My Penelope

In Homer's epic Odysseus had Penelope who waited anxiously for her hero Odysseus to return from the ten year Trojan War and then a further ten year voyage home. She waited loyally even though countless suitors pursued her.

Well my Penelope fortunately doesn't have to wait 20 years for me. But she rarely sees me as my work keeps me absent from my home. I am a restranteur/chef so its long hours daily and then of course my mind wanders and is switched off when I get home so its like I'm never there. But my beautiful wife Belinda is there with my two gorgeous daughters Mia ,5, and Ruby, 5 months. It's a wonderful place to come home to after a long day albeit its not twenty years like Odysseus, sometimes a restaurant can be a battle of sorts which makes being home the most wonerful place to be.

The world will be a much different place if

We are on the cusp of a Golden Age. In my opinion there were two previous ages which had lifted civilisation to a greater plane. I have to be biased of course.

The first golden age was the Hellenistic Period. Imagine a period of great accomplishments in all spheres of society which to this day continue to play major roles in our everyday lives.

The next was Industrialisation. We are a society whether you are living on the crowded streets of Calcutta or the agrarian societies of central Asia lets face it we are a consumers through and through and without mass production we'd all struggle big time. Let's not be hypocrits!

The next will be the American people doing the right thing and voting in Obama. What a powerful message and impact the American people can contribute finally to this planet. They are beautiful people but alas they have been led astray by the looney and fanatical right wing of politics and the hijacking of christianity to demonise other faiths and morals.

I love my friends of the USA and they are good people..please give the rest of the world some hope that you do care about the principles you believe in. VOTE OBAMA.

P.D.O

Protected Designation of Origin - is best described as simply as the protection of names of regional food in the European Union to trade with that name only. To name a few foods and beverages such as feta, gorgonzola and champagne can only be labeled as such if they come from the designated region.

I'd like to add another to the list. It's not a food but soemthing that is sensitive to millions. MACEDONIA.

A brief history. Macedonia originated from the Argead Dynasty. An Ancient GREEK noble family. They were the rulers and founders of Macedon. A kingdom in Northern GREECE circa 700-300 BC.

Their most famous family members were Phillip II of macedon and of course Alxander the Great. The capital Pella is located inland from Thessaloniki heading towards Veroia and Kozani.

They spoke a sibling language of Ancient greek and was replaced later in the Hellenistic Era by the common ancient greek language. Their empire flourished beyond the rocky hills of Northern greece thanks to the exploits of Alexander. So if an Indian in Kashmir hasn't stolen the identity of Macedon then neither should the Former Yugoslav Republic.

There are two things I will flatly not recognise while my Macedonian and Smyrnan blood pump through my veins. Macedonia belongs to greeks and Istanbul is really Constantinople! Thats' another post for another time.

The Voyage Begins

I have neither fought in any ten year epic war or voyaged for that period of time but I imagine the voyage of a blog is of one of discovery of ones self and the universe around it. Similar to that of Odysseus who faced trials and tribulations on his voyage home to Ithaca. It won't be ragarded as a great western literary classic like Homer's work but I hope it gets interesting as time goes by. Perhaps even ten years of voyaging cyberspace.