MOOD FOOD

“The only way to keep your health is to eat what you don't want, drink what you don't like, and do what you'd rather not.” - Mark Twain

Are you angry? Feeling anxious, edgy, frustrated? Maybe you are suffering from depression or dire melancholy. Forget psychoanalysis, medication, counseling or prozac. Research is suggesting that what you eat may affect your mood. The evidence that is beginning to accumulate in support of this “food as medicine” notion is varied and is being published widely. One of its early proponents is Dr Khursheed Jeejeebhoy (formerly of the University of Toronto see: http://jeejeebhoy.ca/lifeliner/jeej/) who maintained that consumption of some foods is associated with a feeling of happiness and an optimistic mood.

Studies at the University of Wales support this hypothesis and show when students were given different breakfast combinations, their emotional responses varied. A breakfast low in kilojoules, carbohydrates and fat, but high in fibre gives a boost to happy feelings and optimism, but also improves memory. Contrariwise, other studies have shown that typical junk foods loaded with simple carbohydrates, low in fibre, high in fat and calories combined with stress lead to irritability, anger, panic attacks, impatience, fuzzy thinking and addictive behaviours. Jack Challen, a nutrition expert, has labelled this dietary consequence as the “pissy mood syndrome”.

The scientific basis for these observations may have a lot to do with the chemistry of the brain. Serotonin, noradrenaline and dopamine are all chemical messengers that transmit signals between nerve cells. Food can influence levels of these compounds in the body. Carbohydrates increase the levels of serotonin, causing a feeling of well-being but also drowsiness. Dopamine and noradrenaline increases cause feelings of alertness, heighten reaction times and increase energy. Protein-rich foods raise levels of these compounds in the brain: Meat, chicken, fish, soy, nuts, eggs and dairy products.

It should be kept in mind, however, that overeating will cause drowsiness as the more food in the stomach, the more blood is drained away from the brain to the intestines for the digestion process. Hence the feeling of sleepiness after a very heavy meal. A light meal of relatively few calories that is protein rich is the best for an alert mind.

Depression is relieved b foods that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids: Salmon, prawns, lobster, walnuts. Drinking lots of water and keeping hydrated also helps one’s mood. In this respect, cutting down coffee and alcohol (which are both diuretics and hence can cause dehydration) intake may help.

If you still feel aggressive and not quite relaxed, chomp on some chocolate. This has been used from ancient times by Aztecs as a healthful food and modern science has confirmed that it contains over 300 compounds that influence mood. Just make sure it’s good quality dark chocolate, as high sugar intake is definitely bad for one’s mood. Immediately after one eats sugar, there is a short-lived “Sugar high” followed soon after by a “sugar low” where despondency and dejection set in.

A healthy diet will certainly improve your mood, but this is helped by regular exercise. The latter causes an increase in body chemicals called endorphins. These substances produced within the body, have a positive effect on the brain, rather similar to morphine.

So in summary, for good mood:
• Low fat, low carbohydrate, low kilojoule, high protein, high fibre diet
• Regular exercise
• Drink lots of water
• Keep coffee and alcohol consumption down
• Eat shellfish
• Dark chocolate
• Low sugar

Enjoy a healthy meal, enjoy a healthy life.

AVENS

“To keep the body in good health is a duty...otherwise we shall not be able to keep our mind strong and clear.” - Buddha

The plant for this day’s birthdays is avens (herb Bennet), Geum urbanum. The generic name of the plant is supposedly derived from the Greek word for “to taste”, geuomai. This is related to the use of the root of the plant as an additive to ale, preventing it going sour and conferring upon it a clove-like flavour. The root was also used as a substitute for cloves in stewed apples and apple pies. Bennet is a corruption of Benedict, after the Saint, as it was considered a plant sacred to him. The plant was attributed with miraculous healing properties, especially for all internal injuries and chest complaints. The upper leaves with their three leaflets symbolised the trinity in medieval times, while the five-petalled yellow flower symbolised the five wounds of Christ on the cross. Astrologically, avens is under the dominion of Jupiter.

Avens is still used nowadays by herbalists as a medicine, because of its astringent effect. Avens-based herbal cures are mainly used to treat disorders that affect the region of the mouth, the region of the throat, as well as problems that affect the gastrointestinal tract of a person. Avens-based herbal medications lead to the tightening of soft gums; it can heal canker sores, and makes a really good gargling solution to treat infections in the region of the pharynx and the larynx. Avens-based herbal medications also help in bringing about a reduction in the irritation affecting the stomach and the gut. Avens-based herbal cures can be used in the treatment of disorders like peptic ulcers, problems such as irritable bowel syndrome, in the treatment of diarrhoea and chronic dysentery. The herb is included in many herbal lotions and ointments, these can bring soothing relief from the symptoms of haemorrhoids. Avens can also be made into an herbal douche to treat problems like excessive vaginal discharge; a herbal avens-based douche can also be used for general cleansing of the vaginal cavity. One more reputed property of the avens is that it possesses a mild quinine type effect and can supposedly bring relief from a fever by lowering the body temperature.

And our word of the day is:

herbalism |ˈ(h)ərbəˌlizəm| noun
The study or practice of the medicinal and therapeutic use of plants, now especially as a form of complementary and alternative medicine.
ORIGIN Middle English: via Old French from Latin herba ‘grass, green crops, herb.’ Although herb has always been spelled with an h, pronunciation without it was usual in British English until the 19th century and is still standard in the U.S.

STRANGE HARMONY OF DISCORD

“Opposition brings concord. Out of discord comes the fairest harmony.” - Heraclitus of Ephesus

The Ying and the Yang conspire within yet again, as northern hemisphere memories and southern hemisphere realities meld and vie for supremacy. The shade of gray that results will depend on the amount of white mixed in with the black. Heraclitus, that distant relative smiles and, yes it’s April once again…

April in the Antipodes

My heart stirs silently like a seed,
Swollen, its thirst slaked after a long Winter’s rains.
Green vibrant juices begin to flow
Under a cracking husk.
I feel within me rise Spring’s viridian sap;
Life awakens yet again,
The seed must germinate, the flower must bloom.
The clock within has struck the hour.

But all the Spring that I conceal within
Each April dies as Antipodean moon
Wanes, waxes cold, looking at me
Up in the sky fixed upended.

The burgeoning cotyledons every April will unfurl,
In cold grey Autumn skies and chilling winds
They find no shelter, no encouragement.
The first, emerald-green leaves will wither,
As yet another seedling lies shrivelled up, yellow, unfulfilled.
Sleep yet again my Northern April,
As Winter, Winter follows,
Spring merely poetic licence...

