Finding Eidothea

// 2012 : The ultimate NY resolution //

2012-01-07T11:32:00.004-05:00

2 + 0 + 1 + 2 = 5

"FEEL GOOD EVEN WHEN YOU KNEW THAT YOU WOULDN'T"

I had written down my 5 resolutions for 2012 and I was holding my passport with pride and enthusiasm while entering back to the American land on New Years day after a short trip to Greece for Xmas.

"Happy New Year" I said with a smile to the cute customs officer (exw kai prasini karta, pame mia volta elega apo mesa mou opws elege o Voutsas se mia tainia se kathe thyliko pou pernouse dipla tou).

" I hope your New Year's resolution is to cut your hair" the customs officer told me while glancing at my passport photo and then at the real me. hmmm brain freeze and then millions of questions and thoughts like "is he flirting with me?" "maybe he is right that I need to cut the hair. Maybe its in the hair length that men get intimidated and they don't ask me for a date...its true my hair is my sense of independent surviving freedom..."

And then you have a Saturday morning of this New Year that you look yourself in the borrowed mirror from S.V.L cause you are afraid of mirrors suddenly after 30 years..

" If it breaks the bad luck is yours" I remember saying to Sergey when he brought the mirror. "Are you serious? You think if it breaks is bad luck? Geez you Greeks" he had responded to me

and you realize you have been suffocating yourself with your life style because of too much work, stress, and because you have decided to live on your own away from your family and friends. But the good thing is that you have the HAIR to keep you company !

you go to get your morning coffee fix and you meet by chance Sergey;the moving disaster as you call him; who is stepping on your converse All Star whispering to you "They are too clean, East Village boys like dirty All Star shoes on girls" and then he says the words "You should cut your hair to look more sexy".

So you'd better forget the New Year's revolutionary resolutions of the type " I will take Eugie and we go to CUBA for the rest of our lives". If you are not in love, just go get a haircut and Eros is on the way, if you are in love just cut your partner's hair having fun and Enjoy 2012; THE YEAR OF LOVE as I call it..

HAPPY 2012 to all!

"FEEL GOOD EVEN WHEN YOU KNEW THAT YOU WOULDN'T"

SPREAD THE LOVE THIS YEAR & THINK WITH THE HEART FIRST!

- Garia

- Bathroom // ?

2011-12-10T01:14:00.008-05:00

static crossroads - Lower East Side // nyc 2006

I am walking upstairs. I am falling in love with these blue stairs. It is the fourth time..or the fifth or the one millionth that i walk them in my dreams. I arrive on the top floor.

The door is open. There are flowers everywhere on the floor

There is music loud. VERY LOUD. EXTREMELY LOUD

Its the Led Zeppelin song "Rock and Roll" playing

It definitely was the Rock and Roll period for both of us. I was wearing my half waisted leather men's jacket and he was wearing one ring on every finger notating one woman for every finger.I knew that all I had to do was to get undressed and walk straight to the bathroom to find him and find my peace.

And the morning after, all I had to do was to take a foto early am in the morning like the one above that was shot one early morning close to East Broadway street.

It has been almost two years that his house was not in a good condition. The bathroom was not fixed. The house was deserted just like the moments between us.

Year 2011. Friday December 9 //

sms SM: Come see my new house

sms GA: Bathroom?

sms SM: yes new

sms SM: "Its been such a long long time since we Rock and Roll" Carry me babe

sms GA: Yes it has been a long time. We can fix that

sms SM: Are you still writing?

sms GA: Will you still bathe me?

Am I still writing I questioned myself?

Is anyone still reading ?

? ? ? ?

It's been a long long time......

- Garia August

2011-11-22T00:29:00.005-05:00

photomontage by Maurice Tabard

Mathilde Dear,

It is what it is now.

This morning, I thought I saw you from afar. Same garments and same hat. Same all.

It is time for new sounds. It is time we reflect the perception of what we were and bring it to a new period of creativity. We should both let our creativity have wings again and Fly.

I am more in Europe these days than I am in New York or at least my heart is. Do you remember that I used to write "heart" as "hurt"? Yes, it is true that any matter of the heart does hurt but we know well that new sounds can bring us closer to each other with or without one another.

I am listening a lot the sounds of the band Austra.

Look inside me now same way I look inside you.

We are like a vintage reflection of a photomontage by Maurice Tabard.

Love,

Sandrine X.

Yours // Ours

2011-11-04T17:51:00.005-04:00

this morning i had the urge to listen to Bob Dylan's

"One more Cup of Coffee" looking at Tina Bernings' below piece.....

maybe i am inspired again- //

- Garia

// Undun //

2011-10-25T23:39:00.005-04:00

i really felt it again tonight. New York is changing.We're changing.

the dinner was very nice. The conversation with my good friends C.T., J.R. and D.M. reminded me of some of the changes that are happening in the city and in our world.

we spoke about ipad magazine subscriptions competing with magazine newsstand sales,disappearance of the so called middle class,protests on wall street, protests of young students on a saturday night at 12:00am on Lafayette street heading uptown.

11:40pm. The streets in Soho are empty. There is no one to continue the conversation with. Maybe everyone has felt the change and they just stay inside their houses synchronizing their ipad with their laptop which is already synched with the contacts of the old iphone but has to be resynchronized again with the newly bought iphone that replaced the previous version.

my iphone which is synched with itunes is playing the song "Undun" by The Guess Who. And all I can think of is the below writing by RILKE:

"Go into yourself. ...Delve into yourself for a deep answer. And if this should be affirmative if you may meet this earnest question with a strong and simple "I must" then BUILD YOUR LIFE ACCORDING TO THIS NECESSITY;"

Goodnight New York; City that Never Sleeps!

Tonight you felt as if you are

SLEEPING FOR TOO LONG!

Tomorrow of course is a New Day...and who knows, maybe our world will become a better place if we all build our lives according to the necessity of making it one..//

- D.X.G.

- Friends' movements / / The Eternal Summer

2011-09-11T11:31:00.013-04:00

# 1

# 2

# 3

# 4

# 5

# 6

ELAFONISOS 2011 - GREECE

photos 1-4 Maria Garozi

photos 5 + 6 Sofia Tsekoura

The photo - .

2011-09-06T19:56:00.019-04:00

Greece - 2011
black n white/ My country

photo # 17

There are afternoons that I leave the office to come home look at fotos accompanied by Garia and our favorite Spanish rose wine. Tonight I received the fotos I took during my eternal summer vacation in Greece.

Film # 1

Foto # 17

I wonder;is it a destroyed foto or is it a foto depicting the way my country presented herself to me after all these years?Either way, I wanted to share with you this foto. I will be sharing few more in the following posts.

There is no more wine left.

I have a dry taste in my mouth knowing that I am far away from the ones I love but also a very spicy taste for what my life in New York will bring new. There, in Greece is the Past,the Eternal Summer Vacation and those I love the most.

Here in nyc is the present. the NOW and also the FUTURE!

So...I finally speak about Future.....

the Future starts when we recognize how COMPLETE we have been as beings from our PAST....

Have you ever imagined how MANY life scenarios you could create for yourself if and only if you allow yourself to DREAM ? Anything is Possible !

Hope you are all dreaming about the Future! Dream On!

Big Hug & Thank you for keep checking back at this blog,

- Maria & Garia

- I Follow Rivers //

2011-09-04T18:56:00.022-04:00

@ GREECE at last//August 15// Island of Spetses

All my thoughts become
a page that is wet
all those pencil notes
Eidothea's notes to her Apollo
Garia's poems to her lovers
they are pointless to be read at this moment

the past
and the past before that past
where did it go?
The water covered it

my body is finally floating
on its own
it is my body
that will keep soaking
till the bad dreams
stop bothering me

i notice my friends
and their hands
strong, playful,while
my hand is trying to grasp this moment
this moment of the chain
this moment of the friendship
that kept brining me back to shore
year after year
every time
I thought I was drowning.

For a friend
is a raging sea
that keeps us moving on
but also is the calm river
that holds us still //

My friends are the
RIVERS that I follow //

2011-07-23T11:16:00.006-04:00

S.V.L.

Love this shot I took of my good good friend

in 2010 in LA.now i am back to the PAST again.

loving it

Time//Time//Time.

2011-07-23T11:00:00.006-04:00

0-1-2-3-4-5-6-7- YEARS

become 0. again

knowing that there might be a return -

For the last months I lived in the PRESENT.

That is why writing has been hard to find me.

Is so much more fulfilling to write when i live in the PAST.

Last night I was in the tunnel from the NEW to the THEN and

back to

now.

Hey little girl Daddy is home.

but you are home now too

time is FLAT.

what remains. is that I am on fire for it all again!

- Garia August

- Independent Rainbow

2011-07-04T14:21:00.004-04:00

Happy Independence Day to All -

Love,

Garia

- REFLECTING THE THOUGHTS

2011-06-26T12:54:00.009-04:00

of Maria

to Garia

for Eidothea

photos from chicago trip 2010

- Sweet Suite 2C

2011-06-09T00:05:00.009-04:00

It was the love and communication period of my journey in New York. Cat Power had just released a new cd and H~ had brought it home. Before the arrival of that cd at Suite 2C, there used to be respect and compassion but I cant recall with certainty any love and communication. Every sunday while I was bathing, H~ would sneak in my room and leave the Real Estate section of the New York Times on top of my bed. It was as if he wanted to remind me that I have to soon find a new place to sublet. But it wasnt about that. It was a speechless way of communication and his caring effort to support and love me in becoming even more stronger than I was without depending on any homy environment like his place.

Saturday 6am, year 2006 or 2007

Can you hear the noise?

