1/1

Today was yet another beautiful Greek Sunny day without clouds in sight. My colleagues told me I got lucky. It was raining all the weeks before, sometimes raining so hard, they could barely hear patient talking working inside a tin box. The fireworks at midnight woke me up briefly but I slept all the way through.

I had a long chat to both of them while we went sight seeing today. The paediatrician has traveled everywhere.  She also did some volunteer in Jordan, and stayed there for a while learning Arabic. It's fascinating seeing how US medical system works. They had to decide which specialty they would like to go in at the end of med school. I wonder how they can even decide what they want to do for the rest of their life then. She tells me her ideal work life balance would be volunteer for 6 months a year, and then work for a year. But the shortest contract she can get anywhere in the US is 3 years, and they don't get to work like a contractor like me. I've never realised how fortunate I am to have this job. Freedom, money, autonomy. The other lady is a 60 yo ICU nurse from Arizona. She tells me that she used to do weekend volunteer in a Mexican clinic.

We went to the fortress of Antimachia, a fortress built in the 14th century by the knights of St John. There were prickly brambles along the way with rubbles either side. The view was magnificent. The most magical part was the chimes floating across the valley from the goats on the hills. It was like a giant wind chime was ringing in the valley.

We then visted a hot thermal beach. The ocean water was warm with steam coming out with the smell of sulfur. We could see bubbling in odd places by the beach.

The day ended with lunch with giant plate of mixed grills. A few cats sat around begging for food. And we got some complimentary drinks afterwards. The paediatrician tells me, it's winter so hardly ever any tourists, and people tend to get to know you. And you start to get free food afterwards. I guess that's a bonus.

31/12

I spent the morning watching youtube videos on how to drive a manual car. It looks like they are giving me a manual car. Press clutch, shift gear, gently lift pedal. Also have to remember to stay on the right side of the road.

Today I fly to Kos. The island which is 4km from Turkey, and was the location of the heart breaking photo of a kid washed up the beach after drowning in an attempt to flee to the island. Forum tells me I should be able to buy a sim card in the departure area past border security. They were wrong.

"Ah yes. We no longer sell the sim you want. We do have another. Let me check...hmm... nope, looks like our system isn't up and running yet. So we don't have any."

How hard is it to get a sim card?!?! At least the airport has free wifi.

I called him while waiting to board.
"I think I might have to learn to drive manual."
'Um...I don't think it's safe learning from youtube.'
"Isn't that what you did?'
'Yes. But when I did it, I knew the road was going to be on, and it was 11pm at night with no cars.'
"Anyhow, don't you think it's sexy if a girl can drive a manual car. Wouldn't that turn you on." I joked.

He laughed and laughed 'silly girl. No guy would like a girl who drives better than them'.

While boarding the plane, I received a wrapped pomegranate from the air stewardess.  It's customary to break a pomegranate on new years day.

A paediatrician and ICU nurse holding a home made sign of Joy picked me up from the airport. The apartment was dirty. The other volunteer had left 2 weeks ago. It has supposedly been cleaned, but there was broken eggs in the fridge, the milk still in it, there's crumbs on the bed, sheets unchanged, razor blades in the toilet bin. The cleaning equipment was still on the counter. Looks like the cleaner vanished in thin air in the middle of cleaning.

"There's a Hippocrates museum on the island. This is supposedly his birth place." The paediatrician tells me. She took me for a walk in town center, and I finally got a vodaphone sim, and bought some instant noodles.

I shouldn't have slept, but I did at 5pm, and had nightmares after nightmares. It was cold so I had gloves/scarf and my jacket on while waiting for the heater to warm my room. I woke up to take some more paracetamol and ibuprofen. I was meant to go to town to celebrate new year with the other 2, but I declined. I am tired.

30/12

After nearly 22 hours of flight time, 2 transits, 6 ibuprofen & 4 paracetamol, a  few crappy movies and music that gave me a splitting headache, I finally arrived in Athens. It was the typical Greek Sunny day which I saw 3 years ago. Clear blue sky with no clouds. The wind was cold but did not bite.

