Search
Home Blog Page 1427

Greek Community of Melbourne’s weekly seminar series returns to the Greek Centre

The Greek Herald
-
0
Greek Community of Melbourne’s weekly seminar series returns to the Greek Centre

2021 was always going to be an unpredictable year with COVID continuing to play havoc. Nonetheless, the Greek Community of Melbourne’s weekly seminar series continued uninterrupted.

Attempts to return to live or even hybrid presentations at the Community’s mezzanine level were thwarted by lockdowns, as well as an unpreparedness by people to return to the CBD as the pandemic raged.

The program was mostly delivered online with an array of local but mostly international speakers. The themes were quite diverse, but a significant emphasis was placed on topics relating to the 1821 War of Independence bicentenary.

The 2022 seminar series promises to be bigger than ever. It will feature a large international cast but also strongly complemented with locally-based speakers.

As the centenary of the Asia Minor Catastrophe approaches, there’ll be numerous seminars exploring issues associated with this tumultuous period. Music will also feature strongly, where Professor Karalis will reflect upon the late composer Mikis Theodorakis, and Christopher King will examine the ‘mirologia’ (laments) of Epirus.

Professor Tim Parkin will kick-start the lecture series.

Expect a strong North American-based contingent in this year’s program from Berkeley’s Christine Philliou, to Ohio State University’s Giorgios Anagnostou, Athanasios Gekas from York University (Canada) and the University of Chicago’s Stefanos Katsikas.

The program will finish off with Columbia University’s Mark Mazower, a British historian who has written extensively on Greek and Balkan history. For further information or sponsorship enquiries simply contact the GCM on info@greekcommunity.com.au

The first seminar begins on Thursday, March 3 at 7pm, with Professor Tim Parkin from the University of Melbourne.

The 2022 program details can be found here.

Tsiknopempti: What is it and why do we celebrate?

The Greek Herald
-
0
Tsiknopempti: What is it and why do we celebrate?

Tsiknopempti is part of the traditional celebrations of Apokries – the Greek carnival season.

The celebration, which is also known as Charred or Smoky Thursday, is one of the last days where Greek Orthodox faithful are allowed to eat meat before they begin their Lenten fast for Easter.

Origins:

The name ‘Tsiknopempti’ originated from the fact that on that particular day, in many places around Greece, people would melt the fat from pigs while groups gathered in homes to barbecue meat.

Souvlakia are a favourite for Tsiknopempti.

The widespread smell of burning meat from any household which could afford meat, led to the naming of the day ‘Tsiknopempti.’

The custom itself is said to originate as far back as the Bacchanalian feasts of the ancient Greeks and Romans, which survived with only a few changes until Christian times.

How do people celebrate?

Aside from barbecuing meat, people also dress up and have some fun with their neighbours.

Tsiknopempti occurs during Apokries.

In the villages, people walk around in groups from house to house, knocking on doors and asking for a treat and some wine, which were both consumed on the road.

The custom also included some “minor damage” to the outside of houses, as people would knock down flower pots to spill the dirt. They would then smear their faces with the dirt and party on until the next morning.

Source: The Athens Centre.

Greek and Romanian leaders discuss bilateral relations and Ukraine crisis

The Greek Herald
-
0
Greek and Romanian leaders discuss bilateral relations and Ukraine crisis

Greek Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, paid an official visit to Romania on Wednesday and met with the country’s Prime Minister and President to discuss bilateral relations and the current Ukraine-Russia crisis.

In his separate meetings with Romania’s President Klaus Iohannis and Prime Minister Nicolae-Ionel Ciucă, Mitsotakis discussed how to strengthen cooperation between Greece and Romania in the areas of economy and energy.

Mitsotakis outlined ways to increase and expand the Greek business presence in Romania and to promote bilateral economic and trade relations between the two countries.

The two countries’ shared perception of major European and international issues was also confirmed, while the leaders exchanged views on the latest developments in Ukraine.

Later, the Greek PM visited the Greek Embassy in Bucharest and met with the Greek-Romanian Chamber of Commerce.

Discussing the events in Ukraine, Mitsotakis said that it was an issue of concern to all but especially Romania, which neighbours Ukraine.

“It also concerns the entire world, however, because no change in borders through violence can be tolerated, even more so by a country that has placed international law at the centre of its foreign policy,” Mitsotakis said.

Source: Ekathimerini.

Death toll from Greece-Italy ferry blaze rises to two

The Greek Herald
-
0
Death toll from Greece-Italy ferry blaze rises to two

Rescue crews on Wednesday recovered a second body from a ferry that caught fire while sailing from Greece to Italy last week, Greek authorities said.

The man, whose identity could not be immediately confirmed, was among 10 passengers who had still been listed as missing.

The smouldering hulk of the Italian-flagged Euroferry Olympia was towed to the mainland port of Astakos in western Greece on Wednesday to facilitate further search and rescue operations onboard.

READ MORE: Greece resumes ‘difficult’ search on burning ferry as ten people still missing.

The Italian-flagged Euroferry Olympia was towed to the mainland port of Astakos.

