m7-larariboldi-blog

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Reflections on the way home...

Here I am, on the island of Kos, enjoying the last hot day before going back to the rainy Denmark. I had a walk at the port and in town, curious to see for myself the damage of the earthquake happened on the 21st of July. The sight left me goose bumps…impressive! Now, I am ironically reflecting about my experience in Lipsi and writing, sitting next to the Tree of Hippocrates (one of the area most seriously affected), place in which he was writing himself and teaching mathematics to his pupils.

On the left: Earthquake damage to the church in town and the crack separating the main port from the main land.  On the right: a minaret damaged of the mosque.

 Hippocrates Tree before the earthquake...

...and after

Before leaving for my internship, I fixed 5 learning objectives…:

I.       Gain a better insight of Greek traditions, customs, food culture and social practices of the local community.

II.     Improve Intercultural Communication Competencies (ICC) in relation to health promotion and increase cultural sensitivity.

III.   Improve cooking skills and put in practice teaching methods in the area of nutrition and physical activity (PA)

IV.  Gain a broader insight of the dynamics of community development projects and health strategies in specific settings (e.g. targeting individuals during vacation, practicing responsible tourism and/or sustainable living) and how can the project be beneficial for individuals’ health and lifestyle choices

V.    Reflect on how a similar project could be implemented in a different setting or environment (e.g.  at the Danish Island of Bornholm)

 ...And what about the learning outcome?

Well, I feel that all the points mentioned above had been fulfilled and that I have learnt even more of what I expected. In details, point by point:

I.       I have learnt what Greek food culture is based on, the importance of food as a social practice, able to gather people together not only for the material act of eating, but also for sharing the daily experiences within family and friends. In other words, a moment in which adults transmit knowledge, traditions, values and customs to the younger once. Certain kind of food are seen like something “holy” and used as an homage during the Holy Mass. For coming to those final considerations, I had to reach the locals and not let them perceive me as a tourist or an outsider. So, learning the native language was fundamental to gain their trust and come closer, till feeling myself fully integrated. This gave me the opportunity to participate to some family dinners and while eating at restaurants in the area, I noticed that portions and alcohol (overall OUZO, the traditional liqueur) are a concern, no matter the Mediterranean diet is considered between the healthiest in the world. Almost everything is organic and still made by hands in a traditional way (e.g. cheese) and had the opportunity to assist and experience myself, how to use the most known and natural way of preservation (e. g. sun-dried figs and tomatoes, olives in sea water & dried tomatoes under oil).

 II.     Milton Bennett explains that intercultural understanding is an individual process and defines it as continuum of different levels of personal development in the recognition and acceptance of cultural differences. Developing intercultural sensitivity means to develop capability to recognize and to accept differences between cultures’ perception of the world. For me, it was particularly meaningful to conclude my internship in Greece for improving my ICC and pass from an initial stage of minimization, in which the existence of the others is tolerated, by minimizing the differences between groups, to an Ethno relativist stage of acceptance and adaptation. Learning Greek language, eating local food, wear Greek style clothing and attend festivals and ceremonies, not only helped me to gain a better understanding of who they are and reach better the target, but I can say that made me (partially) one of them. As a matter of fact, I absorbed and integrated some aspects of Greek behavior into my culture, such as cross myself every time I hear the sound of a church bell or eating lunch at 3 pm even now that I am back to Denmark!! :D. The activities at the farm were all run in an informal way and I had to take in consideration (overall during PA and coaching sessions) the multicultural environment and cultural differences. During the water-gym sessions, I could conclude on Katsadia beach, I dealt generally with people coming from European countries, though in 2 of the PA sessions 1 Muslim girl participated. Here is where, I realized that some kind of expressions and jokes used previously as a form of incitement would have not been appropriate or even may resulted offensive for her. I also thought to review my “energetic” tone of voice and body language, changing it in a more quiet and smooth one to result less aggressive. Moreover, I decided in those specific occasions to run the entire session wearing my shirt and avoid the bikini. So, as Fred Jandt explain in “An introduction to intercultural communication: Identities in a Global Community”, modifying proxemics (personal space), kinesics (body movement, gestures and facial expression), paralanguage (modulation of sounds and voice) and clothing & appearance permits to avoid nonverbal misinterpretation, that are a barriers to communication between different cultures.

