It's All Greek To Me

Looking forward ?

2012-02-09T11:04:00.001+02:00

Over the years I have written about the strange feelings that I have had living in Greece. Today, having been bombarded by the news over the last 24 hours, I have come to realise that I was never wrong about Greece. I have posted about the incompetence of the governing bodies, I have posted about the corruption, I have posted about the inadequacy of the whole system and today I realised that now, after so many years, some people have opened their eyes and see the problems. This changes nothing, of course, because the reason that people have opened their eyes is not because of the great concern about the country's people or its future, but because of the fear of the consequences on the other European countries. The past has been a case of "looking the other way" and "filling our pockets" as far as the rest of the world and Greece's politicians are concerned. As Europe now judges Greece's political system and its incompetency at dealing with its debt problems, it does not judge its own disregard of the country and its own "use" of the country in the past. Going into details is a long and tedious road, but as today's leaders "tire" themselves out behind closed doors looking for answers, nobody can see a future. The people of Greece are really not stupid. Many have been shouting and screaming about the problems for years, but unfortunately nobody listened. At the moment, most of the nation is just sitting and watching its politicians putting on a tragic theatre performance, which, by the way, is not even entertaining. Greece does have problems but it also has many attributes. I agree with the fact that Greece has a lot of negative points, but I also know that if the Greek people are willing to change and create their future, this country's prospects can be limitless. The European Union has "put up with" Greece, as they put it, but Greece must find the right leaders, use its strengths, work on its weaknesses, and find its true identity within a correct and just system. Only then will it flourish.

A WORLD GONE WRONG

2011-09-02T08:31:00.002+02:00

Undoubtedly, one of our major concerns these days is the economic crisis. Pure logic, not mathematics and not science and definitely not politics, must be the solution to the problem. I may not be politically correct but I am angry... angry at this world gone wrong which is, in my eyes, a world full of billions of intelligent, hard-working souls and led by thousands of egocentric paper pushing bureaucrats.

Why do I say this. Well, let me put a logical aspect on how the world is. Firstly, over the last centuries, it is well known that all wars which have taken place have all had an unjustifiable reason. Be it petroleum, natural gas, wood, strategic positions - all are unjustifiable. Thousands of people are rich today due to the fact that they have used the earth's natural resources to make money, and not a little money may I say, but billions upon billions of dollars. Where are these people today as the world's economies hit rock bottom ?? Well, I think I would be right in saying that most of them are in their nice, over-sized, over-roomed homes, making the most of their nice, over-sized offshore bank accounts. Stress and worries over stocks and market shares abound in their daily lives - stocks and market shares in what - natural resources !!

Today, all around the world, capitalism has caused the world to collapse. Well, wouldn't it? It is great to have money. There is nothing more satisfactory after a long hard day at work, to see that you have managed to put some money aside. Well, when did these people have a long hard day at work? On the other hand, billions of people around the world, having been inundated by the media (which is owned by these wealthy few by the way) are now searching for ways, not to put money aside, but to survive. Cutbacks are being made in everything - schools, health systems, basic wages, pensions. Governments who have invested people's taxes in this world gone wrong are now looking for more ways of squeezing more money out of these people. Think about it. How hard do you work? How many hours and how many jobs do you do? How devstating is it to see that your children's future is not a future ? The people of every country - not the rich - but those that make basic wages, those that have 2 or 3 jobs, those that pay their taxes, those that are honest and hard-working, those that do not illegally make money, those that do not hide behind corrupt politicians, those that still believe in their dreams, those that give from their heart, those that just want to live in a world not gone wrong.

Today, the country I live in, Greece, is facing one of it's most difficult years. The country that founded democracy, that was once a leader in art, that basked in wisdom, that lost many of its children in its fight for independence is now a country struggling to survive. This should never have happened. External and internal policies are both to blame. External and internal factors which are unjustifiable. Treaties and agreements have been signed in order to cover the undeniable corruption and previous messes made over the past decades. All of the qualities of this country and its people were thrown out of the window for the sake of the "affluent" few - and those same qualities are now being squandered in a hopeless "fight for survival".

It is essential to understand many things about each country and its stability. The reason that today's society is the way it is boils down to two things - multiple wrong choices and the wrong people for the job.

At some time Greeks were proud to be Greek, but now I think that pride is the last thing on any Greek's mind. Today's feelings are of resentment, disappointment and anger.

As a Greek immigrant, my feelings are even deeper than that because I know this country and its people have many attributes that have been slowly suffocated by its so-called politicians "beliefs". As a wife and mother, I hate myself every day for having to prepare my children for a future in another country - for their own good. As a teacher, I have nothing left inside me to teach the future generations. As a businesswoman there is no more to give because everything has slowly been taken.

So, folks wherever you are in the world, look around you. Look at nature which has the capability to survive catastrophes, wars and natural disasters. Take a good look, take a photo and remember it, because there will always be someone, somewhere with their hand in their pocket ready to sell what was never theirs to begin with. Politics and politicians, corruption, the "white " black market are only a few of the factors that have led to this world gone wrong. So let's start making it right.

Recession or depression ?

2011-02-03T16:08:00.003+02:00

As the months pass I realise that I have not blogged, and the reason is quite simple. What wonderful things are there to write about ? Not many really. As you may know all of Greece is undergoing drastic changes, and these changes are not good.

The Greek Economy has been an issue talked about and raved about all over the world. Experts in economy spend hours each day writing about it, discussing it and frankly basking in the glory of knowing all about it. Greek television has spent hours of quality viewing time analysing the political scenarios of how Greece will be able to endure this economic crisis, greek newspapers have wasted incredible amounts of ink informing the public of the ins and outs of all the supposed government expenditure and cuts, and what must really be said is just left unsaid.

I live in a country that has allowed itself to rot. Millions upon millions of euros, dollars and any other type of currency that was ever worth anything has just simply disappeared over the years and no-one has the slightest idea why. Well, the reality is this - corrupt politicians, deals behind closed doors, underqualified workers in top managerial positions, pocketing of the state's money and many other illegal acts which have never been revealed have led to the disintegration of a country which has so much in its favor.

Today, the least of Greece's problems is its national debt. If you ask your typical pensioner, student, small businessman about these problems, they would probably shrug and say that their problems are much more severe, and the truth is that they are much more severe.

The world's economic problems have had much more impact on Greece. The Greek people have known for years about the sheer apathy and constant corruption of their leaders. This is not today's news. Today's news is that Greece is now home to thousands upon thousands of illegal immigrants, refugees trying to find their way to a brighter future somewhere on the planet away from their already destroyed homes. Today's news is the families and businesses that are being destroyed and torn apart because of decisions made by affluent men and women around foreign tables. Today's news is how to keep their homes and families safe from the increased criminality. Today's news is how to get by on so little money. Today's news is that the banks have not become more lenient to their borrowers (most of whom never knew what a loan meant until the kind banks started their telesales). Today's news is how to survive depression and everything it entails.

What has the government done for its people? Nothing. For the past twenty to thirty years - absolutely nothing. What is it doing now? Draining every ounce of energy from every one of its citizens and leaving them with nothing. Honest, hard-working decent people are being drained of any dignity, any dreams, any ambitions and any hope that they had.

The Greek Government had better act quickly and find solutions before its own citizens become the thousands upon thousands of immigrants seeking refuge within another government's borders.

Greater times to come ??

2010-07-31T08:48:00.005+03:00

Due to work and other commitments my time is very limited but I just had to find the time to keep you updated on what is happening in Greece.

Well, the story so far is that the planet's economic crisis is just not enough to keep this country in order, although for all you out there who believe in conspiracy theories, I do believe that this must be one of the biggest and best. You just need to look at the logical sequence of events, government spending and do a little math to see how much we pay in taxes, where it goes and why we don't see the half of it, to understand that the whole panic tactics are covering up a great deal of other things - but that's just my way of looking at it. Anyway, back to Greece. Summer is here, and you would think that this would be the best time to work at selling our greatest assets - the sun, the heat and the great seas. Well, it seems not !!!

Apparently it is the best time to strike, and who is striking - the truck drivers who deliver petrol. What is their problem? It seems that the austerity measures that have been taken by the government ( I say this with a lot of hesitance because there are conflicting theories about which government of which country is actually taking these measures) has had a devastating effect on this industry. Which industry? The most profitable industry in the world - the oil, petrol and transport industry - an industry which actually controls everything everywhere in the world. The truck drivers are protesting because licenses are now being given to companies rather than to individuals. But, this is apparently the best time to strike - with tourism having fallen around 25%, and August being the busiest month of the year in this industry - it is the best time to strike.

The reality of Greece, for all those who do not understand what is going on, is that politically, Greece is a country which went from absolute dictatorship to absolute democracy but with no sense of right or wrong. In a world full of conspiracy and invisible puppeteers who pull even more invisible strings, it will be very difficult for Greece to stand on its own feet.

My opinion on this whole matter is that there are a lot of competent people out there who can make a difference and make this the country that it is supposed to be - and this should have been done years ago. As for strikes, we should all look at the root of the problem and not the surface - the people of Greece should start to understand you never never "bite off your nose to spite your face" !!!!!!

Greece 's Hidden Treasures (1) - Velvento Kozani

2009-11-05T18:23:00.007+02:00

A recent business trip to Thessaloniki became the reason for me writing this post. Of course, Thessoliniki is a beautiful city, with lots of things to see and do, but I must admit that the nicest part of my trip was a stopover at Velvento, a small village near Kozani.

Now, getting there is very simple indeed. It's about a 30 - 40 minute drive from the new Egnatia Highway, and hidden from all eyes, you will only grasp how beautiful it is once you get there. Velvento is a village with about 4000 residents. The main income is from the peaches, which are some of the best in the country, but as I was told when I was there, they are mainly grown to be exported. As you climb the southern side of the Pieria mountain, you are surrounded by the beautiful forests, and below you the view of the Polyfotos lake enchants and calms even the most tired of eyes.

Once you reach the village, you suddenly feel that history and mythology become one. The houses are distinct, having the shape of an eye on their external walls. The streets are narrow, reminding you that you are in a rural area, and along with the sound of running water and the wind rustling through the leaves, you feel that there could be no other place on earth quite as calm and as beautiful as this.

Along its long winding roads, you will see small churches scattered (there are about 80 in all) and something which seems unique to this place is that each church has a small outhouse next to it, fitted with a kitchen, hearth, spit, tables and chairs. I was informed that lots of families meet here on weekends or holidays, and cook and eat next to the churches, paying homage to the saint whose name the church holds. At one church we stopped at, the spit was actually turned by the running water coming from the stream running along the road. I had never seen this before. The family who had been having their Sunday picnic there, welcomed us with a glass of tsipouro and a piece of home cooked revani ... two great Greek delights.

As you ascend the mountain from the village you can actually walk up to the Katafygi waterfall. I must admit that we did not reach the observation post to see the waterfall, only because it was starting to get dark, and we did not know how long it would take. From photos, though it did look spectacular.

Velvento is one of those areas of Greece that has not been hit by commercial tourism. It is a walkers and hikers paradise, a paradise which can be enjoyed every season of the year. Its residents seem to be prepared to go the extra mile to make you enjoy your time there.

So, if you are ever near Kozani, make sure that you take time to visit one of the most scenic places in Greece, and find your peace near the home of the Gods.

My title links to the official site of Velvento.

(Special thanks to Sakis and Annie, who dedicated their time to show us this wonderful area)

Facebooking in Greece

2009-10-22T09:52:00.002+02:00

No, you didn't misread the title... and yes I have grammatically changed the word facebook. As a facebooker, today I decided to dedicate my blog to this current phenomena, fad, new trend (call it what you will) in Greece.

I recall that when I first found facebook, it was by chance. I had googled the name of an old schoolmate, and voila, I found a page which would not allow me to find more information until I became a member, so I did. Once I became a member, it then became easier to find more and more old friends, and suddenly I found myself lost in a whole new world - the world of reconnecting, remembering, catching up. No more "I wonder where "so and so" is" or "whatever happened to "whats-his-name". No, Facebook had suddenly opened up an entire new link to past, present and future. In true "me" tradition, I would spend any free few minutes punching in names of old and new friends, and I must admit, seeing those old faces, I felt that I had a more complete picture of me, all in one place, on one page. Now don't get me wrong, I am not one of those people who sits in front of a computer all day, but I really did find this site fascinating.

Since the day I logged myself into facebook, I have watched this new virtual experience grow and nurture itelf in Greece. The actual rate of growth is phenomenal, and watching it happen is even more fascinating. For those of you who don't use facebook, you have the ability to write small notes on your page, comment on your friend's notes, play games, use various applications and, the most exciting part, chat to friends who are online, in real time!!! A whole new world of psychotherapy has opened up. You can post a note when you're feeling down, and suddenly friends are cheering you up. You link to a song that defines you, and friends can tell you they like it. You can upload photos and friends can see what you see every day. You can be a whole other person on facebook, and this is where the problems start.

A whole other person. A world within a world has been created. Teenagers are facebooking all day, sending messages, sending signals. Bored, lonely, interested, in love, out of love. Whatever they feel, they just post it and it's there for all to see. People who live next door to eachother, who sometimes don't even say good morning to eachother, are suddenly chatting on facebook. Kids who are with their friends at school all day, are now with their friends at home too. So, is this a healthy way to be?

I don't know the answer to this question. I know that facebook has become a part of my day, and it has given me the ability to connect my past to my present and my future, but I am sure that here in Greece it has started to make social life a little less social.

An odd encounter

2009-10-08T10:36:00.003+02:00

Today is a positive day. I think yesterday had more to do with the way I'm feeling today. You see as I was out and about doing my day's jobs, I encountered an acquaintance. I have known her for a while, but I didn't really know her. As I sat down with her - to talk about a job I wanted her to take on, we began talking and as bits of information began to spring up here and there, I began to really like this person in front of me. Before yesterday, all we had said to each other was a polite hello, but all of a sudden I got the feeling of connecting. It was a wonderful feeling, one that I think I live for, and yes, as I sat in her office, I got that feeling.

As I drove back to my humble abode, small bits of the conversation started coming back, and the only thing I can say is that it made my day. It's funny what or who life throws at you, and that meeting made me realise that life is not a series of coincidences. This is what I have realised about life. The way we think of it, is the way it is. I think of my life as an adventure, an adventure with a goal (what I call my vision or my dream). The people we meet along the way are not coincidental. If we take the time to learn a little about them, most of them are just small parts of us - the parts we all too often forget about. I always have the feeling that I am a very lucky person, because the people I meet along my life's journey spur me on to become me. I know that this may seem ideological, and maybe you're all thinking " yeh - you don't know people ! " and maybe I don't. What I do know though are two things. Being me is a very important part of my life - not me the mother, or me the career woman, or me the teacher, or me the wife but ME - my dreams, my thoughts, my soul. The second thing I know is that I love to learn. I love to learn about the little things - the things that make us tick, that make us go on when going on seems possible, that make us shine.

So, a very big thank you to Stella, although I did not tell her- one day I will. She has made me realise that there is always someone out there who, with a little of his or her time, is just helping us realise who we are.

Election fever ... the day after

2009-10-05T08:54:00.004+02:00

After a long day, yesterday saw the triumph of the Greek Socialist Party in the 2009 elections. At 7.00 pm, the ballots closed, and the results started to pour out of each region. That's when the surprise began. I think that most Greeks did not expect the outcome that was to become one of the biggest landslide victories that Europe, let alone Greece, has encountered.

The reasons why were debated on every political programme broadcasting around Greece, and when the Prime Minister, Mr Karamanlis, announced his resignation, only the sound of silence could be heard.

Greece is a naturally politically motivated country. Perhaps the reasoning and logic behind the corruption which has become Greece's signature over the past years, is due to the people's use of politicians to get what they want, with the minimum effort. The despair that has hit the world, and this country over the last year, has left each person with only one road to go down - the road of hope.

As the page turns, and a new day begins, I believe that the Greek people sent a very clear message to all yesterday. If you give us something to believe in, then we will pave the way for a better tomorrow - but tomorrow has to be better than today. As yesterday's results show, the time for change has come, so PASOK has to prove that they are the right people for the job.

As for me, political parties are the people's way of expressing their views and beliefs. The determining factor in all our lives is our own drive, our own goals, and our own dreams - each person can make a difference, not only through their political beliefs, but through making their dreams reality. So, as a new day begins, and change begins, each and every one of us should be heading for our own greater tomorrow, shaking off all of yesterday's dust.

Have a great week.

Change .... seems to be in the air...

2009-09-30T11:28:00.003+02:00

So, after a very busy summer, and no time for relaxation, I come to you with news. As Greece prepares for its elections, I have focused on my own small, but important, changes. As I am writing this post, I am in the process of closing up my language school, and opening a smaller establishment, and basically finding a more economical solution.

The past two days have been quite difficult, throwing away the excess of 15 years of my life seemed daunting at first, but as the first bin bags departed, I realised that I should do this more often. Building up a business is not an easy job to do, and as I opened files and notebooks full of teaching plans, comments, marks, it became all the more obvious that I had detached myself from that part of my life. 15 years suddenly disappeared, and I felt that I was starting a new adventure, a new life. Reading my way through my "trashing everything" day, I was surprised at myself for not feeling nostalgic, and then, as if I had been hit by a bolt of lightning, I opened my financial documents for the last 15 years. That was when it dawned on me that the amount of money I had lost in this business was far more than anything I had gained. All I could see were numbers flashing around the pages - the "Joneses" owe 500 euros, the "Smiths" owe 1000 euros. At one stage I sat at my desk and thought, let me just add up what I am actually owed, but as I punched the first page into my calculator, it was clear that I really did not want to go there. So, along with all the other rubbish, the file just fell into the bin, and a weight disappeared from my shoulders. Gone were the memories of the " I'll come and bring you the fees next week," and " we're just having a few financial problems at the moment, but we'll get the money to you by next month." At that moment I just let them go.

