Begone 2021!

 Not in much of a mood for celebration, I’m afraid. 2021 cast us one last, cruel blow in its final few days. My oldest Greek friend, of well over 40 years, departed this life after battling with a health issue. She was a dynamic lady of great warmth and dignity whom I was honoured to call my ‘sister’ and without whom this world is a poorer place.

 The pandemic has forced us to perhaps adapt our perspective and not take things for granted to such as an extent as we previously did.

Our neighbours will be kind enough to share our Hogmanay table as they usually do and I shall be making a toast to dear friends and family members no longer with us – may we cherish the times we spent together with them. But we need to balance our perspective and be thankful for the benefits 2021 provided us with. In my case, being granted Greek nationality was certainly one of the memorable events for me.

 Looking ahead to 2022, like those beautiful beasts below, let us hold our heads high without fear and regrets. Let us embrace life with a heightened sense of who we are, and what we want to achieve in the time that is allotted to us.

                             

We wish you health, happiness, and good cheer in the new year. May 2022 be kind to us all!

Greece on the move - go gov.gr!

 In the area of technological development, Greece has been lagging: classified as ‘emerging ‘ by the World Economic Forum so  far as its readiness to participate in the Fourth Industrial Revolution – 4IR- is concerned; as well as a low performer in the EU Digital Single Market.

 But things are changing and here are two of the men who greatly shoulder that responsibility. First off is the Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis. Born in Athens in 1968, his family – his father was a well-known politician who was later to become Prime Minister – was under house-arrest by the Greek military junta. He studied in America, obtaining two Masters in Social Studies and International Policy at Harvard and Stanford Universities, respectively. As leader of the New Democracy Party, he won the elections in July 2019, and became Prime Minister.                                           

  He speaks English, French and German so is well equipped to represent Greece in Europe.One of Mitsotakis’ aims was ‘to establish a ministry with a start-up culture that would use the resources of the state to bring about change.’ That could be defined as being an environment which values problem-solving, open communication and a flat hierarchy. Merging already existing different departments and areas of responsibilities in different ministries, in 2019 he formed what is now known as the Ministry of Digital Governance, Greece.

 Heading up this ministry was another Athenian: Kyriakos Pierrakakis, born in 1983, he is the youngest minister in the cabinet. He also went to the States to further his education:  to Harvard for a Master’s in Public Policy, then MIT where he gained Master’s in Technology Policy.

 Previously, data as stored in different departments and information systems which could overlap or even impede projects, resulting in inefficiency and time being wasted. The Ministry of Digital Governance is attempting to correct this fragmentation of units and systems and improve cost-effectiveness and service quality. Administrative procedures have been simplified and made more user-friendly to the public.

                                           
 Pierrakakis’ goal is open government, whereby citizens can access documents and governmental procedures allowing for a degree of public oversight, in turn promoting government coordination and civic engagement.  In a recent interview with the Kathemerini newspaper, he stated that the number of types of online transaction offered by the gov.gr portal had increased in the past 18 months from 501 to 1,300, while his projections are for more that 350 digital transactions as opposed to the 2018 figure of 8.8 million. 

 What has been accomplished in the last two years is remarkable: Greece is now placed in the top three countries in Europe in developing its 5G network, and is planning to have 99% of the country covered by 2026. In addition, in November the ministry won the 2021 Digital Opportunity/Inclusion Award (Public Sector) at the Global ICT Excellence Awards organized by the World Information Technology and Services Alliance.

Certainly, the pandemic  - because of related restricted mobility, working at home, setting up systems to deal with vaccination procedures - necessitated rapid developments on many fronts.  This was a catalyst in dismantling old systems of red tape and bringing state and citizen closer together, which in itself merits a separate log post.  

 Suffice it to say, that the night of January 11^th – January 12^th 2011 will be forever etched on the mind of Mr Pierrakakis. He and his ministry staff worked overnight – he ordered countless pizzas to keep them all going! – so that at 7am,  when the pharmacies opened, the vaccination program would be up and operating smoothly. With the system we have been able to book vaccination appointments and download both national and European certification of our status.  This vast undertaking was impressive in its outcome. Here is all my documentation affording me a degree of freedom of movement thanks to their efforts – and those of the health service workers, of course!                                           

  Mindful of the upcoming festivities I send you the outcome of some of my own efforts!

May my robin be a herald of health, happiness and good fortune over the festive season!

                                               

Nooo-vember!

 This month even starts with a negative syllable – it never really had a chance with all its undesirable connotations ! We now feel the days becoming cooler and shorter. Some places have already had snowfalls and Jack Frost has begun to make his presence felt. We have had our share of wind and rain, though have been spared the storms that have been raging elsewhere. Leaves are changing, some trees are already bare. One neighbour likes this aspect of the changing season: she says she can now see what we’re doing. :o

Not being out and about so much leaves us to our own devices inside. I have thematically grouped photo files and the final task is to reduce them – but, drastically! I find that so hard. I also pushed myself to make some time for sketching, an activity which always tends to be put on the back-burner. Actually managed to do several cards in water colour – well you gotta start somewhere!                                  

