Day Hundred

Platinum Anniversary

for 100 days 

of blogging today

and only half

of the amazing

experiences I'm living

have been recorded.

In fact through blogging

I realise how amazing life is

as it puts 

a reflective element

in every day.

Just like today

for instance,

where blogging 

wasn't even part of any

thought process 

at any part of the day.

Today

we set off for the beach.

Protaras

is the land of 

promised paradise.

And on a good day,

between May and October,

it is.

But today is 

windy April

and Fig Tree Bay

has red flags on;

something I haven't

witnessed before!

Gregg asks if people

surf

and I had said

there are no waves.

Yet here we are,

standing before

a wavy Fig Tree Bay.

We move to the other

side of the coast

where it's less windy.

Gregg and Alex

go for exploration 

of the cliffs,

and Hanna 

sets her tanning game on

while I get the colouring book

the girls have bought me 

out.

I'm using some markers 

I got from the hostel

and I still wonder

if they were Sawsan's 

and if she had left them there

on purpose.

The sun

is fun

and I've missed it.

Right on time

as I finish colouring

the guys come back and

hunger strikes the group.

We set off for food.

In our lil car

with our lil familyyy.

We finish eating

gyros

right in time

for the sunset

and arrive 

at the rocks I've been

eagerly wanting to take

everyone at.

It's actually Alex's 

birthday today

and though we haven't 

been making 

a big deal

about it

this is like a gift moment.

The view is amazing 

and we have all shared

a space for ourselves

and for each other

during the long

but instant

moments

we have been there.

The time seems 

inexistent

and not even

the sunset

triggers

any sense of

movement.

We are still

and grounded.

We start to play

a tribal game

of stakkado 

singing

of repetition

of repetition

of any phraze

of any phraze

and any sOund-

and any sOund-

as the night faaa'alls

as the night faaa'alls

N we just bond 

N we just bond.

Day NinetyNine

We had

one job today.
And it was to get to 
Paralimni.

We set off
in our backpacks
after what has become
a breakfast ritual
of fresh and dried fruits,
bread,
yogurt,
honey
and 
oats
and reach town
for the long coming
bus ride to
beach town.

We have some gyros
between waiting
and looking for a car 
to rent,
and realise that
all we've been doing
is eat.
Which supports 
local culture trends 
quite well.

We arrive 
to the bus stop
and two hours later
to the beach town
and beach house/
flat.

I haven't been here
since last September
when my Romanian friends
were here.
Literally two days
before visiting
Lebanon;
and staying there 
for months.

We pop to the supermarket 
close by
and on the way
manage to rent a car
from a guy
who meets us 
on the streets of the neighbourhood.
We drive the three minute drive
and as the night sets
we've spread out
our stuff,
claimed our beds,
Gregg has cooked something for us
and we're knibbling 
on mixed nuts
and cider
as the next 
UNO marathon
sets off.

And we have 
become exactly as
Hanna has been 
describing us;
a lil family.

Day NinetyEight

Gregg's arrival

and we prepare our backpacks 

for road trips 

from hometown Nicosia

to airport town Larnaca

to beach town Paralimni.

Just,

we haven't got a car.

We go to the bus stop

and after waiting some hot minutes

we ask for a hike

from a guy who's stopped at the supermarket.

I find this hilarious,

a hitch hike in my own village

from one side of the village

to the other,

but good old Alex

goes for it

and we get the ride in the end.

The guy is a typical

guy from the 

area.

Speaks broken English

and hasn't practice speaking it

in ages

ever.

He turns to me for brief conversation

but he can tell how grateful

the girls are 

I love Alex's communication ways;

she is confident 

at delivering 

her message across.

She thanks the person

to their face.

The guy drops us at a car renting place

but it seems that we won't be able to

rent a car before 5pm this evening.

Thing is,

Gregg arrives at 3pm.

I call dad.

He's on his way home.

We need his car.

He needs his car.

At 4.

We need it now.

Until 4.

It's half past 2.

He's 10 minutes away.

He arrives.

We have backpacks with us.

They don't fit in the car.

Bella's in the car too.

She's excited to see us.

She's barking.

I get in the car.

The girls stay.

We drive home.

Unload Bella and dad

and stuff from the boot.

I go back.

Get the girls.

We're on the way to the airport

to possibly arrive 

10-15 minutes late.

Perfect timing 

on Cypriot time.

And it's a road trip.

We arrive;

stealing in a suspicious

white stuff dealer-like car

and find 

Gregg waiting outside.

He doesn't recognise us

cz he doesn't know what to look for.

We have no internet at home so Alex didn't 

check her phone for updates.

We have no horn 

on the dodge car.

He has no luggage

and it's a wrap,

he sees us and jumps in.

We're all eager to tell him our journey

but it seems like he has his own story

to tell us.

It's hilarious.

