Greek, Greeks, and Greece
A rather superfluous thread, but whatever.
[b]Language[/b]: native speaker of modern greek. My knowledge of ancient greek is rather rusty, but I was fairly good at translation and I can easily ask and/or look things up. I also have access to a wide range of works by ancient writers -both the original texts and modern greek translations.
[b]Mythology[/b]: I'm quite into it. Again, what I do not know, I can easily look up.
[b]The people[/b]: are wonderful, of course 
Mentality, customs, food, lifestyle, anything of the sort.
In the improbable case you think of something you want to know, ask and I'll do my best to answer.
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Yes, there are . The Goddess has never encountered a bear, thanks for the concern.
Few Greeks are swarthy, hairy fishermen, or whatever the stereotype is. They come in all shapes, sizes, hues and amount of hairiness. The majority seems to be brown-haired and brown-eyed, but not overly hairy.
PS And Greek women shave their armpits. Forget Penelope Cruz in Captain Correlli's Mandoline, ok?
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Have you been to Bulgaria? Sofia?
I've never been to Greece even though it's only like some hundred kilometers away.
I've never been to Bulgaria, although it's all the rage lately. I'm up in the North, so like half the people I know have done at least one one-day shopping excursion. Apparently you have very low prices on clothes and shoes.
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.JPE "owenwarland's picture")
Is King Minos from the myth of the Minotaur the same Minos who shows up in the 2nd Circle of Hell in Dante's Inferno? This has been bothering me for several years, as I am unable to come across the answer.
Thank you for your expertise, Lupus.
Yup, same guy.
"Minos was the son of the princess Europa and Zeus, the father of the gods. From the city of Knossos he colonized many of the Cycladic Islands, and he was widely considered a just ruler.
In the most famous story about Minos, he refused to sacrifice a certain bull. The god Poseidon punished him by making his wife Pasiphaë fall in love with the animal, and she subsequently gave birth to the Minotaur.
According to Attic legend, Minos was a tyrant who took harsh measures to avenge the death of his son Androgeous at the hands of the Athenians. At stated intervals he exacted a tribute from Athens of seven youths and seven maidens to be sacrificed to the Minotaur until Theseus led the expedition and with the aid of Ariadne daughter of Minos, killed Minotaur. [b]Minos eventually met his death in Sicily, and he then became one of the judges of the dead in the underworld[/b].
The legends concerning Minos probably have a historical basis and reflect the age when Crete was supreme in the Aegean region and certain cities of Greece were subject to the kings of Knossos".
Sorry it took so long to reply, I should subscribe to this thread.
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well you didnt say if you know latin or not, but if one knows latin do you think its a pretty easy transition to (ancient) greek? I was thinking about trying to teach myself some, just get the book and jump in. I figure with my latin it might make it easier, but Im not sure. any thoughts?
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The last word is not yet said between me and - yes, the last word is said. Perhaps I simply want to hear it said again. Just once again. No, I want nothing.--malone meurt
Absolutely not. I do know some latin (did one year at school) and let me tell you, they are two completely different languages. Comparing ancient greek to latin is like comparing, say, modern greek to italian or french. The only aspect of knowing latin that could be helpful is knowing the metalanguage - grammar and syntax terms.
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However - most of you _do_ know some greek. Here's a little something that I find interesting:
[i]Prof. Xenophon Zolotas was a well-known Greek economist. The speeches that follow were given to a foreign audience, at the closing session of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, on September 26, 1957 and on October 2, 1959. Prof. Zolotas held the positions of the Governor of the bank of Greece and the Governor of the Funds for Greece, at that time. “I always wished to address this Assembly in Greek, but I realized that it would have been indeed Greek to all present in this room. I found out, however, that I could make my address in Greek which would still be English to everybody. With your permission, Mr. Chairman, I shall do it now, using with the exception of articles and prepositions only Greek words.'”[/i]
[b][u]The First Speech:[/u]
“Kyrie,
I eulogize the archons of the Panethnic Numismatic Thesaurus and the Ecumenical Trapeza for the orthodoxy of their axioms, methods and policies, although there is an episode of cacophony of the Trapeza with Hellas.
