Team Greece kicked off its 2024 All Nations Cup with a hard fought 1 all draw against Albania. The first half was an arm wrestle with both teams having clear opportunities to score however, the match was goalless at the main break.
Greece came out in the second half in full attack mode hitting the crossbar from a long range shot however, it was Albania who opened the scoring with five minutes left in regulation time.
When all seemed lost, Greece had a last minute corner which was headed home from close range. 1 all was the final score and Greece will be happy with a point against a very tough and well drilled Albanian Team.
Con Tangalakis had this to say following the match.
“Considering the boys have just come together and it was their first game, I’m very pleased with their effort and determination to play to the end and get at least a point to kick start our campaign. I look forward to the next game next Sunday,” Con said.
Michael Karamitos, Greek Community of Melbourne Vice President, was also full of praise for the boys.
“Today we came up against a difficult opponent in Albania and we fought hard to get a 1 all draw at the end and we look forward to our second group phase game next week,” Michael said.
“I encourage as many people as possible from our Community to come and support our boys who are playing for their country and are very proud and passionate.”
“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” was the most common sentiment expressed by parishioners who braved the Melbourne Marathon road closures to attend the Patriarchal Divine Liturgy on Sunday, October 13.
Crowds gradually filled Margaret Court Arena (MCA), a venue with a seating capacity of 7,500. By the end of the liturgy, the stadium was nearly at full capacity.
The crowds at the Patriarchal Divine Liturgy. All photos copyright The Greek Herald / Mary Sinanidis.
An intergenerational event, all ages were represented. Victoria and Estelle, in their late 20s/early 30s, shared with The Greek Herald that there has been a decline in faith among people their age.
“We still believe it’s crucial to be here to honour our family’s traditions,” they stated.
Victoria and Estelle on their way to the Patriarchal Divine Liturgy, they say young people aren’t as interested as they should be when it comes to faith.
Katerina, a 19-year-old commerce student from the Transfiguration of Our Lord Parish in Thomastown, noted the numerous youth initiatives organised by His Grace Bishop Evmenios of Chora in recent years. She explained that these efforts are helping to revitalise the situation as young people explore their spirituality and seek meaning in their lives.
Students from St John’s College.Waiting for the Liturgy to begin.
Young Samuel from Thomastown, a Year 3 student, was particularly excited and encouraged his family to attend the liturgy at MCA.
“It’s something unique that I may never experience again,” he said.
Little Samuel and his friends. He was the one that made his mother take him to Margaret Court Arena.A group from Thomastown parish on their way to Margaret Court Arena.
Vicky and Angeliki from St Efstathios attended without their children and husbands. Andrea Dimis, with a handful of children softly sleeping on her lap, allowed the little ones to be lulled into a peaceful state by the gentle chanting and fragrant incense.
“I take them to church every week. They’re used to it,” she remarked, adding that patience and practice are key.
Vicky and Angeliki from St Efstathios came without their kids and husbands.
An atmosphere of spirituality enveloped the stadium, a place typically filled to the brim with spectators.
Beyond being intergenerational, the event was also interfaith, with representatives from other denominations present. The multilingual elements included a section in Romanian by Archbishop Michael, the hierarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church of Australia and New Zealand. There was also a presence of Orthodox Christians from the Serbian and Russian Orthodox Church, praying with their laced veils and Bible books.
His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, aged 84 and supported by His Eminence Archbishop Makarios of Australia and numerous other Bishops and clergy, appeared refreshed despite his busy schedule. On Saturday, he declared, “I am the happiest man in the world” due to his reunion with the Imbrians of the diaspora.
His brother, Nick Archondonis, sat in the front pew, acutely aware of the Patriarch’s previous night’s statement that this would likely be his last visit to Australia.
Nikos Archondonis, the Patriarch’s brother, arrives.
Addressing those present, the Ecumenical Patriarch provided a historical overview of the growth and development of the church in Australia, recounting the work of each of Australia’s Archbishops. Speaking in Greek, a language challenging for many diaspora members to understand, a large video wall outlined his speech in English, showcasing the church’s growth.
“The legacy of faith has been preserved to the last breath by the God-loving hierarchs served in this Eparchy: Christoforos, Timotheos, Theofylaktos, Ezekiel and Stylianos, for whom we hereby conduct the sacred memorial services today with much gratitude and holy awe,” he said.
