We've had a chance to look at and discuss details of the portico Alan's finishing under the new balcony. He thinks our door's now looking not quite right; suggests at least a coat of white paint. Lin had been thinking a Corfu green would suit, with a plain panel under the window edged with a moulded frame. I'm sitting at the kitchen table in Handsworth enjoying photos of the work, relaxing after a ride up to Erdington to lift someone's patio of york stone advertised on freegle.
From Honey in Corfu:
...the pictures as promised. I think it is mostly the harsh contrast from the smooth flowing white lines that the door interferes with. That's why we thought white. Actually, I thought sanding down the door and white-washing it to give it a soft look. But, you will have to see it and decide what you think. Alan probably has another week, or even two, for getting all the fine details done. Those details make all the difference. So, when you're viewing the pictures, remember there are still unfinished corners...You will continue to see small changes as he completes it. He draped a blue sheet of plastic over the walkway to keep from being in the scorching sun while working and Katerina liked it so much she asked if he could buy one for her. He brought her one the next day. Then she asked for a little of his cement mix which he put in a bag she brought over. Now she is very pleased with her newly acquired shade. Lefteri asked Alan where he could buy a cornice mold like the one he put up on your balcony. It's really rewarding to have everyone being so appreciative of the job he's doing there. That was totally unexpected. Well, at least to the degree it has been happening.
I know it's hard work on that allotment, but just be thankful it's not in 40 degree weather, like here. I guess you'll be in Scotland soon and relaxing with tea and buns, oops, I mean Mum. Enjoy. Love, Alan and Honey
παιδιά στοά
* * * * *
Plans are in place for me to take part in another series of seminars in Australia from early November to early December with a date in New Zealand too.
***
Dimitris Reppas
30 July 2010: Greek truckers continue to block highways, ignoring a government order to go back to work. Drivers rallied outside the Transport Ministry on Thursday 29th July to protest against an order to force them to work. Truck unions were meeting with the general secretary of the Ministry, Charis Tsiokas, ahead of a talk with Transport Minister, Dimitris Reppas. Military trucks are resupplying critical sectors such as airports, electricity plants and hospitals. Businesses from car rentals to fruit growers have been hit by the protest which began on Sunday versus government plans to liberalise the tightly-controlled freight sector. Costly HGV licenses are traded for thousands of euros within a small pool of professional drivers now seeking to protect their big personal investment in those licences. All over Greece, people are being cold turkeyed by lack of petrol and diesel. Gas stations are empty; closed.
One day this grim reliance on oil will be history. I don't like cars, even as at times I need them, à cause qu'elles polluent la terre, écrasent les gens et salissent l'air. I want to see an end to fossil fuel dependency, escape from the fossil-fuel trap. I love my bicycles. I've divorced my car.
As well as replacing the balcony and stairs on the outside of the house on Democracy Street, Alan has designed and is now putting final touches to a new porch, which we saw as a sketch at the beginning of May. Honey has emailed us latest photos:
Hi, Simlin. Here's an early look at the porch as it's coming along. Still a lot of finishing work to be done. It's all the details that need doing now. We'll send another shot in a few days to let you see the progression. The neighbors are coming there every day and seem delighted and surprised at each new additional detail. We hope you are equally pleased. Love, Alan and Honey
Lin replies:
Hi Honey. The porch looks fabulous! We love it. I particularly like the curve down to the bottom of the steps - it has a very art deco feel to it. Only 6 weeks till we see it 'in the flesh' (so to speak). Can't wait to sit on the little bench with a cuppa - it's like getting a new house. lol. Please pass on our admiration to Alan. He's very lucky to be so talented and makes me very jealous! My cousin Val from New Zealand is coming in September, followed by friends from Australia, so I'll be taking some time off from roofing, plaka-ing, painting, etc. Hope to see a bit more of the island this time - we hardly went out last time. Simon has work in Australia again at the end of October and I've taken the plunge and booked to go with him...Simon's been digging our new allotment and I've ordered seed potatoes, which I hope will arrive tomorrow. We're not planting anything else this year, as we won't be here. We reckon that potatoes can look after themselves. lol Must go - lots to do before I go to bed. Love to you both, and give our thanks to Alan for his beautiful porch. Linsim xxx
The cubby's just right for my Brompton, and a cat or two
** ** **
We are hearing that at last Greek forest maps could be in the public domain during September.