It is H~ grounding the coffee. I cant stand this noise. It is only 6am and H~ is up and functioning. I am almost 30 years younger than him and all I can move at 6am is my pillow to cover my ears. He cant be grounding the coffee right now.

H~ : Did I wake you up?

M: Oh not at all. Are you kidding me? Wake me up..ha!

I had to wake up early. Besides it is a Saturday and I have plenty of errands to run. I said in a very cool, relaxed way as if I didnt want to show him that I could sleep for five more hours at least.

M: What are you doing today? I asked him as I was approaching from the kitchen area to his desk with my cup of coffee full. (Well since we had the coffee morning fix ready and warm, why not using it to function at 6am ? Oh, how much I did enjoy always that cup of freshly made coffee)

H~: I am leaving soon and have to go to several Fashion Shows. It’s Fashion Week. How about yourself?

M: I will do some errands during the day and then go to work at the restaurant. I will be back home late after work around 12 am. So, I suppose I will see you tomorrow morning.

H~ : You definitely will. And don't forget to read the Real Estate section tomorrow. I will leave it at your bed.

M: Thank you H~ . How thoughtful of you as always. I will. I promise to read it.

When I arrived home late after work all I was expecting was the next days; Real Estate Sections's silent communication of the “You need to move out”. To my suprise when I opened my bedroom door I found some gifts on top of my bed. It was a lolita Gift package that H~ had left for me from the Fashion Show goodie bags. There was a TShirt with a “Coca Cola Loves Fashion” print, a red lollipop and something else that I cant remember now. It must have been a note from him.

I thought about that part of my life and that beautiful love and communication moment because a friend of mine suprised me few days ago with flowers; a gesture that I would have never expected from a man so strong and solid like him.

Same way with H~

I could have never thought a man like H~ strong like a rock would be so soft inside.

If only I could go back to Ste 2C ~

just for few nights..to listen to the sound of the coffee being grounded early in the morning..to watch the Sunday 60" show on tv together with H~.

Love,

Garia

- "The Persians"

2011-05-26T21:05:00.010-04:00

Dimitris Bozinis & Ioanna Katsarou on set.

A man (Dimitris Bozinis) was waiting for us as we entered in the theater.Seated alone on a bench. His face is pale white covered by his hat.

The stage becomes softer and colorful upon the arrival of the woman (Ioanna Katsarou).She appears as the personification of the Persian Chorus; a girl dressed in a light colored dress and pink ballerina shoes with her hair separated in two strong solid ponytails. A depiction of the once Persian youth. But that youth when hidden in her private room uncovers the icon of Atossa, the wife of Darius the Great and mother of Xerxes who lived to see her son invade Greece.

Atossa stood still on the stage of the Greek Cultural Center last night in Astoria.Alone dressed in garments announcing the ecstasy of Gold and power of the Persians.

'Ατοσσα:Και ποιός είναι ο αρχηγός που το στρατό εξουσιάζει?

Χορός: Δεν είναι δούλοι ή υπήκοοι κανενός.

As I was watching Dimitris Bozinis in one of his four faces in the play as the messenger who returns from the war to bring the news to Atossa screaming in ancient Greek, I was reminded of how proud I am to be Greek..

He shouted in a stormy whisper that echoed all over the theater :

Ω παίδες Ελλήνων, ίτε, ελευθερούτε πατρίδ', ελευθερούτε δε παίδας, γυναίκας, θεών τε πατρώων έδη, θήκας τε προγόνων, νυν υπέρ πάντων αγών.

And she stood still.

Alone covered in a coat of grief for the loss of all the Persian Army in the fight with the Greeks.

When I returned home I searched for that first photo I had taken of Ioanna Katsarou when I met her for the first time one night in East Village, Nyc. Looking at the photo,it was all clear to me. I could see now the image my lense wanted to capture. An amazing performer standing still. And behind her, the shadow of an ancient army of men dressed in Gold.

Ioanna Katsarou. Photo: Maria Garozi

Congratulations to the whole cast of the p-roject, Ioanna Katsarou, Dimitris Bozinis, Dimitris Dimitrakopoulos, Sofia Tsekoura, Drew Florida. The p- roject, based on the play “THE PERSIANS” by Aeschylus will travel on June 8th to Montreal, Canada as part of the Fringe Festival.

- Listen to the Rain .

2011-05-19T00:39:00.010-04:00

Rainy East Village - May 18, 2011

It has been raining for three days and nights in New York.

The streets of New York are wet.

My heart is still wet after Sunday night.

It is a hard rain when it falls down deep in your heart.

The Silent Man Series have come to an end?

He has been an inspiration. It is so easy to get inspired in life by those who are afar, by those who fill your empty space with mystery and passion. It is so easy to get inspired by a fantasy. But the challenge is to get inspired by reality. The challenge is to get inpired by those who are there by your side every day. That is the challenge.

I am looking outside of my window.

The streets of New York are wet.

Bob Dylan is singing for all of us now.

I am looking outside of my window.

It has been raining for three days and nights in New York.

I can hear the voice of the Eurythmics singing “Here Comes the Rain Again”. Prince’s voice cuts them to sing “Purple Rain”

Gun’s n Roses show up on the empty wet 6th street singing their own genuine “November Rain” and knowing its not November, I can hear Jose Feliciano’s “Rain” song.

And then one shadow from a loved moment of my lifetime.It is Creedence Clearwater Revival asking me

“Have you Ever Seen the Rain?”

I am sure you all have seen the rain....And I am sure you have listened to it.

All I can say is after the rain there is the rainbow appearing in our lives!

Much love to all

Garia August.

- Dark & Stormy

2011-05-15T22:49:00.014-04:00

Smith & Mills Restaurant/ Bar nyc

And he left me alone

once again...

We are lovers he said

No we are friends I replied

No we are lovers he added again...

he left because I did not want to eat from his dirty hands...

hands that have touched another woman of flesh covered with an aroma different

than mine

intense emotions always with his presence around my aura

he left me

there with two

plates full of food

eating my empty but confident thoughts

no matter what

You are free

Garia whispered in my ears

He is the one who made you a woman

There are still two plates with leftovers

waiting for his return

at smith and mills

the food is cold

my heart is cold

but it is forever

yes there is a forever finally -.

A forever

Silence //

- Maria Garozi

- Lets Play with Friends.

2011-05-07T11:02:00.012-04:00

now that we have them near.

the hour becomes so so heavy

when all we can feel of a friend

all we can see or hear

is the reflection of him splashing the waters of an old memory -.

- The Raw Characters # 2

2011-04-12T01:28:00.009-04:00

L.M. one of my favorite Raw Characters of East Village

Ghost Writer - Jewelry Designer - Building Super

"American Super Woman" Exhibit by Maria Garozi

There are days of my life in New York City that resemble to the rhythm of the Ike & Tina Turner song;Nutbush City Limits. Days that there are just no limits at all actually. You wake up, run to your morning cubicle work like Dolly Parton, then run to your second job 6-11pm, then you go for a drink with S.T. and Guille your new good friend who is visiting from Spain, and then you walk back home realizing that your super L.M. is still cleaning the street.

You try to start a conversation with her woman to woman:

"Hey Lynn, at least we both know it is the end of the day. Now we can relax"

"I have to write now" she replies

"You are writing a book?"

"I am a ghost writer. Dont forget that ghost writers do work very late at night like the ghosts" she replied to me.

And just like that you realize why New York is the one and only ghost city.

"I am proud of you Lynn" I said loudly as I was walking up the stairs to my apartment.

I just wanted to share with you this moment. It just felt right to do so. It was such a New York moment.

Hope you all keep creating even during the late hours wherever you are. Just keep it up.

Much love to all,

- Garia August

- Reading the Poem as Present by E.E.C.

2011-04-02T16:04:00.008-04:00

Ernesto Estrella Cózar

Photograph by Nysos Vasilopoulos

It is rather challenging to attempt to describe Ernesto Estrella Cózar, a poet, performer and professor at Yale University. Primarily due to the truth that I do not know him that well. But even if I knew him well enough, again a description would be a rather difficult task knowing the complexity and the many layers of his work.

Here some excerpts from a manifesto on voice and poetry reading that he has;

* **The voice is a fragile state of sound *

* rhythm and silence the possibilities *

* of which are infinite. *

* *

* The nearness of a poem is a chance *

* for a reassessment of the creative *

* nature of poetry reading. *

* The voice sustains the possibility of *

* sharing the sensitive exploration of *

* this search.*

This is why I would personally call Ernesto Estrella a dangerously playful artist when it comes to sound, a deep with words poet & a genuine performer. One can easily distinguish the many layers of his work on his book Achronos; a virtual poetry project in collaboration with Greek photographer Nysos Vasilopoulos. To view more of Achronos you can visit http://newmedialab.cuny.edu/blog/2011/01/vpp-dossier-3-achronos/

In his new poetry workshop Reading the Poem as Present,Ernesto Estrella Cózar will explore the poem's potential to trigger and sustain a methodical questioning of our reading practices. Activating the poem as present offers an opportunity to develop new ears, new eyes and another dynamic, both mental and physical, in our relation to cultural and daily practices. We will look into manifestations of traditional and experimental poetry in diverse cultures, while extending poetic thinking to films, music and visual arts. Reading the Poem as Present is divided into four interwoven sessions that provide entry to the subject through a variety of media.

Saturday, April 9th from 2pm to 3:30pm: Who reads the poem?

Wednesday, April 13th from 6pm to 7:30pm: Discipline of the Ear

Saturday, April 16th from 2pm to 3:30pm: Discipline of the Eye

Wednesday, April 20th from 6pm to 7:30pm: Out of poem, without leaving it

The Bowery Poetry Club. 308 Bowery. New York, NY 10012

Workshop fee: $60 for series (drop in Session: $20)

Registration: poemaspresent@gmail.com

- Your Gypsy is a wish -

2011-03-20T22:47:00.019-04:00

Through sounds lost in the past, the song that meant freedom became love tonight.

