"MARVELLOUS things happen to one in Greece - marvellous good things which can happen to one nowhere else on earth. Somehow, almost as if He were nodding, Greece still remains under the protection of the Creator.... God's magic is still at work, no matter what the race of man may do or try to do, Greece is still a sacred precinct - and my belief is it will remain so until the end of time."
In 1941 the celebrated American writer Henry Miller wrote this passage just before the outbreak of war in Greece. His book, The Colossus of Maroussi, depicts a period in Europe where the British elite were busy traveling to islands; other European eccentrics were travelling on ferry boats to escape boredom and responsibilities, while his fellow Americans were just being loud, and in general ill-equipped for international travel.
Miller was one of the first non-Greek writers of the pre-world war 2 era who saw Hellas, and its inhabitants, for what and who they truly are: the torch bearers of a civilisation that everyone has been touched by. Sure, he made fun of the dirt, the noise, the total lack of organisation and the poverty that was found on every street corner. However, he also had the ability to remind the reader of the generosity of Greece, the water glasses always filled at the tables to celebrate life, the benefits of intelligent monologue (even when it continues for hours) and the wonder of a country that seems to have captured the soul of humanity without claiming to have a monopoly.
Anno 2004 Athens. As a new resident of Athens since March of this year, I began to work in the Greek capital with all the preconceived notions of Greece, Greeks, their business culture and their uncanny ability to turn the tables whenever the need arises to protect their interests - without any reference to win-win or moral grounding. I also entered pre-Olympic Athens with the clear understanding (from the European and American press) that these Olympics were going to be at best late or unfinished; or most likely cancelled because of wild-eyed Arabs throwing bombs at the gymnasts and dirty air that would choke the marathon runners after 20 minutes.
All the pundits, armchair observers, journalists, politicians and scared travellers from Europe and America were proven wrong. These Olympics, paid for and organised by a small Balkan country, were the best ever - bare none.
So why all the negative fuss and fear right up to the opening ceremony? The answer is two-fold and very simple: racism and television.
Regarding the first, we like to believe, as modern citizens of relatively sophisticated countries, that we are tolerant and judge people by their actions on the ground, and not because of how they look, talk or behave. We all know that is a lie. The Greeks were doomed to fail because: their country is too small; they are totally disorganised as a people; they talk too much and do too little; they receive too much EU financial support; their politicians are corrupt; they make a BIG DEAL out of feta cheese in the courts; they are never on time; they brag about the past and care little about the future, the list goes on....
Regarding the second, since few people bother to read anything of substance anymore, and spend most of their time looking at pictures (i.e. television), an unfinished road on camera 30 days before the Olympics equals a failed nation-state. Did any of the German, French, British or American TV stations bother to tell their couch potato viewers that Greece built everything up from scratch? Or that Greeks and other southern European countries ALWAYS finish things up in the last minute? Or did TV explain that Atlanta and many other Summer Olympic events had numerous problems? No, why bother.
In the end though, something quite unusual happened as the Olympics unfolded and ended. American journalists (sorry, the internet has not provided me with German, French or British articles - YET) began to publicly apologise, in print, for being lazy scribblers of blah, blah potpourri. Americans are good at apologizing (kinda like a confession), Europeans have a lot to learn here.
Three samples of great apologies follow.
"COMMENTARY (Washington Post)
By Sally Jenkins, Columnist
Updated: 11:21 p.m. ET Aug. 29, 2004
ATHENS, Greece - In summing up the Athens Games, the first order of business is to extend a big "sorry" to the Greeks. Nothing blew up and nothing collapsed; and nothing less has been accomplished than the full restoration of Athens as a splendid world capital. The Greeks have proved a very pointed point...."
***
"Article in the Miami Herald
August 27, 2004, BY DAVE BARRY
ATHENS, Greece - .... Dear Greece,
I owe you an apology. Every negative thought I had about you before I got here - every worry, every concern - turned out to be wrong.
When I got to Greece, I thought you wouldn't be ready for the Olympics.
But you were - more ready than my country was in 1996 when the Summer Olympics came to Atlanta.
