Welcome to Greece Freshman

You've made up your mind. You're moving to Greece. You found a college you like and you just want to have your freedom in a country you know that fun is just around the corner at all times. Your parents hate to see you go, and you start feeling uneasy the days before you move, but these feelings disperse once you set foot here. Whether it's Athens or Thessaloniki, there are a few things to do before you start classes:

Find an apartment

There's plenty of houses in Athens and Thessaloniki for rent, so don't hurry and book the first one you see. There's many different ways you can look for an apartment: You can check the classified ads of local newspapers (there's also free press with just ads in the center of cities near bus stops and metro stops), you can check any posted ads on your school's bulletin, or you can go to a real estate agent or mesiti. Don't forget to ask people at your school on whether they have housing, or a list of real estate agents that work with them or a list of other students looking for roommates. Roomies are fun to split the bills and feel like you always have someone if you need anything, but I'm sure you've heard of horror stories about how you may eventually start fighting over who's turn it is to do dishes or who ate who's food.

Before you even start looking, however, you need to determine where you want to live. Usually apartments near universities and metro stops are more expensive. Perhaps you should find out which buses stop near your school and find an apartment somewhere along the route of that bus. Once you've determined the neighborhood you want to live in, go to an agent that's in that neighborhood. Remember to look at lots of apartments, even if you love the first one you'll see. Unfortunately many apartments in the center of both Athens and Thessaloniki are very old, so be prepared for that. What you should ask: of course the monthly rent and don't be afraid to negotiate (one bedrooms are around 300-400 euros, but don't rule out 2-bedrooms, because you may find some cheaper) and the koinoxrista or else maintenance bills per month (you pay for the elevator, cleaning of halls/stairs, heating, maybe even gardening depending on the building). Plumbing is important too (how old is it?), and also if you can control your heating independently from the rest of the building that would be great. See, when you don't control it, they turn the heater on for 2 hours in the day and 2 hours at night (perhaps hours you're never home) and you end up paying lots of money. Beware of air conditioners - if you use that all winter for heat, your electrical bill will skyrocket.

Read more at www.allthegreeks.com

Image: http://squarelogic.blogspot.com/2008/05/blog-post_30.html

Greek Politicians Are Amusing... Really

That's the way I prefer to look at things when it comes to politics in this country: amusing. There are other ways to look at it, too. You could actually try to get involved to change things (and probably end up being swallowed by the system of corruption) or you could cry.

Yes, cry, because if you look at the overall picture of politics in Greece, and you really see the caricatures that are supposed to be our leaders, then you start thinking: "Hmmm, if it's true that politicians are just a mirror image of those who vote them in office, then we must be really screwed up!"

But then again, there really aren't that many choices, are there? For example, we've got elections coming up in a couple of weeks. Who do you vote for? The party that failed and wants a second chance or the party that just can't seem to take advantage of the leading party's failure? Despite almost six years of scandals and an inability to control even the politicians in his own party, Prime Minister Mr. Karamanlis preaches "responsibility" and "determination" to improve things. Those are the two most popular words in his speeches lately. He takes responsibility, he says, for the mess with the Vatopaidi case (you know, where the government was exchanging millions of euros worth of land with the monastery to get land of 1/10 of that value), and there's also the Siemens case (where the technology-giant was bribing both major political parties with millions in order to later land government projects), the millions of euros of tax-payer's money from the biggest insurance agency (IKA) gambled away and never truly accounted for, and so many other scandals that involved key ministers and politicians of his party, Nea Dimokratia. And so what if he takes responsibility? Is any of the stolen money returned? No. On the contrary, due to the "economic crisis" there will be more taxes, a relentless search for tax evaders (not among the rich, of course) and a very "rough road ahead" as he likes to say. But he needs people to remind him that he is wanted, again - two years after the last election. Hmmm... it seems to me likes he's quitting.

