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THE GREEK AUSTRALIAN

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TRAVEL

The beautyof Skopelos

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bridge

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In this issue...

Premier Carr urgesAustralians to support

the Athens Games

Commencing its inspirational journey around the world, the first destination of the ‘Athens 2004’ Olympic Torch Relay out-side Greece was Sydney, the host city of the previous Olympic Games in 2000. (Photo above from the celebrations at Sydney’sOpera House) FULL REPORT ON PAGE 20/38

Our Primate’s View

THE SALVIFIC AND BINDING CHARACTER OF ORTHODOX WORSHIP

PAGE 5/23

THE OLYMPIC FLAMEIGNITES AUSTRALIA

with unforgettable Torch Relay

Is GreeceOlympicwinner?

PAGE 11/29

Broad participation by Church with its Millennium Choirs

and Greek Orthodox Colleges

JUNE 2004The Greek Australian VEMATO BHMA2/20

CSS ALABAMA SUNK OFF FRANCEJune 19, 1864

Off the coast of Cherbourg, France, the Confederate raider CSS Alabama loses a ship-to-ship duel with the USS Kearsarge and sinks

to the floor of the Atlantic, ending an illustri-ous career that saw some 68 Union merchant vessels destroyed or captured.

LOUIS BECOMES CHAMPJune 22, 1937

In Chicago's Comiskey Park, Joe Louis winsthe world heavyweight boxing title when hedefeats American Jim Braddock in an eighth-round knockout. Louis was the first Afri-can American heavyweight champ since Jack Johnson, who lost the title in 1915. During his subsequent reign, the longest in the history of the heavyweight division, Louis successfully defended his title 25 times, scor-ing 21 knockouts.

SPANISH RETREAT FROM AZTEC CAPITAL

June 30, 1520

Faced with an Aztec revolt against their rule,forces under the Spanish conquistador HernýnCortýs fight their way out of Tenochtitlýn atheavy cost. Known to the Spanish as La NocheTriste, or "the Night of Sadness," many sol-diers drowned in Lake Texcoco when the ves-sel carrying them and Aztec treasures hoardedby Cortýs sank. Montezuma II, the Aztecemperor who had become merely a subject of

Cortýs in the previous year, was also killed during the struggle;

U.S. DECLARES INDEPENDENCE

July 4, 1776In Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, theContinental Congress adopts theDeclaration of Independence, whichproclaims the independence of theUnited States of America from GreatBritain and its king. The declarationcame 442 days after the first volleys ofthe American Revolution were fired atLexington and Concord in Massa-chusetts and marked an ideologicalexpansion of the conflict that wouldeventually encourage France's inter-vention on behalf of the Patriots.

St John’s Greek Orthodox College celebrates arrival of the Olympic Flame to Melbourne

Events commenced on Friday, 4th June2004, the day before the Olympic Flamearrived in Melbourne, as students from StJohn's College Junior School attended a livebroadcast by Radio 3XY from VictoriaMarket. Dressed in traditional Greek cos-tumes they performed dances from variousparts of Greece. To the students' credit, some as young as 8,and to their teachers, even after their presen-tation had ended, they continued dancing tothe Radio 3XY music, getting into the moodof the Olympic spirit.On Saturday 5th June Melbourne launched

the official celebrations of the OlympicTorch Relay as the Flame was carried byTorchbearers around the city. St John's College participated in theLonsdale Street community celebration, inthe heart of the Greek Precinct, famous forits confectionary shops and bookstoreswhere endless discussions over coffee aboutall manner of subject take place - from con-spiracy theories regarding the construction

of the Olympic Stadiums, to how each per-son would have created a better movie of"Troy" if they were the director.

The celebrations began at 9.00 am withlarge crowds gathering and filling the streets.The Junior School students were also inattendance with their traditional costumescheering the flame as it made its way downthe street.

Various dignitaries paid tribute to theOlympic Spirit and to Greek Culture fromthe stage then students from the SeniorSchool dressed in traditional Greek cos-tumes performed dances, much to thecrowd's delight.

Following this, a tribute to the flame-light-ing ceremony was led by music teacher, MrStelios Tsiolas, with various dancers dressedin Grecian costumes.

Dancing teacher, Mr Chris Konstan-dinides, paid tribute to the famous scene in'Zorba the Greek', with a clever segment on'teaching the newly-arrived young man howto dance'. St John's College was proud to

have been associated with the events hon-ouring the 'Athens 2004' Torch Relay.

TOP: Boys and Girls from the Junior School dance at VictoriaMarket. BELOW: The music teacher, Stelios Tsiolas, with

his ceremony to the Flame

Girls from the Senior School dressed in ancient dresses

The Olympic Flame lit from the originalflame in Olympia, Greece

JUNE 2004 The Greek Australian VEMA TO BHMA 3/21

When you’re at, say, an airport, haveyou ever stopped to wonder who designedthe symbols on the signs? Some interna-tional symbols we now take for grantedwere the brainchild of a man called MrBliss, who came to live in Australia fol-lowing the Second World War.

I only became aware of Mr Bliss afterviewing a short documentary film on hislife and work. Later I had the privilege ofvisiting him in his house in Sydney’sEastern Suburbs. A very kind, energeticand enthusiastic man, it was hard to imag-ine when in his presence, that his life’swork had grown out of an idea that tookform in his mind while imprisoned,because he was Jewish, in a concentrationcamp during the war.

Mr Bliss believed that language was thekey to civilised behaviour. If everyonecould speak the same tongue, he rea-soned, they would never think to treat afellow human as anything less than that.So, once settled in a peaceful land farremoved from the European battlefields,he set about developing a language ofsymbols, called Bliss Symbols.

Years passed and his attempts at pro-moting the Bliss Symbols met with onlyslight success. That is, until a person

stumbled across his visual language,while searching for a means to give chil-dren who could not speak (for whateverreason) a means of communicating.Without contacting Mr Bliss, he set aboutcreating boards containing a number ofsymbols (these were pre-personal com-puter days).

The children, some with their hands,some with pointers attached to theirheads, learnt to converse and expressthemselves by pointing to a series of thesymbols. The behaviour of some of thechildren, before and after being given avoice, was documented on film, and madefor very emotional viewing.

Mr Bliss was taken across the sea, to theAmericas, to meet the children and to seehow his symbolic language had changed,not only the children’s lives, but also theirfamilies’. Was he satisfied? To a certainextent. But he still dreamed of more.

Is there any evidence to suggest that ashared language might lead to greaterempathy and compassion amongst peopleof the world? Enthusiasts subscribed tohis course on Bliss Symbols and boughthis books, but his visual language hasnever become a main stream option,although some symbols have been liftedand used in public shopping malls, air-ports and so on.

What drives a man, who has suffered atthe hands of others in wartime, to devotehis entire life to creating a system where-by he hopes peace will become a reality?The answer must lie in his ability to neverlose sight of each person’s humanity.Especially of those who were his captorsand tormentors. Even though they hadthemselves.

Talking Point

by Ann Coward

EditorialMARK DRAGOUMIS

Excited about the Olympics? I thought not.However, here is a piece of good news thathas gone under-reported. It has to do with thevolunteers.

When the scheme was first disclosed yearsago, the Athenian chattering classes went intooverdrive. "Greeks do not volunteer," theyopined. "They work for money or not at all.The whole scheme will flop." There followedthe usual refrain: "You can't get anythingdone in this country. All the best projectswobble, stumble and crumble." Well, this onedidn't. An impressive total of over 160,000people - of which close to 10 percent aremainly young diaspora Greeks - did apply,while for the Sydney Games the applicationswere only 75,665. Out of this large pool, theAthens 2004 organisers - who were aiming at130,000-150,000 applications - will be able topick out the 60,000 they need to make theOlympics a success.

There is more wealth in these numbers thanmeets the eye. Once the Games are over,Greece will have access to tens of thousandsof CVs of high-calibre youngsters, potential-ly interested in working in Greece. These arevaluable for a country with negligible naturalresources and considerable, if dormant,human resources abroad. It is encouraging tosee that the Greek ministry of defence knowsthat young Greeks should not be barred forlong from their country and has recentlytaken steps to allow draft-dodgers to come toGreece for the Olympics. This is fine but itdoes not go far enough. Greeks who have

acquired a foreign nationality should beexempt from military service.

This columnist knows the case of Nicos P,born in Leonidion in Arcadia in 1963, whobecame an Australian and would now like toreturn to his hometown and start a businessthere. This he can't do because the Greek statewants this man of over 40 to serve his stint inthe armed forces. There is worse. Greeks bornabroad and therefore nationals of foreigncountries can only stay in Greece for sixmonths in a calendar year. If they prolongtheir stay they will have to be drafted to servefor six months (either consecutively or fortwo months a year for three years, or threemonths a year for two years). One really won-ders what contribution these foreign-born,half-trained soldiers could make to a sophisti-cated 'knowledge-based' modern army. Isn'ttime for the minister of defence to relievethem of this burden, at virtually no cost toGreece's fighting capability, and allow themto pay their way out of this conundrum? Thiswould make it easy for Greeks born in foreignlands to come to Greece, if they so choose,and stay as long as they want, rediscover theirroots, work, invest, perchance marry and usetheir skills to the best of their ability and to thebenefit of their country.

The truth is Greece has a lot of catching upto do in order to become competitive at a time

when other countries are on the move. TakeIndia, for instance. How on earth did thiscountry manage from being a synonym formassive poverty to become a fast developingbrainy country? When the American colum-nist Thomas L Friedman visited Global Edge- a software design firm in Bangalore - themarketing manager Rajesh Rao told him thathe had just made a cold call to the vice-presi-dent of an engineering US company trying todrum up business. No sooner had Rao intro-duced himself as calling from an Indian soft-ware firm, than the US executive said to him"Namaste", a common Hindi greeting. Theword sounds exactly like "here we are" in col-loquial Greek. The secret of India's success,Friedman says, is to take the best global inno-vations, styles and practices and weld themwith the country's own culture. He calls theprocess 'glocalisation'. So, "Namaste" inGreece, ready for glocalisation or not quiteyet?

The exciting thing is that Greece can glo-calise without a deep, wide and thoroughoverhaul of all its institutions in order toshake off her laggard status in the ambitiousLisbon Programme of the 2000 summit (this,if you remember, was the one that pledged toturn the EU into the world's most dynamicand competitive economy by 2010). As hap-pened in India, there is no need for the inter-

national accountancy standards to becomefully operational at a glance or for the bank-ing system to be modernised overnight, thereis no need for the archaic Greek educationalsystem to be changed at short notice so as tostart producing immediately the right gradu-ates for the country to take off. A study of 203small and medium-sized firms in Thessalyconducted by Spyros Vliamos, professor ofeconomics at the University of Thessaly, thatwas made public on March 13 this year,revealed that of those who started a businessin Thessaly only 25.7 percent were universitygraduates. The good professor promised thatthe University of Thessaly would soon intro-duce business courses for students. Fine. Inthe meantime, what Greece must do is toattract her already trained, educated, multi-skilled and multilingual sons and daughtersfrom all over the world and allow them tovolunteer not just for one summer, not just forthe Games but for good.

Instead of protecting artificially obsoletejobs to match existing skills (especially inagriculture), Greece should import new skillsto create new jobs and thus fight unemploy-ment through the market rather than throughgovernment fiat.

Budding entrepreneurs and talented execu-tives all over the world send Greece theirmessage in Greek: "Namaste." Will Greecewelcome them with open arms like a motherher long lost children or will she direct themto a sullen recruiting officer standing behindher? They would like to know before theybook their tickets...

ATHENS NEWS , 21/05/2004

Communicating: not How? but What?

Thomas Hotels is the majorsponsor of the Hellenic

Australian Tennis Championships

Why let one of Greece's important resources go to waste? What Greece must do is to attract her already trained,

educated, multi-skilled and multilingual sons and daughters from allover the world and allow them to volunteer not just for one summer,

not just for the Games but for good

Sydney’s Hellenic community celebrated thetorch relay last Friday, 4th June 2004 by attend-ing the Celebration Lunch at the Novotel Hotelin Brighton to raise funds for the AustralianOlympic Team Athens Appeal.

The luncheon was a tremendous success andwas attended by dignitaries and members of theHellenic community. In attendance were HisExcellency Fotios-Jean Xydas the Ambassadorfor Greece, Mr Ioannis Raptakis the Consul

General for Greece in Sydney, Father StevenScoutas representing His Eminence Archbi-shop Stylianos, and many prominent membersof the Hellenic business community.

