All the Greeks

Vlachoi: the Greeks with the Latin-based Language

2010-12-03T11:28:00.000-08:00

Usually the term "vlachos" for someone from Southern Greece means a person from a village or a sheep-herder, but the people of Northern Greece recognize the term "vlachoi" as the previously-nomadic group of people that live near Grevena and in Thessaly. Vlachoi have their own traditions and even their own language. Yet, they consider themselves Greek and, of course, speak Greek, too. The question historians have been researching is: Where did they come from?

They're called...

First of all, there are Vlachoi in Greece, in Romania, in Albania and in FYROM. The ones in Greece were given the name "Koutsovlachoi" from a misinterpretation of the Turkish word for"Little Vlachia," which is what the Turks called the area of Thessaly during the occupation, as opposed to "Big Vlachia," which was the area around the Danube River. Vlachoi call themselves "Armani" in their dialect, which comes from the Byzantine and Roman times, and it was the name given to those who spoke latin in the eastern empire. The word Vlachos,is thought to have come from the Slavic word Vlah (which meant foreigner) or the German word Walechen (which means non-German, Latin).

Location, location, location

Today, most Vlachoi live in Thessaly and Northern Greece. They were nomads and herd-keepers, some of whom turned into wealthy merchants. For these people the most important thing was keeping their herds of sheep well-fed, so that their families could live well. This is why they grazed the mountainous villages of Northern Greece in the summer and in winter they started looking for new "virgin" land for their herd to graze. Therefore, at the end of summer, they packed everything up and made the week or month-long trip down to the fields of Thessaly, where they eventually established other villages. When the temperatures started rising again, they would head up to the mountain once more.

Language and Descent

Where Vlachoi come from is a question whose answer has been much sought after by modern sociologists in the Balkans, but none seem to have reached a satisfying answer.....

READ THE REST AT ALLTHEGREEKS.COM

Sources:

http://www.vlahoi.net,

http://el.wikipedia.org/wiki/Αρμάνοι

5 Memorable Kings of Mythology

2010-11-12T10:18:00.000-08:00

Midas - The king of Phyrgia in Asia Minor once treated a lost satyr companion of the god Dionysios with care and hospitality. In return, the god allowed him one wish and Midas wished for a golden touch; he wanted everything that he touched to turn to gold. However, the king soon discovered that this ability was more of a curse, because he couldn't eat, as his food turned to gold the second he touched it. To end his torture, the god told him to bathe in the river Paktolos, whose sands drained him of his power and they turned into gold.

Cecrops - He was the first king of Athens, he was born from the Earth herself and is represented as half man, half serpent. He is said to have taught the Athenians to worship the gods and he was the king that the gods Poseidon and Athena tried to impress, when deciding who would be the protector of the city. Athena presented the olive tree and Posidon presented a spring of (salt) water. Cecrops chose the olive tree, therefore granting Athena the protection of Athens.

READ THE REST AT ALLTHEGREEKS.COM

Greeks: (Mis)Educated Childless Carnivores

2010-11-10T07:46:00.000-08:00

(Mis)Educated: 82 European universities made it in list of the best 200 universities worldwide for 2010, as they are evaluated and listed annually by the Times Higher Education of the UK Times(http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/world-university-rankings/), but none of those were Greek. Harvard University is first on the list for yet another year, whereas the rest of the top 10 is comprised of American and two British universities. Thirteen countries from Europe find themselves on the list, but Italy and Greece, two countries with unparalleled academic history, are missing. Quality of education, number of publications, research, and motives for both professors and students were all taken into account when completing the list.

So Greek parents find themselves paying thousands in frontistiria annually, students' minds clog with useless information, and all their struggle at national exams, only in hopes of getting into some of Europe's worst academic institutions... Hmmm... Why is it that American universities in Greece are considered lower in quality than public Greek universities, again?

Childless: Greece and the rest of Southern Europe is growing old. Women keep putting off motherhood until they've completed other "cycles" of their lives...

READ THE REST AT ALLTHEGREEKS.COM

Sources:

http://www.kathimerini.gr/4dcgi/_w_articles_kathremote_1_09/11/2010_363638

http://www.tovima.gr/default.asp?pid=2&artid=365536&ct=33&dt=07/11/2010

http://www.tanea.gr/default.asp?pid=2&ct=1&artid=4603398

Image: http://www.santoriniblogs.gr/2010/08/18/

The "Oxi" that Sent Us to War

2010-10-23T07:28:00.000-07:00

October 28th, 1940, otherwise known as "Oxi" day. It's sad that today most of us don't even know which of the two national holidays have to do with the Italians and which one with the Turks. Well, let me remind you that this date has to do with the Italians, and WWII... and do you happen to remember that the great man (Ioannis Metaksas) who said OXI was a dictator of Greece at the time? Ok... let's back up a bit...

Metaksas and the coming of the "Third Greek Culture"

In 1936, a weak King George of Greece, allowed army General Ioannis Metaksas, the leader of a far-right political party that had the least supporters nationwide, to take control in containing the communists and their socialist ways in the labor force. Metaksas was another one of those dictators who wanted to control his fellow patriots by reminding them of their "Greekness." This was to be done by instilling in them the values of Ancient Greece (especially the strict citizens' control of Sparta) and the Christian morals of the Byzantine Empire, all under the label of "The Third Greek Culture"; something like Hitler's Third Reich. Although his opponents charged him with a Nazi profile, he supposedly hushed them by spreading fear and not by literally "eliminating" them. He was also unwilling to turn his back on Britain's support and even asked to become Britain's ally in 1936 (which Britain denied, fearing a new set of responsibilities towards Greece).

It all started with the bombing of Elli

After the outbreak of WWII and the occupancy of Albania by the facist Italians, Britain and France vouched that Greece's borders would be left untouched. Meanwhile, Metaksas was hoping to keep Greece outside this war, but Mussolini had other ideas. READ THE REST AT ALLTHEGREEKS.COM

Sources: A Concise History of Greece by Richard Clogg

http://www.hellenicnavy.gr/history.asp

Image: http://www.lookatgame.com/index.php?key=28η

Defkalyon: The Ancient Greek Version of Noa (and his ark)

2010-10-05T14:17:00.000-07:00

Sacred texts show that the story of a flood wiping out all of corrupt humanity is essential in a civilization's history. Just as the Sumerians and the Jews/Christians have a flood story in their history (bordering on mythology), so did the ancient Greeks. The Sumerians had Atrahasi build a boat as instructed by the god Enki, the Jews had Noa build an ark as instructed by God and the Greeks had Defkalyon build a boat as instructed by his immortal Titan father, Prometheus. And all of this happened to destroy the majority of mankind. But first, lets see the story of its creation...

The 3 Ages of Man and Their Creation

When the titan god Kronos reigned, he created a race of mankind - this is the first and golden age - which was happy and good. No one worked and they all lived on the earth in harmony (does this remind anyone else of the Garden of Eden?). When they died, they roamed the earth as daimones or spirits. However, this age ended when Kronos died and Zeus took over.

The second age is known as the silver age, during which Prometheus was instructed by Zeus to create the next "batch" of men, who were uglier and inferior in intelligence. The four seasons were created and men had to seek shelter and grow food.

The third age is the bronze age and this is the time of naturally-born humans, descendants of the silver age humans and nymphs. The problem with the bronze age humans is that they started to get greedy, corrupt and impious, failing to honor the gods. This angered Zeus, who decided to destroy them with a flood that would cover the earth.

Read the rest of the article at allthegreeks.com.

Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atra-Hasis
http://www.theoi.com/Heros/Deukalion.html
http://el.wikipedia.org/wiki/Κατακλυσμός_του_Δευκαλίωνα
http://ancienthistory.about.com/cs/grecoromanmyth1/a/hesiodagesofman.htm

Stone Age Settlement in Apsalos: One of the Earliest in Greece

2010-09-05T15:50:00.000-07:00

Back when the world population was approximately 5 million, it seems like a few of them were living in the area Apsalos of Pella in northern Greece. Archaeologists have recently discovered stone tools, and clay objects, which date back to 7937 B.C. attesting to an early settlement that has come to verify that people did actually inhabit this part of the world during the mesolithic period. This was a period when the people of Eurasia and Africa were just starting to adopt agriculture and domesticate some animals.

The stereotypical stone age imagery, of a caveman hunting, is not what typically pops in our minds when we think of Greece's history, but settlements existed here way before the glory of Ancient Greece, Socrates and Plato.

Man's time on earth is separated into different periods, the longest of which is the Stone Age (Paleolithic Period), which begins approximately 2.5 million years ago and ends around 3000 B.C. in Europe. This long period, which represents 99% of man's total time on earth so far, is also separated into three phases: Paleolithic, Mesolithic and Neolithic.

READ ABOUT THE PALEOLITHIC, MESOLITHIC AND NEOLITHIC PERIODS IN GREECE.

Image: http://reference.findtarget.com/search/Middle%20Paleolithic/

Sources: http://www.skai.gr/news/culture

http://en.academic.ru/dic.nsf/enwiki/25303

American Colleges: HAU and AUA Shut Down by Gov't

2010-09-01T12:59:00.000-07:00

Minister of Education Anna Diamantopoulou is showing just how serious she is with banning colleges that failed to comply with the rules set forth by the government, by shutting down the Hellenic American University and the American University of Athens yesterday. Both colleges operate under licenses issued in New Hampshire and Alabama respectively, however, they failed to received a license to operate as a Center of Post-Lyceum Education (and be considered legitimate private colleges) from the Greek government when licenses were issued earlier this summer.

In the ongoing struggle and chaos that characterizes the secondary education system in Greece, the country has been forced to accept the existence of private colleges in the country and has been working on incorporating them into the official education system. Maintaining that public Greek universities are the only institutions that can be called "universities," all of the foreign private universities and colleges operating in the country have now been renamed Centers of Post-Lyceum Education, which pretty much places them at the level of a 2-year technical school with a degree that's worth as much. This all stands for Greece. The majority of these private colleges/universities issue degrees that are recognized in the US and Europe as what they claim (Bachelors, Masters).

FIND OUT WHICH COLLEGES ARE LICENSED IN GREECE AT WWW.ALLTHEGREEKS.COM

Sources: http://www.tanea.gr/default.asp?pid=2&ct=1&artid=4591885

http://www.skai.gr/news/greece/article/148721/ta-triada-kolegia-poy-piran-adeia/

Image: http://malaysialockset.com/tag/lockset/

Titanomachy: How the Olympian Gods Took Over

2010-08-23T06:20:00.000-07:00

Taking control of the world and becoming the primary divinities was not so easy for Dias (Zeus) and his siblings. After his mother Rea saved him and helped him to free his other brothers and sisters, Zeus waged a war against the ruling Titans, his father Kronos', siblings to obtain power. For ten years the Olympian gods (from Mount Olympus) fought the Titans from Mount Orthys. Of the Titans, Hyperion, Iapetos, Koios, Krios, Kronos, Azeios, Atlas, Menoitios, Pallas, Perses and perhaps others that are not mentioned in some accounts, where all against the Olympians, while Helios assisted Zeus and Okeanos with the Titanides (the Titan girls: Themis, Theia, Rhea, Mnemosini, Phoebe and Tithis) all remained neutral.

After ten years of endless war, Gaia (the Earth) advised Zeus to free her sons, the Cyclops (3 one-eyed giants) and the Ekatonheires (3 creatures with 50 heads and 100 arms each) from the depths of the earth and seek their assistance in the war.

Read the rest here: allthegreeks.com

Source: www.theoi.com

Image: http://hellenicmythology.blogspot.com/2009/02/blog-post_27.html

St. John Baptist Relics Uncovered on Black Sea Island

2010-08-02T08:04:00.000-07:00

Relics of St John the Baptist were discovered on the island of St. Ivan in the Black Sea by a team of Bulgarian archaeologists led by Professor Kazimir Popkonstantinov. The relics were discovered in small sarcophagus-type box in the ancient church of St. John the Baptist on the island.

Bones from the hand, the face and a tooth were discovered in the alabaster box and next to it archaeologists discovered a small stone box, characteristic of Palestine, in which the relics were probably carried, with an inscription in Greek and the name of St. John. The relics were taken to the church of St. George in Sozopol to be blessed.

Sources and image: http://focus-fen.net/?id=n227079

http://www.kathimerini.gr/4dcgi/_w_articles_kathremote_1_01/08/2010_349146

www.allthegreeks.com

More Olympian Revenge

2010-06-17T09:10:00.000-07:00

The elaborate stories in Greek mythology guarantee that the gods of Olympus were never bored. They were either constantly falling in love, protecting or punishing someone. The following are people that managed to anger the gods and their chosen punishments:

Ixion: A king of the Lapiths in Thessaly, he pushed his father-in-law into a bed of coal and wood making it the first murder of kin in mythology. Ixion was shunned by the other kings and princes in the area, but Zeus took pity on him and invited him to sit with the rest of the gods in Olympus as a guest. Ixion, however, did not respect Zeus's hospitality as he lusted after Hera. Zeus decided to trick him and presented him with a cloud (nephele) of Hera, with which Ixion mated. This union with the cloud-Hera produced the Centaur who later ruled the mountain of Pelion in Magnesia. As punishment for his betrayal, Zeus struck him with a thunderbolt and tied him to a spinning burning wheel for all eternity.

Sisyphos: Sisyphos was the king of Corinth who managed to trick both men and gods alike with his craftiness. He betrayed Zeus's secrets, took his brother's throne, and when he was chained by Thanatos (death) as punishment for his betrayal, he even managed to trick Thanatos into releasing him and tying up death. After this he was dragged to Tartarus again, where he once again tricked Persephone into allowing him to visit the world of the living. Finally, the gods reserved special punishment for Sisyphos in Hades: He was forced to push a large rock up a hill and right before he reached the top, the rock would roll back down forcing him to start his ordeal again.

Read the rest of the article at www.allthegreeks.com and more revenge stories here.

Image and Source: www.theoi.com

It's a Fact: Greece Is Leaking ...Brains

2010-06-05T16:04:00.000-07:00

For decades now Greece has been the country that sends away its children ("η Ελλάδα που διώχνει τα παιδιά της" as generations have said before us). Back in the old days it was poverty. They literally had little to eat so they would emigrate to other countries, make a living for themselves and send money to their families back home. Today it's for other reasons.

In the midst of an international and national crisis, at a time when it's most in need of development, Greece is losing its best... literally leaking brains.

It's frustrating.

Lena, a friend, has gotten two masters in England and shortly after graduating, family issues and bad weather conditions in London brought her back to Greece to try and find a job, build a life. After months of searching for a job in her field of study, she finally finds a job that lower than her expectations just to have one. Her masters degrees were more scorned than appreciated, as employers did not want to (or could not afford to) pay extra for her extra years in school (masters). Eventually she left for London again.

