Merry merry christmas everyone! I hope every single one of you has a wonderful Christmas... With your families, your boyfriends, your friends, your children, your pets, your neighbours or just yourself, I hope you have everything your heart desires... I hope the turkey's well-done the stuffing has 0 calories the tree is all green the lights are bright i hope there's snow and it's cold but not very cold just cold enough to give you this tingling holiday feeling you know the one I'm talking about!
and i hope you are all happy and healthy and all your loved ones are healthy and by your side and they love you as much as you love them
I hope you get wonderful presents from everybody and I hope everyone adores the presents you bought them
Just don't forget don't ever forget the biggest present you will receive this year is having your loved ones near (hey that rhymes! i rawk!) we often take this for granted when we should not
cherish every moment with them and i hope that there's moments like this for many many many many
So, it's about 10 minutes before 5 and I'm thinking about leaving work, cause my boss has left and, you know, the minute she left everyone left, and I was there, all alone, wondering why I stayed! So, I'm talking to Pano on MSN about this tshirt place debs showed me, and we've picked out the tshirts we like, and I'm emptying my water bottle and everything and seriously thinking about leaving. Suddenly, there's loud noises coming from... well, I don't know at the time where they're coming from, and we start to wonder what they are. This guy says "it's probably the neighbors having really loud sex" and we laugh, but it's really not normal for us to hear such loud bangings, cause we have pseudo-ceilings, which means no contact with the upstairs neighbors... Plus we have our own entrance, seperate from the building we are housed in, so we don't have access to the usual noises of a building. Then someone says: "you guys think there's someone down there breaking our cars?". The very second he finishes his sentence, we hear people shouting slogans from downstairs, and it becomes clear that the noises we hear are of people breaking our ground floor down. I have never been more thankful for our lame-ass elevator, which makes it almost impossible for people to come upstairs quickly.
About 50 people - I'd say "kids", with the danger of sounding really old, cause they were about 20 years old, give or take a year or two - barged into the newspaper I work at, completely broke down the entrance, upturned all the desks, terrorized the girl working at the entrance, broke all of our windows, then went to the radio that's working at our basement - which is easily accessed from the ground floor, it's just one door - broke everything, all the computers and the studios, then they wrote on the walls, called us names, threw some trashcans on the street and left. Oh, upon leaving, they threw some kind of gas thing in the elevator, so when it came upstairs and we opened the door, some kind of smoke filled the room, but it was nothing.
Not much has happened today... Sure there was a huge general strike, and sure there were demonstrations and riots again... but everything was much more quiet than it has been these past few days...
I read what the foreign press has to say about what's happening here, and i'm afraid it's all a bit exaggerated. That's not to say that things are not out of hand, or that there's no riots, or that things are quiet... But we are not in the brink of a civil war, we are not face to face with desperation, we are not "brave rebels who don't take oppression and rise up to anyone who takes away our freedom" (I read that somewhere, yes i did)
Ok, maybe we are to some extend. And, yes, maybe we do have a smaller tolerance level than others. I do not know, honestly. And, yes, the people who demonstrated peacefully - and there were such, and their (our) demonstrations were beautiful and creative and hurtfully intense and to the point - were outraged by the unfair killing of a young man. A killing that was the result of many things that go wrong with this country: a justice system that is corrupt and punctured. A special police force that accepts people with "special exams", meaning that anyone who knows someone can enter and carry a gun. Policemen who are given weapons without psychological evaluations and wave them around like kompolois. Policemen who are provenly "Rambos" but still allowed to carry a gun, in the most neuralgic part of a large city. Policemen who act like mafia, selling "protection" to clubs and bars, selling drugs and trafficking women and children. Politicians who live inside their own world, far from the prefectures that vote for them, granting favors to voters a year and a half before the elections, to ensure their favor and their vote. Politicians afraid to lead the people, afraid to take a stance and make unpopular but necessary decisions, for the good of this country and the people. People who believe that everything is owed to them and whatever they don't have, has been stolen from then and should be taken back: by violence or by cheating/ stealing. People who don't respect one's right to be different ("you are aderfi/queer/anarchist/communist) People who believe themselves to be leftists, and anarchists, and strive to enforce their opinions on everyone, by causing trouble, breaking and burning, attacking to kill and disrespecting other people's lives, in the most fascist way.
I can think of only a few things that could be sadder than the murder of a 15-year-old boy, by the very person that was supposed to protect him and for nothing more and nothing less than bullyism. "I'll show you", the policeman said, and took away a life that could have so much to give. One of the sadder things I can think of is the exploitation of this tragic event by people, in order to push their own, personal, political, ideological agenda forward. Or in order to just "go out there and burn the country down, because I am mad/sad/angry/boohoohoo". Or in order to loot stores, because i need a phone/new sunglasses/a gift for my girlfriend. If you are wondering, yes, this happened.
