...that make me love this country. 
For example: I went to the Post Office today to pay an electricity bill.  They have one of those special machine thingys that you can put the bill in and pay your cash through the machine, saves you waiting for a Teller.

So, I am happily feeding in my cash, when I realise that they charge 70c extra to do this.  And I am short by 50c.  But no worries!  The manager of this particular post office always seems to be on hand around this machine (maybe because a lot of the old people get confused by it)...and he sees I'm short, and digs his hand into his pocket to pay the rest for me!!!!

This actually happened a while back too - at the same post office from the same man, when I was sending a letter to the UK.  I weighed the letter, only to find that time I was 1 Euro short. 

"Den Pirazi!" exclaims previously mentioned manager as I start to tell him I'll come back tomorrow and buy the stamp instead.  He fixes me with a " Oh Purleeeeeese" look and yes, you've guessed it, comes up with the 1 Euro.

I'd better not make a habit of it though - but it's just another small example of the humanity offered here - don't get me wrong, there's plenty to be frustrated with too, but it's nice to share the good examples.


BTW: make sure you check out my blog throughout April.  I will be entering the Blogging from A-Z 2012 Challenge and each day (except Sunday's) will have a different theme, from A-Z.

OK, what's a 'periptero?' I hear you ask.  It's a small kiosk, found in the streets throughout Greece where one can purchase cigarettes, newspapers, drinks and sweets - like a newsagents.

Source: http://thelongroadtogreece.wordpress.com/2011/01/18/periptero-greek-kiosk/

Why am I writing about Periptero's?  Well, I had an interesting 'experience' the other night at my local one:

It's half eleven at night - I need a Mars bar (well, I don't NEED it, I WANT it but those who know me also know about my relationship with chocolate).  So, off I trot up to the periptero in my PJ's and trainers. 
As I draw close, I hear a lovely melodic sound of a clarinet playing.  "Damn!" I mutter.  "The coffee shop opposite clearly has some live music playing tonight - I should have got dressed and gone to sit there for half and hour or so."



But no!  I get to the periptero, and it's the man inside - playing his clarinet!  I let him finish, give him a round of applause (as do two or three other customers) and I look at him questioningly (IE: "Why are you playing your clarinet in the periptero?")



"I'm from Ioannina" he shrugs, as if that's some sort of explanation.  And it's clearly all I'm going to get as he says no more, merely smiles and sits down. 
"Ahhhhh" I suitably respond, acting like I understand EVERYTHING now!

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ioannina

My friends later tell me Ioannina is in North Western Greece and they have a lot of mountain music.  I surmise he was playing a 'mountain' tune, hence his rather nonchalant, flippant reply (contrary to popular belief, Greeks are incredibly nonchalant at times, despite also being inflamed and passionate  too).

WHAT a nice surprise - I doubt many people could say that, in the middle of their capital city (say, London) they pop to their newsagents and have the owner playing a musical instrument.  I go there quite frequently now, just to hear him play - a free concert.

Oh!  As if my day can't get any better - I've just been told my friend is coming to pick me up and take me to the beach for a seafood lunch, so I better go and get dressed.  Bye!!

Kanelos can be found in all riots!  Coming to a town near you?  "No" according to this acaedemic Pic courtesy of www.guardian.co.uk

I went to an interesting FREE (!) lecture the other day, in a lovely place called The Athens Centre in, well - Athens Greece obviously!  Situated in a beautiful location, the lecture was given by  Stathis Kalyvas of Yale University, a Greek living in America.

A very interesting lecture entitled "Coming to a City Near You? Lecture - Economic Crisis and Social Unrest in Greece and Europe"  Interesting, and pertinent usage of the question mark as his argument hinged on the fact that it is purely endemic to Greece that austerity and violence go hand in hand.  That a worldwide revolution is, in fact, not about to happen.  When questioned why, the 1973 student protests were cited as pertinent and that one has to look at Greece's history to understand why. 
I questioned that if Spain and Portugal had had their own November 1973, would they be protesting in the same way?  The response: not likely.

So! This raises a question:  WHY THE GREEKS???  Why do they take to the streets and end up in violent protest?
History plays a big role.  And in this gentleman's questions to people who demonstrate, he has found that a vast majority do not do it for the actual cause: it is viewed by many as a 'rite of passage' or for an 'entertainment factor.'


But (and here's where I get a little defensive on the Greek's behalf): as one woman pointed out - what constitutes as riots?  This leads me onto thinking of British peoples behaviour when abroad (or even in their own country actually) on a Friday or Saturday night, as this video "Party Paramedics" - a recent Channel 4 series shows.  OK, so they're not going around throwing bricks (or ARE they??) and teargas isn't used by the police


BUT

I once again raise the question:  What constitutes as 'violence' or 'riots'?  We see enough int. media coverage for people over the world to roll their eyes at and say "Oh those Greeks!  They just don't know when to wind their necks in.  WELCOME TO THE REAL WORLD GREECE!!
Maybe you should be looking closer to home at your own population's behaviour on an average weekend night.  Or maybe even study your OWN behaviour, if you know deep down you're a drinker.

Whilst Mr Stathis Kalyvas claims his research unearths people partaking in demos and riots for 'entertainment factor' (and the rise of the Far Left - with no mention of the Far Right I hasten to add), I would conclude that even if it's not their main motivation, at least there IS a cause - conversely to drinking copious amount of alcohol and letting rip in a town, becoming violent that way.

