Impressions about Thessaloniki

Again - not enough time to see all of it, so not enough to really tell how the local inhabitants are doing in this time.
But still I have some observations.

The city centre is full of meddlesome people who try to sell you "high fashion" bags, belts and other stuff. That kind of people I met also in Athens. For Thessaloniki then more characteristic is the guys who try to trap you with offering "for free" some simple, knotted bracelets. Unfourynately, not the best feeling when you are surrounded by them. As I was told later by the local inhabitant, a big problem of Greece is that when some imigrants from their poorer neighbour countries, form example, Turkey or Libya (just an examples, I have nothing against these countries), seeking for better life, arrive to Europe, of course, on of the first countries, where they get in is Greece. And Greece has to registrate that these people have arrived. In some cases they leave Greece and go more to North, but if something bad happens, if they do something illegal, they are sent back, back to Greece. So because of bad situation in other countries, Greece has to keep more people than it maybe should.

Even if I have characterized Greeks mostly with not the best words, then  one good thing that they have is being not affarid to express their mind, emoitions and thoughts, not only as a person, but also as a nation. This photo was taken is Thessaloniki, almost in the city centre - very close to White Tower. Greeks have said their word and they will continue.

Visiting Thessaloniki

Tomorrow I am going to a short one day visit to Thessaloniki, the second largest city of Greece. I was enough lucky to find a guide - a local inhabitant who will show me around. I hope also to hear some opinion about the current situation in his country.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/teacherdudebbq2/6468110517/
A photo that describes the life of part of the society.

Story of Samos

Surfing in the Internet for something new in blogs connected with Greece, I found this story - it describes the daily life and how it has changed during crisis of an Greek island in the Aegan sea - Samos. This island also, like all the others, was living because of tourism, but now, because of the crisis, their future is not so bright. It includes also several examples of local people daily life changes because of the economical situation here. Here is the link: http://www.redpepper.org.uk/greek-crisis-samos-chronicles/

There is a part of the story about that local inhabitants now are much more using and taking care of land - a natural source of food, of course, if you put in your work there as well. Such kind of tendency during crisis was also in Latvia -  people turned from only consuming to growing vegetables and fruits by themselves, not only because of green fashion, but mostly for surviving.

The striking news

Reading the news of Greece can make you not only pessimistic but also afraid to go out in the streets. Actually, I am glad that I live in the calm and quite peacefull Serres.

People protest and riot against something that seems to be unchangeable. "Fresh clashes broke out between demonstrators and police outside parliament on Tuesday evening, hours after police fired teargas to disperse youths hurling petrol bombs at them. (...) Inside, lawmakers were in the final stages of a debate on the 2012 budget packed with unpopular austerity measures.", wrotes "Athens News" (http://www.athensnews.gr/portal/1/51156)

The government adopted the new budget of 2012. It includes increasing taxes and spending cuts - all just to lower the debt. There was no other choice for the government as well, or it only seems so? Unfortunately my knowledge in economy is not enough to say something with a 100% proof, but still I have a feeling that increasing tax burden will only create expanding of black economy as people will try to avoid paying taxes as much as they can. And already now it is said that crisis has killed 60 000 businesses, not the best data for country that really needs working enterprises.

Actually, reading news about Greece, it gives the same feeling as reading news about Latvia, lets say, a year ago. Except all those dramatic and violent protests - we did not do anything like that -, we mostly suffered in silence. Now Latvia is compared with Germany just after World War II - with all our problems with banks...

Let's hope for the best for Greece as well.

Darker colours

Today I came across a blog that shows the current situation as very bad and without any faith of improving. Quite depressing, especially the photos, but maybe that's what it takes to get the attention? Look by yourselves: http://teacherdudebbq.blogspot.com/

Still going on

This time I want to show you a great post of a blogger - Greek by nationality, now living in USA - who has written a great post about the origins of Greek debt crisis in her opinion. It is quite long, but worth reading - honest, critical and sarcastic at the same time. It was interesting for me how the author described the possible ways of dealing with the situation. And also the way how  she describes tourism industry of Greece. Sο, enjoy: http://eugenia.queru.com/2011/06/20/regarding-the-greek-situation/

Just like in school

The fact that Greece is in debt crisis, knows everyone. That is mainly taken care of by Greeks themselves who do not stop complaining and protesting against the government introduced austerity measures. Here reaffirms the fact that the one, who yells the most, also receives the most – as it is for example, in a large class. In this case, the largest yeller is Greece, but my home country Latvia could be cited as an example of clumsy, shy kid, who does not know how to earn attention.

Although I do not belong to the Latvians, who supposedly took offence that the European Union made a deal about lowering the Greece debt by 50%, but for our country in a similar situation only put some more restrictions – I know that Greece as a member of the euro zone is a much more serious player. However, I have to say that such attention to Greece did not seem fully deserved. During these two months, apart from repeated protests, I have not felt that the country would be such rough economic situation. Cafes and shops are full of customers; it means that people have money, if they are spending it. Of course, Greek feelings and expressions have already been completely different. And why should not - if I would be forced to leave my golden lounge chair to sit on a regular kitchen stool, I would be shocked as well and would demand to get me back to my throne. The people were accustomed to live many years wastefully and abundantly, but now, when have to tighten their belts - the problems with adjusting begin. The reason for this is that all this prosperity, which, at least for the workers of public sector, was provided by the government,  it was built on a completely insecure debt money and collapse of this construction was only a matter of time.