ἐκ τῶν διαφερόντων καλλίστην ἁρμονίαν…

ANIMAL CRUELTY

“Cruelty, like every other vice, requires no motive outside of itself; it only requires opportunity.” - George Eliot

The human being is considered to be the peak of evolutionary progress, the paragon of intelligence, the richest in emotional responses, the very centrepiece of creation. Human beings are gifted with reason, with compassion, with altruism, with a rich inner world that allows them to live life to the full, protecting the weak and innocent, to take care of their world, think of the future. Humans have music, have art, have culture. They live to write poetry and paint canvases, sing songs and dance ballets. What a wonderful world we humans live in, enjoying it as we do when each of us is endowed with such wondrous and marvellous gifts…

Aren’t idyllic dreams of a perfect world wonderful? The most despicable, the most horrendous, most terrible, most barbaric acts are those carried out by humans beings. Whatever can be imagined in the most warped mind can be realized by humans. Whatever can be dreamed in the most terrible nightmare can be made grim reality by humans. Whatever can be thought of in order to degrade, torture, despise, denigrate, terrify, terrorise other humans, we see reported in the news daily. And it does not stop there. We humans can even become more monstrous, more mindlessly destructive and repulsive. We can extend our activities to torture animals, not for the perhaps defensible purpose of food provision, but for the sake of… art!

Animal lovers and welfare activists beware, what follows is highly distressing and thoroughly sickening.

Guillermo Vargas a.k.a. ‘Habacuc’ (born 1975) is a Costa Rican “artist” who used a starving, sick street dog as part of an exposition in Managua, Nicaragua. He allegedly found the dog tied up on a street corner in a poor Nicaragua barrio and brought it to the showing. He tied the dog, according to furious animal lovers, in a corner of the exhibition salon where it died in his “art installation”. His point was, that there are thousands of dogs around Costa Rica dying every day and nobody cares. Using his “artistic sensibilities” he heightened public awareness of their plight… This is the link to a YouTube video on the exhibition (in Spanish and not for the faint-hearted!)

It is reported that the dog was left to die with no food and no water as patrons passed by in the gallery. The director of the Códice Gallery has stated that the animal was only tied up for 3 hours on one day and was fed and that finally the dog escaped. Guillermo Vargas has been selected to represent Costa Rica at the Bienal Centroamericana Honduras 2008 and an online petition has been made with over 1.8 million signatures against this selection (see here).

The controversy rages whether in fact the dog died of starvation in the gallery or whether it was released (see here). To have to consider that the dog was used in this way at all, for the sake of “art” is disgusting. There are millions of people worldwide who do really good work in animal shelters, stray animal hospitals, volunteer organisations, the RSPCA. Doing what Mr Vargas did to the dog to draw attention to its plight is like torturing a human on Oprah to draw attention to the fact there are millions of people being tortured worldwide. Or raping someone in the midst of a public gathering to draw attention to the plight of rape victims. Or putting a child in a cage on display and not feeding it to draw attention to the millions starving worldwide.

That not one of the refined “art lovers” went to liberate that tied dog I find even more repulsive than the cruel act of tying up the dog. “One of the ill effects of cruelty is that it makes the bystanders cruel.” Said Thomas Fowell Buxton, and though we find cruelty inherent in our human nature, at least we should make every effort to quash it, because it should seem unnatural to us. We have reason and intellect, we have emotion and sensitivity enough to be able to renounce the baser instincts of our humanity and rise above that in order to ennoble ourselves. Or is the world going completely mad?

BELL, BOOK & CANDLE

“Magic is believing in yourself, if you can do that, you can make anything happen.” - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

We watched an old film on DVD yesterday, which can only be classified as “dated fluff”. Therein lay its charm. It was quite an amusing retro look at the world, idealized and mixed with a dollop of fantasy, a slip of whimsy, a drop of charming performances, a smidgeon of romance, a soupçon of comedy and all set in a wintry, snowy New York City of the late 50s. Add to that some good jazzy music and what I thought would be a dull hour-and-a-half turned out to be some good light-hearted fun.

The film is Richard Quine’s “Bell, Book and Candle” of 1958, starring James Stewart and Kim Novak. They are wonderfully supported by a very young Jack Lemmon and a delightfully fluffly, elderly Elsa Lanchester (remember her as the Bride of Frankenstein in the 1935 movie?). The plot is based on a play by and one could very well see that this movie perhaps inspired the very successful TV sitcom “Bewitched”.

The plot revolves around some modern-day witches living in Manhattan, and who have some very special powers, but also some very interesting limitations. For example, a witch cannot cry and cannot blush. She can have “fun” but she cannot fall in love – well that’s what the rules say anyway. Kim Novak plays the young witch and Jimmy Stewart is the publisher who gets hexed. Helping it all along is a gorgeous Siamese cat, Pyewacket, the witch’s familiar of course! All sorts of mayhem follows embroiling Jack Lemmon and Elsa Lanchester, not to mention Ernie Kovacs playing a drunken author of books on magic, but as one would expect it all turns out right in the end.

Interesting is the ambience of late 50s New York and a wonderful little underground boîte called the “Zodiac Club” where all Manhattan witches go to have fun. It’s all very civilized and so nostalgic that it could very easily become fashionable all over again!

ART SUNDAY - SEURAT

“One eye sees, the other feels.” – Paul Klee

A single painting today: Georges Seurat’s famous canvas, “Un dimanche après-midi à l'Île de la Grande Jatte” (1884-1886). Seurat is the greatest proponent of the pointillists. They painted by placing very small brush strokes of pure colour right next to each other which when viewed from a distance will cause spatial summation to occur and for the desired colour to appear and forms to be seen.

It is basic knowledge that eventually things get to small to see. What isn't so well known is how the visual system treats the light coming from places to close together that we cannot tell that there are two places, say two dots, a red and a blue, right next to each other, as Seurat did on his canvas. What appears to happen is that the light is added together as if it came from one place.

Georges Seurat (December 2, 1859 – March 29, 1891) was only 26 when he first showed “A Sunday afternoon on the isle of La Grande Jatte” 1884 at the eighth annual and final Impressionist exhibition in 1886. In scale, technique, and composition it appeared as a scandalous eruption within Impressionism, a deliberate challenge to its first practitioners, such as Renoir and Monet. It immediately changed the course of vanguard painting, initiating a new direction that was baptised "Neoimpressionism."

Seurat died at age 31. He created other ambitious canvases, but “La Grande Jatte” has remained his definitive achievement. Although the picture was only rarely seen in the three decades following his death in 1891, its visibility was dramatically increased in 1924, when Frederic Clay Bartlett purchased the picture and placed it on loan at the Art Institute of Chicago. It has hung there ever since. Seurat's first major painting to enter a public collection, “La Grande Jatte” has become an icon, one of the art world's most recognisable images.

A SERENE TOUCH

“The sole art that suits me is that which, rising from unrest, tends toward serenity.” – André Gide

Another very busy day when many, many things had to be done and not enough hours in the day to do them in. I must learn to say no, more often, I think. Having good intentions and not wanting to disappoint people may all be very well, but it may end up being a tad too much for ourselves. That’s what burn-outs are made of, I guess. However, there is always some time, a little time that we can use to recharge our batteries, stop and smell the roses, meditate a little, smile a little, listen to some music that rests our soul…

Here is what I listened to today to do precisely that:


Pierre Bensusan (born October 30th 1957) is a French/Algerian guitarist who was only 17 when he released his debut album, Près de Paris, in 1975. The record showcased an impressively developed sensitive melodic style coupled with an equally evolved rhythmic underpinning. His subsequent nine albums, including his recent release, Altiplanos (2005), find Bensusan extending the possibilities of steel-string acoustic guitar in a variety of solo and group contexts, as well as through the exploration of electronic looping. His warm, deep voice melds beautifully with the sonority of the guitar and his songs interspersed amongst his instrumental pieces are a pleasure to listen to.

