζόναθαν Χάρκερ, τις ημέρες της ομηρίας του.

Posted by the Greek Library

Ritual of re-birth of the nations could be interpreted the decision took by Germans, Hungarians, and Romanians in nineteenth-century in Transylvania (now in Romania but then a province of Hungary). All of them attributed special importance to research collections in the creation of their political nations. This study traces the development of the most important repositories of the respective nations: the Germans' Brukenthal Museum, the Hungarians' Transylvanian Museum Society, and the Romanians' Astra. These institutions arose as hybrid museum-libraries and even included archives. Despite this common conception, they developed differently due to the nature of their constituencies, the growing professionalization of libraries, museums, and archives, and political change within Hungary and Romania.

Μιλώντας για αναγέννηση, αξίζει να σημειωθεί ότι η αφύπνιση των εθνών τον 19ο αιώνα ανέτρεξε στις ιστορικές πηγές και τις συλλογές μουσείων για την τεκμηρίωση των διεκδικήσεών τους. (Η Τρανσυλβανία τότε ήταν επαρχία της Ουγγαρίας). Το αποτέλεσμα ήταν να ιδρυθούν οργανισμοί υβριδικοί ανάμεσα σε μουσεία και βιβλιοθήκες, που περιείχαν βέβαια και πηγές και χρησίμευαν σα βάσεις δεδομένων για τις εθνότητες (μειονότητες;) που αργότερα άλλαξαν υπηκοότητα. Αν και άρχισαν με το ίδιο όραμα, η Γερμανία, η Ουγγαρία και η Ρουμανία πήραν τελικά διαφορετικές κατευθύνσεις, που υπαγόρευσαν οι πολιτικές αλλαγές και τα κατά τόπους καθεστώτα.

Dracula's influence.Part 3. Dance.

“unless my senses deceive me, the old centuries had, and have, powers of their own which mere a modernity' cannot kill.”
Indeed, as we've seen, there is a wide influence of the myth of Dracula, and dance doesn't make exception.

Below you can see some recorded perfomance of the well known balet companies.

I collect with vodpod

A Greek ballet on Dracula by Dimitri Papaioannou, chief choreographer of the Athens 2004 Olympics (click here for a 10minute dansing Greek history timeline). Forceful and full of symbolic meanings, it invites you to see things “between the lines”, into the deeper realm of the shadows of the human soul.Dracula, as danse itself is universal. Από τις πιο δυνατές παραστάσεις του Δράκουλα, το ομώνυμο μπαλέτο του Δημήτρη Παπαϊωάννου, γνωστού από τις τελετές του Αθήνα 2004, καλεί το θεατή να διαβάσει ανάμεσα στις γραμμές, τις κινήσεις και τους συμβολισμούς της χορογραφίας, και να καταδυθεί στα σκοτάδια της ανθρώπινης ψυχής. Ο χορός, όπως ο ήρωας του Στόκερ, έχουν διαμεθοριακή και διαχρονική ισχύ.

Greek-Romanian historical links

"There is hardly a foot of soil in all this region that has not been enriched with the blood of men, patriots or invaderrs". Dracula, chaper 3

In 1913, July 28th, the Bucarest Treaty was the first epilogue to the Balcan Wars. Greece and Romania fought on the same side in two Wars against different opponents, that changed the Balcan map and forbode World War 1. Click here for more and here for history-lover's Pericles work in Greek. Many thanks to Vaggelis for his assistance.

Σαν σήμερα το 1913 υπογράφτηκε η συνθήκη του Βουκουρεστίου, που έβαλε τέλος στους Βαλκανικούς Πολέμους, όπου Ρουμανία και Ελλάδα πολέμησαν εναντίον κοινών εχθρών, αλλά προανήγγειλαν τον Πρώτο Παγκόσμιο Πόλεμο. Για την εργασία του Περικλή στον Δεύτερο Βαλκανικό, που αφορά τις συνεργάτιδες χώρες μας, πατήστε εδώ. Ευχαριστούμε τον Βαγγέλη για την πολύτιμη αρωγή του.

Dracula's Diary

Vaggelis Fotiadis, 18, took up our Romanian colleague’s suggestion and wrote a few pages from Dracula's diary. No dates -the Count is Timeless- no gruesome details -he remains a nobleman, despite being a villain. Click on the picture to see the diary in Greek. This is the Library translation:

Σελίδες από το ημερολόγιο του Δράκουλα, από το Βαγγέλη Φωτιάδη. Πατήστε στην εικόνα για το κείμενο στα ελληνικά.

"My name is Vlad Tepes and this is my story. I have been blessed or cursed, with what humans call immortality. Why mortals wish for it is beyond my comprehension. I cannot deny it is a privelege to be able to watch the beginning and the end of others. But what would these vain people say if they experienced TIME as I do? Their poor minds simply cannot conceive the notion of this “gift”.
Once, when I too was wrapped in my mortal coil I could not forsee what was in store for me. I can still see my beloved materializing from specks of dust in the moonlight only to vanish as I reach for her. I too have loved. I was happy by human measures. Now the loneliness is insufferable. It is the price to pay for eternal existence.
.....
On the ship
Is there anyone out there able enough to understand a creature like myself? Can I hope for some feeling of sympathy for my plight except the loathing I am doomed to arise in others? I have crossed the river of Time with success by nowhere have I found happiness. Nothing can relieve my entrapped soul except precious blood that allows me to linger on until my next meal. People hate me for it.
....
In London
Yes, I must suffer the hatred of my inferiors, I, Vlad Tepes, a knignt of the order of Dracul! But would my enemies destroy an animal simply for hunting down and killing its prey, as it is in its nature to do? People like Van Helsing and his ridiculous lot make me angry. No! Furious is the word.
......
Back at my homeland
I have been the cause of utmost misery to other humans. But I only give what was offered to me. Many are the moments I have pondered on my own existence. Am I still here as a mere whim of Fortune?
Sometimes I wish someone would release me from my undeathness. Only then could I find peace."

Dracula's influence. Part 2. E-games

Nowadays Dracula and his kind, the Vampires have become part of all kinds of entertainment. It’s only natural that videogames would include these characters. There’s a whole series of games based on the Dark Lord’s Legend, where there is at least one vampire or a creature with vampiric powers e.g. the Vampiric Lion in every RPG –Role Playing Game- edition.
A legend among these games is Vampire-the Masquerade. Though I have never actually played it, I’ve read the best comments about it in books and magazines about games and also vampires.
The series that rotates round the legend of Count Dracula is Castlevania. In this game there are enough similarities and differences to write a small book. Yet, I’ll try to be as curt as I can.
Dracula is the fiend that will have abducted or killed a young woman. He transforms only in the ultimate battle. His reformed son, Alucard, who is with the “good guys’ can turn into a wolf, a bat or mist.The areas in the games, such as Subterranean Hell, the Demon Guest House, the Gypsy Village outside the Castle, the Mine of Judgement, the Abyss –the entrance to Hell- are all of close reference to the book. We can easily recognise Dracula’s wherabouts and Johnathan Harker’s dwellings in Transylvania. Dracula can be battled by swords, spears, axes, the holy water and the crusifix. However, he can only be slain by the Vampire Whip. That is why he reappears every hundred years.Technically, the H/P button (Heath/Hit Button) makes it difficult to aim exactly at the opponents neck. So, beheading the fiend is out of the question.
A major difference is the presence of Death, who converses and battles the main hero in every title. Also, areas such as the Garden of Madness, with the carnivorous plants, the Wizard Lab, where mutated creatures are made and a Time-travelling character, bare the influence of our times on the game.
Finally, Dracula’s undeathness, necromancy and above all, untangible mystery has passed on from Stoker’s book to the electronic era.
Costas Papageorgiou, 16

Διαβάστε το κείμενο του Κώστα στα ελληνικά πατώντας τον τίτλο.

