Friday 31 March 2017

TESOL, Athens and IATEFL, Glasgow Conventions, To Koutouki tis Soultanas and The Tartan Epsilon's Glasgow Gig.



  Mid-March saw a trip to Athens for the TESOL Greece Convention and for the Tartan Epsilon’s workshop, The Interview.
                                    


 







The venue was, once again, the Royal Olympic Hotel and, once again, I admired their magnificent tapestries. Before our session, Angeliki and I enjoy a spot of sunshine on the hotel roof-garden with that magnificent view.  
                                                  

It was a wonderful surprise to meet up with two charming ladies, Despina Malliaris and Eleni Kambadaki, whom I hadn’t seen for many a long  year.  Both, at one point in their careers, fell ‘victim’ to me: one when I acted as her DOTE tutor, the other when I was her diploma assessor. I was relieved – under these circumstances – and disarmed to receive such a warm welcome from both of them. Ladies,  it was an absolute delight to meet you – neither of you has changed one iota!
                 
                               
 









After our presentation, it was off to celebrate at ‘To Koutouki tis Soultanas’ – Sultana’s Taverna - usually ‘koutouki ‘refers to a small taverna with music. Sultana herself, famed as a competitor on the Greek version of The Voice, strummed her guitar and was accompanied by a real virtuoso of a bouzouki player. One of our group described his playing as ‘embroidery’ as he skillfully embellished the basic melody.  A very kind lady had brought a cake for an early celebration of my birthday and it turned out to be Sultana’s birthday on that very day, so here I am being serenaded by these merry minstrels with birthday wishes sung both in English and Greek. The cake was delicious, as was the taverna food. Nice, traditional decor, splendid home-style cooking at good prices and marvellous music - if you’re ever in Nea Makri, Attica, this place is really worth a visit!
                                                           
         
Back home Z had a surprise up his sleeve: as a joint birthday celebration we went to the Hyatt Regency’s Vergina Theatre for a show by Giorgos Margaritis, a favourite laika (popular music) singer of ours.   He didn’t disappoint and sang many old ‘goodies’…. or good ‘oldies’?               
                           
 








As the days lengthen and the atmosphere slowly warms up, our trees boast their blooms: prunus, bitter cherry and pear at the moment. However, there is no time to bask on the blossom-scented balcony - it’s time to pack the case for our Glasgow gig: the IATEFL Convention, The International Association of Teachers of English as a Foreign Language.  We’re staying at the Jury’s Inn – two steps away from the River Clyde and our venue is the impressive Exhibition Centre.
 On Monday evening we have a reception where the Lord Provost herself, no less, will welcome us and there will follow a ceilidh with Scottish music and dance. I simply cannot wait to introduce Angeliki to my homeland.  I’m already brushing up on the steps for the Canadian Barn Dance and the Boston Two-Step (er, why don’t these dances have Scottish names?) as well as my favourite: The Dashing White Sergeant.                        

                   







Dear Green Place, we are on our way!

Friday 17 March 2017

A Rhyme To Rubbish - Save Lady Gaia!



I have always had a thing about people freely pitching their rubbish with reckless abandon wherever they wish. Unfortunately this happens fairly regularly in Greece and it  greatly gets my goat!
 I distinctly remember, as a new-arrival in Thessaloniki, making my way to work one morning along the gob-glistening pavement, and seeing a young woman walking in front of me drop her empty cigarette pack on the road as she took her first deep draw of the day. Picking it up, I tapped her on the arm and, in accusing tones, told her I believed that was hers. Now even a non-linguist will understand the implicature here: It’s yours, take it and put it in a bin. Looking surprised, she shrugged her shoulders and replied she didn’t want it. As I stood there, holding her refuse, watching her blithely continue on her way, I realised the lesson learned was mine – not hers!  Didn’t try that tactic again.
 On my regular trips to the spa I walk a short distance from the bus station and here are shots of some of the detritus sighted en route.  As ever, things that get me hot under the collar, tend to have me resort to poetry, so here goes:

A Rhyme to Rubbish  

Greece has a natural beauty
 But its people don’t take care
And of the situation here
I really do despair


                  
Wherever you look, wherever you glance
It’s a garbage gala, a rubbish fair
 Like Billie Holliday’s tree
Some bushes strange fruit can bear
 


 And while we’re on the subject
There’s more that’s hard to tell
In the country-side our canine friends
Are often discarded as well
                                   
With its azure skies and cobalt seas
This could be the Land of Romance
So  for Petros’ sake safely stash your trash
Give Mother Nature, Lady Gaia, a chance.