ΚΑΛΩΣ ΗΛΘΑΤΕ! Kalos ilthate! Welcome!
Welcome to the Global Greek World - a world of Greek-Somethings which stretches from Auckland to Zanzibar, from Aruba to Zimbabwe.
Wherever you are in the world, this is YOUR world!
11 years ago today, with a magnificent full moon glowing over Athens, Greece's Magical, Unforgettable, Dream Games came to a magical end, Greek style - full of music, dance and kefi. Sit back and watch The Athens 2004 unique Closing Ceremony is about to begin....
ENJOY
At Global Greek World, We ♥ Greece...and it shows!
Evangelos Venizelos, as Minister of Culture, Hongis with a Maori Performer of Moana and the Band, at one of the group's performances in Greece for the Cultural Olympiad, in the lead up to the Athens Olympic Games in 2004
The photo is taken from the front cover of Nemecis Magazine at the time
The Hongi is the traditional Maori greeting in New Zealand and is done by pressing noses together. During the Hongi the breath of life is exchanged and the visitor is welcomed as one of the people and no longer a stranger
Wikipedia says the following: When Māori greet one another by pressing noses, the tradition of
sharing the breath of life is considered to have come directly from the
gods.In Māori fo lklore, woman was created by the gods moulding her shape out of the earth. The god Tāne
(meaning male) embraced the figure and breathed into her nostrils. She
then sneezed and came to life. Her name was Hineahuone (earth formed
woman).
Today is February 6 and the day that the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi is commemorated in New Zealand - the signing of a Treaty passing 'ownership' of Aotearoa ' The land of the Long White Cloud' as the native Maori called New Zealand to the representatives of the British Crown.
Even though it is the subject of much heated debate, the Treaty of Waitangi is considered as the founding document of New Zealand as a nation, and for that reason it was called New Zealand Day and is a National Holiday. You can read more about the Treaty of Waitangi at Griwis - the New Zealanders in Greece Blog
There has been a lot of discussion recently about the identity of the first people to arrive in New Zealand, with the publication of a book by Noel Hilliam who believes that in fact evidence found in New Zealand suggests the Greeks got to New Zealand first. I had read Hilliam's findings and then, strangely enough, some months ago, as we were sorting through some old furniture in an Athenian apartment, I discovered a yellowing newspaper in an old trunk that was being thrown out. It was French and my eye fell on a heading which read Mysterious Discovery in New Zealand... The article pictured below, goes on to describe wall carvings which bore a remarkable resemblance to the Ancient Greek and Egyptian Galleys...
The Newspaper was Le Matin and the date of the newspaper, 10 January 1926, nearly 90 years ago!!!
We don't know what the truth is but if our noble ancestors did get there first - imagine if Alexander the Great was among them - it wouldn't surprise us at all. There is a remarkable feeling of kindred spirit among the Maori people and the Greek people. Apart from the extensive use of vowel sounds in both our languages, our two peoples have a lot in common: the joy of living life to the full, the strong sense of family, the respect for the dead, the mythology with Gods taking a central role in creation are just a few of the similarities...
Who that person will be is to be announced on 15 February
2012.
Born in the USA to Greek parents in 1957, Nikos Galis had the markings of a top class basketball player from a very young age. At his disposal was a world class career in the country where Basketball was invented and reigned supreme.
Nikos Galis' passion for his homeland and for basketball brought him back to Greece. A life changing move and one that would affect us all. Disciplined and determined, his untiring leadership and his incredible talent paved the way and helped establish basketball as a mainstream sport in Greece. Nikos Galis' tremendous success inspired many, bringing tens of thousands to the stadiums and leading the way for the basketball champions that Greece would produce over the next 25 years..
We did it! Greece did it! A jubilantNikos Galis with the EuroBasket Trophy 14 June 1987
Greece's unprecedented success in the 1987 EuroBasket Championship held in Greece in front of thousands of cheering spectators, inspired and continues to inspire generations of young people who dare to dream of a spot in the hallowed halls of Basketball...