 III.   Before starting my experience as an intern at the Dimitri���s farm, I organised and planned a couple of session of PA and had an idea on how to run food workshops, with the aim of spread knowledge about a healthy diet to follow and beneficial impact of organic and “slow food” on individuals’ lifestyle. Though, once there, I had to review my previous idea of “academic session” because it would have never had a high response or success in this special setting. People in vacation are not willing to sit indoor, in a closed space watching some slides and listening explanations, that might be considered boring, perceived as useless and time consuming. Individuals wants to have fun, relax, enjoy nature, learn and experience something new without feeling overwhelmed. That is why, I had the idea (in cooperation with my supervisor) to combine his Greek cuisine and culinary class with nutritional advise, of which I would have been the responsible. This solution gave the expected results, facilitating participation and attention of the guests in a very relaxed and friendly environment. The informal approach, in which nutritional knowledge and cooking skills were spread in the form of “tips” more than long explanations, resulted to be the most effective methods. Thus, leaving to the guest, not only an enjoyable and unique experience, but also the curiosity to ask me further details after class about the topics addressed, showing a genuine interest for them. During the workshops, the use of senses (e.g. taste, touch, smell) was the protagonist in this process of experiential learning. As Jarvis suggests, individuals learn as a “whole”, in which senses, feelings and emotions play a crucial role for the learning process itself and help not only to gather information from the world as receptors. In fact, taste is not only able to determine the taste in our mouth, but (combined to the other senses, feelings and the knowledge acquired during the workshop) is also valuable in the decision-making, such as liking or disliking a certain food in relation to a health-related purpose. In addition, we expect the appealing and enjoyable experience to facilitate endurable changes because people learn best when the topic is related to their own health and when feeling comfortable or having fun. Therefore, the expectation is for the guest to associate learning with “feeling good”, so that an affective outcome may be learnt combined to a cognitive one. The most amazing thing about this “combined” type of food workshops was “learning while teaching”, operating side by side with my supervisor to which I want to extend warm thanks for all the time, he dedicated to me and for all the knowledge, that he shared with us interns: “EFHARISTO’ POLI’ KOSTAS!!!” :).

As a PA session, I prior planned hiking/brisk walking combined with a final swim. Though, once in loco, I realized (also asking feedback to my supervisor and guests) that a session of water-gym would have been more appealing, appropriate during the hottest days (hiking under the sun could have caused a heat-stroke). Furthermore, it is convenient for involving everyone and diminish the risk of injuries: e.g. movements in water result more smooth and push less stress on the joints.  In addition, group activities facilitate motivation and adherence to the program or activity. All the sessions started with 5 minutes warm up on the beach, followed by exercise (aerobic & cardio) in the water, to end with a couple of games, with the hope for the session to result funny, engaging and motivate people to participate again. Through feedback from the guests I could adjust the duration (the first session resulted to be too short- 25 min) and always made sure to change the type of exercises and sequence not to bore the participants.

 IV.  For 6 weeks, I have lived at the farm in a community of 7 people of different nationalities and coming from different backgrounds. The amazing thing about it was, that differences between us have been an advantage instead of a barrier and that we could cooperate in the multiple daily tasks with no conflicts. Credit for that goes also to Kostas, able to coordinate the interns in relation of their study program, needs and specialization. This way every one of us could give their personal contribution during the activities, making it a special experience, in which the exchange of knowledge between us was as much valuable as it was the one offered to the guests. For instance, during food workshops, Kostas explained recipes and Greek food culture, I was teaching cooking skills and nutritional facts, Cristiana from Arkansas culinary arts and food composition, while Fanny from Brittany informed us on how to grow crops and integrate them sustainably into the landscape or on your own garden and balcony. Furthermore, the decisions approach of the community was “bottom up” giving every intern the freedom and responsibility to express their opinion and agree on the most beneficial solutions for all of us, supporting this way individuals’ positive mood and a harmonious coexistence.

At the farm, several guests & tourists were participating to the activities, some because aware of the existence from the website, others got caught up in the moment, while buying products at the shop and inspired to join us. Once again communication was the key to try to understand the reason of their participation and if/what a certain kind of experience or vacation would have an impact on their life once back in their homeland. I realized, that my previous education and tour leader skills, combined with the intercultural communication program included in the GNH curricula, enhanced my communication skills. Due to my previous job in tourism industry, I had to be able to deal with diverse people in different situations. Thus, I have always had good social skills (empathy and identity maintenance) and behavioral flexibility (ability to select an appropriate behavior in diverse contexts). Nevertheless, I feel I have improved my interaction management (ability of handling the procedural aspects of a conversation, such as attentiveness and responsiveness). As mentioned in previous posts, I understood from this experience, that when targeting individuals during vacation or a small, close community as the local in Lipsi, often a formal approach would not work. A list of questions, as the one that are specified on an interview guide, would bother the quiet and relaxation state those individuals are in. On the contrary, it was more effective to show a friendly and informal approach, as could be a chat with a person already met, an acquaintance. This sets people at ease and give them the autonomy to choose, what point to develop more and open up about. The challenge in this case was too keep the interlocutor “on the right track” for obtaining the information more relevant to my research, while being a good listener and demonstrating empathy and genuine interest.

