Wilde - Kavafis. Reflecting pictures. Eminescu. Their poetical alter ego.

They both lived in the same era, were aesthets who worshipped Art, were doomed to a secret love life, and are deemed among the top authors and poets of their time. Oscar Wilde and Konstandinos Kavafis never met but "the similarities between Dorian Grey and Kavafis' poems are astounding" as Efi puts it. Read her work here.

"Είναι εκπληκτικές οι ομοιότητες ανάμεσά τους" παρατήρησε το μέλος της Αναγνωστικής Λέσχης που ανέλαβε τη σύγκριση χωρίων του Ντόριαν Γκρέυ και ποιημάτων του Καβάφη. Η Έφη το αποδίδει στην εποχή τους, την κρυφή τους ζωή, στον αισθητισμό τους. Διαβάστε εδώ.

In the February 2009 issue of the enewspaper DIA TAUTA, we found an article on Romania's national poet Michail Eminescu, Wilde's and Kavafis contemporary man of literature. His verses are heroic and patriotic, he has a force and a social vision the other two poets wouldn't share.Read Costas' Papageorgiou translation of the article here. Catch a glimpse of Eminescu's wonderful world of poetry below, in the musical score of Hyperion.

Στο τεύχος του Φεβρουαρίου 2009 της τοπικής εφημερίδας ΔΙΑ ΤΑΥΤΑ, βρήκαμε άρθρο για τον σύγχρονο του Ουάιλντ και του Καβάφη, Μιχαήλ Εμινέσκου, ο οποίος κινείται περισσότερο στο κλίμα του Βαλαωρίτη και του Σολωμού, διαπνεόμενος από ηρωϊκό ιδεώδες και πατριωτισμό, οραματιζόμενος την κοινωνική δικαιοσύνη, γι' αυτό είναι και ο εθνικός ποιητής της Ρουμανίας.Δείγμα της ποιητικής του μαγείας η ενορχήστρωση του "Υπερίων" που ακολουθεί.

November 20th webcam chat summary

Oscar Wilde’s fairy tales are for children as well as adults, not only because adults have a right to recall their childhood, but also for the bittersweet melancholy they convey. In the Selfish Giant, the Rose and the Nightigale, the Happy Prince the “big” and the “small” are complementary, they need each other to form a duo. There is love that transends sexes evoking parentship (Selfish Giant), friendship (Happy Prince), unreciprocated love (Nightingale and Rose). Sacrifice for the loved one, that doesn’t even know you exist, is meant as the culmination of selflessness, and is catered through aesthetic criteria, in order to reach beauty, which according to the author is the goal of art. The heart motif is everpresent, melting, offering its blood to create a flower, breaking at the loss of a loved one. There is no apparent sign of didactisism, yet reading between the lines you can find Wilde’s critisism on society. In this light what isn’t appreciated in this world, obtains a place in Paradise, so all is not in vain...

Τα παραμύθια του Όσκαρ Ουάιλντ απευθύνονται τόσο στα παιδιά, όσο και του ενηλίκους, όχι μόνο γιατί οι τελευταίοι έχουν το δικαίωμα να ξαναγίνουν παιδιά, όσο και για τη γλυκόπικρη μελαγχολία που τα διαπερνά. Το «μεγάλο» και το «μικρό» αλληλοσυμπληρώνονται, ενώνονται για να αποτελέσουν ένα ζευγάρι. Η αγάπη με τη μεταφορά της καρδιάς που προσφέρει το αίμα της, που λιώνει ή που σπάει, υπερβαίνει τα φύλα ανακαλώντας τη στοργή του γονέα (Εγωϊστής Γίγαντας), τη φιλία (Ευτυχισμένος Πρίγκιπας), τον έρωτα χωρίς ανταπόκριση (Αηδόνι και Τριαντάφυλλο) φτάνοντας ως τη θυσία, που αποτελεί την υπέρβαση του εγώ. Τα μηνύματα διυλίζονται από τα αισθητικά κριτήρια του συγγραφέα για να πραγματώσουν το σκοπό της Τέχνης, που κατά τον Ουάιλντ είναι το Ωραίο. Ενώ δεν υπάρχει εμφανές ηθικό δίδαγμα, η κοινωνική κριτική του συγγραφέα είναι ορατή σε δεύτερο επίπεδο. Με αυτή την οπτική γωνία, ό,τι δεν εκτιμάται στην παρούσα ζωή, δικαιώνεται στην ουράνια, απαλύνοντας κάπως την ανθρώπινη αχαριστία ή άγνοια...

Both Bookclub members illustrate the Rose and the Nighingale with their silhouettes.