Change yourself is already difficult, it is even harder to try to change others. So, good luck, the Greek government, in trying to train your people to live more economically and to pay taxes in good faith. But if you will no succeed, maybe the good teacher European Union can help you again...

About shopping habits and tourism season

Recently returned home from the trip around Greece, I have something to say.

Women who worked in reception in the hotel we were forced to stay for several nights was very kind and we had some nice conversations. The most interesting part for me was her story about how the shopping habits of greek have change during this time. She originally comes from Poland, but she is living in Greece already for 20 years, so it means that she has the ability to be part of the society here while coming from other nation with other view of things. She told be, that before some time, definately these 20 years ago, greeks used to buy everything in bulk - if they were buying oranges, they bought 5 kilograms instead of 1 kilogram that they actually needed and so on. At the beginning she was very surprised about that, because, of course, such purchases did not lasted for long - at least half of those oranges after some days went bad and they had to throw them away - in my opinion, wasting of money and time as well. But, as she told, now this habit has changed - now the greeks are more thinking about if they really need that particular product and if they need it so much of it. For me it seems reasonable. Of course, this is only opinion of one person, but it shows how economical situation influences people.

We also visited Santorini - one of the most popular tourit destination in Greece. It was clearly seen that the active tourism season was over - most of the souvenirs shops were closed, as well as clubs and some bars. Meanwhile, the local inhabitants whose life is depending on tourists are getting ready for the next season - reparing what is broken, painting fences and other things - in other words  - dressing up their properties for the next active, promising and hopefully profitable period of time. So everything in going on in this field, I also think that tourism will maintain as one of the strogest parts of Greece economy.

After visiting Athens

The last two days I spend in Athens. Nice city, modern and ancient at the same time. While beeing there I stayed in a very good hotel. The staff was very nice and polite, the rooms were good. Only the location - during eveneing there for the first time in Greece I really felt unsafe. The staff of the hotel told us that the place used to be very good, safe, nice and clean. But after about 2 years ago a huge emigration wave started - everything changed...
In some Latvian newspapers I read about how bad it is in Greece, in Athens, that people are really struggling, that cafes are empty. Actually, maybe I did not managed to visit all te places, and the right districts to see that, but where I were everything seemed like it should be - a lot of people in the shoping places, between that sitting also in cafes, despite also the weather. So maybe it is not so bad here anyway...

Before going

Looking back to the last days, I have to say that, if the deputies have enough time to quarrel like 8 year olds about who will be the leader in some game, than with the country everything is just fine... O.k., it was sarcastic, in Latvia it is the same, but it is stupid - I really would like to say: "Hei, people, is this really the right moment for that?" At the same time - for me it seems that the greeks are also already used to it - for some of them the news about the government is like a daily joke - a "black humor".

After some hours I and my companions are leaving to Thessaloniki, then to Athens, after spending there a couple a days, we will go to Crete and Santorini. Quite typical tourism journey, but I am very looking forward to it and I will try to see more about the crisis while I am there.

About cafes and not only

Every time I pass by some of the many cafes here in Serres (Greece) I am still surprised -  unless it is an early morning, there is at least one customer; the most popular ones, situated in the narrowest streets of old town, in the evenings (and not only on holidays) are crowded and for the waiters it is sometimes impossible to get trough with the next order of, for example, Greek traditional frapés.

Why am I so surprised? Firstly, the tourism peak season is over, so the people, who spend their leisure time there are mostly people on the spot. But it is crisis in this country, and everyone should cut their expenditures, and as it comes from my Latvian point of view, firstly this would impact the eating and drinking outside the home. So here I am confused – is this the tradition of halara (Greek lifestyle of taking it easy, relaxing, which also includes drinking coffee with friends for two or three hours) that is still so strong, despite the surrounding threat; or the economical situation of an ordinary person, living in Greece, is not so bad yet; or it is even more complicated – they understand better the basic concept of fighting against crisis and are willing to help their country to repay the debt by spending more, so that government receives more taxes/more income and the lifecycle of economy can regenerate. If the last one, then this nation is smarter than others, including also governments; smarter than Latvians for sure.

Meanwhile, the other day I was talking with one of my professors, and she sadly professed, that if the economical situation does not improve, she may have to leave her native country and try to look for better life elsewhere.  And I assume that this particular person is not the only one who thinks this way. Here starts the tragedy, which is similar with the situation in Latvia as well, because when the intelligence leaves, the country loses not only a person but his or her brain as well which with knowledge could have helped it to born as a phoenix from the ashes.

At the end - a video that could allow you to see approximately how big is the Greek debt. Unfortunately, it is a little bit out-of-date - as we all know, Greece got a 50% discount.

1st

In this first entry I would like to share with you a video which I incidentally found on YouTube, where a guy form USA  in simple language explains the very beginning of the debt crisis in Greece. It is not the newest, but it  helped me understood better the beginning of what is going on now, maybe it is also useful for you.

Introduction

Hello! At first - let me introduce to myself - my name is Ieva and I am a third course Business Administration and Management student in Ventspils University College (Latvia), but in this semester as an Erasmus student and studying in Technological Educational Institute of Serres in Greece.

This blog is created during a study course called Project where we learn how to make a research, how to find and collect information and how to summarize it into a  logical judgement. So this is my project - I will express my observations in this blog about Greece debt crisis - mostly how it affects people which is the most sensitive part in all this situation -  and hopefully will get feedback from some readers. So, please, leave your comments, I will be very glad to have a discussion!