Anyone who was lucky enough to watch that nail biting thriller of a game between Greece and Russia which took place on one of Athens' wonderfully hot summer nights will remember every single moment...
it was absolutely amazing and kept us on the edge of our seats until the very last second, when Kambouris netted the baskets the score went to 103-101 in Greece's favour, the referee blew the final whistle and all hell broke loose! Even though Kambouris had clinched the victory, Galis was the star of the game, he had scored a record 40 points and deserved the adulation his team saved for him as they carried him around Athens' Stadium of Peace and Friendship on their shoulders as well as the MVP title bestowed upon him.
In every neighbourhood a cheer went out from every house as people who had been watching the game on their balconies that warm summer night, rejoiced. In every city around Greece people poured into the streets to celebrate a well-deserved victory and a tremendous game.
Athens' famous Omonia Square was flooded with jubilant fans waving the Galanoleyki, the blue and white flag whose colours the players proudly wore that night and basketball in Greece would never be the same again...
That match would inspire thousands of young people to hit the courts; every boy, every girl wanted to play Basketball to be like Galis, Yiannakis, Fasoulas and the rest of the boys!Greek basketball would go on to produce top level players like Diamantidis, Kakiousis, Scortsianitis, Spanoulis, Papaloukas and many others. National teams that would reap Olympic medals and championships around the world, but nothing could beat the legend that was Galis.
For that and that alone, Galis deserves a place in the Naismith Hall of Fame ...just as he was enshrined in the FIBA Hall of Fame in 2007.
You can have your saytoo by casting a vote in the ESPN Poll on the 2012 nominees - click here to vote for Nikos 'Nick' Galis... it just might help! Nick Galis' legend and tremendous contribution to Greece's sporting history earned him the honour of being chosen by the Athens 2004 Olympic Games organisers to be the first torchbearer in the Opening Ceremony
Nikos Galis -
first torchbearer of the Olympic Flame
in the Athens 2004 Opening Ceremony final Torch Relay
at the Athens Olympic Stadium 13 August 2004
PS If you were ever happened to be around when Nick was somewhere in public, you could see the star quality... it didn't take long for people to realise who this well-dressed, quietly spoken gentleman was and then you would see him surrounded by admiring fans of all ages... young and old! We happened to be dining next door to him at the Byzantine Cafe of the Athens Hilton one day, the year he signed up for Panathinaikos... well, that had to be seen to be believed but you could see it made him happy. As he said to Rigas Dardalis of Eurohoops when asked what did he get the most satisfaction from-the recognition or his titles and records?
The love of the people. Then comes everything else. When they see you on
the street and they have the thirst to talk to you, that’s the greatest
honor an athlete can have”.
We will leave you with another statement that Nick made to Rigas Dardalis in the same interview, which we hope our politicians have read or will read...
If the politicians work like basketball players, meaning as a unit,
then we can achieve anything. We can’t see egos and we must work
together in order to see the country out of the crisis. This is
something that can be done.
Well said Nick, well said!
Nikos Galis - Wikipedia Update 2017 Nikos did it! He didn't make it in 2013 but he did this year - 30 years after that amazing June of 1987. A big bravo to Nikos Galis for his induction into the Hall of Fame. He more than deserves it!
Listen to Nick's totally inspiring enshrinement speech in the video below.
At Global Greek World, We ♥ Greece...and it shows!
I need to scream and shout and be proud for all the achievements of the
Olympic Games and the tremendous joy and absolute bliss that we have
experienced these past few weeks.
I need to say thank you to someone for what has been achieved.
I could send a congratulatory message to Mrs Angelopoulou but I think
that she has praised herself enough. To Mr Simitis and the new
government, the Mayor of Athens etc but this would be like shouting in
the wilderness. They only listen to their own rhetoric and have praise
only for what they consider to be their own single handed achievements,
even though they will make it appear to be praising the volunteers and
others.
In a little while they will credit themselves with the whole project and
that is what will remain in the minds of the man in the street at the
next election, local or national.
So finally I thought that I could say thank you to someone who was
directly involved and who put so much effort and hard work to make this
whole thing work.
So here I am, not having heard from me for such a long time I will make
your day, I hope!
