Just Don't Call Him "Baglama"

If you have been faithfully keeping up with our blog, you know that Ken bought a small bouzouki-like instrument called a "baglama,"  which has the advantage of being easy to carry to and from his music lessons.  

He hasn't yet given up on the mandolin, either, which he brought with us to Greece.  Greeks LOVE the fact that he wants to learn "old style" Greek folk music.  It's called "rebetiko" or "rembetiko" and some aspects of its history are similar to the birth of the "blues." (In some ways, rebetiko is comparable to the "old timey" American music with which Ken most closely identifies as a musician--i.e. not the prettified tunes that make their way into the commercial mainstream, but rather more "down home" music.  There's even the similarity that both experienced a "folk revival" among younger musicians during the 1960s and 1970s.)

We found out only today, however, that it is insulting to refer to a person as a baglama.  (It's like saying, "he's a dumb oaf.")

Meanwhile, here's Ken trying out his Greek music chops (on the mandolin--the baglama isn't ready for prime time) with a very serious and accomplished musician (the guy in drag). This happened to be the day in anticipation of Easter--somewhat like Mardi Gras--that Greeks dress up in costumes.  

This event was in a taverna full of people who had come to celebrate the day and listen to the music.  Greeks don't consider that a reason to stop talking or eating, however.  The most important thing, our host explained, is what happens between people.  The music is there to be enjoyed, but not to the extent of treating it like a performance--except that people do applaud at the end of each number, while also still talking, eating, and drinking.

The person in the middle is a woman (and the major singer of the group)  Not everyone cross-dresses--we also saw pirates, bunnies, hobos, etc.

And here's live action of that day.  Ken is gamely trying to keep up with a tune he's never heard before by watching the fingering of the guitarist next to him and "translating" that to what he needs to play on the mandolin.

Stunning archeology, redux

There's just TOO MUCH gorgeous stuff....I thought I could get it into two posts (not hardly)!

So here's some later pieces than the Mycean funerary items, but at the moment, neither Ken nor I can remember which era.  We'll probably go to that museum again--if we do, I'll update this blog with better information.  For now, just feast your eyes!

This astonishing "jug" is 1.5" high!

The largest of these is about the diameter of a half-dollar!

I included the smaller picture with my thumb pressed against the glass to try to give you a sense of scale.  The diameter of these earrings from top to bottom, including the ear-hooks, is about the same as a quarter--and look at the exquisite detail of the winged horse!!

 

 

 

<--This is also a miniature--about the size of an egg.  There was no way to avoid the reflection of the lights in the room, unfortunately, which makes it a bit difficult to see the incredible detail in the decoration.

This was described as a "ring"--but since the central shield-like circle (not including the hanging chains) is about the size of a saucer, we think it was a bad translation.  This is not flat, by the way.  The sculptured head and bust of the woman stick out from the backdrop.

Maybe it's not just the Mediterranean diet . . .

. . . that makes people so healthy, though that's pretty wonderful, too.  We recently had a fantastic dinner with colleagues (dark-haired Piera, who teaches at Hellenic Open University and is finishing her PhD in Adult Education this summer; her husband Angelos, who prepared most of the meal, and our friend, Dimitra, who has been so unfailingly helpful to us throughout this experience).

First, the food....lucky us, Angelos has professional chefs in his family...and it showed!

A delicious ham-like sausage;  black-eyed peas, Greek-style; and chicken breast stuffed with vegetables, pistachios, and cheese (there's another photo of that, below).

Greek-style roasted potatoes; tomato-and-cucumber salad.

Here's the stuffed chicken breast, again.

Piera made the phyllo for this "spinach pie"--spanikopita--which include leeks and feta cheese.

Tabouli salad, something I can't remember, and escarole salad.

And then, after a suitable period for digestion, the fun began.  Greeks really do sing and dance at the slightest provocation.  

As you will see, Ken had no problem "going native."  Of course the wine might have had something to do with it.  Ken discovered that the only way to keep from drinking more than you wish in a Greek household is to not finish the glass in front of you.  No matter your protestations, it will immediately be refilled!!