 Lugging countless documents to countless different administrative offices finally paid off: I am now the proud possessor of an ID card and a passport, both of which vouch for me being of Hellenic nationality, and thus restore me once more into the European Community fold. I am, of course, delighted and I think Z is quietly proud of what really is a joint achievement.                                            

Our big event this month – momentous, even – was the arrival on Sunday 14^th of Jenny and Mark’s baby, Alanna Lismore Bull. Her lovely name in Gaelic means beauty and serenity, while we say that  

…’the child that is born on the Sabbath day

Is bonny and blithe, and good and gay.’

What with that, and the family she has been born into, that little lass has really lucked out.

 Below is a celebratory plant given to me by a sweet friend to mark my becoming Greek.                                               

For all these lovely positive aspects, I rename this month. Let it be known as … Yay-vember!

Autumn Tones and Tangs

 I thought I’d like to share some of the scenes from our garden these days. After a great deal of rain and a mild spell, things are greening up nicely after our summer drought. Our morning glory is still glorious. Here I love the shapes its delicate tendrils describe as they intertwine and with colour combinations only nature can carry off elegantly.

                                    

Our honeysuckle is a little confused: some branches are producing seeds while others are producing flowers - though not as fragrant as when in full season.                                            

The pomegranate tree has a really, vibrant green leaf, a beautiful flower and now its fruit light up the garden on these darker days, like early Christmas decorations. I remember our niece, Gillian, when she was little, painstakingly extracting the seeds with a tooth-pick, and savouring these sweet capsules, one by one!                                                   

But gardens always entail effort and this year Z decided to plant the winter crops of lettuce and onions. He rushed to get the plants in just before the rains came, and they really are thriving now.  The damp, mild weather also encouraged great growth in our rocket patch- we’ve never had such a good crop. So very soon we can look forward to salads with home-grown lettuce, rocket, spring onions, sprinkled with pomegranate seeds and seasoned with our own virgin olive oil.                                            

Apple recipes are great autumnal favourites. This is one I tried for the first time: an apple and yoghurt cake, tasty but just a tad soggy. Maybe a little heavy-handed on the yoghurt?     

                                

We are very fortunate in that our neighbours are generous about sharing their produce.

                                    

These are the lotus fruit made into cookies with lots of lovely seasonal seasoning in cinnamon and nutmeg, with dried sultanas added for extra flavour. 

                                    

And finally we come to the borlotti beans which I enjoy cleaning as their green and cranberry pods divulge the cream bean with markings which can range from burgundy to a mauve blue. They have a particularly creamy texture and are delicious in a tomato sauce with onions and bacon. Sorry, this is such a paltry portion - we ate them too greedily to record!!                                     

My Big Fat Greek Orthodox Baptism

 I’d like to welcome you to my baptism - I may only be months old but quite a few people are coming to my special celebration. All sorts of goodies are set out but you have to wait till after the ceremony to sample all the cup-cakes, profiteroles and sweets.                                            

We are at the church dedicated to Saint Dimitrios in Lakkia. And, yes, there are foxes in the fields around the village which is maybe why that motif was chosen for my invitations.                                                  

Here we are inside. Mum is holding me while the priest carries out the sacramental exorcism. It’s a special privilege for Vasilis to be my Nonos – godfather – so he must be cleansed before he can assume his duties. At the end he has to spit three times to dispatch the devil but wearing a mask doesn’t make that easy!                                             

Now Nonos is holding me as my parents, Zoe and Antonis, look on and the priest fills the font with water. But it’s not bath-time yet – how strange!                                        

It’s just a tad embarrassing to be disrobed and stand starkers before my guests, but it’s all part of the tradition.                                           

Apparently I’m quite an exception as most babies cry their lungs out at this point. I love baths and this was great – even when he dunked me completely into the water. If he hadn’t been holding me so tightly, I’d have given him a good splash just for the fun of it!                                                 

The priest has to give me my first hair cut as an Orthodox babe - cute, huh?                                                 

And now that I’ve been bathed and named (names can be a secret up to the dunking bit!) I get to put on my new gear – a special gift from my Nonos. Cool!                                                  

                                                    

                                   
Just a minute – that handbag! Surely not part of my outfit, is it? I’ve heard of bringing up children as non-gender specific, but give me a break!   

                                    

Great - no handbag but there is this silly blue hat. I’m going to shed that shortly! And now Nonos has to circle the font three times. He really is dancing to my attention!