Your facilities were finished, or at least finished enough; the buses ran on time; the phones worked; and an army of ever-cheerful volunteers stood by to deal with what few glitches there were. The Games went beautifully. I still don't understand rhythmic gymnastics, but that's not your fault. When I got to Greece, I was worried about not understanding the language.
But it turned out that the only Greek word I really needed to know was "efharisto," which means (I hope) 'thank you.' I said it a hundred times a day.
So, Greece, I apologise...."
***
To the People of Greece: We Apologize
By ANN KILLION, San Jose Mercury News
Posted on Sat, Aug. 21, 2004
ATHENS - The Greeks could sue for defamation of character. They could demand an apology from the world. Instead they just shrug and order another frappe.
Their Olympics are going beautifully. Just like they expected. After all, they invented this business. Are these Games as great as Barcelona, which I didn't attend but many veteran Olympic writers say is their favorite? They're not far behind and they're beating Barcelona in ticket sales. And how do they compare to Atlanta? There is no comparison. The United States hosted the worst Summer Olympics of the modern mega-Games era.
Everything people feared would happen here actually did happen in Atlanta: There was a bombing; the buses didn't run on time, the computer system didn't function, the crowds were suffocating and the weather was oppressive. Greece, the smallest country to host an Olympics in 52 years and one of the poorest countries in the European Union, is outperforming the world's super power...."
For the sake of reinforcing trans-Atlantic tensions, it might be interesting if readers try to find other editorial articles in Europe from journalists and editors who actually apologise in writing to Greece - because they were wrong.
Start counting....
As far as the economic consequences for Greece are concerned; yes, yes and yes, they are and will be numerous. It is true that the government does not know exactly what to do with so many facilities, fine, but well-organised Sydney just listed their superdome stadium for sale in the Financial Times just two weeks before the Athens Olympics began, by the way. That means four years later.
Nonetheless, while the debate rages on in Athens how to meet EU requirements regarding budget deficits, Athenians have clean air, new electric and natural gas-powered buses, the most exciting metro in Europe, Pinafarina-designed electric trams, a genuine ring road, a new airport, no more traffic jams of international proportions - and still the water glasses will be served at your table without asking.
- Philip H. Bay Regional Director,
Southeast Europe COLLIERS International
In 1941 the celebrated American writer Henry Miller wrote this passage just before the outbreak of war in Greece. His book, The Colossus of Maroussi, depicts a period in Europe where the British elite were busy traveling to islands; other European eccentrics were travelling on ferry boats to escape boredom and responsibilities, while his fellow Americans were just being loud, and in general ill-equipped for international travel.
Miller was one of the first non-Greek writers of the pre-world war 2 era who saw Hellas, and its inhabitants, for what and who they truly are: the torch bearers of a civilisation that everyone has been touched by. Sure, he made fun of the dirt, the noise, the total lack of organisation and the poverty that was found on every street corner. However, he also had the ability to remind the reader of the generosity of Greece, the water glasses always filled at the tables to celebrate life, the benefits of intelligent monologue (even when it continues for hours) and the wonder of a country that seems to have captured the soul of humanity without claiming to have a monopoly.
Anno 2004 Athens. As a new resident of Athens since March of this year, I began to work in the Greek capital with all the preconceived notions of Greece, Greeks, their business culture and their uncanny ability to turn the tables whenever the need arises to protect their interests - without any reference to win-win or moral grounding. I also entered pre-Olympic Athens with the clear understanding (from the European and American press) that these Olympics were going to be at best late or unfinished; or most likely cancelled because of wild-eyed Arabs throwing bombs at the gymnasts and dirty air that would choke the marathon runners after 20 minutes.
All the pundits, armchair observers, journalists, politicians and scared travellers from Europe and America were proven wrong. These Olympics, paid for and organised by a small Balkan country, were the best ever - bare none.
So why all the negative fuss and fear right up to the opening ceremony? The answer is two-fold and very simple: racism and television.
