email:vema@bigpond.net.au

AUGUST 2005 Tel. (02) 9559 7022 Fax: (02) 9559 7033

THE GREEK AUSTRALIAN

VEMAThe oldestcirculating

Greeknewspaper

outsideGreece

PAGES 8/26-9/27

In this issue... Our Primate’s View

THE ‘PROS’ AND ‘CONS’ OF AN INTERVIEW

PAGE 2/20

Mexican artist

and iconographer

visits Australia

PAGE 16/34

TRAVEL

Vouliagmeni

Lake and Health Spa

WINDOWS TO ORTHODOXY:

Apollinarianism:Challenges to the

Faith in Jesus Christ

PAGE 5/23

Cypriot planecrashes in AthensGreek Australian family amongst the 121 dead

A Cypriot airliner crashed into a moun-tainous area north of Athens on Sunday14 August, killing all 121 people onboard, after apparently suffering a loss ofcabin pressure or oxygen.

The crash was the worst airline disaster inGreek history.

Greek TV station Alpha said the pilot toldair traffic controllers the Helios AirwaysBoeing 737 was experiencing air condition-ing problems, before communication withthe plane - flying at 35,000 feet en routefrom Larnaca in Cyprus to Prague viaAthens - was lost.

A Greek police spokesman said 115 pas-sengers and six crew were on board theflight.

Rescuers had found no survivors from thewreckage, scattered widely about the moun-tainous area 40km north of Athens.

Akrivos Tsolaki, head of the accidentinvestigation committee, told reporters atthe crash site the plane’s two black boxes -voice and data recorders - had been located.Airport officials in Cyprus said flight

HCY522 left Larnaca at 9am local time(4pm AEST) and lost contact an hour-and-a-half later.

Two Greek F-16 fighter jets were scram-bled after the plane lost contact with thetower at Athens international airport.One of the F-16 pilots reported that he

could not see the captain in the cockpit andhis co-pilot appeared to be slumped in hisseat, a government spokesman said toReuters.

The ministry said it suspected the plane’soxygen supply or pressurisation systemmay have malfunctioned.Kieran Daly, editor of Air Transport Intel-

ligence, said the cause of the crash was a“puzzle”.

A spokesman for the European AviationSafety Agency, Daniel Holtgen, based inCologne, Germany, said: “It is highlyunlikely that the loss of cabin pressure alonewould cause such an incident. There wouldhave to be other contributing factors.”

Greek Prime Minister Costas Karamanlisbroke off his holiday to return to Athens,

and Cyprus declared three days of mourn-ing.

In Larnaca, Cypriot President TassosPapadopoulos said: “I express my deepestsorrow and grief for the loss of lives of ourcompatriots and on behalf of the govern-ment I express deepest sympathy to all therelatives. We are standing by them andoffering our support.”

Helios was Cyprus’s first private carrier,established in 1999. It flies to Dublin, Sofia,Warsaw, Prague, Strasbourg and severalBritish airports using a fleet of Boeing B737aircraft.

Adelaide-born Demos Xiourouppa, hisCypriot wife Margarita, 34, and theirdaughters Sophia, 10, and Ioanna, nine,were killed in the crash.

Their two-year-old son, George, was withhis grandparents in Cyprus.

Mr Xiourouppa left in 1993 to live inCyprus but retained his Australian citizen-ship and had two brothers and cousins inAdelaide.

AAP

Sydney ranked world’s best cityAustralia’s biggestcity, Sydney, hasagain been namedthe world’s bestcity by readers ofthe U.S. magazineTravel and Leisure.

It is the eighth timein 10 years that Syd-ney, known for itsiconic opera house,harbor bridge andstunning beaches,has topped the list.

FULL STORYPAGE 14/32

uro Funeral ServiceEëëçíéêü Ïéêïãåíåéáêü Ãñáöåßï Ôåëåôþí

Tel: (02) 9747 6604Available 24 hrs 114543

AUGUST 2005The Greek Australian VEMATO BHMA2/20

U.S. WINS FIRST AMERICA'S CUPAugust 22, 1851

On August 22, 1851, the U.S.-built schoonerAmerica bests a fleet of Britain's finest ships ina race around England's Isle of Wight. Theornate silver trophy won by the America waslater donated to the New York Yacht Club on condition that it be forever placed in interna-tional competition. Today, the "America's

Cup" is the world's oldest continually contest -ed sporting trophy and represents the pinnacleof international sailing yacht competition.

PIZARRO EXECUTES LAST INCAEMPEROR

August 29, 1533

Atahuallpa, the 13th and last emperor of the Incas, dies by strangulation at the hands of Francisco Pizarro's Spanish conquistadors.The execution of Atahuallpa, the last free reign-ing emperor, marked the end of 300 years of Inca civilization.

CAMPBELL EXCEEDS 300 MPHSeptember 3, 1935

A new land-speed record is set by Britain's famed speed demon, Sir Malcolm Campbell.On the Bonneville Salt Flats of Utah, Campbelland his 2,500-hp motor car Bluebird made tworuns over a one-mile course at speeds averag-ing 301.129 mph. In breaking the 300-mph bar-rier, he surpassed the world record of 276.82

mph that he had set earlier in the year.

KING'S "I HAVE A DREAM" SPEECH

August 28, 1963

On the steps of the Lincoln Memorial inWashington, D.C., the AfricanAmerican civil rights movement reach-es its high-water mark when MartinLuther King, Jr., speaks to more than200,000 people attending the March onWashington. The demonstrators--blackand white, poor and rich--came togeth-er in the nation's capital to demand vot-ing rights and equal opportunity forAfrican Americans and to appeal for anend to racial segregation and discrimi-nation.

By Ann Coward

The Gallery at Canberra’sGrammar School played hostto the first exhibition inAustralia of the Mexicanartist, Adriana Alexanderson.On display were her paintingsof women, all featuringAdriana’s trademark symbol-ic language of ribbons andwisps of cloth. Symbolicshapes and colours play amajor part in Adriana’s othermajor artistic occupation -iconography.

Trained initially as a graphicartist in Mexico City, and then instained glass, she eventuallymade her way to Italy, where sheworked for seven years.Between 1997 - 2000 Adrianaparticipated in 15 solo exhibi-tions and 23 group exhibitionsmainly in Italy, and won awardsat a number of expositions.Some of the shows were underthe sponsorship of the MexicanEmbassy to the ItalianGovernment and to the SantaSede of the Vatican. Adriana hasexhibited twice for the Vatican.She began to create icons in theByzantine style, and uponreturning to Guadalajara inMexico, sought further tuitionfrom her original paintingteacher, Guadalupe Figueroa,who had earlier studied iconog-raphy in Spain.

Although Adriana sells hercompleted icons, she does notpaint these with the intention ofoffering them up for sale.

“When I finish an icon I feelvery, very good. I make theicons for myself - for my heart. Ido the other paintings to sell. IfI sell an icon, it’s O.K., but I suf-fer a little bit. I’ve left my heartand my hands in the icon.”“It’s different. I love this work.”Taking as her inspiration theaged icons covered with beatensilver, Adriana begins by paint-ing the image in oils on gesso.Then, she takes a sheet of alu-minium or silver, and workingfrom the back, places it alterna-tively on a soft bed of cardboard

or flannel and then a hard sur-face, and works the design usinga range of embossing tools.When the designs are complet-ed, a mixture of wax and rosin ismade up and the indentations arefilled in on the reverse side. Toage the aluminium, black paintis added to the surface and thenrubbed off. To create the goldeffect, a woodstain is used.

Although the original templatefor each icon is a traditionalByzantine image, Adriana says

the final work always ends upbeing slightly different to theone from which it is copied,because of the hand of the artist.Her works are to be found in pri-vate and public collections inMexico, Australia, Italy, theUnited States, and Japan. It ishoped that the Canberra exhibi-tion will go on tour, and there arediscussions underway aboutholding an icon exhibition inAustralia in the future.

Mexican artist and iconographer visits Australia

MISSING PERSON

Marcos Stathis was last seen about 11:30am on Wednesday3/8/05 at Camelia Gardens, Caringbah. At the time he was onan organised tour with other elderly persons. Marcos suffersfrom Alzheimers and his family are seriously concerned forhis safety and welfare.

Marcos is of Greek origin, approximately 5 foot 6, grey hairbald on top with a solid build. He was wearing navy bluetrousers, a brown woven checked jacket and a green/blackwoven cap.

If you are able to offer any information concerning the where-abouts of Marcos, please contact the Missing Persons Unit on1 800 025 091 or call Miranda Police on ph. 9541 3899.Quote Police Event No: E24853450

114490

AUGUST 2005 The Greek Australian VEMA TO BHMA 3/21

We adopted a neighbour’s cat a while back,as our courtyard offers good protectionfrom stray dogs. When younger, she had anextremely pretty face, and had long hair anda big bushy tail as well as a fetish for shoes.Possibly rather unkindly, we took to callingher “Imelda’!

A number of cats in the surrounding streetswere her offspring, and eventually wefound we were feeding quite a large numberof nocturnal feline visitors. Many of theseadult cats had earlier spent the first fewweeks of their life in our courtyard, so theywere familiar with the territory.

Imelda’s mother-in-law was quite a cat. Herson, a big ginger Tom, was smitten withImelda years ago and always seemed to beby her side, playing the dutiful father when-ever she had kittens, even though only afew ever resembled him. But it was hismum who was the boss. She had no meow,and so would get her ginger-son-of-a-cat tosit at our front door, meowing loudly untilwe produced some food. If Tom ever forgothis manners, and attempted to eat before hismother had eaten her fill, she’d hook theclaws of one paw onto his face, hold fastand whack him across the head with her

other front paw.It was not only her son who received thisrather swift, and no doubt painful, treat-ment. We noticed that she metered out thispunishment on any puppies in the street.Needless to say, even when fully grown,those same dogs were terrified of this feistymother cat.

Being a beauty, Imelda was eventuallystolen and when found months later hadchanged dramatically. She had been mis-treated and was skinny; her fur was matted,and she had a problem with her spine andtail. She trusted no-one, not even her ador-ing mate, the ginger Tom (who was, by thattime, motherless). Eventually Tom movedon, and Imelda took over our courtyard full-time, terrorising any strangers who dared tocome to our front door – that is, unless theypassed the somewhat unpredictable Imelda-shoe-test. Yet despite the scars she carriedwith her, both in body and temperament,from her abduction and mistreatment, shecontinued to mother her adult offspring,making sure we kept them supplied with“suppers”.

Now, sadly, Imelda has died, but we havebeen given a beautiful cat of our own.Much-loved by her previous owners, andtrue to her breed, this little lady spreads heraffection equally amongst the family mem-bers. Little by little, she’s training us in thesubtleties of what she like to eat, how much,and how often. We know which chair sheprefers to sleep on, when to leave her to cat-nap and when to awaken her …and nodoubt, very soon, we’ll all be deemed suffi-ciently well-trained enough for her to con-sider her house, ours.

Talking Point

by Ann Coward

EditorialGet police back on the streets

After the deadly four-car pileup on a notorious-ly dangerous stretch ofroad in the Alamanaregion in central Greeceon July 9, we stressed thatthe rising death toll on thenational road network isalso a result of the rela-tive absence of trafficpolice officers along the highways.

The absence of traffic police has been conspicuous, not onlyalong Greece’s highway network but also throughout thestreets of the broader Athens region. Police patrols in Attica’sneighborhoods have all but disappeared.

Now, a month after the gory accident, Greek police haveacknowledged the drop in officer patrols in the streets of thecapital. In fact, police officials link the absence of patrols tothe steep rise in criminality rates recorded in the previousmonth. Police statistics show that robberies, thefts and break-ins in July were 20 percent higher than in the same month lastyear.

What changed? Last July, as the country was in the finalstretch before the Olympic Games, police patrols in the Atticaregion were more intense than ever before. Police officerswere everywhere to be seen in the city. The capital’s entirepolice force was mobilized while hundreds of other officerswere called in from the provinces. Intense physical presenceenhanced security during the Games and, at the same time,brought about a dramatic decline in ordinary crime, under-scoring the benefits of preventive action.

The precipitous rise in crime is unnerving. It is not just thatthere are no reinforcements from the countryside or that therehas been no recall on summer leaves. The police force hasactually reduced city patrols to below pre-Olympic levels,either because authorities deem that security cameras can actas a substitute for physical presence or because the restructur-

ing of police stations has taken officers away from patrolswhich now only take place in theory.

The statistics are sounding the alarm. When police officersgo, the city is defenseless. They must be constantly presentand visible, a guardian of the people. Withdrawing officersfrom the streets, making them sit in offices or serve as body-guards for well-known figures only increases people’s expo-sure to crime.

KATHIMERINI

Slapdash remedies

By Dimitris Kastriotis

Kathimerini has already expressed its fundamental reserva-tions regarding the effectiveness of the new code of ethics fordoctors recently heralded in by the Health Ministry.

The ailments of the system are the result either of illegalactivities or political choices. The former do not need yetanother law banning them, and the latter have nothing to dowith the law. So, it appears that the fate of public health isdependent on practice rather than on any legal restrictions thatcould be imposed.

It is interesting to note that doctors have been asked to offerany comments regarding the proposed code of ethics by theend of month. But why such haste, and in the middle of sum-mer?

This question becomes particularly pressing when we bearin mind that the debate goes beyond the much-discussed prob-lem of under-the-table payments and embraces extremely seri-ous issues - such as the practice of euthanasia and cloning -which are linked to contemporary ethics and modern thinkingbut which have been discussed very little in Greek public life.

And so it is that doctors have been asked to take a stance oneuthanasia within the next two weeks, so we can once againavoid establishing a legal framework for a very importantissue...

KATHIMERINI

Water strategy

By Stavros Tzimas

The severe downpours that hit northern Greece and neigh-boring Bulgaria in recent days caused the Evros River to burstits banks, causing crop damage and loss of livestock. Effortsto tackle the chronic flood threat, however, are complicated bythe past prejudices underlying the trilateral ties linking Greece,Turkey and Bulgaria.

Talks with Ankara on the issue in the early 1950s, for exam-ple, collapsed in 1955 because of rising bilateral tensionscaused by developments in Cyprus and Istanbul.

The Evros River is not the only transboundary waterresource that Greece has to manage in cooperation with itsneighbors. The Nestos, Strymonas and Axios rivers that flowon the plains of the Macedonia region as well as the Prespesand Doirani lakes, which impact thousands of householdsacross national borders, must be high on the agenda of Greekforeign policy.

Existing international agreements determine the quantity andquality of the water that reaches Greece. But these havebecome outdated as the Balkans have changed. DownstreamBalkan states will be tempted to exploit their shared waterresources at Greece’s expense.

The case of the Nestos River is indicative of the challengesahead. According to existing agreements, Greece receives 29percent of the water flowing across the border; for the timebeing, this is enough to water the eastern Macedonia-Thraceplain. Should Bulgaria go ahead with plans to divert the riverto water its own plains, Greece will continue to get the sameshare - but out of a smaller total amount.

The issue of transboundary waters is too serious to be left tolocal decision making. Water, a life-giving commodity, is like-ly to become of source of conflict in water-scarce regions.Greece must hammer out a national water strategy to ward offfuture tension with its neighbors.

KATHIMERINI

Training to Purr-fection

AUGUST 2005The Greek Australian VEMATO BHMA4/22

HACCI

BBuussiinneessss BBuulllleettiinn

Sound Investments through Geo-Science Solutions

As Greece’s official supplier of geo-sciencesolutions, the Institute of Geology and Min-eral Exploration (IGME) provides objec-tive and up-to-date geo-scientific informa-tion, advice, and professional services to thestate, municipal, industrial, scientific, andpublic communities of Greece. Apublic cor-porate body under the umbrella of the Min-istry of Development, IGME gathersGreece’s geo-scientific information and isthe official advisor to Greece on all mattersconcerning the geology and mineralresources (except petroleum and naturalgas) of the Greek landmass and its adjacentcontinental shelf.

With a staff ofroughly 800 (300of whom are sci-entists, manyholding post-grad-uate degrees)IGME focuses itsresearch activityon five majorareas:

* Systematic basic surveys and specializedsurveys (geophysical, geochemical, structural,geothermal). * Evaluation of mineral raw materials (except

hydrocarbons) for the development of thecountry’s energy potential, the enlargement ofits industrial base, and the encouragement ofproductive investments. * Evaluation of the country’s groundwater

supply and rational water usage for the devel-opment of agriculture and the provision ofurban and industrial needs.

