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Tuesday, 09 March 2021 13:41
ERTFLIX: A Free Hybrid TV Platform
Amidst the Covid-19 pandemic, ERT–the Greek public television network–made an important addition to its program, by launching a new hybrid television platform called ERTFLIX.
ERTFLIX provides free access to several award-winning foreign films, foreign TV series, Greek series, award-winning documentaries, children's programs, and educational courses designed by the Ministry of Education.
The platform was designed by ERT technicians and its interface is very similar to Netflix or Amazon Prime.
Published in
Local News
Tagged under
Tuesday, 09 March 2021 00:39
Welcoming Spring
Greek culture is full of wonderful traditions and the beggining of Spring is bound to have one as well! Check out our newsletter for some spring inspiration and to stay updated with the latest lockdown measures in Athens!
Please click HERE to view this issue of our newsletter!
Published in
Newsletters
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Monday, 08 March 2021 21:02
Athens Science Virtual Festival 2021
An Era Of Heroes
3 days of science, technology and innovation | 60 virtual activities sessions | 50
esteemed speakers from 8 countries | 3 Nobelists | 100 experiment demonstrations |
celebrity science | chemistry shows | documentaries | free parallel activities for all ages
In times of hardship, heroes emerge! Athens Science Festival comes back with a new, digital format to introduce us to the "Era of heroes"! From March 27 to March 29, 2021, the largest science festival in the country will be back, online and in live broadcast, from the Technopolis City of Athens, to celebrate the latest developments in the fields of Science, Technology, and Innovation but also shine a light to the relationship between Art and Science.
The pandemic and its devastating effects on the entire planet bring to the forefront a new order of heroes, who stem primarily from the field of science! Their superpowers? Their unparalleled will to offer and their sense of duty towards their fellow humans, fueling them to fight every day in order to achieve the impossible; expand the boundaries of human knowledge, and provide viable solutions. Since not all heroes wear capes, Athens Science Festival 2021 will honor scientists of all fields!
Through a series of exciting live talks, workshops, experimental demonstrations, virtual exhibitions and other innovative digital activities, attendees will have the opportunity to get indroduced to some of the most distinguished scientists in the world. In this year’s Festival, everyone’s participation will be dynamic. Internet visitors, instead of being mere spectators of the programmed activities, will have the opportunity to participate online, thus turning the Festival into a digital, multidimensional scientific event!
The pandemic and its devastating effects on the entire planet bring to the forefront a new order of heroes, who stem primarily from the field of science! Their superpowers? Their unparalleled will to offer and their sense of duty towards their fellow humans, fueling them to fight every day in order to achieve the impossible; expand the boundaries of human knowledge, and provide viable solutions. Since not all heroes wear capes, Athens Science Festival 2021 will honor scientists of all fields!
Through a series of exciting live talks, workshops, experimental demonstrations, virtual exhibitions and other innovative digital activities, attendees will have the opportunity to get indroduced to some of the most distinguished scientists in the world. In this year’s Festival, everyone’s participation will be dynamic. Internet visitors, instead of being mere spectators of the programmed activities, will have the opportunity to participate online, thus turning the Festival into a digital, multidimensional scientific event!
Published in
Community
Tagged under
Friday, 05 March 2021 07:00
An Art Lover’s Guide To The New Gallery District Of Piraeus
Vibrant and cosmopolitan, Piraeus combines urban kick, commercial hubbub, massive industrial infrastructure and seaside hedonism in a heady brew that's hard to find elsewhere in Greece.
One of the busiest ports in Europe, Piraeus has for centuries been a melting pot of sailors and merchants arriving from every part of the globe, alongside the reams of immigrants and colonisers who have also landed ashore. These culturally-diverse influences have woven their way into the local commerce, gastronomy, arts and entertainment scenes.
There are some “old guard” landmarks that you might want to tick off first to give an important cultural context to present day Piraeus: the local Municipal Gallery, with its marine-themed haul of Greek art from the past 300 years or so (you’ll also catch contemporary art shows from time to time); the Hellenic Maritime Museum and the Piraeus Archaeological Museum.