The auctioning of the Special Edition Athens2004 vehicle number plates designed by theRTA proved to be very popular.

The first number plate was keenly contestedand George Thomas from Thomas Hotels wasthe lucky recipient bidding $55,000.

Mr George Thomas from Thomas Hotels and Mr John Giavis, President of the Hellenic TennisAssociation

JUNE 2004The Greek Australian VEMATO BHMA4/22

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Dr Diona Damian’s skin cancer research

attracts international attentionDr Diona Damian is an outstanding medical

scientist, dermatologist and member of theGreek community.

She is renowned for her groundbreakingresearch work which is giving many newinsights into the effectiveness of sunscreens inthe prevention of skin cancer.

Her work has attracted considerable interna-tional attention and she has been asked tospeak on her research at no less than fifteenskin cancer conferences both here and over-seas.

Australia has the world’s highest incidenceof skin cancer.

More than 50% of all Australians will devel-op some form of skin cancer during their life-time, and this figure is projected to rise evenfurther as ozone levels fall and the intensity ofour sunlight increases.

Australia also has the highest incidence ofmelanoma, with the lifetime risk of melanomaestimated to be one in 30 in New South Wales,and as high as one in 16 in north Queensland.

The skin’s immune system is an importantdefence against skin cancers, but exposure toeven low-dose ultraviolet radiation suppressesskin immunity.

Studying the effect of UV radiation on theskin, Dr Damian has developed methodologyfor measuring sunscreen immune protectionfactors in human subjects.

Using this technique, sunscreens were foundto provide only half as much protection againstimmunosuppression as they did against sun-burn.

Dr Damian is a medical graduate of SydneyUniversity. After three years of general med-ical residency at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital,she undertook her doctorate at Sydney Univer-sity’s Department of Dermatology, where sheinvestigated the effects of sunlight and sun-screens on the skin’s immune responses.

Dr Damian then completed specialist derma-tology training and returned to Sydney Univer-sity in 2002 as Senior Lecturer in Dermatol-ogy, combining clinical work with teaching

and research. Her continuing research aims to determine

the effects of different ultraviolet wavelengthson the skin’s immune system, so that we canbetter understand how skin cancers develop,how we can better protect ourselves from thesun and how to facilitate development of sun-screens offering better protection againstimmunosuppression and skin cancer.

Funding from Cure Cancer Australia Foun-dation in 2003 enabled Dr Damian to start thisfour-year project, which has now receivedfunding from the National Health and MedicalResearch Council for the next three years.

Next time you go to the beach, your sun-screen may well not give you the best protec-tion from skin cancer, so take Dr Damian’sadvice: “avoiding the sun and wearing theappropriate clothing are the best means of pro-tection, although sunscreens do have an impor-tant role to play particularly for areas wherecovering up is not practical”.

Dr Diona Damian

On Saturday, 22nd May 2004, the faithful ofPerth witnessed the Ordination of DeaconEmmanuel Stamatiou to the Priesthood at theChurch of the Annunciation of Our Lady'Evangelismos' in West Perth.

The Ordination was conducted by His GraceBishop Ezekiel of Dervis who expressed greatjoy at being able to officiate at the Servicesince he recalled Deacon Emmanuel's callingto the Church from the time when he was botha priest then Bishop in Perth between 1975and 1979.

In his Episcopal address Bishop Ezekielwarm-heartedly recalled his involvement inthe spiritual development of FatherEmmanuel.

The newly-ordained Father Emmanuel,through His Grace, thanked His EminenceArchbishop Stylianos for his love, patienceand kindness in allowing him to continue as aDeacon whilst remaining in full time employ-ment. He also acknowledged with gratitudethe disappointment expressed by His Emi-nence at not being able to attend his Ordina-tion personally due to ill health.During his address Father Emmanuel paid

special tribute to his spiritual father, Father

Theoklitos Tsahuridis, who supported andprepared him for the Priesthood leading to hisOrdination as a Deacon on 25th May 1996.

As a deacon Father Emmanuel assisted theChurch in catechizing young people andadults into the faith and officiated in the ser-vices of the Church initially at the Church ofthe Annunciation and later at Saints Constan-tine and Helena in Northbridge, Perth.

Under the direction of Father Theoklitos,Father Emmanuel has become involved inguiding young people towards God. He hasconducted weekly Bible instruction to youngpeople and is actively involved in the Arch-diocesan 'Central Youth Committee', 'TheForty Holy Martyrs', in Western Australia

As Priest, he brings significant life skills andexperience, especially in the fields of coun-selling and drug and alcohol rehabilitation. In2000 Father Emmanuel took leave from theHealth Department of W.A, to lead and devel-op the Archdiocesan strategic plan for alcoholand drug services in the Church's ProviCareFoundation.

As a family man himself he paid special trib-ute to the support and sacrifice of his wife(diakonissa) and family to his new ministry

without whose help his calling may have notbeen realized at this time.

The service of Ordination was unique in thatfor the first time an Australian-born Greekwas ordained in Western Australia. FatherEmmanuel's family has been involved in thebuilding of the church where he was ordained.There were some 800 faithful present to wit-ness his Ordination and it was uplifting to hearall the voices in unison shout 'Axios' (Wor-thy)!

Following the service Father Emmanuel'sfamily presented refreshments for the people

as well as a small memento of this importantday in his life.

The new Priest has the support of the Greekcommunity which acknowledges his devotionto his calling by giving up a senior position ofemployment with the West Australian publicservice to assume the responsibilities of thepriesthood.

He is much appreciated by the youth, theelderly and those seeking comfort, and is awelcome addition to the clergy of the Arch-diocese in Western Australia. May he alwaysbe worthy!

Ordination of Fr Emmmaannuueell SSttaammaattiioouu

JUNE 2004 The Greek Australian VEMA TO BHMA 5/23

Our Primate’s ViewIn our previous article we

analysed the dual function which theDoctrines and the Canons of theChurch have for the entire People ofGod since they both oblige and guidetowards Faith and Action. We had alsostressed that sacred Worship, as a thirdprotective factor, summarizes and ener-gizes the Doctrines and Canons, sancti-fying them through prayer and the HolySacraments.

As a result, the ‘offering’ ofdivine Worship ‘for all things and in allthings’, precisely because of this gener-ality and catholicity, becomes the mostactive, the direct and continuously expe-rienced unassailable ‘protection’ of thefaithful.

Consequently, as heretical andforbidden as it would be for one to‘improvise’ in the sphere of the Doc-trines and the Holy Canons, in absentiaof the formal opinion of the Church, it isequally heretical and indeed sacrile-gious to experiment without theologi-cal soundness and reverence in the areaof sacred Worship. This, after all, is thereason why the main body of the DivineLiturgy and the Services of the HolySacraments was constituted very early.Furthermore, the ‘format’, the Schema,of public prayer in the Church was con-solidated with regard not only to thelanguage and the texts, but also to themelody as well as the Order of Ser-vices and the mode of movements andgestures (typikon), into sacerdotalforms enriched by antiquity.

Here we should recall of coursethat all these external and ‘material’ ele-ments of Worship, though visible – yettransmitting to us invisible grace – arenot, however, ‘magical’ means directingus to some idolatrous ceremonialism.Despite this, the very manner in whichthey have been structured so ‘prudent-ly and orderly’, that they might expressin a God-pleasing way the genuinephronema of the prayerful ‘EucharisticCommunity’, does not allow for anychange or addition that might do aninjustice to the spirit and the sacrednessof Worship.

The fact that for many centuriesthe whole body of the Church through-out the universe unceasingly wor-shipped ‘the God of our Fathers’through the same ‘forms’ with homolo-gous and identical phrasal means, wasnot simply a matter of external disci-pline or of superficially mimical unifor-mity. It was and remains primarily anissue of the deepest conviction and fun-damental faithfulness to the uniquenessof the Church. And this uniqueness isunderstood as ‘unison’ and ‘consensus’,not only amongst its earthly members

(horizontally) but also amongst those ‘inheaven’ (descendingly).

Only in this context can theunity of the Church be viewed as beingbeyond time and beyond the world,whilst lived as an unfading continuity.And it is well known that even theProtestants in the World Council ofChurches, strongly influenced by theexpositions of authentic Orthodox the-ologians with whom they have collabo-rated for whole decades, have been con-vinced to speak about the unity of theChurch as ‘catholicity in space’ and‘catholicity in time’.

Following the above, it isincomprehensible how the Church ofGreece, especially in recent years, hasrisked blatant and most impious innova-tions in the sphere of Worship which arein stark contradiction to the meaning ofunity and continuity of the Orthodox

through the ages.By this of course we do not

refer merely to the vestments and theopulence of the Clergy in general, espe-cially that of the Hierarchs, during theDivine Liturgy! More specifically werefer to the tasteless and altogetherneedless addition of supposed ‘Cere-monies’ and ‘Services’ which in no wayexpress but rather radically offend theholiness and sanctifying power ofOrthodox Worship.

A very recent and most charac-teristic example is the ‘ceremony’ per-formed on the hill next to the HolyMonastery of Penteli in Athens and wit-nessed by Greeks everywhere on televi-sion.

Three large Crosses, with threelarge Crucified Bodies. And the Prelateof the Church of Greece surrounded byother Clergy, ‘taking down’ the Cruci-fied Christ – as if in Worship – and incontinuation literally ‘parading’ Himwith western ‘brass bands’ playingmournful worldly marches and ‘fan-fare’, as if conducting the funeral of amere mortal!

And of course we cannot ruleout that these theologically-deficientClergymen participating in such a ‘the-atrical’ undertaking are under the naïvemisapprehension that in this way theyare rendering the Holy Passion of Christ‘more alive’! It also cannot be ruled out

that this mistaken impression is support-ed by the fact that they see the unin-formed crowds following them ‘mes-merized’ and ‘weeping’. And one asks:Do not the thronging multitudes react inexactly the same manner, ‘as sheepwithout a Shepherd’, when viewingmovies or theatrical performances thathave been chanced from time to time,especially in the West, out of clearlyprofiteering motives by the show busi-ness merchants of everything sacred andholy?

Let us recall the recent film‘The Passion of Christ’ by the Australianproducer Mel Gibson which of coursedid not provoke only the Jewish people.Even more so, for different reasons, itraised the objections of many piousChristians.

For the Orthodox especially, the‘Engomia’ hymns chanted each year by

the prayerful congregations of the faith-ful during the ‘Burial Lamentations’are absolutely didactic within the purelyecclesiastical climate and programme ofdivine Worship.

In other words, it is not just thetheological ‘singularity’ of the Sacrificeon the Cross which prohibits whatsoev-er ‘re-enactment’ or ‘imitation’. Equal-ly it is prohibited by the express ‘aston-ishment’, even of the angels, as to how‘the Life was laid in the tomb’.

Of course these worshipful andhymnological ‘coordinates’ of theChurch express the characteristicallyOrthodox faith and teaching that the all-holy Body of the God-Man Christ didnot experience ‘corruption’ during Hisexperience of death.

In closing with much anguishthe above dutiful denouncements –whose deeper injurious effect on the laymasses should not have preoccupiedonly the courageously theologizing Pro-fessor Christos Yiannaras, although notpart of a Theological Faculty (!), - wecall upon the Theological Schools ofGreece, at least, to assume their respon-sibilities at last with relevant ‘resolu-tions’ pertaining to the above. By God’sgrace we are not lacking in distinguishedscholars of Liturgics, not the least ofwhom is the prominent, recently retiredand internationally recognized Mr Ioan-nis Fountoulis.

By ArchbishopStylianos

of Australia

THE SALVIFIC AND BINDING CHARACTER OF ORTHODOX WORSHIP

JUNE 2004The Greek Australian VEMATO BHMA6/24DID YOU KNOW? In 1955 the richest woman in the world wasMrs Hetty Green Wilks, who left an estate of$95 million in a will that was found in a tinbox with four pieces of soap.

HHAACCCCIIBusiness Bulletin

Getting of Wisdom Con Saris is the Managing Director of BlackSwan/Poseidon Dips

What I know about:

DipsThat they are the best option for entertaining espe-cially when served with a good glass of wine. If theytaste great, use only fresh ingredients without preser-vatives. They too have a chance at market leadership. Good FoodFrom my weight you can tell I’m an expert! Price isnot always indicative of quality and we need not lookfurther than Melbourne for excellent dining choices.Peoples TasteThe trend is smaller servings, better quality and fewercalories. Tell that to my mum please.TV CommercialsIf you haven’t got a big budget and want to benoticed, then humour and a little controversy is thekey. However. be prepared for ‘Black Thong’ typecomments wherever you go.ChildrenThey are the best thing that has happened to me butplease don’t ask for additional details as I’m havingan argument with both of them today.SoccerIt is the most entertaining sport in the world with thehighest number of supporters. It is very professional-ly run worldwide with the exception of Soccer Aus-tralia and some Greek operated clubs.Greek communityHardworking, generous and compassionate. Howev-er many of us are stuck in the 1960’s and it’s up to theyouth to bring us into the present.