It was a night in white satin. The lady’s voice was echoing from the white polo car’s windows through the hill of Lycabettus to the tip of Mountain Dionysos to the deep blue waters of the Aegean. Athens was lighted. And so was I. I knew that a Gypsy I was. I knew that a wish I was but remained there listening to his music. I fell in love with that music. So much music. Deep in my skin.

- Garia August

Psichiko, Athens 2002

My Dear P.A.,

It is Sunday, March 20. Year 2011.

It is cold now. I have never imagined writing to you in these hours. But...

...Your Gypsy is here with me tonight. She definitely is a real wish. Some days, she is a wild horse running away from everyone. Other times she is a wolf who wants to eat me alive. And yet, today she confronted the truth and admitted to me that without you, she wouldn’t have become the Gypsy she is today.

As she was opening the envelope that she found this morning in the mail, she looked at me and said:

“Can you hear the airplane’s engine?”

“I hear” I replied even though there was no airplane around.But we both heard that engine and felt our freedom approaching.

As the engine’s sound was becoming louder and louder and reality was drifting away from the room, all those images of suffering appeared in front of me. Images from the time that I had no name in America..no identity. An independent survivor with no real name working day and night. Images from the time that I had to eat the same can of tuna for about a month. Images from the time that the falafel place on MacDougal street was the best place in my weekly menu. Images from the time that I had to sleep on an empty room with Elvis; one of the building’s mouses walking through my hair every night.

And the engine stopped.

I opened my eyes and realized that I had managed to survive in New York and make my dreams come true. I had managed to find Garia and Eidothea. You havent met them, although I think you knew them from the start. And now your Gypsy, our Myth and I are free to fly!

I wonder, if your Gypsy comes back home, will you wait for her at the airport to take her to the city of love? Just take her there for few hours. She longs to see the view of Athens again listening the haunting voice of Stevie Nicks with you by her side. I can listen to her singing now:

"So I am back

to the velvet

..............

I am back to the

Gypsy that I was

......

And it all comes

down to you...

You see your Gypsy

........

It is cold now.

Together with this letter, I am sending you two photos. One is from the concert of Fleetwood Mac in Las Vegas two summers ago.

Look at the sky now from where you are seating.

Can you see that dot in the sky?

It is our airplane flying back to you,tonight.

Love,

Maria

- Morning Look

2011-03-12T12:43:00.005-05:00

I do not know if my eyes looked at him

or did not look

at him

because

the frightful produces in us

a confusion of ideas - - //

Stolen ideas //

Borrowed ideas //

- Nostalgia

2011-02-21T21:06:00.014-05:00

It was a Thursday afternoon at the office. An uneventful afternoon as I tend to describe an afternoon at work that has no surprises. That was until D.C. arrived.

She approached my desk with a book.

“I believe this belongs more to you than it does to me” She said offering me a photography book with the title HELLAS (GREECE).

“Thank you Doris” I replied with a smile that was covered by a lipstick that had both a happy pinky color and a sad purple one.

I took the book and hid it in my drawer. The first feeling was that I am not ready to see the photos of my country being away for seven years. Who would be ready or able to remember through the pages of a book the smell of the gardenia, the view of the gold cross on top of a Greek monastery, the taste of the Vanilia placed on top of a small table at the islands’ taverna, the sound of the Happy Greek youth singing at a concert, the windsurfers’s vans parked at Vassiliki Beach in the isle of Lefkada ready to download the boards for another fight with Aiolos and the waves, the dramatic aura of an old yiayia’s face seated in one of the alleys all dressed in black, the sound of the Ferry Boats arriving at the port of Pireaus.

Few minutes later, I opened the drawer and there I was falling in love once again with my country through the photographic material that William Abranowicz’s lens has captured. His work reminded me of a country whose people know how to live, how to love, how to inspire.

He reminded me of a land that is home of my eternal summer.

He aroused in me the need for Nostalgia.

And maybe for the Return.

For more on William Abranowicz and his books you can visit:www.williamabranowicz.com

Photos from the book HELLAS

- Lupa ,Where did you go ?

2011-02-14T16:07:00.009-05:00

Being at work has some exciting moments for me. One of them is when the magazines arrive. Some days from Italy, others from China. Then suddenly in an unexpected hour, Gabe will bring upstairs the magazines from Japan. India might follow. Spain will also say good afternoon usually on a Friday reminding us that its passionate red travelled all the way from Europe to find us for the weekend. Once a month Greece arrives as well to remind me that I miss her blue colors. And just in time when I need to receive some fresh air, the issues from Russia appear. From so many magazines, what I mainly like reading is the editor's letter because it reminds me that magazines are mainly a way of connecting and communicating with the readers.

Today I decided to share with you the February letter from

Nikolay Uskov, Editor in Chief of GQ Russia.

The traditional Slavic name for February is luten, meaning "ferocious one". Honestly, though, as Russian winter months go, which one isnt? Even an occasional April qualifies for the title. At any rate, the velvety-sounding Roman Februarius was about something quite different from our snowbanks and piercing winds. The highlight of February in ancient Rome was a rather lewd feast, the Lupercalia, celebrating the she-wolf, who suckled Romulus and Remus, while apparently also celebra-ting the fact that the word for she-wolf, lupa, could mean a prostitute. It involved running around the streets naked and lashing random girls with goatskin straps. The girls would then get naked too. You can imagine where it went from there, and weirdly enough, the whole event was considered "purifying" by the Romans. Sadly, what's left nowdays of this wonderfully sadomasochist, exhibitionist, voyeurist and whatnot-ist tradition, is its corniest and most boring part;that is, the pieces of paper with hearts on them. Ancient Romanettes would put notes with their names on them into an urn, from which ancient Ro-men would then draw them, lottery -style, and go to cohabit for a year with whos-ever name had turned up. Not knowing who you 'd draw made it as bad as looking for a date on a social networks, so good thing we dont have that barbaric custom anymore. In later times, an unsuspecting saint by the name of Valentine happened to be beheaded around the time of Lupercalia, became fused in the popular imagination with another saint of the same name (also beheaded), an ended up forever associated with paper hearts, balloons, stuffed kittens and all the other stupid junk that's now bringing nations and faiths together.

I wish running around the streets naked had gone cross-cultural instead, but happy Valentine's anyway.

Nikolay Uskov

- La scrivania e vita ideale

2011-02-11T16:50:00.004-05:00

- Garia August

- So Fully

2011-02-07T23:07:00.017-05:00

My Forever One,

Not sure what day it is now.

I finally decided to write to you again after so much time.

Diego El Cigala is singing for us and the smoke of my cigarette is hiding the whiteness of my room. You once told me; "I do not want to be with you. I want to see you grow and this way be with you forever"

But I do NOT want to grow.

I remain at that first night that we carried that abstract painting together at your home and then started breathing for the first time so close to each other that the painting became a transparent unique color of the tranquil clear blue.

So often I wonder why the two souls of our spirits didn't manage to find shelter that night or so many other nights that I ran to you like a thirsty woman. Yes, thirsty I am for you my inspiration.

Tonight, for once I thought how beautiful it is that I have loved so fully.So fully that I am free now of myself.

I know by now that there are nights when you seat alone and read the first letter she had sent you the winter of 2007.

Winters come and go. Letters come and go.

Our love is here.

- Maria Garozi

-THE LETTER.

A letter sent by a woman

Received by a man

First page

Has the word

Hello.

Second page

Has a story from the

Past.

Third page

Has the

Truth.

Fourth page

Probably uncovers the biggest

Fear.

Fifth page

Is lost in the passion of becoming a

Writer.

Sixth page

Seventh page

Eight page

Ninth page leading to

Ten.

Eleventh page

A drawing of a ship and a sun

Symbols of their journey as one in her

Heart.

A letter sent by a woman

Read by a man

Is now hidden

So that it can never be opened again

For it screamed the truth people cant believe

The simplicity of the words I love you

Oh forgotten letter

The secret within their soul

Let your words appear to the man

Let him read you again

Before he sleeps

His eternal death

Loveless, rough and alone.

Or with HER -

December 2007

East Village, Apt 8R

- Garia August

- Time for the Color of L .O. V. E.

2011-02-06T23:05:00.009-05:00

Couple at the corner of Bowery and Great Jones

Yellow Cab

take me to the city of love

dry me on a rainy day

and meet me in the corner,

the usual corner of our fire

Bowery and Great Jones

like two Lovely Ones

Yellow Cab

the burning of our heat

is about to take its seat

Yellow Cab

ride me to the city of love

again and again

and speed up cause

once you park

at the end of the street

then who knows?

at which corner

we shall meet

- Garia August

- The Empty Room -

2011-01-31T20:43:00.019-05:00

Flatiron Building - New York January 2011

My Dear,

It is a Monday.

The past is an empty room now.

No one is here in my room. No one has been for a very long time. At least I think so.

I have covered my ears so as not to hear the sounds from the street. They distract me. They invade to my thoughts and to a specific moment which I want to live again and again.

All I hear is a whisper that says I Love You..I remember looking at you as a different kind of species once you said those words to me. I wasn’t expecting to hear them ever by such an innocent and honest voice. And I cried that night on your bed but those were tears of happiness for what you had said.

Often, I feel the need to bring you in my present. To talk to you, share with you my news, my new sounds, my new fears.

Fears, fears, fears..yes once my moto was “No Fear”.

These days though, I confess that I do have fear. I fear of changing. And the older I get, the more this fear arouses. I can see the change in me and yet I am scared to allow myself to become that change. I believe that many people must suffer from the same disease I have. The disease of being “Afraid of changing”.

