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Vasili’s Taxidi: The Power of Re-Invention and Maria’s Fresh Flowers

The Greek Herald
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Vasili’s Taxidi: The Power of Re-Invention and Maria’s Fresh Flowers

By Vasilis Vasilas

After the recent Local Business Awards highlighted is just how many Greek businesses which are being recognized for their impressive product and great service; what makes such shop-owners so successful is that extra effort and detail they place in their business. What is also amazing about them is how they go about their business quietly and naturally…

Sydney is full of great Greek businesses; whether it is their longevity of operating in the local area or them perfecting their business model, they develop into important centres in the local community. One of the best-kept secrets of Sydney’s Greek shops is found in Padstow, where Maria Voudouris and her family run the award- winning Maria’s Fresh Flowers.

Photo: Vasili’s Vasilas

Maria migrated to Australia in 1977 where she married Tony and, like so many thousands of migrants, found Australia such a huge adjustment,  “At the time, Andoni was running a take-away shop in Harbourt, Sydney, where I started to work. It was like so many young migrants before me; in Greece, I was a student and, in Australia, I found myself working seven days a week. Harbourt did not have any Greeks living there; this bothered me too. I just felt very isolated! No family, no compatriots… Australia was an incredible adjustment for me! It took me about five years to become used to living here. I felt very sad. “

Maria’s story is an incredible journey; what is amazing about Maria’s story is her motivation and determination to succeed as a florist. It should be emphasised Maria and her husband, Tony, had bought the Oriona Milk Bar in Padstow; at the time, the local area had so many milk bars and takeaway shops and, Tony and Maria’s milk bar was at the end of the shopping strip.

Photo: Vasilis Vasilas

As Maria always loved flowers, she introduced a small flower section in the milk bar, “I came up with the idea to start making bouquets and selling them at the front of the shop. I was always interested in flowers; I had begun buying flower magazines/books, and even videos, from the USA and UK, out of interest. I was to-ing and fro-ing between the milk bar and flower section; if there were more orders in the milk bar, I would help out there.

Little by little, the demand for flowers grew. It came to the point where I put aside a small area in the shop as a flower section. I also enrolled at Padstow TAFE and successfully finished my Certificate in Floristry.”

When the milk bar part of the business slowed down (so much), Maria- with the support of Tony- showed enormous courage to shut the milk bar and re-open their shop as a florist. Out went the counter and grill, in came all the flower arrangements! It was such a huge risk, but it was Tony and Maria’s opportunity of new beginning…

Photo: Vasilis Vasilas

The major turning point was when one customer asked Maria to do all the flower arrangements for her wedding, “I had never made the flowers for weddings before! I tried to refuse her request but she was encouragingly adamant. While I was saying I was not confident enough to take up her offer, she fully trusted me to do this. Then, she just walked out of the shop and that was that…

Once I did the flower arrangements for this wedding and everyone was happy with what I had done, my confidence grew- I knew I could do it. So, I asked my husband to arrange for a removalist truck to come to our shop and we stripped the shop of the counter and everything else, and transformed the shop into a florist. This is how we started… with Maria’s Fresh Flowers.”

And the rest is history for this award-winning business which has won many Markets Floristry Awards and Local Business Awards and for their category- including this year- and in 2012 achieved Business of the Year!

Photo: Vasilis Vasilas

Maria’s Fresh Flowers is truly a family business; while Maria makes up the flower arrangements and Tony does the deliveries, their daughter, Marianna, works at the shop looking after all the paperwork and on-line business. During busy days of the year, their children, Alana and Athanasios, help out too.

With the Voudouris family operating Maria’s Fresh Flowers in Padstow over four decades, they have developed a very strong relationship with the local community, “I love my shop. I am blessed that I work with something (i.e. flowers) that I love. I just want to keep working; I do not want to retire! So many of our customers have now become our friends. We sponsor sporting teams, church groups and schools. What was so encouraging was how little children who used to buy lollies off us when we had the milk bar come to us years later to order flower arrangements for their weddings. After all these years, we feel part of the local community.”

Traditional Greek Recipes: Bougatsa

The Greek Herald
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Traditional Greek Recipes: Bougatsa

By Victoria Loutas

Golden crispy perfection. We’re talking about Bougatsa of course! Bougatsa is a traditional Greek breakfast pastry made with filo pastry and semolina custard filling.

