THE FLAG OF GREECE "The pattern and colors of the Greek Flag haven't changed a lot since the Revolution of the Greek Nation in 1821. Many people wonder why the founders of the Hellenic Democracy have chosen the symbols, patterns and colors that appear on the National Flag of Greece. It is difficult to unreveal the true intentions of the people responsiblefor the selection of the flag. This is a personal attempt to interpret thedesigns and colors of the flag and its relation to Greece and Hellenism". THE DESIGN AND PATTENS OF THE FLAG "The number of the lines is based on the number of the syllables in the Greek phrase: Eleutheria H Thanatos (Freedom or Death)". FREEDOM OR DEATH "Freedom or Death was the motto during the years of the Hellenic Revolution against the Ottoman Empire in the 19nth century [There are claims that the number of lines reflects the number of letters in the greek word for Freedom which equals 9]. This word stirred theheart of the oppressed Greeks, it created intense emotions and inspired them to fight and gain their freedom after 400 years of slavery. The line pattern was chosen because of their similarity with the wavy sea that surounds the shores of Greece.The interchange of blue and white colors makes the Hellenic Flag on a windy day to look like the Aegean Pelagos. Only the quaint islands are missing! The Greek Square Cross that rests on the upper left-side ofthe flag and occupies one fourth of the total area demonstrates the respect and the devotion the Greek people have for the Greek Orthodox Church and signifies the important role of Christianity in the formation of the modern Hellenic Nation. During the dark years of the Ottoman rule, the Greek Orthodox Church helped the enslaved Greeks to retain their cultural characteristics: the Greek language, the Byzantine religion and generally the Greek ethnic identity, by the institution of the Crypha Scholia (hidden schools). The Crypha Scholia were a web of schools that operated secretly throughout Greece and were committed in transmitting to the Greeks the wonders of theirancestors and the rest oftheir cultural heritage. Today, Christianity is still the dominant religion among Greeks. Therefore the existence of the Cross is justified." THE COLORS OF THE FLAG "Blue and White! These two colors symbolize the blue of the Greek Sea and the Whiteness of the restless Greeks waves! According to the mythic legends, the Goddess of Beauty, Aphrodite emerged from these waves. In addition, it reflects the blue of the Greek Sky and the White of the few clouds that travel in it. There are some who suggest that the blue and white was symbolizes the similar color of the clothing (vrakes) of the Greek sailors during the Greek War of Independence." Work by "Konstantin Efantis". http://www.nafpaktos.com/colors_of_the_flag.htm

In the ancient Olympics athletes competed in the nude The word "gymnasium" comes from the Greek word gymnos, which means naked. In ancient times athletes practised in the nude to the accompaniment of music. They also performed naked at the Olympic Games. Women were not allowed to participate or even to attend as spectators. The first Olympic games were held in 776BC - and then every 4 years until 339BC. The first Olympic race was won by Corubus, a chef. For many years the Olympics consisted of only one race, a sprint of 192 metres (210 yards, the length of the stadium) called the "stadion." A second race of 400 metres was added 50 years later. The pentathlon, wrestling, boxing, single-horse and four-horse chariot races were included later still. There also was a special event in which runners competed in hoplite armor, helmet, shield, and greaves that weighed 20-25 kg (50-60 lbs). There were no team events, relay races or the long distance race of Marathon - these events were introduced in the modern Olympics. The record for the most Olympic medals ever won is held by Soviet gymnast Larissa Latynina. Competing in three Olympics, between 1956 and 1964, she won 18 medals: 9 gold, 5 silver and 4 bronze. Thus she also tops the list of gold medals winners, beating Olympic stars such as US swimmer Mark Spitz and Finnish long distance runner Paavo Nurmi Go for silver No medals were awarded in the ancient Olympics. A winner received an olive wreath to wear on his head. Second and third placings received nothing. When the Olympics were revived in 1896 in Athens, Greece, winners received silver medals instead of gold medals. Eight years later, at the 1904 Games in St. Louis, gold replaced silver for first place. Today's gold medals actually are sterling silver covered with a thin coat of gold. Olympic medals since 1928 have featured the same design on the front: a Greek goddess, the Olympic Rings, the coliseum of ancient Athens, a Greek vase known as an amphora, a horse-drawn chariot, and the year, number of the Olympiad, and host city. The Sydney 2000 Olympics was only the second Olympic Games to be held in the Southern hemisphere. The Olympic torch relay began on 8 June at Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park and arrived at the Olympic Stadium for the opening ceremony on 15 September. It was carried for 100 days through 1000 towns by 10,000 torchbearers. On average 100 torchbearers per day covered 270 kilometers (170 miles) per day, carrying the torch at an average 8,5 km/h (5 mph). Games for all At the first modern Olympic Games there were 311 male but no female competitors. Women were allowed to take part in the next Olympics in Paris. In the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games there were 3543 female competitors. The oldest Olympic athlete at the Sydney Games was a 62-year-old archer representing Vanuatu. But he has some years to go to be the oldest ever Olympian. That title is held by Swedish shooter Oscar Swahn who won his sixth Olympic medal at the 1920 Antwerp Games at the age of 72 years and 280 days old. The youngest ever Olympian is Greek gymnast Dimitrios Loundras, who competed in the 1896 Athens Olympics. He was 10 years old. The Olympic Games is the largest single broadcast event in the world, broadcasted in 220 countries to more than 3.5 bilion people. The first ever perfect score of 10 in Olympic gymnastics was achieved at the 1976 Montreal Olympics by Romanian Nadia Comaneci. She won 3 gold medals. The Sydney Olympic Village accommodated 10,200 competitors and 5,100 officials. The Media Village accommodated 6,000 accredited media representatives. The modern Olympics is the brainchild of Baron Pierre de Coubertin of France. He organised the first modern Olympic Games in Athens, Greece in 1896. A total of 245 athletes from 14 nations competed. (More than 10,000 athletes competed in the Sydney 2000 Olympics.) http://www.didyouknow.com/sport/olympics.htm