These days though, the loudest art buzz is to be found in the Piraeus portside neighbourhood of Agios Dionysios (also known as Papastratos). Once a site of heavy industry dubbed "the Manchester of Athens" by the 20th-century Athenian middle-class, Agios Dionysios is full of large industrial buildings. They’ve made rich pickings for real-estate developers and eagle-eyed investors who are rapidly turning them into sleek developments amid the garages, metal workshops and warehouses.
Among the art professionals who have colonised the area in recent years are international galleries like Rodeo from London and Carwan from Beirut. Both have established new spaces here, sharing the neighbourhood with restaurants, night clubs, office workers and blue-collar locals. The arrival of these cosmopolitan galleries has transformed Agios Dionysios into an art-lover’s hotspot well worth making a detour from downtown Athens for.
Meanwhile, whether by chance or by design, Piraeus galleries are now luring visitors from abroad as well (outside lockdown at least). Within walking distance from the port and only a short taxi ride from the nearby yacht marinas, Polydefkous Street in particular has become an art stop for canny collectors en-route to their Greek island holiday homes every summer.
DL Gallery and ENIA Gallery
First on the scene at Agios Dionysios was Dimitris Lymperopoulos' DL Gallery. Raised in a family of Piraeus frame makers and art dealers, Lymperopoulos transformed his father's former factory into a gallery in 2015.
The large industrial space with its 1950s glass façade was more than suitable for exhibiting contemporary art, especially large sculptures and installations. To accommodate his growing roster of artists—which includes local and foreign names like Greek painter Dimitris Yeros and Portuguese photographer Virgilio Ferreira—Lymperopoulos acquired an old warehouse opposite his gallery and opened a second one. ENIA gallery is now DL Gallery’s next-door sibling. The former is dedicated to conceptual art and installation, whereas the latter tilts to contemporary painting and photography.
Growing up in Agios Dionysios has allowed Dimitris Lymperopoulos to witness every step of the area’s post-industrial decay and current renaissance. "Every building you see here houses workshops, businesses, craftspeople”, he explains. “Not all of them stand empty. During the day you can hear their machinery working. Agios Dionysios is still very alive and busy."
Rodeo Gallery
Housed in a former warehouse built in the early 20th century, Rodeo Gallery has kept its old façade, so it blends in seamlessly with its surroundings. Upon entering, you find yourself in a cool cavernous space. The stone of the walls and the original wooden roof have been left exposed, and a sleek box containing administrative spaces has been added in the middle by Berlin-based architect Etienne Descloux.
"It is a rather challenging space for exhibitions," gallery founder Sylvia Kouvali admits. "A white cube can be treated as a blank canvas. A stone wall is no blank canvas. That said, it's interesting to offer this space to artists. Artists today have a need to work with the space they exhibit in, which is part of the post-conceptual tradition we are going through now."
Rodeo Gallery was the first gallery to open on Polydefkous Street in 2018 and its programming is based on long-term collaborations with artists, most of whom use a variety of media in their work. The mix of artists’ backgrounds is international in scope and surprisingly diverse. For example, recent shows range from solo exhibitions by Greek painter Apostolos Georgiou, who was born in the 1950s, and young London-based artist Sidsel Meineche Hansen, whose work is a whimsical mix of digital media, contemporary drawing, sculptural objects and installation. Both exhibitions activated the space in different ways.
Floating somewhere in between polished and rough, Rodeo’s Piraeus space is one of the successful examples of how galleries can experiment with curating shows and activating repurposed spaces in Athens. Visitors often hang out at the benches of the wine bar next door, which are planted out on the street. Opening nights (in the pre-Covid-19 days at least), synced with neighbouring galleries, turned into lively block parties.
The Intermission
On the heels of Rodeo, art advisor Artemis Baltoyanni opened The Intermission on Polydefkous Street in 2019. The Intermission doesn’t have its own roster of artists, but instead invites artists and the galleries that represent them to exhibit at its space. So far Baltoyanni has hosted three exhibitions with two artists: the acclaimed American conceptual artist John Knight and emerging Athens-based artist Zoë Paul.
