Happy Green Beans to me!

14 September, happy name day to me! And to every girl called Stavroula and to every boy called Stavro.

What is a name day? A name day is a tradition that consists of celebrating the day of the year associated with one's given name. Most Greek children are named after some saint or some other churchy thing. My name comes from the crucifix - the male version of my name literally means the crucifix. Most Greek children in the good old days were named after their grandparents, my sisters each got a grandmother's name and seeing as I popped out a girl not a  boy I simply got the female version of my grandfather's name. A name day is basically like a birthday but way bigger. Greek people won't remember your birthday but will most certainly not forget you on your nameday. And they will bring you presents or money. TWO birthdays. Who cares if we get hard boiled eggs for Easter!

Grandpa Crucifix / Παππού Σταύρο

Last year, Niko the good boy sent me flowers for my name day. All the way from Greece!! Well technically he made an online payment and netflorist did the rest, tomato tomatoe, all the way from Greece!!

 Niko sent me pink roses because my favourite colour is pink, Niko is a good boy!

Thank you Niko! For last year. Ηe forgot me this year... με ξέχασε ο πούστης!

The correct wish for a name day is Χρόνια πολλά, it literally means many years. Happy Green Beans came about when some English speaking friends of mine just couldn't pronounce it and decided it sounds like green beans. And it stuck. Ξένοι.

My favourite name day message this year was from Katerina:
"Σταυρούλα χρόνια σου πολλά κι ευτυχισμένα!!!!Πολύχρονη, σου εύχομαι να έχεις πάντοτε την υγεία σου, να περνάς πολύ όμορφα και να διατηρήσεις αυτή την ζωντάνια και την ζωηράδα που σε χαρακτηρίζει!!!! Πολλά φιλάκια!"
Translating it loses some of the fabulousness of the message but here goes:
Google translate says....."Stavroula many years you and happy!! Longtime, I wish you always to your health, to spend very nicely and maintain this vibrancy and vividness that characterizes in!! Many kisses!"
 Erm. Did I select Chinese translation? Here's a better version:
"Stavroula happy nameday! I wish you many years, good health, good times, and for you to maintain the vibrancy and vividness that characterises you! Lots of kisses!"
Lost in translation. Learn Greek!

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Behind every good man is a woman in a hut

Our tour guide Hassan took us for lunch and insisted we try Gözleme - "a savoury traditional Turkish hand made and hand rolled pastry. Fresh pastry is rolled out, filled and sealed, then cooked over a griddle" - according to Wikibooks Cookbook (those Wiki guys have thought of everything haven't they!). We decided on the cheese and the potato, you get different combinations such as spinach and feta, but even our plain choices were delicious. We restrained ourselves from seconds and thirds only because Hassan insisted on treating us, next time we're going alone and hungry!

So how exactly do they make Gözleme?
Take two sprinkles of women and place them in a hut

Set them to work, kneading and leavening the dough

Open a little window so that the women can pass the dough to the man

Ask for your flavour and watch the man cook your request!(I got this pic off www.herdaily.com)

What you can't see clearly from these pics is that the floor that the ladies are sitting on is at waist level, so they literally have to climb into the hut, reminds me of caged birds!

DISCLAIMER: I have no clue how to cook, so the terminology used here may not be actual cooking words.

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Nikki and Niko

My lovely friend Nikki is coming to visit me from London, we decided to spend the weekend in Hydra. Nikki is one of those people who needs to be organised and wants to have everything in order way in advance. She has been nagging me to get a confirmation letter (for visa purposes) from the hotel we will be staying at (www.hydroussahotel.gr), but I've had limited internet access for the last two weeks so it hasnt gotten done yet. Spoke to Niko today and asked him to mail Nikki what she needs, he asked if he could play a little joke on her, "Nikki will kill me!!!!"

I soon received an e-mail from a very flustered Nikki in response to the mail Niko had sent her:

Dear Mrs. Botha,

We would like to inform you that your booking is confirmed.
We reserve a room for the dates 15th of August until 19th of August.
Everything will be as you asked.
On the airport, you will have transport service. A car of our company with a couple of extremely professional strippers will make your way to the port more convenient.
Arriving at Hydra, be careful cause a coloured man will be waiting for you...he will accompany you at the hotel singing all the time Bob Marley.
At the hotel, your "Godfather" will be in his office where you can give him all the guns, the bombs and the drugs he ordered, don't forget to give him also a t-shirt from London.

We will be at your disposal for any further information or request.

Kind regards,

Nikos Karabikas
Hydroussa hotel, resort and spa

p.s. a couple of nice bikini photos could easily make your stay more convenient.

Niko is a Good Boy!!!

O Nikos einai Kalo Paidi - Niko is a Good Boy

I love every Niko I have met in Greece.

- Niko Marmari: has a connection who got a real good price for the hotel room in Marmari,he drove us around the island whenever we needed a lift, and he squeezes lemons real good. He also looks after us when he is in Monastiraki and we are hungry, the best souvlaki in monastiraki!
- Niko Travel Agent: owns a travel agency (www.passepartout-tours.gr)and arranged my Athens in One Day cruise at a fraction of the price, also organised for me to at stay a friends hotel (Hydroussa) in Hydra free of charge
- Niko Hydroussa: owns the Hydroussa hotel (www.hydroussahotel.gr), organised me a sweet room free of charge and gave me advice on the best spots in Hydra
- Niko Radio Taxi: organises taxis at half the rate, and also let us sign an internet on-the-go contract on his name so I can have a stable internet connection while I am here, did I mention I'm only paying half the rate for the internet too?

The First Good Boy a.k.a The First Attempt at Getting me off the Shelf

My laptop has been broken for a few days, it doesn’t connect to the internet at all (I know! How the flip am I supposed to survive without internet access?? Feels like I’ve been living on another planet for months). So Dimitri (Marianna’s husband) arranged for a friend of his (who knows all about computers) to come fix it.
Dimitri: “You’ll be here on Wednesday at 8:30pm”
Me: “of course! I need the laptop to be fixed pronto”
Dimitri: “Vasili is a good boy”
Me: “…………………………….” *fabulous, just fabulous, he’s trying to marry me off*
So Wednesday comes around and we gather at Dimitri’s house for dinner and to have the laptop sorted out
Dimitri: “Stavroula, sit here next to Vasili”
*rolls her eyelids and sits next to the good boy*
Dimitri: “Stavroula, have some pizza”
*gets up to get herself a slice of pizza*
Dimitri: “Vasili, do you want pizza?”
Vasili: “okay I’ll have some”
Dimitri: “Stavroula, give Vasili some pizza”
*rolls eyes and serves the good boy a slice of pizza just like a good greek girl should*
*Dimitri spots Vasili’s car keys on the table*
Dimitri: “who’s keys are these?”* turns the key over to inspect the badge* “aaah Vasili you have a really good car” *looks at me for a reaction*
*no reaction from me*
Dimitri: “ Stavroula, see this key ring, its from Switzerland, Vasili goes there to ski”
*I remain unphased*
The rest of the evening continued as above, it was a long evening…..
Me: “thanks everyone for a lovely evening, Vasili thank you for fixing the laptop, goodnight”
Dimitri: “Vasili will you walk Stavroula home? You must make sure she gets home safe, she cant walk all that way alone at this time of night, no no it wont do, you must walk with her”
- Please note that I walk home alone every night and it is completely safe to do so, the walk to my house is less than 20 seconds, its literally half a block away

So the good boy is indeed a good boy, but I didn’t come here to meet good boys *makes a note to meet some good girls to introduce the good boy to, and makes special note to get cracking on Liezl's 10 rule*