* Study of geotechnical problems associatedwith natural hazards and the planning of tech-nical and development projects.

Today, an increasing demand for the devel-opment of safe and sustainable engineeringprojects requires well-researched and detailedstudies. IGME’s Engineering Geology Depart-ment conducts geotechnical investigations thatfacilitate investments in urban planning,tourist development projects, infrastructureprojects, and the construction of dams for irri-gation or power generation. The departmentalso performs geotechnical investigations forcivil engineering projects, including road net-works, tunnels, large buildings, and pipelines. Through its Geothermal Energy Department,IGME explores, locates, and evaluatesdeposits of lignite, peat, and geothermal ener-gy. These studies have revealed a large numberof solid fuel deposits and high and low tem-perature geothermal fields. IGME’s investiga-tions formed a solid basis for the exploitationof lignite deposits by the Public Power Corpo-ration and private companies involved inpower generation. According to George Hatzi-giannis, Manager of IGME’s GeothermalEnergy Department, “Through electricity mar-ket liberalization there are good opportunitiesfor productive investments in the exploitationof idle deposits for use in power production orin non-electrical uses. There are many depositsavailable with more than 1 billion tons ofextractable reserves.”

Mr. Hatzigiannis said that geothermal ener-gy resources are plentiful and are distributedthroughout the country. The two well-known,high-temperature fields in Milos and Nisyrosislands have not yet been exploited, and only10% of the 40 known low-temperature fields

are being used today. New legislation, expect-ed to be finalized soon, gives entrepreneurs thenecessary incentives to invest in this branch ofnational economy. Greece is already experi-encing very fast growth in the installation ofGround Heat Pump (GHP) systems in thedomestic sector.

IGME has been cooperating extensively withmany geological surveys from the EU, theBalkans, and China to conduct research pro-jects in the fields of geothermal energy andCO2 Capture and Storage (CCS). These col-laborations have resulted in a transfer ofknow-how and fully justified reports with fieldstudies that benefit investors in the energy andenvironmental sectors. According to Mr.Hatzigiannis, “It is important to focus on thefast-growing technological concept of CCS,which could contribute significantly to thereduction of CO2 emissions in the atmos-phere, eventually leading to full compliancewith the Kyoto Protocol.”

The Prefecture of Grevena

Greece offersinvestment oppor-tunities through-out the countryand in some of themost attractivelocations in theMediterranean-onislands, in prefec-tures with spectac-ular naturalresources, and in smaller urban areas. Invest-ment incentives are highly appealing in“Regional Greece,” where a willing workforceand a desirable lifestyle translate into a wiseinvestment choice.

The prefecture of Grevena is located 422kilometers from Athens in the north westernpart of Greece and belongs to the western partof the District of Macedonia. Grevena bordersthe prefectures of Kozani, Ioannina, Trikalaand Larisa. The prefecture covers an area of2,291 square kilometers and has a populationof 37,947.

Grevena is mountainous and its western partincludes the eastern side of the Pindos Moun-tain Range, Orliaka, Ligkos, and Smolikas,whose highest peak is 2,610 meters. Two mainrivers, Aliakmonas and Venetikos, run throughthe prefecture. Grevena, the prefecture’s capi-tal, was built 543 meters above sea level on thebanks of the Grevenitis River, a tributary of theAliakmonas River. Ancient castles in Spilaioand Alatopetra-Poluneri indicate that the areahas been populated prior to the pre-Macedon-ian years, 1500 B.C.

Thomas Tsialtis of the Investment Companyof Grevena says, “There is great potential inGrevena for the standardization of agriculturalproducts, especially the production and bot-tling of wine and the packaging of aromaticplants. Renewable energy sources in the area,particularly hydroelectric energy, offer stronginvestment opportunities. Other sectors withsubstantial development potential includealternative forms of tourism and transit trade.”The prefecture’s unexploited natural landscapemakes it an ideal location for ecotourism andsports tourism. Its rich pine and chestnutforests, high mountains, and its rivers offer

ample opportunities for mountain climbing,river fishing, hunting, and skiing. The skiresort of Vasilitsa, at the heart of Pindos, is apopular winter holiday destination. There are11 hotel establishments in the prefecture, pro-viding 440 beds. Opportunities exist for theestablishment of small agro-tourism units toaddress the needs of visitors who wish to expe-rience the natural environment through riverrafting, hiking, skiing, fishing, or hunting. Theregion is also rich in therapeutic springs thatare known for their curative properties. Oppor-tunities exist for the development of thermalsprings in the municipal area. Grevena’s economy relies mainly on agricul-ture and cattle raising. The prefecture’s mainagricultural products include wheat, corn, bar-ley, tomatoes, milk, and cattle feed. Roughly31,482 square kilometers of the prefecture arededicated to organic cultivation and organicfarmers reap significant harvests of grains andwalnuts. Opportunities exist for the develop-ment of Grevena’s free range and stabled cat-tle raising industry. The prefecture is also look-ing to develop organic methods of cattle rais-ing and agricultural development. Opportuni-ties also exist for the establishment of modelfarms in Grevena. The prefecture is active in food and beverage,

wood processing, and the manufacturing ofwood and cork products. Grevena is veryactive in the wood manufacturing sector, espe-cially in the production of door and windowframes and wood used in construction. Invest-ment opportunities exist for the developmentof an existing manufacturing unit for the pro-duction of wooden planks. The unit, located asmall distance outside the capital of Grevena,is owned by the Agricultural Bank of Greece(ATE).

Incentives for Greeks Abroad to Invest in Homeland

The Greek government is offering incentivesto ethnic Greeks living abroad who seek toinvest in their homeland. According to Devel-opment Minister Dimitris Sioufas, theseincentives include financing of up to 55% andreducing red tape.

HSBC Expands in Greece

HSBC, Europe’s largest bank in terms ofcapitalization, plans to expand further inGreece. Retail Banking Director of HSBC’soperations in Greece Bernard Payne said thatin its first phase of a greater expansion drive,HSBC will add at least three new branches toan existing network of 22. Forecasters projecta 65% growth in the bank’s business in 2005,up from 48% in 2004 and 36% in 2003. Dur-ing the last two years, HSBC has investedmore than 10 million EURO in informationtechnology systems and the restructuring ofthe branch network, said Mr. Payne.

Real Estate Opportunities

Region: Grevena

REF: #1: Grevena. In Xasia, 3.5 hectares ofsemi-mountainous and slightly incliningland belonging to the Municipality of Xasiaare suitable for the development of eco-tourism, agro-tourism, and game farms.The area is a place of great natural beautywith a well-developed ecotourism sector.The land, located 35 kilometers from thecapital of Grevena, is very accessible. Thenearest residential area is the town of Xasia.

REF: #2: Grevena. In Kivotos, located inthe Municipality of Iraklidae, 5 hectares offlat land with the capacity for irrigation,electrical, and telecommunications facili-ties are available for the development ofecotourism and agro-tourism. The landbelongs to the Municipality and is locatedin an area of great natural beauty with awell-developed ecotourism sector. Located35 kilometers from the capital city ofGrevena, the land is very accessible. Thenearest residential area is the town of Kiv-otos.

REF: #3: Grevena. In Rahoula, located inthe Municipality of Gorgianis, 5 hectares ofsemi-mountainous and slightly incliningland are suitable for the development ofecotourism and agro-tourism. The landbelongs to the Municipality of Gorgianisand has the capacity for irrigation facilities.The area is of great natural beauty with awell-developed ecotourism sector. Located40 kilometers from the capital of Grevena,the land is highly accessible. The nearestresidential area is Prionia.

The Greek Australian Vema

Tel: (02) 9559 7022 Fax: (02) 9559 7033

E-mail: vema@bigpond.net.au

AUGUST 2005 Greek Australian VEMA TO BHMA 5/23

Our Primate’s ViewAn ‘interview’ is one of the con-

temporary forms of the spoken and written

word which, indeed, holds paramount

importance in the general setting of more

recent civilizations.

Just as the various ‘parts’ of

speech constitute the whole system, that is

the specific body of a language, in the

same way also, ‘forms’ of speech com-

prise, and therefore summarize phrasally,

the content of a civilization.

Given this internal relationship

and inter-dependence of the forms of

speech which express the spiritual back-

drop of a civilization (we recall that today,

by convention, we refer to civilization as

‘culture’ internationally) we shall attempt

here a brief ‘anatomy’ of the literary phe-

nomenon known as ‘the interview’.

Indeed, it would perhaps be better to speak

not simply of an ‘anatomy’ but rather of a

‘phenomenology’ with regard to such a

specific form of speech. Because, as we

shall see below, an ‘interview’ does not

consist only of a ‘structure’. The body of

an ‘interview’ is not determined merely by

articulative elements i.e. figurations and

analogies. An ‘interview’ also contains, as

an integral part, the function of the struc-

tures, the actions and reactions that arise

during the flow of speech which has a

‘dual direction’ (question-answer).

If we wish to be more precise, we

should add a third dimension to the func-

tion of actions and reactions in the ques-

tions and answers: It regards the ‘conclu-

sion’ arrived at by the reader or listener

which, in most cases, is not taken into

account. As is easily understood, it is

overshadowed by the foreground of those

engaged in the interview! We should

acknowledge, however, that the ‘conclu-

sion’ is ignored for an additional reason. It

is the fluidity and uncertainty in the range

of educational and ethico-psychological

presuppositions of each reader or listener

which render the conclusion an ‘unstable

factor’ and not, as would be correct, the

‘third dimension’ that completes the pic-

ture of an ‘interview’.

Following what we have said by

way of ‘introduction’ in the study of the

cultural product called ‘interview’, we are

now able to proceed somewhat more sys-

tematically in our examination. Only in

this way shall we appreciate, as far as pos-

sible, not only the educative value that an

‘interview’ might offer, but also the dan-

gers which threaten it beforehand.

Let us now look at the ‘pros’ and

‘cons’ of an interview.

a) The first and most impressive

advantage of an interview is its liveliness.

This is secured, on the one hand, by the

fact that it not a monologue but a dia-

logue. When one directs a concise and spe-

cific question, the other person is also

obliged to respond concisely to the specif-

ic points. We could say that an interview

resembles ‘ping pong’! Already, however,

the image created by that liveliness, and by

the interest generated, also presents the

first danger in an interview. It concerns

the temptation of the interviewee to

impress, not so much the interviewing

journalist but, foremost, the uninformed

listeners or readers.

b) Usually, an interview is always

preceded by a brief, albeit, ‘pre-under-

standing’, even when the interviewee has

been called to respond as though ‘sur-

prised’ by the journalist. Indeed, in some

instances the ‘questions’ and ‘answers’ are

so obviously ‘set up’, that one is given the

unpleasant impression that he or she is

unwittingly a witness to, if not a victim of

some ‘conspiracy’. And while, if there is

sincerity and good will from both sides,

the listener or reader can enjoy the charm

of speech through its freshness and variety

and dynamism resembling ‘a brilliant

cyclist’ (A. Empirikos), in a presumably

courteous ‘swordfight’ it is sad to observe

elements such as ‘acumen’, ‘alertness’ and

‘wise formulation of opinion’ being abol-

ished by the absence of self-respect which

also presupposes respect for the persons

and matters mentioned. Because, unfortu-

nately, it appears fateful that the tempta-

tion of ‘narcissism’ is capable of sweeping

away even the most modest of speakers.

Moreover, an exaggerated attempt to

appear modest is the most distinguishable

and blatant narcissism.

c) In an interview, ‘stars’ from all

fields, or at least prominent and distin-

guished personalities of public life, poli-

tics, the arts and academia, are invited –

and indeed are begged - to appear. It is,

therefore, almost expected that a

respectable journalist who undertakes the

role of ‘mediator’ between the personality

with whom he or she is interviewing and

the wider public, would never dare exceed

the ‘permissible limits’ of his or her role.

Nonetheless, precisely because

the reputation and authority of the per-

sonality called for the interview are known

beforehand, there also lurks the temptation

for one to be drawn into inexcusable exag-

gerations and generalizations, if not even

into ‘oracular’ responses of a modern-day

‘Pythia’.

If per chance the interview is

given on the occasion of some anniversary

or of some celebration for longstanding

service, the ‘star’ who might even be

advanced in years, runs the risk of saying

things which are not only irrelevant but

sadly laughable.

It is towards this unnoticeable

‘downslide’ that the intoxication of

‘prominence’ fatefully pushes the intervie-

wee who pitiably believes that, on the one

hand, the elderly do not recall with cer-

tainty the events of just a few decades ago,

and on the other, that the young would

probably be entirely ignorant of them.

Consequently, the celebrity (!) is not afraid

that some will dare to refute or, at least,

challenge what has been publicly deposit-

ed from a ‘position of security’.

(to be continued).

By ArchbishopStylianos

of Australia

THE ‘PROS’ AND ‘CONS’

OF AN INTERVIEWA’’

The Greek Australian VemaThe oldest circulating Greek newspaper outside Greece

Tel: (02) 9559 7022 Fax: (02) 9559 7033

E-mail: vema@bigpond.net.auWebsite: www.tovema.com.au

email:vema@bigpond.net.au

APRIL 2005 Tel. (02) 9559 7022 Fax: (02) 9559 7033

THE GREEK AUSTRALIAN

VEMAThe oldestcirculating

Greeknewspaper

outsideGreece

PAGES 10/44-11/45

In this issue... Our Primate’s View

THE SABOTAGE OF GREEKS ABROAD

FROM WITHIN GREECE

PAGES 6/40, 7/41, 8/42

THE GREAT LENT

A Week by WeekMeaning

PAGE 24/58

TRAVELPoros: The

Alternative

to Athens

WINDOWS TO ORTHODOXY:

Jesus Christ:

The Suffering

Servant

PAGE 5/39

We extend our wishes to all Greek Australians

for a very Happy Easter

in good health and family unity

AUGUST 2005The Greek Australian VEMATO BHMA6/24

Marie Scoutas - ABC News

AUGUST 2005 The Greek Australian VEMA TO BHMA 7/25

Facts & Stats

Massive population growth in the poor-est countries, global ageing, and the bat-tle against the AIDS virus, are key chal-lenges for the international communityover the next 50 years, an internationalconference has been told.

This month the world’s populationcrossed the 6.5 billion mark. But theincrease has slowed from a two per centannual rise in the 1960s to 1.2 per centtoday - with the nine-billion-mark expect-ed to be cracked around 2050.

Falling fertility rates in Europe, LatinAmerica and Asia have contributed to thisslowdown. In China, home to 1.3 billionpeople and a one-child policy, the numberof children per woman has fallen to 1.7from a peak of 7.5 in the 1960s.

However in Africa fertility rates remainhigh and populations are predicted to riserapidly, tripling by 2050 in a number ofcountries including Burkina Faso, Burun-di, Chad, Congo, the Democratic Republicof Congo, Ethiopia and Uganda.

Demographer John Cleland of the Lon-don School of Hygiene and Tropical Med-icine said population increase could con-tribute more to deepening poverty thanHIV infection in sub-Saharan Africa,where the population is predicted to risefrom 750 million to 1.7 billion during thisperiod.In Europe and Asia falling birth rates and

longer life expectancy are leading to anageing of the world’s population.

According to UN figures, 20 per cent oftoday’s population in developed countriesare over 60 and by 2050 that proportion isprojected to rise to 32 per cent.

“If nothing is done, the ageing of the pop-ulation will lead to a reduction in the work-force, a fall in economic growth and largeshortages of labour,” said Martine Durand,an economist with the Organisation forEconomic Cooperation and Development(OECD).Raising the retirement age is one of a

number of politically difficult policyoptions facing governments along withincreased immigration, encouraging peo-ple to have more children and employmentcreation, as they try to counter the eco-nomic effects of having a shrinking work-force and growing number of retirees.

Durand said governments in developedcountries are already taking measures todelay retirement. Italy, Finland, Spain,Norway and France have already restrict-ed the possibility of early retirement whileAustria, Switzerland and Belgium haveraised the legal age of retirement.

Due to falling fertility rates, immigrationwill continue to play an important role fora number of countries, particularly inEurope, over the next 25 years.

“Without immigration a number of Euro-pean countries would experience a sub-stantial fall in their populations,” SergeFeld of the University of Liege in Belgiumtold the conference, which wrapped up atthe weekend.Only Finland and France will be increas-

ing their populations largely from naturalpopulation growth.Increasing life expectancy is the other dri-

ver in the ageing process with people inrich countries expected to live to an aver-age of 82 years by 2050 compared to 76years today, according to UN figures.

