OPA! Magazine - Issue 3

a n i t s i r Ch upi Alo THE NEW HELLENIC FACE OF HOLLYWOOD

WHO WANTS TO BE A

THE 70th ANNIVERSARY OF THE BATTLE OF CRETE

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www.bardot.com.au

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MANY CULTURES. ONE LANGUAGE. THE AFL MULTICULTURAL PROGRAM HELPS MIGRANT AND REFUGEE COMMUNITIES ACCESS AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL. ITS AIM IS TO INFLUENCE MAINSTREAM AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL CLUBS TO EMBRACE MULTICULTURAL DIVERSITY. www.afl.com.au

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HEADARIS CONTRIBUTORS HEADARIS

> A SELECTION OF THIS ISSUE’S CONTRIBUTORS

MIKE SWEET Mike Sweet was born in Wales and raised in the UK. A widely published journalist and television documentary producer, Mike has worked for the BBC, the ABC, the Age, The Australian, Neos Kosmos and written for Greece’s leading English language titles. Mike’s

PUBLISHER & MANAGING EDITOR

Steve Agi

editor@opamagazine.com.au

FEATURES EDITOR

Chris Binos

chris@opamagazine.com.au

passion for Greece, its history, traditions and culture are the perfect combination for his role as OPA! Magazine’s Contributing Editor.

CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

Mike Sweet

mike@opamagazine.com.au

CHRIS BINOS Chris Binos is proud to call himself a Greek. “You can say that I’m proud

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT & MARKETING

Dean Georgio

dean@opamagazine.com.au

to call myself a Greek. Born and raised in Melbourne, you would think that thongs and beer was my thing, but having real Greek parents, with traditional values, a million cousins with the same first name and a strong love for tzatziki, I was brought up the typical Greek way, eating everything on my plate and putting on skivvy’s in 40 degree heat.”

DESIGN + PRODUCTION

WeMakeMagazines

www.wemakemagazines.com.au

PUBLICATION COORDINATOR

Christopher Meyer

production@opamagazine.com.au

DEAN PSAROS Dean Psaros was born and raised in Melbourne, with 5 solid and eventful years spent in Greece between the ages of 14 to 19.

“So it goes without saying that I’m a Greek to the bone, but I’m also proud of being born in a great country like Australia.”

“I’m a musician and I play drums in a band, so my whole life revolves around my love for music and my creative side.

PHOTOGRAPHY Nikol Bartzoka (cover) Woodrow Wilson Raymond Korn Paul Osta Panos Photography John Raptis Ephrem Zarris DFree / Shutterstock.com

CONTRIBUTORS Betty, Eleni & Samantha Bakopoulos, Chris Binos,

MATT BARRETT Born in 1954, Matt’s father was Nicholas Economopoulos, a writer, photographer and educator. After dropping out of college in his freshman year to become a musician, Matt wrote and sang in various bands in the

Dean Georgio, Mr. Joshua, Martha Karatsioris, Ange T. Kenos, Theo Kostoglou, The Honourable Nick Kotsiras, DJ Krazy Kon, Chris Macheras, Niko Mavro, Nick Mylonas, Malchus Nevets, John Pandazopoulos, Jaqui Preketes, Dean Psaros, James Razos, Mike Sweet, Penelope Tsaldari

USA and Greece. He started his GreeceTravel.com websites which became popular due to his entertaining writing style. Unlike most famous travel writers Matt is very accessible, by e-mail at matt@greecetravel.com.

MAILING ADDRESS PO BOX 406 ALBERT PARK VIC 3206

SUBSCRIPTIONS

www.opamagazine.com.au subscriptions@opamagazine.com.au

JOHN TRIPIDAKIS John Tripidakis has been a member of the Athens Bar since 1981. John is registered also with the Law Institute of Victoria and the NSW Law Society to practice Greek law in Australia. He has been educated, trained and worked in Greece, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, the USA and Australia. As an international Estates lawyer, he has successfully represented thousands of Greeks of the Diaspora over three decades.

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PRINTPOST APPROVED: PP320135/00072

ARTICLES All articles submitted for publication become the property of the publisher. The Editor reserves the right to adjust any article to conform with the magazine format.

Opa! Magazine is owned and published by Caffiend Enterprises. All material in OPA! Magazine is copyright and no part may be reproduced or copied in any form or by any means (graphic, electronic or mechanical including information and retrieval systems) without written permission of the publisher.

The Editor welcomes contributions but reserves the right to accept or reject any material. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of information, Caffiend Enterprises will not accept any responsibility for errors or omissions or for any consequences arising from reliance on information published. The opinions expressed in OPA! Magazine are not necessarily the opinions of, or endorsed by the publisher unless otherwise stated.

COMING SOON TO SOME OF MELBOURNES FINEST GREEK EATERIES. Be tempted with unique experiences, exciting concepts and amazing flavours.

YIASAS SAS YIA

WELCOME WELCOME

BABYLONIA Greece is only a gift away with this beautifully hand crafted collection.

Designed around a series of signs and symbols, each BABYLONIA piece is designed to be given, received and worn with good intention.

What’s your Symbol?

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IA SAS once again and thank you. Obviously you have heard the voice, the call, the need to join this united expression of a ELL BY NOW I hope you are starting to get used to this, month new generation. This is only step one; there is so much more to in month out, you welcome me into your homes, into your do, so much work ahead, but I’m sure together we will make it happen. lives and I thank you for it. First and foremost I must explain Let me firstly say a big thank you and a heartfelt CONGRATULATIONS a couple of things. You have probably noticed by now that with this third to the Greek Orthodox Community of Melbourne and Victoria, to all of you! issue we have introduced a “Letters to the Editor” page and I welcome your Not only for delivering a world class event last month at the feedback and suggestions, it is such a crucial part of the process to turn this ANTIPODES FESTIVAL that was reported around the country and around magazine into YOUR voice. the world, but for showing us all that Greeks do it better and when they OPA! Magazine is very much a work in progress so make sure you let want to, they can have a united voice. me know what you like, what you don’t like and what you want to see. Only Give yourselves a pat on the back. You are all beautiful people and the then can I give you what you want and really make it YOUR publication. reason why Australia, this multicultural paradise we call home, is such an Firstly let me just personally thank both Thanos Petrelis and Tzina Sklivas amazing place, so unique and special. who graciously provided us the feature article from last issue which was On a personal note I must thank the entire GOCMV board, the such a huge hit nationally. I really appreciate their trust and assistance in Antipodes committee and specifically president Bill Papastergiadis who putting that amazing photo spread together. has embraced the OPA! concept and our vision of creating a new voice With this issue we commemorate the Battle of Crete and acknowledge through the magazine. the sacrifice, the heroics, the love of our forefathers. We explore themes of We have only just begun. This is the beginning of a new journey, which love, loyalty and passion and hope you enjoy reading these tales as much I promise you will include and be representative of every single one of you. as we have enjoyed putting them together for you.

I encourage you to keep up the feedback and your letters. Send me We welcome international phenomenon, Nik Halik, the Thrillionaire to your thoughts, requests and suggestions at editor@opamagazine.com.au our pages and urge you to pay attention to his words of wisdom, to his advice I urge you one and all to support the community and what it represents. and guidance. We also welcome the inaugural HACCI Herald insert, which Membership should be your first priority to become a part of something you will receive free four times a year, we hope you enjoy, while we get a which we can all be proud of and which leaves a rich legacy for generations bit of an exclusive peek at Hollywood sensation Christina Aloupi, with her to come. For more information go to: www.greekcommunity.com.au gracing our cover and talking about her upcoming Melbourne blockbuster It makes me proud to look at the content in this second issue of OPA! movie, keep your eyes peeled for that one.

Magazine. It’s great to engage with organisations like FRONDITHA, On a more personal note and something that really struck a chord with NUGAS and HACCI. It’s amazing to have the exclusive story, photos me was the official announcement by the Baillieu Government that they and interview with Thanos Petrelis during his recent Australian tour, as will officially provide the $2 million dollars necessary to commence work well as to be able to report on so much exciting news, like the GOCMV’s on the highly anticipated Cultural Centre which will surely become the push to open the new Cultural Centre and the new multi-purpose hall at jewel in the crown of the internationally recognised Lonsdale St, Greek Alphington Grammar such an generous gift given by Mr Nick Andrianakos. precinct of Melbourne.

Issue 2 sees Mike Sweet, just returned from living in Greece, join us as I was privy enough to be present at the official announcement last Contributing Editor. Mike will be writing regularly for OPA! and bringing month with local business and community leaders and it really felt like it his extensive experience as a journalist in Greece and Australia to help was a historic moment in time with Government and community working realise OPA! Magazine’s vision. We also welcome Greek American singer together in unison to create history. You can read all about this momentous Paul Lekakis, the team at RAKIS on Collins, the eclectic crew at Bardot event on p.16. and the AFL to our pages.

As always, I hope this issue brings you countless hours of fun, information I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again; OPA! Magazine is your and news and as always I thank you for all joining me to be a part of this magazine. Enjoy it. Embrace it. Live it. It’s all about delivering a publication voice of a new generation, and in case you’re wondering I thought I’d drop that we can all be proud of, a world class magazine that is the voice of a in a photo of my family and close friend Shane Delia of MAHA/St. Kat’s new generation. fame (see above).

E V E R Y B O D Y S AY O P A !

CONTENTS INSIDE

12 READER’S LETTERS

70 ODIGOS/CARS

13 GOSSIP FROM GREECE

73 NUGAS

19 KINOTITA/COMMUNITY Alphington

74 KULTURA/CULTURE George Tzikas

14 PRAGMATA

76 KULTURA/CULTURE Tom Petsinis’ mezedes and memories

16 NEA: TOWER OF POWER 20 CINEMANIA 24 PROFIL: CHRISTINA ALOUPI 32 KALI OREXI/EATS Stalactites – A Melbourne Icon

79 FASHIONISTA/FASHION Gia Sas Ginaikes 80 TRIBUTE TRAGICS 83 TREND UPDATE by Bardot 88 MODA/STYLE Hattrick

37 SERVE ME WELL

90 ABOUT TOWN WITH OPA!

38 MY KAFE/COFFEE BREAK SBS goes Aspro Ble

92 KULTURA/CULTURE Boom Boom Boom with Paul Lekakis

CHRISTINA ALOUPI

41 KALI OREXI/EATS Johnny Sorrento’s doin’ the twist.

44 TAXIDI/TRAVEL Dubai 48 SOUNDS OF THE MUSE at the Hellenic Museum 51 HACCI It’s time to GO GREEK! 52 POLITIKI/POLITICS Multiculturalism in Australia 53 ISTORIA/HISTORY Alexander’s OATH 56 EKLISIA/FAITH The Lenten Journey 58 EKLISIA/FAITH Cracking the Easter Egg

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60 KINOTITA/COMMUNITY The new Cultural Centre – A tower of Strength 62 KINOTITA/COMMUNITY Fronditha Care 64 ATHLITICA/GAME ON The colors of the AFL’s rainbow…

66 ATHLITICA/GAME ON The Hawthorn Spartans 68 PSARAS/FISHING

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LETTERS LETTERS

THE WHOLE COUNTRY SAYS OPA! ARE WE RELATED?

Hello OPA!, Firstly may I say that you and your colleagues have done a glorious job with the new magazine!

It’s been a long time coming for something so professional print-wise for the Greek community.

Anyway, it’s good to see a Binos involved with something so spectacular, I wonder if we’re related.

LoL. All the best to all of you.

PETER BINOS, ACT

CAN I GET INVOLVED?

WWW.GREEKMEDIAGROUP.COM

Hey OPA! I I just wanted to let you know that I’ve had look at the OPA! Magazine and it looks fantastic! You and the team have done a great job. CONGRATULATIONS!!! Please let me know if there is any way I can get more involved with the magazine. I would love to contribute in any way I can. Have a great day and all the best.

ARETI FRONIS, QLD

FROM BANK OF CYPRUS TO YOU

Hi OPA!, We just received a copy of your first issue of OPA Magazine, sent to our branch from our Bank of Cyprus, Melbourne Head Office.

CONGRATULATIONS on your launch. The magazine looks FANTASTIC! ANNE GALANIS, NSW

SUBSCRIBE ME

Hi OPA!, hope you are well.

I recently received a copy of your magazine ‹OPA› ...which I must say is a credit to you and your team.

I will be more than delighted to subscribe...and support in any way I can.

NEVILLE PANTAZIS, PARAP FINE FOODS, NT

OPA PERFORMANCE ISSUE

Dear compatriots at OPA Magazine.

My daughter brought home a copy of your magazine. I initially thought it was just another Greek-Australian community λεύκωμα, however, the “OPA” brand confused me, given that I was not aware of any theatre or dance performance taking place here, these days, though the colours enticed me... My Greek curiosity persuaded me to look at it further; and this proved a most rewarding and proud experience.

WWW.GREEKMEDIAGROUP.COM

Stock and appearance: unquestionably, of a very high quality paper, beautiful and creative layout yet simple and enticing to the eye; certainly not over the top, yet, very classy and aesthetically powerful.

Thematology: extensive and appealing with a wide coverage of καθημερινότητα, yet, at the same token, not tacky or boring. A very interesting mix of socioeconomic and purely social, coupled with the modern Greek-Australian twists.

Information: pleasantly, not at all over the top; in fact, you have managed to be informative without being overzealous with useless detail.

Advertisements: enticing and appealing, though, given the costs of producing such a high calibre magazine, you will be (very) quickly attracting a plethora of advertisers (and quite deservedly so).

Range: again, wide yet interesting. You have managed to bring together an array of differing themes and issues, coherently and calmly.

Photography: wow! Very easily comparable to the best: artistic, sharp, colour perfect, clear. The printing, of course, has assisted in showcasing the brilliant photography.

Overall, I am proud of you (like, I am sure, all those who have read OPA) for producing such a magazine for our community. I feel like it is «our» magazine, and feel a moral, ethical and patriotic obligation to inform all my networks (personal, community and professional) to buy the magazine and take ownership of this (long time coming) quality publicat ion. You are to be commended for your well deserved efforts of excellence. Wholeheartedly, thank you, wholeheartedly, εύγε to the owners and your team. Καλή δύναμη, καλό κουράγιο, καλή συνέχεια, καλό (και μακρό) μέλλον.

PETER JASONIDES - VIC

WIN A FREE SUBSCRIPTION TO OPA! Just send in letters to PO BOX 406 or email to editor@opamagazine.com.au

Just dancing with them?

Back in black. M&Z hit the street

Happy together the couple share a moment

Athens in the am

MIXALIS XATZIGIANNIS AND ZETA MAKRIPOULIA GO TO CYPRUS Photographed early morning hours whilst leaving Athens airport, Greece’s hottest couple Mixalis Xatzigiannis and Zeta Makripoulia spent a weekend together at Mixalis home in Cyprus. Mixalis was eager to introduce the woman of his life to his parents.

The two met at last year’s Mad Music Awards when Zeta handed Mixalis Xatzigiannis an award for best male artist 2010.

Zeta Makripoulia, a well known actress in Greece also starred in Nick Giannopoulos’ movie, Wog Boy2: Kings of Mykonos.

Zeta Makripoulia will be one of the top choices to star alongside Greek hollywood star Christina Aloupi for writer/director Penny Koutourinis’ new movie to be filmed in Australia next year.

THEY RETURN FROM CYPRUS Three days later, again during early morning hours, Mixalis and Zeta arrive at Athens Airport happier than ever. “Being with Mixalis parents on the weekend was lovely,“ said Zeta to the reporters waiting for her outside the airport.

They both reported that they will return to Cyprus in the summer.

Mixalis Xatzigannis also has a house in Paros Island where he often spends most of his summer, and YES we can expect Zeta to be by his side.

A love that is blossoming day by day...

WHAT ARE THEY DOING IN THEIR CAREERS NOW? • • •

ZETA MAKRIPOULIA IS HOSTING MIXALIS XATZIGIANNIS IS PREPARING FOR DANCING WITH THE STARS 2 UP NEXT? A TOUR OF AUS AND USA?

PRAGMATA STUFF

HOUSE OF ORANGE Amsterdam Design Warehouse 100% Dutch design - made in Melbourne.

Beautiful and functional indoor /outdoor furniture - all made to order. Designed and run by husband and wife team Ursula and Hans van Schoonhoven who moved to Melbourne from Holland ten years ago. They saw a niche in the outdoor furniture market and introduced their Back 2 Basics range three years ago.

They have now expanded to indoor dining and storage and hospitality fit-outs. Demand is growing every season. Their simple, affordable and timeless pieces are on display in their gorgeous Armadale showroom at 917 High Street. Open 7 days.

GO TO house-of-orange.com.au

MINOTAURUS

BY LEGO The mighty Minotaur, a mythical creature, protects a secret temple hidden deep inside a labyrinth. Players must compete to be the first to lead their heroes to the temple, avoiding the Minotaur and cleverly placing walls to block opponents. Clear and simple rules makes Minotaurus (RRP $39.99) a game for the whole family

FORTY FINE YEARS A celebration of the Pantazis Family and Parap Fine Foods by Peter and Sheila Forrest.

Parap Fine foods is a Darwin institution and has been delivering superlative food items to Territorians since 1968.

The Pantazis family have built up a food and wine emporium committed to bringing you only the best quality products available. Forty Fine Years is a story about fine people, fine food and amazing recipes. Written by Darwin’s most celebrated historians – a must read.

FIND MORE ABOUT PARAP FINE FOODS @ parapfinefoods.com

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SARADIS–FRUITS IN SYRUP Enjoy homemade traditional sweets, in different flavours, such as sour cherry, bergamot and fig in a delicious, rich syrup that will transport you to a time and place unlike any other.

MORE ON THIS SWEET TEMPTATION @ saradis.gr

SAY A LITTLE PRAYER. When a treasure chest of crosses, coins, angel wings, peace signs, heart & fish are combined with love and creativity what do you get?

A beautiful Sue Sensi piece from her latest Faith collection.

Inspired by ancient Greek symbolism every Sue Sensi piece features a small eye charm, it is rationally believed it is worn to protect you from negative energy.

Chic stylish and filled with positive energy & immaculate style.

Â

Visit www.suesensi.com for your nearest stockist.

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HEADARIS The Tower is Risen, Truly it is risen.

Bill and Ted begin their excellent adventure.

“A DEFINING MOMENT IN GREEK AUSTRALIA’S HISTORY” L-R Greek General Consul to Melbourne, Ms Eleni Lianidou, GOCMV president Bill Papastergiadis, HACCI President Nick Mylonas and the honorable Ted Baillieu, Premier of Victoria 16

NEA

NEWS

THE ANNOUNCEMENT LAST MONTH BY THE VICTORIAN GOVERNMENT TO PROVIDE $2 MILLION TO THE NEW GREEK CULTURAL CENTRE IN LONSDALE STREET IS A DEFINING MOMENT IN GREEK AUSTRALIA’S HISTORY, WRITES STEVE AGI.

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T WAS WITH a great sense of pride and honour that I recently found myself as part of an eclectic group of individuals gathered at the Greek Orthodox Community of Melbourne & Victoria for what I believe was the announcement of a lifetime, of a new generation.

The president of the Greek Orthodox Community of Melbourne and Victoria, Bill Papastergiadis was delighted, as he well should be, that all the planning and hard work had come to fruition at this significant point in the history of Greek Australians.

