Wednesday , March 1, 2023 | Pinewood International American School of Thessaloniki
We’re excited to share our 2023 Winter Issue of Pineword with you! At this point, you may feel that it’s getting a bit too warm in Thessaloniki for our hearty, winter recipes, or that the song Sweater Weather on our winter-themed Spotify playlist is no longer relevant to your current wardrobe choices. We recommend you bookmark our “Bucket List Places in Greece to Visit During Winter” for next ski season, and enjoy some of our more year-round articles in the meantime like ways to cope with stress and anxiety at Pinewood!
We hope the articles, photos, and creative writing in this issue take you back to the times we’ve shared as a Pinewood community so far this year like honoring Black History Month or the Door Decorating Contest and get you excited for the times to come. Though some of the topics may have taken a bit of a darker turn with the weather, they offer us interesting things to think about, from reconsidering New Year’s resolutions to our perception of love.
With spring just around the corner, it’ s also a time of celebration. We’ve included “Worldwide Winter Festivities” in this issue to get you in the celebratory mood, in addi-
tion to a few photos from Thessaloniki’s fireworks show to ring in the New Year. And, though Pennsylvania’s most famous groundhog, Punxsutawney Phil, saw his shadow on February 2nd and predicted six more weeks of winter, I’m choosing to stay optimistic. As another one of the songs on our winter playlist would say, Here Comes the Sun!
Thank you in advance for your enthusiasm and support of the Journalism club. If you feel in any way inspired to contribute, we ’re happy to accept articles, photos, poems, stories, drawings, and more! We’ re looking forward to collecting more content for our upcoming Spring Issue.
I’ll close this time with a short poem from one of my students:
Hope is like art
It comes from the heart
If you truly believe in it
It will become lit
We wish you happy readings of Pineword’s 2023 Winter issue!
“For last year's words belong to last year's language. And next year's words await another voice.”
Little Gidding ― T.S. Eliot
New year, same me. Because I am awesome or not?
Every year, everyone around the world makes New Year's resolutions, expressing how they could improve the following year, what goals they have, and what they want to achieve. It's astonishing how a minor change in the calendar, which is based on a random man-made measurement of time, can elicit such strong feelings, generate such joy, and function as a catalyst for positive changes in one's life. Is it more like imagining a great outcome and then describing it in words, or is it more like everyone enjoys "visualizing" success in phrases?
For as long as I can remember, I have always witnessed all my friends make New Year's resolutions, either because it made them happy or because it was a fun school activity before winter break. It was always something like: "I will exercise more," "I will take better care of myself," "I will improve my grades in the new year," "I will save more money," or "I will lose weight." I also remember myself making New Year's resolutions... I remember writing specifically, "I will take care of myself." I really believed that if I wrote it down on paper, I would magically feel better, do better, and just be better in general. But just because everyone
looks to be writing reviews and discussing them seriously by the end of the year, does that mean the next year will bring big decisions and modifications? What a deception! New Year's resolutions with lofty aims are frequent, yet they almost always end in disappointment.
Without exaggeration, the motto "go big or go home" is often associated with New Year's resolutions; it seems reasonable that the former should involve some degree of opulence or extravagance. Let’s say, to maximize their effectiveness, New Year's resolutions should be as lofty as possible. In fact, if you could only make ONE New Year's resolution, it would be to become the next Cinderella, after all, the glass slipper was made for you no offense to prince charming, who doesn’t have an instrumental role in the story! I won't stomp on your imagination until you've reached the pumpkin, but I will tell you straight up that, despite the blithe optimism, there is actual evidence that the act of writing down New Year’s resolutions can improve one’s success rate in achieving them. To be honest, I'd rather sketch the glass slipper! On the other hand, I’m thinking that it's possible that many people genuinely lack the capacity to comprehend how to make goals that are reachable. They know how to define a goal outside of the fairytale zone, how to keep it simple in the mundane everyday life that lacks sparkle. It's feasible that the greatest resolution for them would be to start figuring out how to attain it.
As for me, I am refusing to make my New Year’ s resolutions! The prospect of someone writing down on a piece of paper their goals and then
forgetting everything about them the next day does not make sense. The point of resolutions is to keep them. I mean, sure, every single one of us does it for fun and for that universal tradition, but what if those New Year's resolutions are just some words written on paper? What if they don't make our year better? And what if we relied on those little words to make our year better?
Just as there are no correct answers in real life just the best answers there is no such thing as a correct resolution for the new year we are the only ones who can define what those resolutions are, to any extent from being granted to not even existing. You're the one who needs to be responsible to make decisions and for these decisions you keep up. For sure, you are not responsible for everything that happens to you, and you are the only person who can decide to deal with it or change it. I keep saying to myself that while I can't choose the circumstances, I can choose my response to them. One's level of emotional investment in one's decisions and the likelihood of seeing those decisions through are both affected by one's reaction to the events around them. That which gives us life's necessary push and thrust is our own style of thinking. Our internal dialogue, whether encouraging or discouraging, determines whether or not we take action towards where we want to go in life. Therefore, focus your attention on the here and now as well as the tiny steps that you can take toward your goal right at this very moment. It is a waste of your time to worry about the day that has passed or the day that will come. And if at first you don't succeed, try, try again. Defeats are inevitable.