The Intermission is housed inside a former car workshop with stone walls and a high ceiling with a wooden roof — the same situation as Rodeo. In fact, the entire block used to be one interconnected facility, hence the architectural echoes between all the galleries here. Most of Baltoyanni's neighbours opted to keep the stone walls of their spaces exposed. She went for a more clean-cut, white-cube approach instead. The white walls work wonderfully with the bright natural light that floods in from the floor-to-ceiling windows, adding a special glow to the space.
“Piraeus has a very particular identity, which I like,” says Baltoyanni. “It's gritty and noisy and full of people. But at the same time it's so urban and full of pockets to discover. Also, artists and galleries want to come here to exhibit. Piraeus is not isolated: we have the Athenian audience that comes here, and there's buying interest locally."
Carwan Gallery
The most recent arrival to Polydefkous is Carwan, a contemporary design gallery that was founded in Beirut in 2011 and touched down in Piraeus in 2020.
Architect and curator Nicolas Bellavance-Lecompte, the gallery’s co-founder, and his new business partner, architect Quentin Moyse, renovated the space together. Their intention? To preserve the building’s aesthetic qualities and replace what was broken using the simplest elements possible. The space is a very organic addition to Piraeus’ new gallery street: when the Athenian sun is not too high in the sky, visitors are greeted outside and the street becomes an extension of the gallery.
Carwan's programme has consistently championed contemporary design from Western Asia and the Mediterranean. The gallery currently focuses on what Bellavance-Lecompte describes as “conceptual design”, work by designers that borders contemporary art and collectible design. The gallery’s opening show in Piraeus featured a collection of one-off bronze vessels by Vancouver-based designer Omer Arbel. The gold-hued pieces were cast in glass moulds that broke as the molten metal cooled in them: a great example of how design and manufacture can veer into the poetic.
“Moving to Greece has opened up a lot of new potential,” says Bellavance-Lecompte. Without doubt, the arrival of so many international galleries in Piraeus has upped the ante for the local art scene and is sparking new collaborations. It has also established a fresh way for exhibiting and viewing art: one that is slower and, even by Greek standards, more social and communal.
This content was originally published on This is Athens
Photo Credit: Thomas Gravanis
Whether you’ve just arrived in town – or have been here for years – Athens always has new secrets to share! This is Athens is the official guide to this captivating city of ancient energies and booming urban culture. Compiled by a team of specialist local writers, This is Athens brings you an authentic and intimate portrait of a living Athens beyond the guidebooks – along with daily curated listings of all the best events and great weekend inspiration all-year round. From must-know neighbourhoods and emerging art hubs, to gourmet hotspots, cool shopping and the buzziest bars, This is Athens will help you to get the most out of living in Athens!
Thank you This is Athens for your contribution as an XpatAthens Partner.
One of the busiest ports in Europe, Piraeus has for centuries been a melting pot of sailors and merchants arriving from every part of the globe, alongside the reams of immigrants and colonisers who have also landed ashore. These culturally-diverse influences have woven their way into the local commerce, gastronomy, arts and entertainment scenes.
There are some “old guard” landmarks that you might want to tick off first to give an important cultural context to present day Piraeus: the local Municipal Gallery, with its marine-themed haul of Greek art from the past 300 years or so (you’ll also catch contemporary art shows from time to time); the Hellenic Maritime Museum and the Piraeus Archaeological Museum.
These days though, the loudest art buzz is to be found in the Piraeus portside neighbourhood of Agios Dionysios (also known as Papastratos). Once a site of heavy industry dubbed "the Manchester of Athens" by the 20th-century Athenian middle-class, Agios Dionysios is full of large industrial buildings. They’ve made rich pickings for real-estate developers and eagle-eyed investors who are rapidly turning them into sleek developments amid the garages, metal workshops and warehouses.
Among the art professionals who have colonised the area in recent years are international galleries like Rodeo from London and Carwan from Beirut. Both have established new spaces here, sharing the neighbourhood with restaurants, night clubs, office workers and blue-collar locals. The arrival of these cosmopolitan galleries has transformed Agios Dionysios into an art-lover’s hotspot well worth making a detour from downtown Athens for.