... It is these heavily indented shores which give Greece such rare beauty, quite unique in the Mediterranean. The length of the Greek coastline is estimated at 15,000 kilometers. The marked variety of the terrain above water continues under water, along the seabed which, millions of years ago, formed a projection of the land. Close to Cape Tainaron, (Tenaro) off the South tip of the Peloponnese, the so-called Oinousai (Inousses) Pit is 4,850 meters deep which is the deepest point in the Mediterranean. http://www.dilos.com/region/index.html

*************** Olympic Torch *************** Planning for the 2002 relay began three years. The first Olympic Torch Relay, held during the 1936 Berlin Games when the flame traveled from Olympia, Greece to Berlin, lasted 12 days and covered 1,910 miles across seven countries. The flame is ignited by the sun's rays in Olympia, Greece and is kept in a lantern that travels with the relay. More than 11,500 torchbearers will travel more than 13,500 miles from December 4, 2001 until February 8, 2002. The relay begins at 7:00 a.m. daily with an average of 180 torchbearers carrying the flame about 208 miles over the course of 12 hours. The torch, made of silver, copper, and glass, was designed by Sam Shelton, a mechanical engineering professor at Georgia Institute of Technology. It takes each torchbearer an average of eight minutes to car- ry the torch their 0.2 miles, but there is no time limit. When a torchbearer comes within three to six inches of ano- ther torchbearer, the flame jumps to the other torch. The relay will pass through 46 states, with the exception of Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Hawaii.

GREEK SCIENTIST CREATED A 'UNIVERSE' IN THE LABORATORY. (Cultural, Scientific & General News Category) February 2002: Very close to give answers about the mystery of the creation of universe is the Greek professor, Dr. Michalis Tatarakis who came off to create the largest and most powerful laboratory based magnetic field by using the laser technology. The results of his experiments were recently published by the 'Nature', the most known International scientific magazine. The power of the magnetic field created by Dr. Tatarakis is very close to that of the magnetic fields we found in space and more specifically to the 'Neutron Stars' and 'White Dwarfs' which comprise the oddments of the lives of the stars. Dr. Tatarakis aims to create in laboratory conditions the adequate circumstances in order to achieve a perfect stimulation of the creation and the action of those orbs, as much we are able to understand the way and the processes of the creation of the stars and of the universe. At this point, it is worth to point out that laboratory created magnetic fields of such power are ! very important for the creation of high energy electrons directional bonds that are subject to various applications of science and technology. SALT LAKE CITY WINTER OLYMPICS-VERY INTENSE GREEK PRESENCE. (Cultural, Scientific & General News Category) February 2002: The 2002 Winter Olympics started on February 8th in Salt Lake City, USA. During his stay in Utah's capital the Greek Minister for the Culture inaugurated the Greek stand which is situated in Salt Lake City downtown and in which is displayed audiovisual material presenting the 2004 Athens Summer Games preparation and inform the audience about the targets of the Cultural Olympics. The Minister had also proceeded in the unveiling of a Prometheus statue during a symbolic ceremony organized by Greek-Americans. The Minister for the Culture together with the Greek Minister of Foreign Affairs attended a Greek oriented exhibit where they were presented the works of the Greek painter Mina Valyrakis who was voted as the 'Sport Artist of the Year' by the American Sports Federation and of the Greek-American Euripides Kastaris, an artist connecting the Olympic ideal with the 2002 and 2004 Games. On the other hand, the Greek Minister for the Culture had an appointment with t! he president of the Peking 2008 Organizing Committee and discussed the future cooperation between Greece and China concerning the cultural dimension of the Olympics. The Chinese part was very interested about the philosophy of the 2001-2004 Cultural Olympics. In this direction, the president of the Peking 2008 Organizing Committee indicated Greece's knowledge and experience on Cultural Olympics and expressed the willingness of China to be helped by Greece in the organization of cultural exhibits. During the meeting was decided the sign of a protocol of cooperation concerning the Cultural Olympics. ********************************************************************* Greekproducts.com Newsletter#22, February 2002

Aittle late but I find Greece has their own Carnival traditions before Lent: Greek carnival treats 'Apokries' is not just about wearing costumes, food also plays a big partin the festivities - especially barbecued meat CONNIE PHILLIPSON IN GREECE up to the end of World War II and in some villages perhaps well after, carnival season (apokria) was usually celebrated by outdoor events that have long disappeared. But the older people must remember the troupes of mummers dressed in colourful costumes and dancing around a central maypole, from which coloured ribbons held by the revellers were entwined and disentangled in turn. The procession, for such it was when the children of the district got wind of the proceedings, was called to gaitanaki, from the word gaitani, meaning a string or a ribbon. Onlookers, passers-by and people from doors and windows threw coins at the dancers, quickly picked up by the waiting troupe members. Another favourite event was the street puppet show. The "stage" was a light wooden frame of a man's height and less than a square metre of area. It supported a piece of cheap cloth that went all around and might have been an old sheet, to hide the performer and enhance the magic of the spectacle. A variety of puppets appeared and disappeared in rapid succession, beating each other up to the point of insensibility, to the utter delight of the children who saw someone else getting beaten for a change. The show was called phasoules, the accent on the last syllable, something like "the beanstalk" or Mr Bean - no pun intended. In Thrace, northeastern Greece, a much more serious dramatic performance took place on Monday of the third week of carnival. The performance was called the kalogeroi, which may mean the monks, but in this case it is more likely to be a sardonic reference to the Good Old Men (Kaloi Geroi). The play requires several performers, all men of the village, chosen according to established tradition. The characters are two old men, an old granny and her prematurely born child played by a small log, two young girls or brides, two Gypsies and two policemen. The troupe, appropriately dressed or rather disguised, walks through the village usually accompanied by drums and bagpipes, one of the old men holding a bow made of cornel-wood so fashioned as to shoot ashes instead of arrows, the other old man holding a phallus-like rod - both indicative of their intentions. The play and its preliminaries involve holding up people for ransom, secret assignations and premature births, forceful marriage, ritual murder and magic resurrection, the forging of new ploughs by the Gypsies, and the voiced wishes of the head of the village that may wheat be 20 piastres a measure, barley 3 piastres and rye 5 piastres. Richard Dawkins, former director of the English Archaeological School in Athens, wrote in a 1906 article that every single feature of the play recalls Dionysiac worship. A ceremony designed to influence the forces of nature and the fertilising power of the land. It was perhaps from such lowly beginnings that the tragic drama of the Greeks developed, from which subsequently our theatre and the performing arts took hold. If the elements of the play are as old as Dawkins and other scholars thought, the mention of rye is important. Rye, unlike wheat and barley, is not found in the Greek excavation record. But the wild mountains of Thrace would be the places where rye would outperform both other cereals. What about eating? Well, one can't live on food alone. All you have to remember is that the first week of Carnival is one of preparation. The second week is meat-eating time and especially Thursday, appropriately called Tsiknopempti, smoky-Thursday from the word tsikna, the scent of barbecued meat. The final week is cheese-eating time, to which you may add eggs and milk. The following recipes may be of some help. http://www.athensnews.gr/athweb/nathens.prnt_article?e=C&f=12950&t=04&m=A40&aa=1