My findings depicted, that individuals enjoy this type of vacation because reconnecting to nature, can have new experiences and because interested in farming, organic food/wine production, nutrition and healthy-sustainable living. They are generally prone to an active lifestyle, all seemed enthusiastic to meet new people and be involved in workshops and farm life. Every single tourist, I have talked to, seemed to be happy, seemed to “feel good”. But what will it happen when the vacation get to the end? When people will go back in their homeland and/or to their own routine? Will the Dimitri’s farm and the Nikita’s village experience and the knowledge acquired there, leave a mark in individuals’ life, so that would facilitate endurable, meaningful health-related choices? As I got to understand, THEY WILL. Though, the focus is not set on a physical state, but more on a psychological one for a complete sense of well-being. In fact, some admitted to have a sedentary life style at home for a lack of time, accessibility and motivation. Nevertheless, many of them mentioned to have changed their perspective on food ways and be more conscious/aware, while shopping and cooking (e.g. prefer organic products and start cooking themselves to reduce at minimum the consume of fast food). Although, what it was more meaningful to me, were declarations made, such as:” I feel regenerated when I go home because here, I can fully relax…” or “It is so peaceful here!”, in addition to other expressions, like: “Mental detox”, “No stress here”, “Time flies here…” or “Love those people!”. They all emphasize the fundamental role, that the mind, feelings and emotions play, for reaching a healthy condition. Thus, the psychological state is the first element to flourish for achieving a complete state of well-being.

V.  This internship made me understand, that a similar project can be implemented successful in a different setting. I say similar because some variable has to be taken in consideration, such as: climate conditions, conformation of the territory and access to resources, culture, religion, way of promoting health, population’s health-related issues, etc. I will write a report once back in Copenhagen to compare the experience and research done in Lipsi to Bornholm’s reality. The aim is to evaluate how to implement and adapt the project to the conditions and resources that the Danish island offers, underling pro and cons, limitations and barriers to it.

Once concluded the report, I will let you know more in details my final consideration about it. So, let’s get in touch soon and remember NOT to stress and always try to “feel good” :).

[m7-larariboldi-blog]

Because being healthy it is not only about a physiological state, the state of mind is at the base of a complete state of well being.

WHO definition of health. “A state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity”.

“We are not hippies we are happies”

With these silly title I start this post :) hoping to make you smile and bring a bit of light into your week.

Now let’s get serious…Yesterday was the International Happiness Day like every other 20th of March. The United Nations declared 20 March the International Day of Happiness to recognise the relevance of happiness and well-being as universal goals. UN offices organized a motivational talk by a company called Belab.

Belab is an Inspirational Leadership Center, which seeks to support people to reinvent themselves in their field of development through the discovery, activation and expansion of people’s passions and abilities.I found the talk very interesting what drives me to do a bit more research to find out what happiness looks like from different angles.

What is happiness?

The ancient Greeks were among the first to explore the link between the physical body and our emotional responses. Happiness is like every other emotional experience, the result of electrochemical reactions in the brain brought on by stimuli. Without entering into much complexity,biology or chemistry ,I will present 4 chemicals that once released inside our body make us feel really good:) 

Dopamine,Seroronin, Oxytocin and Endorphin.In case you haven’t seen yet ,there is a great video in youtube showing how a happy cell looks like (btw it is very cute) you can find it on this link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hqYMSKo91eo  where the cute molecules of the protein myosin drag a ball of endorphins along an active filament into the inner part of the brain’s parietal cortex, which produces feelings of happiness.

Although that is the scientific explanation ,other approaches biological, psychological, economic, religious and philosophical must be taken into consideration to have a broader perspective.The common denominator is that Happiness is a mental or emotional state of well-being and not always very easy to see or to define.

For example,there are plenty of studies backing up the idea that meditation has a positive impact in our health and well being.But why and how?are our cells so dependent on our state of mind or how we feel?

Whatever happiness is, we know that we want it!we could call it many other ways… and that is just somehow good. Lets dig a bit more on that…

How can we measure happiness?

A 2012 review of more than 200 studies found a connection between happiness and its positive psychological attributes. It is really amazing the power of our brain and how it affects to our general health and well-being but how can we measure how happy we are?????

I found on Wikipedia that Psychologist Martin Seligman asserts that happiness is not solely derived from external, momentary pleasures, and he affirms that humans seem happiest when they have:Pleasure (tasty food, warm baths, etc.)Engagement (or flow, the absorption of an enjoyed yet challenging activity)Relationships (social ties have turned out to be extremely reliable indicator of happiness)Meaning (a perceived quest or belonging to something bigger),Accomplishments (having realized tangible goals).