With enthusiasm we dialogue and synagonize at the synods of our didymous Organizations in which polymorphous economic ideas and dogmas are analyzed and synthesized.
Our critical problems such as the numismatic plethora generate some agony and melancholy. This phenomenon is characteristic of our epoch. But, to my thesis, we have the dynamism to program therapeutic practices as a prophylaxis from chaos and catastrophe.
In parallel, a panethnic unhypocritical economic synergy and harmonization in ademocratic climate is basic.
I apologize for my eccentric monologue. I emphasize my eucharistia to you Kyrie, to the eugenic and generous American Ethnos and to the organizers and protagonists of this Amphictyony and the gastronomic symposia.”
[u]The Second Speech:[/u]
"Kyrie,
It is Zeus' anathema on our epoch for the dynamism of our economies and the heresy of our economic methods and policies that we should agonise between the Scylla of numismatic plethora and the Charybdis of economic anaemia.
It is not my idiosyncrasy to be ironic or sarcastic but my diagnosis would be that politicians are rather cryptoplethorists. Although they emphatically stigmatize numismatic plethora, energize it through their tactics and practices.
Our policies have to be based more on economic and less on political criteria.
Our gnomon has to be a metron between political, strategic and philanthropic scopes. Political magic has always been antieconomic.
In an epoch characterised by monopolies, oligopolies, menopsonies, monopolistic antagonism and polymorphous inelasticities, our policies have to be more orthological. But this should not be metamorphosed into plethorophobia which is endemic among academic economists.
Numismatic symmetry should not antagonize economic acme.
A greater harmonization between the practices of the economic and numismatic archons is basic.
Parallel to this, we have to synchronize and harmonize more and more our economic and numismatic policies panethnically.
These scopes are more practical now, when the prognostics of the political and economic barometer are halcyonic.
The history of our didymous organisations in this sphere has been didactic and their gnostic practices will always be a tonic to the polyonymous and idiomorphous ethnical economics. The genesis of the programmed organisations will dynamize these policies. I sympathise, therefore, with the aposties and the hierarchy of our organisations in their zeal to programme orthodox economic and numismatic policies, although I have some logomachy with them.
I apologize for having tyrannized you with my hellenic phraseology.
In my epilogue, I emphasize my eulogy to the philoxenous autochthons of this cosmopolitan metropolis and my encomium to you, Kyrie, and the stenographers.'' [/b]
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[QUOTE=lupus]Yup, same guy.
Sorry it took so long to reply, I should subscribe to this thread.[/QUOTE]
No problem! Thank you so much for answering that, as I've been trying to figure it out for years. And now I guess I know the basis for the word "androgynous" as well. You're the coolest.
what happened to the olympics? how come the greeks can't get their construction together? i thought you guys were good at this!
[QUOTE=owenwarland]No problem! Thank you so much for answering that, as I've been trying to figure it out for years. And now I guess I know the basis for the word "androgynous" as well. You're the coolest.[/QUOTE]
"andras"=man.
"gynaika/gyni"=woman.
Just in case 
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[QUOTE=snuffy]what happened to the olympics? how come the greeks can't get their construction together? i thought you guys were good at this![/QUOTE]
Nothing happened to the Olympics, they will take place just fine. Right now the Olympic Flame is in the US or Canada, I believe it was in New York yesterday.
You have to understand that procrastinating and being slightly disorganised are among our chief character traits, BUT we also tend to function well under pressure. Everything will be ready on time.
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Does Greece belong in the EU? Or should it be it's own entity? do you support greece being in the EU?
[QUOTE=snuffy]Does Greece belong in the EU?[/QUOTE]
Yes, Greece became a full member of the European Union in 1981. One of the more obvious implications of this, is that on 1st January 2002 we replaced our national currency (drachma) with the euro.
As to whether Greece should belong to the EU. I believe that on the whole it has been beneficial. We have been one of the 'weak' countries of the Union, and have received substantial financial help, for a start. And belonging to the European Union does not endanger the Greek national identity, which is a major concern of ours.