In the 50 least developed countries aver-age lifespan is also expected to rise from51 to 67, a figure which is conditional onthe implementation of government pro-grams to treat HIV-infected people andstop the spread of the virus.

Life expectancy in southern Africa, whi-ch has the highest HIV infection rate in theworld, has fallen from 62 years in 1990-95to 48 years in 2000-2005. It is set to dropfurther - to 43 years over the next decade -before a slow recovery starts.Some three million people died of AIDSrelated illnesses in 2004 while five millionpeople became infected - taking the globaltotal to 40 million.

The two countries with the largest popu-lations, China and India, are now on thefrontline in the battle against the spread ofHIV.

Vinod Mishra of the research companyDemographic and Health Surveys said thatin China the disease has broken out of thehigh-risk groups of injecting drug usersand sex workers and is spreading throughthe general population.

China’s massive urban migration, whichhas risen from 11 million in 1982 to 79million in 2000, may be “the ‘tippingpoint’ in China’s battle with the AIDS epi-demic,” according to Xiushi Yang of theOld Dominion University.

China has 840,000 HIV infected peopleor 0.1 per cent of the population, althoughthis likely to be an underestimate.

India has 5.1 million people infected withHIV representing 0.9 per cent of the popu-lation, ranking second behind South Africawith 5.3 million in absolute numbers.

AFP

Ageing and HIV key challenges

over next 50 years

Increase in airfares expected

to avert terrorism

Productivity Commission

to examine population growth

The impact of migration and population growth onnational productivity will be examined by the Pro-ductivity Commission, federal Treasurer PeterCostello says.

The commission willreport on the nature ofinternational migrationflows over the pastdecade - in particular,flows of skilled mi-grants and the effectthis has had on skilllevels.

The impact of skilledand unskilled migra-tion within differentindustries and occupa-tions will also beassessed following arequest for the study from Mr Costello.

In addition, it will identify any ways in which popu-lation growth limits productivity growth and report onwhether there are any legislative impediments prevent-ing Australia from realising potential productivitygains.

Mr Costello said understanding the link between pop-ulation growth and productivity was especially impor-tant in the context of an ageing population.

“Given the importance of productivity growth as amajor driver of improved living standards there isvalue in identifying the ways in which populationgrowth and the human capital aspects of migration canaffect productivity,” he said.

“Productivity growth is a major driver of improve-ments in real per capita living standards, so there isvalue in identifying the ways in which populationgrowth and the human capital aspects of migration canaffect productivity.”But Labor’s treasury spokesman Wayne Swan said the

report was hardly a sufficient response to Australia’sfaltering productivity.“Peter Costello’s indifference to economic reform has

left the nation unprepared for the challenges that lieahead,” he said.“Faltering productivity is not good for the economy or

business. It could lead to inflationary pressures andreduce business profits.

“Another inquiry is no substitute for the productivityenhancing reforms that the economy so desperatelyneeds.”Labor’s urban development spokesman Kim Carr said

the report must look at the growing suburbanisation oftowns on coastal regions and hinterland regions.

AAP

Australians are being warned to expect an increasein airfare prices to fund anti-terrorism measures atairports.

Federal Transport Minister Warren Truss says therecould be a price hike in airline tickets to pay for boost-ed security at airports and on aircraft.

But he says Australians won’t mind digging into theirhip pocket if it means air travel is safe.

His comments followed an address to a transport con-ference by Sir John Wheeler, the former head ofBritain’s National Criminal Intelligence Service, whohas been hired by the federal government to investigateexisting security measures at airports and recommendimprovements.Sir John says security could be improved at Australian

airports and authorities could implement more proce-dures to ward off an attack.He believed closed circuit television (CCTV) had acrucial role in preventing terrorist attacks.

AAP

Federal Treasurer PeterCostello

Dads want mums to get permission

before they leave town Mothers who leave town with theirchildren when a relationship breaksdown should be forced to obtain con-sent from their ex-partners, a fathers’group says.

The federal government has proposedmajor changes to the family law systemin Australia with the establishment of 65new family relationship centres.

Under draft legislation, families on theverge of breakdown will be forced to goto the centres for mediation, relationshipcounselling and to come up with a par-enting plan that encourages time withboth parents.If successful, this would make the Fam-

ily Court a place of last resort that dealtwith only the most intractable of cases.

But fathers, who have generally wel-comed the proposals, want their ex-part-ners to be stopped from moving awaywith their children.

“What I’m suggesting ... is a certainonus on the relocating parent to prove hisor ... her case that it would be still in thebest interest of the child to do so,” SharedParenting Council of Australia presidentMichael Green told a lower house com-mittee probing the legislation today.

“I’m very concerned ... that children arevery upset with the disturbance of theirroutine, access, contact (and) relationshipwith both parents and they desperatelywant both parents and they desperatelywant to remain, not only near their father,but in their communities,” he said.

But lawyers are warning against tellingparents what to do.

Each case should be considered on itsmerits, the Family Law PractitionersAssociation of Queensland told the Legaland Constitutional Affairs Committee.

“It’s a really difficult area to be pre-scriptive about,” Association spokesmanDonald Leembruggen said.

He said it was acknowledged in familylaw that a parent had a right to freedom ofmovement, but this right had to be bal-anced against the best interests of thechild.

“It’s that balance ... which causes thetension in this area,” he said.Although separating couples should usu-

ally agree before one of them leaves, eachcase was different, he said.

“Each case again has to be determinedon its own facts.”

Mr Leembruggen said he thought thegovernment’s package would encourage

some people who cannot currently accessthe legal system to sort out their familyproblems.

But he said it would never work foreverybody and the relationship centrescould allow one more powerful party toget their way.“I remain concerned about power imbal-

ances generally in an environment wherepeople can go to family relationship cen-tres and ... ultimately enter into agree-ments which have no oversight fromeither the court or a practitioner,” he said.

“I think that that area certainly makes itpossible that people who are oppressedeither emotionally or through family vio-lence will agree to things that they oughtnot agree to.”He also warned parents should not auto-

matically have an equal say in where theirchildren live.

Single mothers last week argued beforethe committee the best interests of chil-dren should take precedence over anynotion of equal or shared time with par-ents.Public hearings into the draft legislation

continue in Canberra tomorrow.

AAP

AUGUST 2005The Greek Australian VEMATO BHMA8/26

Windows to OrthodoxyApollinarianism:

Challenges to the Faith in Jesus ChristThe next great Christological contro-

versy arising after Arianism was one connect-ed with Apollinarius of Laodicea (310-390AD). Being the son of a presbyter, he wasa most learned scholar having a profoundknowledge of the ecclesiastical affairs of hisday. Furthermore, he was an impressive writerproducing many volumes of commentaries onthe Scriptures and several writings against cer-tain heresies of his time. He even set about,together with his father, to render the Bible inclassic Greek form and meter.1 It must beremembered that, like his friend, St Athanasiusthe Great, Apollinarius was staunchly anti-Arian rejecting any form of subordination ordivision of Christ’s being in relation to Godthe Father. And like Athanasius, Apollinariuswas strongly motivated by soteriologicalconcerns and for this reason vehementlyupheld the unity of Christ’s personhood. How-ever, even though he was a devoted support-er of the homoousion (that is, that Christ wasof the same essence or consubstantial with HisFather), where he affirmed not only the con-substantiality of the Son but also of the HolySpirit (i.e. that the Son and the Holy Spirit areof the same essence as God the Father), histeaching nevertheless ultimately came to beviewed with suspicion in the mid-seventiesand he was therefore subsequently con-demned by various councils including the 2ndEcumenical Council held in Constantinople in381.

Before cutting himself from theChurch however, he had been elected bishopof Laodicea in 362, and even though othershad also laid claim to this episcopacy, he wasultimately recognized as the rightful bishop forthe faithful of that city after being acknowl-edged by the bishops of Alexandria and Rome.The context in which Apollinarius’ teachingtook shape was in his refutation of particularteachings coming from Diodore, a certainpresbyter from Antioch (and later bishop ofTarsus) who wrongly taught that the eternalSon of God and the son of Mary were two dis-tinct subjects. That is to say, Apollinariusrejected any form of separation in Christ orthat there were two ‘sons’ – the ‘Son of God’and the ‘Son of Man’. In so far as Apollinar-ius wanted to assert the absolute unity of theone Lord Jesus Christ against any tendency,which wanted to divide or separate his beinginto two distinct persons, he was right. Yet, aswe shall see, his denial of the presence of ahuman mind in Christ and his assertion thatChrist’s body pre-existed before the ages(and not beginning with Mary at the Incarna-tion) led to his denunciation by the Church.

It was Apollinarius’extreme concernto uphold the absolute unity of the oneChrist, that raised suspicion amongst his con-temporaries, since in doing this, he had madeChrist into a ‘heavenly man’ thereby strippinghim of his full created humanity. By ‘heaven-

ly man’, Apollinarius essentially believed thatChrist had brought his flesh down from heav-en, something which the Church had neverpreviously claimed.2 Rather, it was alwaysheld that the Son of God assumed a body at hisIncarnation. Now, regarding the unity of theone Christ, Apollinarius stated that Christcould not be considered apart from his body(not an incorrect claim in and of itself) but indoing so, he understated the created humanqualities of the body. He wrote: “it is not pos-sible to speak separately of the body as creat-ed, for it is altogether inseparable from himwhose body it is, but rather it partakes in thetitle of the uncreated”3

This naturally led Apollinarius not todeny the humanity of Christ openly, butnonetheless to underestimate it greatly to thepoint of discrediting it. He noted: “Everyhuman being is earthly; Christ is not earthlybut heavenly: therefore Christ is not a man”.4

For this reason, in the final analysis, it wouldnot be wrong to see in this statement a denialof Christ’s humanity. That Apollinarius didthis to safeguard the unity of ‘the Son of man’and ‘the Son of God’ is without question, butin doing so he made Christ so entirely differ-ent from, and alien to, humankind and thehuman condition, that he ceased being human.Therefore it could be claimed that, whilstApollinarius did underscore the humanity ofChrist, what was of more importance was thefact that he was a different human being - ‘aheavenly man’ thereby ultimately excludingfrom him a complete humanity - i.e. a humannature including a human nature, mind, willenergy.

There are two consequences of thisteaching: firstly, such an assertion not onlyblurred the distinction-in-unity between,what one could call the naturally divine andhuman aspects in Christ but equally impor-tant discarded the fully created and finitehuman qualities. And so this naturally led himto further contend that the humanity of Christcould not be considered apart from hisdivinity since Christ existed “in the singlenessof a commingled incarnated divine nature”.5 Insuch a statement, Apollinarius had rejected theChristian claim that, in the person of Christwas united both a divine and human nature.

Secondly, this overtly strong empha-sis on the unity naturally led Apollinarius tostate that “the man Christ pre-exists” which

rejected the reality of Christ’s incarnationwithin a concrete moment in history. IndeedApollinarius affirmed that: “God is incarnatefrom the beginning, and thus the visible andtangible body that was born in the last days,that by human food, grew in gradual incre-ments, that one is the one that existed beforeall beings”.6 It is not that the Son of God didnot exist from all eternity, but his Incarnationtook place within a concrete historical con-text and therefore could not be considered atimeless historical reality. It is precisely for thisreason that the Nicene-Constantinopolitansymbol of faith came to state: “and was incar-nate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Maryand became human”. That is to say, the Sonof God always was, but Jesus was not a humanbeing before being born in time from the Vir-gin Mary. Avoiding such speculations, thefathers of the Church simply asserted that theOne who appeared on earth as a human beingwas truly divine with exactly the same divini-ty as God the Father. Furthermore, the EasternOrthodox tradition, in the person of St Grego-ry the Theologian (of Nazianzus) would claim:

For we do not part the manfrom the divinity, but ratherteach one and the same, for-merly not man but God andSon only, pre-eternal,unmixed with the body andall that belongs to the body,and finally man, assumedfor our salvation, passible inflesh, impassible in divinity,circumscribed in body, un-circumscribed in spirit…7

Clearly for St Gregory the Son of Godassumed a body and flesh in a concrete histor-ical point in time.

These particular conjectures byApollinarius, regarding the ‘heavenly man’ledhim to state that Christ did not possess ahuman soul since this would supposedlymake him merely human and therefore not ina position to save the world. According toApollinarius if Christ had a human mind thenhe would have been captive to pollutedthoughts.8 That is, in order to secure the sin-lessness of Christ, Apollinarius excluded fromChrist a human mind. Furthermore, in order toredeem the world, Christ could not have pos-sessed a human mind as this, according toApollinarius could have led Christ not only to

AUGUST 2005 The Greek Australian VEMA TO BHMA 9/27

Windows to OrthodoxyCont. from previous page

do something contrary to the will of God, butalso taken away his ability to save.

A second reason as to why Apolli-narius deprived Christ of a human mind wasthat two complete realities, for him, could notbe united into a single being. That is, a chang-ing mind could not exist together with animmutable one for they would desire and willcontrary things. That is to say, according toApollinarius, two perfect realities could notbecome one because they would necessarilyoppose one another by their respective wills.9

And so, for Apollinarius, a human mind inChrist would necessarily imply two subjectsnot one.10 Apollinarius could not accept thatChrist was one subject consisting of twonatures – a divine and human one. In thiswords of St Gregory the Theologian, the Sonof God consisted,

of one [thing] and another(Üëëï êáé Üëëï) [i.e. ahuman and divine natu-re]… but not one personand another (ïõê Üëëïò êáéÜëëïò).11

That is, divinity and humanity were affirmedas really existing in one and the same Christ.Ultimately for Apollinarius, the Son of Goddid not become human in the full sense of theword since He was deprived of a mind. In hisown words, Apollinarius noted: “He is not aman, but like a man, for he is not consubstan-tial with man in the highest dimension”.12 Itwas this mutilation of the humanity of Christto which the Patristic tradition had to respond,and it is this that we now turn.

The Orthodox ReactionIn responding to Apollinarius, the

Church quite simply stated that if Christ didnot also have a human soul, then not only

would He have not been a real man, but fol-lowing on from this, He could not save theworld. As to the real humanity of Jesus, theGospels and the New Testament Scriptures asa whole are entirely clear. For example, the let-ter to the Hebrews states:

Since, therefore, the chil-dren share flesh and blood,he himself likewise sharedthe same things, so thatthrough death he mightdestroy the one who has thepower of death, that is, thedevil, and free those who alltheir lives were held in slav-ery by the fear of death. Forit is clear that he did notcome to help angels, but thedescendants of Abraham.Therefore he had to becomelike his brothers and sistersin every respect, so that hemight be a merciful andfaithful high priest in theservice of God, to make asacrifice of atonement for

the sins of the people. (Heb2:14-17).

Clearly the Scriptures, and indeed all officialdoctrinal statements of the Church after theBible, always insisted that the Son of God hadbecome a real human person sharing the ‘samethings…in every respect’ like his fellowhuman beings in order that He may redeem theworld. St Gregory of Nyssa stated quiteemphatically that only “by becoming exactlywhat we are, did He unite the human racethrough Himself to God.”13 Clearly the Ortho-dox tradition has stressed a real unity of Christwith the world. In stating that Christ became ahuman being in the full sense of the word, thisby not means implied any sin of the part ofJesus Christ. Sin was not part of the origin planthat God had for humanity and therefore didnot constitute a defect in Christ’s humanity. Onthe contrary, sin in the human condition, tookaway from human beings their integralhumanity.

Apollinarius’ thinking occasionedthe famous response of St Gregory the The-ologian in a letter to Cledonius, a presbyter:“whatever is not assumed remainsunhealed; whatever is united to God is alsosaved”.14 That is to say, Christ could not haveredeemed humanity, if He did not assumehumanity entirely, sin apart. If the human mindwith its ability to choose was considered thecentre from where sin originates, then if Christhad not united Himself with this aspect ofhumanity, then the salvation of humanitywould not have been fully achieved. Indeed itwas precisely by also having his immortal soulthat Christ was able to save the souls ofhumankind doomed to death through sin.15

Besides, the Biblical image of Christ is pre-sented in terms of a Saviour who was fullyman: that is, who developed (Lk 2:52)showed signs of ignorance of the last day (cfMt 24:36), suffered, experienced grief atGethsemane16, and underwent all humanexperiences (for example, hunger, thirst etc).The Orthodox tradition would claim that in theIncarnation, the Son of God came to experi-ence all normal human, physical, emotionaland intellectual growth but was always over-shadowed by the grace of God who filledHim with wisdom and strength (cf Lk 2:40).The freedom to be tempted, as Christ was onseveral occasions by the devil (Mt 4:1-11), didnot in any way imply that Christ was liable tosin since temptation is quite different from thesin itself.

