He's now been neutered (a concept that horrifies the Greeks - they say 'I wouldn't want it done to myself so don't do it to animals' to which I retort 'So you don't mind being drowned then?') and is with me until his quarantine period is up.

He's already been in the bathtub, the washing up bowl and in places I never realised were possible to crawl under! 

Ahhhhhhh. 


On a different note, I have been keeping out of the way of Parliament Guards and musing about what they would do if a crowd of people charges at them - are they allowed to move/defend themselves?  And it is highly likely that a crowd might charge at them, given the protests and demonstrations going on in recent times. 

And I have been keeping up my habit of getting in the way:  I was quite innocently trying to choose a pack of crisps from a kiosk outside work yesterday when I turn around and a film crew are right in my face.

I am impressed by their stony faces, but also slightly worried.  It was bl**dy lucky there was a pause in the song I was playing and I happened to hear a stomp, look up when I did and see them nearly on top of me!
"Signomi!" I stammer ("Excuse me", and please excuse the bad spelling) and hop out of the way (as much as my wedge sandals will let me hop), nearly falling over in the process.  That would've topped it all off if I did - I wonder if they'd be allowed to assist me?  hmmmmm...they certainly can't make any facial expressions.

 I dunno if the following couple of examples would happen in the UK - I think not so that's why I'm writing here.

1)  My dear friend wont mind me nicking her story and I was partly involved anyway. 
So, she's on her mobile to me, arranging a night out (lucky me!).  She keeps going faint and in the end has to cut the conversation short before we've arranged a time - venue has been arranged, but not time!
It turns out that whilst she was talking to me, a little old lady comes up to ask her, taps her on the shoulder and asks for some directions.  My friend is Greek/American but speaks barely any Greek - she understands more than she can speak.
BUT:  said old lady is tapping her on the arm and asking her directions whilst my friend is speaking to me on the phone, eating a spanikopita (excuse my terrible spelling.  It's spinach pie, delicious) and holding a bottle of water. 
My friend is politely trying to indicate to this lady that she's talking on the phone (ie: can she please wait???)
and the lady ends up saying to her in Greek
"It's no wonder you can't talk to me with your mouth full of pie, water AND talking at the same time" (or words to that effect).
My friend ends up telling her (in English), "I'm sorry, but the reason I can't speak to you is because I am English!"  and precedes to give the lady her directions in (broken) Greek. 
After that, the old lady couldn't be nice enough to her.

2) Now something that happened to me:  As some of you will know I have this fantastic bathroom with huge bath.  Usually I am very environmentally friendly but I decided, as a little treat to myself, to have a bath.  But I needed to source a plug from somewhere, at 9pm at night, in Greece!
Well, I went to my local supermarket AB:  no plug
There was a bathroom shop (funnily enough) next to the supermarket, but they only sold 'posh' bathrooms. 
I went into said shop and tried to explain/mime a plug.  Ha!  That was HILARIOUS!
Picture it:  making a round hole with thumb and index finger with one hand and slapping my other palm on top of it!  I had a vague thought that this could be mistaken for something extremely rude!
In the end the man directed me to a liquor shop to buy some tequila as I think he thought I wanted a slammer!  No WONDER he was looking at me oddly!
eventually I made it known I wanted a plug (by actually pointing to a hole in a showcase sink) and he directed me to another shop.  THIS shop had an old man sitting outside, shouting at people across the street.  Er, OK I went in and once again mimed my ridiculous gesture and HE seemed to get me immediately, went into the back (all the while moaning and shouting) and bought out a plug, perfect size too!
I asked him how much and he shouted even LOUDER and physically started to push me gently out of his shop!

Maybe he thought I was a bit madder than him?  He'd met his match!

Ahhhh, but I was so happy and chuffed I got a free plug (and thankful).  I had a LOVELY bath and know that it'll be my first and last one for a long time (take note environmentalists).  But it was SOOOOOO worth my plug 'jaunt'.

Yes, I DID manage to get up at 7am - for those of you that know me, that's a feat and a half!

What can happen in 4 days?  Well, let's think about that:
According to Yahoo Answers, it takes 3 - 4 days to travel to the Moon.
According to Blurtit.com, it takes 25 hrs to fly London to Cairns, so I guess you could do two round trips in 4 days.
Some people get married (1 day) and can at least be at the start of their honeymoon the preceding 3 days
Some people have what they consider a dull, boring office job that has no variation, so Day 1 is no different from Days 2, 3 or 4 (ie: all morph into one).

But for me, well - I managed to loose a job before even starting it (Day 1), get an interview arranged for a prestigious teaching company (Day 1- 2), spend Day 3 preparing application for said interview and then relaxing with good mates at a BBQ and on Day 4 get interviewed and offered said job, with more teaching hours AND get a fully furnished flat to move into on approx Day 6 or 7!!!!!!!!