It can be as simple as a wallpaper change to a house change, to a career change, to a life change, to a CHANGE of LOVE chain. A good friend told me to write lists of the changes I would like to do.

Today I made my first list. On the top I wrote:

i would like

to be in the empty room again ...

I must have written that because it is easier to return to the old than to be the change and embrace the new.

Together with this letter, I am sending you a photo I took last week. Its the Flatiron building but it looks as if it is a building with an empty room from the PAST.

You see, I cant change easily.

I remain in the past. But at least I am aware of it.

With Differente love,

- Maria Garozi

- Astor Place in Slow Snow Motion

2011-01-27T09:20:00.006-05:00

Photos: Maria Garozi

- THE HIGHLANDERS // 2011

2011-01-13T01:55:00.005-05:00

WOODSTOCK JAN 2011

photos: Maria Garozi

- The Most Living is the Present

2011-01-09T20:03:00.017-05:00

Woodstock 12498, NY

My Dear,

We came here together for the weekend with some friends. How nice this feels right now.I wasn’t sure if I wanted to leave New York for a mini escape. But waking up yesterday, I had the desire to jump through the window of my east village apartment and hover for the rest of my life. So, it seemed right to get in the car and follow the wind's cry.

The house is on the top of a hill in Woodstock. Its surrounded by ice, snow and trees. There are no other houses or any construction close by.We are covered by a silence that transcends through nature, through the waterfall, through the mountain reaching my soul in a space where I feel myself again after a long time.

Although there is such a silence everywhere out there, in this house the noise is never ceasing. So many people; who indeed make me happy knowing that they are around but still I long for some moments on my own to read,to write, to take a peak through the window of the mountain's solitude. I want to think of the present as the lady at the Tibetan Temple we visited earlier said. In Buddhism there is no past or future but only the present. That all there is and all we have.

I am now in a wonderful present alone and with E.M who just came upstairs to check on me. But for some reason this isn't enough. I keep going back to the past of the night I met again with the Silent Man.

I am in. now.

The door closed behind me smoothly. It is not even closed firmly but it keeps us safe. Nothing else exists now but us. There is no universe out there anymore in these hours. The universe is here within these walls. He is arriving from the bedroom. He is wearing a white comfortable outfit and a brown cardigan. Soft garments. Soft garments. The dog is looking at me in the eyes. He wants something from me and his look pre-announces that what he wants has not ending.

The man is finally here. In front of me. He glances at me roughly and innocently at the same time. I reach towards him and we hug. He moves on towards the kitchen. And then I lose him from the image.

I will run faster

faster than your shadow

Tears of solitude wet my agony

for where we shall meet again

It is here in this silent

hideaway full of others

that I dreamt for a moment of us again

- Garia August

- Impressions and Landscapes

2011-01-06T00:01:00.010-05:00

When people disappear from my life, the books arrive. So was the case this Monday

first came Resistance, Rebellion and Death by Albert Camus

then Poet in New York by F.G.L

then The Selected Poems of Federico Garcia Lorca

then The Myth of Sisyphus by A.C again

then Gypsy Ballads by F.G.L

and finally the book where I hope to find all the answers arrived at the office wrapped up well:

Impressions and Landscapes which was the first book of Federico Garcia Lorca published in 1918. I dont know what is hidden between Albert Camus and Federico Garcia Lorca but the latter writes in his first book;

Dear reader: If you read this entire book, you will note in it a certain vagueness and a certain melancholy. You will see how things upon things pass by, always portrayed bitterly, interpreted sadly. All the scenes parading through these pages are an interpretation of memories, landscapes, figures. Reality may not show its hoary head perhaps, but fantasy for inner passionate moods spreads its its spiritual glow over exterior nature magnifying small things, dignifying ugliness as the full moon does upon invading the fields.

There is in our soul something surpassing everything that exists.

F.G.L

- Happy Everything & Everywhere in 2011

2010-12-31T16:51:00.004-05:00

Holiday 2010 - Califon, New Jersey

- ALLOW YOURSELF TO SEE

2010-12-25T15:09:00.014-05:00

Photos from Christmas Day 2010 at Califon, New Jersey

Paintings at the Home of K.T. & J.R.

May the light of this day allow each one of you to see the reflection of your true self and make peace with it -

Merry Christmas to All wherever you are, no matter how near or far you are from your true self. What makes us strong is being among people who love us just the way we are.

Happy Holidays to All -

- Garia August

2010-12-20T01:47:00.004-05:00

For Strangers we all are -

Its a sin.- .

-. Lumiere .

2010-12-12T12:35:00.008-05:00

Nadine's Room, Lumiere of Perfection. Greenpoint, 2010

12/12

East Village is covered

by tears this morning

the streets, the doors,

the windows

wet

crying

begging

for some Light

Nadine's room,

though is untouchable

from any tear

It embodies the

Light of the Perfect silence.

things left there waiting

without demanding more Light

to see or feel

Left here

without demanding

more light

to see or feel

I am peace-full

- Garia August

2010-12-08T17:05:00.010-05:00

Sketch of Eidothea by Fotis Politis, Hotel Delmano - Brooklyn 2010

5 Nymphs it is time to

Tell Everyone

Music

is Swinging around me

tonight

at Hotel Delmano

found the warmth

of the Volcano

Love

that didn't allow Eros
to come near surround me

with his fear

Do not look at me

in the eyes
I have already lost

the sight of one love

cant bear a second one to lose

Look down

cover your faces

with my hair

and lets move fast

The music of Apollo

is swinging around me

from afar -.

- Eidothea, Hotel Delmano Dec 5th -Brooklyn 2010

Love for that boy -.

2010-12-08T15:17:00.007-05:00

- Sappho, Translated by Mary Barnard

- Myth of Today or Appropriation of Ancient?

2010-12-07T19:31:00.008-05:00

Tribeca - New York, 2008

What is Myth Today?

Myth is a type of speech.

Myth is a system of communication, that is a message. Since everything is a type of speech, everything can be a myth provided it is conveyed by a discourse.

- Roland Barthes, book "Mythologies"

According to you, could the life of a young girl who left Greece to find new life in America become The MYTH OF TODAY?

and how this myth would be of Today?

by continuing the Ancient Mythology?

or by creating a Modern One?

Twin Peaks -.

2010-11-29T00:12:00.013-05:00

Laura Palmer from the David Lynch "Twin Peaks" Series

You told me

to hold your hand

in the strangeness of that night

i saw a struggle in that gesture

just because of all that darkness

--------You said to follow you

across the land

of the unknown mountain path

i saw a deadly paved streed in front of me

and nowhere to run

and nowhere to escape from

You tied so hard that rope

against my heart that night

squeezing my blooded veins

you set me free

-----------------------------------------------For love is blind

of what we want to say

during these dark hours of

our last togetherness

And now|

the Twin Peaks mountain

is all there is to search for

my marks to find

------But now where am I? search for you wont find my love

you are the one who killed us first

with those hands of your own skin

And what if you didnt use a rope,?

or a knife or another inventing of our times

to announce the ending of me?

you still left me there dead

lying on my own daily deathbed alone for years on end

- Garia August

- Black Betty

2010-11-28T23:21:00.011-05:00

Maria Garozi upon her arrival in nyc, Leon restaurant, August 2004

I dont know who you are these days but I still love you.

You have become the Black Betty of Lynard Skynard in our lives.

I have never figured out what was hidden in the look of your eyes....in your thoughts.

And now, your eyes and thoughts are looking towards "Montana" or maybe towards simply a new life again?

I wonder Why ...

love///

Garia

- Havana Moon Nautilus

2010-11-21T22:21:00.005-05:00

Drawing from a Jules Verne book

I look at the Havana Moon tonight and all I see is the complete finite world of Verne's Nautilus.

The image of a ship, so important in Verne's mythology is not simply a symbol of departure; it is at a deeper level, the emblem of closure. An inclination for ships always means the joy of perfectly enclosing oneself, of having at hand the greatest possible number of objects, and having at one's disposal an absolutely finite space. A ship according to Verne is first a habitat before being a means of transport and the moon tonight is first a space of completion before being a space of exploration.

- Maria Garozi

- 100 Freewoman Street

2010-11-16T18:59:00.008-05:00

100 Freeman Street, Greenpoint, NY, 2008

100 Freewoman street. -

I saw that door again

it looked at me

with its heavy look of steel

Open I ordered

Let me in

I walked up the same stairs

the steps smelled like a memory that was erasen

the steps smelled like a memory that

cries out to be new again

I walked the same corridor

passed the wood factory

and found new life

at the cat cow studio

And suddenly I turned to the right

my eye made a hole through the walls

102

103

104

was it 104?

i cant remember

i saw through

walls of broken lives

walls of others

walls that are not ours anymore

the promise is still there

in the sounds of those walls

"This house I made for us"

its just getting nice outside

Look at the Moon

Feel the misty night

Monica Naam and I

we walk and talk

Break the link

or keep it

Break the link

or keep it

Light

More light

I forgive Me

I forgive You

You forgive Me?

You are a Free Man

and with Me

I am there, and here

here and there

Some days free

Some days far away

Some days near

Last night we

were there

I was seating on

the light green broken chair

You were seating on

the stool

Last night we

were there again

on the street naked

Me, A Freewoman

You, A Freeman

Whats left

its just

street -

and a

big thick

wall -

Maybe the wind breaks the wall

and we walk the street together

"For We Creatures Are the Wind "

- Garia August

Greenpoint

November 15th, 2010

Salut -.

2010-11-14T22:22:00.011-05:00

Annalisa Frob Arcando, nyc 2010

Salut, c'est encore moi e mes memoires.....

Love is the Answer

Till we meet again our good friend.....