It's not so much the low pay that bothers job-hunters, even though that is a particularly big issue when you spend years in university. It's the lack of appreciation for skill and the almost complete lack of prospect in the majority of Greek businesses. There is no room to grow, and this is a major problem, especially for those who have received degrees from abroad where the mindset is generally different (and not everyone wants to get a job in the "secure" public sector).

Read the results of a Greek study on "brain drain" and similar articles at www.allthegreeks.com.

Source: http://alfavita.gr/artra/art27_5_10_848.php
Image: http://matadorabroad.com/2010/03/

Blue-Flag Beaches 2010

2010-06-01T08:49:00.000-07:00

Four hundred and twenty one beaches and 9 marinas were awarded the blue flag this year in Greece. The "Blue Flags" program is an international effort made by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) based in Denmark, which awards blue flags to beaches that meet certain criteria of cleanliness and safety. In Greece the coordinator of the program is the Greek Organization for the Protection of Nature (Ελληνική Εταιρεία Προστασίας της Φύσης) and a list of the beaches awarded for 2010 is provided below. Greece comes in 2nd place this year in the number of beaches that were awarded. The beaches or marinas that want to receive a blue flag must be tested every year. This is how it works:

First of all, the EEPF does not go around the entire country testing the water of all the beaches. So it is left in the hands of the mayors around the country to apply for a blue flag every year. Once the mayor applies, the EEPF and its team run the necessary tests in order to determine whether the beach in question is suitable enough for a blue flag.

Therefore, if you're curious as to why some of the most amazing beaches you know don't have blue flags, know that it's probably because no mayor applied for a blue flag for this beach. So, of course there are lots of beaches around the country that are breathtaking (a big example is Porto Katsiki and Kathisma in Lefkada), but no one bothered to apply so they can receive a blue flag.

In any case, for those beaches that do apply for a blue flag, there are four different areas on which they are tested:

See the criteria and the full list of Greek beaches at allthegreeks.com.

Source: http://www.eepf.gr/

Image: http://www.goldensands.gr/goldensun/grk/beach.php

Be Inspired: Innovative Diaspora Greeks

2010-05-18T11:58:00.000-07:00

Innovation is definitely not a foreign term in Greece. Contemporary Greeks have a history of innovation to be proud of in the fields of engineering, mathematics, astronomy and so on. Likewise, the Greek spirit of innovation lives on in today's Greeks, whether they live in their country of origin or have chosen to excel away from it. The following is a small list of innovators of the diaspora:

The Blackberry Creator: Mike Lazaridis - Born in Constantinople in 1961, Lazaridis and his family were immigrants to Canada. Two friends/partners, a 15,000 dollar loan from his parents and the general support of General Motors led to the creation of RIM, the company that created the famous Blackberry phone and many other patented innovations. In 1999 he founded the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics in Ontario, Canada, which studies black holes, quantum physics, the theory of relativity and similar scientific subjects. Among its esteemed staff is also the famous physicist Stephen Hawking.

One Laptop per Child: Nicholas Negreponte - Born in 1943, Nicholas Negreponte is a Greek-American who was raised in New York. He conceived and is cofounder of the MIT Media Laboratory as well as chairman of the One Laptop per Child non-profit association, which aims to bring 100$ self-powered laptops to children of poor countries. He has also funded many startups for companies such as the magazine "Wired."

BusinessWeek's Best in 2007: Thomas Milonas: Born and raised in Greece, Thomas Milonas studied industrial design in Italy, because he failed to make it into the university of his choice in Greece. Having worked for Fila as a footwear designer, Thomas decided to start his own company in the Netherlands with only 4,000 euros to spare. As a result the company "Dot Kite" was born that led to clients such as Best Western, Velvet Airlines, Puma, Fila. He didn't stop there, however, as he also founded the company "Loggia Import" that imports italian and greek wine and olive oil as well as the "Crux Group," which invests in innovative ideas. He was voted as one of the most successful young businessmen in Europe for 2007 by Business Week magazine.

The Antikythera Mechanism

2010-05-18T11:55:00.000-07:00

In 1902, a diver exploring a shipwreck off the coast of Antikythera finds fragments of the earliest complex computing instrument ever discovered. This 30-dial instrument was dubbed the "Antikythera Mechanism." Although scientists have mostly deciphered its codes and have been awed by its creator's knowledge of astronomy and engineering, they still haven't understood its use and the reason for its creation. The sophistication of this instrument was so advanced that antiquity did not see anything quite as complex until 1,300 years later.

READ THE REST AT allthegreeks.com

Image: http://www.nytimes.com/imagepages/2006/11/29/science/29cnd-compu.ready.html

Sources: http://www.antikythera-mechanism.gr/el/project/overview

http://www.wired.com/thisdayintech/

http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v454/n7204/full/nature07130.html

Ancient Egnatia Odos Revived

2010-05-13T01:46:00.000-07:00

Traveling through northern Greece these past couple weeks you may have encountered a caravan of people and mules somewhere along the way. That would be the members of the "Via Egnatia Foundation," which is based in the Netherlands, actually hiking along the ancient route of Egnatia from Florina to Thessaloniki.

The NGO, whose members consider the Via Egnatia part of the world cultural heritage, are interested in reviving the road as a hiking trail, contributing to scientific and cultural research concerning its history, the people that used it and the people that live around it today. Volunteers from all over Europe and the Balkans started in Dyrrachium in Albania, they crossed through FYROM, which led them through Greece and their trip will be completed in Constantinople in July.

In an interview with Ms. Gioultsi of APE-MPE, the director of this endeavour, Mrs. Marieta Van Atikum, explains (in Greek) that the NGO was formed by a group of phil-hellenes with Greek studies. She explains that the reason they travel by caravan with mules, is because this was the considered a safe way to travel back in the days of the Roman Empire.

History

The Roman Officer Egnatius was in charge of constructing a road that would facilitate commerce and transportation of war material during the era of the Roman Empire. It was constructed between 146 - 120 BC over an ancient pre-Roman road that connected the Adriatic countries and the Aegean.

The via Egnatia was a road of European standards, as it was paved, complete with road signs (with information signs on the distance between major cities), stops for rest and to change horses. It also boasted similarly constructed entrances to cities. The length of the via Egnatia was measured in roman miles (100 paces) and there were signs at every mile indicating the distance covered up until that point.

The via Egnatia initially served as a military road, but soon it was used as an exchange between peoples and cultures, and it also served as a mean to transfer art around the Balkans, with Thessaloniki as the center.

*In February of 2010, the "Via Egnatia Foundation" is cooperating the the University of Macedonia in Thessaloniki in presenting the conference "Myths About Others."

Sources: omogeneia.ana-mpa.gr

http://www.viaegnatiafoundation.eu/

http://www.egnatia.gr/page/default.asp?la=1&id=23

Image: http://www.danek.gr/?page_id=272

The Contradictory Life Actions of a Greek

2010-05-04T14:11:00.001-07:00

There's an eerie silence everywhere I go, ever since the announcement of the new government measures on Sunday. It feels like a blanket of pessimism has fallen over everyone and you see people walking down the street or working with their heads hung low.

People are quick to blame outside influences, the markets, the government, politicians of the last 30 years, and basically everyone else but themselves for the current crisis the country is in.

However, it's the Greeks that started and allowed this situation to reach the stage it's at right now.

The Greek mentality has a unique way of molding people into big drama queens that are secretively smart-asses. How? Here are some of my real-life examples:

- The employer that constantly complains to his employees that he has no money, customers aren't paying, he dreads the end of the month because he doesn't know if he'll be able to pay the bills... is the same guy that drives around a BMW 4x4, lives in a luxurious house and goes on vacation in secrecy lest his 500-euro/month employees find out and get jealous.

- The pensioner that curses at today's politicians, calling them impotent with his friends over screaming matches at the kafeneio... is the same man that once (and often times, more than once) voted for a local politician and/or did favors for him in hopes that this politician would repay him with a job for his son or daughter. In the public sector, of course.

- The woman expressing her frustration over the financial crisis on TV, complete with a look of anguish and phrases she hears uttered on TV ("Things just keep getting harder," "How am I going to feed my kids")... is the same woman that... read the rest at allthegreeks.com

When the Gods Take Revenge

2010-05-01T13:05:00.000-07:00

The Ancient Greeks managed to create a diety system of gods that were so "human" in their personal stories and traits, that is truly impressive. Their gods loved and hated with a passion, they would get jealous and they sought revenge. Especially the latter, they must have enjoyed. Here are a few cases of wrath felt by the gods as revenge:

Prometheus

This titan suffered the most terrible punishment from the gods of Olympus. Prometheus (which in Greek means forethought) was entrusted by Zeus to create humankind out of clay. Because he wanted to help his creations survive, he gave humans fire against the will of Zeus. When Zeus found out, he chained Prometheus on the top of mount Caucasus and sent an eagle every day to feast on his liver. The torture would continue for eternity every day, because Prometheus's liver regenerated at night, so that the eagle could eat it again the next day. Finally, decades later, Hercules saved him (with Zeus's compliance, of course).

Pandora

Pandora was a woman created by the god of fire Iphestos and "adorned" by Athena with all the beautiful characteristics and traits that a woman of charm should have. Pandora was meant to be Zeus second revenge on Prometheus and his creations (the humans). So, after Zeus chained Prometheus to the mountain, he sent Pandora with a box to Prometheus's brother, Epimetheus (afterthought). The woman was beautiful, so Epimetheus accepted this gift from the gods, although his brother had warned him not to accept any gifts from Olympus. Pandora brought a box with her, which she was instructed never to open, for any reason. Of course the gods counted on Pandora's curiosity, who they knew would eventually open the box. When she finally did open the box secretly, sorrow, famine, death and every other possible ailment were released into the world onto men. She managed to close the box right before hope escaped from inside...

Read about: Atlas, Odysseus, Pasiphae, Niobe

Five Cents for Every Greek Word

2010-05-01T13:03:00.000-07:00

How much really would Greece make if it charged for every greek word uttered worldwide? Billions, one would presume. Does the rest of the world owe to Greece? German historian and writer, Leonora Seeling, who considers Greece the cradle of Western culture and democracy, believes so. She is angry at the German press for attacking Greece and she's done something about it:

She has actually published a booklet suggesting that every European pay the symbolic amount of 5 cents every time he/she says a Greek word, as a minimal tribute to the country on which European culture and achievement is based.

Seeling expresses her opposition to the patronizing way the German media talk about Greece, also accusing them of turning a blind eye to the corruption of their own country (Germany) and instead criticizing Greece. She also suggests that Greece cut back on buying German weapons by 50%.

Source: omogeneia.ana-mpa.gr

Read similar news at allthegreeks.com

Ancient Macedonians Cursed in Greek

2010-05-01T12:58:00.000-07:00

The ongoing name dispute between Greece and FYROM (which started out as such a silly claim from our tiny neighbor, that the Greek politicians completely ignored it) has left Greece scramming for supporters in the archaeological community (because, turns out that the majority of the political community has already recognized FYROM as "Macedonia," deeming the Greek stance ridiculous).

One such supporter and famous archaeologist, Dr. Steven Miller, begs to differ with the Skopian side. "[The Macedonians'] Greekness is evident, as the inscriptions of the Ancient Macedonians are written in Greek," he said in an interview published in this month's "Greek Diaspora" magazine.

Dr. Miller is famous for his discovery of the ancient stadium of Nemea in 1973, however he initially came to Greece to look for the palace of legendary King Phillip of Macedonia and it has been an issue that interests him ever since. "The Greeks considered the Macedonians Greeks, in the 7th century BC," he says. "They took part in the Nemean Games as one of the Greek tribes or city/states" and there is no doubt about that as Dr. Miller points out.

Some people are quick to point out that the Macedonians' inscriptions may be in Greek, because it was considered the language of the elite at that time. However, Dr. Miller's counter-argument is clear: "Even curses, which are a part of every-day language, are written in Greek in Macedonia. Therefore, their spoken language was Greek."

Read more at allthegreeks.com

Mythology: The Many Bastards of Zeus

2010-04-10T11:28:00.000-07:00

Zeus was always known for being naughty in the Olympian god circle, even though he was married to Hera. Most of the time Hera knew about his love affairs and made sure that most of his bastard children were hunted down. The following is a list of the most well-known cases:

Iraklis (Hercules): His mother Alkmini was seduced by Zeus who took the form of her husband to sleep with her. Hera\'s wrath for Hercules is well-known, as she even sent two big snakes to his crib as a baby to kill him. Hercules killed them, but this wouldn\'t be the last of his achievements. As obedience to the oracle of Delphi, he had to perform 12 major labors (killing the Lernea Idra, taking the hide of the Nemean Lion etc), which made him famous.

Alexander (the Great): The famous hero\'s mother Olympia, a queen of Macedonia, claimed that Zeus himself had fathered her son.

Athena: The goddess of knowledge and war sprung out of Zeus\'s head. Zeus laid with her mother Metis, the wisest woman in the world, and fearing that Metis might give birth to a child stronger than Zeus, he swallowed her and when it was time for Athena to be born, Zeus asked for Iphaistos to crack his head open, because he had a horrible headache. Athena jumped out in full armor as she is depicted in paintings.

Apollo and Artemis: The mother of these two Olympian gods was Lyto, a titan. When it was time to give birth, Hera pursued her relentlessly so that Lyto wouldn\'t find a place to give birth to her children. The island of Dilos, hidden from the sun, provided her with refuge where the two gods were born. Artemis was born first, helping her mother give birth to her brother Apollo.

Dionisos: The demi-god of wine and fun was born out of Zeus\'s thigh. Semele his mother was seduced by Zeus, but when Hera found out, the goddess tricked her into getting struck by Zeus\'s powerful lightning bolts. After her death, Zeus rescued the baby, keeping it in his thigh until it would be ready to be born.

Ermis: One of the 12 Olympian gods, Ermis was the offspring of Zeus\'s union with a nymph named Maia.

Perseas: Hercules is actually a descendant of Perseas. Perseas\'s mother, Danae, was impregnated by Zeus when he took the form of a golden shower to reach her in a bronze cell, where her father had locked her in hope that she would never bear any children (the oracle had told Danae\'s father that his grandson would eventually kill him). When her father found out she was pregnant, he threw her and the baby Perseas into the sea in a golden chest and the baby survived, eventually killing his grandfather, accidentally many years later.

Minos, Sarpedon, Rhadamantes: Their mother Europa (it\'s where we get the name for the continent Europe) was a princess in Phoenicia who was abducted by Zeus in the form of a bull, bringing her the whole way over to Crete.

Read about the rest of the "bastards" at allthegreeks.com

Source: theoi.com

Image: Zeus and Europa by Alexandru Radvan http://radvanpainting.blogspot.com/2007/04/zeus-and-europa.html

Clash... with Mythology

2010-04-06T11:53:00.000-07:00

I watched the hollywood epic "The Clash of the Titans" recently. And I didn't like it. At all.

