Kara Tepe Refugee Camp Lesbos, Greece 2018

Blog Post 28 Morning Walks to Carpe Diem May 12, 2018 Gentle Reader, Kaleemera!  Walks down to the Carpe Diem coffee shop have started every day here for me on Lesvos.  I usually see familiar dogs and cats, but mostly casts.  A kind soul leaves food for many of the cats on the corner, where I turn to go to Carpe Diem. Ode to Lesvos I have seen the shriveling of roses clusters fading to brown petals falling in on themselves, falling into silent miniature heaps detached from the center where they were first born. I have seen the coming to be of wisteria, climbing poles and the trunks of trees, wrapping themselves between the lattice slats. In China, some wisteria take twenty years to mature, but in Kentucky, a few years and blooms come. In 1894, a Chinese lavender wisteria was planted in Sierra Madre, California.  Measuring a full acre now, heavy with blooms at 250 tons of weight. I have seen lemons heavy laden and ripe fall to the ground in clusters

Blog Post 26 Poetry Writing Workshop May 10, 2018 Gentle Reader, How I wish I could share with you the beautiful faces of the seven residents of Kara Tepe who came to the poetry workshop yesterday.  We created together, as well as individually.  We shared what we had written so far.  There was applause, joy.  This amidst the longing for "home" and all that is familiar that surfaced in all of the writings today. We began with some call and response singing, in a language that none of us knew.  We sang Jay Jay Koolay, with my using the table top as a drum.  We also talked about nonsense words in songs, and demonstrated by teaching Skidamarink.  This increased our energy and focus, as the class began at 7:00 at night in the Digital Learning Lab. A special thanks to Anne from Denmark, one half of the clown duo, who invited me to conduct this poetry workshop as part of her Digital Storytelling Workshop. Tomorrow, writers in this workshop will have the opportunity to ad

Blog Post 26 Harden Not Your Heart... May 10, 2018 Gentle Reader, This butterfly was careening around my shoulders yesterday at Kara Tepe.  This happened at the back portion of the camp, where the fence wire partially obstructs the view to the sea.  Where the medical clinic is located and fevers and coughs are treated.   Where the toilets line the back portion of the village.  Where all manner of yellow flowers continue to bloom.  And so she finally settled on a fence post, just long enough for me to capture her with my lens. I begin with this butterfly today, as a preface to another story at Kara Tepe that was disconcerting and saddening.  This incident happened almost a week ago, and this is the first I've approached writing about it in any meaningful way.  Sometimes I need time to think, maybe like a teabag needs time to steep in water too hot to consume, but nonetheless enriching the cup of tea that will eventually be sipped and savored. As you might remember from

Blog Post 25 Alicia's Birthday! May 10, 2018 At Alicia's wedding, May 2017 Scott, Alicia, and Me Gentle Reader,  Today is my daughter Alicia's 32nd birthday!!!   She is my first born, and I have learned so much for knowing her these 32 years.  Alicia is a force in the universe, always has been since she was born with wide open eyes and a gentle, contented spirit.  As a baby, I could take her anywhere, and she was always smiling and happy.  When she was two days old, I took her to East Lansing Art Fair, in a baby pack on my belly.  She went to numerous rehearsals of Cinderella, under the direction of Kate Veihl, at East Lansing High.  She grew up to eventually participate in the musicals at East Lansing High School, having been an ardent student of Theda Assiff's Dance Studio.  As an adult, she earned a degree from both Michigan State (psychology) and then Adler School of Professional Psychology in Chicago.  She is an art therapist, and many of her jobs call

