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On this day in 1899, Greek businessman Andreas Syngros died aged 68

The Greek Herald
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On this day in 1899, Greek businessman Andreas Syngros died aged 68

One of the important personalities of Greece in the 19th century, Andreas Syngros was considered the most powerful man of his time, after King George I .

Andreas was born in the Stavrodromi (Pera) district of Istanbul on October 12, 1830. He studied at the famous school of Theophilos Kairis in Andros, later completing his studies in Ermoupolis of Syros in 1845.

Immediately after graduation he started working as an apprentice in the shop of the merchant Theodoros Rodokanakis in Ermoupolis. He quickly rose through the ranks and in 1849 became the manager of the newly formed company ‘Vouros, Damianos and Sia‘, which imported and exported products from the Ottoman Empire.

In 1863, he began to engage in banking and quickly formed a respectable fortune. His business almost went bankrupt in 1871 due to the economic crisis caused by the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-1871 and the sharp fall of Turkish bonds.

With a series of risky stock market manoeuvres, Syngros saved a large part of his fortune and together with Georgios Koronios, Stefanos Skouloudis and Antonios Vlastos, founded the Istanbul Bank.

In 1872, he returned to Athens and, together with Ioannis Skaltsounis, founded the General Credit Bank. After the integration of Thessaly and part of Epirus, Syngros together with other capitalists founded the Bank of Epirus. This merged only two years later with the National Bank of Greece.

Syngros left a mark on his name for his extremely generous charitable work, with his donations totally an estimated 5,000,000 drachmas. For his philanthropic work he was honoured with the highest medals of the Ottoman Empire and the Kingdom of Greece.

Andreas Syggros died in the early morning hours of February 13, 1899 from a heart attack. 

“Such a crowd never accompanied the dead in modern Greece, but never has modern Greece ever had such a large funeral to bury, because ‘such men’ as one author very aptly said are not just individuals, but ‘are humanity in the slightest’!” wrote a newspaper the day after his funeral.

Sourced By: San Simera

Insight or Perspective: A solution for the continuation of Modern Greek Studies in Sydney

The Greek Herald
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Insight or Perspective: A solution for the continuation of Modern Greek Studies in Sydney

By Eleni Elefterias

On Tuesday 9th February it was International Greek Language Day.

So who is celebrating? Hardly anyone!

At least not in Greece at the moment due to Covid and definitely not in Australia. With an origin of more than 3.500 years old, it is one of the oldest continuing languages on earth, Chinese being the other.

In this, the 200th year since the beginning of the War of Independence, maybe this day should have been added to the Calendar of the Greek Festival of Sydney. An opportunity lost. 

But where do our major organisations stand as far as our Universities are concerned? 

All modern languages, and especially Community languages are suffering in Australia. Numbers are down compared with 20 years ago. One big problem is the Australian government’s complete disregard for the importance of languages study.

Unlike our counterparts in Europe where three languages are compulsory, our students get a small taste of a language in primary school of only 100 hours. Lack of funding for languages at University level is therefore one important issue.

Because of this, another issue affecting Modern Greek study is that it is not centralised in one university but offered at three different universities. This means that any funding via benefactors, fundraisers or government sponsorship is divided into three.

Since there are not the students there once were, surely they would consider amalgamation to create one large department. This would only strengthen the position of Modern Greek languages study. 

Off the grapevine, I have recently heard that the Greek Archdiocese is planning to create a big Theological Institute that will also teach Classical and Modern Greek.

At first, and if this is true, it sounds like a great idea. However, as far as Modern Greek is concerned it further withers away the numbers from our current universities.

Wouldn’t it be better to integrate their language learning course with that of one of the major Modern Greek Departments such as that of Sydney University?

It seems obvious and we can only hope that there is some cooperation between the two. 

More, in next week’s column.

READ MORE: Insight or Perspective: What should the Associations be doing to help Modern Greek?

*Eleni Elefterias-Kostakidis is a teacher of Modern Greek and University lecturer. 

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Read Eleni Elefterias’ column ‘Insight or Perspective’ in Greek, every Saturday in The Greek Herald’s print edition or get your subscription here.

 

Victorian florists scramble as Valentine’s Day turns to shambles

The Greek Herald
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Victorian florists scramble as Valentine’s Day turns to shambles

Florists in Victoria are scrambling to figure out how to deal with extra stock as the state enters a stage-four five-day lockdown.

