Here we are now! What should I write in this first entry of my new blogging venture? Trying to break the ice by tapping keys on the laptop keyboard, isn’t actually a great way to break ice with. But it will have to do, and that first entry must be written!

Oh, that first entry! Αρχή ήμισυ παντός — "Beginning (is the) half (of the) whole"
It must be interesting, witty, challenging, original! Will they like it? Will they hate me? Hunting the chimera of others’ approval can be turn into a real headache, especially if one has been a little under the weather lately.

So, to start Steeming with, I've decided to let you know some facts about me; I’m a rather more complicated person than I originally seem, even to those who know me well, but the magic number of “12” should be enough to begin with…

1) I’m Greek, but I was born in Canada. Sadly, my parents decided to move back to Greece, a few years after I was born. That had an impact on our family life as well as my personal life and evolution. I often feel that it was a wrong choice they made, and staying back to Canada could have proven immensely beneficial to us all…

2) I walk funny; I limp, in a somewhat peculiar way! Most people want to know why, but only a few of them dare to ask, out of fear that they might hurt my feelings; but that was a long time ago! The thing is that when I was just a few months old, I had a cardiac arrest and I passed out (I actually passed away… hehehe). They had me for dead when my heart started beating again, but my brain had remained with no oxygen for quite a while, so I was stuck with a minor cerebral palsy ever since. I surgical attempt to fix the problem that later appeared on my right leg, made things a little more worse and a little more impossible to fix later.

3) I sometimes (well, OK, often!) say “right” when I show left, and vice versa. I don’t know if it’s a slight form of dyslexia or has anything to do with my cerebral palsy, but it can be a real pain in the... wheel(!) for my best friend Dimitris when he drives and asks me to tell him where to turn next! He is a somehow anxious driver and I am really not helping much when he has to turn somewhere, based on my instructions. We usually end up making longer rides than expected, which is actually good for him, practicing his driving skills and all that...

4) I adore cats! I find them remarkable! If we walk together and I see a cat that seems to be friendly and looking for a pat or two, I will most probably ask you to wait and I'll go give the cat a pat or two (or even three and four!)... Many cousins of mine (from my mother’s side) also like cats, so I guess it’s in the DNΑ. Our family always included a cat; or even more than one. When I started living alone and eventually moved to a more spacious apartment, one of the first things I did was to get me a cat! So, here I am, living with a gorgeous Siamese, called Yuna. She is 12 years old and she has been the best and most devoted companion!

5) I hate eating alone. Especially out! It’s not something I haven’t done, but it’s certainly something I don’t like at all! I think I hate eating alone as much I’d hate to die alone!

6) I prefer fountain pens to pens. I’ve always been somewhat of a retro-maniac in some ways, but this seems to be the epitome of fondness for the old ways. I’ve bought and used numerous pens throughout my life, but only a few of them are still in my possession; I gave, broke or lost most of them. I don’t know if I am too generous, clumsy or absent-minded, but I do know that dipping pens survived this ordeal; never gave, broke or lost any of them and I still have all five of them! The use of computer had his toll on my calligraphy skills, but I still love fountain pens and I use them whenever I must hand-write or sign something.

7) I like wet-shaving and I am an avid fan of straight razors. This is somewhat shocking to some, but I consider it part of me retro-mania and a very healthy way for a man to shave. Using a shaving-brush and an extra-sharp steel blade, makes your skin feel AND look great!

8) I enjoy the use of aromatic tobacco. I have smoked cigarettes, cigars, tobacco pipes, even shisha, and I still have all the relevant paraphernalia for each of them. Funny enough, I have become a tobacco pipe fan. I bought my first tobacco pipe when I was 19, I totally forgot about it after a few years’ time and I have returned to the use of tobacco pipes in my thirties. I now have a small collection of tobacco pipes and I occasionally enjoy a few whiffs of Captain Black pipe tobacco. Surprisingly enough I never developed an addiction to any form of tobacco use, and there had been times that I didn’t even bother to smoke. I still don’t care much about it and I remain a very occasional smoker.

9) I love cooking. There is nothing more to say about it. I just love it and I’m good at it! I also make and bake my own sourdough bread.

10) I’m a keen observer. I grew up as an only-child. Only-children tend to be somewhat lonely and loneliness is the mother of observation. I observe things that others usually don’t pay attention to, and I often use my observations to reach to conclusions. I might be the case of a detective-to-be, who lost his job orientation.

11) I’m a night owl. I stay up late, watching movies, writing or typing stuff, silently arranging things, etc. That, however, does not prevent me from waking up early, although I do enjoy an occasional, long morning nap, when there is no reason why I should get up early!

12) I am afraid of heights! Get me more than half a meter off the ground and I already start getting anxious. Surprisingly enough, I used to climb trees and yard walls when I was a child, despite my limp. I have no idea how I ended up like that. Thank God I am tall enough to change light bulbs or hang curtains without having to climb on a ladder!

Well, that’s all for tonight, folks! Thank you for reading this (first) post of mine!

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Stavros

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