Road trip back home

and we arrive bang on 4pm.

These timing skills should be rewarded.

I'm starving.

My dad has cooked!

Yum.

He takes the car and sets off.

We make some calls for the car.

Looks like it's not happening today. 

At least we're all packed for timorrow.

We play UNO instead.

Cut in!

Day NinetySeven

Tuesday

and my mum invites us

for sushi by the beach.

It's a place we go

occasionally

for some sushi and some sunshine.

We get there 

and it feels like summer.

It's hard to believe it's 

mid April.

We sit

at the all white 

sushi restaurant

and the beach is a few metres

away from us.

The sushi is great

and none of us can wait to move on

to the water.

The girls pick sunbeds

right on the shore

and I join them

reluctantly taking off

the layers of clothes

I'm wearing.

I've been ill

and it's April.

The girls are from Sweden

and I'm from Cyprus.

Hanna

walks to the water and puts her feet in.

'AAA!!!'

'Whaaaat!'

'It's so warm Eleeena!!'

'Noo, you're kidding. I'll tell you 

if it's warm.'

I walk to the water.

My skin sensors are 

scared

of a frozen water

and I know I'm not Elsa.

I touch the water with my toes.

It's

warm.

I can't believe it myself.

Alex has gone for an infamous pee

and she returns right on time

for the warm water hype.

She comes to the water

and 

realising how warm it is

runs and jumps and splashes 

water on us

like a Kellogg's K 

advert

in the more authentic

version.

I'm loving it

but I start making my way back 

to the sunbed.

I watch team Finland

enjoying their swim

and consider 

the crazies of life.

I would freeze in Finland.

Anyhow,

coats off;

first swim of the year

done!

Day NinetySix

I hear plates

in the far end

coming from the kitchen.

I'm half asleep

when the beakfervention

starts.

A beakfervention

is a breakfast

intervention.

'Eleena!'

the girls open the door

to the room I'm sleeping in,

holding a tray of breakfast goodies,

smile at me and pass by

to the balcony door.

The sun is shining 

and all is good

with these two sunshines.

I make my way to the balcony

and we wake up

and breakfast

together

in the garden.

Today,

we have no car

so we make plans 

of what to do

according to bus routes

and times.

Of course we never follow

such schedules 

and more so

more things come up on the way.

Like Harrys

for instance,

who called to check if I'm back

in Cyprus

and ended up inviting us for dinner 

with the girls.

The day goes by

and the night comes.

We are all excited to 

visit Harrys

and try his cooking!

First things first;

we arrive late

and so we jump on the kitchen tall table/bar area

where he serves us the food.

Cypriot delicasies.

Asparagus in scrambled eggs,

slow cooked mushrooms

and taro in the oven.

All served with olive oil

and lemon.

Our taste buds

were dancing happily

as we combined these 

with toasted bread with oregano

and local wine.

A humble feast.

The way

it happens in Mediterranean

and Middle Eastern 

areas.

We discuss how

this is something common

for Cypriots

and Harrys insists that this is nothing.

'You should see our parents

and grandparents.

They make food for fifty people!'

'Yes we saw

Elina's dad.!'

and the night continues

with Cypriot hospitality

over a contemporary

Greek movie-

'The Dogtooth'.

Night, complete.

Mind, pomba.

Day NinentyFive

Sunday Foodday

and we start off our adventures with eating.

First breakfast,

and then the housecooked pastitsio dish

my dad made.

With mushrooms 

instead of minced meat

and all the vegetarians in the house are winning.

He's fasting for Easter

so it's a good chance for him to try

a varietion of the dish.

It's less oily too.

I hope that gets noted

for future reference.

We head out

to find a place with internet.

I know it sounds needy

but none of us is that obsessed with 

the internet

for social media.

Ok maybe Hanna, maybe a little bit,

but more so the girls than I

want to update people

of where they are

what they're doing

what they're eating

where they're staying.

It's all good and familiar for me

but 

for what their grandmas know

they could be in France 

having cheese and wine.

We get to Ifantourgio;

a cool space which has become 

a book club as of lately.

The furniture is a coordinated 

combination

of complete

random shapes and textures

and it's lovely.

We pick a leather couch

with two armchairs on each side

and spread out

like F.R.I.E.N.D.S. do.

We order our coffees and start blogging.

I love that the girls are here

and it helps me experience things as an outsider.

Truth be told,

I haven't had Finish friends before

especially not in Cyprus

and especially not two

that have been my dorm mates for 

two months.

I take a break to look around at the streets.

I recognise an alley

diagonally opposite

to my left

and I remember the day I left

without saying hi

to Y

and it's almost like his presence is sketched there

at the bar I never visited.

I switch back

post a post

and 

wonder how many of my thoughts are

self induced.

Day NinetyFour

Team Finland

are arriving today!