Six Keys to Building Winning Teams1. Strong Leadership

One of the important goals of strong leadership is to maximisethe “discretionary effort” that team members provide to meetteam or company goals. This is the extra effort people can pro-vide, if they want to. We often see employees and team mem-bers who will do just what they have to in order to get by. Onthe other hand we have all seen (or been) those team memberswho will go to extraordinary ends to get the job done.

In his best selling business book, Good to Great, author JimCollins identified that top performing organisations have com-mon leadership elements that allow them to tap into this wealthof discretionary effort.

The first, and perhaps most important, is that the organisationsall benefited from what Jim calls “Level 5 leadership”. Whilethese leaders have the ability to engage and motivate theirteams to pursue a clear and compelling vision and generatehigher performance, they also demonstrate a unique blend ofpersonal humility and professional will. While Level 5 leadershave significant ambition, their ambition is first and foremostfor their teams and organisation rather than for their own per-sonal goals.

These top leaders also utilised “the window and the mirror”concept to both protect and energise their teams. When thingswere going well, the Level 5 leader would look out the “win-dow” and credit their team for the success, while when thingswere going poorly they would look in the “mirror” and take theresponsibility for poor performance.

2. Common Goal Teams need to understand what their common goal is and it

needs to supersede all individual goals. Sports teams often pro-vide an excellent example of this concept. If the team under-stands that their common goal is to win a championship, then itwill be easier for all team members to focus and concentrate onthe team goal. If one or more team members are focused onindividual goals, such as winning the scoring title, the perfor-mance of the entire team can be affected.

Business is similar in this respect. If the salesperson is justfocused on bringing in orders, regardless of the cost to produceand ship that order, because that is what drives their commis-sion, the common goal of maximising profit will be at risk.

As people do what they are recognised and rewarded for, it iscritical that the recognition and reward structure for teams areconsistent with the common goal they are working towards. 3. Rules of the Game

Teams also need to understand the rules that govern the wayyou conduct business. This would include defining companyculture and values as well as ensuring that individual roles andresponsibilities are defined. At Action we have 14 Points ofCulture that define our rules of the game, and when a newcoach joins the organisation they can get up to speed veryquickly in terms of how they need to interact and conduct them-selves, both externally with clients and internally with fellowcoaches and management.

It is important to ensure not only that you have the right peo-ple on the team, but that you also have them in the right roles.As Jim Collins observed in his book “Good to Great” the rightpeople will be more self-motivated by their inner drive to pro-duce the best results and to be part of creating something great.

4. Action PlanAnother key element for a winning team is a strong Actionplan. While the common goal identifies what they want to do,the Action plan identifies how they will do it. A good Actionplan will assign ownership of tasks, identify what resources arerequired, when tasks should be completed and detail the currentstatus of the task. 5. Support Risk TakingBusiness is all about risk and reward. In order to grow as a teamand therefore grow as a business, a leader must be willing tosupport prudent risk taking by the team. The team’s responsi-bility is to analyse and clearly identify the risk/reward relation-ship, along with a plan to mitigate the risk wherever possible.If the risk/reward relationship is viable, the leader’s role is toensure the team’s analysis and assumptions are valid, and dowhatever possible to make sure they have the time andresources to succeed.

6. 100% Involvement & Inclusion Most likely we have all participated on either work or sportsteams where the whole team was not involved or included. Itmay have been that certain members gave less than a 100%effort or the talents of all team members were not utilisedappropriately. This handicaps a team’s performance and makesit difficult, if not impossible to truly create a winning team.

A winning team is dependent upon all members understand-ing their goal, their role and performing it to the best of theirability within the rules of the game. It is also dependent uponthe leader’s ability to tap into the wealth of discretionary effortthat is available as well as providing the support and theresources the team needs to succeed.

Nick Ikonomou CPABusiness CoachAction Internationalnickikonomou@action-international.com

1. They are willing to learn. The greatestlearners become the best teachers. Neverending improvement, as the Kaizen prin-ciple insists, should be an individual’s pri-mary goal in life. The only failure in life isthe failure to participate. There are noright or wrong ways of doing things, eachproviding a result that can be assessed andworked on from the learning that the out-come provides. This perfectly fits in withthe following success factor.2. They take action. I have never seenanyone being successful by doing noth-ing. By default, doing something has to bea move forward. Doing a lot means thatthe law of averages will ensure that suc-cess falls your way. 95% of the population“can’t be bothered”. To jump into the 5%of the population who are successful isn’thard. It’s just a genuine decision to dosomething and persevere. Successful peo-ple work on improving their time man-agement by learning how time works andwhat it means to you.3. They mix with the right people. Youcan mix with the right people and you canmix with wrong people. The choice isyours. You either fall into those groups oryou seek them. Because successful peopledon’t gloat because of the Australian tall

poppy syndrome, you need to do yourhomework and ask people about their suc-cess. They are more than willing to tellyou because if they initiated the conversa-tion, that might have been construed asgloating. Look for a business coach and/ora mentor.4. They are great networkers. Success-ful people go out of their way and meet asmany people as they can because theyknow that the more people they know, themore opportunities come their way. Stay-ing in your business or at home most ofthe time produces little results.5. They have a dream. These people arethe greatest dreamers. They have strongbeliefs that one day they will achieve whatseems impossible to most. The law ofattraction means that you shall receivewhat you crave for if the craving feedsitself with all the other attributes of suc-cess.6. They don’t allow dream takers inter-fere with their dreams. The most dan-gerous people in your life can also be thepeople you hold most dear to yourself.These can be some family members,friends, neighbours and business col-leagues. Respect the opinions of thosewho are successful in their own right.Otherwise, you will receive pretty muchthe same as what those dream takers areexperiencing. Most of all, respect yourown intuition. Most of the time it’s theright decision for you anyway. Remem-

ber, why engage in other people’s situa-tions when yours is different. You havedifferent expectations, experiences, finan-cial and personal needs. Why live itthrough other people’s lives?7. They follow their dream. It’s onething to have a dream, but to stick to it isthe most important part of achieving thedream. It is said that the journey is farmore exciting than the final achievement,so, choose to have an exciting life.8. They are great communicators. Thebest tool to master is to have great com-munication skills. Honest, straight for-ward communication totally outweighsfancy use of the language which also canhave another name for it. Study personal-ity profiles and the way people processinformation and the results of improvedcommunication will reap you manyrewards over and over with a win/win out-come in most cases.9. They are willing to share theirknowledge. The best way to rememberthe best parts of your success are to ver-balise them or write them down. Share itwith those who ask.10. They have a balanced life. Workingtoo hard in any one area creates imbal-ance. Work out what you like the mostand bring them into your life as you go.There are many tools available to assessthe “perfect you”.

Comment by Sam Saltis vema@hacci.com.au

Standing in the crowd on Saturday, watch-ing the flame being carried around the streetsof Melbourne was a moving experience. It’samazing how I find myself being carried awayby the significance of the flame and theOlympic games. As the days to the Olympicsdraw closer, there is considerable media inter-est in Athens, the games, the readiness of the

organisers and above all else the securityaspects. One can only imagine how the organ-ising committee is dealing with the scale andcomplexity of hosting the Olympics and thepressure to ensure the 17 days in August are asuccess.

As business owners we deal with similarpressures obviously not to the scale as theOlympic committee does in our everydaybusiness. This month I have asked NickIkonomou, a business coach with ActionInternational to give us some insights into

aspects of successful business people andsuccessful teams. Reading through histhoughts, they may seem obvious but howmany of us actually follow these simpleideas?

Finally we ask Con Saris to provide someinsight from the eyes of the Managing Direc-tor of a leading Food manufacturing compa-ny.

Remember to give us your feedback atwww.hacci.com.au

10 Reasons Why People in Business are Successful

JUNE 2004 The Greek Australian VEMA TO BHMA 7/25

Facts & StatsDID YOU KNOW? During a total solar eclipse the tem-perature can drop by 6 degrees Cel-sius (about 20 degrees Fahrenheit).

Consumer expectations of inflation in thecoming year eased in May after a surpris-ingly large rise in April, a new survey hasshown.

However high oil and other commodityprices and the eventual unwinding of theeffects of the Australian dollar’s rapid appreci-ation last year posed a risk to inflation beyondthe short term, the Melbourne Institute said.

Its latest survey found consumer inflation-ary expectations fell slightly to 4.4 per cent inMay, following a sharp increase to 4.6 per centin April.

“The easing in inflationary expectations inMay follows a surprisingly large increase inApril, and in this sense is not unexpected,” theMelbourne Institute said.

“Despite the higher than expected March

quarter CPI outcome, the annual inflation ratehas been falling in recent quarters.”

Australia’s consumer price index (CPI) rose0.9 per cent in the March quarter, the Aus-tralian Bureau of Statistics said.

A separate Westpac-Melbourne Institute report released recently also showed con-sumers were this month at their most opti-mistic in 15 years about employmentprospects.

Unemployment expectations fell by 7.4 percent in May following a 0.6 per cent drop inApril, the most optimistic report since Decem-ber 1999.

“The index is 18.3 per cent below its levelof a year ago and is consistent with the solidimprovement we have seen in full-timeemployment,” Westpac senior economist

Justin Smirk said.“The May result is consistent with the slight-

ly higher consumer sentiment result and robustconsumer demand.”

Consumer sentiment rose by a modest 0.3per cent this month.

Meanwhile, the inflationary expectations survey showed the proportion of respondentswho believed prices would actually fall or staythe same fell this month and was lower than atany time in the past year.

It also found 26 per cent of respondentsexpected annual inflation to fall within theReserve Bank of Australia’s (RBA) targetband of two to three per cent, more than twopercentage points higher than the average ofthe previous six months.

“Evidence of a slowing in credit growth and

in the housing market, as well as the ongoingeffects of the sharp rise in the value of the Aus-tralian dollar in 2003, are presently alleviatingpressure for a further tightening in monetarypolicy,” the Melbourne Institute said.

“However, risks to inflation beyond the short term remain, notably from high oil andother commodity prices and the eventualunwinding of the effects of currency apprecia-tion; the fall in the value of the Australian dol-lar since its mid-February peak highlightsthis.”

The survey found the mean expected annu-al hourly wage change for all occupations fellby a significant 1.0 percentage point to 3.0 percent in May, following a rise of the same mag-nitude in April.

AAP

Aust consumer expectations of inflation ease in May

AEU calls for $1.15bln educationfunding injection

The Australian Education Union (AEU)urged state and federal governments toinject more than $1.15 billion into publicschools.

The AEU also wants university students tobe offered incentives to lure them into teachingcourses, class sizes to be cut to 20 students,homework centres set up and more TAFEplaces.

The calls came as the AEU launched itsCharter for Public Education to mark PublicEducation Day.

The charter sets out a blueprint the AEUsays will reverse old policies which have cre-ated a two-tiered, user-pays education system.AEU president Pat Byrne said $430 millionwas needed to provide universal access topreschools, $222 million for an extra 4,500teachers to reduce class sizes and $400 millionfor TAFE.

Another $50 million was needed for disci-pline and student well-being programs and$50 million to educate teachers about indige-nous cultural issues.

“Clearly this relates directly to the fact thatthe federal government ... only directs onethird of its Budget towards public schools,”Ms Byrne told reporters.

“We think that it’s quite clear that the currentfederal government doesn’t value publicschools in the way that I think the majority ofthe electorate thinks it should.

“We are saying partly as a result of this lackof funding we are in a situation where there aresome areas within the public system that needsignificant amounts of funds injected to ...make sure we get some parts of our populationnot in fact falling behind.”

To address teacher shortages the charter sug-gests university students be offered incentives,such as having their HECS fees paid in secondand third year, to entice them into teachingcourses.

According to government statistics, Austra-lia will face a shortage of up to 30,000 teach-ers by 2010.

The charter also calls for an extra 40,000places for preschools so all young childrenhave access to a minimum of 10 hours a weekthere and $1.2 billion for TAFE over threeyears to cater for the growing demand forcourses.