Kathimerini 22 July '10: An ambitious draft bill that aims to curb illegal construction on forestland by drawing up comprehensive maps delineating the boundaries of the country’s forests is to be submitted in Parliament next week and the first few maps are to be put on public display in September, Environment Minister Tina Birbili said yesterday.
...and although, it's not a story for the redtops I'm impressed that after years of politically massaged statistics on the state of the Greek economy there is an independent statistical office responsible for producing national information - especially financial.
* * * *
Two good sessions with elected members - one near London, another in the Midlands - on overview and scrutiny.
Tailored to address the needs of new and more experienced councillors this evening focuses on driving the work of scrutiny, aiming:
•to familiarise councillors with the unique dynamics of chairing scrutiny as this relates to roles, activities and processes that contribute to successful scrutiny
•to help members assess their own learning, and practice the skills required,
• to explore the organisational role of scrutiny and its contribution to good governance
Part of the pleasure of in-house work with particular councils is travelling there and back with the opportunity to rehearse on the train, mark papers, read, gaze from the window and cycle to and from my station. I travel with others, part of the teeming diversity of the public domain - in trains, on platform and concourse, on the street - interesting people, noisy, silly people, puzzling, distracted, eccentric, beautiful, zombie-like people, reading, sleeping, chatting, phoning, working on laptops, watching films, playing computer games, earphone absorbed. I'm so acclimatised to this motley, accustomed to being the anonymous author of an involuntary internal commentary, mostly curbed by public civility - emitting cartoon bubbles of vexation, amusement, frustration and curiosity amid a stream of impressions I'd feel slightly trapped on my own behind the wheel of a car compared to the openness in all weathers accorded by cycling, walking and the company I share on public transport.
I’ve been untruthful about some public exchanges lest the extra detail shadow the good light I hope to shine on myself or to avoid the whimsy of self-depreciation. An encounter at the end of May on New Street Station concourse, when I called out to someone “Your shoelace is undone” and he replied, “Piss off”. It didn’t end there.
I got out my taser, the one I use for repelling aggressive dogs, and brought him to his knees pleading for mercy…no, no of course not, but I did cry out
“What a horrid thing to say!”
and when he ignored or failed to hear me, I repeated
“Hey! that was a vile thing to say…” He turned to stare at me “...really vile. Don’t you know small incivilities lead to big ones?”
“What do you mean?”
I had his attention
“What you just did when I tried to do you a favour. That way leads to Auschwitz, Birkenau and Belsen.”
“O fercrisake”
“You share the same moral deficiency”
By now we had an audience; amid the early commuters, one witness - a man from Network Rail stood observing our exchange.
“It’s you who’ve got the serious moral deficiency, if you think me saying 'piss off' makes me a concentration camp guard”
Now we were communicating I felt embarrassed.
“OK I’m sorry of course the comparison’s disproportionate. I promise you’re not a concentration camp guard. Of course you’re not, but I was really vexed”
“OK. Yes...well...I apologise. I’ve had a lousy night”
I put out my hand; he his, and we smiled ruefully at one another as we shook hands. He went his way his lace still undone. I turn towards my platform and the Network Rail man said, “You were dead right. One thing leads to another”
I agreed with him privately but didn’t press the point, thinking Norbert Elias’ ghost backs me. Small incivilities do lead to larger.