PHEW!!!

So yes, to sum up:  I have a new job with a well known teaching organisation, a lovely flat to move into and the possibility of fostering a cat short term (Greece is not well known for the good treatment of its animals).
Oh, and Thursday this week, if I can surface early enough in the morning, I shall join the organisation responsible for looking after said cats and help them feed the strays in the park by Parliament square
(anyone interested in more info about the work of this organisation can look at
Nine Lives Greece and support them by buying one of their great T-shirts or calenders at least!  I've got a great T-shirt ).

See what happens if you refuse to get worked up about your situation?  I hate to be all Pollyanna about everything and make the rest of you want to gagg, but I DO believe everything happens for a reason (even the crap stuff). Let's remain circumspect and see what else the year has to offer us.

Remember: it's how you view your situation, we all have choices in life (and also see if I believe what I've written here if things go t*ts up!!).

Oh the irony that is Greece!
OK, so I had a job with accommodation - remember I told you guys?
And remember I also mentioned how the accommodation was, er, well not particularly great.
So I went and visited some places of my own yesterday and found 3 very promising ones through an equally promising agent, I might add.
There's me, innocently hoping I can negotiate that what the school pays for me in accommodation, they can help me pay for my own instead and I will make up the rest of the money.

BUT NO!!!  I must stay in THEIR accommodation!  Apparently no-one, in 21 years has EVER complained about what they offer (and clearly they weren't about to let someone either).
So, it was either stay in their small cubby hole flat in a building full of other teachers, or no job.  Guess which one I chose?

My guess is they want to keep the teachers close, on hand so that if they need them for anything - they can just turn up and knock on your door.  Maybe you're supposed to eat and sleep the job.  Oh, and the bit about no-one else having complained in 21 years isn't strictly true either - someone else did (for other personal reasons) last year, same reaction so he left to pursue employment elsewhere.

So I am still staying with a dear friend - she and her husband have been a lifesaver and (rare for a Greek) have welcomed me into their home.  I obviously will try to find somewhere else to live a.s.a.p (looking at somewhere tomorrow) AND have an interview at another school tomorrow too!
Luckily this school does not expect one to live in anything they provide!!!

What a welcome back from Paros!  But no hysterics from me funnily enough - I feel strangely calm, a shrug of shoulders thinking 'This is Greece - what did I expect?'  Things have a habit of taking their time to work out here - and they will, I'm sure.

Ahhhhhh, the bliss of it - sitting in a seafront cafe, sipping frappe and updating my blog.
It's been 3 days now - 3 days of finding beaches on Paros & Antiparos to go swimming, chatting to the locals and being given free sweetbreads and things to eat by Greeks who seem to feel it's strange for a woman to be travelling alone ( I think I mentioned in a previous post:  sorry but my expectations must run very very high!).
And besides, travelling alone REALLY has its advantages:  the opportunity to meet people, chat to them yet obscurely never find out their name!  Take for example my new friend who I have started to meet for breakfast every day - she's Greek/Canadian (Toronto) and owns a Greek restaurant there.  She comes here every year to visit her brother for a few weeks over the summer and has told me loads of places to go and visit, I think I need to come back!  I must ask her her name tomorrow, but sometimes it gets to a point where you've moved past the name asking stage - hmmmm, that's something to remember for future - note to self:  DO NOT GET TO HEAR PEOPLE'S PERSONAL TALES BEFORE FINDING OUT THEIR NAMES.

Now, it's so relaxing here that even the shop mannequins seem to be happy!  Having had to purchase a beach towel from said shop, it came as a bit of a shock to stumble upon these lovely 'people', seemingly killing themselves laughing (especially the guy, look closely:  he's even got his hands clutching his stomach) at me.
Although my next update will probably be me near to a nervous breakdown and wishing I was back on Paros again!

Oh to be back in the sunny land of Greece!  And it IS good to be back too - after arriving at my new studio flat at 11pm last night, I didn't quite realise until the cold (or warm in this case) light of day quite how grotty and unfurnished it was!

a new DOUBLE bed
a new chest of drawers
a new wardrobe
new shelves for bathroom and living room
a freestanding IKEA lamp

I am chuffed and he said he is glad he has FINALLY met an English person who is so straight with him!

Remember, what we consider rude in the UK is not the case in Greec e- it's a simple matter of straight talking and if you ask a yes/no question, expect a yes/no answer!

I'm now finally in Paros after a pretty cool highspeed ferry (only 2 3/4 hrs as opposed to 5).  But I missed not being able to go out on deck, so will get the slow ferry back, and hope that I'm coming back to a nicer flat!