Keeping the Flag Flying...

Keeping the Flag Flying...

Saturday 22 November 2008

Did you know that we have Rugby in Greece ? The National Team of Greece, Captain NZer Eden Tipene, Plays Israel TODAY-22/11/08

On Saturday November 22nd, at the Zirinio stadium in Kifissia at 14.00,the Greek National Rugby team is playing Israel for the prequalification for 2011. The captain is New Zealander Eden Tipene!

Everyone welcome!!!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Did you know?
• Rugby is the the 3rd most popular sport in the world after football and basketball.
• Rugby is played by more than 3 million athletes in about 100 countries.
• More than 3 billion TV viewers watched the Rugby World Cup 2004.

Attica Springboks...

History of the Club

The "Attica Springboks" club was established in October 2000 when players from the Athens Spartans Rugby Football team concluded that the development of the sport and competition requires the establishment of new clubs.
The club's name is a combination of the nick-name of the South African National Rugby Team "Springboks" (a kind of gazelle) and the place of foundation (Attica), since many of the founding members originate from South Africa.
At the beginning of 2001, the Hellenic Rugby Union Youth Development Academy was founded by Nick Clark and George Psaromatis (a qualified Level 2 coach from Australia). The Springboks team has been fortunate to receive a number of young players.
The club secured access to Glyka Nera Athletic ground, where games and training sessions take place every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday. At the same place, the Youth Rugby Academy runs teaching and coaching sessions every Saturday morning for boys and girls aged between 7 and 18.
The Springboks Team participates in the Hellenic Rugby Championship which started in 2005-06 season.; Furthermore, the Club regularly organises friendly games with other Greek teams, as well as foreign teams that are visiting or on tour in Greece. The Team had a successful Tour in Romania in 2004 where it played against local teams. Every year the Team participates in the annual "Sevens" International Tournament in Salonica.

Read more- Attica Sprinboks RFC

Thursday 6 November 2008

YES WE CAN!!! BARACK OBAMA's VICTORY SPEECH - Inspiring and Moving, a Tribute to Generations of People who Overcame!!! Good Luck America!

...the true strength of our nation comes not from the might of our arms or the scale of our wealth, but from the enduring power of our ideals: democracy, liberty, opportunity, and unyielding hope.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
A New Era for the USA- A Time of Change - History in the making...Barack Obama certainly has a nation behind him and the rest of the world wishing him well...this was his acceptance speech, particularly moving and inspiring!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible; who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time; who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer.

It’s the answer told by lines that stretched around schools and churches in numbers this nation has never seen; by people who waited three hours and four hours, many for the very first time in their lives, because they believed that this time must be different; that their voice could be that difference.

It’s the answer spoken by young and old, rich and poor, Democrat and Republican, black, white, Latino, Asian, Native American, gay, straight, disabled and not disabled – Americans who sent a message to the world that we have never been a collection of Red States and Blue States: we are, and always will be, the United States of America.

It’s the answer that led those who have been told for so long by so many to be cynical, and fearful, and doubtful of what we can achieve to put their hands on the arc of history and bend it once more toward the hope of a better day.

It’s been a long time coming, but tonight, because of what we did on this day, in this election, at this defining moment, change has come to America.

I just received a very gracious call from Senator McCain. He fought long and hard in this campaign, and he’s fought even longer and harder for the country he loves. He has endured sacrifices for America that most of us cannot begin to imagine, and we are better off for the service rendered by this brave and selfless leader. I congratulate him and Governor Palin for all they have achieved, and I look forward to working with them to renew this nation’s promise in the months ahead.

I want to thank my partner in this journey, a man who campaigned from his heart and spoke for the men and women he grew up with on the streets of Scranton and rode with on that train home to Delaware, the Vice President-elect of the United States, Joe Biden.

I would not be standing here tonight without the unyielding support of my best friend for the last sixteen years, the rock of our family and the love of my life, our nation’s next First Lady, Michelle Obama. Sasha and Malia, I love you both so much, and you have earned the new puppy that’s coming with us to the White House. And while she’s no longer with us, I know my grandmother is watching, along with the family that made me who I am. I miss them tonight, and know that my debt to them is beyond measure.

To my campaign manager David Plouffe, my chief strategist David Axelrod, and the best campaign team ever assembled in the history of politics – you made this happen, and I am forever grateful for what you’ve sacrificed to get it done.

But above all, I will never forget who this victory truly belongs to – it belongs to you.

