Sometimes perception (Spring is here) and reality (it’s still cold) are two different things. Sometimes perception (crisis continues) and reality (crisis continues) are very much in line. I’m never sure which one of those has to change first for the other to follow suit. Does reality change our perceptions, or can one’s perception change one’s reality?
My perception over the past several weeks is that Greece, somehow, has turned a corner. At least on a macro level, the economy seems to have eased away from the brink, and all signs are pointing to a slow pattern of recovery. At least this is my perception, and those of many others I’ve spoken with.
However, looking outside and overhearing conversations on the street or in the café, I’m not quite sure…
Here is my problem with perception vs. reality: I don't know which one to believe! So, as with most things, I turn to Google for help. I have a bunch of news feeds set up on my internet homepage – from around the world, but also from Greek news sources. The headlines from this week are oh-so-confusing:
Cost of borrowing via T-bills drops to pre-bailout levels
City Hall's anti-graffiti campaign reaches Monastiraki
IBM to open New center in Athens for big data analytics
Benefits to all single-parent families and new unemployed
But also:
Supermarket chains sense worst is yet to come
GDP falls by €40bn in four years
Golden Dawn MP praises Hitler as a 'great personality'
My own strong perception is that Greece is changing. In small steps, to be sure, but changing nonetheless. This perception is also echoed by my international friends and colleagues who seem to believe that Greece is getting its act together. And many of whom, it seems, have already booked a holiday here this summer.
Perception is reality. Western self-help psychology tells us that changing our perception can change our reality. And I tend to agree. I feel (want, hope) that Greece is changing, slowly crawling to a better place. And maybe if we all started to believe this, our perception would slowly shift, our mood would slowly change, our interactions would improve, and our overall experience of Greece would improve is subtle ways. Thus, by believing we have turned a corner, we will have changed our reality. Naïve? Perhaps… Effective? Most likely…
In the end, I suppose we have to make our own reality, and our individual perception will constantly shift depending on where our day takes us. Maybe the trick is to ‘manage’ our perception like we manage our news feeds.
One thing is for sure: this weekend’s perception (long weekend) and reality (long weekend) are very much in line. Happy Easter to all :)
Until next week,
Jack
In this weekly space, keep up with ‘Jack’ as he navigates daily life in Athens… Anecdotes, stories, hits & misses, the good, the bad and, well, the rest…
Followers of my site will know that I occasionally become involved in animal charity work, especially if it’s to do with cats as I adore my cat Felicity. Saturday 15th March 2014 saw me attending the opening of a new pet shop near my neighbourhood in Athens. I particularly like and wanted to support this shop as:
1) The owner has a rescue dog herself;
2) She has no intention of selling animals – unlike some (most) pet shops in this country;
3) She has rescued some kittens herself, is looking after them and is trying to find a home for them.
And so off I trot in the afternoon to see what’s going on.
To read more, please visit leavingcairo.com
By Bex Hall
Hi XpatAthens. My name is Anna and I subscribe to your newsletter. It’s always refreshing to receive. I had a funny, but good experience happen the last few weeks and I decided I’d write to Jack and tell him about it.
I finally decided it’s time to replace my slowly dying laptop. Seeing as though I’ve been out of work for some time now, buying a new laptop really wasn’t on the list of purchases for the month. But after deciding which computer to buy and researching the best price, my husband and I decided that we’ll do it; really the only way we were able to afford the new computer is with what Greeks call ‘doseis’ (or monthly installments). Most of us know these words all too well.
Anyway, after much paper work (signatures, photocopies of ID cards, credit checks, etc.,) the sales person told me that I’ll receive a telephone call once everything is confirmed so that I can pick up my new computer. Excellent! So I’ll be patient a couple days and then I’ll get my new computer.
A few days later I get a call saying that there is a missing piece of paper in our file (OF COURSE THERE IS…isn’t there always!), and the helpful gentleman, who turned out to be a fellow expat here from Australia, explained to me that I gave them a copy of our 2011 tax return and not 2012. So I went through all my files and papers (you all know what that feels like – frustration at its max!) and found nothing!
I called the store back and told them that there must be some kind of mistake because I gave them the most recent tax return that I had on file…and well we haven’t filed taxes for the 2012 year right? I was very confused. Not to mention impatient ‘cause I was worried I wouldn’t get my new computer.
But the sales person explained to me that I was wrong and that I’ll have to get a copy of the last tax return from the tax office. OMG! You could imagine my blood boiling with the thought of lining up at the tax office for a copy of my tax return. I was ready to cancel the order just because of that.
Thankfully my new Australian friend, the helpful sales person who helped me initially, explained that I must have filed last year’s taxes electronically and that’s why I don’t have a printed copy of the return. He was right, I remember having to stand in a line up last year to get codes for our online taxes. Then he told me that if I log on to the government tax website that I can download a copy of the document and then just fax it to him.