St Apostles' fair

In relation to Romania's post yesterday:
One block away from 1o geniko lykeio, there is the church of Agioi Apostoli (Christ's Disciples). The 300-meter-fair on their honour runs in Pindou street, outside our school . A touch of exoticism, sounds, smells and colours attract the crowd's attention. Click on the image to see more photos.
Many thanks to mlemo for the pics

Πατήστε στην εικόνα για να περιηγηθείτε το πανηγύρι των Αγίων Αποστόλων, έξω από το σχολείο μας. Ευχαριστούμε τον mlemo για τις φωτογραφίες.

ST PETER & PAUL'S DAY DRIVES THE WOLVES AWAY!

"Listen to them. The children of the night. What music they make!" (famous Dracula quote)

"All at once the wolves began to howl as though the moonlight had hadsome peculiar effect on them. The horses jumped about and reared, andlooked helplessly round with eyes that rolled in a way painful tosee. But the living ring of terror encompassed them on every side,and they had perforce to remain within it. I called to the coachmanto come [...]How he camethere, I know not, but I heard his voice raised in a tone of imperious command, and looking towards the sound, saw him stand in the roadway.As he swept his long arms, as though brushing aside some impalpable obstacle, the wolves fell back and back further still. Just then aheavy cloud passed across the face of the moon, so that we were again in darkness." Dracula, chapter 11

[1] June 29th: Saint Peter of the summer (The celebration of wolves) - Saints Peter and Pavel stay on the moon, one on the right and the other on the left side. St. Peter is the keeper of the keys from the Heaven gate and rooms. He is also God’s right hand. Peter is the one who commands the hail and he is the patron of the farmers.Saints Peter and Pavel celebration lasts for three days. A legend goes that once upon a time, while the saints walked on the earth, they entered a pub. A lot of people partied in there and they convinced the saints join them. After they had danced and partied, the two saints realized they didn’t like it and they decided to punish the people for having attracted them in their party. So the saints decided that people should fast on their day.The glow-worms appear on St. Peter’s day. These are the sparks fallen on the earth after the saint whips. St. Peters send the glow-worms in order to guide the one who are lost in the woods.The dead ones are remembered on this day, which is also celebrated for keeping the wolves away from the cattle

.29 iunie: San-Petru de Vara (Sarbatoarea lupilor) - Sfintii Petru si Pavel stau pe luna, de-o parte si de alta a acesteia. Sf. Petru este detinatorul cheilor de la poarta si de la incaperile Raiului, dar si mana dreapta a lui Dumnezeu. Petru este cel care stapaneste piatra, grindina si este patronul agricultorilor.Sarbatoarea sfintilor Petru si Pavel se tine timp de trei zile.O legenda spune ca odata, in timp ce sfintii se aflau pe pamant, au intrat intr-o carciuma. Au gasit acolo o multime de oameni in mijlocul unei petreceri si s-au alaturat si ei jocului. Dupa ce au obosit, si-au dat seama ca nu le-a placut si, pentru a-i pedepsi pe oamenii care i-au facut sa petreaca, au hotarat ca de ziua lor sa se posteasca.La Sanpetru de vara apar licuricii. Acestia sunt de fapt scanteile cazute pe pamant dupa ce sfantul plesneste din biciul sau. Sf. Petru trimite licuricii pentru a-i indruma pe cei pierduti in padure.In aceasta zi se fac pomeni pentru cei morti (Mosii de Sanpetru).Oamenii respecta ziua Sf. Petru si pentru a tine lupii departe de animale.


Anka's and Alexandra's work.

Θαυμάσιες ρουμανικές λαογραφικές διηγήσεις για την Ημέρα των Αγίων Πέτρου και Παύλου.
Πιστεύεται ότι οι Άγιοι κάθονται στο φεγγάρι, δεξιά και αριστερά. Ο Πέτρος έχει και τα κλειδιά του Παραδείσου. Από το χτύπημα του μαστιγίου του βγαίνουν πυγολαμπίδες για να βλέπει ο κόσμος μέσα στο δάσος τη νύχτα. Η νηστεία της ημέρας ανάγεται στην εποχή που οι Άγιοι περπατούσαν ανάμεσα στους ανθρώπους, και μπήκαν σε ένα καπηλειό, όπου προσκλήθηκαν να γλεντήσουν. Οι ακρότητες όμως των θαμώπων τους δυσαρέστησαν και έκτοτε επέβαλαν νηστεία κάθε τέτοια μέρα. Οι εορτασμοί στη Ρουμανία κρατάνε τρεις μέρες. Επίσης είναι μέρα μνήμης των νεκρών, όπου θεωρείται ότι οι λύκοι κρατιούνται μακριά από τα κοπάδια.

Ο Κόμης ορίζει τα νυχτόβια ζώα με την ίδια ευκολία που διαφεντεύει τα στοιχεία της φύσεως. Ένας ήμερος λύκος του ζωολογικού κήπου, γίνεται όργανό του για να εισβάλει στο σπίτι της Λούσυ και να την δαγκώσει.

The Count reigns upon the animals of the night as well as nature's forces. See how tame the wolf he used to enter Lucy's bedroom really is:

"That 'ere wolf what we called Bersicker was one of three grayones that came from Norway to Jamrach's, which we boughtoff him four years ago. He was a nice well-behaved wolf,that never gave no trouble to talk of. I'm more surprisedat 'im for wantin' to get out nor any other animile in the place. But, there, you can't trust wolves no more nor women."

Αξίζει να σημειωθεί ότι πριν "καταληφθεί" από το πνεύμα του κακού, ο μεγάλος λύκος του ζωολογικού κήπου είχε χαρακτηριστεί από τον φύλακα "ένα ζώο ήρεμο που δε δημιουργούσε προβλήματα". Αυτό σε ένα κείμενο του 1897, πολύ πριν απενοχοποιηθεί ο κακός λύκος των παραμυθιών. Η σκηνή που επιτίθεται στη μάνα και κόρη αποτελεί μακρινό απόηχο των γερμανικών λαογραφικών παραδόσεων (βλ. Κοκκινοσκουφίτσα)

MINA'S typewriter!

"That is a wonderful machine,but it is cruelly true. It told me, in its very tones, the anguish of your heart. It was like a soul crying out to Almighty God. No one must hear them spoken ever again! See, I have tried to be useful. I have copied out the words on my typewriter, and none other need now hear your heart beat, as I did."
Dracula, chapter 17
A while ago we found an unexpected vintage item in the school's basement. A ROYAL 10 typing machine! Students removed Time's dusty traces from it, took pictures and navigated to find more. This heavy american-made machine was so strong, they used to throw it in crates from airplanes to prove it doesn't break! Read all about it here. Although the make goes back to 1914 as a termimus post quem, we like to see it as Mina's typing machine in our library!

Την άνοιξη ανακαλύψαμε τυχαία στο υπόγειο του σχολείου τη θαυμάσια αντίκα της φωτογραφίας. Μια γραφομηχανή ROYAL 10 με την παλιά ταινία της ακόμα κουλουριασμένη. Οι μαθητές αφαίρεσαν με προσοχή τα σημάδια του χρόνου, τη φωτογράφησαν, έρχονταν να την περιεργαστούν και έψαξαν στο Ίντερνετ για πληροφορίες. Ήταν τόσο ανθεκτική, που την έριχναν για επίδειξη σε κιβώτια από τα αεροπλάνα και δεν έσπαγε! Αν και η πρώτη κατασκευάστηκε στην Αμερική το 1914, θέλουμε να την βλέπουμε σαν τη γραφομηχανή της Μίνα από το Δράκουλα. Περισσότερα εδώ.