Love is the answer

- Garia August

Moment of Surrender -

2010-11-08T22:18:00.015-05:00

Wedding Bed, October 16th, 2010 - Inn at Irving

I surrender to the emptiness of any moment

that I may have to spend without you

the emptiness of the white A4 paper

that bothers my free typewriter a night with no ink

I surrender to the emptiness of my laugh

when its not meeting a laugh thats yours

Did I tell you I surrender?

You out there,

free man

free woman

of our times

Tonight I surrender

to the time apart that makes us stronger for one another

and not hollow humans of an emotionally insecure system

that we don't belong to

Tonight I am having a moment of Surrender

to the passion that will not keep us far from each other

to that fire that will not keep us competitors of our flames

I am not asking from you

to surrender to me

I am asking from you

to surrender to yourself

I am aware of the S P A C E

that will exist if I lose you

my precious one -

- Garia August

Inspired by E. & S. J. who did surrender.

-I KEEP DREAMING...

2010-11-02T23:12:00.012-04:00

A week passed by. seven days.

only seven, but to me it felt like many more. So many things happened that stimulated my thinking during the past week; I learnt that a good support system like a mentor or a teacher can be a system that is not perfect. That has fears of its own. It can be a system that is temporary.

As I was wondering how I would continue this project without the support of my mentor; I wrote down in a paper how i would like my life to be after this project is complete and has real published roots in a book format.

I even went further deep in my thoughts tonight as I was watching live at the Apollo Theater the New York Times Best Seller Author; David Sedaris; reading in front of a crowd that was deeply allured by the styles and voices of his funny and satiric litterature and I imagined myself and my two heteronyms reading live at the Apollo Theater as well one day.

When I walked back home, I tried to open the video that my very good friend Leslie Kobrin prepared from my last weeks' celebration at Anyway Cafe. I had difficulty opening it the past days but tonight I managed to open it and see Maria, Garia and Eidothea reading in front of their friends; in front of their support system.

Maybe one day they will also read live at the Apollo Theater and Blue Velvet will also be there to sing.....maybe...........................................................................................................................For the time being this past week proved to me that WE HAVE TO CONTINUE DREAMING no matter what happens and we should NEVER GIVE UP no matter what the challenges are!

Every day is part of the journey till we find our own Ithaki...

Hope you enjoy the below video with the reading from the 1st year Celebration

D.X.G.

2010-10-27T00:13:00.007-04:00

C'est une chanson qui nous ressemble....

My Dear Silent Man,

The moon is ready to transform into sun where you are.Tuesday, October 26th 10pm

I am at Anyway Cafe celebrating and although there is harmony in the air, your absence is keeping me awake from this dream. Who Am I to think that the dream will remain if you are not here with me?

I wonder, can you hear the music?

You see, I did not forget the song you sang to me

E la mer efface sur le sable

Les pas des amants de Julie

Have I told you that LOVE IS FOREVER?

Yes, Forever, there is a love that is forever and that is my love for the friends of Finding Eidothea and for you my dear.

Les feuilles mortes se ramassent a la pelle

You are not in this room now. The night is taking with her the last memory of you.

And I need you.

Who is going to appear now to keep me in sanity in these lonely nights far away from the good and evil of the Journey?

Yes, she will appear now.

The Sea Nymph will appear. Her steps are near

- Garia August

2010-10-26T17:15:00.003-04:00

Finding Eidothea is exactly 1 Year old!

Next post will be tonight from Anyway Cafe..

Love to All

Maria - Garia & Eidothea

You are Invited, Save the Date

2010-10-21T01:04:00.007-04:00

You are All Invited:

FindingEidothea Blogspot: 1st Year Anniversary Celebration

Tuesday October 26TH

@ Anyway Cafe: 34 East 2nd Street

From 9pm till /// dawn

(we should celebrate the Greek way)

At the Piano: Roman Ivanoff

Special Guests: Blue Velvet & Eidothea

- FINDING EIDOTHEA BLOG: WE ARE 1 YEAR OLD

2010-10-21T00:58:00.010-04:00

Next Tuesday, October 26th 2011 is the

1st YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF FINDING EIDOTHEA BLOGSPOT

I have been thinking how to thank you all for your support and for believing in Maria Garozi, Garia August, Eidothea, D.X.G and our stories.

When I started this blog, I was hesitant about my writings and about sharing my thoughts openly. Part of the fear had to do with the fact that English is my second language.

I remember my mentor saying:

"why do you worry so much about making your life public?"

"You will just have thoughts seating there on a page. Besides, they dont need to make sense. You dont make sense either with your many You's so dont be afraid"

I also remember my Father sending me an email one day after the first month the blog was publicized:"Twra zoume ston asterismo ths Eidotheas kai tou Finding Eidothea blog. Mas leipeis alla to blog mas krata konta sou."

And then I remember, one of the first most motivating moments. It was when signing in the blog one afternoon to write a post, I realized that Gerry Boyd was my first follower. He made me believe in me. We were three reading the blog at that afternoon; My Father, Gerry and Garia who was posting again a crazy love story.

Almost a year later, because of all of you who like, follow and comment on the blog, Finding Eidothea has 26 Followers, 2,220 Visitors, many friends in fb and many more unknown friends who check our writings sporadically.

Because of You, my heteronyms have a community! And I never feel lonely in this country anymore.

This is why I feel we need to celebrate together with a special Finding Eidothea Vodka Infusion drink!!!

Stop by Anyway Cafe this coming Tuesday for a drink...

I will definitely be there and Garia is definitely paying the bill :-)

Hope you join us

- Maria Garozi

Comme J'ai Mal

2010-10-20T02:20:00.008-04:00

Mathilde,

The sun is rising in my heart now.

It is Tuesday October 20th, 2:20am.

I am still in New York. No sign of Lourelien for almost a year.And you my love? Where are you? I often recall the time we spent together. The room has still your perfume. Some nights. Other nights I get mad with both of you that you left me alone and I dont even walk in the room.

Comme J'ai Mal sans...

Last night I finally had an adventure. I liked it. It didn't feel as if it came out of need or anger or loneliness. It came out of pure desire for another flesh. another heart. another breath.

It was not your breath that I felt by my side last night.

Do you understand my love? It was not your breath..

Madame G doesn't like that I hang staff allover the place. She says that I am keeping the memories alive and that sometimes memories need to stay in the past.

You have to stay in the past now.

Till you appear again that is.

Love pour toujours,

Sandrine X.

- The multiple "You" and "I"

2010-10-18T21:51:00.012-04:00

with C.N. and S.R and our multiple "I"s /// New York 2010

there are moments with friends that we value as moments of true joy,moments that we are our true self;

We look closely at the photo of that moment

and then we realize that our true self is multi dimensional.We can never be our One true self because the various parts of the self are all present at once always. One that wants to be mysterious and distant, one that wants to show a smile, one that wants to have fun,

one that wants to simply scream of happiness.

Its all about admitting that our multiple "I"s are always present without having to see the photo to realize it.

Have you ever tried to get to know your own multiple "You"s?

A lettre to a lover or a friend?

2010-10-05T23:46:00.010-04:00

Upper East Side, New york 2010

Mon cher A.D.,

It is a Tuesday. I am at Anyway cafe with Blue Velvet having a special mango vodka drink. I can feel the drug touching my body slowly. The drug is going down. Every sip is a new burning itch inside me.

It is the same burning itch that our kiss left in my thoughts the other night. But those burning thoughts faded away fast.

Today Garia announced to my mentor that she cant write. That she is not inspired anymore. That she needs a love reaction to support her being at this sensitive period of her creative paths. She is not Inspired. She is NOT.She was mad. Mad from her own self. Mad with her own self.

"You have help arriving tomorrow" my mentor replied, referring to Mother's arrival. "And you have this friend of whom you talk often, Blue Velvet" he added. You have the right support to be inspired. The one you really need.

Maybe he is right.

I am sending you a photo I took of Blue Velvet a la maison cooking. She is a soprano, but I call her a tenor. She has a unique voice and she takes good care of us. Especially of Garia.

Goodbye Never lover ever friend

- Simple Man. // Silent Man -

2010-10-02T21:29:00.015-04:00

At some point of my life in New York, I happened to wonder what in life is forever. Does anything last forever? We don't even last forever...our mortal side at least... So I spent a whole day last year asking all those who I knew what was for them Forever.

My manager said "Nothing is Forever"

A friend asked me back "But isn't our friendship forever?"

and then at the end of the day I passed by the house of the 80 year old Silent Man, Antonio, on 7th Street who I realized is a Simple Man same like the other two.

80 year old Silent Man Antonio. East village, 2010

I looked at him carefully

his eyes with dry tears same as the ones he trained me to have

"Antonio, let me ask you this. What is forever?"

He paused. He knew I was making decisions. He knew I was changing.

He knew my question was more deep than its sound.

Few minutes later he replied:

"hold on. I will tell you what is Forever. THE BEGINNING IS FOREVER"

And then a memory appeared. The memory of the boy standing on 9th street. He is wearing his used green pants. He is fixing his light blue shirt and his hair while waiting for me to go meet him for the first time. I see him from across the street. He looks funny but sweet. He doesn't look forever from far away and thats why I could never believe that his love could be forever. But that beginning was forever.

"Yes, the beginning is forever", I replied to Antonio with a smile.

What is forever to you?