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[QUOTE=owenwarland]And now I guess I know the basis for the word "androgynous" as well. [/QUOTE]
I was wondering where you found "androgynous" - I just supposed it was somewhere in Zolotas' speeches. Then it came to me that you were probably thinking of Androgeios, Minos' son. "Androgeios" is a compound word from "andro-" =man and "geios"=of the earth. Man of the earth, that is, no female element involved at all. Hope this cleared it up.
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what are the origins of greek cuisine?
I am not very sure what you mean by "origins". A number of factors have made Greek cuisine what it is, such as the availability of certain produce due to climate and location. In a land where, for example, olive trees abound it is natural that olive oil will play a major part in cooking. And as Greece is a marine country, fish and seafood are also available.
But let's start with ancient Greek cuisine. As far as [u]meat[/u] was concerned, ancient Greeks ate chicken (no turkey, however. This, as chocolate, corn, potatoes, sugar and other foodstuff, was much later imported from the Americas), pork and goat's meat. Large animals like cows were for farming, rather than eating. The poorer people ate cow’s meat usually during the great sacrifices of public religious celebrations. Also, there was a separate donkey meat market in Athens.
They also usually ate game. Wild boar, deer and birds were in the menu of richer people who also had the time to go hunting. They ate snails, too.
It was also very usual (as it is actually today, in the country) for them to eat boiled meat which lasted longer. They would also though roast, char-grill or cook meat in a pot, known as "gastra". They also cooked it in various sauces with ingredients such as oil, salt, pepper, vinegar, dill, mint, thyme, cumin, oregano, fennel etc.
[u]Dairy products[/u]: Milk was a very usual dish accompaniment. Cheese, in great variety, was not just a usual "meze" but also an ingredient for delicious recipes. They made "tyrotarachos" (cheese and salted fish), "mytotos" (cheese, garlic pieces, oil, honey), "kykeonas" (cheese, barley flour, wine, thyme, herbs) and cheese rolls or pies (shredded cheese, flour, honey).
[u]Cereal[/u]: The Ancient Greeks cooked wheat in several ways: after peeling it in a mortar they boiled it in water and then served it with milk it which made it look whiter. They also cooked it without passing it through a mill, a recipe from Chios. This was wheat that they soaked in water for about ten days (changing that water regularly), then it was melted, they threw away its peel and they sun-dried the rest of it. It was with this material that they made bread and desserts.
They also made all kinds of "poltos" (pulp made of flour, water, spices), "ptisani" (barley flour) and "chondros" (wheat grain). Flour was prepared in wooden or stone mortars and in domestic mills and it was then sieved. In several places, such as the islands, they mainly used barley. A tradition which carries on until contemporary Greece is the "healthy" barley bread from Lemnos and Crete, which is sold in super-markets.
Breads
They made several types of bread, which varied according to the ingredients ("maza" when from barley and "artos" when from wheat) or the existence of any pre-baking ("zymitis", "azymos") and the type of baking ("apopyrias", "epnitis", "sponditis"). The baker’s profession can be traced back to the beginning of the 2nd century B.C.
[u]Vegetables[/u]:
Cabbage, cauliflower, leeks, lettuce, marrows, cucumbers, stalks carrots, radishes, bulbs, onions, celery, nettle, cress, and artichokes. Garlic was eaten by rowers as it was considered to be particularly nutritious. Also, broad beans or flour made from broad beans was used for bread, lentils, beans, peas and yellow peas. Olives and olive oil, were very popular, the latter always used in cooking pots to make them non-stick. Certain areas were particularly famous for the local olive oil, such as Attika, Samos, Sikyona (Kiato), Evoia, Fokida, Crete and Cyprus.
[u]Fruit[/u]:
There were forty-four varieties of fig, thirty-two varieties of apples and six varieties of pears. Also, plums, quince, pomegranates, bitter oranges and possibly oranges and lemons. Grapes were eaten either fresh or dried and were also used for making wine while the boiled new wine was also used in baking cakes. Jujubes, carobs and dried fruit were also part of the Ancient Greeks’ diet.