Thank you for all your hard work and commitment besides all the negative
talk and criticism that you have had to bear, brush off and fight all
these years. Thank you for making this city and its wonderful people
find themselves and their spirit once again.
After 30 years back in Greece thank you for making me proud to be a
Greek.
Polla Filia
Spiros'
As the curtain goes up on the London 2012 Paralympic Games today, I can't help remembering that it is exactly eight years since 29 August 2004, when Athens' magical Olympics came to a close...
Involved as I was with the organisation of the Games, I
thought this would be a great moment to share with you all one of the many special
letters I received from
people who wrote to express their admiration and thanks....
It came from a fellow Global Greek, someone who knew that I had chosen
to work for these Olympics, not for the money, which was actually less
than I could have got in my field, but because I believed in Greece and
wanted to give something back to the land of my birth... a decision I
will never regret!
After all, There's NO Place like Home!
Spiros' letter touched me tremendously ... it is one that I
cherish to this day. Thank you, dear friend...
On 29 August 2004, in a bursting-at-the-seams Olympic Stadium, sixteen
days of sport, friendship and celebration would culminate in a
wonderful, fun-filled, essentially Greek party.
A party which would feature most of Greece's top ranked performers, a party full of music and culture, a party for everyone - the athletes, the people of Greece and the world.
Under a brilliant full August Moon, we would hear that Greece had won the bet - 'KERDISATE', that Greece's Olympics were 'Unforgettable, Dream Olympics' and we rejoiced, because we knew that after all the brickbats and the criticism that we had endured in the previous years, Athens had pulled it off!
Greece was vindicated - Big Time!
Our Olympics proved to the world ' the great things Greeks can do' as ATHOC President Gianna Angelopoulos said that night!
The homecoming of the Olympic Games to the land of their Birth had given OUR Olympics that extra special dimension of meaning and authenticity... something no one else would ever be able to do!
For all those in Athens' Olympic Stadium that night, along with the millions around the world, it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience...
Sit back and watch part of it in the video below... it was the biggest Greek party in history! OPA!
'In a sense, the Olympic Games are coming home tonight. This great,
sports-loving country is widely recognized as the birthplace of modern
sport. It was here that the concepts of sportsmanship and fair play were
first codified into clear rules and regulations....
Dear President of the International Olympic Committee,
Dr Jacques Rogge,
No, the Olympic Games have NOT - in any sense of the
word - come home to London...
No, the concepts of Sportsmanship and Fair Play
were not first codified in London! They were around long before that...
After having spent so much time in Greece during the
preparations of the Athens 2004 Olympic Games it is impossible to believe that
you do not know that the Olympic Games have only ONE home and that is
indisputably, irrevocably and forever,
GREECE,
and GREECE alone.
In case you have forgotten however, let us remind you
that the Olympic Games were born in Ancient Greece and they were reborn in
Modern Greece, in Athens,
in 1896.
No one, and we repeat, no one, can dispute that, no
matter how many carefully chosen words and speeches you make, as you apparently attempt
to draw a distinction between the Ancient Olympic Games and the Modern Olympic
Games.
In
case you have forgotten, let us remind you that Fair
Play (ΕυΑγωνίζεσθαι)and
Sportsmanship (ΕυγενούςΆμιλλας) were concepts related to sport
in Ancient Greece and were codified way back then.
The world owes a huge cultural and scientific debt to Greece, which, as
a country, has never received, or asked for, any financial benefit from any of the tremendously
significant legacies which her ancestors so generously gave the World,
including the Olympic Games.
On the contrary, in 2004, when the time came for the
Games to come home in every sense of the word, they ended up being an enormous
additional burden for the Greek taxpayer. The excessive financial demands and extreme
security requirements imposed on Greece,
whilst not the cause, were nonetheless contributing factors to Greece’s dire
financial situation today.
In contrast to that,
the IOC has benefited and continues to benefit from the Olympic Games on
a daily basis, reaping broadcasting and merchandising royalties, as it takes
advantage of the most exclusive and well-controlled ‘brand’ in the world.