Valentine’s Day, along with the day prior, is one of the busiest times of the year for florists. Hundreds of people typically seen lining up to buy roses or other flowers for their significant other.

February 13, 2021; Silence. Streets are empty as florists sit wondering how to sell their fresh stock of flowers.

“We’re just in a state of shock and disbelief. The timing couldn’t be any worse,” Florist Michael Pavlou, who has two stores in Melbourne, said to ABC News.

Azalea florist owner Michael Pavlou. Photo: South Melbourne Markets

“We’re holding so much perishable stock, it’s potentially shattering for a lot of Victorian small businesses. We’re holding so much value of red roses and perishable items. If they don’t find homes, it will put us back years.”

He said he hoped to be able to sell some of his stock online.

“Valentine’s Day, it’s a big thing. People are working on it for at least a month out, we have been ready, preparing all of our arrangements for a couple of days. A team of 10 people every day,” he said.

“So, it’s not just the loss of the goods, it’s the labour that’s already been invested. You can’t recover that and I am concerned for a lot of my friends who might not survive this,” he said.

‘Once We Were Here’: New multi-generational love story set in Greece during WWII

The Greek Herald
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‘Once We Were Here’: New multi-generational love story set in Greece during WWII

As World War II intrudes upon their home, three young friends risk everything for freedom, love, and a chance at a better life.

This is the premise of a debut book by Greek-American author Christopher Cosmos, titled ‘Once We Were Here’, which is a multi-generational love story set in Greece during WWII.

The book was released in honour of the 80th Anniversary of Oxi Day, and in celebration of the untold story of how Greece helped the Allies to win WWII.

“Growing up, I heard stories of Greece and WWII for as long as I can remember, especially at the Greek Orthodox church that I attended in Michigan, and I wanted to honor those who fought and what they gave,” Cosmos said.

“Those stories that I heard were the inspiration for this novel, which I hope will do just that, and help honour and make the memories of our ancestors, and what they did, eternal, both for us now, and for all generations to come.”

The book was published in the United States by Arcade Publishing on October 20th, 2020, and was published only last week in Australia.

Steven Pressfield (“Gates of Fire”, “The Legend of Bagger Vance”) has called the book “a stunning literary debut about legacy and history, war and peace, fate and destiny, the power of family and stories, and how young love can still shine and endure, even in the face of the greatest evils, and long after we’re gone.”

See below for a small summary of the novel, available to order via links at the authors website:

On October 28th, 1940, Mussolini provided Greek Prime Minister Ioannis Metaxas with an ultimatum: either allow Axis forces to occupy their country, or face war, and Greece’s response was swift. “Oxi!” they said. “No!”

In a small village nestled against the radiant waters of the Aegean Sea, we find Alexei, the son of a local fisherman, and his best friend Costa, who were both born on the same night eighteen years earlier and have been like brothers ever since, though now, like all the other young men in their village and throughout Greece, they will leave their homes to bravely fight for their country.

ICU’s in Athens hit 83 percent occupancy as lockdown is extended to more Greek regions

The Greek Herald
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ICU’s in Athens hit 83 percent occupancy as lockdown is extended to more Greek regions

Greek hospital staff battle with the overwhelming amount of patients in the country, having recently reached 200 hospital admissions per day on a national level. The number of people on ventilators has risen by 67 percent, with ICU’s in Attica reaching an occupancy rate of 83 percent.

Committee member and infectious disease specialist, Gkikas Magiorkinis, said during a Health Ministry briefing that, according to preliminary data, additional restrictive measures in Attica have begun to show results.

Magiorkinis said a mild rise was expected in ICU admissions in the next two weeks. In Thessaloniki, infections are showing a stabilising trend, and hospitalisation rates are not expected to rise abruptly.

Effective on Saturday the region of Achaia in the northwest of the Peloponnese peninsula as well as Euboea, Greece’s second-largest island after Crete, will be in lockdown until Feb. 22 at least, authorities said. This means schools, hair salons and non-essential retail shops will close.

“The epidemiological picture countrywide shows a steady deterioration,” Vana Papaevangelou, a member of the committee of infectious disease experts advising the government, told a news briefing.