[u]Seafood[/u]: Many varieties of fish were mainly eaten salted ("tarichi"). The area of Kyzikos in Asia Minro was famous for the export of processed tuna. Ieron, the Syracuse tyrant is known to have sent to Egypt one thousand barrels of salted fish, in the end of the 3rd century BC.
The Ancient Greeks ate plenty of seafood just like Modern Greeks, such as "trichides" (sardines), "melanouros", "lavrakas", "trigli" (red mullet), "sparos", "echinous" (sea-urchins), "kochyli", "astakos", "karides" (prawns), "sipies" (cuttlefish). These were either boiled, or roasted or fried.
[u]Wines[/u]
They were produced generally in the same way as they are today. What was different was the way they were stored as they did not use wooden barrels or bottles but amphoras. They produced all kinds of wine but they would drink it "watered", that is two parts of water for one part of wine.
Retsina which is an ancient wine of Attika, was probably made by mistake! They used to spread "retsini" (resin) on amphoras to make them water-tight and the wine would then acquire the taste of "retsini", hence the "retsina" wine. (Many centuries later, a certain mistake in the transportation seems to have triggered the discovery of champagne!!).
To improve the taste of wine, they also added seawater, chalk and several herbs. The most well known wines were made in Mendi of Chalkidiki, Naxos of Sicily, Thassos and Rhodes.
Lastly, [u]Symposia/Feasts[/u]
The main meal of the day, the so-called "deipnon", for the ancient Greeks was dinner. "Symposia" were famous evening celebrations, a good opportunity for food, drink, chat and discussion. This is a habit still maintained today (in proportion) through home gatherings for dinner and nights out. The habit of drinking and then eating meze food, chatting, singing and dancing comes straight from the Ancient Greeks. All our ancestors did the same.
And of course they ate dried fruit. They drank their wine in the "symposia" and they combined that with chatting, music, singing and "astafides" (raisins), "amygdala" (almonds), "erevintous (roasted chick-peas), "kastana" (chestnuts), dates, pomegranates, dried figs and fruit such as cherries, plums, grapes, quince, "Armenian apples" (apricots) and "Persian apples" (peaches).
Ok, that takes care of the ancient age. In the years that followed the cuisine developed to incorporate the products that arrived from the New World. And we must also take into consideration the mutual influences by other nations (neighbouring and/or conquering). In that respect, we have a lot in common with the turks, and many of our dishes have the same (turkish) names; Greece was occupied for 400 years -500 in some areas and it's not easily determined who influenced whom the most.
Hope this is a satisfactory answer.
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OMG I <3 Greek food!!! I could just die for some Galaktabourekos right now. I'd start off with some primo tarama and home made pitas. 2nd course would be some awesome lamb souvlaki with lots of garlic with some red wine and more home made pitas. Then finish off with Galaktabourekos or some other goodies, but I'd cheat and have some very strong Turkish coffee with it, sorry that the Greeks have historically hated the Turks, and with good reason. I have got to make some Greek food this weekend. I love to go to the Greek festival at St. Georges, I think it's technically in Bethesda or Potomac but I forget. There's also those poofy deep fried donuts that are soaked in honey or something, I think the name starts with an "L".
My heritage is Czech, Slovak, and German, but we love Mediterranian, Indian, and Mexican food, which is mostly what we eat at home. I make some kick ass home made pitas and it's pretty easy to do, almost like cheating, with a bread machine, then bake them on a hot pizza stone.
This is a really good idea.
Clarification: having "turkish" coffee is not cheating. It _is_ part of our cuisine and it is of course called "Greek coffee" here. Or "Byzantine". It is one of those ambiguous things...
The donuts are called "loukoumades".
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[QUOTE=lupus]I was wondering where you found "androgynous" - I just supposed it was somewhere in Zolotas' speeches. Then it came to me that you were probably thinking of Androgeios, Minos' son. "Androgeios" is a compound word from "andro-" =man and "geios"=of the earth. Man of the earth, that is, no female element involved at all. Hope this cleared it up.[/QUOTE]
Yeah, I was a little confused myself, but I knew from etymologies that "gyn" means women, hence "gynecologist" or "misogynist." So now I know the development of 2 words! Thank you so much, lupus.
