Up in Flames

How tragic! How tragic it is to watch people lose their homes and to witness the utter destruction of the much-needed forests in Attiki, Karistos, Viotia, Zakinthos. The biggest question everyone is asking is Why? Why is it that we never learn from our mistakes? Why is it that we don't have enough hydroplanes and firetrucks to go around to all locations that are up in flames? Why is it that every year our government prefers to shovel out money at the end of a destruction rather than to give a quarter of that money beforehand in order to prevent it? Whose fault is it afterall?

It's the government's fault for choosing to cover up big problems instead of deal with them at the root and get rid of them: i.e. hire more firemen, spend more money on protecting the environment, ensure that all public forces including the fire service have a healthy structure, good leadership and honorable organizational culture, etc.
It's the local authorities' fault for showing such short-sight when it comes to protection from a phenomenon that is seen every summer in Greece.
It's the Head of the Fire Service's fault for failing to coordinate his forces and show readiness when dealing with one or multiple fires.
It's the media's fault for magnifying the destruction of certain areas while ignoring others and for exercising judgement over the efficiency of the fire service in order to get ratings.
Finally, it's our fault. All of us are to blame for complaining that the government and authorities are inefficient when we were the ones that put them into power. We speak of conspiracies to clear our forests in order to build more and more houses, yet many of us have houses in forests that are illegally built.
Unless we all change the way we deal with major catastrophes and their avoidance, unless we start worrying more about the future and not just the present then none of our elected officials will change their ways either.

Dreams of Returning to the Homeland

There are two types of Greeks that live abroad: those who have settled in their new countries and enjoy visiting Greece during the summer and those who one day dream of returning to Greece. The latter may include people of all ages and the feeling of nostalgia does not stop in first generation immigrants, but is also passed along to their children and grandchildren. I should know; I was one of them. This nostalgia can only be described as a deep, blind love for a country that is described ever so romantically by your elders and which is reaffirmed during the careless summers you spend in this country as a child. You start feeling different, because you are different; you're Greek. Every one of your school friends know it and you brag about your descent every chance you get, even making screen names that include the word "greek" in there somewhere.

And so the years pass with you feeling like you're part of a Greek group, all proud of the history, the culture, and even the attitude of the Greeks. Coming to Greece in the summer is the one thing you look forward to all year round, and you come back with tales of summer crushes, amazing beaches, excessive clubbing/drinking and stories of admiration for the Greek-relaxed way of life.

The truth is that... (read the rest at www.allthegreeks.com)

Living the Simple Life in Greece

For the first-time visitor Greece is a heavenly destination due to its natural beauty, ideal climate and happy summer atmosphere. Even from looking at pictures alone some people dream of one day living in Greece permanently to get away from the busy routine life they live in their country. In the end, for most people this remains a dream. There are those, however, who are bold enough to make the move risking to set everything out of balance and start from scratch. How can this brave action be done?

First off, by seeking the simple life, I assume most people mean living in a quiet but beautiful area, within their means and with the basics in a cozy house with friendly neighbors and a garden. If you're planning on moving to Greece looking for the simple life in major cities such as Athens or Thessaloniki, there really is no point in doing so. Finding a job is quite difficult, especially anywhere outside Athens, whereas even if you do find a job, the working hours will be so long that you'll find yourself reliving your old life in a foreign country.

The only reason worth moving to Greece (again, to live a simpler life) is if you live in a small town or island where everyone knows each other by their first name and instead of cars, you hear birds chirping in the morning. If you're kind to the locals and they take a liking at you, they will definitely help you in any way they can. You must, first of all, have an open mind. Don't expect people to know your native language. Make an effort to learn Greek and try not to demand of others to follow your guidelines of courtesy and manners. (For the rest visit www.allthegreeks.com)

Image: cordelia.typepad.com/ cypria/travel/