Hmmmm, did he just say log on to a government website and all of my information will be there for download? Of course I didn’t believe him. But since I had the codes in my hand and my slowly dying old laptop was working well with me at that moment, I decided to try.
So yup, right, the website loaded and it was a very decent website. It allowed me to log in with my own username and password and lo and behold there was an option to view and print the PDF version of my tax return. OMG! It actually worked!
I felt like calling everyone I knew who ever had a problem with the ‘Greek system’ (that’s everyone I know who lives in Greece – Greek and non) to tell them that it works! It actually works…!
So this is my story…and now I’m sitting in my living room with my new laptop (paid by ‘doseis’) writing to you and searching for jobs online. Greece is comin’ around. I just know it!
Thanks for reading…
Anna
In this weekly space, keep up with ‘Jack’ as he navigates daily life in Athens… Anecdotes, stories, hits & misses, the good, the bad and, well, the rest…
With spring in the air, one’s thoughts turn to sea & sun. And when one’s friends decide to visit for a long weekend, one’s rental car tends to turn south… After a leisurely Sunday breakfast at my favourite Hip Café (yes they have pancakes!), we jumped in the car and headed south. The destination wasn’t clear, but we thought perhaps we’d make it to Sounio before deciding to turn back.
Sounio is one of those destinations that ‘some’ people love to hate. It’s quite a hike from Athens, and the reward is ‘just’ a 5th century BC Temple of Poseidon. There is no huge site, no museum, not much but the temple ruins.
But the position on the edge of the cape, the spectacular drive en route, and the famous sunset make the trip a worthwhile one to have on ‘repeat’ whenever friends visit the city.
If you’re heading in that direction, Vouliagmeni is about half-way down the coast. There are numerous tavernas and cafes along the way, but one that I especially like is En Plo. It’s perched right on the seaside, with a great view of the coast, and lots of sporty activity in the water nearby.
The place itself is modern, ‘cool’, relaxed. There is a full menu – from the interesting to the every day (seared wasabi salmon or club sandwich?). Prices are reasonable, service is acceptable. And the whole experience – seaside, sunshine, coffee, snacks, music – is priceless.
For everything else there’s Mastercard, as the saying goes. And they do accept it. Bring on the spring!
Hip Café
Mitropoleos 26
http://hipcafe.gr
En Plo
Poseidonos 4, Vouliagmeni
http://www.en-plo.gr
Until next week,
Jack
Full disclosure: I never know what to say when a friend calls and asks, “Do you have plans tonight?” My instinct is to be honest, but my self-serving, suspicious side normally replies, “Yes, I’m supposed to go to… But what did you have in mind?”
So I was pleasantly surprised on Saturday when I was offered a free ticket to see Cats at the Badminton Theatre. I accepted with a smile, and a small pang of guilt…
Badminton Theatre itself is pretty nice. It’s the re-purposed badminton stadium from the 2004 Olympics. It’s not a fancy ‘posh’ theatre – it’s rather industrial, ‘modern’, efficient. A nice example of what can be done with ex-Olympic venues. More than ok. And accessible by metro, a short walk from Katehaki station.
Saturday night was almost a full house, with lots of international, expat types – I could hear English all around. The play itself was in English, and the theatre has Greek subtitles showing on electronic boards above the stage.
It was a London production – costumes great, set great, music great with a live orchestra (which I couldn't actually see, but I suppose one should believe them…). We had 15 eur seats, the ‘cheap seats’, but I could see and hear perfectly.
I had never seen Cats, I never really paid much attention – all I really knew was that it has been wildly popular, and has run continuously since the 1980s.
Here’s the thing: Cats is kind of dumb. It’s two+ hours of cats singing. Literally. It’s one song after another, each one about a different type of cat – the sneaky cat, the funny cat, the lazy cat, etc…. No real story that I could follow, no drama, no resolution. Just cats. Singing.
My apologies to all those who love the story – and I’m no expert on musicals – but Cats just didn’t do it for me…
But hey, for a different night out in Athens, check out Badminton Theatre – there is sure to be a show that satisfies!
Badminton Theatre
Until next week,
Jack
In this weekly space, keep up with ‘Jack’ as he navigates daily life in Athens… Anecdotes, stories, hits & misses, the good, the bad and, well, the rest…
This week we share a story from our friend Bex.
I had a busy day today. I was due to go on local radio in Athens to help promote The Journey, the film you’ll have seen me promoting and helping in Greece. But before that, I’d been offered a Turkish Bath at Hammam in Thissio, almost near the Acropolis. You can go onto their website to get an idea of their offers, etc. Let me give you my personal account.
Had I ever had a Turkish bath before? No. So it was with some trepidation that I set off, with the instructions to bring a swimsuit. I thought I was going for a ‘bath.’