Greece officially says farewell to drachma 01/03/2002 22:24:13 Greece on Friday officially ended the parallel circulation of the drachma with the euro, leaving the single European currency as the only legitimate currency in the country. The drachma withdrawal procedure was fairly smooth, the Bank of Greece said in a statement, with approximately 2.7 trillion drachmas, or 90 percent of drachma in circulation by the end of 2001, withdrawn from the market by February 28. Drachma was Greece's national currency for the last 169 years, as it was in the past for ancient Athens and other Greek cities. It was issued in 1833 replacing phoenixe, the first currency of the Greek state, to mark Greece's modern history both in times of trouble and prosperity. The drachma was part of a various monetary systems in the past, such as the Latin Monetary Union, the Gold standard, Bretton Woods' foreign exchange system, the European Monetary System's foreign exchange mechanism - a precondition for participating in EMU.  The Bank of Greece said it would continue exchanging drachma banknotes for euros for the next 10 years, and drachma coins for the next two years. http://www.ana.gr/

I will try something new here. Please try to hit the play, pause and stop buttons. You will hear popular Greek music, if it is working. If not I am sorry. John

I am in IE becaue my netscape does not show me your play bar. Lovely music, John! May I have this dance?

I have had created in Sports conference the topic of The Athens Olympics in 2004 http://www.spring.net/yapp-bin/restricted/read/sports/58/new And, for those of you who do not wish to login: http://www.spring.net/yapp-bin/public/read/sports/58/new

Translating amorous couplets - A labour of love BY MARK DRAGOUMIS CREDIT should be given where credit is due. A Greek-American Professor, Mr Stylianos V Spyridakis, translated and Aristide D Caratzas published the Mantinades. Selected Love Distichs of Crete. So what? You may ask. So the translations respect both the fifteen syllable metre and the rhyme. That is what. Written mostly during the Venetian period (their name comes from the Italian mattinata, or morning song) in the Cretan vernacular, they blend so successfully old Greek poetic motifs with romantic love that they are still being created and sung at village festivals, weddings, baptisms and other joyful events in Crete. This publication deals only with the 'love distichs' or couplets. The pain and sorrow of unrequited love is vividly portrayed: "�� ��������� ��� ������, ��� �� �� ������������ ������� ��' ������� �'�����, ��� ��� ��� ��������." (A lonely chapel on the hill, silent and forlorn resembles he who's in love, but from his love is torn.) Here the need to respect the rhyme damages ever so slightly the simplicity of the line about the quandary of the man 'who loves but is not loved'. Note also the assimilation of love with the practice of religion. The man whose love is shunned, is like an empty shell, a chapel on the hill where mass is never celebrated. In a clear reference to romantic love that pledges to last forever and does not even depend on frequent visual contact (this bit is somewhat lost in the translation) the Cretan lover identifies completely with his sweetheart. "����� �� �� �� ������ ��' �� �� �� ���������� ��' �� �� �� ��� ��� �� ��� �� �� ��� ��� �����." (Living apart, by no means, my love for you belies For I breathe with your breath and see with your eyes.) Interestingly, love is not portrayed only as the soul's tumult that sweeps everything on its path but also as the crowning of a long, close relationship that is more the mark of a successful marriage than the sudden explosion of a coup de foudre. The long, intimate relation between the sand and the sea on the seashore used here to portray a love relation of long standing is quite unusual in Greek folk poetry. "O������� ��' ��������� ����' � ������ ��� ���� ����� �� ��� ����� ��� ��� ����� ��� ��� ����." (The seashore draws to its lap the sand day and night Without you I'm miserable, I miss you my delight.) One should not miss the delights of this book. Professor Spyridakis merits a prize of some sort. Is anyone reading this column in the ministry of culture? http://www.athensnews.gr/athweb/nathens.prnt_article?e=C&f=&t=04&m=A43&aa=5

*Sigh* Let the eyes for which they mean something feel what I feel. Lovely thoughts!