Lastly, the philosophical axiom pur-ported by Apollinarius that two perfect reali-ties cannot coalesce into one was flawed sincesuch a principle only holds true for the mater-ial world and not the divine. In giving ananswer to such a proposal, St Gregory the The-ologian admitted that in the physical world, itis true that 1000mls of water, for example can-not be contained in a 600ml bottle.17 On the

other hand, he continued, this principle doesnot hold true for the spiritual or contemplativeworld as this can be seen even on a humanlevel. According to St Gregory, if it is true inour sensory world, that there is enough ‘room’for our eyes, for example to encompass manysights, for our ears to hear many sounds andfor our noses to take in many smells, howmuch more so could the Son of God containtwo nature without one diminishing or eradi-cating the other.18 To use another of St Grego-ry’s analogies, the assumption, by Christ of ahuman nature did not destroy Christ’s human-ity, in the same way that the existence of a dropof water in a vast river is not eliminated butcan still be distinguished if need be. So too thevast divinity of the Son of God did not elimi-nate the human mind.

To conclude, such a response by StGregory was ultimately what the Scripturestaught, which can be seen from the followingScriptural text:

who, though he was in theform of God, did not regardequality with God as some-thing to be exploited, butemptied himself, taking theform of a slave, being bornin human likeness. Andbeing found in human form,he humbled himself andbecame obedient to thepoint of death—even deathon a cross (Phil 2:6-9).

Truly the Son of God united within his personboth a divine and human nature, which theCouncil of Chalcedon in 451 would laterassert was done without confusing the two,without transmuting one nature into another,without dividing them into two separate cate-gories and without contrasting them accordingto their function:

We teach… one and thesame Christ, Son, Lord,only begotten, known in twonature, without confusion,without change, withoutdivision, without separa-tion.19

Philip KariatlisAcademic Secretary and Associate Lecturer

St Andrew’s Greek Orthodox TheologicalCollege

1 In his ecclesiastical history Sozomen (d. ca 450AD)recorded that Apollinarius had rendered the Gospels andapostolic writings in the form of Platonic dialogues(Ecclesiastical History 3.16). 2 J.N.D. Kelly, Early Christian Doctrine, fifth edition(London: A & C Black, 1989), 296. 3 Apollinarius, On the Union in Christ of the Body to theDivinity, 2. 4 Anakephalaiosis 4. 5 Fragments 9, cited in John Behr, The Nicene Faith, Part2, Formation of Christian Theology, vol. 2 (Crestwood,NY: SVS Press, 2004), 392. 6 Fragments 53. Cited in John Behr, The Nicene Faith,393. 7 St Gregory the Theologian, Letter 101, 4. 8 Fragments 93. Cited in John Behr, The Nicene Faith,397. 9 St Athanasius considered this philosophical axiomwhich had its origins in Aristotle to be the basic flaw ofApollinarius’ teaching.10 Fragments 81. 11 St Gregory the Theologian, Epistle 101, 5. 12 Ibid, 35. 13 Against Eunomios 3,10. 14 St Gregory Nazianzus, Letter 101 (The first letter toCledonius the Presbyter).15 Cf ibid, Letter 101, 5. 16 Cf St Mark’s account of Gethsemane: “They went to aplace called Gethsemane; and he said to his disciples, “Sithere while I pray.” He took with him Peter and James andJohn, and began to be distressed and agitated” (Mk 14:32-33).17 Cf. St Gregory the Theologian, Letter 101. (Obviouslythe measurements in the above example were changed tocoincide with today’s metric system). 18 Ibid. 19 Definition of Chalcedon (4th Ecumenical Council).

Questions & AnswersIs it necessary for theOrthodox Church to honorthe Virgin so much thatsome of the people seem to

have more of a dedication to herthan to Christ?

Your question puzzles me. There isnothing in the tradition of ourChurch which directs people tohonor the Virgin Mary more thanthe honor due to Christ. For exam-

ple, in the Divine Liturgy continuous and fre-quent mention is made of the Holy Trinity,Father, Son and Holy Spirit. One of thehymns characteristically says “Save us, OSon of God, who did rise from the dead whosing to you, Alleluia.” Or, read this hymnwhich is sung at every Divine Liturgy, whichimmediately follows: “Only-begotten Sonand Word of God, being immortal, Thouhumbled Thyself for our salvation, takingflesh by the holy Mother of God and ever-virgin Mary; Thou became man withoutchange, and were crucified, thereby destroy-ing death by death; being one of the HolyTrinity, together glorified with the Father andthe Holy Spirit; save us Christ our God.” Thishymn not only shows us why the Virgin Maryis important to us: she is the Mother of ourLord! For this she is due honor and greatrespect from the Christians. Our honor of theVirgin Mary cannot exceed that which we

give to Christ, precisely because it is onaccount of Christ, that we honor her. WeOrthodox are faithful to the true Tradition ofthe Church when we place Christ first in ourlives, but do not fail to fulfil the biblicalexpectations when we heed the Virgin Mary’swords which are recorded in the Bible: “Forbehold, henceforth all generations will callme blessed” (Luke 1:48). Like Elizabeth, herkinswoman, when she filled with the HolySpirit, we cannot fail to say “Blessed are youamong women, and blessed is the fruit ofyour womb” (Luke 1:42).

Q

A

******

From the Orthodox Church: 455 Questionsand Answers,

by Stanley S. Harakas, published by Light andLife.

If you have any questions about theOrthodox faith which you would likeanswered in the VEMA, send them to

Vema -Q.&A.,

P.O.Box M59 Marrickville

South,

NSW 2204

or e-mail them to:

vema@bigpond.net.au

AUGUST 2005The Greek Australian VEMATO BHMA10/28

(excerpt from a paper presented by the NSWGreek Welfare Centre at the NationalAssociation for Gambling Studies Conference,November 2004).

Gambling in the Greek communitySydney, July 2004, Greece had just won the

‘Euro 2004’ soccer title. The media was fullof stories of the euphoria of this win, bothwithin the Greek community, and the broaderAustralian community. One of the radioreporters on the ABC was interviewing ayoung Greek man at the celebrations inBrighton Le-Sands. The reporter asked ‘whatare you going to do now, after all this cele-brating?’ The young man’s response was:‘I’m going to collect my fifteen grand mate, Ibet $100 when Greece was 150 –1 odds towin!’

‘The Greeks have a reputation for being ded-icated gamblers… This is seen in organizedcard games in special gambling rooms, in cafes,casinos and the national lottery… ‘Nick theGreek’- America’s most famous gambler…was a loser more often than he was a winner’(Sifakis, 1990).

In Australia in the early 1900’s, there is a storyabout Nikos Kallinikos who migrated toAdelaide, worked in coffee houses, quickly dis-covered that gambling could earn him a betterliving and devoted himself fulltime to this.Nikos made gambling his living and travelledall around Australia (Melbourne, Kalgoorlie,cane fields of Queensland, the NorthernTerritory and Sydney).

More recently in Australia, a report byCultural Partners Australia Consortium (2000),

identified the Greek community as having the3rd highest incidence of problem gamblingamong ethnic communities after the Chineseand Vietnamese communities.

Migration and gamblingThe issues for a problem gambler of Greek

background and their families are similar to anyother problem gambler. However, for a Greekperson migration and cultural issues compoundthe experience.

Migration to Australia is seen as a way to abetter life for oneself and one’s family. Successas a migrant is measured largely by the acquisi-tion of material assets and a good education forthe children. When this does not happen, theperson perceives themselves as a failure, andare also judged by others in this way. Wheregambling is the cause, the stigma is strong andthe gambler and his/her family will go toextreme lengths to cover up the problem.

Migration for many Greek people means liv-ing a life as a foreigner. In Greek this is referredto as ‘XENITIA’. This experience has strongconnotations of bitterness, grief and enforcedseparation. This is on top of a longing for thehomeland and the loved ones left behind. Oftenthere is also the intention of one-day returningto the birthplace.

Politis (1985) states ‘Xenitia, orphan hood,bitterness and love, they weighed all four, theheaviest was the foreign land’.

The motivation therefore to migrate was forthe good of the family and the needs of the indi-vidual were secondary. For some people leav-ing their country was not their choice. Evenwhen migration has resulted in economic and

social mobility, the experience is not withoutloss and not without nostalgia.

For migrants, success is highly valued and ismeasured in material assets and tertiary educa-tion of children. Success compensates for thelosses of migration and reflects well on theindividual and the family. The culture reflects acollectivist perspective where group values andneeds have precedence over individual needs.

Conversely, the family shares failure. If a per-son ‘doesn’t make it’ as a migrant, this isviewed as failure.

The person feels humiliation and they ‘loseface in the community’. The family also sharesthis. Another factor, which impacts on the lifeof a migrant, is the resettlement process andhow the host community received them.Limited English, poor knowledge of servicesand systems and often a hostile reception fromthe host community, has reinforced the feelingsof ‘living in a foreign land’, of being foreign.

To counter these feelings, Greek migrantshave been persistent in trying to retain their cul-ture and religion especially in relation to fami-ly and community. Of paramount importance isthe role of the family, the name and honour ofthe family. The individual’s ability to meet fam-ily obligations will also reflect success andgood community standing.

Traditions, rituals and social customs are animportant channel for passing on ‘the culture’.As an example of social customs, many Greekmen would frequent ‘coffee houses’ alsoknown as ‘kafenia’. Here they would have acoffee, talk and play cards. For young men, inparticular this was a means of overcoming theirisolation and frustrations of resettlement. This poem by Elias Bizannes (Café- Habitues)

highlights the role of ‘kafenia’ in the lives ofthese men.

‘When you want to learn news from yourhomeland….

Where will you find your compatriots, whereelse – in the café?

And when you want some conversation and todrink a cup of coffee

Where will you go and take a seat? Whereelse in the café.

In the café, all together we while our timeaway and with coffee thick and sweet we

extinguish our longing.’For the men the ‘kafenia’ represented a safe,

friendly, social venue but where over timemany men also developed problem gambling.It was not too different from family gatheringsand festive occasions in Greece where menplayed backgammon and cards and the winnershouted drinks. This was socially and cultural-ly acceptable. Over time, however, many mendeveloped problem gambling, as the notion ofsocial gambling became more confusing withgambling taking up more time and more moneybeing spent.

For women they (the kafenia) became asource of anguish and suffering where the loss-es of problem gambling were attributed.Women and families were also affected by theimpact of problem gambling on their finances,relationships, physical and mental health.

Migration, stress and gambling“Stress reactions during the process of accul-

turation can lead to confusion, anxiety, depres-sion and feelings of marginality and alienation’.(Williams and Berry, 1991)

‘These factors have also been identified ascontributing to the development of problemgambling.’ (Beattie et al, 1999).

Studies by Blaszczynski, Wilson andMcConaghy in 1986 and Trevorrow and Moore

in 1998 have helped with our understanding ofthe attraction to problem gambling in the ethniccommunities. ‘They highlight that when stress levels are ele-

vated due to factors associated with accultura-tion, gambling may be used as an escape.’

Problem gambling assistance and supportFor the majority of people, gambling is a form

of entertainment and they can stop after win-ning or losing once they feel they have spent anadequate amount of time enjoying themselves. While wins are hoped for, the underlyingexpectancy is to lose.

Problem gambling is generally defined as lossof control over gambling behaviour. This has anegative impact on an individuals’ finances,family, relationships, work, general health andwell-being. Culture, language and role of fami-ly are integral components for appropriateinterventions when working with problemgamblers. This is the particularly relevant forpeople of culturally and linguistically diversebackgrounds and needs to be incorporated intothe counselling process. In addition the experi-ence of migration also needs to be recognisedand acknowledged.

In order to help resolve the dilemma andmake changes in their thinking and behaviour,a person with problem gambling can benefitfrom counselling and other support such asgroups. They would also need to learn to iden-tify the situations which put them at risk ofgambling e.g. do they gamble when they areworried or depressed. They may need to learnalternative skills to help them cope with stressand depression and improve their communica-tion with loved ones.

A really important aspect in supporting a per-son with problem gambling is to improve theirself esteem because usually their gambling hasleft them feeling unworthy and hopeless.

With counselling and support, a person whowants to stop gambling can be helped toexplore the role of gambling in their life, as wellas any underlying emotional pain. In additionthey can learn new skills in communication andhow to manage their stress or anger. In this waythey can change their attitudes and behaviourand subsequently achieve their goals.

The Greek Welfare Centre’s GamblingServices Project provides counselling and sup-port for individuals and families affected byproblem gambling. This is a free and confiden-tial service funded by the NSW Governmentfrom the Casino Community Benefit Fund.

For further information please contact the GreekWelfare Centre of NSW on (02) 9516 2188.

References ABC – 702 Sydney radio segmentBeattie, L., Blaszczynski, A. ,Maccallum, F. and Joukhador,J ‘Gambling problems in a Multicultural Society’, NAGSconference 1999Blaszczynski, A., Wilson , A., and McConaghy, N. ( 1986)‘Sensation seeking and pathological gambling behaviour ‘,an APS position paper, Australian Psychologist, 34, (4-16). Cultural Partners Consortium – ‘The impact of gaming onSpecific cultural groups’ prepared for the Victorian Casinoand Gaming Authority, Feb 2000Greek Welfare Centre Gambling Services ProjectPolitis, N. (1985)‘Selection from the songs of Greek peo-ple’, AthensSifakis, C. (1990) ‘The Encyclopaedia of Gambling’, Factsof File Inc, North Ryde, NSW Australia, (141-142)Trevorrow, K. and Moore , S. (1998) ‘The associationbetween loneliness, social isolation and women’s electron-ic gaming machine gambling’ Journal of gambling Studies,14, 261-84Williams, C. L. and Berry, J. (1991) ’Primary prevention ofacculturative stress among refugees, application of psycho-logical theory and practice’, American Psychologist, 46,632-41

IMMIGRATION, CULTURE AND GAMBLING

A GREEK COMMUNITY PERSPECTIVE

AUGUST 2005 The Greek Australian VEMA TO BHMA 11/29

Rev. Thomas Fitzgerald

"We knew not whether we were in heaven oron earth, for surely there is no such splendoror beauty anywhere on earth. We cannotdescribe it to you; we only know that Goddwells there among men and that their Servicesurpasses the worship of all other places..."

In the latter part of the tenth century,Vladimir the Prince of Kiev sent envoys tovarious Christian centers to study their form ofworship. These are the words the envoysuttered when they reported their presence atthe celebration of the Eucharist in the GreatChurch of Holy Wisdom in Constantinople.The profound experience expressed by theRussian envoys has been one shared by manythroughout the centuries who have witnessedfor the first time the beautiful and inspiringDivine Liturgy of the Orthodox Church.

The Holy Eucharist is the oldest experienceof Christian Worship as well as the most dis-tinctive. Eucharist comes from the Greek wordwhich means thanksgiving. In a particularsense, the word describes the most importantform of the Church's attitude toward all of life.The origin of the Eucharist is traced to the LastSupper at which Christ instructed His disciplesto offer bread and wine in His memory. TheEucharist is the most distinctive event ofOrthodox worship because in it the Churchgathers to remember and celebrate the Life,Death, and Resurrection of Christ and, there-by, to participate in the mystery of Salvation.

In the Orthodox Church, the Eucharist isalso known as the Divine Liturgy. The wordliturgy means people's work; this descriptionserves to emphasize the corporate character ofthe Eucharist. When an Orthodox attends theDivine Liturgy, it is not as an isolated personwho comes simply to hear a sermon.

Rather, he comes as a member of the Com-munity of Faith who participates in the verypurpose of the Church, which is the Worshipof the Holy Trinity. Therefore, the Eucharist istruly the center of the life of the Church andthe principal means of spiritual development,both for the individual Christian and theChurch as a whole. Not only does theEucharist embody and express the Christianfaith in a unique way, but it also enhances anddeepens our faith in the Trinity. This sacra-ment-mystery is the experience toward whichall the other activities of the Church are direct-ed and from which they receive their direction.