The other day I went to the Public Convenience on the edge of the chapter grounds of Winchester cathedral. I wheeled my bike into the foyer; left it there to go to the men’s WC. It was clean without a trace of malodour or horrid perfumed camouflage. Going out I saw the attendant in his office.
“Your toilets are excellent.“
He realised I was talking to him and came out to the yorkstone street
“A civilisation is measured by the state of its public conveniences. Yours is an example.”
He was wearing a Serco badge on spotless blue overalls. A bulky man in his 50s.
“Have you been to the Abbey Gardens ones?” he asked
“No”
“They’re even better. Classical music. Rodgers and Hammerstein.”
“Right. If I get caught short in that vicinity I’ll call in, but meantime thanks for these.”
“They could be cleaner but it’s raining. People bring in…”
He unlocked the disabled WC door to show its pristine floor.
“A tiny difference.” I said
“Well thanks" and we waved goodbye. Now I thought of one 'who sweeps a room…’ which reminds me of something that happened on Sunday afternoon as I worked on the dry earth of our stony allotment with so much more to do. I was thinking what a long way I have to go before I can begin to plant anything when I saw, below my upraised mattock, an oak sapling hardly six inches high, that must have been missed by the developer’s weed killer. It had planted itself amid the scrub. I levered it gently from the ground and took it, still with a tiny root ball of dried earth, to the foot of the plot and replanted it, watering it in from the plastic bottle I’d brought to slake my thirst - the first thing planted on Plot 14.
I woke to pattering on the dry earth dreaming it was Sunday. Flea, the cat, paused at the door of the conservatory before tip toeing into the garden. She's pondering rain we've not had for nearly a month. She scurries over to the flower border and works her way fastidiously beneath the intertwined greenery of honeysuckle, verbena and trailing wisteria to lurk where damp won't reach. Our water butt's already brimming.
Yesterday I worked on our allotment - on and off. Some gardeners, often with the help of their families, including toddlers riddling stones, have been making stalwart and enviably impressive progress on their plots since the allotmentsopened on 12 June.
On Sunday afternoon, I took the video camera with me and made a record that I shall enjoy using as part of a before-and-after diary of progress. Right now I'm very much 'before'. At the Sons of Rest pavilion on Saturday those present agreed to defer setting up an allotments association and arranged to have a larger and better publicised meeting in the community shed on the allotments on Saturday 11 September. On Saturday about twelve turned up - typical of first meetings. Though few, we were optimistic about being able to form an association and a management committee to oversea the collection of rents due to the City on 1 October 2010 and carry out the other tasks that Clive Birch, who was there with Christine Brown from the Birmingham & District Allotments Association, outlined for us, handing round a model constitution. Rachel and I, community activists over years in Handsworth, have made an informal pact to be supportive but not to get involved. We really don't want to distracted from the work needed on our adjoining plots. Yet the incident of the missing beehive is already attracting my attention, and I find myself discussing it with other gardeners. The plotholder next to the one with the beehive complained about it on the grounds that he was allergic to bee-stings.
I understand the complaint was considered by one of the council allotment officers and it was suggested that the beekeeper moved to another plot. Not wanting to get involved in repeated movement of her bees the beekeeper has taken her hive to a local apiary. Gardeners I've spoken to think this an unfortunate precedent. We already miss the hive, good for the vital process of pollination. I'm allergic too stings, but regard that as my problem not the bees' or their keeper's. No doubt this will be an issue for the association when it's formed. (see: June 3 piece on popularity of bee-keeping)
* * *
Honey sent us a composite of Katerina, Eleni and Vasiliki, dear neighbours, who've been saying nice things about Alan's work which is now focused on the porch below the near completed balcony.
Email from Honey earlier in the week:
...Leftheri has asked Alan where he can get a cornice mold like the one he used for your balcony. I'm surprised at how all the neighbors come and admire the work being done. The old woman across the street has gotten so enthusiastic about it, she has offered you a 6 foot plant with purple flowers that climbs. I told her that you didn't know yet what you were putting on the pot spot and you could tell her when you come. You are still having your heat wave? Ha! First it's nonstop rain, now a long hot summer. You'll probably come here with a good tan. From England!