On Tuesday the government announced a full lockdown in metropolitan Athens to curb a resurgence in coronavirus cases and ease pressure on badly stretched health services.

“People should be doubly careful as there are COVID-19 variants in the community,” Papaevangelou said.

South Australian MP faces trial in June for allegedly assaulting fellow MP Connie Bonaros

The Greek Herald
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South Australian MP faces trial in June for allegedly assaulting fellow MP Connie Bonaros

Independent MP Sam Duluk will stand trial in June, accused of assaulting fellow politician Connie Bonaros, The Advertiser reports.

On Friday, the Adelaide Magistrates Court set aside two days in which to hear allegations Duluk placed an arm around her waist and slapped her on the bottom. If convicted, he faces a maximum two-year jail term – a penalty that will not, under the rules of state parliament, see him lose his seat.

Despite a trial date having been set, Duluk, 37, has yet to formally enter a plea to one basic count of assault.

SA-BEST MLC Connie Bonaros.

The charge arises from an alleged incident at a Christmas function, during which Duluk is further alleged to have made racist and homophobic remarks. He was subsequently barred from the Liberal party room, voluntarily surrendered his membership and issued an apology for his behaviour.

Then-Speaker Vincent Tarzia hired a private investigator to conduct an inquiry, but that was stopped when Duluk was charged. Duluk initially sought access to that inquiry’s findings but abandoned his bid, allowing his case to proceed.

He will face court again in March for a final pre-trial hearing, and then stand trial three months later.

Sourced By: The Advertiser

Nick Kyrgios blows two-set lead to fall short against World No. 3 Dominic Thiem

The Greek Herald
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Nick Kyrgios blows two-set lead to fall short against World No. 3 Dominic Thiem

In a game like no other, as the sun set and lockdown fast approached, the duel of the tournament came in the epic clash between Australian Nick Kyrgios and World No. 3 Dominic Thiem, with Thiem taking the win 4-6 4-6 6-3 6-3 6-4.

Both players came back from a days rest following the cancellation of Nick Kyrgios’ doubles match last night. Fully charged, both players entered the arena in full swing.

Expert returns by Kyrgios saw him gain an unexpected early break point against the Austrian, putting him in an early lead for a first-set takedown.

Clearly hyped up by the crowd, a mix of showboating shots and aces saw him maintain his lead and stay one game ahead of his opponent. Thiem did well to force deuces on multiple games against Kyrgios, but couldn’t manage to break the Australian.

Nick Kyrgios’ father sat in the crowd styling an ‘NK Foundation’ hat, which was a charity set up by Kyrgios to provide sport facilities to underprivileged & disadvantaged youths.

Thiem started the second set without a slip up, yet Kyrgios still managed to push the Austrian to three deuces in the third game.

A cheeky underarm serve saw Kyrgios start to liven the crowd back up and gain a little more confidence. This was quickly diminished by the Austrian, however, who went on to hit another ace in his next service game.

The two expertly went game for game, with strong armed serves coming from both players. Just before his final service game, a moment of magic came from the Australian, with Kyrgios managing to claim a break point against Thiem, who sat down simply wondering what just happened.

Nick Kyrgios goes two sets up against Dominic Thiem. Photo: Getty Images

Kyrgios proceeded to put the nail in the coffin in his final service game, hitting an ace and an unbroken game to clean up the second set 6-4.

It looked as though even Kyrgios couldn’t believe what was happening as he sat bewildered in his corner after expertly conquering two vital break point games against the Austrian.

In the third set, Kyrgios appeared distracted by someone in the crowd yelling during the rally. This, mixed with a few missed style shots, costed him a service game and gave Thiem an early lead.

Kyrgios was unable to regain his focus with Thiem pulling off an impressive first serve percentage. The two played game for game, with Thiem taking the set 6-3.

Kyrgios proceeded to get a bit heated with the referee and fans in the fourth set. Suffering from a lack of concentration, the Australian struggled to regain his footing and use his powerful serve effectively. After five deuces in the opening game, Kyrgios managed to hold on and face the music on an even court for the following games.

A little ‘high knees’ celebration for the Greek-Australian saw a small boost in confidence. Kyrgios had a few opportunities to put a bit of extra pressure against the Austrian, but the World No. 3 didn’t give out easy.