Dr. Laura Kubzansky, Professor of Social and Behavioral Sciences and Director of the Society and Health Laboratory at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.Also she serves as co-Director of the Lee Kum Sheung Center for Health and Happiness,has published many studies that connects happiness and health.For example some her publications : “The promise of well-being interventions for improving health risk behaviors” or “The prospective association between positive psychological well-being and diabetes” among others.I highly recommend you to look at this link where you will read about keys to a happier, healthier life :

 https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/news/magazine/happiness-stress-heart-disease/

The number of interesting journals and studies related to the topic are endless.

But how can be happiness measured?how well one likes the life one lives?

Apparently,the way to measure for research purposes, it is to ask the individual to give his or her opinion on one’s own happiness situation. The system is based in surveys either in face-to-face interviews or on questionnaires presented on the web.They measure the frequency where verbal and numerical scales are used.It can be measured in an individual or collective level.Others like : The Subjective Happiness Scale (SHS), The Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) or the the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS).

World Happiness report 2017

The first World Happiness Report was published in April, 2012, in support of the UN High Level Meeting on happiness and well-being. Since then there are annual publications that put in spot the happiest countries on earth.Latest ranking placed Norway as the happiest country in the world followed by Denmark ,Iceland and Switzerland.

Find more details here :

http://worldhappiness.report/ed/2017/

The ranking is based on the following variables: happiness,GDP per capita ,social support , health and life expectancy, freedom to make life choices, generosity and perception of corruption.

Alright since we have some people in class from these “happy” countries ,will be great to know your opinion. I certainly find some aspects of these report superficial. For example if we look other indicators like suicide rates (info below from WHO )seems like in Europe people commit suicide more than in other regions around the world or if we look at the ranking in Europe ,Iceland is over the suicidal average in the region…I just leave it for your own judgement and opinion.

How can I achieve happiness?

Although it is very personal,there are some patterns that can be followed.For example you can improve happiness by eating healthier, socializing more, meditating, giving more to others, etc.

Nevertheless, I am not an expert in the matter but I personally have experienced that when you get to know yourself ,when you listen to your body, and when give you space to reconnect whit nature and what matter in life, can have a powerful effects on your everyday.Also I found that having a purpose in life keeps you alive and moving. Some of us also believe that giving to others or trying to make a change in the world (one by one) is part of these process.

Love more,laugh more, enjoy more and specially whatever you go and you do , be present. We are surrounded by so many things that distract us from what matters.

I found in sports ,yoga and meditation a good way to relief worry and tension apart from keeping us active.There are studies linking yoga and meditation to mental health and well-being ,you can find in PubMed as usual.

I think will be interesting that new rankings could appear, instead to measure  the individual GDP ,they could focus on “Gross national happiness and health” of the population.

SOME FOODS THAT RAISE YOUR SEROTONIN:

OTHER TIPS FOR YOUR EVERYDAY LIFE:

I have read some great books that were very enlightening.If you are more curious about it ,I can send you some bibliography.Below you will read wise words from the book “The art of happiness” by Dalai Lama.

With his wise and beautiful words I end my post.

Hope you enjoyed the post and that you always find your way to happiness.

xx

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Grape harvest at the farm and natural wine production in Pathmos

The last week has been pretty intense and focused on harvesting grapes and picking figs. We have been able to collect over 2 tons of grape and carried the 110 crates to Pathmos, a bigger island only 1 hour away from Lipsi. For the first time, Kostas decided to make his wine made by a French man, Dorian that is an expert in natural wine production. The reason of this is, that Kostas’ wine is considered peculiar, due to the rare quality of grape used for it. In fact, his vineyard is over 200 years old and because of that, the grapevine itself produces less fruits, but with higher content of nutrients, able to offer a special product, that on the market is 30% more expensive than “younger” natural wines. Funny and curious, Kostas’ next step will be to export his product to Denmark, thanks also to the positive promotion in several restaurants, made by a famous Danish actress, of which I will not mention the name for ethical reasons. The fact that a 100% organic wine (including growing, harvesting and production) can be popular in Denmark does’t surprise me, at all. As a matter of fact (and as many of us might know and remember from what studied in sociology of food), Denmark has long traditions in organic production. In 1987, Denmark was the first country in the world to pass a law on organic farming and to introduce government inspection of the organic production chain, ensuring organic food quality at farms, in companies and in supermarkets.

The day in Pathmos was pleasant and gave me the opportunity for the first time in life to assist step by step, how organic wine is produced and of this I would like to share a few pictures.