I am not giving up teaching, don't get me wrong, but I am making changes. I have to bring up my 2 children and give them the necessary things they need, but I plan to do it on my terms from now on. So in May this year, I decided that this would be the end of negativity and the beginning of a new me.

30 garbage bags later, and 10 boxes of necessary stuff, I have almost finished the packing. My heart feels lighter, and the smile on my face remains. I know that I have done a lot of good in my years here as a teacher, but I also know that my potential is so much more, so without any feelings of remorse, I carry myself, and only the good memories, into a new tomorrow.

Hit me hard ... I will not fall...

2009-06-19T08:03:00.003+03:00

Ok, a hard week is slowly coming to an end, and looking back on it I must say that it was one of those times when you just have to say, "c'est la vie". I started my fitness regime again, hoping that I can get rid of some of this everyday stress. It is becoming more and more difficult to keep my patience, and I have found myself trying to find solutions to problems that were not even caused by me. This week's dilemma began with a harder look into myself, trying to find the imperfections and smooth them out, even make them disappear if I could. As I started my power walking, I found myself contemplating the accusations which have been slung at me all week. Too nice, too helpful, too patient ...too me... apparently. As work starts to pick up, everyone seems to have an opinion about everything, and their opinions seem to be the right ones. As I walked, I suddenly realised that becoming me ... this too nice, too helpful, too patient person... was not at all easy. All the people around me are so difficult to live with, that I have to be the one with all the answers, all the positive energy, all the right things to say, and this has become a way of life. Irony, sarcasm and negative energy fill the air so much that sometimes I feel that every breath I take will suffocate me. Yesterday, though, for about three hours, I took a break from them all. It was so simple to just forget everyone and everything for a small time. It was such a good feeling, that I realised that even small escapes are worth the effort. I must admit that I have to thank two friends for just helping me forget everything for a little while. Just talking - about nothing and everything - cleared my mind enough to be able to return to work with a smile, although it did not last very long.

So today I start with a different thought. Yes, there are problems. Yes, negative thoughts are always around, but I just say Yes to life. It has become too short to waste. It is too good to miss. So I say yes to too nice, too helpful and too patient. I say yes to good people. I say yes to the world. My story will be one with a happy end. As for the rest of you - hit as hard as you can ...

Greek Summers ...

2009-06-01T21:29:00.002+03:00

Lots of people from all over the world, have enjoyed summer holidays in Greece and still enjoy them. The tourist industry, more than most industries, has taken a great blow this year, and it is still uncertain whether this will be the first of many uncertain summers. In this unsettled climate, the pressure is on all areas within this industry to weather this storm, but the signs are that this may be more of a downpour than a mere shower. In this area alone, most of the hotels opened their doors to custom today, the first of June. Hotels that have been running for years, and have been opening since the beginning of May, as in most areas, found it more economical to remain closed, rather than open for the few tourists that were around. A difficult choice in difficult times. Another amazing fact that with the Orthodox Whitsun Bank Holiday around the corner, some hotels will remain closed and will open at the end of this month, waiting for the high season to arrive so their costs are kept as low as possible.

What are your thoughts on Greece as a tourist destination? It would be great to hear your views.

To vote or not to vote - That is the question...

2009-05-29T12:55:00.004+03:00

With the European elections around the corner, the Greeks have turned their attention to the bank holiday weekend. The general public has turned its once political fanaticism into political indifference. Since the economic crisis reared its ugly head at the end of 2008, scepticism over the country's governing body has risen, and the reaction of the people is one of pure disdain.

The motto of the day, as temperatures have hit the 30's over the last week, is "We vote the beach" and as the days pass, it is all the more noticeable that many Greeks will be spending the day of elections, weather allowing, in holiday resorts around the country.

This is not only a message for Greece, but for Europe on the whole. The people who have been elected to represent us are losing their credibility. A sign of the times ? Or maybe a time for change. In whatever way we classify this indifference, it will be interesting to see what the outcome will be on the day of elections.

My toothbrush and I

2009-05-28T16:29:00.005+03:00

I recently completed a Facebook survey, which was quite enlightening. It was a tarot card survey, something like "Which Tarot Card are you ?". (Yes I do find time to pop into facebook now and again). Anyway, the Tarot cards say I am The World. I must admit it gave me a curious feeling of power at that moment. The World !!! The thought, however, took me back to a time when my dreams actually meant something, and I really did believe that they could come true. As a child, not that I have changed very much, I believed in so many things and had so many dreams, that made the world seem such a beautiful place. The open doors seemed endless, and anywhere could be a destination, as long as I was me. All I needed was my free spirit and my toothbrush - or so I believed. Growing up, though, in a Greek family, in a foreign country slowly diminished my dreams, and life seemed to become just an endless routine - make money, pay the bills, make more money, pay more bills, and that is just how it has become. I am now reaching a point in my life where I feel that somehow, somewhere I lost my dreams, and therefore I lost me . Family commitments, problems day in day out, inhibitions have all become a part of me that are not really me. Waking up this morning, I looked in the mirror and to my dismay I found that I did not recognise the face that was gazing back. A tired looking woman was staring at me and all I could do was let a few teardrops fall. I wondered if this really is all life is about - chasing a pot of gold, that in reality I will never have, as I was never meant to have it.

My thoughts have now turned to introspective dilemmas, and a blanket of insecurity has seemed to have appeared on my once very secure shoulders. Nobody seems to understand, and let's face it, why should they. I also found myself wondering why on earth I seem to care so much about others. Why do I spend so much of my time talking to people, listening to problems and solving them if I can, trying to put a smile on people's faces? When it comes down to it - nobody actually really cares. Caught up in their own little worlds they just forget. That's all. They just forget. It's a human thing, something that cannot be changed. So, why do I refuse to change? I could just become meaner, nastier, thinking only of me. But I can't.

These were my morning thoughts. Not that anything has changed during the course of the day, nor will it change over the months or the years. My need to find my dreams again, though, is becoming much stronger, and the urge to escape from my days is sometimes more than unbearable.

My dreams, my toothbrush and I - and the world could be my oyster !!!!

No Time

2009-03-17T19:32:00.004+02:00

Having been recently chastised for not updating my blog, I decided that it was about time to write up the latest news. The truth is that time is of the essence, and lately I have not been able to find enough of that luxurious state of mind.

Having been ill all of last week, I was ordered to stay at home and recover. During that week, I was appalled at the low quality of TV in this country. Now it is almost impossible to stay at home and not watch TV. I did read a lot, but as I read a lot anyway, I thought I would surrender myself to the sofa, and the TV - something that I really do not have time for. After one day, depression started to set in. After one week, I just felt like dying.

Early morning TV was filled with every social problem you can think of. People talking together, with really nothing interesting to say, apart from a whole lot of whinging, were actually preparing the rest of Greece for a good day !!! Then, when these early morning shows finish, the brunch shows begin, giving us lots of information on all the gossip - as if we really need to here about stars who are raking it in and what they are up to in their private lives. Then the rest of the day consists of more idle gossip, repeat TV shows and nothing in the least bit motivating. It is quite disappointing that if you do not have the financial ability to afford satellite tv, you actually have nothing to watch but trash - all day long.

A fairly new Greek Channel, SKAI tv, actually had a great morning programme up until the beginning of this month. I may be biased, but it was great to be able to watch documentaries from other parts of the world, great cookery programmes, and all in all something more motivating than any of the other channels. Unfortunately, they have also fallen into the trap of having a morning show, which for all its great quality, is really not what you need to feel that you are starting a new day.

Thank God I am now feeling well enough to be able to come to work, and fill my time with more imoprtant things. At least I do not feel the worlds problems looming over my head. The flu virus was nothing compared to the psychological and mental torture of Greek TV. Fortunately, some channels have the good sense to show movies and documentaries at night so that we can actually learn something or just be entertained...

Enough is never enough

2008-12-09T13:52:00.004+02:00

As you may all have seen and heard, the news from Greece this week sets us apart, yet again, from all other civilized countries.

On Saturday evening, a 15 year old boy was shot to death on the streets of Athens. What was to follow was, to say the least, a wave of crime and violence all over Greece. The fury of the public has reached a peak, and no-one has even an ounce of humanity in them to accept that what we have witnessed over the last few days is not only screams of rage for an unacceptable crime, but also the consequences of living in a country where corruption reigns.

Whilst watching scenes of cities burning all over Greece, I could not decided whether I wanted to be there, in the streets, fighting against injustice, or whether I would prefer to merely write about this so called "just, democratic system", or whether I wanted to scream for there to be a god who would give Alexander his life back. I realised then, in all my fury that nothing is right. I have lived through a lot of pain. My parents have lived through wars, through military governments, through hardship... but now, at this very moment...nothing is right. When our world collapses, it's different. It's different because there is always the bigger picture. The whole world around us is the bigger picture. Lives continue, people go on. But what happens when the bigger picture collapses. Where do you go from there?

At one moment, hearing the news that the the Dean of the University of Athens had handed in his resignation, a terrible thought went through my mind. It was a thought that I wish I had never had, but one that has possessed my mind during the night. What if this was all a set-up. Maybe I have watched too many movies, but what if the rioting and the burning and the looting were all part of a different plan. A plan to take our attention away from the reality. The reality that a young life had been put to an end even before it had begun.

I have never seen a city collapse so quickly. I have never seen Greece pillaged and torn apart, and those were the scenes we witnessed last night. So terrifying and destructive that nothing could take our attention away from them...nothing...

The leaders of our country are no longer leaders, as for almost seven hours the countries heart was being torn apart and nothing was being done. Today our leaders are declaring a war against those who rioted, those who destroyed, those who burnt down people's businesses. Today, those people have decided to, basically, do nothing. Nothing to take back any ounce of the corruption that is seeping its way through Greece's veins. Nothing to make any sense of the death of a 15 year old boy.

"Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime"... or in our case ..."Give a man a gun and you make him feel safe. Teach a man to shoot and you make him think he's God."

In memory of Alexandros Grigoropoulos.

Sometimes losing means winning.

2008-12-03T11:06:00.003+02:00

"Imagine all those people coming home."

A while back I wrote an article about the Hellines who live abroad. Today' s post is a little about me, about them, about you.

With the current economic situation ruling our lives, I took a step back from the news, and the aftermath of the world's worst nightmare, and decided to think. Again, I am a dreamer, so I will ask you to dream with me - imagine once more. This time, my imagination took me to a different world, maybe a world far from yours, called "My home, my choice". In my experience, the choices that we make, are the ones we have to live with. Now, I have made a decision to change this. the choices that we make are just choices. Nothing in the world can stop us from making different ones. What will happen if we do? Will the world suddenly come to an end. Will we all suffer in despair for changing things. No. Choices are choices, and once they are made they can't be unmade. But they can certainly be changed.

Many Greeks have made their homes elsewhere. Financial security, better living standards, more opportunities are a few of the reasons decisions were made. In my previous post I discussed the possibility of returning to a homeland, which seems unimaginable, but today, with the unbalanced global view, it may not be impossible.

My heading "Sometimes losing means winning" is also the motto of this post. Think about it. What would you lose if you gave up a life elsewhere to return to what most people call "patrida" - home. Let me tell you what I "lost" when I came here. Firstly, I lost my nationality. I was born in the UK. Secondly, I lost my prospects, I had been headhunted for a position in a multinational company. Thirdly, I lost my worth. The list is actually endless, and can go on for pages, but that's not what I want to dwell on. Losing can mean winning. The amount of things I have lost in my life will probably remain lost. When I lost these, though, there was always something to be won. Today, I looked at myself in the mirror, and realised that life is not about losing. It's not even about being afraid to lose. It's about winning. We only get one chance at this, so we should start getting good at it. I'm not talking materially, I'm talking fulfillment. Winning means looking at life in the way we are supposed to look at life. I came here with dreams and I am not going to give them up. Looking around me, the blue skies, the green mountains, the fertile land, the deep blue seas were once something worth fighting for. People have lived and died for this piece of the world. We have been respected for preserving our heritage and our history, so why do we not respect ourselves for it.

Greeks are winners. They are proud, and they are winners. All of you out there, living all around the world, remember who you are. This country does not have the leaders it should have. They are not responsible enough, and don't care enough to do any of us any good. They have also lost something - they have lost their way. Maybe we all have. There are so many traps out there, who wouldn't. It's time to find our way back, though. You may all have something that is needed here. You may have everything that is needed. Doctors who love saving lives. Teachers who love teaching. Builders who love building. Leaders who love their country enough to lead. Life is not about losing. It is about loving and respecting who you are, where you are and why you are there. This is what this and any country needs.

We need to protect what makes us different, and that is our heritage. Cultivating our crops in a healthy manner. Giving back what we have been given - a country which we should be proud of, not robbing it of everything it has.

What we lose - maybe a bigger wage, a better house, the best TV, the fastest car. What we win - life. Maybe it's not just a dream.

Working...and cleaning!!

2008-10-29T13:08:00.003+02:00

This week is rather a hectic one, and each day just seems busier than the one before. Yesterday was a Greek national Holiday ( I should really write a post about this - but not today ), and in the evening the citizen's group, that I am fortunate to be a part of, had a meeting with the deputy minister of economy and finance, with regards to the pipeline I have previously written about. Nothing new there, unfortunately. The problem really is serious, but my understanding is that our battle is against more people than we had originally expected. It is a constant battle, and one which will go on for rather a long time, as I can see.

As I clambered out of bed this morning, I tried to organize my day in my mind. First I would have to deal with the housework. Now as all working wives and mothers know, this is not one of the easiest jobs. During the winter months, though, I am fortunate enough to work after midday, so my mornings are "free" (in inverted commas because I have more than enough to do apart from the housework.) Anyway, as I started to go through my routine, I thought that I could maybe share some tips, and get some tips from readers, too.

About two weeks ago I decided to change some things in my daily routine. The first was the fact that I left all the housework to be done on the weekends, something which I really hated. So I have now spread my chores over two (sometimes three) mornings. On the first morning I do the bedrooms - change sheets, dust, sweep and mop. That leaves the bathrooms, living room and kitchen for the second morning. Whilst doing all this, I also manage to cook the daily meal before I leave the house and also do some ironing. All of this means that I can spend my weekends with my kids, and I also don't tire myself out in one day.

It is really important for me to have a clean house. It's not only personal hygiene, but also wonderful to smell the fresh air going through the house. Greeks are generally renowned for their housework, and you will rarely visit a Greek house and see things lying around for days. Apart from daily chores, that involve tidying, washing and ironing, most Greek women will take out their carpets, sweep and mop on a weekly basis. Some do so more often, but for those of us who also work full time, it is a question of finding the time.

Anyway, that was just half of my day today... now I look forward to the next half...work!!!

Lessons learnt ... lessons to be learnt

2008-10-27T14:10:00.002+02:00

Now that autumn has set in, and the summer season has come to an end, I have found the time to set about writing up some posts. Today I would like to look back on the previous season, and tell you about what has been going on... do some catching up.

Well, to begin with the summer was a great learning experience. I had a wonderful, but tiring, time getting to know the hotelier business, and believe me I now know only about one tenth of what I should. I think the best things that came out of this summer were the people I met, and the relationships which started. I know that, whatever else, I am a better person from all this. Firstly, I met a wonderful lady, manager of a hotel in a nearby area. She was able to help me in things I did not know about, and also in a way I could not have imagined. The hotel guests though were the main positive aspect of the summer. I felt a surge of energy whenever I could be of help, and whenever I could spend time just talking to everyone. It seemed that everything was meant to be... you know, when everything just clicks into place. I must admit there were times when I thought that I was about to collapse from all the pressure, and believe me, every day had a new problem, a new "something to be done", but it jsut felt right.

I think that I mostly enjoyed sending people in the right direction. I loved that people felt relexed and were able to enjoy their holidays in peaceful surroundings. I loved being able to solve problems and finding solutions to every day issues. I loved looking at the potential of this area, and knowing that I was helping it become recognized as a great holiday destination.

The learning curve, though, did not end there. The negative aspects also have to be considered, and they were probably the most beneficial parts of my summer. Mu guest book is full of wonderful comments, bu there are also the parts where the guests, confident enough to be able to express themselves, left any negative feelings. One thing that they definitely could not accept was that the area lacked sign posts, lighting, good roads, public transport and generally public services which are lacking in the area.

Unfortunately, the season here is still quite short, and government funds are not adequately invested ( although it can be said that nobody is sure what actually happens to government funds which come into the community).

One thing I have definitely learnt is that I do love anything to do with the travel industry, and I am looking forward to spending more of my time looking inot what I can do to get this area recognised for its natural beauty.

Anyway, as I strive to learn, I would just like to say that the experience was one of the best I've had.

A room with a view...

2008-08-06T12:10:00.002+03:00

As we are in the midst of summer season, the temperatures soaring towards 40 degrees Celcius, and my new line of work is going through what I like to think of as the calm after the storm, and not before, I have found one of those rare moments of "me time". The view from my window is a dream as the palm trees waver in the wind and the waves can be heard slowly brushing the coarse sand. Time seems to be standing still, just enough for me to be able to gather my thoughts... a rare event over the past few months. I cannot believe that with all the rooms and hotels in the area filled to the brim, and the beach thriving with tourists, that the only sounds that can be heard are those of a calming nature. Every so often a car passes, and there is a constant hum of Greek music coming from the distance, but other than that the cicadas and the sea are the only noise polluters around.