The Eucharist, the principal sacrament mys-tery of the Orthodox Church, is not so much a

text to be studied, but rather an experience ofcommunion with the Living God in whichprayer , music, gestures, the material creation,art and architecture come into full orchestra-tion. The Eucharist is a celebration of faithwhich touches not only the mind but also theemotions and the senses.

Throughout the centuries, Christians haveseen many dimensions in the Eucharist. Thevarious titles which have come to describe therite bear witness to the richness of its meaning.The Eucharist has been known as the Holyoffering, the Holy Mysteries, the Mystic Sup-per, and the Holy Communion.

The Orthodox Church recognizes the manyfacets of the Eucharist and wisely refuses toover-emphasize one element to the detirementof the others. In so doing, Orthodoxy has clear-ly avoided reducing the Eucharist to a simplememorial of the Last Supper which is onlyoccasionally observed.

Following the teachings of both Scriptureand Tradition, the Orthodox Church believesthat Christ is truly present with His people inthe celebration of the Holy Eucharist. TheEucharistic gifts of bread and wine become forus His Body and His Blood. We affirm thatthese Holy Gifts are transfigured into the firstfruits of the New Creation in which ultimatelyGod will be "all in all".

THREE LITURGIES

As it is celebrated today, the Divine Liturgyis a product of historical development. Thefundamental core of the liturgy dates from thetime of Christ and the Apostles. To this,prayers, hymns, and gestures have been addedthroughout the centuries. The liturgy achieveda basic framework by the ninth century.

There are three forms of the Eucharistpresently in use in the Orthodox Church:

1. The Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, whichis the most frequently celebrated.2. The Liturgy of St. Basil the Great, which iscelebrated only ten times a year.3. The Liturgy of St. James which is celebrat-ed on October 23, the feastday of the Saint.

While these saints did not compose the entireliturgy which bears their names, it is probablethat they did author many of the prayers. Thestructure and basic elements of the three litur-gies are similar, although there are differencesin some hymns and prayers.

In addition to these Liturgies, there is also theLiturgy of the Pre-Sanctified Gifts. This is not

truly a eucharistic liturgy but rather an eveningVesper Service followed by the distribution ofHoly Communion reserved from the previousSunday. This liturgy is celebrated only onweekday mornings or evenings during Lent,and on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday ofHoly Week, when the full Eucharist is not per-mitted because of its Resurrection spirit. TheEucharist expresses the deep joy which is socentral to the Gospel.

The Divine Liturgy is properly celebratedonly once a day. This custom serves to empha-size and maintain the unity of the local con-gregation. The Eucharist is always the princi-pal Service on Sundays and Holy Days andmay be celebrated on other weekdays.

However, the Divine Liturgy is not celebrat-ed by the priest privately, without a congrega-tion. The Eucharist is usually celebrated in themorning but, with the Bishop's blessing, maybe offered in the evening.

THE ACTIONS OF THE LITURGY

The Divine Liturgy may be divided into twomajor parts: the Liturgy of the Catechumensand the Liturgy of the Faithful, which are pre-ceded by the Service of Preparation.

Although there are many symbolic interpre-tations of the Divine Liturgy, the most funda-mental meaning is found in the actions andprayers.

THE SERVICE OF PREPARATION

Prior to the beginning of the Liturgy, thepriest prepares himself with prayer and thenprecedes to vest himself. The vestmentsexpress his priestly ministry as well as hisoffice. Next, the priest goes to the ProskomideTable which is on the left side of the AltarTable in the Sanctuary. There, he prepares theoffering of bread and wine for the Liturgy. Ide-ally, the leavened loaves of bread, and the winefrom which the offering is taken, are preparedby members of the congregation. The ele-ments are presented to the priest before the ser-vice, together with the names of those persons,living and dead, who are to be rememberedduring the Divine Liturgy. The offering sym-bolically represents the entire Church gatheredabout Christ, the Lamb of God.

THE LITURGY

OF THE CATECHUMENS

The Divine Liturgy begins with the solemndeclaration: "Blessed be the Kingdom of theFather and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit

now and for ever more." With these words weare reminded that in the Divine Liturgy theChurch becomes a real manifestation of God'sKingdom on earth.

Since the first part of the Liturgy wasdesigned originally for the Catechumens,those being schooled in the faith, had a veryinstructive quality.

The Eucharist also has elements which are incommon with other Services. We gather asChristians who share a common faith in theHoly Trinity. We sing and pray as a peopleunited in Christ, who are not bound by time,space, or social barriers.

The Little Entrance is the central action of thefirst part of the Liturgy. A procession takesplace in which the priest carries the Book ofGospels from the sanctuary into the nave.

The procession directs our attention to theScripture and to the presence of Christ in theGospel. The entrance leads to the Epistle les-son, the Gospel, and the Sermon.

THE LITURGY OF THE FAITHFUL

In the early Church, only those who werebaptized and not in a state of sin were permit-ted to remain for this most solemn part of theLiturgy. With the Great Entrance marking thebeginning of this part of the Liturgy, the offer-ing of bread and wine is brought by the priestfrom the Preparation Table, through the nave,and to the Altar Table.

Before the offering can proceed, however,we are called upon to love one another so thatwe may perfectly confess our faith. In the earlyChurch, the Kiss of Peace was exchanged atthis point.

After the symbolic kiss of Peace, we jointogether in professing our Faith through thewords of the Creed.

Only now can we properly offer our gifts ofbread and wine to the Father as our Lorddirected us to do in His memory.

This offering is one of great joy, for throughit we remember the mighty actions of Godthrough which we have received the gift of sal-vation, and especially the Life, Death, andResurrection of Christ. We invoke the HolySpirit upon ourselves and upon our offering,asking the Father that they become for us theBody and Blood of Christ.

Through our thanking and remembering theHoly Spirit reveals the presence of the RisenChrist in our midst.

The priest comes from the altar with the HolyGifts, inviting the congregation to draw nearwith reverence of God, with faith, and withlove."

Our sharing in the Eucharist Gifts not onlyexpresses our fellowship with one another, butalso our unity with the Father in His Kingdom.Individuals approach the Holy Gifts andreceive the Eucharistic bread and wine fromthe common chalice. The priest distributes the Holy Gifts by means

of a communion spoon. Since the Holy Com-munion is an expression of our Faith, recep-tion of the Holy Gifts is open only to thosewho are baptized, chrismated, and practicingmembers of the Orthodox Church.

The Liturgy comes to an end with prayer ofThanksgiving and the Benediction. At the con-clusion of the Eucharist, the congregationcomes forward to receive a portion of the litur-gical bread which was not used for the offer-ing.

Copyright: © 1983-1996 Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America

Department of Religious Education

The Holy Eucharist

AUGUST 2005The Greek Australian VEMATO BHMA12/30

Health

Polymyalgia Rheumatica often called PMR isan inflammatory rheumatic disorder whichaffects older people. Poly of course means‘many’ and myalgia means ‘painful muscle’.Therefore, people with Polymyalgia Rheumat-ica complain of rheumatic type pain in manyof their muscles. The muscles involved are themuscles of the neck, shoulder and hip area.The onset of Polymyalgia Rheumatica

Polymyalgia Rheumatica can come on grad-ually , but sometimes it may come on sudden-ly appearing over one or two weeks. It hasbeen known to occur following a flu-like ill-ness.The cause of Polymyalgia Rheumatica

The cause of Polymyalgia Rheumatica is notknown. It is thought to be an autoimmunereaction of the body against its own muscle tis-sue, causing a strong inflammatory reaction.

Who does PMR affect?Polymyalgia Rheumatica affects people

between the ages of 60-70. It is rare under 50years of age. It is more common in womencompared with men by approximately 2:1 andis more common in Caucasians. PolymyalgiaRheumatica is not a common condition, but itis by no means rare,approximately one in twohundred people may develop PolymyalgiaRheumatica. Symptoms of Polymyalgia Rheumatica

The main symptoms of PolymyalgiaRheumatica are what doctors call ‘proximalmuscle pains’. That is, pain in the muscles inthe neck, shoulders, hips and upper thighs.These pains are associated with early morningstiffness. This stiffness is often worse uponwaking or prolonged inactivity.

The patient will usually describe difficultygetting out of bed, difficulty walking up anddown stairs, difficulty getting up from chairs,or getting in and out of cars particularly if theyhave been in the car for a long period.Often the person with Polymyalgia Rheumati-ca may have difficulty combing their hair or

putting on a coat.Along with the symptoms of proximal pain

and stiffness, the patient with PolymyalgiaRheumatica may also have generalised symp-toms such as fever, malaise, anorexia, weightloss and sometimes depression.

In Polymyalgia Rheumatica the inflamma-tion involves the muscles and so there is nojoint pain.The diagnosis of Polymyalgia Rheumatica

As Polymyalgia Rheumatica is an inflam-matory condition, it responds to a powerfulantiinflammatory agent known as cortisone, ormore specifically Prednisone. Patients feeldramatically better within forty eight hours oftaking the medication. The dose of Prednisoneis decreased as the symptoms come under con-trol. However, it is usually necessary to takethis medication for many months and some-times it may be necessary to take it for two ormore years. Cortisone has a number of sideeffects which include weight gain, high bloodpressure, swelling and a cushingoid appear-ance. Other side effects can include pepticulcers and diabetes.

Therefore, the patient on treatment forPolymyalgia Rheumatica requires close moni-toring by their general practitioner to avoidadverse effects from medication and to aim tocontrol the symptoms with the smallest effec-tive dose.Complications

Some people who develop PolymyalgiaRheumatica may go on to develop a potential-ly dangerous complication called Giant CellArteritis or Temporal Arteritis which causesinflammation of the arteries including the tem-poral artery in the head. This condition causesirreversible blindness due to inflammation inthe arteries which supply the eye. Thereforepatients with Polymyalgia Rheumatica whoreport throbbing headache, scalp tendernessand disturbance of vision need urgent atten-tion. This condition is completely treatable andusually requires higher doses of corticos-teroids.*The information given in this article is of a gener-al nature and readers should seek advice from theirown medical practitioner before embarking on anytreatment.

HEALTH NEWS

WITH DR. THEO PENKLIS *

Polymyalgia Rheumatica

Understanding Bi Polar Disorder

Many of us have heard the term Bi Polar Disorder, it is usedto describe a condition someone is suffering or a label possiblycorrectly or in many cases incorrectly ascribed to a particularperson. Bi Polar Disorder, previously known as Manic Depres-sive Illness, is a term that the majority of people misunderstandand avoid, as is the case with many mental health problems, infear of been labelled as crazy.

Bi Polar Disorder affects up to 1.5% of the population, occur-ring in late adolescence/early adulthood and generally continuesthroughout ones life. What is Bi Polar Disorder?

Bi Polar Disorder is a mental illness that affects the way a per-son thinks, feels and behaves. People with Bi Polar Disorderfind it difficult to function in one or more areas of their lives, forexample in interpersonal relationships, work/education or selfcare. Educational and/or work functioning may be significantlydisrupted during times of crisis and individuals with Bi PolarDisorder may be unable to finish school or hold down a job. BiPolar Disorder generally occurs in periodic episodes, betweenwhich a person can resume to normal functioning.

Bi Polar Disorder is characterised by severe mood swings,where a person swings between periods where they feelextremely elated to periods where they feel significantly down.These periods of elation are generally referred to as manicepisodes and the lows are referred to as depressive episodes. Common symptoms of manic episodes include:l Feeling extraordinarily happy or excessively highl Inappropriate and/or excessive increases in energy levelsl Deterioration in a person's ability to judge situations realisti-cally. Examples of this include, extreme levels of over spending,involvement in risky behaviours, grandiose plans or beliefs,such as believing that one has extraordinary talents or an unre-alistic belief in ones powersl Rapid thoughts where a person jumps from one idea to anoth-erl Rapid speechl Inability to concentrate l Irritability l Impulsivity l Reactivityl Hyperarousall Significantly reduced sleep

Common symptoms of depressive episodes include:l Overwhelming feelings of sadnessl Decreased concentrationl Loss of appetitel Feelings of hopelessness or pessimisml Feelings of guiltl Thoughts of death/suicide What causes Bi Polar Disorder?

Research has identified a number of contributing factors caus-

ing Bi Polar Disorder. One includes hereditary factors, wherethere is a history of the disorder in the family. Environmentaland social factors such as extremely stressful life events or rela-tionships can also trigger the onset of Bi Polar Disorder. Pleasenote, that stress as an independent variable has not been foundto cause Bi Polar Disorder. How can Bi Polar Disorder be managed?

Bi Polar Disorder is a condition that can be managed withappropriate psychiatric treatment.

When a person comes to understand that something is wrongor that they are experiencing some of the symptoms describedabove, it can be difficult for them to accept, impacting greatly ontheir sense of self and self esteem. It is important to understandhowever, that treatment is available and in many cases very suc-cessful in managing symptoms. The most successful treatment for Bi Polar Disorder includes a

combination of medication that facilitates stabilising a person'smood in close consultation with a treating psychiatrist. Psycho-logical intervention can also help people to cope better with theirsymptoms, reducing stress and helping them gain control overtheir lives. Some people benefit from intensive case manage-ment and structured rehabilitation programs which assist indealing with day to day areas of functioning.

Families can also benefit from psycho social education andfamily therapy, which provides education on the illness as wellas stress management strategies. Who can you contact for help? It is crucial that people with Bi Polar Disorder get treatment assoon as possible. If they are having suicidal or homicidalthoughts, it is imperative that treatment is sought immediatelyby contacting, the Area Mental Health Crisis Team, their GPthen 000.

For more information or a referral to a psychiatrist, call your localGP. Your local Psychologist or the Australian Psychological Soci-ety (APS) Referral Service on 1800 333 497, may also be able toprovide you with more information.

References:APS Website: www.psychology.org.au/psych/consult/2.10_3.aspBi Polar Disorder.DSM IV, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders:Bipolar Disorders. Fourth Edition, American Psychiatric Associa-tion, Washington DC. P350 -363.

Mina Candalepas is a Registered Psychologist. She is the soledirector of a Clinical Private Practice in the Campsie Profession-al Medical Practice, Sydney NSW. Her particular speciality is intrauma and chronic pain management and she also provides psy-chological therapy for depression, anxiety, work-place issuesand/or injuries, relationship issues, self esteem and grief. Therapy is conducted in either English or Greek. All services areby appointment ONLY and strictly confidential. Her contact detailsare Tel (02) 9591 7714, Mob 0410 493 806.

Mental Health

The Greek AustralianVEMA

For your advertisementscontact Maria Jiannior Dimitris Ventouris

on (02) 9559 7022Fax: (02) 9559 7033

E-mail: vema@bigpond.net.au

By Mina Candalepas*Psychologist MAPSReg NSW PS0057198

AUGUST 2005 The Greek Australian VEMA TO BHMA 13/31GREEK ORTHODOX ARCHDIOCESE OF AUSTRALIA

ST ANDREW’S GREEK ORTHODOX THEOLOGICAL COLLEGE

ENQUIRIES AND APPLICATIONS WELCOME

St Andrew’s was established in 1986 by the Greek OrthodoxArchdiocese of Australia in order to provide tertiary leveleducation and training of Christian Orthodox clergy, theolo-gians, lay teachers and ministers in order to meet the cate-chetical and pastoral needs of the Orthodox Church inAustralia. It is also intended to be a centre of ecumenicalscholarship and learning.

St Andrew’s is fully accredited through the Sydney College ofDivinity, a federation of Christian theological educationproviders. All the awards and degrees of the Sydney Collegeof Divinity are approved by the NSW Department ofEducation and Training.

St Andrew’s offers the following accredited awards:

BACHELOR OF THEOLOGY and HONOURSThe BTh degree is a primary qualification in theology and isthe basis for further study at postgraduate level. It is a com-prehensive three-year course combining both theological andpractical studies.

At present, the BTh serves as the principle means of trainingmen for ordination or active ministry within the Church andas such admission to this program is limited to persons aspir-ing to this end. Such persons are also expected to complete afourth year of study in either the Master of Arts in PastoralMinistry program (see below) or the BTh Honours programas part of their overall education and training.

Discreet units within the BTh may be available to externalnon-award students and auditors upon consultation with theRegistrar.

MASTER OF ARTS IN THEOLOGICAL STUDIESThis is a graduate level program intended for both men andwomen who wish to prepare themselves for church serviceoutside the ordained ministry in such fields as religious edu-cation, or who would benefit professionally from a formalqualification in theological studies. It is also appropriate forthose seeking personal enrichment. Men or women who holda three-year tertiary qualification in a non-theological disci-pline can formally enrol into this program.