In addition to this, anyone might need to discover a more forceful reason to stick to the goal. In what ways does it correspond to your more profound desires and ambitions? Everyone's character
reveals both their inner and outer motivations. Those who are internally motivated are the most self-directed and committed; those who are externally motivated typically seek to be complimented and rewarded. In one way or another, staying on track requires being adaptable enough to learn from different attitudes and ways of thinking. The poet T.S. Eliot offers a powerful piece of advice in his poem "Little Gidding," in which he suggests: "For last year's words belong to last year's language and next year's words await another voice." In order to start doing things that will be more beneficial to you personally and to your growth, you should break harmful habits and start doing things that will aid you.
I'm not saying it's wrong to look ahead to the next year and make some adjustments. Assuring oneself that next year will be better is a source of consolation. Yet if you're talking to someone or many people, it's safer to keep some information private. So, if you feel compelled to make a public declaration, at least honestly pledge to be authentic next year, whatever your goals are! Therefore, following my own advice, I declare:
Wednesday , March 1, 2023 | Pinewood International American School of Thessaloniki
Humans have a way of following the crowd. When one person does something, others repeat. Some authors, and artists, use this effect to inspire others to share their stories and speak up, the same way that they do through their own work. Maya Angelou, an African American writer, who intricately expresses her feelings, opinions, and experiences in her poems and books, encourages many struggling Black women to face the roots of their struggles and not stay silenced. The historical context Maya Angelou was surrounded in while she grew up influenced her memoir, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, which, in turn, influenced the struggle of Black women against racial and gender discrimination in the US during the 1960’s and beyond.
The vulnerability, misogyny, and discrimination that Black women have had to overcome for centuries, which Maya Angelou portrays and carefully outlines in her writing, impacted and inspired her into writing her memoir, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. In the very beginning of the book, after escaping an overwhelming situation in church, the author depicts what it is like to constantly be under such pressure by expressing that “if growing up is painful for the Southern Black girl, being aware of her displacement is the rust on the razor that threatens the throat. It is an unnecessary insult” (Angelou 6). Here, Maya describes the painful moment when she realizes that the illogical prejudice and hate she receives from society as a little Black girl will continue for many years to come, potentially becoming harsher by the day. She emphasizes the gravity of the situation by using a metaphor where she refers to her realiza-
tion and perception of the fact that she is persecuted and not accepted by most of society–sometimes even in her own Black community–as the rust on the razor that is dangerously close to harming her, and is potentially a very painful truth. She addresses the fact that she feels like she does not belong, which is an issue that she would later have to deal with more in depth. Humans have a way of following the crowd. When one person does something, others repeat. Some authors, and artists, use this effect to inspire others to share their stories and speak up, the same way that they do through their own work. Maya Angelou, an African American writer, who intricately expresses her feelings, opinions, and experiences in her poems and books, encourages many struggling Black women to face the roots of their struggles and not stay silenced. The historical context Maya Angelou was surrounded in while she grew up influenced her memoir, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, which, in turn, influenced the struggle of Black women against racial and gender discrimination in the US during the 1960’s and beyond.
The vulnerability, misogyny, and discrimination that Black women have had to overcome for centuries, which Maya Angelou portrays and carefully outlines in her writing, impacted and inspired her into writing her memoir, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. In the very beginning of the book, after escaping an overwhelming situation in church, the author depicts what it is like to constantly be under such pressure by expressing that “if growing up is painful for the Southern Black girl, being aware of her displacement is the rust on the razor that threatens the throat. It is an unnecessary insult” (Angelou 6). Here, Maya describes the
painful moment when she realizes that the illogical prejudice and hate she receives from society as a little Black girl will continue for many years to come, potentially becoming harsher by the day. She emphasizes the gravity of the situation by using a metaphor where she refers to her realization and perception of the fact that she is persecuted and not accepted by most of society–sometimes even in her own Black community–as the rust on the razor that is dangerously close to harming her, and is potentially a very painful truth. She addresses the fact that she feels like she does not belong, which is an issue that she would later have to deal with
Maya Angelou influences the struggle of women against the overlapping effects racism and sexism have by encouraging and empowering them, through her memoir, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, to express, communicate, and confront the oppression and injustice they face everyday. Many of the wise words that Maya Angelou shares in her book are tough but inspiring lessons she has learned from those she admired most… Another one of the adult figures that Maya looks up to is her mother, and she describes her character when she states that “she was Vivian Baxter Johnson. Hoping for the best, prepared for the worst and unsurprised by anything in between” (Angelou 308). Maya emphasizes how her mother is strong, brave, capable, and unfazed by anything that was thrown in her way. She is realistic but optimistic. She does not wishfully thing, but rather confidently aims
high with potential. She is living proof that neither her gender nor her race can prevent her from accomplishing great things in her life. Through the thorough illustration of her mother, Maya Angelou influences other Black women to overcome the struggles they are born into, and use that strength to achieve their dreams, pursue their passion, and become the people they aspire to be, no matter what society says. Further proof of this is that on June 5th, 2004, Michelle Obama commemorated Maya Angelou, and made reference to her memoir, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. The former first lady honored Angelou when she stated that “she celebrated Black women’s beauty like no one ever had before” (Jenkins 2014). However, that is partially an understatement. Maya Angelou did not only inspire Black women to celebrate each other’ s beauty, she pushed them to embrace it. She pushed them to embrace the years of pain that built up, the years of suffering, the years of dreams and hopes gone to waste. In I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Maya Angelou illustrates the whole fight for their lives that women, Black women especially, have to go through. She talks about the failures and successes that she faces, hence that other Black women face. In the end, she influences those struggling people by proving, through her intricate and colorful memoir, that every single step is worth the freedom and strength that is piece by piece gained back.