Greece’s Ambassador to Australia, Stavros Venizelos, recited the Lord’s Prayer, surrounded by other dignitaries including Consul General of Greece in Melbourne Emmanuel Kakavelakis, the High Commissioner of the Republic of Cyprus in Australia Antonis Sammoutis, Kat Theophanous MP, Maria Vamvakinou MP, Greek Community of Melbourne President Bill Papastergiadis, and Antonis Tsourdalakis.
*All photos copyright The Greek Herald / Mary Sinanidis.
Securing nearly 60% of the votes cast, Nikos Androulakis has emerged victorious in the runoff election for the leadership of the socialist PASOK party.
The official results were announced on Sunday, October 13, with his opponent, Athens mayor Haris Doukas, reaching out to congratulate Androulakis.
Final tallies indicate that Androulakis received 125,820 votes, accounting for 59.92% of valid ballots, while Doukas garnered 84,149 votes, or 40.08%.
A total of 213,001 party members and supporters participated in the election, though there were 1,635 spoiled ballots and 1,397 blank votes. Voter turnout was more than 25% lower than in the previous round but still exceeded the turnout from 2021, when 207,658 individuals cast their votes.
In international results, Androulakis led in Sydney with 37 votes compared to Doukas’ 9. However, in Melbourne, Doukas outperformed Androulakis, garnering 22 votes to his 8.
Androulakis has been leading PASOK since December 2021, when he won a decisive runoff against former Prime Minister George Papandreou. This latest election was prompted by what many viewed as a disappointing performance in June’s European Parliament elections, where PASOK fell short of surpassing the struggling main opposition party, SYRIZA.
Greece played as long as it took to beat Ireland 2-0 on Sunday and achieve its fourth consecutive victory in the UEFA Nations League.
Tasos Bakasetas in the 48th minute and Petros Mandalos in stoppage time (90’+2) scored the goals for the Greek team, which now needs a draw against England to secure first place in Group B in the second division of the Nations League.
The national team was excellent in the first half, although they almost found themselves behind in the score. In the 5th minute, due to a mistake by the defence, the ball reached Ferguson’s feet in the area, but Rota managed to block him, lose his balance and miss.
From then until the half-hour mark, Greece were on fire, denied a goal thanks to Kelleher’s excellent condition. The Liverpool goalkeeper made a very great intervention on an opportunity by Pavlidis in the 11′, as well as a double save on the shots of Bakasetas and Pavlidis in the 19′ and then Giannoulis in the 30′. It was only natural that the momentum of the internationals should be temporarily halted by half-time.
But as the second half of the match began and before the Irish could think they could leave with a positive result, Greece opened the scoring. Bakasetas found himself in a shooting position at the height of the area and scored 1-0 with a powerful right shot in the 48th minute. He then removed the black armband from his left arm and raised it to the sky, dedicating the goal to his late teammate, George Baldock.
From that point on, the visitors took control, forcing the national team to retreat. In the 69th minute, Vlahodemos declared himself “present” on Taylor’s header with the Irish becoming more and more threatening and Jovanovic trying to give the team “breathers” with successive changes.
The Greek team was under intense pressure, but this was not accompanied by great opportunities. Our internationals absorbed the pressure, “played” with time and did not let their opponents take advantage of the reasonable fatigue that existed after last Thursday’s overexertion and victory at Wembley. In fact, in stoppage time, Kelleher gave… an assist to Mandalo and from the Irishman’s most serious mistake, the AEK midfielder “sealed” the victory at 90+2′.
Thus, Greece have taken the penultimate step and are one more away from qualifying for the Final 4 of the division and promotion to League A. They need a point against England in Faliro on November 14 to achieve their goal.
“I am the happiest man in the world,” His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew told the Imbrians of Melbourne during a gathering at the parish of Taxiarchon, Parkdale, on Saturday, October 12. “Last night I was with the Imbrians of Sydney and tonight I am with the Imbrians of Melbourne and Adelaide.”