Bensusan’s approach is steeped in influences that span the globe, including Celtic, folk, jazz, Latin, and Middle Eastern music. He is a master storyteller, using his pieces to convey unique points of view, narrative development, dialogue, and movement. To that end, he infuses his tunes with distinctive voicings, counterpoint melodies, and pulsing bass rhythms. Another Bensusan hallmark is his exclusive use of DADGAD tuning. In fact, he’s one of the world’s leading DADGAD exponents, having spent his entire career exploring the breadth and depth of the tonalities the tuning has to offer.

Enjoy your weekend!

HEALTHY AGEING

“Aging is not 'lost youth' but a new stage of opportunity and strength.” – Betty Friedan

If you have been reading this blog, you’ll know I recently attended an international conference on research in Complementary Medicine. This was very interesting and numerous delegates from many well-known universities worldwide were there, presenting papers of great interest. Several presentations focussed on nutrition and especially nutrition and old age. The research is showing that if we take care of our diet, not only do we live longer, but we age in better health. But firstly, what is ageing?

The ageing process is the progressive deterioration of bodily functions over the lifespan. In Australia, life expectancy currently averages 78.5 years for males and 83.3 years for females. From 1901 to 2000, life expectancy at birth increased by 21.4 years for males and 23.3 years for females. The ageing process is destructive, progressive and intrinsically determined, universal amongst all complex living organisms. Is it a disease to be cured or a natural process that can be better managed? These two concepts are united by “anti-ageing strategies” in humans which involve life extension to the maximal limits, currently thought to be about 120 years, but also health extension, staying well until a short decline and death.

Most researchers seem to think that ageing is a multi-factorial process and relies on genetic factors, cumulative damage of body structures by many interactions with environmental stressors, oxidative stress, non-renewal of permanent cells, etc. Although there is no general consensus on the cause of ageing, most researchers would regard cellular damage as a key component. Many anti-ageing approaches involve boosting antioxidant defences against free radical damage and attempting to minimise protein glycation. Other approaches are focussed on gene therapy techniques to restore cell and organ function.

Recent studies in American populations showed that five factors seemed to be associated with a reduced lifespan:
1) Cigarette smoking 2) Diabetes mellitus 3) Obesity 4) Hypertension 5) Sedentary lifestyle.

The obvious thing to do then to extend lifespan, would be to eliminate these five factors from our life. The study referred to above showed that when these factors were eliminated, lifespan easily reached 90 years, other things being equal.

Many other studies around the world show that a low calorie diet is compatible with a longer lifespan. A famous study was set in Japan. Okinawa is a group of islands in southern Japan. Okinawans have up to 4-5 times the number of centenarians as the rest of Japan. Low calorie intake is common at younger ages and body mass index remains low throughout life. Adult energy intake is 20% less than the Japanese national average. Death rates from heart disease, cancer and cerebral vascular disease are 60 to 70% of the rest of Japan and they have half the number of deaths in the 60-64 year age range. Their diet is based around the Satsamu sweet potato, seaweed, leafy vegetables, fish, pork, tofu, green tea and kohencha tea. Mixed food broths are commonly eaten. Food is viewed as medicine and a common practice is to only eat 80% of the amount of food required to fill the stomach.

But what about anti-ageing nutrients? Nutrients impact on metabolism in a variety of ways and can function as gene regulators, free radical scavengers, cell membrane protectors, repair enhancers, anti-inflammatories, immune regulators and hormone modulators. Research has shown that there are many components in foods that can act as anti-ageing compounds and can promote health. Some of these are:

Resveratrol: This is an anti-fungal chemical naturally present in peanuts, mulberries, grapes (particularly those varieties more prone to fungal disease such as Pinot Noir), and in Giant Knotweed, a herb popular in Asian herbal medicine. It is believed to be responsible for the health-promoting effects of red wine.

Curcumin: This is the principal active ingredient in the spice turmeric, a member of the ginger family commonly used in curry powder. Turmeric is a well-known anti-inflammatory herb used for centuries in Ayurvedic medicine and traditional Chinese medicine. It has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antiviral, antibacterial, antifungal, and anticancer activities.

Grape seed: This is a superior antioxidant, it maintains capillary integrity, is anti-inflammatory, anticancer, and neuroprotective. Grape seeds contain phenolic acids, polyphenols and flavonoids. About 60-70% of the polyphenols in grapes are found in the seed and these have powerful antioxidant activity, estimated to be twenty times more potent than vitamin C and 50 times more potent than vitamin E and superior to pine bark bioflavonoids. They can scavenge superoxide and hydroxyl radicals, inhibit oxidation of LDL cholesterol, protect against DNA damage in the brain and liver in mice and protect the skin from sun damage.

Mushrooms, especially polypore varieties such as reishi, shiitake and maitake, contain polysaccharides, particularly beta-glucans, that have anti-inflammatory and immuno-modulating properties, including activation of lymphocytes, macrophages, natural killer cells and production of cytokines, tumour necrosis factor alpha and interferon 46. Mushrooms may suppress autoimmune responses, modulate NF-kappa B activity and have anti-cancer effects.

Ginseng is a traditional Asian herb used as an adaptogen and tonic and to restore homeostasis. It has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-apoptotic and immune-stimulatory activity and has been shown to be useful for CVD, cancer, immune deficiency and liver toxicity. Ginseng's active components have beneficial effects on ageing, CNS disorders and neurodegenerative diseases.

Brahmi is a herb used in Ayurvedic medicine for the treatment of cognitive deficits. It has antioxidant activity in the brain and is a potent adaptogen. Brahmi prevents depletion of acetylcholine in the hippocampus, increases glutathione peroxidase levels and boosts the synthesis of new protein in brain tissue.

The general consensus about food and healthy ageing is, that we should develop good dietary habits while still young. Have a low body mass index and eat less calories, with a low saturated fat diet. Complex carbohydrates supplemented by a variety of seasonal fresh fruits and vegetables, good calcium intake, moderate sun exposure, lots of grapes (eaten with seeds!), some red wine with meals, nuts, some herbs and spices. Certain Asian diets and many Mediterranean diets adhere to these guidelines.

ILLUMINATED FLORAL MANUSCRIPTS

“I'd rather have roses on my table than diamonds on my neck.” - Emma Goldman

It is Autumn in Melbourne and we are experiencing some wild weather, alternating with calm mild, sunny days. Yesterday we had high winds, reaching speeds of 130 km/hr and in the evening welcome rain. However, there were three casualties yesterday that the wild weather claimed. Three people lost their lives. A woman buried under a collapsing wall in a laneway, a man killed in a building site, and tragically an electric company linesman who was electrocuted while trying to restore electricity by repairing damaged lines.

