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Greek Language and Culture April 2013 OMILO Newsletter

Dear OMILO friends,
Hope you are all fine and not too cold! We heard of the cold temperatures and lots of snow during the past two months in many of your countries. We will do our best to send some sun to you soon, although it might be a better idea to book your tickets for Greece!

Hope you are all fine and not too cold! We heard of the cold temperatures and lots of snow during the past two months in many of your countries. We will do our best to send some sun to you soon, although it might be a better idea to book your tickets for Greece! Greece had mild temperatures this winter with many sunny days and of course also a lot of snow in the mountains, excellent for skiing.while enjoying sun and blue skies! The country has many difficulties at the moment, but at least we get enough vitamins D, for free! The OMILO team just finished the two intensive weeks of Greek learning in Athens. Needless to say, always wonderful students from various countries, interesting personalities and very motivated to learn Greek and immerge themselves in the Greek culture and different Greek thinking! The course started on March 25th, the Greek National Independence day. While having lessons in the OMILO school, we could hear and watch various school parades. Have a look at the parade in the OMILO street! http://www.facebook.com/photo.php? v=570648482968705&set=vb.113515072015384&type=3&theater At lunch time we joined the crowds in the taverna, enjoying their day off, while gathering with their families and

tasting the national dish of March 25th! Bakaliaros with skordalia! (Cod with garlic sauce!). Needless to explain, apart from this dish, many more options are available and ordered. Lots of food, happy crowds and .crisis or no crisiseverybody wanting to treat the other! A German student recently living in Greece shared with us a video of how a German tourist experiences the cultural differences between Northern Europe and Greece while eating with friends! Maybe a bit exaggerated, but funny! http://www.youtube.com/watch? feature=player_embedded&v=DU5zF0UM0G0

In this Newsletter we will write about: 1. Changes in Athens 2. Hydra, a living postcard 3. Easter Traditions 4. New Greek language book

1. CHANGES IN ATHENS
Especially during courses in Athens you get a feeling how Greeks are living, how they deal with the crisis, while trying to stay optimistic and making the best of their daily life. The first thing tourist always notice is that cafs are still rather busy and kicking! Fortunately this is indeed the caseif this wont be, then Greece would not be Greece anymore! Greeks discuss, talk, communicate, complain, laugh, express their worries, share their joyswhile drinking (mostly) coffee, in all kinds and versions (Greek coffee, filter coffee, frappe, cappuccino, fredo, espresso..). It is the number one relaxation and keeps them going for about 3-4 euro/person they spend usually 1 to 2 hours in the cafe, while drinking several glasses of water for free. When staying a week in Athens you also have the chance to enjoy the several museums, many cultural events and of course the city as well. Athens is a beautiful and very interesting city, with many totally different areas. And Athens will even become more beautiful .. Panepistimiou street and Omonoia are two characteristic spots of Athens. But are they as beautiful and friendly as we would like to be? Of course, the city center can be improved. Thanks to the initiative of the Onassis Foundation and the cooperation of the state, the city center will soon be transformed into an attractive area.

A European architectural competition entitled Rethink Athens whose aim is the creation of a new city center was organized and funded by the Onassis Foundation. In the beginning of the year the winner was presented. The winning proposal is considered to be feasible and functional and now we are waiting to be materialized. Now the authorities will undertake the realization. If everything goes well, in 2016 we will enjoy a more beautiful city. It is expected that the intervention which will take place on and around the Panepistimiou street will revive the city center by enhancing its commercial and financial activities, by the environmental and aesthetic upgrade of the public space, the promotion of its historical and cultural heritage and by making the city center more accessible to all citizens. For more information visit: http://archdoc.mr926.com/re-think-athens-winningproposal-okra-5/23147/