The magnificent Greek spring flora Many plants evolve life cycles like dormancy to survive the summer drought BY JENNIFER GAY EACH spring Greece hosts a magnificent display of spring flora - hillsides are a joy to see with carpets of annuals such as anemones, annual daisies, golden dandelions, poppies, chrysanthemum, vetches and anthemis, and bulbs such as ashphodels, crocus, tulips and grape hyacinth (see end of article for botanical and Greek names). What brings about this phenomenon? Why do all the flowers bloom together during spring time? The answer lies quite simply in survival strategies. Many plants have developed ways to survive the summer drought, by evolving plant life cycles that include summer dormancy. Bulbs, corms and tubers survive by spending the summer safely underground; annual plants complete their growth and flowering from autumn to spring and their seeds survive the summer months in a dormant state. Hence, the magnificent floral display in the favourable spring period, before the big summer heat. Bulbs (known in the world of botany as geophytes) have underground food and water stores that allow the plant to escape from the drought. Geophytes are classified according to the part of the plant that acts as a food store. For example, true bulbs, such as the Onion or Lily, adapt their leaves to become a fleshy underground organ that can store food and water. Corms, such as Gladiolus and Crocus, are swollen portions of underground stem. Iris grow from rhizomes, which are in fact horizontal fleshy stems. Begonias sprout from a tuber, a fat underground stem that is shorter and thicker than a rhizome. These underground food stores expand in favourable conditions to produce leaves and flowers. They replenish their resources during the wet season from soil nutrients and also from photosynthesis, the process through which a plant traps sunlight to make food, flowering during late winter and spring. During the hot dry months of late summer, most geophytes become dormant, storing their accumulated food supply while showing little or no sign of life above ground. In autumn or spring plants sprout again in response to favourable conditions of moisture and temperature. These characteristics are well suited for plant survival in drier regions of the Mediterranean climate. Annuals on the other hand, the second main performers in the spring display, have evolved a speedy life cycle; the Mediterranean way of life must suit them, as they are more diverse and abundant in this climate than in any other, with particular success in drier extremes of the climate. On the drier eastern Mediterranean shores of Israel, 50 percent of the total plant species are annuals, and though I could not locate the percentage for Greece, a significant proportion of the plants here are annuals. They create spectacular flower displays, especially in open coastal scrub and grassland, appearing after favourable winter and spring rains. Annuals are also found in woodland and maquis, particularly noted as the first to appear in the succession of plants which follow wildfires. The short life cycle of annuals makes them well adapted to a brief season of rainfall - the seed germinates sometime in autumn or winter. Seedlings grow and produce foliage in winter and early spring, when soil is moist and becoming warmer, and the air temperature is rising. With warmer sunny weather and continued availability of water, the plant concentrates all its energy into first producing flowers, and afterwards, an abundance of seeds. After they are dispersed, seeds from many species can survive for long periods, often for many decades, until moisture, light and temperature conditions are right for germination. So should adverse conditions occur, the seed will wait until better times come their way before it restarts it's cycle of life. Remember it is important not to take wild flowers from the wild, but seed collection from a small sample of a wild population is the best way to introduce these plants to your patch. Just a small sample of the delights of spring include (Botanical names/ Greek names where known): * Anemone (Anemone coronaria/Agriopaparouna/Anemoni, Anemone pavonina/Anemoni Kokkini) * Naples Garlic (Allium neapolitanum/Agrioskordho) * Annual Daisies (Bellis perennis/Stekouli) * Borage (Borago officinalis) * Honeywort (Cerinthe retorta/Nekrolachana, Neroulakia) * Golden Dandelions (Taraxus officinale/Agrioradhiki) * Poppies (Papaver rhoeas/Paparouna) * Crown Daisy (Chrysanthemum coronarium/Tsitsimvola) * Vetches - many, but one of the prettiest and most common is Lathyrus clymenum/Holokouki * Anthemis (Anthemis chia/Papouni/Agriomargarita) * Bulbs such as ashphodels (Asphodelus aestivus/Asphodelos); Star of Bethlehem (Ornithogalum umbellatum/Ornithogalo); Tulips (for example Tulipa undulatifolia/ Toulipa); and Grape Hyacinth (Muscari commutatum/ Mouskari). much more... http://www.athensnews.gr/athweb/nathens.lst_by_rtopic?e=C&t=04&pt=G&p=M

Greece shares many similarities with the plants I knew as a child and in Hawaii, both entirely different ecosystems and climates. Euphorbias grow wild and huge in Hawaii. We have many forms of them - some quite like little shrubs and others quite like cacti. How beautiful Greece must be...

Anti-global monks eye global charts By Giorgos Karahalis - Reuters Greece's most famous boy band, the black-robed Orthodox monks of the Saint Augustine and Seraphim Sarof monastery, are aiming to break into the English-singing music world. Like Latin stars Gloria Estefan in the 1980s and Ricky Martin in the 1990s, who dropped their Spanish tunes for more mainstream English vocals, the monks of �Free� have now released their first album containing both Greek and English songs. �By Your Side,� the group's third CD in just two years, which includes a English-language club remix of their chart-topping �I Learned to Live Free,� was unveiled at a concert in a packed trendy Athens theater late on Monday. It tops a remarkable rise to fame for a group of monks from central Greece who initially shot to Greek stardom and world attention with the anti-globalization hit �I Learned to Live Free� in 2000. �We don't know how to sing, we don't know how to dance... but we are free and we are by your side,� the monastery's abbot and the group's manager Father Nektarios Moulatsiotis said as hundreds of screaming youngsters urged the band to perform. Father Nektarios, the man who convinced his young monks to play music, said the group was using the same tools as the devil to save young people from the temptations of modern life and bring them closer to God. �We are by your side with our website, our radio shows, our music,� he quipped. The group's first CD stormed into the charts and in just a few weeks went platinum with over 60,000 sales but also ruffled the feathers of the Greek Orthodox Church which unsuccessfully made efforts to rein them in. Father Panteleimon, a 30-year-old monk who joined the monastery four years ago, then took the stage with the new English version of their biggest hit. �I don't want to be their fool no more, to be another living ghost, I'll stand and fight for my soul,� he sang as more than 700 people joined in. �We want to let people outside Greece know what we are about. That's why we translated it into English,� he said. http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/_w_articles_politics_4345142_14/03/2002_14384

Kala Enethlia, Giannis

I aplolgize for being late in my greeting, but we are celebrating your birth for the rest of the month!