The Ecumenical Patriarch’s visit was a significant event for the Melbourne-based Imbrian community. His brother, Nikos Archondonis, was present, though Mrs Archondonis was at home, busily preparing for their family dinner. Nikos had a front row seat, bursting at the seams with pride as he watched his brother being showered with the love of the community.
A welcome banner was created, pinned to the church. All photos copyright The Greek Herald / Mary Sinanidis.Nikos Archondonis, the Patriarch’s brother, is helped down a flight of stairs.
He has come a long way since then. From village boy, he now speaks seven languages and meets with heads of state.
The Ecumenical Patriarch arrived in Melbourne on Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s private jet, a gesture that, according to His All-Holiness, symbolises the Australian government’s respect for the Ecumenical Patriarchate and its historical importance. It also shows respect towards His Eminence Archbishop Makarios of Australia.
“He has worked to keep close ties between the Greek community on Imbros and the Greek diaspora,” Mr Pinirou said, adding that he got to know the Patriarch well before he took on the top role.
“I knew him when he was still Dimitris and my sister married his brother, Antonis. He has always been humble and approachable. We’ll talk about Imbros and he puts people at ease.”
Chris Pinirou carries a digital photo of himself on the Patriarch’s lap when His All-Holiness was not yet a leader. He keeps it with him “for flex.” He admits not remembering much from the picture, adding his first real memory of the Patriarch was at the age of 14, during a visit to Istanbul.
“He showed us a room with portraits of previous Patriarchs and other objects. He was very nice and just a normal person, and even tells jokes,” Chris said.
Pefka Psarou from Panagia, the capital of Imbros, expressed her admiration for the Patriarch’s faith and patriotism.
“He was a serious and studious young man, and it didn’t come as a surprise that he became Patriarch,” she said. “I firmly believe he is the true leader of Imbros, and he has worked so hard to reopen schools, and keep the community coming back. I don’t know what will become of us without him.”
Ms Psarou said many people left Imbros due to the lack of Greek schools.
“Education was no longer available in Greek and many of us left for this reason,” she said.
Spiros, a former classmate, shared the same desk as Patriarch Bartholomew when they were children. He praised the Patriarch on his advocacy work in reopening the school they both attended.
The Ecumenical Patriarch encouraged those present to keep returning to Imbros, “If we don’t show an interest in our island, who will?” he asked. “As long as we return to our place, renovate our houses and return to our birthplace permanently, the oil that burns the lantern of our country will burn bright.”
He praised the Imbrians of the diaspora for remembering their homeland, and was gifted a number of items including traditional Imbrian shoes. More importantly, the Imbrian community gathered funds to send back to Imbros for the purpose of furthering education on the island.
Zoe, Arthur, and Paras, three young dancers at the event, were honoured to receive crosses from the Patriarch. They emphasised the importance of connecting with their culture and keeping their religion alive.
Zoe, Arthur, and Paras.
Metropolitan Kyrillos of Imbros and Tenedos, accompanying the Patriarch on his visit, said, “When we were in Imbros, the kids from Schinoudi reminded me that we’d meet again soon, and here we are, and their children would return and this continue,” he said, while also pointing to Archbishop Makarios as an honorary Imbrian after having written a book about Imbros and due to the fact that his brother “snatched an Imbrian girl.”
Both Metropolitan Kyrillos and the Patriarch urged those present to keep returning to the island.
“It is unlikely that I can come back to Australia again, but I urge you to revisit Imbros,” the Patriarch concluded.
* All photos copyright The Greek Herald / Mary Sinanidis.
For a young person living in Canberra, the Australian Capital Territory, the struggle of attending concerts is real. Imagine this, your favourite singer announces their world tour, they’re coming to Australia, but they’re only going to Sydney, Melbourne, and Adelaide – surprise surprise.
You decide to go still, spending hundreds of dollars on tickets for the concert, and then the mission to ask for time off work, find accommodation and save up for all the additional expenses begins. Even though it’s always worth it in the end, it’s not as easy as you think it is to pull off… let alone often.
At times, I wish I lived in a bigger city, imagine how much I’d save! You could buy the ticket, catch public transport to and from the stadium, AND come home and sleep in your own bed right after– no more wasting more than $100 dollars on petrol, $200 plus on a hotel, extra money on tolls, food for the weekend you’ll be staying in the city and tour merch.