I think I must have mentioned in one of my posts that I was taking up a new post as a hotel manager. It has been a great experience, and despite the problems we encounter every day, I have to admit that I am loving every minute of it. With less than six hours sleep every day, I still wake up every morning ready and willing to start the day with a smile. I think it might sound a little odd, but I love people. I think I was born with the will to want everybody to be happy, and this job has given me the opportunity. I spend most of my day working in different parts of the business, but my favourite time is the five or ten minutes I have to chat with various guests. Whether it is about the hotel, the service, their lives, the area... everything seems so interesting.

Anyway, duty now calls, and although I don't think I have said enough, I'm sure I will find another five minutes again in the future.

Thanks for your time

Corruption.....

2008-05-31T08:36:00.005+03:00

Having little time, I'm finding it hard to keep my blog updated, but today I felt the need to keep you updated on the story of the gas pipeline. So, the story of the pipeline is....

After 8 months of hard work, and fighting hard to keep this beautiful part of Greece ... beautiful, yesterday we were informed by an executive of the Greek Gas Company, DEPA, that they have done nothing in these 8 months to find a different location for the pipeline. The Greek government has done nothing, the company has done nothing, and as far as the local authorities go... they have done nothing. For 8 months we have been in touch with Greek ministers, members of parliament, and the result has been that they have not even blinked an eyelid.

Yesterday evening the representative of DEPA confessed that the only reason he was in the area, was to pressure the local communities that the gas pipeline and compression station should pass between the tourist regions of Perdika and Sivota. He stated that in 8 months NOTHING has been done in reaction to the uproar of the local communities.... NOTHING AT ALL. The reason it cannot go somewhere else... simple... he could not answer. Both the company and the government have spent 8 months lying to all and sundry. Stories of officials coming from Holland to find a new route- blinding all the residents of both areas to the actual reality that nobody cares.

We really need help here!! As far as the state and the company is concerned we are a bunch of villagers who don't even know what gas means. As far as they are concerned it is a risk free venture, with no danger. As far as they are concerned a compression station can blend in with the environment and go unnoticed to tourists, to the villagers, to all. As far as they are concerned there is a little or no pollution. As far as they are concerned it will bring affluence and wealth to our homes. As far as they are concerned, we have no say in what goes on in our own homes, in our village, or in our country.

For the past 8 months they have ignored all of our pleas. They have started to make anonymous phone calls to people who are involved with fighting for their rights. They have tried to bribe others to keep quiet. They have even bought off reporters, TV companies so that they don't talk to the people of the area. A journalist told us that lots of money has been spent to keep the story inder wraps. They have spent 8 months playing games. They have put all their energy into inventing stories about the people who are fighting against them. Even the local authorities have been forced to keep quiet. Well this has just got to stop.

That, folks, is the Greece we live in. THIS IS EUROPE!!!!!!!!!!! If anyone can help, please get in touch...

http://greece-and-i.blogspot.com/2008/01/2500-souls.html
http://greece-and-i.blogspot.com/2007/12/keep-noise-down.html
http://greece-and-i.blogspot.com/2007/10/advice-needed.html
http://greece-and-i.blogspot.com/2007/09/perdika-greece-we-need-your-help.html
http://greece-and-i.blogspot.com/2007/10/perdika-greece-natural-gas-pipeline.html

Light at the end of the tunnel

2008-05-03T10:24:00.002+03:00

A few months ago I wrote about a Greek TV show, "Light at the End of the Tunnel". I had to write again as yesterday's show was connected to the UK. As the show started we were told of a young 25 year old, whose mother had married a Greek and moved to Germany. As life would have it, the woman's parents separated, and the mother moved back to the UK, taking her daughter with her. Times being difficult then, there was no contact between the families, and although attempts were made by the father's parents to find their granddaughter, they were not able to.

Yesterday, the young woman was reunited with her long lost family, firstly with her aunt, then with her father and half sister.

As I watched last night's episode, many things came to my mind. Firstly, the reality that when people are separated, for whatever reason, from their natural family, there always seems to be a gap waiting to be filled. For some, in their lifetime, the pieces of their lives are glued back together, and a sense of completion can be felt. For others, life is not always so kind. the language barrier was also a problem for this young girl, as Greek was not part of her life, until the moment she found her family again, and suddenly it became half her life.

These are difficult times. Times where the problems seem to be so much bigger than ever before. People around the world are coming face to face with realities that had never existed before. So, it was just wonderful to see the look of happiness on the faces of the family reunited last night.

Well done to Ms Nikolouli, for helping people deal with some of these realities.

Second Chances ... or not...

2008-04-03T19:15:00.002+02:00

I don't know whether the time I was born, the year I was born in or my upbringing have anything to do with my character. In the past two weeks I have been trying to look at myself objectively, and find answers to questions that have been niggling at me for a long time. An objective look at my character is that although I am strong and can handle almost anything, I am also very sensitive. I am always looking for change, but can never seem to find it.

Recently I was given the opportunity to take up a new job offer. It is doing something I love - running a hotel. It gave my spirits a boost, knowing that I would be disassociating myself from teaching which has worn me down - as you already know if you have read earlier posts. The most daunting fact, though, is that although I'm ready for everything, I really want to give it my best. It is true that recent statistics have named this region the poorest region in Greece, and this is not something an aspiring business woman wants to be faced with. Another factor is that the hotel needs some serious changes, something that can't be done without financial backing - also something that I have to deal with. Having no capital makes it all the more worrying.

Even so, I am keen to make a go of this. Something that I have to do though is stop teaching over the summer season, and also risk losing my students as a consequence.

I am a positive person, and I do believe in following my sixth sense, which is telling me to go ahead with this, although everyone around me seems to be less optimistic.

So, anyway... any ideas of how to get financial backing and make this an ideal holiday destination would be handy at this point...

Thanks for listening....

Greece - The Future??

2008-03-21T13:04:00.002+02:00

Having lived in two very different countries, I have come to the conclusion that Greece is a country envied by some, loved by few and desired by many. Its geographical position is its advantage, as well as its drawback. Its natural beauty is its main quality as well as its Achilles heel. Its history is its lesson to all as well as its foresight into the future.

Geographically, Greece is a bridge between East and West (if we can still refer to the world in these terms). Recent decisions have made it a country of strategic importance, not so much for its own interests, as for other interests. The fact that major players in the energy market, such as Russia and the United States, are battling for ground shows that it is in demand. Unfortunately, the Greek state system is not strong enough to hold its head high in these instances, and so, as with many other weaker countries around the world, it has become a useful tool.

Its natural beauty is something worth seeing. There are so many beautiful sights to see, and such a plethora of undisputed natural phenomena, that it would take years to be able to see them all. Volcanoes, gorges, mountains, caves, rivers, islands, natural lakes can be found all over the country, giving everyone the opportunity to enjoy what has been here since time started. This natural beauty is truly Greece's biggest gift to the world.

Historically, Greece has passed through many phases. Its Ancient History is perhaps the best known around the world. Philosophy, art and physical fitness all have their roots embedded in this country. Greeks have endured civil wars, slavery, world wars, disaster, emigration and immigration, and through all this have managed to keep their customs and traditions a part of their daily life. These are the things, though, that should lead Greece into a clearer future. It's not a case of not changing, but looking back at the mistakes made, and trying not to make them again.

To me, Greece has so many positive points, that it should be a leader in many things. It should be the country making bigger strides towards a better world. It should have higher expectations - great expectations, and not humbly follow others.

I love this country, not only the earth that we walk upon, and the sea we swim in. I love the feeling of standing in the same place as others, when they fought for freedom, for equality, for the right to live the way they want. It's that feeling that I want to pass to my children, and if I am lucky, to my grandchildren.

Thank you for your time....

Greeks, Food and Drink

2008-03-18T10:49:00.003+02:00

There is nothing more pleasant than enjoying a good meal. I don't know about you, but since I have moved here to Greece, I have found great pleasure in enjoying evenings out with friends at nice - economic - restaurants.

Last weekend, I felt the need to go somewhere and relax for an evening with a cousin and my husband. We decided to hit the nearby village of Sivota. It is a beautiful, magical village which is built along a small harbour. If you have never visited this area, it really is worth paying a visit to this village, merely to enjoy a typical Greek sunset.

Anyway, a friend, who has become a good friend over the past months, has a hotel and restaurant near the harbor, called Filaka. We all needed something to pick us up on Saturday, and this seemed to be on of the better ideas that were flying around (of course it was mine). So we set off, for that quiet evening out. When we reached the restaurant, it was almost full. Live music was playing and as we sat at our table, I got that feeling that this was going to be one of the more relaxed evenings of the week. We decided to order mezethes (a variety of Hors d' oeuvres) as we wanted to get a taste of everything available. We opted for a local wine, and sat to enjoy the atmosphere.

At some point my cousin and I were asked to sing a few songs, and so he, with his bouzouki, and I , with my voice (which was not up to standard due to a cold) picked up a few oldies and let the stress of the week flow out.

We all had a wonderful time, and I must admit, that I will make a habit of this, whenever I can. If you are ever in the area and feel the need to relax, pop in, order some wine and let the Greek music take over your mind.

Missing out ...

2008-03-06T13:58:00.003+02:00

A few days ago I celebrated my 37th birthday. I have no qualms about my age, in actual fact I rarely even think about it. What I did discover though, this year, was that my overall attitude to life has changed a lot over the past year. The only thing I could think about on this birthday was that I feel that I have let myself down. Things I wanted to do, but never did...people I wanted to spend time with, but never got around to... time I needed to spend with my children, but had to work instead. Philosophising was the name of the game this year, and believe me, it was no fun.

I wondered, as everyone around me was drinking to my health, how I managed to get myself into such a rut. Where had the free spirit gone? Where was the dreamer, the ideologist, the perfectionist - those parts of me that made me ... me? The answer was nowhere, and the only thing that I wanted to do was to look back on this year. A year of sheer hard work, even getting up in the morning had become arduous. What had I achieved ... to my mind ... nothing. A quick run through of the year went something like this:

1. Working hard for peanuts
2. No holiday (for the sixth year in a row)
3. Less free time
4. More stress
5. Bigger bags under my eyes
6. No pick me ups
7. Aches and pains in unusual places
8. Still working on an unfinished book
9. Battling to save natural areas like the one I chose to live in

On the plus side:

1. My kids are well
2. I walk a lot
3. I'm still singing
4. I'm still writing poetry and songs
5. I have met a lot of new people through my blogs
6. My mind is still in one piece

I've never really had a birthday like this one. It was different. I somehow feel more lost now than I have ever felt, although it shouldn't be like this. I'm at a point in my life where I should feel more secure and I don't. The reasons are many. I have even felt that I must have managed to attract sadness and misery at some point throughout my life, and now I just can't seem to get rid of it. Somehow I seem to have lost my way, and now it's like wading through a muddy river, always getting stuck, watching life pass by and knowing at the back of my mind that I am missing out on something ...

Anyway, I blew out the candles on my cake, making a wish, and believe me this years wish was from deep within me. I let a teardrop fall, and thanked the lord that it was dark, and no one noticed.

I hope your birthdays are a lot better than mine ...

Greek Traditions and Customs (i)

2008-02-29T13:15:00.003+02:00

Something you may not be aware of is that this time of year is a very busy time here in Greece, as far as customs go. This time of year is called Απόκριες(Apocries) in Greek. It means staying away from meat, which is the general notion of fasting. It is a Christian celebration, beginning 4 Sundays before lent, and ending on the day we call here "Clean Monday" which is the first day of Lent. It is never at a specific time of year, as the dates depend on when Easter falls. The origin of the customs and traditions are not certain, but one thing is sure, it is really worth visiting Greece at this time of year.

Most of the festivities begin two Thursdays before Lent, called "tsiknopempti". Celebrations vary depending on what part of Greece you live in, but the main idea is that people gather together and eat barbecued meat. It is a sort of thanksgiving for all the good things that God has given us, and a way of eating what we are going to be giving up during the fasting period. In many areas people dress up. In my village, it is a day of masquerading with masks, so that your face is hidden. You see lots of groups of people dressed so that they are not noticed, some dancing, some playing the fool and others playing jokes.

The Sunday after this is the "Small Apocries". Nowadays it is associated with a children's carnival, where the younger members of the population wear their costumes and parade the streets.

The main event is the last Sunday of this celebration. It is a day of clearing the houses of all meat and dairy products, as Lent begins the next day. It is also the day of magnificent carnival parades all around Greece. In most places the parades take place in the afternoon. The streets fill with onlookers, and those in costume dance through the streets to the rhythms of all kinds of music. Most parades end with a bonfire. Although traditions vary all around Greece, this last Sunday has an essence of death and rebirth, as lots of costumes depict. The end of Winter and beginning of Spring is another of its essential factors.

"Clean Monday" is the first day of Lent. Again a communal celebration in many places, people gather in the countryside and feast on vegetarian dishes, singing and dancing. Again traditions differ around the country, but kite-flying is one of the national customs on this day.

Wherever you are, visiting Greece at this time of year is really worth it. It may not be the Greece of the hot, lazy summer days, but it is the Greece of traditions and celebrations.

How to be Greek....

2008-02-27T13:28:00.003+02:00

In my last post I asked for feedback on why people live in other countries ... what makes them stay there ... and their thoughts on the homeland. I have received various replies, and am still waiting for more so that I can get my article together... so please please mail me with your thoughts.

Today, sitting at home, various thoughts passed through my mind, and I decided to write an article on how to be Greek, for those of you out there who haven't had the good fortune of being part of this misconstrued race.

Here goes... happy reading...

How to be Greek

1. Always be the king of whatever castle you happen to be in.
2. Always be politically somewhere, to the point of making your party your family.
3. Always do tomorrow what has to be done today.
4. Listen to no other opinion, yours is the only correct one.
5. Always wish you had that job in the civil service.
6. Always disobey rules ... weren't they made to be broken.
7. Always look for the easy road, even if it means stepping over every person en route.
8. Believe you know everything about the world even if you haven't traveled 20km further than your doorstep.
9. Bribe anyone and anything in order to get your job done.
10. Remember that Greeks founded democracy.
11. Forget what democracy actually means.
12. Be happy when others are at their lowest.
13. Blame everything on the system.
14. Use your job to exercise power over everybody... even if you are only a clerk.
15. Be proud of your history and archeology.
16. Build on archaeological sites and land of historic significance.
17. Name the law when it obstructs you.
18. Forget the law when it suits you.

Of course, this is all in humor ... or is it??? Maybe you have some thoughts on this....

Greeks Everywhere...

2008-02-15T19:23:00.002+02:00

My post today is more of a request really. What I'd like is information. I'm doing some research on Greeks who live abroad. My main aim is to get feedback from Greeks who live in other countries, their thoughts on their homeland, and the reasons they stayed or stay where they are and do not return. I'd like to know your thoughts on the Greek system, the way of life. What are the things that would attract you to returning to your homeland or the land of your parents? What would you change? I'm really interested in getting all this information together, so please send me your thoughts at allgreek1@gmail.com.

Thanks a lot....

Not a good day...

2008-02-07T10:33:00.000+02:00

Today is one of those not so good days. Actually, I don't even know if this is such a good year. Anyway, trying to put a positive perspective on things is something I am finding hard to do this morning.

It all actually started a few days ago. At the beginning of the month, I always try to put my accounts in order. This month was especially difficult, as back payments from my loans started coming in, and the banks started calling. Anyway, the difficult times have started. It's a bit like the movies, when you can see trouble looming, but you just don't know what to do. I have always tried to be competent with my finances, but you see, it's not me that is the problem. Or is it? You see, I know I don't scatter my money around, not knowing what I pay for, or not thinking about tomorrow. I don't squander pennies on things I don't need. The problem is that I just don't get paid. Teaching is a profession that is difficult. I spend many hours trying to get work together for the kids, and finding new processes to help them learn, but the truth is that this is a private school, and even though I try, parents just don't pay me when they should, so everything goes haywire. I've tried many things - asking politely to be paid, sending notes home to parents, phoning and insisting on them bringing in the money, but nothing works.

Now, things have become too tiring to face. I can feel myself falling into a depression, I can't teach, I can't even get myself ready for lessons. The only thing on my mind is how I am going to get my money. I know you're thinking what about legally? Why not try that road. Well, for one, think about the expenses of chasing each and every person who owes money through the courts, and the other thing is - this is Greece, and as all things, people's rights are the last thing taken into consideration.

Anyway, today is not a good day, and I just needed to talk...to somebody other than the banks and debt collectors. Change is necessary, and it has to be done quickly... I just don't know how any more. Maybe you could give some advice...

2500 souls ....

2008-01-29T19:57:00.000+02:00

I know, I know... it's been over a month since I've posted, but I do have a good excuse. I'm still campaigning against the gas pipeline and factory which has been planned to be built in this area. So, with that in mind, I have a new article for you today. It's a post I added to my greek blog (read it here) .

2500 souls live here, in the area I reside in. It was my decision to stay here. Aside from the problems, I insisted that this was the place where I could raise my children without having to force them to work around my routine, without imprisoning them within four walls, without being afraid of what my parents were afraid of, when they were bringing us up in a town. On Saturday, 2500 souls remained glued to their TVs as the minister of development announced that here, in this village, on this unspoilt land, in this paradise, they would be building factories, natural gas compressors, he stated, as it is important that our country become an energy link to Europe. Such magnificent words, and they sound so important, but did anyone ask me?