Reply:
Dear Honey... Good things make more good things. It’s not just a porch, stairs, railings and balcony...What a joy to see our dear neighbours together. Next time you see them send our love and let them know how we look forward to being with them again...those people whose kindness we value so much laughing together in front of Alan’s porch. I think there’s an energy in the village at a bad time for Greece that goes with the news that the old band building is going to be restored and there’s a real prospect that the football pitch down by St Athanassios will be made playable, and a fine new wall around St.Nicholas Church on the way into the village, and then there’s all the improvements in a time of unprecedented recession being carried out on different houses in Ano Korakiana.
** ** **
My friend and colleague Prof Tony Bovaird has gives predictions about the impact of public spending cuts in the UK - his blog giving an opportunity to narrowcast what he couldn't cover in Tuesday's broadcast interview on BBC Midlands Today. There's 'bad news and good news'.
...Of course, you may well be able to turn from the Big State to get some help from the Big Society. But there’s likely to be bad news there, too. The recession has increased the number of people volunteering to help out others – but reduced the capacity of third sector organisations to use them productively, because they too are short of funds to organise themselves.
So, some tips:
• Don’t get ill (just protecting NHS spend won’t be enough to provide the likely number of future users with current service quality levels).
• Don’t let anyone you depend on for support get ill (or leave the neighbourhood).
• Be (VERY) nice to your neighbours (you may be needing them a lot more in future).
• Start saving – if you need any public service in the future, you may well not be able to get it or you may have to pay a large part of it when you do get it.
• If you’re young, start learning a foreign language (you may need to go abroad if you want a public sector job in the future – or a public service).
• Take up ‘easy access’ leisure activities like walking and birdwatching – anything that requires public sector provision, like swimming or sports centres, may be too expensive for you or too far away from you in the future.
It’s a pity that the coalition government parties don’t want to talk about these inevitable consequences of their decisions. The new era of ‘transparency’ is being spun as fast as the previous era of ‘transformation’...
** ** **
On gardening our allotment Paul Peacock sends me reassurance - of sorts 'Keep it up buddy - it's a marathon, not a sprint.'. I follow his podcasts on starting from scratch. We'll meet up on Thursday.
** ** **
Sir Muir Russell's report on the Climate Research Unit's (CRU) email leak/theft, though supportive of the science, will do rather little to erode the accelerated scepticism that followed last year's scandal at the University of East Anglia.
Climate science is a matter of such global importance, that the highest standards of honesty, rigour and openness are needed in its conduct. On the specific allegations made against the behaviour of CRU scientists, we find that their rigour and honesty as scientists are not in doubt
The second of the three key findings is positive for CRU:
In addition, we do not find that their behaviour has prejudiced the balance of advice given to policy makers. In particular, we did not find any evidence of behaviour that might undermine the conclusions of the IPCC assessments. The report does find that issues relating to openness.
But we do find that there has been a consistent pattern of failing to display the proper degree of openness, both on the part of the CRU scientists and on the part of the UEA, who failed to recognise not only the significance of statutory requirements but also the risk to the reputation of the University and, indeed, to the credibility of UK climate science.
We find that CRU’s responses to reasonable requests for information were unhelpful and defensive.
The biggest criticism relates to the 1999 WMO report:
…the figure supplied for the WMO Report was misleading. We do not find that it is misleading to curtail reconstructions at some point per se, or to splice data, but we believe that both of these procedures should have been made plain – ideally in the figure but certainly clearly described in either the caption or the text.
* * *
On the Greek economic crisis there have been two competing 'narratives' about the Greek economic crisis - one os the story of a corrupt top-heavy public sector; the other is the story of a debt crisis precipitated by feckless banking practices:
...There are two key reasons why the Greek narrative has become a time-worn cautionary tale of people living beyond their means, rather than a case of financial irresponsibility on the part of bankers and investors...