Going into the movie theatre to watch a Greek history-inspired film, as a Greek, can be tricky. What you expect to see is usually different from what you actually end up experiencing. Although "Troy" had some historical inaccuracies that put some people off, it was tolerable, and the film "300" actually awoke patriotic feelings within us. "The Clash of the Titans" has none of these to offer.

The Storyline

It is well-known that Hollywood usually sacrifices the accuracy of historic or mythological events in the name of a more impressive and moving storyline, however, in my opinion there is a limit to this that was surpassed in "The Clash of the Titans."

In Greek mythology there is no such battle between the gods and humans, there is no feud between Hades and Zeus, and there is no Kraken.

The story of Perseas in Greek mythology is as follows:

His mother Danae was the daughter of king Akrisios, whome the oracle warned that if his daughter were ever to give birth to a boy, that boy would kill him one day. Fearing this prediction, Akrisios locked his daughter in a bronze chamber, away from all men. However, Zeus managed to impregnate her in the form of a golden shower.

When Akrisios found out what happened, he locked both his daughter and grandson in a chest and threw them in the sea, where they were washed ashore on the island of Seriphos. Years later, king Polydektes of Seriphos commanded the young Perseas to kill the Medusa (a gorgon sister with snakes as hair that turned everyone that met her gaze into stone) and bring him her head. Perseas received winged sandals, an invisibility helmet and a magic sword from the gods to help him in his feat.

When Perseas reached the Medusa, he managed to cut her head off and when he did, two creatures sprang from the blood spilt: the Pegasus (a winged horse) and a giant called the Krysaor. Pegasus was later ridden by Bellerophonta against the Amazons, not by Perseas himself as is suggested in the film.

On his way back to Seriphos, Perseas saw Andromeda, princess of Argos, chained on a rock to be sacrificed to a sea monster as payment for a debt owed to the god Posidon. Using the head of Medusa, Perseas turned the monster into stone and took Andromeda with him to be his wife in Seriphos (not Io, a nymph that is shown in the movie to be the protector and love of Perseas).

Back in Seriphos, Perseas turns the king into stone and goes back to his grandfather\'s kingdom to claim his place. The old man flees, still fearing the prophecy, but it does him no good. A few years later he is accidentally killed by a discus thrown into a crowd of people by Perseas.

Toping it all off...

As if these inaccuracies weren\'t enough, the directors throw in a battle with giant scorpions, magical desert creatures and terrible script that reminded me a little of the TV series \"Hercules,\" where the hero has time to crack jokes in the middle of a battle and give uninspiring speeches. And don\'t let me get started on the supposed \"3D\" experience, which left you feeling dizzy after quick scenes and didn\'t make much of a difference anyway.

Source: theoi.com

Image: filmofilia.com

www.allthegreeks.com

The Immigrant Case

2010-03-27T13:12:00.001-07:00

Greece has had a homogenous population until the last couple decades. The first wave of immigration 20 years ago brought thousands of Albanians, when communism collapsed in the neigboring country, and the last decade has seen an influx of immigrants from Africa and the East - they\'re mostly people who see Greece as the threshold to the EU and a better life. These changes have caused insecurity to some and a deep sense of xenophobia to other Greeks.

The question is, what are Greeks so afraid of? Especially when some of us have worked (and still do so) abroad and even more have at least one relative that was an immigrant to other countries.

Why immigrants intimidate Greeks:

Greeks are suckers for conspiracies. And most of these conspiracy theories involve carving away a piece of Greece by one or more of our neighboring countries. So when it comes to the following nationalities, Greeks can be very prejudiced for the following reasons:

Albanians teach the idea of a \"Great Albania\" in their public schools, which involves extending the country\'s borders all the way down to Preveza.
The tiny country of FYROM, which emerged after the break-down of Yugoslavia, has been trying to create national pride in its youth by telling them that they are descendants of Alexander the Great and by claiming Macedonia and its history as their own.
Turkey wants to extend its jurisdiction into the Aegean by claiming small uninhabited islands gradually, while also supposedly eyeing up Thrace with its small Muslim minority. Of course the 400 year occupation by the Ottoman Empire doesn\'t help either.

Another important factor in spreading fear and uncertainty is the media. The crime rate in Greece is generally one of the lowest in Europe (if not the lowest), therefore everytime there is a serious crime, it is reported extensively in the news. When crimes are committed by immigrants, there is more emphasis placed on the news item,creating the impression that immigrants are responsible for the rise in crime the last few years. Whether or not that is true, I don\'t know, but I wouldn\'t be surprised considering the marginalization that most immigrants experience once they enter the country.

There is widespread belief that immigrants are taking our jobs by asking for lower pay and sending all of their earnings back to their mother countries, instead of keeping them in Greece where they can be taxed. In reality, immigrants only seem to be taking the jobs that Greeks don\'t want anymore and they can send their money back \"home,\" because most of them are working illegally and getting paid under the table by their Greek employers. So, whose fault is it?

Are Greeks racists?

Aside from the far-right consevative Greek, who proudly exhibits his racist feelings, the average Greek will say that he/she is not racist. Yet, the use of the following stereotypes soars:

read the rest at www.allthegreeks.com

Oh No... Not Alkaios!

2010-03-14T15:44:00.000-07:00

... is exactly what I said when I heard that this song was chosen to represent Greece in Eurovision this year:

First of all, let me just clarify that I cuckoo Eurovision fans who know what size shirt Saki wore to the finals last year. I don't think it's culturally important, as a competition, either, and I definitely think that the public TV station spends WAAAAYYY too much money on it.

But, I still watch it, because I find it amusing.

This year, I liked that ERT considered several artists who were (the majority) not big stars. I also liked that these artists were very different from each other. I can't say I loved the songs presented, but I did think that Alkaios' "Opa" was one of the worst.

It is a typical tsiftetelodaxtiridi Greek Eurovision song, with music that sounds like a million other songs that Alkaios has sung and with lyrics that are also super predictable and a big fat "Opa" to top everything off.

This song will not even get through the semi-finals. Not that winning is a big deal either. Despite that, I would like to see some originality in this singing competition.

As for the rest of the songs that were competing with "Opa"...

Polemao (Giorgos Karadimos) - It bored me so much I actually started nodding...

Illusion (Christos Hatzinasios) - This is the one I liked out of the bunch.

Game of Life (Second Skin) - This girl could not sing live. And what's up with "Let's play this game of life Ha ha ha" ?

H Kivotos tou Noe (Manos Pirovolakis) - Initially it's not bad, but the rapper and the girl's bad English accent bothered me. And then it gets confusing. Does it want to be a Greek song? An R&B song? A traditional Cretan song?

Kinezos (Melisses) - I thought it was kind of funky, but it's in Greek and no one will get the quirky lyrics that are supported by the music.

Touch Me Deep Inside (Emigre) - Wow, this song was just so typical of Eurovision, complete with the dancy music and retarded lyrics. Who says, "touch me deep inside"?

www.allthegreeks.com

Image: eurovision.ert.gr

Obessive Relationship: Greek Mom and Her Son

2010-03-10T13:56:00.000-08:00

All moms love their kids. But Greek moms have a special way of spoiling them to show it, and when it comes to their sons... Forget about it! Greek women have always known that it's difficult for moms to let go of their little boys (even when they're past 30), but now there's research to back up this notion.

According to a study published today on in.gr, one in four Greek men are so attached to their mothers that they rarely realize how harmful this attachment can be to their relationships with women. In fact one in four Greek men consider their mother's opinion for every important decision they have to make, and many of them inform their mothers of every detail in their daily lives.

That doesn't sound that bad, until you actually start dating one of these men. OK, maybe not immediately after dating them, but definitely if you marry them. The mother-in-law is there to supervise you as her new daughter-in-law. She has to make sure that her son is eating well, that he's eating the food he likes the way his mommy cooks it, that the house is cleaned on a regular basis and so on.

And if it's not about the daily chores and housekeeping, they will interfere with your upbringing of your children - 24% of the women in this study found this a big problem.

Often times such "orders" are not expressed directly towards the daughter-in-law. They are subtly inserted in a harmless conversation, as the mother-in-law "hints" at the mistakes that her son's wife is making.

According to this study, 23% of couples involved, divorced because of the husband's mom. The percentage of break-ups due to the man's mother getting involved, reaches 80% for unmarried couples.

The worst part, is that most women who experience such behavior from their mother-in-laws, actually end up treating their daughter-in-laws the same way they were treated!

GREEK MAMAS: Please stop babying your boys! They cannot stay with you forever - that's what your husband is there for. Be a diplomat: treat your daughter-in-law with respect and you will have the couple's love and devotion.

GREEK MEN: Stop the kiss-and-tell with your mom! Allowing her to interfere from day one, doesn't show that you love her. It shows that you don't respect your wife and that you can't stand up to your mom. Grow up!

Image: http://www.fanpop.com/spots/wild-animals/images/3633203/title/mother-son

Our Fate is Written by the Stars (or Not)

2010-02-26T10:24:00.000-08:00

Astrology. A major topic in Greece and for some people so important, that they design their lives around their zodiac. "Πες μου το ζώδιό σου και τον ωροσκόπο σου και θα σου πω ποιός είσαι," (which means tell me your zodiac sign and I'll tell you who you are). This is what someone told me when I moved to Greece and these are the things I've found out since then.

First of all, by reading an article in the newspaper To Vima (link below) I found out that the ancient Greeks were introduced to astrology by the Babylonians and that both cultures (including all major civilizations of the time) considered the earth as the center of the then-known universe.

In order to accept astrology, the Greeks adapted it into their natural sciences and tried to make some sense of it by including it in the science of astronomy. Therefore, they reached the conclusion that all of these "randomly-moving" objects in the sky had to do with the destiny of each person, because, to them, this was the law of nature. This idea is further enforced by the fact that the Greeks carved out 12 zodiac signs, whose relationship amongst them was then further analyzed in geometric terms (degrees, angles etc).

I learned all of the above from Mr.Varvogli's previously-mentioned article. What I learned from interacting with others and stardome.gr are the following:

If you're a Krios (Aries), you are an ego-centric, stubborn person born for leadership.

A Tavros (Taurus) is someone that loves the good life and that enjoys discovering new ideas, information, that he then passes on to others.

As a Didimos (Gemini) you love communication, analyzing, but you also have the advantage (or disadvantage for others) of resorting to your "other" personality when it's in your interest...

Karkinoi (Cancer) are just sweet, cuddly, kind, cry-babies who love to whine.

Read the rest at www.allthegreeks.com!

Image: http://www.thessalonikiblogs.gr/Πνευματική_Αρμονία/

Who Is Aphrodite Flicking Off?

2010-02-25T10:20:00.000-08:00

Greeks around the country are enraged over the cover of the German news magazine "Focus." They're pissed off to the point where the president of the Greek parliament, Mr. Petsalnikos, is asking for an apology/explanation from the German ambassador... Seriously?

The cover reads something along the lines of: "The rogue state (απατεώνας) of the EU family." And I ask: are they mistaken? Are they being unfair in calling us a whole bunch of apateones? We have been lying to the EU ever since we joined it. We have been milking the EU cow of its money for supposed public works, farmers' subsidies and so on, when we all know very well that most of that money has gone down the corruption drain. Lets not forget that Germany is the most powerful (financially) member of the EU and its mostly their money that's going into helping Greece, and other members of the union like us.

Of course, there are people, and journalists reflecting these people's opinions, that are very angry at the Germans for this cover, reminding the Germans that they owe democracy and the end of WWII to the Greeks! During the occupation, the Greeks suffered from hunger, the loss of archaeological treasures and other crimes by the German army. In fact, a few days ago, the president of the leftist party Sinaspismos, Alexis Tsipras, suggested that we ask the Germans to literally pay off their debt in monetary terms from the occupation. Others yet are pointing out that Greece's defense budget is spent in a large part on German weapons, we also buy their cars and so on.

Well, if you actually go there, then the Germans can say that they partially fuel our tourism industry and they have been doing so for decades. So, which side is right? Is Aphrodite's flicking us off or does she represent the Greeks flicking off the rest of Europe? For me, this is not really the question in this matter.

The question is: Why is a magazine cover given such attention and importance?

Aren't both Greece and Germany democratic countries? Since when is it a crime to state your opinion, whether you are an individual or a group (in this case, the magazine)? Why did the Greeks have to raise this to the level of a diplomatic episode, when the magazine that published this offending picture is not government owned? How much really should governments interfere in the mass media and free speech?

Μήπως τελικά όποιος έχει την μύγα, μυγιάζεται;

Image: http://www.yupi.gr/

Europe: "F**k off Greece!"

2010-02-18T15:23:00.000-08:00

We're being yelled at and punished like the naughtiest kid in European class. Why?

We cooked our government-debt figures slashing them by half in order to get into the European Union. Back then, we were laughing like the sneaky kids that managed to fool the teacher. Now, the joke is on us. "Greek statistics" mean anything to you?

As a result...

We're part of what they call the PIGS group. That is Portugal, Ireland, Greece and Spain and these are the countries that are dragging down the EU as a monetary union, because of their huge deficits and receding GDPs.

So, this pretty much means that they hate us...

In public polls in Germany and the Netherlands, 80-90% of the citizens polled wish for Greece to gracefully exit the Euro, so that we don't drag them down with us.

However, a return to the Drachma would mean...

...that old people would stop bitching about the good-old days of the drachma, when money had some value, and that tourists would flood Greece, because the Drachma would plummet in comparison to the Euro. Simply put, everything would be cheaper... for them.

For the Greeks, on the other hand, their accumulated debt, mortgages and so on would suddenly become enormous once it would be turned into Drachmas. Talk about inflation!