The staff were very friendly when I stepped through the door (I had to be buzzed in). Set in the quiet neighbourhood, very near Thissio metro I was shown around: where to undress, to wrap a cotton sarong around myself, irrespective of the fact I had a costume on. Note: The Hammam is mixed ie: male and female, except all day Tuesday’s, when it’s Women Only.
Having locked my belongings away and treading carefully down the stairs in the wooden clogs provided, I was shown into the steam room.
You will sit on the marble, you will fill up your bowl to your desired temperature and pour down you, like this, said my ‘host, and then she proceeded to throw water over me. Well, not throw – but unceremoniously tipped it over my head.
OK? I see you in half an hour. Continue to do this.
Still reeling a little from having water chucked over me, I took in my surroundings and the lovely warm atmosphere. I was alone, sitting on a marble semi-circular seat and so, when in Rome, I shrugged my shoulders and did as I was told.
To read the rest of this post, please visit leavingcairo.com
Until next week,
Jack
In this weekly space, keep up with ‘Jack’ as he navigates daily life in Athens… Anecdotes, stories, hits & misses, the good, the bad and, well, the rest…
And oldie, but goodie from Jack...I’ve spent the past week house-sitting for a friend in Koukaki, in the shadow of the Parthenon. Part of the deal is walking the dog 3 times daily – a task which I don’t mind at all, much less given that my dog-walking path is the Dionisiou Areopagitou pathway around the Acropolis. I mean, how much better does it get – early morning, deserted streets, quiet – and all the dog-owners out for their morning jaunt around the great symbol of the city…
I never thought of Athens as a ‘dog owning city’. I stand corrected.
I’ve walked around the historic centre this week more times than I can count. I told my friends I’ve been doing laps around the Acropolis. It’s surreal. And completely ‘normal’ too. I think it’s great that such an important monument forms such an ‘integral’ part of day-to-day life here. Whether you walk around it, drive around it, look at it through a distant window – it’s always there. And for every tourist with map in hand, staring at the rock – there is another local, on her way to meet a friend for a catch-up.
Life in the centre of Athens – for my taste – is fantastic. Everything is just around the corner. The streets are busy with voices and activity. Nightlife is ‘just over there’. And parking is… well, parking is no issue when you don’t even need a car.
So with the Acropolis Museum in front of me, Makriyianni street behind me, I wait for the real estate agent to show up – it’s about time I checked out some apartments down here…
Until next time,
Jack
In this weekly space, keep up with ‘Jack’ as he navigates daily life in Athens… Anecdotes, stories, hits & misses, the good, the bad and, well, the rest…
I awoke last Thursday morning to the sound of chainsaws and yelling. Not what one wants to hear early in the morning – or anytime, really. It went on and on, and I decided to take a look outside to see what all the fuss was about. What I saw was actually quite disturbing. Six guys, chainsaws in hand, clambering up the beautiful orange trees on my street, chopping of the branches until there was almost nothing left. I was speechless.
Totally upset. I have never lived in a place where orange trees grow, and to live on a street lined with beautiful thriving trees – this has been something amazing for me. I never took for granted the ‘exotic’ green privacy offered by these trees. So to see the street covered, literally, in fallen branches was not an easy sight.
I am not a horticulturalist. I am not a ‘green’ person. I cannot keep a cactus alive. I have plastic plants in my house. But I did truly love the orange trees on my street.
And let’s be honest, those guys with the chainsaws... didn’t look like the type of guys who might know a thing or two about gardening. I would not likely give them open access to municipal greenery, much less to a chainsaw.
Now the street looks bare – barren, un-shaded, less character, exposed. The green leaves also covered up most of the graffiti on the street – not so any more. The neighbourhood was completely transformed. I had thoughts of panic – should I complain? Should I move? Could I find another street with trees??
So I did what any expat city-boy would do in a time like this: I called my Greek aunt in the village for answers. After some laughter at my plight, she calmly explained to me that this pruning has to be done, from time to time, to allow the tree to keep growing, to keep healthy and to keep strong. I should take a pill for my headache and check back in a few months’ time when she assured me the branches will have begun growing again.
So, it seems I must endure this tragedy, this decidedly ‘first world’ problem. I must allow the trees time to regrow, I must cover up my windows for fear of prying neighbours, I must glance away from the graffiti on the street and wonder who exactly I might call to talk about getting it removed.
One thing is for sure: I will never (ever) get tired of seeing orange trees on the streets of Athens.
Until next week,
Jack
In this weekly space, keep up with ‘Jack’ as he navigates daily life in Athens… Anecdotes, stories, hits & misses, the good, the bad and, well, the rest…
When the temperature in February hits 19 degrees (seriously…), and there are oranges falling off the tree outside your house, you know that you’re living in the right place. All other arguments aside, some other places we might be living are buried in mountains of snow and skating on rivers of ice… Suckers.