At this event, the Honourable Premier Mr Ted Baillieu made the announcement we were all waiting for. With him were the Honourable Minister for Multiculturalism - Mr Nick Kotsiras, the Consul General of Greece - Ms Eleni Lianidou and a number of key and influential community and business leaders, such as the President of HACCI - Mr Nick Mylonas, the General Manager of the Greek Media Group - Mr Ross Alatsas and Chris Gogos - Managing Director of Neos Kosmos. We were all there for one reason and one reason alone. Well actually, there were two million reasons.

Thanks to the Premier who while in opposition supported, and now in

Government, has allocated the $2m promised by the Labor Party, a cultural centre can now be built that will be unrivalled anywhere in the world.

In the words of President Papastergiadis, “It will be the largest cultural centre of its kind outside of Greece, a tourist beacon for Melbourne and Victoria, a true embodiment of multiculturalism and the multicultural spirit that is alive and strong right here in Victoria. The grant is indicative of a Government, a Premier, and Minister whose words are true and who are committed to action. We as a community are deeply moved and delighted that this dream will become a reality.”

This is truly a coming of age - a momentous point in history that all Greek Australians should support and be proud of. As the publisher of OPA! Magazine, which I hope will become the voice of a new, vibrant and dynamic generation, I urge you all to engage with the Greek Orthodox Community of Melbourne & Victoria and become a member.

You can use the tear out card within this issue to join. It’s that easy!

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NEA

NEWS

SO WHAT IS IT EXACTLY THAT WE ARE GETTING WITH THE AID OF THIS VICTORIAN GOVERNMENT GRANT? • •

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A 13 STOREY BUILDING ONE FLOOR AS A CULTURAL CENTRE - WITH A PERMANENT DISPLAY CELEBRATING GREEK AUSTRALIA AND THE HISTORY AND INFLUENCE OF GREEK MIGRATION A MULTI PURPOSE VENUE SPACE INCORPORATING A THEATRETTE A GREEK RESOURCE, LANGUAGE AND ARCHIVE CENTRE THAT WILL ACT AS AN EDUCATIONAL HUB, NOTING THE GREEK COMMUNITY’S EXTENSIVE PARTICIPATION IN LANGUAGE IN VICTORIA, VIA ITS AFTERNOON SCHOOLS, ALPHINGTON GRAMMAR AND ITS RELATIONSHIP WITH LA TROBE UNIVERSITY AND RMIT A COMMUNITY CENTRE INCORPORATING MEETING ROOMS FREELY ACCESSIBLE TO THE BROADER COMMUNITY

ABOUT GOCMV:

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he Greek Orthodox Community of Melbourne & Victoria (GOCMV) is the largest member based Greek organisation in Australia. Today the organisation has over 5,000 individual members. In the spirit of its founding members, the Board of Management is committed to engaging its members in all matters pertaining to Greek-Australian residents of Melbourne, and ensuring that it provides its members with the highest quality services possible.

The GOCMV has been a proud supporter of Greek language programs in tertiary institutions and currently has a close working relationship with the La Trobe University Greek Studies Department. They are also the largest provider of Greek language education through their afterhours language schools, while GOCMV owned Alphington Grammar provides Greek language and culture education to students of both Greek and non-Greek background.

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oin the ever growing list of members in order to not only be informed about the Antipodes Festival, Greek Film Festival, Flavours of Greece, Greek History & Culture seminars and other events and activities that the GOCMV offers to its members, but to also support this organisation. Those subscribing to premium memberships will benefit from an increasing range of special offers which include a free issue of OPA! Magazine.

It’s easy to join. Simply fill in and post back the perforated membership application card in this magazine.

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GREECE ONLINE NEWS

Greeks Are Everywhere. GreekReporter.com

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REEK REPORTER IS AN AWARD WINNING PROJECT (PRESIDENTIAL AWARD OF CSUN) THAT STARTED ON THE GROUNDS OF CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY NORTHRIDGE, BY ANASTASIOS PAPAPOSTOLOU, A RECENT GRADUATE OF CSU NORTHRIDGE, AND EDITOR-IN -CHIEF FOR THE GREEK REPORTER. ANASTASIOS HAS BEEN WRITING FOR MAGAZINES AND NEWSPAPERS SINCE HE WAS 14 YEARS OLD, AND HAS ALSO WORKED FOR NUMEROUS TV AND RADIO SHOWS. GREEKREPORTER.COM is the first portal for Greek people and people of Greek descent that live and work outside of their homeland. With a network of journalists, photographers and camera crews in the largest Greek Diaspora communities around the globe, GREEKREPORTER. COM is determined to become the Greek news source for everything that matters to the Greeks abroad.

NATIONAL: BOOT CAMP

AFL Unites Cultures and Nations The Minister for Multicultural Affairs and Citizenship, Nicholas Kotsiras has praised the latest graduates of the AFL’s Multicultural Camp. The camp is supported by AFL Victoria, in partnership with AFL Multicultural Program partner clubs. The AFL Multicultural Camp brings together young Victorians from culturally different backgrounds for a high performance program, including leadership training and personal development.

At the camp, the young Victorians learn how to become team players with fellow footballers from different backgrounds, and the camp teaches them to respect their teammates on and off the field. “The AFL’s Multicultural Camp has shown these young footballers how to work as part of a team, regardless of their diversity,`’ said Nicholas Kotsiras “My message and one that you can learn through football – is that our differences are our strength. We must remind ourselves that we are part of the bigger Team Victoria.” The minister thanked the AFL for bringing together the forty

young people from culturally diverse backgrounds, and reminded the participants that the most exciting game of life in footy terms, is only the first quarter.

INTERNATIONAL

Christina Aloupi’s star shines bright in Hollywood.

Christina Aloupi, the well-known Greek TV personality and Greek Reporter host, makes her mark in Hollywood with her upcoming film.

Although she has only been residing in Los Angeles for a relatively short time, she has been working diligently toward accomplishing her biggest goal in life; a career in acting. Christina has managed to lock down her first tangible credit in Hollywood, in the film Four Fifteen. She plays the character of Penelope, a strong independent woman who comes to a realisation that everything she wanted in life is now an illusion. She’s on a quest for something solid in her life, and is not willing to settle, as she is trying to find emotional stability in the face of the man she loves. The film is a coming-of-age drama where three best friends (two young men and a young woman) begin their journey through life, and take on very different paths in the process. Christina tells us the end is really shocking, but that we’ll have to wait until it’s released to find out what happens! The film was shot in Los Angeles and Atlanta. It is currently in post-production and is scheduled to be completed in time for the festival season.

FOR MORE NEWS GO TO greekreporter.com LEARN MORE ABOUT ANASTASIOS @ anastasios.tv

SCAN TO GET APP

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CINEMANIA MOVIES

FILM RATING SYSTEM MASTERPIECE NOT TO BE MISSED GOOD TREAD CAREFULLY DON’T BOTHER

“The episodes have an amazing, free flowing feel to the way they’re shot and edited.”

TREME SEASON 1

CREATED BY: DAVID SIMON & ERIC OVERMYER

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ou’re probably wandering why I’m reviewing a TV show, in this case Treme (pronounced ‘Tremay). While Hollywood seems to be struggling for original ideas, we are now fortunately living through a golden period of high-quality, cinematic-like TV. This can be traced back to Twin Peaks, and all the way through to The Sopranos, Firefly, the recent Battlestar Galactica, Deadwood, Mad Men, Breaking Bad, Sons Of Anarchy and The Wire (created by the same people as Treme).

Treme now seems all the more poignant, with the tragic natural disasters that have happened this year in Japan, New Zealand and Australia. It

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is set in New Orleans, and begins three months after Hurricane Katrina. It is quite simply a show about people of all walks of life (musicians, chefs, lawyers, writers, police officers, and Indian chiefs—unique to New Orleans) who are trying to rebuild their shattered lives in their beloved city. The neighbourhood of Treme is a legendary suburb (mainly African American) where Jazz was born, and which also gave birth to an unnatural amount of brilliant pioneering musicians.

Unlike most movies and TV shows, Treme is loosely scripted and hence it feels more realistic. There’s a core cast of people that have definite character arcs, but that don’t feel at all manufactured. The episodes have an amazing, free flowing feel to the way they’re shot and edited. The camera will drop straight into a chef ’s kitchen, beautifully capturing the mayhem of a young woman trying to keep her business alive, and then straight back to a club, slap-bang in the

middle of a gig, as we lay witness to some classic New Orleans Jazz or Rhythm and Blues. Also the cast is a fantastic mix of professional actors and unknown local identities, and with a veritable treasure-chest of real life New Orleans musicians.

David Simon and Eric Overmyer have created a brilliant show that is a love-letter to the unique, culturally rich city of New Orleans, and through certain characters, don’t shy away from the fact that the American government has utterly failed to help in any substantial way. It is really sad that their government is happy to spend billions of taxpayers’ dollars, to send innocent troops to fight in non-existent wars, while they completely ignore a massive, tragic problem in their own backyard. Highly recommended. Season 1 is now available on DVD and Blu-ray.

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HEADARIS

Palace Cinemas KALABUSH

Adonis Floridis & Theodoros Nikolaidis

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ALABUSH IS A MOVIE that was made in Cyprus in 2002, and was the first feature film by co-directors Adonis Floridis and Theodoros Nikolaidis. It played as part of the ‘Windows on Europe Film Festival 2011’. It starts off with an illegal refugee from Syria, who quickly gets booted off a boat and mistakenly ends up in Limassol, Cyprus. His name is Mustafa, but he calls himself Roberto, much to the amusement of the local Cypriots, who can clearly tell that he’s not Italian. The only problem for Mustafa is that he thinks he’s landed in Italy (as that was his original destination), but reality hits hard as the truth sets in.

Proudly presenting the highest quality films from around the world.

in love with a young local girl, who is having problems with her boyfriend. While running away from the police, he hides himself in a gorilla suit and then gets mistaken for a baboon that has recently escaped from the zoo etc etc. What I’ve just described is only a small portion of the film—and here in lies the problem for me. The movie is only 90 minutes long, and personally I think the two directors throw way too many things onto the screen, hoping that they’ll stick.

If the movie had just focused on Mustafa’s crazy escapades, it would’ve been great, as his journey is both poignant and funny. But unfortunately there’s a lot more going on that gives the film a very uneven feel. There are too many sub-plots that spoil the flow, and too many themes that confuse the mood of the film. One second it’s a crazy slapstick comedy involving prostitutes, winning lottery tickets, inept government officials and escaped zoo animals, the next second it’s trying to be deep, when a character dies and then proceeds to get up and walk among the living, as he ponders life and death. Then throw in some utterly quirky moments (which I won’t mention) that would be better suited in The whole film basically plays out, with Mustafa a surreal David Lynch movie. dealing with all sorts of obstacles -some funny, some sad. He befriends an old Cypriot man, Don’t get me wrong, it’s not all bad, there are who collects other peoples discarded rubbish. some genuinely good moments in this film He makes friends with two illegal refugees from (mainly involving Mustafa), and the music and Bulgaria. He gets work, but then gets kicked out cinematography are great, so it’s definitely worth after only a day each time - without pay. He falls seeing (and I get the feeling, that Cypriots will really enjoy some of the zany dialogue). But for me it just felt a little disjointed - as it goes from being an out and out slapstick comedy, MIGRATION AND THE USA to a European arthouse movie, posing deep When we think of the Greek migrants and meaningful questions about death and the in America, we think of cities like New struggles of being an illegal refugee - all within York, Boston, Chicago and New Jersey. the same breath. I’m not saying you can’t marry Infact, the first significant Greek comhumour with drama, but here it feels strange. In munities in America were down south the end it’s not a bad film, but it could’ve been in Tarpon Springs, Florida and New great, had they just focused on Mustafa’s story.

Orleans, Louisiana. The first official Greek Orthodox church to open it’s doors in all of North and South America was the Church of the Holy Trinity (Agia Triada) in 1864, in New Orleans. It is still servicing the local Greek community to this day.

Alliance Française French Film Festival 9-27 March 2011

Audi Festival of German Films 7-17 April 2011

Spanish Film Festival 12-22 May 2011

Israeli Film Festival

30 August – 4 September 2011

Russian Resurrection Film Festival 18-28 August 2011

Lavazza Italian Film Festival 14 September – 5 October 2011

Greek Film Festival 13 – 30 October 2011

www.palacecinemas.com.au 21

MUSIKI

CINEMANIA

MUSIC

MOVIES

THE

GREEK SHOP

BY CARAS

COBRA

GEORGE P. COSMATOS

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here are many ways to look at films. Some movies (regardless of genre) have all the elements (story, direction, acting, cinematography, music etc) that come together and are justifiably thought of as masterpieces. Then there are movies that try really hard to be ‘good’ and just miss the mark. Then there are films that aren’t great by any stretch of the imagination, but don’t pretend to be either, and they become guilty pleasures---films that are so bad they’re good. Go and rent Death Wish 3, and tell me you didn’t love every crazy moment!

Personally in my humble opinion, Cobra is one of those guilty pleasures.

With one of the most iconic poster designs of the 80s, with the awesome catch phrase ‘Crime is a disease. Meet the cure, tell me, how can you not love it? It’s the second collaboration between the Greek, George P. Cosmatos and Sylvester Stallone after their other ‘so bad it’s good classic’ Rambo 2. It’s so over the top and wrong, you have to laugh from beginning to end. This is one of those movies where the evil criminals take peoples lives with no real motive, other than their hatred for mankind, and taking over the world - but I tell you - retribution is served cold.

Stallone plays Lieutenant Marion ‘Cobra’ Cobretti, a rebel cop who dishes out hardcore justice to any villain who gets in his way. And what deliciously maniacal villains they are. Led by the insane ‘Night Slasher’, a group of crazy thugs go around randomly killing anyone in site. Then one night, Ingrid (Brigitte Nielsen) unfortunately drives by and witnesses a murder scene, and then is relentlessly pursued by the bloodthirsty freaks for the rest of the film, with Cobra as protector. A massive bad guy body count ensues.

With Cobra driving around in a bad arse 1950 Ford Mercury, while sucking on matchsticks the way Kojak would suck on lollypops, and sporting a cool pair of sunnies, this is one fun OTT 80s action film. Yeah I’m giving Cobra 3 stars-- because I can. “This is where the law stops, and I start sucka!!!!”

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CHRI STIN A ALO U P I A N E W S TA R AS CE N D I NG

PHOTO: Nikol Bartzoka

PHOTO: Nikol Bartzoka

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PROFIL ALOUPI

HRISTINA ALOUPI

LIKE S O M A NY G O D D ES S ES O F T H E S ILVE R S CRE E N, CHRIS T IN A AL OUP I L E F T HE R HOME L AN D F O R H O LLY WO OD T O PU R S U E A C A R EER I N A CT IN G. T HE RE COUL D HARDLY BE A MORE F IT T IN G L OCAT I O N F O R TH IS H E A D - T U R NI NG M O D EL A ND A C T RE S S T HAN T HE CIT Y OF AN GE L S. S OON T O VIS IT AUS T RALI A TO P LAY TH E LEA D I N A M A JO R M O V I E T E L L IN G T HE S T ORY OF T HE GRE E K AUS T RAL IAN DIAS P ORA, P ENNY K O U T O U R I NI S TA LK S T O C H R I S T I N A AL OUP I IN AN E XCL US IVE IN T E RVIE W F OR OPA! MAGAZ I NE

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HRISTINA ALOUPI WAS born and raised in Thessaloniki. She graduated from Aristotle University of Thessaloniki with a Bachelor’s degree in Ancient and Modern Philosophy. Snapped up by one of Athens top modeling agencies, Christina moved to Athens to build her career and complete her studies. Before Hollywood beckoned, Christina was a familiar face on Greek television, hosting a lifestyle show on Antenna Channel and a talk show for Star Channel. Now based in Los Angeles, Christina combines her acting with being the host of the weekly news programme on the web portal GREEKREPORTER.COM

WHAT MADE YOU LEAVE GREECE AND PURSUE A CAREER IN HOLLYWOOD? It’s funny, because most people in Los Angeles see Greece as ‘the destination’. I tell them, for a career in the arts, you have to travel outside of your safe haven, and into the world. Although Greece has its charm, and there are many talented artists in Greece, I left because I felt that it was too limiting in the type of acting that sparked my interest as a young girl. I wanted to be in the ‘Mecca’ of film and television, having the opportunity to learn from the best and compete against absolutely some of

the best actors and actresses I have ever seen. I have left my comfort zone, and I have never been happier in my career.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR STUDIES...

I studied acting at the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute in New York, where some of the most prominent actors like Pacino, De Niro, Marilyn Monroe, and James Dean studied, and then I continued at Strasberg in L.A. Although New York offered a great deal in terms of artistic inspiration, I felt I had to be closer to the acting industry. >

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CHRISTIN A ALOUPI

PHOTO: Nikol Bartzoka

A N E W S TAR AS CE N DIN G

The school was founded on the techniques and teachings of Lee Strasberg. It’s crazy how many techniques there are in order to achieve the same result. I feel lucky enough to have studied with many private coaches as well, in order to understand there is no ‘one way’ to learn. It’s what works for you.

That is the best lesson I have learned so far.

IS THE REALITY OF HOLLYWOOD REALLY AS THEY PRESENT IT? I think it depends on what each person expects. I am a very down to earth person, and my experience with Greek showbiz helped me realize quickly that the lights don’t shine in real life as you see on the red carpet. You definitely feel the glamour at premieres, parties in the ‘Hills’, and at the Oscars, but the everyday life, even for Hollywood stars, means hard work, stress, choices, and family problems, just like any other human being. I definitely think it’s a beautiful city, especially with the nostalgia of classic Hollywood. It’s a bit run-down in spots, but very charming in its own way. When

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you actually have time to enjoy it, you fall even more in love with this place. It’s ironic to have to live in such a beautiful place, yet you have to work non-stop in order to ‘one day’, really

enjoy it. I feel that the harder you pursue your dream, the more likely it is you will ‘make it’.

HAVE YOU MET OR SEEN ANY HOLLYWOOD STARS? I saw the most stars when I attended and hosted the Oscars for The Greek Reporter. All of the celebrities were so glamorous in their gowns and tuxedos, and you could really sense the energy surrounding the whole event. It was something I had seen so many times growing up on television, and always imagined the feeling of standing on that red carpet. It was an amazing experience.

Tom Hanks is somebody you’re bound to run into if you are a Greek in Hollywood, since he attends most of the Greek events and gatherings. He really supports the Greek community and I respect him deeply for his talent and his love for Greece. I met Mark Ruffalo, he is really down-to-earth and very friendly. Last year, I saw Scarlet Johansson and Liev Schreiber in the Broadway performance ‘A View from the Bridge’,

by Arthur Miller. I was very impressed by their performances. I have also seen Jason Statham,

John Malkovich, Mandy Moore, the Olsen Twins, and Chris North to name a few. I thought it was cute seeing Annalyne McCord eating dinner at a Greek restaurant with her sisters for her birthday.

SINCE YOUR STUDIES, HAVE YOU GONE TO ANY INTERESTING AUDITIONS? Thus far, my studies have taken up most of my time. It literally feels like a full-time job going to a school such as Strasberg, so I haven’t had as much time as I’d like to audition. I have always wanted to be completely confident in my abilities before I walk into any casting. There’s no inbetween in this business. You’re either ready or you’re not. I have auditioned for a few projects though, and recently landed a role in the feature film ‘Four Fifteen’. I was so excited to get the part.