Fortress of flavour - Achaia Clauss' fine wine story The facts and legends behind Greece's oldest winery - through Bavarianrule, two world wars, and the civil war BY JOHN HADOULIS FLANKED by stone towers, the estate's imposing gate and cobbled courtyard look more suited to a central European setting. One can almost imagine the barrels rolling through here to conquer the world. A short uphill stroll into the courtyard leads to a heavy wooden door. Inside lies tradition stretching over more than 130 years. The tradition of Greece's oldest winery. Welcome to Achaia Clauss. The producer of many of Greece's most famous wines, Achaia Clauss has weathered the effects of two world wars, civil war bloodshed and, more recently, financial difficulty to retain its position as a household name worldwide. It is also a landmark visited each year by hundreds of people from both Greece and abroad. They come to sample the wine, walk the grounds and admire the awards and dedications that cover the walls in the main antechamber. Quite an achievement, considering that this entire estate sprang from the vision of one man, and a Bavarian foreigner at that. Gustav Clauss (1825-1908) first came to Greece in 1852. It was a time of Bavarian rule, with Otto I, a scion of Bavaria's royal Wittelsbach family, on the closing years of his reign. Very little is known about Clauss' background, apart from the fact that he was 27 and working for a Patra raisin export company. But there is no doubting the fact that he possessed tremendous energy and determination. Within two years he had purchased six hectares of virgin land in the foothills of Panahaiko mountain outside Patra and had set out to realise his vision of a chateau viticole - a wine-producing estate in the best French style. more...http://www.athensnews.gr/athweb/nathens.prnt_article?e=C&f=12952&t=06&m=A24&aa=1

Greek drachma coins to be recycled Athens, 13/03/2002 (ANA) Drachma coins withdrawn from circulation, following the introduction of the euro currency in the country as of January 1, will be recycled through auctions carried out by the ODDY organization. An auction has already taken place for 250 tones of drachma coins during which the ELBAN ABEE company bought 200 tons of coins at 1.30 euros per kilo, while the Neonakis ABBE company bought 50 tons at the price of 1.36 euros per kilo. ODDY is in favor of the reauctioning of all spoilt drachma coins, which, according to assessments by the Bank of Greece, will amount to 9,000 tons. In this context, the organization�s board has already decided to auction 600 tons of coins in Athens and Thessaloniki, determining the auctions' starting prices as well. http://www.hri.org/news/greek/ana/2002/02-03-13.ana.html#17

How does one "spoil" a coin? Especially 9,000 tons of them...

Food conference topic 72 is my newly-created Greek Food topic. http://www.spring.net/yapp-bin/restricted/read/food/72/new For our Greek friends we wish you all 'Kala Koulouma':Clean Monday and Kali Sarakosti, the fourty day period before Greek Orthodox Easter

An absolute treasure of a site MUSEUMS OF GREECE http://www.sas.upenn.edu/~ekondrat/greekmuseum.html

PHEVOS AND ATHENA, THE DOUBLE MASCOT OF THE ATHENS 2004 OLYMPIC GAMES. (Cultural, Scientific & General News Category) April 2002: The long awaited mascot of Athens 2004 Olympics was finally known. Indeed, we talk about a double mascot! For the first time in Olympic history we have two mascots in one Olympiad. The names of the two mascots are Phevos and Athena. Phevos and Athena are brother and sister and were created by Mr. Spyros Gogos, a Greek specialist in cartoons and animation. Their creation inspires by an ancient Greek doll and their names come from two ancient Greek Gods; the God Apollo, the Olympian god of light and music, also known as Phevos and Athena, goddess of wisdom and protectress of the ancient city of Athens. In this way, Phevos and Athena represent the link between Greek history and the modern Olympic Games while the two siblings are supposed to be children of today. According to their creator, Phevos and Athena represent the values of Olympism: participation, brotherhood, equality, cooperation and fair play. On the other hand, Athena and Phevos incarnate two dolls reminding us of the pleasure of indulging in games; they highlight that the value of participation is higher than that of victory. At the same time, they are brother and sister, a boy and a girl, symbols of equality and brotherhood around the world. Above all, the two children showcase the everlasting Greek value of human scale and remind us that humanity was, is and will remain at the heart of the Olympic Games. 5. THE 2004 OLYMPIC GAMES CUISINE IN LONDON. (Cultural, Scientific & General News Category) April 2002: During a special exhibition organized by the Hellenic-British Chamber of Commerce and supported by the British Olympic Committee which took place in the Hellenic Center of London representatives of the Athens 2004 Organizing Committee presented the nutrition program of the Athens upcoming Olympics. The exhibition attended representatives of the biggest food companies from Greece and the UK, the Athens 2004 grantors and journalists specialized in nutritional items. The exhibition focused on Greek diet by underlying its beneficial effects for the human health and the symbolic meaning of its use in the Olympics dietary menu was marked also. The exhibition itself was the occasion for the further promotion of the Athens 2004 Organizing Committee's work and in this instance, the Greek diet model comprised Committee's best external evidence. 6. HARVARD TO HOLD SUMMER COURSES IN ANCIENT OLYMPIA. (Cultural, Scientific&General News Category) April 2002: A summer school will be held in Ancient Olympia this year, organized by the Harvard University in cooperation with the 'Center for Ancient Greek Studies' of Patras University and the Municipality of Ancient Olympia. The summer school comprises of seminars for students in their graduate or post-graduate studies, studying classical Greek heritage as well as the broadening of literary, historical, and philosophical pursuits of European cultures. This year there will be 50 participants from all over the world, who will be hosted by the Ancient Olympia Municipality. During this summer school the students will have the opportunity to attend lectures from distinguished professors from foreign and Greek universities. The organizers aim at the continuation of this programme as this to be turned into an institution dedicated to the promotion of Greece as an International training center for culture.