I was never the likeliest candidate for this office. We didn’t start with much money or many endorsements. Our campaign was not hatched in the halls of Washington – it began in the backyards of Des Moines and the living rooms of Concord and the front porches of Charleston.

It was built by working men and women who dug into what little savings they had to give five dollars and ten dollars and twenty dollars to this cause. It grew strength from the young people who rejected the myth of their generation’s apathy; who left their homes and their families for jobs that offered little pay and less sleep; from the not-so-young people who braved the bitter cold and scorching heat to knock on the doors of perfect strangers; from the millions of Americans who volunteered, and organized, and proved that more than two centuries later, a government of the people, by the people and for the people has not perished from this Earth. This is your victory.

I know you didn’t do this just to win an election and I know you didn’t do it for me. You did it because you understand the enormity of the task that lies ahead. For even as we celebrate tonight, we know the challenges that tomorrow will bring are the greatest of our lifetime – two wars, a planet in peril, the worst financial crisis in a century. Even as we stand here tonight, we know there are brave Americans waking up in the deserts of Iraq and the mountains of Afghanistan to risk their lives for us. There are mothers and fathers who will lie awake after their children fall asleep and wonder how they’ll make the mortgage, or pay their doctor’s bills, or save enough for college. There is new energy to harness and new jobs to be created; new schools to build and threats to meet and alliances to repair.

The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year or even one term, but America – I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there. I promise you – we as a people will get there.

There will be setbacks and false starts. There are many who won’t agree with every decision or policy I make as President, and we know that government can’t solve every problem. But I will always be honest with you about the challenges we face. I will listen to you, especially when we disagree. And above all, I will ask you join in the work of remaking this nation the only way it’s been done in America for two-hundred and twenty-one years – block by block, brick by brick, calloused hand by calloused hand.

What began twenty-one months ago in the depths of winter must not end on this autumn night. This victory alone is not the change we seek – it is only the chance for us to make that change. And that cannot happen if we go back to the way things were. It cannot happen without you.

So let us summon a new spirit of patriotism; of service and responsibility where each of us resolves to pitch in and work harder and look after not only ourselves, but each other. Let us remember that if this financial crisis taught us anything, it’s that we cannot have a thriving Wall Street while Main Street suffers – in this country, we rise or fall as one nation; as one people.

Let us resist the temptation to fall back on the same partisanship and pettiness and immaturity that has poisoned our politics for so long. Let us remember that it was a man from this state who first carried the banner of the Republican Party to the White House – a party founded on the values of self-reliance, individual liberty, and national unity. Those are values we all share, and while the Democratic Party has won a great victory tonight, we do so with a measure of humility and determination to heal the divides that have held back our progress. As Lincoln said to a nation far more divided than ours, “We are not enemies, but friends…though passion may have strained it must not break our bonds of affection.” And to those Americans whose support I have yet to earn – I may not have won your vote, but I hear your voices, I need your help, and I will be your President too.

And to all those watching tonight from beyond our shores, from parliaments and palaces to those who are huddled around radios in the forgotten corners of our world – our stories are singular, but our destiny is shared, and a new dawn of American leadership is at hand. To those who would tear this world down – we will defeat you. To those who seek peace and security – we support you. And to all those who have wondered if America’s beacon still burns as bright – tonight we proved once more that the true strength of our nation comes not from the might of our arms or the scale of our wealth, but from the enduring power of our ideals: democracy, liberty, opportunity, and unyielding hope.

For that is the true genius of America – that America can change. Our union can be perfected. And what we have already achieved gives us hope for what we can and must achieve tomorrow.

This election had many firsts and many stories that will be told for generations. But one that’s on my mind tonight is about a woman who cast her ballot in Atlanta. She’s a lot like the millions of others who stood in line to make their voice heard in this election except for one thing – Ann Nixon Cooper is 106 years old.

She was born just a generation past slavery; a time when there were no cars on the road or planes in the sky; when someone like her couldn’t vote for two reasons – because she was a woman and because of the color of her skin.

And tonight, I think about all that she’s seen throughout her century in America – the heartache and the hope; the struggle and the progress; the times we were told that we can’t, and the people who pressed on with that American creed: Yes we can.

At a time when women’s voices were silenced and their hopes dismissed, she lived to see them stand up and speak out and reach for the ballot. Yes we can.

When there was despair in the dust bowl and depression across the land, she saw a nation conquer fear itself with a New Deal, new jobs and a new sense of common purpose. Yes we can.

When the bombs fell on our harbor and tyranny threatened the world, she was there to witness a generation rise to greatness and a democracy was saved. Yes we can.