Maya Angelou was inspired to write her memoir, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, by the historical context she grew up in, which then became a significant influence on the struggle against racial and gender discrimination of Black women in the US during the 1960’s and beyond. Because of this, she will forever be a voice in little girls’ and grown women ’s heads, encouraging them to never stay silent–to always keep fighting.
Wednesday , March 1, 2023 | Pinewood International American School of Thessaloniki
Pinewood is currently facing a major problem with students vaping in the school bathrooms, with about 1/3 Pinewood students reporting to vape or have tried vaping. This is an issue as the act violates school policy and affects the health not only of the vaping students, but also of students who do not vape but want to use the bathrooms.
when I was [a pre-teen] because I was friends with the wrong people and overtime it just became a habit. Now it takes me about a week to finish one vape since I try to only vape while I’m in social situations.”
Another Pinewood student however, explained that even though they understand the harmful effects of vaping, they do not care. They said they love the taste of vape and the feelings stimulated by the substances they smoke. This keeps them, as well as their friends, coming back to e-cigarettes. Speaking from the other perspective, a non-smoker in Pinewood said “I cannot breath sometimes because of the amounts of smoke [...] plus people occupy the bathroom stalls for too long, and when in a hurry, you can sometimes not enter.”
Pinewood’s principal, Dr. Rofaelas said, “…any student caught vaping is immediately removed from classes and serves an in-school suspension the following day. If […] caught vaping again, then his or her parents are asked to come to my office so that we can discuss that student’s future at Pinewood.”
An ex-smoker and parent of a student in the Pinewood community, stated, “Vaping can cause health issues for the users, like lung cancer. Ecigarettes are hard to afford, especially for teenagers, which can make them buy lower quality vapes, which usually contain other harmful substances aside from nicotine.”
A Pinewood student who vapes said, “I started
Another non-smoking Pinewood student explained that it is important to educate young adults on the risks of vaping to stop them from making the initial choice to vape, instead of doing what the school has done up until now to prevent it. “Kids will do what they want, whether they do it at school or not and that’s the bottom line.”
One of the reasons nicotine products are so addictive is because of the short-term pleasure and relaxation the dopamine inside them gives to the user. Unfortunately, this feeling does not last long and that is why users want more. Due to this, vaping is even more addicting to people with naturally less dopamine or who are going through hardships, as they have less motivation and need stronger stimuli to trigger positive feelings. Nicotine becomes an easy solution for these teenage populations, who want to increase their dopamine levels to
Wednesday , March 1, 2023 |
feel happy, no matter the consequences (“Dopamine”, Cleveland Clinic).
Many experts might argue that vaping is a healthier alternative to smoking, and does not have very severe consequences on a person’ s health; however, a recent study found that most people who tried to quit smoking by vaping ended up using traditional and e-cigarettes (Blaha “5 Vaping Facts You Need to Know”).
One more false advantage of vapes is that they can help you lose weight. It is true that nicotine products enhance a person’s metabolism, aiding in the body's ability to burn fat more effectively, but these results are only short-term. More factors should be taken into account to achieve weight loss instead of relying only on nicotine (Jackson 2019).
Dr. Rofaelas has already spoken about the problem of students vaping in the school’s bathrooms with Dr. Giampapa, Head of School. This month he will have a discussion with the Student Council as well as with the Science Department
regarding a campaign to raise awareness against this issue and stop students from vaping, at least within the school grounds. Dr. Rofaelas believes this campaign will help teach students about this “modern plague”, improving the health of the student body.
“49 Vaping Statistics (How Many People Vape?).” In Home & Clinic-Based ABA Therapy - Cross River Therapy, https://www.crossrivertherapy.com/vapingstatistics.
“5 Vaping Facts You Need to Know.” Johns Hopkins Medicine, 20 Jan. 2022, www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-andprevention/5-truths-you-need-to-know-about-vaping.
