Cyprus' Eleven

The new president of Cyprus has been elected today and dare I say the majority of Cypriots still continue to live each to their own dreamworld. Much debate and controversy have preceded these presidential elections, which consisted of 11 candidates. A country as powerful as the US had only 2 candidates, yet a small island of a population of under a million had 11 noble, headstrong and brave politicians, willing to take on the history and past of the island, as well as its presently unstable financial and political situation, all the way to a brighter future. Or it just proves what an arrogant nation we truly are. Probably the latter.

Watching political debates on TV was as painful as watching Glee. Even though the candidates were not making attempts at singing and dancing (ok, maybe one of them did actually), the inflicting psychological pain of embarrassment and frustration on to their viewers was still the same. The reporters would ask candidate A how he/she would proceed to resolve an ongoing national problem B. The candidate would proceed to answer the question by elaborately accusing his/her opponent, candidate C, of how his/her political party in the past were wrong in making a certain decision about problem D, without actually answering the reporter’s question. And this was the tactic followed by everyone, because the truth is, no-one knows shit. None of them know what they are doing or what they want to do or what is going to happen. The best manoeuvre is to prove their opponents are worthless, lying, dishonest, irresponsible assholes, and thus you should vote for him/her instead because they are not as bad.

And the public of course get frustrated by all these childish tantrums and two-faced backstabbings, yet the majority are as bad as the politicians they are voting for. Let’s face it, these politicians have started off as human beings themselves, as members of the public, as the next common voter, before evolving into two-faced beasts that feed off the country’s assets and people. These politicians have become like that and continue to be like that, because the society allows them to be so. Of course, when presented with 11 worthless candidates, you are forced to vote for the least incapable (instead of the most capable) but these beasts will not change, unless the voters change.

First of all, enough is enough with the political parties and what they supposedly represent. Everyone needs to take a hard look at their party and at themselves and ask what it is they truly stand for. The majority have no clue. They are either guided by the fanaticism/guilt/rage that their parents and grandparents are carrying or are misguided and naive or are actually so deeply lost in their own scheming lies and arrogant attitude that do not even know anymore what they stand for. A 20-year old carrying out a political debate with his/her “friends” on facebook, whilst they are all completely clueless about history, politics or common sense, does not mean he/she is a responsible adult who cares about his/her country’s future. It’s just sad. And the worse ingredient of all, is narrow-mindness.  Refusing to acknowledge the good or bad qualities of a politician because of their party’s political views is as stupid as supporting a football team because the right wing has to support the “blue” one and the left wing the “red” one. Oh hang on...

Second of all, society shares its blame in the things the politicians are accused of. Cronyism for example (boy, was that word hard to find in English, whereas everyone knows it in Greek!), is as common in Cyprus as the word “malakas”. Getting a job in Cyprus is not about your qualifications and experience; it’s about fitting the criteria required for a position – criteria which are of course listed according to what the chosen person for the position already has. In order to get yourself hired in Cyprus, especially in governmental positions, you will have to know someone in “power” or know someone who knows someone who is the hairdresser of the wife of someone in “power” or be a loyal sheep to a political party since the age of 5, thus when favoured political party rises in power, your fortunes rise with it as well. And the voters accuse the politicians of favouring their own political party members or their friends and relatives, but the truth is that these relatives, friends, associates, hairdressers of the wives are the voters themselves. It is the people that give this sort of power to politicians. It is the people, it is society as a collective who corrupts the politicians and forces them into a “survival of the fittest” battle. They must keep the voters pleased or else they will lose their votes. I’m not saying the politicians are saints; they are of course the ones to blame the most for ditching their morals so easily. But the voters share a great deal of responsibility as well, and unless they change their mentality, things will not change in Cyprus.

Finally, it is the delusion that things would be or will be so much different if candidate A is elected president instead of candidate B. Of course some will create more shit than others. When it comes to problems though such as the financial situation in Cyprus (again, the government is mostly to blame but the people share a great deal of responsibility too for being irresponsible with their money), there is only one way out really. A small country like Cyprus, belonging to the family of 27 European counties, split in half thanks to its own people and the Turkish invaders, with dominant countries like Germany breathing down its neck, will not have many options really, will it?