Meanwhile, whether by chance or by design, Piraeus galleries are now luring visitors from abroad as well (outside lockdown at least). Within walking distance from the port and only a short taxi ride from the nearby yacht marinas, Polydefkous Street in particular has become an art stop for canny collectors en-route to their Greek island holiday homes every summer.
DL Gallery and ENIA Gallery
First on the scene at Agios Dionysios was Dimitris Lymperopoulos' DL Gallery. Raised in a family of Piraeus frame makers and art dealers, Lymperopoulos transformed his father's former factory into a gallery in 2015.
The large industrial space with its 1950s glass façade was more than suitable for exhibiting contemporary art, especially large sculptures and installations. To accommodate his growing roster of artists—which includes local and foreign names like Greek painter Dimitris Yeros and Portuguese photographer Virgilio Ferreira—Lymperopoulos acquired an old warehouse opposite his gallery and opened a second one. ENIA gallery is now DL Gallery’s next-door sibling. The former is dedicated to conceptual art and installation, whereas the latter tilts to contemporary painting and photography.
Growing up in Agios Dionysios has allowed Dimitris Lymperopoulos to witness every step of the area’s post-industrial decay and current renaissance. "Every building you see here houses workshops, businesses, craftspeople”, he explains. “Not all of them stand empty. During the day you can hear their machinery working. Agios Dionysios is still very alive and busy."
Rodeo Gallery
Housed in a former warehouse built in the early 20th century, Rodeo Gallery has kept its old façade, so it blends in seamlessly with its surroundings. Upon entering, you find yourself in a cool cavernous space. The stone of the walls and the original wooden roof have been left exposed, and a sleek box containing administrative spaces has been added in the middle by Berlin-based architect Etienne Descloux.
"It is a rather challenging space for exhibitions," gallery founder Sylvia Kouvali admits. "A white cube can be treated as a blank canvas. A stone wall is no blank canvas. That said, it's interesting to offer this space to artists. Artists today have a need to work with the space they exhibit in, which is part of the post-conceptual tradition we are going through now."
Rodeo Gallery was the first gallery to open on Polydefkous Street in 2018 and its programming is based on long-term collaborations with artists, most of whom use a variety of media in their work. The mix of artists’ backgrounds is international in scope and surprisingly diverse. For example, recent shows range from solo exhibitions by Greek painter Apostolos Georgiou, who was born in the 1950s, and young London-based artist Sidsel Meineche Hansen, whose work is a whimsical mix of digital media, contemporary drawing, sculptural objects and installation. Both exhibitions activated the space in different ways.
Floating somewhere in between polished and rough, Rodeo’s Piraeus space is one of the successful examples of how galleries can experiment with curating shows and activating repurposed spaces in Athens. Visitors often hang out at the benches of the wine bar next door, which are planted out on the street. Opening nights (in the pre-Covid-19 days at least), synced with neighbouring galleries, turned into lively block parties.
The Intermission
On the heels of Rodeo, art advisor Artemis Baltoyanni opened The Intermission on Polydefkous Street in 2019. The Intermission doesn’t have its own roster of artists, but instead invites artists and the galleries that represent them to exhibit at its space. So far Baltoyanni has hosted three exhibitions with two artists: the acclaimed American conceptual artist John Knight and emerging Athens-based artist Zoë Paul.
The Intermission is housed inside a former car workshop with stone walls and a high ceiling with a wooden roof — the same situation as Rodeo. In fact, the entire block used to be one interconnected facility, hence the architectural echoes between all the galleries here. Most of Baltoyanni's neighbours opted to keep the stone walls of their spaces exposed. She went for a more clean-cut, white-cube approach instead. The white walls work wonderfully with the bright natural light that floods in from the floor-to-ceiling windows, adding a special glow to the space.
“Piraeus has a very particular identity, which I like,” says Baltoyanni. “It's gritty and noisy and full of people. But at the same time it's so urban and full of pockets to discover. Also, artists and galleries want to come here to exhibit. Piraeus is not isolated: we have the Athenian audience that comes here, and there's buying interest locally."
Carwan Gallery
The most recent arrival to Polydefkous is Carwan, a contemporary design gallery that was founded in Beirut in 2011 and touched down in Piraeus in 2020.