Which would YOU rather see coming to a town near you?

So thank you, The Athens Centre, for hosting such a thought provoking lecture (and in such a nice environment).  I shall be coming again to the next one!

Yes, odd one this.

"You're coming with me tonight" intoned my friend.  "I haven't seen you for 2 weeks, we've been holed up working and then this flu thing - and besides, they're from your homeland, your era and it's only 14EUROS, so YOU ARE COMING WITH ME!!!"

It seemed I was going with my friend, she's not easy to say "no" to.  Still, sometimes it's nice to be swept along by a tidal wave at times (how I refer to my friend's personality).  And she was right, I had been holed up recently, fluey and 14 Euros wasn't expensive.

"14 Euros for what?" I hear you ask.  For a concert by Inspiral Carpets.  Now my friend was correct, they hailed from my homeland - the UK and yes, were roughly my era.  Still, I didn't really follow them, but at 14 Euros I wasn't complaining.

My first reminder why I love Greece was an incident on the metro:
3 young teenage girls board, sit down and one puts her feet on the chair opposite.
The old lady next to her pats her knee, smiles at her whilst politely asking her to move her legs - which the girl does, without so much as an eye role!!!  In fact, she even "Signomi"'s the old lady (says "Excuse me")!!!!!  I am left smiling to myself and comparing this to the louts in the UK.

The venue near Gazi wasn't packed, and I noticed some pretty hot St.Johns Ambulance type First Aiders in red boiler suits at the entrance.

"You're not here to look at them" my friend pulled me along up to the balcony, where it was decidedly quieter and had a much better view.

So finally these 40 something males come onto stage.  They try to engage their audience:

"So, yeah right - we went to the fooking Acropolis today right.  Fooking amazing yeah?"
The woman standing next to me (oddly in a beanie hat inside a very warm building) looks at them quizzically and mumbles in Greek "Oxi Katalaven" ("I don't understand!")

A quick glance around confirms that half the top floor actually don't understand them.  Hmmmm, maybe they should just get on with playing the songs.

I helpfully turn to her: "Kata leven Anglikka?" I enquire (excuse my appauling Greek spelling, I never pretended I could spell Greek).

"Nai!" she beams at me, "Poli ligo" (a little).  So I proceed to explain to her that he seemed to like the Acropolis (not finding it necessary to add the "fooking"). 

"Where is this man from?  He speaks the English no good - but you, you are perfect!" she pinches my cheek. 
I smile and explain I think they're from Manchester and that he swears a bit too much anyway for my liking.

"His songs are good, but his speaking?  Pah!" lady next to me swipes her hand in a gesture designed to show me just exactly what she considers their English Language skills to be like.

In fact, it was an interesting evening for me from a sociological and anthropological context:

Looking at these 40 something blokes on stage, I am reminded just how British they look: pasty, beer guts and swearing every other word.

I look around my balcony with my friend: I would say I aesthetically find pleasing 80% of the blokes there, even the 'ugly' ones.  Beer guts?  No!  Swearing? Only the odd 'Malaka' - but maybe I prefer Greek swearing to English.  Ominous threat of violence from testosterone fuelled men after too much beer?  Not on your nelly!
In fact, afterwards most of the venue trooped to the nearest gyros place (yes, open at 12am) for chicken gyros and coca-cola. 

WHAT a civilised way to spend an evening.

I apologise in advance, this post might antagonise some people - but remember: I am NOT an expert and just write as I find and feel, hence this is pretty subjective.

What's got Bex going THIS week?  Well, Greece and Europe have been in the news a lot recently (you'd have to be pretty stupid, or living in Antarctica to not know this).  I've been thinking a lot about the concept of the E.U.  I was too young when it came about, but I am left wondering about the ideology of a 'united' Europe (like a United States).

Should we be pledging allegiance to this? Image courtsey of Google Images

I know, I know - there are those that don't want to EVER experience what happened 1939-1945 ever again, and think that by creating a United Europe, it won't happen again.  I beg to differ: just open your eyes...just because guns and bombs aren't being used, don't think that we're not going through some kind of warfare.  It's merely economical: more insidious, eating away at a nation's pride,    
                                                                                                        culture and humanity.
Which brings me onto Nation: It seems to me that the concept of an EU was to abandon all Nation States and for everyone to think of themselves as European first, Greek or English second...just like Americans think of themselves as American 1st, Californians 2nd, for example.
Well the difference there is, Europe has a rich and varied culture and history vastly pre-dating the U.S. (in terms of years), people don't pledge allegiance to the E.U. flag (should they, in order for this concept to work??), all E.U. countries have their own armies and their own reason for defence and SPEAK DIFFERENT LANGUAGES!  Hell, I googled it and came up with 230 languages are spoken in Europe and 23 'official' languages in the E.U.

So I am left wondering: does a United Europe have to be at the expense of a Nation State?  We are all made to feel it's not politically correct anymore to be proud of your country - I say be careful about trying to force people into a different ideology, it could backfire (it IS backfiring?).
And I would never have termed myself as a Euro sceptic...but now I am wondering if it was a little too much of an experiment and too ideological, not well thought out.

And GIVE GREECE A BREAK!  Look at this interesting link about what would happen if Britain were Greece - yes, don't think it couldn't happen or is not on its way to you, fellow people of Europe.