“Dopamine: What It Is, Function and Symptoms.” Cleveland Clinic, my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/22581dopamine.
Jackson, Sarah E, et al. “Vaping for Weight Control: A Cross Sectional Population Study in England.” Addictive Behaviors, U.S. National Library of Medicine, Aug. 2019, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/ PMC6555398/.
Wednesday , March 1, 2023 | Pinewood International American School of Thessaloniki
With assignments and tests becoming more frequent as the school year progresses, there has been a noticeable change in the stress and anxiety levels of students at Pinewood. When walking through the school’s hallways, you can see students furiously writing notes and cramming last minute–literally–for an exam they have next period, working on projects they have due the other day, or spending the few minutes of break time they get at breakfast and lunch to talk and rant to their friends about the tremendous workload and how it is affecting their mental health.
It seems that the large drops in temperatures, which have now reached below zero, bring with them elevated levels of stress and/or anxiety. As fellow Pinewood students who experience this first -hand, Pineword has thought of giving some recommendations on how to cope with stress and anxiety from our own research. In addition, we’ ve decided to include a couple of words from our own expert on mental health issues, Ms. Anastasia Panidou, the Pinewood school counselor and Psychology teacher.
First of all, it is important to understand the factors that can cause stress. In an interview for Pineword, our school counselor said that some common areas that might be stressors for teenage students are mainly related to friendships and relationships created among peers, academics (i.e. performance and large workload), and family settings depending on the relationships that the students have with their family members. Additionally, she notes social media as a large source
of stress for students, particularly due to the phenomenon of the fear of missing out–the “feeling of fear that one either does not know or that one is missing out on information, events, experiences or life decisions that could make one's life better.” Understanding the stressors in your life can help be the first step towards removing the source of stress/anxiety, in turn reducing stress and anxiety levels.
After identifying the source of these emotions, it can prove challenging to deal with the stress and anxiety. We can often feel powerless, weak and clueless when thinking about the necessary steps to improve our mental well-being. Never fear, Pineword brings the latest insights from psychological research and experts on mental health issues. Here is some advice from the APA, American Psychological Association on reducing stress and anxiety.
1. Seek social support: It is said that social support can improve resilience to stress and anxiety. Talking to some friends or family members who may be good at listening and sympathizing can help in overcoming it as well. They may also be able to offer practical help, for example, advice on how to deal with the situation that might be bringing you all this stress/anxiety. If the stressor is related to academics, a friend proficient in the subject might also help with tutoring, which you can even repay with tutoring them in a subject of your expertise.
2. Practice meditation: Research shows that
Wednesday , March 1, 2023 | Pinewood International American School of Thessaloniki
Wednesday , March 1, 2023 | Pinewood International American School of Thessaloniki
mantic relationships, especially for teenagers. Wouldn't it be empowering to redefine our understanding of love and create healthier, more fulfilling relationships for ourselves and future generations?
Hanukkah
Hanukkah is a Jewish festivity that is celebrated all around the world by Jewish people and is also a national holiday in Israel. 2000 years ago, Jewish people fought King Antiochus who was against their religion, and thus made a law that forbade them from practicing their religion. After winning the battle, they visited their temple and found a candle that could only last for one day. However, it surprisingly lasted for eight days. That’s why those who celebrate Hanukkah light one candle in the Menorah for eight days. Additionally, during Hanukkah, families gather together, eat traditional food such as Brisket, Latkes, Kugel, Sufganiyot, and Hanukkah Gelt, and finally, they play dreidel, a traditional game.
St Nicholas was a Greek bishop in the 4th century. He was known as a very kind and generous person who used to sell his belongings in order to raise money for people in need. The tradition states that on his feast night, St. Nicholas and Black Peter allocated gifts to the good children and coal to the bad ones. Nowadays, it is celebrated on December 6 in northwestern Europe, where people exchange gifts, eat traditional festive food, go to church, and have huge family gatherings.
Diwali is the most important Indian holiday. It lasts 5 days and each day those who celebrate follow various traditions. On day one, they clean their homes and go shopping for gold or kitchen utensils to bring them good fortune. On day two, they decorate their homes with clay lamps and create rangoli design patterns on the floor with colored powders or sand. The third day of the festival is the most significant, when families gather for Lakshmi puja, a prayer to Goddess Lakshmi, followed by mouth-watering feasts and firework festivities. Day four is the first day of the year, thus, relatives and family members gather with gifts and wish to start the year with good luck and positive energy. Finally, on the fifth-day, brothers visit their married sisters who prepare a nice meal for them. During Diwali, the Indian community eats traditional meals, including Samosa, Aloo Bonda, Murukkuh, and Namakpare.