Ms Byrne said the AEU would be cam-paigning strongly on public education fundingahead of the federal election.

AAP

Australian average wage rises 5.3 per cent in year to February

The average annual wage has risen 5.3 percent in the past year to top $49,000, new fig-ures show. The Australian Bureau of Statis-tics said average weekly earnings, excludingovertime and bonuses, rose 1.2 per cent to$949 in the three months to February, $49more than the same time last year.

This translates to annual earnings of$49,348, from $46,815 last year. Full-timetotal earnings, including overtime andbonuses, rose 5.7 per cent over the year to$996.20 a week, or $51,800 a year. Theincreases take total earnings to just $200below the cut-off point for the second high-est tax rate, which jumps from 30 cents inthe dollar to 42 cents at $52,001.

The changes announced in the last Budgetwill lift the threshold to $58,000 next finan-cial year, in line with the government’s aimof keeping 80 per cent of workers in the 30cent tax bracket.

After tax, a worker on average wages takes

home $37,423 a year, or $720 a week.The figures also show wages are easily

outpacing inflation, with prices of consumergoods rising just two per cent over the sameperiod. And they confirm the salary gapbetween male and female workers. Full-timefemale workers earned $152 less than theirmale colleagues, at $850 a week comparedto $1,002.

In the past year, earnings for employees infinance and insurance increased by 9.1 percent while cultural and recreational servicesfell 0.1 per cent. Private sector workers over-took their public sector colleagues in termsof wage rises, with ordinary time earningsrising 1.3 per cent in the quarter and 5.4 percent over the year. The earnings of publicservants rose 0.8 per cent in the quarter and4.8 per cent over the year. But the averagepublic sector wage of $1,037 a week wasstill higher than the private sector equivalentof $923.70. AAP

Consumers still happily buying new cars: economists

Australian consumers were still happy to be spending money on new cars, economistssaid last month, despite a fall off in sales inApril.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics report-ed new motor vehicle sales fell 1.9 per cent,seasonally adjusted, to 77,699 units in April,from an downwardly revised 79,213 units inMarch.

However, over the year to March a recordnumber of cars have been sold, CommSecchief equities economist Craig James said.

JP Morgan Australia economist StephenWalters said consumers had been very happyto buy new cars, despite the fall in April,thanks to low interest rates, very strong jobsgrowth, and tax cuts.

He said consumers were still spendingmoney on cars, and while they fell last month,it had been a very big run up prior to that.

“There has been a lot of discounting going

on, it has just been a very strong sector,” MrWalters said.

“Consumers are still confident... consumerconfidence numbers are still pretty close to 10-year highs.

“I think households have never really had itso good, with house prices up, job marketstrong, and interest rates low.”

Mr Walters said despite the fall in April, thevehicle sales figures met expectations andwere still very strong.

“Vehicle sales have had a very good run over the previous six months,” he said.

“It is pretty clear it has been a fairly strongsector of the economy (and) today’s fall does-n’t really change that.”

Mr Walters said the only negative impactlikely to affect consumer spending going for-ward was rising oil prices and the depreciationof the Australian dollar.

AAP

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JUNE 2004The Greek Australian VEMATO BHMA8/26

Windows to OrthodoxyTHE HUMAN PERSON - CROWN OF GOD’S CREATION

The Christian tradition claims that the human person is thecrown of all creation, created “in the image and according tothe likeness of God” (Gen 1:26)1 to be God’s special creature.The human person is more than simply flesh and blood; morethan a compound of complex substances and more than a com-plex system of obsessions; rather the human person is a specialcreature whom God knows more intimately than human beingsknow themselves (cf Jer 1:5), “created in the image and like-ness of God”. Every human person is an icon or epiphany ofGod. As images of God, human persons are called in their ownunique way, to become, by God’s grace, power, will, energiesand love everything that He is by nature. Created in the imageand according to the likeness of God means that human naturereflects in a created manner the divine attributes or qualities ofGod and as such expresses them in a creaturely way. The deep-est element of what it means to be a human person is God Him-self.2 Therefore the human person has been endowed withcapabilities, such as a mind, will, freedom, and even a body tolive, imitate, resemble, within the conditions of creaturely exis-tence, a divine life.

To image God implies to become by God’s grace, everythingthat God is by nature. And since God is all-wise, compassion-ate, affirming, slow to anger, abounding in steadfast mercy andlove, kind, desiring union with all creatures, then it follows thatthe human person is also called to share and live out these qual-ities of God in a creaturely way. In fact the human person iscalled even to share in those qualities of God which includeincorruptibility and life eternal. It must be said that the wayGod lives out these qualities cannot be known because God’sessence is beyond comprehension. Yet when God manifestsHimself to us through His activities as they are revealed by HisSon and Holy Spirit we know that He is good, loving etc andtherefore human persons, created in His image must reflectthese qualities as well. Whether human persons know it or not,or even accept it, they are all created in God’s image andaccording to His likeness. Therefore the Christian Orthodoxtradition would claim that the ineffable essence of God is madeaccessible to human persons by the uncreated energies whichflow from the three persons of the Holy Trinity by the very factthat as relational or personal beings, human persons can relateto God on a personal level. It follows therefore that there canbe no definition of who a person is apart from divine being, forthe divine is the determining factor in a human person’s life.

Human Beings – in the image of ChristThe Scriptures unveil that the image of God after which all

human persons are created is Jesus Christ. Since God is holyand therefore completely different from anything in creation, itis only in the light of Jesus Christ, who is the perfect and uncre-ated image of God that one can learn what it means to be cre-ated in the image and likeness of God. According to Christiantheology Jesus Christ is the uncreated perfect image of God andtherefore bearing the image of God, means that the human per-son is to become Christ-like.3 Therefore to image God simplymeans to be like Christ or to imitate4 Christ. This is made clearin St Paul’s letter to the Colossians:

“He [Christ] is the image of the invisibleGod, the firstborn of all creation; for in himall things in heaven and on earth were cre-ated, things visible and invisible, whetherthrones or dominions or rulers or powers –all things have been created through himand for him. He himself is before all things,and in him all things hold together. He is thehead of the body, the church; he is thebeginning, the firstborn from the dead, sothat he might come to have first place ineverything. For in him all the fullness ofGod was pleased to dwell” (Cor 1:15-19)

This passage shows the significance of Christ for an under-standing of the human person. That is to say, in order to under-stand what it means to be human one must attain “the measureof the full stature of Christ” (Eph 4:13). If Christ is in theimage of God and human persons are in the image of Christthen it can be said that humanity is in the image of the Image.For this reason some fathers carried this Pauline line of thoughtfurther in stating that Christ is the direct image of God but thathuman beings are in the image.5 Clearly the human person ischristological in structure. Therefore united to Christ, the essen-tial gulf between humanity and divinity is bridged and it is inChrist that persons find their true fulfilment and destiny. Unit-ed to Christ human persons become capable of being raised up

into an image of God. The teaching would be that the eternalwill of God was that the human race be united to Him and it isfor this reason that the incarnation was necessary with or with-out the fall. Even without the fall, human persons, which Scrip-ture calls ‘the body of Christ’ lacked a ‘head’ who is Christsince Christ is the head of the body. Therefore in Christ all ofhumankind is completed.

The Meaning of the ImageSince the teaching is that the human person is created in the

image of Christ and Christ is inexhaustible since He is the Sonof God with the exactly same supraessential divinity as HisFather, then it follows that the image of Christ in human beingsis also incomprehensible.6 A question which justifiably arises iswhat part of the human person is in God’s image. What is actu-ally signified by the image of God?7 There are at least threefacets of the human person which relate directly to God’simage and it is to these that we now turn.

Relational BeingsTo be created in the image of God implies, first and foremost

that human persons are relational beings. If God is a relation-al being then the human person is likewise relational. Humanbeings can only exist to the extent that they relate with othersin a loving way. The ‘other’ in this case without whom humanpersons cannot find their true self is primarily God but it alsoincludes other human beings. Therefore we would say that thisrelational dimension of being created in the image of Godimplies both vertical and horizontal relationships. It could besaid that to be a human being implies saying: “I need you inorder to become myself.” Descartes, the great philosopher waspartly right when he affirmed, ‘cogito ergo sum’(I know there-fore I am); however it is also vital to affirm, ‘amo ergo sum’ (Ilove therefore I am) since this is who God is after whose imagethe entire human race has been created. Human beings are notcalled to be individuals competing with one another; rather,persons working together with others. The whole purpose oflife is to develop from this false sense of security in believingwe are fulfilled as individuals to becoming relational lovingpersons. Human persons are completed to the extent that theylove – that is give up their will for the sake of the other. And indoing this they are not annihilated but are rather initiated into aworld entirely different – a world as seen through the eyes ofthat other person leading to an enrichment.

Dynamism and GrowthFurthermore, created in the image of God means that human

persons have the potential for growth and maturity in allaspects of their life – knowledge, feelings etc including growthtowards Christ-likeness. In his letter to the Corinthians, St Paulis very clear on the dynamic character of the human person cre-ated in the image of the Son of God:

“Thus it is written, “The first man, Adam,became a living being”; the last Adambecame a life-giving spirit. But it is not the

spiritual that is first, but the physical, andthen the spiritual. The first man was fromthe earth, a man of dust; the second man isfrom heaven. As was the man of dust, so arethose who are of the dust; and as is the manof heaven, so are those are of heaven. Just aswe have borne the image of the man of dust,we will also bear the image of the man ofheaven” (1 Cor 15:45-49).

According to the above passage it is very clear that the cre-ation of the world was for no other reason than for the humanperson to become like Christ – that is to grow from simplybeing an image of Adam and become an image of Christ. It isthis Christlike form, which completes human beings and there-fore it is growing and orienting themselves towards Christ thatpersons find their true existence.

It was this dynamism and growth which led some fathers inthe early Church to distinguish between image and likenesseven though it is believed by Biblical scholars that no such dis-tinction is intended in the Genesis account. St Irenaeus, whowas the first to make this distinction wrote that imperfectbeings have the image but not the likeness.8 It came to bebelieved that the ‘image’ refereed to God’s gift of His qualitiesthrough His will to humankind, while the ‘likeness’ was thepostulate or goal towards which human beings must strive.Whilst the former is God’s initial endowment to all humanbeings without discretion the latter is the purpose or the goal ofbecoming Christ-like. Regarding this distinction, Origen (d. ca254AD) explicitly stated:

“Human beings received the honour of theimage at their first creation, but the full per-fection of God’s likeness will be conferredupon them only at the consummation of allthings.”9

Many fathers of the early Church underline this distinctionby suggesting that the creation of the first human beings priorto the fall was indeed very good but not perfect. Like smallchildren, simple and innocent, they had to grow to perfection.St Irenaeus for example highlights that Adam:

“was but small, for he was a child; and itwas necessary that he should grow and socome to his perfection.”10

Viewed in this way, Adam and Eve were given the opportu-nity for progress, so that by becoming mature they couldbecome god-like and ascend to heaven. Such is the implicationof the distinction between image and likeness in the human per-son. The fathers of the Church teach that human persons havecontinually before them limitless possibilities yet unrealisedand even in the life to come they will endlessly grow towardsunending perfection. Human persons must continue to becomemore aware and more conscious of the world around, throughtheir powers of reason, introspection, and intuitive insight.And the more human beings learn to appreciate the beauty ofthe world and how it functions the more this will lead them to

Questions & AnswersWould you call a person that does not go toChurch a non-believer?

A good question! I suppose the way to go aboutanswering your question is to first ask what it meansto be a “believer.” Aminimal kind of response wouldbe that a believer is someone who identifies himselfas a Christian, and who would be offended if you

call him or her a “non-believer.” The “belief” of such a person,however, is certainly very weak, and probably not worth toomuch, though only God can judge that. But we are challengedby the New Testament itself: “You believe that God is one; youdo well. Even the demons believe - and shudder” (James 2:19).

The point is that “faith apart from works is barren” (James2:20). True faith is when the “love of Christ controls us” (2Corinthians 5:1 5). Thus, when St. Paul wrote to his discipleTimothy, whom he had ordained to become a Bishop of theChurch, he said to him “...set the believers an example inspeech and conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.” And he added,

“Till I come, attend to the public reading scripture, to preach-ing, to teaching” (1 Timothy 4:12-13), that is, to the publicworship of the Church.

It seems to me, since you asked me my own opinion, that“believers” who never attend Church really don’t show evi-dence of that belief, and in fact, act precisely as do the non-believers. People who claim to be Christians should behave inways that witness to their belief. Going to Church regularly isone of them.