[QUOTE=lupus]Hope this is a satisfactory answer.[/QUOTE]
goodness yes, lupus. very thorough. especially helpful about retsina, which i have learned to enjoy quite a bit. you're the best! i'm starving! : )
any info on liquor? tell me about metaxa.
[QUOTE=snuffy]
any info on liquor? tell me about metaxa.[/QUOTE]
Okay... As mentioned before, wine has been produced here for ages. You get all the known varieties, including the famous [b]retsina[/b], wine favoured with pine resin, that is. It is dirt cheap here (although frightfully expensive abroad - I couldn't believe my eyes at UK supermarkets), but of good quality. As such it is the 'initiation to inebriation' for most young people.
The best known greek alcoholic beverage is [b]ouzo[/b]. The classic Greek drink Ouzo is made from a precise combination of pressed grapes and herbs and berries including aniseed, licorice, mint, wintergreen, fennel and hazelnut.
Ouzo is usually served as an aperitif (accompanied with nibbles), but is also used in some mixed drinks and cocktails.
When mixing Ouzo with water it will turn whitish and opaque. The reason is that the anise oil dissolves and becomes invisible when mixed with a conventional alcohol content, but as soon as the alcohol content is reduced, the essential oils transform into white crystals, which you cannot see through.
Category: Liqueur/cordial. Alcohol: 40% - 80 proof.
Similar to ouzo is [b]tsipouro[/b], a genuine Greek product not produced in any other part of the world except Greece.
Tsipouro is a strong distilled spirit containing approximately 36% alcohol per volume and is produced from the must-residue of the winepress. The distillation process lasts for about three hours, during which the product is tasted for its alcohol content, and controlled by increasing or decreasing the heat. Finally, the distillation stops just when the acquired Tsipouro has the desired taste.
The name Tsipouro is used throughout the country, except for Crete, where the same spirit with a stronger flavor is known as "Tsikoudia". In some areas of Greece, the Oriental name "Raki" is also used.
The best Tsipouro is produced in Thessaly, Epirus, Macedonia and on the island of Crete (Tsikoudia).
[b]Metaxa[/b] is the most famous Greek brandy. It is distilled from red grapes, sweetened, and flavored with natural aromatic substances. It is available in various grades of quality. Alcohol: 38% - 76 proof.
You can find info on ouzo and Metaxa brandy, along with links to buy, at [url]http://www.webtender.com/[/url]
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What's that stuff made with elder flowers, from the same plant that produces elder berries? Sambucca? Is that Italian or do you have something like that in Greece?
This is a really good idea.
[QUOTE=meatthinker]What's that stuff made with elder flowers, from the same plant that produces elder berries? Sambucca? Is that Italian or do you have something like that in Greece?[/QUOTE]
Sambuca is an Italian product. It is anise-flavoured liquor, so its taste bears a similarity to that of ouzo, but it is inferior to it in my humble opinion. It is, however, a drink you would order at a bar, while ouzo and tsipouro belong to a whole different context.
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I know you're not an American Greek, but I was wondering if you've seen that recent American phenomenon My Big Fat Greek Wedding, and if so what your opinion on its portrayal of American Greeks was.
And I make a great souvlaki, with my own tzatziki.
[QUOTE=owenwarland]I know you're not an American Greek, but I was wondering if you've seen that recent American phenomenon My Big Fat Greek Wedding, and if so what your opinion on its portrayal of American Greeks was.
And I make a great souvlaki, with my own tzatziki. ;)[/QUOTE]
I've seen the movie (quite a few times, actually) but exactly because I am not an American Greek, I'm not qualified to answer. You'll have better luck with Moe, or our newish American Greek, PGoutis01 (give him a warm welcome, guys!).
From my own limited experience: although the portrayal of American Greeks was both exaggerated and full of stereotypes (for comedic effect, mostly), Greeks in "exile" do tend to be a bit more ... let's say [i]hardcore[/i] in their Greekness, all in an effort to hold on to their sense of national identity. The example I often use is that while I would never put up our flag on my wall here, I had one prominently displayed in my room when I lived in Scotland. They might also cling to a mindset that was ok in Greece at the time they left [this should not be the case so much right now with the many ways to keep in touch with the motherland], but is now considered old-fashioned here as well. Few fathers wouldn't let their daughter go to college for example - Greeks are quite obsessed with education and one of the 'products' we export the most are university students (to the UK usually).