Instead of trying to downplay Greece’s role
and her significance in the creation of this exclusive ‘brand’, perhaps the
time has come for the IOC to give something back to the country that gave birth
to the Olympic Games, other than the privilege of parading first in the Athletes Parade
of Nations…
Even the Olympic Anthem composed for 1896 by Spiros Samaras with
words full of symbolism and significance, traditionally sung in full at most recent
Opening Ceremonies, was relegated to 'accompanying instrumental' status in London.
In Beijing, the original words below were sung beautifully, in Greek, by the children's choir...
Αρχαίο Πνεύμα αθάνατο, αγνέ πατέρα του ωραίου, του
μεγάλου και τ' αληθινού Κατέβα, φανερώσου κι άστραψε εδώ πέρα στη δόξα της δικής σου γης και τ' ουρανού
Στο δρόμο και στο πάλεμα και στο λιθάρι Στων ευγενών
αγώνων λάμψε την ορμή Και με το αμάραντο στεφάνωσε κλωνάρι και σιδερένιο πλάσε και άξιο το κορμί και σιδερένιο πλάσε
και άξιο το κορμί
Κάμποι, βουνά και θάλασσες φέγγουνε μαζί σου σαν ένας
λευκοπόρφυρος μέγας ναός Και τρέχει στο ναό εδώ προσκυνητής
σου Και τρέχει στο ναό εδώ προσκυνητής σου
Αρχαίο
Πνεύμα αθάνατο, κάθε λαός, κάθε λαός Αρχαίο Πνεύμα αθάνατο,
κάθε λαός
Ancient Greece, apart fromthe
Olympic Games, the concepts of Fair Play (ΕυΑγωνίζεσθαι)and Sportsmanship (ΕυγενούςΆμιλλας) which
you made such free reference to at
Friday’s Olympic Games Opening Ceremony in London, also gave
birth to thousands of other words and concepts
which have been bequeathed to our modern civilization.
Hubris is one
of them.
Hubris, defined
in Wikipedia as extreme pride or
arrogance which often indicates a loss of contact with reality and an
overestimation of one’s own competence or capabilities, especially when the
person exhibiting it is in a position of power…
By using the power vested in you by virtue of the existence of the Olympic Games, to build up
one country at the expense of another, which happens to be the very country whose history
has allowed you to wield that power, and in front of billions of people worldwide, is
simply ingratitude and hubris.
Leadership carries responsibility.
It is a mark of
true leadership, when one uses the power one has to give credit where credit is
due, to inspire and motivate rather than diminish, divide and rule.
Noblesse oblige,
Dear Dr Rogge, President
of the International
Olympic Committee
Noblesse oblige...
ΕΥΧΑΡΙΣΤΟΥΜΕ...
as you said so beautifully in Greek only 8 years ago in Athens,
Later this evening, the Olympic Flame will light up London's Olympic Stadium, heralding the beginning of the Olympic Games, just one of Greece's significant and enduring legacies to the world.
The Olympic
Games, embodying centuries
of culture, ideals and values bequeathed to us by our noble
ancestors... embodying the values of the brotherhood of peoples, peace,
friendship, and fair play - ideals and values which have survived wars,
disasters, turmoil and tribulations, to
be handed down from generation to generation for thousands of years...
The lighting of the Olympic Flame heralds the beginning of the
greatest celebration of sport and youth
that takes place every four years on our planet... The Olympic Games
This flame, ignited by the
rays of the sun by
the high-priestess in
Olympia, after invoking the
God Apollo, was carried across Greece, from
Castellorizo to Xanthi, to Crete, from village to village
and town to town, and handed over to
the London 2012 Olympics Organisers in May.
The highly symbolic, and
somehow appropriately rainy, handover took place at Athens’ Panathenian
Stadium – the stadium
built for the homecoming of the first modern-day Olympics in 1896.
In Ancient
Greece, the Olympic Flame
commemorated the theft of fire from Zeus by Prometheus and was kept
burning throughout
the Olympic Games...
When the
Games came home to Greece
in 2004 there were many who doubted we would succeed - the British,
Australian
and American Press among the worst critics – but succeed, we did, and
what’s
more we did it brilliantly, with organisation and class, proving once
and for all, the power we Greeks have when we are united, the power we
have when we work together as one!