QA

***From the Orthodox Church: 455 Questions and Answers,

by Stanley S. Harakas, published by Light and Life.If you have any questions about the Orthodox faithwhich you would like answered in the VEMA, send

them to Vema -Q.&A., P.O.Box M59 Marrickville South,

NSW 2204or e-mail them to:

vema@bigpond.net.au

JUNE 2004 The Greek Australian VEMA TO BHMA 9/27

Cont. from previous page

a sense of fascination, awe and gratitude totheir Creator.

FreedomLastly, the image is to be seen reflected in

humanity’s possession of free choice. God isfree so human beings, made in His image arefree to choose. “Heaven, sun, moon andearth have no free will” state the MacarianHomilies of the fourth century, “but you arein the image and likeness of God; and thismeans that, just as God is His own masterand can do what He wishes and, if He wish-es, He can send the righteous to hell and sin-ners to the Kingdom, but He does notchoose to do this… so, in like manner, youalso are your own master and, if yourchoose, you can destroy yourself.”11 There-fore, humankind’s vocation, as persons madein God’s image is not to become copies of oneanother, but through their freedom, to becomeauthentically their own unique image. In theworld to come human persons will not beasked why they were not like Moses or Paul,but why they were not themselves. For such aglorious vocation have human beings beendestined since they have been created in God’simage and according to His likeness. That is,human persons have been “ordered by God”(St Basil the Great) to be all that God is in Hisnature, by grace. Human persons have infinitepossibilities since they are the crown and ful-filment of God’s creation.

Human Beings as composite beingsThe Eastern Christian tradition claims that

the human being is dual – that is a unity con-sisting of both soul12 and body where one ele-ment does not overshadow the other13 nor is inopposition to the other. The Christian traditionaffirms that the human person is a psychoso-matic unity – one where there is a clear inter-dependence of soul14 and body. For this reasonthe body should not be undervalued in favourof the spirit since this would be a deviation intoa kind of angelism where the body is dis-missed as little more than a hindrance and anobstruction – something quite irrelevant to thenotion of personhood. This was the teaching ofOrigen in the third century which the earlyChurch condemned. Origen believed that orig-inally human beings were purely spiritual enti-ties gathered around God but finally fell intocorruption. Therefore God, he claimed, inwanting to rescue them, gave them bodies soas to gather up their fallen souls.15

In contrast to this false teaching, manyfathers of the Church taught that the body andsoul cannot exist separately but are necessari-ly linked to each other since this is the way thatGod willed it to be.16 Following the HolyScriptures which affirm the sacredness of thebody, the early Church taught that the bodytogether with the soul constitute a human per-son. The body is “the temple of the HolySpirit” (1 Cor 6:19) through which God is glo-rified (cf 1 Cor 6:20). St Ireneaus is explicitlyclear on this:

“By the hands of the Father,that is, by the Son and theSpirit, the human personwas created in the likenessof God. The person was socreated, not just a part ofthe person. Now soul andspirit are certainly part ofthe person, but they are notthe person as such. For thecomplete person consists inthe commingling and unionof the soul that receives thespirit [or breath] of theFather, together with theflesh [or physical nature]

that is fashioned accordingto the image.”17

Therefore, faithful to the Scriptures the Chris-tian tradition describes the person as a unity ofboth soul and body. In fact Niketas Choniates(d.1217) went so far as to say that humankindcan only be thought to be a ‘complete species’when considered together as body and soul.

“The term human beingapplied not to the soul aloneor to the body alone, but toboth of them together; andso it is with reference to bothtogether that God is said tohave created the humanperson in his image.”18

It is this totality of both soul and body that is“according to the image”. In fact St GregoryPalamas in the thirteenth century went so faras to argue that the fact that human beingshave a body makes them not lower but higherthan the angels. Therefore for the Patristic tra-dition, the dual nature of the human person hasgreater potentialities than the angelic. The con-viction of the Orthodox Christian tradition thathuman persons have been created for a higherpurpose than the ‘bodiless powers’ of heavenis affirmed in St Paul’s letter to the Philippians:

“so that the name of Jesusevery knee should bend, inheaven and on earth andunder the earth, and everytongue should confess thatJesus Christ is Lord, to theglory of God the Father”(Phil 2.10-11).

From the above we see that human persons, incommunion with Jesus Christ who was a per-fect human being, are created for a life superi-or even to angels. This is also reflected to theperson of the virgin Mary, who after Christ,was the most perfect human being who ishailed in the Orthodox Church as “more hon-ourable than the Cherubim, incomparablymore glorious than the Seraphim.” And thatwhich Mary has accomplished already is thecalling which the entire human race stillawaits.

Philip KariatlisAcademic Secretary and Associate Lecturer

St Andrew’s Greek Orthodox TheologicalCollege

1 The theme of ‘image’ was not only used in the story ofGenesis to describe the structure of the human person butit can also be found in Greek philosophy such as Plato,Stoicism and Neoplatonism.2 The good news of the Christian message is that once wediscover this truth and accept it, then this becomes a fore-taste of paradise right down here on earth since this is thefulfilment that all human beings are thirsting and hunger-ing for. However if we come to know this truth only todeny it, then this can become our anxious, worry ridden‘hell’ right down here on earth. And with this usuallycomes a loss of freedom since we become entangled in somany compulsions or addictions such as food, power,prestige, pleasure, possession, insatiable greed for status,only to name a few. 3 It is Christ who is the perfect image of God. Adam wassimply the “type of the one who was to come”, namelyJesus Christ (Rom 5:14). 4 In his letter to the Ephesians, St Paul writes “ Thereforebe imitators of God, as beloved children” (Eph 5:1)5 For example Origen wrote that “the firstborn of all cre-ation is the image of God… and human persons weremade in the image of God.” Against Celsus 6, 63. (PG 11,1393). 6 St Gregory of Nyssa stated this in his treatise entitled Onthe Creation of the Humankind 11. (PG 44:153D-156B).7 In the following analysis I am indebted to KallistosWare, ‘“In the Image and Likeness”: The Uniqueness ofthe Human Person’, Personhood: Orthodox Christianityand Connection between Body, Mind and Soul, ed. John T.Chirban (Westport, Connecticut: Bergin & Garvey, 1996),1-13. 8 Against the Heresies, V, vi, 1. 9 On the First Principles, iii, vi, 1. 10 The Demonstration of the Apostolic Preaching, 12. 11 Homilies 15, 23. 12 There has been considerable discussion in the Churchregarding whether the nature of the human person is madeup of three elements (body, soul, and spirit) or two. It

could be argued that a three-fold division of the humanperson’s nature results when the double aspect of a per-son’s spiritual aspect is further divided into ‘soul’and spir-it’where the ‘soul’ refers to the natural and vital aspects ofthe human person (a person’s psychological world) andthe ‘spirit’ to the higher aspects (a person’s spiritual life).However13 Androutsos rightly noted that “the right doctrine of thehuman person protests on the one hand against Material-ism…against the over-emphasised stress of certain spiri-tualising theories which maintain that the body is a kind ofmere representation and prison of the soul… The bodydoes not overshadow the soul, nor imprison the spirit.”(Christos Androutsos, Dogmatics, p.130.14 The soul has its origin from God. The Scriptures do notspeak about the pre-existence of the soul as some withinthe Church have argued. This particular theory was con-demned in the 5th Ecumenical Council. Another theory,known as Tradicianismus believed that the soul comesinto existence with the body independent of God; that isdirectly through the parents just like the branches natural-ly come from the trunk of a tree. The third theory regard-ing the generation of the soul was known as Creationis-mus which taught that the soul is generated by God inde-

pendent of the parents and is united to the body of thenewborn according to natural laws of nature. The dangerof this latter theory was that it lead to determinism there-by implicating God for the evil in the world. Coupled withthis the Scriptures clearly betray God’s direct interventionin the creation of the soul of a person (cf Ps 32:15 “he whofashions the hearts of them all”; Zech 12:1 “Thus says theLord, who stretched out the heavens and founded the earthand formed the human spirit within” 2 Macc 7:22 “I do notknow who you came into being in my womb. It was not Iwho gave you life and breath”). For this reason Androut-sos rightly argues that “the right view of the origin of thesoul lies rather in a combination of the theories of cre-ationism and traducianism, so that the human personwould be a result of both divine and human activity, andGod’s creative power be involved and exercised in thegeneration of each individual.” (Androutos, Dogmatics,136). 16 For example Leontius of Byzantium, a sixth centurymonk was of this conviction. 17 Against the Heresies, V, vi, 1. 18 Prosopopeia, (PG 150:1361C).

Windows to Orthodoxy

The Forty Holy Martyrs - Central Youth Committee (CYC) of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese (WA)

Tour of the Church for Youth

The Central Youth Committee in Perthrecently held a very successful event. OnSaturday 8th May 2004 at 5.00pm, Commit-tee members (aged between 16 to 28) greet-ed around 60 intrepid young Orthodox chil-dren (aged between 6 to 16) for a tour of theEvangelismos Church in West Perth.

The tour was conducted by DeaconEmmanuel Stamatiou. The significance ofthe different icons and other symbols in ourChurch were explained. Other aspects suchas the importance of Communion, and whywe do the Sign of the Cross with the firstthree fingers on our right hand were also dis-cussed.

The children were enthralled, which was

demonstrated by the enthusiastic answeringof quiz questions put by Deacon.

The evening then adjourned to the Churchhall, where more spot quiz questions wererewarded with great prizes. Pizza was thenserved to the young charges who were enter-tained by the awesome new DVD release -Looney Tunes.

The evening was delightful and a credit toDeacon Emmanuel and the Committeemembers of the CYC. The incredibly posi-tive feedback from the parents and their chil-dren alike means another of these ChurchTours will be held in the near future.

Helene Athanasiou

JUNE 2004The Greek Australian VEMATO BHMA10/28

The Greek Australian VEMA TO BHMA 11/29JUNE 2004

PREMIER CARR URGES AUSTRALIANS TO SUPPORT THE ATHENS GAMES

The Premier of NSW, Mr Bob Carrurged all Australians to throw their fullsupport behind Athens as it prepares forthe 2004 Olympics and Paralympics.

Delivering a Ministerial Statement tothe NSW Parliament, Mr Carr said therewas no harder peace-time event to organ-ise than a modern Olympic and Para-lympic Games.

“The 2004 Athens Olympics will be dif-ferent from our Games,” Mr Carr said.“But the result will be the same, an

event that will bring great credit to itshosts - the people and the Republic ofGreece.”

Mr Carr said we should leave the peo-ple of Greece, the Athens organisers andthe 60,000 Olympic volunteers in nodoubt about Australia’s support for theGames.

“Hosting the Olympics and Para-lympics is a bold and generous act by theGreek Government and people,” Mr Carrsaid.

“As the Premier of the State whose peo-ple delivered the ‘best ever’ Games noth-ing would please me more than to seeAthens host the finest and safest Olympicand Paralympic Games,” Mr Carr said.

The 2004 Athens Olympics Games willaccommodate some 16,000 athletes andofficials from 202 nations.

Already 1.8 million or 74 per cent of alltickets have been sold to the event, whichbegins in 73 days on August 13.

Mr Carr reminded those tempted togloat at what might seem to be deficien-cies in Athens preparations to think backfour years ago.

“We dared not make predictions of oursuccess,” Mr Carr said.

“In fact very few expected the SydneyGames to go as superbly well as they did.

“The same predications are now beingmade of Athens. It is time the knockingstopped,” Mr Carr said.

The Statement

Mr Speaker, in 73 days, the Olympicmantle will be handed from Sydney toAthens as the Games return to their spir-itual home.

As the Premier of the State whose peo-ple delivered the best ever Olympics andParalympics ...... I want to say loudly and clearly: Noth-ing would give me more pleasure than tosee Athens take that “best ever” accolade

from Sydney; it would be great for sport,great for the athletes; great for theGreeks to whom we owe so much, andgood for international peace.

Nothing would please me more than tosee Athens host the finest and safestOlympic and Paralympic Games.For those tempted to gloat at what might

seem to be deficiencies in Athens’ prepa-rations ...

I say remember the controversies withticket sales and opening ceremony prepa-rations; fears over transport capacity;naysayers talking down our preparationsat every opportunity;

We dared not make predictions of suc-cess. I don’t think anybody expected theGames to go as superbly well as they did.