On a large scale it is necessary a bit of mechanization. On the left: the wine press separating the grape from the juice. On the right: the barometer to control the pressure and regulate the fermentation process, that happens between 20 and 30 degrees.

During this experience, though the most interesting thing to observe has been the grape harvesting. Due to the heat wave, that has touched Lipsi in the last days, we needed to harvest the grape in few hours to prevent the fruits to get rotten or spoiled under the sun. Only the interns could have never made it on time. We needed some volunteers and it has been mine and my supervisor’s job to recruit some tourists willing to help. I was positively surprised about the response: in only few hours we could motivate and involve 17 people into the harvesting process. You might wonder…”How did you do that?”. We only talked kindly with them, but can’t deny that using a free, delicious meal as a positive reinforcement helped consistently. The guests came from 9 different countries: Norway, Italy, Greece, Germany, France, England, USA, Canada and Australia. All of them were enthusiastic to give their contribution and worked with us in perfect harmony. The day concluded with a colorful and delicious buffet, in which was my responsibility to create 3 different pasta salad. I decided to keep them exclusively vegetarian, obviously using fresh ingredients from the farm. This gave me also the opportunity, while introducing the dishes to the guests, to spread some information about the benefits of a mainly vegetarian diet rich in fiber on our glucose metabolism. Contrary, how a diet rich in saturated fat and animal protein (overall from red meat) increases the risk of colon and stomach cancer.

I wondered, what could have motivated all those people to take part in such a hard work during their vacation time, generally associated with “pure relax”. My first impression was, that such an experience might be appealing because happens for some once in a life time and might represent a completely different reality compared to the one, in which many of them live in, such as a city like Milan, Toronto, Paris or New York. Moreover, being active and “do something” instead of lying all day on the beach might have been further motivation. Thus, my curiosity pushed me to have a conversation with few of the guest, with the aim of getting a better understanding of it. As Steinar Kvale explains in his book “Doing Interviews”, individuals tend to open up to the interviewer, when feeling comfortable and at ease. Therefore, I decided to “act” while eating and took advantage of the relaxed setting and friendly environment, situation to gain the information, I was looking for. I talked with 5 people and the findings were as follows:

1 on 5 participates to get a free meal 

2 on 5 felt compelled to help

3 on 5 were excited to experience and learn something new

4 on 5 identified the experience as funny and a great opportunity to get in touch with nature 

5 on 5 wanted to meet new people and did it to “be together” and feel part of a group

Those results emphasize the importance for individuals to satisfy the 3 basic psychological needs expressed also in the self-determination theory, that contribute to personal well-being:

competence

autonomy

psychological relatedness

Moreover, “being healthy” is not only related to physiological factors, our level of physical activity or our diet, but from a more holistic view, it concerns a state of mind and being happy itself. Happiness is hard to define scientifically, but it is proved to be a “chemical” internal reactions, in which hormones such as serotonin, dopamine and endorphin are directly involved. Reaching happiness is personal and everyone of us has his own way to reach it and discharge the daily stress, that is one of our worse enemy, in regard to cardiovascular disease overall. Though, some common patterns appear to be beneficial for human being and reconnecting with nature and with the self is one of them. I please you to have a look on one of my peers’ post, that will explain you in details what happiness is and how to reach it at best.

Teamwork during the grape harvesting 

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Nikita’s Village

Today I am so excited to explain you, how were my last days. After the fear related to the earthquake everything is fixed and back to normal. I spent the last 2 days in company of my supervisor. It has been very interesting to listen to the multiple stories about his family and the history of Lipsi. We had a pleasant tour together around the island, that ended on the site where the Nikita’s Village will be built.

I was surprised to see, that everything is set in place: the excavation and the stone walls are done. In addition, the first road to access the site is completed. Kostas explained me all the details about the project, in which everything has been  thoroughly planned. As mentioned in my previous post about this topic, the resort is meant to be completely sustainable. Nevertheless, after having the chance to visit the whole island, I was worried that these future luxury villas would have changed the landscape. Well...I was wrong. Kostas is making it in the way, that the buildings will not be visible from the main road, they will be exclusively built with stones from his properties and respecting the conformation of the territory. Moreover, the 12 villas will be insulated with seaweed and powered with solar panels.There will be a water collection system on the roofs, while the water in the sewage system will be filtered with bamboo stalks in a cistern situated 3 meters underground, to avoid bad smell. Kostas explained, that the organic material will decompose in 2-3 years and will be recycled and used as a natural fertilizer for the common garden, the guest will benefit from. Indeed, even though the properties are not for sale and it will be a time-sharing solution, in the contract will be incorporated the perpetual right to harvest, using the resources of the property (milk provided by animal included), making this experience unique and special. In other words, different from the other tourist resorts. Moreover, a common kitchen and a building dedicated to student like me will be realised to facilitate the daily activities and motivate the guests to be an active part of them.