I saw this interview. Ex-king tells Larry King of exile The ex-king of Greece, Constantine, pulled a public relations coup over the weekend by appearing on CNN�s Larry King Live show and telling one of television�s top presenters the sorrow of exile. �I think definitely the worst thing of all is missing your country, missing the people in the country, missing taking your family and showing them the country, seeing your children grow up in your own homeland, living in your own house, being in your own environment,� Constantine said. The former royal family has lived in England after fleeing Greece in late 1967, when Constantine led a failed countercoup against a junta that he had sworn in that April. �The Greek people in 1974 had a referendum. They decided they wanted to have a republic, and that is totally acceptable to me. And I have repeatedly said that I accept the republic and I accept the laws of the land,� Constantine said. He spoke of the Greek government�s confiscation of his family�s former property and declared that he would definitely be in Greece for the Athens 2004 Olympics. The European Court of Human Rights is in the process of discussing compensation for Constantine�s property at Monodendri in central Greece, Tatoi north of Athens and Mon Repos on Corfu. Constantine said that an evaluation ordered by the government came to $470 million. The response from the Greek government was the same as it has been whenever the former king raises the issue of his property or his own return to Greece. �The subject is closed,� said government spokesman Christos Protopappas, adding that the properties now belonged to the Greek people. �All that we are discussing now is compensation. And we are determined to defend the Greek people�s interests in this,� he added. http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/_w_articles_politics_4704714_29/04/2002_15955

*SIGH* AP Two spectators are silhouetted against a full moon during the AEK-Olympiakos Greek Cup final at Athens's Olympic Stadium on Saturday night. AEK beat the Piraeus team 2-1 for the 12th title in the Athens squad's history.

Pardon my "Greeklish"

pardon my Greeklish... Kalo Paska

Sun shines on massive Easter exodus - Largest departure in decade The largest exodus of the last few years is underway, with Athenians fanning out across the country to celebrate the Orthodox Easter and the spring weather. Traffic police are out in force to deal with the hundreds of thousands of cars on the roads. Extra ships, planes, trains and buses have been scheduled to deal with the huge demand. Driving home the message �Let�s all leave but let�s all come back,� traffic police are patrolling highways and provincial roads, working to ease congested points and to keep unruly drivers in line in what they say is the biggest exodus in a decade. A police helicopter will be coordinating ground forces along the Athens-Corinth and Athens-Thessaloniki highways. Police said yesterday that traffic was up by more than 40 percent over the previous year and was expected to reach its peak this afternoon. An extra lane has been given over to outbound traffic and trucks of over 1.5 tons have been banned from many segments of highway during the exodus. Traffic in the port of Piraeus was up 40 percent yesterday with regard to vehicles and 50 percent with regard to passengers. Since the previous Saturday, 120,000 passengers had left via the port of Piraeus and another 18,000 from Rafina, an increase of 55 percent from last year. Tickets for islands near Athens were non-existent days ago, while ships for other destinations are 90-percent full. Only people who already have tickets will be allowed into harbor areas and travelers are advised to arrive at least an hour before the ship�s scheduled departure time, as the ports are jammed with traffic. Airlines are operating at capacity and Olympic Airways has scheduled larger-than-usual planes on domestic routes. The Hellenic Railways Organization, operating at 90-percent capacity, has added more carriages and more trains. The good weather is expected to get even better. Sunny weather is forecast across the country, with only a brief interval of scattered showers likely on Sunday in the northern Ionian, Epirus and western Macedonia. From Monday, the weather will be very sunny, with temperatures reaching 30 degrees Celsius. http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/_w_articles_politics_100013_03/05/2002_16092