Architect and curator Nicolas Bellavance-Lecompte, the gallery’s co-founder, and his new business partner, architect Quentin Moyse, renovated the space together. Their intention? To preserve the building’s aesthetic qualities and replace what was broken using the simplest elements possible. The space is a very organic addition to Piraeus’ new gallery street: when the Athenian sun is not too high in the sky, visitors are greeted outside and the street becomes an extension of the gallery.
Carwan's programme has consistently championed contemporary design from Western Asia and the Mediterranean. The gallery currently focuses on what Bellavance-Lecompte describes as “conceptual design”, work by designers that borders contemporary art and collectible design. The gallery’s opening show in Piraeus featured a collection of one-off bronze vessels by Vancouver-based designer Omer Arbel. The gold-hued pieces were cast in glass moulds that broke as the molten metal cooled in them: a great example of how design and manufacture can veer into the poetic.
“Moving to Greece has opened up a lot of new potential,” says Bellavance-Lecompte. Without doubt, the arrival of so many international galleries in Piraeus has upped the ante for the local art scene and is sparking new collaborations. It has also established a fresh way for exhibiting and viewing art: one that is slower and, even by Greek standards, more social and communal.
This content was originally published on This is Athens
Photo Credit: Thomas Gravanis
Whether you’ve just arrived in town – or have been here for years – Athens always has new secrets to share! This is Athens is the official guide to this captivating city of ancient energies and booming urban culture. Compiled by a team of specialist local writers, This is Athens brings you an authentic and intimate portrait of a living Athens beyond the guidebooks – along with daily curated listings of all the best events and great weekend inspiration all-year round. From must-know neighbourhoods and emerging art hubs, to gourmet hotspots, cool shopping and the buzziest bars, This is Athens will help you to get the most out of living in Athens!
Thank you This is Athens for your contribution as an XpatAthens Partner.
Published in
City Discovery
Tagged under
Tuesday, 02 March 2021 15:44
Prassopita: Leek And Feta Pie
Leek and feta pie is one of the most delicious pies in Greek cuisine. It is easy, flavoful and packed with leeks, herbs, and delicious feta cheese. Master spreading the phyllo pastry and you're good to go for this and other delicious pies!
Yield: 12 servings
Difficulty: Easy
Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cooks in: 90 minutes
Cooks in: 90 minutes
• 1 kilo leeks
• 2 onions
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 sticks celery
• 1 garlic clove
• salt
• pepper
• 3 spring onions
• 1/2 bunch mint
• 1/2 bunch dill
• the zest of 1 lemon
• lemon juice, of 1/2 lemon
• 300 g feta cheese
• 1 egg
• 700 g phyllo pastry
• 100 g olive oil, for brushing
Preparation
Preheat oven to 160 C (320F) Fan.
Place a pot of water over high heat. Add salt and bring to a boil. Chop the leeks into 1-2 cm rounds and add them to the pan. Let them boil for 2-3 minutes to remove the bitter taste that comes from the green part of the leeks
Drain and place the same pan over high heat. Let it get hot. Coarsely chop the onions. Add 4 tablespoons of olive oil to the hot pan. Add the onions and leeks and sauté. Chop the celery into rounds, mince the garlic and add both to the pan.
Season with salt, stir often and sauté for 10-15 minutes until they caramelize nicely. Transfer the sautéd vegetables to a bowl and add finely chopped spring onions, mint, and dill. Add the pepper, lemon zest, and lemon juice.
Crumble the feta cheese with your hands and add it to the bowl. Finally, add the egg and mix until all of the ingredients are completely combined.
To learn how to use phyllo pastry to complete this recipe, please visit: akispetrtzikis.com
• 2 onions
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 sticks celery
• 1 garlic clove
• salt
• pepper
• 3 spring onions
• 1/2 bunch mint
• 1/2 bunch dill
• the zest of 1 lemon
• lemon juice, of 1/2 lemon
• 300 g feta cheese
• 1 egg
• 700 g phyllo pastry
• 100 g olive oil, for brushing
Preparation
Preheat oven to 160 C (320F) Fan.