Today it was cool but sunny. The leaves have started to shed from the trees and the chrysanthemums have started to bloom. Autumn is a beautiful season although it is usually more agreeable and milder. Climate change is an indisputable reality and the unpredictable nature of the weather is something we are beginning to get used to. I dare say things will get worse as the years go by. At my new job we have a “Greening the Campus” committee and we are looking at more and more ways of becoming more energy efficient, promoting recycling, cutting down waste, using environmentally-friendly products and inculcating into the staff and students a green culture and modified behaviour that is environmentally aware. Many little things carried out by many individuals add up to a lot on a worldwide scale.

Autumn is also the time of the Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show. This is a world-renowned event that is held in one of our oldest and most beautiful parks in the middle of the city, the Carlton Gardens and the adjacent, elaborately ornate Victorian landmark, the Royal Exhibition Building. The Flower is show is rated to be amongst the 5 best such events in the world and runs between the 2nd and 6th of April.

The show features floral displays both native and exotic, cut flowers and potted specimens, garden ideas, new products, award-winning landscape design, water-saving ideas, and numerous exhibitors from the garden and floristry industries. This event is always popular, despite the progressively rising admission prices. I walked by there today on my way to an appointment at St Vincent’s Hospital and I overheard two pensioners talking to each other outside the show, complaining bitterly about the high price (even though they were paying a concessional rate).

Another show that I am even more keen about is the exhibition of illuminated manuscripts at our State Library. This is another very fine Victorian Building situated on one of the main thoroughfares of our city with a magnificent dome and impressive façade. It has recently been renovated and is simply stunning. Definitely a place to visit if you are planning to stop by Melbourne in your travels. The State Library houses a fine collection of books, but also has several exhibition areas in which are housed both permanent and temporary exhibitions.

The free exhibition is called “The Medieval Imagination” and features illuminated manuscripts from Cambridge (UK), Australia and New Zealand. It runs from the 28th of March until the 15th June 2008. If you are a Melbournite you have no excuse for not seeing this magnificent exhibition and if you are planning to visit our City soon, put it in your travel diary.

Which brings me to the word of the day:

manuscript |ˈmanyəˌskript| noun
A book, document, or piece of music written by hand rather than typed or printed: An illuminated manuscript.
• An author's text that has not yet been published: Preparing the final manuscript | Her autobiography remained in manuscript.
ORIGIN late 16th century: from medieval Latin manuscriptus, from manu ‘by hand’ + scriptus ‘written’ (past participle of scribere).

Incidentally, did you know that if you interest yourself actively in cultural activities, your immune response is raised significantly? Going to exhibitions and museums means you get sick less often, how’s that?

A PRIVATE MOMENT

“When the heart grieves over what is has lost, the spirit rejoices over what it has left.” - Sufi Epigram

While travelling back home from Sydney yesterday, my plane was delayed somewhat and an early evening flight became a sunset flight and by the time I got home it was night, especially so after a further delay in getting the baggage unloaded from the plane and onto the conveyor belts. A one-hour flight became embellished with another couple of hours of delay time and then add to that further travel time on ground transport getting to and from the airport. What was it that someone has said about air travel? “If we were meant to travel by aeroplane it would have been easier to get to and from the airport.”

Nevertheless, on the plane, flying at 10 km above the surface of the earth, one has interesting thoughts as one observes the world in miniature, as one floats above the clouds and one catches a glimpse of the magnificence of a sun dipping down the Western horizon before it gradually slips out of sight, leaving behind it blazes of colour that tinge the clouds a fiery red that continue to glow ember-red long into twilight. Philosophising becomes inevitable, don’t you think?

Sitting next to me on the plan was a middle-aged woman immersed in her thoughts, hardly acknowledging my polite greeting of “good evening” as I settled in the seat next to her. Her face was lined with what could only have been unpleasant recollections, worrying ideas, concern, the weight of endless care. I respected her wish for privacy and began to read my book. She stared fascinated at the brilliant display of the setting sun and her face furrowed further more into a frown while her eyebrows creased into a visible display of inner torment. I observed as casually as I could, pretending to also look at the setting sun. As the sun disappeared below the horizon, its last rays illuminated her cheeks, tinging them a reddish orange and making obvious a lone tear trickling like a liquid diamond down her cheek.

What does one do in such a situation? Does one remain silent, actively ignoring another’s pain, pretending not to notice? Does one speak, searching desperately to say something caring, but not patronizing or too invasive of another’s privacy? Does one try to communicate sympathy without words, trying to send a positive signal through the air without touching, speaking or otherwise visibly acknowledging the other person’s pain? How does one relate to another in such an obviously private moment where personal feelings rule the day and the external world, when other people and words can become obtrusive and grating? Then again, it is surely in such situations that we appreciate a kind word, another human being’s frank concern about our state, a simple kindness made even more worthy because it comes from a stranger.

In my embarrassment the words in this poem fell into place and gelled in my mind allowing me to recall them while I was I was awaiting for my baggage to be unloaded later on, and they were hastily scribbled on a scrap of paper there and then in the noisy arrival hall:

Sunset

While in the West the sun’s reduced to embers,
She sits, she watches and remembers:
A man, a love, a sacrifice, a cheap betrayal
As if on playhouse stage a poor portrayal.

The dusk descends, the night advances,
She counts her losses, and her fleeting chances;
Her life, where did it go, where youth, where hope?
In darkness lost, hanging on gallows’ rope.

Black clouds obscure the moon, no sign of star
Her future short, death watches – he’s not far…
And in the blackest hour sweet memories she clutches:
A kiss, some words of love, softest of touches.

Even in blackest night the thought of dawn alights,
In darkest hour, sweet hope holds a candle.
The soul revived will rise from depths to heights
And mind will cope, and heart the crisis handle.

Can you guess what course of action I followed on the plane as the woman beside me silently wept? What would you have done?

IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER...

“It is much easier to become a father than to be one.” - Kent Nerburn

I watched a current affairs program on the Greek cable channel today, which featured an interview with a medical geneticist. The message was simple but poignant. More and more people are presently requesting DNA paternity testing. In a testing centre in Athens, a couple of years ago, the paternity test requests were one or two a month, nowadays the statistics are an alarming one or two a day…

The doctor was appalled by this increase in such testing and in many cases he was reporting, the children (many as old as 6-7 years old) seemed to be aware of what exactly was being done and why they were in the testing centre. He was not making a judgment on modern mores, nor commenting on today’s “open” relationships, he had no criticism of the parents of such children. All he was drawing attention to was the irreparable damage being done to these children, who seemed to be innocent pawns on a chessboard where strange games of power and money were being played.

Underlying many of these disputed paternity cases was a maintenance payment or a child support payment. In others, a claim on a part of a family fortune was claimed, or a demand for a share of some property. In other cases, children were caught in protracted legal battles, custody cases and government welfare agencies or social department disputes.