What difference does it make to me if Italy needs Natural Gas, when our planet is begging us to stop overloading it with our excessive lifestyles? What difference does it make if international agreements give us strategic power? Did anyone ask us? As long as I have lived here, I have watched the people battle for a better future. During the summer months the hotels and beaches are filled with people. Nature lovers from all over the world come here to enjoy the things they don't have in their own countries... the fresh sea air, the crystal clear waters, the hidden natural treasures. From every part of the village they can see the Ionian sea stretch out before them and the only thing that can be seen stirring the waters , are the boats. Winters are hard, but in spite of the difficulties 2500 souls choose to stay here and keep struggling. Tell me now, what can we do? Tell me now who will fight for us? Who will protect our rights, our property, our choices, our children? Faced with something of such national importance!! Faced with decisions that are taken behind closed doors. Faced with companies who contradict themselves in every statement they make. Faced with interest that my mind does not dare to imagine. Who? You could say that I don't believe in development. No, Sirs, not when you want to destroy a place so significant to me and all those who live here. Not when you want to erase our dreams from your maps. Not when you play games with human lives. Who told you that you could build factories next to homes, schools, lush green mountains, and clear waters.

You can say whatever you want, but one truth remains. We have the right to speak out. We have the right to live. We have the right to fight anything unjust, however no ministry, no company has the right to destroy dreams and lives.

The photograph shows the area chosen for construction.

(Forgive me if I have become tiring over this matter)

One more year coming to an end...

2007-12-27T15:43:00.000+02:00

This year has been one of the hardest yet. Still, it has had its great times, its difficult times, its amusing times. As time passes, and I grow older, I find myself focusing on things I should have done, or maybe things I should have done better. I must admit that I have made mistakes, mistakes that I always try to learn from, but this is the time of year when you know, you just tend to go back into the past, trying to understand a little more of life. Anyway, this Christmas has been one of those funny Christmas times. As my finances have been my main worry, I made a decision to work over the holidays, as much as I can. My greatest love, music, became a job ... not new... and so I took to the floors of various dinner parties, and local bars, giving it my best, singing my heart out, although I am fairly new at this, and learning songs, especially in Greek, is very hard. However, I gave up family and home these holidays, to earn that extra buck ... and I must admit it has been quite wonderful.

You see, the spirit of Christmas is really a let down here, especially when you live in a village. Yes, people decorate, and get together, but it's just not quite the same as I was used to as a child. I remember not being able to sleep on Christmas Eve, waiting for Santa to bring my presents. I remember the soft Christmas music playing along each street and in each shop. I remember the hustle and bustle of buying presents and stocking up for the holidays. Here, it's different... not bad... just different. One of the biggest differences is that we give presents on New Years Day. Our Santa is not Saint Nicholas but Saint Basil (Agios Vasilis).

Anyway, this is the time of year I also like to think of how lucky I really am. My family is well, healthy and as happy as they can be. My friends are near me, ready to lend an ear when I really need someone to talk to. All I really need to do is make my Christmas wishes... so here goes...

Health and happiness to all people.
Live every moment of your lives... and feel yourselves living those moments.
Don't waste time regretting, hating and not understanding.
Spend time with those who touch your hearts and souls and complete you.
Help those who need your help, even when they refuse it.
Learn to love and be loved... there is no greater feeling.
Never forget to hope ... you will be surprised.
And lastly ... be the light in somebody's life ... you never know how much a small word or action may mean to somebody else.

May the New Year bring you everything you wish for ...

Here's a small song I wrote for Christmas...

It's that time ...

It's that time once more
For wishing on a star
The time we're waiting for
To travel near and far

It's that time we yearn
When sadness disappears
And suddenly we learn
To live without our fears

And as the snow falls and the music plays
A voice inside me calls and the tune fades
I go back in time, another Christmas day
With you inside my heart, it seems so far away

Time stops...I hear your voice...my heart breaks
I wonder where you are, whose love awaits
And though I'm not alone, my love will always be
My present every year, to you beneath the tree

It's that time of year
Memories and dreams combine
And love is all we here
As the church bells chime

It's that time again
My spirit seeks your face
And I can't explain
How I lost your embrace

And as the snow falls and the music plays
A voice inside me calls and the tune fades
I go back in time, another Christmas day
With you inside my heart, it seems so far away

Time stops...I hear your voice...my heart breaks
I wonder where you are, whose love awaits
And though I'm not alone, my love will always be
My present every year, to you beneath the tree

Keep the noise down!!!!

2007-12-04T18:33:00.000+02:00

It has been such along time since I have written, but there is a very good reason for this. Firstly, time has become a precious commodity, since I have been involved in fighting for the right to keep our community, Perdika, an environmentally safe place. Let me get you all up to date on the issue of the gas pipeline and compression station which we were made aware of in September. Since September, the people of our village, more than 200o residents, were informed of the construction of a compression station on the beaches of our village. The transit gas pipeline would be passing through our village and into our seas, transporting gas from Turkey to Italy. No attempt was made by the authorities to stop the plans, and so a group of local people decided to take the future into their hands. Our progress up to now is listed below:

1. Letters to all the authorities and government ministries about our concerns.
2. Meetings with the local authorities about the effects of such industry in this tourist region.
3. Meetings with scientists and environmentalists about the effects of the compression station.
4. Interview with local and national media about this venture.
5. Petitions with over 1000 signatures (and this is only the beginning)

These actions led to the Greek Gas Company DEPA, to a decision. They decided to look for a new route for the pipeline. The nearby town of Igoumenitsa proposed that the pipeline and compression station would be best situated on the outskirts of the town, where an industrial site was planned to be built anyway. The results though are still unknown. DEPA asked the locals in our community to keep the noise down, to not talk about the effects of the pipeline and compression station. The local authorities asked us to keep the noise down, to not fight for our rights, as it was a case of give and take. Our Mayor even had the audacity to claim that we had to let the company plan their route because, as he said, if we didn't then our village would not be given any funding for other plans that have been made.

KEEP THE NOISE DOWN!!!! This is the answer of the authorities and government officials. This is the answer of people who have been voted into their positions by us!!! This is the answer of the Greek State.

Our answer is no. We have rights which cannot be trampled upon by anybody. The only reason we can think of for keeping the noise down, is so that the company can do its job without bothersome locals, without fear of being stopped. If this is a venture of national and international significance, our voices must be heard. We are nationals. We are Europeans. We may live in a village, by choice, but we are not about to let our dreams, our hopes, our future, our livelihoods be thrown away just because it is convenient, less costly and less of a bother to pass through this area.

This is our home. These are our clean beaches. THIS IS OUR LIFE.

Thank you for listening.

See the stars ...

2007-10-27T08:24:00.000+02:00

For those of you in and around Athens this winter, I have compiled a list of where to see some of your favorite stars:

Asteria has Antipas on board for the season, along with Ina Lazopoulou, Angela Dimitriou.

Two of my favorite ladies, Galani and Arvanitaki, will be singing at the Rex.

Another season opens with Marinella and Remos at the Arena. (Definitely a must)

Michael Hatsigiannis will be accompanied by Glykeria at Vox, and at Romeo you can see Dionysis Makris with Kelly Kelekidou.

Anodos opens with Kiamos and Irene Merkouri, and two of the scenes biggest names Terzi and Zina will be performing together at Iera Odos.

At Posidonio you will be able to see Vertis, along with Eleana Papioannou and Grigoris Petrakis.

Andrea Stamos and Giorgios Giannias continue for another season at Frangelico, and Notis Sfakianakis has two lovely ladies, Chrispa and Gianna Terzi, by his side at Enastron.

Despina Vandi and Vasilis Karras have come together for their show at Diogenis.

Neraida (Theo) hosts Gonidis, Pieridi,

Zazopoulo and Elena Grekou are live at Notes.

Ploutarchos has some great acts with him at the Kentro Athinon including Apostolia Zoe, Tamta and Gianni Vardi.

Gogo Mastrokosta will be singing at Skyladiko VIP with other artists including Papailias, Stefanidou, Bati, Kapodistria and Vasilaras.

Aggeliki Iliadi and Christos Kiprianides are singing at Muses.

Myr a Mar (aka Bambis) has opened with Philipa Nikolaou, stathi angelopoulo, Stella Konitopoulou and Evdokia.

Petro Imvrio, Sabrina and Spiro Spirako are playing at Empati North.

At Taboo you can see Dimitri Kokkota, Ioanna Koutalidou, Kosta Mikeli, Vasiliki Maniatakou.

The place to be may be the Place this season, with Christo Sarlani, Sissy Loi, Angela Vagia, Lefteri Karvela, Gianni Parlapano, Giorgio Lexi, Mika Darmani and Evi Lira.

Stelio Dionysio and Stella Georgiadou are performing at Scorpio.

Giorgo Mazonaki and Niko Makropoulo will be on at Fever.

At Akti Piraios you can see Christos Menidiatis and Amarillida.

Lefteri Pantazi and Giorgo Margariti have a full programme at the Opera or Luna Dark

Nikos Oikonomopoulos will be playing at Fix.

Paralia Live will be getting on down to Eleni Karousaki, Gianni Kostoglou, Kosta Apergi and Olga Panteli.

Stavro tou Notou has Melina Aslanidou, Manos Pirovolakis and Giorgios Karadimos, with guest stars coming in on Thursdays.

Giorgios Dalaras will also be performing a series of concerts at the Pallas, along with Despoina Olympiou.

(I hope all the info is correct, but please let me know if I have made any mistakes)

Music and Me...

2007-10-26T13:15:00.000+02:00

A passion...my passion. My first memories of Greek Music were the songs my father had collected over the years. A habit he had, one which I would acquire, was to whistle or hum tunes while he was working. Sometimes the hum would lead to the whispering of the words, and would normally end up in a full recital of the song. Wherever he was in the house, we could always find him, if we followed the tune.

Sundays were never my favourite days as a child, as they were the days when I helped with the chores. Since it was also my parent's day off, I was the one who got up early to clean the shop, so they wouldn't have too much to do when they awoke. This being the case, I would take the cassette recorder with me, and put in the greek tapes, letting the music ring through my ears, and reach my soul. It seemed that the words had more meaning, more passion than they did in English. I would listen to anything, and when I reached the age of making choices, I would buy anything sung by Glykeria, Marinella, Alexiou. Kazanzidi was always a favourite, as his voice would harmoniously inspire nostalgia in all of us, as he sang about being an immigrant, about poverty and, as I would later understand, the effects of an unbalanced system.

Sundays were also the days when the family was home, so on Sunday nights we would always play music and learn Greek dances with my parents. I still have photos of my brother and I dancing hasaposerviko around the coffee table, with my parents looking on.

I wanted to be a singer. It seemed that I had inherited my father's thirst for music and his voice, but my dreams were not the same as his, so when my music teacher at school suggested I take lessons in music and song, the idea was just thrown out of the window.

It was only until three years ago, when I sang at a friend's wedding, that I suddenly realized that I could still do what I loved. The band offered me a job, and since then I have been singing. I know my voice is not perfect, but I try. Obviously I didn't tell my father until a long time after I had started working. The sad thing is that his reaction was the same as when I was at school. The difference was that I didn't care. Now I work here and there. I also sing a lot of the songs I would listen to when I was younger. My list of favorite Greek singers has expanded as I now try to sing songs by Arvanitaki, Galani, Kana and many others. I love ballads, zeimbekika, laika, rembetika but I find it hard to sing the more traditional "dimotika", I suppose because I just never listened to them when I was younger. It's hard, as I work full time anyway, but a passion is a passion ....

Potential

2007-10-18T18:06:00.000+02:00

Potential is a word that I have loved since I was a child. I would use it in compositions, school debates and possibly anywhere, as long as it was in accordance with what was being said. Sadly, potential is a word Greeks seem to have no use for. From an early age, a child has potential for something, be it singing, running, talking, swimming, playing sports or drawing. If we focus on that ability, we are nurturing the true abilities of that child so that one day this can be used in a positive, creative manner maybe in their jobs or even merely as part of their lives.

Parents have the ability to see this, and teachers should certainly have the knowledge to recognize this, so that every child can be given that push which will allow them to blossom, even in this incoherent world. If we lived in a perfect world this would be the case. If we lived in a proper society, then this would possibly be a fact of life. However, the opposite is true. It has become a way of life that a child's potential will never be seen, never be exploited unless they are truly fortunate or have the advantage of knowing someone, who knows someone.

This is carried through into adulthood, where again, potential is never seen, never spotted. It is an idea, a theory to most people. Instead, there is an air of 'tell me who your friends are, and I'll tell you what you are worth,' or even worse, 'give us a backhander, and you'll be the lord of the castle.' God forbid you ever want to fight for what is right. No, then you suddenly become an extremist, a rebel, a "threat to society."

Gone are the wise philosophers. Gone are the people who gave meaning to words like potential. It seems that as soon as Greeks discovered the world, they forgot themselves. The Ancient teachers could spot potential a mile away. Many heroes from history and mythology alike were recognized for their ability. I don't suppose they had to give backhanders in return for a place in the world's history.

Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe I'm cynical. Whatever I am, I miss "potential", and the sad thing is that I let it go, I let it walk right out of my life, just because it didn't fit in with the country!!!!

Dreams

2007-10-16T18:08:00.000+02:00

I awoke this morning, my things-to-do list screaming at me from my bedside table, and as I tried to work out the most necessary to-dos of the day I suddenly stopped. A thought struck me and I literally remained half-dressed in the middle of the kitchen, just thinking. I had stopped dreaming. Yes, it had actually happened. Now, I don't mean the dreams we have at night, where our subconscious clicks into overdrive, but dreams, real dreams...lifelong ambitions, inner desires, mountains to climb. I had stopped dreaming and I had only just realized.

My thoughts turned to the reasoning of it. Had my life just turned into what seemed like a journey from one bill to the other? Had the meaning of life come and gone without me seeing it? I desperately tried to work out what had gone wrong and when. I looked back on my life, to find a solution. When was the last time I had thought "Now that's a place I have to visit" or "That's where I'll be in 5 years" or even "That's an idea for a weekend meal." Nothing. My mind was blank. In a matter of moments I discovered that I couldn't remember the last time my mind wandered to what I would like it to be. The feeling in the pit of my stomach was one of disgust as I turned over the facts in my head. I had become a walking ATM...digesting the bills and churning out the money. Nothing more...nothing less.

I remember a time when I wanted to travel, to own a travel consultancy, to spend the day talking to people, seeing new faces. I remember when I started writing a book, nurturing every word, embracing every idea. I even remember drawing sketches of what my house would be like (when I built it). Now, the drive into town is a tedious journey, talking to people seems pointless and my book, well I'll finish it one day. The sketch of the house still looks upon me whenever I open my files in search of something.

Dreaming was once a part of life, and this morning I regretted, for the first time in my life, having lost something. I had lost the only part of me that made the days so much nicer. I had lost my dreams. How do I get them back? I have no idea, and no time to find a solution. So, as my day began, I knew that it would be worse than I could have imagined. Never stop dreaming!!!

The smell of Autumn

2007-10-12T13:39:00.000+02:00

As winter approaches, the temperatures here in Greece are still quite high for this time of year. Over the last few years, seasons have changed, and we have seen it go from winter to summer, summer to winter within just a few days. However, the last few days have shown us that summer is over. At night it rains, with thunder and lightning doing their best to disturb our sleep, and in the morning we witness a sweet sunny, autumn morning with only the wet roads as evidence that the night was anything more than peaceful. Nature fools us again...

As you walk through the village streets, the morning air is filled with the smell of bread, wafting from the bakery. The sound of various tools can be heard in the distance, as most villagers prepare their olive groves so that they can start to gather this years harvest. As I walk past the houses, the sound of water running, and women scrubbing can be heard, as housewives prepare their homes. You see, here in Greece, our homes also adapt to the changing season. Carpets and rugs are laid down, sheets and curtains change colour to match the season. Thin summer clothing and linen is put away- to the top of wadrobes or to the back of storerooms. Warm quilts and clothing is brought back out to be aired and cleaned once more. Here in Greece, we change and adapt according to the seasons.

As I go for my morning walks - I have taken up pace walking to help clear my mind and keep my body fit- I notice the changing colors, the changing day, the changing world. The cars have lessened as have the tourists. The small yachts which filled the waters have disappeared once more. The buses have stopped running. There is a peace which is hard to find anywhere in the world...

This is the smell of Autumn...

PORTOKALADA AND FRAPPE

2007-10-10T13:58:00.001+02:00

Greeks around the world can connect with each other in these two very interesting, very unique sights which are both named after two of my favorite daily drinks.

Both sights add a different perspective to Greek life and Greece, and both are a great way to connect with other Greeks around the world.

www.portokalada.com

A portal into the lives of many Greeks, who share their interests, photos, ideas with the rest of us.

www.daliyfrappe.com

A sight with daily information on matters in Greece, and about Greeks around the world, giving us a constant glance at what is going in our own country.

If you don't know these sites visit them, and join these communities....a home away from home...

Advice needed!!!

2007-10-09T12:15:00.000+02:00

Ok, so today I'm taking a small break from the problems in my village, and looking into my own problems. That's where I need your help. If there were an ad which would cover this area it would probably say

" Self employed thirty-something mother of two needs ideas ."

Having scoured the Internet looking for opportunities for a second source of income, I am so not capable of finding a solution. So I thought that, maybe, you could pause for a moment, and try to help me out. Yes, today I need advice...financial, emotional...anything to help me get unstuck.