So, should Greece be bailed out? NO. We need to work it out on our own no matter how much it may hurt. Perhaps it'll be our only chance to straighten things out a bit and become less tolerant towards corruption, misery and stagnation!

www.allthegreeks.com

Νεοέλληνας... είσαι και φαίνεσαι

2010-02-10T04:27:00.001-08:00

Έχει κατακλύσει τους δρόμους, τα σπίτια μας και τις παρέες μας. Ως γνήσιος Μεσογειακός τύπος, του αρέσει η καλοπέραση και ο χαβαλές, και αυτά είναι που του αρέσει να προβάλλει στους "ξένους." Στο εξωτερικό το να είσαι Έλληνας συνήθως λειτουργεί υπέρ σου και γι αυτό άλλωστε το διαλαλείς, αλλά εντάξει... όταν βρίσκεσαι ανάμεσα σε Έλληνες στην χώρα σου, κόψε και κάτι... όλοι πάνω κάτω γνωρίζουμε τι εστί νεοέλλην:

Ο καφές δεν είναι απλά ένα αναγκαίο αλλά απολαυστικό ρόφημα που μας βοηθάει να ξυπνήσουμε. Είναι ιεροτελεστεία. Χρειάζεται το τσιγαράκι του, την παρεούλα του, και το κινητό σε αναμονή πάνω στο τραπέζι που τελικά αποδείχθηκε πολύ μικρό για να χωρέσει τα ποτήρια, τα κλειδιά, τα κινητά, τα γυαλιά ηλίου και το τάβλι.
Μια πολυταξιδεμένη Γαλλο-Ισπανίδα φίλη μου μου είπε κάποτε: "Πρώτη φορά μένω σε χώρα όπου κάθε φορά που τους λέω ότι είμαι από Ισπανία, πάντα μου επισημάνουν πόσο ίδιοι είμαστε οι δύο λαοί." Έχουμε μεγάλη κάψα να αποδείξουμε ότι μοιάζουμε στους Ιταλούς και τους Ισπανούς (άλλωστε, ο κοινός μας παρονομαστής είναι η Μεσόγειος) επειδή είναι πιο Δυτικές χώρες. Γιατί δηλαδή ντρεπόμαστε να πούμε ότι μοιάζουμε πολύ περισσότερο στους Βαλκανικούς λαούς και στους Τούρκους (πιπέρι!!!);
Είμαστε περήφανοι για την ιστορία μας, αλλά μόνο για αυτά που μας συμφέρει ("αποκλείεται οι αρχαίοι Έλληνες να ήταν bisexual!!"). Από ιστορία όμως... τίποτα. Μας φτάνει που μας βλέπει ο ίδιος ήλιος που έβλεπε και τον Σωκράτη... Εν τω μεταξύ, όσοι ταξιδεύουν στο εξωτερικό, τις περισσότερες φορές βρίσκουν ξένους που ξέρουν περισσότερα για την ιστορία μας απ' ότι εμείς οι ίδιοι!
Η οικογένεια είναι σημαντική, και καλά κάνει και είναι. Πόσοι από εμάς όμως δεν έχουμε ακούσει την φράση "βάλε κανα μπουφανάκι θα κρυώσεις" μετά τα 20; Πόσοι δεν έχουμε θείες και θείους που χώνουν την μύτη τους παντού;
Σπαστικά όλα τα προηγούμενα, θα μου πείτε, αλλά όταν πέρνουμε τις κληρονομιές από τους γονείς είναι καλά ε; Τα παιδιά γνωρίζουν σχεδόν από την εφηβεία τους ποιά από τα σπίτια ή μαγαζιά ή οικόπεδα των γονιών θα γίνουν δικά τους... "Για σας δουλεύουμε, παιδιά μου, για ποιόν άλλον;" Γίνεται σε πολλές Δυτικές χώρες αυτό; Στις ΗΠΑ πάντως, μόλις ενηλικιωθούν όλα τα παιδιά πουλάνε ότι έχουν και δεν έχουν και μετακομίζουν στην Φλόριντα για να φάνε ότι έμεινε!
Σε λένε Γιάννη ή Μαρία, ή τουλάχιστον γνωρίζεις τουλάχιστον έναν Γιάννη, μιά Μαρία, έναν Βασίλη κτλ. Βρε μανία να βγάζουν όλοι τους γονείς τους! Καταλήξαμε να φωνάζουμε την φίλη μας "Μαρία" στον δρόμο και να γυρνάνε άλλες 10!

Διάβασε το υπόλοιπο στο www.allthegreeks.com

Sink or Swim

2010-02-07T07:58:00.000-08:00

I am not an economist, but I am an observer. I am not a business owner, but I am a consumer. And what I have been witnessing the last few months in this country that is being hammered by the national and international media for its enormous debt, and in this city whose market is partially undertaking the burden for it, are people drowning in their own misery, unattainable dreams and debt. Despite the bleak outlook, could this perhaps be one of the best things that happened to this country?

Let me explain myself. I certainly don't mean that watching people drown in debt is a good thing. I am just looking at the overall picture and I think that in spite of the difficulties and suffering some people are enduring, this could be a time to regroup and strengthen the foundation of this nation for the next generations.

About a year ago when the effects of the financial crisis were starting to hit home, what pretty much spurred it in Greece were the media. So the financial crisis was more of an idea we were all brainwashed to accept through the 8 o'clock news, and then it started becoming a reality. Even before the crisis, however, things hadn't been "peachy" in Greece for at least 6-7 years. Then the losses of major companies around the world started trickling down to the industrial area of Volos, in which last year alone at least 4 factories closed down. This means lots of unemployed middle-aged men and women with families, mortgages and other monetary responsibilities.

Now, the market of Volos with its shops are starting to feel the effect. Especially after the entrance of major clothing stores with modern, yet affordable brands, as well as other multinational companies that cater to basic needs such as food and clothing, the market suddenly became more competitive, while at the same time the flow of cash was dwindling. Now that can't be good...

Then, if you add the influx of university graduates that couldn't and can't find jobs in fields that are too specialized or unknown to the small Greek market, you've got people with dreams struggling at a time when failure is a lot more likely than success. A degree in marketing lands you a dream job at the corner of a busy street passing out flyers. A degree in sociology or archaeology lands you a position as a secretary for a boss that expects you to be his guardian all day long,

Dreams are what fuel our existence and our motivation in life, but sometimes we just have to get our heads out of the clouds. This is a principal we especially have to apply to our finances. Everyone wants a beautiful home, modern furniture, an amazing car and the most impressive clothes, but all of these are practically unattainable for someone working on a basic salary nowadays. And people need to start realizing that.

What this financial crisis has done is help to burst this bubble of the fake lives many people were living and it helped the deep-rooted problems of our political system emerge. We knew all of these problems before, but the "starhidismos" syndrom just didn't let us pay them any particular attention. This is the syndrome where you don't care about anything or anyone, as long as you're having a good time ("στ' αρχίδια μου," που λένε και οι Έλληνες excuse my language...).

These are the changes I am hoping that this crisis will eventually bring about:

A social conscience. People need to start caring and intervening where necessary, even if that means disobeying orders from a corrupt boss or going out of their way to penetrate and change the atmosphere of "laziness" at their job (particularly if they're civil servants).
Responsible entrepreneurs and business people. Many have yet to realize that the customer is always right. They must provide their customer with a unique product or experience and be considerate if they want to survive the faceless multinationals.
Politicians we can trust. This already sounds like a cheesy political speech, but I really do believe that if politicians can manage to fulfill most of their promises and support people, instead of inflate their own pockets, then people will be more willing to comply with difficult changes and ....pay taxes.
More people with creative minds. This must be the only country where the majority of its university grads (or rather, the entire adult working population) is constantly after a job in a civil service or office. The truth is, these jobs provide security, but can strip an entire generation of its creativeness.
Feet on the ground. Let's stop buying jeans that cost a month's salary just to show off, so that we can pay them off in payments for the next two years. Stop getting mortgages with monthly payments that are not feasible, and stop considering credit cards are an extension of your arm and a solution to all your financial problems.

Generally, it's time to wake up and face the music, because this is a period where you either struggle to fix the problems of past generations so that you can contribute to a better tomorrow, or let your debt and misery overwhelm you. It's time to sink or swim.

Image: http://www.ngpharma.eu.com/article/Sink-or-swim/

Make Your Parents Happy. Have a Baby!

2010-01-15T07:33:00.000-08:00

... that is, if you're married! Because, we all know what it means to most Greeks families to bring a baby home if you're not married. The usual order of things is first for your parents to annoy you to get married before your "expiration date" nears and then for them to annoy you until you have a baby.

Of course, it's worst if you're a woman. However, nowadays Greek families frown upon their girls getting married before their 30s. It's usually because the moms project their own wishes on their daughters and they don't want them to enter the "vasana" of marriage too early, like they did. Although this may be true for families in Greece, for most other Greeks around the world (at least in the U.S. and Australia) getting married early is seen as a good thing.

I have a feeling it's a boy...

Sometimes satisfying your parents is a never-ending battle. Just when you stopped hearing things like, "When is he finally going to propose? Do you think he's just taken you for granted and wants to avoid marriage for as long as possible? What if he's using you?" from aunts and mothers, you start hearing about having babies. If they don't see a bump the next few months after your wedding you start to hear sob stories like: "When am I going to become a grandma? When I'm 80?" You just can't win!

Some of you in more remote areas of Greece, or with relatives from remote areas of Greece, get wishes such as "Hopefully, the first one is a boy." And, "why" may I ask? Because, the boy will carry the family name till eternity and it will make his grandfather (of course from the father's side) very happy! Why, the grandfather from the father's side in particular? Because you're going to give your firstborn boy his name! Hello!! It's been done for years. Why do you think we've ended up with 1 million Yiannides and Yiorgides in this country? We keep "dipping" into the same pool name.

It's all in the name

This issue of naming children has brought full-on war to some families. Parents don't talk with their children any more, because they refused to baptize their kids with their (the grandparents') names! I have even heard of instances when the husband swore to divorce his wife if she didn't accept naming their first two children after his parents. And the latter is an example from a couple of months ago, not from the 1920s as you may have initially thought. People like this are the reason that a family may end up with 5 Nikos's: little Nikos, middle Nikos and big Nikos from 3 different brothers who decided to each give their dad's name to their son.

Issues like this are truly silly when you observe them as an outsider. It's just one of those traditions that I hope will either go out of style or disappear in the next few years, because imagine "having" to name your girl "Lemonia" (which means "lemon tree") or your boy "Epaminondas"! They're names that can scar your kid for life!

*Image: http://www.balancedlivingmag.com/

Visit allthegreeks.com for more "issues" Greeks face around the world!

The Virtues and Vices of the Civil Servant

2010-01-09T09:45:00.001-08:00

It's the person we love to hate here in Greece. We talk about how lazy and inefficient they are, yet if we were given the chance to become one, we would grab it without second thought. It's the civil servant.

Dealing with public services is normal for the citizens of each country. But even thinking about it is a big headache for most Greeks. Why? Because the bureaucracy to do one simple thing seems never-ending and because, most of the time, the people who are supposed to be at your service and help you (civil servants) make things worse rather than better.

So, if these creatures are so hated, why does 90% of the Greek population wishes that either they were one or their child became one? Because, there are perks to being a civil servant:

You have a steady paycheck.
You get extra benefits for getting married, have a child and so on.
If a woman chooses to have 4 children one after the other, then she can be on maternity leave for 10 consecutive years and get paid by the public (yes, it's true!)
You have a sort-of boss that you have to listen to, but there's no real danger of you ever getting fired.
You get more days off than other people throughout the year and paid vacation.

It is, however, a sector that lacks creativity, productivity and potential.

Back in the day, working for the public was a menial job that no one wanted, because you made more money working in the private sector. When it started gaining some respect as a place to work, all of the politicians and heads of local authority got their friends and family jobs there. This means that many times you would find illiterate people as heads of a department, just because they had the right connection... no joke.

Most of the workers in that generation still remain in their positions today. That's why you'll find several rude individuals who will have you going for one office to the next, just because they don't feel like dealing with your issue correctly.

Many times, you'll find people like this shopping at the supermarket or running other errands around the city during their work hours, because nobody checks on them. Oh... and they want to retire early with all their pension and benefits intact. Even if these people are small percentage of the whole, they manage to ruin the reputation of civil servants.

For those people that have been hired in the public service the last few years, it's a different story.

Read the rest at www.allthegreeks.com

BitterSweet New Year's Resolution. Happy 2010!

2010-01-01T15:17:00.000-08:00

Every year we feel like there's a chance for a new beginning. So we give and receive wishes for health, bliss, prosperity and so on, to jump-start the year positively. We also make promises to ourselves (only to break them as soon as the holiday spirit evaporates). This year...

I will

... remember that perception is everything in human relationships. What's right for me, may be wrong or irrelevant for others. So, I will be more flexible and forgive more easily (because some things just can't be forgotten). I'll even forgive Giorgaki for almost doubling my car tax this year, but I definitely won't forget his promise to return the money next year!

... value the things I have and stop fretting over the things I don't have, because no matter how many good things or moments life brings me, I just keep wanting more. It's human nature.

... make my guy do more housework and I'll work more hours, because according to research, both guarantee more and great sex for the couple (tanea.gr)!

... think long and hard before planning a trip to Thessaloniki now that the Tempi are going to be closed for at least 3 months! That means an extra hour if you go through Agia, and two extra hours if you take the bus.

... keep hoping for a change in the educational system in Greece, because unless that changes drastically, nothing will ever change for the better in this country. Schools are collapsing both literally and metaphorically, breeding the next generation of citizens who learn to not care about anything, because the prospects for a better job and life are close to nil (unless you have the right "connection"). Currently, the "lifelong university students" (also known as αιώνιοι φοιτητές), those students who have been enrolled in a university for over a decade, are more than those regularly enrolled (troktiko.blogspot.com)!

... call people more often because OTE is reducing it's prices (kathimerini.gr), but any money saved will probably be spent on grocery shopping, because the prices there just keep going up. Greece has biggest percentage increase in Europe in many services and products (kathimerini.gr).

... have a good time and stop worrying about what others may say. Try it. It's great!

Τα συστατικά μιας κιτς βραδιάς στα μπουζούκια

2009-12-28T02:04:00.000-08:00

Μπουζούκια. Είδος διασκέδασης που μερικοί από εμάς αγαπάμε να μισούμε όσο βρισκόμαστε στην πατρίδα. Μόλις όμως ξενιτευτείς, ξαφνικά ανεβαίνουν στην εκτίμησή σου. Δεν θέλω να παρεξηγηθώ. Υπάρχουν και καλά κέντρα διασκέδασης που εντάσσονται στην κατηγορία μπουζούκια. Υπάρχουν όμως και δεκάδες άλλα που υπόσχονται μεγάλες στιγμές σκυλάδικου με περιτύλιγμα μπουζουκιών και εκπτώσεις στην ποιότητα. Όχι όμως και στην τιμή.

Πως τα ξεχωρίζεις:

-- Αυτοί που ανοίγουν το πρόγραμμα τις περισσότερες φορές είναι άφωνοι και πολύ κακοντυμένοι. Βέβαια αν είναι άφωνοι σίγουρα έχουν κορμάρα. Τα κορίτσια παλεύουν να δείξουν συναίσθημα κάνοντας απότομες κινήσεις στα χέρια και κλείνοντας τα μάτια. Γενικώς σφίγγονται. Σφίγγονται τόσο που το μπούστο είναι έτοιμο να σκάσει μέσα από το ασφυκτικό ντεκολτέ και η φούστα ανεβαίνει επικίνδυνα. Τα αγόρια τώρα πια κάνουν και κανά χορευτικό ή ραπάρουν για να ξεχωρίσουν.

-- Κατά κανόνα, τα ρούχα όλων των τραγουδιστών είναι τόσο κιτς και μερικές φορές τόσο over-the-top-trendy που πραγματικά αναρωτιέμαι αν όλοι ψωνίζουν από το ίδιο μαγαζί. Τα φτηνά υφάσματα, τα λαμέ και τα όλων-των-ειδών μπιχλιμπιδια πάνω σε μπλουζάκια, παντελόνια και φούστες κυριαρχούν. Επίσης, το τι γράφει η μπλούζα που τυχαίνει να φοράνε είναι εντελώς άσχετο (βλ. φωτό).

