The Elections have come and gone for the second time and the country did not implode. What has happened, is that people have become more desperate. Uncertainty is palpable and relationships are being challenged.
My house in Verga is the perfect example. The foreman (εργοδηγός, ergotheegos) that Boufeas had hired and has been with his company for some time now, has caused difficulty on the site. Once a loyal employee and the 'go to guy' for Boufeas for these types of jobs, had become the enemy and not to be trusted.
The foreman (εργοδηγός) raised decent amongst the crew. Informing Boufeas that certain works were more difficult than anticipated and that indeed more time and effort would be needed. The foreman had Boufeas' head spinning and driving the long route of Athens to Kalamata on a regular basis. Upon further investigation, Boufeas uncovered that the crew was just playing along with the foreman hoping that it would pay out and that "The Canadian" would cough up more cash. Boufeas, in classic form and without hesitation, fired the lot of them. What can I say? He did exactly what was necessary. There comes a point where attempting to understand, being sympathetic, negotiating and bargaining ceases. Full stop. Off with their heads...he showed no mercy.
And why should he? Yes, these are tough, uncertain times and Greece's jobless rate scaled a new record high in April, providing gloomy news for the new hard-pressed coalition government that emerged from the country's rerun election in June. But if you have a competitive paying job, like the kind at my house construction, then why risk it with poor attempts of blackmail?
My father would have loved this drama. He would have loved to have been part of the take down of these so called skilled workers, that deserve χαραγμα και αλατι (haragma kai alati), filleting and salting, lol.
Dad detested lazy people and especially Greek lazy people because he just couldn't relate. His first job when he came to Canada was picking worms at night with a miners lamp for .50cents a can. He stayed in an apartment that he couldn't stand up straight in, for crying out loud. That work ethic left Greece on the maiden and subsequent voyages of Queen Frederica and Nea Ellas, that brought 100 thousand Greeks to pier 21 in Halifax, Nova Scotia during the mid to late 1950's and early 1960's, otherwise known as "The Gateway of Hope". Pier 21 Halifax, Nova Scotia Canada.
I can't relate either. Lazy is a four letter word in the Sakellaropoulos family. In fact laziness is a foreign concept with the Greeks of North America. Maybe the only thing to save Greece is to bring that work ethic back? Naive on some level perhaps, but the problem, wether it be work ethics or morality, has certainly mushroomed into a deeper more systemic and institutionalized force.
Ireland, which has been undergoing a similar economic crisis has been experimenting with various concepts and programmes to encourage ex-pats to return to the homeland, Ireland Diaspora Return . Something for Greece to think about. In the meantime, here is something the new coalition government should implement that would have an immediate impact in reshaping the country, or at least reshaping Parliament...allow the Greek diaspora to vote! lol. That would certainly piss off and send a clear message to today's Greek citizens. Imagine that.
If the Greeks of Sydney, NYC, Chicago, Cape Town and Toronto were allowed to vote in the next Greek election they'd clean house and never allow the fascists to dishonour Parliament with their presence.
Back in Verga, Boufeas cleaned house, literally. And from what I understand he finally had a good nights sleep.
My house in Verga is the perfect example. The foreman (εργοδηγός, ergotheegos) that Boufeas had hired and has been with his company for some time now, has caused difficulty on the site. Once a loyal employee and the 'go to guy' for Boufeas for these types of jobs, had become the enemy and not to be trusted.
The foreman (εργοδηγός) raised decent amongst the crew. Informing Boufeas that certain works were more difficult than anticipated and that indeed more time and effort would be needed. The foreman had Boufeas' head spinning and driving the long route of Athens to Kalamata on a regular basis. Upon further investigation, Boufeas uncovered that the crew was just playing along with the foreman hoping that it would pay out and that "The Canadian" would cough up more cash. Boufeas, in classic form and without hesitation, fired the lot of them. What can I say? He did exactly what was necessary. There comes a point where attempting to understand, being sympathetic, negotiating and bargaining ceases. Full stop. Off with their heads...he showed no mercy.
 |
| My house with Scaffodling |
My father would have loved this drama. He would have loved to have been part of the take down of these so called skilled workers, that deserve χαραγμα και αλατι (haragma kai alati), filleting and salting, lol.
Dad detested lazy people and especially Greek lazy people because he just couldn't relate. His first job when he came to Canada was picking worms at night with a miners lamp for .50cents a can. He stayed in an apartment that he couldn't stand up straight in, for crying out loud. That work ethic left Greece on the maiden and subsequent voyages of Queen Frederica and Nea Ellas, that brought 100 thousand Greeks to pier 21 in Halifax, Nova Scotia during the mid to late 1950's and early 1960's, otherwise known as "The Gateway of Hope". Pier 21 Halifax, Nova Scotia Canada.
 |
| The Parthenon with Scaffolding |
I can't relate either. Lazy is a four letter word in the Sakellaropoulos family. In fact laziness is a foreign concept with the Greeks of North America. Maybe the only thing to save Greece is to bring that work ethic back? Naive on some level perhaps, but the problem, wether it be work ethics or morality, has certainly mushroomed into a deeper more systemic and institutionalized force.
Ireland, which has been undergoing a similar economic crisis has been experimenting with various concepts and programmes to encourage ex-pats to return to the homeland, Ireland Diaspora Return . Something for Greece to think about. In the meantime, here is something the new coalition government should implement that would have an immediate impact in reshaping the country, or at least reshaping Parliament...allow the Greek diaspora to vote! lol. That would certainly piss off and send a clear message to today's Greek citizens. Imagine that.
If the Greeks of Sydney, NYC, Chicago, Cape Town and Toronto were allowed to vote in the next Greek election they'd clean house and never allow the fascists to dishonour Parliament with their presence.
Back in Verga, Boufeas cleaned house, literally. And from what I understand he finally had a good nights sleep.
