Category: Socializing

Going out, having fun, meeting (new) friends…

Skyclad Live (Συναυλία Skyclad Part 2)

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So, this Saturday Skyclad played at Athens. The concert was held at the AN club in Eksarchia.

As soon as we got there, I contacted my good friend, [tag]Baggio[/tag], and went by his place, or rather by Alexis’ place.
We sat there, killing time for a while, until it was time to head out to the concert.
The original plan was to take Melas’ car to go to the club but unfortunately Athens traffic had other plans for us.
After being stuck in the traffic jam for half an hour and with no clearing in sight, we decided to ditch the car and tale the metro; and good thing we did because we later found out that the whole downtown area was off limits due to a skinhead march (?!?).

After much swearing and cursing, we reached the concert area and me and Philippos immediately headed to the front of the stage.

The support band was X-piral which I must say, wasn’t half bad if I must say. They were a more classic Epic themed band of the power metal school. Interesting was how a girl next to Philippos was very excited. We guessed that she was someone’s girlfriend >:)

After a long pause while [tag]Skyclad[/tag] came on the stage and set-up their own instruments (Oh how far they have fallen!) the show started.
Did I mention that the club was very small and had no railing? Luckily there wasn’t too many people, although that could be considered an unfortunate event as well.
Anyway the concert was excellent and the band was very energetic, especially Georgina who didn’t stop jumping around the stage when she played.
The crowd wasn’t very excited at first, at least for Greek standards but as the time passed and great songs were played things got more and more energetic. Especially on some songs like Anotherdrinkingsong and Inequality Street we went wild. Me and Philippos were dancing folk, others were stage diving etc.
They played a lot of the new album, Semblance of Normality but also some popular songs from previous work. Luckily I didn’t know only a few songs.

After the concert, the band headed to the Metal Night Club, Texas which I had heard a few bad things about. However it felt too much like Cult back in Thessaloniki.
There I saw one gorgeous girl that was, unfortunately, with another guy. However that didn’t stop me from staring discreetlely…she was that great.
Pity

In any case, after an hour or so, Skyclad came to the Club as well and went to the upper floor. Philippos and me followed after a while to meet them. They are a great bunch and pretty down to earth. I talked with Steve, Georgina and Kevin and we also took a group photo with them.
After I mentioned that I liked the track “Ten Little Kingdoms” Kevin promised me that they would play it in Thessaloniki the next time they visit but I’d have to bring 10 of my friends with me 🙂

On another note,
Steve also mentioned that they would have a new album by mid-2006 and probably a new tour soon after that.

Anyway, after half an hour or so, we took our leave. We didn’t want to bother them all night after all and went downstairs where Baggio and Tasos were waiting for us. We stayed in Texas until 5 am. I had started getting very tired by 3:30 and I was feeling a sickness coming on and so I couldn’t stay any longer. We were going to leave by 4 but we stalled as we tried to find some place for Philippos to sleep. Unfortunately, due to my not sending a message to Tasos and the parents of Baggio babysitting, we couldn’t find anything and due to my meltdown I also couldn’t keep Philippos company until Texas closed. So we said goodbye there (he was going to leave the next morning while I was going to stay one more day) and took off. I felt really bad about leaving him alone but, seriously, I couldn’t do anything else, other than collapse on a table and sleep.

The road to Tasos place was especially hard as well, I was barely walking and something I ate must have been spoiled (I blame the peanuts) because I was feeling like I was about to throw up. Luckily I didn’t and after a long trip, I finally reached the bed where I slept like a concrete block.

PS: New Feature: From now on I’ll be posting what book I’m currently reading. Just for archive’s sake.

Currently Reading: Επίκουρος – Κείμενα ~ Πηγές της επικούρειας φιλοοφίας και τέχνης του ζην

Συναυλίες

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2 συναυλίες λοιπόν αυτές τις ημέρες, μια Stratovarius και μια Paradise Lost. Επίσης είναι και μία Skyclad η οποία θα γίνει το Σάββατο.
Καλή φάση.