WebQuest

e-learning has become more than usual in modern life, so I decided to try to adapt a specific WebQuest to our specific needs and to use it.
This is the link. It was impossible to find out a free hosting so...I used a different medium. Hope it will be on your taste.

WORLD DAY FOR BLOOD DONATION

Blood is a key word in the novel we are reading.

In a gothic novel such as Bram's Stoker's Dracula it is the substance for eternal life.

In the real world blood donation is a simple way to save a life.

Click on the image to see how Albanian-born Aris's poster has become a multi-languange message for blood donation.

Το αίμα, λέξη-σύμβολο μέσα στο μυθιστόρημα του Μπραμ Στόουκερ, είναι κομιστής ζωής, αθανασίας, ερωτισμού αλλά και μεταδοτικων ασθενειών.

Σήμερα, Παγκόσμια Ημέρα Αιμοδοσίας, το αίμα γίνεται πηγή ζωής και σύμβολο ανθρωπισμού. Ο Άρης, μέλος της Αναγνωστικής Λέσχης έφτιαξε τη σχετική αφίσα. Πατώντας επάνω, βλέπετε την εκδοχή της στα αγγλικά, ρουματικά και ελληνικά.

George is studying for his exams. In a break he drawed this for us...

"The blood is the life!"- Bram Stoker, Chapter 11, Dracula

Dracula's influence. Part 1. Vampirism

ΒΑΜΠΙΡΙΣΜΟΣ

ΤΙ ΕΙΝΑΙ
Είναι η αντίληψη ενός ανθρώπου ότι είναι βαμπίρ , κατά συνέπεια ότι χρειάζεται ανθρώπινο αίμα για να επιβιώσει.. Ως κίνημα εμφανίστηκε στην Ευρώπη αλλά κυρίως στην Αμερική τον 21ο αιώνα.
Βαμπίρ συνήθως δηλώνουν νέοι από 14 ετών αλλά και ενήλικες . Είναι συχνά άτομα περιθωριοποιημένα που νιώθουν διαφορετικά και πολλές φορές κατώτερα . Έχουν την ανάγκη να νιώσουν ξεχωριστά , μέλη μιας μυστικής κοινωνίας . Συχνά είναι οπαδοί παιχνιδιών και ταινιών με ανάλογο θέμα .
ΤΙ ΣΥΜΒΟΛΙΖΕΙ
Το βαμπίρ είναι σύμβολο εξουσίας , σεξουαλικότητας και σαγήνης . Το άτομο που επιθυμεί να έχει αυτά τα προσόντα υιοθετώντας την ταυτότητα του βαμπίρ νιώθει ότι τα αποκτά .
Η αιμοποσία συμβολίζει την κυριαρχία σε ένα άτομο – θύμα , αλλά και την οικειότητα ανάμεσα στους «μαύρους κύκνους» δηλαδή ένα ζευγάρι βαμπίρ που ανταλλάζουν αίμα ως μέρος του τελετουργικού ζευγαρώματος .
ΜΕΘΟΔΟΙ ΑΦΑΙΜΑΞΗΣ
Τα βαμπίρ χρησιμοποιούν σακοράφες η μικρά ξυράφια για να κάνουν εγκοπές μικρού μήκους σε εκόντες φίλους η συντρόφους . Ωστόσο έχουν υπάρξει καταγεγραμμένα περιστατικά ατόμων με ψυχικές διαταραχές που έχουν διαπράξει φόνους με σκοπό την αφαίμαξη και δηλώνουν βαμπίρ .

Τα παραπάνω είναι απόδοση του ντοκιμαντέρ «ΒΑΜΠΙΡΙΣΜΟΣ» που προβλήθηκε από τον ραδιοτηλεοπτικό σταθμό ΣΚΑΙ της ελληνικής τηλεόρασης το Σαββάτο 31 Μαΐου στις 00.30.
Αντώνης Θεοφυλακτίδης, Β1, μέλος Βιβλιοθήκης

Vampirism
Library member Antonis Theofylaktidis watched a documentary on Greek TV and wrote a summary for our project:
What is Vampirism:
It is a person’s belief that they are vampires, and that they need human blood to survive. As a social phenomenon it appeared in Europe and the USA in the 21st century.
Mainly 14-year-old teenagers declare to be vampires not excepting adult men and women. They usually are rejected people with an inferiority complex, who feel different than others.They need to feel special, they need to belong to a mystical society. They are usually fans of Dracula films or Vampire e-games.
What does it symbolize:
The vampire is a symbol of power, of sexuality and seduction. By identifying with a Vampire, the individual feels he adopts these traits.
Blood-drinking symbolizes the domination of the victim, but also the sense of familiarity shared among “black-swans” i.e. a pair of vampires who exchange blood as part of their lovemaking.
Blood-draining techniques:
Big needles of razors are used to make small cuts on willing partners. There have, however, been cases of disturbed people who call themselves Vampires and have committed murders in order to drink their victims’ blood.

CE este Vampirismul?:
Este credinta ca exista vampiri, si ca ei au nevoie de sange omenesc pentru a supravietui. Ca fenomen social a aparut in Europa si Statele Unite in secolul 21.
Majoritatea adolescentilor declara faca exceptie ca exista vampire. In general acestia sunt persoane ce au dezvoltat un complex de inferioritate si se simt respinsi de ceilalti pe motiv ca sunt diferiti. Ei trebuie sa se simta speciali, sa apartina unei societati mistice. Sunt de obicei fani ai filmelor cu Dracula sau a jocurilor e-games.
Ce simbolizeaza?
Vampirul este simbolul puterii, al sexualitatii si seductiei. Individul care se identifica cu un vampir pare sa adopte trasaturile acestuia.
A bea sangele victimei simbolizeaza de fapt, dominatia acesteia, dar in acelasi timp si familiaritatea pe care o impartasesc “lebedele negre”, o pereche de vampiri care schimba sange ca parte a ritualului lor erotic.

First of June - children's celebration

"Listen to them, the children of the night. What music they make!" Seeing, I suppose, some expression in my face strange to him, he added,"Ah, sir, you dwellers in the city cannot enter into the feelings of the hunter." (from Jonathan Harker's Journal Continued - Chapter 2)



In the First of June we celebrate in Romania, the Children day. It is in the same time an invitation to remember the magic of the Childhood’s fairy tales.
In Targoviste – there is a festival of the living dolls. You can also admire the results of the graffiti competition in which an important represented was the figure of Vlad the Impaler and his habit, impaling....


© Pictures taken by our students

Treasure from Romania

Not long ago we sent our frienship gifts to Romania.

Among others were included:

1. A silver boat for you to visit us.

2. A mask so that you can see our true face behind it

3. Old (drachme) and new greek coins (euro) to see both sides of things and the old and new element.

4. Bookmarks, so that you always find your way in our common books.

5. The school newspaper

6. Gadgets from the National Book Center of Greece

7. A documentary about our town called The Mourning Rock

8. Dracula teeth, worn in the Greek Carnival, were people dress-up.

9. A hand-made card with a wreath of branches from our schoolyard's trees.

(Suggestions and symbolism by the Greek Reading Club)

All things have a symbolic meaning and are related to our book.

Yesterday we received a parcel from ION GHICA Colegiul Economic.

To our delight it contained a Treasure from Romania. The handwritten letter read:

"Dear friends,

thank you fro your gifts and we hope you enjoy what we sent you.

