Since then we have travelled in many countries and found something to like
about each of them. We love the excitement, adventure, discovery, and romance
of the foreign. We search for depth; we want to meet the real people not the
jaded tourist industry personnel. Both of us are avid students; we learned and
studied everywhere we went. We developed an international perspective and felt
so worldly wise.
Yet, by the time we got to England we struggled to keep a straight face the
first time an English B & B matron asked us, "What time shall I knock
you up in the morning?" Our minds were stuck in our teenage phrase for
getting pregnant—"knocked up".
Also we felt duty bound to improve attitudes towards Americans. The gap
between perception and reality was first driven home to me when hosting a
group of young Nigerian businessmen through Rotary International in Portland,
Oregon. As they became comfortable with our open friendliness one hesitantly
asked if they could see my gun. "My gun? I don’t own a gun!" They
all exhaled, for they sincerely believed that they had to be extremely careful
not to offend an American or he would whip out his pistol and shoot them dead.
After all they had seen it many times in the cinema.
Now fast forward to our youngest child being 22 and out on his own, my 18
year old business humming along OK, and our middle age lifestyle getting
boring. We do a house exchange for two weeks in England and find ourselves
thinking why not live like this permanently. Back in our safe, comfortable
surroundings of hometown, USA we fantasise at all the possibilities and begin
researching the alternatives. Two years later we had bought a small grocery
store in Ballydehob, West Cork Ireland—mortgaged to the very hilt.
Our family said we were foolish; our friends said we were brave. We replied
confidently that we were following our dream but also had all the possible
scenarios covered. Everything was planned to a tee. How right they were, how
wrong we were.
Upon moving into our living quarters above our shop in a 200-year-old stone
building in a picturesque village we discovered the glow of the fireplace off
the wood panelling as seen from the street was a false front. We couldn’t
get the #&@%# stove to stay lit in the coldest January the locals could
remember. The shop assistant who was going to help us learn the trade didn’t
show up our first morning. The Lotto organisation decided our taking over was
a good time to cancel the outlet. For the first year every week we learned a
new and more frustrating difference between doing business in Ireland versus
the States.
We also made a few social faux pas. For instance, during Karin’s
first trip back to Oregon I stayed to mind the shop. our helper was behind the
counter chatting about Karin’s absence with a couple customers, John and
Mary. I sauntered over to make the comment, "It certainly has made
a difference in my pants!" They all froze for a long pregnant moment as I
tried to figure out what I had said. Mary chuckled and asked, "Oh, how is
that, Michael?" And it hit me. "My trousers that is, they have a lot
more room," I said as I thumbed the waistband to show them. Everyone
laughed and changed the subject. (In Ireland pants refers to underwear,
trousers to outer.)
One of our fruit and vegetable vendors, Paddy, was the flirty type. He wore
tight jeans and was always making comments to and about our girls. Karin just
ignored his occasional double intentres. So one fine sunny spring day
Karin and I had gone to Schull for lunch. One of us had to be back at two to
relieve our help. So Karin decided to stay and walk around the warm, pretty
harbour with my encouragement that it would easy to get a lift back when she
was ready. But when the time came, a couple cars passed without stopping and
she felt very uncomfortable. So she started walking back into town and saw
Paddy’s lorry. She went over to see when he would be heading back. She
complained to him that no one would giver her a ride. His mouth dropped open,
he smiled, and said, "I’ll be glad too." Then Karin remembered
that here the common use of ride is sexual slang. Her face turned red and she
back-tracked to "A lift, back to Ballydehob and my husband,
who expected me an hour ago." She sat next to the door with the
young assistant in the middle.
But oh boy, did we enjoy the lifestyle. Young people complain about village
life where everybody knows your every coming and going but we found it brought
back our youth to know and be known. Karin would go on a "quick"
errand up the street and be back 45 minutes later with all the latest gossip.