-- Η είσοδος που θα κάνει ο κάθε τραγουδιστής δείχνει και το πόσο καλά πληρώνεται ή το πόσο "όνομα" είναι. Αν μπεί από το πλάι με συνοδεία ορχήστρας είναι σχετικά ασήμαντος. Αν όμως γίνει η μέγα εισαγωγή με φωτισμό σπέσιαλ και κομμάτι της σκηνής να ανεβαίνει, τότε σίγουρα είναι το γερό χαρτί του μαγαζιού.

-- Τα πέταγμα του γαρύφαλλου θέλει τέχνη. Ο τραγουδιστής κλείνει το μάτι καθώς το πετάει πίσω από την πλάτη του τραγουδώντας και χαμογελώντας ταυτόχρονα! Δύσκολη υπόθεση.

-- Το δεύτερο μέρος του προγράμματος είναι προβλέψιμο. Το ρεπερτόριο χιλιοτραγουδισμένο. "Προσευχήηηηη...τα χείλη σου..." και "Μέρα με τη μέρα φεύγω..." και "Ανέβα στο τραπέζι μου κούκλα μου γλυκιά..." και και και.... τα ξέρετε όλοι. Θα μπορούσα να ορκιστώ πως μπορώ να μαντέψω και την σειρά που τα λένε, αν και τα τελευταία χρόνια δεν πηγαίνω και πολύ συχνά στα μπουζούκια. ΑΛΛΑΞΤΕ ΡΕΠΕΡΤΟΡΙΟ! Έλεος...

-- Αυτοί που βρίσκονται στο μπαρ ή στα τελευταία τραπέζια είναι συνήθως και οι πρώτοι που θα μερακλώσουν και θα σηκωθούν να χορέψουν σε καρέκλες και τραπέζια. Εύχονται να ήταν πρώτο τραπέζι αλλά είτε δεν είχαν τα λεφτά για μπουκάλι, είτε δεν είχαν τον κατάλληλο γνωστό. Τώρα, αυτοί που κάθονται πρώτο τραπέζι έχουν πάει χίλιες φορές στα μπουζούκια επειδή έχουν τα λεφτά ή επειδή έχουν τον γνωστό. Δεν τους πολυνοιάζει, άρα αργούν να μερακλώσουν και να σήκωθουν να χορέψουν (αν σηκωθούν).

-- Το τελευταίο και καλύτερο: λατρεύω τον τρόπο που τραγουδάνε τα ξένα τραγούδια και ειδικά η προφορά με τρελαίνει! Μερικές την έχουν δει πολύ Beyonce και Lady Gaga. Άλλοι πάλι νομίζουν ότι είναι οι νέοι Ρουβάδες.

Μπουζούκια forever!!

The Recipe for Christmas

2009-12-26T14:15:00.000-08:00

A beautiful Christmas tree. Many lights outside and inside the house. A fireplace. All of these the tone. They're just the background to what eventually builds up to: Christmas Day.

Before we get there, however, there are a few things that need to be done:

A few days before, there's the teleconference. Aunts and uncles (but, since we're Greeks, it's going to be mostly aunts) talk it over with your parents, each one determining what they'll bring on that day.

The next day, your parents storm out to find the best ham or turkey or in some cases even lamb, for the main meal. If you're in America, you probably just finished eating turkey leftovers from Thanksgiving, so turkey is out.

This is the week when your mom decides to make a different desert each day. One day it's melomakarona, the next it's kourampiedes, koulourakia, and so on. Whether or not you're a big fan, you've got to admit that the smell is amazing! This is actually the smell that wakes up your senses and helps you realize: "hey, it's Christmas." Of course, the mall music and cheery Christmas-spirit people on the street help, too, but there's nothing like sleeping to the smell of cinammon, roasted nuts, honey...

The day before, it gets crazy. A lot of the preparations are done, any side dishes that can be refrigerated are stuffed into an already-brimming fridge.

(read the rest at www.allthegreeks.com)

Don't Forget to Give Your Wood a Proper Wedding

2009-12-20T12:05:00.000-08:00

"Wait.... what?" is a reasonable reaction... but, in Greece this is a real and traditional way of warding off the bad kalikantzaroi on Christmas Eve. And there's more...

The traditions in Greece regarding Christmas are as many as its villages: countless. Aside from the religious "traditions" or, for some "obligations," such as 40 days of fasting from meat and dairy products and the early dawn church service on Christmas morning, which are common throughout the country, the rest are localized.

Christmas tree or ship? Although decorating the Christmas tree is a wide-spread in Greece, many still prefer to decorate a ship. Especially in areas near the sea, the tradition of decorating a small model ship is kept dearly and is considered more "Greek."

Make sure you feed your little piggy until it's big and fat. Because that's gonna be your Christmas dinner (and you'll be eating its leftovers for the next 2 weeks). Many families would raise a pig the whole year for the sole purpose of eating it on Christmas. And make sausages out of it, too. The tradition of eating turkey is a fad that has thrived the last couple of decades.

And while you're at it, feed the village water spring (vrisi). On the dawn of Christmas Eve, the village girls go to water source of their village, making sure not to utter a sound on the way there. While they're there, they throw food and sweets into the spring in hopes that their lives will be just as sweet and their harvest will be just as rich. Before they left, they would take some of the water home and make sure to drink it all for good luck.

Watch out for the elves-gone-evil, or else "kalikantzaroi." This is why people marry off their wood, silly! Ok, lets start from the beginning. Christmas Eve is a night when the house is full of delicious food for the next day and sweets. This is why the evil kalikantzaroi come from under the earth and tiptoe through the house, bothering children and old people, going through the food, and generally messing everything up. Not only do they mess things up, they "magarizoun" the food, which is even worse, because it's something like contamination. So, these little gremlins are afraid of the fire and holy water. This is why people keep both handy, just in case. They take a piece of wood from a tree with a male name and another from a tree with a female name. Then, the owner of the house gives a mock-wedding and lets the wood burn all night to prevent the evil elves from coming into the house. Another reason for keeping the fire lit all night is to keep baby Jesus warm as he comes to this earth.

**If you see any Momogerous running around, don't worry, because they're only pretending to be kalikantzaroi.**They're men dressed in animal hives trying to cause a rucus, just like the kalikantzaroi from Christmas till the Theofania, when the water is holy again after Jesus' baptism is celebrated. This is also when the kalikantzaroi disappear.

When you hear your doorbell ring at 5 a.m. on Christmas Eve, get your wallet. It's just the neighborhood children going around caroling and trying to make money. Despite the fact that it's quite early, it does brighten your day, so keep opening your door and listening to them, even after the 10th group of kids that come to your doorstep!

Where does Santa fit in, you may ask. He doesn't. At least not at Christmas. Saint Vasilis brings gifts on New Year's day to children in Greece, not Saint Nick.

Why Christmas in Greece Just Doesn't Feel the Same...

2009-12-10T14:09:00.000-08:00

First and most important of all, there's no snow. Ok, no snow in most parts ofGreece (unless you're in a village or a town really north)... and I'm used to a snowy Christmas in America, because I'm from the Northeast.

There just isn't enough Christmas spirit! I don't see any ladies with seasonal sweaters with christmas trees and santa earrings offering to help me in the shops. I make fun of those ladies, but I still miss them. In America you sort of feel an obligation to at least look like you've got Christmas spirit. In Greece, it's pretty much a new concept and no one cares.

Greeks exchange gifts on New Year's Day, not Christmas! I guess Santa (or Saint Vasili, who is an entirely different saint than Saint Nicholas) needs time to get the whole way over here. Anyway, calling it an exchange is misleading. Greeks usually get gifts for their children only. So, I guess I won't be getting 30 different little gifts this year. But then again, this means I won't be buying 30 little gifts either...

All the shopping!!! Despite the financial crisis, there's always room for shopping on Christmas! I love that in America... and the bargains! Man, do I miss those!

www.allthegreeks.com

Image: http://news.pathfinder.gr/photoscope/greece/news/6604.html

Τα ωραία της τιβί

2009-12-10T14:04:00.000-08:00

Μια γεύση από τα θέματα που μας σπάνε καθημερινώς τα νεύρα τις τελευταίες ημέρες:

Κατ' αρχάς, η ποικιλία στα προγράμματα και στα θέματα αφήνουν τον μέσο τηλεθεατή dazed and confused. Τι να πρωτοδιαλέξει;;; Είναι πραγματικά τόσες μα τόσες οι πρωτότυπες και ενδιαφέρουσες εκπομπές! Τέλοσπάντων... μέχρι να αποκτήσω δικό μου κανάλι θα κρίνω το αποτέλεσμα στα ήδη υπάρχων κανάλια...

1. Το θέμα με την γρίπη και τα εμβόλια έχει παραγίνει. Ας σταματήσουν επιτέλους τα κανάλια να μας τρομοκρατούν, να μας λένε για θανάτους από την γρίπη των χοίρων ενώ ποτέ δεν αναφέρουν τους θανάτους από την "κανονική" γρίπη. Και δεν φτάνει αυτό... έχουν βαλθεί όλοι να μας κάνουν πειραματόζωα. Πρέπει να κάνουμε όλοι το εμβόλιο, λέει, όχι μόνο για το δικό μας καλό, αλλά και για να δημιουργήσουμε μια ασπίδα προστασίας για τους συμπολίτες μας. Πλάκα μας κάνουν; Σε αμερικανάκια μιλάνε; Από πότε ο Έλληνας σκέφτηκε τον οποιοδήποτε πέρα από την πάρτυ του; Και στην περίπτωση αυτή, καλά κάνει!

2. Τα μεσημεριανά... ολόκληρη ζώνη στην τηλεόραση αφιερωμένη στο κουτσομπολιό. Δεν θα το παίξω υπεράνω του κουτσομπολιού. Ειδικά όταν έχεις γυρίσει από την δουλειά και βαριέσαι να σκεφτείς, είναι το κατάλληλο φάρμακο χαλάρωσης να ακούσεις ανούσιες μπούρδες. Νιώθεις και καλύτερα όταν βλέπεις ότι υπάρχουν πολλοί ηλίθιοι εκεί έξω οι οποίοι κάνουν όλους εμάς τους νορμάλ να φαινόμαστε πιο έξυπνοι. Μια παράκληση μόνο: ας σταματήσουν επιτέλους στα πάνελ να μας παρουσιάζουν σκάνδαλα και αποκαλύψεις σχετικά με τις δουλειές τους και τον μικρόκοσμο των δημοσιογράφων/παρουσιαστών. Είναι σαν να αρχίσω να λέω εγώ τα κουτσομπολιά της δουλειάς μου σε άσχετους. Εμένα με νοιάζουν. Αυτούς θα τους νοιάξει; Επίσης, δεν με νοιάζουν τα νούμερα των εκπομπών, εκφράσεις όπως "ραβασάκι" και "δεν υπάρχει", και κάτι άλλο. Δεν είναι όλοι πια διάσημοι παρουσιαστές και μοντέλα αν τους ξέρει μόνο η μάνα τους και ο μάνατζέρ τους!

3. STAR CHANNEL. Δεν βαρέθηκαν να παίζουν τις ίδιες ειδήσεις από το πρωί μέχρι το βράδυ; Σταματήστε να συνεισφέρετε και πολλές φορές να χτίζετε από την αρχή την "φήμη" άσχετων ξανθών κυριών και δεσποινίδων οι οποίες ανοίγουν το στόμα τους χωρίς να σκέφτονται νομίζοντας ότι η Ελλάδα όλη κρέμεται από τα χείλη τους. Πετρούλα... seriously... έχει καταντήσει ακόμη πιο γελοίο. Επίσης, τρελαίνομαι για τους "δημοσιογράφους" και αυτά που ξεστομίζουν στα βιντεάκια τους!

4. Οι ειδήσεις σε Alpha, Antenna, και μερικές φορές Alter. Αυτή η μουσική τρόμου που συνοδεύει τα περισσότερα βίντεο και οι λαϊκιστικές εκφράσεις των παρουσιαστών αλλά και των δημοσιογράφων/ρεπόρτερ μειώνουν κατά πολύ την εγκυρότητα του δελτίου σας. Πάρτε το χαμπάρι! Λες και γυρίζετε ταινία δημοσιογράφους-ηθοποιούς που θα κάνουν τα πάντα να συγκλονίσουν το κοινό τους!

Πολλά είναι, πολλά... που να τα γράψω όλα! Ουφ, κουράστηκα! Πάω να δώ κάνα σήριαλ...

www.allthegreeks.com

Image: http://www.milkman.gr/κλειστε-την-γιατιθα-χαζεψετε/

Greek Mamas and Their Multiple Personalities

2009-11-27T15:36:00.000-08:00

Protective, sensitive, passionate, fierce... a few words of the hundreds that could describe the breed of Greek moms! They're like cartoon characters with such strong traits that immediately separate them from the rest. You can't really describe the Greek mama with one word, though. She's got several sides to her:

The Cook

It's what she does. She cooks and she feeds. She cooks and she feeds. She's taken her role of prolonging the human species very seriously, that's for sure. How many times have you been force-fed? "Τι με κοιτάς παιδί μου; Φάε το φαγητό σου! Τα παιδάκια στην Αφρική δεν έχουν να φάνε κι εσύ που τα έχεις όλα, κάθεσαι και παίζεις με το φαγητό σου!"

This doesn't stop when you get older. You're now old enough to respond to the growling sensation in your stomach and recognize that it is hunger. After all, you are living alone in college. This small detail doesn't seem to matter to the Greek mom. Her usual question when she calls you: "Εφαγές σημερά; Τι έφαγες;" and then you hear "Πάλι βλακείες τρως; Εγώ φταίω που κάθομαι και σε ακούω! Αντί να πάρεις το φαγητό της μανούλας σου και να το έχεις έτοιμο εκει να το τρως όποτε πεινάς, κάθεσαι και μου τρως σκουπίδια απ'έξω!" And then the next time she sees you, she'll be the first to notice any change in your weight, no matter how trivial.

The Stylist

Yes, the stylist. She's got an opinion about everything you happen to be wearing throughout all of your life and all of the fashion stages you may go through. She insists that when she dressed you - up until your tenth birthday - it was the best you ever looked. On the other hand, looking at old pictures now, you swear you'll never make your kid wear anything that tacky!

"Pull your pants up" is her constant greeting when you're a teenager and when you decide to get a piercing, usually innocent, she'll scream: "Τώρα μάλιστα! Μετά από αυτό τι να περιμένω δηλαδή από εσένα; Άλλες 3 τρύπες στα αυτιά και μετά θα μου φέρεις και κανά παιδί στο σπίτι!" Getting a few extra piercings automatically means losing your morals.

