For most people, the act of reading is a reward in itself. When reading a book, we stay mentally stimulated and improve our memory, but research has shown that a good book helps to let stress drain away. Immersing yourself in a great book has numerous benefits that range from longevity to career success, including helping with depression and reducing the chances of developing Alzheimer's disease later in life.

If you're looking for reasons to pick up a book, this list of page-turners will get you reading in no time!

5 Non-Fiction Books:

1. Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup by John Carreyrou

This non-fiction book covers the rise and fall of the firm Theranos, the multibillion-dollar biotech startup headed by Elizabeth Holmes.

2. Educated by Tara Westover

This is the real story of Tara Westover who was 17 the first time she set foot in a classroom. It is an account of the struggle for self-invention, a tale of fierce family loyalty that gets to the heart of what an education is and what it offers.

3. Billion Dollar Whale: The Man Who Fooled Wall Street, Hollywood, and the World by Tom Wright & Bradley Hope

Twisty and powerful, ingenious and moving, this is a smart, sophisticated psychological thriller novel brimming with Hitchcockian suspense. 

One of the internet's most talked-about books, now a major motion picture, this story follows Tessa's life and how it changed completely after meeting Hardin. 


All of the recommendations have been ‘tried and tested’ by our friend and contributor Eleni Maria Georgiou. Thank you, Eleni!

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About Eleni Maria Georgiou

Eleni Maria Georgiou is an independent writer and publishing professional devoted to creating books that are creative, original, and modern.  

Passionate about Athens and all the city has to offer, for four exciting years, I co-managed XpatAthens. This experience inspired me to write my first book, Eleni’s GREEK PHRASE BOOK: A Beginner's Guide to Greek Culture and the Greek Language in 2018, sparking the birth of Lenacke Press. I continue to write, think about, and publish creative and original books, adding to the Lenacke Press collection. 

In addition, since 2004, I have been running fixyourenglish.com, a business that provides Editing, Proofreading, and Translation services.

I currently live in Athens, Greece with my husband and two kids. I am fluent in both English and Greek and interested in learning more languages. I like organizing and attending community group events, reading, listening to podcasts and audiobooks, writing, lifting weights, and going hiking.

 

Since the initiation of lockdowns as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic, art has served as a way out and an outlet of expression for people confined indoors. From theatrical and musical performances, films, museums, and books made freely accessible from home to individual artistic endeavors, art in all its forms has been critical to sustaining our well-being as human beings.

On Wednesday, May 27 at 18:30 (GMT+3), the SNF DIALOGUES will hold its fourth live webcast, “Art on Lockdown,” to discuss the deep new challenges arts and culture professionals face as a result of the pandemic. Through an open conversation with these professionals and the audience, SNF DIALOGUES will explore the impacts of the pandemic, what comes next, and our collective responsibility to ensure that art and culture do not succumb to lockdown.

Participants in the DIALOGUES webcast on “Art on Lockdown”:

-Foivos Delivorias, Singer-Songwriter, Chairman of the Board at EDEM
-Prodromos Tsinikoris, Director, Dramaturge

Katerina Evangelatos, Artistic Director of the Athens & Epidaurus Festival
Linda Kapetanea, Artistic Director of Kalamata Dance Festival 
Nikos Kolovos, Artistic Director of National Theatre of Northern Greece
Dimitris Lignadis, Artistic Director of the National Theatre of Greece
Thomas Machairas, Artistic Director of Release Festival
Giannis Paltoglou, Artistic Director of Ejekt Festival
Mily Paschali, Artistic Director at SNF
Anna Fonsou, President of the “Actor House,” will contribute video messages that will be streamed during the discussion.

The DIALOGUES are curated and moderated by Anna-Kynthia Bousdoukou.

About SNF Dialogues

Through its monthly series of events, entitled SNF DIALOGUES, the Stavros Niarchos Foundation presents individuals and representatives of civil society who inspire others through their work, actions and vision, coming from different fields, backgrounds, and countries.

SNF DIALOGUES delve into different themes that cut across the key pillars of the Foundation’s work: Arts and Culture, Education, Health and Sports, and Social Welfare.

Through this series of events, which are free and open to the public, the SNF seeks to catalyze conversations around critical issues, create a platform for the exchange of ideas, present individuals who inspire a new way of thinking, and encourage collaboration among individuals and organizations across the globe.

XpatAthens is very happy to welcome Eleni Meraki as an official content contributor!

We're especially excited about sharing some of the inspiring content from her Be Your Own Muse platform which will be published for our readers in our Conscious Living section.

We will also work closely with Eleni to share some of the life-changing stories from her storytelling platform Guts & Tales - this content will be shared with our readers in the People section of our website.