Στους Stratovarius πήγα μόναχούλης αλλα αυτυχώς βρήκα εκεί γνωστούς (τελικά έχω αρκετούς ε;) και περασαμέ γαμάτα. Χτύπημα μέχρι τέλους και μετά άλλες 7 ώρες στα Λαδάδικα ασταμάτητο χτύπημα. Στο τέλος φυσικά βγήκα βραχνιασμένος αλλα το διασκέδασα. Πήρα και το τηλέφωνο απο ένα παλικαράκι για να έχω παρέα να βγαίνω οπότε ήταν το highlight της εβδομάδας.

Στους Paradise Lost πήγα μαζί με την Δώρα απο την ΚΝΕ την οποία πήρα την τελευταία στιγμή. Ευτυχώς περναγε απο το κέντρο καθώς πήγαινε και δεν υπήρξε πρόβλημα. Δεν έπεσε πολύ χτύπημα εκεί και μετά απο το X δεν είχε πολύ χαβαλέ αλλα ευτυχώς όταν πήγα απο το Dizzy βρήκα κάτι γνωστους αλλα και μια κοπέλα την οποία είχα γνωρίσει στους Stratovarius και η οποία φερόταν πολύ φιλικά…είδομεν σε αυτό το μέτωπο.
Πλάκα είχε πάντως πριν πάμε λαδάδικα, που περάσαμε απο το σπίτι του Πάνου ο οποίος με έχωσε να κοιτάξω τον υπολογιστή του άλλη μια φορά (με δελέασε με τσιπουράκι πάντως, δεν μπορώ να πώ)

Τώρα θα προσπαθήσω να αγοράσω εισιτήρια μέσω του Τάσου απο την Αθήνα διότι οι βλάκες δεν φέραν είσιτήρια Skyclad στην Θεσ. Τσογλάνια…

Hey look at me, I'm Ian Anderson!

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Ian WannabeHeh, well, not really 🙂
This was taken in Μανώλης’ place with a flute-like instrument.

Now that I mentioned this, yesterday was a day at his house, where I went shortly after fixing some partition problems on my system. While there I copied a heckload of movies and pr0n* and finally took my pr0n* T-shirt back! The bastard had it for almost a year!

On my part, I brought him two games and the firefly series which we tried in vain to copy.

Finally we tried to play some Empire Earth but failed miserably. Even though we were all using the same version, on computer kept thinking it had another…pretty strange!

Visits from the south

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Τασος Ζαχαριάδης visited me this Weekend. He came to buy some machines for Tattoo and I kept him company while he was here. Saturday he slept at my place (after we came home from some late night drinking) and Sunday we hand around a bit while I wrote him a heckload of pr0n and then headed out for cofee.

We ended up at Navarinou Square drinking Ouzo with 3 girls, with one of which I had something going for a while at the Summer. She seemed very friendly once again.

After a glass or so, we decided to head out to the Silver Dollar where a friend of mine I met on the road notified me was a Rammstein night. Kewl!

There we met a hosts of people but the highlight of the night was one guy who I initially started talking because he thought Power Metal was retarded. Then after a while Τασος joined the conversation which gradually degraded from friendly talk about jazz to which instrument is better and if the Bouzouki is gtp. Now, I know I can be absolute and strong willed at times, but I am as agreeable as a girl scout in heat in front of Bon Jovi, compared to this dude. They talked for 3 hours on this subject and this guy followed us to the Souvlaki parlor in order to continue the conversation. I’ve never seen someone so obsessed on proving his point.

Yeah, ok dude, you’re an expert on guitar and can play popes, but that doesn’t mean that the rest of the instruments don’t have a reason to exist. Jeez!

3 Days of twirling

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Since my new [tag]firestaff[/tag] arrived I haven’t had time to really try it out. Only once when I initially got it did I attempt it but it was a failure due to weather.