(Read more about the Greek Mama at www.allthegreeks.com)

Image: http://christophermattix.files.wordpress.com/2009/05/mother-and-child.jpg

Where to Go When It Gets Cold

2009-11-18T03:18:00.000-08:00

Temperatures are dropping. The beaches have been left with those few dozen people that enjoy swimming in winter and we've even seen a few chimneys smoking here and there. It's official. Summer is over. So, where to now?

Mount Pilio

Entering the city of Volos from Athens, you cannot help but notice the towering mountain of Pilion overlooking a sprawling city that ends where the beautiful Pagasitikos Gulf begins. Known as the mountain of the Centaurs in mythology, and as the place where the original conflict started that led to the Trojan war, Pilion traces its history back to the ancient times. Today, many of its villages are tourist attractions. Makrinitsa, Portaria, and Hania are the most popular ones on the northern side. Makrinitsa overlooks the city of Volos and the view from almost anywhere in the village is just stunning. The inhabitants of Pilio weigh in heavily on tradition, as most of the houses, new and old, are built of stone. Try the several kinds of jarred sweets and other dried herbs that are sold there. Have a coffee at the village squares where the giant age-old trees serve as a natural tent. Past Hania you will find the Ski Center of Pilion.

If you decide to head towards the northeastern side of the mountain, you will find picturesque villages such as Milies, Tsagarada, Zagora... All of them offering a sense of seclusion, yet with an air of calmness and peace. Before you head up the mountain, you will see the villages Kato and Ano Lechonia. This is where you can take the Pilion train "Moutzouris" that will take you through a graphic journey in the mountain, ending in Milies. Don't forget to try the apples of Pilio and the chestnuts that are sold! (Tickets for the Small Train of Pilion: 12,90 adult, 8,90 child. For more info call: +3024210-28555) Volos and Pelion are approximately a 3.5-hour drive from Athens and a 2-hour drive from Thessaloniki.

Arahova

Perhaps the most popular and cosmopolitan of all winter destinations in Greece, the town of Arahova sits on the side of Mount Parnassos. Despite its popularity, Arahova has maintained its architectural roots in tradition with stone buildings and narrow paths in the town. By staying in Arahova, visitors have access to the three ski centers of Parnassos and the ancient archaeological site of Delphi. Another link to archaeology is present with the cave of Korikion Antro, where you will see countless stalactites as you get lost in the dark cave, which was used by Ancient Greeks as an oracle. If you're more the adventurous type, besides skiing, you can also enjoy mountain biking, mountain climbing, and hiking. (For more information visit: http://www.arahova.gr/) Arahova is a 2-hour drive from Athens.

Karpenisi

Karpenisi is a hidden gem nestled in Timphristos Mountain in Evritania. Karpenisi is known for its Ski Center and large number of activities of alternative tourism. For example, Karpenisi is the place to go mountain biking, rafting, canoeing, horse-back riding, archery, nature orientation and so on. The area is also rich in religious sites, such as several churches and the beautiful Monastery of Proussos, which is about 45 minutes away. (For more information on the activities mentioned call +3022370-24606). The road to Karpenisi is mountainous and full of turns. If you're coming from Athens, through Lamia, It'll take you about 4 hours. A list of activites, information on the ski center and the area can be found at www.karpenissi.gr. (Read about 2 more destinations at www.allthegreeks.com)

Three Major Sites of Religious Importance Worth Visiting

2009-11-15T15:32:00.000-08:00

From the idyllic peninsula of Athos in the North, to the natural wonders of Meteora in Thessaly and the holy island of Saint John in the Aegean, Patmos... Greece holds three of the most important sites for the Orthodox Christian faith among all of its other famous natural and archaeological attractions.

Agion Oros

Mount Athos or Agion Oros, as it is known in Greek, is the holiest place for all Orthodox Christians in the world. It is an area located in the North of Greece, on the third “leg” of Halkidiki. There are 20 major monasteries on this amazingly beautiful peninsula, where only men are allowed.

Yes, unfortunately, ladies cannot visit this holy place, which is also known as the Garden of the Virgin Mary. Many men take trips there to forget about the outside world and find inner peace, as they are being hosted in one of the monasteries. Women can take a look at the monasteries by taking a tour around the peninsula by boat from Ouranoupoli. That’s the closest they can get to the miraculous icons and pristine beaches!

There are even stories of women that tried to go there dressed as men or as they were. One of them was the daughter of Theodosios the Great (379 -395 A.D.), Plakidia. When Plakidia entered the area she heard a voice from the heavens saying: “What do you want here? There are monks here. You are a woman! Why do you give the enemy a reason to fight them?” Legend says this was the voice of the Virgin Mary herself.

Meteora

At first sight they look like small miracles of nature, but upon closer examination one can count 24 monasteries built on top of huge rocks, as if they were part of them. Today only 6 of these monasteries are inhabited; some of them are men’s and some women’s. The United Nations have declared this network of monasteries as a Landmark of Cultural Heritage. (Read more about Meteora and Patmos at www.allthegreeks.com)

The Top Conspiracy Theory Among Greeks

2009-10-31T10:25:00.000-07:00

Greeks love them! They live and breathe conspiracies. The countless magazines on extra-terrestrial life, mysteries of life etc confirm the thirst of the Greeks for such subjects. Not to mention TV shows such as those of Mr. Hardavela and Mr. Liakopoulos. Here's a list of the most prominent conspiracies whose existence most Greeks take for granted:

"All Jews are rich and they control the world."

This is one of many world-domination theories where the Jews are responsible for all things happening in the world. The richest men in the world are Jews, they say, and even if they're not, they are controlled by them. They're behind everything. You name it: wars, diseases, literature and art that the Orthodox Church does not approve of... it's all their fault. They're trying to brainwash everyone. I guess many Greeks imagine the most powerful Jews in the world getting together at meetings in order to determine what their next step will be towards world and religious domination.

"Globalization - A New World Order"

For some reason, the word "globalization" has very negative connotations among the common Greek. For them, it means loss of national identity and, on a practical level, loss of job positions. They get more imaginative than this, however. Organizations such as the Masons and the Bilderburg Group push their agent to powerful governments around the world, they say. After all, the members of such groups are presidents of countries, tycoons, and media owners: a mixture of people that can manipulate public opinion to serve their own interests. The secrecy of such groups exert a kind of mysticism that's enchanting to the average Greek.

"Everyone is after Greece."

The Albanians, the Slavs in FYROM, and the Turks are all after pieces of land in Greece. Some maps from Albania show the "Albanian Dream," which is the extension of their country the whole way down to Preveza. Skopia, on the other hand, give out maps where their country extends to include all of Macedonia down to Halkidiki and Thessaly. Of course, the Turks are the lifelong enemy... who knows what they're after. An excerpt from a speech made by H. Kissinger in 1974 keeps feeding the fire of this conspiracy until today: (read the excerpt and the rest of the Conspiracy Theories at www.allthegreeks.com).

Image: http://digital-camera.gr/index.php?option=photos&action=view&photo_id=15438

Between Two Worlds

2009-10-21T15:39:00.001-07:00

Being around Greek-Americans, or Greeks that have lived in any western country for many years on end, makes one realize just how torn these poor souls are between their home countries and their host countries. When they're in the U.S., they miss Greece. When they're in Greece, they bicker about it and talk about how great the U.S. is. This is characteristic of the older generations. Go figure...

In the U.S. they reminisce about their carefree childhood, and about how you don't need money to be happy in Greece. "We didn't even have anything to eat, but we were happy," my grandmother would tell me. "These Americans... they don't know how to live! They go from their homes to their jobs, and from their jobs to their homes. This isn't life!" The other popular topic of conversation is the beauty of Greece. It's scenic landscapes, mesmerizing beaches, the mountain villages hidden amidst trees... All of these are described with pride to their American friends. The topic that makes them fill up with pride is how "smart" and "cunning" Greek people are. They actually admire their fellow countrymen's wit and ability to get out of anything. After all, this is one of the biggest assets they had in order to survive in a foreign country for so many years and become successful, too.

However... this asset becomes a nightmare when they come to Greece for a few weeks to relax. They spend most of their vacation time bickering about the Greek system, the cunningness of all Greeks, how you can't trust anyone in this country, and so on.

Where Image Beats Essence

2009-10-15T09:06:00.001-07:00

You walk into your first interview, all dressed up and polished. Your future employers start describing the position and you get nervous just thinking about how demanding and respectable these suit-clad people must be. A few weeks into the job, you realize just how far from the truth this first image is...

As social beings we feel the need to conform to society's rules and always try to reach success, popularity and happiness. After all this is when most people respect you and give you the time of day. In this country where "you are who you declare to be," people and businesses have put a new twist on things. As long as they look serious, they wear suits and use big words, many believe that they can actually become someone important. The background or what happens behind the scenes is irrelevant.

My first personal shock when I moved to Greece had to do with the American college that I transferred my credits to in Athens. The website showed an organized environment where education was taken extremely seriously, and the dean of the school attested to this image. Unfortunately, I witnessed several situations there that shattered my initial image. Other transfer or study-abroad students also expressed the same dissatisfaction during their first visit, and some even went back to their countries before the semester even started. Student housing was in decrepit buildings with the absolute necessities, a variety of majors were offered without any professors to teach some of the higher-level courses, rich Greek students showing up a day before finals for the first time and passing the class, and several other instances where greediness overpowered the need to educate. Despite these circumstances, I met some of the most reliable and brilliant professors there that were just doing their job.

The second shock came at my first job in Athens. Although my coworkers were pleasant and the atmosphere was excellent overall, the president of this organizational software company, that was one of the best of its kind in the country, seemed so stiff and demanding. After staying there for a couple of months, I learned that this oh-so-serious man hadn't paid his over-worked staff for over six months, while he was trading in his old car for a new one every couple of months. Another employer serves as a similar example of the latter. As the owner of a private English school, who preaches dignity, compassion and true interest in the education of his students, another employer of mine opted to spend money improving the physical image of his school, so that it would be more attractive to potential clients, rather than investing in the underpaid teachers, smaller groups of students per class, and better organization in the chaotic working environment.

But this is Greece's market in its majority at present. This is the country where a small electrics shop places an ad in the paper as "the biggest gas-supplier of Northern Greece." This is the country where a simple teller or cashier at a public office, claims to be his department's supervisor. This is also the country where a measly dentist that never spoke English can put up a big sign outside his office stating that he has a Masters degree from a major college in America, when in reality the most he's done is observe a few auditing courses there. How can we expect anything to change in this country, if we don't make a few changes ourselves?

Visit www.allthegreeks.com

Image: http://mukha.sulekha.com/blog/post/2009/05/the-mask-eyc-63.htm

There's No Time Like Coffee Time!

2009-10-14T14:37:00.000-07:00

It's the Greeks' favorite pastime, and they've got a cafe at every corner in every city or village to prove it. There's nothing like sipping your favorite coffee with friends while talking about everything and anything. Don't be rash to judge it until you try it. You'll be hooked...

Here in Greece, any time is ideal for coffee, and there are places for every age to enjoy it. You start going out with your friends "yia kafe" when you're probably around thirteen. You may not drink coffee at first. It'll probably be juice, or the sweetest coffee the store has to offer. The biggest coffee drinkers, however, are university students. Most of them have so much free time to kill that they spend at least 2-3 hours chatting with friends over coffee. Coming into the real world, the hours of enjoyment may be reduced drastically, but the relaxing effect of coffee time still remains. Now, you look forward to that one Sunday, when you can wake up, buy the newspaper and enjoy your favorite java. As you step into middle age with a spouse and children, you find yourself going out with families to coffee places that have activities for your children. Finally, the golden years of retirement find most men these days at cafes called "kafeneia" where a whole different subculture has developed over the last several decades.

It's a sacred time, you know, for the Greeks. People of this nation are not ones to take a quick sip just to wake up or stay on edge. They relish every sip, every minute spent around that coffee table. Perhaps this is why coffee is actually quite expensive in Greece: if you were a cafe owner that has spent thousands of euros on a stylish decoration and music in a country where people come and grab a table for 3-4 hours, while only drinking one coffee each, then you too would raise your prices to make the business worthwhile.

Although the average tourist visiting the country either doesn't drink coffee or just doesn't enjoy sitting with one drink for three hours, they have to admit that at least there's a variety of coffee that you can at least try:

(visit www.allthegreeks.com to read about the coffee Greeks drink) Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/33284937@N04/3808242154/

Fitted, Stylish and Ironed

2009-10-07T03:23:00.000-07:00

You could use this title to describe the general dress code of the Greeks. There are variations that come with age, region and, of course, earnings, but the general formula exists. The wandering tourist can witness trends that range between the most traditional and conservative to the most colorful and radical. Whatever the case, Greeks dress to impress.

Let's start off with the teenagers, who tend to massively embrace new trends. Now the city teen differs from the rural teen, as does the Athenian teen from the Thessaloniki teen. Jeans are a favorite. Skinny leg for girls and fitted for guys. Ok... guys used to wear super-tight pants a few years ago, but thank God they've loosened up in recent years. Any weird t-shirt - colorful, trendy, with a statement- will do. Shoes are most likely Converse or some other funky brand, but they're definitely not bland. Now, if you're really following the trends, a row of bracelets and/or necklaces, earrings etc will give the final touches to the "careless teen" look. The last couple years in Athens have seen a rise in the Emo generation, which really differentiate themselves by wearing their hair in front of their faces and lots of eye makeup. This is supposedly symbolic for their despair after seeing all of this sorrow and instability in their future. In the richer neighborhoods of Athens and elsewhere, you can also see many preppy kids with their sweaters thrown around their necks, their 500-euro moccasins and the look of I'm-about-to-go-to-a-tennis-match. Now in Thessaloniki just take the sexiness up a notch. Lots of makeup, dark sleek hair, jewelry and sexy outfits. Guys there also tend to follow fashion a bit more fanatically and it shows in their hair styles, which are fixed with gel down to the last piece of hair. I would say that the young people of Thessaloniki have a more polished look.

The transition from a young person to an adult does not mean that you start dressing in pleated mom-jeans for the Greeks. It just means you wear age-appropriate clothes that are still stylish. Some women in their 40s do tend to dress like their 15-year-old daughters sometimes, but you won't see them going out in pjs and huge boyfriend sweaters. Everything is fitted, ironed and clean. (Read more about what to wear in Greece at www.allthegreeks.com)

Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/44571756@N00/1428445587

Elections Are Like A First Date

2009-10-06T13:03:00.001-07:00

They really are. Think of the pre-election period as the flirting stage, when you're not really sure who you want to choose, yet, but you're playful and open to suggestions. Hmmm... Yiorgaki or Kostaki? Or maybe one of their "neighbors"?