This, I think was my Nonos’ favourite part of the ritual. My Mum has to bow to him three times and kiss his hand to show respect for him in the duties he has undertaken!

 Well, that’s that done. While my guests are outside, stuffing their faces with the goodies, my Mum and Dad, along with my grandparents, Anna and Ioannis, and my Auntie Eirirni, have decided to pose for pictures. Oh come on, guys, I’ve been a really good dude- a kalo paidi. Enough is enough- I’m tired and really, really hungry. I’m going to wriggle and squirm and I’m certainly not going to smile for the birdie – get me outta here now!                                      

Good my Pappous Ioannis is collecting all the remaining sweets and we’re saying goodbye to the lovely church where I had my special service.                                            

It’s time for my lunch – now watch me smile. :)

 Thank you so much for coming to see me being christened.

With lots of love and kisses,

 Konstantinos.

Celebrating our New-Minted Greekness at Ta Koumbarakia

 This was a long-talked of meeting: a group of us British nationals who had applied for Greek nationality, who had passed the exams on language, culture, history, geography, civics, etc., and  who had provided the local administrative offices with barrow-loads of documents, had finally got towards the end of the process.

 Most of us were fortunate in that the Greek government had offered support to British applicants since, because of Brexit, our status as European citizens was removed. This meant that the Ministry of The Interior fast-tracked our applications. Ours took about two-and-a-half years. A lady Armenian who took the oath in the same group as me had been waiting over six years.

                                                    

Once the Ministry had approved our applications, our names were published in the Government Gazette, then in September the local offices invited us to the swearing-in ceremony. There we swore the oath of allegiance to the Hellenic Republic, thereby becoming fledgeling Greeks.

Within a month of this ceremony, we have to register at the local council offices as well as provide documentation for the registry offices to ensure our marriage certificates and childrens’ birth certificates have our nationality updated. Failure to register within that month means we are liable to pay a fine for our tardiness. : O

There were 9 of us who turned up – one was ill  while another had been involved in a car accident – such bad luck! Most of us were from the south of England, one from Wales and one from Scotland. Some of us were retired, some involved in education of different types, and one a Red Cross volunteer. Below I am with Victoria and Anne, both stalwart members of our Facebook group which supported and guided us through our preparation of the exam materials and the general  proceedings.      

                                                

What we share is our long-term residence in Greece, as well as a love for the country, its people, their language and culture.  Oh, and its food, of course. The venue I had suggested is one that I used to frequent when I first came to Thessaloniki in the 70s and lived close by. Still in the family, it’s run by the sibling team of Vicky and Christos. They looked after us splendidly and their food is definitely to be recommended. If you are in Thessaloniki, near the Arch of Galerius, go visit them at The Koumbarakia at 140 Egnatia.

                                                            

Liz had organized a surprise for us: a wonderful cake with Greek flag a-flutter - what an inspired, sensitive gesture! Here Liz looks on as Victoria does the honours and slices up the standard. There was more than enough to go round, so it was shared with the other customers at the restaurant. 

                                               

 

 And that brought our lovely evening to a close. So I close this post with the sweet message on Liz’ terrific tourta: Congratulations to Everyone!

 

                                             

The Chimera of Dreams.

 In the summer, my deep sleep often generates vivid, enjoyable dreams. In times of stress, in dreams I lose my handbag and all its contents or find myself in some large building, knowing there is an imperative for me to be somewhere but not being able to find my way.

Then there are the elusive dreams that leave pleasant but not retrievable thoughts behind.                                                                         

It’s the time when your body is stiff but your brain enjoys wonderful plasticity, so it’s when I practise Pilates and have another go at recalcitrant crossword clues.

There is a whole science – oneirology – dedicated to understanding why we dream and it has been established that the average person will dream for 6 years in his life-time.

Technology has helped us determine what is happening in the brain during dream. Essentially they occur during the Rapid Eye Movement phase of sleep.   

                                                    

So, why do we dream? Some explanations offered are:

Perhaps the best known Dream Theory is that of Sigmund Freud who believed they expressed our deep desires and repressed wishes. He identified two main components: the dream images and their hidden meaning.

The Activating-Synthesis Model explains that parts of the brain, the amygdala end hippocampus, are active during REM and create electrical impulses which give rise to random thoughts, images and memories. On waking, trying to make sense of them can boost creativity, promote inspiration, etc.. 

                                                                      

The Self-Orgnisation Theory sees dreams as a side-effect of brain neural activity in the frontal lobe while memories are sifted through to be consolidated or discarded. When we are awake, this area of the brain is where remembering and learning takes place.

The Emotional Regulation Theory maintains that dreams act to help us cope with emotions or trauma while safely in slumber. This is supported by the activity noted in the amygdale which deals with threatening stimuli, as well as fight-or-flight decision-making.