Well the last two days I’ve been going out to Navarinou square to remember my skills. I stopped going to Alexander’s statue because the port gets kind of windy and throws my aim off.
Anyway, while at Navarinou I see lots of familiar faces and a lot of people come to talk to me. Others want to try out the staff while others just chat with me. It is a new experience for me (being this popular) and I can’t say I don’t like it. The attention I am getting is invigorating. For my part I don’t act (and I hope I don’t in the future either) like a self-important egomaniac and strike up conversations with the ones that approach, especially if they are cute girls grin, but I’ve been talking to the occasional junkie as well.

Sunday was my first afternoon (or rather night) out, I saw a girl, Δήμητρα, that possibly likes me and I also met some new people, like a young girl just now getting into staffs, her cousin and a fat girl that challenged my skills vs her chains. I, unfortunately, also saw Αννα and her boyfriend as they came around to see the rest of the group that was around at the time. I met her boyfriend’s friend who seems a nice enough chap but her boyfriend seems reluctant to acknowledge me, even if we’re in the same group of people. Αννα of course pretends she doesn’t see me at all :/

I didn’t get to do much of training of Sunday because people kept talking to me, but I did do some serious mingling and meeting. I can’t say it came out badly.

On Monday I once again went to Navarinou square, this time a little earlier so as to have some time to practice alone. Later some acquaintances showed up and once again I couldn’t focus (what with them constantly wanting to grab my staff). The new girl was also there and she seemed extremely “friendly” as well. Δήμητρα also appeared after a while but she was waiting to go for a date with a guy she met over the internet. After a while she left to meet him and later came back with him and was wondering how to get rid of him (“he just doesn’t click”), at around 23:00 people dispersed and I learned that some had gone to Carpe Diem (A Cafeteria/Live Stage) and I decided to head over there as well. I was lucky and I bumped into Μαρία and Αναστασία, two girls I met at the X Club one time and I decided to hang out with them.

We chatted for a while until the Live begun (A progressive violin/guitar duet with very strange and loud sound) and we had to shout. Later Δημητρα arrived as well, she had decided to bring the dude to Carpe Diem where her friends were in order to make him uncomfortable enough to leave. He found an excuse to leave (obviously getting the hint) and she was happy.
After a while she, quite unexpectedly, came to our table, introduced herself and sat down because she was bored with the other guys.

The night went on wand at some point the girls left and Δημητρα pressured me to take her for a walk at Navarinou. There we found the guy that initially showed me the Fire Staff and he had taken some leaps in his skills. I know I need to get in touch with him at some point to learn some new stuff. Obviously he is training at the fokas park.
We hanged around for half an hour or so where I met Χρήστος (a guy I saw all the time at the X Club but never got around to meeting him) and had to endure Δημητρα’s attempts to play with the staff or the flower stick of some other guys. In the end we went to get her bag from Carpe Diem only to find the others had left. Fortunately her bag was still there.

Yesterday was more interesting. I had set up with the young girl to gather at Navarinou again but this time use live fire. I went over there at around 7:45 pm (after buying a long-sleeved shirt I really liked, one with claw like rips in the middle) and started warming up. Βιολετιά apparently had come downtown to see me and she sent me an SMS to go and see her. I had already told her I was indisposed at this time and did so again. I told her to come see me instead, and she did eventually.
Another friend also passed by on his way to private lessons and he decided to stick around for a while to play with chains and also another girl (The fat one that challenged me) came around. So we all lighted our things and had a three person show 😉

After the show, I saw that Βιολετιά had appeared along with a friend and we chatted a bit. I also did a small show for her but she didn’t seem impressed.
Me and Βιολετιά have a habit of teasing each other with mild insults and I think I may have gone too far this time. A while after the show ended I told her to “Bugger off because I was bored of you”. Now obviously I was joking but it seems she took it a bit too seriously. She left immediately and although the obvious choice at that point would be to run after her and apologize, I didn’t realize how she took it and so I left her leave. Later I settled it through SMS and cell phone but it was another chance to hang out together lost.