The film is a coming-of-age drama, where three best friends begin their journey through life, and take on very different paths in the process. I play the character of Penelope, a strong independent woman, who comes to a realisation that everything she wanted in life, is now an illusion. We

finished shooting a few weeks ago and currently the film is in postproduction.

HOW DID YOUR INVOLVEMENT WITH GREEKREPORTER.COM COME ABOUT? When I moved to Los Angeles, I received a phone call from a friend explaining that he wanted to introduce me to someone who was interested in perhaps working with me. I was introduced to Anastasios Papapostolou, founder of Greek Reporter, and he told he was familiar with my work and was interested in working together on a weekly news broadcast. The broadcast would be Greek news from all over the world, and it would target the Greek audiences living outside of Greece that do not receive Greek specific news in their language. I fell in love with the idea, and began collaborating with Greek Reporter shortly after. It has been a wonderful experience.

WHAT IS GREEKREPORTER.COM ?

GREEKREPORTER.COM is the first web portal for Greek people and people of Greek descent, who live and work outside of their homeland.

It is the Greek news source for everything that matters to the Greeks abroad. You’ll find news, interviews and articles from all Greek centres of the world, on every continent. It is a media organization, with the goal to serve the Greeks abroad as a whole and their informational and publicity needs, and also bring them together. When people think about Greeks, they think about the 11 million people living in the country, but they forget about the 11 million Greeks living all over the rest of the world. The site targets all of those Greeks.

IS IT TRUE, THAT YOU HAVE BEEN CAST IN A NEW MOVIE FILMING IN AUSTRALIA? Yes, it will be my second motion picture and I am very excited about this. Although it is still very early on I am still looking forward to experiencing Australia, and the Greeks of Melbourne in particular are regarded so highly right across the globe.

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PROFIL PROFILE

WHAT IS THE FILM ABOUT? It’s about the Greeks migrating to Australia and trying to fit in; their struggles and issues of racism they faced. I’m sure it’s a tale that most people’s parents and grandparents can and will relate too. I guess you will have to interview the producers or director to tell you more about the movie.

It’s so early still, I don’t think anybody will be talking.

AND YOU HAVE A LEAD ROLE? Yes, I am so excited about this, I think it will be perfect to try and capture the passion, the fire that these migrants felt leaving their homeland and coming to this new world. It was such a big step, but so necessary to give their yet unborn children and families opportunities that they never would have been able to have in Greece.

WHO WILL BE DIRECTING? I can’t say anymore until filming begins late next year in Melbourne!

HAVE YOU EVER BEEN TO MELBOURNE? No, never. But I’ve heard it is absolutely beautiful. I have a few friends currently living in Melbourne, so I am really looking forward to visiting them. My father went there a few years ago, and he told me it’s definitely a destination I must visit, so I am excited about not only working there but also about absorbing all that Melbourne has come to represent to the Greek diaspora globally.

IS LOS ANGELES YOUR LAST STOP OR WILL YOU RETURN TO GREECE? To tell you the truth, I don’t even know the answer to that question. I absolutely love Greece and I miss it so much, but I have started a career here in Hollywood, and I have no idea where my life is going to take me. Hollywood has given me opportunities I could never find in Greece. I have the opportunity to really grow as an artist and as a person, and practice my craft every chance I get. Your home is where you make it, and I’ve made LA mine for now.

Penny Koutourinis is a writer and director based in Bel Air, California.

GREEK REPORTER WEEKLY Hosted by Christina Aloupi, Greek Reporter Weekly News is an online broadcast of the Greek Reporter’s major news stories. Greek Reporter is a web portal dedicated to stories from and for Greek Diaspora communities around the world. www.greekreporter.com

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PHOTO: Nikol Bartzoka

MAGIRIKI

GREEK TABLE

AROUND THE GREEK TABLE

The Bakopolous sisters, Samantha, Eleni and Betty — share the mouthwatering recipes found in of their award-winning cookbook Three Sisters Around the Greek Table.

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MAGIRIKI HEADARIS

Baked Pumpkin or Zucchini Fritters Kolokithopites (Koh-loh-kee-THOH-pee-tehs)

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UCCHINI GROWS IN OUR PARENTS’ BACKYARD EVERY SUMMER— A JUNGLE OF GIANT GREEN LEAVES WITH LARGE YELLOW FLOWERS. THE ZUCCHINI IS FRIED, BAKED, STUFFED AND EATEN RELENTLESSLY. OUR FAVOURITE TRANSFORMATION OF ZUCCHINI IS OUR MUM’S BAKED FRITTERS. IN THE FALL, PUMPKIN FRITTERS REPLACE ZUCCHINI FRITTERS, AND ARE ALWAYS ON THE TABLE AT THANKSGIVING.

Preparation 35 minutes Cooking 25 minutes Makes 16 Bake 425°F (220°C)

We are thankful for that!

• Place the grated zucchini in a colander. Add the salt and set aside for 15 minutes. Squeeze the excess moisture from the zucchini with your hands and place in a medium-sized bowl.

• Parboil the potatoes for 10 minutes in a large pot of boiling water. Drain and set aside to cool. Coarsely grate the parboiled potatoes over the bowl with the zucchini.

• Add the remaining ingredients to the bowl and use your hands to mix the ingredients together.

1 small pumpkin or 3 small zucchini, about 500g, grated 1 tsp salt 2 potatoes, about 250g, peeled 4 garlic cloves, minced 4 scallions, chopped, both white & green 1 cup feta cheese, crumbled 1 cup fresh bread crumbs

• Shape the zucchini mixture into patties and use a brush to lightly grease each side of the patty with olive oil.

1 cup each fresh mint & basil, chopped

• Place the patties on a baking sheet and place in the upper third of a preheated oven for 15 minutes until golden brown.

Olive oil for greasing

1 egg

• Flip and bake for 10 minutes further.

• Serve warm. Enjoy!

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MAGIRIKI HEADARIS

Tomato Bean Soup

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HIS IS THE NATIONAL DISH OF GREECE, A SIMPLE, YET INEXPENSIVE BOWL OF BEAN SOUP.

In Greece, this soup can be found in the most casual of taverns or in five-star restaurants. We enjoy this soup accompanied with feta cheese, anchovies and onion wedges.

• Place the beans in a large bowl, cover with water and let the beans soak overnight.

• Drain the beans and transfer to a large stockpot. Cover with water and add the baking soda. Bring the beans to a boil over high heat for five minutes. Drain again and replace with 6 cups fresh water.

• Add the crushed tomato sauce, olive oil, carrot, celery, onion, potato, ginger, red pepper flakes, bay leaf, and salt to the stockpot. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer for at least one hour, or until the beans are fork tender. Remove from the heat.

• Discard the bay leaf and remove the potato. Place the potato in a food processor along with 1cup of soup. Purée until smooth. Return the • Purée to the pot and stir.

• Taste and adjust the seasonings if necessary.

• Add the lemon juice, parsley, and crumbled feta to the soup and stir.

Serve warm. Top each bowl with some chopped anchovies if desired and a lemon wedge.

Overnight soaking + 15 minutes Cooking 1 hour Serves 4 1½ cups navy beans, dried 1 tbsp baking soda 6 cups water 1 cup crushed tomato sauce ¼ cup olive oil 1 carrot, chopped 1 celery, chopped 1 yellow onion, minced 1 small potato, peeled 1 tsp fresh ginger, minced 1 tsp red pepper flakes 1 bay leaf 1½ tsp salt, plus to taste Juice of ½ lemon ½ cup fresh parsley, chopped ½ cup feta cheese, crumbled 2 preserved anchovy fillets, minced (optl) Lemon wedges (optl)

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MAGIRIKI HEADARIS

EASTER PASSION

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Sofka Zinovieff reflects on the beauty and symbolism of Easter in Greece.

n Easter Saturday night we went to Midnight mass near our house. St George’s is set among pine trees on a hillock and looks like a simple island church, with its shady courtyard, freshly whitewashed walls and simple, domed roof. Our daughters, Lara and Anna, met up with some friends from school and ran off to play. Everyone held tall, white candles, and the children’s were specially decorated with ribbons, flowers and small toys, given to them by their godparents.

Vassilis and I went into the small church, which was already almost full. The male chanters were singing ancient Byzantine hymns, unchanged for centuries; the human voice is the only instrument used in the Orthodox Church. The modal music is as unfamiliar to the newcomer

as its Arabic-like symbols, which bear little relation to ordinary musical notation; there are even fractions of tones which you don’t find on a piano. More and more people with expectant expressions pressed into the church, squeezing up against us amicably. I thought of the generations upon generations who have lived through this hour of transformation and regeneration. The church’s interior smelled of hot wax, hairspray, incense and aftershave.

Everyone was dressed in their best, and the array of impressive, blow-dried hairdos now made it obvious why the hairdressers had stayed open until later than usual. Church is always a place where you go to show off yourself and your family, or to find a wife or husband, and Easter is the prime time.

Just before midnight, the lights went off in the packed church. Only three small oil

lamps were left burning, along with the tiny, flashing red sensor of the burglar alarm. The priests, now dressed in the white robes of hope (the day before they’d been in mournful black), emerged from the darkness behind the iconostasis bearing a large burning candle. The flame had travelled a long way.

A special Olympic Airways flight had brought it from its source in the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem that afternoon. very year, the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem and his Armenian counterpart have an awkward scuffle down in the depths of Christ’s tomb, as there is much heated debate as to who should be the first to take the flame. The holy fire, which some say lights itself spontaneously, is received with special ceremonies at Athens’ airport, taken by motorcade to a church in Plaka,

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TAXIDI TRAVEL

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laka, and then distributed among many of Greece’s churches. Other planes are laid on to take the symbol of resurrection around Greece, and a helicopter transports it to the holy centres on distant islands without airports.

We all lit our candles from one another and streamed out of the church, as hundreds of people pressed in towards the flame for this

Easter is a holy festival of extremes, with black and white emotions. For Orthodox Christians, it is Christ’s resurrection, his defeat of death, and his existence as God that counts. The ‘opening’ of spring’s annual rebirth is complete, and the dark, quiet, deathly sadness of the previous days and even weeks are cancelled out with light, noise and exuberance. It is no coincidence that Easter is also known as Lambri - Radiant,

“The priest began a short sermon but before he could finish, the bells for midnight began to peal noisily.

Immediately, dozens of firecrackers exploded deafeningly, making us jump and draw breath in fear each time. In the distance, fireworks flashed in the sky and ships sounded their horns.” moment. Nobody misses ‘the Resurrection’ if they can help it, and you see old and young, believers and atheists, communists and fascists united on this night. It’s a pivotal point, not only in the year, but in the very idea of what it means to be Greek.

Only the infirm and dedicated outsiders are absent. The priest began a short sermon but before he could finish, the bells for midnight began to peal noisily. Immediately, dozens of firecrackers exploded deafeningly, making us jump and draw breath in fear each time. In the distance, fireworks flashed in the sky and ships sounded their horns. It’s an overwhelming moment of joy and relief; a huge ecstatic shout.

In comparison with the quiet, joyful miracle of Jesus’ birth, as it is celebrated in Britain, Greek

for the customary midnight meal; only a tiny, pious minority would go back inside the church with the priests to continue the service. People want to celebrate, to go home and eat mayiritsa - soup made from the paschal lamb’s intestinesand knock the red eggs with each other in a game where the last intact egg wins. I recognised faces in the departing crowd: children from school dressed in unfamiliarly pristine clothes; their parents smart and smiling; and people from the local shops and restaurants. fter the late night, many would be up early to prepare the charcoal fire for the spit. All across the country, families roast their lamb (usually somewhat younger than a yearling) in gardens, terraces, courtyards, on hillsides and by beaches.

Stretched out on the skewer over the charcoal, its long, muscular hind legs are extended rather like a large, racing greyhound. Its lean stomach is sewn up and bound with wire, and its teeth are clenched in a permanent grin.

“It’s as sweet and tender as Turkish delight,” people say, eating little pieces with their fingers.

Easter is always beautiful in Greece, but this was the first time I had not felt like a tourist or an observer. I was so happy and peaceful I didn’t want to leave. Even after the crowds had departed, we stayed, sitting on a bench under the pine trees, listening to the bang of firecrackers going off all around Athens.

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Brilliant or Glorious. The world is taut and closed as you look into the abyss of death, and then everything opens up, reaching up to the skies, like going from winter to summer in an instant.

Anna and Lara came running up laughing, holding their lighted candles. They’d been hiding around the back of the church with their friends, avoiding the squibs. Their faces were shining and animated as we kissed them. The priest was still speaking into the microphone, but nobody was taking any notice. Everyone was kissing their families and shaking hands with acquaintances.

Christos anesti! “Christ is risen!” you say. ©2004 Sofka Zinovieff. An excerpt from Alithos anesti! “He is risen indeed!” comes the Eurydice Street: A Place in Athens by Sofka reply. Some were already making their way off Zinovieff. Published by Granta. $19.95.

With thanks to Athens Insider Magazine

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Writing a life in Greece A portrait of Sofka Zinovieff

Sofka Zinovieff became an Athenian ten years ago; the journey this celebrated writer and her family took into Hellenism has been an enduring source of inspiration for her.

To accompany Sofka’s EASTER PASSION article in this edition of OPA! - Mike Sweet recalls his first meeting with this acclaimed author.

Sofka Zinovieff with daughters Anna and Lara, and husband Vassilis Papadimitriou (and Lily), on the highest point of Patmos.

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t took a while to find Sofka Zinovieff ’s house overlooking Vouliagmenis Bay on the outskirts of Athens. But as I entered the place Sofka has called home since moving to Greece with her family a decade ago, it was clear that this was the home of an artist. Sofka collects things; pieces of driftwood, old shutters washed up on the beach, builders’ planks, pebbles. Sofka has an eye for things others discard; an ability to turn the humdrum into something beautiful. Stones from the seashore are strung together by twine to form a delicate lattice. A plank found on a beach at Patmos is the canvas for a portrait of a loving couple and their dog.

These objets d’art along with family photos and framed pictures gathered on life’s journey, adorn the walls of her living room. A piano, with sheet music of Schumann resting above its keys, waits to be played. Writer, amateur sculptor, classical pianist, Sofka Zinovieff is a woman of many talents.

Zinovieff set up home here in 2001, with husband Vassilis Papadimitriou and their two daughters Anna and Lara, after moving from Rome, where Vassilis had been on posting for the Greek Press Ministry. Having lived in Moscow previously, Sofka felt coming to Athens would be simple, ‘like going home... a doddle.”

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The reality was different. “I thought now I have to find a life for myself.

What does it mean bringing your children up somewhere where you’re going to be always something of an outsider. I asked myself - who am I as a foreigner plonked here?” Zinovieff sought answers to these questions through the writing of her first book Eurydice Street: A place in Athens. Now translated into three languages (including Greek) the book tells the story of how the whole family had to come to grips with their new life; how the children started school and tackled a new language, and how Vassilis dealt with coming home after half a lifetime away. Sofka’s explanation of how she resolved to get to know her new city and become a Greek citizen, (which turns out to be a process of Byzantine complexity), is funny and full of insight. s the months go by, she discovers how memories of Athens' past, haunt its present, in its music, poetry, and history. She learns about the difficult art of catching a taxi, the importance of smoking, the unimportance of time-keeping, and how to get your Christmas piglet cooked at the baker's. Eurydice Street, a must-read for anyone interested in knowing about how one might fit into the culture of contemporary Greece, has been translated into Greek, Dutch and Turkish.

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ELLADA ?

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orn in London in 1961, Sofka is half Russian; Her father’s parents escaped from St Petersburg to England after the 1917 Revolution. Following her parents’ separation when she was 11, she lived with her father, who she describes as a “mad inventor, composer, libretto writer - an enabler of other people.” School holidays were spent on the tiny windswept Hebridean island of Raasay off the coast of northern Scotland.

Her childhood experiences were rich and inspiring. “We spent every holiday there for years. No electricity, no phone, nothing.

It was opportunity to develop creatively.

There was nothing to do there other than walk, read, draw, fish... old fashioned things that if I tell my kids today, they think it sounds absurd.”

London during Vassilis’ posting to the UK. Rome followed in 1996. All the while, holidays were spent in Greece, and the Greek language and culture became embedded in Sofka’s life.

With a touch of xenitia and the impetus of the turn of a new millennium, Greece as the family home beckoned. They’ve never looked back. Following the success of Eurydice Street, Sofka’s publishers were keen to recommission. Again it would be

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he upper floor of Sofka’s tall house in the district of Vouliagmeni leads directly to the highest part of the hill overlooking Vouliagmenis Bay. Looking west, the beautiful seascape of the Saronic Gulf stretches out across the horizon; the island of Aegina is a grey-blue silhouette looming in the distance. The hill and its meandering paths are a perfect site for contemplation, to reflect on one’s place in the world. It’s a favourite location for Sofka - for jogging “I wanted to look at a family divided or just a gentle stroll.

Zinovieff ’s by the Civil War, but more importantly, Sofka journey to a home in the impac t of this on subsequent Athens ended ten years ago, but her literary generations.” expeditions continue, a very personal investigation, but on which she shares her collections of ideas, this time a biography; the story stories, imaginings and other precious things. of Sofka’s Russian grandmother We’re fortunate as readers to share her paths.

Sofka Dolgorouky - a Tsarist princess, who after World War II, transformed herself from a privileged White Russian into a committed communist. Published in 2007, Red Princess Red Princess: A revolutionary life received very A Revolutionary Life positive reviews, and has been translated into Granta Books Raasay was where Sofka’s creative seven languages. imagination first grew, nourished by nature, and by a father, who, she says o bring us right up to date, Sofka has just fondly, “gave me an openness to creativity.” completed her first novel The house on Sofka went on to study Social Anthropology Paradise Street, which will published in at Cambridge. She graduated with a first- March 2012. Set in both contemporary Greece class degree. In the 1980s she decided to and during the Civil War, Sofka’s motivation for write her PhD thesis on the effects of tourism writing her first fictional book, stems from her on traditional cultures in Nafplio, in the fascination with the lasting influences of the Pelop onnes e, Civil War, “the degree to which politics is such where she lived a personal and emotional element in people’s FOR MORE ON for three years. lives,” says Sofka. “I wanted to look at a family SOFKA”S WORK GO TO Sofka was divided by the Civil War, but more importantly, sofkazinovieff.com smitten, though the impact of this on subsequent generations. quite how deeply Much of the story is set in 2008, the year when Greece would change her life forever was not huge riots took place in Athens. The house on revealed immediately.

Paradise Street is a fictional street in Mets,,” In the early 1990s Sofka traveled to Moscow, says Sofka “where the main characters in this to research her family’s Russian background, family saga live or lived. Their children are and the story of the Pontian Greeks who both involved with what became known as ‘the were oppressed under Stalin, and who, under December events’ of 2008, in reference to the Gorbachov’s Glasnost reforms, were able to terrible violence that overwhelmed Athens in apply to finally emigrate to Greece. Stood-up by December 1944.”

Sofka Zinovieff’s second book, published the Consul (who had agreed to be interviewed With Paradise Street at the printers, what’s in 2007, delves into her family’s truly on the subject) at the Greek Embassy in Moscow, next for this enquiring Athenian? “I’m currently remarkable history. In this deeply personal Press Counsellor Vassilis Papadimitriou came working on another non-fiction book,” says biography, Sofka explores the turbulent, to the rescue, quickly organising an interview Sofka, “which explores the intriguing ménage a often scandalous life of her grandmother. with the Ambassador. trois that my maternal grandparents had with Red Princess has been published in ten The rest, as they say, is history. Married in the eccentric British composer, painter and countries including Greece and the USA. 1992, daughters Anna and Lara were born in writer, Lord Berners.”