I cycled to Amy and Guy's house on the edge of Birmingham last night for a BBQ and to look through Richard's photos of their wedding.
Lin and Richard in their cars were there in 20 minutes. I took 40 minutes. Oscar came, first in the front basket along the Lozells Road, over the roundabout above Birchfield Road, down Victoria Road to the big roundabout over the Aston Expressway, down Waterlinks Road, over the Lichfield Road - another roundabout - down short Lynton Road - all dual carriageway - to another roundabout, then a few yards of Thimblemill Lane through a door-sized passage to the canal towpath after which we could cover the rest of the journey on the Birmingham and Fazeley Canal- north a mile to Spaghetti Junction
and then east, 5 miles parallel with the Kingsbury Road, gradually leaving the concrete behind, to little Minworth Green Bridge where we divert a hundred yards to Amy and Guy on Summer Lane.
** ** **
Honey sent more photos of the work Alan's doing plus the news with image of the fence put up by the various owners of the small triangle of waste ground just below us in Ano Korakiana, where one summer night two years ago there was a brush fire which, because there was no wind and swift action by neighbours, didn't spread. In these times there is concern about untended green spaces inside villages. What would once have been grazed by sheep, goats or smoothed by domestic fowl now harbours rich vegetation that dries to inflammable hay in high summer. Because someone somewhere owns such land, even though absent, no-one else feels entitled to volunteer to tend such spaces. That's an ancient feature of village diplomacy - alertness to boundaries. Now, possibly because of Lin's guerilla gardening - that narrow flowerbed back of our apothiki - the landowners, on the other side of the path, have fenced and tidied their space.
and now Alan's made a more detailed drawing of how the porch beneath the external stairs could look. "This makes the steps that jut outward blend into the entrance, giving a continuous flowing line from horizontal to vertical".
Having Alan design and build our replacement balcony and stairs is more than just our good fortune - though in our acquaintances and friends we've had more than our share of those. Having come from UK a talented designer who'd created racing car bodies for one of the famous companies, adding his design talent to building projects here, architect of his house on the island, Alan paints and draws. He illustrated Corfu - a look through time 1204-1864 by Ninetta Laskari - one of the foremost books in Greek about Corfu [Νινέττα Χ. Λάσκαρι, Κέρκυρα - Μία ματιά μέσα στο χρόνο 1204-1864]. He's a joiner in that class who make their craft look easy, making hardwood doors and window frames, able to apply his craft to wood, fibreglass, metal and concrete, accompanied in the early stages by exquisite cardboard maquettes. He helped steer Summer Song through a few tricky hours when a four-o-clock gale came whistling off Trompetta last September. Envy at this array of talents is entirely subsumed by the pleasure of watching Alan at work. This is presumptuous, but I venture that in so far as I'm capable of it, Alan engenders in me something of the immeasurables within Buddhism, an exemplar of the art of waging peace, of this blog's motto: 'Η κοινοτοπία του καλού'. We met Alan because we met Honey Fortney - her life a whole other story - one chill November morning in 2006 waiting to disembark at Igoumenitsa with a few other foot passengers from one of the great ferries that commute from Italy. We waited together beginning to chat in the gloomy bowels of the ship, vibrating amid our luggage while animated debate among the truck drivers mingled with the echoing rumble of the ship and small soundless lurches as furious northern gale gusted against the ships upper works preventing us docking. Loud scratching sounds over the ship's intercom saw the drivers heading upstairs. Reckoning on further delay we headed back up to one of the saloons for coffee and cakes and waited cosily by a rain dashed window a couple of hours amid contradictory rumours that included the prospect of sailing on to Patras; the while getting to know one another, starting to enjoy the delay for the company it afforded, until the weather improved and we shared a taxi for the kilometre journey to the Corfu ferries, chatting the while. A few days later, via Honey to whom we'd given a lift from Corfu Port to Agios Markos, we were to meet Alan for the first time.