She was there for the buses in Montgomery, the hoses in Birmingham, a bridge in Selma, and a preacher from Atlanta who told a people that “We Shall Overcome.” Yes we can.

A man touched down on the moon, a wall came down in Berlin, a world was connected by our own science and imagination. And this year, in this election, she touched her finger to a screen, and cast her vote, because after 106 years in America, through the best of times and the darkest of hours, she knows how America can change. Yes we can.

America, we have come so far. We have seen so much. But there is so much more to do. So tonight, let us ask ourselves – if our children should live to see the next century; if my daughters should be so lucky to live as long as Ann Nixon Cooper, what change will they see? What progress will we have made?

This is our chance to answer that call. This is our moment. This is our time – to put our people back to work and open doors of opportunity for our kids; to restore prosperity and promote the cause of peace; to reclaim the American Dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth – that out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we hope, and where we are met with cynicism, and doubt, and those who tell us that we can’t, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people:

Yes We Can. Thank you, God bless you, and may God Bless the United States of America.

Thursday 16 October 2008

We Succeeded...just shows you that nothing ventured, nothing gained!!!

Athens News has been saved thanks to you!

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

Your immediate and overwhelming support to the Athens News has saved the day. An earlier decision to close the newspaper before selling it has been reversed, and we shall now continue publication, seamlessly going over to a new owner without missing a beat.

Hundreds of emails, faxes and letters have arrived in under a week from all over the world petitioning for our extension, and at last count over 1,600 people had signed our online petition. Our publisher’s phone has been ringing with investor interest.

All this betokens two things - the groundswell of support that exists within the thinking commuity for this newspaper, and the intrinsic value that the market sees in it. It is a heartening response in an age of declining newspaper sales and the rise of infotainment at the expense of real journalism. The entire staff joins me in thanking you, our readers, friends and supporters for your solidarity, which played the decisive role in keeping this newspaper alive.

John Psaropoulos
Editor
Athens News

3 Christou Lada Street
Athens 102 37

Tel. +30 210 33.33.705
Fax +30 210 33.33.706
www.athensnews.gr

Monday 29 September 2008

That Icon of English-speaking Expatriates in Athens - The Athens News may soon be gone...do something now!!!

Athens News under threat of closure

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

After nearly 57 years in circulation, the Athens News is under threat of closure. On September 25 it was announced to us by the Lambrakis Press, which has managed this newspaper since it entered the Lambrakis Foundation in 1993, that it will wind up the operation, possibly as early as Friday 3 October.

We are currently engaged in an effort to extend that deadline in order to find new investors to take over the title, archive and books. But it is impossible for any serious investor to carry out due diligence and responsibly and formally register their interest to our current owners within a week. We need an extension of at least a month, in which to make contact with the various potential investors currently reviewing our balance sheet and business plan.

We feel that a move to pull out the rug from under an independent newspaper which has served the thinking public since 1952 should not stand. We are therefore appealing to you, the community we exist to serve, to write an open letter to our publisher, Christos Lambrakis, under copy to us, appealing for an extension and presenting the case, as you see it, for our continued existence under a new owner.

Please send your letters to saveathensnews@gmail.com for publication and forwarding.

Thank you.

John Psaropoulos
Editor
Athens News
3 Christou Lada Street
Athens 102 37
Tel. +30 210 33.33.705
Fax +30 210 33.33.706
www.athensnews.gr

Read More at http://saveathensnews.wordpress.com

Friday 12 September 2008

New Zealand General Elections - 8 November 2008! Let's all Vote!

The NZ Government has just announced that New Zealand's General Election will be held on Saturday, 8 November 2008.

Please make sure you're enrolled to vote. There's no time to lose as the published electoral roll closes on 8 October. There is limited opportunity to enrol after that, but don't take a chance - enrol now.

KEA tells us that in the last election only 28,000 of over half a million eligible overseas Kiwis voted. Make sure you have your say, too.

If you're a New Zealand citizen over the age of 18 and you've visited New Zealand in the last three years, you're eligible to vote from anywhere in the world.

It's simple to enrol and download your voting papers online - and you can return your papers by post or fax. There's no need to visit a New Zealand consulate or embassy either, to enrol, or to vote.

Check out the information below for everything you need to enrol and vote.

And please tell all the other New Zealanders that you know who are living in Greece or abroad.

Happy Voting!!!

How to vote from overseas

(http://www.elections.org.nz/voting/votingsub/how-vote-overseas.html)

If you will be overseas at the time of the general election you can still vote by casting a special declaration vote.