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XpatAthens works with writers, bloggers, cultural platforms, and local media in order to give our readers unique, useful, and up-to-date content. We're always looking to meet and connect with new content contributors and if you believe that your content would be a positive contribution to XpatAthens, learn more about working with us here.

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More About Eleni Meraki
 

Eleni Meraki is a life and business coach, multiple online entrepreneur, and writer, and has devoted her life to assisting people on their journeys to living a more authentic and happy life. She has coached and interviewed hundreds of people on their journeys of transformation towards a more meaningful life and conscious business making.

Visit Eleni's Websites

Eleni Meraki: www.elenimeraki.com
Guts & Tales: www.gutsandtales.com
By Your Own Muse: www.beyourownmuse.com

Drive-in cinemas were very popular during the 50s and 60s, and their popularity has lately been on the rise, due to the global coronavirus outbreak and the need for social distancing.

 

According to the Athens Drive-In website, in a few days, Athens will get a drive-in cinema, after many decades. There is a countdown timer counting down to June 1. The drive-in's location is a secret and is not mentioned anywhere on the cinema's website or Facebook page.

 

On the website, there's one bold question, 'Do you want to be the first to live the drive-in experience?' prompting users to sign-up for updates!

We are looking forward to giving our evenings a dash of retro charm while staying safe at the same time. Stay tuned!

The European Commission, in collaboration with the President of the European Council, has put forward a Joint European Roadmap for the gradual lift of measures that were taken during the COVID-19 outbreak.

 

With the lifting of restrictions on travel-related activities, citizens are expected to gradually resume domestic and intra-EU travel. However, lifting measures too quickly may cause a sudden increase in infections, so until a vaccine is available, the need for travel and tourism should be weighed against the risks of a resurgence of the virus.

 

While drafting the 'roadmap,' the protection of the health of citizens, tourism workers, and tourists remains the key priority.

The guidance provides criteria and principles for the safe and progressive restoration of tourism and for the development of health protocols for the hospitality sector.

The EU Guidance for health protocols in hospitality establishments proposes policies to guide Member States in the design and implementation of infection prevention, control measures, and protocols for hospitality services providers, such as hotels and other hospitality establishments, to ensure the health and safety travelers as well as workers in the hospitality sector.

Epigramamatically, the guiding principles are the following:

a) Epidemiological situation, b) The health and safety of guests and workers is a key priority, c) Local arrangements, d) Action Plan in case of infection, e) Training, f) Management of staff, g) Information for guests, h) Physical distancing and hygiene, i) Infection prevention and control measures (IPC measures) such as: Respiratory etiquette, Hand hygiene, Use of face masks, Ventilation, Cleaning and disinfection, j) Potential infections among guests or staff

The European Commission will continue collaborating with the Member States' officials, tourism stakeholders, and international organizations to expedite the implementation of this guidance.

To read the full set of guidences, please visit: ec.europa.eu

During the COVID-19 lockdown, our friend and XpatAthens content contributor Eleni Meraki went into absolute solitude for a couple of days with no internet, no books, and no human connection—not even with herself through the mirror. Absolute solitude. Pure silence.

She chronicled some of her experience in an article written for the Elephant Journal where she describes her three major insights through the Greek words Kairos, Philotimo, and Gnosis.

Eleni's journey will surely resonate with many and we've captured some of it here for you:

 

"Exactly four years ago, I did the same in a silent meditation retreat in Mexico. I craved to connect with myself, touch the mystery of the universe, feel that safe place within, find answers, and gain the required inner strength for my journey ahead. I had just quit my job and was about to emigrate to Greece with no solid plan in place, following a “calling” that didn’t make much sense to my rational mind. Spending my days in self-contemplation, meditation, and listening to teachings, I connected with the timeless teachings of the Greek philosophers, poets, writers, messiahs, the various monotheistic religious teachings, Eastern and Western philosophy, and, most importantly, with the inherent wisdom of myself. It was one of the most life-altering experiences of my life.

 

On May 1st, I embarked on the same journey, this time from my apartment under the Parthenon in downtown, and locked down Athens. I went back to that place of silence, but this time not with the aim to touch the mystery of the universe, but rather to honor my last four years of searching for truth and freedom. My intentions were celebration, honor, and gratitude for my life’s path and being alive. With all that is happening in the world, I also felt the need to connect even deeper, to hear clearer, and listen carefully to what it is we are all here to do, and how to do it.