2. Hydra, a living postcard

After some days visiting Athens, you maybe would like also to experience and see a Greek island? You are not the only one! Many of our students are exploring the Greek countryside or islands on a free day. Maya, tomorrow we would like to go on a day trip, do you know a nice destination?" I was asked by "OMILO" students on a good day. Two ladies from the Netherlands and Austria, who met each other during the Greek courses in Athens and had mutual interests, wanted to sightsee a part of Greece on their free day. They had already been culturally enriched by the visits to the Athenian museums and Sounion and now wanted to see something more of the countrys beautiful nature, but with a destination that could be visited in just a day. "Well, there's plenty of daytrips to do in Athens but which one you choose largely depends on what you want" If you would like to get a taste of the ancient Greek culture, in a day you can make a beautiful drive through the green Peloponnese and visit the ancient theater in Epidaurus and the tomb of Agammenon in Mycenae. If youd rather drive northwards though the mountains and the beautiful Delphi behold. At the end of the week everything that our students had seen and done they had enjoyed but only thing was missingan island! "Visiting a Greek island" was rather high on their list. An island though preferably like on the post cards! Shops, taverns, white houses and perhaps a donkey. Fortunately I didnt have to let them down; not far from the coast of Attica are a number of picturesque islands which are perfect for a one day visit. Theres a boat that leaves every hour to the island of Aegina, which is the closest island as it is only an hour away by boat. Very cozy. You can rent an maxa,a horse-and-carriage, and tour the island with it or otherwise by bicycle or motorbike of course. Or enjoy a "frappe on one of the stunning beaches and plunge into one of the cleanest seas in Europe. Not to forget though to visit the magnificent temple of Afaia (Afea) that was built during the same time period as the Akropolis and the Temple of Poseidon at Sounion. That temple is so beautiful and the views so peaceful, that 14 years ago we decided to name our daughter Afaia With good weather the islands of Poros and Hydra are visible sunbathing in the distance. At only two hours sailing from Athens, Poros is also a must to go to with gorgeous green nature, but the island of Hydra is my personal, all-time favorite destination.

Do you want a typical Greek landscape? Small shops with blue painted wooden frames, bougainvilleas growing against whitewashed houses, stray cats and occasionally a donkey? Then Hydra is the place to B. You really have the impression youre in a postcard! A priest on a donkey? An old man with a komboloi? A stray cat next to a blue painted flower pot? Live from Hydra! Hydra is the last Greek island where there are no cars or motorbikes, except for a garbage truck and a fire truck. All transport is done with donkeys, mules and horses. If you want to go to the other side of the island you can go with a taxi though. In Hydra taxis are little yellow boats that sail around the island. Its a good way to go from the harbor with all the shops and taverns, to the beach on the other side. But you can also go by 'bus'. Fishing boats depart with a larger number of passengers. Partly influenced by my enthusiasm, the choice was quickly made for my guests. It was Hydra! Our OMILO ladies had a fantastic day.... with a big smile they let us see a wonderful photoreportage, piece by piece postcards! But even better, the whole week they were very happy and highly motivated in the Greek lessons: during their trip they were able to practice their Greek all day long: in the bar of the boat, in the tavern, on the street, at the bakery ... and repeatedly they were asked: " ; (Pos etsI kai milate tosso kala ellinika ") ...." How come you speak Greek so well...? "Their OMILO course could not go wrong anymore ...

3. Easter traditions
The next language holiday will take place in Nafplion, from April 27 till May 9th. This is another interesting area, full of places to visit very nearby. Nafplion is a must see for everybody visiting Greece! Here a video to bring you in the mood ! http://www.youtube.com/watch? v=rd_nShdQ38k For the last-minute travellers, if you still want to join for the course, book your tickets NOW! In Nafplion OMILO will celebrate, as we did the 15 years together with our students, the Greek Easter traditions. Easter is the most important celebration for Greeks. Everywhere in Greece you will experience the customs of : Red eggs: we dye red eggs on Holy Thursday and we crack them after the Ressurrection. The player who successfully cracks the eggs of the other players is declared the winner and, it is said, will have good luck during the year. Epitaphios: we decorate the Epitaphios in the morning of Holy Friday in the church and in the evening it is carried through the village or the city. The people sing hymns and carry candles. Mageiritsa: after the Resurrection, its time for dinner. A green soup with lamb intestines is