Who can vote from overseas?

You can vote if you are enrolled and:

  • you are a New Zealand citizen and have visited New Zealand within the last three years, or
  • you are a permanent resident of New Zealand and have visited New Zealand in the last 12 months.

You can enrol or update your enrolment details online.

How do I vote?

Overseas voting opens on Wednesday 22 October.

Voting papers are not automatically sent to voters who are overseas. You cannot vote by email or return your voting papers electronically. If you are overseas at the time of this year's general election then there are four options open to you. You can:

1. Cast an advance vote

If you will be in New Zealand from Wednesday 22 October, you can cast an advance vote at any advance voting place.

2. Download voting papers

If you are overseas and are on the published electoral roll you will be able to download your voting papers from Wednesday 22 October. This is the quickest and easiest way to obtain your ballot paper.

3. Apply for a postal vote

You can apply to have voting papers posted to you. These are normally sent from New Zealand approximately three weeks before election day.

4. Vote in person

You will be able to vote in person at a number of overseas posts, including New Zealand diplomatic posts.

How can I check my enrolment details or enrol?

You can enrol or check and update your details online.

You can also:

If you would like a friend or family member in New Zealand to complete an enrolment form for you then they will need to be a registered elector and will need to print "Elector overseas - signed by their direction" on the form next to their signature.

If you would like the form completed by someone who holds a Power of Attorney for you then they must print "Elector overseas - Power of Attorney" next to their signature.

How can I find out more?

For questions about voting from overseas email overseas@elections.org.nz.

For questions about enrolling email enrol@elections.org.nz.

From within New Zealand call 0800 36 76 56

From overseas call +64 4 913 1346.

Saturday 6 September 2008

Wonderful Wellington!!!


I came across something called Quotes about Wellington recently and thought I would share with you one that I rather liked...as a Wellingtonian I might be biased a little, but it is very true...

"Wellington is to Auckland what Melbourne is to Sydney, and what San Francisco is to Los Angeles. It has character instead of homogeneity; it is compact, not sprawling; it is quietly confident, not brash and in-your-face...Wellington is a diverse and sophisticated place that is too often left off the tourist trail."
Anna Fifield: Financial Times (UK)

Heavy Rain Causes Multiple Slips in Wellington

NZPA | Saturday, 06 September 2008 (From Stuff.co.nz)


Council contractors in Wellington were out in force today clearing slips after heavy overnight rain.

Wellington City Council spokesman Richard MacLean said large slips fell in several suburbs, including one in Te Aro which partially buried a car.

"Contractors are working flat-out to clear roads blocked by mud, rubble and vegetation," he said.

As a result, motorists and cyclists were being warned to be cautious when travelling both around the city and some of the more isolated surrounding areas.

Wellington was hit yesterday by a cold southerly blast and the MetService said 45mm of rain fell in the city in the 24 hours until 9am today.

Friday 8 August 2008

Kiwi Chef is Beijing Olympic Village Catering Manager

Kiwi set to feed the world

By NICK VENTER in Beijing - The Dominion Post | Friday, 08 August 2008

The man in charge of feeding 10,000 Olympic athletes for the next two weeks speaks with an American accent and works for an American company but he'll be cheering for Kiwi Mahe Drysdale at the rowing venue tomorrow.

That's because Matt Moss, 36, catering operations manager at the Olympic Village, is a New Zealander.

He left the country 16 years ago to play rugby in Britain, Germany and the United States and wound up working for Aramark, the company that won the contract to supply about 3.5 million meals to athletes, coaches, officials and media during the Games. Read More

Thursday 7 August 2008

NZ Team Arrives in Beijing's Olympic Village



Flag Raising Ceremony for NZ Olympic Team

New Zealand added a touch of colour and style to the traditional flag-raising ceremony in the Olympic village today.

After New Zealand team chef de mission Dave Currie had presented the mayoress of the village with a book about pounamu, the New Zealand flag was raised.

Then the team members sitting in the stand watching proceedings burst into a haka, much to the obvious delight of onlookers.

Besides New Zealand, Belgium, Uzbekhistan and Hungary had flag-raisings at the same ceremony, but it was the New Zealanders who stamped their mark on proceedings.

More : NZ Olympic Committee

For the Latest Results

Send Message to the Team-Send your message of support to your team in Beijing. Pick a favourite athlete or the whole team, your messages get to the athletes and really make a difference.

Monday 4 August 2008

To the Family of Doujon Zammit - We Apologise!