Let me give you some insight. If I were a TV serial I would probably be something between Lost, Desperate Housewives and Weeds. Why these three you ask. Well, Lost because, although I am not a disaster victim stuck on a mysterious island, my life matches the confusing, disturbing scenario that I am used to watching. Desperate Housewives because well, the glove fits ... a close knit society with all its pros and cons, women trying to keep the family unit together...(only we don't have such exciting daily events). Weeds, because as situations go, illegality may be the only answer. It's a case of survival.

Anyway. Life sucks at the moment. If there were a bottom this girl's barrel, then yes, I've touched upon it. Now the funny side is...that there is a funny side!!! I mean, I can laugh. Each conversation I have with any of the bank employees seems to be filled with hysterical quotes, such as "if you pay of all the loan today, you won't be blacklisted" to which I unassumingly reply "if I could pay it off, I wouldn't be talking to you now, would I!!". I have an endless list of these employees great quotes, which, one day, when I have less to worry about, I may take the time to make a post of, but not now. What I need now is your help...

Ideas, guys, ideas. I'm hard-working, but I'm just not getting there. Private teaching is great, if you get paid correctly, but my problem is just that. Imagine, yesterday October 8th, I got paid for a student who had lessons in July!! IOU has become a way of life, intead of an exception to the rule, and my good-nature has been played to death. So I need ideas. I need to find my destiny, which I am sure is not waiting for me to just fall upon it.

In this TV serial there are two scenarios:

1. Perfection... Having money in the bank, investing in my future and the future of my children, not owing anything, not being owed, taking weekend trips, finishing that book, feeling a sense of achievement.

2. Reality...Working 24/7, owing to all and sundry, not being able to give enough time or energy to my kids, fighting mental blocks trying to finish that book, feeling a sense of letting me and those I love down.

I need to scratch scenario 2, and I need your help and ideas... Whatever you can think of... (as long as its legal) . Now as for scenario 1, well ... that's where I need to be heading.

Perdika - Greece - Natural Gas Pipeline

2007-10-07T18:53:00.000+02:00

Let me just say sorry for not having written for the past two weeks. They have been weeks of mixed feelings, as all of my free time has been spent looking into the facts surrounding the development and operation of natural gas compression stations around the world. A few adjectives I would use to express my current emotional state are exhausted, enlightened, betrayed, insecure, distraught, and these are only the feelings I am feeling at the moment; imagine what every day has been like since we were informed of what was apparently going to become our future home.

I will not go into the ins and outs of what I have read, what I have heard, or what I have seen. Let me just tell you a little about what we are faced with. Some of you may know this area, some may not. In 1993, having finished university, I was approached by a multi national company, who wanted to take me on having done my work experience with them. After many attempts to contact me by mail, two of my colleagues and two of the partners in the branch I worked for, came (for what I thought was a visit) to Greece. On the last day of their vacation they approached me with a contract to join the company, which I turned down. Flattered as I was, I felt deep inside that I was meant to be here, in my father's village, giving what I could back to my father's birthplace. It was a feeling...I gave up a career for a feeling...a feeling of waking up to a view of the Ionian sea...a feeling of fitting in...a feeling of bringing up my children in a place which was made up of freshness, the air, the water, nature...a feeling. I had the choice, I made the decision.

Today, even though the problems are more than I could have expected on that sleepy autumn day in 1993, I still have that feeling. Yes, there have been days when I have thought this is too hard, when the bills pile up, when I don't get paid, when I think "you should move, the kids deserve more", when I feel like I'm fighting more than living, but I still have that feeling.

That's the feeling I don't want to lose. No one wants their home turned into an industrial development site. Not when they have chosen to make a place their home. Everyone has a choice...I made mine...and that was to stay here...where the air I breathe is fresh, the sea is 5 minutes from my home and my children can live a childhood surrounded by nature and all it has to offer.

My parents have moved back here. Many of the Greeks who live and work in other countries have invested their savings here. The whole village has invested its future to make this a village where tourists can come and find peace of mind, clean beaches and a traditional Greek way of life.

So we say NO. No to industrial development in tourist regions. No to National Companies making decisions without thinking of anyone else. No to any type of pollution so near homes. No to the most economic solutions. There are other areas, far from homes, far from natural habitats, far from tourism, far from farms, far from anybody's back yard. The village of Perdika says NO.

PERDIKA - GREECE - WE NEED YOUR HELP !!!!

2007-09-25T11:17:00.000+02:00

I know that many of my posts have been about the area I live in. I love it, that's why I write about it. Our village is now faced with a dilemma. It has been decided that a natural gas pipeline will pass through our village in order to transport gas to Italy.

Over the last 10 years, there has been a great increase in tourism development in the area, in keeping with the natural beauty, and this has led to an increase in visitors to our area.

This has been a slow development, but each and every resident in the area, are now part of this industry. Hundreds of families depend on the summer tourist season, as this is sometimes their only form of income. Now we are told that one of our most beautiful areas is going to be turned into a construction site for the next few years, in order to build a pipeline, from which nobody in this region, or in any part of Greece, will benefit. Not only that, but once it has been built, we will then have a compressor station in the centre of all the main seaside resorts.

Our problems are now the risk of a seaside resort being destroyed, not by a natural disaster, but by a man made disaster, that may easily be avoided. Hundreds of families are now looking upon a future living next to an industrialisation zone, and the fear of losing their hotels, rented rooms, restaurants, and small businesses now lies alongside the fear of pollution, destruction of fauna and flora, among other ecological problems.

I am not an expert. I do not know the consequences of such a venture. All I know is that a feeling in my gut tells me this is not right. Something tells me that the results will not be positive. What I need is expert help. Our village needs to know what we are up against. The photo I have on today's post is of the beach which has been chosen for the compression station. Please, send me any information you can so that we can be well informed about this and if possible, stop it.

A review of yesterday's meeting in Greek at http://www.thesprotiabloggers.blogspot.com/

Greece - One Nation, Many Homes

2007-09-22T17:27:00.000+02:00

Where do you come from? A frequent question when meeting new people. I can remember back in school, when people would get really confused with my surname, often not being able to pronounce it, let alone spell it. So a natural part of growing up would be answering the question - where do you come from? Naturally, I would answer with pride, Greece.

To me Greece was a dream. A land full of history, culture, mythology. It was my father's home, and his pride became our pride, until the day I made it my home, too. Living in an area which welcomes tourists from all parts of the world each year, I now find myself answering other, equally common questions. What made you decide to live here? How did you adjust? These questions actually sometimes make me wonder myself. I mean I came here at the age of 24. the feeling of being a foreigner in your own country is certainly true to those of us who have been brought up "sto exoteriko" (abroad). This also made me think about others in the same situation. People like me whose parents left the country to make their dreams come true, to make a new start, to follow their dreams. This led me to look into the amount of Greeks who live abroad.

About 7 million Greeks live in other countries. Greece has a population of 11 million. That means that there is a whole other Greece out there!! A Greece made up of all kinds of people, businessmen, scientists, doctors, teachers, plumbers, electricians, students, children. Another country almost equal in number to the homeland has decided to not return here. The disappointment I feel is tragic. I look at my own family. It took my father 32 years to come home. My mother only sees her home on holidays.

But just imagine!!! Imagine a Greece of almost 20 million people. Imagine a Greece made up of businessmen, scientists, doctors, teachers etc, doing what they do best here. Imagine deserted villages coming alive again. Imagine families reunited again. Imagine all those people returning, bringing with them their experiences, their ideas, their education. Now that's a Greece I dream of. Don't get me wrong. The Greece I live in has its problems, but it is still my home and the place I always wanted to be part of. Today, though, I am just dreaming about the Greece that should be. We are a nation whose roots are deeply embedded in the ancient world. We are a nation whose language and ideas where once perceived to be above all others. We are a nation who, I believe, answers with pride the question "Where are you from?"

I think of my friends. The speech therapist who left one of the biggest universities in Britain to come home, but sadly returned because there were no jobs when she got here. The teacher who lives in Germany and gets twice the salary she would here. The mother, who wants her children to be educated in Belgium because it's "better". The surgeon, who wanted to work near his home, but there were no hospitals. The chef, who gets paid what he wants. The student, who was head hunted in her first year as an international student by a multinational company. These are only some of my friends. I won't even mention my family. Most of my cousins left at the same time as I decided to come.

Imagine all those people coming home.

So today, I dedicate this post to you all. Greeks, Ellines, all around the world. We miss you, and a lot of the time we need you, but more than that we understand you. Be well and proud of where you are from.

Education in Greece

2007-09-20T13:02:00.000+02:00

Lot's of people ask me why I have a language school in Greece. Let me just tell you a few things about the Greek Education System, and the way things work here.

The public school system is in an undesirable state at the moment. Some key problems are that when the school year starts in September, most schools are lacking teachers and books, so the actual school year really begins towards the middle of October. There is no such thing as coordination, as teachers are not employed be the school but be the Department of Education, who distribute their teachers all around Greece. This accounts for many of the problems in the Education system, as there is a lot of searching for ways to get out of being sent to a place far from home. The actual social effects of the system are more disastrous than anything else. Many families are split up for most of the year, as parents who are teachers traipse around the country, usually with one or more of their children. The implications are immense. The family unit slowly shatters, the family budget comes under unbearable strain as there are usually two households to maintain, and teacher's children are never in one school long enough to integrate into a community. Another major implication of the system as it stands, are the continuous change of teachers. I must admit that in this area, teachers in secondary education may change up to three times in one year.

Another aspect that must be looked at is also the permanency of teaching positions, and the amount of re-education the actual teachers have. There is no fear of losing your job, as it is considered permanent from day one, so basically who cares if students learn or not. This is a problem with all state jobs around Greece.

Another factor to take into consideration is that most people want to become educated to then find a state job!! Another amazing fact about Greece, again due to the permanency of positions and the fact that a lot of jobs and positions are filled in questionable ways!!

So in answer to the question why I have a language school, and why there are so many language schools an private evening schools is quite simple. People, and above all, children, need a sense of continuity and comfort in their lives. Unlike what the government, and any government, seems to believe, children like organisation. They want to learn. They have a right to reach high standards, and have goals in order to become strong adults like us...better than us. The stability they feel in environments such as ours is much more than the stability they feel in their schools at the moment.

Greeks around the world

2007-09-19T09:59:00.000+02:00

So, let's get personal. Having had a difficult day up to now, and it's only 11 am, I have to get my thoughts into perspective and try to make a new beginning. New beginnings are always difficult, but today I feel like I have to. I won't go into the bad points of the day, suffice to say that a sleepless night due to one of my kids illnesses, and two phone calls from the bank calling in their dues were only the two of the five things that made this a bad day. When I got to my computer I actually wanted to write about last weeks elections, maybe give you some insight into politics in Greece, but even that didn't make me feel better. Anyway, I thought, politics are the same wherever you live. It's a question of too few being in control of so many. So, on opening my e-mails, my mind wandered to what I was going to write about. An e-mail caught my eye, and as I read it my day was suddenly better. It was as if someone had started to take away the burden.

I don't know if you know about the Greeks and the evil eye. From a young age, whenever I was feeling under the weather or had a headache, my grandmother would say "ehis mati...tha se xematiaso"or in Greek"έχεις μάτι...θα σε ξεματιάσω". This meant that someone had seen me, and cast his or her evil eye on me and grandma, having been taught some words, had the power to send the evil eye away. If you have gone through this process, it actually does work. You actually do feel better. Please don't ask me if there is any truth in this. I have no idea, but when grandma said those magic words, boy did I feel better.

Anyway, back to the e-mail. It seems that my post is being read!!! Yes, although I did not believe it myself, I received an e-mail from a wonderful lady in Chicago (Thank you so much for you kind words). It is not the first e-mail I have received, but at that moment I had a great feeling of happiness, surprise, pride and satisfaction. It also gave me an idea. I would love to know more about all of you. I would love to hear your stories. Which parts of Greece and Cyprus are you from? What do you do in the country you are currently living in? Do you need any information from Greece, that maybe I could find out for you? Are you from other countries living in Greece? What would you like to see on this post...Anything...

The "let's get personal" part of this is my story. You see I was born a giver. I'm not sure if it is due to my star sign, Pisces, my upbringing, or just my nature. I just love the look on people's faces when something I have said or done fulfills them. Unfortunately, and this can be verified by the banks and my pocket, this will never make me rich, but I still enjoy giving. I am still lost on my life path, not knowing where I am actually going annoys me. I have a job in which people, and this happens a lot in Greece, continually owe me money (sometimes I think that they will start paying me in kind as they did back in the good old years). I have a degree that I worked so hard for, but is not even respected here. I have loved and lost. I have two children who have to be brought up properly, with a mother who was raised so differently. I have debts (who doesn't...??). I have to find a second job soon. The one thing that I do have is optimism. I believe that solutions and opportunities are out there. We just need to open our eyes and look for them, and unfortunately, here in Greece, it helps if you have binoculars!!!! But this post is not about me... it is about you.

Please send me your stories. Let me know about you and your lives. Maybe I can help you with something. Maybe you can help me on my life's journey. Again I would like to thank the lady (the reason I am not mentioning names is that I do not know if she would want me to) who gave me a smile on a very difficult Wednesday morning.

E-mail : allgreek1@gmail.com

Greece - Missing Persons

2007-09-07T15:32:00.000+02:00

As the TV year begins here in Greece, I thought this would be a good time to tell you about one show which is high on my list of "must watch". The show is called "Light at the end of the tunnel" or in Greek "Φως στο Τούνελ". The host is Mrs Angeliki Nikolouli, and every week Mrs Nikolouli and her team take on a new assignment, looking for people who have mysteriously disappeared.

The show has high ratings, and as calls come in from all over the country and all over the world, we can see all sorts of stories unfolding, as seemingly innocent situations turn into, in many cases, crime investigations.

Mrs Nikolouli's attempts at uncovering these disappearances have aided many people, and although some of the results are not what we would expect, uncovering the truth is something that she has mastered.

Apart from recent disappearance, the show also covers stories going as far back as the early to mid 1900's when many Greek children were given up for adoption and taken to other countries. We have seen many families reunited and many people from countries such as America and Australia, discovering their Greek Roots.

I would personally like to congratulate Mrs Nikolouli's attempts, and also her bravery in tackling very difficult situations, and in some cases becoming a part of investigations that were never apparent until her team became interested in them.

Take a look at the site, which is also in English. Maybe you could help a family find someone they have lost at http://www.anikolouli.gr/indexuk.asp?Cat_id=61

The flames still burn

2007-08-28T10:18:00.001+03:00

It has been five days since the fires started burning the southern region of Greece. Today, there are fewer flames, less smoke, but the skies are still not the clear blue colour that we are all accustomed to, and for those villagers who lost their homes, their livelihoods, the skies will never be the same.

Today, our thoughts and prayers are with those who have suffered and those whose lives have changed within a matter of days, hours, minutes. The scenes we have seen on TV have caused shock and dismay, not only in Greece, but all over the world, but as the fire dies out, the finger of blame is pointed in many directions.

Having lived in Greece for 12 years I have observed the changes which it has gone through over these eventful years. One thing that seems to have remained the same over the years, though, is the inability to think ahead.

Prevention is better than cure! This phrase has been embedded in my mind since my early childhood. It is, in fact, one of life's unwritten rules. Why, then, in a country renowned for its lush green forests and nature reserves, a country with so much heritage and archeology, do the local authorituies, governments and individuals not seem able to look at a situation from all angles. Is it so ridiculous to think of preservation, survival in cases of emergency.

Many theories are being thrown around tables today. Theories of terrorism, conspiracy, land development companies seeking to build, farmers clearing areas for their animals, or just plain arson. Maybe the finger of blame though should be pointed at us. We are responsible for our past, present and future. We elect those who govern us, locally and nationally. We have to react to decisions made in all aspects of our lives. It may take a tragedy to make us look deeper at our lives, but this does not bring those who have died back. It does not make suffering easier. It does not lessen the pain.

Prevention. A few simple steps could have made the firefighters jobs easier. Did we know about these steps? Could the fires have been controlled by taking preventitive measures? Another fact is that many people refused to leave their homes, even after being told to evacuate areas. Camera crews in the area have shown us scenes in which we see villagers fight the flames although evacuation has been announced. Prevention, a word we should learn by heart.

Once again, say a prayer for those who have lost their lives, for those who have suffered, for the land that has been destroyed, but this is not the time to blame. Lessons must be learnt.

Forest Fires All Over Greece

2007-08-27T10:38:00.000+03:00

The last three days have put pressure on the population of Greece, as forest fires spread over most of the southern regions. People have been left without homes, and for a region which is mostly agricultural, many have seen their farms and land go up in flames in a matter of minutes.

The Greek Media has been at the forefront of the fires, broadcasting real time images with journalists travelling to many of the most dangerous areas, reporting on the state of the fire at each place. Although the images we have seen over the last 72 hours will probably remain embedded in our memories, this is one of the few times that I feel I must take my cap off to the Greek Media. It is one time where I haven't been able to find the strength to judge the channels and their handling of the subject. On the contrary, watching the reports coming in and understanding the difficulty of the Greek Fire Department as fires spring up within minutes of eachother, I feel that this time, more than any other, the TV is actually aiding a situation which is out of control.

Telephone helplines have been set up so that people can phone in, a helping hand in a very trying hour of need. No, this is not a time to judge. It is a time for action. Villagers battle alone to save their homes, their lives. As windspeed increases, and the fires spread quickly, this real time reporting must help the authorities, who need all the help they can get in this true to life Greek Tragedy.