Australia’s Greek music scene
When it comes to the Greek music scene in Australia, I have to say we’re pretty lucky, and there’s so much to offer for everyone. Whether you want to hear some live music in a taverna, watch a tribute band perform songs of a beloved Greek singer, go to the bouzoukia, or see your favourite Greek pop or laiko artist take the stage, we have it all, year round.
In the last two years alone, I’ve gone to see Konstantinos Argiros, Nikos Oikonomopoulos, Evangelia, Andromache, Thanos Petrelis and Dimitris Basis perform in Australia, and I am beyond grateful. The only inconvenience is that most of those concerts took place in Sydney and weren’t the easiest to attend. Unfortunately, I missed Christos Dantis, Melina Aslanidou, Giannis Ploutarchos, Josephine, Konstantinos Koufos, Konstantinos Pandelidis and more.
In Canberra, I’m not 100% sure why, but the bigger artists don’t come as often. Could it be the prices of tickets, maybe there’s not enough interest or not enough knowledge of the actual singer? Or maybe the size of the Greek community compared to other states, the cost for artists to come here, or perhaps, people would just rather save the money and see their favourite singers for less when they visit Greece?
Canberra deserves more recognition
If you’ve ever been to Greece and you’ve been asked where you’re from in Australia, and you answer, ‘I’m from the capital city,’ they’ll automatically assume you mean Sydney, as most people don’t know where Canberra is on the map – it needs more recognition.
More concerts in Canberra boosts more money into our economy, more support for singers, local businesses and venues, and a larger music culture.
One of the struggles I think we have here is the potential lack of interest surrounding attending concerts and music events. Greek music aside, Australia is home to major music music festivals including Spilt Milk, Listen Out and Splendour in the Grass, and despite constantly announcing big headline acts from across the globe every year, almost always, a couple of months, or even weeks before they go ahead, there’s artists that pull out of the line-up and people are left disappointed. Some festivals are even cancelled.
Unfortunately, it happens all the time in Canberra.
The Grass is Greener was set to launch for the first time in Canberra in 2022 as part of a wider plan to expand music festivals to smaller regions and cities – they promised a set list with popular names, tickets sold quickly, and then a week before the big day the organisers ended up cancelling the event, and the festival went into voluntary administration.
We need more support and more reliable events.
Post-COVID comebacks
As we all know, the entertainment industry has suffered majorly due to the aftermath of COVID-19, and its impacted concerts and events throughout the capital.
Even though Canberra doesn’t see as much international talent as other states, thanks to its dedicated Greek community, the Greek music scene continues to thrive post-COVID.
We have events run by our Greek youth club, the Greek Community and Church of Canberra in conjunction with the Hellenic Club of Canberra, as well as many individuals who come together with the same love for music and put forward ideas of who they want to see on stage.
Since 2021, we have seen Giorgos Tsalikis, Nikos Makropoulos, Giannis Ploutarchos, Katerina, Giorgos Kakosaios and Thanos Petrelis take the stage.
Now, with more artists expected to come to Australia this year and early next, I hope they come across this article and be inspired to spread their love by paying a visit to Canberra and make our lives as concert lovers a little easier.
Niki Louca from My Greek Kitchen shares her favourite recipe for tsourekomilopita (Cheat’s Apple Pie) with The Greek Herald. You can follow her on Instagram @mygreekkitchen for more!
Niki often bakes extra tsourekia over Easter and freezes them to either eat as is or use them to make this scrumptious, quick and easy apple pie.
If you don’t have any tsoureki you can always buy them from Greek delis as they seem to be available pretty much all year round now. If that fails, you can always substitute with brioche or challah bread. Happy eating.
Ingredients
1 loaf tsoureki (or brioche or challah bread) – cut into 1 inch cubes
Apple filling:
5 golden delicious apples (or any other apples you have)
¼ cup flour
1 tsp cinnamon
¾ cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup water
Egg custard mixture:
1 ½ cups full cream milk
¼ cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp cinnamon
5 large eggs
Method
Preheat oven to 175C. Grease a 25cm baking pan.
For the apple filling – cut and peal apples into 2 cm cubes. Melt butter in a pan and add the flour, cinnamon, sugar, vanilla and water. Add the apples and cook for about 10-15 mins till slightly soft but yet still holding their shape and bite. The sauce will caramelise so keep an eye on it. Once done set aside.