As Greece’s
Olympic
flame lights up the skies of London
tonight, and is kept burning throughout the Olympics, let its meaning of
life, light,
purity, freedom, peace and friendship spread around the world, uniting
us all as people.
As Greeks, as Hellenes, let’s celebrate our unique heritage
and the great things our ancestors gave the
world!
Let’s hold our heads up high, leave
the pettiness to those who would be petty and stand proud of that
heritage!
Citizens of London,
Citizens of England,
Citizens of the World….
As we watch the London 2012 Olympics Opening Ceremony tonight, let's remember to pay tribute to Greece.
Enjoy
the Olympics - they are Greece's enduring legacy to the world!
The photos are from the Olympic Flame Handover Ceremony
On Sunday evening, on one of MEGA TV's most popular programmes, Protagonistes, some of Greece's best and brightest Global Greeks discussed Greece's image with journalist/host Stavros Theodorakis and how it needs to be
changed to combat the recently acquired negative stereotype of the lazy
and corrupt, non-tax paying Greek who lies on the beach all day
drinking coffees....
Brand Strategist extraordinaire, and Global Greek of the Year runner up, Peter Economides (Greece), Athens 2004 Opening and Closing Ceremonies' Mastermind Dimitri Papaioannou (Greece), journalist/showman Nikos Aliagas (France), MP Jorgos Chatzimarkakis (Germany) , CEO of V+O Communication creators of the Give Greece a Chance Campaign,John Olympios, along with journalist Rika Vagiani (Australia) and writer/journalist Soti Triantafyllou (USA) discussed ways of how Greece can reverse the negative stereotype which has prevailed recently because of the economic crisis and has led to almost racist jokes, snide remarks, sneers and odd behaviour not just from other people but from some otherwise seemingly respectable institutions such as airlines and pilots ...
Last year a cafe owner in New Zealand woke up to find this on his shop door, citing running up debts as a Greek Cultural Tradition (!!!)
Photo Source: Stelios Manousakis
A few weeks back we were appalled to read on our Twitter Feed about a so-called joke made by a pilot to the effect that ' now that we have established that our Greek passengers have paid their tickets we can take-off', or the more recent language tests forced on a Greek passport-holding passenger by an Aer Lingus agent in Spain before she and her family were allowed to board , an incident for which the airline apologised but the harm was done...
Thanks to the economic crisis in Greece and the negative and distorted image which has fed through to the international media, it means that the average Greek anywhere in the world has to fight to prove that he is not corrupt and lazy, pays his taxes and dues on time, and lives up to his responsibilities while he enjoys his life; to fight the negative stereotype that has taken over from that same guy who was lying on the beach and was known as Zorba, a fun-loving but wise philosopher of life, who
everybody loved and admired...
Anthony Quinn and Alan Bates in Zorba's Dance...
In the days when Zorba was considered cool ...
There is a lot of work to be done by all those of us who love Greece, Greeks and non-Greeks alike, to bring confidence back to Greece and our people's belief in ourselves, and it must be done. We need to reverse that negative image!
We all need to believe that we can succeed, that we can do what it takes to turn things around.
FORGET what the others say we CANNOT do, we need to set our own goals and achieve them, and if possible surpass them...it is a question of pride, in ourselves and in our people...
As Peter says, and we endorse it wholeheartedly...
We will never be Good Germans but we can be Great Greeks!
Γ Ι Ν Ε Τ Α Ι ! G I N E T A I !
IT'S POSSIBLE! IT'S DOABLE!
YES, Greece CAN!
If you missed Protagonistes, it is well worth taking the time to watch it: Here it is
Solid gold for Greece's National Women's Water Polo Team in Shanghai earlier today!!!
After the Silver Medal in the Athens 2004 Olympic Games, and the second placing in the European Championships in Zagreb last year, Greece's National Women's Water Polo Team has made history, beating China with a 9 - 8 win and bringing its first ever gold medal home to Greece !!!
A great victory for the team and a wonderful shot in the arm for Greece
right now!