So when the mercury hits 19, and the sun is high in the sky, what is left to do but jump on one’s bicycle and push oneself to the point of exhaustion, on the first 36km ride of the year… City-centre to Piraeus, around to Faliro and back. In 2 hours. We’ll put that one in the ‘should’ve gone for coffee’ category.
Given the sorry state of my muscles after that, and the urgent need for coffee, I ventured out to meet two friends at a ‘newish’ café-bar we had noticed in Plaka. It’s called ‘Off White’, and I really like it. It’s at the end of Plaka leading up from Monastiraki, on the far side of the ‘Hadrian’s Library’ site.
It’s a small creative space, housed in an old building, with whimsical décor (bar tables made of bicycles), painted ceiling and columns, and a cool musical soundtrack (reggae to big band and everything in between) – for a decidedly chill ambiance. Good coffee, good service. Something different…
The first time I went there was on a Saturday evening for a glass of wine – and they had live music in the form of a saxophonist. I believe they have live music most Saturdays – very cool. The lower level is an ‘art gallery’ of sorts – but it’s more of an afterthought, worth a glance on your way to the loo… The whole place is quite cool. Oh – and strong wifi. ;)
Check it out for a change!
Off White
Aiolou 10
211 408 7310
Facebook: http://tinyurl.com/ouyqfcx
Until next week,
Jack
In this weekly space, keep up with ‘Jack’ as he navigates daily life in Athens… Anecdotes, stories, hits & misses, the good, the bad and, well, the rest…
The next morning after this announcement was made – I can still remember it very clearly – I woke up, sat in my bed and looked out the window. I said to myself, I am going to go to Greece! I had no friends there, no relatives, no prior connection… just a few business contacts that I’d done some work with. But the decision coming from my heart was so clear and I was so sure that without a second thought, I took my compensation package, booked myself a flight, rented an apartment online and enrolled in a language school for 3 months. Everything was ready, I was so excited and I had no idea what I was excited about!
This week we share an interview with Goncha. Thanks to our friend Rebecca from leavingcairo.com!
Goncha Papasotiriou is Turkish, married to a Greek and living in Athens. She runs Smart Life Coaching and I have to say, she’s good. Far from the ‘touchy feely’ approach that many people are quick to jump to the conclusion that coaching is all about, Goncha poses some interesting questions that can help you reach your own conclusions about whichever aspect of your life you feel you most need help with. She certainly helped me with “Leaving Cairo” and gaining the confidence to develop my site.
I decided I wanted to know more about Goncha and why she took this route.
Goncha, tell us about how you ended up in Greece.
That’s a great question Rebecca, because it’s a great way to show your international readers that we can do whatever we like with our lives, and if we aren’t able to find contentment in one place…., why not look for it somewhere else?
I studied as an economist and started my professional life as a ship sale & purchase broker in Istanbul.
As I was working in the highly competitive and glamorous shipping industry, my boss came up one day and said he had decided to retire. The company was going to shut down. I was going to get a severance package and continue working in the company that bought ours.
The next morning after this announcement was made – I can still remember it very clearly – I woke up, sat in my bed and looked out the window.
I said to myself, I am going to go to Greece!
I had no friends there, no relatives, no prior connection… just a few business contacts that I’d done some work with. But the decision coming from my heart was so clear and I was so sure that without a second thought, I took my compensation package, booked myself a flight, rented an apartment online and enrolled in a language school for 3 months. Everything was ready, I was so excited and I had no idea what I was excited about!
When I landed in Athens, it was a beautiful day in May.
A fellow broker picked me up at the airport and drove me to my apartment which I had never seen before. The apartment looked lovely with its antique furniture and high ceilings. My landlady handed in my keys and there started my life in Athens.
I started happily going about my days, learning the language and meeting new people. Among those new people was a man named Antonis, who would later become my husband. We met, fell in love almost instantaneously and spent a wonderful summer together. But, at the end of the summer it was time for me to leave Athens and go back to Istanbul…time to end the adventure. I had run out of money, visa and time. I had to go back home and look for a job. We parted in tears, promising to one another that this was not a break up. I went back home and felt sad, but at the same time I knew in my heart that this was not the end. Antonis would come and visit me every other weekend and several weeks passed like that…until one day
I received an e-mail from a London-based head-hunter company, informing me that a shipping giant was interested in offering me a great job, and would I prefer to work in Copenhagen or Athens??
Well, I’m sure you can imagine the answer – I returned to Athens with the biggest smile, started working in a beautiful office by the sea and a year later, Antonis and I were married.
To read the rest of the interview, please visit Bex's blog at leavingcairo.com
Until next week,
Jack
In this weekly space, keep up with ‘Jack’ as he navigates daily life in Athens… Anecdotes, stories, hits & misses, the good, the bad and, well, the rest…