The MATS program requires the completion of 12 units.However, students may exit with a Graduate Diploma of Artsin Theological Studies (8 units) or a Graduate Certificate inTheological Studies (4 units).

Units within the MATS are available to external non-awardstudents and auditors. Auditors may receive a CollegeTestamur after satisfactorily participating in four foundation-al units.

Units are offered by one-week intensives during summer andwinter school holidays as well as by regular weekly lecturesduring each semester. The schedule of intensives for 2006 isas follows: Introducing Theology (9-13 January) Introductionto Biblical Hermeneutics (16-20 January) Exploring thePatristic Mind II (3-7 July) History of the Orthodox ChurchesSince 1453 (10-14 July).

MASTER OF ARTS IN PASTORAL MINISTRYThe MAPM is a specialised program of graduate level studyin preparation for ordination or active ministry within theChurch, especially in the area of pastoral care for the aged. Itsprogram of study is broad enough to serve both candidates forthe priesthood as well as men and women seeking a formalqualification in pastoral care, although the sequence of

assigned units will be distinct for each category of student.Applicants who possess a previous three-year degree or itsequivalent are eligible for admission. There are several entryand exit points for students, and each is appropriate to theneeds, interests, prior study and academic abilities of the stu-dent. The program of studies is also open to those who havecompleted an undergraduate degree in theology but with aweak or minimal pastoral component.

BASIC CLINICAL PASTORAL EDUCATION (CPE)IN AGED CAREThis unique 30-week/400-hour course offers male and femaletrainees the opportunity to learn from their own pastoral inter-actions with residents in an aged care setting (St Basil’sHomes, Lakemba NSW), using the action-reflection methodof supervised pastoral training under the guidance andinstruction of CPE accredited mentors. It is offered throughthe Rozelle Centre for Clinical Pastoral Education and com-prises shorter CPE courses situated at Canterbury Hospitaland the Royal Rehabilitation Centre, Ryde.

MASTER OF THEOLOGYThe MTh is a degree by coursework. Eligible students mayundertake this award after the completion of the BTh. At pre-sent, St Andrew’s only offers units within the specialisationarea of Theology.

St Andrew's is located at 242 Cleveland Street, Redfern NSW.Persons interested in obtaining more information about anyof the programs outlined above are invited to contact theRegistrar via email at registrar@sagotc.edu.au or by phoneon (02) 9319 6145 during office hours. The College's websiteis located as www.sagotc.edu.au.

College Library His Eminence delivering a lecture during the summer intensive course, January 2005.

AUGUST 2005The Greek Australian VEMATO BHMA14/32

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Sydney ranked world’s best city

Australia’s biggest city, Sydney, hasagain been named the world’s best cityby readers of the U.S. magazine Traveland Leisure.

It is the eighth time in 10 years that Sydney,known for its iconic Opera House, harborbridge and stunning beaches, has topped thelist.

It was followed by the Thai capital Bangkokin second place, with Italy’s Rome and Flo-rence in third and fourth places respectively.The northern Thai city of Chiang Mai made itsfirst appearance in the top 10, placing fifth.

New York ranked sixth, followed by Istanbulin Turkey, Cape Town in South Africa, Oaxa-ca in Mexico and San Francisco.

Travel and Leisure magazine announced the2005 results in a variety of categories in NewYork recently. The scores are indexed aver-ages of responses by readers to a questionnairethat asks them to rate destinations, propertiesand companies relevant to their recent travel.Bali again won the award for the world’s bestisland, with the Four Seasons Resort Bali atSayan being voted by readers as the world’sbest hotel.

The magazine’s editor-in-chief, NancyNovogrod, said there had been significantchanges in readers’ taste since the survey was

launched 10 years ago.She said smaller, independent hotels now

held more appeal than larger ones, and interestin off-the-beaten-track locations continued togrow. Crystal Cruises was named world’s bestlarge-ship cruise line and Singapore Airlinestook the title of world’s best international air-line. Novogrod said low-cost and regional air-lines had become favorites among U.S.domestic airlines, with Midwest Airlines rank-ing No. 1.

In the top islands ranking, Bali was followedby Santorini, Maui, Kauai, Great Barrier ReefIslands (Australia), Vancouver Island,Cyclades (Greece - Santorini was rated sepa-rately), Sicily, Hawaii, and Mount DesertIsland, Maine.

Among the best hotels, Singita PrivateReserve at Sabi Sand, South Africa rankedsecond, followed by the Oberoi Rajvilas inJaipur, India.

Eight hotels have ranked on the list of top100 hotels worldwide every year since 1996.They are the Four Seasons Resort Bali at Jim-baran Bay; the Oriental, Bangkok; the Haleku-lani, Hawaii; the Peninsula, Hong Kong; FourSeasons Resort Maui at Wailea; Ritz-CarltonCancun; Ritz-Carlton, Chicago; and the Inn atSpanish Bay, Pebble Beach, California.

The Sydney Opera House and Harbor Bridge are two of the city’s best-known landmarks

Peasants declared their farm

Independent State

In world History, we have heard of manyoppressed peasants, who stood up for them-selves asking for the abolition of taxes, moreprivileges or the redistribution of land in orderto live a better life. In Australia however, afamily of farmers went too far.

The protagonists of our story are the Rigolifamily with their farm and the Australian gov-ernment, to which the Rigolis refused to paytaxes.

Father Virgilio Rigoli declared his propertyan independent kingdom, which he evennamed “Principality of Ponderosa” thusdeclaring himself Prince of Ponderosa. The“Prince” supported by his two sons,announced the ATO (Australian Tax Office)

they are not willing to pay any more taxes.In fact, they decided to inform the Australian

tax office they would never pay taxes again,even sending a letter to the competent agency,signed by the younger son “His Royal High-ness, Little Joseph Rigoli.”

“I do not recognise nor will I ever recognisethe government of Australia,” read the letter,which the ATO did not find funny and thusdecided to take the entire royal family to court. During the preliminary hearing, it wasrevealed that the family earned $6.9 millionbetween 1991 and 2000, a fact that justifiestheir decision to come up with this way toavoid paying taxes.

It all started on July 4, 1994, when the Rigo-lis issued their own Declaration of Indepen-dence, which was even posted on the Internet,and then erected high fences around the 24-hectare kingdom.

However, they didn’t stop there, as a self-respecting kingdom should have its owntrench and the princes even run passportchecks to those coming in an out of the Prin-cipality of Ponderosa.

Justifying their stance, the three “princes”told the court Ponderosa was a manifestationof their resentment towards the Department ofAgriculture for bulldozing their fruit crop.

The court is yet to issue a ruling, as the pro-cedure continues, while it yet remainsunknown whether the royal family will be finewith royal penalties.

For the bibliophiles...

Greek gold: Jewellery of the Classical world

By Dyfri Williams and Jack Ogden(Trustees of the British Museum)

A large format, softcover catalogue, fullof colour photos that, in the best tradition ofmuseum catalogues, leave you wishing tohave a closer look a the real objects. Thepublication records and celebrates a 1994exhibition of close to 200 pieces of Greekjewellery of the Classical period, from theGreek mainland and islands, the EastGreek cities, North Pontic cities, the Greekcities of southern Italy and of Sicily, andCyprus, Egypt and the Eastern Mediter-ranean. The jewellery presented is to befound in the collections of The State Her-mitage Museum in St. Petersburg, the Met-ropolitan Museum of Art in New York, andthe British Museum.

Greek traditional jewelryBy Angelos Delivorrias (Benaki Museum,

“Melissa” Publishing House)

Written by the Director of the BenakiMuseum in Athens, this book builds uponearlier studies, including Popi Zora’sEmbroidery and Jewelry in the Greek Cos-tume. The introduction outlines the materi-als and techniques of post-Byzantine Greekjewellery, who would have owned thepieces, how the styles spread throughoutGreece, as well as the characteristic designsof the pieces themselves. The book’s repro-ductions of paintings and photographsshowing women in folk costume are asequally intriguing as the photographs of theindividual jewellery objects (some ofwhich are on display at Sydney’s Power-house Museum until 4 September, and thenMelbourne’s Immigration Museum fromOctober, 2005).

A.C.

AUGUST 2005 The Greek Australian VEMA TO BHMA 15/33

ASTHMAAsthma is primar-

ily an inflammatoryrespiratory condi-tion triggered bydifferent stimuli.Asthma sufferersexperience breath-ing restriction dueto a partial block-age of the airways.

Inflammation of the airways leads to spasmof the bronchi (the airway tubes), swelling ofthe mucous lining of the lungs and excessiveproduction of a thick, viscous mucous (asshown in the diagram below). The blockage ischaracterised by wheezing, coughing andexcessive mucous production.

Asthma occurs at all ages and is the result ofthe interaction of both genetic and environ-mental factors. It has been estimated that asth-ma affects 10-12 % of adults and 14-16 % ofchildren in Australia and is on the increase.Reasons often given to explain the rise in asth-ma include:

r Increased stress on immune system due togreater pollution in the air, water, and foodr Early exposure to air allergens and cigarettesmoker Early weaning and earlier introduction ofsolid foods to infants. Breast - feeding can pro-tect infants against the development of aller-gies, and thus asthma, because the mother’simmune system is at work protecting theinfant while it is being breast fed. There is alsoevidence that receiving food other than breastmilk earlier than 4 - 6 months increases thechance of developing a sensitivity to allergens.r Fewer childhood diseases - probably be-cause the child’s immune system is not oftenchallenged by contact with germs. It has beenproposed that the immune system needs some-thing to ‘keep it busy’ in early childhood andthat increased exposure to elements providesan infant’s immune system with clear signalsfor proper development.r Other lifestyle changes. The insides of hous-es stay warm in cold weather. Before centralheating, bedrooms often were cold in the win-ter. Dust mites and cockroaches could not live

in these cold rooms. Wall-to-wall carpetingstays on the floors all year round. People usedto take their carpets up in the warm monthsand have them cleaned. Vacuuming does notget rid of dust mites or other allergens in car-peting.

Energy-efficient homes, with double-panedwindows and good insulation, mean that thehumidity and temperature go up inside thehouse.

Dust mites thrive in warm, humid places.Mould also grows best in damp conditions.Detergents allow washing in cold or hot water.Cold water washes allow dust mites to survivein our sheets, blankets and small rugs.

These do not survive in hot water washes.People are spending more time indoors andare thus more exposed to dust mites, mould,animal fur and other indoor allergens.

Forests have been cut down and replacedwith crops or open land. Ragweed and grassesgrow in these open spaces and thus more aller-gy-causing pollen is carried by the wind.

r Changes in dietr Food additivesr Genetic manipulation of plants resulting infood components with greater allergenic ten-dencies.

Typical symptoms of an asthma attack arecoughing, wheezing, a feeling of tightness inthe chest, and difficulty in breathing. An attackcan last for a few minutes or several hours.These symptoms may occur for the first timeat any age and may be episodic or persistent.Episodic asthmatics are usually asymptomaticbetween episodes, which occur during viralrespiratory tract infections or after exposure toallergens.

This pattern is common to children or youngadults. In other patients, the clinical pattern isof persistent asthma with chronic wheeze andbreathlessness. This pattern is more commonin older patients.

There are two forms of asthma - allergic andnon-allergic; although the two often can occurtogether. Allergic asthma occurs after inhalingan allergen. The allergen causes antibodies toform in the lungs’ cells in order to “fight” theallergen.

Many cases of allergic asthma are hereditary.Non-allergic, or intrinsic, asthma is triggeredby inhaling irritants such as dust particles,smoke or fumes and can also be triggered bycold damp weather, exercise, laughing, cough-ing or stress.

Common asthma-provoking allergens are:animal hair, chemicals, drugs, dust mites,environmental pollutants and chemicals, pesti-cides, feathers, food additives (such as sul-phites), fumes, mould and tobacco smoke. Butany kind of allergen can precipitate an asthmaattack.

Factors that can trigger non-allergic asthmaattacks include: anxiety, temperature changes,exercise, extremes of dryness or humidity,fear, laughing, low blood sugar, and stress.Respiratory infections such as bronchitis,colds and flu can also provoke an attack.Bowel toxicity/digestive disturbances as wellas stress can also trigger the asthma attacks.Some drugs like antiinflammatories, anal-gesics (e.g. aspirin or related drugs), andantibiotics can induce asthma attacks.

Asthma epidemics related to atmosphericcontamination occurs when situations inwhich dust and chemical particles are abun-dant like enclosed environment.

Occupational exposure to certain substancessuch as urethane and polyurethane used in the

adhesives and plastic industry, rubber resinsfrom paint; textile cleaner’s fumes and drycleaning chemicals may also be a major riskfactor.

Asthma can be difficult to diagnose conclu-sively. Its symptoms may resemble those ofother diseases of respiratory system.To diagnose asthma from other conditions, a

physician may recommend blood tests, chestx-rays, and spirometry (a procedure that mea-sures air breathed into and out of the lungs). Aproper diagnosis and treatment can prevent lotof complications associated with asthma.

Recommendations for easing asthma:

DO NOT STOPYOUR ASTHMAMEDICA-TIONS OR START ANY OTHER TREAT-MENT WITHOUT PROFESSIONALADVICE.

The first step in the natural approach to asth-ma is to reduce the allergic threshold by avoid-ing airborne and food allergens.Sources of airborne allergens have been men-tioned above.

Many asthmatics have food sensitivities toegg, fish, shellfish, nuts, milk, chocolate,wheat, citrus fruit and food colouring.

Measures to control asthma:r Implement appropriate dietary and lifestylerecommendations r Avoid triggers (inhaled allergens, foodpreservatives, flavourings and colourings andchemicals)r Avoid physical and emotional stressr Good wholesome diet to support yourdigestive and immune system.

It is also important to address one of the maincauses, namely gut and liver dysfunction.Detoxification reduces toxin producingmicroorganisms and food allergen sensitivi-ties.

Lifestyle recommendations:r Practice some methods to relieve stress;exercises like swimmingr Avoid furry animalsr Consider removing carpetsr Keep an ongoing list of things that triggeryour asthma and then avoid them as best asyou can. Also try keeping a diary of yoursymptoms, medications and so on. It helps tocreate a proper asthma management program.r Breathing exercises

Dietary advice:r Eliminate all food allergens (like salicylates-present naturally in some fruits, vegies, nutsetc) and additives (monosodium glutamate-MSG - can be present naturally or can beadded in sauces and soups, Asian cooking andsnack foods; amines - found in deli meats suchas salami, bacon, ham and frankfurts, largeamounts in cheese, chocolate, wine, beer andyeast extract) and bananas (in some people itmay aggravate the condition)r Your naturopath can guide you through aproper elimination diet to check the food aller-gens. Some people may need to stay awayfrom dairy and wheat.r Include more fish esp. cold-water fish inyour diet, for example, salmon, mackerel, her-ring and halibut, as they contain omega threeoils which are strong anti-inflammatory.r Drink lots of green tea, which is an antioxi-dant.r Consume foods rich in vitamin C, fla-vonoids, antioxidants, anti-inflammatory - likecherries, berries, grapes, strawberries, prunes,

blackcurrants, fresh vegies like shallots,onions, garlic (you may have to be carefulwith some fruits and vegies if you are sensitiveto salicylates)r Decrease your intake of salt. There is strongevidence that increased salt intake increasesbronchial reactivity.

A long term trial showed that 92% of sub-jects benefited significantly from a vegan diet(a diet that eliminates all animal productsexcept fish which was allowed).

Nutritional supplements useful in asthma:It is important that a broad spectrum of

antioxidant protection is included in the man-agement of asthma as they strongly inhibitinflammatory responses which cause airwayswelling and mucus production. Some exam-ples:r Vitamin A - necessary for the general healthof the lungs.r Vitamin B complex - to avoid deficiencysymptoms of nervousness which might bringon an attackr Vitamin B6 - helps prevent and treat asth-matic symptomsr Vitamin B12 - is good for the treatment ofrespiratory allergies across the boardr Vitamin C - is especially important to thehealth of the lungs as it is the major antioxi-dant. It also prevents the release of excessivehistamine, which commonly occurs in peopleaffected by asthma. Studies show that vitaminC prevents some symptoms of allergic asthma,but is also needed increasingly in times ofstress, exposure to hot or cold weather, ciga-rette smoking and industrial air pollution. r Vitamin E - guards against visible and invis-ible air pollutants. Is also an antioxidantr Magnesium - aids in the relaxation of thebronchial muscler Flavonoids especially quercetin. Quercetincontains anti-oxidants and has been shown toinhibit histamine release which occurs duringan allergic response. r Carotene - a powerful antioxidantr Selenium - is necessary to work in conjunc-tion with the antioxidantsr Essential fatty acids (omega - 3) - studieshave shown that children that eat fish morethan once a week have one third the risk ofgetting asthma as children who do not eat fishregularly. Several clinical studies have shownthat increasing the intake of omega-3 fattyacids offers significant benefits in treatingasthma.