 

I had my initial thoughts, but I just wanted to “know” for sure. We are living unprecedented times, and people like me, and many more in this world, feel like we’re at the forefront of this big change. Not from an ego-centric point of view, but just because we—therapists, coaches, healers, visionaries, artists, writers—are somehow already walking the talk, and have answered the call to support others on their journey toward happiness, health, joy, and freedom."

So, in this article, I’d like to share three major insights I received during this time in silence, about the post-COVID age.

1. Kairos - the rightness of time and space that creates the best conditions for action. Time is becoming relative.

In Greek, we have two words for time, chronos and kairos. You and I have been brought up with the time reference of chronos, a.k.a. chronological time. Now, though it has served a practical purpose in these timelines, it has also taken a lot away from us.

Chronos is linear, made for and from the mind. To make sense of it all. Think about it—our age, our working hours, our careers, all our systems, are built on chronos and, quite frankly, giving us all quite a bit of stress and anxiety, which, by the way, is the number one cause of illness. What we are called to do is not let go of chronos all together, that would be a utopia, but instead learn to integrate kairos into our lives. It’s hard for the mind to grasp this, but this is what’s needed right now. 

Kairos is the new time measurement by which we have to live. In fact, with everything we’re going through, we have no other choice than to live by kairos, the right moment, the opportune moment, the surrendering to time to some extent. Nature does that. We just have to look at what nature does, and we’ll understand. This doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t make goals and plans and try to achieve them—we have to stay flexible with time, that’s all I’m saying. We have to untie ourselves from operating only in chronological time and allow for kairos to take over when needed. We control what happens to us through self-sovereignty, but there are things we simply have to allow for kairos to bring into our lives.

Kairos is not linear; it’s the timing of the heart and soul. Chronos is mind; kairos is heart. When the time is right, with your right intention and actions, the time will come. And when the time is there, it’s your conscious decisions that will make things happen in your life. And that might be even quicker than you initially would have thought with your chronological mind.

2. Philotimo - taking responsibility for yourself as a human being and acting in accordance with righteousness and honor, regardless of the consequences. Life and work are changing for the better.

Let’s face it—we lived in a world that didn’t make much sense. And it went from not making much sense to being quite mad. And we haven’t seen nothing yet! With old systems collapsing in front of our eyes, the only way to handle what’s coming is by personal (and professional) metamorphosis.

We welcome you to continue reading this article in full on the Elephant Journal.

Artwork imagery by Myrto Makri

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Eleni Meraki (MA, BSc)

Eleni Meraki is a life & business coach, multiple online entrepreneur, and writer, and has devoted her life to assisting people on their journeys to living a more authentic and happy life. She has coached and interviewed hundreds of people on their journeys of transformation towards a more meaningful life and conscious business making. Walking her talk, Eleni has undergone multiple life-metamorphoses herself, built a coaching & lifestyle platform for conscious women, a storytelling platform, is partner of a conscious business agency and created several roadmap life and metamorphosis coaching programs.

 

COVID-19 has changed our lives. Things are not what they used to be. All of a sudden we have been faced with unexpected obstacles that have taken us away from our goals and have caused unforeseen damage in various areas.

 

A friend who had planned her wedding on a beautiful Greek island this June was forced to reschedule it for next year, hoping that the situation will get much better.

 

Many people agree that we are going through a crisis. I believe we have all gone through at least one or two 'crises' at some point in our lives. For example, someone has failed the university exams or a relationship has ended the moment they least expected it or someone has missed what was considered a big opportunity.

 

Does it scare you when you hear the word "crisis"? Truth is the current situation is particularly intense because it affects all areas of our lives: health, finances, careers, relationships. Relationships are a challenge in themselves, even more now that cohabitation with our loved ones is on a mandatory 24-hour basis. Not only is this one of the most difficult things to do but we have forgotten how to do it and we may have even been alienated from each other. If we add that it's necessary to cook more than before, wash more, clean more, play teachers for our kids, etc etc, the equation gets much heavier. This whole situation has brought a lot of uncertainty, anxiety and loneliness.

 

Whether we like it or not, such is life. Unpredictable, with its ups and downs. What makes the difference is how we are going to deal with this situation. Do we whine while at the same time do nothing about it or do we accept the new conditions and move forward with courage?

 

And once we accept the situation, as it really is and not as we would like it to be, it is very important to realize that we do have choices. All of us. Because every situation or event acquires the value we give it, resulting in as much stress or pain as we allow it. 

 

XpatAthens has been serving and connecting the international community in Greece since 2007. True to our mission and values, we are commited to connecting people with information, resources, and services that contribute to their personal and professional journeys in Greece.

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Our mission is to create and support, connect and develop local communities - their people, businesses, educational systems, social structures and organizations.

 

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