Honey and Alan came to tea. Alan brought a sketch of how the door below our balcony might look. Leftheris - he a retired builder, my age within a month - discussed the design with Alan pondering stresses, the arrangement of iron bars inside the concrete support.
Leftheris and Alan discuss the balcony
We went upstairs where Lin had prepared smoked salmon to be sprinkled with fresh lemon from our tree, and pepper; crusty white and brown bread on which to spread cold butter; a salad of tomatoes, peppers, olives, spring onion into which were mixed small squares of crumbly fresh feta, to be dressed by choice with oil and vinegar or mayonnaise; brie, cream cheese, and edam and dried sausage to have as extras; tzatziki, crab sticks and taramsalata. To drink we had cold lemon tea, white and rosé, green tea and coffee. We talked of flowers and growing trees and shrubs – Honey had brought round an oleander and a jasmine for our garden and earlier Alan had dug up and brought us three small Judas trees; of insects – those we valued, those we killed; rescuing spiders; the art of joinery; architectural pleasures and monstrosities (like the Achilleon Palace), potholes and the positives of filling them in oneself;
the way planning worked in England and Greece; buildings that collapse and why; doors that won’t shut and why; the state of the world…in Greece, in the rest of Europe, in America.
****
Today I went into town to get some money from the bank, parking far out and cycling in past a street march on behalf of teachers and a demonstration in Sarocco Square by service workers; large banners; chanting and speeches. I spoke to two demonstrators and expressed sympathy for their fears of their future prospects. “Greece is only the start” said one. At the bank the familiar cashiers weren’t to be seen and their desks at the counter were empty. Someone came round to serve me. All efficient, but when I asked for the pink slips we need for our tax record, she said “there’s a strike so we don’t have them. Come again.”
***
Amy phoned. Did we know UK airspace was again closed. We were going to make it to her wedding on 17 May? We’ll keep our fingers crossed but I’m sure we’ll be there. I’ve to make a speech as father of the bride and give her away.
** ** **
Two friends doing maintenance on a house for sale in the village decided to give a bit of their time and energy to doing up the small playground between houses off Democracy Street
and in the meantime work was also being done on the property over the path from us, turning an apothiki (garden shed) into an extra room, and Leftheris has brokered a deal with the builders to share their cement mixer and labour with Alan, pouring concrete for our balcony and steps next Sunday.
*** ***
I wrote a note to a friend in England who, several years ago, was the appointed interpreter for an interview between police, customs and revenue officers of a man 'helping with enquiries'. She found herself being asked to play her part in an increasingly oppressive interrogation and eventually suggested terminating the interview until a solicitor was available. As a result she has been drummed out of her profession (elsewhere I've pointed out the ethical and practical dilemmas that might be presented to a conscientious interpreter seeking to observe the provision of 3.2 in the NRPSI Code of Conduct). I was her 'friend' at a travesty of a professional hearing on the incident and have written several letters direct to the Chair of her disciplinary panel and on her behalf as the matter has dragged on. Yesterday she included me in a general reply to friends in which she spoke of facing 'a life of retirement with no honour!'
Dear Zarina. Thank you very much for copying me into your recent reply to Yilmaz Duzen's letter to APCI members.
I deny that you face a "...a life of retirement with no honour!" Quite the reverse. When one of those moral tests came your way, and they come at times and in places not of our choosing, seldom when we're prepared, but more likely, when we least expect to have to take a stand, when we're in the middle of 'something else'; on those rare occasions when moral stature is tested, so many of us instinctively look the other way, or pass on the other side...!