T

{

39

LEGAL

HEADARIS

OBTAINING A GREEK/EURO PASSPORT

BY JOHN M. TRIPIDAKIS

T

oday, Greek Australians, especially those of the ‘second generation’ are often asking themselves whether they should or could get a Greek Passport.

The answer to this common question is often dependent on the characteristics of each individual, their age, career, travelling activities abroad, etc.

The Greek passport allows the holder to work and enjoy the social benefits in all 26 countries of the European Union, a market of 460 million people.

The Greek passport is one of the most welcoming passports worldwide.

WHO CAN ACQUIRE A GREEK PASSPORT?

It can be issued only for a Greek citizen who is registered with a Greek WHY SHOULD I ACQUIRE A GREEK PASSPORT FOR MYSELF, municipality. Therefore, it is necessary that the person interested MY CHILDREN OR MY GRANDCHILDREN? proceeds first with the recognition of his/her Greek citizenship and his/her registration with a Greek Municipality. Then he/she can also It is a matter of honoring our special national descendency for all Greeks proceed with the issuance of a Greek passport and/or an identity card. who are born abroad and wish to maintain their Greek national identity for themselves or their descendants.

According to Greek Law (Article 1 of the Greek Nationality Code), the child of a Greek male or female obtains the Greek nationality at birth.

The Greek passport allows the holder to travel and reside in all 26 By virtue of this article, every person can be registered as a Greek citizen countries of the European Union without any other visa required. if his/her ancestors or one of them, was a Greek citizen, provided that

40

Legal Eagle - John Tripidakis

the person requesting the Greek citizenship follows the procedure required by Greek Law in order to prove the Greek citizenship of his/ her ancestors and the sequence of Greek origin (ius sanguinis).

How can I acquire a Greek Passport?

The first step is to locate the registration of one of the ancestors with the Greek Municipal Rolls. Then, he/she should procure a relevant certificate and proceed with the application for the recognition of his nationality.

All the certificates of marriages and births that took place abroad and have not been registered in Greece should be registered with the Greek Special Registry in Athens. For this purpose, original certificates are required that should be Apostilled according to the Hague Convention.

In case that there is a Divorce, the relevant judgment should be recognized as valid in Greece through the relevant Greek Court procedure.

LEGAL EAGLE AD HERE

The application and the certificates issued by the Special Registry should then be submitted to the municipality with which the ancestor of the applicant is registered. The competent authority for the recognition of Greek nationality, the Region (Perifereia), issues the Decision recognizing the Greek nationality of the applicant and orders his/her registration with the Greek Municipal Rolls. Men must be registered with the Greek Male Rolls as well.

Finally, the Municipality issues a certificate, which certifies that the person is a Greek citizen. This certificate is necessary for the issuance of a Greek identity card and/or a Greek passport. After the registration with a Greek Municipality and the issuance of a Greek passport, the person obtains officially the Greek citizenship and all the rights of a Greek/ European citizen. Young men (18-45) are not obliged to serve in the Greek military, as long as they reside permanently abroad.

WHO CAN ASSIST ME WITH ALL THE PROCEDURES REQUIRED AS DESCRIBED ABOVE? All the above procedures that may require diversified documentation and actions as well as a frequent communication with the competent Greek Authorities, can be accomplished through a limited Power of Attorney to a specialized Greek law firm.

For more information: www.greeklawyers.com.au or email: info@greeklawyersonline.gr

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TAXIDI

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42

TAXIDI

HEADARIS

“THE INCONVENIENCE TO THE CUSTOMER IS BROUGHT ABOUT BECAUSE THEY DON’T TRUST THEIR OWN EMPLOYEES WITH CASH”

SHOP TIL YOU DROP RETAIL THERAPY IN ATHENS MAY NOT BE THE MOST RELAXING PASTIME. MATT BARRETT RECOUNTS A FAMILY SHOPPING TRIP TO ATTICA, GREECE’S LARGEST, AND POSSIBLY MOST INCONVENIENT DEPARTMENT STORE.

A

TTICA IS AN enormous store that takes up an entire city block between Stadiou Street and Panapistimiou Street in central Athens.

It is located in the old Tameion building which I remember as a child because it had these elevators that never stopped. They just passed by each floor slow enough for people to get on or get off. It was kind of scary to a kid; like when you are on a swing and wonder if you can ever go high enough to go all the way over the bar. What happens when you reach the top of those elevators? I didn’t know. I never went to the top floor. In fact I don’t know what I was even doing in that building. As high school kids we were convinced it was the headquarters of the CIA or some kind of spy place, because when you asked one of your friends what his Dad did they would say “He works in the Tameion building” as if that explained everything. What does he do? “I don’t know. He works in the Tameion building.” Who does he work for? “I don’t know. I just know he works in the Tameion building.” Of course that does not mean he worked for the CIA or any secret organisation. I guess he could have worked at the Stars and Stripes news stand because there was one in the Tameion Building.

The building housed offices of the US Government and obviously other

organisations, because anyone could go into the Stars and Stripes and buy a paper. I remember being nine years old and it was my first day in Athens. I got lost in Monastiraki., completely lost. My brother was with me and suddenly we realised that our parents were nowhere in sight. We ran to and fro and finally found a policeman. By some miracle I was able to convey to the policeman that my father worked in some kind of office in this big building. The police officer took us to the Tameion building and sure enough my father appeared a few minutes after we arrived, on his way to his office at the Fulbright Educational Foundation.

Today the old Tameion is the Attica store, with eight floors of merchandise. I have not gone in there as yet. Department stores and Malls are not my thing - unless it’s raining and I need somewhere to walk and people watch. I would rather buy my clothes from the little shop on Athinas Street that caters to fat people, so I can feel good about myself, because I fit into the smallest size. My money is going to the little old man who owns that shop, and I’ll tell you why.

With its different departments, Attica is based on then normal department store model. Some sections of the store are beholden to different

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brand names, others are more general with sales people, dressing rooms (not enough) and lots and lots of stuff to buy. But in Attica things are different. You can’t pay for what you buy in each department. You pick out what you want, try it on, then go up to the cashier floor. Here you must wait for the department to send the items you have chosen. The items arrive which then go into a pile in cubby holes along with items other customers have picked out. It’s up to you to tell the cashier which pieces are yours by pointing at them or describing them. Two weeks ago my wife, Andrea bought some clothes at Attica, came home to try them on and they had given her the wrong clothes. So the next day she went back downtown to exchange them. Andrea returned home and again they had given her the wrong clothes.

Obviously there is a problem here. So for the third visit to the store she was prepared. Andrea and our daughter Amarandi went together.

Amarandi bought a bathing suit. But in Attica when you buy a bathing suit, you buy the tops and the bottoms separately. That was fine with Amarandi

44

because she wanted a small bottom and a medium top. But the sales assistant told her that she was not allowed to get the medium top with the small bottom. Both sizes had to be the same, even though they were sold seperately. Finally, Andrea convinced the sales girl that if you are buying two pieces seperately, the store could not really tell you that you were not allowed to buy a different size. After a few more stops in other departments, they went to the cashier to collect and pay for their merchandise. But the bathing suit and a set of headphones they had chosen were not among the items they were paying for. The cashier had to call those departments and was on the phone for half an hour trying to sort the problem out. Finally they showed up on the dumbwaiter. After paying, as they were on the way out checked the sizes of the bathing costume. The top and bottoms were both medium. The sales girl had pulled the old switcheroo. Andrea had not convinced her. The salesgirl had just tired of arguing about it and handled it her way. So they went back to the cashier and pleaded with the cashier to give them the sizes Amarandi wanted, but the cashier refused

TAXIDI

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“Today the old Tameion is the Attica store, with eight floors of merchandise. I have not gone in there as yet. Department stores and Malls are not my thing - unless it’s raining and I need somewhere to walk and people watch. I would rather buy my clothes from the little shop on Athinas Street that caters to fat people�

to budge. In the end they returned the bathing suit there and then.

There is a rule that if you leave the store with the merchandise, you can’t be reimbursed in cash; you have to take credit.

The idea of a department store is that you have everything under one roof, in different departments, each its own little shop in a way.

You go to the sock department and you pick out your socks and you pay for them. You go to the dress department and buy a dress and pay for it. But in Attica you pick out what you want and it is sent or taken by the salesperson to a tameion (cashier) and hopefully when you get home and try on the clothes will be the ones you picked out and you won’t have to go back. But why would a large department store have such a ridiculous system that inconveniences the customer to such a degree? The reason is, that if you have all the money going to all the different departments you are giving more opportunities for more employees to steal it. If you just have a few cashiers then they are the only ones handling money. Even banks in Greece did this up until recently. Maybe some still do. On the other hand if you go to a real department store like Spanish owned Zara or Myer, each department has a cashier and it really is convenient to shop there.

Attica is Greek-owned. The inconvenience to the customer is brought about because they don’t trust their own employees with cash. Simple!

But really... why would you go to a big department store when there are still small individually owned clothing stores? Why spend your money with a big corporation, when you could buy from the little old man down the street who has been selling clothes for decades, and is barely getting by because the big stores and malls have taken so many of his customers. It’s not just a question of convenience.

It’s a question of values.

* (( **0) ( ( , " + *www.greecetravel.com

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45

TOPIKO MASTIC

TEARS OF GOD

(Needs a map of region - Greek Islands – isolating Chios)

[CHIOS MASTIHA] 46

TOPIKO MASTIC

A tear that pleases, perfumes, relieves, and heals

M

astiha is the name of the resinous sap produced from the mastic tree which is native to the Aegean island of Chios. It is a natural, aromatic resin in teardrop shape, falling to the ground in drops from superficial scratches carved into the tree’s trunk and main branches with sharp tools by local cultivators. As it drips, this sap appears as a sticky and translucent liquid which, 15 to 20 days later, is solidified into irregular shapes which are influenced by the region’s extreme weather conditions in summer, namely drought and sunlight.

After solidifying and taking crystal form, it is the aroma and taste that give Mastiha its distinctive characteristics, while its rather bitter taste quickly subsides when consumed, it is the distinctive aroma that really makes it unique. That solid product is then harvested and washed by mastic growers, giving us finally the natural Chios mastiha. Its colour is initially ivory-like, but as time goes by, that shade is lost and 12 to 18 months later it changes to a yellowish hue, due to oxidation. It is made of hundreds of components, amongst which only 80 are contained in identifiable quantities. Such a multitude and complexity of composition, probably justifies the multiple uses of Chios mastiha, in the areas of food, health and cosmetic care, worldwide.

Chios mastiha has been recognized since ancient times both for its distinctive aroma and its healing properties. It has been recorded as the first natural chewing gum in the ancient world. Since 1997, Chios mastiha

has been characterized as a Product of Protected Designation of Origin (PDO), on the basis of Regulation No. 123/1997 (L0224/24-1-97) of the European Union and it has been registered on the relevant Community List of PDO Products. According to the above regulation, Chios mastiha is protected from the sale of any competitive imitation product whatsoever that would undermine the reputation of the Designation of Origin.

No place like Chios Chios mastiha’s unique quality is due to the exclusiveness of its birthplace, to its exquisite therapeutic properties and to its exceptional aroma, for which it has been famous ever since antiquity, winning a reputation as a remarkable health elixer. Its uniqueness is emphasized by its multiusefulness and by the fact that it was prized by and therefore integrated in the culture of different people and civilizations, especially in the East Mediterranean. Chios mastiha, ‘a tear that pleases, perfumes, relieves and heals’, has a variety of applications and uses, being a main ingredient in food and drink industry, in pharmaceutical and chemical industry, in cosmetics and perfume industry. Chios mastiha, exported from Chios to all parts of the world, is the basis for the production of a great variety of mastiha products, such as: bakery products, sweets, jams, ice-creams, chocolates, chewing gums, candies, beverages, tea, coffee, dairy products, pasta, sauces, liquors, ouzo and wine. It is also used as an ingredient for ointments against burns and skin conditions. Finally, thanks to its quality as a colour stabilizer, mastiha is used for the production of high-grade varnishes.

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HEADER TOPIKO

HEADARIS MASTIC

Chios Mastiha has been recognized since ancient times both for its distinctive aroma and its healing properties...

THE MASTIC TREE The mastic tree or lentisk – scientific name: Pistacia Lentiscus var. Chia (of the Anacardiaceae family), is an evergreen shrub, 2-3 metres high that develops very slowly and becomes fully grown after 40-50 years, reaching up to the height of five metres at its mature age. Its life span is more than 100 years, but it cannot produce mastiha earlier than the fifth or sixth year of its life. It reaches its maximum yield after the fifteenth year, and after 70 years of age, its yield regresses significantly. Its average annual yield by a tree is 150-180 grams of mastiha, while there are certain rare cases of trees yielding up to two kilo,s and others that only give 10 grams. Male trees are mostly cultivated because they are more productive. Another factor in terms of yield is the distance separating each tree from its neighbour. The lentisk is a resilient plant with minor demands, that is why it grows well in arid, rocky and poor soil. As its roots are spread on the soil’s surface, it can survive in conditions of absolute drought, but can be extremely sensitive to cold and frost. New cultivations are produced from old trees’ branches (grafts) and the old ones are renewed from offshoots or layers. While there are lentisks all over the island, mastiha is only produced in the southern part of Chios, in the so-called Mastihohora or mastiha villages, where the climate is especially warm and dry. This ‘uniqueness’ is probably due, besides a longtime tradition, to soil and weather conditions that favour the mastic tree’s cultivation.

H I S T O RY Its history goes back through the depths of time... Legends, traditions, favourite customs, historical conjuncture, religions, places, voyages, people and cultures compose the myth that makes up the legend of Chios mastiha.

Ever since the Roman Empire up to the time of Byzantium, the Venetians and the Ottomans, from the studies of Dioscorides to the Jerusalem Balsam

48

and from the first lokum in Constantinople to the traditional saliq of Saudi Arabia, mastiha enchants people with its unique aroma and its particular taste. Throughout the centuries the Chians have used Chian Mastiha as a form of currency, a prized gift and a rare treat that was reserved for royalty and dignitaries. From an early relationship with Roman conquerors, through to dealings under Byzantium rule, the Chians were quick to leverage the bargaining power of their Mastiha and make the most of this product, as they proved time and time again just how resourceful they could be when it came to negotiation with friend or foe.

Chios’ history has been closely related to mastiha. Since antiquity the isle has enjoyed the exclusive privilege of producing it. Ever since Byzantium’s decadence, several oriental nations have obstinately claimed Chios island, in order to be able to control mastiha’s exclusive trade. The first systematic organization of mastiha’s trade took place during the Genoese Occupation of Chios. More specifically, in 1347 a company was founded in Chios and undertook the exclusive management and trade of mastiha. Mastiha’s trade was liberated during the Ottoman Occupation, even though a major part of the production was detained by the Turkish authorities as subjugation tax. Mastiha’s trade thrived until the beginning of the 20th century, when Word War I caused a severe crisis to the mastiha industry and others. By the end of the war and the return to stability, mastiha growers could finally restart the cultivation procedure. But the product did not manage to regain its past prestige. That difficult situation captured the state’s attention and in 1938 Law No. 1390 was finally promulgated, thereby founding the 20 Mastiha Growers Associations, with the compulsory participation of all growers as members. The same law also provided for the founding of the 20 Cooperatives’ Association, named ‘Chios Mastiha Growers Associa-

TOPIKO MASTIC

Valley of God’s tears, beautiful!

tion’. The Association started its operations the year after Law 1390 was published, that is in 1939, presided by Dr. G. Stagoulis. Already from the first year of its foundation, the Association tripled the price paid to the growers, but World War II and the German occupation suspended the Association’s commercial activities. After the war, the Association had to deal with harsh and complex problems, as great part of the production remained unsold, adding to the reserves from the occupation period. For that reason, the Association turned to its pre-war markets and looked for new ones. In 1958, consumption reached the levels of production. The next target for the Association was to raise growers’ revenue by increasing consumption through increased production. Mastiha sales passed from 183,000 kilos in 1958 to 241,000 kilos in 1962, something that was indeed a great success. Besides that commercial activity on behalf of the Association, efforts were also made for mastiha’s industrial processing. In 1950, mastiha oil was first produced in the Association’s special premises, by way of mastiha distillation using water vapour. In 1957 the first chewing gum confection unit began its operations with machines covering all production stages: mixing - pulping –-confection of the chewing gum’s core - confection of tablet - packaging with material made by the Association itself in its printing unit. In 1985 it inaugurated the modern factory for the production of ELMA chewing gum. 1997 was a key year for mastiha’s history, as the European Union recognized Chios mastiha, Chios mastiha oil and Chios ELMA chewing gum as PDO products (Protected Designation of Origin), according to regulation No. 2081/92 of the EEC. In 2001, following the requirements of modern economic environment, those products were certified by ISO 9001 and HACCP. The next important event in the history of Chios Mastiha Growers Association was the foundation of its subsidiary company named Mediterra SA, with the purpose of

developing a retail network for mastiha and its products, under the brand name of ‘mastihashop’. The Association desires and aims at developing a network of stores both in Greece and abroad, with a view to forward, demonstrate and promote mastiha and its different uses and qualities, through mastiha products produced in Chios, in Greece or abroad. In 2006, Mediterra S.A. founded in Chios a modern factory for the confection of mastiha based sugary products, while in February 2008 the company was introduced into the Alternative Market of the Athens Stock Exchange, its principal stock-holder being Chios Mastiha Growers Association with 51% of stocks. The company’s deposited share capital is 3,650,000 € while its equity capital exceeds 5,000,000 €. In 2008, mastiha became part of the EU financially supported products, which is a particularly significant evolution for mastiha growers. Finally, in the end of 2008 construction work began for the building of a new, modern mastiha processing plant.

The Chios Mastiha Growers Association’s vision and target is to introduce mastiha to all consumers through modern and healthy products, to demonstrate that unique and special spice gifted with a distinctive flavour and aroma, but also with considerable and certified therapeutic qualities.

Its aim is to make mastiha an indispensable ingredient for a number of functional products of everyday use, in order to be able to actively respond to its purpose and its commitment towards its thousands of growersassociates. Respecting their labour and their efforts, the Association seeks to stand by them as an assistant, by contributing to the upgrade of mastiha cultivation, to the improvement of its producing procedure and of course to the guarantee of the highest possible profits for them.

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(PART TWO) IN THE FIRST ISSUE OF OPA! MAGAZINE NIKO MAVRO BEGAN HIS EXPLORATION OF THE THE LIQUID GOLD WE KNOW AS OLIVE OIL. NICK CONTINUES HIS GNOMI TO UNCOVER THE SCIENCE AND BIOLOGY THAT CREATES THIS UNIQUE LIFE-ENHANCING NECTAR.

H

ow do you know the best olive oil and what does it taste like?

I will give you my interpretation. It must be Extra Virgin, with low acidity. It should look green to gold green and be relatively thick. It must smell like fresh cut grass with a hint of lemon myrtle and crushed chestnuts. It must taste slightly bitter on the tip of the tongue and a bit peppery at the back of the palate.