Οι σιλουέτες των Ρουμάνων μαθητριών και των Ελλήνων μαθητών εικονογραφούν Το αηδόνι και το Τριαντάφυλλο.

20th November a special chat in Philosophy Day

UNESCO has established, since 2002, as the third Thursday in November to celebrate PHILOSOPHY- The best school of thought and freedom of human!

That's why the pleasure to chat with our twins was increase, especially because it was a special day, Philosophy Day. Celebrated since 21 November 2002, as the intellectual and ethical arm of the United Nations, function without promoting philosophical reflection as the basis for democracy, human rights and a right society.

Philosophy, as the term signifies, is the love of wisdom. Regardless of its specific terminology in various cultures all over the world, tetsugaku in Japanese, indicating the discipline of wisdom, or in Arabic, falsafa, meaning science of wisdom, this act of thinking about thinking turns by definition around the fundamental concepts and ideas that lie at the heart of existence, both individual and collective. It is this act of philosophizing that is the lifeblood of philosophy. And it is precisely this act of reflection, of analysis, of questioning – whether of concepts that are taken for granted, ideas dulled by time, or long-established paradigms.

Today we were in chat and we discussed those topics, following the philosophy direction, that influence and helping students to develop honesty, integrity, character and a life-long love for the pursuit of wisdom as a foundation for a happy, successful and generous life.

Sidarta - Another Happy Prince

During one of his few excursions from the protection of his father's palace, Sidhartha saw three things which opened the harsh realities of life to him. He saw an old man, suffering from the frailties of age. He saw a sick man, suffering from disease. He also saw a dead man, which shocked him greatly. He finally realized that the infirmities of old age, and the pain of sickness and death caused suffering that he had never experienced. This revelation caused him to begin a search for truth that drastically changed his life, and, eventually, the lives of millions.

In a way, Budda is a...happy prince. The difference lies on timing. Oscar Wilde's character only saw human pain in his "second life" as a statue

...There many things should be cover...at least with our eyelids. But it is not too late to act. Even if one cannot move, some feathered friend is there to help.

Το παραμύθι του Ευτυχισμένου Πρίγκιπα μας έφερε στο νου έναν άλλο πρίγκιπα, αληθινό, που, κλεισμένος στο παλάτι του, δεν είχε ιδέα από τη δυστυχία του λαού του. Όταν μια μέρα βγήκε, και είδε τα γηρατειά, την ασθένεια και το θάνατο, έκανε στροφή στη ζωή του και επηρέασε και τις ζωές εκατομμυρίων ανθρώπων. Ήταν μια ευκαιρία να αναζητήσουμε πληροφορίες στο Ίντερνετ και να βρούμε και τη σχετική ταινία.
Η διαφορά με τον ήρωα του Όσκαρ Ουάιλντ είναι ότι ο τελευταίος είχε μια δεύτερη ζωή να διορθώσει τα λάθη του, έστω και ως άγαλμα. Το ερώτημα που απασχόλησε τις ομάδες μας είναι «Γιατί κλείνουμε τα μάτια στην δυστυχία;».

Happy Prince - Tragic Poet

Well, if it isn't our own "Happy Prince"! Look what we found in our Local History archives. This is the statue of the ancient tragic poet Aeschylus... In 1977, he shone like gold . "He was gilded all over with thin leaves of fine gold" (actually it is bronze when polished) "Leaf after leaf of the fine gold the Swallow picked off, till theHappy Prince looked quite dull and grey", just like our statue 31 years after. (Photos from Elefsina, The Chronicle of a town, Elefsina Municipality Edition, 2007)

"Why, then didn't we tear it down?" I asked the bookclub members."What happened to his "gold"?" The answer was obvious. Aeschylus's gold was, is and will be the timeless dramas he bestowed to civilization, that shine through the centuries. The statue has been moved many times, but is a landmark in our town and we like to see it in the years to come. On the left, our library maskot disguised as Aeschylus, holding the tragedy mask, as the library members like to toy with it every once in a while...

Το άγαλμα του τραγικού μας ποιητή στέκει μετά από 31 χρόνια χωρίς την πρώτη λάμψη του στιλβωμένου μπρούτζου, αλλά σε αντίθεση με τον Ευτυχισμένο Πρίγκιπα του Όσκαρ Ουάιλντ, δεν αποσύρθηκε επειδή πήρε το χρώμα της μόλυνσης, γιατί το χρυσάφι που πρόσφερε όπως ο ήρωας του Ουάιλντ στον κόσμο είναι τα διαχρονικά του αριστουργήματα, Ορέστεια, Προμηθέας Δεσμώτης, Πέρσες, Επτά επί Θήβας, Ικέτιδες...δεξιά, τα μέλη της βιβλιοθήκης μεταμορφώνουν τη μασκώτ σε Αισχύλο...