Cypriots need to change their attitude and be more responsible and vigilant where they can be, and less arrogant and confident when they shouldn’t. Cypriots are over-confident when it comes to the elections (11 candidates, seriously?) and when it comes to following a political party leader like blinded sheep, without questioning the true motives of the politicians or thinking that because their elected leader wears a green tie instead of a purple one, he/she will also assume the superpowers of the Hulk and crash everyone else who opposes them. However, Cypriots need to learn that they have more power in other matters, especially via unity and collaboration. The island has suffered so many invasions throughout the centuries, yet if it is one thing that history is teaching us is that if we put our minds together we can become a powerful nation. If we want change, we will have to start from the little things that surround us, we will have to start from our own homes and progress into influencing our work environment, our political parties and politicians, our government and eventually, collectively begin influencing the fate of the whole country.

The Power of Love

I’m going to keep this short and sweet, mainly because there isn’t much one can say but also because I don’t want emotions to get lost in words.

A few months ago, I was a witness to a tragic accident which left a husband and a son searching for answers concerning the loss of their most beloved female figure in their lives. On better news, I have learned that the second victim of the accident is doing better and she is constantly recovering.

A few days ago, I came across the blog of the widower and after reading it, I feel both the urge to never write again and to never stop writing. As confusing as that may sound, allow me to explain the logic. I never want to write again, as I feel incapable of producing anything as real, true, honest, passionate, inspiring and emotional as this man’s writing. Though I never met him and his family, due to that unfortunate event which happened close to me geographically, it feels close to me spiritually and emotionally as well. The way this man writes and feels is captivating and I feel his every word as if it were my own, only better and truer.

On the other hand, when I think of what this man has been through, when I think of what a great man he is, what a gentle fighter he is, it reminds me of the true meaning of life. He reminds me of what it means to never give up, to accept grief as part of this rollercoaster we call “life” and to feel with all our heart and all our essence.

It is no secret to everyone that I am not one of the most positive of people. As my last blog entry indicates, the only hope I saw for humanity was if it was destroyed on December 21^st 2012. It was only two days ago that I was reminded of one of the things I grew up believing in: “Trust no one”. What Fox Mulder (a true role-model to me) was constantly saying in the “X-Files” takes life and breathes almost every other week, when I get surrounded by people who bring nothing but betrayal, deceit, hate, negativity.

However, I read Ben’s blog, and through his grief, I see more clearly than ever that some humans are not all bad. I see hope, passion, honesty and love. I see an undying love, a true love that I have never seen before, nor did I think it possible to exist. What this man shares (notice: present) with his wife and the fruit of their love, their son, is unimaginably strong and anyone who experiences the same is lucky, blessed and is truly enjoying life to the best it has to offer.

I beg you all: Make an attempt to live and love. You might not find “the One” but you can still care for those around you; family, friends, colleagues or those who simply need a little bit of love. Do not use people as objects, just because you need someone next to you at night. If you don’t truly love someone, I ask you please: set yourself and set them free. And find someone or something you love and hold on to that. Whether it’s a person or a hobby, do it; for your own sake.

I cannot fully express how much this stranger has made me feel; more perhaps than people I have known for years. I wish there was a way to offer him something in return but I know I can’t. All I feel obliged to do is quickly pass on the light of his torch, so that others will hopefully see what I see.

Happy New... Whatever

Here we are in 2013 and the world is still here. According to the “Mayan Prophecy” the world, as we know it, would end on 21^st December 2012. It hasn't though, which has led to lots of confused believers of the prophecy and much more boasting from those that refused to believe it. Personally, I found it disappointing.

Though it would be a one-in-a-lifetime experience to see meteors crushing mankind or the poles being reversed and causing extreme weather phenomena and the shift of the tectonic plates, like in the film “2012”, I am disappointed not that the world was not destroyed but rather that it has not changed. Part of me hoped that “the end of the world as we know it” would lead to some important changes in humanity, hopefully towards the best. But that was just a fool’s hope.

We live in a society where having the latest iPhone is more important than feeding the homeless person who lives round the corner. We live in a society where claiming equal rights means suppressing the rights of others and thus a vicious circle begins, with fingers being pointed in all directions, instead of owning up to our mistakes. We live in a world where models, footballers, (bad) singers and (even worse) actors are glorified and worshipped, not because of their talents, but because of their looks, their money, their fame. Loyalty, love and respect are being flushed down the toilet, since it’s more important to sleep around and score as many lovers as possible. People have no respect towards others’ beliefs or opinions; what matters is that they belittle others enforcing their own views, so they can feel better about themselves.