Ok, so if this guy isn't right for the job, who's the next one in line? The American boy of PASOK: Mr. Papandreou. You know... he tries really hard to look serious the poor guy, but he just can't pull it off. You feel the urge to doze off after the very first sentence of his speeches. He just doesn't have the fiery passion of politics in him - he's just the guy that had to continue the family tradition even though he probably doesn't want to. At least he's not showing anyone that he can pull the country out of the corruption pit. I haven't heard any solutions contrary to what Nea Dimokratia is saying and that I can adopt as a citizen. There's just constant blame for the opposite party. And don't tell me that buying back half of Olympic Airlines and OTE while also endorsing agriculture are valid solutions. For a country that's in debt billions of euros, I just don't see where that money will come from. But Mr. Papandreou can do it... because he's smart, and he exercises and rides his bike in public like leaders of "civilized" nations do. (Read about politicians in Greece at www.allthegreeks.com)

Volos-Pelion: A Destination for All People and Seasons

Whether you decide to visit in the heart of winter or in the hottest month of summer, Volos is a city that will always have something to offer to its visitors. Snuggled at the foot of mount Pelion with a view of the Pagasitikos Gulf, it is the ideal base for your excursions to both sea and mountain.

The best aspect of Volos is its proximity to some of the most amazing beaches in the country and the most picturesque mountainous villages. But lets start out with the city itself. Volos is situated somewhere between the two largest cities of the country: it's about a 2.5-hour drive from Thessaloniki and a 3.5-hour drive from Athens (accessible by both train and bus).

As a city it's fairly easy to navigate due to its neat planning, with the biggest meeting point being the port or seafront. A car-free area with a long row of cafes for all types and where the cafes stop, eateries pick up. There's pizzerias and, of course, the famous tsipouradika. "What are tsipouradika?" you may ask. They are seafood restaurants where you order small bottles of tsipouro (aka moonshine in the U.S., but in Volos it tastes like ouzo) and for every two bottles (one has the quantity of a shot in it) you get 3 small appetizer dishes that are usually a little bit salty and vinegary to suit the tsipouro. These dishes may be anything from octopus, to shrimp, to potato salad, cabbage salad, squid, fish, mussels and the list can be endless. The tsipouradika and other eateries that are located at the port, may always seem busy, but they are very tourist oriented. Some of those preferred by the locals: "Bokos" and "Karakatsanis" in Nea Ionia, "Kochili" in the center on Metamorfoseos St., "Movoros" at Pteleos beach, "Mimikos" at the end of Alykes beach and the list is endless.

And although coming to the famous tsipouradika where octopus tentacles hang on a line to dry is good enough reason to visit Volos, the beaches within an-hour radius are an even bigger temptation in summer. (Read more about Volos and Pelion here)

Basics in Greek Mythology: The 12 Gods

Greek mythology is a subject that was fascinating for me especially when I was younger: all the gods and deities that governed the everyday life of the ancient Greek. Most people know that the basic or more important gods were the 12 gods that resided on the highest mountain peak of Olympus. From there Dias (Zeus) and the rest could see everything below them in Greece. They drank nektar and ate ambrosia, which sustained their immortality, but their personalities were flawed like those of humans. The Greeks imagined their gods to have love affairs, compassion, feuds, jealousy, betrayal and everything else that happens in a human's life.

The king of the gods and father of all was Dias or Zeus as the Romans later called him. Dias is depicted as a wise old man that gets weak around women with whom he has several affairs. His symbol is the thunderbolt and it's what he he uses to punish and show his power to people.

Dias' wife is Ira (Hera). She's also his sister but that doesn't really matter to them. Ira knows of almost all of Dias' infidelities and hunts these women down behind his back. She also persecuted any bastard sons that Dias had (especially Iraklis or Hercules). She was the goddess of women and marriage and was seen as a very vengeful goddess, but also very compassionate and helpful with those she liked.

Aphrodite was the goddess of love and beauty. The creation myth says that she was born from the blood that dripped into the sea after Dias castrated Ouranos. It is said that she was born out of the waves in the shores of Cyprus. There are other stories of how she was born, but this is the most prominent.

Aris was the son of Dias and Ira. He was the god of war and was seen as a bloodthirsty man who was also depicted as a coward in some stories. Aris had several love affairs, but his greatest is the one with Aphrodite.

