LIVING
LIVING
JANUARY 2010
LIVING IN AEGINA …………. A
frustrating reality
Although life isn’t exactly
boring in Aegina, it can at times be frustrating.
Take the sea for instance; it
is after all why many people are here and though it is
definitely beautiful on a sunny day and sooths the edge of sun
burn, it is at times an imprisoning band which determines
whether or not one is able to travel beyond the island to attend
appointments, take a flight from the airport or return from the
airport, it restricts the access to further opportunities and it
definitely costs a lot to cross it! And that is when the boats
are running! These can be affected by strikes and seasons. We
have a small apartment in Piraeus, a necessary appendage to
facilitate the educational opportunities of our children and an
absolute necessity for me when I travel to and from England, so
that, should I get ‘stuck’ on the mainland, at least I have a
base.
The availability of produce,
particularly traditional English produce is another frustration
and not the fault of Greece, although I do sometimes suspect
greed but more due to politics and anti-terrorist policies. Take
peanut butter for example; our children love it but I do resent
paying 4 euro and 50 cents for a single jar when I know I can
get it for eighty pence in England. Last year ,on one of the
occasions when I was returning to Greece, I felt smugly proud to
have three large jars of peanut butter in my hand luggage; nutty
peanut butter, not smooth. As it passed through the x-ray
machine, it was scrutinized and I was asked to remove it for
confiscation. “But it isn’t a liquid”! I pleaded, “no one can
create a chemical reaction with semi-solid peanut butter!”.
“Sorry love, but its regulations,” explained the security guard.
“Oh my children will be so…o disappointed!” I wailed. “I know”,
she replied,”but that’s what terrorism does!!” “You have it then!”,
I insisted, “Take it home.” “Sorry, can’t do that either, it’s
against regulations.” she said as she threw them all into the
bin.
Christmas crackers are another
frustration. Our children love them as they represent and remind
them of so many previous Christmases spent in England when we’d
set them alongside the cutlery. They are definitely NOT a Greek
product and are therefore all the more important to us as we
love to share this tradition with our daughter’s beloved
Godparents. Banned from hand-luggage at airports, last year I
discovered that they were also banned from main luggage and now
we have to ask friends or family to post them.
Schools! Having been spoiled
by a well organized, slickly oiled communicative local authority
school in London, I have finally grown used to not being
informed when school starts and ends here on the island but I do
feel frustrated by the lack of continuity. For example, our
daughter opted to study German and loved it for a year. This
year is her second and to date a German teacher has not arrived.
I then approached a frontisterio (private school) where she
underwent a trial lesson and again loved it but when it came to
paying the term’s fees, the owner wanted almost double the
amount, he claims because the lessons were to be accelerated and
the teachers would expect more money. Personally, I believe that
this is another case of greed and it is another example of
Greeks shooting themselves in the foot because I didn’t agree to
the price and am now in the process of organizing something else.
However, there is nothing
worse than an ex-pat moaning about his/her host country, (another
of my frustrations), something I find incredibly boring, not
least when some still have this nauseating British attitude of
assumed superiority…where DOES this come from? Greece is indeed
a chaotic country but the people are wonderfully hospitable,
loud and passionate, a colourful stage played in front of a
wonderful backdrop of mountains and sea and on a good day, it
can’t get any better!
Alison Lorentzos
copyright 2010