waiting for us. Its tastier than it sounds! Easter lamb: on Sunday we eat the roast lamb. Early in the morning all neighborhoods are full of the smell of roasted meat and all day we eat the lamb with the necessary mezedes. Apart from those widely known customs , every area in Greece has its own special traditions. Here are some examples: Asini (village close to Nafplion) The burn of Judas A custom which survives through the centuries is the burning of Judas. On Holy Friday or on Saturday, a group of young people gather and construct a straw effigy of Judas. As soon as it is ready, they put it on a trolley and take it round the village. On Sunday afternoon, they put it on the gallows and they burn it. Corfu and Lefkada On the islands of Corfu and Lefkada, the Filarmoniki orchestra accompanies the most beautiful customs. On the Holy Saturday, the orchestras play happy rhythms, while the housewives get rid of all pottery, throwing it from the windows. The church bells ring and thousand of pots are being thrown on the roads making a lot of noise. Chios The night sky gets lid up with thousand of flashes/ rocket-war A good reason for somebody to be in Chios during Easter is the rocket-war. A custom that lasts since the Turkish occupation and the local people love it a lot. The handmade rockets and the fireworks offer an impressive spectacle! In Vrontados there are 2 churches, Agios Marcos and Erithiani. In a very folkloristic manner rockets are being fired at those churches by the two competing communities of the village. The preparation of the rockets begins after Easter, so as to be ready next year!

Kalo Pascha! 4. Greek language book: ! (Off we go to learn Greek!)

A new baby is born within the Omilo family! The proud parents are the teachers & authors Marina Braila, Konstantinos Oikonomou and Dora Stoimenidou. The grandparents are Maya and Dimitris Andreadis, owners of the OMILO school. This baby took a bit longer than 9 months to be born, but the OMILO team is very happy it is healthy, kicking and ready to live its life! How it all started? A few years ago a very devoted OMILO student suggested starting offering email-lessons to OMILO students. We were often asked by students how they could maintain the knowledge they had learned during an intensive course, so not to forget everything till they would come for another course! For many OMILO participants it is not that obvious to find Greek lessons on their level in their home-towns. In 2008 Marina, Konstantinos and Dora, the three full-time OMILO teachers at that time, worked in a good spirit together and managed to create a lot of email

lessons for four language levels. Maya and Dimitris always try to look for the best teachers in Greece and were happy to see that those teachers, all of them with many years of experience teaching OMILO students, were now also ready to create their own materials! The time came to open up new prospects and in 2010 Maya encouraged them to work together on a language book. It was all new to them, different tasks they were used to, demanding team-work but they were determined to work hard and succeed! OMILO guided and supported this project but, contrary to the Greek traditions, Maya & Dimitris believed the authors should choose themselves a name for their baby and did not expect this baby to be named OMILO ! About two years later, after a lot of hard and systematic work, in combination with quite some stress and worries, the book was published. Their book! It was baptized ! We hope it will travel all over the world! This book is for students who learn Modern Greek at an intermediate language level, in other words at a B1 level according to the Common European Reference Frame for languages. It doesnt include grammar but it consists of 12 Units with texts and dialogues of daily life. The exercises are mainly focused on vocabulary. The various texts also offer linguistic, cultural and entertaining information, so learning becomes pleasant and amusing. In each unit topics are suggested to practice your writing skills. This book can be used with a teacher, but also for selfstudy. At the end of the book you can find the answers to the exercises, the transcripts of the listening texts as well as the selected vocabulary in four languages (English, French, German and Spanish). And last but not least, a CD with all the texts and dialogues is included. The CD was recorded in a professional recording studio, while texts were read by Marina, Konstantinos, Dimitris, some friends living in Athens and 4 little sentences by Maya! This was an exciting and very amusing experience for all of us! We are happy that this project successfully ended and contributes to the learning and teaching of the beautiful Greek language! If you are interested in more information about the book, see a sample or would like to order it, have a look at its website: www.fygamegiaellinika.com. In case you buy, read or use the book, the authors are looking forward to receive your comments.
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We wish you a very nice spring, a lot of motivation to continue your Greek studies and hope to see you somewhere in Greece soon. Sunny greetings from Athens-Maroussi!

The OMILO team