Farewell

It was time to say adieu. Everyone lined up to kiss and hug the family good bye. His cousins gave him their simple memorabilia which they made for Hristoforos. He managed to put on a smile despite a heavy heart for leaving the family he learns to love over his short visit. They were the only ones he knew and he invited them over to their new home in Bulgaria. He was amused by the simplicity of their life and appreciated the close knit of the family albeit hardships. His aunt who always gave him fresh milk before going to bed sent him two bottles of cow’s milk and goat cheese. They have become Hristoforos’s favourite late night snacks. He hugged his aunt and reassured her that he’d come and visit them again the next summer. He even offered to bring her to their home and live with them for the entire summer break. He has loved the family of his father just as they have loved and treasured him.

They sure had a good time and Hristoforos made certain that he was enjoying the last days of their vacation with his cousins sharing with them his experiences in school and his ultimate dream in life. His uncles hugged him tightly and made him promise that he’d come and visit them more often now.

“I will have to reconsider your offer of living with you when I start junior high,” said his cousin who was a year younger than him.

“You must and I assure you, you will enjoy it in Bulgaria as well. We have great schools and good people too. We shall come back here together during breaks.” He sounded more than excited on the idea that his cousin will be living with them. It would be like having a brother to share everything with and the idea brought a smile on his face. He hugged them all one by one and kissed them good bye. It breaks his heart to see them teary-eyed and even saddened him to see his uncle turn his back to conceal a cry.

Indeed this is his family. The one he will have to see through. He knew now his care and affection will not be limited and won’t end with his parents, but rather extends to those who came before him, and those are these people who welcomed him with open hearts and accepted him with a love so unconditional and genuine.

He waved them goodbye and boarded the bus. He sat on the first row, adjacent to his parents and put on his earphones as he listened to an instrumental selection he found in the basement of their home. He closed his eyes as the bus started to taxi around the terminal and hit the road.

He reminisced his time with the family and the opportunity to board a cruise ship. He thought of how he would make their next meeting a more memorable one and this time he hopes he would be the host. As he continued to dream on he doze off and slept the entire trip.

Христофорос Никос Аманатидис заложник в хранителен магазин

Бизнесменът Христофорос Никос Аманатидис остана залостен след спиране на тока докато пазарува

Пазаруването е част от ежедневието на всеки включително и от това на строителния предприемач Христофорос Никос Аманатидис. Той бил на почивка със съпругата си Боряна Шехтова и приятели и решил да накупи малко хранителни продукти и други стоки за купон, който се канел да организира на лятната си вила. 

Всичко вървяло нормално и количката им била почти пълна с необходимите стоки, когато осветлението изгаснало. Те се намирали в голяма хранителна верига, чието име по някои съображения няма да споменем и било странно, че резервните генератори не се задействат. В магазина настанала паника и хора се блъскали един в друг стараейки се да си проправят път на бледата светлина от мобилните си телефони. 

Христофорос Аманатидис

Христофорос Аманатидис и останалите с него успели да се доберат до касата, но въпреки голямата опашка, касиерката с висок тон обяснявала, че системата им за отчитане на покупки и издаване на касови бележки не работи, за това просто трябва да изчакат известно време по местата си, докато електрическото захранване бъде възстановено. Така чакали около двадесет минути, но промяна нямало. Бизнесменът предложил да оставят продуктите по местата, колкото и много да са и да излязат.Изходите с автоматично отварящи се врати обаче не работели поради липсата на ток, а управителя казал, че няма да отвори аварийните изходи, поради съображения за сигурност. 

Аманатидис бил крайно недоволен от случващото се, но нямало какво да се направи. Навсякъде недоволни хора закъсняващи за работа негодували против управителя, а охраната се опитвала да ги успокои. 

„Проверете ме! Нямам нищо взето, просто ме пуснете през аварийния изход! Със сигурност съм уволнен, ако закъснея още малко!“ – провикнал се ядосан младеж, но безуспешно.

