Along with the books, we also watched the movie Schindler’s List that was in the perspective of the opposing side. We got to learn more about the Nazis and get a closer look into their minds which was very interesting yet also formidable.

During our discussion we talked a lot about the characteristics of the people who survived and what ones you would need to survive.

• courage
• determination
• optimism, hope

 When you really get down to it though, you notice that luck plays a very big role

Going back to the very first book you can see that a copious amount of the ideas and lessons the Dalai Lama exuded to us is very deeply displayed in the lives of many of the people during that time of great suffering. It shows that when you strip everything away all you really need is a good state of mind. Stay positive and look to the brighter side; learn to cherish the things you have. That was probably the coolest thing… noticing how all those books connected when they had such different affairs.

About 3,500 years ago, on the islands of Crete and Santorini, people were living luxurious lives. They had a strong nautical base and were seafaring to near and far countries (such as China, Turkey, Serbia, and Egypt) trading and exchanging all kinds of products. They had sewage systems and irrigation, flourishing towns with squares and big buildings, cold AND hot running water, along with a bountiful supply of fish, olive oil, grapes, and honey. The people of this great civilization is known today as the Minoans. It is also known that this island, Santorini, and the Minoans, were supposedly the place and people of the prosperous, fabled civilization of Atlantis.

Right now the book we are reading in our book club, “The Lost Empire of Atlantis” by Gavin Menzies, shows and informs us about the people and their lives on Santorini around 1700 BC. It also brings us to the ruins of some of the Minoan towns, one of which is called Akrotiri; located on the southern tip of Santorini. Professor Spyridon Marinatos—trying to prove his theory about the Minoans—started the excavation in 1967. Digging and chiseling away 20 meters of volcanic rock, also called pumice, Spyridon unearthed the prehistoric town.

It so happens that a few days ago we visited the site and we also got to see Medusa’s house (the only way to actually make Tuck and Jones pay attention and show any sign of interest)! We learned that the Minoans were somewhat similar to Oompaloompas; the average man was only about 4 feet tall!

and to the right is Medusa’s house

here’s us walking the streets of ancient Akrotiri… as you can see we are not of Minoan height

these stairs prove that the Minoans were shorter since the stairs are small and made for shorter legs

in the corner is a toilet and the wall was where the pipes of water were

this was a town square where markets and street vendors could sell their products (its also pretty small)

So anyways… how could such a large society of people who were so obviously well sophisticated and way ahead of their time get wiped out so easily and quickly?! It’s because back then, Santorini was a circular island and right in the middle was this colossal volcano that erupted and created a tsunami that traveled to Crete and killed the others living there. What was interesting was that in Akrotiri they had found no remains of human bones, which concludes that the people on Santorini must have known beforehand about the upcoming eruption (historians say there were earthquakes that happened that acted as an alarm) and fled to neighboring islands. The eruption is one of the biggest—besides Pompeii but they can’t know for sure—which thus created the largest Caldera in the world.

I can’t even start to comprehend what life would be like so long ago, but it seems to me like it wasn’t at all too shabby… except of course… the huge volcano eruption.

this is supposedly less than 20% of what the town really was back then

in person the site is actually relatively big – it’s incredible!

As we reviewed the list of selected books, we realized that most of the required reading books for 10-18 year-olds are pretty depressing and dark.  Lord of the Flies, Diary of Anne Frank, Ordinary People, One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest, etc.  In an effort to have a more balanced approach, we decided to add an additional book as the first book of the trip…..The 10th Anniversary Edition of The Art of Happiness by The Dalai Lama & Howard Cutler.  It may seem like a book that is too hard for a couple of the members of our book club but we let them do the audio version

We finished it last Wednesday and had a great discussion about it!  Most interesting was favorite quotes which I posted below. We all agree it is a great book to read as we begin this year long odyssey and also dive into more serious book topics.

OTTO – “The more reliable method for achieving inner contentment is not to have what we want but rather to want and appreciate what we have.”

WESCOTT – “In Italy for 30 years under the Borgias, they had welfare, terror, murder and bloodshed – but they produced Michaelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci and the Renaissance. In Switzerland, they have brotherly love, five hundred years of democracy and peace, and what did they produce? The cuckoo clock.”

YVE: – “True happiness relates more to mind and heart. Happiness that depends mainly on physical pleasure is unstable; one day it’s there, the next day it may not be.”

CLIFF: – “The first step in seeking happiness is learning.” AND, “We contribute to our own suffering by personalizing every annoying situation, as if it were being intentionally perpetrated on us.”

LISA – “Love is difficult to define, and there are many different definitions. But perhaps the most pure and exalted kind of love, is an utter, absolute, and unqualified wish for the happiness of another individual.”

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