Our world is filled with hatred and prejudice and people are greedy, egocentrical, megalomaniacs. So I may be characterised as “grumpy”, “miserable” and “cynical” but it’s only because I see the world with its true colours and I see people as they truly are. Foolishly enough, I believed the world as is shaped today could perhaps change towards something better. But as the 21^st December 2012 approached, a big part of me was acknowledging that it would not happen, so perhaps the only way for “salvation” would be if the world was completely destroyed.

Then came Christmas and everyone was so busy sending meaningless wishes to each other, buying expensive gifts to those they like (or pretend to like) and re-enforcing the fact that Christmas is no longer a religious holiday or a period for “love” and “forgiveness”, but a time for over-consumerism to thrive. It’s ironic how blind we all turn during the holidays. We are warned about turning off our desk lamp when we walk away for 2 minutes so we will “save the planet”, yet during Christmas the Oxford Street shops have their lights on for 2 entire months! Throughout the year, we might give to charity or pretend to be experts by analysing the economic crisis and appear to be saddened by unemployment and poverty, yet when Christmas arrives it’s all about wearing Armani suits and carrying LV bags at glamorous Christmas parties and buying  our 5-year olds the latest iPad version cause all their friends have it already!

I decided to do something different this year and dedicate a little of my time and energy into helping others. I volunteered to work at a shelter for homeless people and this experience has been truly unique. I am not mentioning this so I can get any praise or credit for my effort, as it was the least I could do for those that needed my help. It was the least that any one of us could do. I am sharing this experience with you, so you can all learn what I learned. I was so humbled by both the guests at the shelter, as well as the volunteers. Part of me began believing in people again and witnessed what the beginning of a “new world” could be like.

If we are all stripped by our social and financial status, if race, sex, sexuality and religion mean nothing except identifying us, but not marginalising or distinguishing us as less or more superior than others, then we all truly become equal. I saw people of all ages and backgrounds, acting as volunteers, sacrificing their time, their sleep, their comfortable, warm houses and hot home-cooked meals, to help those who needed their help this year. The shelter guests though are the true heroes of the story. People who are struggling to get back on their feet, people estranged from their families, people who have lost houses, money, jobs, yet are still brave and noble enough to face this life. I saw people who have not lost their spirit, their hope or even their sense of humour.

As I was walking around the centre, I came across some hand-made Christmas cards that the guests made and I read the wishes they had written. All of a sudden, Christmas cards were meaningful again. They were wishing (to strangers) to have a “happy Christmas”, to be thankful for their families and homes, to appreciate the things they have in life and to thank God for keeping a roof over their head. So simple, so gentle, so honest. No bitterness there, no spitefulness, no “I hope your house burns down because I don’t have one”. Those few words were reminding us of all the things that we take for granted. And those words prove that we are truly and honestly at our best when we lose everything. The way I see it, the more we have, the more secure we become, then the more “evil” we turn. We become greedy, wanting more. We become selfish and only look after ourselves. We trample over men and gods, fulfilling only our own needs and no-one else’s.

Funnily enough, when we lose all the materials and goods that we allow to define us, that’s when our true character comes out. That’s when we become humble, honest and good. Ironically, at the edge of the cliff, raw survival instincts do not always kick in. Instead we recognise that by holding hands and embracing each other, we can survive or even avoid the fall. The guests in that shelter were truly remarkable and I congratulate them for having what I seem to be losing day by day: hope in humanity. It is a shame that “the world as we know it” did not come to an end. I would have liked to see humanity at its best.

Can You Hear Me - God ?

Tonight we tackle the controversial and long-debated issue of religion. If you are fanatically against or in favour of religion, to the point where you are inelastically narrow-minded and have shut yourself from any ideas or beliefs other than your own precious ones, then I suggest you read another blog that might perhaps boost your ego – ‘cause it’s not going to be this one. Before I attempt to express my own view on the matter, I would like to do a small analysis on the three bodies of this issue: Church, Religion and God. Like the Holy Trinity, they perhaps seem inseparable but looks can be very deceiving.

