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The KYTHERIAN, JANUARY 2009 P age 7 S U M M E R E D I T I O N JANUARY/F EB RUARY 2009 PO Box A203, South Sydney , NSW 1235 The Newsletter of the Kytherian Association of Australia www.kytherianassociation.com.au appy New Year and a H healthy and prosperous 2009 for all our members. Welcome once again to the special summer edition of The Kytherian (including the Summer Crossword) for your holiday reading and entertainment. KALADI KYTHERIAN ASSOCIATION of A USTRALIA presents We are inviting students of This lovely Awards Dinner Please send copy of HSC marks & Kytherian descent to submit their function will be held at: UAI results to: Year 2008 HSC Results and UAI Nicholas Anthony Aroney scores for the Nicholas A. Aroney Venue: Twin Reception Centre, E n c o u r a g e ment Awards, Encouragement Awards. 560 Botany Street, c/- The Kytherian Association of Alexandria. Australia, Closing date for applications: Date: 28th February, 2009 P.O. Box A203, 13th February, 2009. Time: 7.00 pm Sydney South 1235 Cost: $50 Adults & Any enquiries should be addressed to $25 Children Victor Kepreotis on 0408 216 108 and for bookings please call Kathy Samios on 93491849. P age 62 The KYTHERIAN, JANUARY 2009 Editorial Eleni: Ladies and Gentlemen do not be alarmed, merely brace yourselves. The summer edition of the Kytherian Newsletter has been hijacked by none other than Josh Kepreotis (first cousin/partner in crime) and me. Josh and I joined forces this summer maximising our combined brain power to successfully create this powerful weapon of mass publication. During this process, we also accomplished other things including some witty repartees, an overdose on apple juice, reaching level hard on Guitar Hero and comparing people within the Kytherian Association to Harry Potter characters. Do not ask how and why we got away with being in charge of this edition; Josh and I have certain societal connections and we’ll leave it at that. Josh: Let’s be honest Eleni the word “nepotism” certainly comes to mind but hey we have connections and we are proud. It seems our parents (the dynamic duo of George and Kathy) have passed on the necessary traits to tackle such a mammoth project, however we know it will be a difficult assignment in wrestling the newsletter from their grasp in the future. We are also aware of the tidal wave of support they have amassed in the previous issues with faithful Kytherian ‘baby boomers’ and the challenge we face in convincing you, the reader, that our contemporary views are more enticing. Having said that, we do really appreciate the work and sacrifice they have put into ‘The Kytherian’ to make it the success it is today. A true pillar in literary society. Eleni: Thank you Josh for the random vent. Now, with the holiday season upon us, I would like to share with you all something that has changed my life over the Christmas/New Year period. It involves an ordinary human girl, a dark and mysterious vampire and the Romeo and Juliet-like storyline that follows. Best selling novel turned movie Twilight is the crazy phenomenon that has been sweeping the world, many converting to the new religion of Twilightism. Whilst women seem to be generally more excited and eager about Twilight, I have it on good authority that there are certain men within the Kytherian Association who have been to see the movie and I quote, “loved it”. Of course, these men cannot be named due to privacy and reputation reasons. Josh: And in the next edition of ‘The Kytherian’ I will divulge those names for a reasonable price. I’ll give you a hint, they are prominent Kytherian patriarchs , some Four-Wheel Drive members and others who contribute heavily to this newsletter... for example, the crossword (hint hint). We truly feel privileged to have been given the reins for the production of this newsletter. It certainly has come a long way since its birth decades ago and that is largely thanks to the readership. Kytherians alike have forged a great reputation for themselves in the wider Greek community as a foundation migrant group with great success and the newsletter is just another example of that. Until next time readers….. Eleni: All in all, we have had a wonderful time co-editing this newsletter and hopefully we will be given the chance to work on future editions together (if our literary license has not been revoked by then). Wishing you and your families all the best for the year ahead, and that you enjoy the summer while it lasts!! Eleni Vardas & Joshua Kepreotis Kytho Calender 2009 Friday 30th January …………………………………….. Greek Dancing starts. Free. Sunday 15th February……………………………………. Karavitiko Symposium Luncheon Saturday 28th February………………………………….. Nicholas Anthony Aroney Encouragement Awards Dance. Sunday 19th April…………………………………………. Easter Sunday (Pascha) Saturday 30th May………………………………………….Kytherian Ball at Star City Ballroom The KYTHERIAN, JANUARY 2009 P age 37 What it means to be a second generation