It is important for any self-respecting consumer of olive oil to understand the facts about its quality, how it is produced or should be produced and what actually is its composition. We know that virgin olive oils are obtained only from olives by mechanical means under certain conditions that do not lead to any chemical alterations in the oil. The olives and the oil must not undergo any treatment other than washing, decantation, centrifugation and filtration. According to the IOC, the highly influential International Olive Council, the virgin olive oil is “the oil obtained solely from the fruit of the olive tree (Olea europaea), to the exclusion of oils obtained using solvents or re-esterification processes and of any mixture with oils of other kinds”.

At this point we should understand the olive tree varieties, which are called olive ‘Cultivars’. It is important to understand that there are differences in the trees, the places and climates they live in, the soil,

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temperature, the way they are cultivated and taken care off as well as the way they are harvested. Each cultivar is often representative of a specific region and thrives in similar conditions as its origin. They are chosen for the flavour, aroma, taste, flesh to pit ratio, oil yield, resistance to diseases and easiness to cultivate.

There are thousands of cultivars of the olive tree. Since many of these olive tree varieties are sterile, they are planted in pairs where a single primary cultivar is planted next to a secondary one which is selected for its ability to fertilize the first one.

Some particularly important cultivars of olive include: • Amfissa grown in Amfissa, central Greece near Delphi. Amfissa olives are “protected designation of origin” (PDO) and produce a very good quality olive oil. The olive groves of Amfissa contain over 1.3 million olive trees.

• Arbequina a small brown olive grown in Aragon and Catalonia, Spain.

• Barnea a modern cultivar bred in Israel. Barnea is widely grown in Israel and in the southern hemisphere, particularly Australia and New Zealand where it represents the largest cultivar.

• Cornicabra from Toledo, Spain, comprises about 12% of Spain’s production.

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• Frantoio and Leccino cultivars are the principal raw material for Italian olive oils from Tuscany.

• Hojiblanca from Córdoba, Spain.

• Kalamata or Calamon from the city of Kalamata, Greece is a table olive.

Kalamata olives like the Amfissa ones also enjoy PDO status.

• Koroneiki or Coronaiki from the southern Peloponnese, around Kalamata and Mani in Greece. This small olive which is difficult to cultivate is of exceptional quality. In Crete 80% of all the olive trees planted in over 125,000 hectares are of that variety. It is believed that this is the best oil producing variety in the world.

• Lucques from the south of France.

• Nabali from the Palestine, known locally as Baladi and along with the Souri and Malissi varieties represent the typical cultivars from the Middle East.

• Picual from southern Spain is the most widely cultivated olive in Spain and comprises about 50% of Spain’s and around 20% of the world’s olive production.

• Souri from Lebanon near the town of Sur is a variety widespread in the Levant.

• Tsounati and Throumbolia or Chondrolia from Crete are resistant to heat and cold and their oil is of excellent quality. Crete produces 35% of the Greek olive Oil, followed by the Peloponnese which produces around 25%.

These olive cultivars produce different tasting oils and therefore understanding its chemistry will answer some of the questions everyone has about quality, flavour and the point of difference. It is widely believed (and not only by the Greeks) that while Spain and Italy produce more olive oil than Greece, the Greek oil is actually of much higher quality and the Greeks, particularly the people of Crete, lead the way in organics. It is not a coincidence that up to 75% of the Greek olive oil is exported to Italy in bulk. High quality Greek oil only reaches consumers directly through relatively small ‘Estate’ firms and brands which are facing tough and often unfair competition. These Estate companies sell around 22,000 tonnes of high-quality product each year. And for those who are critical of the inability of the Greek oil industry and the Greek Government to stand up to the Italians and the Spanish, you must note that both those countries have a total commerce of over 550 billion euro each, while Greece’s is a small fraction of that.

Understanding its chemistry and the process of how it is produced will support the high quality claim for the Greek olive oil. The following few paragraphs are technical but necessary, as it is important to understand what actually olive oil is. Simply put olive oil is vegetable fat, pure monounsaturated fat, which happens to be good for you. It is composed mainly of triacylglycerols (triglycerides or fats) and small quantities of essential and necessary free fatty acids. It also contains small quantities of glycerol, phosphatides and sterols. Triacylglycerols are the major energy reserve for plants and animals.

aare acceptable for extra virgin olive oil however it has to be less than 0.9% as per the International Olive Council (IOC) guidelines.

Higher levels do not present a nutritional problem but the IOC uses the linolenic acid content level to establish the authenticity of the olive oil. Seed oils have much higher levels of linolenic acid.

FATTY ACIDS

Peroxides are the primary products of the olive oil oxidation. The olive oil oxidizes when it comes in contact with oxygen, auto-oxidation. The oxidation causes unpleasant flavour and odour and may adversely affect the nutritional value of the oil. Essential fatty acids are destroyed and certain fat soluble vitamins disappear.

Photo-oxidation occurs when the oil is exposed to light for lengthy periods.

The major fatty acids in olive oil - triacylglycerols, are: • Oleic Acid, a monounsaturated omega-9 fatty acid. It makes up from 55 to 83% of olive oil.

• Linoleic Acid, a polyunsaturated omega-6 fatty acid that makes up 3.5% of olive oil.

• Palmitic Acid, a saturated fatty acid that makes up 7.5% of olive oil.

FREE FATTY ACIDS (FFAs) AND ACIDITY

The free fatty acidity is a direct measure of the quality of the oil and reflects the care taken right from growing and harvesting to the eventual pressing, bottling and sale of the oil. The acidity in olive oil is the result of a chemical reaction called hydrolysis or lipolysis in which these free fatty acids are formed. Oil from poor quality fruit or fruit with fly infestation, delays and careless harvesting and extraction especially if the fruit has been bruised or damaged, fungal diseases in the fruit (gloesporium, macrophoma, etc.), prolonged contact between oil and vegetal water (after extraction) are causes of olive oil acidity and poor quality. Storing olives to facilitate oil release (as is the tradition in Portugal and other countries) will produce a lower quality and acidic olive oil.

POLYPHENOLS (ANTIOXIDANTS)

The flavenoid polyphenols (hydroxytyrosol, tyrosol) in olive oil are natural antioxidants that contribute to its bitter taste and resistance to oxidation.

They have been shown to have a host of beneficial effects particularly lowering cholesterol, blood pressure and the risk of coronary disease. The presence of these antioxidants is linked to the anticancer qualities of the olive oil as well as the longevity associated with it. There are as many as 5 mg of polyphenols in every ten grams of olive oil. Many other nut and seed oils have no polyphenols. The polyphenol content is determined by many factors such as: • The olive Variety. Koroneiki olives, for instance have a very high level of polyphenols, while the Arbequina’s content is low.

• Oil made from unripe olives has more polyphenols than oil made from ripe olives. The polyphenol concentration increases with fruit growth until the olives begin to turn purple. Then it begins to decrease.

• Environmental Factors such as altitude, cultivation practices and the amount of irrigation.

• Extraction Conditions and techniques used to enhance yield, such as heating the paste, adding water and increasing malaxation time will result in a loss of polyphenols.

• Storage Conditions, the type of containers and the length of storing are also key factors in the oil’s polyphenol content. Oil in storage tanks and in bottles will cause its polyphenols to slowly oxidize and be used up. When the antioxidants are used up the oil ages quickly. Oils stored in stainless steel containers or dark glass bottles, in cool conditions are much better protected against oxidation than those bottled in clear glass.

PEROXIDES

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HEADER

HEADARIS

It causes serious deterioration of the olive oil as it can be up to 30,000 times faster than auto-oxidation.

The more oxidized the oil, the more peroxides are present. Measuring the peroxides in olive oil is a very simple procedure. High quality extra virgin olive oils have negligible peroxide values which can be up to 10meq/kg. In order to be extra virgin, olive oil must have peroxide less than 20meq/kg.

to deliberately allow leaves in the mill to increase the “grassiness� of the oil. The colour of olive oil can vary from a light gold to a rich green. Green olives produce green oil because of the high chlorophyll content. Ripe olives yield yellow oil because of the yellow red carotenoid pigments. The exact combination and proportions of pigments determine the final colour

PIGMENTS AND COLOR

Fat soluble vitamins, such as the ones found in olive oil, are generally not broken down by cooking. Cured whole olives have both water and fat soluble vitamins.

Vitamin E (a natural antioxidant): Olives have 1.6mg or 2.3 IU (International Units) per tablespoon. One tablespoon provides 8% of the recommended daily allowance (RDA) of vitamin E. Vitamin K: The richest sources of vitamin K are green, leafy vegetables while vegetable oils such as olive oil are the second best source.

The unique colour of olive oil is due to pigments like chlorophyll, pheophytin and carotenoids. The presence of these pigments depends on factors such as the fruit ripeness, the olive variety, the soil and climatic conditions and of course the extraction and processing procedures.

Fresh olive oil contains chlorophyll between 1 and 10 parts per million.

This is miniscule compared to green leafy vegetables such as spinach.

Olives are invariably crushed with leaves still present, so some of the chlorophyll comes from that source. Some producers have been known

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VITAMINS

POLYCYCLIC AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS (PAHs)

CHRISTOS ANESTI

Burning cooking oils can increase the amounts of PAHs. The oil would have to be heated repeatedly and for extended periods to the smoking point. It is unlikely that, in home use, olive oil would be a significant source of PAHs.

FREEZING POINT

Olive oil will harden at refrigerator temperatures of around 2°C to 4°C. The heavier oil fats and waxes will form needle-like crystals as the temperature is lowered. At 4°C most of the olive oils would become cloudy but will not harden and will not form any crystals. At 2°C most will be firm enough that they cannot be poured but will be as soft as butter. As the temperature is lowered, more components of the oil will solidify. At minus -10°C the oil is hard enough that cannot be cut.

Freezing is the commercial process whereby some natural waxes are removed to keep the oil clear when stored on a cold shelf. It is used mostly for aesthetics.

Freezing olive oil will not harm it and will actually prolong its nutritional benefits and its flavour. It is a myth that the freezing point of olive oil can be used to predict whether it is olive oil, virgin or extra virgin.

THE PRODUCTION PROCESS Olives are ground into paste using large millstones (traditional method) or steel drums (modern method). When ground with millstones, the olive paste generally stays under the stones for 30 to 40 minutes. A shorter grinding process may result in a more raw paste that produces less oil and has a less ripe taste; a longer process may increase oxidation of the paste and reduce the flavour. In modern steel drum mills the grinding process takes about 20 minutes. The paste is then malaxed (slowly churned or mixed) for another 20 to 30 minutes in a particular container as to allow the oil drops to concentrate, which facilitates the mechanical extraction.

The oil is then extracted by pressure (traditional method) or centrifugation (modern method). In the traditional method the olive paste is spread on fibber disks, which are stacked on top of each other in columns and then placed into the press. Pressure is then applied to separate the vegetal liquid from the paste. This liquid contains a significant amount of water.

The water is separated from the oil in a second centrifugation. Traditionally

the oil was separated from the water by gravity (oil is less dense than water). This very slow separation process has been replaced by the second centrifugation, which is much faster and more accurate. The centrifuges have one exit for the watery part and one for the oil. The point and opinion expressed by some that centrifugation is not as good as the traditional method is not a valid argument. The chemical composition of the oil is not altered by either method as they are both mechanical. Olive oil must not contain significant traces of vegetal water as this will accelerate the process of organic degeneration by microorganisms. The separation in smaller oil mills is not always perfect and small deposits of solid particles can be found at the bottom of oil bottles. Sometimes the produced oil will be filtered to eliminate these solid particles which could reduce the shelf life of the product. Labels often indicate the fact that the oil has not been filtered. Unfiltered fresh olive oil has a slightly cloudy appearance. This olive that was popular only amongst small-scale producers but is now becoming trendy, in line with consumers’ demand for more ecological and less-processed products.

After extraction the remnant solid substance, called Pomace, still contains a small quantity of oil. The small quantity (about 5-10%) of oil cannot be extracted by further pressing, but only with the use of chemical solvents. This is done in specialised chemical plants and not in the oil mills. The resulting oil is not “virgin” or natural olive oil but an olive seed, “Pomace oil”.

The term “first press” sometimes found on bottle labels is technically meaningless as there is no “second” press. The cold refers to the temperature range of the fruit at the time it is crushed. The paste temperature increases through the extraction process (no added heat) above the environmental temperatures which can be as low as 10-15 °C as to extract the oil efficiently with only physical means. While it is important that the pressing temperatures be as low as possible (generally below 35 °C) there is no international reliable definition of ‘cold pressed’. Similarly the label term ‘cold-filtered’ on extra virgin olive oils has no significance since ‘cold filtering’ is not defined. All extra virgin olive oils should be extracted without added heat as to retain more nutrients.

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BATTLE OF CRETE HEADER 70th Anniversary HEADARIS

The Germans called it Operation Mercury.

We, the second generation Hellenes of Cretan descent know it as τη μάχη της Κρήτης - the Battle of Crete. Of all the military campaigns fought in Greece during WWII, the Battle of Crete will be remembered as one of the strongest acts of defiance against the Nazi aggressors.

THEY SHALL NOT GROW OLD Suda Bay Allied War Cemetery, Crete .

The cemetery is the last resting place of over1500 British Commonwealth troops killed in the Battle of Crete..

LEST WE FORGET

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lthough Nazi Germany eventually overran a nd occupied Greece's largest island, the Battle of Crete will always be the symbol of one of the most remarkable and courageous actions of resistance during the Second World War. It showed early in the war, that the Nazis were not invincible.

Australian, New Zealand British and Greek troops fought valiantly with their Cretan allies in the battle, which forged an eternal bond between the island's people and the ANZAC troops.

The strategic position of Crete was of paramount importance for Hitler in 1941, in order to gain a foothold in South-east Europe, and allow his troops to continue their campaign in North Africa.

On May 20 1941, the skies over Crete were

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By Tony Tsourdalakis

filled with German paratroopers. Thousands of troops from Hitler’s elite parachute regiment dropped to secure the three vital airfields on the island. The Allied forces fought valiantly to defend their positions. Many Cretans using ancient guns, and even knives and farm tools attacked the enemy. With limited ammunition and resources, Greek and Allied troops along with the Cretans fought gallantly side by side, containing the invaders at two of three locations targeted by the enemy. But in the west, after the Allies had inflicted huge casualties on the Germans, the key airfield of Maleme was lost within two days. From that point on, despite heroic actions to hold the enemy back, the Battle for Crete was lost.

After seven days of continuous fighting, the Germans had pushed the Allies into retreat, and

had captured strategically vital positions near Chania, Rethymno and Heraklion. Australian and other British Commonwealth troops and Cretans continued fighting even though defeat was inevitable. y June 1 1941, the Battle of Crete was over. The Allied surrender took place on the south coast, close to Sfakia. During the ten bitter days of fighting, 1751 Allied troops had been killed, including 274 Australians and 671 New Zealanders. More than 4000 Australian and New Zealand troops had been captured. After the surrender, the Cretans risked their lives providing food and shelter for the hundreds of troops who remained on the island, hiding them from the Nazi occupiers. In doing so, an enduring bond was forged between Greece and Australia. For the remaining four

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BATTLE OF CRETE 70th Anniversary

years of the Axis occupation of Crete, with Allied help, the Cretan events began in early May with an official reception, dinner, lecture, resistance took the fight to the occupying forces. In this period, German and photographic exhibition, as well as a Doxology parade and records alone put the wreath-laying ceremony.

German records alone put the number of Cretan civilians number of Cretan The program included executed by firing squad as 3,474 and at least a further 1,000 civilians executed by performances of dance firing squad as 3,474, were killed in massacres in 1944. Cretan sources put the actual groups and the visit of and at least a further the Cretan artist Stefanos 1,000 were killed in massacres in 1944. Cretan sources put the actual Vordonis. In addition, the Cretan patria from Australia travelled numbers as much higher. to Greece to accompany our Australian veterans for their last pilgrimage to Crete, to commemorate and relive the memories that forged the unbreakable ties that bond our nations. The program ach year we gather to commemorate and remember the began in Athens on May 18 and continued in Crete fromthe 19th to sacrifices of our forefathers and grandparents, so that we the 23rd of the month. Events in Crete included a visit to the Preveli may lead a peaceful and liberated life. This month, The Monastery, Maleme airfield, the Allied War Cemetery at Souda Bay, Pancretan Association of Melbourne has been commemorating the Tony Tsourdalakis is President of the Pancretan Association of Melbourne.

Stavromenos War Memorial, and the Australian Hellenic Memorial at 70th anniversary with events both in Melbourne and in Greece. These

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CRETANS AND ANZACS Crew of 459 Squadron RAAF with the Cretan family who hid them from the Germans during the occupation. After the Allied surrender, hundreds of ANZAC soldiers were protected by the Cretan people. Photo courtesy AWM.

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BATTLE OF CRETE 70th Anniversary

In March and April 1941, over 58,000 British and Commonwealth servicemen and women were sent to the defence of Greece. Of these, 17,125 were Australians.

The Greek Ambassador to Australia, His Excellency Mr Alexios Christopoulos presents Tom Morris with the ‘Greek Military Medal of Honour 1940-1941’.

The force as a whole suffered over 2,500 dead, 3,400 wounded and over 25,000 taken prisoner. Australian losses were 594 dead, 1,001 wounded and 5,132 prisoners of war.

Photograph Tom Andronas

Greece honours our Anzac Veterans

By Mike Sweet

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une 1 1941. 9.00 am. The village of the battle, like the rest of the Allied troops they that were part of the official 70th anniversary.

Komitades on the south coast of Crete. had to begin a desperate retreat - outgunned visit to Crete, organised by the Department of An Australian officer delivers the official and at the mercy the Luftwafffe in the virtually Veterans’ Affairs. surrender on behalf of all Allied forces to the uncontested skies of northern Greece. ix veterans returned to Greece and Crete Tom has cause to remember one of the Germans. After ten days of brutal combat. to participate in the commemorations.

Lieutenant Colonel Theo Walker, Commander countless air-raids on his unit with clarity. “I The Minister for Veterans’ Affairs, Warren of the 2/7th Battalion, is the most senior officer looked up and there was a Stuka about 150 feet Snowdon, led the party. Before embarking, Mr left on the besieged island, as the Germans above me - with three bombs coming at me. Snowdon said, “the Battles of Greece and Crete surround the thousands of Australian, Kiwi and It didn’t look very good,” he says, in the quiet resulted in strong bonds between Australia and understated way most vets talk about their the people of Greece, and that friendship has British troops left on the coast at Sfakia.