Place a pot of water over high heat. Add salt and bring to a boil. Chop the leeks into 1-2 cm rounds and add them to the pan. Let them boil for 2-3 minutes to remove the bitter taste that comes from the green part of the leeks
Drain and place the same pan over high heat. Let it get hot. Coarsely chop the onions. Add 4 tablespoons of olive oil to the hot pan. Add the onions and leeks and sauté. Chop the celery into rounds, mince the garlic and add both to the pan.
Season with salt, stir often and sauté for 10-15 minutes until they caramelize nicely. Transfer the sautéd vegetables to a bowl and add finely chopped spring onions, mint, and dill. Add the pepper, lemon zest, and lemon juice.
Crumble the feta cheese with your hands and add it to the bowl. Finally, add the egg and mix until all of the ingredients are completely combined.
To learn how to use phyllo pastry to complete this recipe, please visit: akispetrtzikis.com
Published in
Greek Food & Diet
Tagged under
Thursday, 04 March 2021 07:00
Kiria Sarakosti: The Traditional Calendar Counting Down To Easter
At this time of year we typically would be celebrating carnival in Greece, but due to Covid-19 things are a little bit different this year; normally it is a huge celebration rooted in many cultural traditions throughout Greece and lasts 3 weeks. Many articles are written about Greek carnival, but have you ever heard of Lady Sarakosti?
It is not easy to translate the Greek “Kiria Sarakosti”, but we propose to call her “Lady-Lent” in English! It is an old tradition in Greece and a way to count the weeks from Clean Monday (the end of carnival) until Easter. This year the Carnival period ends on March 15 with Clean Monday, and from that day onward, you can use “Lady Lent” to count 7 weeks until Easter.
In most regions of Greece Lady Lent is just a paper drawing, but in some places she can be made of salt dough to be better preserved. In any case, it is not meant to be eaten, but to be used as a calendar! Elsewhere in Greece, you also find her made of cloth and filled with feathers. Its name in Greek recalls the 40 days of fasting beginning on Clean Monday and ending with the Resurrection on Easter Sunday. She has her arms crossed and is praying, and she has no mouth because of the fasting period.
Lady Lent has 7 feet (one for each week of the Lent period). The purpose is to cut one foot at the end of each week, so you can easily count how many weeks are left. The last foot–which is cut on Easter Saturday–is placed in the Easter bread (like with the vasilopita). The person who finds the piece in his bread will have good luck.
Although this tradition is now a bit forgotten, many young children draw Lady Lent in school. They will keep her in their room or the kitchen, to count the weeks till Easter! Easter is one of the main celebrations in Greece, but also a two-week holiday for all school children!
Click here to read more, learn some extra Greek vocabulary or the read this entire article in Greek!
About OMILO
It is not easy to translate the Greek “Kiria Sarakosti”, but we propose to call her “Lady-Lent” in English! It is an old tradition in Greece and a way to count the weeks from Clean Monday (the end of carnival) until Easter. This year the Carnival period ends on March 15 with Clean Monday, and from that day onward, you can use “Lady Lent” to count 7 weeks until Easter.
In most regions of Greece Lady Lent is just a paper drawing, but in some places she can be made of salt dough to be better preserved. In any case, it is not meant to be eaten, but to be used as a calendar! Elsewhere in Greece, you also find her made of cloth and filled with feathers. Its name in Greek recalls the 40 days of fasting beginning on Clean Monday and ending with the Resurrection on Easter Sunday. She has her arms crossed and is praying, and she has no mouth because of the fasting period.
Lady Lent has 7 feet (one for each week of the Lent period). The purpose is to cut one foot at the end of each week, so you can easily count how many weeks are left. The last foot–which is cut on Easter Saturday–is placed in the Easter bread (like with the vasilopita). The person who finds the piece in his bread will have good luck.
Although this tradition is now a bit forgotten, many young children draw Lady Lent in school. They will keep her in their room or the kitchen, to count the weeks till Easter! Easter is one of the main celebrations in Greece, but also a two-week holiday for all school children!
Click here to read more, learn some extra Greek vocabulary or the read this entire article in Greek!