On a busy day driving up the street was like being in a parade with all the
waving. We loved the people, we loved the music, we loved the casualness of it
all. I don’t have the ability to describe Ireland in fewer than 1,000 words.
Suffice it to say, I know of no one who visited who did not immensely enjoy
it.
Several friends and relatives were persuaded to holiday at our Irish
dwelling. They saw that we worked hard to produce a living that would not be
up to their standards back home. Yet they, as we so long ago in Mexico,
recognised the joy of immersing themselves into a foreign culture.
Both in West Cork and in Paros we heard many stories of musicians, sailors
and the like who came for a short visit and never left. Thus we were not alone
in having succumbed to the delights of a beautiful life compared to a
prosperous one. The everyday gorgeous scenery somehow wins out over suburban
buildings and traffic.
After five years of operating losses we liquidated the business, made a
profit on the property and began searching for a way to turn our hard won
experience into an income. Our eyes drifted South to the land of Socrates,
Plato and warm sun—where truly the locals must live a charmed life. Once in
Athens the first two people I asked recommended Paros. So I quite asking and
went there.
Once again we are spending the profits of our earlier life while struggling
to make ends meet. During my regular afternoon swim at Lividia Beach with the
beautiful bodies on the sand, the attractive buildings along the harbour and
the mountains as a backdrop to the warm water and sun I thought: Lord help me
remember this scene when I am old and poor in a public nursing home.
The cycle continues as we offer our life-style to friends and
family—share our piece of paradise on your holiday and gain an insight to
the Greek culture, then return to your land of hypermarkets, traffic and
high-paying jobs while we spend our winter with wind, rain and ouzo at €3.50
per litre.
Karin and I are still wandering the residential areas peeking at the
bougainvillaea-covered terraces wondering what it would be like to live in
that house. It has to end some time, I guess. We can retire as soon as I win
the lottery.
#####
Issue Two of Paros Shepherd Newsletter. A
little too long, but at least it can be read in two parts. The article
above was originally the second part.
Published 28 May 02
Dear Friends,
Here it is, almost the end of May. So much is happening
it is hard to get it all gathered together into one neat package.
But I will try.
The highlight of May was Greek Orthodox Easter which took
place on 5 May. We looked forward to observing as many events
as possible and to all we could. On the Friday before Easter we
went into Parikia, the port town, where there is a famous church called:
Ekatontapliani (click
for a virtual tour). Parts of the building go back to the
Justinian period (400 AD), so you can imagine how beautiful and old it is (in
spite of all the turmoil Greece has experienced over the years - such as being
a long time under Turkish Moslem rule). Inside are decorated and ornate
icons, air heavy with incense and priests in rich robes chanting in a
mournful and sorrowful way because of it being Good Friday. The people
came and went all day long, so it was one long mass! One interesting
note is that very few sit, they just go in, kiss the icon, kiss the cross and
listen respectfully to the priests for a few minutes before going out.
In the evening we went in again, to see the midnight
procession. The Hellas ferry called Express Ekatontapliani
was in the harbour for the event and blew her horn in a very befitting manner:
slow and reminiscent of long sad wails. Men at the head
of the procession carried a large flower bedecked coffin in which you could
see, through the open sides, the body of Christ lying inside. A
very interesting and emotional event with several other flower-bedecked
thrones and crosses.
Saturday we were told all shops would be closed...but they were
not. We were also told that Easter would be a happy and noisy day --
that was true! Saturday night immediately after midnight mass
the quiet night became alive with 1,000's of firecrackers that went on all
through the night as well as Easter Sunday (and a few die-hards even went
until mid-week!) After the mass, it is usual for families to go home and
break the long fast with soup made from the intestines of lamb - YUK!
After a long sleep until noon, they then get up and barbecue the lamb. The
entire island smelled of roast lamb.