Herbs useful in asthma:Herbs combine to support the immune sys-

tem and regulate the inflammatory response.Some herbs have an anti-inflammatory effect,decreasing the activity of immune cells thatcause airway swelling. Others support theimmune response against infections whilstdecreasing allergies. Some examples are:r Liquorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra)r Grape seed extract (Vitis vinifera)r Camellia sinesis (green tea)r Ginkgo bilobar Aloe verar Tylophora asthmatica

Counselling: It is important for patients whorespond to emotional crisis with asthmaticattacks and children with moderate to severeasthma who may develop behavioural prob-lems.

NOTE: IT IS IMPORTANT TO SEEKPROFESSIONAL ADVICE BEFORETAKING ANY SUPPLEMENTS

CLINICAL INSIGHTS INTO HEALTH AND NATURAL SOLUTIONS

BY CHRISTINA SCALONE*BHSc, Dip. Bot. Med, Dip.Hom, Dip. Nut

Health

AUGUST 2005The Greek Australian VEMATO BHMA16/34

Travel

Landing in Athens is always a thrill. It is really beautiful fly-ing over the islands as the plane makes that big turn tocome in from the south. And everybody will have noticedwhat looks like a volcanic crater filled with the bluest wateryou have ever seen, which comes into view outside the rightwindow about a minute before the wheels touch ground.

It is called Lake Vouliagmeni and it is a mineral spa that isreported to have many healing properties for such ailments aseczema and dermatological diseases, neuralgia, headaches, dis-figuring arthritis, chronic gynaecological diseases, lumbago,sciatica and other problems.

The lake is about 50 centimetres above sea level and so it isconstantly overflowing and being replenished by the hotsprings beneath it. The composition of the lake is brackish and

full of such minerals as potassium, natrium, lithium, ammoni-um, calcium, ferrum, chloride, and iodine and is slightlyradioactive (the good kind, I guess). These minerals are knownfor giving relief to bone and muscle problems as well as thoselisted above.

The lake is recognized as a wonder of nature because of itsunique appearance and the surroundings. Scientific researchand studies have discovered that millions of years ago, wherethe lake is now, there was once a large cafe with a large num-ber of hot springs. Eventually the high temperature and mois-ture of these springs caused the roof to collapse.

Beach chairs and umbrellas surround the lake and there is acafe-bar-restaurant too. The lake is excellent for swimming fortherapy as well as for pleasure and there is equipment for help-

ing those who find it difficult or impossible to get into the wateron their own. During the summer Lake Vouliagmeni offers hotspring baths, hydrotherapy and physiotherapy. English is spo-ken as are a number of other languages. Children are welcome.

The Lake is across the street from the very popular Vouliag-meni beach, one of the best in the vicinity of Athens.

There are many hotels in the area including the very niceArmonia Hotel on the beach. There are also plenty of cafes,bars, taverns and restaurants nearby. From Athens the lake isabout a half hour drive. If you require assistance contact GeorgeKokkotos the famous taxi driver.

There are also several buses that stop at the entrance of thelake. The lake is open year round. In the winter season the hoursare from 8 am to 5 pm. In the summer from 6:30 am to 8 pm.

Vouliagmeni Lake and Health Spa

Syria has opened the Palmyran MummiesHall at the Palmyra National Museum,which contains Palmyran Mummies dat-ing back to the first and second centuryBC.Minister of Culture Mahmoud el-Said tookpart in the opening of the hall, which con-tains audio-visual equipment provided as agift by Japan.The equipment provides for translation invarious languages as well as displays arche-ological materials.El-Said said the Mummies Hall and newequipment would help to attract newtourists to Palmyra.

Loved the ancient ruins, but where's that cashmachine?A survey released by the Culture Ministry ofGreece, found visitors to the country’s mainarchaeological sites and museums are highlysatisfied with the services provided, as well asthe level of maintenance and cleanliness.But the most common complaint amongtourists at the 2,500-year-old Acropolis

Athens was the lack of automatic tellermachines.Insufficient sign-posting around the hill - aprominent symbol on the capital's skyline -came second.The ministry did not provide figures for thecomplaints.

A dramatic renovation and expansion isnearing completion at the University ofAlaska Museum of the North in Fairbanks,home to collections relating to the natural,artistic and cultural heritage of the atate.The expansion has doubled the size of theoriginal museum to 7,525.14 squaremetres, adding the Rose Berry Alaska ArtGallery, a multimedia education centreand an expanded research centre,.Opening in the northern spring of 2006,the Rose Berry Alaska Art Gallery willbring many of the museum's art treasuresout of storage and into public view.

Belgian carrier SN Brussels Airlines andIsraeli flag carrier El Al have signed a code-sharing agreement taking effect from October2.The partnership covers nine weekly flightsoperated by SN Brussels or El Al between TelAviv and Brussels.During October even more flight frequencieswould be jointly offered by the two airlinesdue to holidays, the groups said.

Edinburgh's month-long celebration ofinternational arts and culture has openedwith the start of the Jazz and Blues Festi-val.Thousands of people from across the worldwill gather in the Scottish capital over thecoming weeks for Edinburgh's famous fes-

tival season which runs until a fireworksconcert in Princes Street Gardens on Sun-day September 4.The jazz and blues festival, offering 121events, from a free Mardi Gras street partyto a summer school, begins with gigs acrossthe city tonight.Latere, the Edinburgh Military Tattoobegan its 24-night run on the CastleEsplanade.The book festival will begin on SaturdayAugust 13, a day before the opening of theoriginal Edinburgh International Festival.The world's longest continually runningfilm festival will open in the city onWednesday the 17th, while the 11th Edin-burgh Mela, a two day inter-cultural festi-val, takes place on the weekend of Septem-ber 3 and 4.

Six weeks after opening, the highly toutedKing Tut comeback exhibit has drawn mas-sive crowds and more than a few complaints.At least 200,000 visitors have viewed theancient Egyptian treasures displayed in"Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of thePharaohs" since it opened on June 16 at theLos Angeles County Museum of Art.The sequel to the hugely successful King Tuttour in the 1970s features more than twice asmany gold and jewel-encrusted artifacts fromthe world's most celebrated archaeologicaldiscovery.The show has received rave reviews frommany visitors. But others have panned itsovercrowding and the absence of mummiesand the sacred mask of King Tut. The maskwas a highlight of the show nearly 30 yearsago.Museum spokeswoman Felicia Wesson saidthe mummy and mask of King Tut were not

on display because Egyptian authorities nowconsider them too fragile to leave the country.

More than a third of British holidaymak-ers overspend while abroad because theystruggle with currency calculations,according to new researchy.A study found that 40 per cent of UKtourists spent more because of poor mathsskills - with a fifth finding conversions fromforeign currency into sterling confusing.One in three of those questioned said theydid not draw up a budget before goingaway and 45 per cent spent more thanexpected during their trip.The study, launched to coincide with aGovernment campaign to improve adults'maths skills, also revealed 29 per cent ofwomen had trouble with currency conver-sions compared with 12 per cent of men.

The top North American B&Bs, from aBedandBreakfast.com survey:1. Woolverton Inn, Stockton, New Jersey.2. Eastman Inn, North Conway, New Hamp-shire.3. Jackson House, Railroad, Pennsylvania.4. Twin Gables Inn, Saugatuck, Michigan.5. Garth Woodside Mansion, Hannibal, Mis-soiuri.6. Graystone B&B Main Floor Suites, Nia-gara-on-the-Lake, Ontario.7. Notchland Inn, Harts Location, NewHampshire.8. High Pointe Inn, West Barnstable, Massa-chusetts.9. Steel Magnolia House, Natchitoches,Louisiana.10. Empress of Little Rock, Little Rock,Arkansas.

AAP

Overseas travel news in brief

Vouliagmeni Lake with Health Spa and Healing spa

What’s in the bottle?Knowing your wines

AUGUST 2005 The Greek Australian VEMA TO BHMA 17/35

Food & Wine

By Imogen Coward

If there’s one thing humans spend a greatdeal of time doing, it’s categorising thingsaround themselves. It’s not sufficient for usto put like with like, though. We also have acertain fondness for creating tailor-madevocabulary to describe these objects. Inshort, whether we’re talking about theworld of computers (CRT v. TFT LCD*) orsomething as simple as food and drink, welove to use jargon. The world of wine is noexception.

It is hardly surprising that wine, that mostcomplex of drinks with a history reachingback to ancient times, has a vast and rich arrayof words and expressions. For those ‘in theknow’ wine-speak offers a gloriously detailedexpression of the nature of a wine. For theuninitiated however, it might look a little likegibberish. For example, you may find a winedescribed as having ‘a good nose, floral bou-quet and long legs.’ In such cases one may beforgiven for thinking it was the description ofa person, not fermented fruit juice! The unini-tiated are not helped either by the fact thatwine-speak has a marked tendency to supple-ment its ample English vocabulary with a gen-erous dose of foreign words. So what do allthose weird and wonderful terms on the labels(front and back) of your average, humble bot-tle of wine really mean? Can they really offera clue as to the character of the genie withinthe bottle?

In short the answer is ‘yes’. By looking fora few basic pointers you can have a prettygood stab at guessing what a wine will tastelike without even opening the bottle. Of courseit’s no replacement for actually tasting thewine, and every so often you will get one that,when tasted, turns out to be surprisingly dif-ferent to what you expected. Nevertheless,especially when buying wine it is good toknow just what all that guff on the label mightactually be indicating.

This month I’ll only be considering tablewines. Usually containing around 12-14%alc/vol (low alcohol wines are usually around5% alc/vol) they need to be drunk within 3-5days of the bottle being opened, as they start toturn into vinegar through the process of aceti-fication. (Essentially, on exposure to the air,acetobacter start to convert the alcohol in thewine into acetic acid which in turn results inthe wine developing a familiar vinegary tasteand eventually becoming unpalatable.). Basi-cally, these wines are usually designed to bedrunk with a meal and are produced in a num-ber of styles each with its own unique charac-teristics.

The first clue as to how a wine will taste isthe style. Table wines are generally quite dry(i.e. they have little residual sugar), unless theyare listed as dessert wines, late harvest (indi-cating that the grapes have been left to matureon the vine increasing their sugar content) orbotrytized. A typical example of the characterof late harvest wines is Brown Brother’sSpätlese Lexia. ‘Botrytized’ on the other handindicates that in addition to extra ripening, thegrapes have been affected by botrytis, a mar-vellous mould that causes the grapes to shriv-el, the sugar content to go sky high as well asimparting its own unique botrytis flavour to

the resulting wine. Botrytized wines are oftenthe sweetest of table wines, a famous examplebeing De Bortoli’s Noble One, Botrytis Ries-ling.

Following style perhaps the next best indica-tion of the character of a wine is the grape vari-ety/ies used and whether the wine has beenmatured in oak barrels/barriques which imparta distinctive nutty-toasty sometimes charredflavour. Particular grapes have certain charac-teristics associated with them. Since there arefar too many varieties and varietal blends toexplore comprehensively I can only offer ataste of what you can expect from some of themore common varieties used in Australia.

In white wines Chardonnay (pron. Shar-don-ay) is noted for having melon and butter likeflavours and quite a rich taste, with good acid-ity and a reasonably high alcohol content.Semillon (pron. in Australia either as it is speltor in the French manner Sem-ee-yon), on theother hand, is lower in acidity, often morealcoholic and when young often tastes citrus-ywith hints of fresh white figs. Yet with bottleage (often around 10yrs+), one can find broadflavours of toasted almonds and a certainwaxy buttery-ness. Hunter Valley Semillon(e.g. Mount Pleasant ‘Elizabeth’) is particular-ly noted for this changing character. It is oftenblended with the more aromatic SauvignonBlanc which helps sharpen its taste. Semillonalso has a natural affinity for botrytis, produc-ing a rich, satisfying sweet wine. Riesling isagain an entirely different kettle of fish. Withoften abundant aromas of limes, orange blos-soms and a vibrant refreshing taste with asteely like, once smelt and tasted, the characterof a young Australian Riesling (pron. Reez-ling), especially those from the Margaret River(e.g. Leeuwin Estate Art Series), is easilyrecognisable, even when blended with otherwhites. Riesling too however also makesexcellent late harvest and botrityzed wineswhich, as a rule, have more vitality and kickthan their Semillon counterparts.

The king of red wine grapes in Australia isundoubtedly Shiraz. Generally it is noted forits rich cherry chocolate like flavours andabundant spice (reminiscent of black pepper,cloves, cinnamon and so on). Capable of pro-ducing wonderfully rich wine, Shiraz (espe-cially those from South Australia or the HunterValley) can be a very alcoholic, powerful drinkwith plenty of mouth puckering tannin, and isoften designed to be cellared for many yearsallowing the flavours to become more inte-grated and balanced (though now there are anumber of Shiraz on the market that aredesigned to be drunk young). Cabernet Sauvi-gnon (pron. Cab-er-nay Sew-vin-yon) on theother hand generally has sharp dominatingflavours of mint, mulberries and cocoa with ahefty dose of sharp acidity and tannin. Formany, it is an acquired taste, though some,such as Leasingham Estate’s Bastion (see thismonth’s wine review), are quite balanced andintegrated with many fascinating nuances.Merlot (pron. Mer-low), in turn, may belikened to Cabernet Sauvignon but without theharsh tannins and with less sharp, berry likeflavours. More velvety than other red varieties,Merlot is very easy to drink and makes a goodintroduction to red wine for those who preferwhite wine.

After looking at the grape variety, to get to

know the nuances of a wine one really mustconsider where the wine was produced. Forexample, the Hunter Valley is particularlynoted for producing long lasting, fabulouslyrich Semillon and Shiraz. South Australia pro-duces distinctive, spicy, minty Shiraz and live-ly Chardonnays. Margaret River (WA) pro-duces (I think) some of the best Chardonnayand Riesling while Victoria produces winesthat are often very lean and, especially inwhites such as Sauvignon Blanc, a bit miner-ally or steely. At best, though, these are onlygeneralisations. Really, to get to know thecharacter of wines from a particular area, thebest thing is to taste a number of wines (of thesame variety and of various varieties) until youstart to recognise recurring nuances associatedwith particular regions.

Then, there is the winemaker him/herself.Some winemakers leave a distinctive signa-ture on their wines. Similarly, certain winerieshave particular stylistic trends. For example,Brown Brothers wines are always very drink-able, not overpowering and have some inter-esting nuances (though they’re not usually themost exotic). Rosemount is known for pro-ducing consistent wines - a Riesling from theyear X is rarely much different from the yearY. Although consistency is seen by some mar-keters as encouraging for consumers onemight equally suggest that such a policy leadsto wines that are consistently boring year inyear out. After all, isn’t part of the fun beingable to discover that each year the wines pro-duced from the grapes of the same vines can

be entirely different?Also, it is worth considering the soil, weath-

er in the growing season and such environ-mental factors (often known as terroir) thatimpact upon a wine. With Australian wines itis particularly worthwhile checking out if therewere bush-fires in a vineyard’s area during thegrowing/harvest season, since this can affectthe flavour of the wine. Most grapes/winesthat have been severely affected by smokefrom bush-fires are rejected and never make itto consumer market. As a result, there is oftenless wine produced in bush-fire years andoccasionally some of those wines that do makeit to the consumer are not always of the samequality or character as in other years.

If you really want to immerse yourself andbecome familiar with wine-speak and with thecharacter of various wines why not check outJancis Robinson’s Wine Tasting Workbook(London, Conran Octopus, 2000) which retailsfor around $50. It offers lots of information,not only on individual varieties, wines andwine regions but also on the process of wine-tasting, with the aim of having you tasting (andspitting... urgh!) like a pro by the time you’vefinished the book.

* Cathode Ray Tube versus Thin Film Trans-mition Liquid Crystal Display (or to put it inplain English: Old style, TV-like enormous,heavy, glass and plastic computer monitorversus one of those new lovely bright thinones!)