We are living in an increasingly liberated society, one becoming more tolerant of a broader definition of “family” and “relationship”. That can be a good thing, but also it may be something that is not so good. How many children nowadays come from a family where there are complex relationships because of siblings and half-siblings from previous relationships of their parents?

We are living in a society where the rights and liberties of the individual are upheld as a first priority, where selfishness often is a predominating force. Where the good of the family, of the community or of society, is often dismissed as an unimportant consideration. How many children are there who live in single parent households (mostly with their mothers) and how many of these children do not have a father figure to provide support and nurture and a role model? How many children are there who have no father because they are the product of an in-vitro fertilisation, or of an “affair” or of a short-term relationship?

How many “week-end” fathers are there, taking the children to the park or a football game or a restaurant, but playing no role in the day to day bringing up of their child (sometimes, through no fault of their own?)? How many stepfathers are there who abuse the children of their partner emotionally, mentally, physically, sexually? How many fathers are there who abandon their children once they find out through a paternity test that they are not the biological father of the children they thought were their own?

“Sleep and rest, sleep and rest,
Father will come to thee soon;
Rest, rest, on mother's breast,
Father will come to thee soon;
Father will come to his babe in the best,
Silver sails all out of the west,
Under the silver moon:
Sleep, my little one, sleep, my pretty one, sleep…”

Alfred Lord Tennyson

What do you think? Are fathers a threatened species?

MOVIE MONDAY - BLOOD DIAMOND

“I love humanity but I hate people.” – Edna St Vincent Millay

Thanks to all of you who have wished me well in my travels. It was another gorgeous day in Sydney, although I am not seeing much of it, spending most of the day in the dark in a conference hall staring a ta presentation screen. However, the up side is that the presentations and delegates are really top notch, with people from the Mayo Clinic, Harvard, Oxford, McMaster University, University of Sydney, etc. One of the most rewarding personal findings that I garnered from this conference is that there is tremendous energy and vision in the traditional complementary and alternative medicine (TCAM) areas and that research is happening at a fantastically frenetic rate in these arenas. The other reassuring finding is that Australia is a world leader in these TCAMs. More and more representatives from the western, orthodox medical system are taking heed of all the activity in the TCAM area and there many collaborative projects in integrative medicine. I hope to cover some of the interesting presented research in the diet and lifestyle area on my food blog on Friday – stay tuned!

Having decided to have a little break at afternoon tea time, I am posting my Movie Monday blog, which is a film I watched at the hotel on cable last night. It is Edward Zwick’s 2006 film “Blood Diamond”. I had heard good reviews about this film when it first came out, but had missed out seeing it at the time. Well, it was great to finally see it last night and I have only good things to report about it.

I must admit that I am not a Leonardo di Caprio fan, but in this role he shows that he has enough acting ability to mature into a fine actor indeed. In this film he plays Danny Archer, who is likeable rogue that weaves his way though Africa in the illegal diamond trade in 1999. The film is set in West Africa (Sierra Leone) and traces the vicissitudes of entire populations as civil war rages through their country and as rebels fight with government troops for supremacy. Financing this slave labour that looks for diamonds, which are then illegally traded across the border by “Soldiers of Fortune” like Danny Archer. Needless to say that such blood-stained diamonds grace the fingers of Western populations who don’t bother to know the history of woe that each sparkling jewel hides within its depths.

Djimon Hounsou plays Solomon Vandy, a native who only wants the best for his family. They are caught in the middle of the bloody civil war and as the family is split, Solomon is bound to discover that there are worse fates than death for his teenage son. Jennifer Connelly plays a US journalist trying to expose the illegal diamond trade and doing some serious soul-searching along the way also.

The movie is violent, gut-wrenching, realistic and confronting. Scenes in it hit the viewer with the power of a fist in the belly and what it makes so much worse is the knowledge that it is all based on the harsh reality that still is the status quo in many African nations. To a certain extent, this film reminded me of the 2005 film “Lord of War”, which I reviewed some months ago.

This film is bound to shock and distress many people, but it is a film that should be seen. We ignore Africa at our peril. We remain silent about third world country problems and these problems will knock on our door shortly. We fail to act on matters of grave humanitarian crisis and our own humanity is compromised.

POSTCARD FROM SYDNEY

“A good traveler has no fixed plans, and is not intent on arriving.” - Lao Tzu

Greetings from Sydney, where I am attending an extremely interesting conference on Complementary Medicine Research. It is being held at the Sydney Convention Centre in Darling Harbour, which is a beautiful part of Sydney, very close to the city, but not as well known overseas as Sydney Cove with its views of the Opera House and the Sydney Harbour Bridge. In any case if you are visiting Sydney you are bound to see it and experience all of its attractions.

It’s a lovely day in Sydney with blue skies and warm (25˚C) temperatures, lots of people everywhere, both at the conference as well as around the Harbour. There is a festival of Greek Culture with music, dancing, food, exhibitions and many visitors. There are buskers and jugglers, food stalls, lots of boats and ferries, waving flags, a Sunday feeling of carefree relaxation and enjoyment of the day of rest.

However, some of us have to work eve on this day, so I am off to the conference again after having written all of you this little postcard, just to say “hello, wish you were here”!

A SMILE

“By plucking her petals, you do not gather the beauty of the flower.” - Rabindranath Tagore

A Greek song this Saturday, with lyrics by poet Kostas Karyotakis (November 11, 1896 – July 20, 1928). It is sensitively set to music by Lena Platonos and sung by Savina Yannatou.
A Smile

Tonight, the evening is like a dream.
Tonight the valley is dipped in magic.
It’s not raining any more and the rested girl
Lay down in the moist clover.

The lips parted like two cherries,
And as she breathes deeply,
Her breast rises and falls
Like an April rose in the wind.

Sunrays escape from a cloud
And hide themselves in her eyes.
A lemon tree sheds dewdrops on her
And they drop on her cheek like diamonds,
As if she had been crying,
Though she smiles gazing at the sun.



Χαμόγελο

Απόψε είναι σαν όνειρο το δείλι.
Απόψε η λαγκαδιά στα μάγια μένει.
Δε βρέχει πια κι η κόρη αποσταμένη,
Στο μουσκεμμένο ξάπλωσε τριφύλλι.

Σα δυο κεράσια χώρισαν τα χείλη
Κι έτσι βαθειά γεμάτα σ’ ανασαίνει.
Στο στήθος της ανεβοκατεβαίνει
Νέον αγριοτριανταφύλλο του Απρίλη.

Ξεφεύγουνε από το σύννεφο ακτίδες
Και κρύβονται στα μάτια της.
Τη βρέχει μια λεμονιά με δυο δροσοσταλίδες,
Που στάθηκαν στο μάγουλο διαμάντια
Και που θαρρείς το δάκρυ της πως τρέχει,
Καθώς χαμογελά στον ήλιο αγνάντια.

Enjoy your weekend!