The library users in the photo are part of the theatrical team that won the 3rd prize at the 2008 Hellenic Student Arts Contest for Aeschylus’s Iketides (Suppliants) directed by the headmaster of the 3rd Gymnasium of Elefsina, Mrs Aggeliki Levendi.

The girls have fond memories of the rehearsals and the play. Marianna says you forget everything once you’re on stage. Others said the theatre strengthened the bonds between them. They recited the verses they still remember: “Oh, thou mountainous land of Apia, take pity on me, if ever our foreign language you comprehend”
“Do not kill me, for I come from far away, hunted down by godless people”. These words can very well be the silent cry of contemporary refugees.

Τα παιδιά της φωτογραφίας που εργάζονται στη βιβλιοθήκη είναι μέρος της θεατρικής ομάδας του 3ου Γυμνασίου Ελευσίνας που τώρα φοιτούν στο λύκειο, που βραβεύτηκαν στους Πανελλήνιους Μαθητικούς Καλλιτεχνικούς Αγώνες 2008 για την ερμηνεία τους στις Ικέτιδες του Αισχύλου. Θυμήθηκαν εμπειρίες από το ανέβασμα του δράματος, την παρουσίασή του στα Αισχύλεια και στίχους όπως: «Ω, εσύ βουνίσια Άπια γη, λυπήσου με αν την ξενική λαλιά μας συ καταλαβαίνεις» και «Μη με σκοτώνεις την κατατρεγμένη, που από άθεους διωγμένη είμαι από μακριά φτασμένη». που ηχούν σα σιωπηλή κραυγή των προσφύγων όλου του κόσμου, τόσους αιώνες μετά τη συγγραφή τους…

A month of protest against human trafficking (18 Oct -18Nov)

"Something whispers to me that all is not well.
Oh, what will tomorrow bring to us? We go to seek the place where my poor darling suffered so much...." (Dracula, p.418 - Memorandum by Abraham van Helsing)

18 October - 18 November
An entire month against human trafficking.
Thinking about Stoker's character, there is a real psychoanalysis. It seems that weak human beings have always tried to become more powerful in an illicit manner - eviction. The Count wants to possess Mina's soul (DRACULA: "People are my greatest resource. I rarely turn down a chance to meet new blood"), Dorian Gray wants to possess youth forever (“To become a spectator of one's own life is to escape the suffering of life.”) and while powerful human beings have always been those who have given themselves to the others, they were the ones who sacrificed themselves on the shrine of human understanding. Let's think for a while about all victims who suffered so much because of the weak people.

I remember a text written by an well known Romanian poet, Nichita Stanescu, in his book - Respirari - claiming the force to transform the verb "to have" into the verb "to be" and to give the last one the sense of possession, of good wealth:
"Oameni sarmani si distrusi prin nastere trebuie ca au fost acei inaintasi ai mei de mi-au micsorat instinctul posesiunii, labartand in mine bucuria de a fi pur si simplu, schimband pe "a avea" in "a fi" si dandu-i nuanta acestuia de lucru, de avere."

or, as Oscar Wilde would tell it: “Ordinary riches can be stolen, real riches cannot. In your soul there are infinitely precious things that cannot be taken from you.”

In order to celebrate that, we are proposing you an interactive video to complete Thursday, when we'll meet in chat.

Proceded only with Google Chrome browser / Flash Player 10

Dracula marks/ global mark

As... experts (:D) in Count Dracula topic, we've been contacted by a Russian colleague who has asked us to help him to fill one column in his school's magazine. So, two of our school girls had wrote letters for our Russian colleagues, told them which is our perception about Russian schools and country.
Below you can see the selected articles appeared in the magazine and written by Mariana Apostol (11th degree) and Gabriela Groza (12th degree):

Of course there are in Russian but, the Dracula cartoon marks all you need to know.
If you want to see their magazine you can make it CLICK HERE
By the way, our rubric is on 8th page.

We also noticed that other etwinners tackled the theme of Dracula. The Count is ever-popular!

Click here to read a presentation in French from the finalists for the European prizes MYTHES, LÉGENDES ET CONTES DE FEÉS

Oscar Wilde's fairy tales

Tale quale

Today it was very pleasant. Even our slowly connection didn't allowed us to have a sound, we followed the Helen's advice and...we enjoyed the chat as it was. CLICK HERE for the transcription of the chat.

You can see below some pictures and, at the end...a quiz that we propose for both teams.
Keep working!!!

Match the meaning » Free Online Quizzes