What is there to say to Doujon Zammit's family? What can we say to alleviate the pain? Words are meaningless at such moments. We just feel the need, along with 11 million other people living in Greece, and probably the 7 million expatriate Greeks all over the world, to pay our respects and to apologise from the bottom of our hearts for the dreadful events that terminated the life of your beloved Doujon in this beautiful country.

What can we say to that wonderful family, who despite the tragedy that has befallen them, rose above it all and decided to spare 4 other families from mourning their loved ones, by donating Doujon's vital organs for transplant. How can we not admire a father who has just lost his son in such a brutal fashion who has the strength and nobility of spirit to say that he had no hatred in his heart for the Greek people just for the ones that took away his son's life in such a brutal fashion. Everyone who saw Mr Oliver Zammit on television was moved to tears by the dignity, the strength, God only knows where he found it, and the magnitude of his generosity at such a dreadful time.

What worse could befall a parent? Every parent's worst nightmare come true and one he surely didn't expect when he and his family farewelled Doujon for his first overseas trip. He told us that he had encouraged his son to come to Greece because it was safer...I couldn't help but think when I heard that, that one's destiny is something that no mortal can change. Could it be that Doujon had his destiny marked out for him as we all have? He came into this world for a reason and, if we believe in God, then we must believe that he must also have been taken away from this world for a reason.

We were all outraged at this senseless violence - the people of Mykonos staged a protest against the thuggery and brutality of the cold-blooded murder by forming a human chain along the waterfront - Families, men and women of all ages, from babies to grandparents, all joined their hands in protest to show their support and solidarity with Doujon's family at these very difficult moments. However, we must all protest in our own way at the 'lawlessness' that has taken over our daily lives in Greece and leads to things like this. We live with so much endemic corruption that we take it for granted - we have almost acquired auto-immunity, but enough is enough. Doujon's murder and his family's stance have touched us all in a way that we hope will motivate us all to better things and to expect no less from the powers-that-be, starting from the exemplary punishment of all those to blame, and all those who act in ways that belittle and discredit this beautiful country and undermine its glorious history.

To Doujon's family - our deepest and sincerest condolences and may you find strength and comfort in the knowledge that everyone in Greece is with you and thanks you for the dignity, generosity and above all the humanity you showed in the face of what had to be the worst moment of your lives-the devastating and so premature loss of your beloved Doujon.
May he Rest in Peace...








Thursday 31 July 2008

John Psathas' Olympiad XXVIII, based on his Athens 2004 Opening Ceremony Music to be premiered by NZ Symphony Orchestra in Beijing






NZ Symphony Orchestra To Appear At Olympic Cultural Festival In Beijing

22nd July 2008 From NZ Musician

The New Zealand Symphony Orchestra has been invited to perform at the Olympic Cultural Festival in Beijing as part of the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Performances will include John Psathas' Olympic Music (based on his 2004 Athens opening ceremony music), and Gareth Farr's Te Papa (incorporating a karanga and featuring Deborah Wai-Kapohe as soprano soloist). More

Olympiad XXVIII - August, 29 2008 at Forbidden City Beijing
The New Zealand Symphony Orchestra gives the world premiere of Psathas’ "Olympiad XXVIII" - a new suite of symphonic arrangements based on his music for the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the Athens 2004 Olympics Games


About John Psathas

It was with a great sense of pride that we found out that Greek New Zealander John Psathas' music was a major part of the Athens 2004 Olympic Games Opening and Closing Ceremonies - definitely a highlight of John’s career to date.

John commuted several times between Wellington and Athens to work on the music and supervise the rehearsal process. His music included a number of fanfares and processionals to accompany the arrival of the IOC President, the lighting of the Olympic cauldron and preceded the Olympic oaths, and he was responsible for the soundtrack to the entire flame sequence of the ceremony.

John also arranged the National Anthem of Greece, the Olympic Hymn and music by Shostakovich, Debussy and the foremost living Greek Composer Mikis Theodorakis that accompanied other parts of the ceremony. Watch the Cauldron Lighting at the Opening Ceremony for one of John's adaptations

John Psathas is not only one of New Zealand's most frequently performed composers, he is also one of the finest and most talented of the younger generation of composers in New Zealand.

His music is heard regularly on the world's concert stages, and has been performed by Michael Brecker, Joshua Redman, Evelyn Glennie, Pedro Carneiro, Federico Mondelci, Michael Houstoun, and many fine ensembles.