The bracelets are made with our very hands in the colors of the Romanian flag. Alexandra made a doll from a wooden spoon and we hope it will put you a smile upon your faces. The rings represent the connection between Romania and Greece.

We wanted to stick to the theme so we bought lots of things about Dracula.

Best wishes

Diana, Anea, Denisa, Alexandra, Mihaela, Alina, Ioana and Ms Carmen"

You can see from the photo, that it did put a smile on our faces, Alexandra!

Our members are wearing your bracelets.

We cannot thank you enough for the treasure!

Οι συνεργάτες αντάλλαξαν μέσα στο Μάιο πακέτα με δώρα διαλεγμένα από τα μέλη των Αναγνωστικών Λεσχών, ώστε να έχουν συμβολική σημασία π.χ. ένα καραβάκι όχι μόνο θυμίζει το ταξίδι του Δράκουλα στην Αγγλία αλλά αποτελεί πρόσκληση για Ελλάδα, τα νομίσματα παραπέμπουν στο θησαυρό του Δράκουλα αλλά δείχνουν το παλιό και το νέο, που αποτελεί και θέμα του βιβλίου, κ.ο.κ. Από τη Ρουμανία λάβαμε ολόκληρο θησαυρό με αναμνηστικά του Targoviste. Τα δακτυλίδια είναι ο σύνδεσμος μεταξύ μας, και οι μαθητές μας ήδη φοράνε τα χειροποίητα βραχιόλια στα χρώματα της Ρουμανικής σημαίας!

On the left, Muslum is trying the yo-yo you sent!

Αριστερά, ο Μουσλούμ δοκιμάζει το πάντα δημοφιλές γιο-γιο. Τα δώρα από τη Ρουμανία είναι αντικείμενα θαυμασμού από καθηγητές και μαθητές, και φέρνουν κόσμο στη Βιβλιοθήκη.

May 21: Constantine Starling (Constantine of the Chickens)

In Dracula there are not excerpts related to this day, but we wouldn't pass over because we had celebrate our twiners - Helen and Costas. So I insert this post especially because in Romania has a special meaning - the bird which is teaching their sons to fly. I think the image is relevant for what is happens between teacher and their students.


May 21: Constantine Starling (Constantine of the Chickens)
Saints Constantine and Helen celebration from the Orthodox calendar coincides in the folk tradition with the moment when it is believed that the birds teach the chicken how to fly. Constantine Starling is the patron of the forest birds. People don’t work on his day, being afraid of the birds which damage the crops.
This is generally the last day when corn, oat and millet are seeded.

Η ημέρα των ισαποστόλων Κων/νου και Ελένης, είναι για τη Ρουμανία η ημέρα των Πτηνών. Απαγορεύεται το κυνήγι τους, γιατί θεωρείται ότι μαθαίνουν τα μικρά τους να πετάνε. (Πολύ ωραίος ο παραλληλισμός της ρουμάνας μαθήτριας στα σχόλια με τη διδασκαλία και το άνοιγμα των φτερών των μαθητών). Στην Ελλάδα έχουμε τα αναστενάρια, για τα οποία παραπέμπουμε στο Ίντερνετ. Ευχαριστούμε τους συνεργάτες μας για τις ευχές τους!

21 Mai: Constantin Graur (Constandinu Puilor)
Sarbatoarea Sfintilor Constantin si Elena din calendarul ortodox coincide in traditia populara cu momentul in care se crede ca pasarile isi invata puii sa zboare. Constantin Graur este patronul pasarilor din paduri, iar de ziua sa nu se lucreaza, fiind pericol ca recoltele sa fie distruse de acestea.
Aceasta este de obicei ultima zi in care se mai seamana porumb, ovaz si mei.

" On 19 of May he put me to write some letters for my friends...." HERE THE excerpt that anticipate the next month celebrations...


ANASTENARIA (Firewalking)







Library post:
Up north in Greece, in Salonica and Serres, people celebrate St Constantine's and Eleni's Day by Firewalking. After praying and preparing mentally, they tred on fire without getting burnt. This is no hoax or hysterical behaviour. People actually believe the saints preserve them from fire. "Anastenaria" means to sigh during the process. More about the custom here.

Διαβάστε για αναστενάρια με την ευκαιρία της γιορτής των Αγίων Κων/νου και Ελένης εδώ.

Listen to today's entry in Greek

Today is the part where, by the book, the captive Johnathan Harker watches Dracula climb outside the tower window, downwards, like a lizard. One of the strongest moments of the book that forebodes the unnatural character of the Count.

Πατήστε εδώ για την ανάγνωση του αποσπάσματος όπου ο Δράκουλας κατεβαίνει από το παράθυρο του πύργου σαν σαύρα! Διαβάζει μέλος της Αναγνωστικής μας Λέσχης,
Click here for the passage in Greek by a member of our bookclub!

MOTHERHOOD in DRACULA

"I went to the window and looked out, but could see nothing, except a big bat, which had evidently been buffeting its wings against the window. So I went back to bed again, but determined not to go to sleep. Presently the door opened, and mother looked in. Seeing by my moving thatI was not asleep, she came in and sat by me. She said to me evenmore sweetly and softly than her wont, "I was uneasy about you, darling, and came in to see thatyou were all right." I feared she might catch cold sitting there, and asked her to come in and sleep with me, so she came into bed, and laydown beside me." From Lucy Westerna's memorandum. Click here for the ecxerpt in Greek.

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

Η ευάλωτη κα Ουέστερνα, μητέρα της Λούσυ, είναι παράδειγμα της βικτοριανής ιδανικής μητέρας. Το τέλος της είναι χαρακτηριστικό γοτθικού μυθιστορήματος. Παθαίνει καρδιακή προσβολή βλέποντας το λύκο να επιτίθεται ακολουθώντας τις επιταγές του Δράκουλα. Μητέρα και κόρη παραμένουν ενωμένες στον τρόμο. Η μητέρα στην Ρουμανία γιορτάζεται μαζί με την ημέρα της Γυναίκας, στις 7 Μαρτίου.

Anecdotes

Diana has searched and collected some of the ANECDOTES that are almost universal in Vlad Dracula literature.
They include the following:

1.The Golden Cup
2.The Burning of the Sick and Poor
3.The Foreign Ambassadors
4.The Foreign Merchant
5.The Lazy Woman
6.The Nobleman with the Keen Sense of Smell
7.Vlad Dracula's Mistress
8.The Polish Nobleman
9.The Two Monks

1. Vlad Dracula was known throughout his land for his fierce insistence on honesty and order. Thieves seldom dared practice their trade within his domain, for they knew that the stake awaited any who were caught. Vlad was so confident in the effectiveness of his law that he laced a golden cup on display in the central square of Tirgoviste. The cup was never stolen and remained entirely unmolested throughout Vlad Dracula's reign.