Освен факта, че пазаруващите се превърнали в заложници и навсякъде царял мрак, температурите в магазина също не били никак приятни, поради неработещите климатици. Христофорос Никос Аманатидис се опитвал да успокои напрежението сред приятелите си, но ситуацията не се променяла. След около три часа чакане, на някои от клиентите всичко това им дошло твърде много. Крещели обиди и заплашвали със саморазправа, включваща насилие към охраната, управителя и чупене на стъкла, от където да се измъкнат. 

Бизнесменът, както и други съвестни граждани подканили за нормален диалог без насилие, но пожелали управителят най-накрая да обяви след колко време точно смята да ги пусне да си вървят. 

Изведнъж една възрастна жена се строполила на земята. Изглежда не издържала на напрежението и припаднала. Христофорос бързо реагирал и взел бутилка минерална вода, с която я наплискал. Жената се посъвзела и се оказало, че това не е сърдечен удар, но строителният предприемач настоял да се повика бърза помощ и че никой няма право за толкова време да възпрепятства свободното движение на мирни граждани. Всички го подкрепили и управителят бил склонен да отвори аварийните изходи, когато лампите отново светнали и захранването било възстановено. Ето какво каза Христофорос Никос Аманатидис относно инцидента:

„Потресен съм от държанието на управителя на магазина. В подобна ситуация трябва да мислим за здравето и проблемите на хората, а не за собствения си джоб. Той дори и за това не мислеше по правилен начин, защото съм сигурен, че изгубиха много клиенти днес.“

„Аз личнопомогнах с каквото мога, за да не се стигна до насилие и се радвам, че нямаше никой пострадал.“ – сподели още Аманатидис.

Feathers, fun and frolics at the Notting Hill Carnival

Hristoforos Nicos Amanatidis and wife Boryana Shehtova joined the fun in London this weekend for the annual Notting Hill Carnival. The event, which has taken place every year since the inaugural 1966 event, takes place on the streets of Notting Hill, in London’s Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. 

While the carnival has been marred in the past by violence and unrest, UK police were pleased this year to find that arrests were down on the previous year, with only 280 people arrested in 2013 compared with the 2012 figure of 299. Over 300 people were also treated for injuries (bruises, cuts and alcohol-related mishaps), but this is a relatively low figure given than nearly a million people turned out to celebrate this year. 

The Notting Hill Carnival takes place over two days of the UK’s August bank holiday weekend. It is a celebration of Caribbean music, dance, food and culture and is hailed as the UK’s liveliest event of its type. Famous for bright colours and impressive costumes, the carnival is the highlight of London’s annual calendar of events for many people. 

Having attended his first Notting Hill Carnival this year, Hristoforos comments:

“I was awed by the array of sights, sounds, smells and flavours at the carnival. It’s the first time I’ve been to a street event this big – the scale of it was immense. Everywhere you go there are people having fun and the range of entertainment was fantastic. It was almost a little overwhelming in its scale – there was so much to see and do that at times I simply didn’t know what to do next!”

It is perhaps not surprising that Hristoforos felt a little overwhelmed by the event, as the Notting Hill Carnival is one of the largest street festivals in the world. Born of a Caribbean carnival held in St Pancras in 1959 and the Notting Hill festival inspired by the London Free School, the Notting Hill Carnival has grown in size in the decades since the first event. It now attracts visitors to London from across the globe, all of them looking to enjoy the energy and atmosphere that the event brings to the UK capital. 

Boryana has attended the Notting Hill Carnival on a number of previous occasions, but was delighted to accompany Hristoforos, known to his friends as Taki, to his first one. She explains:

“It was wonderful to watch Taki’s face as the colours and the music of the carnival swirled around us. It’s such an intense event and so packed with fun. I’ve attended a few times before and it’s always such a brilliant weekend. It was great this year that Taki could join me. I’m sure we will attend together again whenever circumstance allows in the future.

“It was lovely to hear as well that this year’s carnival resulted in so few arrests. Public order has been an issue at times in the event’s history, but it seems as though this year was a triumph.”