That said, I enjoyed the movie and it had made me terribly homesick the first time I watched it at a Scottish cinema.
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[QUOTE=owenwarland]I know you're not an American Greek, but I was wondering if you've seen that recent American phenomenon My Big Fat Greek Wedding, and if so what your opinion on its portrayal of American Greeks was.
And I make a great souvlaki, with my own tzatziki. ;)[/QUOTE]
I think that the greeks in America try to act more "greek" than the greeks in Greece. I have friends that have lived in Greece and lived here in the U.S. and they confirm this to be true. So, I guess I could see how some families could be like the one in "Big Fat Greek Wedding" but I don't know any that are that bad. Some of the stuff is acurate, like the wedding and all, but most of it is exaggerations of our culture. It is still a funny movie though, I am just sick of it because my dad has watched it so many times.
Oh, and if you guys need any recipes I got all sorts of Greek cookbooks and my grandmother has taught me alot. 
Thank you both so much for your responses. My wife's part Greek, but not from a real hardcore Greek household, so I was curious about the veracity of that flick, and I figured it was highly exaggerated. I'm half Italian, and I recently saw what basically turned out to be an Italian version of Big Fat Greek, but it took place in Canada and the son was gay. It wasn't funny, and I found it to be far from highly representative of what I know to be real Italian households in North America.
I thought Big Fat Greek was all right. I don't know why it made so much money, as it seemed like the typical love story, only ethnic.
And PG, if you could start your own Area of Expertise on Greek cooking, I'd love it. I cook all the time, and I'm looking to expand my already vast repertoire.
Thanks again.
The same phenomenon occurs with the Italian- or Irish-Americans . It really gets ridiculous sometimes.
[QUOTE=owenwarland]And PG, if you could start your own Area of Expertise on Greek cooking, I'd love it. I cook all the time, and I'm looking to expand my already vast repertoir.[/QUOTE]
I am sorry, but I don't think it is quite an area of expertese. If someone else wants to start one I can help out, as I do have a few cookbooks and a knowledgable grandmother.
[QUOTE=lupus]
Greeks in "exile" do tend to be a bit more ... let's say [i]hardcore[/i] in their Greekness, all in an effort to hold on to their sense of national identity. The example I often use is that while I would never put up our flag on my wall here, I had one prominently displayed in my room when I lived in Scotland. They might also cling to a mindset that was ok in Greece at the time they left [this should not be the case so much right now with the many ways to keep in touch with the motherland], but is now considered old-fashioned here as well. [/QUOTE]
totally agree... same thing happens with "exiled" portuguese... i should now, i was one.
i don't know if you've ever met portuguese people but most people tend to thinnk that both the portuguese and the greek are very much alike:
loud
nice
hospitable
great food
disorganized
beautiful women
hairy fisherman
the list goes on
i met some greek guys during the euro2004 and confirmed some of these traits, however, a friend of mine spent last semestre in athens doing erasmus and pretty much hated the people...
any opinion?
antes ser rico e saudavel do que pobre e doente
[QUOTE=oslec]totally agree... same thing happens with "exiled" portuguese... i should now, i was one.
i don't know if you've ever met portuguese people but most people tend to thinnk that both the portuguese and the greek are very much alike:
loud
nice
hospitable
great food
disorganized
beautiful women
hairy fisherman
the list goes on
i met some greek guys during the euro2004 and confirmed some of these traits, however, a friend of mine spent last semestre in athens doing erasmus and pretty much hated the people...
any opinion?[/QUOTE]
You forgot to mention smoking cigerettes, while drinking coffee, while screaming malakes on their cell phone.
We had a Greek Independence Parade here in Greektown (Detroit) and one of my friends that has lived in Greece told me it was nothing like Greece (the parade). He said we were missing all of the above.
I think that this too is basically a stereotype.