Mr Speaker, there’s no harder peace-time event to organise than a modernOlympics. We’re talking about:r 38 venues and transport infrastructurecosting billions;r accommodating 16,000 athletes andofficials, the biggest representation everat an Olympic Games;r a public safety effort unprecedented inmajor city, encompassing 45,000 securi-ty personnel against a backdrop of glob-al terrorism.And remember:r Greece is a country with around halfAustralia’s population (11m);r with about one-third of our GDP.

So hosting the games is a bold act bythe Greek Government and people. Agenerous act. An ambitious act. It is timethe knocking stopped.

It is time we - as previous hosts - threwour full support behind Athens.

Let’s talk up the positives.Let’s talk about the 10,500 athletes

from 202 nations ... All striving to be partof one of the 301 medal ceremonies.

Let’s talk about the new heroes of theOlympic movement, the volunteers:r all 60,000 of them;r many being trained by NSW TAFE.

Let’s talk about ticket sales exceeding1.8 million - that’s 74 percent of all avail-able tickets already sold.

Yes, Mr Speaker, the 2004 AthensOlympics will be different from ourGames.

But they will bring great credit to thepeople and the Republic of Greece.

Let’s leave them in no doubt about Aus-tralia’s support, because we’ve beenthere before and we know what it’s like.

DIVINE LITURGYSERVICES IN ENGLISH - 2004 IN SYDNEY N.S.W.

(Saturday Nights, 6.50 - 8.15)

Bankstown: 6-12 East Terrace 02 9709-6908Blacktown: 47-49 Balmoral Street 02 9621-5311Belmore: Cnr Isabel &Cecilia Street 02 9789-1659Crows Nest: 49-59 Holterman Street 02 9436-1957Gymea: 806-808 The Kingsway 02 9526-6577Kingsford: 72-76 Gardeners Road 02 9663-5147Kogarah: 16-20 Belgrave Street 02 9529-5049Redfern: 242 Cleveland Street 02 9698-5066

June 5, 12, 19, 26Church of St Spyridon, KingsfordJuly 3, 10, 17, 24, 31Church of Arch. Michael, Crows NestAugust 7, 21, 28Church of Resurrection, KogarahSeptember 4, 11, 18, 25Church of St Stylianos, Gymea

October 2, 9, 16, 23, 30Church of Archangel Michael, CrowsNestNovember 6, 13, 20, 27Church of All Saints, BelmoreDecember 4, 11, 18Church of St Euphemia, Bankstown

Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I willgive you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle andhumble in heart, and you will find rest in your souls. For my yoke is easy and myburden is light.

(Mathew 11:28-30).

Is Greece Olympic winner?Amazing as it may sound, Greececould win 29 medals and see 4.25percent GDP growth, says a leadingeconomic advisor

ELAINE GREEN

If Pricewaterhouse predictions are correct,Greece will come seventh place in the forthcom-ing Olympic Games, clocking up an amazing 29medals, outdoing even the UK and Italy. Theprediction formed the “fun part” of Pricewater-house Coopers’ (PwC) predictions for Greeceand its Euroland compatriots, presented by PwCchief economic advisor, Rosemary Radcliffe, inAthens on June 2.

According to the predictions, Greece will gain16 more medals than at Sydney. On what basiscan such a claim be made? PwC has analysed theresults of the Games since 1998 and has beenbroadly accurate in its predictions but does stressit is merely a light-hearted look. Its researchnonetheless shows that there are a number of keyfactors determining the slice of the Olympiccake. One of the most significant is the hostnation. Spain and Australia both gained moremedals as a result of hosting. Other factorsinclude the size of the population, GDP per capi-ta and the performance in previous games.

A Hellenic Olympic Committee source saidthat this estimate exceeds their own expectationsof some 20 medals. The source questioned thevalidity of the calculations, particularly the num-ber of US medals which are normally around100.

Going for gold: Konstantinos Kenteris landsthe Sydney Olympics men’s 200m final. DoesGreece stand to win or lose from the Olympics?

Yet if the forecast pans out, such a triumph

could be the icing on the cake for Games bene-fits. Since 2000 Greece has outperformedEuroland economy at a time when other coun-tries have had poor results. The Olympics havecontributed to this growth, said Radcliffe. Lowinterest rates and joining a single currency mar-ket have played their part in creating the growthenvironment, she added. Yet there is no doubtthat the Olympics are a huge factor. Greece ispredicted by PwC to top the growth league againthis year, reaching 4.25 percent. However, aslowdown after the event is inevitable. PwC pre-dict growth will ease to a still respectable 3 per-cent.

Other Euroland players such as Germany, however are still not out of the woods. Ger-many’s domestic market remains weak, whereasFrance is picking up. Overall, Euroland grewonly 0. 4 percent in 2003. This is expected to riseto 2.25 percent in 2005, but the recovery fromrecession is not as fast as in the US, PwCstressed.

The construction industry will be one of thebiggest losers when the rush to complete Gamesprojects is over. Asked by the Athens News ifother national projects will compensate, such asmotorways scheduled until 2006, Radcliffe saidthat PwC had already factored this in and that itwould not be enough to prevent a slowdown.

However, the legacy of the Games is seen asa long-term compensation for the short-termeconomic slowdown. Both Barcelona and Syd-ney found that the attractiveness as a businesscentre and hub of investment increased as aresult of the Olympics. Changes in infrastructuresuch as transport systems are expected to have asignificant long-term impact on growth.

Contributing: John Hadoulis ATHENS NEWS , 04/06/2004

Going for gold: Konstantinos Kenteris

JUNE 2004The Greek Australian VEMATO BHMA12/30

Where’s the best baklava? Where else but Queensland!By Ann Coward

In November, 2003, the Greek OrthodoxSouthside Parish Ladies Auxiliary in Brisbanereprinted their successful cookbook. Thewomen, from the Mt Gravatt parish of theDormition of the Theotokos, first publishedTraditional and Modern Greek-AustralianCuisine in August, 1997.

Only 750 copies were printed initially, manyof them pre-ordered, and it proved such a suc-cess that another edition was made available inNovember of the same year. This second edi-tion was an improvement on the first, with anindex and metric system guide added to thetext, and the staples replaced by spiral binding.

The cookbook is only part of the story,though. In September, 1995, Mrs Voula James

(Dimitrakaki) suggested cooking classesshould be held in the parish hall’s facilities.This was in response to a need expressed byyoung women wanting to learn traditionalGreek cooking. Although many of theseyoung women were experienced cooks, theylacked confidence in preparing Greek dishes.

A number of women (see photo) took partin demonstrating for the cooking classes, and acall went out for women to give details of theirrecipes and to explain how they cooked. Notunexpectedly, many of the instructions includ-ed phrases such as “take a handful of this” and“add a little bit of that”. These needed to beconverted to standard measures, and many ofthe recipes had to be translated from Greekinto English.

Each recipe was then tested in the cookingclasses, and when collected together formedthe basis of a cookbook. The younger womenof the parish were asked to proof read, andusing the money raised from holding the class-es, plus donations from sponsors, the first edi-tion of Traditional and Modern Greek-Australian Cuisine was printed.

In 2004 the cooking classes began again.The first course has finished and another 6

weeks course begun. Those attending this yearinclude teenagers, young married women withand without children, and several men also.

While enthusiasm for learning traditionalskills has not waned there is, according to MrsIrene Cayas (Vice-President of the Ladies’Auxiliary), a noticeable difference in the ques-tions being asked by the current students.These questions largely reflect the choicesavailable to consumers today. For example, ifa recipe lists rice or salt amongst its ingredi-ents, someone may ask “What type of rice orsalt?” Nothing, it appears, is simple today.

However, by continuing on the process begun by Mrs Voula James and her group ofenthusiastic helpers (most of whom are still

actively involved with Voula in teaching thepresent classes) the skills needed to preparetraditional Greek dishes are being passed on tofuture generations.

The cooking classes cost only $12 per les-son, and take the form of a demonstration withthe participants being invited to try their hand.At the end of each class there is a feast. At thesame time as the recipes, so generously given,are being handed down along with the neces-sary cooking skills, the joys of eating and asense of community are being passed on tofuture generations as well. We wish them allcontinued success.

For further information about cooking class-es, or to purchase single copies of Traditionaland Modern Greek-Australian Cuisine, or toorder multiple copies for fund-raising, pleasecontact Mrs Irene Cayas (07) 3349 9973 or thechurch office, (07) 3343 7304.

Single copies of the cookbook may be purchased, ormultiple copies ordered for fund-raising.

The original group of women who collected recipes, demonstrated in the cooking classes and tested all therecipes for the cookbook, Traditional and Modern Greek-Australian Cuisine. From l-r Top row: TinaGanis, Irene Cayas, Betty Comino, Vasiliki Conomos, Voula James, Patra Ganis. Bottom row: SophiaKynigopoulos (now dec’d), Archie Hatzifotis, Tassia Pappas, Maria J. Koutsoukos, Maria Koutsoukos.

NSW

JUNE 2004 The Greek Australian VEMA TO BHMA 13/31DID YOU KNOW? Stretching 2,252 metresacross the Gulf of Corinth, Rio-Antirriobridge is the cable-stayed bridge with thelongest suspended deck in the world. It isalso being built at a record maximum depthof 65 metres

For the bibliophiles...

Icon and Devotion: Sacred spaces in Imperial Russia

Written by Oleg Tarasov (Reaktion Books)

A hard-back copy, this expensive book contains manysmall black and white illustrations with only a few, butexquisite, colour images. It is well referenced, has anextensive bibliography and index. Unusual for a bookon Russian iconography, it concentrates on the periodfollowing that of Rublev. Woven throughout the text isa history of the Russian Orthodox Church over threecenturies of Imperial rule. The influence of contactwith Catholicism and the religious art of the West isclearly demonstrated.

Sweets: A History of temptationWritten by Tim Richardson (Bantam Books)

This little paperback contains a history of sweets andsweet-making, interspersed with information aboutspecific sweets. Although anglocentric, the author hasa fondness for Greek sweets, even devoting one articleto baklava. Of interest to historians as well as anyonewith a sweet tooth, it is very easy to read.

Modern Moroccan: Ancient traditions, contemporary cooking

Written by Ghillie Basan (Aquamarine)

Large format, with beautiful glossy photographs, thisbook contains many recipes familiar to Greeks andother Mediterraneans, even though the names of dishesmay differ. Some are variations on familiar themes, forexample lemon yogurt cake, served with cream andfresh passionfruit, or roast leg of lamb coated in dateand almond paste. Delicious.

Rome: Art and architectureEdited by Marco Bussagli (Konemann)

Large format, this tome is heavy in weight rather thantext. It is the sort of book one buys for the illustrations,and there are plenty of these. The book is neatly divid-ed into two halves. The first quarter deals with pre-Christian art, up to the reign of Constantine and theArch of Constantine erected next to the Colosseum in315 AD. The second quarter of the book begins withEarly Christian art. For anyone interested in the fres-coes of this period, in particular, this volume providesreasonably priced access to these images.

A.C.

The Greek AustralianVEMA

The oldestcirculating

Greeknewspaper

outsideGreece

Olympic launch for Rio-Antirrio bridgeThe 2.2km bridge spanning theGulf of Corinth will open to thepublic in August, shortly after thecrossing of the Olympic Flame,says the head of the Franco-Greek consortium building theproject. Construction crews havecompleted the bridge deck latelast month.

JOHN HADOULIS

Amidst a sea of delayed works for theAthens 2004 Olympics, one major Greekproject is ready ahead of time, albeit witha bit of foreign help.

The monumental 2.2km Rio-Antirriobridge on the northern tip of the Pelopon-nese is to be effectively inaugurated onAugust 8, when a torchbearer carrying theOlympic Flame of the 2004 Games willcross en route to Athens’ Olympic Stadi-um.

Soon afterwards, the bridge will open tothe public four months ahead of schedule,the head of the Franco-Greek consortiumbuilding the project tells the AthensNews.

“We will be ready before the end ofAugust,” says Gefyra SA chairman andmanaging director Jean-Paul Teyssandier.“Things went very well, a little bit evenbetter than we expected, and we saw noreason to apply the brake.”

The last 48 metres over the Gulf ofCorinth were bridged by May 25. Tomark the occasion, the mayors of Rio andAntirrio met halfway on the bridge, onMay 29. Gefyra’s top management says that good

planning at the beginning of the projectand continuous efforts to improve con-struction through innovation sped up thebuilding process.

“For example, we managed to erect thebridge deck faster than originally expect-ed thanks to a waterborne crane, whichwe decided to hire about two years ago,”says deputy administrator and projectmanager Asklepios Dimoglou. Teyssandier says that the bridge toll will

be in the range of 10 euros, but that moreadvantageous ‘subscription’ fares areplanned for frequent users. More detailsare to be announced at a press conferencein July, he said.

