Greece and her Islands are beautiful. 17 years ago I was romantically asked if I wanted to live here forever. To make a jewel of an island in the Aegean home?. I love my husband so it was no tuffy and I have been blessed to stay here eversince. From the beginning I have always noticed imperfections in the shitstem, but as with a lover, I chose to ignore any shortcomings and take the good with the bad.

Quickly we were blessed with children and my introduction to the Education System. Schools have always been run a bit like a Bring and Buy sale here. ‘You bring 2 packets of A4 paper and we will bring a teacher.’ I accept the trade off. Steeped in a strong Classical and Academic curriculum with a regular healthy dose of Gymnastics and Athletics I watch my kids blossom into intellectual, healthy and well balanced young people. They can share a book and we have a PC at home. If I run into the headmistress shopping on schooltime, no matter, she knows all my children by name and their achievements, for this I am grateful. A small and dingy classroom free of gangsters and peadophiles is preferable to a forced bright and cheery Barney environment with mod cons.

Doctors tend to be lapsidaisical in their bedside manner, but the Greeks invented medicine so why doubt them? Unlike the UK and France, the Greek National Health Care System is not priveledged, itsucks. (I read somewhere recentley that ‘Europe has an excellent health care system’. The USA lady who wrote this must be related to Sarkozy because like him she believes France is Europe)! So like most Greeks we have private medical insurance. Its OK, morally wrong but OK. We are on first name terms with most of the Dr’s here and an informality lends itself to most medical situations. A Dr who has treated my children since babies cares for them more than just professionally.

“Why do the Police sit in cars and drink coffee all day?” My son many moons ago rightly asked “Are they just going to sit there and wait for the robbers to give them the money?” Out of the mouth of babes! I have never been able to understand the mistrust Greeks have for authority. Its ingrained into them, or in my son’s case it must be genetic. Then like a thunderbolt this week the Greek Finance Minister eloquently annouces “The shit is going to hit the Fan”! My wake up call. At last I understood both the shit and the mistrust asmy bubble finally burst.

The Greek ruling classes paid Goldman Sachs huge amounts of money to cook their books and endorse their way into Europe. Why have these people and the executives of Goldman Sachs not been thrown in the slammer and their assests frozen? If we, the minions, try to fiddle our tax returns for just a mere few thousand we are looking at 5-7 years jail time.

The Greeks were irresponsible they say, the Greeks cheated they say, but S&M (Sorkozy and Merkel :p) knew it and looked the other way. Or perhaps it was because of all the false promises they just couldn’t look us in the eye. Whatever! Greece was in and went on a frenzied borrowing spree in the Casino of Europe, regardless of the bonkers interest rate.

Meanwhile back at the taverna, us the minions, havent seen any of this this money. The schools are still lacking in basic equipment. The roads are still full of potholes. Laws are not enforced unless palms are greased. Private Medical Care is still essential and many elderley people have rickets and no teeth. Will that be me? :O

So what is all this bullshit about the level of Greek Debt?
http://www.economicshelp.org/blog/2996/economics/list-of-gross-external-debt-by-country/
Greece actually comes in at #19. So why are we being dragged across the coals?
Its that nasty Interest Rate that markets are allowed to play around with.
http://www.ecb.int/stats/money/long/html/index.en.html
Greece is at a staggering 17.78%. Yaye we win! :\ Please note S&M’s ranking.

228 billion Euros have recentley left Greece via Cyprus. The elite are panicking and scared of the Drachma, like rats they flee a sinking ship regardless of the 10million people they have hurt and leave to pay their debts. They have hurt more than just our pockets. It is soul destroying to know the people you voted for, your pillars of society are capable of treating you with such contempt.

George Papandrea is like someone who arrived drunk and late to the party when everyone else has passed out.
“Lets have a Referendum” he calls exuberiantly.
This seemed to come from nowhere like a rabbit out his party hat.
S&M who were huddled up on the sofa together, begin to stir. “Ask the People! Has he gone mad”?
My husband and I got excited. At last we were allowed a voice, a chance to vote.

S&M who were sneakily the only sober ones at the party, went to the G20 Summit with a clear and ruthless head and took it upon themselves to lay down the laws to Countries and Banks. Who voted them Heads of Europe? Its not enough the people of Greece have been kicked down by their own, S&M like playground bullies, deny Greece the chance to exercise Democractic choice through a referendum. Insult to injury.

I am actually getting there myself. To hell with Europe. I don’t want to be dictated to by self appointed fascist hypocrits and bankers. How dare they committ us to their feudal system of eternal hardship and not even consult us. I feel sorry for everyone in Greece, for everyone in Europe, for everyone everywhere where greed has overcome love and humanity.

Greece the cradle of Democracy has come full circle.

We will ride this out together as a family. We will stand strong as a nation. The good times and the bad. Back to the swings and roundabouts thing again that have always been so prevalent in my daily Greek life. I will carry on as normal caring for my family and when my kids come home from school disheartend because they have been told they will have no jobs (eyes rolling) I will encourage them to keep their spririts up and do well. I will soothe and relax my husband from the stresses of running his own business in this abominable econimic climate and will check myself to stay positive as life goes on!

As I went for my morning beach run today, I noticed that what is normally another pleasure of living in Paradise felt different. It was tainted, because now Im running to a different beat, Im jogging on the sand in Babylon.

Hi venusdemilos

Do you have pictures you could share of Greece.

I love Greece from what I've seen on the internet/hgtv it's on my list of places to visit.

Hope everything gets settled quickly

Hi venusdemilos

Will keep checking in for the pictures