Not a good day...

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...

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

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/