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Greece Is the Word
The Day’s Most Fascinating News Stories from Throughout the Greek Diaspora
Vol 19, 27 APR 2021
This edition sponsored by the American College of Thessaloniki. Click on their logo (YOUR CURSOR MAY NOT CHANGE TO A HAND—CLICK ANYWAY) to visit their website:
“I head up to Meteora the other day in hope I’ll get some good sunset, but at the last minutes while driving, the whole area went dark from these massive clouds. Took a few shots without any sign of the sun, and when I was literally about to get in my car and head back home, a tiny crack appears and this magnificent ray of light reveals. Moral: Don’t give up easy, even if the odds are against you. The tide can always turn unexpectedly in your favor.” — Vangelis Batsikostas (Photo Credit: Vangelis Batsikostas @vbatsigr)
1.
SWEET 16
Thomas Boulousis started taking piano lessons when he was three years-old. Now, thirteen years later, he is composing symphonic works. I couldn’t even spell symphonic when I was 16.
2.
IKARIA
Long before Ikaria was called a “blue zone,” my yiayia Kalliopi—born and raised on Ikaria herself—told me it was the best place on Earth. I don’t think she called it paradise because one in three Ikarians lives past the age of 90. But that doesn’t hurt.
Maybe I’ll take a leap of faith and head back to Ikaria sooner than I’d expected, since Greece is taking a leap of faith of its own and reopening to travelers amidst still-high numbers of Covid-19 cases.
3.
THERE’S A GOTHIC WARRIOR DOWNTOWN?
More like underneath downtown Thessaloniki, and likely from the 5th century AD. There must be curators at these Greek museums losing their minds. “We don’t have any more room here. Evangelia just brought us five more helmets last week and now you show up with a full gothic warrior? Oxi!”
4.
GOOD LORD
“Byron’s loan, combined with a loan later raised in London, had the effect of ‘tipping the scales crucially in favour of the elected Greek government and against the warlords.’ ”
5.
BETTER WITH AGE
If they ever do a sequel to Sideways, they should travel to Greece. Greece has some great varietals that have stood the test of time. “This red wine used by Homer’s Odysseus to inebriate the Cyclops Polyphoum remains one of Greece’s oldest on record.”
"Greece should be the word when it comes to wine."
6.
NEVER JUDGE A SHIPPING CONTAINER BY ITS REGISTERED CONTENTS
That’s what my yiayia always told me. Something like that. The registered contents in this particular shipment were supposedly cupcake-making machines. The actual contents may make you want to eat some cupcakes.
7.
BRAVO SOU
This edition’s Bravo Sou Award goes to award-winning photographer Angelos Tzortzinis, for his incredible work shooting the refugee crisis.
8.
GET A GOOD EDUCATION
Nobody is going to want to hire anyone with a corona degree.
9.
WILL THIS BE GRADED?
Yes, it will be; and Greece is moving closer to investment grade.
10.
FILIA
“I will never forget two people, Nicholas, a German, who feeling so guilty for his country’s Nazi past had completed a personal pilgrimage to all the Greek villages destroyed by the Germans, and Yolanda, incredibly active, who after the announcement of the results of the Polish election (when the Law and Justice Party won) did not stop crying all night.”
Our man Mike “Stonie” Woods, who’s been on the Greece Is the Word team since day one, has uploaded a new video to his YouTube channel EVERY Friday for 33 weeks in a row, from 20th September 2020 through 4th April 2021. This man supports his community like the boss that he is. He’s on hiatus until August, but you can still check out his most recent video here, and remember to like the video and subscribe to his channel. As Stonie says, “There’s money on the streets that can’t be ignored. If you wanna win big, you gotta bet big. GOODLUCK2YA!”
PSA: Resist the urge to gather with others in celebration of Greek Orthodox Easter on Sunday. Help keep your loved ones and yourself healthy and safe by continuing to socially distance. Let's do our collective best to make sure no one else is missing from the table during Easter 2022!
The calendar tells us we’re already a third of the way through springtime, but in between the previous edition of Greece Is the Word and this one some parts of Greece and the U.S. have experienced hailstorms and snowstorms! If you’re experiencing colder-than-usual April weather, why not grab a unisex, eco-friendly Greece Is the Word hoodie in black, grey, or white to keep you warm and cozy?
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Stay healthy and safe!
Opa!
Peter and the Greece Is the Word Crew