2. Vlad Dracula was very concerned that all his subjects work and contribute to the common welfare. He once notice that the poor, vagrants, beggars and cripples had become very numerous in his land. Consequently, he issued an invitation to all the poor and sick in Wallachia to come to Tirgoviste for a great feast, claiming that no one should go hungry in his land. As the poor and crippled arrived in the city they were ushered into a great hall where a fabulous feast was prepared for them. The guests ate and drank late into the night. Vlad himself then made an appearance and asked them, "What else do you desire? Do you want to be without cares, lacking nothing in this world?" When they responded positively Vlad ordered the hall boarded up and set on fire. None escaped the flames. Vlad explained his action to the boyars by claiming that he did this "in order that they represent no further burden to other men, and that no one will be poor in my realm."
Source: http://www.donlinke.com/drakula/vlad.htm#Anecdotes
You can read entire document following this LINK

Ο Βλαντ Τέπες Ντράκουλα ήταν ένα πολύ σκληρό άτομο. Παλούκωνε και ακρωτηρίαζε άτομα για λόγους που θα φαίνονταν παράλογοι ή αμελητέοι., όπως όταν κατέκαψε την αίθουσα όπου είχε συγκεντρώσει τους φτωχούς και τους ζητιάνους στην προσπάθειά του να δημιουργήσει το τέλειο κράτος. Αν και διοικούσε το λαό του με μεγάλη αποτελεσματικότητα, χρησιμοποιούσε το φόβο των ανθρώπων για την επίτευξη της τάξης. Από την άλλη πλευρά, όμως, αντάμοιβε τους έντιμους ανθρώπους, πράγμα που δείχνει και την δίκαιη πλευρά του. Τον θεωρώ μια πολύ σημαντική και ενδιαφέρουσα προσωπικότητα, γιατί είναι αντιφατικός μιας και μπορεί να φανεί τόσο σκληρός, όσο και δίκαιος. Κώστας Παπαγεωργίου, 16

Let's chat about FEAR!

Today's chat with Targoviste was about Fear. Here are some of the questions to bear in mind. Σήμερα μιλήσαμε με τους συνεργάτες μας πάνω στο φόβο. Μερικά ερωτήματα πάνω στο θέμα:
1. Why do people love horror films? Γιατί ο κόσμος αρέσκεται στις ταινίες τρόμου; DE CE le plac oamenilor filmele horror?
2. What is your worst fear? Τι φοβάστε περισσότερο; Care este cea mai mare frica a voastra?
3. Why are people afraid of the dead? Γιατί οι περισσότεροι άνθρωποι φοβούνται τους νεκρούς; DE CE se tem oamenii de moarte?
4. Which part of Dracula is the more horrific? Ποιο σημείο του βιβλίου θεωρείτε πιο τρομακτικό; Care parte din Dracula vi se pare mai inspaimantatoare?
Also to be concidered Ακόμα:
5. Are there "real" and "unreal" fears? What does your fear stand for? Υπάρχουν πραγματικοί και πλαστοί φόβοι; Τι συμβολίζουν οι δεύτεροι; Putem spune ca frica este reala sau ireala? Ce anume face ca temerea voastra sa supravietuiasca?
6. Who profits from people's fear? Ποιος έχει να κερδίσει από το φόβο των ανθρώπων; CINE profita de pe urma temerilor noastre?

We chatted in English, Greek, Romanian and really had fun!
Click here for a basic Romanian vocabulary and here for a Greek one!
Fear. It's the monster lurking deep inside the labyrinth of everyone's mind. You keep it in the darkness but you have to confront it, to understand it. Only then can you liberate yourself from it.
Andonis Theophylactidis' , 17, bookpresentation of dr Riemman's "Grundformenn der Angst". Click here to read it.
Φόβος. Είναι ο Μινώταυρος στο λαβύρινθο της ψυχής μας. Τον κρύβουμε, τον αποφεύγουμε αλλά μόνο όταν τον αντιμετωπίσουμε, θα τον κατανοήσουμε και θα απελευθερωθούμε.
Βιβλιοπαρουσίαση του Αντώνη Θεοφυλακτίδη, 17, στην "Τετραλογία του Φόβου" του Φριτς Ρίμαν. Πατήστε εδώ.

The day it all began!

On May 3rd, a young aspiring sollicitor named Johnathan Harker travels to Romania to meet count Dracula on business. On meeting the mysterious Count, he will encounter Evil personnified and will embark on an whirlpool adventure that will put him and his beloved to the ultimate test. This is how one of the most famous books of Gothic literature starts. Bram Stoker's Dracula has influenced twentieth century culture with its strong archetypical characters and hidden meanings. Click here for a slideshow with the classic Dracula bookcovers. Find out what else happened today in our comments!
Ο Δράκουλας, το κλασικό βιβλίο του Ιρλανδού Μπραμ Στόκερ, ανοίγει στην σημερινή ημερομηνία, όπως γράφει στο ημερολόγιό του ο νεαρός συμβολαιογράφος Τζόναθαν Χάρκερ, που ταξιδεύει στη Ρουμανία για να προωθήσει την αγορά ακινήτου στην Αγγλία από τον μυστηριώδη κόμη Δράκουλα. Έτσι αρχίζει το πιο διάσημο βιβλίο της λογοτεχνίας τρόμου, που είχε τόση επιρροή στον εικοστό αιώνα και ακόμα απασχολεί με τα αρχέτυπα και τους συμβολισμούς του. Πατήστε εδώ για μερικά κλασικά εξώφυλλα του βιβλίου.

Dracula key words. Let us unlock the text!

Book reference: "Just as I had come to this conclusion I heard a heavy step approaching behind the great door, and saw through the chinks the gleam of a coming light. Then there was the sound of rattling chains and the clanking of massive bolts drawn back. A key was turned with the loud grating noise of long disuse, and the great door swung back." Johnathan Harker's journal, continued (chapter 2)
AND WHO DO YOU THINK WILL APPEAR BEHIND THAT GREAT DOOR?
Superstition, fear, vampire, transfusion, eternity, desire, friendship, loyalty, faith, death, soil, egotism.
Some of the key words sought in the online dictionary by Christina Kanellopoulou, B class. Click here to see the definitions and hear their pronunciation.
Please add your own key-words, so we can discuss them in our chat.

Local costumes and customs. Dracula's kitchen

Book reference:
"At every station there were groups of people, sometimes crowds, and in all sorts of attire. Some of them were just like the peasants at home or those I saw coming through France and Germany, with short jackets, and round hats, and home-made trousers; but others were very picturesque.



The women looked pretty [...] They had all full white sleeves of some kind or other, and most of them had big belts with a lot of strips of something fluttering from them like the dresses in a ballet, but of course there were petticoats under them.
The strangest figures we saw were the Slovaks, who were more barbarian than the rest, with their big cow-boy hats, great baggy dirty-white trousers, white linen shirts, and enormous heavy leather belts, nearly a foot wide, all studded over with brass nails. They wore high boots, with their trousers tucked into them, and had long black hair and heavy black moustaches. They are very picturesque, but do not look prepossessing." Johnathan Harker's diary.


The folkloric element is apparent in the first chapters of Dracula. Costumes, food and customs are mentioned. Can you tell the difference between Greek and Romanian traditional costumes in the photos? Hint: The hat gives away the Transylvanian folk!
Yesterday was Easter Day and it is customary in Greece to have folklore dances in such attires.



DRACULA'S KITCHEN
"The wine was Golden Mediasch, which produces a queer sting on the tongue, which is, however, not disagreeable." Dracula, chapter 1.