In your case, when the moment came, despite the odds against you, you did the right thing. You refused 'to obey orders'. As in the notorious Milgram experiment (average blind obedience still being replicated I'm sorry to say), you were one of those rare subjects who did not think you should continue doing what the norms of the situation demanded. For what you did in those few seconds you can always look at yourself in the mirror knowing that though you paid a price for it, when push came to shove, you shoved.
In words the playwright Robert Bolt puts in the mouth of his 'Man for all Seasons' - Sir Thomas More - if we "come to such a case that there is no escaping, then we may stand to our tackle as best we can...(and) we may clamour like champions, if we have the spittle for it." You did. You do!
If we were always rewarded for acting honourably, honour would mean little. You, through an action that has led to the most damaging consequences for your career and standing, added value to the currency of human decency.
I'm forever proud of you for that intervention, for what you did when you saw the turn that was being taken in that interview, when you realised almost as a reflex that as well as being a talented interpreter, you were also a moral being.
It's rare to come through such tests with one's integrity not only intact, but stronger. That you may still harbour doubts on that score, only affirms my point. One day, Zarina, your example - especially as the incident is on tape - will be used to give guidance to others on the ethical duty of an interpreter. X and respect, Simon
The more public this travesty becomes the better:
My Dear Friend Simon, I am overwhelmed by your response and how you stood by me all the time even after I was 'suspended'. I am taking Ruth Daniel in her 80+ to vote, she is right by me watching things on a computer, we
had coffee together and saw your message right at the top! Bless you for such a moral and spirit boosting message to me and my friends in pain! They could explore your blog! Will speak to you soon if you are in Birmingham! Love, Zarina
* * *
Thanassis mentions 'citizen action' by 'our foreigners' - τους «ξένους» - on the Ano Korakiana blog on 7th May:
Πολίτες εν δράσει - 07.05.10 Έχουμε αναφέρει και σε παλαιότερο σημείωμα, ότι αρκετοί από τους «ξένους» που έχουν αποκτήσει περιουσιακά στοιχεία στο χωριό μας, κάποιο σπίτι μέσα στον οικισμό, έχουν επιδείξει αξιοσημείωτο σεβασμό στο αρχιτεκτονικό και φυσικό περιβάλλον. Επιπλέον, τη στιγμή που οι δικές μας επιλογές της τελευταίας ιδίως δεκαετίας, οδηγούν σε «εκτός οικισμού» εγκατάσταση, σε μια διασπορά που οδηγεί σε μαρασμό και εξασθένιση της «κοινότητας», εκείνοι επιλέγουν ακριβώς το αντίθετο και «γεμίζουν» τις γειτονιές μας. Δύο παραδείγματα που έπεσαν τυχαία στην αντίληψή μας τις μέρες αυτές, δείχνουν ότι το ενδιαφέρον αυτό επεκτείνεται και πέραν του αυστηρά ιδιωτικού χώρου. Το πρώτο αφορά στην επούλωση λακούβας στον επαρχιακό δρόμο και το δεύτερο στην ανακαίνιση της μικρής παιδικής χαράς στις Μουργάδες με πρωτοβουλία δύο ενοικιαστών παραπλήσιας οικίας και με τη συνδρομή των μικρών παιδιών της γειτονιάς (φωτογραφίες από την ιστοσελίδα του Simon Baddeley). Κάποτε, και το ενδιαφέρον το δικό μας για το χώρο που ζούμε, ήταν επίσης προσωπικό και άμεσο και δεν ήταν λίγες οι περιπτώσεις της εθελοντικής προσφοράς. Σιγά-σιγά όμως απαρνηθήκαμε εκείνη τη σύνθεση ατομικού-συλλογικού που αποτελεί τη βάση κάθε «κοινότητας» και κλειστήκαμε στο καβούκι μας, περιμένοντας…τους άλλους, τους αντι-προσώπους μας, την εξ-ουσία, για το παραμικρό…
The message is that 'slowly slowly' - Σιγά-σιγά - we are all beginning to pull together to sustain our village - our community «κοινότητας».