Some of Greece's most beautiful regions are being tested to their limits at this time. The people of Greece are in mourning for their country, for their heritage, for their livelihoods, and most people fear that the consequences will be even more tragic.

Who is responsible? A question on everyone's lips.

As a Greek Citizen I thank all the countries who reacted so promptly to our mayday. As an onlooker, I feel helpless as I watch lives being destroyed. As a human being, I feel disgusted that somebody could have done all this on purpose.

Is it just me ????

2007-08-14T12:24:00.000+03:00

Sorry I haven't written in a while, but problems arise, and have to be dealt with.

Something I heard a few days ago has been at the back of my mind, and I feel like sharing it with you. Living in a tourist region can be very hectic, especially during the summer season. People come and go, friends and relatives visit, although I rarely have time to see them. Here in Greece this week is probably the busiest week in all of Greece's tourist resorts, and everywhere seems to be fully booked. Now what I heard may not seem unusual, but I will tell you about it anyway.

Due to the time of year, and the demand for rooms, some people have thought it wise to move out of their homes, renting them to passers-by, who have been searching high and low for places to stay. It seems that anywhere you go, you can find people willing to give up their own homes in order for the weary travellers to have a place to stay. Seems fine. A good deed. Some may even be astounded that there are actually people who care enough to do this. That is what I thought, until I found out the prices they were charging!!!

You see I am a positive person. I always try to look on the bright side, but this really did take my breath away. Newly married couples with month old babies are moving out and tourists are moving in.

A sign of the times you may say. The European Monetary System seems to have affected our lives in ways that we would never have imagined a decade ago. The situation is drastic and as every country has its fair share of problems, although the weaker links, including countries like Greece are now going through a very difficult stage in the globalisation process. With no industrial foundations, no incentives, no real investments outside the areas of the two main cities, Athens and Salonika, foreseeable improvements in quality of life are not on the horizon. So what do we do? What future do our children have?

Greece seems to be turning into a country with two main classes, which I have classified in my own way- the "haves" and the "have nots". Those who have money and those who don't. Those who have connections and those who don't. Those who have education and those who don't. Those who bribe and those who don't. Those who pull strings and those who don't. The list is endless, but the worrying factor is that there is no middle ground. Banks, loan sharks, money launderers prosper, while people run from job to job, trying to make ends meet and live a comfortable life.

The bottom line is that the Euro did much more than unite European countries with one currency. It changed everything, even personalities. The Greek State, as most states, did not prepare their people for drastic consequences - consequences which are now coming to light, as bank lending reaches its peak, and poverty begins to rear its ugly head. I am no expert, but all I see are full pockets , that are being lined with even more, and empty pockets, that now have holes in them.

Is it just me letting myself become pessimistic or are there others out there who feel let down?This is our Europe. This is our Greece. This is our home. A home we are willing to sell to the highest bidder. What will be on the market next??

The Ionian coastline - Perdika - A place to visit

2007-06-28T17:12:00.000+03:00

Now, I'd like to tell you more about the coastline in this area, as I feel it is really worth visiting. Firstly, the largest and most frequented beach in there is Karavostasi. It's about a kilometre long with clear blue waters hidden between lush green mountains. On the one mountain there is a large hotel and on the other you can find one of the oldest archeologicla sites in the area, the ancient town of Elina. Karavostasi is an open bay with deep waters, so it is ideal for those of you who love swimming. Hotels and rented rooms can be found at a close distance to the beach, so you are able to stay nearby. All the hotels offer excellent service, and most are family run, so there is always a warm atmosphere. Restaurants and bars can also be found, and a bus service can take you to and from most places within the Perdika limits.

Arilla beach is ideal for families with younger children. The shallow waters make it a safe place to sit and let the kids play. Fine sand covers the beach and there are also rooms and restaurants along this beach. A small harbor is also ideal for those of you who may be sailing around the Ionian Sea.

Agia Paraskevi is another of the most popular beaches in the area, and is next to two other smaller beaches, Kamini and Agali. Here you can also find rooms, hotels and restaurants.

As well as these, there are five more beaches along the coastline, all accesible, and all just as beautiful as the main beaches. Some are ideal for those who like peace and tranquility. All are clear, clean and ideal for those warm summer days.

Camping in Greece...

2007-06-25T09:46:00.000+03:00

...Sofas, no not the furniture in our living rooms, but a beautiful beach on the Ionian coastline. At the moment the only way to get to the beach is through the only campsite in the area, Sofas Camping. A family run business, Sofas camping has been welcoming campers from all over the world over the last fifteen years.

During my childhood in the UK, my idea of camping was based on what I saw on TV, and I must admit that a few "Carry on..." movies, for those of you that remember them, may not be the greatest advertisement for a campsite. Therefore, when I visited, I was astounded at what it actually involved. The first impression is that of awe, as you descend the road into the camp, the beautiful plants and flowers which line the roads and discreetly hide the buildings, give you the first feeling of tranquility. You reach the taverna, furnished with traditional chairs and tables, reminding some other time, maybe even a clip from the Zorbas movie. A few steps away is the bar, again not noticeable, but there for those who would like to enjoy their morning coffee looking out onto the sea, or for others who search for perfect sunsets on warm summer days, it provides the perfect atmosphere.

The beach stretches out directly in front of the campsite, a mixture of small pebbles and coars sand paves the way to the clean, clear blue sea, and there you find yourself lucky to have found one of those spots....you know...where narure seems to have done man's work...a small earthly paradise...

You don't even have to leave to find somethign to eat. The owners ensure that you can find essentials like bread and dairy products, and there is always a great selection of traditional greek meals for lunch or dinner. Once a week, they even have a Greek Night, with live music, and a chance to partake in a syrtaki or two...

The service is exceptional, and the atmosphere warm and friendly....try it out...

Do's and Don'ts in Greece (Part 1)

2007-06-18T16:52:00.000+03:00

I thought about starting a few pointers for those of you who may not know much about Greece, but would like to learn more....Here are a few do's and don'ts....please ask anything else you would like to know.....

1. Be flexible and use your imagination when reading menus and signs, and don't be surprised if your favourite "lamb chops" have suddenly turned into "lamp chops"

2. Drive carefully, because Greeks don't.

3. Be patient when waiting at banks, or any other public service.. the earlier you go, the better

4. Check that you understand anything that you sign.

5. Visit archaeological sites...they truly are worth it.

6. Try local culinary specialities, but only if you understand what the ingredients are.

7. Say please and thank you...maybe if said enough times it will be adapted into the Greek vocabulary.

8. Pretend you are at least half Greek, married to a Greek, have Greek roots or act famous...seems to help in tricky situations for some reason....

9. Drink ouzo in small doses....it's not a light drink!!!!!

10. Mention Manchester or Liverpool in some conversation...great ice-breaker....

Don't

1. Mention anything about politics....you so don't want to get started on that subject.

2. Believe everything you hear....gossip is a favourite pastime...

3. Eat anywhere without checking out the prices...

4. Sleep anywhere without checking out the rooms....

5. Drink cocktails unless you are sure what's in them, (that's unless you don't mind never remembering the striptease you supposedly did the night before)

6. Presume that everyone around you does not understand English....you would be surprised!!!

7. Get into taxis without asking how much they should roughly charge....

8. Presume that every place is signposted, so make sure you fill up on petrol when exploring by car...

9. Be surprised if people kiss and hug you when they meet you...it's the Mediterranean "thing"

10. Miss out on having fun....life's too short

School is out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2007-06-13T18:03:00.000+03:00

Schools are now closed for the summer here in Greece. As the temperature rises, it becomes more and more difficult to keep kids focused on studying and not on when they will start heading for the beaches. Due to the rising temperatures over the summer period, in Greece, the school year is divided into three semesters. The first begins around the 15th September and ends a couple of days before Christmas. The second begins around the 7th January and ends on the Friday before Easter week begins. The third starts a week after Easter and ends around the 15th June. During each semester there are no real breaks, apart from National (Bank) holidays.

Unlike the British school system, which has half term breaks in the middle of each term, lessons do not stop from the start of term until the end. There are positive and negative aspects to this form of schooling. The kids love their long Summer holiday (12 weeks!!!!) and parents do not have to worry about who will look after the children over mid term breaks, but the length of terms and the 3 month lack of contact with their schoolbooks, does tend to provoke a sense of laziness in all schoolchildren.

So, what to do over the summer break. Well, those of us lucky enough to live near the sea, will surely be taking the kids to the seaside, after work in the afternoon, but three months of soaking up the sun is not really the way it is as work beckons for us adults every day. Naturally, if you are lucky enough to have grandparents nearby, then there are fewer problems on the "who will look after the kids" front. Those who don't, now have to search rapidly for summer camps, summer schools and anything else with summer in the title, so that the school holidays do not drastically change the daily routine. Another major obstacle is how to not allow your child to become a couch potato, watching endless cartoons and repeats of winter shows which should never be repeated so early in the day, as they were originally broadcast after nine!!!

If I take my family as an example, the summer holidays must be one of the most stressful times of the year for most working parents. So, would it not be wise for the government to take another look at the school year, and maybe plan around family commitments, children's educational welfare and not only the weather!!!

At this time of year, I am always on the lookout for inspiring ways to keep my children busy over the holidays, and much to my dismay, although I consider myself creative, I am running out of ideas, as 12 weeks is a long time to keep projects going. Another problem is that all routine is thrown out of the window, as the long hot summer days call for different sleeping hours, untimely playing hours, and less time spent at home. Now, living in a village and working full time, it is even more difficult to keep things under control, as the sense of safety leads to more freedom, and so more hours spent wandering around the squares and parks.

Devious Diva .....

2007-06-11T17:14:00.000+03:00

Today, I spent most of my day reading the articles on Devious Diva's blog...This is not my country. As a Greek, brought up in a "foreign country" I, as well as my family, have been at the mercy of many a racist attack, which thankfully, did not end up in any tragic way. Devious Diva's blog impressed me to the extent that I felt that I had to dedicate at least one post to the worthy causes that she has taken upon herself to bring to the forefront and make known. It is so easy to live within our own circles, and lead our lives ignoring what is going on around us. Admittedly, the Roma issue is of great importance, and as I have been reading about it over the past few weeks, it has surprised me that this issue has not yet been given the much needed publicity that it should. Now, my job does not allow me to have that much free time to watch TV or read the papers, but I do have time to read up on things over the Net. I have, though, been able to watch programmes which are supposed to raise the public's awareness of what is going on in and around their country, and racism is one subject I have yet to see being discussed. Obviously there are people who feel that they have the right to be racist. They feel that letting down the borders to their country has meant that their life has rigidly been changed. This may well be the case, but these same people hire immigrants to do the jobs they won't do. They offer jobs, food, and less than acceptable housing to people that they consider "unworthy". I live in an area which does not have half the problems that the major towns and cities have, but racism still exists, and is very much a part of our lives. I too have found myself walking past beggars, sometimes stopping to give money, other times just ignoring them. When I analyse myself, I tend to fall into many different dilemmas. The first is always whether or not I should be giving money to beggars. Maybe by trying to help , I am just aiding an industry which has come into existence over the past years. An industry which plays with people's lives, their humanity, an industry which has its roots set in everything, from sending young children to beg and steal, to actually smuggling people over borders to partake in illegal activities.

How can we really help people who really need our help, and how do we decide who these people are. Are they those who live in the rundown areas of every town? Are they those who sit on street corners with their babies and ask for money? Are they those who will do any work, as long as they get paid? To distinguish is impossible, but to close our eyes choosing not to see is inadmissible....Devious Diva..thank you for not allowing us to think that this problem will just go away....

Parga....just 15 minutes away...

2007-06-07T18:30:00.000+03:00

For any of you who have visited this area, we are very near a major Greek Holiday resort, Parga. Last week, I visited the town, to see friends, and I was taken aback by the difference in such a short distance. As I walked down the "tourkobazaro" which is a cobbled, steep, narrow lane running through the centre of Parga, all I could hear was " ooh, this would be great for ...." or " gosh, it's hot, shall we go for a beer". Yes, the town was flooded with Brits, spending their vacations in this part of Greece. I must tell you that due to the lack of native speakers around here, when I here English spoken by a native, I get a tingly feeling all over. It's a funny sensation, as nostalgia and surprise seem to take over my senses, and all I want to do is stop and start having a chat with the nearest available tourist. It may seem funny to a lot of people, and disturbing to anybody I am with at the time, but this is why I always get excited about visits to Parga during the summer months. Another thing I like about it is how picturesque it is. Houses seem to have been built upon each other around the small port, each lane leading to a different place, hiding small shops and restaurants. Flowers of all colours adorn doorways, window ledges and gates, and just like the local people, they have become a part of the attraction of the area.

The views are tremendous from wherever you stand, wherever you sit. Watching the sailing boats coming in and out of the harbour, visiting the local historical sites, lying on a beach with the green hills and cliffs around you gives you a feeling of being in another world, where nature and modern life seem to have made a deal to work together.

At night all the local sights are lit up and the effect is superb, and when there is a full moon, well...it seems that the world starts and stops here. But don't just take my word for it...add it to your list of "places to visit".....

Amalia.....a cause worth fighting for

2007-06-04T21:10:00.000+03:00

This article has been copied from the blog www.giatinamalia-blog.blogspot.com which I read today. Giving doctor's money for services which they are obligated to provide is something that all Greeks have become used to. Some day this must stop. Amalia's blog is a written documentation of how her struggle with cancer touched the hearts of the people and some true and decent doctors, but also of how yet another person struggles against a system with rules that are consistently broken. Amalia ... for you ...

This one is for Amalia…

"Every patient has the right to being respected and maintaining his dignity."
(Greek law, article 47, L.2071/1992)

"Quacks should be the exception, you guys, not the norm…"
(Amalia Kalyvinou , 1977-2007)

Since the age of 8, Amalia Kalyvinou started having pains. Despite her numerous visits to doctors and several admissions to hospitals, no-one managed to diagnose her in time with the benign neurinoma of her lower extremity, which was the actual diagnosis at that point. 17 years later, Amalia was told that the neurinoma had transformed by then into a malignant tumour.For the next 5 years, Amalia not only had to fight with the cancerous disease and amputation, but also with a corrupt Greek National Health System: it ignores (by choice) the ongoing patient-to-doctor bribery and insists on time-consuming bureaucratic methods and practices. Besides radiotherapy and chemotherapy, Amalia had to face the financial exploitation by doctors that stood opposite to rather than by her side. On top of her pain, she had to endure the greediness of private clinics and the exhaustingly long waiting queues of the health insurance system, in order to get legal approval for some ridiculously low financial compensation.Amalia passed away on Friday, May the 25th, 2007. She was just 30 years old.Before dying, she managed to document her experience and share it with us in her blog http://fakellaki.blogspot.com/. The promising literature graduate named in there each and every one of the doctors she had to bribe, praising at the same time the ones that honoured the Hippocratic Oath. Her testimony moved thousands of people that stood by her side all the way to the end."Amalia's main aim was to tell her story, so that she could awaken as many people and as many consciences as possible. She mainly wanted to show that there are ways to resist not only the self-regulation and authority of dishonest and heartless doctors, but also the bureaucrats of the Health System."(Dikaia Tsavari & Georgia Kalyvinou – Amalia's mother & sister)According to the Greek law, it is considered a major disciplinary offence for the doctors of the Greek National Health System to:"Accept bonus and especially any compensation or property grant, for any medical service provided.” Amalia Kalyvinou fought for things that are taken for granted in a modern European country. Unfortunately, this is not the case for Greece. Continuing Amalia’s effort where she left off, we protest in public and we demand:
* THE STATE TO TAKE IMMEDIATE ACTION TO STOP BRIBERY AND THE INEQUALITY BROUGHT IN THE TREATMENT OF PATIENTS.
* THE NATIONAL HEALTH COMMITTEE TO BE MORE FLEXIBLE SO AS PATIENTS STOP FALLING VICTIMS TO TIME-CONSUMING BUREAUCRATIC PROCESSES.
* THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH TO ENSURE STRICTER CONTROL ON THE RELATION OF DRUG COMPANIES – MEDICAL SERVICE.
* FULL UTILISIZATION OF CURRENTLY ABANDONED HOSPITAL INFRASTRUCTURE. CONTINUOUS AND COMPLETE SCIENTIFIC TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT FOR DOCTORS AND NURSES.
* CREATION OF A NATION-WIDE ELECTRONIC MEDICAL RECORD SYSTEM, TO SPEED UP PROMPT DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENTLET’S END THE HYPOCRISY OF THE ONES THAT GOVERN, WHO PREFER TO ALLOW DOCTORS TO BE BRIBED BY THEIR PATIENTS, INSTEAD OF PROVIDING THEM WITH A DECENT SALARY.* NO MORE BRIBERY
* NO MORE BUREAUCRACY
* NO MORE LIES WE DEMAND FREE AND EFFICACIOUS HEALTHCARE SERVICES FOR ALL.
Next time you’ll have to bribe a doctor, just don’t. Choose instead to make a donation. Amalia’s last wish was to contribute to the -under construction- Oncological Centre for Children. (Elpida foundation, tel no 0030210-7757153, email: http://giatinamalia-blog.blogspot.com/2007/05/info@elpida.org,Bank accounts: National bank of Greece, account no 080/480898-36, Alphabank account no 152-002-002-000-515. Please remember to quote that your donation is “for Amalia”)INTERNET MOVEMENT OF AMALIA’S FRIENDS

Why Greece....?