Bougatsa has origins from the Byzantine period and began as a dough that was stuffed with numerous sweet and savoury fillings. Over time, the dish evolved to incorporate a thinly rolled, hand-made phyllo pastry. 

Photo: Epicurus

The dish can be served as a part of people’s breakfast meal, although it’s usually considered quite filling to have as an additional dessert (unless you only have a tiny piece). This is why it’s usually best served on its own for breakfast or along with a cup of Greek coffee.

Follow this simple recipe to make your own bougatsa at home; 

Ingredients;

1 litres full cream or skim milk 

1/2 cup fine semolina 

1/2 cup caster sugar 

1 tablespoon vanilla sugar 

2 eggs 

Puff pastry, cut into 6cm squared pieces

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 160 degrees and place baking paper on a cooking rty 
  2. Pour 950mls of milk into a saucepan to heat
  3. Combine the remaining 50mls of milk with the semolina, sugar and eggs in a bowl and mix well
  4. Once the milk has warmed, add the mixed ingredients to the saucepan and stir until the mixture thickens and begins to boil
  5. Once the custard boils, take off of the head and let cool to room temperature
  6. While the custard is cooling, cut the puff pastry into 6cm x 6cm squared pieces
  7. Place a heaped tablespoon of the custard mixture into the puff pastry square, bring the four corners of the pastry toward the middle and press together to deal
  8. Place the parcels on baking tray and bake in the oven at 175°for approximately 35 minutes or until golden
  9. Top the bougatsas with icing sugar and cinnamon and enjoy!

Giorgos Seferis: The Nobel Prize-winning poet

The Greek Herald
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Giorgos Seferis: The Nobel Prize-winning poet

By Victoria Loutas

Giorgos Seferis was the first Greek poet to be awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature. We take a look back at his incredible life.

Early Life:

Seferis was born in 1900 in Smyrna Greece. He attended school in Smyrna before his family settled in Athens in 1914 to escape the devastation of World War 1. 

His family later moved to Paris in 1918, where Seferis would go on to study Law at the University of Paris and discover his passion for literature. 

Literature work:

In 1926, Seferis was appointed Greek Minister of Foreign Affairs, a role in which he served until 1931, when he was appointed to the Greek Consulate in London. He later held post in Albania from 1936 to 1938.

His international travels and connection to Greece were the inspiration for much of Seferis’ writing, which is filled with themes of isolation, wandering and death. 

He began writing his early poetry in 1931, which consisted of Strophe (turning point). His mature poetry explores the sense of awareness, particularly of Greece’s great past. 

Photo: Greek News Agenda

In addition to writing poetry, Seferis published a book of essays (Dokimes) in 1961. He also published a collection of his work and translations of works by T.S Eliot and other French, English and American poets entitled Antigrafes (copies) in 1965. 

In 1963, Seferis was awarded the Nobel Prize in literature, demonstrating the impact and success of his poetic career. 

Death and Legacy:

In 1969, Seferis publicly took a stand against the Dictatorship of the Colonels in Greece. His funeral, on September 20, 1971 was turned into a mass demonstration against the military government. 

Seferis’ contributions to diplomacy and to the art of literature will always be remembered and cherished.

Theo Maras calls for greater help to prevent hospitality industry from crumbling

The Greek Herald
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Theo Maras calls for greater help to prevent hospitality industry from crumbling

Prominent businessman Theo Maras has called for more help for the hospitality industry saying there are 35,000 people employed in it, and its survival is key to South Australia’s recovery.

Mr Maras said the industry employed huge numbers of young people who were at risk of becoming a lost generation if it wasn’t given more assistance.

“When Holden closed down everyone threw their arms up in the air and it was eight, nine, 10,000 people (once indirect jobs are factored in),’’ he told a Business SA lunch.

Property developer Theo Maras has been appointed chairman of the Adelaide Central Market Authority. Photo: Roger Wyman/The Advertiser

“35,000 young people are on the cliff edge in South Australia at the moment. If we lose them, if we lose that industry, all of those young people are going to be out of work.”

Mr Maras and Business SA chair Nikki Govan said Fringe Benefits Tax should be removed from business hospitality, with Ms Govan saying we needed to “bring back the long lunch’’.

Ms Govan, who also runs Star of Greece restaurant at Willunga, said restrictions meant restaurants could not run at full capacity and were suffering. Mr Maras also made the point that the Federal Government would recoup tax through GST should the FBT be lifted in this area.