Blog Post 24 A Day in the Life... May 9, 2018 Gentle Reader, As I walk up this entrance to Kara Tepe every day, I do not know what the day will bring.  I am pretty much situated in the shop, helping to train new volunteers to take over when I leave.  Annie (from Australia) has been a good buddy in the shop, with wit and wisdom, as has Anne (from Denmark), who is one half of the brilliant clown duo.  So, here are a few highlights from my day yesterday... 1.  The day began with my seeking out a particular Isobox (housing unit) at Kara Tepe.  Late yesterday, a family came in for clothing and shoes.  The woman was not particularly petite, as are many of the female residents at Kara Tepe, and, as a result, we had limited clothes and shoes for her to choose from.  I had a pair of SAS sandals that I have only worn twice that I thought would fit the Mama, as well as a brand new shirt from Peebles in Madisonville.  I thought she would enjoy these, so I found her Isobox among the roc

Blog 23 Protest in Sappho Square May 9, 2018 Gentle Reader, Sometimes you just end up in the right place at the right time.  After dinner in Myteline Port yesterday, I walked around the port, as I usually do in the evening.  Sappho Square was teeming with hundred of people, so I naturally wanted to discern what was happening.  Turns out, this peaceful protest was in response to the protest last week.  You might remember my writing about the folks that came out in support of refugees seeking better housing in Moria, especially, and more efficient processing and placement of asylum seekers.  The peaceful protest turned ugly when a group of fascists showed up and started flinging rocks at the refugees.  This resulted in the police sending teargas into the crowds to disperse everyone. Tonight was a gathering of folks proclaiming "Lesvos United Against Fascists."  I was more than happy to join their march... I wish I could know and/or explain the symbolism

Blog Post 22 Pre-Protest Music in Sappho Square May 9, 2018 Gentle Reader, As you might remember from a week or so ago, there was a peaceful protest by folks in Myteline, advocating for more efficient processing and placement of refugees, as well as better housing conditions, especially at Moria Camp.  A Fascist group, clearly anti-refugee, showed up at the peaceful protest in Sappho Square and started flinging rocks at the immigrants.  Police resorted to teargas, which we could hear going off up the hill from Sappho Square late into the night. Tonight's gathering was an affirmation of continued support and care for the asylum-seekers on the island. It began with this chorus, joyfully singing many Greek songs.  My roommate Ben, the tall guy in an orange shirt, was part of this amazing chorus.  Ben tells me the director with the accordion may be short in stature, but she is a force in the universe of music. I am envious of Greek culture, and many other cultures out

Blog Post 21 Prayer Beads and My Dear Friend Mosen May 6, 2018 Gentle Reader, These prayer beads were made by my dear friend Mosen, who volunteers in the Chai Shop in Kara Tepe Square.  I feel that I can refer to Mosen's real name because he is no longer a resident at Kara Tepe; however, I don't feel comfortable posting a photo of a former resident's face, for security reasons.  Mosen, his wife, and two children were once residents here, but now he is living in town.  He is one of the many former residents who volunteer at Kara Tepe, giving back to a place that was life-giving to them at one point in their own lives. Mosen is one of the most gentle, genuine people I have ever met.  He always signals me to come over to the Chai Shop for a tea.  Even on a day I did not have a cup, he found one for me.  What I have found is that, even on hot days, a hot cup of tea (well, room temperature after a while) is both refreshing and calming.  I prefer the unsweetened version

Blog Post 20 Sharing Circle and Panaguida, a small fishing village May 6, 2018 Gentle Reader, I was finally able to visit Panaguida, a small fishing village just north of Kara Tepe.  The bus system here seems to have no truly reliable schedule, and  I knew I could take a taxi to Panaguida, but I did not know if I could find one for getting back to the apartment.  Because our Friday Sharing Circle was scheduled for dinner at Panaguida, I headed down to the Lidl, the local grocery, and caught the bus from there.  The bus was actually headed for Moria, but at the fork in the road the driver showed me the village within walking distance. I instantly fell in love with this place.  Quiet, peaceful, right on the water.  I especially enjoy watching people go about their daily business, in this case doing repairs and painting down by the water.  The shoreline is filled with outdoor cafes, which have inside counterparts right across the road.  I walked around the village for about