2007-06-04T17:52:00.000+03:00

I read an article today, about why somebody should move to Greece for a while, maybe to work or study. The question raised was why Greece, or rather, why not anywhere else. I must admit it is a question I have asked myself on may occasions, and the answers may not always be what we are looking for, but they certainly are worth considering. Firstly, the whole Greek attitude to life seems somewhat philosophised. Work is work, but pleasure must be part of the daily routine. Whether it is a walk with the kids, a visit to a local cafe for coffee, meeting with friends at the beach, going for dinner at a seaside taverna, driving to a nearby resort or just strolling along the streets window shopping, there is always something you can do. History, mythology and culture all mingle with daily life, giving a different perspective on things. Just knowing the history of your area, or the people that live in this area, gives you a feeling that you could also become part of that history. Every place has a story, every person has a dream. Multi cultural societies are springing up left, right and centre, and people are even finding new meaning to their lives. Hospitality is a word that can be seen, felt and enjoyed throughout the country, and although the older generation has its flaws, younger people are now coming to terms with those flaws and attempting to change them. Greece is a country associated with bribery, looking the other way, and knowing people who know people. I know this, I live with this, but I am trying to change it. More and more people moving around Europe, searching for a place to live in a united continent, wanting to know more about the more ancient races have found a home here. Others, who cannot live in a society devoid of rules, just visit. But as I look out onto a deep blue sea, and hide from the sun under a clear, cloudless sky, my worries disappear as I answer the question Why Greece..? ...Because such beauty is rare and hard to find, so why not....?

Eating Greek Style

2007-05-30T17:28:00.000+03:00

Mealtimes are still a family event in Greece. Most families get together for at least one meal of the day, although this does depend on work schedules, school and so on. Some things can always be found on a Greek table, depending on what is on the agenda for the day. One thing I was not used to when I first came to Greece, was the fact that no matter what the meal was there was always bread on the table. When I was younger, in the UK, bread was something I associated with sandwiches, toast, and soup. Here in Greece though it is a standard part of the Greek meal, as well as salad which varies according to what is in season. Feta cheese and olives are also a must on the table, depending on what the meal is. We usually have olives when we cook pulses, like the traditional bean casserole, or lentils. Daily meal planning can be a bit hectic, but once you get the hang of it, everything can go to plan. Now the Greeks do have days on which they don't eat meat. Wednesdays and Fridays are religiously connected to our eating habits. Wednesday, being the day of the last supper, and Friday, the day on which Christ was crucified, have been marked as days of fasting. This means that on these days we do not eat any animal produce or oil. Of course, this is something which is upheld in the smaller communities in Greece, but apart from the religious aspect, this is also one of the reasons the Greek diet is one of the healthiest in the world. Apart from this, Greek housewives like to have a varied menu. As in other parts of the world, roast dinners, and meat dinners are usually planned for weekends, when most people are at home, and have the time to prepare such meals, and also enjoy them. Past, rice dishes, and potato based dishes are usually cooked once a week, and also fish is something there is plenty of in this country, so most households cook it once or twice a week. Another thing that Greeks like to do is use vegetables in a variety of ways, so during the summer months you will see aubergines, courgettes, peppers, runner beans and okra cooked in a variety of ways. As for meat, you will find that this also has special treatment, and the ways of cooking it vary from place to place, and season to season. I must admit, that growing up with the Greek cuisine has had a delightful effect on my taste buds, as the herbs and spices mingled with vegetables and meat appear to trigger the appetite and make you want to try a bit of everything. The Greek cu sine, much like the Greek people has been influenced by other factors as well as religion. The refugees from Asia Minor brought with them their middle eastern gastronomical delights, and so we have our syrup based desserts. The shepherds and farmers also played an important role in cooking habits, as they used whatever was in season and available in the mountainous regions they travelled through with their herds. Therefore, when visiting Greece, it is essential to try out authentic Greek cooking, although souvlaki and tzatziki are a tempting delight. On the other hand, good old fish and chips with plenty of salt and vinegar is definitely something I miss living here.....

Perdika...past, present ...what about the future....

2007-05-29T10:21:00.000+03:00

I thought I'd write a little more about my village today. It seemed the obvious choice this morning, as the grey skies had cleared, and the waters had got their sea blue colour back. Over the last decade, we have seen a change in our village, as more tourists visit, especially over the months of July and August. The change is not enough to give us the title of "holiday resort", as not having at least a six month season does not give the locals the chance to expand their businesses, but it is enough for people to have a job in the tourist industry, at least for three months of the year. The funny thing is that we are very close to some of the biggest resorts in our area Parga and Sivota, but because of the uniqueness of the area, a plus in my mind, it is not chosen as a holiday destination. Let me explain. The village is actually set in the mountains, overlooking the Ionian sea. The islands of Paxos and Corfu can be seen in the distance, and it is about 6 km from the coastline. Our beaches are about a fifteen minute drive...nothing really...and we have the clearest waters on this side of Greece. I think it is perfect. A smooth combination of nature, sun, sand and sea. There are hotels on all the beaches, small, family run businesses, but also very professional. There are also many rented rooms, a campsite which cater for every one's needs. It does actually provide something for all ages and all tastes. The hotels are in areas where peace and tranquility reign, but the village has plenty of authentic Greek restaurants, offering Greek specialities as well as international cuisine. Fast food outlets provide the traditional souvlaki and pita. Fishermen sell their catch every day, so fresh fish is always available. There are cafes offering coffee, drinks, ice cream, open all day every day of the year. A local cake shop brimming with fresh desserts is a must, and well at night you will always find one of the two bars playing any music you ask for, so you can dance syrtaki until your feet drop off. All this in the same area. Yesterday I wrote about the other facilities available, so I won't go into detail again, but apart from the other shops here, there are also plenty of places to buy souvenirs and anything else you may want. You really have to see it, to actually understand it. The small churches hidden within the forests are worth searching for, so trekking along the road to the beaches is a journey with surprises along the way. Personally, I love it, but I also know that once somebody visits, it does become a place you want to come back to.

Greek women

2007-05-28T18:36:00.000+03:00

Now, over the years I have seen a tremendous change in Greek women. Their style, look, aura all seem to have gone through a makeover, and to be honest, the results are astonishing. Wen I was younger, I remember vacations spent with relatives, always left me in a bit of a muddle. My aunts were always either dressed in black, in mourning, or wore shapeless skirts and dresses. My cousins, having no real contact with the fashion world, except for magazines, tended to be dressed in whatever was handed down from others, or made by mothers and grandmothers. This seemed to be the case wherever I went, apart from in Athens, where it seemed fashion started and ended. Nowadays, times having changed, and boutiques opening up left, right and centre, there is no longer a problem of not being trendy, but rather one of being a bit OTT. More skin, less cloth appears to be the message, especially in the hot summer months, and believe me, the frumpy, pear shaped bodies have quickly disappeared, and in their place we now see beautiful long legged, tanned Greek women strutting around, and they are not to be ignored. In the evenings, when I have time to sit and have a coffee in the village square, I find myself surprised at the ways things have changed. When I was 18, on holiday from the UK, the foreign relative, I remember the local women looking me up and down, as I walked along the streets in my mini skirt, or my extra short shorts. All I could hear was tut tut and a "koitaxe tin...den ntrepete" which for those non Greeks out their is loosely translated as "look at her...shame on her". Today, as I watch their daughters and granddaughters wearing even shorter skirts, and high heeled stilettos, I wonder if they have even noticed them as they leave the house, and I am sure that if they have, their only reaction would be to give them a clove of garlic to carry around with them, so as to ward off the "evil eye". Times have changed though. I remember that to have a haircut or even styled the nearest hairdressers was an hours drive. Now, well, now two of my best friends own one of the three salons within walking distance from my house. Anna and Rania ... great stylists, modern salon, a good place to go even if you' re just a bit down, and a need something to pick you up. Head massages while you have your hair washed are a must, especially if you feel tired. Then there are the clothes shops. Again, in just a few minutes you can pop in and find current fashions, for men women and children. Also, another friend has accessories from bags to bangles, whatever you fancy. Gone are the days of just being a mother, a wife, a housekeeper. Gone are the overalls. No more facial hair, no more bland makeupless faces, discreet clothing, flat shoes. Greece and Greek women are making their mark in the world, becoming more like Greek goddesses each day, even in small villages like this.....

Greek Men (part two)

2007-05-26T11:53:00.000+03:00

I seemed to have got carried away on my Greek men post, and ended up talking about football and politics!!!!! Anyway, I thought that I should go back to the article I was actually referring to. As I said, there seems to be a shortage of Greek men in Greece. That is to say in relation to the Greek women. I am not quite sure what the explanation is, but having had two children, on both occasions the maternity ward was filled with more girls than boys. Now, it may be something in the water, or something in the genes, but whatever it is, the future looks somewhat dim. I did have a theory that maybe the mythological Amazon women warriors had left behind a curse, but then realising that I was possibly talking of my ancestors ( the Amazon women were said to have come from Pontus, my grandparents' birthplace) I quickly dismissed the theory as I was beginning to lose my train if thought again. So what is actually going on. Clearly there has been a change in Greece over the years, and families have drastically reduced in size as they have begun to fall in with the European 2.1 children phenomenon. Analysing the area I live in, I also found an additional problem. There is an outstanding number of thirty and forty something bachelors. Then I began thinking, maybe the problem isn't actually the shortage of men, but the amount of unmarried men, who have yet to start families and begin increasing the male population. My mind again went back to the Amazon women. They were said to have killed all their menfolk, and male offspring were killed at birth in order for there to be a "reign of women". Could this "reign of women", without all the killing, be happening again. If so, should we women be preparing ourselves and our daughters of what is to come? or should we Greeks merely have more babies to increase the population and the chances of having a son. Whatever the answer...there is still one question...where have all the men gone???

Passion

2007-05-25T13:23:00.000+03:00

What are your passions in life? A question that I always want to ask people, but you do have to have more than a mere acquaintance with somebody to be able to ask. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not talking about a fetish, and I am not a crazed woman bounding upon middle age, fearing what is ahead. No...I'm talking about passions....things we yearn for in the middle of the day, all day, all night. I have come to thinking that it's only when we reach a certain age, or level of thinking, or even when you just have the time to think, the feeling that something is missing comes up. I used to think that anything Greek was my passion...the food, the drink, the smells, the colours...they all seemed different here, but now I have changed my view. Passion, the dictionary meaning is "..a powerful emotion such as love or anger.." , so what triggers that powerful emotion in us all, and do we all have that emotion? I know that feeling....a feeling deep down that makes you dizzy, that makes you feel empty and full at the same time. The feeling which triggers euphoria, fear, confusion, and wisdom all at the same time. It's a feeling that is confused with other feelings, only because we name those feelings, but passion, passion cannot be named. My teenage neighbour screaming at the sight of her favourite pop idol...passion...the cafe owner just down the road watching his favourite football team....passion...the widower tending to his vegetable garden every morning before the sun rises...passion....the dreamy forty-something lady lying on the beach dreaming of the perfect tan...passion. It is something unique, a part of each one of us that makes us special. Some people show their passion, some people are loved for it and others hated for it but it is one of the things that makes us ... us...I am one of those people who likes to keep my passions for me. There are a handful of things that give me that feeling, some that others know about, some that are only for me. Living in a country full of "passion" does tend to bring it out in you though...So, forgive me for my indiscretion, but tell me ...What is your passion????

Greeks and Politics

2007-05-24T13:49:00.000+03:00

Ok, so yesterday was not a good day for Liverpool, but that's life...every day can't be a good day, but there certainly should be more good days than bad. A conversation with my mother a few days ago sparked off some thoughts in my mind, and as usual, I thought that conveying them may or may not be a good idea. You see, for as long as I have been living in Greece, I have always found myself comparing the two worlds I have lived in. Now you may say that this is not a good idea, as we are talking about two opposites, two very different sides of the coin. However, my mother's words do keep bothering me. As we were talking about how some people have managed to secure, not only their own futures, but that of their offspring, mum remarked that some people were just lucky in life. I did not react at the time, but over the past few days I have been thinking about luck and its effect on our lives. Many things tend to conflict with the theory that it is all a question of the "right time, right place", especially here. Take lucky games, for instance, I clearly remember that when the lottery first began in the UK, as I was there, people would wait beside their TVs for the draw, and lo behold, a winner was found. Over the next few days, there would be an interview with the winner, no names mentioned of course, but there was at least a feeling of hope that one day it would be one of us who would win. Over the twelve years I have lived in Greece, I have never heard a winner being referred to, or mentioned. Everything is so low key, that it makes me wonder if somebody does actually win. I have been playing lucky games ever since I came here, and no, I have never even come close..but it does make me think. Another "lucky" coincidence is that politicians, members of parliament, local leaders, all seem to be "set up " in life. A bundle of money in their pockets, they rule our country, and, not only that, you see citizens daily announcing their visits to a ministry, a local political office or even dropping their acquaintance with party members into every conversation they have. Where in the world does this actually happen. Maybe I've only ever lived in Britain, but I never remember my life revolving around a member of parliament that may or may not have lived in my neighbourhood, let alone visit him to talk about a piece of land that was not actually allwed to be built on, to see if he could something. And what about the other curious things ...for example every school child has a dream of going into the civil service!!! A dream of working in offices of the state, in schools, in the health service and why??? Because they are permanent, and when I say permanent I mean it. You get your monthly pay cheque, qualified or not, competent or not, polite or not!!!! And the icing on the cake is that you have to break the law in a BIG way to ever get fired!!! So why shouldn't kids have this dream?? Even the police force is a big plus. Have you ever seen a police officer drinking on duty? I can tell you it does not give you greatest feeling of safety. And don't even get me started on local authorities, anything goes, along as you have voted for whoever is in power. So does luck have anything to do with anything, I ask myself. My reply is No!!! There is always a way round things, sometimes illegal, other times immoral, but that has nothing to do with luck. On the other hand, I'm still counting on my lottery numbers showing up on the TV screen one day.......

Where are all the Greek men...

2007-05-23T18:21:00.001+03:00

A report in today's papers claims that there is a shortage of men in Greece. Well, I'm sure that we won't see that shortage today as all the bars and cafes fill with the male species flocking to see the Champions League final between Liverpool and Milan. I am no real football fan, but having grown up in a country fanatic about the sport, shared a house with three men at Uni, and now living with a football crazed man, I seem to have got the point. No world is complete for a man without a sport to be obsessed about. British men have football, rugby and cricket...Greek men have football and occasionally basketball. Unlike other countries though, the obsession here is only with 3 major teams in fact. If you ask anyone who they support 99% of the time they will answer either Panathinaikos, Olympiakos or AEK. When I first came to Greece, I was surprised at how passionate people seemed to be about their team, even to the point of not talking to members of their family for days if they were on opposite sides. Football and politics seemed to be on a par. Men would be in cafes, either squabbling about their teams or their political party. If you watch men carefully their reactions are somewhat like that of lions protecting their territory. Conversations begin lightly, while they test each others' boundaries. They play a little with words, seeing how far they can go. Then, when they see an opening they pounce in, competing on who will have the loudest roar, and of course, the last word. As a woman, not a feminist, I like to look on, but I cannot say that I am ever impressed with what I see. Nowadays, though, hooliganism has hit Greece, and its football mania, in a big way. More and more people are injured at games, and as fans of opposing teams are not allowed to leave the grounds at the same time, the police are on alert for hours on end. It makes me wonder sometimes, why the fans don't just arrange a date and time to meet up, beat each other to bits, and then be able to watch the match without any risk involved. Or maybe they should put up a warning around the football stadium....Being a supporter is bad for your health...

So anyway in response to the Greek governments' dilemma on the shortage of Greek men, tonight they will all be down the pub watching the cup final...(and they won't be causing trouble because their teams aren't playing) and being a Brit deep down inside I now who I'll be supporting (Walk on...walk on...)

...Greek Salad...

2007-05-22T11:18:00.001+03:00

A question that I ask myself every morning, while sipping away at my coffee, is "What shall I cook today?" It's the time of year when everyone is out and about, and so lunchtime is probably the only time everyone gets together to eat. Now, I am no master cook, but I like to have a meal ready for lunch, but what to cook? Greek cuisine is tremendous, and as I look through my recipe book, scouring for ideas, I stop at every picture. The "yemista" (stuffed tomatoes and peppers) look really tasty, but I have little time. What about "fakes" (lentil soup)? But no, not pulses again today. Suddenly the Greek Salad catches my eye. Every meal here is always accompanied by a salad. Then I think of the tourists who eat it as a light lunch. Well, why not. It is filling. Light and filling...just like a Greek family. The ripe, juicy tomatoes make up the biggest part of the salad. They could easily symbolise the mother, the figure who is the biggest part of our lives...mature, constant, full of love, full of the juices of life. Next is the cucumber...just like the children...fresh, tingly sometimes bittersweet. A sprinkle of onions and peppers here and there, grandpa and grandma...sharp, spicy sometimes bringing tears to our eyes. Feta cheese, our visitors...adding a smooth, dairy touch to all those vegetables. Last but not least, the olives, our father figure, only a few, but adding a touch of pride and heritage to our small family. The roots of our family...the roots of our country in those olives. Dark, mysterious, they remind us of the hard work that goes into family life. They are the essential part of the salad, making it different from other salads, making us stand out from the others. So today, salad is on the menu...after thinking about all this I really don't have time to make anything else!!!!!!!

ERT 3 in Perdika!!!!!!!!!

