“Kazantzakis and the Arab World” is the title of the pending exhibition to be hosted at the Egyptian Cultural Centre of Athens from February 28 to March 3, within the framework of international celebrations of the 55th anniversary of the author’s death, organized by the International Society of Nikos Kazantzakis’ Friends. In the inauguration of [...]
Archive | Musing in Athens RSS feed for this section
Repower Greece: The New Game Plan
My laptop always freezes when I need it most. When Firefox has at least ten tabs open, when Facebook chat has four heated conversations going, when there are six Word documents minimized, and when the one I am furiously working on has yet to be saved, my laptop flashes me the virtual equivalent to the [...]
A Comforting Winter in Greece Amidst The Crisis
When home for the holidays, I initially welcome the onset of New York’s holiday season, but as it progresses, I find myself packing my bags for Timbuktu. Christmas lights, goofy-looking Santa Clauses, and jeering reindeer envelop our neighborhood all too quickly. The family at the end of the block positions a blow-up snowman in their [...]
The Parthenon’s Ever-Changing Veneer
The ruins of the Parthenon crown the modern city of Athens with a hazy ambiguity. To the world outside of Athens, the stunning monument identifies the birthplace of Western civilization, reflecting its founding ideals and embodying absolute perfection. It bestows upon the city a unique dignity, gracing the horizon with elegance and grandeur. You can [...]
The Bone I’d Like to Pick with Greece: Where Have All the Dances Gone?
Every college campus has its local hang-out place. Aside from the fact that this place probably offers the cheapest food around, it is also the place that stays open after everything else has closed, serving irresistibly greasy foods. For those returning to Boston College from a night out on the town, Roggie’s is the primary [...]
The Other Side of Athens
To most who arrive in Athens, the city resembles something between a complex of industrial factories, and the dodgy areas of Detroit. Smokestacks shooting out dark clouds pepper the skyline, above the endless maze of concrete and cement. It is a claustrophobic monstrosity, with street after street of wearisome grayish-white buildings and sidewalks. At night, [...]
Is the Economic Crisis Partially Rooted in “Philotimo”?
Look up the Greek word philotimo and you will find one of the longest entries in your dictionary. Ask a Greek what he means by philotimo and you will see this dictionary entry personified. The individual you have chosen to ask will most likely embark upon a lengthy oration, emphatically waving his hands to illustrate [...]
Time to Clean Up the Garbage and Repower Greece
For two and a half weeks, my commute to work has involved step-stoning through wide expanses of trash. Plugging my nose has become second nature. Like the rest of Athens, I have started to forget that there were once marble and cobblestone sidewalks beneath the mountains of garbage. The trash men are striking indefinitely as [...]
When Americans Walk the Streets of Athens…
When Americans arrive in Athens, there are a variety of typical reactions. My, what tiny cars you have! No toilet paper in the toilets- you’re kidding, right? My, I’ve never smelt more strongly of cigarette smoke! What do you mean, you don’t believe in recycling? What do you mean, ten points for the pedestrian? When Greek-Americans arrive [...]
The Many Faces of Starbucks
To the American abroad, Starbucks is a sort of haven, an oasis of familiar civilization amidst the wilderness of foreign cultures. You can order the very same drink you order back home, and it will be served exactly the same. You can use the wireless to check your Facebook, while enjoying the classic American tunes [...]
Mentality of Pallikaria and its Role in the Economic Crisis
My favorite Greek word is pallikari. I grew up like every other Greek-American, impressing everyone at my lunch table as I would call my mom and explain in Greeklish that I forgot my basketball sneakers, but horrified whenever I’d get off the plane in Athens and find that I could not understand a word. I went to [...]
Calendar – Exhibits, Concerts, Fun
- Victoria Hislop Presents her Νew Novel in Agios Nikolas of Crete February 22, 2012
- 1st Interbalkan Poetry Festival to be Held During Thessaloniki’s 9th Book Fair February 21, 2012
- 100 Years Since the Birth of Nikiforos Vrettakos February 20, 2012
- Diaspora Documentarian Athina Krikeli Honored for her Overall Work in Larissa February 20, 2012
Salonica
9°
Athens
50°