Regarding the first, we like to believe, as modern citizens of relatively sophisticated countries, that we are tolerant and judge people by their actions on the ground, and not because of how they look, talk or behave. We all know that is a lie. The Greeks were doomed to fail because: their country is too small; they are totally disorganised as a people; they talk too much and do too little; they receive too much EU financial support; their politicians are corrupt; they make a BIG DEAL out of feta cheese in the courts; they are never on time; they brag about the past and care little about the future, the list goes on....
Regarding the second, since few people bother to read anything of substance anymore, and spend most of their time looking at pictures (i.e. television), an unfinished road on camera 30 days before the Olympics equals a failed nation-state. Did any of the German, French, British or American TV stations bother to tell their couch potato viewers that Greece built everything up from scratch? Or that Greeks and other southern European countries ALWAYS finish things up in the last minute? Or did TV explain that Atlanta and many other Summer Olympic events had numerous problems? No, why bother.
In the end though, something quite unusual happened as the Olympics unfolded and ended. American journalists (sorry, the internet has not provided me with German, French or British articles - YET) began to publicly apologise, in print, for being lazy scribblers of blah, blah potpourri. Americans are good at apologizing (kinda like a confession), Europeans have a lot to learn here.
Three samples of great apologies follow.
"COMMENTARY (Washington Post)
By Sally Jenkins, Columnist
Updated: 11:21 p.m. ET Aug. 29, 2004
ATHENS, Greece - In summing up the Athens Games, the first order of business is to extend a big "sorry" to the Greeks. Nothing blew up and nothing collapsed; and nothing less has been accomplished than the full restoration of Athens as a splendid world capital. The Greeks have proved a very pointed point...."
***
"Article in the Miami Herald
August 27, 2004, BY DAVE BARRY
ATHENS, Greece - .... Dear Greece,
I owe you an apology. Every negative thought I had about you before I got here - every worry, every concern - turned out to be wrong.
When I got to Greece, I thought you wouldn't be ready for the Olympics.
But you were - more ready than my country was in 1996 when the Summer Olympics came to Atlanta.
Your facilities were finished, or at least finished enough; the buses ran on time; the phones worked; and an army of ever-cheerful volunteers stood by to deal with what few glitches there were. The Games went beautifully. I still don't understand rhythmic gymnastics, but that's not your fault. When I got to Greece, I was worried about not understanding the language.
But it turned out that the only Greek word I really needed to know was "efharisto," which means (I hope) 'thank you.' I said it a hundred times a day.
So, Greece, I apologise...."
***
To the People of Greece: We Apologize
By ANN KILLION, San Jose Mercury News
Posted on Sat, Aug. 21, 2004
ATHENS - The Greeks could sue for defamation of character. They could demand an apology from the world. Instead they just shrug and order another frappe.
Their Olympics are going beautifully. Just like they expected. After all, they invented this business. Are these Games as great as Barcelona, which I didn't attend but many veteran Olympic writers say is their favorite? They're not far behind and they're beating Barcelona in ticket sales. And how do they compare to Atlanta? There is no comparison. The United States hosted the worst Summer Olympics of the modern mega-Games era.
Everything people feared would happen here actually did happen in Atlanta: There was a bombing; the buses didn't run on time, the computer system didn't function, the crowds were suffocating and the weather was oppressive. Greece, the smallest country to host an Olympics in 52 years and one of the poorest countries in the European Union, is outperforming the world's super power...."
For the sake of reinforcing trans-Atlantic tensions, it might be interesting if readers try to find other editorial articles in Europe from journalists and editors who actually apologise in writing to Greece - because they were wrong.
Start counting....
As far as the economic consequences for Greece are concerned; yes, yes and yes, they are and will be numerous. It is true that the government does not know exactly what to do with so many facilities, fine, but well-organised Sydney just listed their superdome stadium for sale in the Financial Times just two weeks before the Athens Olympics began, by the way. That means four years later.
Nonetheless, while the debate rages on in Athens how to meet EU requirements regarding budget deficits, Athenians have clean air, new electric and natural gas-powered buses, the most exciting metro in Europe, Pinafarina-designed electric trams, a genuine ring road, a new airport, no more traffic jams of international proportions - and still the water glasses will be served at your table without asking.
- Philip H. Bay Regional Director,
Southeast Europe COLLIERS International