John was born in
Wellington and grew up in Taumaranui and Napier. His parents, Emmanuel and Anastasia, have since returned to live in the family town of Michaniona in Northern Greece,. Today John lectures at the Victoria University School of Music but visits Greece regularly both for personal and professional reasons. Apart from his numerous visits to Greece in preparation for the Olympics, in December of 2006, he gave a series of concerts in Cyprus and in Patras, which was the Cultural Capital of Europe that year.

Some of John's most recent compositions are View from Olympus, which he wrote while on Sabbatical in Greece and stayed at the top of New Zealand's classical charts for 5 months, and ‘Zembekiko’, an entire programme of Greek music celebrating the heritage of Greek music from Antiquity to the present day. (John Psathas Brochure)

Although his music has been performed at the Megaron (Athens Concert Hall) in the past and will be performed again in October this year, we hope very soon to see one of John’s Greek-inspired works either ‘View from Olympus’ or 'Zembekiko' performed at the Herodeion or at the Megaron!!

Distinctions

  • Awarded the 2002 SouNZ Contemporary Award for View From Olympus
  • Named an Arts Laureate by the Arts Foundation in 2003.
  • His album Rhythm Spike was BEST CLASSICAL ALBUM 2000, and Fragments BEST CLASSICAL ALBUM - 2004, in the NZ MUSIC AWARDS.
  • At Victoria University School of Music he is nurturing a new generation of composers.
  • The NZ Herald named him as a contender for New Zealander of the Year 2004.
  • He was awarded Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit (ONZM) in the 2005 list for his services to music.

Upcoming performances of John’s music in Greece

October, 20 2008 at Megaron Mousikis, Athens
"Helix" to be performed as part of the Greek Composers Series

More About John Psathas

John's Official Website

John Psathas at Wikipedia

John's My Space

View from Olympus

John’s Music Videos on You Tube

Monday 28 July 2008

Tall Blacks' Haka before the Basketball Game with Greece.




It was a great game, the Tall Blacks lost, 75-48, but one of the highlights for everyone in the Stadium was the  New Zealanders' fiery performance of the traditional Maori Haka,  a rare sight in Athens! It was extra special being there, believe me!

Watch it below  - listen to the crowd cheer! They, and we, loved it...

Friday 25 July 2008

Nana Mouskouri's Farewell Concert - A magical evening full of nostalgia, memories and beautiful melodies in the place where it all began - Athens!

How does one describe a feeling? It’s hard unless you are a poet! Well, I would have loved to have been one on Wednesday 23 July as we sat in the ancient Herodes Atticus theatre or the Herodeion as we call it, waiting for Nana Mouskouri to start what was to be her final concert after 50 years of enchanting audiences all over the world.

There, below a gleaming Parthenon set against a brilliant blue sky which slowly acquired dusky hews we watched thousands of people streaming into this magnificent ancient theatre to take their places. It was a wonderful sight - people of all ages happily assembling to pay tribute to one of
Greece's best known ambassadors. The younger generation of singers and artists like Maria Farandouri, Nikos Alliagas and Sakis Rouvas were also there to pay tribute to this great lady.

Just after
9 pm it was time for the concert to start and the screens which had been set up above the stage came to life, projecting scenes from Nana's life - pictures from childhood on, with people she loved and who loved her. Symbolic in a way because it was in the outdoor cinema where her father worked as a projectionist, as she told us later, close by in the suburb of Koukaki, that she began dreaming...dreams that would take her around the world and into millions of homes and hearts over the years ahead. One of those homes was ours...
As Nana's voice filled the theatre, memories came flooding back...

Memories of our Mt Victoria home, loving memories of the whole family, Mum, Dad, my sister Pagona and myself, with some of the usual visitors to our house sitting in front of the television to watch her BBC show every week as she sang and danced with her many and varied guests, from George Chakiris to Shari Lewis, Julio Inglesias and Marinella!
Our father adored her and had every disc he could get hold of in his record collection, and my sister and I inherited that adoration. Somehow we managed to pass it on to my 8 year old daughter, so here we all were with our good friend Maria, also from Wellington, sitting in this magnificent ancient theatre below a now illuminated Parthenon waiting for the concert to begin. (July is a month of sad memories in our household... it is the month that our father left this world, so we decided that our 'memorial service' to him and our mother this year would be to go to Nana's farewell concert.)
Those weekly 'concerts' in our living room were in both our thoughts as we sat and listened to this amazing lady give her last performance...

Memories... of my sister Pagona's weekly radio show, 'Kalispera Sas' on 2ZB, for the Greek Youth Association, GOYANZ, also featured heavily in our thoughts. Pagona played a lot of Nana's music on Kalispera Sas and she used to get lots of letters from listeners all over NZ saying how much they enjoyed the music she played...