Let’s begin with Religion. There are probably as many religions as nations out there and since the dawn of time religion has been an important aspect of society, often losing its true value and being misused by humans. Religious fanaticism has always existed. People and nations have battled each other for the dominance of one religion. Cain kills his own brother Abel for the love of their God and many humans and races followed his example afterwards. Greeks killed in the name of Ares and Vikings in the name of Odin. The Christian Crusades lasted for years, while Islamic acts of terrorism can occur in the name of the one true God. However, if we look closely at the origins of religions, we will discover that their purpose is pure. Religions evolve as a means for humans to explain what they don’t understand: the sun and love in ancient times, life and death (something which has always been a mystery) or miracles and sightings. Religions also serve as codes of behaviour and the expected consequences of misbehaviour. “Thou shalt not kill” and “thou shalt not steal” do not sound that horrible to me! As for “thou shalt not commit adultery”, you can refer to my respective blog entry. Law and order (aside from language and logic – though the latter is debatable) is what often distinguish us from animals. A set of rules that guide us to a virtuous life and a society in harmony are not ridiculous or unnecessary.

Whether we follow a particular religion or not, whether we even believe in one god, many gods or none, I think we can all learn from what religion is trying to teach us. Like all things, religions evolve and change. Forcing them either towards extinction or dominance is not the way. Religion has just been misused in the hands of humans. It has been abused, like all objects and ideas. A knife in the hands of a doctor can save lives; in the hands of a murderer, a knife will take away lives. Religions may seem to divide and separate, but is it not simply used as another excuse to do so? People who want to be different will always find a reason to be different: race, skin colour, nation, language, looks, sex, sexuality, profession, social status. Wars will always happen. Let’s admit it: wars happen for dominance and economic reasons. Call your reasoning “religion” or “Helen”, it doesn’t matter. I have friends who are religious and I have some who are not. I have friends and have met people from different backgrounds, with different beliefs. And it all comes down to this: a good person is a good person, despite of which box they tick under “religious views” on an HR form.

Which brings me to the church, because the church is not god and is not religion; it is humans. Each church/religion has its own set of “rules”: eat this, don’t eat that, no sex before marriage (if you contracted an STD recently I bet that doesn’t sound like such a bad idea!), fast so many days, pray so many times, donate so much money, wear this, sit like that – the list is endless. We all need to understand and accept that most of this set of rules came from humans. They might have been prophets, saints, holy people, church leaders but they are still humans (or aliens according to some). They are not gods. If someone chooses to follow a religion and a church, then let them be. It is their life. However, if you don’t agree with certain things that the church is trying to impose on you about things that have to do with your everyday life, then do what your heart tells you to do but do not let it turn you away from your god or your religion. It is more important helping others, rather than having cabbage for lunch, so weigh your priorities.

The church (including both the leaders and the mass) supposedly serves to represent god and religion. However, we all know this is not always the case. Some church leaders have been of course virtuous and close to perfect. Some church members are devoted and do their best to be good people. A big number of people though use religion to their advantage, whether for power or money or because they might be insane. Followers are manipulated, texts are altered, the truth is distorted and as a consequence people are drawn away from religion. It is understandable but again we need to remember that it is not the cloth that makes a descent priest, just like it is not a scrub that makes a good surgeon. As for the church followers, if they are fanatical, extremists, misguided, misinformed or just plain stupid, it is not their religion’s or their god’s fault.

Which finally brings us to God a.k.a. Allah, Jehovah, Vishnu, Zeus, Shangdi, Theos, Jesus, Tenri-O-no-Mikoto – the list is indeed endless. And by this point readers are probably wondering what my view on God is. Well, let me tell you this, whether there is a flying spaghetti monster in the skies or not, I do not know, I do not lose sleep over it and most definitely I cannot change it. I can neither prove nor disprove that God exists. I see however the need of a divine presence in the lives of humans. We need something to look up to, to urge us to become better people or to help us understand why certain things happen. Each human believer in God has their own reason for doing so and we all have an obligation to respect that. If it is a bunch of crap and a waste of time and energy, like fanatic atheists will claim, then why is it your concern? Why do you waste time and energy in non-believing something? Why do you make every discussion (whether it originates from films, football, politics, science or food) come back to disproving the existence of God?

Sure, if He (or She) does exist, I have a lot of questions that need answering, such as: Why is there so much suffering in the world? Why do bad things happen to good people? What the fuck happens to us when we die? Why do you not just show up yourself and get it over with? And why does chocolate have to taste so good, yet contain so many calories? But spending half of my day in trying to ridicule religious people is just sad and pathetic. If you overcome the fact that God does not exist, then surely you need to make the most of your life and this is how you choose to spend your time? As for the everlasting debate of science and religion, just a quick note: One does not mutually exclude the other – fact! Simply because we are able to explain how the universe is created, does not mean that someone did not put that matter and anti-matter there in the first place. If the particles have been there forever and there was no beginning in time, then that is as fucking mind-blowing and incomprehensible as God himself!