A Games incentive

The prospect of having the OlympicFlame cross the Rio-Antirrio bridge onAugust 8 influenced Gefyra’s decision tospeed up construction, as did revenueconsiderations.

“Money-wise, since we are a conces-sion company, the sooner [we opened] thebetter,” says Teyssandier.

Once Gefyra had discussed the Olym-pic Flame idea with the Athens 2004organising committee (ATHOC), the taskof beating adverse weather became evenmore imperative.

“The deck erection is very sensitive tobad weather,” says Teyssandier. “We hada terrible winter in 2002, after which wesaid that if we have the same winter in2003, we will not be ready for theOlympic Flame. So we accelerated during2003 to make sure the flame would crossthe bridge.”

Despite the accelerated pace, and at atime when over a dozen workers havedied building the Olympic Village andstadiums for the Athens 2004 Games,

Gefyra says its own workforce sufferedonly minor injuries during construction.

“There’s been strains and cuts, thingsthat can go wrong even around thehouse,” says safety engineer Nikos Kon-stantelias. “The toughest phase was dur-ing the building of the bridge’s fourpylons and their bases. But since wemoved to the deck... the workload haslessened.”

“From the beginning, we tried every-thing we could to have a good safetyrecord on the project,” says Teyssandier.“Safety and quality were the most impor-tant factors on the site.”

Gefyra employees say their work on thebridge provided an unprecedented school-ing. “Building a block of flats is quite differ-

ent to tackling a project with 80,000tonnes of steel,” says one engineer. Theworksite experience was also a revelationfor the French members of the construc-tion consortium.

“The good thing with Greek manpower,as we discovered on this project, is thatwhen you train these people correctly andmotivate them, they are excellent,” saysTeyssandier. “But you have to give thema framework.”

Worksite perks helped build a sense ofcommunity among the crew. Gefyra pub-lished a biannual gazette with projectinformation, site news and announce-ments of the several marriages that tookplace between employees. It also organ-ised sports tournaments for staff.

“A project of such credentials will besorely missed,” says veteran crane opera-tor Petros Tsakos. “I’ve never seen a moresecure worksite... Just seeing the orderthat prevailed made you extra careful. Justas you don’t get into a shiny car wearingmuddy boots.”

An electrifying experience Tsakos, who spent many of his days

perched 190 metres above sea level, sayshis experience at Rio was fascinating -and sometimes electrifying. “I was on myway up once when the crane was struckby lightning,” he says. “I’ve never seensuch winds in my life, sometimes inexcess of 100km an hour, plus rain and

cold to boot. But I was always sure thismachine would get me through. With theexception of some bouts of pneumonia, itcould actually be quite enjoyable. You gotall the peace and quiet in the world... anda great view for photographs.”

In Nafpaktos, the nearest residential cen-tre to Antirrio, the reaction to the bridge’scompletion is mixed. Though pleased attheir forthcoming connection to the Pelo-ponnese and easier access to hospitals andshopping in Patras, many locals will besad to see “the French” go.

“My neighbour rents out five apartmentswhich will now be empty,” says KyriakosZissimopoulos, a bicycle shop owner.

“Half this town lives off the bridge’sconstruction,” says George Sakellaris, ahotel owner. “We’re currently 70 percentfull and expect our occupancy to fall to 25percent. How many extra visitors can thebridge’s operation possibly bring to matchthat?”

His brother Vassilis has other bridge-related concerns. “I’ve got three daugh-ters. With the bridge, one of them coulddash off to Amaliada and I would neverknow.”

Ferry exodus

Bridge excitement is at its lowest amongferry operators who until now had amonopoly on the Rio-Antirrio crossing.Even with tolls expected to be higher thanferry fares, the time gain is significant - amere five minutes compared to as muchas 45 minutes on the ferry, depending onboarding traffic. “Most of the boats will leave Rio-Antirio

for other fares such as Salamina,” saysone ferry officer. “Of the 36 vessels thatcurrently work here, only about 10 willremain.”

“We do need toll collectors, maybe wecan find some on the ferries,” saysTeyssandier. “But we also need techni-cians and civil engineers who are obvi-ously not to be found there.”

“I’ve worked on ocean-going ships, so Ican always return there,” says the ferryofficer. “But many will have to leave theirfamilies behind. Who will hire themexcept ferries in other parts of Greece?”

ATHENS NEWS , 21/05/2004

An aerial view of the monumental Rio-Antirrio bridge

JUNE 2004The Greek Australian VEMATO BHMA14/32

Internet and e-Hellenism worldwideThe widescale adoption of computers andthe internet over the past 10 years aroundthe world and in Australia has opened infi-nite opportunities through websites toaccess information on Greek Orthodoxy,Greece, Hellenic culture, language, historyand all the areas of knowledge and creationwhich constitute ancient and modernGreek studies.

Hellenic websites in Australia

The monthly Greek-Australian Vema fea-tures the monthly 'HACCI Business Bulletin'reports have directed readers towww.hacci.com and www.hacci.org.au thenational and State websites for the HellenicAustralian Chamber of Commerce and Indus-try (HACCI) in Australia .

Websites are the most accessible form ofinformation for most Australians. More than70% of Australia's households have access tointernet so websites are key also to advertisingand learning . The Melbourne-based websitewww.seek.com for example has become in thecourse of just five years the leading nationalsource of job vacancies in Australia eclipsingeven the advertising by the famous newspa-pers in the Fairfax group including The Aus-tralian Financial Review, The Sydney Morn-ing Herald and The Age.

The Melbourne-based Hellenic websitewww.ausgreeknet.com claims more than30,000 Australian and worldwide links to allaspects of Hellenism and modern Greek com-munity life. It serves also as an advertisingmedium for local Greek-Australian companies

and overseas-based companies with branchesin Australia

International Hellenic websites

Greece has been very active in producingwebsites as has been Hellenism throughout theworld. Emails and e-commerce will soon befollowed by e-Hellenism as the most accessi-ble form of information for students, business-people and eventually adults of both overseasand local Greek origin. This is crucial forGreece and the diaspora which are small inworld population terms but immense with thelong and broad tradition of Hellenic cultureand the preservation of the oldest living Euro-pean language.

The list below of essential websites ondoing business and enjoying Greece was com-piled from the international magazine Odys-sey ( March-April 2004 : pages 56 to 61). Ithas been modified for use by readers of theVema.

Websites for students and learning

In Australia over half the students aged 5-18years who are enrolled in modern Greek stud-ies attend the day schools and Greek schoolsmanaged by the Greek Orthodox Archdioceseand Greek-Australian communities.

Hellenic websites based in Australia andoverseas offer a new, 24 hour-7day a week,inexpensive limitless source of information tonot just these students and their but to all otherGreek-Australians in every part of this countryand all round the world. There are now sites

which open the possibility of learning to readand speak Greek.

Dr George Balanis and his teacher wife Toula who are based in Los Angeles havespent their professional careers perfecting amost impressive CD-ROM for teachingGreek (www.anotek.com ).

The Balanises and Con Berbatis from West-ern Australia proposed in a joint paper to aninternational Hellenic conference that the newtechnologies including CD-ROMs and the

internet may become the most cost- efficientmethods of Greek education and teaching thelanguage in the diaspora.

For academic or business researchers thesystematic use of search engines can retrieveinformation from an infinite number of inter-net sources in just minutes or hours.e-Hellenism is here to stay!

Con BerbatisEmail : berbatis@git.com.au

‘e-HELLENIC WEBSITE COMPETITION’The owners of the beautiful new 'Emperor's Crown' affordable quality accom-modation in Perth now join with the Vema to launch an 'e-Hellenic websitecompetition' for students and Vema readers. The prize is free air travel and oneweek stay in the 'Emperor's Crown' Perth. The Perth-based owners also have'The Witch's Hat' in Perth (www.witchs-hat.com) and the award-winningbeachside 'The Surfpoint Resort' in Margaret River (www.surfpoint.com.au )for affordable stays in quality surroundings on your next trip to Western Aus-tralia.The details of the competition are as follows :·

r Competition: submit Hellenic-associated websites excluding those in Table 1 tothe Vema Editor

r Prize: free air travel and seven days free accommodation for two in the new'Emperor's Crown' in Perth

r The names (URL) of websites should be submitted in the same format as in Table1

r Please record the geographical source of each website. For example: Sydney-based or Athens-based

r Eligibility : all children of Hellenic origin born after 1 January 1986·Period : open to 30 November 2004

r All submissions will be retained by the sponsors of this competition and Vema.·Address for competition : Hellenic web The Editor, Vema

What is Clinical Depression?Depression is one of the most common mental health problems facing people today. It is a

term generally used to describe feelings such as being sad, blue or feeling down. Sadness how-ever is a part of being human and a general reaction to painful events and a person can feelthese emotions without being clinically depressed. Clinical depression is a physical and emo-tional state that is intense, long-lasting and significantly affects daily life. A person with clini-cal depression finds that there are no logical reasons for these feelings. It is a state that some-one just can’t snap out of quickly.

Depressed people often experience some or many of the following symptoms/ feelings:

A diagnosis for depression is only given when a number of these symptoms/feelings are pre-sent at the same time for at least a period of two weeks and are shown to interfere with a per-son’s ability to perform his or her day to day activities.

Psychologists can help people to identify and work through these problems. They can offerthe skills to change thinking patterns and behaviours contributing to depression. They caneffectively help to reduce and control thoughts associated with depression and to develop longterm coping skills.

One aspect of depression is a change in the balance of chemicals in the brain. This can betreated by the use of antidepressant medication which can help to restore the chemical balance.

Depression is highly treatable and the chances of complete recovery are excellent throughpsychological and / or drug treatments. It is important that people with depression get treat-ment as soon as possible, especially if they are having suicidal thoughts.

Call your local psychologist, the Australian Psychological Society (APS) Referral Serviceon 1800 333497, ask your GP or for more information or refer to Understanding and Man-aging Depression: An APS Tip Sheet.

Mina Candalepas MAPSPsychologist

Reg NSW PS0057198Reference1. www.psychology.org.au/publication/ tip sheets/12.5 1.asp “Understanding and managing Depres-sion: An APS Tip Sheet” 2. Z.V. Segal, J.M.G. Williams, J. D. Teasdale (2002) Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy forDepression. The Guilford Press

Sadness Difficulties sleeping Poor concentrationEmptiness Irritability Change in appetiteNegative thinking Agitation GuiltWorrying Loss of interest WorthlessnessSuicidal thoughts Loss of energy Difficulties in making decisions

Loss of pleasure

JUNE 2004 The Greek Australian VEMA TO BHMA 15/33

Parkinson’s Disease is a degenerative, pro-gressive, neurological disease that affects thecontrol of body movements. Movementsbecome slower and stiffer and often peoplewith Parkinson’s Disease develop a finetremor.

How common is Parkinson’s Disease?

Parkinson’s Disease affects about fifty thou-sand Australians.

Approximately one to two people per onethousand are estimated to have Parkinson’sDisease, with the incidence increasing to onein one hundred of people over the age of sixty.It is slightly more common in men than inwomen.

What are the causes of Parkinson’s Disease?

The cause of Parkinson’s Disease is notknown. Symptoms result from the progressivedegeneration of nerve cells in part of the brain,causing a deficiency in the availability of achemical called dopamine. Dopamine is achemical which nerve cells require so thatmuscle movements can occur smoothly.

It is not known what causes the deficiency ofdopamine in the brain. It has been suggestedthat poor circulation may contribute to thedeficiency of dopamine.

Researchers around the world are currentlyinvestigating many causes , including chemi-

cals , toxins and pesticides; genetic factors anda previous history of head trauma.

Symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease

Parkinson’s Disease can affect different peo-ple in different ways. Symptoms are usuallymild at first, but may become progressivelymore severe over time. Symptoms affectmovement and everyday tasks may becomedifficult.

Symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease relate tomovement, tremor, muscle stiffness and rigid-ity. In Parkinson’s Disease, movements are much

slower, walking can be very slow and the per-son may begin to ‘shuffle’ along. The personmay develop difficulty in starting movementsand turning or standing from the sitting posi-tion can be a problem.

Small movements that affect every day functions ,such as writing, tying shoe laces, ordoing up buttons, can become a problem.