What else to say...simply that I am looking forward for this project to be finished and wish for more as this to come!

The site and the excavation 

The stone walls and the local rocks of which the villas will be made from

Kostas, the head of the project, me and the fantastic sea view on Plath Giallos located in the north part of the island

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Challenging week...

This week has been atypical. On the 21st of July there was an earthquake with epicentre between the islands of Dodecanese and the Turkish coastline. It was shocking to know, that it was very bad for Kos, only 2 hours away from Lipsi. I was outside the night in which it happened and I felt the strong earth tremor on my way home. It was scary and confusing at the same time. The morning after, I read in the news, that the magnitude was 6.7 of the Richter scale and beside destroying the mosque and the fortress, 2 tourists tragically died. The main port was also damaged and the ferries connections between Kos and the surrounding islands has been interrupted for 2 days. Because of that, many tourists cancelled their vacation to Kos and Lipsi.

For the following days, the people has been confused and worried. We all were. It felt like everything stopped and it hasn’t been possible for me and my boss to run regular activities also because of the heat and missing water. The island felt empty and people were worried and sad. Thus, I took my chance for studying the language and my ability to speak Greek quickly improved and so, I took my chance  to talk with locals. Even though, I spent time to organise an interview guide, I noticed that in a small reality such this one, it is not effective. People here are prone to talk when the approach is informal and have a conversation in front of a “frappe” (traditional cold coffee) is the best way to gain valuable information. As mentioned previously, the community is like a big family and everyone knows and supports each other. So, after the unfortunate episode it came natural to ask about their feelings and opinion about it. Communicating with them in their native language has been an advantage. In fact, it permitted me to fully integrate in such a short time and gain their trust. This way people opened up with me expressing that, beside the earthquake, what bothers them most is the strong economic crisis, that is touching all Greece in the last few years.

Then my question was:”What do you do to overcome this tough time?”. The answer of most of them was surprising: faith and hope. In Greece people are orthodox and very religious. On the island of Lipsi there are approximately 50 churches, 1 for every family group. Sunday is a holy day and all the business and activities stop during daytime because of the holy mass happening at the main church, in which locals gather together and bring homemade food, such as bread and sweets, as an act of homage. Besides that, the island offers so many resources, that make it possible for them to be self-sufficient and make them able to thrive even without a euro in their pocket. And so, once again cooperation and partnership are the foundation of this society. 

Few of the multiple churches on the island

The damage from the earthquake on the coastline in Lipsi 

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Greek traditions, food culture & social practices

What I have noticed since my arrival on this island is that the local population is a very small and close community. Time is passing by and I am realising that the inhabitants live like a family. Everyone saying “Hello” to each other in the streets and it didn’t take me long to become a part of it. Observing their attitude towards tourists, I had the impression of a certain kind of “resistance”. Even though, tourism is the main income during summertime, the locals feel threaten from it because the popularity of this island is increasing more and more and this might undermine in a future, the very strong traditions and the environment.

I don’t want them to perceive me as a tourist and many of them don’t speak English. Thus, with Kostas’ help, I am focusing this week on improving Greek language with the hope to overcome language barriers and better reach the target and run some interviews. Moreover, being empathetic, open minded and respectful are fundamental skills of intercultural communication for reach a genuine social interaction.

The island is self-sufficient and food production is at the core of the culture. Goat cheese is one of the main product and almost every family produces his own. At the farm, I experienced how to milk a goat and produce a delicious and 100 % natural ricotta in only 2 hours. Unbelievable! I also had the chance to visit last week the local cheese factory and follow the procedures from the pasteurization to the dry-salting, everything made by hands.

At the farm, as mentioned previously, cooking together Greek traditional food is a must and would like to share with you some pictures of the products we sell and of the healthy, delicious meal characterized by fresh ingredients that the farm and this special land offers. By the way, now the sun is going down, and this is the time in which people gather together around a good dinner, that for Greek, as much as for the other Mediterranean populations is not meant to be only food and is not limited to the act of eating itself. On the contrary, food has a social aspect and it is a way of “being together”, while transmitting precious knowledge to the youngest members of the family, setting special emphasis on traditions and culture. Time to go now…so, enjoy your meal or maybe I should better say:” KALIOREXI”.