If Alexis Grigoropoulos is watching, I am sure he will be proud of his schoolmates, his friends, and the vast majority of teenage children, who took to the streets and defended his name in the face of police brutality. He will be proud of the theatrical manifestations of support he got, with children giving roses to the policemen, asking them to let them live and protect them in peace and love, with teenagers laying half-naked on the stairs of police stations, showing the police that their lives and body's are in the hands and protection of the police, but their souls are their own. He will be proud of all the teams, who hung black cloths at the european games to express mourning, and he will be prould of his favorite team, Panathinaikos, that made it to the Top 16 in the Champions League, because, in Greece, we love sports.
But he won't be proud that so many "little" peoples fortunes and businesses were destroyed and burned to the ground, in his name.
And I am not proud that all this happened. I believe it's my fault too, though. When shit hit the fan, I choked. I got afraid and didn't go out. I set one foot at a demonstration, and not both feet. I locked myself up in my house and chose to let these people burn up my city, break and burn the main street, where I would do my christmas shoping (which I will now probably do online). I receded and allowed them to take over the city, when I should be out there, protecting what's mine, demonstrating peacefully and standing by what I believe in.
This too shall pass. I hope those who say that we are ahead of a new junta, or a revolution, are not right. I wouldn't say no to a class revolt, in fact I would probably be one of the first out in the streets. But not the way it is expressed right now. Not by people who do not respect other people's personalities.
OK, be nice with me, I'm no photographer... plus these photos were taken while I was driving, so i couldn't zoom (can't zoom anyway, iphone won't let me!!) or center it right!
This is the traffic just out of the center, about 500 meters from the main street (Tsimiski)... It took me about 20 minutes to do that distance
This is a bee that sat on my mirror... Nothing to do with the riots, but I thought it was cute
The rioters took over the offices of the Lawyers' Union... It is common in Thessaloniki, and Athens, to do so... Entering Tsimiski street, there was no significant damage, and I thought "what the hell were they talking about? Things are OK!"... Then I drove a bit further and I saw it! Most stores were broken or burnt - I'll show you some - and the ones that were not, were closed, on a Tuesday morning, two weeks before X-mas
This is the first Zara store I drove across This is the second one
Marks & Spencer's didn't bother opening up today
Neither did this Alpha Bank branch
Tous bags... gone... *tears*
I took this photo yesterday, while walking to work... That is a Benetton store with its window broken... That black hole in the middle there, that is the same Benetton store... sorry, WAS the same Benetton store!
These are a few photos I snapped... Mind you, I didn't walk through Egnatia, where the fightings were held, but Tsimiski, which is a couple of streets to the south... At this moment, more fighting is held at the same places... I hope people start to think really soon... Think people... Think!! what the fuck!!
...and I'm sorry... but right now, Athens is burning up
They have set the christmas tree on fire, the whole center of the city is on fire, banks and stores are on fire, whole buildings are on fire, and just when we thought things can't get any worse, they set the ministry of internal affairs on fire There were no police or fire department vehicles on the spot
If the government can't protect their buildings, how will they protect the citizens??
We've lost control again
EDIT: There's people trapped in the Greek Telephone Company building, where there's looting and destroying. The people fear for their lives, they called the police and the TV channels, they're begging for help. Meanwhile, fire and violence has erupted in Kolonaki too, that's right in the center of the city, the most posh part of central Athens. The Polytechnic school in Athens is under siege.In Thessaloniki the center is burning up (and drowning, cause the fire dept. has filled the streets with water, trying to stop the fires), and we just watched a store being looted live on TV. Street fights, street fires, people running and screaming... at least I found Antigone, she was not out on the streets, thank god...
EDIT2: The people from the Telecom Company are now free, the police got in and got them out
EDIT3: Aristotelous Square in Thessaloniki, the absolute center of Thessaloniki, is on fire...