Then finally, election day is here. You chose. If Kostaki was your guy, then it looks like your first date was a disaster, but if it's Yiorgaki you chose, it's like the beginning of a new relationship. A new relationship with the jitters and excitement that accompany the exploration of unknown territory. You're no fool. You know how the majority of relationships eventually end up: in heartbreak and disappointment. But, you want to hope. You want to give this new person a chance to prove his worth. These are some of the things we hope Papandreou will be:

Honest: White lies are generally tolerated, but we need someone who can tell it like it is and avoid covering up rotting situations, whose stench gives them away anyway.
A philanthropist: There are so many groups in need in this country. The people in this relationship need a prime minister they can lean on.
Open-minded: Open up the windows in those government offices and let some fresh air in. Young people, innovative ideas and a new outlook on life, work, education and the environment.
Brave: He needs to take initiative and prove that he puts the general welfare over the benefit of the few and uber-rich.
A hard worker: Promises must be backed up by actions. Even the most emotional and powerful words lose their meaning when no action is taken to support them.

However, just as there is no perfect mate in a relationship, there is also no perfect prime minister for the Greeks. The point is: will his virtues and actions outweigh his shortcomings and mistakes? Hopefully, because... (Read what we don't want to see at www.allthegreeks.com)

Image: www.pasok.gr

No "Meson," No Job

2009-10-02T07:27:00.000-07:00

Your parents, godfather or aunt know someone who is friends with or related to someone in a position of power. Greece is a really small country, so this case wouldn't be that unusual. Do you use your "meson" (or connection) to get a job or do you kiss certainty goodbye?

There are three potential answers to this question, from three different types of people. There are those who would use any means possible, in a heartbeat to get a job - no feelings of shame included. Then, you've got those who would deny the use of their "meson," because they're too proud and they want to show their real worth and make it on their own. Last but not least, you've got those who say they would never accept it, and criticize those who do with every chance, but they're only against it because they know they don't have any meson... if they did, they would accept his/her help no questions asked.

The average Greek belongs to the first category, while the rest probably belong to the last one. Now when I speak of "meson" I am talking about any person in a position of power that can help you get a job in any department and any position. This person may be a supermarket manager or a well-known politician. It doesn't matter. Most people nowadays will get anything they can. If you want to work in a small business, for example, it would help to know the owner, the manager or even someone that works there (although I realize this isn't necessarily a position of power), because owners or managers tend to trust people they know or people their most outstanding employees know. I have heard of several people that have gotten jobs in supermarkets and clothing retail stores, because they knew the manager or because one of their friends that already works there recommended them. If you think about it, it's pathetic that we can't count on our potential employers to be objective even when we apply for positions such as "cashier" or "salesperson."

Things get worse when applying for a job in the public sector or a company in which the government has shares. Until a few years ago, anyone who had a friend or relative working as the head of any department in the public sector (of course this includes politicians) could easily get a job in the public without evaluation of credentials. Nowadays, there is... (read more about networking and connections at www.allthegreeks.com)

Welcome to Greece Freshman

2009-09-22T05:21:00.001-07:00

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

2009-09-18T10:04:00.000-07:00

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

2009-09-15T03:11:00.001-07:00

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

2009-09-09T14:47:00.001-07:00

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?

2009-09-07T10:46:00.001-07:00

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

Up in Flames

2009-08-24T01:42:00.000-07:00

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

2009-08-21T13:06:00.000-07:00

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

2009-08-18T15:34:00.000-07:00

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/

Greek Guys vs American Guys

2009-07-29T13:33:00.000-07:00

I'm not of the opinion that all Greek guys are hot and passionate, while all American guys are ice-cold. It would be insane to deny that there are attractive guys everywhere out there, but it all depends on what you're looking for as a girl. Greeks are conceived as more passionate with girls and more metrosexual in their appearance, whereas American guys bring out a feeling of comfort and tenderness to a girl they like. When I think Greek versus American guys, there's a list of characteristics that pops up in my head. This list doesn't reflect all Greek or American men, but I believe it mirrors the general population (correct me if I'm wrong):

American guy: Wears a lot of sweatshirts and comfortable clothes without caring about the brand
Greek guy: Dresses in the latest fashion, fixes his hair, wears form-fitting clothes

A: Loves football
G: Loves soccer

A: Proposes to his high-school sweet-heart with a ring he's been saving up months for
G: Feels like all girls want to marry him so they can live off him, so he avoids it for as long as he can

Read more about Greek guys' and American guys' differences at www.allthegreeks.com

Image: http://media2.feed.gr/filesystem/images/20071025/engine/assets_LARGE_t_1041_443144_type11487.jpg

Άνδρος - Κορυφή

2009-07-29T05:43:00.000-07:00

Άνδρος είναι ο τέλειος προορισμός για όσους μένουν Αθήνα ή έρχονται στην Ελλάδα για λίγες μέρες και θέλουν να μείνουν κοντά στην πρωτεύουσα. Βέβαια τους ζεστούς μήνες γεμίζει από Αθηναίους τα Σαββατοκύριακα, αλλά είναι ένα νησί που πραγματικά αν έχεις όρεξη να το εξερευνήσεις δεν πρόκειται να το βαρεθείς ποτέ!!

Βέβαια έγω όσες φορές έχω πάει τέινω να περνάω τον χρόνο μου στο Μπατσί λόγω συγγενών και όπως και να το κάνουμε είναι το πιο κοσμοπολίτικο μέρος της Άνδρου. Εστιατόρια φανταστικά όπου μπορείς να φας φρέσκο ψαράκι, φρουτάλια, σαλατίτσα με ντόπια κάππαρη και κοπανιστή αντί για φέτα (φανταστική! δεν περίμενα να μου αρέσει). Οι ντόπιοι φιλικότατοι και σίγουρα θα σου μείνουν αξέχαστα τα ωραία μπαράκια στο Μπατσί.

Θές φανταστικές παραλίες με καταγάλανα νερά και ξανθή αμμουδιά; Θές beach bar να βαράνε beat από το πρωί μέχρι το βράδυ (πχ παραλία Χρυσή Άμμος) ή θές κάπου γαλήνια να ηρεμήσει το κεφάλι σου (πχ παραλία Βόρης); Απ΄όλα έχει! Μήπως θες να πιάσεις τα βουνά για μια μέρα, να εξερευνήσεις την "πράσινη πλευρά" του νησιού; Κι απ' αυτό έχει!

Γι αυτούς που αγαπάνε την ιστορία έχει επίσης κυκλαδίτικο μουσείο, παλαιούς οικισμούς και αρκετούς ντόπιους έτοιμους να σου διηγηθούνε την ιστορία του νησιού. Αξίζει να το επισκεφτεί κανείς έστω και λίγες μέρες. Εγώ πάντως πάντα περνάω τέλεια εκεί!

How Many Cigarette Butts Does It Take to Pollute the Sea?

2009-07-25T10:14:00.000-07:00

A lot, according to the UN Environment Program and Ocean Conservancy. And although, in my personal experience, Greeks have gotten better in the last few years as far as littering goes, there's still a long way to go. Forty percent of marine litter in the Mediterranean Sea consists of...

cigarette buds! And although Greece is not the only country around the Mediterranean Sea, I'm pretty sure Greeks have contributed a lot to this statistic. Just take a look at the busiest beaches in the summer. You see tons of people smoking and putting out their cigarettes in the sand, making the beach one big ashtray. It's not tasteful and it definitely doesn't show our respect for our country.

Despite all this trash on the beach, however, Greece has managed to place 3rd in the test for water quality in countries of the European Union, with Lithuania and Cyprus ranking 1st and 2nd respectively. Water quality doesn't necessarily reflect clean beaches, though, does it?

Although a large part of keeping water clean and of good quality does not depend on us as consumers and beach-goers (factories in every part of Greece have done more than enough to pollute our waters), we can keep the beaches clean. Is it really that difficult to pick up your trash before you leave? Do you really have to put out your cigarette in the sand? Is this the attitude you want your kids to have? Hopefully not.

Sources: www.unep.org and www.econews.gr

Photo: www.thedailygreen.com

Losing My... Manners

2009-07-23T08:54:00.000-07:00

I noticed it the last few times I visited the U.S: I don't hold the door for the person behind me anymore, I walk in between a person and the shelf they're looking at in the supermarket (as opposed to walking behind them and saying "excuse me"), and I've reduced the times I say "Thank you" during an exchange. In other words I'm losing my manners. But I guess this is what happens when you live in Greece! I don't mean to imply that Greeks are necessarily rude, but they definitely don't have the overtly-polite gene that Americans have (and I'm guessing Australians and Canadians, too).

When I first moved here my American upbringing was the reason I would say "Sorry", "Excuse me" and "Thank you" more than any other words during the day. If you're anything like me, you've learned to smile at people when you work, when you shop and for no reason at all, really. But after a few months in Greece you have to somewhat forget about all of that, because dealing with daily life you see that your polite actions are not reciprocated most of the time. So you stop trying. And not only are they not reciprocated, but you find many things that Greeks do to be quite rude. (Read about the "rude" things Greeks do at www.allthegreeks.com)

Image: www.robinricegallery.com

There's No Place Like Lefkada

2009-07-21T09:50:00.001-07:00

Have you ever dipped in turquoise waters at a white sandy beach all the while wondering if you're in some far-off exotic island? Lefkada can undoubtedly offer such locations and the memories to go along with them.
One of the seven islands of the Ionian Sea, Lefkada can be reached by car as there is only a small bridge that connects it to mainland. As soon as you step on the island you'll see the city of Lefkada, but unless you want to do some shopping I would suggest continuing your trip. Pass Nikiana with the rocky and sandy beaches, to reach Nidri if you want to visit the waterfalls or, again, stop for coffee and do some shopping. Nidri is also the place to go for day tours to smaller islands such as Onasi's Scorpio island.

For extraordinary beaches visit Kathisma and Ag. Nikitas. The water is a shade of blue you don't see very often and the sand is soft like powdered sugar. It does tend to get a few waves there though, but it's worth going. A couple kilometers further and you'll find the picturesque village of Ag. Nikitas for a "cozy" care-free time. Porto Katsiki is a beach whose glory was discovered in recent years and, although it's difficult to get to if you decide to take the long drive, the location and the view are quite rewarding.

I can't say that I've been everywhere in Lefkada, but when it comes to eating fresh fish I'll never forget the dinner I had at Sivota, right by the sea after a long day at the beach.

For more vacation suggestions visit: www.allthegreeks.com
Image: www.dpgr.gr/forum/ index.php?topic=28081.75

Nights at the Xorio with Grandma's Neraida Stories

2009-07-21T07:15:00.000-07:00

For as long as I can remember we would come to Greece for the summer and spend half of our long vacation up at the xorio. Lampiri (close to Agrinio) to be exact. It really is a beautiful place: very quiet with a few houses stacked up on the side of the mountain, endless forest like blankets covering the mountains all around, clean air that you can almost taste the first time you get out of the car there, and ice-cold water coming down from sources in the mountain. I mean it's a wonderful place if you're looking for a place to relax, but if you were like me (a teenager coming to Greece to have fun) it got boring after the first day you spend there.

The only thing that livened up our late afternoons was a type of "storytime" with our grandparents. It was never planned. Most of the time, it was the type of conversation that started somewhere we didn't really care about and ended with what happened in the old days, when our grandparents were young. You know, I would hear about how they were dirt poor, but happy nevertheless. I would also hear about their gatherings in the village where they would help each other out with agricultural chores all the while singing and dancing. "Those were the days", my grandparents would say. "Those were the days when people were innocent, their souls were pure and that's why they would see all of those things," grandma would add. And as soon as she would say that, all of use would suddenly tune in. "What do you mean?" we would ask her.

Apparently, back in the day when people were very pious ("not the "devils" they are today," as grandma would point out) they were harassed by evil spirits known as neraides and sometimes the piso-mou-se-exo himself... (read the rest at www.allthegreeks.com)

image: www.nomad.gr

Upcoming Concerts in North America and Australia

2009-07-19T14:14:00.000-07:00

Australia

Mixalis Xatzigiannis:

Adelaide - HQ - 8 October 2009

Melbourne - Palace Theatre - 9 October 2009

Sydney - Sydney Entertainment Center - 17 October 2009

(www.greeksingers.com.au)

Giorgos Mazonakis:

Adelaide - HQ - 25 December

Sydney - Enmore Theatre - 26 December

Melbourne - Penninsula @ Central Pier - 27 December

(www.greekcity.com.au)

Canada

Elli Kokkinou:

Montreal - Palace Reception Hall - October 16 2009

Toronto - Metropolitan Center - October 23 2009

Vancouver - Hellenic Community Center - October 24 2009

(www.opaproductions.com)

Notis Sfakianakis:

Montreal - Stade Uniprix - November 6th 2009

(http://www.discoomega.com/omega2/events.html)

Toronto - CAD Roy Thompson Hall - November 19th 2009

(http://globeent.com/home.htm )

USA

Elli Kokkinou:

New York - Hammerstein Ballroom - October 9th 2009

Chicago - Donald Stephens Convention Center - October 10 2009

(www.ellikokkinoutour.com)

Notis Sfakianakis:

Maschantucket, CT - MGM Grand @ Foxwoods - November 8th 2009

Atlantic City, NJ - Resorts Atlantic City - November 13th 2009

Atlantic City, NJ - Resorts Atlantic City - November 14th 2009

Chicago, IL - The Venue @ Horseshoe Hammond - November 21st 2009

Las Vegas, NV - Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino - November 28th 2009

(http://globeent.com/home.htm )

Regular updates on upcoming concerts at www.allthegreeks.com

The Greek Anti-Smoking Law of... 1856 !

2009-07-16T04:04:00.000-07:00

It looks like the Greeks were ahead of everyone: in 1856 they issued a law (signed by then-Queen Amalia) forbidding smoking in public spaces! The original document is in Greek.

A Little Summary of Greek TV

2009-07-15T14:25:00.000-07:00

When you don't live in Greece you want to pay extra for it, put a satellite dish on your roof just so you can watch the news and your favorite "Lampsi" type soap operas. Right? But when you come to Greece and stay for a couple of weeks you see that Greek TV on its own is pretty boring or funny, depending on your point of view.
It's a weekday and you've just woken up. What do you see on practically all the watchable channels (all 6 of them)? Proinadika, which means a morning show where you get to watch people in colorful outfits and studios, doing cheesy things to impress you, guests who all repeat the same chewed up answers to interview, and - the latest trend - people singing off-key trying to cheer you up. Depressing or funny? Take your pick.

It's afternoon. Time for coffee and gossip. "Guess which star was caught on camera making out with her fiance's best friend last night?" "I called in to tell you that I'm in love with my daughter's boyfriend and we're planning on eloping together soon." Imagine these statements, a blond presenter and a group of people pretending to be reporters full of insightful information about life in general. Annoying or ritual you love to hate? It's up to you.