Fishermen sewing fishing nets at the port, some typical fishing boats, hanging octopus ready to be grilled and a horse with the traditional outfit

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100% natural food harvesting and production 

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Water gym at Katsadia beach

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My job

I would like to make clear that the Nikita’s Village project is a work in progress. Which means that the resort is not physically built yet. The site, located in the north part of the island, has been excavated and the roads have been completed. The stone walls have been built from stones found on the property and the first villa will be finished by the end of this year. Thus, all the courses and the activities that I am participating in have been moved to the farm.

It is hard to define a typical working day because each day is so diverse. We live as a community at the farm and every intern has a different program to follow, therefore Kostas has personalised our schedules. And in the last two weeks I have learned so much in so little time.

At the farm, we wake up at 8:30 am and make breakfast together. The incredible thing is that we eat exclusively what we grow and harvest, so there is no need to buy anything besides bottled water, rice, pasta and local meat once in awhile. We generally have vegetarian meals rich in fresh fruits and vegetables, while the main protein we eat is eggs. All the products are 100% organic. Almost every night we have food workshops, in which Kostas demonstrates traditional Greek cuisine, while I teach the participants cooking skills, such as shredding, cutting, dicing. I also instruct on basic hygienic kitchen procedures, such as cross contamination and temperatures. It is also my role to raise awareness during the activity about the benefits of the different kind of vitamins, such as antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of vitamin A & C of which the Mediterranean diet is rich. Moreover, part of my job here is to work at the shop of the farm for 2-3 hours daily and this gives me the opportunity, while selling our products, to promote organic food consumption and motivate tourists to make careful choices once back home and avoid (when possible) processed food, preservatives and fast food. What I noticed is, that a course or class at an academic level for instructing people, will not be effective in a reality like Lipsi. No stress and time, pure relaxation and slow rhythm are the main characteristics of this island, both for locals and travellers. Therefore, I needed to review my methods and take my chance, whenever is possible, to give my contribution in a very informal and relaxed setting.

Compared to the other interns at the farm, I have much more independence and autonomy in relation to my job because need to conduct interviews with the local, in order to gain a better understanding of the lifestyle, food tradition, customs, culture (still very strong on this island) and social practices. Kostas is wholly supporting me in this and since the first days, has worked for me as a “gate opener” to better reach the target. But I have much more to do, such as attending cooking classes, Greek language courses and since last week I am running 1-2 sessions of water gym per-week, depending on the weekly schedule and the multiple learning experiences enclosed in it. Running water gym sessions on the beach is an exciting experience for me, not only because of the beautiful conformation of the territory and landscape, but also for the huge learning opportunity per-se, able to improve my coaching skills in relation to physical activity, that is not exactly my strong suit :). I have always loved to challenge myself because I see it as the best way to improve who we are and achieve goals, that otherwise we would perceive, as too far away from our concrete and real abilities.

Food workshop with the guest at the farm, Dolmades: vine leaves’ rolls with rice, vegetables and spices filling

Some of the 100% organic products of the farm: Hopi maize (blue corn), beetroots, almonds, grape and sea salt...because salt can be dangerous and cause hypertension, but let’s not forget that for many countries is the main source of iodine, fundamental for a correct functioning of the thyroid gland

A reminder in the kitchen of a practical technique to regulate portions and proportion of food with the help of one hand (on the left) and on the plate - My plate (on the right)

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The project

Kostas Dimitrios is the responsible of the Nikita’s Village project and owner of the Dimitri’s farm, the place where I stay. The farm was belonging to his family, that were within the first inhabitants of the island. It is well known because of the 200 years old vineyard, that permits him to produce the best wine in loco, 100% organic from the growing and harvesting to the production itself. Though, the wine is only one of the numerous organic products that the farm offers. 

Kostas has lived for several years in the United States and had successfully worked in the food industry and among other things won a price as the best pizza maker in his 20′s. After the loss of his parents, he felt compelled to come back to Lipsi and taking care of the farm. But something else came in his mind, an ambitious project: the Nikita’s Village. So, let me explain you better what are the main objectives of it.

Lipsi is one of the few islands in Greece, that despite tourism and inescapable progress and development, is maintaining strong traditions and customs. Therefore, the Nikita’s Village will be a resort that will not undermine the territory and the local population. In other words, create the conditions for practicing sustainable tourism. In addition to that, the intention is to raise awareness about food consumption and production, emphasizing the positive consequences of organic food and an active lifestyle on individual’s health. And this is where I come into the picture. I am here to support during the multiple courses and activities, that the tourists can enjoy and use during their staying to reach a better understanding on how to “feel and live better”. It is meant to be an alternative travel experience, where the mental and physical well-being is set as the primary focus, with the hope to send out precious knowledge, facilitating this way endurable changes regarding lifestyle, once back in their homeland. More specifically, I will run food workshops with the aim of spreading awareness about nutrition and organize some physical activity sessions…but I will be back to that in my future posts.