What do you think Lupus?
This is a great discussion. I only wish I could participate more.
i dont know if this has been asked in some other thread, but whats the general mood in greece, and what are your personal feelings about Greece hosting the Olympics?
[QUOTE=oslec]totally agree... same thing happens with "exiled" portuguese... i should now, i was one.
i don't know if you've ever met portuguese people but most people tend to thinnk that both the portuguese and the greek are very much alike:
loud
nice
hospitable
great food
disorganized
beautiful women
hairy fisherman
the list goes on
i met some greek guys during the euro2004 and confirmed some of these traits, however, a friend of mine spent last semestre in athens doing erasmus and pretty much hated the people...
any opinion?[/QUOTE]
I would pretty much agree with the traits list, especially the "beautiful women" bit The "hairy fishermen" made me giggle...
Hospitality is one of our greatest virtues, I believe - it is not accidental that the ancient Greeks had Zeus and not a lesser deity as the protector of guests (but one cannot see it that well in areas with a lot of tourism. It's just not the same if it's business, you know?). It was one of the things that had made the most impression on Brian, my American friend I met in Stirling. I was living in a greek-dominated flat (we were 4 out of 7), and every time he visited 'for a chat and coffee' we would be made to have lunch, drinks, dinner [i]and[/i] breakfast after sleeping over...
I'm sad that your friend didn't like the people - but then, he stayed in *yikes!* Athens... (it's a North-South thing...). A couple of people I know that went to Portugal for an Erasmus, simply loved it.
[img]http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y172/LoopLaLouve/award_met.jpg[/img]
[QUOTE=PGoutis01]You forgot to mention smoking cigerettes, while drinking coffee, while screaming malakes on their cell phone.
Definitely! I'm smoking and having coffee right now, actually. And 'malakas' is the most versatile word [i]ever[/i]...
We had a Greek Independence Parade here in Greektown (Detroit) and one of my friends that has lived in Greece told me it was nothing like Greece (the parade). He said we were missing all of the above.
I think that this too is basically a stereotype.
What do you think Lupus?[/QUOTE]
I can't say that I know much about Greek parades abroad. From what I've seen in the news and papers they seem more... heartfelt. There's this weird thing going on here and many people are almost ashamed to display patriotism, there is this fucked-up notion around that patriotic and/or well-meaning nationalist is a synonym for fascist and junta-affiliate. There were even thoughts of doing away with the parades altogether (wtf?). I think that we (Greeks in Greece) have been taking a lot of things for granted and do not appreciate them enough.
Fortunately, this year has been a very good one for national pride. What with the Eurovision contest and Euro 2004 and now the Olympics, it is now "cool" to be a Greek (something I've always felt, in case you guys haven't noticed... )
[QUOTE=Kit!]i dont know if this has been asked in some other thread, but whats the general mood in greece, and what are your personal feelings about Greece hosting the Olympics?[/QUOTE]
The general mood here is festive with occasional showers of astonished pride - we were hoping, yes, but we still had our doubts that things will be ready in time and the Games will be successful.
I'm glad and proud about having the Olympics in Greece again, not so glad that everything revolves around the capital once more - money that could have been spent to develop other areas that really need it have gone to Athens, which already absorbs the lion's share of the budget. The negative feelings are pretty much forgotten now and we all support our athletes. Since the 1992 Olympics they have been giving us joy in a time when most things have been going more or less to hell. They are our heroes.
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Problem is : the games are supposed to be hosted by a city, not a country.
Anyway, the competition and the organisation in general seem to run very smoothly.
[QUOTE=franc tireur]Problem is : the games are supposed to be hosted by a city, not a country.
Anyway, the competition and the organisation in general seem to run very smoothly.[/QUOTE]
Yes, I know. I was annoyed at the automatic choice of Athens as that city.
A large part of the credit for the organisation (and that we managed to have the Olympics in Greece) must go to Yianna Aggelopoulou-Daskalaki, a very competent and ambitious woman.
[img]http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y172/LoopLaLouve/award_met.jpg[/img]
Oh yes, I've seen her this morning at the female judo competition.