// What lies between //-------- Air of SILENCE

2010-09-18T18:58:00.019-04:00

High, Higher to the highest explosion of emotions
Low, Lower to the lowest reaction of devotions
In between there is air,
feeling the gap
between what is half full
and what is half emtpy
////////////////////////////////////////////
The mortal life is half empty
The immortal one is half full
And what lies where the half empty
meets the half full
is a feeling of emptiness
that meets one of completion
what I call a heart
what I name G A R I A
what you all see as thin horizon of Air

-----------------------------------
The ride is going up
My thoughts get lighter
I want to release all those
invisible parts escape,
let them
become one with what lies
in between
they run far away from me
they run around in cyrcles
to find the
meeting point of the ones
who live in

S i l e n C e Si Lence S I L E N C E

they go in cyrcles

they go towards West

cyrcles of my thoughts

but look towards the East

cyrcles of my thoughts

My ride still goes Up
but that aint the stairway to heaven
The stairway to heaven
is right below
at that moment that I am
at the lowest,
point of my own existence
where the human
cant meet the god in me
and i can no longer call myself
a writer the way Roland Barthes describes one

Take my ride down again
take it down
let the lady
see the ground
let the heart
hear its sound
sobbing for its emptiness
new cyrcle of my thoughts
lead to a
great desire
make the heart
wonder harder
make the heart
break the silence
harder off we go
so that we rise
up again
as a whole
a Human -
a God -
and a heart
that is our Muse -
I am Free --------//

Am I blind?
Do you see more in what lies between the half empty and the half full?
Release ME with your thoughts...

- Maria Garozi

-....Brothers in Arms....-

2010-09-11T18:46:00.010-04:00

//Last night the city's sounds marked inside me a feeling of bluriness. A blurry image like the above photo which I took last year in east village. I wandered around like a ghost. The streets were lighted up, the friends were shopping,the designers were being glorified, the magazine editors were shinning like bright creative stars.

Fashion Night Out! A global celebration!I was part of it But I had still that blury feeling...I wasnt sure I should be celebrating or not. I could still smell ashes underneath the red carpets on the streets.

But today,as I was looking at the children modeling at the first Kids Fashion Week /Petite Parade at the Metropolitan Pavillion which was supported by a magazine I work for;VOGUE Bambini;the blury image started becoming more clear and crispy inside me. I saw hope and new life, apart from the cutest Fashion ever!

Walking home, outside of Mc Sorley's Old Ale House I saw the most impressive runway ever. An array of Harley Davidson motorcycles modeling on 7th street.

"You should come more often guys with these beauties in our hood" I said to one man who was just fixing his Harley.

"We came from Rhode Island" he replied

"Are you part of a motorcycle club?" I asked

"NO, WE ARE POLICE OFFICERS FROM RHODE ISLAND AND WE CAME TO DRIVE IN THE STREETS OF MANHATTAN IN HONOR OF THE VICTIMS OF SEPTEMBER 11TH."

"That's so nice of you. I was so busy with Fashion Week that I didnt manage to think about Sept 11th. But also I am Greek. I wasnt here when it happened. I live here only the last 6 years" I added

"Wherever you are from, whoever you are, dont forget that we are brothers in arms in this world. What you like doing most?"

"Writing" I replied

"So, go home and write. And know, that you did it in honor of the victims of that day"

And just like that the city's streets were not blurry anymore.....

and I realized that we have to honor the past but also keep the celebration going on! We have to enjoy life as brothers in arms ...//

- Garia August

-. Born in the Usa

2010-09-04T21:18:00.013-04:00

The family was still at the apartment on Agiou Polykarpou Street in the area of New Smyrni in Athens. This had been the family's first home since my parents had exchanged vows to be a married couple. It was a two bedroom apartment with a big kitchen area, a very large living room divided in two differenet spaces and one bathroom. Mother and father had the bigger bedroom while I was sharing the smaller one with my Yiayia (Grandmother in Greek). She was my mothers' mother.

It is a Friday night around 9pm. We are still waiting Mother to come home from work. Yiayia is in the back of the apartment in our room taking a nap. She is definitely snoaring at this moment. It only takes her 10 minutes of quite sleep and then she starts snoring with a deep loud snor that keeps me awake and all I can do, is start clapping loudly with the hope that she will get scared, wake up and stop snoaring. But usually, it is not effective. I only achieve to listen to my clapping as it is echoing in the room which keeps me even more awake and in the end I need to start counting the 100 Greek sheeps to put myself into sleep. Thankfully, it is not yet time for me to go to bed. Mother had promised to bring us souvlakia home from Thanassis in Monastiraki so we will stay up with father and wait for her while doing our favorite thing; watching American music videos. As father puts a tape in the VCR to play, I start having my first encounter with the then representation of the ultimate American Rocker; Bruce Springsteen. Blue Jeans stretched allowing me to visualize the singer’s sex, white shirt placed loosely inside the jeans, short sleeves turned towards the elbows and a cool slow movement of the hips as the singer dances.

“Look Maria, Look what he will do now” Dad said while Bruce was stretching his right arm to reach Courtney Cox who is one of his fans on the video and brings her on the stage with him to dance.

“And wait until you listen to the next song” he added

The lyrics started like this:

Born down in a dead man’s town

Born in the Usa I was

“BORN IN THE USA” father screams loudly in the living room

“BORN IN THE USA” I yell back at him

In America, the Born in the USA song expressed signs of hope in the daily fight of the standard American in following the American dream and not only. It had many more meanings.

In our Greek apartment, the Born in the USA song expressed signs of hope and love. Signs of a strong connection betwen a standard Greek father and his daughter. For few years, it became our home's anthem!

Right after that Rockin night at home, I remember father giving me one of my most memorable gifts, that is after the world globe, which I kept next to me by my bed for about a whole year. It was my first tape ever and most loved one since it had Bruce’s adorably shaped butt on the cover and the American flag as a backdrop. I used to take that tape everywhere with me. I hid it in the school bag and go proudly to listen to my school teachers preaching about Math, History and literature while I had my mind set at that moment that we were at the living room with Father singing as the band of Springsteen.

I often wonder now days if father ever thought that all I wanted to truly do when I left home to come to America, was to hear him saying in the land of USA the below lyrics from the Born in the Usa song:

I am a true Rockin daddy in the USA now

Because that is who he is becoming. It is not difficult to imagine the union with my father on the studio apartment on 6^th street once I will be an American citizen and father will be a true Rockin daddy in the USA. His smoky eyes and woolflike lined up teeth smiling of admiration for the woman I have chosen to become while glancing at the art-covered walls, the racks of books and the Finding Eidothea book cover mockup hanging as a big poster on the bathroom.

I give him to wear the leather used motorcycle jacket that I bought for him from a St. Marks vintage store. I am already wearing mine. The You Tube video of the Born in the Usa song is on. We are singing together again while mother cooks for us in my small east village gas stove the traditional Garozi family breakfast; two sunny side up eggs, sausage (the famous parizaki in greek) and small pieces of kasseri cheese.

- the song

2010-08-31T22:51:00.004-04:00

Bertine Zetlitz - Adore Me
Uploaded by EMI_Music. - Music videos, artist interviews, concerts and more.

She did remember the song that was playing that night while the soul of the car was letting go

Her face pale
when she saw the video

where we all four formed up so early?
myself, Eidothea and D.X.G were suposed to be
a creation of the last years only

shhhhhhh now
let her wonder
the more she starts
? questioning herself
the more she will write again

- Garia August

- the last photo journal of summer 2010

2010-08-22T21:13:00.011-04:00

3 DAY PHOTO JOURNAL IN CALIFORNIA:
WEST HOLLYWOOD
VENICE BEACH
SANTA MONICA
HOLLYWOOD HILLS
MALIBU
NEWPORT

DEDICATED TO MARIA [Maroula ]XENOU;
MOTHER OF TWO AND GRANDMOTHER OF THREE -

- Maria Garozi

HAPPY TOGETHER -

2010-08-14T15:16:00.012-04:00

Old poster of the film "Rebel without a cause" with James Dean

IMAGINE GARIA AND MYSELF STROLLING ON VENICE BEACH WITH LITTLE FROG KEEPING OUR JOURNAL AND TAKING PHOTOS OF ALL THE REBELS WITHOUT A CAUSE -

IMAGINE OUR HEART BEATING TODAY AS WE CELEBRATE OUR 6 YEAR ANNIVERSARY IN AMERICA!

IMAGINE GARIA'S EXCITEMENT THIS MORNING. SHE IS LISTENING THE SONG "Happy Together" FROM THE LOS ANGELES BAND The Turtles WAITING FOR THE AMERICAN KID, WHOM WE HAVEN'T SEEN SINCE OUR LAST SUMMER IN MYCONOS, TO COME SPEND THE DAY WITH US -

IMAGINE THAT WE ARE HAPPY TOGETHER
BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT YOU FOLLOW FINDING EIDOTHEA
THANK YOU!

LOVE FROM LOS ANGELES

- Maria Garozi & Garia August

- the real characters # A

2010-08-09T21:33:00.023-04:00

Hose del Siap whose true name is Elina, didn't need to pack a lot in order to have the best and most memorable vacation. The first time we agreed with Irene to randomly go for free camping to the island of Elafonisos, Irene had packed her car with everything one could imagine. You could barely see the back window of the car and the left window on the back seat had to remain open because the special three dimensional camping tent that her father had bought some years ago in Spain didn’t fit inside the car and half of it was hanging out of the window. When I tried to put my staff on the back seat, I encountered a mini chaos. An inflatable mattress lying on top of a huge refrigerator which was full with food and drinks and then next to it that was an enormous bag with clothes and creams and a second bag filled with medicine. Well, the medicine I could understand. Irene has always been the hypochondriac type of person. Just a tiny little bite from a mosquito and she would rush to Elina screaming " Koritsiaaaa (word for Girls in Greek) I am dying from an unknown decease. I can feel it in my blood growing. Look at this huge bite. Oh My God I will die young!” and needless to say how many nights she spent at the emergency room. Obviously the exit diagnosis from the doctors always read: Entry due to unknown factor/ patient Irene K. But all those clothes and food didn’t make sense just for the weekend.