"This man, Johnathan, is certainly a gourmet" remarked Nancy from the Greek Reading Club. "All he is interested in writing in his diary is what dishes he tasted". Ah, yes. But the scenery gradually becomes gothic during the long hours of sinister hospitality in Count Dracula's castle.
Back at the inn, Johnathan tasted the Transylvanian cuisine. The girls from Targoviste showed us that traditional dishes remain the same from Stoker's time. Click here to see their "succulent" work.
"Αυτός ο Τζόναθαν, όλο τρώει. Δεν τον ενδιαφέρει τίποτε άλλο στο ημερολόγιό του" ήταν η αρχική αντίδραση της Νάνσυ στην Ελευσίνα. Αργότερα, θα δηλώσει ότι πράγματι η κανονικότητα του ταξιδευτή ανατρέπεται με την απίστευτη έκβαση της ιστορίας στο κάστρο του κόμη Δράκουλα. Ήταν όμως μια ευκαιρία να ζητήσουμε και να πάρουμε πληροφορίες από τις φίλες μας στην Τρανσυλβανία για την τοπική κουζίνα. Πατήστε εδώ για να δείτε πόσο λίγο άλλαξαν τα πράγματα από την εποχή που γράφτηκε το μυθιστόρημα του Στόκερ (1897)

GARLIC: drives away vampires and toothache!
"Garlic Remedy
1 garlic clove Place a slice of peeled garlic to the affected tooth to ease the pain. Or cut a clove in half and hold one piece on each side of a tooth that is aching. A folk remedy using garlic asks for holding a peeled garlic clove in the bend of each knee. If you have delicate skin, wrap the cloves in a soft cloth. Also, loose teeth may be made tight again by rinsing the mouth morning and evening with a good strong garlic tea" More of the Romanian team's work here!

Nancy, from the Greek team found the recipe for the ever-popular skordalia, the greek garlic sauce that drives vampires, as well as everybody else away!

Σκόρδο: Το παρεξηγημένο φάρμακο

Η ομάδα της Ρουμανίας βρήκε συνταγές ξεχασμένες για την ίαση του πονόδοντου ή τη στοματική υγιεινή με τη χρήση ωμού σκόρδου. Πατήστε εδώ. Η Νάνσυ κοινοποιεί τη συνταγή της δημοφιλέστατης στη χώρα μας σκορδαλιάς, αποτρεπτικής όχι μόνο απέθαντων, αλλά και των ζωντανών που περιστοιχίζουν όποιον τη φάει!

Striving against Evil

On Good Thursday, we paint our easter eggs red, for the blood Christ shed for humanity, just as in Romania. In a couple of hours the churchbells will ring sadly, as the Holy Bible is read about the cruxifiction.
Here is the Dracula excerpt of the day:
“…we bear our Cross, as His Son did in obedience to His Will. It may be that we are chosen instruments of His good pleasure, and that we ascend to His bidding as that other through stripes and shame. Through tears and blood. Through doubts and fear, and all that makes the difference between God and man."Van Helsing's bad english doesn't shadow the christian forebearance he prompts Mina and Johnathan to show in their darkest hour: that of hunting count Dracula on his own grounds in Romania.
What are the "good guys'" other weapons against evil?

Μεγάλη Πέμπτη σήμερα, και στις δύο χώρες βάφουμε τα αβγά κόκκινα σαν ενθύμηση της θυσίας του Χριστού. Σε λίγο θα αρχίσουν να χτυπάνε πένθιμα οι καμπάνες της Ακολουθίας των Παθών. Απόσπασμα από το βιβλίο του Στόκερ: «…φέρουμε τον δικό μας σταυρό, όπως ο Υιός έκανε υπακούοντας τον Πατέρα. Μπορεί να είμαστε τα όργανα της θελήσεώς Του, και έχουμε πάρει τον ανήφορο κατά την εντολή Του, μέσα από τη ντροπή, αίμα και δάκρυα, μέσα από τις αμφιβολίες και το φόβο και ό,τι αποτελεί τη διαφορά μεταξύ Θεού και ανθρώπου.»
Ποια νομίζετε ότι είναι τα όπλα του Βαν Χέλσινγκ και της ομάδας του κατά του κακού;

Happy Easter for our Twinners!!!!

Easter in Romania



Easter in Romania is celebrated according to the rituals of the Eastern Orthodox Church. The Friday before the Easter is called the Great Friday or the Friday of sufferings, as it is the day when Jesus was crucified. On Saturday, people go to church for the midnight mass, taking with them a bowl of Pasca, eggs and steak, where these aliments are blessed by the clergy. On returning home from the mass, people first eat some of the sanctified aliments and only then the rest.

Starting with Holy Thursday, people start painting eggs in a multitude of colors. The predominant color is red, but other colors are also applied - yellow, green, blue and even black. Decorated eggs or 'oua incondeiate' are an integral part of Easter celebration in Romania. The eggs are decorated using a stick of wood.





The special Easter cake, known as Pasca, is baked on Great Thursday. The Pasca can have a round shape (reminding little Jesus' diapers) or a rectangular one (the shape of His grave). The shells of the eggs used for the Pasca are thrown in a river. This action stems from the ancient belief that the shells are taken by the river to the country of the Good People, announcing them the Easter has came.




In some regions (Bucovina, Transylvania), there is a tradition called "the wetting". On Monday morning, the boys take a bucket of water and go to the houses of the unmarried girls. If they found them sleeping, the boys throw water on them. As it is believed that those girls will marry soon, they reward the boys who had wetted them by giving them the most beautiful decorated eggs and Pasca or cake.

ST GEORGE'S DAY

"It is the eve of St. George's Day. Do you not know that to-night, when the clock strikes midnight, all the evil things in the world will have full sway? Do you know where you are going, and what you are going to?" The Romanian peasant-woman's warning goes unheeded by Johnathan Harker, the young lawyer about to meet count Dracula.
Contrary to the book, in which St George's day is on May 5th, the patron saint of Elefsina is celebrated in all Greece on the 23th of April. This year, in order not to coincide with the Passion Week, the nameday is celebrated on Monday after Easter.
Local customs, such as horse races are held in many Greek regions, in honour of the saint. Click .here to see the church of St George in our town

As well as the Greek people, we celebrate in Romania St. George every year at a different day (It depends on Easter day). Here are some excerpts in Romanian and English concerning the Romanian calendar, as mentioned in the book. Romanian team's work.

Wedding - common in Romanian and Greek Orthodox Church

Book reference: Bram Stoker's Dracula, Mina and Jonathan are married by the Anglican wedding ceremony, Jonathan recovering from a brain fever, Mina ecstatic on her marriage, despite the circumstances ""Lucy, the time has come and gone. I feel very solemn, but very,very happy. Jonathan woke a little after the hour, and all was ready, and he sat up in bed, propped up with pillows. He answered his 'I will' firmly and strong. I could hardly speak. My heart was
so full that even those words seemed to choke me."

In Eastern Orthodoxy, marriage is treated as a Sacred Mystery (sacrament), and as an ordination. And, like all ordinations, it is considered to be a martyrdom, as each spouse learns to die to him- or herself for the sake of the other. Like all Mysteries, Orthodox marriage is more than just a celebration of something which already exists: it is the creation of something new, the imparting to the couple of the grace which transforms them from a 'couple' into husband and wife within the Body of Christ.

Unlike Western Christianity, Eastern Orthodox Churches do not consider the sacramental aspect of the marriage to be conferred by the couple themselves. Rather, the marriage is conferred by the action of the Holy Spirit acting through the priest. Furthermore (and again, unlike in the West), no one besides a bishop or priest—not even a deacon—may perform the Sacred Mystery.

The external sign of the marriage is not the exchange of rings (which takes place at the betrothal, not at the marriage); rather, it is the placing of wedding crowns upon the heads of the couple, and their sharing in a "Common Cup" of wine. For this reason, the Orthodox name for the Rite of Marriage is "Crowning". Among the Greeks, the crowns will often be garlands; among the Romanians the crowns will usually be of gold, with an icon of Christ on the groom's crown and the Theotokos (Virgin Mary) on the bride's crown.
These crowns may be joined together by a ribbon. The sharing of the Common Cup is reminiscent of Christ's first miracle at the Wedding at Canna of Galilee, and symbolizes the transformation of their union from a common marriage, as the world knows it, into a sacred union. The wedding is usually performed after the Divine Liturgy, at which the couple will have received Holy Communion. Like all Sacred Mysteries, the bride and the groom must go to Confession before receiving it.
Divorce is discouraged, but sometimes out of economic (mercy) a marriage may be dissolved if there is no hope whatever for a marriage to fulfill even a semblance of its intended sacramental character. A lay member may remarry, if they obtain the blessing of their bishop to do so. However, in such a case, a different ceremony, the Rite of Second Marriage, which is less joyful and more penitential, sober and somber is used. This rite is also much shorter than the full Crowning—and in fact, no crowns are used. A third marriage is very much discouraged. This form is used only when both members of the wedding couple have been previously married, so as not to punish the innocent one.

