3 posts tagged “athens”

Good morning ( or should I say Good afternoon ) my fellow Voxers,

It's 4 o clock in the afternoon. I woke up an hour ago. Last night, I went to this amazing bar, called Ono in the Gansevoort Hotel at the Meatpacking District. The bar was located in the backyard of the hotel; open, outdoor space with Miami looks, nice drinks and one of the few places in NYC where you can actually have a cigarette. I felt I was back in Athens. Around 2.30 in the morning, I came back to my apartment and watched a pirated version of Harry Potter. There are hundreds of torrents for the new Potter movie ready to be downloaded. I have to admit that my version was kind of decent. Good sound and mediocre image. Well, you can't have everything!

Today, the weather is bad. It hasn't stopped raining as my friends here have informed me. But, I don't bother since it is not hot! I called my parents and they told me that in Greece the weather is really hot, while the arsonists keep up their job; burning down the country. Reading the news on-line, I came to understand that our Greek government seems confused and inefficient to manage this crisis. I am really frustrated. Why people can't understand that in our era, destroying our flora and fauna is suicide? I can't do otherwise but to support the actions of NGOs and active citizens who don't shut their ears and eyes in front of this imminent disaster!

Take care!

The largest and most dense forest in the Attica region is now history.It will take a century for the forest to be redeveloped. Though, not all flora and fauna are expected to reemerge. Environmentalists talk about the greatest damage our climate could face. The atmosphere surrounding Athens will definitely degrade. The temperature will rise and the air pollutants will decrease the quality of the air we breathe. Health issues will arise and the condition of people with asthma will start to deteriorate.

While our health and environment is at stake, politicians and public officials fight during the greek TV news shows and "try" to find the political responsibility. Believe me, we are all responsible regarding the protection of our environment. It disgusts me to watch the members of the two larger greek political parties fight over the ashes of a catastrophe. We don't care about the responsibilities. What is done, is done!

Now, we have to see how we will adjust to the new conditions and react to the ecological disaster. Thank God, I am not the only one; this Sunday, we will rally in front of the building of the Greek Parliament and claim our right for a proper and healhty environment. I believe that we had enough. Have our politicians understood that all this debate concerns a primary public good? Have they conceived the magnitude of the disaster?

If not, we have to awake them! Now!

    It has always been a dream for me to be able to capture the urban scenery of contemporary Athens. Today, armed with my 3,2 megapixel camera phone, I took a walk around Kaniggos Square, next to Omonoia Square in the center of Athens. This is just my first attempt and I hope that I will do better. My main intention is to provide a view of Athens that no travel guide or documentary has ever achieved; my own view of Athens.
    I hope that you will enjoy it. There are more to come!!

    Take care