Describe your country to me

Thank you John Cleese.

(you can se the peninsula in this picture)
this is where I aproxamatly lives in the Inner Oslo fjord on a Peninsula, called Nesodden a very nice playce where most of the inhabitants are eather Hippies, artists, musicians, actors, writher but also politicians, explorars, buisness men and many other. bands like Turbonegro and Satyricon was started there, Dimmu Borgir have also roots their.

^ I like French girls a lot, I've never seen a country with so many beautiful women. Just don't tell that to my girlfriend. 

Rhodes (Ρόδος) is a Greek island in the Aegean Sea in the eastern Mediterranean. It is the largest of the Dodecanese islands. The population is roughly 120,000, nearly half of it in the homonymous capital where I live.

In 408 BC the inhabitaants of the three cities Lindos, Kameiros and Ialysos united to build a new capital on the northern end of the island. Ruins from this time can still be seen, for instance the temple of Aphrodite in the old town. In 1306 The Knights of the Order of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem conquered the island. They built a massive castle in the capitol and remained there until they were thrown out by sultan Suleiman the Magnificent in decemper 1522. Within the castle walls is Rhodes Old Town, one of the best preserved medieval towns in Europe. I live just outside it and can see glimpses of it from my balcony.

The typical rhodesian (or rodent) works in the tourist industry. The rest are hairdressers, bar a few peasants and fishermen. Most of them play bouzouki or baglamas, and all of them play tavli. The tourist-working rodents work 25 hours a day from April to September. The rest of the year they sleep, drink ouzo and eat mezedes. They love to talk about football, politics and prices. Most families have two or more cars and spend more time finding a parking place than actually driving from A to B. The pavements are ridiculously narrow and often adorned with huge trees. Like in the rest of Greece, you’re a pedestrian at your own risk.

Unless they’re driving, Greek people are friendly, also towards foreigners. After all, the foreigners pay their bills. Greeks will not steal from you, but if they see a chance to cheat you, they won’t hesitate. If you forget anything, like a hat or scarf, in a reastaurant or bar, you will probably get it back, unlike Norway where you can consider it lost.

Prog trivia: After recording Dark Side of the Moon, PF went to Lindos to relax. I’ve met people who remember them sitting on the beach playing and singing. Rumours have that David Gilmour returns there every year, meeting old friends and hanging out in Socrates bar. I’ve never seen him, though (but then again, I’m not in Lindos that often). Still, On an Island has nothing to do with Rhodes (it’s based on a night he spent on another Greek island, Kastelorizos).

With all it’s pros and cons, I still love this island.

Okay, my turn. I'll talk about politics and history of my country, actually only one detail of it.


18th February 2010 was a historical day. It's the day when the 3rd President was inaugurated. What's so special about that? It was not a revolutionary thing, and I'm not much in favour of our current president. He's nothing special. Surely, he's a smart guy, a good speaker, but not charismatic. Perhaps the coolest thing about him is the fact he is a contemporary classical/avangarde composer. In two words: boring, but okay.
There was no military junta or revolution, the electoral process was swampy, boring, European parliamentary democracy stuff. The turbulent days are history.

It's not about the new president, it's about the last days in the office of the former one.

In more than a thousand years of history, we had many emperors, kings, dukes, viceroys, presidents..various heads-of-state. In independent country, or under the rule of another country, doesn't matter. They were all replaced by their successors...by death. Some were killed, some were jailed. Some survived, but fled abroad to exile. True, some of them died of natural causes, peacefully, but they died on the trone/in the office.

On 18th February 2010 was the first time one Croatian head of state could say: I'm the former head of state. He can enjoy his pension, feed pigeons in the park and play chess. First time after more than 1400 years.

Also this is how it looks like;

San Diego-Tijuana border. I've lived on both sides and am, at best, ambivalent about patriotism and love for one's country..

Slartibartfast wrote: CPicard wrote: harmonium.ro wrote: lucas wrote: wine and cheese. and beautiful women. Yeah, the ones with foreign origins. I live in Paris. Rain, stench, white bread sold by moody bakers, mad politicians, megalomaniac rock-critics, grey streets, drunkards a bit everywhere, FRENCH PEOPLE EVERYWHERE !!! Oooh la la mutherfreaker. Wait what about baguettes, the berets, cheese that smells like people's feet (only applies to people with cheesy-smelling feet)??? And what the hell's up with that crazzzy accent?>>>???? At least here in 'merica we don't misuse use like colour or whatnot.  When it comes to u we youse it properly.

Yeah, the cheese. Only thing to be saved in this country. But remember: no camembert in Paris (at last, until last february when the jazz-rock band from Strasburg played at the Triton).
The baguettes? I prefer the other breads, more nourishing.
Bref, I mourn my good ol' Provence.

 

Edited by MusicForSpeedin - June 15 2010 at 14:37

I'm from the west coast of the country.  Lots of hills and of course the sea


Edited by Repner - June 29 2010 at 08:35