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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 of good revival. The medieval village of Pyrgi was set up as the best example. It was built with its present form of heavy gates and narrow but winding streets in the 13^th century. As the oldest village in 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. 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 with 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 very important 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 where both modern and medieval cultures can reside together peacefully and not have one side overpower another. Looking at the village of Pyrgi, 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 Add some things and fix them by reusing outdated stuff, which is the alternate type of recycling. If the human race worked like that every day, maybe we wouldn’t be facing the problem of landfills. I’m going to use a phrase said in the movie “Kingsman: 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.

Our ancestors of us may seem clueless about 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!

【红霞译文】

一般来说，东西变旧不是什么好兆头，但老的不去新的不来，有时新陈代谢并非坏事。中世纪古镇画村堪称典范，其现存又大又重的城门建于13世纪，狭窄蜿蜒的街区也是七百年前遗留的产物，这个所谓开放岛历史最悠久的古镇黄连木芬芳遍野，盛产“开放岛之泪”──乳香树脂，早在罗马时代，开放岛人就已开始掌控乳香贸易，其质量被视为世界第一。

皮尔奇历史源渊流长，文物古迹屡见不鲜，建筑彩绘即为最佳佐证。其绘制方式是，先在未经烧陶的瓷具上绘制出两个不同层次的几何图案，然后通过打磨来突出线条轮廓。你若抬头看去，不难发现房舍墙壁上贴满具有几百年传统特色的装饰性瓷砖；再往高处远望，一座清真寺不太谐调地从基督教区突兀而起。古镇的城墙嵩厚敦实，当年被用来保护镇上乳香产业抵御海盗侵袭，正因为乳香影响深远，画村才免遭1822年灭顶之灾。

古镇陶瓷烧烤全部沿袭当地传统工艺，此行出游让我印象最深的离不开三个方面：漂亮的彩绘、馋人的橄榄和可笑的政客，希腊狂揽一切。这里瓷砖生产史可以追溯回数百年前，当地人擅长黑砂岩雕刻艺术，并广泛用于房舍装饰。亲眼目睹画村建筑彩绘之后，我深切感叹古今文化浑然一体，两者相得益彰，从而共同提升了时代魅力；现代的东西如果凌驾于历史底蕴之上，即使再时髦也显得非常单调。就节省财富和保护环境而言，我赞成古为今用，正如回收一样，既然老城破烂不堪，倒不如巧用新东西去改良旧事物，让旧貌换新颜。倘若人类终日坚持回收理念，也许能够避免陷入垃圾成灾的困境。这里借用好莱坞电影“王牌特工：特工学院”里一段对话，“假设世界由人类主导而人类又是病毒的话，眼前将出现两种结果，要么宿主干掉病毒，要么病毒吞噬宿主，但弄不好会两败俱伤”。我们只有废物利用，不再滥伐森林，才有可能解决其它更多问题。

我们的祖先或许无法预估时代变革，然而从画村这样珍惜现有财富这方面来看，古人做事确实比后代明智。我希望大家能够发扬先辈的光荣传统，否则地球资源迟早要被消耗殆尽。

Today in History(历史上的今天):

2015: New Monastery of Khios, Greece(希腊开放岛新修道院)

2015: Homer's Stone on Khios, Greece(希腊开放岛荷马岩)

2015: Medieval Fortified Village, Khios(希腊开放岛中世纪土围子)

2014: California Pizza Kitchen(火炉皮萨饼屋)

2011: 二年级夏令营(2nd Grade Summer Camp)