Seventy years later, the last ANZAC veterans experiences. “The bombs landed about 35 yards not wavered in the 70 years since. It endures of the Greek campaign are being in the hearts of the thousands of remembered - in Australia and “The bombs landed about 35 yards away. They Greeks who made their homes in Greece, where for the last time, were daisycutters – anti-personnel bombs. I got a Australia post-war. It will be an some of those who fought and honour to visit Greece with some great hunk of stone from the blast...” survived the Battle of Crete, have of the men who fought to defend made a final return to the place it.” where so many of their fellow soldiers made the away. They were daisycutters – anti-personnel Mr Snowdon said the Allies had been poorly ultimate sacrifice. In Melbourne this month, bombs. I got a great hunk of stone from the equipped to withstand the German onslaught His Excellency Mr Alexios Christopoulos, the blast, about the size of my fist which landed on in Greece in 1941, lacking aircraft and armour Greek Ambassador to Australia, bestowed my spine. I’ve carried a cracked vertebrae from and being outnumbered on the ground and in the Greek Military Medal of Honour 1940-1941’. that day to this.” How did he and his mates feel the air. “In spite of this, the Allies slowed down on three Victorians who served in Greece – a about what ended being a doomed campaign? the German advance, offering brave and locally “We all realised that we were sent there to successful resistance. When the force finally gesture that continues to prove the immense appreciation Greek society feels to the ANZACs bolster the Greek spirit and help them. We were evacuated the mainland, 320 Australians had who came to their assistance in the early days of sent over as a good will gesture but they knew been killed, with 494 wounded and more than full well that we’d have to evacuate. So many 2,000 taken prisoner. “Withdrawing to the island WWII. Tom Morris, born in 1916 in Gippsland, was sacrificed their lives.” At the medal ceremony of Crete, the Allied troops attempted to fight off one of the recipients. Tom was a Private in the which took place at the Greek Consul for an airborne invasion. A further 274 Australians Australian 2/5th Battalion which fought on Victoria’s residence, Tom was overcome with were killed and over 3,000 taken prisoner in the mainland. “PBI,” the old soldier says with emotion and gratitude. “I’m very proud to defending Crete. But Australia’s losses paled in a chuckle, “Poor Bloody Infantry!” The 2/5th accept it, said the modest but proud Anzac comparison with those suffered by the Greeks, disembarked at Pireaus and headed for the veteran. “It’s a wonderful gesture.” Other with an estimated 500,000 Greek and Cretan lives Front, only to find that as soon as they arrived at guests at the ceremony included two veterans lost during the war. The tenacity and courage of

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the Greek and Cretan people was seen first hand by our troops, many fighting side by side.” r Snowdon added, “I hope this mission will help raise community awareness of the service and sacrifice of Australians and their Greek counterparts in this campaign.” The two-week mission left for Greece from Sydney on the 15th of May and were supported by a small administrative and medical team. The veterans who made the trip included: Alfred ‘Alf ’ Carpenter ED, from Newcastle, NSW. Alf served with the 2/4th Battalion and was wounded during the Battle for Crete defending the Heraklion airfield against the invading German paratroopers; Arthur Leggett from Perth. served with the 2/11th Battalion. At the end of the Battle of Crete, he became a POW in Germany before being transferred to Poland before being liberated by the Americans; George William ‘Bill’ Taylor MID, from Bremer Bay, WA. George also served with the 2/11th Battalion and became a POW. Taken to Austria, George made a series of unsuccessful escape attempts before, in the closing weeks of the war, he made a break and was picked up by American troops.

From Bateau Bay, on the central coast of NSW, Daniel ‘Dan’ Bowden MID, also made the trip.

Dan served as an air-gunner on HMAS Perth’s reconnaissance aircraft. The aircraft operated from Crete in support of the Navy and the 6th Division. wo veterans from Victoria were also in the Minister’s group. Basil Hayler, from Ferntree Gully, and Norm Maddock OAM from Melbourne. Basil was born in Werribee in 1921 and enlisted in the Royal Australian Navy in 1938, aged 16. He

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served on HMAS Perth. The Perth was involved in the thick of the Battle for Greece, taking part in the naval Battle of Cape Matapan in March 1941, and in the evacuation of troops from the mainland, before seeing action against the German seaborn component of the invasion of Crete. Basil remembers the final evacuation from Crete, picking up the exhausted troops from Sfakia as the Germans closed in. “We had to sneak in in the middle of the night in almost total silence,” says Hayler. “They were very tired and wounded and hungry. We gave them hot cocoa and food.” Basil will return to Crete for the first time since that fateful night 70 years ago. “I’m sure a lot of people don’t realize what the Navy did. We lost a lot of ships and a lot of sailors.”

Norm Maddock enlisted in the Army in June 1940, aged 17, and served with the 2/7th Battalion. Evacuated to Crete from the mainland in April 1941, Norm remembers the German gliders landing on May 20 near Georgiopolis. Like others of his Battalion, he was present at the charge at 42nd Street a week later. How does he feel about the doomed campaign after all these years? “A lot of things fell apart,” says Norm quietly. Pressed as to whether the fault lay with the generals in Crete, or with a flawed campaign strategy as a whole, Norm Maddock replies, “It’s not for me to say.

I’ve got my own ideas.”

Maddock’s 2/7th Battalion formed part of the rearguard as the Allies retreated to Sfakia in the final days of Battle of Crete. Ironically the 2/7th was left behind. Though he evaded capture for a short time after the surrender, he was eventually taken prisoner, before escaping from a POW camp on the island. He finally

escaped from Crete by commandeering a boat, and after a perilous sea voyage, landed on the coast of North Africa.

The 70th anniversary of the Battle of Crete marks the last occasion when the surviving veterans will return to the island together in any number. The events that occurred in Greece in 1941 are about to pass from living memory, but the actions of these men should and will never be forgotten.

Basil Hayler in 1941.

Basil was a sailor on HMAS Perth.

The Royal Navy accompanied by the Royal Australian Navy suffered huge casualties during the Battle of Greece, with over 1800 sailors killed.

Norm Maddock was a private with the 2/7th Battalion who, after evacuation from Kalamata, fought on Crete.

The Battalion was an expert infantry unit and formed the

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BATTLE OF CRETE 70th Anniversary

Tsikalrion Street This nondescript road on the outskirts of Chania hides the secret of one of the least known, but most valourous actions in ANZAC history.

Remembering 42nd Street

The road above is in Crete, just outside Chania. Unremarkable at first glance, it is the site of one of the most valourous actions in the pantheon of Anzac history. With nothing to mark what happened here on the 27th May 1941, a campaign has begun to erect a memorial to those who took part in ‘the charge at 42nd Street’, a vital chapter in the story of the Anzacs who fought and fell in Greece.

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By Mike Sweet

eventy years ago, the Battle of Crete ended with the Allied surrender at the village of Komitades on the south coast of Crete. The 70th anniversary commemorates the sacrifice of thousands of soldiers and Cretan civilians, who fought for the strategically vital island in 1941. The story of how Australians, New Zealanders and other British Commonwealth troops fought gallantly to the bitter end in Crete, against overwhelming odds, is widely acknowledged, along with the huge sacrifice of the Cretan people themselves. As the last surviving veterans mark the 70th anniversary, today the events of May 1941 in Crete are about to pass from living memory. Last November I wrote an article for The Age, about the daughter of Reg Saunders -the first Indigenous soldier to be made an officer in the Australian Army who took part in the Battle of Crete - returning to the island. In 1941, Saunders - a Gunditjmara man from Lake Condah in Victoria, then a 21 year-old private with the 2/7 Battalion, arrived in Crete, having been evacuated from the mainland of Greece on April 27. The Battle of Crete began just just over three weeks later, with the German airborne invasion, and raged for ten days before the Allies were defeated, but Saunders’ involvement with Crete would go on far longer.

In the battle itself, once the Germans had control of the vital Maleme airfield, won at huge cost to themselves in the first days of fighting

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(over 1800 German paratroops were killed in the first 24 hours alone), the Battle of Crete was decided. From that point on, the Allies were in perpetual retreat, fighting a gruelling rearguard action that allowed thousands of allied troops to be evacuated.

Ironically, Saunders and many of those who had fought in the rearguard were left behind. Saunders then remained on Crete for nearly a year, like hundreds of others - on the run, protected by the Cretan people.

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n October 2010, I was priveliged to travel with Reg Saunders’ surviving daughters, Glenda Humes (Chief Executive of the South West Aboriginal Medical Service in Perth), and sisters Judith Standen and Dorothy Burton, to visit the village of Labini, south of Rethymno, to meet the Cretans who gave refuge to their father. The villagers, now in the eighties, were children when they met Saunders.

They taught him Greek, gave him food and treated him as if he was a brother. Seventy years later they still fondly remember the young man they nicknamed ‘Rengis’. It was during this poignant visit that I accompanied Glenda and her sisters to the site of a particular action that their father had taken part in during the battle. It is called ‘the charge at 42nd Street’ and it is one of the least known, and most valorous actions, in the pantheon of Anzac legend. Coincidentally, it is also the location where Reg Saunders knowingly killed his first enemy

HEADER

HEADARIS soldier, an action that filled the sensitive young warrior with remorse.

The dignity and humanity of Reg Saunders was evident even then.

Years later, he reflected on the incident.

“I can remember feeling for a moment that it was just like shooting a kangaroo…just as remote. When I got there I was terribly sorry about it.

I looked at him and he was a blonde, blue-eyed bloke, because his eyes were still open – blood was still running out of him – out of his mouth.

Awful experience… I rolled him over to have a look at him and I thought ‘Jesus you’re about the same age as me’. I wish I could say ‘Come on old fellow, get up and let’s get on with the bloody game’ you know… thinking football.”†

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2nd Street was the name given by the Allied troops to a country lane surrounded by olive groves, south west of the village of Suda, near Chania.

On the night of May 26 1941, hundreds of Anzac soldiers pulled back and dug in along the lane, facing west; the direction from which the enemy would continue their unrelenting advance. The Anzacs were exhausted, having been pushed back by the Germans at every turn during the previous days. At around 11am on the morning of the 27th, the Germans appeared in the distance. They were mountain troops of the 141st Gebirgsjäger Regiment, an elite unit of fresh reinforcements, made up of volunteers.

Unknowingly they advanced towards the Anzacs. Official records have always been unable to confirm whether it was Reg’s 2/7th or the NZ

28 Maori Battalion who began the action, but one story, one image, would forever symbolise the dramatic events that unfolded as the Anzacs engaged with the enemy.

A young Maori rose from his position. With one hand on his hip and a clip of ammunition in the other, the Maori began to lead the Ka Mate haka. As his ancient war cry rang out, the New Zealanders and Australians, bayonets fixed, charged, as one. The Anzacs screamed as they pelted along through the olive trees, as much to stiffen their own spirits as to frighten the enemy. Taken totally by surprise, the enemy fled in mortal fear and disarray. In the brutal pursuit that followed, between 200 and 300 German troops were bayoneted, shot or bludgeoned to death.

The Anzacs lost around fifty men.

This is the shell What took place casing (actual size) of the bullet fired at 42nd Street was from a Lee-Enfield one of the few rifle - standard issue occasions during for the Anzac trrops on Crete, found by the ten day battle Reg Saunders’ family when the Germans in Octobber 2010 at were pushed the site of the 42nd Street charge. into retreat. The action had major consequences in the endgame of the Battle of Crete, buying precious time for the evacuating troops to get to the beaches.

Today, the lane that was 42nd Street is known as Tsikalarion.

It’s an unremarkable road in a nondescript industrial suburb of Chania.

VALOUR AND SACRIFICE

Troops of the NZ Maori 28 Battalion perform the Haka in Egypt for the King of Greece in 1941.

Above centre, Reg Saunders and members of the 2/7th Battalion on leave in Australia.

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TAXIDI TRAVEL

Not even the smallest road sign, let alone a memorial of any kind, has been erected to honour the victors or vanquished at 42nd Street. Most of the olive groves alongside are long gone, but a few small fields of ancient trees survive. It was in one of those fields last November that Rod Standen, Glenda’s brother-in-law, found a remarkable memento.

In the red earth among overgrown weeds, Rod found a battered brass shell-casing. On the family's return to Australia, analysis of the casing at the Australian War Memorial confirmed it is from a Lee Enfield rifle, standard issue for the Anzac troops on Crete. “There is no question at all that the casing is from a .303 inch Short Magazine Lee-Enfield,” says Nick Fletcher, Acting Head of the AWM’s Military Heraldry and Technology Above, Glenda Humes, eldest living daughter of Reg Saunders in Crete, October 2010. Glenda’s plan is for Department. “I don’t think there can be much doubt, given the location a memorial to be erected at the site of the 42nd Street where it was collected, that this one dates from the Second World War. charge by the 71st anniversary of the Battle of Crete.

Indeed, given that it was found on the old 42nd Street positions, I don’t Archive stills courtesy AWM Collection. think there is any reason to doubt that it was fired by an Australian or a marble plinth. Estimated to cost $25,000, and to be in place by the New Zealand soldier on 27 May 1941.”

71st anniversary, discussions have begun with the Greek authorities to find a location on publicly-owned land on Tsikalria Street. Last month The experience of visiting this sacred site moved Glenda and her sisters the Chania Prefecture has confirmed their support for the project. Now immensely. Glenda feels the finding of the bullet-casing was meant to comes the job of getting the funding in place. happen. “Somehow, it was waiting for us” says Glenda. Six months later, Discussions with the RSL and its equivalent in New Zealand have the effect of the visit to the site is still very clear in her mind. “We were begun, as well as the Department of Veterans’ Affairs. “We’re looking overawed by it all. It was just an incredible feeling. You feel them still for sponsorship and also we’re very keen to seek donations” says Glenda there, their spirits are still there. Once I began to understand fully what “ If people gave a hundred bucks, or even fifty bucks, we’ll get there in happened at that place, the involvement of the Maoris, the part it played no time.” This month, some of the last surviving veterans will travel to in my father’s life… how it gave the troops who were in retreat breathing Greece, to remember their fallen comrades, their mates who did not space, I felt there has to be some recognition of the gallantry and sacrifice grow old, who age did not weary. There is no more fitting occasion for shown that day.” The type of memorial planned is a bronze plaque on Glenda’s campaign to begin.

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one faMiLy, their Story

TAXIDI TRAVEL

A CelebrAtion of DArwin’s Greek Community

Forty years

Forty the A Celebration of

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TAXIDI TRAVEL

Today this region of Turkey has some of the best untouched and unspoilt classical Greek and Roman ruins in the Mediterranean.

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TRAVEL

TOUCHDOWN TOURS AND HARVEY WORLD TRAVEL OAKLEIGH HAVE JOINED FORCES TO PRESENT A FASCINATING EXPLORATION OF ASIA MINOR.

BY JAQUI PREKETES, MANAGING DIRECTOR OF TOUCHDOWN TOURS

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S A SPECIALIST wholesale tour operator into the Eastern Mediterranean region, Touchdown Tours have joined forces with Harvey World Travel Oakleigh, to create a unique philosophy tour of Turkey, departing 25th September 2011 from Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane. Flights will be with Emirates Airlines, and there will be the opportunity to stopover in Dubai on the way home for those who wish to do so.

Escorted by philosophy teacher Manolis Skoutas, this 12-day tour will commence in Istanbul and gradually make its way to the southern coastal region of Lycia, where the extraordinarily well-preserved Greco-Roman ruins will provide the perfect environment for Manolis to facilitate several philosophical dialogues. There will, of course, be ample time to simply explore the sites and take in the main tourist attractions, such as Aghia Sophia Mosque, the Blue Mosque, Antalya, Ephesus and certainly plenty of opportunities to haggle with the locals in the old bazaars scattered around Turkey. A day-cruise to the pristine coastal islands from Fethiye is also included in a traditional Turkish vessel known as a gulet.

“Lycia is an ancient land that has been inhabited for centuries by people who developed a wonderful culture of learning,” says Manolis. “Today this region of Turkey has some of the best untouched and unspoilt classical Greek and Roman ruins in the Mediterranean. These ruins are easily accessible and provide a wealth of material for our dialogues, as they encompass topics such as theatre and art, the tombs of Fethiye, sport, economics and politics. The locals are hospitable, proud and knowledgeable about their ancient heritage. The natural beauty of the region is outstanding and the Lycian Way has become a pilgrimage for walkers of all ages across the world for many years now.”

Each philosophical dialogue in Lycia will take around 60 to 90 minutes, and will be one in which Manolis, as a professional philosophy teacher,

will use the narrative of the classical ruins as a stimulus for the discussions.

“The purpose of the communal dialogue is not to make meaning in a rigorous way, but more so to give participants the practical skills to be more philosophical in their thinking once the tour is complete,” he says.

The ancient Greeks respected and admired the ancient Lycians for their passionate desire for freedom and independence. Amongst the philosophers who walked and taught in ancient Lycia are Epicurus of Samos, Diogenes of Oenoanda, Socrates and Proclus. “Lycia was a region in which Epicurean schools of philosophy were established to consider and develop an understanding of many questions which are still pondered today. What constitutes the good life? Is suffering necessary? Can we live communally? What is the role of contemplation or meditation? Does God exist? Epicurus of Samos (341-270 BC) taught that happiness is possible if we live modestly. The Epicurean stoas (which you will visit on this tour) still display the original philosophical inscriptions of his school, which advise bystanders how to achieve happiness. For example, one inscription reads No fearing God. No fearing Death. Good is attainable.

Evil is endurable.”

Touchdown Tours and Harvey World Travel Oakleigh invite you to experience the inspiration of ancient Lycia on this tour, and dialogue on the same ethical questions still relevant for contemporary living. Reflect, learn and participate like the ancient Greek philosophers who taught, lived and journeyed here. The historical and powerful legacy serves as the modern backdrop for our ponderings. Manolis’ love for Lycia and the nature of dialogue will ignite your innermost heart and mind.We warmly welcome you to experience A Lycian Dialogue. Please contact Peter Razos of Harvey World Travel Oakleigh on 9563 1566 for a full dossier, and to reserve your place on one of our information nights.

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PIONEERS PIONEERS

Leo Fender Illustration by Dean Psaros

PIONEERS HEADER HEADARIS PIONEERS

The Greek American who changed popular music forever

By Dean Psaros

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HERE DO YOU start and where do you end with a name like Fender? It is without doubt the most iconic name associated with rock ‘n’ roll and American based popular music. To think that it was all started in the 1940s by a Greek American inventor called Clarence Leonidas “Leo” Fender (1909-1991).

To try to fathom the impact that Fender has made on modern music, you need only look at an endless list of the famous (and infamous) musicians who have used their instruments and amplifiers; legends such as Muddy Waters, Buddy Holly, Luther Perkins, Dick Dale, Waylon Jennings, Merle Haggard, Buddy Guy, Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Keith Richards, Jeff Beck, Pete Townshend, Rory Gallagher, Bruce Springsteen, Ritchie Blackmore, Joe Strummer, Stevie Ray Vaughan, The Edge and Kurt Cobain. These are only the tip of the iceberg. The list goes on and on and on; though to get a better appreciation of Fender’s far spread and influence, it’s best to get to know a little bit about the evolution of the guitar and its use in American music.

Or as they say, in order to go forward, we need to go back, way back.

Prior to the 1950s most bands regardless of musical style, whether it was jazz, western swing, rhythm and blues, honky tonk or bluegrass, were large groups with many members that used various instruments. The guitar was not really used as an upfront instrument, apart from old country blues, like Charley Patton & Robert Johnson or gypsy jazz, like Django Reinhardt, of which both styles used acoustic guitars. In the various types of jazz and early rhythm and blues it was the saxophone, trumpet and piano that provided most of the melody, in bluegrass the melody was provided by banjos, mandolins and violins/fiddles, in honky tonk and western swing it was lap steel slide guitar and fiddles that provided the main melodies, with western swing being an exception where they did use the guitar upfront in some songs. Generally speaking though the guitar was used mainly as accompaniment.

In the late 1940s and early 1950s that all started to change with the advent of the small band combos of just guitar, bass and drums and Fender was at the forefront of it all. Fender knew that he could improve on the amplified hollow body guitars that were commonly used in the 40s by designing and building the worlds first commercially mass produced solid body guitar. Around the same time the great Mr Les Paul was developing a solid body at another guitar company called Epiphone, but it was Fender that officially got his out, and it was the classic Telecaster which used a two pickup set up.