Bottom line in all of the above: Choose your own belief or fluctuate between a few if you want. Do not be radical about it though. Learn to be open-minded, respect other people’s choices and let them find their own path the same way you are struggling to find yours. And if you are still unconvinced and screaming at your screen as you read this blog that god is crap, that people are stupid for believing in one and that such thing does not exist, then I dare you to this: Find a mourning mother who has just lost her child. Life has no meaning for her and the only thing keeping her sane is that her child is in the hands of god and that there is an afterlife. Walk up to her face and tell her that she is a fucking idiot for believing that. And if you still unmoved then do this: Look yourself in the mirror and convince yourself of it. Personally, I am struggling and I want to believe that there is someone/something out there that is bigger and more divine than this, ‘cause every step I take towards not believing in it, the more miserable I become in accepting that this around us is all there is after all.

Nothing Important Happened Today

I haven’t written in my blog for a while, not because I didn't want to but because I couldn't find the right time. A lot of things have happened in the past 3 months, which I would not say were “life-changing” but most certainly did occupy most of my time and mind. Experiences which have not necessarily always ended in a climax but which have made the transition of this time more interesting. Friends getting married, trips to old and new places, being introduced to new people, catching up with old friends and family, near-to life-changing attempts and decisions, meeting semi-famous and famous people, being beamed up in a Star Trek transporter, surviving a zombie apocalypse and a couple of minor health problems, just to name a few. Perhaps the most important of all though was witnessing a tragic car crash which occurred last night at my neighbourhood.

The circumstances of the accident are still uncertain but it seems that the driver lost control of the car somehow, drove off on the pavement and hit two pedestrians before crashing onto a wall. The scene was like something taken out of a movie. The emotions were all over the place. One of the two women died on site, whilst the other one is hospitalised in a critical condition. The driver survived the crush but I cannot imagine the pain he is going through, having to live with this event haunting him for the rest of his life. In a matter of a few seconds, the lives of three people and those of their families and friends have been altered forever. What sort of twisted unfortunate series of events placed those two women in the path of that car? One minute they are walking down the street, heading for a night out or a night in, thinking about the meal they are going to prepare or the drink they just had, rushing to meet someone loved or simply going home to feed their pet, but fate had different plans for them. Even the slightest attempt to understand, comprehend, explain this tragic loss of life is futile.

What perhaps perplexed me the most was the inability of most of us, the eyewitnesses, to act or help in any way. The car door was jammed; it took the firemen almost an hour to get the driver out. One woman was dead and the other injured; the paramedics were doing their best. But what was done, was done. I felt as useless as a cross screwdriver used to tight a slot screw. No-one could take that crash away. No-one could make time stop or turn it back. No-one could give life back. And no-one will ever be able to ease the pain of the dead woman’s loved ones. She is gone, off to a world which can only be better than this one. The tragedy remains with those left behind.

So where does this leave us? Do I close this entry with a god-send remark about how my life will never be the same or something along the lines of “carpe diem”? Do I tell you to pick up the phone and call all of your family members and friends, patch things up with those you are upset and hug random strangers in the street? Do I make a life-altering decision, make a 180-degree turn and stun everyone with my amazing new lifestyle and abilities? No, none of that will happen. Besides the wrecked wall, shattered glass, some blood stains and a few flowers, nothing is left to mirror the events that unfolded last night. The bright sun reminded nothing of the dark, cold and gloomy last night. All the police and ambulance cars are gone, the witnesses walked back inside their houses and the police officers, firemen and paramedics moved on to another scene. People say that “shit happens” and we have to accept it. But can we?

Uncovering Cancer

Cancer targets one in every three people. It has some way or another touched all of us and those around us. Being currently a scientist in cancer research, I attempt to answer 5 burning questions that everyone has about cancer – in as simple, non-scientific terms as possible.

What is cancer?

