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Apr 27, 2008 22:20

Today I had a bored attack. I'm not used to that, it doesn't happen. I couldn't get motivated to do what I had to do, but nor could I bring myself to do things I enjoy doing. Even sitting and eating junk food didn't seem to have any appeal.

So for some reason I spent the morning pulling my bike into constituent parts and putting it back together again. It now works a lot better than it used to.

This evening I went to a drum and bass party in Perry Park with Kelly and Hugh. I didn't stay long, but as I sat there, I got my motivation back into gear, and got home and largely finished a project that had kind of been languishing.

Last night I went to the Greek Orthodox midnight service (resists temptation to call it midnight mass) for Greek easter. Once again, the singing was beautiful, and by far the best part of it for me. I understood more of the sermon than last time, which says that I'm learning something in greek class. I even asked the candle-seller how much the candles were in greek: Πόσο κάνει τα κεριά;

It was a little strange standing in a crowd of several thousand greeks when I'm not greek. Though really it wouldn't matter what race they are, they could have been my race, it still would have been strange. The strangeness is having several thousand of any particular race all gathered together... I'm not used to it.

A particularly cool part of the ritual was when the priest blessed a flame, and then the people at the front light their candles in it, and then pass the flame on to the people behind them, and so on ad infinitum until the flame has spread through the whole crowd. You then take the flame home with you and bless your house by leaving the candle to burn out overnight. Optionally, you can inscribe symbols (traditionally the crucifix) above your door using the candle smoke. I got subversive and drew pagan symbols above my door.

But the nicest thing was to go and experience this little bit of my girl's culture, and learn another thing about her. Even though we're pagan, we have roots in christianity... And you should always stay in touch with your roots.
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