Hanukkah:
Elizabeth Yuko, “8 Hanukkah Traditions and Their Origins”, History, December 21 2021
https://www.history.com/news/hanukkah-traditionsorigins
Diwali:
“20 Best Diwali Recipes”, Times of India. October 24, 2022
“
Hanukkah”, Britannica, December 2022
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Hanukkah (Image credit: SKUpics/Shutterstock.com)
St Nicholas Day:
Britannica, “St. Nicholas Day”
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Saint-NicholasDay
“
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/foodnews/20-best-traditional-diwali-recipes/ articleshow/66473975.cms
Diwali-Festival of Lights”, National Geographic kids, October 24, 2022
https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/pages/article/ diwali
“
Diwali Updates Live”, Indian Express, November 3, 2021 https://indianexpress.com/article/india/diwalidhanteras-2021-live-updates-7604777/
TNN,“20 Best Traditional Diwali Recipes - Times of India,” Food News, November 3, 2021
Wednesday , March 1, 2023 | Pinewood International American School of Thessaloniki
When it comes to Zagori, superlatives fail. On 1000 square kilometers of densely wooded, mountainous landscape, crisscrossed by deep gorges, pristine rivers, waterfalls, caves and much more, 46 villages built of stone and slate (the Zagorohoria) complete what can only be called a mountain paradise.
Nature-loving hikers are spoiled for choice with hundreds of kilometers of well-marked trails leading over ancient stone bridges, past inhabited and uninhabited monasteries, through sheltered forests teeming with life, and over ridges with heartstopping views.
Experienced mountaineers can venture to the area's alpine peaks, while a number of companies offer dozens of activities from cross-country skiing, to whitewater rafting, to organized hikes that make the region's natural wonders accessible to all.
Each of the villages is more beautiful than the next–the heritage of the builders is considered the greatest in the country–and the accommodation options are numerous and of exceptional quality. And if you feel the need to get back to civilization, the cultured
city of Ioannina is just a short drive away and a destination all its own.
Simply a must see.
The first sight of the monasteries perched improbably high on the rock pillars in this UNESCO World Heritage Site is a breathtaking moment–a true must -see for any visitor. Many visit this site in the summer, but the sweltering heat and large crowds can mar the experience. Autumn and winter, on the other hand, are perfect for enjoying the true majesty of this place.
Of the 24 total monasteries that once made up this 1000-year-old community, six are still in operation and open to the public. A visit to these monasteries means entering a world of its own, where wonderful
Wednesday , March 1, 2023 | Pinewood International American School of Thessaloniki
examples of religious art can be seen in the churches and museums.
more famous counterpart, but with a slightly less frenetic atmosphere.
Kalavryta is located on the slopes of Mount Helmos (meaning Snow Mountain) in the Peloponnese and is an ideal base for winter sports and other activities in the region. The mountain is only 2.5 to 3 hours from Athens and offers an amazing variety of landscapes in a relatively small area–from pine and fir forests and mountain lakes, to extensive visitable caves and the fairytale pine tree forests in Planitero, where you can enjoy fresh trout alongside bubbling crystal springs.
You can drive to the monasteries by car or hike up to them along a beautiful path that winds between the rock pillars. But for a truly extraordinary experience, you can opt for a tour from above in a hot air balloon.
The unique geological formations have also made the area a popular destination for rock climbers, but mountain biking, trekking and other activities are also available to immerse you in the surrounding nature. The neighboring town of Kalabaka offers numerous quality accommodation options and tourist services.
If Arachova is the Mykonos of winter, then Kalavryta could be said to be the Naxos of the season–with perhaps even more variety than its
The area is best known, however, for its ski resort, which rivals that of Parnassos, with slopes for all skill levels, albeit with somewhat less modern lifts. The town has a well-developed tourist infrastructure with numerous hotels, spas, and guesthouses. Many of the pretty villages in the area also offer good accommodation options.
In addition to nature-based activities, there is plenty of culture and history in and around the town, including a World War II Museum, spectacular monasteries, and a unique railroad line connecting Kalavryta with the coastal village of Diakofto that is simply one of the most beautiful in Europe.
Wednesday , March 1, 2023 | Pinewood International American School of Thessaloniki
The village of Arachova has long been called the “Mykonos of winter," as it attracts more visitors than any other winter destination.
As the closest village to Greece's largest ski resort on Mount Parnassos and only three hours from Athens, Arachova transforms into a full-fledged cosmopolitan meeting place during the cold months with high-end stores, ski rentals, luxury hotels and spas, gourmet and traditional restaurants, and numerous bars and nightspots.
As for skiing, while no Greek resort comes close to the size of the major centers in the Alps and elsewhere, Parnassos offers some great slopes of all levels, as well as access to backcountry runs for the more adventurous. While it can get very crowded on sunny weekends, during the week the resort offers a very satisfying ski experience with no queues.
In addition to the slopes, the mountain has much more to offer–most notably the archaeological site of Delphi, the former seat of the famous oracle, which is just a short drive from Arachova. There are also many beautiful walks through the forests of the mountain, including one that takes you to the archaeological site, with breathtaking views over the valley deep below.