Cancer is a disease that originates from our own bodies. The cells of many organs and parts of organs are regenerated on a daily basis, such as skin and intestines. This means that old cells die and new cells, which will be copies of the old ones, are made. There are mechanisms within our cells that initiate, hinder and control the generation and growth of the new cells, as well as the death of old or malfunctioning ones. Our DNA is the building block of cells and every function and feature of our bodies. The DNA code sequence has to be copied from the old cells to the new cells but this copying often comes with errors. Hundreds of these errors occur in each one of us within a day. However, cells have the way of fixing the errors. If not fixed, then a majority of them will not be harmful due to the location in the sequence. If at the wrong place though, an error could cause serious damage affecting the cell mechanisms that exist in the cells. This could result in the continuous and unstoppable generation and growth of cells, eventually leading to a tumour. These cells, even though normal to begin with, will soon be getting stacked and will begin accumulating more errors and developing new properties.

Imagine that you are hosting a party at your flat which can hold up to 100 people. If the security guy at the door falls asleep and fails to do his job properly, more guests will begin entering the flat. You are unable to control them and soon enough, you have 200 instead of a 100 guests. The guests are still normal people but they are packed. There is no space to move. Then the resources become sparse. Some guests begin opening windows to let fresh air in; others are calling for pizza deliveries since they are hungry – the cells in a tumour can actually extend and grow new paths for blood vessels so they can get their oxygen supply. The guests then begin making noise and the neighbours are disturbed. The guests begin breaking valuable stuff in your house. In the same way, a tumour begins pushing against surrounding organs, causing pain and malfunction of the organs. Eventually, a few of the guests might decide to take the party elsewhere; they crash at someone else’s place and start inviting more of their friends. And you got metastasis.

Is cancer a genetic or an environmental disease?

Cancer is affected by both genetics and by harmful environmental factors. If there is a mutation (an error in the DNA) that can be passed on from parent to child, then there are good chances the child will inherit it. It is not always the case but chances are certainly higher. This mutation will effectively lead to the same type of cancer being developed; that is why you hear that women who have first-degree relatives with breast cancer, are at greater risk and should be monitored more closely. They might have accumulated a mutated gene, which would increase their chance of developing breast cancer.

The environment affects greatly as well though, since certain factors, such as exposure to UV light or cigarette smoke or radioactive materials can damage our DNA, which would lead to more errors happening inside our bodies; more than our bodies are prepared for. Sequentially, more errors will escape the “fixing mechanisms”, therefore increasing the chances of one or more of these errors leading to the development of a tumour. However, we are all prone to developing cancer. A person with the perfect lifestyle and no history of cancers in his or her family can still have cancer. Genetics and environment simply increase the chances.

Will there ever be one cure for cancer?

No, personally I do not believe there will ever be one unique cure or prevention measure (eg. a vaccine) for cancer; at least not in the near future. This is because cancer is a complex disease, it consists of a number of “diseases” one could say and it varies according to the person, its location, its stage, its type, its growth rate. Cancer from person to person, from organ to organ, varies in so many ways; it is not like the common flu or diabetes or HIV. That is why the treatment of each cancer patient has to be designed accordingly and is usually a combinational one; i.e. surgery with chemotherapy or radiotherapy or hormonal therapy for example. Quite often, a rumour floats around that the “pill against cancer” has been found and the drug companies are not releasing it. Let me assure you that there is no such thing. First of all, the company that would sell this “pill” would make millions. Second of all, no self-respecting scientist that works in cancer research would get up in the morning to have another frustrating day in the lab if the cure had already been found. Believe it or not, cancer researchers do not just sit around all day, mixing colourful liquids in tubes and recording the number of bubbles produced.

What is the point of cancer research then?

Cancer research is important in developing more efficient prognostic and diagnostic tools and better-targeted treatments. The sooner a tumour is detected, the earlier it can be treated and prevented from developing into something which will have no return or even metastasising. Also, better-targeted treatments means that they will be more effective at dealing and killing the cancer cells but harming as less as possible of the “good” cells still dominating in our bodies and right next to the cancerous ones. Cancer patients often suffer from chemotherapy, since the drugs are causing harmful effects to their normal, good cells as well. Let us go back at the example of the uncontrollable party that is taking place in your flat; the police are doing their best to get all the noisy ones out of the building but picking them one by one, without hurting the “innocent” ones or disturbing your neighbours, is impossible. Some good ones will go down with them. Nuking the whole building is not an option either! Scientists are the police in this scenario, trying to find out how to better identify the cancerous cells, how to isolate and exploit their weaknesses so that only them go down; helping cancer patients to a longer life and a less painful experience.