The initial single pickup model appeared in 1950 and was called the Esquire, but later that same year that model was discontinued, and a two-pickup model was named the Broadcaster, but Gretsch had a line of drum kits called Broadkaster, so Fender decided to rename the guitar to the Telecaster.

The year 1951 was a massively significant one in not only Fender’s history, but the history of music in general. Apart from the Telecaster, Fender also introduced the first ever electric bass with the Fender Precision, which could be played at louder volumes than the acoustic hollow body upright basses. The upright basses made a beautiful sound, but at the time they were getting lost beneath the mix of the other instruments, and an electric bass shaped like a guitar was the perfect way for it to be easily amplified.

The bass was named the Fender Precision because unlike the fretless upright basses, Fender added frets, hence it could be played with precision. In reality though the Precision bass and other electric basses didn’t take over the upright basses until the late 1950s and early 60s, but in 1951 the wheels were set in motion.

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In the 1940s, Leo with his original partner Clayton ‘Doc’ Kauffman would tinker and play around with small amplifiers, which lead to another major development for modern music in 1951, the release of the classic amplifier, the Fender Bassman which was then followed in 1952 by the legendary Twin Amp; two products which basically set the standard for modern amplifiers. It was from this point on that, what we know as rock ‘n’ roll or the modern rock combo began to take shape. Whether it was the African Americans with their scorching hot rhythm and blues, or the white southern Americans who would mix rhythm and blues with hillbilly styles of music to create rockabilly, one thing was certain, the big bands of the past were changing and within a few short years most bands regardless of colour were stripping it down to the basics of just vocals, guitar, bass and drums, with the saxophone and piano still being featured in some bands. So with the advent of the solid body guitar such as the Telecaster and powerful amps like the Fender Twin Amp, the revolution had begun and music had changed forever. Basically speaking, as opposed to the big bands of the era, electric Fender instruments made it possible for smaller groups of musicians to get together and be heard.

The early 1950s were a magic time for Fender, who along with his staff of George Fullerton, Freddy Tavares and Forrest White would build instruments and amplifiers to great acclaim. But they were legendary for asking for and receiving feedback from professional musicians about how they could improve certain things. After the success of the Telecaster, Fender turned its attention to designing

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an entirely new guitar, that would focus on adding more tonal options (more pickups), and to add an efficient vibrato unit.

The legendary Stratocaster made it’s first appearance in 1954. It was beautiful to look at but it was also a massive leap forward in electric guitar design and sound. It was an ingeniously functional guitar that incorporated many design innovations based on feedback from pro musos, Fender staff and Leo Fender himself. The Stratocaster’s three single coil pickups offered more tonal possibilities than the Telecaster’s two pickups, but most important change however was the addition of the new Fender “synchronized tremolo” (vibrato) bridge, an innovation that let guitarists bend strings without the guitar going out of tune.

A massively influential guitar in rock music, it seems to fit into any rock genre with ease, as it feels just as at home in twangy, reverb soaked surf rock, like in Dick Dale’s classic surf rendition of the Greek rebetiko classic, Miserlou, or check out Australia’s own legendary surf band The Atlantics with their classic song Bombora, with duelling Stratocasters played by Jim Skiathitis and Theo Penglis, plus Bosco Bosanac’s Fender Precision bass, or in Jimi Hendrix’s groundbreaking use of overdrive and distortion, and even in classic heavy metal with Yngwie Malmsteen and all three of Iron Maiden’s guitarists,

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Dave Murray, Adrian Smith and Janick Gers, using Strats, while Maiden’s influential bass player Steve Harris is rarely seen without his Precision bass. Basically the Stratocaster became and remains the world’s most popular and influential electric guitar.

In the late 1950s and early to mid 60s, Fender developed and introduced many more classic instrument and amplifier designs, including the Jazzmaster guitar in 1958, the Jazz Bass guitar in 1960, the Jaguar guitar in 1962, and classic amplifiers such as the Twin Reverb and Deluxe Reverb.

As the name suggests, the Jazzmaster was designed with jazz guitarists in mind, but ironically it was adopted mainly by surf rock players. Also Johnny Cash’s long time guitarist Luther Perkins was mainly known to use a Telecaster which suited Cash’s twangy sound perfectly, but he was also one of the first to play with a Jazzmaster.

Apart from surf rock guitarists and Luther Perkins, the Jazzmaster is mainly associated with bands of the late 70s post-punk era like, The Cure and Elvis Costello and 1980s alternative rock outfits such as Sonic Youth, My Bloody Valentine, Dinosaur Jr and The Pixies. In 1962 the similar looking but tonally different Jaguar was specifically designed for surf rock. It is now mostly associated with Kurt Cobain of Nirvana. The Jazzmasters and Jaguars became popular in the alternative rock scene because unlike original Stratocasters and Telecasters (which cost an arm and a leg) you could still buy those models relatively cheap.

It was basically a good way to own an original 1960s built Fender without breaking the bank.

In 1965 due to declining health, Leo decided to sell Fender to CBS. He went on to start a new guitar company with his friend and partner George Fullerton and called it G and L, for George and Leo. It is however in his humble beginnings in the late 1930s in Fullerton, California where he opened his shop - Fender’s Radio Service as a repair shop and retail outlet. As a small-time inventor he unknowingly set out a course that would change the music world. His simple designs were geared towards mass-production, which also made it a lot easier to fix anything that had broken.

For instance, instead of glueing on the necks to the bodies as traditionally done by guitar luthiers, he would bolt them on.

This not only made it easier for production, but allowed the neck to be quickly removed and serviced, or replaced entirely.

The influence of Leo Fender on the world of music is absolutely astounding: from his world-first introduction of the solid body guitar to his groundbreaking amplifiers and pioneering electric basses.

These products changed the way music was played and conveyed to an audience. How amazing it is to think that a Greek American created the most iconic instruments and amplifiers of all time, and literally changed the face of popular music forever. Leo Fender passed away in 1991 at the age of 82. He will be remembered forever.

His legacy is so utterly massive that he will never be forgotten.

A big thank you to thank Jason Farrell (Public Relations Manager) at Fender for all his help with this article.

For more information go to www.fender.com

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EL A H MIC LEY’S EDG

Celebrating 50 years of Family Entertainment

ALL NEW

BOOK NOW

•

Featuring amazing acts from Russia and around the world • Beatutiful state of the art tent with individual seating BRIMBANK 18 - 29 MAY (Booking open) Adj Brimbank Central Shopping Centre - Station Rd WED THUR FRI SAT SUN SUN

18 & 25 MAY: 7.30pm 19 & 26 MAY: 7.30pm 20 & 27 MAY: 7.30pm 21 & 28 MAY: 1pm, 4pm 7.30pm 22 MAY: 12 Noon 3pm 29 MAY: 12 Noon

www.MoscowCircus.com.au or Ticketek.com.au

FAMILY PASS $120 ‘A’ RESERVE (2 Adults 2 Children) From $16 child $25 Adult ‘B’ RESERVE only available 1 hour prior to show times Booking fees apply

TICKETEK 132 849 (132 TIX) 0429 MOSCOW (0429 667 269)

Transport information call Metlink 131 638 MetlinkMelbourne.com.au

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SPARTANS SPECTACULAR Spartans, strike a pose!

It was the perfect end to the perfect day. With their first victory of the 2011 season, the Hawthorn Spartans celebrated in style at the eclectic Stars International Reception in Preston, Melbourne with friends, family, sponsors and supporters. Over 350 people were treated to a night of football-inspired fun, spearheaded by guest speaker and staunch Spartan supporter, Collingwood legend Peter Daicos.

MC and all round great guy, Ross Alatsas of the Greek Media Group was on hand to run the evening, which went off with a bang. There were auctions, a huge cash donation by the Spartans to Fronditha Aged Care of $1650 and copious amounts of Greek dancing.

Team accountant and event coordinator, Mr George Demetriou was thrilled at the turnout and the support shown by one and all, especially the sponsors of the team, with major sponsors, Bank of Cyprus Australia and OPA! Magazine on hand to show their respective support.

The Bank of Cyprus Australia team ALWAYS there to support

This was the first official Spartan event of 2011, and judging by the turnout and the support, it will be the first of many.

GO SPARTANS!

FRED rules Human Rights are Aussie Rules An education program teaching young people about human rights through the metaphor of sport • FRED’s Fair Play Theatre Production • Human Rights are Aussie Rules Workshop • Handball for Human Rights Game - great for festivals, fetes and fairs SEE THE PlAy AnD BOOK nOW OnlInE www.humanrightsareaussierules.org.au

FREEDOM, RESPECT, EQUALITY, DIGNITY This project is supported by

On the mic the one and only Ross Alatsas!

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“A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step” - Lao Tzu

NIK HALIK :

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“Make your life an EPIC extraordinary adventure” - Nik Halik

F

OR ME IT was a dream come true. I’d heard about him, read about him and his achievements, read his book and I felt like I already new him. So when Nik Halik came to town I was definitely not going to miss out on meeting this living legend.

Nik Halikopoulos, as he was originally known, hails from Port Melbourne, Victoria, but now has properties in L.A. Greece, Morocco and across Australia where he likes to spend his time. He has been to the edge of space to view the Earth’s curvature in a MIG25, landed on the bow of the RMS Titanic and has climbed some of the highest mountains in the world, including Everest. He is also the first ever Australian civilian astronaut to be qualified as such.

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The final frontier?

For most, but likely not for Nik!

?

L A E D NO BIG

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NICK HALIK’s TOP 10 1. To walk on the moon 2. To go and live on a space station 3. To become an astronaut 4. To own beautiful places all over the world 5. To travel to more than 100 countries 6. To go to the bottom of the ocean and eat lunch on the Titanic 7. To climb the world’s highest mountains 8. To run with the bulls in Spain 9. To become a millionaire 10. To become a rock star

He is set to become the first ever Australian and private space explorer to rocket to the International Space Station.

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention, he was also the lead guitarist of the enormously popular 1980s Glam Rock band, Big Deal, but that pales to insignificance when we look at what else Nick has achieved.

Pretty impressive for a young man who grew up almost totally sheltered and isolated, only with the moon as a companion, and the world book encyclopedia set his parents bought him, as his friend.

“It all began with my TOP 10 list, Steve,” explains Nick. “I created a list of the TOP 10 things I wanted to do in life and convinced myself that I would do whatever I needed to, to achieve them. I was eight at the time, so anything seemed possible. It was part fantasy, part reality.”

Nick Halik is truly one of a kind. He is known globally as The Thrillionaire, but he is so much more. He is the founder and CEO of the Financial Freedom Institute, Lifestyle Revolution, LLC, Money Masters Global, The Thrillionaires and co-founder of iCoach Global. He is a global wealth strategist, entrepreneur, international speaker, high-adrenalin adventurer and best-selling author.

He is also now a regular contributor to OPA! Magazine with his Who wants to be a Thrillionaire? column on p74. Nick has achieved so much in such a relatively short period of time overcoming huge obstacles and against all odds.

When everyone thought he’d never amount to much, the boy knew in

his heart, as he lay isolated in his room, staring at the moon, that he would one day ‘make it’, that he would one day fulfill all his dreams, that he would one day walk on the moon, and he is almost there.

A picture is worth a thousand words and in the context of this magazine there is no way I could even attempt to do justice to Nick’s amazing tale of adventure. I could not even scratch the surface.

How do you squeeze in a lifetime of achievements and accomplishments into the limited pages of a publication. In Nick’s case, it is such an extraordinary life that you’d need to write a book about it. Thankfully he has and I urge you to all go out a grab yourselves a copy, for all the juicy and in-depth analysis of Nick’s world, his life and accomplishments.

The Thrillionaire by Nick Halik, is a no-holds-barred autobiography that will not only allow you to deeply connect with Nick, but there is so much treasure in there, that you are bound to walk away with something of value that you can apply to your life, each and every day. I know. I did and continue to do so, each time I read it.

As well as this you can follow Nick’s exclusive words of wisdom and advice in OPA! Magazine every month with our regular Who wants to be a Thrillionaire? column. In case you’re wondering, Nick has fulfilled all but items 1 and 2 of his ‘TO DO’ list, but is working on them as we speak.

FOLLOW NICK’S LATEST ADENTURES@ nikhalik.com

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WHO WANTS TO BE A

“Make your life an epic extraordinary adventure.”

N

By Nik Halik

o matter what a person’s status or level of achievement in society, those who have reached a pinnacle of success in life do not rest on their laurels. No person can become so astute in any mental faculty, that they are not able to further raise their level of awareness.

and wealth prosperity. You will discover the path to greatness and the formula for reaching your peak potential. With the absolute awakening of this principle, your mental faculties will be intelligently sculptured and coherently aligned towards infinite greatness.

The media has dubbed me the world’s foremost ‘Thrillionaire’.

The most powerful prosperity tool is wisdom, and by increasing it, your wisdom will always manifest a corresponding compounding increase in wealth. Hence, we are born to evolve and thrive on change in order to A Thrillionaire is one of a new breed of individuals living life on their harness new energies and opportunities. own terms. They are moneyed travellers seeking high-octane adventure and fun. Thrillionaires are individuals who understand the thrill of My new monthly wealth and lifestyle column in OPA! Magazine giving, and share their stories, so that others will become inspired to will communicate to your inner emotions and stir the fires of become Thrillionaires themselves. Just like an inner compass guiding your soul. It will enrich your life and guide you to the keys of mind them towards their destination.

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“A Thrillionaire is one of a new breed of individuals living life on their own terms.”

Each month I will share with you regarding my self-discovery, the exploration of my identity and mission in life. It is about wisdom I have embraced from various mentors in my life and the vision that has established my system of empowering beliefs. I created a model of the world, a map of the world that allowed me to perceive the greatest number of available choices and perspectives. I sincerely invite you to immerse yourself and share my powerful monthly insights with others.

Soon you will have the assignment of opportunity to re-program the most powerful computer in the world - your mind, in order to become prosperous. Your mind will develop into an ‘image maker’, governed by universal law. It is mandatory for us to cultivate our mind, hence allowing it to blossom beyond our expectations. I sincerely believe that this is the secret of happiness, where we truly find what we dearly love to do and then direct all of our energy towards doing it. Once we find out what our life’s work is, we transform and undergo a sea of change and feel alive. We wake up every morning with a limitless reservoir of energy and

enthusiasm for life.

Welcome to the life of a Thrillionaire. Look around. There is an abundance of thrills to be experienced. The quality of our thinking determines the quality of our life. We need to collect our change every day and give it to something that warms our heart. Everybody has a gift to give. If you put coins in somebody else’s parking meter, send money to a child in need, sponsor endangered animals, collect change for UNICEF, give away your personal belongings to charity, lead an exhilarating heart pounding adventurous lifestyle or write a check for a massive cash donation, you are a Thrillionaire.

Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop to look once in a while, you’ll miss it. In the end it just comes down to one thing. You can’t run from the wind.

You face reality. You face the world. Untie the mooring lines of limiting beliefs that hold you back from success. You trim your sails and maintain momentum. I encourage you to set sail on a voyage of evolution. I look forward to greeting you on the other side. Live with passion and dare to dream. Make your life an epic extraordinary adventure.

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FRONDITHA FRONDITHA

BEYOND BONEGILLA WHY AUSTRALIA’S NATION BUILDERS NEED OUR HELP

European migration changed Australian life. Our nation builders are now ageing and their contributions are being silenced by their seamless integration into Australian life

BY MARTHA KARATSIORIS

M

y father’s national records tell an unremarkable story.

Born in Greece in 1940, he came to Australia on Qantas under the Intergovernmental European Migrant Scheme.

I found his archive online, among so many other seemingly unremarkable records and thought; how can the complex histories of so many be summed up so simply in ten words?

Like over 300,000 migrants, he was taken to Bonegilla; a converted army base which became the largest Migration Reception Centre in Australia. This wide, open space became their first Aussie home. Men and women were housed separately - families lived apart. Men were sent to work in remote areas, industrial regions and factories while their families waited at Bonegilla until they found a real home to share.

Bonegilla was not the same for everyone that passed through.

Depending on where they came from, their experience was different.

Some migrants were displaced and were thankful for the shelter provided, and the chance of a new life, while others that had left jobs and a home, felt duped. How they saw and understood Bonegilla depended on where they had come from and what they had gone through - something that continues to this day and is evident within aged care.

Riots were not uncommon, “the migrants who demonstrated, up to two thousand on each occasion, had gone into debt or given up jobs on the expectation that employment would be available to them in Australia, after all; that was supposed to be why they were invited. Instead their skills went unrecognised and they were placed in Bonegilla where they

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Emmanuel Kara Greece 19

had little chance of finding employment. Conditions at the camp were primitive, particularly in 1952, and many migrants felt they were being treated unjustly”. Source: Australian Heritage Database: 2008 Feeling hard-done-by, my father and his mate escaped Bonegilla for Sydney. Helped by one another they demonstrated a mateship that probably made them more Australian than they thought. During that time, the Australian workforce more than doubled to 5.8 million, with migrants contributing to half of this increase. They worked in steel and automotive industries, in building and construction. The Builder’s Labourer’s Federation was mostly made up of migrant workers who worked in filthy and hazardous conditions for low pay. They battled ourne 1983 Effie in Melb is with wife for increased safety and higher l Karatsior ue an m Em wages, and even the right to onsite bathroom facilities. More than 60% of those that constructed the Snowy Mountains Hydro-Electric Scheme were migrants.

European migration changed Australian life. Our nation builders are now ageing and their contributions are being silenced by their seamless

FRONDITHA FRONDITHA

Emmanuel Karatsi

oris, Thessaloniki

1954

“There are many reasons why Greek elders today choose to adorn their walls with family photos and icons, why they get offended if you forget their name day, why they can have an entire conversation in English, but greet you with two kisses...”

some buddies : atsioris in the navy with ling) 960 (3rd from the left, knee

integration into Australian life. The very way we say ‘Bonegilla’ is symbolic walls with family photos and icons, why they get offended if you forget their of how fundamentally migrants have changed Australian culture. It was name day, why they can have an entire conversation in English, but greet the sing-song languages of the residents that changed it from ‘Bone-gilla’ you with two kisses, why they protect you from the evil eye, and why they to ‘Bon-e-gilla’ as it is known today. might keep the radio or TV on high while they tend to their veggie patch Many of our migrant nation builders are now elders accessing aged-care or prepare meals. Their habits are a part of their culture and their culture services and are opting for culturally and linguistically responsive facilities, is tangled up in who they are. These must be respected and accommodated such as Fronditha Care. Many are also irrespective of where they live.

So what does that mean? It means that entering into mainstream care and it standards and benchmarks, when issued by is here that we must advocate on their behalf ,so that they may maintain their the Australian Government must be inclusive, connections to their culture, history must acknowledge and respect the differences and community. This is the part where and must provide for choice and dignity for we should all demand, as individuals a large group of migrants who arrived and collectively, that our parents and after WWII and helped build this nation. grandparents be respected for what Fronditha Care continues to respond to the they have achieved, for who they are, Productivity Commission Report into Caring and for the diversity they bring to for Older Australians, to have this message Australian life. We must be able to clearly heard and incorporated into all the respond to our elderly from their own recommendations. view of the world, to see from their Emmanuel Karatsioris with his music teacher in Thessaloniki 1953 eyes and to understand that who they The Productivity Commission might are , is so largely shaped by their own need to hear what I hear from my father; that culture, their own language and their own history. he will always see and understand what is happening around him from his There are many reasons why Greek elders today choose to adorn their perspective as a migrant, and this is something all migrants understand.

