Working...and cleaning!!

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

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.