Dilouambaka, Ethel. “Where To Go In Greece In The Winter.” Culture Trip, https://theculturetrip.com/ europe/greece/articles/where-to-go-in-greece-in-thewinter/
Gimouki, Eleni. “Top 11 Winter Destinations In Greece in 2023.” The Tour Guy, 18 November 2022, https:// thetourguy.com/travel-blog/greece/top-winterdestinations-in-greece/
“The top 10 places to visit in Greece in the winter.” eKath merini.com, 18 November 2022 https://www.ekathimerini.com/society/1198361/thetop-10-places-to-visit-in-greece-in-the-winter/
Wednesday , March 1, 2023 | Pinewood International American School of Thessaloniki
oprak Şevket Gökçe
Winter is a time for comfort food and warm meals. Here are a few recipes to enjoy during the colder months:
1. Tomato Soup and Grilled Cheese: A classic combination that never gets old. Simmer canned or fresh tomatoes with seasonings, blend until smooth, and serve with melted cheese on toasted bread.
2. Chili: A hearty stew made with ground beef, beans, and vegetables in a spicy tomato sauce. Serve with cornbread or crackers.
3. Shepherd's Pie: A traditional British dish made with minced meat, vegetables, and mashed potatoes on top. Bake until the potatoes are golden brown.
4. Beef Stew: Choose your favorite meat and vegetables, then simmer them in a flavorful broth for hours until tender. Serve with crusty bread.
Tomato Soup Ingredients:
█ 2 tablespoons olive oil
█ 1 large onion, chopped
█ 2 cloves garlic, minced
█ 2 cans (28 ounces each) diced tomatoes
█ 2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
█ 1 teaspoon sugar
█ Salt and pepper, to taste
█ 1/4 cup heavy cream (optional)
█ Fresh basil leaves, for garnish
Here's a classic recipe for tomato soup and grilled cheese.
Tomato Soup Instructions:
1. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.
2. Add the onion and garlic and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
3. Add the diced tomatoes, broth, sugar, salt, and pepper to the pot. Stir to combine.
4. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and let it simmer for 15-20 minutes.
5. Using an immersion blender or a regular blender, puree the soup until smooth.
6. Stir in the heavy cream, if using.
7. Serve the soup hot, garnished with fresh basil leaves.
Grilled Cheese Ingredients:
█ 4 slices bread
█ 4 slices cheese (cheddar, Swiss, or your favorite)
█ 2 tablespoons butter, softened
Grilled Cheese Instructions:
1. Preheat a large skillet or griddle over medium heat.
2. Spread one side of each slice of bread with softened butter.
3. Place 2 slices of bread, buttered side down, in the skillet.
4. Place a slice of cheese on each slice of bread.
5. Top with the remaining 2 slices of bread, buttered side facing out.
6. Cook the sandwiches until the bread is golden brown and the cheese is melted, about 3-4 minutes per side.
7. Serve the grilled cheese hot with the tomato soup.
This comforting and easy-to-make meal is perfect for a cozy winter evening. Enjoy!
Chili Ingredients:
█ 2 pounds ground beef or ground turkey
█ 1 large onion, chopped
█ 2 cloves garlic, minced
█ 1 green bell pepper, chopped
█ 2 cans (14.5 ounces each) diced tomatoes
█ 1 can (15 ounces) kidney beans, drained and rinsed
█ 1 can (15 ounces) black beans, drained and rinsed
█ 2 tablespoons chili powder
█ 1 tablespoon ground cumin
█ 1 teaspoon dried oregano
█ Salt and pepper, to taste
█ Shredded cheddar cheese, for garnish (optional)
█ Chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish (optional)
█ Sour cream, for garnish (optional)
Here's a classic chili recipe that's hearty, filling, and packed with flavor.
Chili Instructions:
1. In a large pot, cook the ground beef or turkey over medium-high heat until browned, about 8 minutes.
2. Drain any excess fat and add the onion, garlic, and bell pepper to the pot. Cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
3. Stir in the diced tomatoes, kidney beans, black beans, chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt, and pepper.
4. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and let it simmer, covered, for 3040 minutes.
5. Serve the chili hot, topped with shredded cheddar cheese, cilantro, and a dollop of sour cream, if desired.
This recipe makes 6-8 servings and can be doubled or halved, depending on your needs. Enjoy!
Wednesday , March 1, 2023 | Pinewood International American School of Thessaloniki
Shepherd’s Pie
Shepherd’s Pie Ingredients:
█ 1 1/2 lbs ground beef or lamb
█ 1 large onion, chopped
█ 3 cloves garlic, minced
█ 2 carrots, peeled and diced
█ 2 celery stalks, diced
█ 2 tablespoons flour
█ 1 tablespoon tomato paste
█ 1 cup beef broth
█ 1 teaspoon dried thyme
█ 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
█ Salt and pepper, to taste
█ 3 cups mashed potatoes
█ 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
Here's a delicious and classic recipe for Shepherd's Pie.
Shepherd’s Pie Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
2. In a large skillet, cook the ground beef or lamb over medium-high heat until browned, about 8 minutes. Drain any excess fat.