Superstitions about the UNDEAD in the Balcans

FOLK SONG ABOUT THE UNDEAD BROTHER
Library comment:This is a medieval Greek folksong, about 9th century, showing how old the fables about undead people are in the Balcan area. It is in the school syllabus (A class, 16 year-olds)
It is about a family with ten children. Nine sons and one daughter. It was a very unfortunate family, because a disease happened and all the sons died. Their mother loved her daughter much more than her sons. Someday when the family was still happy, people had came from Babylon in order to take the daughter back to their country as a bride. In the beginning her mother couldn’t give her daughter up to the strangers. One of the sons, Konstandis, promised the mother that whatever happened, he would bring his sister back to her mother. Well, the mother was convinced and then she gave her approval. Then the disease killed the nine sons. Their mother went to the son’s grave, to complain about the promise. Suddenly Konstadis rose from the dead in order to fulfill his promise and he took his sister back to their lonely mother.
Vaggelis Fotiades, C class

Maia Morgenstern, Romania's celebrated actress, is performing along with Greek, Bulgarian, Albanian and Serbian actors the theatrical edition of The Dead Brother's ballad during March and April 2009. "Being Balcan is an intrinsic and important issue" says the actress who participated in Theodor Aggelopoulos's prized Ulysses Gaze and has played Lycistrata for Michalis Kakoyiannis.
The Greek press hailed her as the actress with the international career and the pround Balcan heart.

Το τραγούδι του Νεκρού Αδελφού, η ελληνική εκδοχή του οποίου διδάσκεται στην Α Λυκείου σήμερα, έχει βαλκανικές ρίζες και έχει μελοποιηθεί από τον Θεοδωράκη, ενώ το Μάρτιο και Απρίλιο του 2009 ανεβαίνει στην Αθήνα σε θεατρική διασκευή σε πέντε βαλκανικές γλώσσες. Η σπουδαία Ρουμάνα ηθοποιός Μάγια Μόργκενστερν, "η ηθοποιός με τη διεθνή καριέρα και την περήφανη βαλκανική καρδιά" βεβαιώνει στο περιοδικό Κ της Καθημερινής, 21/3/2009, τεύχος 303, ότι το να είσαι Βαλκάνιος είναι κάτι εξαιρετικά πολύπλοκο και σημαντικό. Η ίδια έχει παίξει τη Λυσιστράτη του Κακογιάννη και έχει συμμετάσχει στο Βλέμμα του Οδυσσέα του Θεόδωρου Αγγελόπουλου.

Greek-Romanian Literary friendship

Nikos Kazantzakis (1883-1957), Panait Istrati (1884-1935)

Kazantzakis and Istrati met during the former’s trip to the Soviet Union in November 1927. Both were social reform enthousiasts, but their different way of seeing it tore them apart.Kazantzakis was too metaphysical, and Istrati took a materialistic view that his friend couldn’t cope with.
A second meeting the following year just widened the gap between them. They continued corresponding, however, and “Don Quixote” was written for Istrati.
Istrati visited Greece shortly after he had met Kazantzakis, to give a lecture on the Bolshevik Revolution, which caused a demonstration in Athens, and resulted in his deportation. During his stay, he visited left-wing patients with tuberculosis in an Athens hospital, being himself a patient, which didn’t go down too well with authorities. He died sick and alone in Bucarest.
Kazantzakis outlived him by 22 years. He mentions Istrati repeatedly in his works.

Here is an excerpt chosen and translated by Costas Papageorgiou, to match the photo of the friends in Athens.

"We entered a restaurant, we sat down. He then took a bottle of oil he wore around his neck as a charm and poured it in his food. Afterwards he took a box of pepper out if his vest pocket and threw in his rich meat soup.
-Oil and pepper, he said licking his lips. Just like Braila!
We dag in our food with an appetite. One by one, Istrati recalled the greek words he knew, clapping his hands like a child, crying:
-Welcome! Welcome back. How have you been?
He kept an eye on his watch. All of a sudden he stood up.
-It’s time to go.
He called for the waiter; he took four bottles of fine Armenian wine, filled his coat pockets with small packs of desserts, overfilled his tobacco box with cigarettes and off we went."
Nikos Kazantakis, A report to Greco

Μπήκαμε σ’ ένα ρεστοράν, καθίσαμε˙ έβγαλε από το λαιμό του, όπου είχε κρεμασμένο, σαν χαϊμαλί, ένα μποτιλάκι λάδι και περέχυσε το φαΐ του. ύστερα έβγαλε από την τσέπη του γιλέκου του ένα κουτάκι πιπέρι κι έριξε μπόλικο στην πηχτή κρεατόσουπα.[…] Φάγαμε με κέφι˙ ο Ιστράτη σιγά σιγά θυμόταν τα ελληνικά του και κάθε τόσο που ανέβαινε από τη μνήμη του μια λέξη χτυπούσε τα παλαμάκια σαν παιδί:
-Καλώς τη! Φώναζε σε κάθε λέξη˙ καλώς τη! Τι μου γίνεσαι;
Νίκος Καζαντζάκης, Αναφορά στον Γκρέκο.

An alarming piece of news!

Here is our own Pericles and Vlad Tepes from madame Tussuad's wax museum.Sent by P. on his summer trip to England.

Η ατμοσφαιρική φωτο είναι από το μουσείο της μαντάμ Τυσσώ στο Λονδίνο. Ποιος φοβάται τον Βλαντ Τέπες;

Greek - Romanian links

Although 400 years apart, they are considered as heroes in their countries. Athanassios Diakos, a Greek freedom fighter, was impaled by the Turks in 1821.
Vlad Tepes, a Romanian prince (Dracula), born 1431,kept the Othoman Turks away from his land. He impaled thousands.
This manner of execution survived in the Balcans for centuries, causing Westerners to consider the area rather barbaric. The notion is echoed in Bram Stoker’s “Dracula”, the book we are reading.

What would you ask Dracula in an interview?

Shall we gather our questions from both groups here, and see what the answers would be!!?

helen karavanidou , 09-03-08, 17:03

The Romanian team asks and the Greek team answers as Dracula
Η Λέσχη Ανάγνωσης της Ρουμανίας παίρνει τη συνέντευξη και η ελληνική Λέσχη απαντά ως Δράκουλας.