Martin Haese, chief executive of Business SA, with chair Nikki Govan. Photo: The Advertiser

“The young people in our state are the future of our state and they’re the people who spend, they are consumers and we’ve got to look after them.’’

Business SA lobbied, as did other groups such as the Australian Hotels Association, for FBT changes prior to the recent Federal Budget.

Business SA is also this week advocating for a dedicated funding support package for businesses in the tourism and events supply chain, saying we’ve fallen behind other states.

READ MORE: Theo Maras shares plans for new Adelaide Central Market
READ MORE: Theo Maras replaces Nick Begakis as Adelaide Central Market Authority chairman

“South Australia is the Festival State, and our festivals and events need more support,” Business SA chief executive Martin Haese said.

Mr Haese said South Australia had been eclipsed by the Tasmanian Government, which this week announced grants of up to $5000 for smaller business and up to $100,000 for businesses with a larger turnover.

Sourced By: Adelaide Now

Record jump in Greek COVID-19 infections as country records 841 new cases

The Greek Herald
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Record jump in Greek COVID-19 infections as country records 841 new cases

Daily coronavirus cases have struck over 800 in the past three days this week, with Greece’s health authorities announcing 841 new confirmed cases and 10 more deaths on Friday evening.

Over a third of the new cases were found in Attica, home of Greece’s capital, followed by Thessaloniki which showed a rapid increased to 197 new cases. There are concerns that Thessaloniki is at high risk and must be changed from “increased monitoring” (level 3) to “increase threat” (level 4) and be placed in lockdown.

Authorities consider the next 10 days “crucial” as they monitor the effects of the strict measures imposed on some 18 regional units.

The National Organization of Public Health (EODY) announced in its daily bulletin that 10 additional patients have died, bringing the total number of fatalities to 559. The median age of the patients who died was 79 years.

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis declared on Thursday the mandatory use of masks in indoor and outdoor spaces.

He warned that the “upcoming months will be difficult” and more targeted measures are needed ”in order to avoid a second lockdown.”

The total cases have increased to 29,057 and death toll to 559.

South Australia is getting its first official LEGO store before Christmas

The Greek Herald
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South Australia is getting its first official LEGO store before Christmas

Alceon Group and LEGO Australia and New Zealand have announced the first AG LEGO Certified Store will open in South Australia just in time for Christmas.

Located at Westfield Marion in prime retail positioning on Level 2, the 197 square metre AG LEGO Certified Store will be a multi-sensory retail experience set to inspire local brick fans of all ages.

“LEGO Certified Stores are renowned globally for creativity and imagination, as one of the world’s most loved brands meets a custom built retail concept,” Executive Director of Alceon Group, Richard Facioni, said in a statement following the announcement.

“We look forward to bringing this leading, experiential retail concept to South Australia and showcasing the creative potential of the world famous LEGO brick.”

South Australia is getting its first official LEGO store before Christmas.

Other iconic LEGO Certified Stores are located in New York, London, Shanghai, Denmark, Dubai, Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Auckland.

Scentre Group Director of Leasing & Retail Solutions, John Papagiannis, said they are looking forward to the opening.

“We’re looking forward to welcoming the first LEGO Certified Store in South Australia to Westfield Marion. We know this will come as exciting news to our customers; further reinforcing our commitment to delivering a retail experience that meets the interests and needs of our community,” Mr Papagiannis said.

Scentre Group Director of Leasing & Retail Solutions, John Papagiannis, said they are looking forward to the opening.

“The new store at Westfield Marion marks the fourth LEGO Certified store within the Australian Westfield Living Centre portfolio, following successful openings at Westfield Doncaster, Westfield Bondi Junction and Westfield Chermside.”

The new AG LEGO Certified Store will incorporate signature LEGO retail features including a Pick A Brick Wall, a Build-a-Minifigure playstation and a ‘digital box’ where almost any LEGO boxed set can be scanned and come to life.

Additional custom features include a large brick wall-mounted mosaic and an over-size 3D model inspired by South Australian icons.

The Grand Opening date of the Westfield Marion store will be announced over the coming weeks.

Source: Glam Adelaide.