3. Add the onion, garlic, carrots, and celery to the skillet and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
4. Stir in the flour, tomato paste, beef broth, thyme, rosemary, salt, and pepper. Cook for another 2-3 minutes, or until the mixture has thickened.
5. Transfer the beef mixture to a 9x13 inch baking dish.
6. Spread the mashed potatoes evenly over the beef mixture. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese, if using.
7. Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, or until the potatoes are lightly golden and the filling is heated through.
8. Serve the Shepherd's Pie hot.
This recipe makes 6-8 servings and can be easily doubled or halved, depending on your needs. Enjoy!
Beef Stew Ingredients:
█ 2 lbs. beef stew meat, cut into 1 -inch cubes
█ 3 tablespoons flour
█ 2 tablespoons olive oil
█ 1 large onion, chopped
█ 3 cloves garlic, minced
█ 2 cups beef broth
█ 2 cups water
█ 1 bay leaf
█ 2 sprigs fresh thyme
█ 2 large carrots, sliced
█ 2 large potatoes, cubed
█ 1 cup sliced mushrooms
█ 2 tablespoons tomato paste
█ Salt and pepper, to taste
Here is a simple and delicious recipe for beef stew.
Beef Stew Instructions:
1. Season the beef cubes with salt and pepper. Dredge the beef in flour.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large pot over mediumhigh heat. Brown the beef cubes on all sides, about 8 minutes. Remove the beef from the pot and set aside.
Wednesday , March 1, 2023 | Pinewood International American School of Thessaloniki
3. Add the onion and garlic to the pot and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
4. Return the beef to the pot and add the beef broth, water, bay leaf, and thyme. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and let simmer, covered, for 1 hour.
5. Add the carrots, potatoes, mushrooms, and tomato paste to the pot. Season with additional salt and pepper, if desired.
6. Continue to simmer, covered, for another hour, or until the beef and vegetables are tender.
7. Serve the stew hot with crusty bread or over mashed potatoes.
Here’s a last, simple recipe to get you through those cold winter months: delicious roasted vegetables!
Roasted Vegetable Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
2. Wash and chop the vegetables into bite-sized pieces.
3. Place the vegetables on a large baking sheet.
4. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
5. Toss to evenly coat the vegetables with oil.
6. Spread the vegetables out in a single layer.
7. Roast in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender and lightly browned, tossing halfway through.
This recipe makes 4-6 servings and can be easily doubled or halved, depending on your needs. Enjoy!
Roasted Vegetables Ingredients:
█ 2 lbs. mixed vegetables (such as carrots, parsnips, potatoes, bell peppers, onion, and garlic)
█ 3 tablespoons olive oil
█ Salt and pepper, to taste
█ Fresh herbs, such as thyme, rosemary, or basil (optional)
Wednesday
, March 1, 2023 | Pinewood International American School of ThessalonikiFrom a cup of coffee. From a bump. From the little interactions that never get stuck to our mind, a story such as ours was born, and it engraved in my mind the cup of coffee, the bump.
I woke up that day thinking it was just going to be a copy of the other 364 days of the year. When the clock strikes midnight, I always have a habit of crossing out each passing day off the calendar. No date can escape the cross of the marker. Not from me.
Unless it’s the 28th of February, 2020. That day would be, perhaps, the only day I forgot to cross in my calendar.
I woke up. Got out of bed. Took a shower. Got dressed. Left my apartment building at 8am sharp. Walked to my favorite cafe, the Cherry Cafe. Ordered the ginseng latte. Sat down at the table near the window. Drank the coffee. Got up, gathered my things.
Usually, by this time I would be walking to my office, just 50 meters away. Yet this time, my feet stopped firm at the sound of the bell signaling someone ’s entrance into the coffeeshop.
I couldn’t move. I couldn’t get my eyes off the person entering through the front door. The girl had shining long, brown hair and eyes. She was wearing a plain yellow jacket over a casual long sleeve white shirt and some ordinary jeans, all of which you could probably find at your local department store. And yet, her entire being reflected the sun off her body from her hair to her feet. Well, of
course, that's because the sun shone bright right behind her. I now longed for the exit and the path which took me in front of my company’s headquarters and outside of this sunny coffee shop. As I walked towards the back, in my head I saw the pile of files that I was heading to, and nothing else.
“I have to finish writing the yearly report for the boss, and I also need to get started sorting out that other assignment, plus I also need to...”
“Oh, I’ m so sorry,” I heard, as I felt something hot stain my shirt. I look down and there’ s an empty plastic cup of coffee on the ground, and the floor all around me is drenched in spilled coffee.
“I’ m so so sorry. ”
I finally looked up to meet eyes with the girl from earlier. She still stood with her back to the sun, I noticed.
“It’s fine, don’t worry about it,” I quickly said and tried to leave.
“Wait, I” I stopped.