The overall function of dreams may be seen as reflections of your life: preparing you to deal with issues that are causing you anxiety. They help us to sort between essential and non-essential information, leading to more effective thinking, memory and emotional processing. Because the unconscious is free to wander in dream, on awakening, our attempts to make connections between disparate ideas can lead to creativity.                    

Dreams have always had significance for man. One lovely cultural item created by some Native American tribes is The Dream Catcher. This is a talisman to protect children from bad dreams. The charm - usually made of yarn, leather, feathers and beads – is hung near the child’s bed to absorb evil spirits. 

                                                       

What is frustrating is being unable to retrieve a coherent sense of a recent, pleasant dream.                My poem, The Chimera of Dreams, attempts to describe what that feels like:

Fleeting sensations of a recent dream

Fragments that feint and dip

Dusking and shivering

But never forming coherent units

Not fully making sense

Shifting  sands of subtle recollections

Tantalising tendrils of emotion and image

That remain elusive without taking form

Hints and glints of gossamer threads

That charm yet remain ethereal

Just beyond one’s grasp

Veiled whispers, delicate wisps

Of your nocturnal meandering.

                            

                                                  

Sweet Dreams!

On Acquiring Greek Nationality !

September 15th, 9am, two embryonic Greeks sit outside the local government /administrative offices where we are to swear an oath of allegiance to the Hellenic State – the final step in the entire naturalization process.

And here are the successful candidates from Albania, Armenia, China, Serbia and …. 2 Scots! We had the choice of taking a religious or civil oath. Opting for the latter, I was intrigued to see the main difference was the omission of the verb I swear, which was clearly seen to have spiritual connotations.

Three copies to sign: one for the government offices, one for the council files and one for me, which brought the ceremony to a close.

We pose with the exceedingly civil, civil servant who cheerily led us through the whole event. The human element: my friend was keen to show the lady her tot shots! Rosemary became a first-time grandmother on the day her invitation to the swearing-in ceremony arrived. These two events will be inextricably linked for her!

The neonate Greeks. This shot differs mainly from the embryonic in that there are wide-behind-the-mask beams and official documentation verifying our new status.

We always said we’d go for a posh lunch after the event but so early on your choices are limited. We plumped for coffee and spinach pies at the famous Terkenlee patisserie. And very good they were too! I also bought some of their scrumptious macaroons as a treat for our neighbours.

When family members or members of the Caledonian clan come to visit, I fly the Scottish saltire in their honour. Many’s the time I’ve raised the Greek flag on our flagstaff but this was a first – to mark a new Greek being in the house!!

The Greeks call a special day mia aspri mera – a white day. This was really an azure and white day – a clear blue sky, the flag, specially selected colour-coded outfits, even to the very masks. However, this day had an extra bonus: along with having Greek nationality conferred on me, I was automatically reinstated into the European fold – a status wrenched from me by Brexit ………

……. Zito Hellas!

Driving The Duchess to Drama.

 It was time to take The Duchess out for a trip longer than the usual supermarket run. We were heading up towards Drama in the north-east, inland from Kavalla. Instead of the Egnatia Road, we took the old road by the Volvi lakes and along the coast – a lovely route.                          

 And it was as if the local gendarmerie appreciated her status for, on two occasions, two separate squad cars appeared to provide us with an ’escort’ – VIPs, indeed!   

  The reason for our outing was a reunion of Z’s fellow-students, graduates of the Academy at Alexandroupolis.  There were thirteen of them, the proverbial baker’s dozen, with two of us as hangers-on! Most had travelled from nearby places in the northern region.

Our venue was a lovely green oasis by a stream, a restaurant called ‘The Plane Tree’ in the village of Kephalara. We were a little late in arriving and I was concerned that we might have missed Mimi’s repertoire of the day – he’s the stand-up of the group. But we were in good time to catch his comic contribution! Mind you, I have a problem following him as his delivery is rapid-fire and he chuckles mid-joke, especially mid-punch-line! :o

The pescetarians in the group enjoyed fresh river trout – a special local treat. Z had his usual souvlaki and I went for my fave feta-stuffed bifteki.

We were staying at the lovely Kouros Hotel, a little south of Drama so we didn’t actually go into the town. Its beautiful neo-classical features were even more impressive when floodlit.  

The word kouros comes from the Ancient Greek word for ‘a young man’, hence the statue at the front entrance. A tricky shot to take as Z was bent on doing silly things with his mask. :(

There was also a pool – one reason for selection – and we had a pleasant swim in the afternoon. Later, with the entire poolside area to ourselves, we enjoyed a bite to eat and a glass of wine in that very relaxing setting.

 Breakfast was a buffet comprising of the usual eggs, bacon, savoury and sweet pastries but I was delighted to find Scots pancakes there in the spread - and very tasty they were too.

Time to leave. The Duchess and my driver (!) pose outside the hotel, ready to head home.