Greek Week 2001

www.goyanz.org.nz Issue No. 7 April 2001 Greek Week 2001 This years Greek Week festivities began with dance was held to celebrate the independence the Greek Food Festival held in Hania St on of Greece now in its 180th year. The March 17. There was a wide selection of Greek entertainment for the evening was provided by food on sale throughout the day - from the a Greek band from Melbourne that played well known souvlaki to the spicy Mitite (garlic many of the classic Greek folk songs. The night sausage) and from the traditional spanakopita was a sell out which provided some great (spinach pie) to the sweet loukoumades. cuisine and saw dancing continue till the early Many of the food stalls were sold out by hours of Sunday morning. lunchtime as the great weather contributed On Sunday 25 March a church service was held towards increased numbers attending this years to commemorate those who lost their lives event. Traditional Greek dancing was also fighting for the independence of our home performed with first timers encouraged to join land - Greece. The service was officiated by in and participate. This was an enjoyable day the Metropolitan Archbishop Dionysios and that provided the opportunity for New attended by His excellency the Ambassador The waiting staff for the Taverna night held on Tuesday of Greek week. L-R: Bobby Makris, John Serepisos, Chris Zealanders to share some of our food and of the Hellenic Republic, Mr Christos Yiavasis, Peggy Yiannoutsos, Stelios Kavaleros and Paul culture. Karapanos, MP Marian Hobbs, MP Jonathon Kotrotsos. On Wednesday 21 March a Taverna style Hunt, The Mayor of Wellington Mark evening was held at the Greek Community Blumsky and representatives of the armed Centre in Hania St. Members of the Greek forces. At the conclusion of the service the Community provided the music that had a Greek school children dressed in the national taste of nostalgia to it. This was an enjoyable costume lead a parade to the Greek-New evening that involved the audience singing to Zealand memorial in Kent Terrace for a wreath the hits of yesteryear. The menu included some laying ceremony. classic Greek dishes - Kalamari, Souvlaki, Fish Overall this years Greek Festival was a and Chicken were served along with Greek resounding success and congratulations to all Salad, Feta Cheese and Olives. who were involved in the organisation and The opening of the Church of The Annunciation of the Virgin On Saturday 24 March the annual National execution of the event. Mary held on the Wednesday of Greek Week. MP Marian Hobbs, Mayor Mark Blumsky and Speaker of Youth of the community getting ready for the Independance Laying of the wreaths at the Greek Memorial watched on by the House of Parliament Jonathan Hunt exiting church and Day march, in Hania Street. invited dignitaries and members of the Hellenic community. making their way to the Greek Memorial in Kent Terrace. Regular Features • Opinion, Athens 2004 Update pg 2 • Football pg 16 • News in Brief pg 3 & 12 Special Features • Religion pg 4 • Parthenon Marbles pg 8 • Music Review pg 6 • Orthodox Easter Holy Week pg 11 • Dear Thea, G-net pg 9 • Greek Community PlayGroup pg 13 • IMNZ pg 10 • AHEPA Olympics pg 15 • Sport pg 14 Athens 2004 Update Athens 2004 News 20/2/01 World Council of Greeks Abroad, SAE, president Andrew Athens stated to MPA that he hopes that the decisions of SAE’s meeting will be good few weeks ago I attended the Greek Bazaar for the first for Greece. He also stated that he is happy to be in Thessaloniki again time since it moved to Hania Street. To say that the to take part in the SAE meeting that will open today and will last until AHellenic community in Wellington is slowly disappearing February 24. may be true in some aspects, but the Greek bazaar showed me that He stressed that the young Greeks abroad can contribute to the 2004 there are still many Greek’s around, as well as considerable more Olympic Games as volunteers and this issue will be discussed in detail who want to experience our culture. in the meeting, adding that “Athens 2004” Organization president Ms. As well as the bazaar the other events throughout Greek week Yianna Angelopoulou-Daskalakis is invited as well. were also a success, with a large number attending the Taverna General secretary for the Greeks living abroad Dimitris Dollis stated night, Church opening and 25th March celebration. Although that the basic qualification shared by the Greeks living abroad is that different people attended each of these events, those who helped they speak at least one foreign language and can operate as a link between did not. Greece and the country where they live. As the week went on and the emails/ phone calls went around asking for