A 64-strong team of firefighters have been sent to Astakos to help with the operation. Their first task is to remove some trucks for easier access in the search for the nine passengers still unaccounted for.

The ferry was carrying at least 292 passengers and crew when it caught fire on Friday, three hours after it left the northwestern Greek port of Igoumenitsa for Brindisi in Italy.

A total of 281 people were safely evacuated, while the body of a Greek man was discovered inside the ship on Sunday.

READ MORE: Greece reports first fatality after blaze on ferry, 10 still missing.

Source: Reuters.

Greek President expresses support for diaspora in Ukraine amid tensions with Russia

The Greek Herald
-
0
Greek President expresses support for diaspora in Ukraine amid tensions with Russia

Greece’s President, Katerina Sakellaropoulou, has expressed her support for the Greek diaspora in Ukraine amid rising tensions with Russia over the last few days.

In a post on Facebook, Sakellaropoulou wrote that Greece’s “thoughts are on the Greek communities of Ukraine,” which include those “cities and villages where our language is still heard, the schools where lessons are taught under the Greek flag, and the expatriates of all ages who keep alive in their hearts the bond with their Greek roots.”

READ MORE: Greece ‘in full coordination’ with EU, NATO as Russia sends troops into Ukraine.

The female President then gave a number of examples to stress the continued resistance of the Greek diaspora in Ukraine despite constant tensions with Russia.

“The proud spirit of our expatriates, as expressed in their thousand-year presence in the region of Ukraine, remains strong during these difficult times. We honour their strength, we are close to them and we support them,” Sakellaropoulou concluded.

READ MORE: Greece affirms solidarity with diaspora in Ukraine amid tensions with Russia.

Tensions between Russia and Ukraine continue to rise. Photo: AFP.

This statement comes after a tumultuous 24 hours in which Russia mobilised its tanks and artillery into east Ukraine and Western nations, including Australia, hit back with unprecedented sanctions, travel bans and restrictions.

Amid these rising tensions, Greece has also made plans for additional gas supply with government spokesman, Giannis Oikonomou, confirming the news on state television on Wednesday.

Mr Oikonomou said that Greece will try to get as much gas as it can via a pipeline which runs from Azerbaijan to Italy.

READ MORE: Greek PM and Russian President talk energy, trade and East Med during summit.

Source: sofokleous10.

Greek National Tourism Organisation gets people excited for the ‘Greekend’

Eleni Patsalides
-
0
Greek National Tourism Organisation gets people excited for the ‘Greekend’

On Thursday, the Greek National Tourism Organisation (EOT) launched a new advertising campaign showcasing Greece’s national treasures as the perfect weekend getaway – well in their words, a ‘Greekend.’ 

As a part of this new campaign, Athens and Thessaloniki are promoted as ideal destinations with good weather and easy flight connections. The campaign highlights the many offerings of both cities from the local cuisine to the art galleries and shopping destinations. 

Athens Monastirki Centre (left), Thessaloniki by the water (right)

Greek Tourism Minister, Vasilis Kikilas, told Ekathimerini: “Hotels in our cities, particularly Athens and Thessaloniki, have suffered due to the pandemic. This campaign is the first in a series of initiatives we will carry out, inviting visitors to safely enjoy an authentic Greek weekend in our largest cities.”

EOT General Secretary, Dimitris Fragakis, added: “The pandemic has negatively impacted urban tourism. In many cases, disproportionately to our other tourist destinations.”

Navaiyo, Zakynthos.

“The Greekend campaign seeks to promote a complete tourist product, one that is equal to other established European weekend destinations,” Mr Fragakis added.

The campaign is due to run for two months and in ten countries including France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Spain, Italy, Denmark, Sweden and Israel. 

Source: Ekathimerini.

Greek students get creative to bring joy to patients at the Sydney Children’s Hospital

Andriana Simos
-
0
Greek students get creative to bring joy to patients at the Sydney Children’s Hospital

Young students from SOFIA UNSW and Hellsoc UNSW teamed up on Tuesday to create thoughtful and creative cards for young patients at the Sydney Children’s Hospital in Randwick.

50 cards in total were created on the day in the bright colours of yellow, green, pink and blue, and every single one had affirmational messages such as “You are a hero” and “Get well soon.”

Associate Professor Socrates Dokos from the UNSW School of Biomedical Engineering also contributed to the initiative with his own card.

The President of SOFIA UNSW, Maria Papadopoulos, tells The Greek Herald that members of the Orthodox Christian fellowship decided to make these cards because many have had personal experiences with sick kids in hospital.

“Some friends that we know work at Sydney Children’s Hospital and they’ve shared some stories about the kids and we were really moved,” Ms Papadopoulos says.

“A lot of us also work in occupational therapy or physio and some of us are medical students, so we’re just really interested in helping out kids and of course, they’re little heartthrobs.”

This help has not gone unnoticed.

Community Relations Officer at the Hospital, Jessica Cooper, tells The Greek Herald they are “always so grateful to the community for their support of our patients and their families.”