Kytherian ª Home is not where you live but where they understand youº (Christian Morgenstern). This quote, I feel, best captures the relationship that the vast majority of this newsletter' s audience has with our beloved island, Kythera. Although geographically removed by half a world, each reader maintains a unique connection to the island as a circumstance of either age or gender. The bond we share is as a result of communal migration to a land that represented a progressive lifestyle. We are constantly indebted to our grandparents for sacrificing all they had to venture south in search of a better existence for their children. Many spent long and arduous years acclimatising to a harsh climate both physically and socially. Contemporary Australia is a mere shadow of its former self in terms of multiculturalism. 21st Century society can claim to be an accepting civilization, yet it is far removed from its ruthless and at times cruel predecessor. Integration would have required years of perseverance, when hope was merely a dream. My Papou has a saying which he feels best articulates the difficulties he faced when migrating to Australia. He claims the journey was as hard as it would be to travel from Kapsali to Ayia Pelagia on your knees. It gets lost a bit in translation but the bare essentials are clearly evident, with a trip diagonally across Kythera' s rugged terrain not at all simple. It is inevitable that as a particular group feels ostracized from the mainstream, one tends to congregate with those who they share a unique bond with. Our ancestors therefore created their own microcosm here in Sydney, to maintain their cultural connection that they were in fear of losing after countless years away. They wanted to create their own sense of place, to feel comfortable in a foreign land and this culminated in the Brotherhood that has acted as the central hub for the majority of our social connections for close to a century. Our links are unique, however what remains the same is the inexplicable place Kythera holds inside of us. Whether the individual is a young Friday night dancing frequenter, an elegant debutante nervously entering society or a ninety year old retiree having served decades of loyal Kytherian Association service, the strong bond with one' s `home' is everlasting. When asked what it means to be a teenager of Greek heritage my answer is unwaveringly simple. I am proud to be born in a country such as Australia, synonymous with liberty and unity and yet I have the freedom to feel equally proud of my cultural heritage with a history so rich with posterity and originality. To find a happy medium is where I feel most comfortable. I believe the fact that I have had the opportunity to be so heavily immersed in the Greek culture, in particular Kytherian (but for the sake of our adopted and half-blood Kytherians let' s say Greek culture), is why I can proudly pledge my allegiance equally to two countries and two `homes' . I thank the Kytherian Association and our forefathers for maintaining this great tradition, for the hard work that has ensured the survival of our cultural heritage and as a consequence has played a major role in shaping us as the individuals we are today. We are descendants of the same Greeks who maintained a civilization during 400 years of Turkish occupation by secretly speaking the language in underground Ecumenical Councils. Some of our grandparents left at such tender ages never to return again but like their ancestors, had the single goal of preserving a culture in an atmosphere that only lent itself to assimilation. The term ª oasisº is quite malleable as it cannot be defined in a finite manner. The term stands alone and is given life by the individual with a distinctive meaning. Kythera is my oasis. It may not encompass all the intricacies that are associated with an oasis by many, but to me it is the exact interpretation of a land so perfect in landscape and significance. An oasis is often associated with a hallucination and the sad truth is that for many of our grandparents it will remain only a vision for the rest of their days. However, that is the true beauty of the island as its image will never fade. Joshua Kepreotis P age 46 The KYTHERIAN, JANUARY 2009 You are invited to come along and enjoy a superb four course meal to celebrate Agios Haralambos Day at the Annual Karavitiko Symposium Luncheon on Sunday 15th February 2009 Venue: Venus Reception Centre (next to Kogarah Greek Orthodox Church) 20 Belgrave Street, KOGARAH www.venusreception.com.au Time: 11.30am - 4.30 pm Cost: $55.00 Adults, $35.00 Children ( under 12) Early Bird Special $50.00 Adults , $30.00 Children Special Guest: Governor of Kythera Bookings: Theo Poulos 91509069, 0409449927 George Poulos 93888320, Peter Poulos 0409666238 The KYTHERIAN, JANUARY 2009 P age 57 Greek Australian-Peloponnesian Cultural, Food and Wine Festival 18-31 January 2009, Sydney Ok.

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