help, it become evident that the actual pool of volunteers within the community is small. There may be a number of reasons Athletes in 2004 Olympic Games will admire the for this but the Greek community in Wellington has always been Greek History one of too many chiefs and not enough Indians. This can be seen in the number of halls and sommatias (communities) we have. 10/2/01 The athletes in the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens will have the The reason why Greek week was the success it was, was due to the opportunity to admire an interesting part of the ancient Greek history. people that did respond to those calls of help and volunteered their time to the community. Volunteer work, especially that based According to the Finnish newspaper “Aumulehti”, archaeologists and around communities is some of the most rewarding work you can workers in the southern Aegean island of Crete intend to construct a perform. The Taverna night showed this. It brought people from replica of an ancient ship built 3.500 years ago, planning a sea voyage different backgrounds and skills together to help achieve a common just before the opening of the Athens Olympic Games. goal. The enjoyment and excitement they received from helping Historian Apostolos Kourtis, who is in charge of the project, stated money could not buy. And it is here were volunteer work is vastly that the ship will be built using the materials and methods that were different from paid employment. used in antiquity. In volunteer work the motivation and enthusiasm you have to The goal of the project will be to promote the Minoan civilization and complete the work does not have to manufactured, such as for its achievements in ancient Greece. The ship will be 15 meters long and example by the offering of bonuses or rewards. You are not there will have 22 oarsmen. because you have to, you are there because you want to (that is unless you are serving community service or know John S.). Congratulations if you did help, the community owes you a great Athens 2004 - New managing director deal, and on behalf of all those people that attended the events throughout the week and did not notice the hard work that when 13/3/01 into the preparation and service, I want to thank you for efforts. The government named a top Switzerland-based executive as the new managing director for the 2004 Olympics organising committee I also wish to say goodbye to all of “Ta Matia’s” readers. Shortly (ATHOC) on Tuesday, ending a more than three-month vacancy for I leave these shores to travel overseas. My last two trips to Greece the post. and the Czech republic over the last two years have showed me that there is a large world out there to explore. The appointment of veteran Dow Chemical Co. executive Ioannis Spanudakis, 48, was announced by the government spokesman during In the next issue of “Ta Matia” look out for my new column, a press conference, where the latter emphasised that the selection was Axlaz on tour, that is, unless I end up somewhere where the personally made by Greek Prime Minister Costas Simitis. flushable toilet is the latest piece of technology to be introduced, The latest appointment completes a significant overhaul among Good luck for the future, ATHOC’s leadership since late last April, following national elections Petros Hahladakis in Greece and warnings by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to get preparations moving. 2 Rocking monks strike platinum to honor the Hellenic culture by lighting the building tower to commemorate Greek Independence Day,” said George C. Zouvelos. Wednesday, 21 February, 2001 A controversial group of Christian This year will mark the 5th anniversary of the lighting of the Empire Orthodox monks have hit the high State Building in honor of Greek Independence Day. note with a platinum selling rock “This celebration honors the brave Hellenes that declared independence CD. The Free, who hail from a from the Ottomans 180 years ago, which initiated the demise of the remote Greek monastery, have oppressive Ottoman Empire, said George C. Zouvelos. “It is this united achieved record sales in their own Hellenic declaration that systematically inspired all Ottoman occupied country and are currently at territories to finally denounce oppression and seek the freedoms that number four in the charts with their latest hit Little Computer Chip. God endowed man,” added Zouvelos. Last year’s I Learned to Live Free CD has been awarded platinum status for hitting sales of over 50,000. Spata cleared for takeoff All the money from their music is given to the children’s summer camp run by the monks at their monastery in the Greek town of Trikorfo.

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