Athina was the goddess of wisdom and knowledge. She was also a warrior, but she wasn't depicted as bloodthirsty. Dias and Metis are Athina's parents. Metis was so wise and smart that Dias feared she would take over his throne, therefore he swallowed her whole while she was pregnant. When it was time for Athina to be born Dias had a such a big headache that he called on Iphestos to crack his head open with an axe. That's when Athina jumped out. She is one of Dias' favorite daughters.

Apollonas was the god of light and prophecy. He had a twin sister, Artemis, who also became an Olympian goddess. Their father was Dias and their mother was Lito, a goddess that was persecuted by Hera all over Greece when she was pregnant. Finally, in order to protect her, Dias gave rise to the island of Delos, which was supposedly hidden from the sun (and from Ira's view) where she secretly gave birth to her children. Apollonas was the protector god of the oracle of Delphi.

Artemis was the goddess of hunting and wildlife and she was the twin sister of Apollonas. She was born first and was magically able to help her mother give birth to her brother. Artemis is seen as a carefree virgin wandering the forests. She tended to get very vicious if humans disrespected wildlife or her.

Iphestos was the god of volcanoes, fire and ironsmiths. He was the ugly god with a limp. It is said that Ira gave birth to him by herself in order to avenge Dias for one of his infidelities. She was aiming to have the most handsome son, but when she saw how ugly he was, she threw him off Olympus into the sea and that's how he got the limp. His wife was Aphrodite, ironically the most beautiful goddess. He's shown as a very helpful god that gets coniving if you cross him.

Posidonas was the powerful god of the sea and earthquakes. He was Dias' brother and he was also a ladies man, fathering several children to many nymphs and deities of the sea. He assists the Greeks in the Trojan war.

Ermis was the messenger of the gods and the god of merchants and thieves. He was also the son of Dias and his mother was a nymph named Maia. Ermis is depicted wearing golden winged sandals. In several stories he steals from people or plays tricks on other gods just for fun, but he's also a very trustworthy messenger.

Dimitra was the goddess of agriculture. She was another sister of Dias. The most famous myth regarding her was the one with her daughter, Persephone. The god Adis of the underworld wanted her as his bride and abducted her. Dimitra was so devastated that she refused to allow any grain to grow on the land until her daughter was returned to her. Finally, a deal was made to allow her on the earth for 6 months - this is spring and summer. Winter and fall represent the other 6 months that Dimitra is mourning her daughter in the underworld.

Estia was the goddess of the home and hearth. She was the eldest sister of Dias and is depicted as a modest virgin goddess that guards the home, and is an integral part of every sacrifice made to the gods.

There are some accounts that include Adis (the god of the underworld and brother of Dias) and/or Dionysos (the god of wine and entertainment) in the 12 Olympian gods, while leaving out Dimitra and/or Hestia.

For more myths go to www.allthegreeks.com

Greek Family: Blessing or Curse?

Even if you're not Greek you probably know that family is very important for every Greek. Your parents, siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents are bound to be a part of your life whether you like it or not. It's something like a birth right... or - as some people may come to see it - a burden.

First of all, the biggest reason why a Greek family is viewed as a blessing is because no matter what may happen in your life you will always have the support network of your family (that is, of course, if you don't tell your dad you're a homosexual - then you might just get mom's secret support). You can rely on them to babysit for you without prior notice, pull strings to get you a good job or even help you open up your own place, pay your college bills and support you even after you get out of college until you find a job. These things are particularly true for families that live in Greece, but Greek families living abroad aren't too different either.

Especially when it comes to holiday gatherings, the atmosphere in a Greek home is truly unmatched. You've got everyone working together, lots of great food, stories, music and other entertainment (I'm sure we've all got a weird uncle or cousin that manages to spark up all gatherings with his hidden talents). Oh and when you're in your twenties you've got all of these people that genuinely care whether or not you'll find a person that's husband/wife-material. In general, as a part of a Greek family you learn to value blood ties and be there for everyone's sad and happy times, because being there for the people who love you and grew up with you is what matters most.

For some people, this is exactly where the recipe spoils. (Read the rest at www.allthegreeks.com)


Image: http://www.azteenmagazine.com/global-culture.php?article=261