Sakkari progresses to Ostrava semi-finals after comeback win against Ons Jabeur

The Greek Herald
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Sakkari progresses to Ostrava semi-finals after comeback win against Ons Jabeur

An all-unseeded quarterfinal at the J&T Banka Ostrava Open found Maria Sakkari coming from a set and a break down to deny Ons Jabeur a breakthrough, triumphing 3-6, 6-3, 6-1 to reach her second semifinal of the season.

The Greek world No. 23 trailed by a set and 0-2 in the face of a great performance by Jabeur – but a near-perfect service game was the trigger for a brilliant turnaround in which Sakkari won 12 of the last 14 games, committing just six unforced errors over the last two sets.

“I think that Ons, she came up with some tricky shots in the first set – I couldn’t really find a way to make her life tougher,” mused Sakkari afterwards.

“But just the fact that I know I can stay on court for a long time gives me a lot of help and hope, so I just said, stay with her, stay with her, and finally I got that break I was looking for – and things got better for me after that.”

For Jabeur, though, the satisfaction of demonstrating newfound consistency in her breakthrough season by reaching a fifth quarterfinal will be balanced by disappointment at losing each of her matches at this stage. Jabeur fell in the last eight of the Australian Open to Sofia Kenin, Doha to Petra Kvitova, Lexington to Coco Gauff and Cincinnati to Victoria Azarenka.

After beating the always tricky shot repertoire of Jabeur, which includes lots of slice and drop shots, Sakkari said, “Knowing that I can stay on court for a long time gives me a lot of help and hope. I thought to myself, ‘Stay with her, stay with her, stay with her.’

“Finally, I got that break [in the second set] I was hoping for. Things got better for me after that.”

Sakkari finished with seven aces, no double faults and won 79 percent (34 of 43) of her first-serve points – up from her season average of 67 percent – and 52 percent (12 of 23) of her second serves. Sakkari saved three of the five break-points she faced.

Next up for Sakkari will be former World No.1 Victoria Azarenka – a legend of the game whom she will meet for the first time.

“Vika is a great champion, she has achieved unbelievable things in tennis. It’s going to be a very tough match for me, but I’m really looking forward to it,” she said.

Sourced By: WTA Tennis

Golden Dawn member on the run from police after being sentenced to 13 years in prison

The Greek Herald
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Golden Dawn member on the run from police after being sentenced to 13 years in prison

Greek authorities are searching for one of the leading members and former lawmakers of the extreme right-wing Golden Dawn party after he refused to turn himself in following a court decision ordering his imprisonment.

Police were searching Friday for Christos Pappas, officially considered a fugitive after a Thursday court decision ordering a total of 39 people, including 13 former Golden Dawn lawmakers, to be imprisoned after they were convicted of running the party as a criminal organization.

All but two of the 39 were in custody by Thursday night, having turned themselves in. However, Pappas’ lawyer Periklis Stavrianakis told Greek state broadcaster ERT that his client was not surrendering as he considered his conviction would be quashed on appeal, meaning he would have served a prison sentence that could be overturned. Appeals processes in the Greek court system can take several years.

READ MORE: Golden Dawn party members found guilty of running criminal organisation
READ MORE: Greek court imprisons far-right Golden Dawn party leadership

The other former Golden Dawn lawmaker not yet in custody is Ioannis Lagos, currently a European parliament member who lives in Brussels and is protected by immunity. Lagos was the only one of the former lawmakers who did not appeal for a suspended sentence.

The 37 people in custody, including party leader Nikos Michaloliakos, are expected to be transferred to prisons across the country.

Golden Dawn party leader Nikos Michaloliakos waves as he leaves his residence in Athens, Thursday, Oct. 22, 2020. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)

Thursday’s court decision capped a marathon five-year politically charged trial involving 68 defendants and dozens of lawyers. It encompassed four cases: the 2013 fatal stabbing of left-wing Greek rap singer Pavlos Fyssas, physical attacks on Egyptian fishermen and left-wing activists, and whether Golden Dawn was operating as a criminal organization.

A total of 57 party members and associates were convicted on Oct. 7, mostly for involvement in violent attacks and participating in a criminal organization. Of those, the panel of three judges rejected appeals for suspended sentences for 39.

Golden Dawn was founded as a neo-Nazi group in the 1980s and remained a fringe group until it rose to prominence during the country’s 2010-2018 financial crisis. Running on a nationalist, populist platform, it won parliamentary seats in four separate elections and became Greece’s third-largest political party. It has been blamed for multiple hate crimes, including brutal street attacks on immigrants and left-wing activists.