Anyway, the rest of the night proved interesting as well. I ended up making out with a girl and agreeing to keep tings light, and I also went to the supposed “Nevermore night” at Silver Dollar with Μαρία (The last and only person that could come with me). The music sucked however and after 1.5 beers and no winning lottery tickets we left. Apparently the DJ thought that Nevermore is a hard as Slayer, Sepultura and Cradle of Filth groan.

There is just one small sour thing in this whole story, the replacement staff had bended way too much. I tried to bring it back but first I am afraid of stressing it too much and secondly it never works right. Damnit, I’m seriously let down by this purchase. Although I like the fact that its flame lasts for a long time, this bending and breaking business is very annoying. I’m thinking of taking it to an Iron Worker shop to see if he can straighten it.
I swear to Bob, if this one breaks as well there will be hell to pay!

Finally

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My replacement [tag]firestaff[/tag] arrived yesterday. I was a bit disappointed by the silicon grip however. Where the old one fit snugly and had nice ends, this one seems to have space between it and the shaft and its ends are fixed with fed duct tape. The whole item seems a bit hastily done but I guess I can’t complain. Things could have been a lot worse (namely not getting my staff back). At least now I have the old shaft as well and can at least try to fix it someway.

Anyway, after I received it my first order of business was to go out and practice some because I have almost a month to touch the skill. Unfortunately it was raining lightly but I hoped it would abate until I reached my training grounds. On the way I bumped into an old friend of mine, Χρύσα (Translates as Goldie) who was taking a walk. After the necessary greetings I told her to come with me and we went towards the Alexander statue.

I always had a soft spot for her, I always hopes something happened between us at some point but I don’t hold much hope for it nowadays. She seems so preoccupied with other stuff all the time and does not seem to be interested the same way. Pity.

Anyway, on the road we talked about the summer and stuff like that and after I mentioned my Poseidi experiences she was dying to find out more. I ended up storytelling the entire trip to her mounting joy. Glad to be of help 🙂

She also caught me by surprise by telling me that my current haircut was the best she’s seen on me. I did not expect that comment from her and that says a lot.

I did not manage to do any serious practice unfortunately. The port area was even more windy and rainy than downtown and I could barely practice my moves between chatting and the constant wind. In the end I took her to the bus stop where she decided to walk (!) so we said goodbye (without kisses) and parted ways. I headed for home and saw some Samurai Champloo before going to sleep.
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Offers you shouldn't refuse.

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Remember about that KNE guy that I had met while in Posidi? Well, he finally showed up. He phoned me while I was at Alexander the Great’s statue practicing my fire staff (post about this coming soon). We scheduled to meet up at 11pm but by 10am he was already there. In any case, we met at a bar near the white tower where he was sitting with two of his friends, one male and one female.

We chatted for a bit and then went to sit on the park by the pier, next to the bar-ships. On the way he told me the story about how he passed on a sex offer…a fuckin sex offer, and he didn’t do it on purpose either.
It seems that after I left Posidi, a group of girls arrived, one of which he was trying to make out with. It didn’t turn out well however and the company left, bar one.
At some point then, that girl, who I was led to believe was pretty good looking as well, offered him to go for a trip with her own car on another leg of Chalkidiki. Alone.
He refused. (!) I mean, how can you refuse something like that when you’re available and like the company? His excuse was that he didn’t understand at that point what she wanted. So he just said no, ditching a chance for a free sex trip (literally). But wait, there’s more.
After he refused, he reply was a joking “are you denying me?” (free translation, she actually said “Μου ρίχνεις χυλόπιτα;” which means “don’t you want to have a relationship/make out with me?”) and after such a reply I would have guessed anyone would have caught the meaning. Apparently he didn’t.
After some more discussion, the girl made this “innocent” comment: “You know, now that the other girls left I’m feeling very bad sleeping alone in my tent” (Emphasis mine). I mean, FFS, the answer here was friggin obvious! But he still didn’t get it. He didn’t even imagine where she going with this.

Needless to say, he got the hint later on, but by that time it was too late. That train had left the station.