FULL OF BEANS

“Preach not to others what they should eat, but eat as becomes you, and be silent.” – Epictetus

I have had a rather busy week, more so than usual, and at the weekend I have to go to Sydney for work, staying there till Monday. Sydney is always nice to visit, but whenever I go there I always conclude that I wouldn’t like to live there. In any case, it does not look as though I’ll be seeing lots of the city as a very busy schedule awaits me.

Today we had Greek bean soup (Φασολάδα = fasoládha), a typical vegetarian dish that characterises much of the “ordinary” Greek cuisine. Beans are one of the staples that a Greek pantry is never without. This bean soup is so typically Greek that (in Greece) it is often called the “Greek national dish”! To the Greeks beans are an inexpensive, nourishing meal that is most usually served on its own with a little bread, some tomatoes and cheese. It is considered “peasant food” and replaces the more expensive meat dishes.

HEARTY GREEK BEAN SOUP - FASOLADHA

Ingredients
1 cup dried haricot beans
2 cups vegetable stock (you can use V8 juice and omit the tomato paste)
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
3 carrots, cut in slices
4 stalks celery, finely chopped
1 can of Roma (plum) tomatoes, chopped
1 tbsp. tomato paste
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
3 tbsp. freshly chopped parsley for garnish
1 bay leaf

Method
1) Place beans in a bowl, cover with water and let them soak overnight. Drain and rinse beans.
2) Meanwhile in a medium pot, heat olive oil over medium setting.
3) Add the onion, celery and carrots and salt for about 5 minutes or until soft.
4) Add the tomatoes, stock, tomato paste and beans.
5) Simmer uncovered for about 1 1/2 hours or until beans are tender. You may add more or less stock, depending on how watery/thick you want the soup to be.
6) Season with salt and pepper and add chopped parsley before serving.
7) Serve with crusty bread, a simple salad, some anchovy fillets and cheese.

Beans are an excellent source of many essential nutrients and have been show to contain components that protect against many diseases. High in protein, low in fat, with no cholesterol, high in fibre and rich in many vitamins and minerals, beans are indeed a “poor man’s meat”. A diet rich in beans and other legumes protects against many gastrointestinal diseases (including cancer of the large bowel), but also against prostate and breast cancer, through the high content of phyto-oestrogens in legumes. The added goodness of vegetables in this dish makes it highly nutritious and healthful, as well as tasting delicious!

PYRAMID

“Mystery creates wonder and wonder is the basis of man's desire to understand.” - Neil Armstrong

One of the highlights of my travels around the world is my visits to Egypt, both times travelling down the length of that majestic river, the Nile, and visiting many of the important ancient sites: Alexandria, Cairo, Giza, Saqqara, Dendera, Deir el Bahari, Luxor, Karnak, Valley of the Kings, Edfu, Kom Ombo, Philae, Abu Simbel… One of the most magnificent and unforgettable sights by anyone’s reckoning is the great plain of Giza and the pyramids there. One of the ancient Seven Great Wonders of the World, as reported by the ancient Greeks, the Great Pyramid of Cheops in Giza is the only ancient wonder still standing.

The sheer size of this “artificial hill” is astounding and the amount of stone used to build quite mind-boggling. It was originally just over 146 metres tall (480 feet) but over the 43 or so centuries it has stood, it lost about 10 metres of that height, through removal of blocks from the top. It is calculated that about two million stone blocks, each weighing about 1.5 tons, were used in its construction, at about 2560 BC.

Many people have been drawn to the Great Pyramid of Giza, What are they looking for? Some considered the Great Pyramid from purely an academic curiosity. They may be archaeologists, historians, scientists, mathematicians and their work involves the Great Pyramid in one way or another. It is certainly worthy of academic study.

Throughout history, many well-known individuals and great leaders were fascinated by the Great Pyramid. Herodotus visited it and described it in his “Histories”, Alexander the Great was drawn to the Great Pyramid and visited it. Napoleon also visited the Great Pyramid and even spent time alone in the King's Chamber. Sir Isaac Newton was extremely interested in the Great Pyramid and even wrote a dissertation on it. Many well-known explorers made it a point to visit the Great Pyramid of Giza. Its status as a wonder, as a tomb of a great king, as a magnificent man-made structure may have attracted the interest of these people.

However, even the ordinary person is attracted to Giza and the pyramids. Since the Great Pyramid has always been enshrouded in mystery, many people think it may contain the answers to some fundamental questions about life and death. People wonder why was the pyramid built, for what purpose, who built it and when? Does it have any significance or purpose for us today? Does it contain any hidden or lost information? As you may know, archaeologists have been searching for hidden chambers and passages for some time. Some are searching for lost treasures and others for lost secrets from an ancient civilization. Just the mystery of it is enough to attract people to explore and study it.

Also many common everyday people have gone out of their way to visit and explore the Great Pyramid. Many who have not had the opportunity to go to Egypt have undertaken an intensive and life long study of the Great Pyramid. There is no common denominator. People from different cultures, walks of life, diverse time periods, rich or poor, great or small, have been drawn to the Great Pyramid. Contemplating it is awe-inspiring. Clambering into it is an experience not to be missed and as one becomes encased in tons upon tons of rock, the weight of the centuries becomes a palpable reality. When one finally reaches the heart of the pyramid and stands in the King’s Chamber, one feels a sense of timeless wonder and a communion with the history of centuries of human existence in this spot of the earth.

Perhaps it is easy to understand why people have tried to attach a supernatural significance to the pyramid and why the parascientific discipline of “pyramidology” has sprung up. People have managed to construe all sorts of significance into the dimensions, the orientation, the height, the width, the placement of the pyramid. Each pyramidologist can provide evidence for his or her views, usually from a new-age or supernatural perspective. Pseudoscientific “validation” of these points usually gives the claims a superficial respectability and ease of digestion, that convinces many that their claims are indisputably true.

Apropos, the word for Thursday is:

pyramid |ˈpirəˌmid| noun
1 a monumental structure with a square or triangular base and sloping sides that meet in a point at the top, esp. one built of stone as a royal tomb in ancient Egypt.
Pyramids were built as tombs for Egyptian pharaohs from the 3rd dynasty ( c. 2649 bc) until c. 1640 bc. Monuments of similar shape are associated with the Aztec and Maya civilizations of c. 1200 bc – ad 750, and, like those in Egypt, were part of large ritual complexes.
2 a thing, shape, or graph with such a form : the pyramid of the Matterhorn.

• Geometry a polyhedron of which one face is a polygon of any number of sides, and the other faces are triangles with a common vertex : a three-sided pyramid.
• a pile of things with such a form : a pyramid of logs.
• Anatomy a structure of more or less pyramidal form, esp. in the brain or the renal medulla.
• an organization or system that is structured with fewer people or things at each level as one approaches the top : the lowest strata of the social pyramid.
• a system of financial growth achieved by a small initial investment, with subsequent investments being funded by using unrealized profits as collateral.

verb [ trans. ]
heap or stack in the shape of a pyramid : debt was pyramided on top of unrealistic debt in an orgy of speculation.
• achieve a substantial return on (money or property) after making a small initial investment.
DERIVATIVES
pyramidal |piˈramidl| |pəˈrømədl| |ˈpɪrəˈmɪdl| |-ˈramɪd(ə)l| adjective
pyramidally |ˈpɪrəˈmɪdli| |pəˈrømədli| |-ˈramɪd(ə)li| adverb
pyramidical |ˌpirəˈmidikəl| |-ˈmɪdɪk(ə)l| adjective
pyramidically |ˈpɪrəˈmɪd1k(ə)li| |-ˈmɪdɪk(ə)li| adverb
ORIGIN late Middle English (in the geometric sense): via Latin from Greek puramis, puramid-, of unknown ultimate origin.

