2015-06-22

【Aiden in English】

        When something is turning old, it is usually taken as a bad sign. But sometimes, being old and crippled can mean a resurrection, a boast to good revival. The medieval village of Pyrgi was set up the best example. It built with its present form of heavy gates and narrow but winding streets in the 13th century. As the oldest village on Khios, the aromatic lentisk trees flourish on Khios and produce the “tears of Chios”. The local people have controlled the trade in mastic gum since Roman times. The mastic gum is the best in the world.

        Nowadays, Pyrgi still has its history burned into it, for example, houses covered with sgraffito or xysta, geometric design in black and white plaster. The techniques apply to an unfired ceramic body two successive layers of contrasting slip and then scratches to make an outline drawing. Look up, and you’ll see ceramic buildings with wall décor, reflecting a tradition hundreds of years old. Look up even higher, and you’ll see a mosque, showing the taint of Christianity in this place. The surrounding walls looked very stout and were constructed to protect the mastic inventory and the wealth it produced from pirates. It is the very importance that the village of Pyrgi was exempted from the frightful 1822 massacres.

        The ceramics on the road came from local kilns. One thing I learned about on this trip is the fact that beautiful ceramics, tempted olives, and stupid politicians are three subjects that Greece has too much of. The tiles on the buildings were made centuries ago, and the locals used to carve on black sandstone. This was all built off of even older structures. What I see that’s amazing about this village is how it can stay in a state when both modern and medieval culture can reside together peacefully and not have one side overpower another. Looking at the village of Pyrgi, the history can be seen, while the modern takes center stage for its solo. I love the fact that the new lives in the old, saving some money and space. It’s like recycling. The old village is running out of use. Add some things and fix it by reusing out-dated stuff, which is the alternate type of recycle. If the human race worked like that everyday, maybe we wouldn’t be facing the problem of landfills. I’m going to use a phrase said in the movie “Kinsman: The Secret Service”. Something goes like this. “If the world was a person and humanity was a virus, there would only be two results. But ultimately, it will be the end of both. The host kills the virus, or the virus kills the host”. If we recycled more, not killing so many trees, we probably are able to solve many problems.

        The ancestors of us may seem clueless to the capacity of our brains. However, they could have some more sense than us, recycling a village-like Pyrgi. I hope this “sense” can be passed on in genes. Or else, well, the earth would be sucked dry on resources and THE END!

        一般來說，東西變舊不是什麼好兆頭，但老的不去新的不來，有時新陳代謝並非壞事。中世紀古鎮皮爾奇堪稱典範，其現存又大又重的城門建於13世紀，狹窄蜿蜒的街區也是七百年前遺留的產物，這個所謂希俄斯島歷史最悠久的古鎮黃連木芬芳遍野，盛產“希俄斯之淚”──乳香樹脂，早在羅馬時代，希俄斯島人就已開始掌控乳香貿易，其質量被視為世界第一。

        皮爾奇歷史源淵流長，文物古蹟屢見不鮮，建築彩繪即為最佳佐證。其繪製方式是，先在未經燒陶的瓷具上繪製出兩個不同層次的幾何圖案，然後通過打磨來突出線條輪廓。你若抬頭看去，不難發現房舍牆壁上貼滿具有幾百年傳統特色的裝飾性瓷磚；再往高處遠望，一座清真寺不太諧調地從基督教區突兀而起。古鎮的城牆嵩厚敦實，當年被用來保護鎮上乳香產業抵禦海盜侵襲，正因為乳香影響深遠，皮爾奇鎮才免遭1822年滅頂之災。

        古鎮陶瓷燒烤全部沿襲當地傳統工藝，此行出遊讓我印象最深的離不開三個方面：漂亮的彩繪、饞人的橄欖和可笑的政客，希臘狂攬一切。這裡瓷磚生產史可以追溯回數百年前，當地人擅長黑砂岩雕刻藝術，並廣泛用於房舍裝飾。親眼目睹皮爾奇鎮建築彩繪之後，我深切感嘆古今文化渾然一體，兩者相得益彰，從而共同提升了時代魅力；現代的東西如果凌駕於歷史底蘊之上，即使再時髦也顯得非常單調。就節省財富和保護環境而言，我贊成古為今用，正如回收一樣，既然老城破爛不堪，倒不如巧用新東西去改良舊事物，讓舊貌換新顏。倘若人類終日堅持回收理念，也許能夠避免陷入垃圾成災的困境。這裡借用好萊塢電影“王牌特工：特工學院”里一段對話，“假設世界由人類主導而人類又是病毒的話，眼前將出現兩種結果，要麼宿主幹掉病毒，要麼病毒吞噬宿主，但弄不好會兩敗俱傷”。我們只有廢物利用，不再濫伐森林，才有可能解決其它更多問題。

        我們的祖先或許無法預估時代變革，然而從皮爾奇鎮這樣珍惜現有財富這方面來看，古人做事確實比後代明智。我希望大家能夠發揚先輩的光榮傳統，否則地球資源遲早要被消耗殆盡。