Sourced By: Associated Press

Greek Community leaders participate in virtual meeting with PM Scott Morrison

The Greek Herald
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Greek Community leaders participate in virtual meeting with PM Scott Morrison

On Friday October 23rd, the President of the Greek Community of Melbourne (GCM), Bill Papastergiadis and the President of the Greek Orthodox Community of South Australia (GOCSA), Bill Gonis, along with other multicultural leaders from across Australia, participated in a virtual meeting with the Acting Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs, Alan Tudge and Assistant Minister for Customs, Community Safety and Multicultural Affairs, Jason Wood.

Opening the round table discussion, Minister Tudge, referred to three policy changes in his portfolio which are directly relevant, to multicultural leaders and their communities.

Specifically, Mr Tudge mentioned that partner visas available have almost doubled for this financial year. He also touched on changes in the English language classes for migrants and the migration program, which will be “completely diminished this year and next” before it ramps back up to close to normal in year three or four.

“I know, is tough for some of your community members who either may not be able to travel to see their loved ones or their loved ones may not be able to come here. We acknowledge that, we’re working on that, there’s further developments almost every day,” Minister Tudge said.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison, thanked all the community leaders for their leadership.

“I’m incredibly proud of the way Australia’s multicultural communities have come together in a focused and practical way to help get our country through this pandemic,” Morrison said.

The Prime Minister said that Australia has done better than most countries and expressed his confidence that a vaccine will be fully produced and passed throughout Australia by October 2021.

“It is very important that the Prime Minister continues his meetings with representatives of various communities. He assured us that this meeting was one of a series of similar meetings he will have in the future,” said GCM President, Bill Papastergiadis.

Greek Fringe: The inter-continental movement showcasing Greek diasporic artists

Andriana Simos
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Greek Fringe: The inter-continental movement showcasing Greek diasporic artists

Greek Fringe is a new art movement founded by Greek Australians who want to expose the booming arts scene in Greece and promote Greek diasporic art from around the world.

Co-founder and Director of Greek Fringe, Con Kalamaras, tells The Greek Herald that the movement is about “claiming the now” and ensuring Greek culture and art does not become “stagnant and obsolete.”

“As humans evolve, so too does language, culture and influence. If we don’t engage with the evolving artscape of Greece and communities abroad, the risk is that Greek culture can become stagnant and obsolete,” Kalamaras says.

https://www.facebook.com/greekfringe/videos/vb.113437980085952/377916106690440/?type=3&theater

“We are here to facilitate new and emerging interpretations of Greek culture. There is an appetite among younger generations of the diaspora to explore and connect with not only the Greece of their grandparents but the Greece of now.”

To help make this possible, Greek Fringe have a number of digital events planned for this year which span the five cities of Melbourne, Sydney, New York, Nicosia and Athens.

The latest upcoming event is being held on October 31, 2020, at 8.30pm and it will not disappoint those who tune in to watch via the Greek Fringe Facebook page or website.

Meraki Trio singer Semeli Papavasileiou.

Rebetiko band, Meraki Trio, will be the main guest on the night. Featuring singer Semeli Papavasileiou, bouzouki player Alexandros Kentris, and Glafkos Smarianakis on violin and vocals, the band is known for writing their own compositions inspired by the music of Smyrne and Piraeus.

“Semeli Papavasileiou from Meraki Trio is a versatile and gifted singer, songwriter and composer who effortlessly spans the worlds of rebetika and Greek folk to original compositions and even dabbling in hip hop. Her velvet voice and solid guitar work will not fail to captivate,” Kalamaras explains.

Also set to captivate are special guests Eisvoleas and Athenian street performance group, Bufos Puppet Theatre.

“Eisvoleas is a veteran of the Greek hip hop scene, based in Galatsi, Athens. His hip-hop flirts with traditional sounds of Greece and the Balkans and is worthy of recognition beyond the Greek border,” Kalamaras says.

“The Bufos Puppet Theatre is inspired by rebetiko music, a music of love, joy, pain and sorrow that reflects the lifestyle of a marginalised subculture. Starring Jovan, a contemporary rembeti, people will be enchanted by his style and finesse where even the everyday routine of making a coffee becomes art.”

With such a stellar cast lined up, we’re sure people will be rushing home on October 31 to attend the virtual event at 8.30pm. Tickets, which can be bought online via the website, are optional but encouraged to support the performing artists.

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