A tale of two cultures - Tarnished ideals and skepticism color some Greeks� views of the 2004 Olympics By John Ross - Kathimerini English Edition Easter links Christendom as do few other events. The slow and painful death of Christ on the cross, and the miraculous story of the resurrection afterward, is about as central a tenet to the Christian faith as they come. It is celebrated in spring, another timely reminder that life springs eternal. Yet any Westerner in Greece during Megali Evdomada (Holy Week) needs no reminding that Easter also accentuates the dissimilarities between the Occidental and Orthodox Christian worlds. In Greece, even in 2002, you really feel it, feel the quiet heaviness, hear the slow tolling of the bells, see the normally disinclined flock to church daily, sense the absence of lighthearted activities. All this peaks this evening, Good Friday, with the mournful carrying of the Epitapheios around town and city neighborhoods, followed by the faithful bearing candles. Just as Britain and America are separated by an ocean and a language, so too does the Orthodox Easter Week contrast with the brief, chocolate-rabbit-and-jelly-bean-based one in the West. The two Easters are separated by differences in customs but a gulf in meaning and scale, if not exactly on the scale of Samuel Huntington's �Clash of Civilizations.� And this year's five-week gap between the two has merely underscored this reality. Late March is still late winter; by early May it's practically summertime. Easter is scarcely the Olympics, and, in fact, offers a welcome break from preparing for (and reading about) Games over two years away. But Easter's dual role as both a bridge and a divider between the two worlds offers a lesson for understanding the continuing hesitancy by many Greeks to embrace the coming Games with abandon. This theme was taken up a few weeks ago; now I'll resurrect it again, hard as it is to try to look into a nation's soul and then express what you see (though somebody's got to do the dirty work). Natural skepticism Skepticism may be the most useful description for a large segment of Greek opinion - a term which, building on this theme of duality, itself has a dual meaning. In English, �skeptical� means dubious or doubtful of any received wisdom, but its Greek equivalent is closer to investigation or thought, learning by means of questioning, assuming the absence of absolute knowledge (skeptikos = thoughtful, pensive). And the word even has quasi-Olympic connections. A Skeptic was a member of the eponymous school of ancient Greek thought - associated with Pyrrho of Elis, who lived in the 4th-3rd centuries BC. Elis was the province in the northeastern Peloponnese where ancient Olympia was located. By accident of geography if nothing else, the ancient Olympians were skeptics of the purest kind, it seems. In a fitting link across the centuries, their modern descendants, scattered around this ancient land but concentrated to an excessive degree in the Attic basin, have been reluctant to embrace the Games that will increasingly dominate public life until late 2004. Undoubtedly, many are just fed up with the practicalities of preparing: the ever-present construction sites, dust, traffic, squabbling politicians, and heavy costs. Even so, something else is at work too; despite the strenuous efforts made by Athens 2004 and undeniable progress in recent months, and in spite of what's involved, many who aren't opposed are yawning. Why? Much of the reason is likely abstract or metaphysical as opposed to something specific or concrete. In terms of the Olympics, at least, Greeks are Platonists at heart, not Aristotelians; they are true believers who question others' interpretations, and their belief (but also skepticism) is deeply rooted and fundamental, not just based on relativist logic. Their concern also relates to what the Olympics themselves mean. It works something like this. The Olympics were born here and helped delineate the ancient Greek world for nearly a millennium in a locational, religious/pilgrimage, architectural, and even war-and-peace kind of way that long predated their athletic component. Classical education's decline means that fewer and fewer Greeks (not to mention others) know the details of their ancient culture, but that doesn't matter at all in this context. In fact, the sloughing-off of the detail merely reinforces the Olympics' value as a generalized ideal. They are central to the national treasury and national psyche, much more (because of their great duration) than even pivotal events for countries in the West, where names like Hastings, Valley Forge, and Bastille have achieved near-universal, quasi-mythical recognition in people's minds and hearts. In 1896, the Olympics were revived out of this mix of fact and legend, developed in an age of nationalism, and expanded further in a postwar world of dizzying economic growth and the blending of commercial with political life. The contemporary Olympics movement is part of the globalization phenomenon itself, with its blizzard of images, money, drugs, commercialism, offbeat sports, and word inflation. The Olympics of today have matured, but they are also unwieldy, like an errant child. The family analogy is indeed useful. The Olympics are Greece's metaphorical baby which was lured away and fed by others less committed to the original; not just adopted but co-opted, snatched, and gradually adulterated and doctored, like an overzealous plastic surgeon, so that the end result bears scant resemblance to the original version. Now the long-lost child is heading back home. But the child, hazily remembered as a cute, unspoiled, shy little boy, is returning as a brash, spiky-haired late teen with an attitude. The returnee - same genes, but now in (torn) jeans - is somehow familiar, yet has changed and grown beyond all recognition. The parents don't know quite what to make of him, yet have little choice but to put on a brave face and put up with him as long as required. Love of a sort is still there; but things have changed, and suspicion and dubiety rather than unquestioned acceptance become the operative emotions. Mixed emotions The result is a mixed bag of unfocused but very real emotion in the host nation. There is no longer the sense of haughty entitlement that left the bid for the 1996 Golden Olympics in tears. Rather, there is a sense of the pressure of it, as if Greece not only has to host competent Games but also must somehow do justice to the ancient version - even while its congested capital city tries to compete with the Sydneys and Atlantas and Beijings of the modern world. There is a sense of acute inconvenience, as long-delayed infrastructure works are raced into place and new roadworks give massive headaches to the capital's long-suffering commuters (however crucial for the future). There is a sense of outrage over modern (drug, commercial) excesses. And there is a sense of annoyance over foreigners moving in to tell the Greeks - the keepers of the flame - how to run an updated version of their own ancient festival. Parents never, ever like to be told how to raise their child, no matter if he's been away for years and is practically unrecognizable. In other words, there is an abiding sense for Greeks of the purity or nobility of the Olympics ideal. This element may not be logical but it is real enough when considering Games whose size has ballooned but whose high principles have seemingly shrivelled. Above all, perhaps, Greece's hosting of the Games represents a necessary or inevitable discharging of a long-borne and heavy obligation. And with 2,700 years of history on their collective shoulders, not to mention the practical problems involved, many Greeks understandably find it difficult to throw their arms up in joy about the whole enterprise. The reaction to last month's unveiling of the Olympics mascots, Phevos and Athena, was typical; most criticism seemed to center around the fact that they reminded one of �The Simpsons� TV characters rather than whether they were attractive or marketable. I think there will be plenty of joy around when the Games come around, but not yet. Overcritical foreigners need to cut Greece some slack when it comes to the Olympic Games. And Greeks, for their part, may need to lighten up just a little. We can't even go back to the world before September 11, much less to the ancient Games, and what matters now is doing what needs to be done while making these Games Greece's own celebration. It doesn't have to be like loving your tormentor; it can be more like learning to love your fate - amour fati - which can be a great comfort in life. That's not such a bad recognition here at (Orthodox) Easter. http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/_w_articles_politics_442628_03/05/2002_16081

Greeks almost at the bottom of EU's book readers, Eurobarometer report says BRUSSELS, 08/05/2002 (ANA - B. Demiris) Greeks rank second to last of the 15 European Union member-state counterparts in reading books, newspapers and magazines, they do not often go to the movies, but are avid dancers, a Eurobarometer report published on Tuesday noted. The report entitled ''Europeans and Culture'' also said that Greeks are the most likely European Union citizens to listen to their national music and go to concerts of traditional and local popular music. The report was compiled by an opinion poll with the participation of 16,162 Europeans of which 1,001 Greeks and it was conducted between August 22 and September 27, 2001. Specifically, the Portuguese, the Greeks and the Spaniards are the least likely Europeans to read books, only 32 per cent of the Portuguese, 45 per cent of the Greeks and 47 per cent of the Spaniards responded that they did read at least one book over the past one year. Swedes came first with 80 per cent having declared that they read at least one book over the last year, while Fins came second with 75 per cent and the Britons third with 74 per cent, when the European Union average was 60 per cent. http://www.gogreece.com/news/headlines/story.html?id=4300