I gave him a good lecture on behalf of all men about this little adventure. I mean, if we can’t use free sex offers like these, women may stop offering them. That girl was probably so let down by all of this that she may not even try something like that again for a long time, and who knows, I may meet her soon 🙁
On the other hand, I understand him in a way. That girl was so direct that her offer probably flew under his radar completely.
Since most women don’t act like this, it is normal for us not to expect something like that. We are trained to pick the standard minuscule signs of attraction that women usually throw our way and ignore what we think may be just a show of friendship. After the first few misunderstandings of their behavior we tend to become very cautious on when they express themselves freely.
I, for example, have many times misunderstood the show of comfortability as a sign of attraction, and of course this led to the cooling down of relations. Now I’m just very cautious. As most men I know are.

In reality I don’t know what I’d do in his position. Maybe I’d lose the hint as well.

Oh well, now we’re probably going to meet next Wednesday to go to the X Club for the Disco night. Should be fun.
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Crabholes

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Crabholes were my third vacation time this summer. It is a free camping nudist area and I was planned to go there with my sister, her boyfriend and three other friends. The others had all gone there from Thursday/Friday and I was left to come alone on Saturday. Good thing about this is that when I arrives all the tents were already set up and I didn’t need to get tired, just head straight to the beach.

When I arrived there, the place was packed. In a small beach not much bigger than a big house, there were no less that 11 tents set-up, most used by families with children, so there was quite a bit of a clutter. Luckily the crabholes area has in total 4 beaches where you can go to and one was right next to us. Fortunately, that beach was filled with young people, around my age and many beautiful girls. Unfortunately there was a constant beat played from a dude very loud, who just wouldn’t understand that not everyone wanted to hear it all the time, and all the really gorgeous girls were taken as well.

There was too much nudism going around and although the rest of the team was naked or semi-naked (topless) I just couldn’t bring myself to do it. It just isn’t me. There are of course good and bad things related to a nudist beach. The good is that I got to ogle at some perfect female bodies walking around, the bad is that I had to suffer seeing countless dicks hanging around as well as some err…not so perfect female bodies.

I had also brought my training staff with me, so when we got to the beach with the beats, I found the perfect excuse to do some twirling. When people came to me to congragulate me on my skill I was of course very flattered. I mean, even I don’t think I’m that good. At some point I saw my sister looking at me with a smile that was like saying “Well done brother” and it felt better than anything she could have said. I only heard one bad comment, from a guy that just couldn’t stop making bad remarks, about how “unmanly” my style was.
After that, I took any excuse I could to bring out my staff and practice a bit. It actually helped to pass the time as well since just sitting around getting sunburns wasn’t good enough for me.

Here are some shots I got my friend to take me. I had to pester her for a while to take them and I just don’t understand why it was so hard to do it. (Press the thumbnails for fullsize)

Food was handles by way of coal barbecue (without bbq sauce of course. Just the Greek way). Usually ribs or fish (one of the girls liked fishing) with a side of tomato and onion salad. That was quite fun as well as I got to play with the fire all the time 😉

Nothing especially interesting happened though. The only things that stayed with me was my discussion with another IT pro I found there. He was a router expert and we started talking about IT infrastructure after I mentioned my plan to migrate our enterprise to linux. He tried to convince me of my error but in a way that showed he was not a MS drone. He didn’t (convince me that is) and in the end he tried to tell me some conspiration theories about the locking down of TCP/IP and shit. It was at that point that I grew bored enough to go take a swim. I later heard he hit on my friend and she grounded him fully.

The other memorable thing that happened was my hasty flee from the camp after I found out that the guy that was supposed to take me with him to Thessaloniki decided at the last minute to leave the next day. That was after I asked him 5 times when he was leaving to make sure it suited me. So I had to run to get ready and leave for the bus stop. Damn thing is expensive as well. 13.5 euros for a god damn ticket. In any case it was probably for the best this way. I later heard that the guy who was going to take me home with his bike died from a car accident on his way back…

Just kidding, but we did see a motorcycle-car accident on one of our trip to the town for supplies. The guy looked very bad.

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