Memories... of the Victoria University Greek Club and the flowers that we sent to Nana to welcome her on her first visit to New Zealand, even though she didn't come to Wellington on that first trip. She made up for it years later by visiting
Wellington - twice!
Memories… of the French Department at Victoria, a lovely old house on Kelburn Parade, now replaced by the Von Zedlitz, and the Language Lab, where we listened to Nana singing 'Plaisir d’Amour',' Rose Blanche de Corfou' and countless other signature tunes – all designed to assist us in becoming more fluent. 
Memories of Jean-Philippe and Claire Jugand, Ms Piper, Dr Vrolyk , Mme Mortelier, and many others who taught us to appreciate the finesse and beauty of the French language through its Literature, Art and Music.

Honoured by Athens , the city she sang about so eloquently, earlier in the day, Nana's first song was indeed "Athina". Obviously moved, the emotion was apparent in her voice, and it brought the house down. The applause was deafening. (The last time I heard this song at a concert was at the Closing Ceremony of Athens' Unforgettable Olympics in 2004! What a year that was for Greece and what a fantastic homecoming for the Olympic Games after over 100 years. It really was very sad that they couldn't find a place for Nana at the Closing Ceremony - as the music for 'Athina' filled the Olympic Stadium that magical night in August of 2004, I remember thinking that if the songs that she made famous and had taken Greece to every corner of the world were there, then she too had every right to be part of the greatest celebration that Greece would ever host!)
As Nana went from song to song, everyone sang along with her. Standing ovation followed standing ovation, with PM Karamanlis standing up several times to applaud her. This was definitely an evening of symbolism, starting with the date. Exactly 24 years ago on the 23 of July of 1984, she gave her first concert ever at the Herodeion, in the presence of then President Konstantinos Karamanlis. 24 years later, another Karamanlis was in the audience to welcome her - his nephew, Prime Minister, Kostas Karamanlis who visited New Zealand last year and enjoyed the visit very much.

Nostalgia and sadness alternated with happiness and joy as she sang everything - from traditional Greek songs to Jazz, from country and western to 'Ta Paidia tou Peiraia' (Never on Sunday) to Beethoven's 9th Symphony-Song of Joy! As Nana tirelessly went through a programme of some of her most well-known and popular songs, songs that had the audience clapping, singing and foot-tapping for most of the three hours that she was on the stage, 'I didn't want to tire you' was her comment when the audience asked for more towards the end of the evening!
Thunderous applause followed every encore – the audience enchanted by her melodies and the memories she so generously shared with us refused to let her go and after coming back on stage several times, Nana thanked us all graciously and the Herodeion filled with the haunting lilt of her final song -'Hartino to Feggaraki' or 'Paper Moon' - the legendary Hadjidakis-Gatsos song that she first recorded in 1960. Nikos Gatsos, the poet, was her mentor, a man who taught her a lot, and told her to always look for the Moon and the Sun - the Sun so that she could always see the truth and the Moon so that she could weave her dreams …those dreams that she shared with us and for which we thank her…

THANK YOU, NANA, FROM THE BOTTOM OF OUR HEARTS!

THANK YOU FOR A TRULY UNFORGETTABLE EVENING.

THANK YOU FOR A WONDERFUL, NOSTALGIC CONCERT FULL OF MAGIC, BEAUTIFUL MUSIC, BRILLIANT SETTING... ONE OF ATHENS' MOST BEAUTIFUL, AND A FITTING TRIBUTE TO GREECE'S SONGBIRD.

THANK YOU FOR THE JOURNEY, THE DREAM AND, ABOVE ALL, THE MEMORIES!!...

Read more about Nana Mouskouri at Wikipedia 

Nana's 1st Concert at the Theatre of Herodes Atticus 23 July 1984

Saturday 19 July 2008

Kiwi Tall Blacks vs Greece - 48-75! Good try! The Kiwis put up a good fight!

It was great while it lasted but for the Kiwis the Olympic dream is over! The atmosphere in the Olympic Basketball Stadium was great, bringing back memories of our Unforgettable, Magical, Dream Olympics nearly 4 years ago. Unbelievable - Athens 2004 feels like yesterday!

I felt like the Lone Ranger - 1 silver fern flag amongst a sea of Aegean blue and white..


Here is what the press said...