When we stopped with the car to pick up Elina we were both speechless. All her luggage was a 24 pack of toilet paper. Nothing else accompanying that toilet paper. Just toilet paper. The one with extra strength.

“Is that all you are bringing with you?” I asked

“Well I am sure Irene has thought of all the strictly necessary things, which translates to her entire house including the latest antibacterial ointment in case the rare bug species that only grow in Elafonisos bite her in the middle of her sleep at the tent, so I thought to be just practical and bring something I really find a necessity since the bushes of the island will have to be our restroom for two days"

“Great thinking” Irene said. "Indeed, we will need lots of it, not only because we are going for free camping but also in case we need to cover our wounds from the rare bug species” We all smiled and headed to our first adventure at the island.

I can still hear the horn of Irene's Jeep car signaling to Elina to come downstairs. I try to fit my staff on the back seat. The radio is playing the song of the band Manu Chao that Irene loves. I notice the turquise tshirt that Elina is wearing. Approaching at the car she screams to me" Garozi are you ready for our first adventure together?" But when I look out of the window, the New York streets are empty. My Indian friend is passing by only. Seeing me at the window, he screams to me: "Koukla (word for Doll in Greek), when are you taking me for vacation to Greece?". "Soon my friend, soon" I reply and I close the window as I am shutting down my memory's past.

How do you feel about those two characters after reading this small story? Would you like to read more about them and our adventures?

- Post July 15th, 2010 - Return to Voyage Voyage

2010-08-05T17:05:00.039-04:00

Photos from the exhibit hanging now at the 6th street studio

The lights at the studio on 6th street were off. I tried to get a glimpse of the space from the window with a hope that at least the one who writes in the dark will be inside. But noone was home. I heard a noise from the street. It was L.M. cleaning. She looked at me and said:
"They are all gone for Maria's exhibit"
"When you say all, what do you mean?"
"All three of them. Gone. One after the other.
Garia went with the bicycle with her sneakers on because she was late as usual"

Upon my arrival at the loft of Eleni Delimpaltadakis and Spencer Janis where the event was taking place, I realized how much Maria has changed. Her posture was straight with the confidence of a person who knows how to present her art. Her smile was sharp and complete and her portrait photos were finally not washed out. That proved to me that she has evolved to a person who is open to share her creativity and can at last capture not only what the heart demands but also what the subject is willing to give away. I remember her coming home a year ago only with negatives of landscapes. Very few shots of people. It was a result of her fear to connect, especially with her roots. Now she is strong and ready to go back to the roots, back to the Greek origin. She can communicate and share again with people like she has been doing with all of you through this blog for the past months. And most of you like most of the Greek Americans embraced her like a creative voice of your own.

Foto by Fotis Papagermanos, ETA IMAGe

Garia on the other side, still remains the creative ? of the three.
She hasnt evolved, or has she?
During the event she was standing on the left side of Maria with the desire to hear the feedback of the guests who where there to see the photo exhibit:

"I havent seen such photos of the streets of New York since the era of Berenice Abbott" quoted to the artist Olga Alexakos, president of A.G.A.P.W.

"You depict the suffering of the immigrants as seen through the eyes of your own experience as an immigrant. You should try to take this ehxibit to Washington" mentioned the gallerist and private curator and advisor on contemporary art Venetia Kapernekas.

"I like your photos but you say you also want to write a book- And go ahead and do it-I did it in 1962. It was my first novel, titled Epiplomena Domatia; Furnished Rooms, which the year after was awarded the Greek National Prize for Novel.
You are young and beautiful, and I know everyone wants to become known - but this MUST LAST....Good Luck" said the Greek author Ioanna Karatzaferi

The best moment of the exhibit was when Eidothea gathered Maria and Garia and announced:"Enjoy this day and dream of more success to arrive to us. For do not forget what it took to get here. Dont forget the journey of Finding Eidothea

To that Maria replied:

And now what is next ?

Eidothea retorted:
The Gods call us to return to VOYAGE VOYAGE

Garia said:

Now you need to tell everyone about the day that you took the first photo of this exhibit...You went out to take photos thinking of a man. Do you remember?

And finally I approached and told them:

Turn the memory back again. Those who follow want to know....Write...Write.....

I love you all three

- D.X.G.

Lettre a

2010-07-26T23:28:00.017-04:00

Avenue Émile Zola. -

DRAFT a)
Ma Chere M.P.M,
It is a Monday. I am at a coffee place in East Village where I can enjoy the sounds of being seated at an outdoors table.

My life passes by fast but yet very slow. I am changing very fast in a very slow way that reflects an eternity of a loss. Writing comes hard these days but I read a lot. Yesterday I read two books one of which was the book of RAINER MARIA RILKE “Letters to A Young Poet” that you suggested and we bought together, together.

“Two solitudes that support, touch and greet each other”
RAINER MARIA RILKE.
Even this line, this summarized description of love that arrived to the history of writings from Rilke seems to be difficult for us the mortals to achieve during these times that we all want to become a Someone that is the illusionary More than the Anyone that we simply are. But my question is, What will happen to our souls when we realize that we have become that Someone by losing the Anyone and all that that the Anyone loves?But obviously love will always be Une Belle Histoire whether I question things or not.

Earlier this evening,I bought two copies of the book “Autobiography of Red” by Anne Carson. One I am sending to you. On page 60, the book opens:“Reality is a sound, you have to tune in to it not just keep yelling”

So many people are seated at this moment around me.
They are all yelling their past or their future.

And Yet look at me
I am at the beautiful reality of my silent solitude writing to you and I can LISTEN the sound of my pen loving the paper.

I am also enclosing for you a postcard that I printed for my photo exhibit. Please keep it or use it as you wish.

We miss you dear friend,

THE MYTH'S POEM -

2010-07-24T00:06:00.013-04:00

THE SEA NYMPH
I ARRIVED TO SEE
TWO STEPS FORWARD
IN FRONT OF ME
UNFOLDS HER SEA
---------------
WELCOME LADY
TO MY WORLD
DIVE DEEP INSIDE MY
MOST SECRET THOUGHT
---------------
DESIRE MADE A DREAM
SANG A LULLABY
THAT SPOKE A TRUTH
MOTHER ARTEMIS
THE PROPHECY TO BREAK
AND CLOSER TO ARRIVE
THE SACRED TEAR
WILL SOON APPEAR
----------------
SEPARATION FROM A MOTHER'S PORT
BUT FOR THE BOAT NEFELI
THE ANCHOR SOON ON SUNDAY
WILL BECOME A SPEAR
AND HOME WILL BE JUST NEAR
----------------
THE VOYAGE TO THE MIND'S SOUL
IS NOW APPROVED
THE WINDS ARE ON OUR SIDE
TONIGHT
THE VOYAGE TO THE MYTH
OF FINDING EIDOTHEA
I SHALL FIND
----------------
MY TRUE SELF
ALONE
SLEEPLESS
FEARLESS
AND COMBINED
----------------
WIND BLOW FOR US
WE ARE WAITING
BY THE WINDOW
FOR YOUR TOUCH
----------------

- Flowers of a July Afternoon

2010-07-12T22:59:00.013-04:00

Union Square, 2010

Flowers passing by around me

hawks that try

to built their root inside the chain

of the memory’s guilt

Flowers that met

The cheeks of a Girl from Saigon

Flowers that felt

The hips of a Girl from South Korea

Flowers that he could melt

In one breath of a Woman from Cappadocia

Flowers passing by around me

Doves that try

To built their nest inside the box

Of the memory’s innocence

But they never arrived

And they shall never will

For the Sender needs a

Silent Man of their love

forever thus to be

- Garia August

Union Square , July 12th, New York 2010

2010-07-11T12:27:00.014-04:00

Celebration of July 4th, 2010 - New York City

When i left my home and my family, all i wanted to see was America and Garia smiling to each other for their Independence -

I dedicate this smile to all of you who follow this blog.
Thank you -

Love,
Maria

2010-06-28T00:20:00.002-04:00

My eyes see behind the lenses. But I still cant see over the sea -

Myself Muses

2010-06-24T08:07:00.026-04:00

When Eleni Lekkou, the Senior Editor of myself.gr, wrote me that they are starting the MyselfMuses project and they want to write a story about me presenting me as a muse and sharing with their readers my life story leaving Greece to come to New York, my reply was:

"I am honored that you want to write about me and present me to the readers of myself.gr.Sometimes I wonder if other women would be interested to know my life story, but if my story manages to help other women take risks in life, then I will accomplish one of the final goals: Women realizing how strong they are!"

Foto by Alan Gastelum

Myself.gr is an innovative female portal by Liberis Publications that meets the everyday needs of the Greek woman for the latest news, for shopping and lifestlye all presented in a special environment that allows each unique reader to connect with the magazine team and the other readers. The reader becomes a User and is part of forums and online conversations. In 2008, just few months after its launch, http://www.myself.gr/ won the award Ermis Bronze in the category of Websites Media & Publications.

To see the article you can visit the link:myself.gr

If anyone would like to read the whole article, I will be happy to translate it for you from Greek. Email me!

- Maria Garozi

My special 12

2010-06-23T00:22:00.014-04:00

There are several types of separation-
separation from yourself,from your family,your country,your boyfriend, your lover. separation from your work, from your space, from so many other parts of one's life. even separation from your favorite cartoon character when you enter a new phase of age.

but there is one kind of separation that was new to me.
separation from the special 12.for the last months I have been taking memoir writing class I at Gotham Writers' Workshop and tonight it was the last class. When Shahnaz Habib; our teacher; left the bar we went after class for a beer, I felt an end. My eyes turned to waterfalls only to prove to myself that once again I live in the past and not in the future. After Shahnaz, little Caroline followed taking with her out of the bar doors all the innocence of her family stories.
"Why are you leaving so early?" I asked her.
"I have to wake up very early at 8am to go to work and honestly, lately I need more sleep at night than usual. I feel I am getting old" she replied.
"How old are you?"
"I am 24" she said.
"24??? And that's old? What should I say that I am 30 with half my hair white already?Dont go kid yet!"