THE CELEBRATION OF NAMEDAYS IN GREECE by Gary Van Haas Namedays are a special and important part of Greek life because the very names themselves go back to the very beginning of Greek culture. Coming down to us through the ages are the marvelous names of heroes, saints and mythological figures such as the mighty Herakles, Odyessus, Alexander, Socrates, Plato, Constantine, Helen and many many more. Of course they go on, and on and in fact, many of them have changed little over time and are still used today. For instance, the name 'Ioannis' is the derivative of 'John', and 'Maria' the root for Mary. All these names and more are all derived from the original Greek. In the beginning of the Greek Orthodox religion, these celebrations were mainly observed as 'saint's days, but later became individual 'namedays'. All in all, namedays now are considered much more important than a person's actual birthday. In most cases, it is a tradition now in Greece, that when a person has a nameday, he or she gives a party where refreshments such as coffee, cake, liquor and hors d' oeuvres are offered to friends and acquaintances alike. In the work place, it's a little more subdued, but the nameday person still offers something like sweets or cakes. With small children, the nameday becomes a more of a celebration where a festive party is usually given, which continues every year up until about the age of twelve. During a nameday, it's always a good idea to call your friends to wish them 'chronia polla', or 'have a good year' as a sign of appreciation, and at this point in the conversation, your friend will usually let you know if he's having a nameday party or not at his house. If he is and you are invited, whatever you do, don't come empty handed because it's customary to take along a gift. Usually a box of sweets, flowers or a plant will do. In some cases, you can even have the plant delivered if you can't get to the florist. Another good idea is to bring along some wine, liquor, or a more personal gift if you wish, depending on how well you know the person. In business it's always good to remember namedays as a sign of mutual respect for bosses and workers alike. In fact, many business people these days send telegrams to associates and clients on their nameday as a way of keeping up good public relations. All in all, namedays are a fun and charming aspect of Greece which are celebrated with more flare in the small towns and villages. http://www.gogreece.com/learn/namedays.htm

I definitely need to pay more attention to John's name day. I came empty-handed!

Conference on internationalisation of Greek language 12/05/2002 22:38:09 Scores of ''neo-Hellenists'' from the five continents have scheduled a crusade at world level with the purpose of internationalising the Greek language. University rectors and professors, researchers, secondary education teachers, scholars, historians and journalists were mobilised to achieve the ''passing'' of the Greek language as official at all European and world forums. The world linguistics conference held in Kavala, northern Greece, under the auspices of Ecumenical Patriarch Vartholomeos was attended by university, academy and institute representatives from the United States and many European countries. All speakers said in their addresses that the initiative to internationalise the Greek language has already started to meet with a response. http://www.hri.org/news/greek/apeen/2002/02-05-12.apeen.html

A new Athens due by 2004 The Athens that will host the 2004 Olympics will be a vastly different city to the Athens of today, said a government spokesman after Prime Minister Costas Simitis, Athens 2004 chief Gianna Angelopoulos-Daskalaki and ministers involved in the Olympic effort met yesterday to discuss the capital and its 610-million-euro makeover. �The image and operation of the city, especially during the Olympic Games, is the essence of the Games themselves and also the source of impressions that the local resident and the Olympic visitor will come away with,� Olympic spokesman Telemachos Hytiris said. �The Athens of 2004 will be nothing like the Athens of 2000.� According to the plan, an estimated 20,000 billboards will be torn down (of which 800 are already gone), trees will be planted around stadiums and on major thoroughfares leading up to them, buildings will be renovated, new street signs will be set up, traffic will be reorganized and pedestrian walkways will be completed around archaeological sites. http://www.ekathimerini.com/4dcgi/_w_articles_politics_100008_15/05/2002_16431

I also live in a resort destination whose economy depends to a great extent on tourism. But this article I found about Greece also applies to Hawaii and world wide destinations. It is worth reading: Do's & Dont's As in any country, there are certain do's and don'ts in Greece. Many times, a foreigner might think some of these customs strange or may disagree with them, but we should all respect a country's ways when we visit it. DRESS CODE Even though Greece's archbishop Christodoulos has stated that anyone is welcome in the Greek-orthodox churches ("come as you are" is a well known quote by him) people should not show too much naked skin. In monasteries women have to cover their shoulders and wear long skirts, and men must wear long trousers. It is sad to see holidaymakers walking into churches and monasteries wearing swimsuits or women covering shoulders wearing a bikinitop. Greeks are in general well-dressed, and you should just think what you would wear in a holy place at home. Religious or not, most people find it reasonable not to walk into any kind of church half-naked. As a guide, I have sometimes been asked by concerned or curious holidaymakers about how the Greeks see them walking around in bikinis or just shorts and nothing else. Most people will have noticed on holiday in Greece that the Greeks themselves almost never walk around that way except on beaches. The answer is quite simple. Imagine people walking around in bikinis or shorts with bare upper parts of the body in your own hometown or city. It would look a bit strange, wouldn't it. Its got nothing to do with weather. The Greek believe beachwear belong on the beach and nowhere else. They live and work on the holiday-resorts, surrounded by classmates, colleagues, family and friends. Now, as far as the tourists are concerned, they understand our longing for the sun and how we want to relax when on holiday, but they sometimes think we are a little bit vulgar. But we are excused, we're foreigners! much more... http://www.in2greece.com/english/factstrivia/facts/do_dont.htm

From the same resource (a true treasure for people like me) The Greek Language Have you ever tried saying something in Greek to the waiter only to be totally embarrassed when he, instead of smilingly show his appreciation, corrects you: "it's kalimEEEra, not kalIIIImera". Or when you finally pick up the courage to say that horrible word for thank you, and the Greek person opposite you goes "NA EISTE KALA" and you have no idea what to reply. Well, these pages will not give you proper lessons just yet. But there is quite a bit to learn here. The Greek language is the mother of almost all Western languages, and the roots haven't gone away. Many names we use are originally Greek (Philip, Catherine) and if you click on "Common Words" you will find a list of words we use today that are actually Greek. ***WHAT IS THE GREEK WORD FOR 'THANK YOU' ???***

Greece basketball team has qualified for the Olympics in the same bracket with the USA, China, Angola, Germany, Spain. Germany has Dallas Mavs Dirk Nowitzki.