For the custard – whisk all the ingredients together in a bowl making sure they are all well incorporated.
Layer half of the tsoureki bread in your greased pan. Top with the apple mixture, then the other half of your bread. Push down so that it compacts a little and fills in the gaps.
Pour your custard mixture slowly over the bread and apples and let it sit for 5-10 minutes so it is fully absorbed. If you baking dish is a little small, you can keep topping it up with the custard mixture as it absorbs it. You will need all the mixture otherwise it will be too dry. Sprinkle a bit of brown sugar and bake.
Bake for approximately 50 minutes will it is a dark golden colour. Let is stand for 10-15 minutes before you serve it. It is best served warm with some icecream.
Greek Australian Bill Mousoulis, 61, has been a film-maker since the 1980s. He didn’t go to university or film school, but was simply, and courageously, led by his passion for film. Referred to as an indie (independent) film-maker, Bill is a true artist indifferent to the type of mainstream film-making which is motivated by profit.
I interviewed Bill Mousoulis two years ago. This time though, I decided on a different approach: to discuss what I thought of his latest film, My Darling in Stirling after recently seeing it, and then to ask Bill what he thinks of my review of sorts.
My Darling in Stirling is showing at the Ritz cinema in Sydney on October 16 (Melbourne’s had its screening, while Brisbane’s date is October 26 and Adelaide is November 30).
On watching My Darling in Stirling in its entirety, a phrase that I’d heard somewhere came to mind: “The space between the notes.”
To me, this implies a delicate, latent time frame bordering on the metaphysical. Something akin to the quiet pauses in conversation (if we dare these days), veiling truths amidst an almost ethereal zone. A zone or space that we cannot easily tune into in this fast-paced world bombarding us with information we more often than not unwittingly, allow to overwhelm our senses drowning out the many subtle, awe-inspiring moments in our lives.
Bill Mousoulis in Greece recently
This is where Bill’s latest film is an antidote to all that stress in our lives, and it’s a musical. By no means overwhelming with loud bellowing voices and exaggerated prancing dance moves. Its one or two dance scenes are so graceful and natural that you’re just… lifted – by the notes, but also by the spaces in between; the images, environment and characters expressions and movements. It all flows.
It took me a bit of time to adjust to all of the spoken dialogue being sung, including actually fighting my cynical streak declaring “what’s this goody two shoes stuff?!” But that was in the first five minutes or so. And though I was captivated, my defensive “street wise” programming was being shaken.
A scene from the film
My socially conditioned notions particularly prevalent in the last decade, have led me to lack trust in outside sources of information. This includes entertainment, but such mistrust just didn’t feel right at a gut level upon being ‘challenged’ with watching My Darling in Stirling.
These realisations about my uncomfortable comfort zone of defensiveness, perhaps in case I get disappointed by this film or actually like it (!), or that I may be wasting my ‘busy’ time, led me to take good stock of myself; something which I haven’t seriously done in years. I didn’t like this hard and almost bitter me that I was confronted with – not the real me.
These thoughts presented themselves throughout the first third or so of the film, until I let go, and was mesmerised (and I’m not sure which of the two states come first, but it doesn’t matter). My Darling in Stirling overwhelmed me soothingly with its magic: its depiction of simplicity, of life, of wisdom, enhanced through music and song.
Bill seems to feel and give shape to that space within the notes in his sensitive perceptiveness and portrayal of human nature in his films. Unlike the written word of fiction that grants us its descriptiveness from where we can make images in our own mind, film gives us these images.
The images that most modern films give along with their dialogue (and plot) may propel us into another world, but they also tend to keep us grounded in our world more often than not. They tend to remind us of the aforementioned busyness and harshness with fewer and fewer moments of innocent joy but also pain, in between. It is this in-betweenness, this bitter-sweetness of our own reality, of our own lives, that confront us in My Darling in Stirling.
Rehearsal with lead actress, Amelie Dunda
A few days after my viewing of the film, a Greek cousin aged 60 who has spent most of his life in the USA, and who considers himself a bit of a ‘ladies man’ with the cockiness that comes with such a lifestyle attitude, came to visit. I really wasn’t in the mood for his “miss the old days, when women were women and men were men” talk, so I suggested we watch a film: This film – My Darling in Stirling.