Have cancer incidences increased in the last years?

This is debated in the scientific community. Cancer has certainly been always around, since DNA and cells have always been around. Cancer was first recorded in 3000 BC in ancient Egypt and was studied in ancient Greece, given also its name at the time (cancer = carcinos in Greek, which means “crab”). Whether incidences have increased though in the last few years or not, it is not clearly defined yet. First of all, life expectancy has risen. Medicine has prolonged our lives and nowadays, a lot of people live to their 80s and 90s. A few centuries ago, 50 would be considered “old”. Therefore, a longer a person lives, the more chances they have of developing cancer. If x incidences of cancer patients above 70 years old were recorded in the last 10 years, a small percentage would have been recorded 3 centuries ago simply because not that many people would have lived to that age. Also, prognosis and diagnosis of cancer have improved tremendously. Not all cancer cases would have been diagnosed and recorded 80-100 years ago, whereas nowadays hardly any go undetected.

Lifestyle is most certainly affecting though. A healthy lifestyle would contribute to prevention of some cancers, to some extent. A person’s psychology is said to greatly contribute to the treatment of cancer as well – like it would with any other disease. Quite often though, we hear that “substance A” has been found to help treat cancer and “substance A” is actually present in pineapples. Do we stuff our faces with pineapples though and rest assured that we will never develop cancer? No, the answer is not as simple as that. Other questions need to be raised, such as “in what form does that substance exist in pineapple?” and “does the pineapple have any harmful effects?” Bottom line I would say: Everything in moderation. Including the seemingly good things.

The Cyprus Tudors

I recently found myself in Cyprus, my homeland, and besides the heat and mosquitoes, I found one more thing bothering me the most: people’s attitude. As I was watching the TV series The Tudors, I couldn’t help but draw some similarities between England of the 15^th and 16^th centuries and Cyprus of the 21^st century.

1.     It is a male-dominated society – sort of. The colours are a lot greyer in Cyprus but even in The Tudors you could see that men’s decisions were easily manipulated by their lust for women. Yet males still hold more power in some matters, especially when it comes to issues of sex and cheating. If a man sleeps around, he is nothing more than a man – and he needs to be congratulated. If a woman sleeps around, she is a harlot.

2.      Every girl is believed to be a virgin when she gets married.

3.      Sex is far more important than anything else. The country is at chaos, the economy is in shambles, but everyone’s primary concern is “who are we going to f*ck tonight?”.

4.      Every family in Cyprus is royal. Or tries to be. Every man is a president of something, every wife thinks she is the Queen and should be treated so by everyone around her and everyone’s kids are spoiled like little princes and princesses. Everyone’s concern (apart from sex of course) is “whose ass are we going to kiss today?” and how to acquire or elevate their position. Thanks to the small size of the country, the six-degree separation becomes two-degrees and most jobs, favours and privileges are handed out according to whom you know and not what you know.

5.   Friendships are mainly formed according to the social status and acceptance. God forbid you are to be seen hanging around with a person of lower status than you.

6.    Everyone is polite to your face. And secretly sharpening the knife they will backstab you with the minute you are no longer of use to them. People greet you with a smile, call you “my friend”, hug and kiss you, yet can’t wait to spread some juicy malicious gossip about you the minute you disappear out the door. They will use you when need you and forget all about you afterwards.

7.     Homosexual people get married – not with each other but with heterosexual partners. And then cheat on them with their best friends while they are supposedly out having drinks.

8.    King Henry was a greedy, arrogant, bipolar, spoiled brat. The same can be said about the president of Cyprus. King Henry made laws to suit his own needs. The president of Cyprus also puts himself above the law, clearing himself of any responsibilities for anything gone wrong during his reign over the island, such as the confiscated weapons explosion which caused the lives of 13 young people and brought the country’s economy to its knees.

9.     The church has a prominent role. And it is not the role it should have. The church is involved in politics, in scandals and in covering them up, instead of doing their part to lead the people into a pure and virtuous life. Texts are interpreted the way people want them to and in a way that satisfies their own needs. As for the average Christians of Cyprus nowadays, they are more concerned about wearing an expensive suit during the Christmas ceremony than helping a homeless person who might be dying of hunger at the same time they proclaim their love for the newborn Jesus.

10. There are enemies lurking all around the country, yet civil wars are more fun it seems. To expand on this would take years but I should hope so the message is pretty clear and straight-forward.