About OMILO
Omilo Greek Language and Culture inspires people from all over the world to learn Greek, while exploring Greece. They offer 1- and 2-week courses for adults that combine beautiful course locations, experienced teachers, and a balanced combination of Greek classes with cultural activities. All these make Omilo a place where people enjoy learning modern Greek and have fun.
Besides the courses, Omilo also creates online publications to help adults expand their language skills through Language Books and eBooks for different language levels.
Published in
Greek Traditions
Tagged under
Tuesday, 02 March 2021 13:42
Greek Doctor Creates Stunning Mosaics With Expired Pills
Eleni Ioannidou, an infectious diseases specialist and director of the Pathology Clinic of Rethymno Hospital in Crete, creates stunning mosaics with expired pills! The tireless physician decided to revive the spectacular art of mosaics, and her main themes revolve around the Coronavirus pandemic.
Her original idea, however, dates back to 2008 when Ioannidou voluntarily operated a social pharmacy that dispensed medication to those in financial need. It was back then that she first started creating mosaics with unused expired pills. The Greek doctor saw the multicolor patterns shaped by the drugs decided to turn them into an alternative art medium. This decision was probably one of her greatest moments as her works are spectacular!
In her Blogspot, the doctor writes that ”during the quarantine period, this occupation worked psychotherapeutically and offered me a great relief from the intensity of work, and it was creative and enjoyable at the same time.”
To read this article in full, please visit: greekreporter.com
Published in
Greece In The News
Tagged under
Monday, 01 March 2021 17:48
Greeks Abroad Closer To Voting In The Next Greek Election
The online platform that paves the way for Greek citizens who live abroad to vote in the next Greek national election is expected to be up and running soon. The platform will enable overseas Greeks to register their details and cast their vote at the next national election from their place of residence.
The implementation of the law on the voting rights of diaspora and overseas Greeks aims to correct any injustices felt by Greeks living abroad. It is worth noting that the Greeks and the Irish, are the only European citizens who cannot vote in their home country from anywhere in the world, even if they are only away for a short holiday on election day.
The Interior Ministry expects that about 300,000 Greek citizens abroad will register to vote in the next election, even though more accurate details and numbers will be available in due time.
The legislation gives all Greek citizens living abroad the right to vote in the next national election providing they can prove that they have lived in Greece for 2 consecutive years in the last 35 years, by presenting a variety of documentary evidence, such as a national service certificate, proof of social security contributions, and degrees from Greek universities.
The main goal of the bill is to give voting rights to the Greeks who were compelled to seek employment abroad during the Greek financial crisis and more broadly those who, despite having left Greece, still have close ties with the country.
Voting will take place around the world, at polling stations set up and supervised by the Greek Interior Ministry. However, to establish a voting station in a region there must be at least 40 registered voters.
Furthermore, it is worth noting that whoever registers to vote from their place of residence will automatically forfeit their right to vote in Greece.
To read this article in full, please visit: ekathimerini.com
The implementation of the law on the voting rights of diaspora and overseas Greeks aims to correct any injustices felt by Greeks living abroad. It is worth noting that the Greeks and the Irish, are the only European citizens who cannot vote in their home country from anywhere in the world, even if they are only away for a short holiday on election day.
The Interior Ministry expects that about 300,000 Greek citizens abroad will register to vote in the next election, even though more accurate details and numbers will be available in due time.
The legislation gives all Greek citizens living abroad the right to vote in the next national election providing they can prove that they have lived in Greece for 2 consecutive years in the last 35 years, by presenting a variety of documentary evidence, such as a national service certificate, proof of social security contributions, and degrees from Greek universities.
The main goal of the bill is to give voting rights to the Greeks who were compelled to seek employment abroad during the Greek financial crisis and more broadly those who, despite having left Greece, still have close ties with the country.
Voting will take place around the world, at polling stations set up and supervised by the Greek Interior Ministry. However, to establish a voting station in a region there must be at least 40 registered voters.
Furthermore, it is worth noting that whoever registers to vote from their place of residence will automatically forfeit their right to vote in Greece.
