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Greece Is the Word
The Day’s Most Fascinating News Stories from Throughout the Greek Diaspora
Vol 16, 16 MAR 2021
This edition sponsored by the American College of Thessaloniki. Click on their logo to visit their website:
“Better one hour of freedom than forty years of slavery and imprisonment.” Happy Independence Day!
1.
A FLOWER GROWS IN ATHENS
“The Greek capital has started creating “pocket parks,” transforming small plots once ridden with garbage and weeds, in a bid to tackle its chronic pollution.” This edition’s Bravo Sou Award goes to Athens Mayor Kostas Bakoyannis, for taking advantage of the 50% reduction in traffic in Athens during the pandemic to push this project forward. Bravo sou, re Kosta!
And as some Athenians relaxed in those pocket parks yesterday, others flew kites in traditional Clean Monday fashion.
2.
MARCH 25TH
To commemorate 200 years since the Greek War of Independence, many cities throughout the U.S. will be lighting landmarks in blue and white. Opa!
3.
FOR ART’S SAKE
How about these mosaics made by a Greek doctor in Crete? They’re made from expired pills.
4.
LOST MARBLES
Boris may have lost his marbles, since he apparently thinks the Parthenon Marbles belong in the British Museum; he also had some words for George Clooney, who is on the right side of history here.
While we are talking about theft, apparently a Russian (isn’t Boris a Russian name?) tried to sell marble from one of Cyprus’s ancient treasures on eBay.
5.
CANCEL THE CLASSICS?
The fight is on and Ancient Greece is in the crosshairs. You can read one perspective here.
Speaking of Ancient Greece, people everywhere may finally be able to make an Ancient Greek temple out of—wait for it—LEGOs.
6.
PANDEMIC IS A GREEK WORD, BUT ANTI-VAXXER ISN’T
“Angelos Fragakis, the young mayor of Halki, was also on the pier. ‘Halki is the second island with fewer than 1,000 inhabitants… to be totally vaccinated…. We have no deniers of the virus here, thank God.”
And while we’re talking about islands, how would you like to vacation at the one island in Europe that is Covid-free?
Regardless of what you decide travel-wise, some smart Greeks from Piraeus and The University of West Attica have combined forces to develop top-notch air purifiers that will be made one hundred percent by Greeks in Greece. Opa!
7.
ZOOM IN
Stonie is enjoying a well-deserved vacay, but we’ve got one sports story that you’ll love whether you’re a sports fan or not. It’s about a sports writer from Patras named Christos who covers the NBA.
8.
GIGA
What did you think of when you read that title, giga? That it’s a Greek word? Or did you think about computers and how the Ancient Greeks invented the first analogue computer? Or perhaps giga made you think about memory? Interestingly enough, the Ancient Greeks also came up with a trick that can help us improve our memory.
9.
PRESERVATION
The Tsakopoulos Hellenic Collection, the only research-level collection of its kind west of the Mississippi River, is housed in Sacramento State University’s library. We had the great privilege of speaking with the collection’s curator, George I. Paganelis, and—because he shared so much of value that we want to make available to you—we are publishing our interview with him in three installments. Download this first installment, which includes Paganelis sharing how the Tsakopoulos Hellenic Collection came to be and why its existence matters, or listen to it via the audio player below. Enjoy!
10.
GREEK-ADJACENT
Rachel Maddow has a new podcast out called Bag Man about Spriro Agnew.
Arnold Schwarzenegger sponsors ancient olive trees on the island of Crete.
If you have Microsoft Flight Simulator, now you can practice landing at the Ikaria Island National Airport (pro tip: watch out for those northern winds).
Protect your loved ones, your community, and yourself by wearing two face coverings at once. Add our new Greece Is the Word washable and reusable face covering to your rotation to simultaneously look good, stay safe, and share your love of all things Greek.
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Stay healthy and safe!
Opa!
Peter and the Greece Is the Word Crew