A fellow journalist, Nikos Papadogiannis, a big fan of Bruce Springsteen, brought this to my attention through his blog. Bruce Springsteen wrote this song about the killing of Amadou Diallo in New York by the police in 1999. Amadou Diallo was 23 years old, an immigrant in New York, looking for a better life. One night he came across four policemen in plain clothes. One thing led to another and he put his hand in his pocket. The four men fired at him, a total of 41 shots, killing him on the spot. As it turns out, Amadou was reaching for his wallet, since he had no weapon. Bruce Springsteen wrote this song and performed it live in 2000. The NYPD didn't take it lightly, they boycotted The Boss's concerts and albums, and so did many of his fans, who believed him to be anti-American, even a member of Al Qaeda... Amadou Diallo's only crime was being a citizen
Here are the lyrics
(41 shots) (41 shots) (41 shots) (41 shots) (41 shots) (41 shots) (41 shots) (41 shots) 41 shots, and we'll take that ride 'Cross this bloody river to the other side 41 shots, cut through the night You're kneeling over his body in the vestibule Praying for his life
Well, is it a gun, is it a knife Is it a wallet, this is your life It ain't no secret (it ain't no secret) It ain't no secret (it ain't no secret) No secret my friend You can get killed just for living in your American skin
(41 shots) (41 shots) (41 shots) (41 shots)
41 shots, Lena gets her son ready for school She says "On these streets, Charles You've got to understand the rules If an officer stops you, promise me you'll always be polite And that you'll never ever run away Promise Mama you'll keep your hands in sight"
Well, is it a gun, is it a knife Is it a wallet, this is your life It ain't no secret (it ain't no secret) It ain't no secret (it ain't no secret) No secret my friend You can get killed just for living in your American skin
(41 shots) (41 shots) (41 shots) (41 shots)
(41 shots) (41 shots) (41 shots) (41 shots)
Is it a gun, is it a knife Is it in your heart, is it in your eyes It ain't no secret (it ain't no secret) It ain't no secret (it ain't no secret) It ain't no secret (it ain't no secret)
41 shots, and we'll take that ride 'Cross this bloody river to the other side 41 shots, got my boots caked in this mud We're baptized in these waters (baptized in these waters) And in each other's blood (and in each other's blood)
Is it a gun, is it a knife Is it a wallet, this is your life It ain't no secret (it ain't no secret) It ain't no secret (it ain't no secret) It ain't no secret (it ain't no secret) No secret my friend You can get killed just for living in You can get killed just for living in You can get killed just for living in You can get killed just for living in You can get killed just for living in your American skin
(41 shots) You can get killed just for living in (41 shots) You can get killed just for living in (41 shots) You can get killed just for living in (41 shots) You can get killed just for living in (41 shots) You can get killed just for living in (41 shots) You can get killed just for living in (41 shots) You can get killed just for living in
How difficult is it to understand that by criticising what's wrong and hailing what's good is the only way to make a country, a society, better?
Jesus Christ... this is making me sicker and sicker
Some kids shot a video of the murder of the 15year-old kid -who had a name, by the way, his name was Alexis Grigoropoulos. The video is shot from a roof, you don't immediately get what's happening, but the two guys seen walking are the policemen. Keep in mind that they parked their police car away and returned to find the kid and "show him"
"I'll show you" the police"man" said and shot at him, twice. You can see how calm they both are after the killing
All day yesterday the country was on fire There were demonstrations all over the country that broke out in violence, cars and stores were burnt, people were injured and arrested... The Universities are closed today, in an effort to calm things down
About a thousand people went to the demonstration in Thessaloniki, which doesn't sound like much, but it is... Mainly because it's a volcano out there, waiting to erupt, and I know a lot more people wanted to join, but were afraid of the violence... We've seen violence break out during demonstrations in Greece, it happens every time and it targets everyone, people in the demonstration or out of it
There are fundamental problems in the greek society. There is an underlying rage that seems to want to break free every chance it gets. Cops shooting at kids, kids throwing stones at cops, that's normal. But kids stabbing other kids because of football or polo, grown men kicking women in the stomach because they hate Americans, what is happening today is not a first... It is boiling blood in a cauldron and it explodes regularly. I fear what is to come, but if what's coming means a change, then I'm curious to see what it will be
Last night - or rather, early this morning - I went to bed in a different world than I had woken up. Not much different, but still more than my conscience would allow me to let go without ever commenting about it on my blog.
Fifteen years ago a boy came into this world, much like any other person does. He was raised not to believe everything he is fed from the media, he was raised to raise his voice and speak out his opinion, he was raised to be different and not one of the mass. I didn't know this boy, much like most of Greece, until last night, when a policeman saw fit to shoot him down like I would never allow a human being to shoot down a dog, and killed him for reasons that are left to be cleared out.
The two policemen - notice, I'm not saying "the police", since the Athens police chose to distance themselves from these two "men" who acted out the way they did - claim that they had no choice. The two policemen said they were driving down Harilaou Trikoupi (a street in Athens) answering a call, when about 30 masked men attacked their police car throwing sticks and stones at them. They left their vehicle, and one threw a noise-bomb at them. The other shot twice in the air and once in the ground. Somehow, one of these bullets found its way to the boy's chest. He was killed on the spot. Sticks and stones may break my bones, but your bullets will surely kill me.