To read this article in full, please visit: ekathimerini.com
Published in
Local News
Tagged under
Monday, 01 March 2021 15:46
Enough With Being The "Good Girl" Everyone Wants
How do the following phrases sound to you? “I’ll give you the iPad only if you are a good kid” or “Everyone loves a good child” or “A good girl always takes care of others”. Do they remind you of something? Is it perhaps something from your childhood? Something you’ve often heard from your parents, grandparents, uncles, family?
Most of us have been brought up making an effort to be the good kid. I remember my mom telling me, “Good girls don’t shout and they never talk back.” “Good girls always listen to their parents and do what they are told to do.” “Good girls this, good girls that….” It does not come as a surprise that I was raised to be a “good girl.” For me this meant that I did not want to make mistakes, I did not say no, I did what it took to please others. Whenever I tried to be a “bad girl”, that is to find and bring my own voice to the surface, I always regretted it. So I learned not to set my limits, to be ashamed of my true self, to hide the “not-so-nice” parts of me, to become the door mat for everyone and everything. Why? For the same reason we all do it: to get acceptance from others, the significant others at first, and love.
Until one day I had enough! Enough of this good girl stuff! The first and most difficult step for me was to acknowledge my truth; my very own truth. If I wanted to bring real changes I had to introduce some different qualities into my life. For example, to stop feeling guilty, to not blame myself for others’ mistakes, to stop trying to fix everything or be there for everyone. I worked a lot with myself and I still do. This is a never ending yet incredibly rewarding trip. At first I started with baby steps, slow but steady. Today I keep on going. I will make mistakes on the way but now I know there’s a lesson there for me to learn. Yes, I like it when others have a good opinion of me but I know that not everyone can like me and, more importantly, that my value does not depend on it. I do not avoid conflicts when I deem it necessary and I let my voice be heard. Of course not everything is painted pink all the time but I do not put myself down, I try again. My wish is for my daughter, our daughters, to take different lessons from what you and I took back then, to raise their own strong voices and to build their own lives the way they want to.
If there’s a topic you’re interested in and would like to learn more about you may contact me via email. For more information about me and my work check the XpatAthens Directory or visit my website. Because this is your life!
Most of us have been brought up making an effort to be the good kid. I remember my mom telling me, “Good girls don’t shout and they never talk back.” “Good girls always listen to their parents and do what they are told to do.” “Good girls this, good girls that….” It does not come as a surprise that I was raised to be a “good girl.” For me this meant that I did not want to make mistakes, I did not say no, I did what it took to please others. Whenever I tried to be a “bad girl”, that is to find and bring my own voice to the surface, I always regretted it. So I learned not to set my limits, to be ashamed of my true self, to hide the “not-so-nice” parts of me, to become the door mat for everyone and everything. Why? For the same reason we all do it: to get acceptance from others, the significant others at first, and love.
Until one day I had enough! Enough of this good girl stuff! The first and most difficult step for me was to acknowledge my truth; my very own truth. If I wanted to bring real changes I had to introduce some different qualities into my life. For example, to stop feeling guilty, to not blame myself for others’ mistakes, to stop trying to fix everything or be there for everyone. I worked a lot with myself and I still do. This is a never ending yet incredibly rewarding trip. At first I started with baby steps, slow but steady. Today I keep on going. I will make mistakes on the way but now I know there’s a lesson there for me to learn. Yes, I like it when others have a good opinion of me but I know that not everyone can like me and, more importantly, that my value does not depend on it. I do not avoid conflicts when I deem it necessary and I let my voice be heard. Of course not everything is painted pink all the time but I do not put myself down, I try again. My wish is for my daughter, our daughters, to take different lessons from what you and I took back then, to raise their own strong voices and to build their own lives the way they want to.
Originally Published on: itsmylife.gr
Written by Nadia Georgiou
If there’s a topic you’re interested in and would like to learn more about you may contact me via email. For more information about me and my work check the XpatAthens Directory or visit my website. Because this is your life!
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Mind
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Thursday, 25 February 2021 17:52
Vaccinations, Practical Info & Healing Athens
From new strategies that the City of Athens is introducing to useful information about getting vaccinated and acquiring an AMKA social security number, here is a newsletter packed with useful and practical information.
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Newsletters
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