Stunning Archeological Finds: Part II

From the 4th to 1st century BC, there was a thriving trade between what is now the west coast of Turkey and the Roman Empire, with various Greek islands as stopping off points as the ships made their way across the Mediterranean.  There were also a lot of shipwrecks (about 1 in 20 or 30 trips).   

One of these was discovered by sponge divers over 100 years ago, but more substantive reclamation had to wait until Jacques Cousteau partnered with the Greek Archeological Society about 50 years ago. Among other things, there were amazing marble statues on this ship.  The marble exposed to the seawater for thousands of years was eroded and pitted.  But if it had lain under the silty bottom, it was as smooth as when it was carved!  The following sculpture was partly buried and partly eroded, as you will see.

  The sculpture is of a young boy, leaning over to pick something up.  This is the side that was exposed to the elements.

Now you can see a transitional place on his face where some erosion is visible--yet his shoulder and arm and bent leg, which were deeper in the silt, are completely smooth.




















  But the most amazing discovery in the shipwreck is billed as "the first computer." As described in the catalog: "it is the earliest [2nd century BC] preserved portable astronomical calculator.  It displayed the positions of the Sun, the Moon and most probably the five planets known in antiquity.  It was used to predict solar and lunar eclipses, it kept an accurate calendar of many years, and displayed the date of Pan-Hellenic games . . ."

What they actually found were few remnants of heavily scarred, pitted, and eroded brass gears plus a piece of a metal "cover" that contained "directions."  Only after modern technology enabled scientists to look inside these encrusted clumps of corroded metal did they discover over 33 different gears of different sizes.  Unfortunately, this technology was lost and not replicated for nearly 1500 years.  

 These pieces, combined with some historical references, were used by modern artists and engineers to rebuild what they call "The Mechanism." Go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UpLcnAIpVRA for a full description of the process as well as a layer-by-layer description of the internal gearing.

If that fascinates you and you want to know more about it, try https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DiQSHiAYt98

Stunning Archeological Finds: Part I

Today was the first time (this trip) that Ken and I visited a museum--and it was stunning!  We spent most of our time in two exhibits: The first contained many funerary objects from the Mycenean period--1600-1100 B.C. (the primary subject of this post--Part II will be about the Antikythera Shipwreck). 

Much of this exhibit focused on gold and included masks, crowns, buttons, cups, hair and dress ornaments, decorations on scabbards, knives--it was breathtakingly beautiful work, some of it incredibly detailed inlay. There's really no way to describe the effect of seeing it up close. 

I'll try to describe what you are seeing in these photos--but the small, flat images do NOT do these objects justice!!

The item at the top is a wreath or crown that is presented flat in the case, but would have gone around the head.  Clearly this would have been in the tomb of a rich and important person.  The smaller items are decorative.  Some might have been attached to clothing or hair or in some other way provided adornment. (The purple is the effect of lighting I couldn't avoid while taking the picture.)

 Here is that same case, but now you can see additional items and also get a sense of the size and scale.  To the right and left of the main panel, above, are delicately wrought flowers and leaves.  The bottom items would have been attached to clothing. (We don't know who the woman is...I included her for scale.)

Here's Ken looking at another crown that has been flattened out for display purposes.  You can also see buttons of various sizes, earrings, cups, pins, and jugs.  None of these were actually used--these items were 
all buried with the dead.







 

This isn't a funerary object--it's a spigot!  In some religious ceremony, liquid would flow through a hole in the bull's nose. What appears to be black is actually tarnished silver. The bull's head is about the size of a small cantaloupe--with the horns, the whole figure is about 8-10" high.

 These are four different cups--a little larger than a typical tea-cup but smaller than a mug. They are incredibly thin--probably just as well they weren't actually used!  I got a shot of the inside so you could see how beautifully worked the gold is.







 Below is a lovely, delicately drawn mural of a woman holding a snake in her right hand (possibly some devotional activity) while her left is held lightly in front of her. She's about 3/4 life size.

