Friday, January 28, 2011

Pavlidis' Chocolate Museum - Celebrating 150 years of Pavlidis Chocolate


A must see for all those who grew up on Greece's famous Pavlidis Chocolate!

If you are in Athens this weekend, don't miss the opportunity to visit the Pavlidis Chocolate Museum. 

Right behind the main Pavlidis Chocolate Factory on 135 Pireos Street, the  Museum will be opening its doors on 29 and 30 January 2011 between 10 am and 8 pm for a delicious, nostalgic 'sweet' experience! 

Learn about the history of Pavlidis Chocolate, check out the historical production line reconstruction, Chocolate fountains, activities for children and lots and lot of surprises - all chocolatey! 

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM...
Who could resist?

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Broadway Honours Oscar Winning Global Greek Theoni Aldredge: 19xx - 2011

 Theoni Vachliotis Aldredge
Source: Costume Designers Guild

Broadway theaters will turn off their lights for one minute this evening to honour one of our Global Greeks, legendary costume designer Theoni Aldredge, who died last Friday in Connecticut in the USA.

A fitting tribute to one of Greece's most talented daughters of the diaspora!

Born in Thessaloniki, Theoni Athanasiou Vachliotis studied at the American College of Greece in Athens and went to the USA to study at the Goodman School of Drama in Chicago. 

Her Broadway career began when fellow Global Greek Elia Kazan, prompted by actress Geraldine Page,  asked her to design the costumes for his stage production of Tenessee Williams’ Sweet Bird of Youth in 1959.

“I made three outfits for Gerry — a negligee, a robe and a beaded navy blue evening dress with a lighter front because a bird’s stomach is always lighter than its back,” she told Architectural Digest in 1993. “So there you had Tennessee Williams writing, Geraldine Page and Paul Newman acting, and I thought, ‘Where do I go from here?’ ” (Source: NYT Obit)

Our answer to that is simple: Up, in fact right up, to the very top!
 
For more than fifty years she was a favourite of top producers on and off Broadway,  designing fabulous costumes for more than 80 productions, and winning three Tony Awards in this category, namely for Annie, La Cage aux Folles and Barnum.

Theoni Aldredge's remarkable career in costume design, either as herself or under the name of Denny Vachliotis, her alter-ego,  included a wide range of films for Hollywood, with  The Great Gatsby topping the list, the film which gave her the Best Costume Design  Academy Award in  1974 for her stunning creations, and ensured a lifetime spot for her on the Academy.

Her talent also ensured a place in the Theatre Hall of Fame for her in 1986, as well as the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1976. 

Other memorable films with Aldredge costumes are Moonstruck with Cher and Nicholas Cage, Other Peoples' Money, The First Wives Club, Three days of the Condor, Network, The Rose, Ghostbusters and many others.



Theoni Aldredge was cremated. Her family will be bringing her ashes to Greece, the land of her birth, to be placed in her final resting place at Athens' First Cemetery.

Kalo Taxidi, Theoni...

Αιωνία σου η μνήμη...


To read more about Theoni Aldredge/Denny Vachliotis



Oh and by the way, we don't mention her age...we'll leave that to others... It is never polite to mention a lady's age and certainly not a Greek lady's, especially when nobody seems to have got it right! She would probably be most upset with her New York Times Obituary though, they aged her by a decade...unless they know something we don't! 


Sources: Ta Nea, Greek News Agenda, NYT Obit, Wikipedia

Saturday, January 22, 2011

Cyprus Still Divided - A US Foreign Policy Failure: Don't Miss Documentary Screening

 
'There is no AMERICAN reason why the Turks should not 
have one third of Cyprus'  **

  
Really? We don't happen to agree just as so many Americans didn't  but of  course the world's opinions didn't count in this case just as it hasn't in so many others ... 

Since when has illegal invasion and occupation of another country not been an American reason? Look how fast the powers-that-be moved when Iraq invaded Kuwait ...

If you are in or near Clearwater, Florida, don't miss this screening...it will be well worth the effort!

For details of screening, please click on picture.

** No prizes for guessing who made the above statement, by the way! It was of course Dr Henry Kissinger, former US Secretary of State at the time of the Turkish invasion of Cyprus

Saturday, January 1, 2011

It's 2011! Καλή Χρονια! Kali Xronia to Everyone in Our Global Greek World!!!! Happy New Year !


It's 2011   
The year has started beautifully with our 10 year old princess 
helping to prepare and decorate the traditional family vasilopitta! 

Kai tou xronou! 



Last week on Christmas Eve the children went round for the Christmas Kalanda...
Yesterday, New Year's Eve  was the day for the New Year Kalanda... for all those that enjoy the Kalanda and haven't heard them yet, here is a version we like, the Classical one... 

if you want to hear the Gummy Bear version check out last year's New Year post!  

This year we have posted the lyrics to Arximinia kai Arxixronia so that all our friends can sing along! 
We take the opportunity today, as a brand new year begins, on an optimistic note and with an auspicious number combination,  1-1-11, to thank all our friends in the Global Greek World for your support and to wish you and your families 

a Happy, Healthy and Successful, New Year. 

For our beloved Greece we hope that 2011 is the year of the big turnaround, the year that Greece will prove to the world that it is not only a country with a past (and what a glorious past it is) but also a country with a future and a vision for her people.  

ΚΑΙ ΤΟΥ ΧΡΟΝΟΥ!!!

 Here we go.... 


Αρχιμηνιά κι Αρχιχρονιά
ψηλή μου δεντρολιβανιά
κι αρχή καλός μας χρόνος
εκκλησιά με τ' άγιο θρόνος.

Αρχή που βγήκε ο Χριστός
άγιος και Πνευματικός,
στη γη να περπατήσει
και να μας καλοκαρδίσει.

Αγιος Βασίλης έρχεται,
και δεν μας καταδέχεται,
από την Καισαρεία,
συ' σαι αρχόντισσα κυρία.

Βαστά εικόνα και χαρτί
ζαχαροκάρνο, ζυμωτή
χαρτί και καλαμάρι
δες και με-δες και με το παλικάρι.

Το καλαμάρι έγραφε,
τη μοίρα του την έλεγε
και το χαρτί-και το χαρτί ομίλει
Άγιε μου-άγιε μου καλέ Βασίλη.

Και νέον έτος αριθμεί
την του Χριστού περιτομή
και η μνήμη του Αγίου
Ιεράρχου Βασιλείου.

Του χρόνου μας αρχή καλή
και ο Χριστός μας προσκαλεί
την κακία ν' αρνηθούμε
μ' αρετές να στολιστούμε.

Να ζούμε βίον τέλειον
κατά το ευαγγέλιον
με αγάπη με ειρήνη
και με τη δικαιοσύνη.

Χρόνια πολλά και ευτυχή
με καθαρά κι αγνή ψυχή
με χαρά και με υγεία
και με θεία ευλογίαονιάς.


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