[QUOTE=lupus]A large part of the credit for the organisation (and that we managed to have the Olympics in Greece) must go to Yianna Aggelopoulou-Daskalaki, a very competent and ambitious woman.[/QUOTE]
Didn't she basically organize everything in less than a year.
And I always thought it was cool to be Greek too.
[QUOTE=lupus]Sambuca is an Italian product. It is anise-flavoured liquor, so its taste bears a similarity to that of ouzo, but it is inferior to it in my humble opinion. It is, however, a drink you would order at a bar, while ouzo and tsipouro belong to a whole different context.[/QUOTE]
Ouzo has got to be one of my favorite drinks. It is far superior to sambuca.
Lupus, have you ever had Seven Star Metexa? That stuff is nasty. We had it after my uncle passed away. I hate it, yet I always find reasons to get drunk on it. Mostly when people are force feeding it to me I guess.
[QUOTE=PGoutis01]Didn't she basically organize everything in less than a year.
And I always thought it was cool to be Greek too.[/QUOTE]
To take the Olympics or to organise them? The preparations have been going on for a while, it is just that they accelerated over this past year.
[QUOTE=PGoutis01]Ouzo has got to be one of my favorite drinks. It is far superior to sambuca.
Lupus, have you ever had Seven Star Metexa? That stuff is nasty. We had it after my uncle passed away. I hate it, yet I always find reasons to get drunk on it. Mostly when people are force feeding it to me I guess.[/QUOTE]
I love ouzo, I simply do. And I like Metaxa (seven star, five star, anything), but I don't have it very often. It's like chocolate olives, I guess - yummy, but reminds one of funerals.
[img]http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y172/LoopLaLouve/award_met.jpg[/img]
[QUOTE=PGoutis01]You forgot to mention smoking cigerettes, while drinking coffee, while screaming malakes on their cell phone.[/QUOTE]
yes i did forget to mention, lots of tabacco, coffee and cell phones in portugal... God bless the south of europe
antes ser rico e saudavel do que pobre e doente
[QUOTE=lupus]I love ouzo, I simply do. And I like Metaxa (seven star, five star, anything), but I don't have it very often. It's like chocolate olives, I guess - yummy, but reminds one of funerals.[/QUOTE]
Sometimes I like ouzo on the rocks and just sip it, other times I like to do shots of it. It depends on what mood I am in.
Metaxa does seem to remind me of a lot of funerals now that I think of it.
Hey, PGoutis sent me a recipe for moussaka. Give the man mad props.
[QUOTE=owenwarland]Hey, PGoutis sent me a recipe for moussaka. Give the man mad props.[/QUOTE]
Thanks man.
Hey Lupus, Greece is storied for its myths and its philosphers of antiquity? What are your favorite myths, and whose philosophies really get you thinking?
I prefer the Minotaur myth, and Plato myself.
[QUOTE=owenwarland]Hey Lupus, Greece is storied for its myths and its philosphers of antiquity? What are your favorite myths, and whose philosophies really get you thinking?
I prefer the Minotaur myth, and Plato myself.[/QUOTE]
School has ruined philosophy for me, I don't really enjoy it. If pressed for a choice, I'd go for Socrates. I prefer historians myself, and one of my favourite works is 'Pericles' Epitaph' by Thucydides.
Favourite myths... Daedalus & Icarus, Pandora's box, the Argonauts, the Labours of Hercules... I could be typing for days, I just love mythology.
Pete, I started a birthday thread for you in GD, but you didn't see it, so you'll get your belated wishes here: Happy Birthday!
[img]http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y172/LoopLaLouve/award_met.jpg[/img]
Does anyone know a name for a very infamous Greek that was an anti-hero and didn't necessarily enjoy the God's personalities? Either cunning or very sinister. It doesn't have to be that, but I'm looking for an infamous personality in Greek mythology.
If not, there has to be a person between the Argo and the Trojan War because that's where horrific royal crimes were commited routinely and I would imagine there would be nefarious criminals in that generation.
are there any cute guys there for you to play with that ARENT hairy?
such a cruel fate for teh Love Goddess, if so
god I love this van huesen shirt