>BG IMG: VRROOM.NAA.GOV.AU. MORE INFO WWW.BONEGILLA.ORG.AU <

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DOLLARS&SENSE B.O.C.A

MEET: JYANA TIOULI

S

YOUR RELATIO NSHIP MANAGER AT THE BANK OF C YPRUS AUSTR ALIA ESSENDON

NORTH, MELBO

URNE

www.bankofc

yprus.com.a

u

The only Hellenic bank in Australia, now in Essendon North...

W

ITH THE OPENING of the Bank of Cyprus Australia’s new branch in Essendon North at the end of May 2011, it is with great pleasure that we take the opportunity to speak with Jyana Tioulis, the branch’s newly appointed relationship manager who is ready to lead her dynamic and friendly team and provide a level of customer service that is second to none.

“It’s all about connecting with the customer, having a clear point of difference to the other alternatives and understanding your customer’s needs. It is very exciting to be trusted with this amazing opportunity at such a young age, but that is indicative of the Bank of Cyprus Australia’s team spirit and mandate.”

Jyana is part of a young and energetic group of Australians taking on positions of responsibility within Bank of Cyprus Australia. The Bank is rapidly gaining market share as more and more people chose them as a positive alternative to the majors with easy to understand products and a personalised approach to all customers The new branch at Essendon North, is the biggest Bank of Cyprus Australia branch yet, and the latest addition to a network of 13 branches in Australia, the most recent of which have opened in Dandenong and Epping in Melbourne’s outer suburbs, in the past six months.

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“When you bank with us, you can be sure that you’ll always receive friendly and personalised service. Our experienced team is available to discuss your needs at any time. Our goal is to make it easy for you to manage your money,” explains Jyana who is keen to help every customer find the right solution for their specific needs.

Bank of Cyprus Australia now employs over 130 people around Australia. The first branch which opened in 2001 in Oakleigh has also recently expanded, to include a business centre to cater for the growing demand and diversified needs of the clientele.

“As a bank we care about a lot more than just about profits and an important part of our business is good corporate citizenship. In fact, one of our key objectives is to give back to the Australian community that supports us,” continues Jyana, explaining further just what it is that people find so appealing about the Bank’s offering and its ability to differentiate itself from its competitors.

The Bank of Cyprus Australia Foundation was established in 2009 to support people in the community who experience disadvantage.

Since it was established, the Bank of Cyprus Australia Foundation has been very successful in raising funds for deserving causes. Each year,

the Foundation supports a charity partner by covering the expenses involved in holding a major gala event. All proceeds from tickets and other fundraising initiatives go straight to the charity partner.

• In 2010, $103,000 was raised for the Australian Greek Welfare Society. This money goes directly into the charity’s many programs ranging from health and wellbeing programs for the elderly, to providing emergency support and counselling services to disadvantaged youth and families.

• In 2009, $100,000 was raised for Agapi Care at an event starring Yiannis Ploutarhos, one of Greece’s most philanthropic artists, and including local entertainment. Over 150 people attended. Agapi Care provides a variety of services to people with disabilities from facilities located in Preston and Oakleigh.

At the moment Bank of Cyprus Australia is offering some amazing specials on foreign exchange and term deposits as well as an exceptional product range in savings and investment accounts, and home and business loans.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON PRODUCTS AND SERVICES CALL 1300 660 550 OR VISIT BANKOFCYPRUS.COM.AU

MEET Michalis Hatzigiannis At Bank of Cyprus Australia’s newest branch located at 312 Keilor Road, North Essendon.

For your chance to personally meet Michalis Hatzigiannis at our Essendon North branch, simply open an account at any of our branches including our newest in Dandenong and Epping to receive a Golden Ticket to this exclusive appearance*. Three lucky winners will also have the chance to meet Michalis Hatzigiannis back stage at his concert.

Bank of Cyprus Australia’s

GOLDEN TICKET to

MICHALIS HATZIGIANNIS For more information on our products and services visit www.bankofcyprus.com.au or call 1300 660 550.

*This offer is valid to new Bank of Cyprus Australia customers only. One ticket will be issued per new customer once a Bank of Cyprus Australia account is opened and a minimum of $100 is deposited. Entry to this event will only be granted to ticket holders. Bank of Cyprus Australia staff are ineligible to enter. This offer is valid from 9:00am EST 9 May 2011 until 4:00pm EST 8 June 2011. The three winners of the double backstage pass to the Michalis Hatzigiannis concert will be drawn on the night of the appearance.

Before taking up any of the Bank of Cyprus Australia’s products or services, you should consider if they are appropriate for you. The Bank of Cyprus Australia recommends that you read the respective Terms and Conditions and other Disclosure Documents before deciding to acquire or use any of the Bank’s products or services. These documents can be obtained from any of our branches or via the Bank’s website.

Bank of Cyprus Australia AFSL No 244611 ABN 51 092 167 907

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PSARAS FISHING

WHAT’S BITING? AUTUMN IS WELL AND TRULY HERE AND IT LOOKS LIKE THESE So if you’re after a Gummy make sure you pay Stockyard Point a LOW TEMPERATURES ARE HERE TO STAY FOR A WHILE. THIS visit because we have had reports of 8kg thumpers being caught.

BEING SAID, THE TEMPERATURES HAVE NOT STOPPED KEEN FISHERMEN GOING OUT FOR A FISH. Let’s not forget what Western Port in known for, WHITING! That’s right Whiting have gone off the scales this month, with everyone coming back AROUND TOWN with good numbers and great sizes. Places to visit if wanting to catch some I don’t want to sound like a broken record, but once again Port Phillip King George are Corinella, Tooradin, Middle Spit and Coronet Bay. Best has displayed great Reds. The Snapper season is pretty much over but it baits have come in are Pipi, shucked Mussel and Whiting worm. Don’t looks as though they’ve stuck around in numbers. Ample of reports have forget to burley up, which is crucial to catch the all delicious Whiting. come in from a variety of locations including Mornington, Mt Martha, Carrum, Rickets Point, Docklands and many others. The most impressive OUT OF TOWN report was a whopper red caught in 19m of water out of Mornington and Portland has once again produced Bluefin Tuna in amazing numbers. weighing in at 6.5kgs. Mordialloc pier has had great numbers of Garfish Reports have come in saying the average Tuna being caught at 30kgs. come in and caught with the best baits being silverfish and maggots fished That might not be very heavy as these guys grow well over 150kgs, but under a float. The key to better fishing for Garfish is to burley up and to anglers have been getting them in great numbers at about 180m-500m of water - east or west of the horse shoe. Not only have these anglers been release burley slowly to keep the fish around for longer. getting Bluefin but they have also caught a few Makos weighing in at 50kgs.

Patterson’s river, as it is a great place to launch your boat. It has provided a Portland might be where you get great numbers of Bluefin, but Apollo Bay good number of Salmon at the mouth. Specimens have been around 30cms has been where the monsters have been caught. We have had reports of with the odd one being 1.5kgs. The best method has been to use 3inch anglers catching Bluefins from 100kg up to a whopping 145kg! Average soft plastics, but baits like Squid and Bluebait have also been a success. time reeling these guys in has been around 5hrs. What a way to be Western Port has produced us with a plethora of fish this month. At stretched!

Rhyll the Elephants have gone nuts. Specimens coming in with strong numbers and weights up to 5kgs: best baits have been Squid Bermagui and Narooma have been the places to be if in search for Yeland half Pilchards.

lowtail Kingfish. They have been measured in at 60cm and all the way up to a metre, and have been brought in with knife jigs. We have also obtained Gummies have also been around Western Port with the location being a report from Bermagui of a family bringing in a 90kg Marlin that had a Stockyard Point. length of three metres! Great team work guys!

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PRODUCTS

CATCH OF THE MONTH This issues catch of the month goes to Sam who has caught this monster of a Bluefin weighing in at 138kg and was caught 64 kilometres off Apollo Bay. Sam told us that he and his friend had to battle this fish out for approximately eight hard, long hours. But in the end it paid off.

POWER JIG GAME BELT

Power Jig Game fishing belts are designed to make fishing for big fish much easier. These are an aluminum belt used mainly for Jigging and Popping. Also come complete with Back Support

TACKLE WORLD ROD HOLDER

GANCRAFT EGI JIG

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FRONTIER TOURING AUSTRALIA POST MARKETING MAG NINTENDO SIEMENS RUBICOR AND GROWING...

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E V O Q U E

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THE RANGE ROVER EVOQUE, the all-new coupé will join the Range Rover and Range Rover Sport line-up in the next few months.

It will be the smallest, lightest and most fuel efficient Range Rover ever produced. Customers have a choice of both a 4WD and a 2WD version, with a sub 130g/km CO2 demonstrating the Range Rover brand’s commitment to environmental sustainability. The 5-Door Evoque stays true to the core values of the Range Rover brand, providing premium levels of craftsmanship, luxury, performance and renowned Land Rover all-terrain capability, but in a more compact package.

pected of a Range Rover interior. Land Rover engineers have developed the Evoque to provide customers with a polished driving experience that combines dynamic and sporty handling with responsive, effortless performance and refinement.

Beneath its streamlined exterior, the Evoque provides customers with an impeccably crafted luxury cabin, incorporating the premium quality materials and elegant design ex-

With its compact size and concept-car looks the Evoque is clearly a new kind of Range Rover and a revolution in its class.

It shares its smooth and responsive turbocharged power train line-up with the coupé model. Customers can choose from the comprehensively updated 2.2-litre turbo diesel with 140kW and 110kW derivatives, or the state-of-the-art new 177kW 2.0-litre Si4 petrol engine.

SPECIFICATIONS Vehicle Type: - 3-door hatchback / 5-door hatchback Price: - From $60,000

Configuration: - Front Engine / 2WD 4WD Engine: - 2.2lt TD4 or SD4 Turbo Diesel / 2.0lt Si4 Petrol Turbocharged Displacement: - 2200cc / 2000cc Transmission: - 6-speed automatic / 6-speed manual Horsepower: - TD4 110kW / SD4 140kW / Si4 177kW Torque: - TD4 400nm/ SD4 420nm/ Si4 340nm Width: - 1,895 mm Length: - 4,350mm Height: - 1,534 mm Weight: - Starts at 1,600kg 0-100 KPH(Secs): - TD4 10.3/ SD4 9.5/ Si4 7.6 Top Speed(KPH): - TD4 185/ SD4 200/ Si4 217

“Premium levels of craftsmanship, luxury, performance and renowned Land Rover all-terrain capabilityin a more compact package.”

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Bardot designers bring you the d hottest looks an nth trends every mo

2

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2

THE INSPIRATION

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TREND UPDATE

Take CLASSIC styling cross it with LEATHER, FUR or SNAKESKIN and our latest trend is born.A pussy bow blouse, military jacket and leather look pants are a match made in heaven. Keep accessories SIMPLE and CLASSIC, hints of gold and wide brim hats accent outfits perfectly. Adding items with edge ensure you’re not left feeling like you’re stuck in the Victorian era. This look is the ultimate blend of OLD and NEW.

Knit Military Jacket 20436JB $129.95

Luz Fur Vest 21460JB $99.99 Motorcycle Pant, 20496PB $89.95

Snake Cami 21371TB $59.95

Bow Wrist Gloves, SA16447

Animal Inspired Bag SA15735 $59.95 Textured Waist Belt SA15541 $19.95 Shearling Jacket 20654JB $139.95

Quilt Shirt 21377TB $99.95

SHOP ONLINE AT WWW.BARDOT.COM.AU 87

opamagazine.com.au

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winter 11

stAy WArm Don’t let the cold winter winds stop your little ones from being outdoors or looking stylish!

Country Club Blazer 2782jbj $79.95

Wool Coat 2334jbb1 $69.95

With Wools, fur, checks and Denim on the menu there isn’t an occasion a fashion taste we can’t fulfil.

Baseball Jacket 2779jbj $89.95

this season there’s one great reason to leave the house – so your kid’s can strut their stuff in a new Bardot Junior winter coat!

Pan Collar Jacket 21263jbb $59.95

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Pu Hooded Jacket 21228TbG $99.95

girls

Quilted Fur Trim Jacket 21348jbb $69.95

Bow Hooded Trench 20732jbb $69.95

B oy s Check Coat 2726jbj $79.95

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ogoc needs the logo, school name and contact detials

all in the folder and the ‘leadership’ copy in the pdf with the little girsl doing pottery

its a branded ad: heavy shit

Building Future Leaders OAKLEIGH GREEK ORTHODOX COLLEGE ARE ONE OF THE PIONEER SCHOOLS OF ‘THE LEADER IN ME’ PROGRAM IN AUSTRALIA. Developed by the innovators behind “The 7 Habits of Highly effective People” this program develops the essential life skills to enable our students to thrive in the 21st century.

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Small group tours of our campus are held on a regular basis.

OAKLEIGH GREEK ORTHODOX COLLEGE - ’STS ANARGIRI’ 78-81 Willesden Road Oakleigh Victoria 3166

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BLACK IS THE NEW BLACK

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BY THE FASHIONISTA

D

OWN AT THE Paris end of Collins Street, we observe a lot of Have some fun, be outgoing, let us know you’re alive! Take a quick look at what’s happening in the fashion world, and in our salon we see the windows of Collins Street, open up Harpers Bazaar or Italian Vogue, a lot of what’s going on in the Greek community. and you’ll see that the colours of the season are primarily primary, with some secondary shades.

Lately we have noticed an interesting phenomenon creeping into the community: a mass of black. We’re seeing an onslaught of our beautiful Prada have captured the new season well with more colour in their collection than a Russian circus!

Greek goddesses hiding under a cloak of dark hair and black dresses.

In the last year Stavros and I have attended a multitude of Greek concerts, weddings and functions, not to mention personal dinners with friends, and everywhere we turn it’s black, black, black! Why is there so much black around?

Melbourne loves its black, especially in winter, and let’s face it, nothing is quite as good at hiding those little imperfections. The Little Black Dress (as introduced by Saint Coco and Saint Yves) has become an elegant after-five classic, and even the once-humble pair of black jeans has become a great staple, as mixing formal with casual has become more mainstream. But I wonder if we are relying too heavily on black’s super-powered abilities.

Like an army of black-clad safety-dressers, young Greek women everywhere are a head-scarf away from becoming their Ya-yas! So, here’s my challenge to you: while we all love black, this season I dare you to try something new. Consider the new palette of bright Aztec designs, and sharp, lively colours.

Explore the new tones and shapes of the season and select items according to what suits you best. Of course, you can still make use of darker tones to create shading, but remember, without light there can be no shade!

Brightness drawing attention to your assets can be a better way to deemphasise other areas, by drawing the eye to something rather than away.

With all this new colour, you may also need to reconsider your hair. In Europe at present, hair trends are also leading toward newer shades, with multiple bright tones, rich coppers, burnt reds and honey-blonde blazed ends.

These are all colours that shine and reflect light, giving the hair a healthy look that works beautifully with lots of bounce and movement in the hair.

So please Greek godesses, drop the sombre look, and put some life into your wardrobe! Heaven knows winter is dark enough, and you’ll have plenty of time to look like your Ya-ya later.

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KOUVENTES HEADARIS

It is with this is mind that I take a look at what I believe could well be the biggest pop phenomenon of the 21st Century, Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, better known as “Lady Gaga” - a 25 year old singer, songwriter and dancer from New York who has taken the world by storm, who at a glance seems like nothing more than your average pop princess, a Britney, Rihanna or Pink.But I believe there is something more, something else, something deeper, darker and diabolical going on here that sets her apart from her peers and the rest of the hip young things out there today shaking their ‘”thang”.

As sad as it is, to listen to eight-year-old girls sing lyrics like “chains and whips excite me” or “If I said I want your body now, Would you hold it against me?” This is not something new, just sad. It has been going on for years and years. It’s just reaching a point of overt and open vulgarity and unprecedented levels of openness and indiscreet soft-porn. All you need to do is listen to the most popular songs out now or watch the video clips, but that’s not what I’m talking about. As blatantly sexual and obviously offensive Lady Gaga has been throughout her relatively short career, there has never been anything out of the ordinary that has distinguished her from the myriad of other disposable pop stars who serve their purpose well. She seemed to be just another brick in the wall, until now! With her growing fan base and increasing levels of ‘peculiarity’, she has managed to arouse enough interest and suspicion that there is something more going on, a sinister attempt to poison the minds of the youth at a level above and beyond the blatantly obvious and superficial.

This is not the proper forum for a detailed look at and analysis of her motives and I’m sure that those that want to see will, the internet is wonderful that way; but it is poignant to reflect on the lyrics from her latest hit, JUDAS - an excerpt of which is printed ont he next page.

Apart from the obvious timing of the release, just before Easter and the blatant religious connotations of both the song title and the CD cover, the lyrics speak for themselves. So the next time you mindlessly hum along or tap your foot to a Gaga tune, think about what it means and where we are headed, as she openly says, “ I am beyond repentance…I just speak in future tense.” No matter how this song is explained away, and meaning is found in the lyrics where there is none, how her actions, behaviour and obvious occult and satanic symbolism are dismissed as mere theatrics and attention seeking, it is clear that there is something more, something a little bit different about this lady. It is obvious that she wasn’t born this way, but has made her choice. Now it’s time for you to make yours. Like Odysseus, when he encountered the Sirens, he made his men seal their ears with wax to stop them from going insane with the diabolical but so-enchanting music of the underworld - it may be time to stop and think about exactly what is being promoted to and available for our kids to listen to, and where we are headed on our own personal odyssey. Gaga!

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Lady Gaga wearing ‘that’ meat dress...

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IN THE CLUB RED SEA (WA)

Baraki Beats @ phy

vannan Photogra

s: Suresh Manie

Red Sea. Photo

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Photos: Raymond Korn Photography

IN THE CLUB SPICEMARKET

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IT’S ALL GREEK TO ME BITS OF INTEREST

PROVERB OF THE MONTH:

“Γεννήθηκε ξεβράκωτος και ντρέπεται ντυμένος.”

Translation - “He was born without pants and now is ashamed whilst being dressed.”

Meaning – When one person is not raised properly and is accustomed to poor manners or a poor way of life, they are uncomfortable doing things properly.

GREEK SAYING OF THE MONTH: TRIHES KATSARES = HAIRS THAT ARE CURLY MEANING: SO WHAT, WHO CARES…?

IT’S (ALL) GREEK TO ME: An expression that is incomprehensible due to complexity or imprecision, generally with respect to verbal expressions with excessive jargon of dialect, mathematics, or science.

WISDOM OF THE ANCIENTS:

A

ristotle noticed that dolphins give birth to live young who were attached to their mothers by umbilical cords. Due to this observation, he classified dolphins as mammals in his book Generation of Animals.

Not until the nineteenth century was his statement confirmed by modern science.

PARDON ME, YOUR GREEK ROOTS ARE SHOWING: The word ‘barbarian’ comes from Greek word barbaroi, which means people who don’t speak Greek and therefore sound like they’re saying “bar-bar-bar-bar.”i

DID YOU KNOW? Smoking Kills.

KOMBOLOI KORNER The term Minotaur is derived from the Greek Μῑνώταυρος. It is the fusion of the name Μίνως (Minos) and the noun ταύρος “bull”, translating as “(the) Bull of Minos”.

In Crete, the Minotaur was known by its proper name, Asterion, a name shared with Minos’ foster-father.The star sign Taurus is the literal translation for bull.

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