Oh and I'm not even gonna comment on the soap operas, because I'm sure I'll get lynched by all of you that watch them. Yes, I know how many of you watch them. The afternoon gossip shows let me know the ratings (divided in quarters of an hour) every day for every show. Fun.

Finally, the news... Oh the news. Who actually watches them with pleasure is beyond my understanding. It's basically a show, where the anchorman/star of the night lets you know that he's looking out for you; after all, he has a look of sincerity about him. Can I talk about the many parathira (windows)? No, because I never stick around long enough to listen - they really annoy me. Star news forever! At least you know you're watching fake news and gossip, and they're proud of it, too.

There are only a few things I can watch and enjoy on Greek TV. Those are shows like Ράδιο Αρβύλα, lots of ΣΚΑΙ programs, only one or two series and night shows on subjects that have been researched on like Έρευνα and Το Κουτί της Πανδώρας. Of course I also watch lots of American series and movies. You appreciate them more when you live in Greece...

For more random reading go to www.allthegreeks.com

American Colleges and Universities in Greece

2009-07-14T11:29:00.000-07:00

OK so you’re a senior in high school and this instilled love of the motherland, or maybe just the great summers you’ve spent here throughout your life, have made you seriously consider spending your college years in Greece. They’re supposed to be the greatest years of your life, they say, so why not spend them in Greece, right? Well, here’s a little insight on how things work here.

First of all, before you even start your search you need to know that, currently, degrees from private higher education institutions, that are located in Greece, are not recognized by the Greek state. This basically means that... (read the rest at www.allthegreeks.com).

Culture Shock! First Time in Greece

2009-07-13T09:06:00.000-07:00

As a Greek-American, Greek-Canadian, Greek-Australian or Greek from any other country such as Germany and South Africa you dream of visiting or even moving to Greece one day. You close your eyes and you can almost smell the salty ocean, hear the waves, taste the gyro... And then, the day comes when you step off that plane in Athens or Thessaloniki airport and you start spending your first few hours in Greece... that's when you start wondering: What is wrong with these people?! Here's why:

- Why aren't isn't the airport staff smiling at me? (Well, because they don't know you or they're having a bad day - every day is a bad day when you work).

- Wow, there's a lot of ads on cigarettes, alcohol and cell phones in the airport! (That's because this is where most of the Greeks' money goes).

- Gross! What's that smell? (read the rest at www.allthegreeks.com)

Volos - Labiri: A Drive towards Seclusion

2009-07-13T01:18:00.000-07:00

It's the middle of the summer and most people choose Greece for its idyllic seaside towns, it's nightlife and amazing beaches. Even most Greeks prefer to vacation by the sea during their usual 2-week vacation for summer. There is, however, a tradition that still endures... a visit to the xorio, to the village of our parents or grandfathers. No matter where each person's xorio is located throughout Greece, we usually go there to find a place to be secluded from the rest of the world; a place where we can get some quiet and breathe fresh air. One such location is Lampiri, near Agrinio in Aitoloakarnania.

You can reach Lampiri either going through Rio-Antirrio and Agrinio if you're coming from Southern Greece or through Lamia and Karpenisi, if you're coming from Northern Greece. I followed the latter route. Up until Lamia, the route is nice but somewhat usual as you go through the high way. From Lamia to Karpenisi you go through many graphic little villages that seem to flow naturally from the sides of the winding roads. The only thing that can ruin the peaceful ride is... (read the rest at www.allthegreeks.com)

I Heart Thessaloniki

2009-07-12T10:22:00.000-07:00

Α ρε Σαλόνικα! Who doesn't love Thessaloniki from the first hour they visit it (or "her" as the Greeks say)? I can guarantee you that there is no better place to spend your college years other than in the city of endless slacking, chill people, and till-dawn partying!

Although it's... (read the rest at www.allthegreeks.com)

Stop Playing Raketes!

2009-07-09T08:18:00.000-07:00

It's July, one of the hottest months of the year (ok, maybe not this year with the weather ranging from thuderstorms, to rain, to a couple hours of sunshine again) and Greeks are programmed to fill their favorite beaches around the country. Naturally, when you have too many people in one place, it's inevitable that some of these people will be annoying for everyone else. So, here's how NOT to be one of those annoying people:

- First of all, stop playing with your raketes near others. Seriously, the raketa phenomenon is getting out of hand here. People actually wait their turn for a spot right on the water to play. It may be fun for you to play, but it's definitely no fun for me who keeps getting sprayed with water and sand while I'm trying to get a tan like a normal person. It's definitely no fun when your ball gets me on the head or on my stomach and you don't even apologize!

- Mommies with your... (read the rest at www.allthegreeks.com)

Hot Greek Vacation Spots

2009-07-08T04:40:00.000-07:00

... If you just want to party: Mykonos needs no introductions. It's the most cosmopolitan island and the one where you're most likely to run into a greek celebrity. The beaches are amazing and the island is just one big party site from dusk till dawn. Also, very gay-friendly. Skiathos has been emerging the last couple of years as a hot party spot. Lots of tourists, plenty of clubs, beach bars and amazing beaches - plus, it's only a 2-hour boat ride from Volos. Halkidiki (especially the first "leg" Cassandra) is where... (read the rest at www.allthegreeks.com)

Tips on Working in Greece

2009-07-07T04:22:00.000-07:00

First of all, if you’re looking for a job through classified ads, don’t expect much. In my experience they are usually misleading or published for marketing research purposes. Perhaps the best way to get a job is to take resumes to every company you’re interested in working at. It takes time, but at least they get to see you, meet you etc. Or you can just rely on your connections – that’s the old-fashioned and tested Greek way. Of course, there are also job search engines where you can post your resume, but I never got a job that way. Sign up though, just to get their e-mails on seminars and career days that are organized in your city, and who knows, you may find a job that way, too.

When you actually start going to interviews, don’t... (read the rest at www.allthegreeks.com)

Greece: Things I Love - Things I Hate

2009-07-07T04:21:00.001-07:00

Things I love:

- Summer and everything that comes along with: tanning by the beach, clubs, bars, nice taverna food, coffee time all day long. The climate is great and with the right parea you can have an unforgettable vacation.

- Greeks don't take everything so seriously. You'll probably never hear any Greek saying: "I need to search deep within my soul and find out who I really am" or "Why doesn't anyone love me? I just wanna be happy!" Drama, drama, drama

- Deadlines are never absolute. Time and space are very flexible concepts here.

- Family is your biggest support network. You've got the yiayia to look after the kids and the uncle who knows someone up high to get you a good job. There's a meson (connection) for everything.

Things I hate:

- Public services!! Especially the older public employees are miserable, rude, and make it their mission to avoid helping you as much as possible. They seriously have to get yelled at to get things accomplished for you.

- Greeks are so impatient it's beyond irritating. Whether it's the annoying person cutting in line, the grandma pushing you in church to get to the antidoro, or the inconsiderate driver that's flashing his headlights and tailgating you so that you can move over for him to pass you.

- Most news programs. Really how many different features can you have on the same thing? How many people can you bring to the studio so they can argue with each other to the point where you just hear a buzzzzz on TV?

Nostalgia and the Return to Greece

2009-07-06T10:43:00.000-07:00

Let me introduce myself. I'm a Greek-American 20something who has been living in Greece the last 6 years. Like many Greeks born and raised in the US, my parents have instilled a sense of nostalgia for the homeland that I had never truly experienced. In other words, they were pouring their nostalgia and their own memories from Greece into me. So I grew up being a proud Greek girl among Americans and dreaming of the summers in Greece. Of course, one day I would move to Greece - that was taken for granted.

So that day comes. In the middle of my college studies, I transfer to an American college in Greece, wanting to taste the student life in the country where everything is relaxed and fun (I got this notion from spending summers here). The first year was a mixture of shock and awe at how the system is run here. I was now the American girl. Suddenly I had switched identities: in America I was the Greek girl and in Greece I was the American girl.

Life here is no longer what it was when my parents and grandparents lived here, and neither are the people. You learn to adapt. You learn to be less polite, more aggressive, and less gullible, because if you don't, you're the easiest prey to be taken advantage of. The most important thing that I learned living in Greece, is that nothing is really what it seems when it comes to education, jobs, and many times, people.

In the six years that I've been here I've grown as a person and learned to appreciate Greece and the Greeks for what they really are. I no longer have to rely on the black and white memories of my parents, because now I can talk about the problems and the good times that I've had here. No regrets. If anything, living as a Greek-American in America and then moving here on my own have provided me with an endless pool of funny/awkward stories. I see life from a different lens now...

All the Greeks

Vlachoi: the Greeks with the Latin-based Language

5 Memorable Kings of Mythology

Greeks: (Mis)Educated Childless Carnivores

The "Oxi" that Sent Us to War

Defkalyon: The Ancient Greek Version of Noa (and his ark)

Stone Age Settlement in Apsalos: One of the Earliest in Greece

American Colleges: HAU and AUA Shut Down by Gov't

Titanomachy: How the Olympian Gods Took Over

St. John Baptist Relics Uncovered on Black Sea Island

More Olympian Revenge

It's a Fact: Greece Is Leaking ...Brains

Blue-Flag Beaches 2010

Be Inspired: Innovative Diaspora Greeks

The Antikythera Mechanism

Ancient Egnatia Odos Revived

The Contradictory Life Actions of a Greek

When the Gods Take Revenge

Five Cents for Every Greek Word

Ancient Macedonians Cursed in Greek

Mythology: The Many Bastards of Zeus

Clash... with Mythology

The Immigrant Case

Oh No... Not Alkaios!

Obessive Relationship: Greek Mom and Her Son

Our Fate is Written by the Stars (or Not)

Who Is Aphrodite Flicking Off?

Europe: "F**k off Greece!"

We're being yelled at and punished like the naughtiest kid in European class. Why?

We cooked our government-debt figures slashing them by half in order to get into the European Union. Back then, we were laughing like the sneaky kids that managed to fool the teacher. Now, the joke is on us. "Greek statistics" mean anything to you?

As a result...

We're part of what they call the PIGS group. That is Portugal, Ireland, Greece and Spain and these are the countries that are dragging down the EU as a monetary union, because of their huge deficits and receding GDPs.

So, this pretty much means that they hate us...

In public polls in Germany and the Netherlands, 80-90% of the citizens polled wish for Greece to gracefully exit the Euro, so that we don't drag them down with us.

However, a return to the Drachma would mean...

...that old people would stop bitching about the good-old days of the drachma, when money had some value, and that tourists would flood Greece, because the Drachma would plummet in comparison to the Euro. Simply put, everything would be cheaper... for them.

For the Greeks, on the other hand, their accumulated debt, mortgages and so on would suddenly become enormous once it would be turned into Drachmas. Talk about inflation!

So, should Greece be bailed out? NO. We need to work it out on our own no matter how much it may hurt. Perhaps it'll be our only chance to straighten things out a bit and become less tolerant towards corruption, misery and stagnation!

Νεοέλληνας... είσαι και φαίνεσαι

Sink or Swim

Make Your Parents Happy. Have a Baby!

I have a feeling it's a boy...

It's all in the name

The Virtues and Vices of the Civil Servant

It's the person we love to hate here in Greece. We talk about how lazy and inefficient they are, yet if we were given the chance to become one, we would grab it without second thought. It's the civil servant.

So, if these creatures are so hated, why does 90% of the Greek population wishes that either they were one or their child became one? Because, there are perks to being a civil servant:

It is, however, a sector that lacks creativity, productivity and potential.

Most of the workers in that generation still remain in their positions today. That's why you'll find several rude individuals who will have you going for one office to the next, just because they don't feel like dealing with your issue correctly.

For those people that have been hired in the public service the last few years, it's a different story.

BitterSweet New Year's Resolution. Happy 2010!

Every year we feel like there's a chance for a new beginning. So we give and receive wishes for health, bliss, prosperity and so on, to jump-start the year positively. We also make promises to ourselves (only to break them as soon as the holiday spirit evaporates). This year...

I will

... value the things I have and stop fretting over the things I don't have, because no matter how many good things or moments life brings me, I just keep wanting more. It's human nature.

... make my guy do more housework and I'll work more hours, because according to research, both guarantee more and great sex for the couple (tanea.gr)!

... think long and hard before planning a trip to Thessaloniki now that the Tempi are going to be closed for at least 3 months! That means an extra hour if you go through Agia, and two extra hours if you take the bus.

... call people more often because OTE is reducing it's prices (kathimerini.gr), but any money saved will probably be spent on grocery shopping, because the prices there just keep going up. Greece has biggest percentage increase in Europe in many services and products (kathimerini.gr).

... have a good time and stop worrying about what others may say. Try it. It's great!

Τα συστατικά μιας κιτς βραδιάς στα μπουζούκια

The Recipe for Christmas

A beautiful Christmas tree. Many lights outside and inside the house. A fireplace. All of these the tone. They're just the background to what eventually builds up to: Christmas Day.

Before we get there, however, there are a few things that need to be done:

A few days before, there's the teleconference. Aunts and uncles (but, since we're Greeks, it's going to be mostly aunts) talk it over with your parents, each one determining what they'll bring on that day.

The next day, your parents storm out to find the best ham or turkey or in some cases even lamb, for the main meal. If you're in America, you probably just finished eating turkey leftovers from Thanksgiving, so turkey is out.

The day before, it gets crazy. A lot of the preparations are done, any side dishes that can be refrigerated are stuffed into an already-brimming fridge.

Don't Forget to Give Your Wood a Proper Wedding

"Wait.... what?" is a reasonable reaction... but, in Greece this is a real and traditional way of warding off the bad kalikantzaroi on Christmas Eve. And there's more...

Christmas tree or ship? Although decorating the Christmas tree is a wide-spread in Greece, many still prefer to decorate a ship. Especially in areas near the sea, the tradition of decorating a small model ship is kept dearly and is considered more "Greek."

Where does Santa fit in, you may ask. He doesn't. At least not at Christmas. Saint Vasilis brings gifts on New Year's day to children in Greece, not Saint Nick.

Read more about Christmas in Greece at www.allthegreeks.com

Why Christmas in Greece Just Doesn't Feel the Same...

First and most important of all, there's no snow. Ok, no snow in most parts ofGreece (unless you're in a village or a town really north)... and I'm used to a snowy Christmas in America, because I'm from the Northeast.

All the shopping!!! Despite the financial crisis, there's always room for shopping on Christmas! I love that in America... and the bargains! Man, do I miss those!

Τα ωραία της τιβί

Μια γεύση από τα θέματα που μας σπάνε καθημερινώς τα νεύρα τις τελευταίες ημέρες:

Πολλά είναι, πολλά... που να τα γράψω όλα! Ουφ, κουράστηκα! Πάω να δώ κάνα σήριαλ...

www.allthegreeks.com

Image: http://www.milkman.gr/κλειστε-την-γιατιθα-χαζεψετε/

Greek Mamas and Their Multiple Personalities

The Cook

The Stylist