Olympic dream shattered for Tall Blacks

NZPA | Saturday, 19 July 2008 www.stuff.co.nz

The New Zealand men's basketball team has been crushed in its attempt to qualify for the Olympics.

The team was humbled 48-75 by Greece in the quarterfinals of the Olympic qualifying tournament this morning.

Spurred on by a raucous crowd of 20,000 at the Olympic qualifying tournament quarterfinal, Greece were too classy in every department for a Tall Blacks side whose hopes of reaching the Beijing Games next month rested on a top-three finish.

It is the first time since 1996 that New Zealand won't field a men's basketball team at the Olympics.

A Tall Blacks side missing several unavailable or retired senior players always faced a daunting task against the tournament favourites and world championship silver medalists.

They were never in the hunt after a disastrous first five minutes in which they fell behind 15-2 and veteran forward Pero Cameron picked up two fouls.

The lead was pegged to 22-12 by quarter time but New Zealand steadily lost ground from from there, trailing 20-37 at halftime and 36-55 with a quarter to play.

A gulf in class was evident at both ends of the court, particularly when the Tall Blacks were in possession. more

For more info and points tables visit www.athens2008.fiba.com

Thursday 17 July 2008

NZ vs Greece - Friday 18 July 2008, 10.00PM OAKA, Athens - Let's all be there!!!

Tall Blacks face high hurdle

By DANIEL GILHOOLY | Thursday, 17 July 2008 (www.stuff.co.nz)

The mountain New Zealand must scale to reach Beijing became obvious as they tried to leave the venue of the men's basketball Olympic qualifying tournament in Athens today.

After losing their final pool match 71-89 to Germany, the Tall Blacks found themselves stuck for nearly half an hour in the car park.

An enormous crowd was arriving to watch hosts Greece, the team New Zealand must somehow topple in the quarterfinals on Saturday morning (NZ time) to have any chance of competing at the Beijing Olympics. more...


Wednesday 16 July 2008

Kiwi Tall Blacks Lose to Germany 71-89...if Greece wins (at the moment it is 73-58 to Greece) it will be a very interesting game for us Griwis!!!

Tall Blacks lose to Germany

Thursday, 17 July 2008 (www.stuff.co.nz)

LATEST: New Zealand crashed to a 71-89 loss to Germany in their final pool match at the men's basketball Olympic qualifying tournament in Greece this morning (NZ time).

Despite 29 points from forward Kirk Penney, the Tall Blacks were only in contention through the early stages against taller, more experienced opponents in Athens.

Both sides had already qualified for the quarterfinals after easy respective wins over Cape Verde.

New Zealand's quarterfinal was to be played on Saturday morning (NZ time) against the winner of the pool match between hosts Greece and Brazil later today. more...

For more info and points tables visit www.athens2008.fiba.com



Tuesday 15 July 2008

Athens hosts Pre-Olympic Qualifying Tournament

Basketball: New Zealand wins opening game at Olympic qualifying tournament

New Zealand has beaten Cape Verde 77-50 to start a 12-nation qualifying tournament for the Beijing Olympics.

The Tall Blacks led 16-0 before extending it to 42-20 at halftime. Kirk Penney led the scoring with 25 points.

New Zealand captain Pero Cameron says his teammates knew little about their opponents going into the game. more

From MSN.com 14 July 2008

Kiwi heads Harrods

The Kiwi at the helm of Harrod's

By KERRY WILLIAMSON - The Dominion Post | Monday, 14 July 2008


He may just be the most successful Kiwi businessman you've never heard of - and he's running a British institution.

For the past three months former Wellingtonian James McArthur has been in charge of Harrods department store, a must-see for Kiwis visiting London.

Mr McArthur, once a Tawa schoolboy, is Harrods Group's chief executive officer, a position created specifically for him.

Reporting directly to Harrods chairman Mohamed Al Fayed, Mr McArthur oversees the Knightsbridge store as well as the company's real estate, aviation and airport terminal retail operations. more...

From the Dominion Post 14 July 2008


Tuesday 1 July 2008

Kia Ora, Kalos ilthate, Welcome!


Kia Ora and welcome to our brand new blog!

A few words about us...until we actually get going properly.

This website is for all New Zealanders and friends of New Zealand living in Greece. The name Griwis was coined by Griwi Robyn Christou who was living in Greece at the time but is now back in NZ, and we liked it so much we kept it!

As a result of the closure of the New Zealand Embassy in Athens in 1991, and our petition protesting this, we set up The Hellenic New Zealand Association in 1995.

Check it out and let us have your comments...hopefully it will be more complete later in the month!!!