A deuce in Kyrgios’ service game saw him unable to hit back against Thiem’s strong return serves. Thiem managed to secure the break point, only requiring his final service game to bring the match to a fifth set.

Despite Kyrgios bringing Thiem to a deuce in the Austrian’s service game, he was unable to finish the job, giving Thiem the set 6-4.

Down to the final set, tensions ran high for both players as they faced tournament elimination. Kyrgios expertly came back to defeat Humbet only two days ago, yet facing the 3rd best ranked player in the world, he was required to bring all the tricks out of his bag.

Photo: Getty Images

Heading inside after his set loss, Kyrgios came out firing on all cylinders. Unable to describe, Kyrgios’ ‘mojo’ returned.

Battling hard to break Thiem, Kyrgios could only manage to go game for game. The first break in the set, however, came for Thiem, who after two deuces managed to deflect and capitalise on Kyrgios’ predictable returns.

Despite a nerve-racking final service game, Thiem managed to claim the game, set and match 4-6 4-6 6-3 6-3 6-4.

Dominic Thiem will face 18th seed Grigor Dimitrov in fourth round of the Australian Open.

Cheong Liew: From accidental grill chef at ‘The Iliad’ to Australia’s culinary icon

Argyro Vourdoumpa
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Cheong Liew: From accidental grill chef at ‘The Iliad’ to Australia’s culinary icon

He speaks passionately about the use of lemon and the importance of seasoning in cooking, like a Greek would do. 

But Cheong Liew’s relationship with the Greek cuisine is a deeper one. 

In 1969, Malaysian born Liew ventured to Melbourne to study electrical engineering. 

Three years later, during a school break he visited his brother Khai who was studying in Adelaide and was working at a newly opened Greek restaurant, ‘The Iliad’. 

Considered as one of the top venues in town at the time, The Iliad used to attract and cater for more than 400 patrons per day. 

The beginning of Liew’s culinary journey

“One afternoon the restaurant was busy and my brother’s house mate, who was also working there, asked me to go and give them a hand. He told me they wanted me to be the grill chef for the night,” Cheong, 72, tells The Greek Herald.

“I knew nothing about Greece, Greek food or the culture then but I had some cooking experience as a kitchen hand from my parents’ restaurant in Kuala Lumpur.

“I saw that many Greek dishes -like grills- were prepared on the spot and this was similar to the way many foods are prepared in Malaysia. At the end of this night, the chef was very impressed by my coordinating in the kitchen and how I presented the dishes,” he says. 

To learn more about the food and familiarise himself with the names of the dishes he bought a cookbook.

Later on, the restaurant’s well-travelled Greek chef went on and gifted him a Larousse Gastronomique French cooking encyclopedia.

“He [the chef] inspired me to learn more about the techniques and the architecture of French cuisine and The Iliad was the restaurant that inspired me to cook professionally,” Cheong says.

A migrant’s rise to fame 

In 1975, Cheong Liew became the owner of the popular Adelaide restaurant Neddy’s. 

Drawing on his Malaysian heritage and cross-culinary adventures, he created a multicultural menu that was one of the forerunners of the East-meets-West fusion.

The restaurant closed in 1988 and Liew went on to become a cookery teacher. 

In 1995, he opened The Grange restaurant at the Hilton Hotel in Adelaide and during this time, he was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia “for service to the food and restaurant industry through involvement in developing and influencing the style of contemporary Australian cuisine”. 

He has also been honoured as “one of the ten hottest chefs alive” by the American Food & Wine Magazine and inducted into the Hall of Fame in the World Food Media Awards. 

‘Cheong does Greek‘

Nearly half a century after his culinary journey at ‘The Iliad’, the Adelaide food icon will be the Guest Chef for a series of lunch events organised by the Foundation for Hellenic Studies as part of celebrations to commemorate the 200-Year Anniversary of the commencement of the Greek War of Independence. 

“When I started cooking Greek, I only knew about Alexander the Great. I have learnt a lot more since,” says Cheong.

“A recipe is not enough. You need to use your senses to cook and to be open to learn about other people and cultures,” he concludes, as he finalises the menu for the events that are set to be held at George’s on Waymouth on February 21, 28 (both fully booked) and March 7 (subject to demand).