I took closeups of her hands because 
they were so exquisitely drawn.

And above is a ceremonial bonze knife with gold inlay on both sides of the blade.  The bronze has deteriorated over time, but the hunting scene is still crisp and clear--despite the fact that the length of the entire blade is about 7"!  Four hunters with spears drawn face a lion.  One hunter has fallen and can be seen just under the lion's front paws. Another lion is running away.  The display was mounted on a mirror so that we could see both sides, but it wasn't possible to see the underside without flash (which one is not permitted to use).   

 

 

Current commentary on Greece--by Greeks!

Working on the assumption that readers of this blog are not interested only in what Ken and I see and do, but also the bigger picture of what is happening here--about which neither of us has more than impressions to go on--I hereby share with you two intelligent commentaries by others.

The first is by a Greek-American scholar.  It's lengthy but eminently readable--and thorough in its exploration of historical and current economic policies.

Greece: The Crisis Behind the Crisis and the Challenges Facing the Left

Wednesday, 20 March 2013 12:06 By CJ Polychroniou, Truthout | News Analysis
http://www.truth-out.org/news/item/15232-greece-the-crisis-behind-the-crisis-and-the-challenges-facing-the-left

Here's a description of the author:
C. J. Polychroniou is a policy fellow at the Levy Economics Institute of Bard College. Certain parts of the above article are included in a recent Policy Note (2013/1) published by the Levy Institute and titled "The Tragedy of Greece: A Case Against Neoliberal Economics, the Domestic Political Elite, and the EU/IMF Duo." The views expressed here do not necessarily represent those of the Institute's board nor its advisers

The second is a 9-minute interview by the Guardian (U.K.) with  Alexis Tsipras, the current leader of the Syriza party, which is rising in the polls and may win the next national election. 

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/video/2013/mar/19/alexis-tsipras-syriza-greece-video-interview

Here's a brief description of the interview, copied from the web:
With the eurozone crisis flaring up again, the radical left party Syriza is leading in the Greek polls. Its leader, Alexis Tsipras, tells Seumas Milne that Syriza offers a real alternative to Europe's failed neoliberal order. He says traditional parties are failing voters by colluding in austerity, creating opportunities for fascist parties such as Golden Dawn

Later today, I'll hold the first of a six-part seminar on Kegan with a group of experienced adult educators.  I've been busily preparing for that, so I'll try to catch up with other blog entries this weekend.

Play It Again, Samos

Given the current economic crisis, one often passes people on the street doing the Greek version of "spare change."  Most are sitting quietly with a paper cup in front of them.  (As compared with those in the US, who usually try to catch your eye, these folks are looking studiously at the ground.)  Others sit with an open pack of cigarettes or individual packets of tissues, silently offering to sell them one-by-one, presumably for a slight mark-up.

A few, however, are quite intrusive and come up carrying small children, or pictures of small children, explaining their presumed plight--usually the child is sick and needs help.  (Some of our Greek friends say that most of these in-your-face beggars are actually well-off, and this is their "job."-We don't quite know what to think about that.)   

Occasionally, there's an elderly person who (again, according to the locals) might in fact be trying to live on a much-reduced pension.  Many pensions have been cut in half, we're told.  (These are not the pensions that are sometimes reported in the US press as having been awarded to 50 year olds because they are trade unionists.)  

We hear further that some of the older pensioners are now being invited to move in with their relatives, not entirely for altruistic reasons.  Though the pension has been cut, it may be the only regular income in the household.  

Then there's a few folks--quite likely Roma--who bring their instruments on the metro and pass the hat.  Here are two brief videos.  I shot the first one over my shoulder, not realizing until they were almost done that there was a musician right behind me.  So when all four of them passed me (accordion, fiddle, guitar, and bass), I got up to get a better shot.  They must have remembered that Ken put a Euro in the tambourine (the fifth man, with "thumbs up") because as you will see in the second video, they played enthusiastically for us.

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