1. How old are you really? Ποια είναι η πραγματική σας ηλικία;
I am as old as you can imagine me to be. Είμαι τόσο παλιός, όσο μπορείς να φανταστείς.
2. Do you have any relatives? Έχετε συγγενείς;
My family goes back to the Roman age. My father was Poplius Fabius Draculius and my mother was Sixtina Vampiria. Η οικογένειά μου ήταν ρωμαϊκής καταγωγής. Ο πατέρας μου ήταν ο Πόπλιος Φάβιος Δρακούλιος και η μητέρα μου η Σιστίνα Βαμπίρια.
3. What have you seen in your very long life? Τι έχετε δει στη μακρά ζωή σας;
I have seen what you haven’t and what you will never see.Ό,τι εσείς δεν έχετε ζήσει κι ούτε πρόκειται. Τα πάντα!
4. Why do you suck people’s blood? Γιατί πίνετε το αίμα του κόσμου;
People have hurt me and I take revenge in this fashion. Γιατί, όπως κάποτε με πλήγωσαν εκείνοι, έτσι τους το ανταποδίδω και τους πληγώνω πίνοντας το αίμα τους.
5. Do other vampires exist in the world apart from you? Υπάρχουν άλλοι Δράκουλες εκτός από εσάς;
Probably. There is talk about succubus es and incubuses. But I am quite unique. Μπορεί, αλλά εγώ είμαι μοναδικός.
6. Why do you want to transform other people into vampires, such as yourself?
Γιατί μεταμορφώνετε τον κόσμο σε βαμπίρ;
As a count, I need a court. Για να έχω, με λίγα λόγια, τους δικούς μου ανθρώπους.
7. Do you have any friends in our world? Έχετε φίλους στον δικό μας κόσμο;
You may not believe this, but I do… Μπορεί να μην το πιστέψετε, αλλά έχω.
8. Have you ever fallen in love? Έχετε ερωτευτεί ποτέ;
I am in love with my ego. Έχω ερωτευτεί το εγώ μου.
9. How do you transform a mortal into a vampire? Πώς μεταμορφώνετε έναν άνθρωπο σε βαμπίρ;
It is all in the blood. Δεν θα σας πω ακριβώς…Το μυστικό βρίσκεται στο αίμα…
10. What is your real name? Ποιο είναι το πραγματικό σας όνομα;
Vlad Tepes of the knightly order of Dracul. Βλαντ Τέπες του τάγματος του Δράκου.
11. Is your transformation painful? Είναι επώδυνη η μεταμόρφωσή σας;
I have become used to pain. Now I find it quite refreshing. Στην αρχή ναι αλλά τώρα το συνήθισα. Νιώθω σα να ξαναγεννιέμαι και το απολαμβάνω κάθε φορά.
12. Why do you prefer girls' blood? Γιατί προτιμάτε το αίμα νεαρών γυναικών;
It makes me young and strong again. Με κάνει νέο και δυνατό.
13. Is there any other way to satisfy your thirst for blood? Δεν υπάρχει άλλος τρόπος να ικανοποιήσετε τη δίψα σας για αίμα;
Yes, but I don’t care for it. Ναι, σίγουρα υπάρχει αλλά το μόνο που με ικανοποιεί είναι το αίμα του κόσμου.
14. What is the difference between girls’ and boys’ blood? Ποια είναι η διαφορά στο αίμα ενός αγοριού κι ενός κοριτσιού;
Sweetness vs. fire. Τα κορίτσια έχουν πιο γλυκό αίμα, των αγοριών είναι δυνατή η γεύση του.

Why does a female dracula feed on babies?

Greek answers: The younger the prey, the more they will remain young and beautiful(?)

helen karavanidou , 06-03-08, 13:57


I think that a female Dracula feed on babies because she needs pure and innocent blood that can't affect their human bodies. (by Oanaas)

What does Dracula symbolise?

Dracula symbolizes...(Greek students' answers)
Christina K.(17): The fear imposed by political or social power.
Nancy (16) and Christina F.(17): the isolated unsocial being
Maria (16), Costas (16) and Christina F. (17): the oppression of animal instincts inside us with a vengeance!
Eleni (17): the metaphysical, the unknown
Costas (16): the childish notion of punishment

helen karavanidou , 28-02-08, 17:31


Dracula symbolizes justice in a rough way. It should be give an example for the bad guys to know what will expect them if they want to do something bad.( Oanaas )

Carmen Radulescu , 12-03-2008, 21:10

Survey answers in Greece
14 library members aged 16-18 answered
21% has never seen a Dracula film.

Dracula symbolizes

Evil incarnated 60%
Fear 12%
Afterlife 7%
The metaphysical 7%
The erotic 7%
The upper class’s abuse of power 7%

Why does Dracula still thrill us?

We are charmed by his mystery 50%
We like to feel horror 29 %
He personifies our deepest desires 21%

Find out to what extent our students agree with Dracula commentators here

helen karavanidou , 19-04-2008, 21:46

Other answers from Romanian report Dracula represent the Evil and because of that the subject has been avoided for many persons. He has created a lot of ghost in the people’s mind. True or not, the myth stands up and it is a symbol of Romania. (Albert, 16) This myth scares by the association between the man and the demon. In reality Dracula doesn’t exist but in the people’s imagination he has taken different forms and he has influenced them in a bad way. (Jenny, 16)
All Evil in the world has been embodied in Dracula’s figure, by the reach imagination of the people. This simple name scares and makes your blood boil. When you walk on the street and you see a bat flying from a tree, you are sure it is Dracula. (Diana, 16)
If we consider Dracula as a image of the Evil, not a specific person, certainly we can say that we meet Dracula every day. It is easy to watch the TV, a movie or a news diary for realize that Dracula is everywhere. It represents the negative part of the mankind, which is responsible for the death forces (as Freud named, Thanathos). But, if we consider the circle of life, probably this part of us is paradox ally, a good one, because it allows a resurrection of life after period of time. That’s way Dracula it is represented as a vampire, as a person who is drinking the other’s blood, blood symbolizing the life. (Miruna, 16)
Carmen Radulescu , 13-06-2008, 20:25
In order to thoroughly understand the symbolism in 'Dracula' one must gain an understanding of two important social revolutions that were taking place at the time. The first social revolution involves the changing roles of women. During the time of the writing of 'Dracula', women were beginning to seek their own individual power. For many years they had been oppressed and repressed by men. Women of the time had no right to vote, had little access to education, and were relegated to menial tasks around the house. Men were the movers and the shakers of the time. Men delved into politics, owned factories and made the wheels of Democracy turn. Women noticed these changes and had a desire to be a part of them, but were not received with open arms by their male counterparts."
Carmen Radulescu , 18-06-2008, 20:50

Why doesn't Dracula appear in the mirror?

comments:
Anonymous said...

I want to answer to that question with mirror. I think that Dracula can't appear in a mirror because it is a creature of dark. Even so count Dracula can stay awake day it is just for a while, not for whole day. Dracula is a vampire who loves dark, not the light. Mirror reflects the creatures which belong tot the both worlds: the light world and the dark world. What do you thing??
March 4, 2008 9:41 PM
Alyna said...

I want to answer to the question with mirror.I think that Dracula can't appear in the mirror because it is a dead person and it lives in his world.A world with strange things,with another vampires.Another reason is that Dracula is a vampire,a creature of the night.In the book,the count didn't has in the castle mirrors,Jonathan discovered this,when he came to Transylvania,to the count castle.
March 4, 2008 10:28 PM
alyna said...

"Dracula" ,of Bram Stoker,is a book with happy ending it describes another part of the strange Romania,where there are:vampires,which could transform other persons in vampires,but in the same time they could be disturbed as the people shack quietly and less victims. This book symbolize strange/acquaintance , love/hatred , happiness/suffering.
March 9, 2008 1:03 PM
Anonymous said...

Greek students: 1. It would scare the hell out of him to see himself!
2.He is trapped between existence and nonexistence. He is a soulless body
3.He didn't wish to "see" the truth
March 21, 2008 9:30 AM


I think that Dracula can't appear in a mirror because it is a creature of dark. Even so count Dracula can stay awake day it is just for a while, not for whole day. Dracula is a vampire who loves dark, not the light. Mirror reflects the creatures which belong tot the both worlds: the light world and the dark world. (By Oanaas)