HOROSCOPY, AGAIN

“A physician without a knowledge of Astrology has no right to call himself a physician.” -
Hippocrates

The stars, the moon (in June), high up on Mars, poetry finds words to lay bare our innermost and most hidden thoughts, emotions. Gazing up on the night sky with wonder, we try to fathom secrets of our existence, and as we gaze we wonder whether up there revolving around another distant star, is there someone gazing up at ours? Writing poetry perhaps?

Casting Horoscopes

Trine Jupiter and square Mars,
The moon in opposition
While Mercury yet again is retrograde.
I gaze up counting all the stars,
Trying to define my position,
While searching for your hand, so much afraid.

Sextile Jupiter and Saturn,
Gemini in the eleventh house,
Aquarius on the ascendant.
You left me once, now it’s my turn,
Trying my love for you to douse,
Ignoring all the pains attendant.

The sun sets, Venus will follow
The zodiac rotates, and high up in the sky,
Cybele reflects in the moon’s shade.
My heart is empty, feels so hollow,
I cast the die, I try to push thoughts of you by,
But time reminds me of a fate I can’t evade.

The sky is dark,
My thoughts so stark;
My hand still languishes lonely,
Stars for my company, only.
I cast you far away,
The moon to keep at bay
My maddening, whirling thoughts of you.
I read my horoscope and find in it a taunting déjà vu.

LITERARY TIDBITS

“The difficulty of literature is not to write, but to write what you mean; not to affect your reader, but to affect him precisely as you wish.” – Robert Louis Stevenson

I am in the middle of reading a novel by Peter Elbling called “The Foodtaster” and first published in 2002. Peter Elbling is an actor and screenwriter (he is one of the screenwriters of “Honey, I Blew Up the Kid” and has been in many TV shows). The novel is set in Renaissance Italy and is the tale of an Italian peasant, Ugo DiFonte. Supposedly, the book is the author’s translation of the diary of Ugo, which has fortuitously fallen into his hands. A common literary device these last few years…

Ugo is widowed young and finding himself back in his father’s house, with a baby daughter, he tries to make ends meet. By chance, he and his young daughter Miranda are snatched and taken to the estates of Duke Federico Basillione DiVincelli, the Duke of Corsoli. Ugo thinks life can't get any worse, until he is forced to replace the recently de-tongued royal food taster. Though this elevates his position considerably, it also places him in the midst of court intrigues that constantly endanger his life and his position.

An added complication is that Miranda is growing up into beautiful womanhood and needing Ugo’s protection from her suitors and her own desires. Miranda teaches Ugo how to read and write, and Ugo eventually writes his fantastic tale as a memoir. The novel is full of memorable meals, sex, intrigue, action and humour. The style is mostly picaresque and often reminiscent of a fairy tale (as told by Monty Python!), but there are touching moments, scenes that allow the author to lightly philosophise and enough colour and historical detail to keep the reader interested throughout.

Not for the faint-hearted, this novel is often earthy (or even bawdy, and in places reminiscent a little of Gargantua and Pantagruel), and has quite a lot of operatic situational tension. A touch of Rigoletto here and there keeps the readers on their toes. A good, light-hearted read, justifying its best-seller status in several countries.

Lady Day is the day when the church commemorates the feast of the Annunciation. It was on this day that the archangel Gabriel proclaimed to the Virgin that she would conceive and bear a son nine months later. His name would be Emmanuel.
Ave Maria, gratia plena
Dominus tecum:
Benedicta tu in mulieribus.

Hail Mary, full of grace
The Lord is with you:
Blessed are you amongst women.
Luke I:28

This is the fulfilment of the prophet Isaiah’s prophecy:
Ecce, virgo concipiet,
Et pariet filium
Et vocabitur nome ejus Emmanuel.
Butyrum et mel comedet,
Ut sciat reprobare malum,
Et eligere bonum.

Behold, a virgin shall conceive,
And bear a son
And he shall be called Emmanuel.
Fed on butter and honey,
He will grow to the age of refusing what is bad
Choosing what is good.
Isaiah VII:14-15

This day is also the National Day of Greece, commemorating the beginning of the struggle for the liberation of Greece in 1821, from nearly 400 years of Ottoman rule. The day is celebrated with especial brilliance in Greece, as it is a national holiday, as well as a great religious feast day. Although it falls in Lent, the fast is relaxed on this day and traditionally fish is eaten.

ΧΡΟΝΙΑ ΠΟΛΛΑ ΣΤΟΥΣ ΕΟΡΤΑΖΟΝΤΕΣ
ΚΑΙ ΣΕ ΟΛΟΥΣ ΤΟΥΣ ΕΛΛΗΝΕΣ!

LET'S GET MARRIED!

"It is not from reason and prudence that people marry, but from inclination." - Samuel Johnson

Recently we have come to view relationships rather more liberally than the traditional model as espoused by church and society in most countries in the West for the past few centuries. Marriage in particular, has been seriously questioned and the traditional, monopolising role of the church in celebrating wedding ceremonies has been upstaged by other ways in which a couple may “tie the knot”. Ceremonies officiated by marriage celebrants in parks, homes, gardens, more exotic locations; ceremonies in town halls celebrated by mayors; ceremonies in all sorts of places carried out by all sorts of people.

However, even marriage as such is not as popular as it used to be and many people simply live together in a “de facto” relationship. The state recognizes such relationships and legally, they can be as binding as official marriages with each partner having the same rights as those in an “official” marriage. Gay relationships, couples separated by an enormous age gap and other unorthodox relationships also abound.

Many people also do not have a permanent relationship and choose to live alone. They opt for the casual encounter and eschew the commitment that a longer-term relationship entails. In fact for some people the idea of marriage or any permanent sort of relationship is absolute anathema. We live in an age where such casual encounters in both our public as well as private lives are becoming increasingly more common.

The increasing numbers of divorces seem to also contribute to the idea that marriage as an institution is having a tough time of it. Or is it? For Movie Monday today, a French film that explores these ideas and does so in a refreshing and humorous way. The movie is Eric Lartigau’s 2006 film, “Prête-moi Ta Main” (“I Do: How to Get Married and Stay Single”).