*The net proceeds from the lunch events will support education and cultural initiatives of the Foundation for Hellenic Studies. For more information email info@hellenicstudies.com.au

READ MORE: SA’s Gr2021 announce art prize and culinary experience for bicentenary celebrations

Perth Glendi Greek Festival returns for full weekend celebration of Greek culture

The Greek Herald
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Perth Glendi Greek Festival returns for full weekend celebration of Greek culture

Opa! Greeks in Western Australia are cheering in the masses following the announcement of the return of the Perth Glendi Greek Festival this February.

Presented By LiveLighter, the Glendi Festival is promised to feature mouth-watering, traditional Greek food, a talented line-up of local and interstate Greek singers, musicians and dance groups, belly dancers, plate smashing, celebrity cooking demos, market stalls, children’s carnival rides and lots more!

Speaking to The Greek Herald, event publicist Despene Kalaf said the event will see people from all nationalities come together and be united in their love of Greek culture.

“I’m sure I speak for the committee and myself when I say at a time when overseas travel is not possible, we feel that more than ever West Australians, and Australians at large, are really looking for cultural experiences at home,” Despene said to The Greek Herald.

Plate smashing at the Perth Glendi. Photo: Supplied

“And I’m thrilled to say, based on the popularity of our past three festivals, that there is a real strong interest in embracing Greek culture within our wider community.”

The Festival will be entering its fourth year of operation and is to be celebrated over two days with a $2.50 entry fee per person (children under 16 to enter free).

Asked about attendance numbers during the COVID-19 pandemic, Despene said they will be expecting roughly the same attendance as previous years.

“Obviously this year people are a lot more cautious about where they go to… very selective because everyones not used to going out as much with restrictions in place,” Despene said.

Feast your eyes on some live cooking! Photo: Supplied

“In terms of capacity though, we can still have 8000 people per day because it’s in a large venue with lots of space, so plenty of room for social distancing.”

The festival will feature traditional Greek dancing performers and a dolmades eating contest, yet Despene hopes restrictions will be eased to allow dancing in the crowd.

“There’ll be certainly different forms of entertainment, but we’re hoping we can get everyone up and doing the Zorba or some Greek dancing and sort of engage and interact with the band and the live music.”

The Zorba at the Perth Glendi. Photo: Supplied

“At the moment, dancing is not allowed, only if you are performing on stage or on the dance floor. So that’ll be something different. We’ll have to get used to it if we’re not allowed to formally have the audience dancing with us.”

The Perth Glendi Facebook and Instagram pages will be taking small snapshots and videos throughout the day and posting them to social media, allowing audiences at home to tune into the fun. Despene said the committee is still determining if parts of the festival will be live streamed to the public.

The festival commences on Saturday, 27 February from 3pm – 10pm and Sunday, 28 February from 11am – 8pm.

Victoria hit with ‘circuit-breaker’ five-day lockdown

The Greek Herald
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Victoria hit with ‘circuit-breaker’ five-day lockdown

Premier Daniel Andrews has confirmed Victoria will begin a five-day stage four lockdown from midnight tonight. The lockdown is in response to the spread of the UK strain, linked to the Holiday Inn at Melbourne Airport, which the Premier says is spreading faster than contact tracers can keep up.

“We are having cases test positive – and we, in rapid time we get notified of that positive test result – by the time we find that case as positive, they’ve already infected their close contacts,” he said.

“That makes it incredibly difficult, incredibly difficult to do contact tracing, because there is no gap, if you like, between when we have the first case and their close contacts and potentially others that they have spent time with.

Mr Andrews said health authorities are now assuming there are further cases in the community that they do not know about.

“It is moving at a velocity that has not been seen anywhere in our country over the course of these last 12 months,” he said.

Victorians will have only four essential reasons to leave the home, which was also a fixture in last year’s.

They are: shopping for essential goods or services, work or study if you can’t from home, seeking or giving care and for exercise for two hours per day.

Below is a list of some other restrictions announced by the Premier:

  • You must stay within 5km of your home other than for permitted work
  • Masks are mandatory everywhere in Victoria
  • No visitors to anyone’s home
  • Public gatherings not permitted at all
  • Schools will close but will remain open for vulnerable children or children of essential workers
  • Religious gatherings and ceremonies are not permitted.
  • Funerals can involve no more than 10 people.
  • Hospitality will move to take away only
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