2007-05-20T18:22:00.000+03:00

What a day!!!! Today our sleepy village awoke with a mission. A day filled with variety, with all our senses on alert, we all flocked our way to the village square to greet the film crew of one of the State owned channels, ERT 3, who were filming an episode of a regular Sunday afternoon programme "Sunday in the village". The crew had been here for three days filming the beaches, the nature reserves, the archaeological sites and many other things, but today was different. The village square had been transformed into what seemed like the set of a film. Traditional taverna tables and chairs had been set up to seat the village spokesmen and women, on one side of the square. On the other side, housewives displayed the local gastronomical delights they had made specially for the day. On each corner dance groups from the surrounding area, and our own, were on standby to show the local dances and in the centre, the orchestra was ready to start the day of festivities. The smell of the different meats cooking on spits filled the air. It was a day to be proud, a day to help, to be part of a community to show who we are to the rest of Greece. As I stood by, waiting to see my daughter dance, I found my feelings to be mixed. I have always been an active member of this community, someone who loves to see people unite in the name of tradition or culture or re education, but as an onlooker, I felt some disappointment. It seemed to be a question of being seen. People who rarely ventured from their homes, who rarely become united, who seldom take part in local activities, and hardly ever show community spirit, were now "showing" the world who they were. This was not negative , though...no...This was the good part, the part where people showed that when need be, they could become one. This was our day, a day in our lives, where we could say, look, we are part of Greece too. Look at the views here, Look at the deep Ionian see which lightly touches our sandy shores. Look at our fisherman, our farmers, our families. Look at what we offer. Yes, dressed in their Sunday best everyone turned out for the cameras. Everyone was there. Then I knew what that feeling was ...disappointment... knowing that tomorrow everyone and everything would be the same as yesterday.

Greek Music and I

2007-05-18T14:16:00.000+03:00

Tonight I get the chance to shake off my day wear, put on something snazzy and do something I love...sing. It's been a passion all my life, since I was part of the school chorus in various plays, since I would sleep and wake up with Radio 1 and its various DJs as a teenager, since my friends and I would sing along to The Carpenters whilst driving around the West Midlands, on sleepy summer days. It was how I enchanted my husband, singing along to a guitar at an all night beach party, here, at the village. It was something I felt I had to explore and discover as everything else in my life, so when I was given the opportunity to sing in a local band, I grabbed it with both hands and although I had little knowledge of Greek Music, I began with a small repertoire, and a lot of nerves, to sing in front of audiences in bars, at get- togethers, at weddings, and although I know I am no Maria Callas, The responses were great, and so I continued. The most difficult part of the job, was the hours...I would return home in the early hours of the morning, and have to wake up a few hours later to do the housework, look after the kids, prepare things for my day job. But I have never looked back. I slowly began to build up my song list, adding favourite songs, focusing genre, style, and generally learning more each day. I'm still learning although I have been singing on and off for 3 years now, I still have to build up my confidence, as I tend to have to look at the lyrics while I am singing....there is so much to remember...and I will continue, even if only for my own pleasure. There is nothing better than having people dance and sing along with songs that have left marks on their lives. I find myself looking up composers, artists, producers on the Internet, wanting to know more about music... I sing to my children, in the shower, while I'm driving, while I'm cleaning...I sing because songs are life, passion, dreams all rolled into one....it's a shame you're all not closer...I would love to sing for you too.....

Paradise

2007-05-17T10:47:00.000+03:00

One thing I remember as a child was that every time I came to Greece, or went to Cyprus (my mother's home) I would always leave in tears. Mum and Dad must have thought I was crazy, as the tears rolled down my cheeks and I stared out of the plane window, hoping that something would happen to give me one more day in, what I considered to be, paradise. Thinking back, I still have a knot in my stomach, and I presume that was one of the reasons I moved here after University. Everything seemed so different when I was young, the sounds, the smells, the fun, the people. It even took me days to recover from my holiday...sitting in my room overlooking Barry docks, the grey cloudy sky would only remind me that I did not fit in, that something was dreadfully wrong with the world, but deep inside I knew. I knew that my parents wanted something better for my brother and I. I knew that their hearts had broken, long before mine had even come to existence. I knew that they had given up their homes just to give us chances...but knowing just did not seem to make things any better. It just made the pain less intense. So the feeling just became a part of me. Fitting in has also become a part of me, but living in a country with so many problems, makes it so much harder. My Greek is still not as good as I want it to be, but I am considered a native speaker, although a slight difference in my accent sometimes gives me away. I like it though...I like being someone who has lived with a Tescos , M & S, McDonald's just around the corner. I like having gone to schools where the guiding hands of teachers seemed to bring out the best. I like having an air of "the outsider" but these things have also become past thoughts. Living here is like stepping back in time. Hypermarkets have just been discovered, monopolies are just beginning to lose ground, education has still to see the light of day, bribery is a part of everyday life, and "what you know" is a lesser desired attribute. However, I still feel the need to overcome anything put in my way, and face difficulties as they come, although forward thinking is a great weapon. Each day ideas come to mind, and challenges pop up, so life is less than boring. But waking up into a world where things are so laid back that even sunbeds seem to be working more than people, I do tend to wonder....is this really where I am supposed to be....

Greek Wedding

2007-05-15T19:40:00.000+03:00

Weddings in Greece are a lively affair. Although these days more and more people are choosing a less boisterous affair, I still like to take part in all the activities that go on. Firstly, families are always involved in the wedding of a relative, and if you live in a village, most of the residents become involved too. In the past, weddings were held with more than 800 guests, so as you can imagine, they were hold over the summer months, and usually in the streets. The women would spend the week before the wedding preparing various delicacies that would be eaten by guests popping in and out of an open house all week. The men would bring in the shopping, set out tables and chairs in the gardens, on the streets, and generally work a little and drink a lot while the did their bit. Although there are know halls available for great numbers of people, preparing for the big day has generally not changed...lots of eating and drinking, and generally being merry. The Wednesday before the wedding is the day the bride invites her relatives to get the dowry ready. For those of you who do not know about dowries, basically they are made up of the linen for the new couple's home, which the bride's mother has collected over the years, while waiting for her daughter to marry. The bride's sisters, friends and cousins separate the linen and tie it up in small parcels with colourful ribbons and again people arrive to gaze upon the beautiful bedding, the handmade tablecloths, the colourful towels, the expensive carpets that are all set up in one room for all to see. On Thursday, the groom's family arrive and collect the dowry. Now this is not the same in all regions, but in this part of the country, the dowry is taken from the bride's home (where tradition calls for various other things to be discreetly taken also) to the new couple's home where everything is put into place. The bed is made by single girls, who strip the bedding which the groom's mother placed, and make it with the bride's new set. Then rice and money are thrown onto the bed, and a young child is usually placed on the bed so that the couple may quickly bear their first child. Then there is more ....eating and drinking. Friday is usually the day the groom's family arrange to take the wedding to the bride. It is usually the groom's best friend who carries the dress through the streets to the bride's home, where he and other members of the family dance with the wedding dress, before handing it over to the bride. He is also responsible for taking the bride's underwear, make up and shoes to her on the day of the wedding, placing the shoes on her feet before she leaves for the church. The merriment continues on the night before the wedding, and as most weddings take place on Saturday here, both families usually have a dinner party for their guests after the handing over of the dress. The day of the wedding is chaotic (not that the other days are less of a panic) More people in and out of the house all day...to see the groom dressing...to see the bride getting ready...generally to take part in the couple's happy day. Hairdresser's, make up artists, friends, parents, relatives hover around the soon to be couple and as the deadline approaches, more and more people arrive. The groom awaits his bride at the church steps, and a local tradition is for the bride to ascend, showing her groom that she accepts her position as the one who will follow and not lead....(nowadays the groom usually meets her halfway). The holy ceremony comprises of the best man uniting the couple by witnessing and aiding their joining together, and when they ceremony is over, the couple and their immediate families stand in line as all the guests congratulate them. As you can imagine, if there are hundreds of guests, this can be very time consuming. After all this, the party starts, and everyone gathers to dance traditional dances, depending on where they are from, and generally eat and drink to the health of the newlyweds.

Although I have described a typical Greek village wedding, maybe you would like to get married in a Greek church, of course without all the traditions we have, but with my help...if you are interested please contact me at allgreek1.gmail.com....

May in Greece

2007-05-15T09:55:00.000+03:00

...one of the hottest Mays we have seen in years, and as the temperatures rise, so does the need to hit the beaches, get tanned and fit. Every year, at this time, as the summer clothes are pulled out of their dark winter storage boxes, I always seen to wake up with the feeling that something is about to happen. I don't know if you ever get the feeling that you were born to be doing something other than what you are doing, but I wake up with that feeling every day. Walking along the roads in the village, the warm breeze drifting slowly past, I feel optimistic today. I don't know why; maybe it's the bright colourful flowers blooming in all gardens, maybe it's the view of the coast from high above, or maybe it's just being thankful for what I have, which apart from my family, is not that much, but I definitely do feel optimistic. A couple of travellers have just come riding in, on their bikes, from a nearby resort, Sivota. They are British, and as I accidentally eavesdrop n their conversation, I am overwhelmed with a feeling of wanting to go and answer their questions, but I hesitate, as I think, let them discover, let them talk to the local people, and get into that Greek feeling. Then my thoughts wander as I see them ride away, and hope they will have fun.

The temperatures are set to hit the mid thirties, and I must say that although I do moan about Greece, and living here, it is a great place to visit. This area is filled with lots of different holiday spots. Places to go with a family, as a couple, alone, you will always find something to do or see. 7 different beaches await people to fill them, all with something different to offer. What are you looking for? Nightlife, sun, tradition, good food, well organised hotels, you can find everything here, and not only that but we are so close to so many other places. Corfu is now only two hours away. Parga and Sivota, both holiday resorts are a fifteen minute drive in opposite directions. The archeology in the area is renowned, with Nekromanteio, the gateway to Hades, an hour away. It really is wonderful. So, do you want to visit?? Send me an e-mail. Post a comment. Let me show you more of why I love summer in Greece....

Perdika...

2007-05-13T10:56:00.000+03:00

...is the name of the village I live in. It's my father's village, and one of the most picturesque places I have seen. My grandparents were both refugees from Ponto, or Asia Minor, and during the mass Greek exodus from the west coast of Turkey, in the early 1900's, they travelled to find new lives in Greece, their homeland- a story I will come back to. The actual village was formerly a "Turkish Village", and its residents actually all came here at about the same time. The cultural diversity here is one thing that makes it an interesting place to live, as each person's roots lie in a different part of the land. Here are some of the places they came from -
Popovo - a region near the town of Paramythia about 40 km away.
Ithaki - an Aegean island off the coast of Turkey.
Asia Minor - Greek territory on the west coast of Turkey
Northern Epirus
Shepherds from Central and Northern Greece

Over the last twenty years we have seen this community change, with people joining, not only from other parts of Greece, but from other parts of the world, becoming what I like to call a "global" village. Germans, British, Italians, French, Americans have become a part of this community, leaving their mark but also leaving a distinct lack of unity.

But anyway, it's really a beautiful place, which words cannot really describe, but I will write more about the beauty another time...

Saturday Blues....

2007-05-12T10:29:00.000+03:00

...I have always regarded retirement as some faraway land I will, hopefully, reach some day, but today I awoke with a tremendous urge to think more about the decisions I have made which are slowly pushing me into middle age. The source of my discontent is an article I read this morning in of the magazines I enjoy reading in my free time. The article was entitled "The great brain robbery". It triggered so many unanswerable questions, that I found myself in an early morning dilemma. Based on the fact that there are more highly skilled Greeks abroad than there are in Greece provoked my interest, and as I read the article, I began to feel an ache in my stomach, as doctors, scientists, professors described their reasons for not returning to the land of their father's. Now believe me, I am no scientist, nor do I claim to be highly skilled in any subject, but the one big question kept worrying me..."if they are so against coming to live here, then what am I doing here?" The fact seems to be that there are more negative than positive aspects to returning to your roots, especially when you are thirty-something, trying to bring up children in a place where little is offered, unless you have a full wallet. And something even more disturbing is the fact that as you are raising your children, the only certainty is that one day they will leave, and you will be the one showing them the way, because, well, there are simply no prospects. If asked why I want my children to be good students...the answer is simple, so that they can at least have a choice or more so, have the sense to know they have choices, when the time comes. I'm sorry Greece...but, once more, what you have to offer seems to be less than acceptable. I know something needs to be done, I know I have a voice, I know that things must change...but god knows I have no idea where to start, so I start with me and my family, hoping that whatever change there is, it will be for the better. As I looked out from my window this morning all I could see was a country becoming one great retirement home for those who had made their mark elsewhere... let's hope I read something a little more optimistic tomorrow!!!

Writing....

2007-05-11T21:14:00.000+03:00

...is something which takes up a lot of my time, and generally I write in Greek (because I like a challenge); poetry, songs, books....anything which records things that the eye cannot see...

Let me give you a taste of something I recently wrote, although my original poem was in Greek, I have tried to keep the essence in the English version

If you are a shadow, pass by once more
If you are a heart, beat so I hear your call
If you are a lie, truth I need not hear
If you are a net, catch me as I appear
If you are a sea, in your depth I'll dive
If you are a dream, in my sleep I'll thrive
If you are my fate, with you I will reside

If I am a time, choose me as the best
If I am a place, explore from east to west
If I am a star, wish only upon my name
If I am a moon, close your eyes and pray
If I am a sea, reach my depth with care
If I am a dream, stay beside me there
If I am your fate, I'll be here, I swear...

A dog's life....

2007-05-11T13:52:00.000+03:00

Having made the decision to leave Wales and live in Greece, I have never looked back, but I seem to have lost the ability to look forward. Greece is a country which may seem, at first glance, "developed" is actually "developing", and, I might add, at a very slow rate. 12 years of living here I have been able to achieve nothing of what I had hoped, apart from my 2 children. I live in a village on the Northwest coast, opposite Corfu. A university graduate, with 3 languages under my belt, I moved here with hopes of aspiring in a career which I actually never began. I never liked the thought of working with children, but once settled here, I decided to teach English, as there seemed no real teaching going on. Foreign Languages, as I discovered, were not and are not taught well enough in schools, and since we live in a country which thrives from tourism, it is a necessity...(although someone should tell the Inland Revenue, who seem to think of it as a luxury)...Luxury...a word I have forgotten the meaning of...anyway. Where was I, oh yes, I did love teaching at some point, but owning a language school in Greece, is not the perfect answer to any one's dreams, especially when nobody seems to feel obliged to pay fees when they are supposed to and so I sleep each day quoting sayings ...as you made your bed, so you must lie in it, being the most common. But I feel the need to change, as bankruptcy rears its weary head, and my children become more demanding. I am open to all ideas, as long as they are legal and moral, so that I can at least do more than lead a dog's life....

Roots....

2007-05-08T14:45:00.000+03:00

As I have learnt, life is not the bed of roses we so easily believed it would be, and so from an early age survival became a way of life. My "roots" are deeply embedded in a soil , rich in history, drama and hardship, much like an unkempt garden, and I, well I like to think of myself as a wild rose amidst the pretty, colourful nurtured flowers. Half Greek, half Cypriot I was born and raised in a country so different in nature to that of my breeding....Wales was the choice the made by my parents...the contrast between my blood and my place of birth could not have been greater. The blood in my veins so hot, that the cooler temperatures merely kept me "on ice" during my childhood. To understand fully, you really do have to watch "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" as it so cleverly portrays the lives of most young Greek women growing up in a country far from their own, not only in distance, but in culture, beliefs, religion, and even in their roles in society. Unfortunately, not all fathers were like Mr Portogalos in the film, as there was always the fear of daughters not marrying one of their kind. Greeks are not unlike other foreign families, apart from the fact that when I was growing up, everyone was an outsider, and family the only thing which kept us together, and as I have recently established, the only thing keeing us apart. My parents...well Dad is the Greek, raised in the village where I now live. Mum is the Cypriot..from a village on the east of the island. Both of my parents have their history, sadly I only ever met my grandmothers as both my grandfathers had died before I was born. A story I will keep for another day. As for me ... now you know ... a half Greek, half Cypriot Welsh girl... could any life have started so abnormally??????

...What a view....

2007-05-07T09:53:00.000+03:00

Today, my first day as a blogger, did not begin the way I had actually hoped. I woke up, the same way I wake up every morning, and decided yes, that's it. I'll welcome people to my blog with the images I see as I wake up, they'll love it. What do I see, you ask. Well, apart from myself, puff-eyed and dazed from not nearly enough beauty sleep, the view from my window is actually spectacular. My initial welcome went something like this....Open your eyes as I open mine and join me in my journey, a journey which begins each day as I sip my coffee on a balcony looking out over the Ionian sea watching the sun rise gently as it warms the cool, silent waves along this spectacular coast of Greece. Listen, as I listen, to the morning sounds, the birds singing, old men walking, children buzzing on their way to school, the gentle breeze rustling through the trees reminding me that summer has still to arrive. The smell of bread baking mingles with the soft aroma of spring flowers, slowly opening their petals to greet another warm May day. In the background, simple melodies can be heard from one of the state owned radio stations, taking me back to times less burdened...but no. Not today. No way. The simple melody awkwardly stops as the needle jumps and scratches the vinyl record I call life. The ambiance is a mere illusion, and my day, well, although the view is the same, nothing else is. the same face gazes at me from the mirror and wishes it were still in the dreamworld I was so hastily awakened from. My son's voice distressed is the only thing I can hear, as he cries for mummy ... we are not well today. My mobile begins ringing, unknown numbers, probably the banks, but who knows as I rush around trying to plan my day around a sick son, a busy schedule and blogging...well...life is never the way we want, or should I say, the way I want but ... what the heck..I've got a great view from my balcony!!!!!!!!!!!