I had booked myself in a small apartment close to the airport before flying off to the island of Kos the next day. First task, I had to try and get a sim card so I can call up my accommodation shuttle to pick me up. And they don't sell any at all at the airport...

"Try the post office, I think they sell international sim." The information lady said. When I asked the post office lady, who had a giant poster on the back wall yelling about international sim and internet packaging, as well as a small pamphlet booth on her side.

"Hmm. International sim? Not worth it, too expensive. You should just buy a local sim outside."
'But I need a sim now. At least, can you tell me what the package is like?'
"No, I don't know it, but it's so expensive. Show me where you are staying...ah, definitely should have phone company in that area", There was nothing I could do since she refused to sell me the international sim.

I lined back up to the information lady enquring about a public phone. She told me regarding a coin operated pay phone upstairs, which meant I had to go to the convenient store to split up on $20 note. The convenient store guy told me he's never seen a coin operated phone, but wished me luck. Thank goodness he was wrong.

The apartment was in the middle of no where. Tina's apartment. Tina is the name of my wife, the owner tells me. The room is small, only has a space to fit one double bed with a rim of space around it that I have trouble walking through. The shower was a small space where I could touch the toilet seat in front of me and the sink to my left side. But it was enough for me. I could see the ocean in the distance. Tina had 2 son. And I saw the 6 year old run up to her with a bunch of wild flowers he picked in the field somewhere, and she gave him a big hug.

I was still in pain, and took more ibuprofen and paracetamol and slept.

風暴

那是

非常非常強烈的沙風暴。
不管你到多麼遠的地方去，
還是不能確定你是否能順利逃出這個地方。
最好不要太期待距離這種東西比較好。 有時候所謂命運這東西，就像不斷改變前進方向的區域沙風暴一樣。你想要避開他而改變腳步。結果，風暴也好像在配合你似的改變腳步。你再一次改變腳步。於是風暴也同樣地再度改變腳步。好幾次又好幾次，簡直就像黎明前和死神所跳的不祥舞步一樣，不斷地重複又重複。你要問為什麼嗎？因為那風暴並不是從某個遠方吹來的與你無關的什麼。換句話說，那就是你自己。那就是你心中的什麼。所以要說你能夠做的，只有放棄掙扎，往那風暴中心筆直踏步進去，把眼睛和耳朵緊緊遮進讓沙子進不去，一步一步穿過去就是了。那裡面可能既沒有太陽、沒有月亮、沒有方向、有時甚至連正常的時間都沒有。那裡只有粉碎的骨頭般細細白白的沙子在高空中飛舞著而已。要想像這樣的沙風暴。

而且當然，你是要實際穿過那東西的。那激烈的沙風暴。形而上的象徵性的沙風暴。不過雖然是形而上的象徵性的，那東西卻同時也像千把剃刀般會銳利地割裂肉身。無數的人將會浴血其中，你自己也可能會流血。溫暖而鮮紅的血。你的雙手將沾滿血跡。那既是你的血，也是其他人的血。

而且當那沙風暴結束時，你可能還不太能理解，自己是如何穿過那風暴而活下來的。不，甚至不太清楚那風暴是否真的已經走掉了。不過只有一件事你可以確定。 那就是從那風暴中出來的你，已經不是踏進去時的你了。對，這就是沙風暴這東西的意思。


村上春樹－－海邊的卡夫卡。

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我穿過了那風暴，然後我活下來了
感覺像是醉酒多年，一天突然清醒過來
看著身邊的空酒杯，凌亂的房間，空的藥瓶

就這樣醒了

或那在潮濕陰暗的泥土堆裡，等待十七年才能出土的幼蟬
這些時間，是必須經過的

大口的呼吸。
吹著海邊的風
看著遠方海灘不停打的閃電

該丟的東西要丟了
毫不考慮地，斬斷
站在一灘血裡
轉頭看那在地上扭曲翻轉地尾巴。


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