“I can’t let you leave like this after spilling coffee on you-” the girl said as her hand reached for the pack of tissues on the counter. She wet the tissue with some water and tried to clean the spots stained by the coffee, but I stopped her.
“I said it’s fine. Don’t worry about it.”
I moved her hand away from my shirt, and made my way out to the exit. I was followed by a couple apologies out the door, but I didn’t turn my head
back, I stepped out into the street which I had carved into memory down to the very hidden alleys that are a no-man's-land, unnoticed and unstopped by anyone.
The trees that usually were in full bloom in early April had started regaining their characteristic pink color after the winter cold had passed. Too bad though, after full bloom you could only see them for about a week, after which they created their own pink path on the ground, to sprout again next year.
The rest of the day didn’t differ from the other crossed out days on the calendar. I finished work at 9pm and was home by 10. I had dinner, and got in my pajamas. I layed in bed, and tried to fall asleep. I tried hard to forget about how sunny the day was today and about the fact that cherry blossoms had started to bloom one month earlier than usual. Rather, I tried to remember about no-mans-land and yesterday with all my might. I was trying so hard that I was seeing a dream of yesterday, and the reality was that today was the only day I hadn’t grabbed the red marker that crossed out today and turned it into another day out of 365 in the year.
“Wait, today’s the first, right?” I said as I looked at the 28th of February being the only day without an X on the calendar, and the date shown on my phone: 1 March, 2020.
Without my noticing, it had become the 1st of March. So why was the 28th yet to be crossed off? Had I fallen asleep? It must’ve been that 4 hour meeting that made me not want to do anything but jump into my bed as soon as I came back home. That’s fine, I’ll cross it out when I come back today. It won’t make a difference, today or tomorrow.
I entered through the front door of the coffeeshop at 8:30 sharp. I sat down and ordered my
favorite, the ginseng latte. I opened my bag and got out a book, 1984 by George Orwell. I was in the middle of the second chapter when I felt a wave of heat go through my body. I turned around to see her, the girl that reflected the sun, holding the same book in her hand. She seemed to be very close to the end of it, while I had just started reading the book. As I drank the latte and tried finishing the second chapter, my eyes kept being met with the sunny being. Even though Winston starting his own rebellion against Big Brother captivated me, my eyes saw nothing but how the sun was still tracing her body, forming its very own contour around it. Before I noticed, it was 10am, and I had gotten to chapter 4 in the book. It took no more than 20 seconds for reality to hit me: It's 10 am I usually get to my company at 9:30… I was 30 minutes late.
I couldn't help but compare reading the report in my hands about strategies to develop the company to taking a sleeping pill. The report had touched on all the possible points it could have, and little could be added to it. Marketing, market research, recent trends, customer input, it had it all. The ideas were excellent, and they were probably going to be approved by the higher ups soon. Despite this, no idea, however genius it might’ve been, could have taken my consciousness back from the trip it took this morning to Oceania. It had departed this morning and it wasn’t going to buy a return ticket until I got to page 328 of the book. …
I was somewhere else, anywhere but my office. I was at the cherry blossom street. I was in no-mansland. I was roaming the streets like a man who went where his feet took him. But I was not in front of my computer, submitting the yearly profits and plan to my boss. My ghost was doing that. I left
Wednesday , March 1, 2023 | Pinewood International American School of Thessaloniki
early from the office. I couldn’t do it anymore. My mind was filled by 1984, the coffee shop, the girl who reflected the sun, and I couldn’t replace those thoughts with ones about my job, which once was the only thing occupying my brain. To think that all this was caused by a random bump in a coffee shop, the same one that made me run and long for my bed, the same one that was now directing my feet to the beige apartment building I lived in.
…
Today was the 13th of March, and I had ordered my ginseng coffee as usual, reading my book. I was reading the last ten pages now. I was soon going to know the end of the story of the forbidden love between Winston and Julia. As Winston sat down in the Chestnut Tree cafe, and wrote “2+2=5” on the table while listening to Big Brother’s broadcast, I turned to the last page of the book.
“So, you finally finished reading it, huh, Mr. Ginseng Latte?”
It was the girl. Even without raising my eyes to see her, I knew who was talking to me, as the heat I felt in that moment could not be mistaken for anything but that of the burning sun, and by that extent, someone reflecting it.
“Yeah,” I responded quickly while trying to put all my things in my bag. “If you’ll excuse me,” I continued, and tried to push through so I could get out of the shop.
“Wait, no, I have something to tell you.” The girl followed me to the exit.
“Are you free this afternoon, perhaps? I’ll be here, waiting. I want to talk to you,” she pleaded. There was no point in avoiding it anymore. After all, talking to her might be helpful in returning to my schedule-run life.
“I’ll be there,” I responded, and with that I walked out the door.
To find out what happens next in The Boy With The Crossed Out Calendar, and to read more short stories by Mea Tela (grade 11), you’ll need to visit her website:
https://meatela.weebly.com/ Enjoy!
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Thanks for reading!
Until next time... —P
