Athens is a nightmare that occasionally turns sublime. I thought of making this a “for me,” subjective sentence, but Lena feels much the same way. She did so when she lived and worked here. The folks we know here say the place is crazy and, for the life of me, I have seen so many perplexing mashups within the same block. We careen down the narrowest of streets veering onto others that would be marginal streets in the cities I know well, yet they are actually arteries. How one chooses between all these identical skinny roadways is beyond me.
Night time presents its own wonders. Lighting turns a crumbling mess into an engaging exhibit portrayed in a second collection. Included are a few shots from a talk that took place in an abandoned theatre that members of the anarchist neighbourhood use for events. Brilliant, wretched building that somehow functions.
The talk was on the significance of May ’68 fifty years on. Three activists from the time gave their views in French, subsequently translated into Greek. Easy for me to understand, and something I could chat about with Foti, my friend and guide. [His mom was a French teacher, and he and a fair number of middle aged Greeks have a good knowledge of the language.] Foti is also an anarchist.
The gist of the opinions offered by the activists was that there is nothing to be directly learned for current mobilization from these earlier events, but knowing that such potentially revolutionary circumstances had arisen, they could clearly do so again. Fair enough, but it did not satisfy the 40 or so folks in the theatre. A small crowd, indeed, and most were heavy smoking and dissipated folks of a certain age you might say. Foti wondered where all the young folks were — apparently Greece and Spain have significant numbers of youth identifying as anarchists. Perhaps, they were on Twitter and other social media as Chan might have it.
It’s common knowledge that it is a tough time for many in Greece and other Euro countries, especially for the young. If they are on social media, it appears they may be on job sites looking to emigrate for work. Titsa, our other friend, personally knows no less that 14 people who have left for wealthier Euro states, Australia and to a lesser extent, Canada. Among people who remain, there appear to be other strategies.
The first seems to be supporting grown children on ever-shrinking parental and grand parental pensions and growing taxes. For others, more desperate measures are chosen. One current scandal involves the investigation of about five hundred health care workers, from orderlies, nurses to doctors who have been caught skimping on patients’ cancer medication to profit from selling it to others. Lest one might think this to be unspeakably cruel, it is also clear that a few of these people are trying to make the most elementary ends meet. Sadly, other are trying to supplement a lessened wealth. The gap between economic circumstances can be glaring.
Safe to say that the folks I know have no great optimism for the future, not from what they sardonically refer to as their “left-wing” government, nor from their mostly bought media, public, private, social or otherwise. Nor from the “people”, who are as clued out about politics as they ever have been, merely trying to cope and hoping things can return to the happy consumerism of the first decade in the EU.
Kind of bleak, but as usual with this place there are those moments of the sublime. As with most Euro societies, not hard to find creative people. Surely, the graffiti is striking in this way, and there are some amazing design concepts and shockingly fabulous innovative cultural products. As a minor example among the latter, we shared the most wonderful vegan food I have ever tasted. In Canada, virtually all the vegan I have sampled is close to punishment: it has to be “yecch” for it to be good for you. Not here, this was as lovely, varied and flavourful as any food I have ever come across. If only this kind of skill could erupt in other areas of the population and economy.
Athens looks amazing. Wonderfully old and run down. Patina and palimpsest. I find the austerity (not gov’t austerity) of the place refreshing. And even contemplation of activism. A nice counterpoint to elephantine entitled over, here scarfing their Kentucky Fried, while decrying the invasion of aliens, especially alien toddlers. Jonathon Swift would have a field day.
Sounds like you’re having a hoot, Phil. We’re off to Coburg Beach this week-end to escape the St. Jean xenophobia here. I more or less finished the deck, taking your advice and removing the storage bench all together. Hope to have everyone over for a BBQ when you’re back. I’m off veganism for a while myself.