This sparkling comedy is just the thing for a night in, while you snuggle up to your significant other (or not!) and the rain falls outside. It concerns a confirmed bachelor who is besieged by women. Firstly his family: A widowed mother and his countless sisters and nieces. Then by his girlfriends (of the one-night stand variety). A bolt out of the blue is the decision by his family that it is high time he got married, seeing he is in his forties. Poor Luis (played wonderfully by Alain Chabat) is steamrollered into dating suitable matches (as arranged by his mother and sisters). He decides he has had enough and hires the charming Emma (Charlotte Gainsbourg) to pose as his girlfriend and intended wife-to-be for his family. All will go smoothly until the bride does not turn up at the ceremony and the heart-broken Luis will have found his peace of mind again, seeing his family will respect his heartbreak. Well that’s the plan, anyway…

The plot is as old as the hills, but it is well done and the performances are excellent. As a French farce, the contrivances are excessive and the characters stock and shallow. However, who cares? This is a feel-good bit of fluff that is played for laughs. As is the case with all comedies, however, even the most shallow ones, there is pointed social criticism aimed towards the mores of our times. An interesting subplot revolving around Emma’s adoption of a Brazilian child provides another more sobering dimension to the plot and the escalating statistics that show that many women in the West now are having great problems conceiving shows us that the family as we think of it may need serious reconsideration in the very near future.

ART SUNDAY - PYSANKY

“Do not abandon yourselves to despair. We are the Easter people and hallelujah is our song.” -
Pope John Paul II

Happy Easter to those of you celebrating this holiday on this Sunday!

The day has been a glorious one here in Melbourne and many people have been out celebrating, on vacation as well as in churches. We are in a strange season this time of the year – traces of summer with heat and bright sunlight during the day, but cool nights and even a little dew in the morning.

Easter has been traditionally a spring and fertility holiday that was syncretised with the resurrection of Christ when Chrsitiniaty overtook the pagan religions of Europe. Eggs are associated with springtime because the rooster is considered the herald of the sun and because egg production increases in springtime. Thus, from ancient time decorated eggs were believed to help the cycle of the seasons and to bring on spring and the new growth of animals and crops; the potential to bring fertility was enhanced by the symbols.

Ukrainian decorated eggs or pysanky, are world famous for the richness of the designs and colours. The designs drawn on the egg include ears of wheat, grapes, rakes, cross-hatchings symbolizing the plowed field, pictures of chicks, rams and other farm animals, and, of course, pictures of the sun. Decorated eggs were buried in fields to transfer their fecundity productiveness to the earth and in houses to protect the home. Archaeological excavations of these buried eggs tell us how ancient pysanky are. When Christianity came to Ukraine, pysanky acquired a Christian meaning. They became Easter eggs. Old symbols were reinterpreted in the Christian context. Thus, representations of the sun, the four-spoked solar wheel, for example, came to represent the cross. New symbols were added and pictures of churches were drawn on eggs, as were the first letters of the words “Christ is risen”.

Pysanka comes from the word "to write" - pysaty. Making Easter Eggs in Ukraine dates back to thousands of years. Many Slavic groups paint eggs with their own interpretations. The writing of Easter eggs was suppressed by the Soviets in the past century and many beautifully decorated eggs were destroyed in museum. Throughout Ukraine the pysanka has enjoyed a resurgence as with other customs. Every region decorates eggs in their own distinctive style and meaning.

Another form of the pysanky which is also very common at Easter time are the krashanky. It comes from the verb - krasyty - to color, to dye. The eggs are dyed a one single color. Years ago Ukrainians used various varieties of plant material to color the eggs. A very popular method even now is to save onions skins for any months and then boil them in water. The eggs are dropped in later, boiled and turn out various shades of brown.

Symbols of Easter Eggs can be grouped into 6 main categories which are: 1) solar symbols, 2) bezkonechnyk - never ending lines, 3) plant symbols, 4) animal symbols, 5) geometric symbols and 6) Christian symbols. When Ukrainians accepted Christianity in 988 AD, the eight-pointed star, the then sign of a sungod, became a symbol of Christ. Dots depict stars in the heavens, and also recall Mary's tears when a legend tells, Pilate refused her plea for mercy. Deer and other animals of the Carpathian Mountains signify prosperity. Waves and ribbons circling an egg, without beginning or end suggest eternity. Originally pysanky symbolized the release of the earth from the shackles of winter and the coming of spring with its promise of new hope, new life, health and prosperity. Folklore has it that a decorated egg can avert any evil, bring good crops, and help a young maiden to win the man of her desire. After the advent of Christianity, the decorated eggs took the new symbols of the Resurrection with its promise of a better world.

Colours also have a symbolic meaning. Some examples: Yellow - is the symbol of light and purity. It speaks of youth, happiness, the harvest, hospitality, love and benevolence. It is the colour consecrated to the light deities and is the Christian symbol of recognition and reward. Red - the magical colour of folklore is considered a positive colour signifying action, fire, charity, spiritual awakening. It also glorifies the sun and the joy of life and love. In Christian symbolism, it denotes the divine love and passion of Christ. As seen in spring renewals, green symbolizes the breaking of shackles, freedom from bondage. It is the color of fertility, freshness, health and hope. In the Christian context, it represents bountifulness, hope and the victory of life over death. It is the color of Christmas, Easter and Epiphany. Blue carries with it wishes for good health, blue skies or the life-giving air.

Pysanky are magic symbols of life. The egg itself is magic in that it resembles an inert object, and yet contains the potential for a new life, of food for those already living. When they become pysanky, eggs are become more magical in that they are dyed. This is done using a technique similar to batik: Colours are protected with beeswax from subsequent dyes, rather than painted on. As an egg is worked, colour after colour disappears under the dark wax, to be magically revealed at the end when the wax is removed.

Many folk tales have been told about the origins of Ukrainian Easter Eggs. These stories may vary 
somewhat from one to another, but all show the importance Ukrainians placed on their pysanky. A legend that is 1,000 years old tells of a young woman who was on her way home 
one morning from the market in town with a basket of eggs and a jug of fresh water. When she 
was traveling the home to her home, she met a stranger sitting on a rock. Thinking He must 
be tired, she offered Him a drink of her water and was startled to see there were wounds on 
His hands. The stranger said nothing but accepted her offer and then continued on His way. 
When the woman arrived at her home, she uncovered her basket and discovered her eggs 
were transformed into pysanky. The stranger was Jesus Christ - and that morning was the first Easter.

Another story tells of a poor peddlar who was on his way to market to sell his basket of eggs when
 he came upon a crowd who was mocking and jeering a man carrying a heavy cross. The peddlar ran 
to help the man carry the cross for a while. When the peddlar returned to his basket of eggs by the
roadside, he found that they had been transformed into beautiful pysanky. The peddlar was 
Simon the Cyrenian, the man carrying the heavy cross was Christ.

A legend sometimes told is of one year long ago when birds who were traveling south 
were surprised by a sudden sharp freeze. The poor creatures fell to the ground, too frozen to fly. The generous Ukrainian peasants took the birds into their homes and nursed
 them until spring when they could fly away on their own. In gratitude for the kindness shown, 
the birds returned with decorated eggs for the peasants who saved their lives. And so, it is said, ever since then, eggs are decorated in beautiful pysanky every spring.