Super excited and feeling much better.

I have a shower,

wash off the illness 

and head to the airport.

I'm excited!

And nervous.

Hanna and I had been having these dreams in Beirut

where we felt out of place in our hometowns.

I was dreading the reality of this.

I arrive on Cypriot time;

similar to Lebanese time;

i. e. ten minutes late

and stand with a colourful

'Team Finland'

sign

at arrivals.

I can't see the girls

so I wonder if I was THAT late

that they headed outside.

Or if they missed the flight,

I don't think we ever confirmed they caught

that plane.

I sit at a distance

and observe the faces of the people who arrive.

I notice some cool pants

and an overall cool travelling style.

I make positive judgments in my head 

and then look up to the face.

It's Alex!!

Oh and there's Hanna!

Team Finland has arrived-

I slide off my seat and rush

to greet them.

We hug strongly

and 

reunite.

It's nice to see them again

and rock the girl gang attitude again.

We head to the car.

A children's birthday party is eating for us

in a forest house.

They compliment my pants

and I say I've dressed up

as a godmother

seeing that it's my godson's

birthday!

Girl gang on godmother vibes

lego.

Day NinetyThree

St.ill

and I'm still enjoying my time and space.

The soup was great

and I'm recovering.

I wouldn't have enjoyed any company

at this moment.

I occasionally turn my 3G on

and join in on the Hummozapiens

group chat.

Then I turn them off.

I half wish we had wifi

and half don't care we  don't.

I keep warm and hydrated

and do all the potion tricks

like, ginger citrus & spices tea,

Cypriot honey

onions in the socks at night

and loads of fluids.

The girls are arriving tomorrow.

I can't not talk to them.

In face I want to

 talk to them.

Day NinetyTwo

Smooth landing

as my bro humbly picks me up from the airport

and takes me to the house.

As Alex would say

beit msh beit;

a house is not a home

so I desperately 

try to keep 

the Lebanese energy

alive in me.

The transition is smooth.

I wake up alone

in the company of my ill self.

And I prefer not having a voice

than having one and using it 

unwisely.

I contact nobody.

I haven't seen my dad and my mum doesn't know

I have arrived.

My day goes smoothly

with not much energy to do anything other

than

just exist.

My favourite.

And I have found myself at peace on similar days

like this one,

where the strengths of the self

are limited to 

taking care of just the self.

An ill day

of self care.

I make soup.

Day NinetyOne

Going through the day

as if I'm not leaving.

My roots have grown so deep

that I feel unmoved

and well grounded.

The day is a pleasant rush

as we go to Shatila for our last 

English class 

and fitness class.

It's the last time for all of us

and it's quite emotional.

Victor has come along with his camera,

Heyly's here and Basem has come along too.

We share a class with Jenny

as Hanna and Alex 

take up the other two classes.

The class runs smoothly.

And I admire Jenny's kindness with kids.

Amazing communication ways.

So innocent and bright.

The kids respond

and I catch myself watching.

The next class is my favourite.

The time comes and we enter.

We draw and write in textbooks

and half way through

as is common,

the kids get impatient and want something more entertaining.

We sind if you're happy and you know it.

I'm a lot more physical today

with hugs and kisses

I drown them.

Their Arabic speaking teacher Rawan walks in

and I ask her to translate to them

that I'm leaving today.

Going [so called] home.

She translates it..

'Mis Alina rooha al beit'.

I wait for a response.

A meh one.

The kids go loud

'£&#+£('

What are they saying!

I ask.

They're asking for me to stay.

I have no response.

Rawan signals for them to sing a song for us.

They sing it.

It sounds sad and my eyes water.

I look at Jenny and we're both holding it in.

I ask what it means.

She says it's a goodbye song.

It sounded so

so

sincere.

My god.

-

Fitness class and the girls walk in.

An hour of handstands doesn't seem long enough

and the time comes when we say

'one more and then halas ok?'

ten times.

We don't want to stop

as much as they want to continue.

We are all aware 

that it's Hanna, Alex and my last time here.

We say our goodbyes 

in a more positive than anything tone.

Thankful for the days we shared,

grateful,

and most of all hopeful

that this class continues to evolve

with Mallory

and whoever

comes along

or comes back.

Girl power goodbyes.

--

And finally,

rushing back to the hostel

to pack

and leave.

Who wants to do that?

I do that old task

of packing

and rush down

for more personable goodbye rituals.

Ed, Jen, Julia and Mals

have come along.

Greg, Han, Alex

and Kaloua

gather around.

I wonder if they're all here for me.

I feel special

and warmed in the lovely circle we have created.

Puns intended as we 

henna my hand with Arabic letters of silence 

and seen.

All is complete;

the circle takes it's last curve

and our goodbye 

seems like a welcome.

We meet where we begun;

where there wasn't a beginning

or an end.