Seppelt GR27 Vintage Fortified, 1997

This is a most unusual fortified. Cherry red incolour, it is produced from a blend of Shiraz,Tinta and Molle. Distinctive Shiraz notes arejoined with a sweet raisin flavours and a hintof honey dew. Breathtakingly strong at timesbut not overly sweet, it is best decanted, or atleast left in the glass for ½ hour before drink-ing. It will make an interesting accompani-ment to a cheese platter.

Cost: under $25 (for 375ml)

Leasingham BastionCabernet Sauvignon, 2002

Produced in the Clare Valley, this is a surpris-ing red wine. Deep red in colour, it has a com-plex and intriguing nose of dark chocolateand licorice with floral, rose like notes. Withreasonably prominent tannins and a dry fin-ish, the character of the wine is dominated byflavours of cocoa, mulberries and sour cher-ries with a touch of spice. Good value formoney. It is suitable to drink now or cellar foranother 2 or so years.

Cost: under $15

Wine RReviewBy Imogen Coward

AUGUST 2005The Greek Australian VEMATO BHMA18/36

ON SALE NOW

Australia’s acclaimed Byzantine choir performs

at the Powerhouse Museum

Australia’s acclaimed Byzantine Choir per-formed at the Powerhouse Museum on Sun-day, 31 July in a rare and one-off concert toco-incide with the popular exhibition Greektreasures: from the Benaki Museum in Athenscurrently showing at the Museum.

The concert was very successful and waswatched by hundreds of people. Byzantine musicdates back to the first centuries of Christianityand has evolved over hundreds of years as a highlevel of artistic expression that is recognisedtoday as the religious music of Greece and theGreek Orthodox Church.

Byzantine music is typically vocal music madeup of beautiful and rich melodies, admired for itscomplex music notation and high level ofrefinement.

Established in Sydney in 1998, the AustralianByzantine Choir is made of 22 young Greek-Australians who are devoted students and musi-cians to this very old and traditional Greek music.The Australian Byzantine Choir has a prestigiousreputation for performances at major festivalsand commemorative events including theSydney Festival, Australia Day celebrations, at StMary’s and St Andrew’s cathedrals and for regu-lar events with the Greek Orthodox Church inSydney.

Australian Byzantine Choir Director and Choir-master George Combis said:“It couldn’t be more fitting for the choir to hold

a concert at the Powerhouse to co-incide with theexhibition of amazing Greek treasures that rarelyleave Greece. This was a unique and wonderfulopportunity for Sydneysiders to hear and see twohighly classical forms of Greek history and cul-ture under the one roof at the Powerhouse Muse-um.”

The Greek treasures exhibition at the Power-house showcases one of the world’s most famouscollections from the Benaki Museum in Athens.The exhibition features over 160 treasures thatspan an incredible eight thousand years - from6,000 BC to the early 19th century Greek War ofIndependence.

The collection illustrates the vibrancy of Greekdomestic, political and artistic life and the richcreativity of this early culture. From figurines,ceramics, embroidered textiles, gold jewelleryand Coptic-period toys, to Byzantine paintedicons and metal ware, architectural fragments,ornate weapons, watercolours and oil paintings,the objects are truly diverse and exquisite.

The concert by the Australian Byzantine Choirwas held in the Coles Theatre of the PowerhouseMuseum from 2pm to 3.15pm on Sunday, 31July. Entry to the concert was free after museumadmission.

Contracts for four considerable project studies signed in Patra

Contracts on the preparation of studies for four considerableprojects to be carried out in the framework of the institutiontitled “Patra Cultural Capital of Europe 2006” were signed inPatra, western Greece, late last month in the presence of DeputyCulture Minister Petros Tatoulis.

The studies concern the consruction of an open theatre in the regionof Riganocampos and the restoration of the former storehouses of

ASO, the camping site at Agia and the old municipal hospital wherecultural activities and events will be housed.

The projects will cost 28.3 million euros, while Tatoulis announcedthat procedures are under way for the construction of the indoor the-atre at the former “Ladopoulos” paper factory due to cost 33 millioneuros. The deputy minister also revealed that a total of 15 millioneuros will be provided for urban improvements in the city of Patra.

AUGUST 2005 The Greek Australian VEMA TO BHMA 19/37

Athens' public bus company has launchedits first ever sightseeing bus tour, offeringtourists a chance to see sights ranging fromthe 2,500-year-old Acropolis to the local fleamarket.

The "Sights of Athens" bus stops at 20 cul-tural landmarks and shopping areas.

As well as tourists, Transport MinisterMichalis Liapis said he hopes locals will alsouse the buses.

"The aim is for Athenians and foreign visi-tors alike to learn about the city - the monu-ments and the museums," he said.

"Athens has nothing to be jealous of fromother big cities of Europe."

Mr Liapis inaugurated the service outside theNational Archaeological Museum, itself oneof the stops.

The service - run on regular Athens bluebuses - is operated by the Athens Urban Trans-port Organization, or OASA, which said itmay purchase a batch of open-top double-decker buses in October to use for the tour.

For now, the service is on a two-month trialto test out public interest.Only a handful of people were aboard for themaiden service.

"We are thankful to see the city like thisbecause we're only here for one day," said Car-men Pohle from Mexico City.

Her German husband, Klaus, had a single

complaint, albeit a minor one."We didn't know you had to push a button to

signal you wanted to get off," he said. "Wemissed our stop and had to walk back to wherewe wanted to go."

Stops are marked by 2m-tall blue signs, andare close to the actual attractions, which rangefrom archaeological sites and museums to thecity's Omonia Square.

Each stop is pre-announced by a recordedmessage in Greek and English, followed by abrief description in English.The buses will also have a guide on board to

answer visitors' questions.Tourists on opening day said the recorded

information was helpful, but too brief.

"I thought there would be more informationthan the two sentences they say," commentedEleonora Saccone, a visitor from Italy. "And itwould be good to have headphones, so youcan hear it better."

Travellers can hop on and off the air-condi-tioned buses which run every 30 minutes from7.30am to 9pm.A nonstop trip - subject to Athens' notorious-

ly bad traffic - lasts from 80 to 90 minutes,OASA said.

Tickets must be purchased from the driverand cost five euro ($A8); they are valid forother forms of public transport, except forjourneys to and from Athens International Air-port.

Athens launches first sightseeing bus for tourists

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Archeologists uncover

ancient coins in Athens Scores of silver coins dating back well overtwo millennia have been unearthed in theheart of Athens, officials announced earlierthis month.

More than five kg of silver pieces dating pri-marily from the 4th century BC were discov-ered in an excavation project of the AmericanSchool of Archaeology, a statement from theministry of culture said.

Some 45 of the silver pieces are believed todate back to the 5th century BC.

The discovery at the Athens Agora - the chiefmarketplace and ancient centre of the city’s

civic life - is of “considerable importance”because it represents one of the most sizablefinds of its kind, the statement said.

The new discovery will be “an important anduseful source of information about the moneyof antiquity and the economic life of thetimes,” the text said.

The total number of coins uncovered has yetto be specified.The Agora, situated at the foot of the Acrop-

olis, is one of the most important excavationsites in the Greek capital.

AFP

Scientists use plastic to make steelAustralian scientists have developed a tech-nique to use waste plastic in steel making, aprocess that could have implications forrecycling scrap metal that accounts for 40percent of steel production.

Professor Veena Sahajwalla of the Universi-ty of New South Wales has won a prestigiousAustralian science award for what she calls"the hottest research in town", which shehopes will turn an environmental headacheinto a valuable resource.Under the process, waste plastics are fed into

electric steel-making furnaces as an alternativesource of carbon and heated to super-hot tem-peratures of 1,600 degrees Celsius (2,912Fahrenheit).

Sahajwalla said many waste plastics, fromshopping bags to dishwashing liquid contain-ers and drink bottles, contain high enough lev-

els of carbon to be useful in steelmaking.Carbon is used to add strength to steel. The

higher the carbon content, the stronger but lessductile it is.

"What happens in a steelmaking furnace isthat we are melting scrap steel, you can imag-ine if you've got your old cars and washingmachines and so on," Sahajwalla told Reuters.

"The carbon component that's present insideplastic is what we're after and, at those hightemperatures, we're able to react it in a waythat we're able to use that carbon that's lockedin the plastics. Typically you would add coaland coke," she said. Clyde Henderson, of coalindustry newsletter Energy Economics, saidsimilar technology using pellets of recycledplastic had been used in firing power stationsin Japan.

Reuters

Comeback for crime The dwindling number of officerspatrolling the streets of Athens has led tocrime shooting up by a fifth in the city,just a year on from the heightened securi-ty of the Olympic Games, police sourcestold Kathimerini.

Figures made public by the police yester-day showed that robberies, thefts and break-ins in July skyrocketed by more than 20 per-cent, while car theft increased by 7 percentcompared to statistics for the same month in2004. Central Athens was particularly hit bythe rise, with the Acropolis and Omoniapolice stations among the busiest.

Security at the same point last year was astight as it has ever been in the capital, due tothe hosting of the Olympics. Greece spentover 1 billion euros on security, including astate-of-the-art surveillance system. Police-men from all over Greece were drafted in tohelp patrol the capital and all leave was can-celed.However, police sources said that the spike

in crime cannot only be attributed to the factthat security levels in Athens have inevitablybeen reduced since last year. They point tothe fact that crime actually fell during thefirst four months of this year - robberies, forexample, were down by more than 20 per-cent and car crime by some 12 percent.

Sources blame the rise on a lack of visiblepolicing on the city streets, which hasallowed petty crime to thrive. This has beenbrought on by a change in the setup of theforce, which has seen more personneldeployed to police stations in a bid toimprove the rate with which crimes aresolved. But, sources said, taking officers offthe streets has damaged crime prevention.The lack of both foot and car patrols has left

neighborhood stores such as mini-markets,bakeries, betting shops and petrol stationsparticularly susceptible to opportunistthieves.

Kathimerini

Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia

[translation from the Greek]

To all Greek Orthodox Day Schools

of our Archdiocese throughout Australia

Dearly beloved,

Following the great tragedy that affected all of us when the aircraft of the private Cypriotcompany ‘Helios’crashed only minutes before landing in Athens on August 14, 2005, the eveof the Dormition of the Theotokos, I wish to immediately express to staff and students of ourSchools my deepest fatherly sympathy and prayers for the victims of the accident and theirfamilies. I do so in the knowledge that a large number of students in our Colleges are of Cypri-ot heritage, as are many administrative personnel and teachers.

I pray that the Lord may give repose to all victims, and consolation to their loved ones.

In addition, I pray that God protects each of you from every form of danger, through the inter-cessions of His most holy Mother, whose Dormition we have just celebrated.

In Sydney, August 16, 2005

With heartfelt condolences

Archbishop S T Y L I A N O SPrimate of the Greek Orthodox Church in Australia

AUGUST 2005The Greek Australian VEMATO BHMA20/38

Feature

AFTER 101 YEARS, MARIANTHY SCOUTAS

REMAINS FOCUSED ON CHRIST!The hall at Brisbane’s south-side

Greek Orthodox Parish and Communityof Mt Gravatt was recently decoratedwith much love by her family for her cen-tenary birthday celebration and muchresearch had been finalized by her grand-children through National and Statearchives to produce a magnificent audio-visual presentation for the day, retracingher arrival and settlement in Australiaalmost six decades ago.

Born more than 100 years ago toGeorgios and Zacharoula Statoulas, in thegraphic town of Apolakkia on the beautifulGreek island of Rhodes on June 21st, 1904,Marianthy’s life can be characterized as oneof courage, stoicism and faith. Her recordsindicate that she was baptized on July 18th ofthe same year at the village church of ‘StMarina’which was to play a major role in herspiritual development.

She was orphaned very early in lifebut her devotion to the Church would armher with strength of character and humility.Her mother died when she was just fortydays old. Her father died when she was justsix years of age. However, in an era when thewhole village rallied to offer unconditionalsupport for children in such situations, thefamily of her cousin, TheodorosTheodorides, took her under their wings andraised her with love and protection.

On October 18th, 1925, she mar-ried a handsome, hard-working young manwith the most stunning voice, StylianosScoutas, from the same village. Six monthsafter the birth of their first child, Savvas, herhusband migrated to Australia in search ofbetter circumstances for his family.

As occurred frequently in that diffi-cult period of immigrant history, the couplewould be re-united a whole 20 years later inrural Mt Morgan, central Queensland, whereStylianos by now owned the Popular Caféand also operated the Refreshment Rooms atthe Mt Morgan railway station.

Marianthy had set out for Australiaby boat together with her 20 year-old son,only to be separated at Port Said in Egypt.The British ship ‘Astoria’ refused to takewomen at the time because it was transport-ing Australian soldiers back home from thetheatres of war in Europe. Savvas wasaccepted on board and arrived in Australia inJanuary 1947. His mother eventually arrivedin April on the Egyptian ship ‘Misr’ in Aprilof the same year.

At last, the family was re-united.Rural Australia was vastly different fromrural Greece and demanded quick adaptationto a new language and culture. However,soon after, the couple’s second child, Maria,was born in 1948 and life took on a fresh per-spective.

The family would make severalmoves in the ensuing years and worked hardin towns familiar to many Greek immigrants– Rockhampton, Biloela, Yeppoon andGympie – before purchasing the ‘ShelleyInn’ café at Brisbane’s sea-side Shorncliffewhere they settled down permanently.

With ‘St George’ Greek OrthodoxChurch in Brisbane only an hour’s trip awayby bus, firstly at Charlotte Street in the cityand later at South Brisbane, Marianthy found

great comfort in attending Services withoutfail.

The years flowed, the decadespassed, her husband Stylianos departed thislife in 1985, and Marianthy’s 100th birthdayeventually arrived by the grace of God. Thefamily, long dispersed between Brisbane andSydney, designated the Queen’s Birthdayholiday just recently to honour this remark-able mother, grandmother and great-grand-mother. Marianthy was fully aware that hercentenary reception was being organizedwith much love by her family and was notabout to ‘spoil the party’ for those who hadgone to so much effort to honour her mile-stone in life.

However, for this truly faithful ser-vant of God, receiving the Sacrament ofHoly Communion, the Body and Blood of

Christ, was her priority for the day. Having lost her eyesight several

years ago, and unable to walk unassisted anylonger, she was wheeled into the neighbour-ing Church of the ‘Dormition of theTheotokos’ by her son Savvas Scoutas andher daughter Maria Savvakis.

Spontaneously, she made the signof the Cross and transfixed her ‘gaze’ uponthe icon of the Resurrection above the HolyAltar as if the eyes of her soul could see whatwas physically impossible. As she receivedHoly Communion she repeatedly pro-nounced “Glory be to God, Glory be toGod”.

Through this simple act of faith,she was demonstrating to her loved ones thetrue essentials of life – the abiding love ofGod and the reality of eternal life in the

Kingdom of Heaven. This was her way ofgiving thanks to God for the privilege ofsharing her life with four generations of herfamily.

That experience in the Church willremain a legacy for her family who mar-velled with gratitude that, after 101 years oflife, this virtuous lady still maintained Christas her focus and priority.

Yes, she received letters of congrat-ulations from Her Majesty, Queen ElizabethII, from the Governor General of Australia,His Excellency Major General MichaelJeffery, from the Prime Minister of Australia,the Honourable John Howard, and from thePremier of Queensland, the HonourablePeter Beattie. And, whilst the family isdeeply grateful to these respectful dignitariesfor their kind wishes and congratulations thatwill be treasured for generations to come,Marianthy is more concerned with what Godwill have to say about her in the next dimen-sion of life.

His Eminence ArchbishopStylianos stressed the spiritual significanceof the day with a deeply moving fatherly let-ter to the family which was read at her cente-nary celebration attended by the GreekOrthodox clergy of Brisbane and by some200 relatives and friends.

Marianthy Scoutas was honouredappropriately by her children Savvas andMaria Scoutas and Maria and Con Savvakis,by her grandchildren Father Steven andPresvitera Patricia Scoutas, Debra and PhilipPassaris, Maryanne and Michael Hiratos,Samantha and Peter Arvoll and by her greatgrandchildren Belinda and Savva Scoutas,Marie and Stavros Cross, Christopher, Dean,Sophia and Georjia Passaris, Kristina andCostas Hiratos. Marianthy Scoutas what aremarkable Christian woman!

Marianthi Scoutas with her two children,Savvas and Maria

Marianthi with her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren

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