In hindsight, it wasn’t that I perhaps subconsciously wanted to irritate him, like he often irritates me, but I wanted him to learn to really chill and soften up a bit, to let that bravado go, because I know he’s a really nice person deep down, pardon the cliché.
So, I sat beside him and enjoyed the movie again while casting glances his way now and then, all the while feeling he was either going to explode into some “soy boy” type narrative which he often expounds, or look at his watch and suddenly remember a pending appointment. He did neither. He just sat there. Quietly. At one point, I swear, I saw his eyes water. This tough old dog (and I love dogs, and no, I’m not ageist), caught the magic!
Bill Mousoulis and audience members at recent Melbourne screening
He let this sweet, moving and very human ride of what is the essence of My Darling in Stirling, overtake him. When the film ended, I simply asked him (hiding my surprise at his peacefulness and patience), “what did you think?” To which he quietly replied, “I liked it.”
The man was from thereon changed, well perhaps wishful thinking. It nonetheless really left an impression on him; My Darling in Stirling really leaves an impression. It soothes.
“What do you think of my view of your film Bill?” I ask the calm and friendly director, “and anything you’d like to add?”
“I think your view of the film is very perceptive! You’ve immediately grasped that the form of the film is something different to conventional forms, that it has a peaceful and subtle tone and rhythm to it, that it values the everyday world and the tender or startling moments that can happen in this everyday world. It is an open film, and it invites the viewer to also be open and explore the situations and feelings on show, and indeed, cynics would dismiss or mock this film. It’s a film of innocence and joy, and melancholy, and these things are rare in today’s cinema,” Bill said.
And there you have it! Thank you Bill, for My Darling in Stirling, for poignantly yet gently portraying being human.
Students, teachers, and parents enjoyed a memorable Greek night at the annual dinner dance of the Greek Community of Melbourne (GCM) Schools.
Held for the second year at the beautiful Vogue Ballroom on Friday, 4 October, the event was a vibrant celebration that showcased the strength and unity of the GCM school community.
Accompanied by the sounds of the Rhythmos Band, the dinner dance brought together members of the GCM school community for a celebration that lasted for hours.
Distinguished guests included Joseph Lo Bianco, Professor of Language and Literacy Education at Melbourne University and author of the Pharos Report on revitalising the Greek language; Nildhara Gadani, candidate for Mahoneys Ward; Maria Triantafyllou, Acting Coordinator of Greek Educational Affairs; Despina Saranti, President of the Modern Greek Teachers’ Association of Victoria; and board members from the GCM, including Nick Koukouvitakis, Secretary; Marinis Pirpiris, Treasurer; Tass Sgardelis, member of the Education Committee; Manuel Tsirmiris; Kostas Stefanidis; and Jeana Vithoulkas.
The graduating students created lasting memories with their high-energy farewell to friends and teachers, making the night a true celebration of Greek culture.
“It is a great pleasure to see so many young people dancing and enjoying Greek music,” Maria Bakalidou, Principal of GCM schools, said.
“Our goal is to strengthen the bonds within this wonderful, large family and to cultivate experiences and relationships that fortify the Greek cultural and linguistic identity of our students. We warmly thank everyone who contributed to the success of this wonderful evening.”
The Greek-Australian Cultural League is inviting people to the launch of the 70th issue (2024) of the bilingual magazine Antipodes, dedicated to Cyprus, the island of Aphrodite, and its resilient people.
The magazine will be presented by the Honourable High Commissioner of the Republic of Cyprus to Australia, Antonis Sammoutis, on Sunday, October 20, at 3pm, at the Andrianakos Centre, Alphington Grammar, 18 Old Heidelberg Rd, Alphington.
The event will feature:
Live music with traditional and popular Cypriot songs
An art exhibition by Cypriot painters
Traditional Cypriot dances
An audiovisual presentation
Refreshments and traditional Cypriot delicacies
Friends and family are welcome to join.
For more information, please contact: Kaiti Alexopoulou – 0428 968 715, Andria Garibaldi – 0401 208 013.