I have a couple of problems with this theory, and I will write them here. a) I find it hard to believe that 30 15 to 20 year-old kids had nothing better to do on a saturday night that put their masks on. get their sticks and stones ready, meet up on Harilaou Trikoupi and wait there, in case a police car happens to pass, to attack it. b) I find it hard to believe that the boy either lay on the ground underneath the policeman's gun, or flew up in the air, so that the bullet would hit him straight in the chest. c) According to eye witnesses, the policemen drove by a dozen kids hanging out, drinking beers on the street. The kids yelled something at them, the policemen answered back, there was an exchanging of words, the kids threw their beer bottles at them, and one of the policemen fired right at them. Bullets for beer bottles. Policemen with shit in their heads.
Since last night there have been riots all over the country. Leftists, anarchists and troublemakers are now out of control, burning Athens down, destroying stores, banks, cars, everything they come across. And this time, who can blame them?
I don't understand how some people think. I don't understand where they come off thinking they are God's greatest gift to this world after babies and sliced bread. I don't understand how they believe they have the right to raise a weapon and shoot a bullet against a boy, a man, a girl, a woman, an old man, a dog, a cat, a butterfly. I don't understand how they think that other people have no right to an opinion, to a different way of expression, to a different lifestyle than their own. I don't understand how they can carry a weapon and not realize that they are supposed to use it to PROTECT that 15 year-old boy, not kill him. How they can clean that weapon in the morning and beg it NOT to shoot today. Beg it NEVER to be used. And not wake up and pray to God they have a chance to prove what "men" they are, by shoving bullets in a boy's heart. I don't understand how these people decide to become judge and jury of a whole generation and seize an opportunity to start a crackdown on a Saturday night and with no provocation. I don't understand how they believe that to take a life is the right response to any "crime" they believe was committed. Newsflash, "Mr. Judge": The death penalty has been abolished in Greece, but I guess you didn't take that class in Self Righteousness College, right?
In the "country that introduced democracy to the world" individuality should be hailed, not punished. In the "country that introduced democracy to the world" a 15 year-old kid should be allowed to be stupid, and make stupid mistakes, and pay for them the way he should pay for them, and not punished by death. In the "country that introduced democracy to the world" the people enforcing the law should be responsible and patient, not bullies and trigger-happy. In a country where not so long ago people gave away their lives to have this, so celebrated and sung for, Democracy restored, it is a downright disgrace that, this morning, I am watching people burn down stores and cars and all I can think of is "they are outraged, and today they have every right to be".
I am proud of our forefathers, for all they have accomplished and all they have done. But, the way things are going, I am afraid that my children and their children will not be able to say the same thing about us. In the "country that introduced democracy to the world" today I am ashamed
I came home early from work today I wasn't in a good mood I was thinking of how my life is slowly passing me by... how I feel I'm watching it go by, like looking at the landscape from the window of a moving train... how I wish things could change for the better on their own, without my having to do somet.... hold on!! what is this in my mailbox?? a little box... brown and small enough for a book to fit in it... could it be......?? would it be.......???? you think it might be........??????
THE BOOK
As of today, I am a proud owner of what I'm sure will be a favorite book for everyone who reads it So go buy it, for real! Mame, you rawk, dude, I swear
Forgive the bathroom mirror photo, but the iPhone isn't exactly self-photo-snapping friendly!
WARNING Bitching and moaning to follow, so if you're not up to it please don't go past the line! Just know that I'm back from Athens and I hope everyone is doing well! Oh, and that I probably won't read your recent posts, cause my Inbox is packed!
I am back from Athens Missed one day of work in the process - I called in sick and stayed in Athens an extra day
I am kind of tired, so this is mainly to inform you all that I tried to catch up on all your blogs, but didn't quite make it... I think I'm tired in general, and not just because I didn't sleep much, or because the cat was so excited to see a familiar face that saw fit to chew my hair all night long, or because I went around so much and saw so many things... I'm tired because every time I go to Athens I realize that I'm nobody, doing nothing in an empty city and that, in Greece, the life is down there... and I'm up here... and i don't know what the hell i'm doing staying here, when I should be down there, living it up...
I feel like I'm way too comfortable here, doing a job I hate, living in a city I've come to hate, simply because I have a job and a roof over my head. I know that having a job is nothing to be taken for granted or lightly and that it is extremely precious and all that. And, believe me, that's the only thing that's keeping me at it... Because I hate everything about it, and you've heard me bitch and moan about it for way too long. Every once in a while, though, I get this feeling that I feel like I'm a bit more creative a person than what I give myself credit for through my job and my everyday life, and if I keep burying it, it will, eventually, suffocate and die - if that hasn't already happened!
Panos has been looking for a job in Athens forever, and I really do hope he finds one. That may mean the end of us - cause I don't really know if I can find something down there, it's a jungle down there! - but he really should be doing something better than what he does right now - he is miserable, and that brings me down too, and we shouldn't be miserable, right?
Anyway... Am I ranting? Does 10 minutes of typing a ranting make? If yes, well, then, scusi!