Up until Easter the island was quiet.....then overnight Paros
was "resurrected" as well! I have NO idea how it happened, but
in a blink of an eye shuttered houses were open, stores that looked like
they might never open had wares outside and shelves loaded with
merchandise inside! Grocery stores had a much wider variety of
choices. Outside cafes and tavernas were doing a great business!
It was totally amazing! The port ferries were
unloading lots of eager tourists--mostly Greek....Viola! the season had
begun!
There was an interesting non-advertised event at the port...a
new Blue Star ferry went into service called PAROS. I just happened
by accident to be at the port that day and realised something big was about to
happen...a band was practising....kids in native costume had baskets of
flowers and a podium was erected! Being a very curious
person, I hung around to see what was going to happen.
I found myself feeling the most incredible joy as around the
bend came two ferries...the first was the escort, tooting and tooting and
tooting! Behind that one was another ferry (the new PAROS) all covered
with blue and gold balloons and tooting and tooting! Such excitement and
hullabaloo!! Between the band playing The Yellow Submarine and
the sun and the water and the breezes and the tooting....well, it took
my breath away and brought tears to my eyes. I did not even seem to
realise I could not understand the speeches and was too far back to see
the champagne christening given by two Orthodox priests! I was so
totally caught up in the moment. The best was yet to come....everyone
was invited to board and tour the ferry! All I can
say is WOW! WOW! WOW! So clean, so nicely decorated. We even
got to go on the bridge and stand at the controls. The stewards offered
everyone a great selection of food and wine. The Greeks certainly know
how to party in style. We were given Blue Star Ferry baseball hats when
leaving! Michael and I both heartily recommend Blue Star Lines.
On the mundane side: is there one? No, I think not.
Tourists are starting to visit Aliki, and we have had some really interesting
guests with the promise of more coming. The owner we lease from
had 3 German couples (personal friends) stay with us, but ate over at his
house. We usually saw them in the morning over coffee and sometimes had
late evening talks over wine. Another guest came from Israel who is
considering bringing his family over to Paros to live: feeling it a safer
place to live, where his children can know a life free of terrorism. One
perk of this job is getting to know people and the sharing of experiences and
ideas. Often a real eye-opener.
Weather-wise, it is changing fairly quickly. We start the
night sleeping with a blanket, but sometime in the night want to throw it off.
I know in another couple of weeks a sheet will be all we want. Last
Sunday we had our first swim of the season at a local beach and both of us
have acquired tans, even though we are not people who lay in the sun for
very long at all. I guess it is our scooter rides!
Speaking of scooters, I bought one this year! It is yellow,
which pleases me very much because since the 70's my deep desire was to
own a yellow Porsche! Now I have a "used" yellow racy
looking Yamaha! It will suffice! We have worked out with some
of the scooter rentals shops here to give our guests a good deal, so when
any of you come we will steer you to the guys who will not take advantage
of you and your money!
And speaking of weather - this morning early we had
quite a thunder and lightening storm. We woke to lots of rumbling
thunder in the distance. I got up and made coffee and went upstairs to
the open courtyard where there is a sea/mountain vista view.
I have seen a lot of amazing rainstorms in my life, but this was
probably one of the best. The sea was very calm and was the colour
of a peacock's breast - iridescent green/blue - against a very black
sky. The exciting part was the constantly billowing moving clouds, the
colour of smoke. Then towards the mountains on the other side of the
building....it was all in sepia tones...with clouds moving slowly at the
bottom of the hills and the sun shining on the top of the mountains.
Quite often a flash of sideways lightening would brighten the dark sky.
Suddenly, the skies changed and bingo! big drops started to fall, the
sea was full of waves and the heavens opened up! The storm lasted about
half an hour, and then out came the sun in a blue cloudless sky!
The plants will need no water today.
We see signs going up all over of June's events: music, dance,
the opening of the outdoor cinema, art, etc. We are an island of culture!
And of course the water is only going to be warmer and better!
In fact, I think I will end this. The beach
beckons.......
Yassou!
Karin
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