10 Reasons

In answer to the continuing bitchfest that has become my post titled Summer in Greece, here are ten things I like about living in Athens:

1. 20 C at the end of November
2. The Acropolis at night
3. Souvlaki
4. Galaktoburiko
5. Greek summers by the sea
6. The pastry shop around the corner
7. Hot, crispy loukoumades with melted honey
8. Abundant eye-candy
9. How there's always a way to get around any rule
10. Happy faces on the street

There! Now stop baying for my blood! Because you have been naughty and didn't read all the nice things I've previously said about Greece I am rejecting all mean comments on that post from now on. Let's put it in a simpler way that might help you understand:

India is a beautiful country rich in history, with friendly people and delicious food. You'd love it if you went for a visit, but living there is a whole other matter. After a few months of the same spicy food all the time, the language barrier, the cultural differences, squealing Bollywood songs on the radio all day, you might start to find parts of life there irritating.

It's no reflection on India's greatness if you are finding it hard now and then to settle down there. Replace India with Greece and you'll see what I mean. Do you get it now? Will you all calm down and stop campaigning to get me kicked out of the country?

Memory Too Low

I have stumbled across a rather sad fact. My brain seems to have the capacity for only two languages at any one given time. As my growing Greek takes over space in my already taxed brain, I have discovered that my second language, acquired while growing up in the Hinterland is slowly filtering out of my brain like oil from a pressed olive.

Mr Zeus being a glutton for punishment like me, now and then asks me what we call such and such thing Back Home. And more often than not I find myself saying I don't know.

So here we have history repeating itself and the Greek language taking over where Alexander the Great left off and invading braincells instead of countries.
Image: http://www.dancingstarfoundation.org/images/No-Vacancy-Open33.jpg

My New Best Friend

A mysterious Jenny recently left a comment on my blog and she is my new Best Friend. Why? Because she knows Sarbel!
To learn more about my twin Sarbel (born same day, same month, same year as me... destiny...) see my post titled Sweet Sugar Goodness.

I don't think Mr Zeus even knows about this blog, but if he is reading this I know he won't be pleased that I actually have a way to meet the lovely komati of sokolata Sarbel.

Sarbel, in case you are wondering, there's still no ring on this finger you know... Just saying that anything's possible. Heck, you might even be a big fan of this blog and one of the anonymous posters, wondering, just wondering how to meet me. Now you know! Hooray!

Image: http://www.smartgiftsolutions.co.uk/images/misc/eating_chocolate.jpg

Cutting the Umbilical Cord

As time moves on and friendships progress, people tell you things about their life that make you go"Hmmm". The recurring topic with the biggest "Hmmm" factor is Greek men and their mothers. Greeks are very close to their families, and coming from a similar culture I appreciate that.

But whatI find a little strange is the hostility some Greek mothers display to their daughters-in-law. Sure, Mamaka's favourite hobby isn't to invite her friends over to douse her daughter-in-law in petrol and set her alight like in the Home Country, but why do the mothers of Greece, a modern and progressive nation, seem to prefer their sons over their daughters and treat daughters-in-law as rivals? And how come some Greek men will always take Mama's side and not Wifey's side. It's all a bit Oediopal, isn't it? Someone enlighten me!

On to more serious matters...

"She was stuck-up because of her grades."
"She lied about the rape."
"The boys are from very good families."
"If she comes here again, no one will speak to her, she will be isolated."
"I say it would be better to lynch her."
"She wasn't all that attractive, I'm telling you she wasn't worth it."
"She was belittling their manhood."
"By saying they knew nothing about sex she was asking for it."

The above are comments from boys at the school where a 16 year old Bulgarian schoolgirl was gang raped by four local boys in Evia, Greece.
I'm very shocked by this and that's why it's up on my otherwise pointless blog. I am planning to make Greece my home, who knows what my future children will be treated like one day if this is the attitude of some teenagers in Greece?
Interested to hear what Greeks think of this.

Image: Corrupted from http://www.allposters.com/-sp/The-First-Rendezvous-Posters_i391532_.htm