The Reluctant Employer

Stone wall in front of house

All the smart money has left Greece. I'm the only idiot doing the opposite.
My obsession to complete this house is now full blown and unstoppable; not unlike the downward spiral of the country.

Greece is in chaos; no government,  neo nazis in parliament, the extreme left barking marching orders, the sceptre of the drachma looming, the increase of unemployment, an abyssal debt,  plans for more austerity, progression of suicides, increase in poverty and now even locusts have descended on parts of Greece. Is there a pox on the Greek Oikos? Its sure seems like it is, in biblical proportions, but not on my Greek House.

Two new chimneys

Somewhere in my youth and childhood, I must have done something good, because the winds of discontent have not reached my little spot in Verga. Its like an oasis, in the massive desert of a country on the verge of a default. Verga is busy with bulldozers, brick layers, stone workers, plumbers and electricians. If you were to observe my house on a daily bases, you'd never suspect that just outside of its borders people are stricken with fear.

Electrical

A friend pointed out to me that I am an employer of sorts and that I'm doing a good thing.  Really?  I never thought of it that way and when I think of my role as an employer, I am uneasy.  I am bankrolling this venture, that's for sure, but I never thought beyond that.  Who are the men that work on my house?  Do they have families?  Are they sending money to their children to go to school?  Are they even Greek citizens?  Will they be in my employ right to the finish line?  And are they relying solely on what I pay them?  All very good questions for Peter Boufeas, the mihanikos.  But do I really want to know the answers?  That's a lot of pressure for this reluctant employer.

Nevertheless, Boufeas, seems content with his crew and the progression of the house.  The work did get interrupted over Pascha (Easter) and Proto Maya (May Day) and the Ekloges (elections) on May 6th, but Boufeas rules with an iron fist and was able to snap them out of their stupor and push forward to meet certain deadlines.  And as a result, the house is truly taking shape.  Delightful really to see that the crew are meeting Boufeas' standards and that despite the troubling times and uncertainty that surrounds them, they choose to put their skills to work rather than stay home and despair. I guess I am doing a good thing.

A third chimney. Decadent!

And as the second round of elections approaches, or possible referendum, on June 17th and the 8th and subsequent plagues descend on Greece, this 'employer' will pray that her Greek House continues to be passed over.