Kara had only one beer and left right after. She left fast. I dont think she could manage the separation either.

Cindy, oh Cindy don't go now. You too? So early? Stay a while. What if we built a rubber room altogether and stay there writing for ever all of us; the special 12?

Raquel continued saying the story about her latest exciting life news but as soon as the story arrived to an end she said:"I have to go girls now"and Connie with Sebene grabbed their staff preparing to return to their lives.

For a moment, all I wanted to do was to stay there at that bar,order one more Blue Moon beer and start writing forever. Why do I have to go outside and live the future? Can't I stay here at this bar stool with a notepad and a pen and keep writing about the past?

I will miss the special 12 and especially those who didnt make it to class tonight; Sarah, Eliza and Ryan. But now that I am separated from them, I can keep living with them by making them my new characters of the short stories, the special 12.

Hey everyone, where is our Saam?I am sure if I had stayed at that bar she would have entered after you were all gone to keep me company till the bar would close at 4am or maybe 11am!

Love,
Maria

- iam

2010-06-16T23:45:00.018-04:00

in the middle of a chain reaction -

"I want to be in your book" he told her the morning after.
"I want to be in your life" she heard.

"Let the man get an identity in your stories.
See him again. Let him in" I thought.

How should she name this new character? He is crazy and rough,sweet and gentle but he can leave her at anytime in the middle of nowhere if he wants to do what inspires him the most; his art. He can disappear anytime. Great! That makes two of them.

Although Greek, he is a man of Natural American Spirit smoke.

Any suggestions or ideas of a name for him for my next story?

- Garia August

2010-06-14T18:59:00.011-04:00

Jules Bastien Lepage
Joan of Arc, 1879 (Eva's favorite art piece)

-GIA THN EVA.

Ta matia sou
Na htan mouskemena
Kaneis de tha filouse
Kaneis allos apo mena

Pws na rthei to deilino
Afto pou ezisa konta sou
Sto perigiali
Ths kardias sou

Mono mia stigmh
Ths hremhs thalassas
Pou se krata
Agyrovolimenh
Stin eftyxia tis thymishs
Oti eimatan mazi

Afth mono th stigmh
Thelw na mou ferei
To peristeri avrio
Na petaksoume mazi
PSHLA
Sta oneira mas
Mhtera glykia
Mhtera aiwnia
Eva kai Ellada

Ma twra ta vimata sou
simanan pws epistrefeis
sth dikia sou
tin Olodikh zwh

Opws tosoi alloi
etsi kai esy
hrthes na me giatrepseis
na mou kratiseis syntrofia
Ma koita ti synevei ksafnika
me skepase me th kouverta ths
h allh vouvh syntrofisa
twn kairwn kai twn exthrwn
Na th! Kseprovalei xamogelasth
apo ta vouna pou ksysan ton ourano
san efyges
Na th! Hrthe na mou kratisei syntrofia
h varia h Olodikh mou monaksia-

- Maria Garozi

November 14, 2009 Pylos
(re-edited June 14, 2010 6th Street)

2010-06-12T14:04:00.004-04:00

writing your own memoir is not an easy mind process.

too many memories. too many emotions keep arising.

in need of some entertaining reaction. out now to see the USA vs UK game!

talk to you all soon

love,
Maria

- MY MEMORY'S CHAINS AND THINGS

2010-06-12T13:37:00.009-04:00

Long Beach, 2010

Saturday June 12th 2010 6:14:35 am COME SEE ME I woke up by a sudden inner call. My morning coffee was not good. I made a second and a third one to get the satisfaction of its taste. I looked out from the window and wondered: What happened to that last scene that we both played well? After that, we left the chains and things and started both a journey; a mind trip as I call it. But somewhere in the night’s mind, we are still at the studio he had back then in the port of Pireaus looking the sunrise at 6:14:35 am. I was still in bed next to him. I was feeling close to him. It was the first time he had woken up early to see me in the morning. That was the morning he told me he was boarding on a ship few hours later to leave Greece.Or was it a different morning? I cant see clearly now.

Eight years ago. Its summer in Athens.

The door is open.

I walk in. My heels make a disturbing noise.
The ashtray has 7 half-burned cigarettes. Viewing them, the first thing that comes to mind is, NEED. He is seated on the couch waiting for me having one more of his cigarettes. I am bothered now that I can’t remember the brand of his smoke.

He is not saved. His beard has gotten long. His feet are naked. He is not wearing a shirt. He has only his jeans on.
“You are late” “I sent you the message to come see me an hour ago”

“I had to take a shower and it took me a while to drive here. There was traffic on the highway” “What is going on?” You are suddenly worried for me or my lateness?” I thought it was clear what this is for both of us” The door is open. Do you know this?

“I was waiting for you and I don’t care for the door”
“You are here now.”

If I could reply today, I would say: “You are in my memory now. The thrill is gone but I can’t lose these chains and things of the past. I carry them with me”

- Garia August

2010-05-30T09:55:00.001-04:00

2010-05-28T00:18:00.005-04:00

-HIS CURE. (Second Version)

He closes his eyes
Silence~

Alone in the living room
Has a sip of his tea from three nights ago~

He is thinking of their first dinner at a table~

The young girl was looking down
I WANT TO BE WITH YOU forever she whispered
Afraid still to admit it
But her words were soft
and no one told her the man was deaf~

The food at the dinner table is cold now~

He drinks his gin from three nights ago
And then he drinks again
And again, and again and again
He drinks his silence~

Two weeks later
He brings a new dinner table at the living room
made of stones of another country
Of some kind of a weird new love affair he found
and desired~

He opens his eyes
Silence~

Alone in the living room
Has a sip of his tea from three years ago~

He is thinking of his new love and the new dinner table~

The young girl was looking down
I WANT TO BE WITH YOU forever she whispered
Afraid still to admit it
But her words are gone now
and no one told her the man still wants the dinner table of her love for him-

December 2007
East Broadway, Apt W R
(re-edited October 2009)

2010-05-20T00:55:00.014-04:00

The Redhead Piano Bar - Chicago, 2010

Ma Chere Madame G,

The night moves without me now.
Its Wednesday May 20th, 1:00am.

It’s the fourth night that I am sleepless thinking of all that music.
And its not anymore the music of that man who came unexpectedly one night at your corridors asking for me. I am talking about the music of that man with the blue hat. How can I treasure all those rhythmic touches he offered me without feeling the need for more?

Come take care of me Madame. Will you?
I need a touch.

He had a blue suit on, a white shirt with the initials R.T., a red scarf and his blue hat. He placed his left arm around my waist and told me, “Doll, you must be from far away. We don’t have women of your skin often around here. Go put some music on the jukebox for us now. Play, Lou Rawls’ Nobody But Me for me Doll and come here to move and sweat feeling my blues."

“Tell me you Love Nobody but Me Doll.”
“I love Nobody But You tonight” I replied.

“Will you give me all your love Mama?”
I didn’t reply. The music kept playing while our drinks left alone at the bar, were silently finding comfort among the icy razor sharp touch of the cubes.

“Dance with me angel.”
Don’t call me angel I said and removed furiously his rough hands from my waist. “Don’t get upset now with me. Be soft.Does it make you feel guilty when I call you Angel, Angel?" I didnt reply.

The night moves with me now. And I know well that I am not an angel after all. I am at the Redhead Piano Bar looking for someone like him to call me an Angel again.

I want that guilt back soon.

Bisous Madame G.
Sandrine X.

Kingston Mines Blues Bar, Chicago 2010

Trip Notes

2010-05-15T12:11:00.007-04:00

At Sweet Home Chicago -

First visit, was to go to the Art Institute of Chicago which is showing some interesting exhibits at the moment:

- Matisse
- In the Vernacular
- William Eggleston

This morning while Eleni of Troy and Michael are at another panel during the AAPOR (American Association Public Opinion Research)conference, I will have the chance to meet with J.K. and later with MP who arrived from France also yesterday.Its really fascinating that when you see life as a continuous journey,then you keep meeting new and old friends from your past randomly everywhere you go.

Thank you all 15 for following and all of you who keep coming back anonymously to this blog to read or peruse my photos.

I will close with a quote from Robert Johnson; the famous American blues musician:

"Nothing will see us through the age we're entering but high consciousness, and that comes hard. We don't have a good, modern myth yet, and we need one"

Love,
Maria

Has anyone of you been to Chicago?

2010-05-09T21:47:00.008-04:00

Prytania Street in New Orleans

- THE FLYING GYPSY NYMPH

I saw the flying white nymphs
I saw five of them at start
Then an array of three more
Fleeting free away from me apart

I saw the flying white nymphs
They were showing me the way
towards the brown stone secret gate
Where St Vincent is looking for
the betrayed from luck child’s mate

They run around us
Nowhere for them to hide
Genevieve is crying all night
out of Room Nr 1135
Frederic is getting saved this morning
by Mademoiselle outside
of Room Nr 1259

I saw the flying nymphs
I saw eleven of them at start
Then the aura of one more
Fleeting free away from me apart

I saw the flying gypsy nymph
She was showing me the white line
Towards the forbidden molded swine
Where Prytania is looking for
A blooded fabric that once was mine

- Garia August

St. Vincent Hostel
New Orleans
May 1st, 2010

This post is influenced by my stay at St Vincent Hostel (an old children’s asylum) in New Orleans where all the muses and the Greek Myths remain the unseen gypsies in every visitors’ troubled nights.