“The card making event organised by UNSW SOFIA and Hellsoc UNSW is such a thoughtful gesture and we’d like to thank everyone who contributed to this project,” Ms Cooper concludes.

“These cards will definitely help bring some extra happiness to those visiting the Hospital.”

South Australian Demi Georgiou wins PhD Excellence Award for 2022

The Greek Herald
-
0
South Australian Demi Georgiou wins PhD Excellence Award for 2022

Demi Georgiou has won the Healthy Development Adelaide (HDA) and Channel 7 Children’s Research Foundation (CRF) PhD Excellence Award for 2022.

Georgiou is a PhD candidate within Medical Biochemistry, College of Medicine and Public Health at Flinders University.

Her research project, ‘Elucidating the biological importance of Pregnancy Zone Protein (PZP),’ will provide much needed insight into the functions of PZP, a major pregnancy-associated protein.

Georgiou is a PhD candidate at Flinders University.

The project will also increase our understanding of the role of damaged proteins in Preeclampsia, a leading cause of pregnancy-related morbidity and mortality.

After the award announcement, Georgiou said she was “incredibly honoured and grateful” to have won.

“This award will support me in my research and the knowledge gained from my project has the potential to be used as the foundation for developing novel therapeutic strategies for preeclampsia,” she added.

Georgiou’s project was one of two to win the PhD Excellence Award, with Joshua Robinson from the Adelaide Medical School at The University of Adelaide also being recognised for his work on the impact of asthma during pregnancy.

Each winner will now receive $5,000 per annum for three years to augment their scholarships.

Professor Tim Parkin to hold seminar on marriage and children at Melbourne’s Greek Centre

The Greek Herald
-
0
Professor Tim Parkin to hold seminar on marriage and children at Melbourne’s Greek Centre

Professor Tim Parkin from the University of Melbourne will present a lecture entitled ‘Ancient advice on when to marry and have children,’ on Thursday, 3 March 2022, 7pm, at the Greek Centre, as part of the Greek History and Culture Seminars offered by the Greek Community of Melbourne.

In his lecture, Professor Parkin asks, ‘What’s the best age to get married?’ and ‘When should I have children?’ by looking at ancient Greek (and a few Roman) opinions.

Greek Centre in Melbourne

As one might expect, there is no single answer so Professor Parkin also takes into consideration what motivates different people (especially Aristotle) to come up with the answers they do.

Who is Professor Parkin?

Professor Tim Parkin joined the University of Melbourne in 2018 as the inaugural Elizabeth and James Tatoulis Chair in Classics. Tim is a New Zealander by birth who was awarded a D.Phil. at the University of Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar and who, since 1989, has worked in universities in New Zealand, Australia, Germany, and the United Kingdom.

One of Tim Parkin’s published books.

Tim’s teaching covers both ancient history and classical languages. His main research is in Roman social, cultural, legal, and demographic history.

Among Tim’s publications are Demography and Roman Society (1992), Old Age in the Roman World: A Social and Cultural History (2003), Roman Social History: A Sourcebook (2007), and The Oxford Handbook of Childhood and Education in the Classical World (2014). He is currently working on a book on ancient sexual health and is co-editing a six-volume world history of old age.

Event Details:

When: Thursday, 3 March 2022, 7pm.

Where: Greek Centre (Mez, 168 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne).

More information: 9662 2722 or info@greekcommunity.com.au

Superstar tennis duo open up about 15-year friendship and life off the court

Eleni Patsalides
-
0
Superstar tennis duo open up about 15-year friendship and life off the court

Nick Kyrgios and Thanasi Kokkinakis made waves at this year’s Australian Open when they walked away with a title in only their fourth grand slam together. The duo, known famously as the “Special Ks,” spoke about their friendship during an interview with Stellar.

The pair caught up with each other after their first Grand Slam victory for another milestone event, a joint photoshoot. Although some might say one achievement outweighs the other, Nick Kyrgios tells Stellar: “My perspective on life is I don’t take anything for granted.”

“We don’t have to say much. We just know“:

Kokkinakis recalls the tournament in Canberra that he met Kyrgios at: “I saw this big boy play, and his dad was wearing all [Michael] Jordan gear, and I thought, this is my type of guy.” 

Their love for the game, mutual outside hobbies and their Greek heritage laid the foundation for a friendship that has seen them both through the highs and lows of a career in sport and the spotlight.

“I don’t really click that well with too many other Australian tennis players; not that I don’t necessarily like them,” Kyrgios says in the Stellar interview.

“I just don’t get along with them as well. But with Kokk, its easy. We don’t have to say much. We just know.

“I always feel comfortable opening up to him and telling him if I’m struggling. I don’t do that often. I don’t like telling people who I don’t trust.”

When asked about their tennis future, Kyrgios confidently admits: “We are changing the game of tennis, and I think Thanasi has realised he’s part of that too. He’s one of the select few players who can do it.”

Source: The Daily Telegraph

1...1,4261,4271,428...2,031Page 1,427 of 2,031

Stay connected:

Other

© 2024 The Greek Herald. All rights reserved.