As Greece's National Anthem was being played at the other end of the world there wasn't a dry eye in the house... just the tonic we needed to keep our morale high and bring
back the smiles for all of us!
A great team from a little country with a lot of heart, a country with a population of 11 million took on a country of 1 billion and won... no mean achievement at all!
Bravo and thank you, ladies!
Wherever we are in the Global Greek World, you've done us proud!
Μπράβο κορίτσια - πάντα τέτοια!!!
Ο Ελληνισμός, όπου κι'αν βρισκόμαστε, σας ευχαριστεί πολύ - μας κάνατε περήφανους!!!
As we approach another milestone, the 2000th 'like' on our Global Greek World Facebook Page... we thought it would be appropriate to publish this.
In August last year as the international 'parea' on our Facebook Page kept growing, we decided it would be nice to reward the person who would be the 1000th 'Like' on our page.
That person turned out to be Chantal Anthonis, a very charming Flemish lady from the city of Gent in Belgium, now retired and living on - where else? - the beautiful Greek island of Crete - very convenient indeed, especially as that was where we would be going for our summer holidays, as we always do...
A couple of weeks later, on what must have been the hottest day of 2010, in 40C heat, we decided to split the difference and set off for gorgeous Rethymno to meet up with Chantal, who would be driving from Heraklion with her friend Clive Birch, an equally charming Englishman also living on Crete, and give her her prize...
Chantal Anthonis with Clive Birch in Rethymno,
It was lovely to meet both these Global Greek Lovers, or should we say, Honorary Global Greeks, people who love Greece and its people and have even decided to live here.
Chantal's currently busy learning Greek whilst already fluent in Dutch, French, English and German and her interests include history and contemporary literature and cinema.
Chantal maintains a lively Facebook 'Fan Page' where she describes her everyday adventures on the sunny island of Crete, Chantal Anthonis:Lekkerweg in Kreta
and is a regular editorial contributor to Now Heraklion a website dedicated to the vibrant Heraklion and all it has to offer( for citizens and visitors alike)... Η ιστοσελίδα για όσους αγαπούν το Ηράκλειο, created by Clive or Clivios as his neighbours call him.
Clive created this very special and unique website earlier this year for the capital city of Crete, because he found it difficult to find information online about vibrant Heraklion and all it has to offer... He also set up a great NowHeraklionFacebook Page.
He has almost finished renovating an old house in a small village near Heraklion, with great views of the Mediterranean...
In addition to his house, Clive also bought a tiny property nearby which used to be the village 'kafenion' many years ago. It needs some work doing to it as he plans to open it as a small 'art school' someday....
Clive had a design company in England which he says "was great but very demanding. Now, I take whatever comes my way... a more relaxed way of life here on a Greek island."
Paradise on earth... What more can a person ask for?
and ...
since we are talking about paradise here are some pictures of our day in Crete's beautiful Rethymno...
Brilliant White on Brilliant Blue... the beauty that is Greece!
We even got our portrait done in the shade of this beautiful church
by talented Caricaturist Dimitri who splits his time between Rethymnon and Nafplion sketching people
Books anyone?
Mugs and other memorabilia from Rethymnon
More memorabilia ...
More memorabilia ...
Natural products ...
and some interesting Olive oil based cosmetics The Olive Way
Anyone for the beach? 40 C out there...problem is it was really windy
Ancient ruins in the middle of the town...like all Greek cities worthy of their name
Loved this view...
Anyone for a ride?
An artistic baker with enormous talent ... Konstantinos Spanoudakis
fantastic shapes and other artistic creations ... traditional bread products and Cretan wedding loaves
Doors...
The famous Fortress of Rethymnon...
oops almost forgot...
last but not least .... Chantal's prize
Photo Source: Clive Birch
Mementos from Athens Magical Olympic Games... Collectors' itemsAthens 2004 Olympic Volunteer Swatch and pins
Lovely to meet you Chantal and Clive! Keep up the great work promoting Crete and Greece!
We will keep the momentum going with a prize for being 'Like' number 2000, 3000, 4000 etc...
Just keep on 'liking' folks - thanks ever so much for all your support ! xxx :)