As a matter of fact and as the Jarvis’ model of adults learning suggests: learning is situated and happens always in a specific context, being intimately related and affected by the world in which the learner lives in . Furthermore, the process of learning in adults is more effective when the topic is related to their own health and person, gaining knowledge at their best in a situation, in which people feel at ease and have fun. What's better than a vacation, then??!! The expectation is not only to have a cognitive outcome, as the one associated with an academic environment, but promote learning through concrete experiences, in which senses, feelings and emotions will be the protagonists. This will make possible for the participants to associate learning with “feeling good”, so that an emotional and affective outcome may be learnt too.

But now I need to run…though, looking forward to reveal you further details about how my typical working day looks like, in this small piece of heaven…

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On my way...

Here I am, ready for a new adventure, that I am sure will enrich not only my professional skills and knowledge, but also my life experience. I am now writing from the ferry, that from Piraeus will bring me to my destination. The island is a bit difficult to reach due to not so many connections with the ferry (once a week from Athens-Piraeus) and the trip takes approximately 10/11 hours, though it is worth it all because of the incredible landscape and sea view.

I am Italian and feel blessed because I had the opportunity to grow up in a country, that is the first in the world for biodiversity and offers so much opportunities related to organic food and culinary experiences. I am educated as a tour leader and had worked in the tourism industry for several years, but when I moved to Copenhagen 10 years ago, I started working in canteen, catering and food production. That is probably why, my already existing passion for fresh, natural ingredients and tastes has developed, setting more focus on the nutritional and social aspect of food. Thus, I felt the need to know more about what I was working with and that is what encouraged me to study Global Nutrition and Health  with specialization in Lifestyle and Health Education.

But why did I choose Dimitri’s farm and Nikita’s Eco-village to work as an intern? 

Well, I was supposed to conclude my internship in spring and because of that, I applied for different organisations and NGOs in Copenhagen. For writing my application, I took inspiration from models and templates on the net, though with not so much success. Furthermore, for personal reasons I had to postpone my internship in summer time. That’s where I had the idea to find a place abroad, overall to put in practice what I studied during the course regarding intercultural communication and health promotion in an international and/or multicultural environment. My aspiration was also to find a setting, in which I would have been able to work with nutritional advice and health coaching, while improving my cooking skills and gain precious knowledge of food production. It was enough for me to google 3 simple words:” Internship, Nutrition, Greece” and the first result that pop up was Dimitri’s farm and the Nikita’s Eco-Village. I followed the procedures for the application indicated on the website (motivational essay + CV) and immediately sent an e-mail to the responsible of the project, but this time without following any standard template…I only used words coming straight from my heart. All I had to do was to express my passion for nutrition, Greece and Greek food culture and traditions. After only 2 hours I received a phone call from my actual host supervisor (Kostas) and passed the interview and so accepted as an intern…yuppie! I was so happy because Greece is a special place to me and have the best memories about it...like that time in which at only 4 years old with the help of my father, I have learnt to swim in the beautiful water that this country offers.

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Can a vacation change your habits and approach to life?

Everyone agrees, that a balanced diet combined with the right amount of physical activity and low stress level is the recipe for healthy living. Though, in the “fast food and technology era”, we are living in, it is becoming more and more difficult to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Processed food is becoming the base of the westernised diet, that associated with a sedentary life is increasing the number of overweight individuals, with all the annexed negative consequences, of which I will further explain in my next posts. Thus, taking the “healthy choice” might be challenging, overall in a moment in which we are “taking a break” from our everyday life or giving ourselves a treat. That is what often happens, when we travel or go to vacation. How many of us have heard friends or family members claiming:” OMG! The food is so good here, that I will gain 5 kg when I will be back from this trip”. Or more:” I am so tired and stressed from my job, that I am looking forward for travelling…I will not do anything my entire vacation!!”? I guess, many…but that is not what happens at Dimitri’s farm and the Nikita’s Eco-Village. This place situated on the island of Lipsi, that is part of the Dodecanese archipelago in the Aegean Sea, offers an alternative way of agritourism, in which the guest is not only offered to enjoy the local organic products, but he is also invited to be part of the farm activities, as a sort of community and participate in courses covering different topics from culinary arts, organic food production, nutrition and lifestyle, Greek culture, language and traditions, to sustainable living and much more. But the main questions are: will this kind of experience affect people’s view in relation to lifestyle choices? Or it will be a temporary experience that will end with the vacation? In other words, will people really learn what is beneficial for their health and facilitate meaningful endurable choices once back in their homeland? That is what I will try to discover during my staying on the island and will be back to you! Enjoy!