Tremor, especially of the hands and arms,with a rubbing together of the thumb and fore-finger is a feature of Parkinson’s Disease. Thetremor is often worse on one side of the body,and is more noticeable when the person is notmoving. The tremor can be more severe as thedisease progresses and can cause more diffi-culty with activities of daily living, such asholding cutlery, or difficulty showering orcleaning teeth.

Muscle stiffness is a common symptom ofParkinson’s Disease and causes rigidity oflimbs, leading to a reduction in the movementof the limbs and may manifest as a reductionin arm swinging when walking, usually on oneside of the body.

People with Parkinson’s Disease often have

an expressionless face because of stiffness inthe facial muscles. They may also suffer fromconstipation or difficulty with micturitionbecause of stiff muscles in the bowel and blad-der.

Other symptoms may include problems withspeech and swallowing, difficulty with con-centration, disturbed sleep and fatigue, andproblems with anxiety and depression. As thedisease progresses, falls may become a prob-lem.

Diagnosing Parkinson’s Disease

The diagnosis of Parkinson’s Disease is aclinical diagnosis based on the person’s med-ical history and clinical examination. There isno single diagnostic test, but tests may beneeded to rule out other causes of symptoms.

Treatment of Parkinson’s Disease

Parkinson’s Disease is initially managed with medication. There is no cure for Parkin-son’s Disease.

The medications include drugs which aim toreplace the dopamine in the brain as well asother medication which makes these drugswork more efficiently. The aim of treatment isto achieve higher levels of dopamine in thebrain to relieve the symptoms of stiffness andpoor mobility.

Sometimes the medication used to treatParkinson’s Disease can cause adverse effectssuch as nausea or a dry mouth.

Less commonly, people undergo surgery onthe brain. Surgery cannot cure Parkinson’sDisease.

It may improve symptoms for severelyaffected people. It usually involves implanting

electrodes which stimulate the brain.People with Parkinson’s Disease should

keep as active as possible. The home mayneed to be modified to provide bath rails,chairs with high arms and high seats, and ban-isters for support on walkways.

Parkinson’s Disease is a chronic, progres-sive illness. No drug prevents the progressionof the disease.

However, it is a manageable condition andoften a multidiscipline approach is required,involving doctors, occupational therapists,physiotherapists, dieticians and counsellors.

The outlook for Parkinson’s Disease

The severity of the disease may vary enor-mously. Many people have a mild problemand may not require dopamine producingdrugs.

The disease usually progresses at a slow rate. It is rare that a person gets severely dis-abled. Most people who get Parkinson’s Dis-ease over the age of sixty can expect to live outtheir normal life expectancy.

* The information given in this article is of a gen-eral nature and readers should seek advice fromtheir own medical practitioner before embarking onany treatment.

Dr. Theo Penklis is a General Practitioner.He is the Director of a group practice in Rose Bay in Syd-ney’s Eastern Suburbs.He studied Science at the University of Sydney and thenMedicine at the University of New South Wales. He did hishospital training at The Prince of Wales Hospital and ThePrince of Wales Childrens’ Hospital (now known as TheSydney Childrens’Hospital)He is a second generation Greek Australian. His grand-parents originated from the island of Kastellorizo in theDodecanese. He is married with 2 young children.

HEALTH NEWS

WITH DR. THEO PENKLIS

PARKINSON’S DISEASE

ANOTHER YEAR TO BE THANKFULOn Monday evening, 10 May 2004, the

Greek Orthodox Cathedral of the Annuncia-tion in Redfern, NSW, hosted the fifteenthannual Thanksgiving Service for graduates ofSt Andrew’s Greek Orthodox TheologicalCollege. The service marked the culminationof a number of challenging years of theolog-ical education and training for a small num-ber of dedicated students from around Aus-tralia.

The evening’s proceedings began with ashort doxological service chanted by Collegestudents, past and present. The Dean, HisEminence Archbishop Stylianos of Australia,as he has done since the first ThanksgivingService back in 1990, conferred the graduateswith the College’s Ecclesiastical Degree, reada benediction over them, and addressed thecongregation of faculty, distinguished guestsand members of the general public.

Honouring this important occasion withtheir presence were Mr Ioannis Raptakis,Consul General for Greece in Sydney, andMrs Raptakis; Dr Raymond Nobbs, Dean ofthe Sydney College of Divinity (SCD)accompanied by his wife, Assoc. Prof AlannaNobbs, Lecturer in Ancient History at Mac-quarie University; Assoc. Prof Michael Hors-borough, Chair of the Academic Board of theSydney College of Divinity; and Major Rod-ney Ainsworth, representing the SalvationArmy College of Further Education. Therewere also representatives from the variouscommittees of the Theological College andthe Greek Orthodox Archdiocese. This year

St Andrew’s was particularly honoured tohave many faithful from the Church of StDemetrios in Queanbeyan who came to paytribute to their parish graduate.

After the service the congregation was in-vited to a light supper in the Main Hall of theTheological College where staff, students andguests had the opportunity to intermingle in afriendly atmosphere.

The five students who successfully com-pleted their course of theological studies wereStavros Ivanos (Queanbeyan), Peter Karalis

(Perth), Eustathios Peroulis (Sydney) andKosmas Zisis (Melbourne) with GeorgeLambropoulos (Melbourne), receiving hisdegree in absentia. All of these graduateswere also present at the Sydney College ofDivinity Graduation Ceremony on Saturday8 May 2003. There they had been presentedtheir Bachelor of Theology degree in theGreat Hall of Sydney University by the VicePresident of the Sydney College of DivinityCouncil, Rev. Dr Gerard Gleeson. The tradi-tional luncheon followed at Wesley College.

The latest group of graduates brought toseventy-three the total of Theological Collegealumni since the College opened in 1986.Twenty-two graduates currently serve aspriests (10 NSW; 4 VIC; 2 SA; 5 QLD; 1GREECE) and two as deacons (2 NSW). Upto the present, graduates have assumed a vari-ety of roles within the various institutions ofthe Greek Orthodox Archdiocese includingadministrative posts, teaching positions, wel-fare, and chaplaincies to prison inmates,police personnel and university students.

The Dean of St Andrew’s Greek Orthodox Theological College, His Eminence Archbishop Stylianos of Australia, His Grace Bishop Seraphim of Apol-lonias, with four of the five graduates of the College: Stavros Ivanos (Queanbeyan), Peter Karalis (Perth), Eustathios Peroulis (Sydney) and Kosmas

Zisis (Melbourne). The fifth graduate, George Lambropoulos (Melbourne), received his degree in absentia

JUNE 2004The Greek Australian VEMATO BHMA16/34

TravelDID YOU KNOW? World traffic volume willincrease by more than 70 trillion km by 2050.Travel by car will drop, while high-speed trans-port will increase to more than 40%. The airwill be filled with double-decker airplanessuch as the Airbus A380

The beauty of SkopelosSkopelos, the second largest of the Spo-rades islands after Skyros, lies east ofPelion between Skiathos and Alon-nisos, 60 nautical miles from Volos.

It is a picturesque, well-watered island withabundant greenery and pleasant beaches. Tra-ditionally, its houses were white with roofs ofgreeny blue slate but, unfortunately, many ofthese have been replaced with red files. Theisland is renowned for its pears and plums, andthe decorative costumes of its womenfolk.Apart from the capital, Skopelos, the islandhas three villages: Glossa, N. Klima andLoutraki, its second port. There is also a smallport at Agnonta.

The Hora in Skopelos is one of the mostattractive towns In Aegean. The beauty of itsbuildings is complemented by a riot of flower-ing vines and potted plants. The town aloneboasts more than 100 lovely old churches.

Twenty-eight Idlometres of paved road con-nect all the main sites and villages on theisland, beginning with Staphylos Bay on thesouth coast. From there the road winds roundto the northwest along the coast to Loutraki,the port of Glossa. on the west facing Skiathos.

Staphylos, so closely linked with the island’sprehistory, and from there to Agnonta, a shel-tered, horseshoe shaped harbour. Panormosthe prettiest and largest bay on the island, alsohas a concealed, fjordlike cove that provides asafe anchorage for yachts in any weather.Milia, considered by many to be the island’sfinest beach, actually consists of three- cres-cent shaped stretches of white sand rimmedwith pine forest. The road then leads to Elios,and to Glossa. Loutraki is Glossa’s port, andall ships stop here as well as at Hora. Caiquessail from the main port to all those places, as

well as along the weatherbeaten northeastcoast and to beaches inaccessible by car.

All that remains, are the famous monasteriesof Skopelos, which boast rare murals, icons,and wood reliefs, built high up on the slopeswith incredible views to the sea.

HISTORY

In antiquity, Skopelos had the unusual nameof Peparethos. The Minoans established acolony there, and it is said that its first settlerand ruler was the mythical Staphylos, the sonof Dionysos and Ariadne. A tomb discoveredin 1927 at Staphylos Bay, is thought to havebelonged to him. Among the many rich finds

were a solid gold scepter, kept in the VolosArchaeological Museum, and a large goldsword handle, in the Athens National Archae-ological Museum.

The name Skopelos was acquired during theHellenistic era. At the end of the Roman era,the island’s patron saint and first bishop, Real-ness was martyred there. During the Byzantineera, Skopelos was used as a place of exile. In1204, it was taken over by the Venetians andwas recaptured later by Likarios, a knight in

the service of Byzantine Emperor MichaelVIII Palaiologos. It remained Greek until1453, the year Constantinople fell to the Turksand the Venetians regained control, In 1538, aTurkish Admiral, Barbarossa, plundered theisland and slaughtered the entire population,Skopelos continued to be deserted for manyyears, and it was only in the 17th and 18th cen-tury that it regained life and social organiza-tion.

SOURCE: www.greece.gr

Skopelos - view of the town

One of the many churches of Skopelos

Panormos Beach

GREEK ORTHODOX ARCHDIOCESE OF AUSTRALIA

GREEK ORTHODOX PARISH AND COMMUNITY

OF BANKSTOWN DISTRICTS“ST. EUPHEMIA”

Parent’s & Friends Committee $28,000Mr & Mrs Taleb (R.I. Taleb Australia Pty. Ltd) $3,500Anonymous $3,000Dr Anastasios Nicolaou $2,000Mr Yiangou $2,000Nick & Mary Kotsidis $1,400Con Ange $1,000Anonymous $1,000Michael Katzakis $1,000George & Christina Lord $1,000Mr & Mrs Miladinovic $1,000Christos Papachristou $1,000Lakis Polyviou (Kyrenia Travel) $1,000Peggy and Peter Pozoglou $1,000Tim & Amelia Stathis $1,000Christine Theophilou $1,000Mr & Mrs Tsiailis (The Impressionist Printing) $1,000

Christos Tzidimopoulos (Civic Marble) $1,000Nick and Con Madouris $1,000Mr & Mrs Georgoulas $500Hellas Marble $500Andrew Kapos $500Christos Koliris $500O Kosmos Newspaper $500Labor Funerals $500Laiki Bank $500Mr & Mrs Manetas $500Terrie Zafiriou $500Michael Chambouras $300Lambrini Gourvelos $300Mary & Anna-Marie Michael $200Katrina Kotsidis $100Dr Milonas $50

TOTAL $58,350

Winners of Raffle Prizes

Prize 1 Trip to Greece (Mr C. Tzidimopoulos) N. 13624Prize 2 Two Return tickets to Gold Coast (D. Loizos) No. 6983Prize 3 34cm Colour TV (Zoe Theodore) No. 8605Prize 4 Microwave Oven (Lambrini Gourvelos) No. 15238 Prize 5 National CD Player No. 5399

16th ANNUAL BALL 2004LIST OF DONATIONS

Worth its weight in goldEssential ingredients for the kitchen: part 3

Sirromet Perfect Day Chardonnay, 2002

Produced in Queens-land from fruit grownin the Granite Belt andthe South Burnett, thiswine exhibits a verypale yellow colourwith a tinge of gold andaromas of green applesand honey dew with ahint of strawberries.Not big on flavour, thetaste is a curious blendof butter oil, slightlyunder-ripe nectarines,melons and mixedpeel. Very smooth to drink with a lingeringflavour and mildly bitter after taste, this wineis nice to drink but the flavours are almosttoo subtle to make it a good partner for food.Serve slightly chilled on its own or with asalad.

Cost: under $15

Making Good WineBy Bryce Rankine(Macmillan, 2004)

This year saw the publication of a newrevised and updated edition of Rankine’s

highly suc-cessful Mak-ing GoodWine, firstp u b l i s h e din1989. Writ-ten as a man-ual for profes-sionals andstudents inthe wineindustry andthe keen,amateur winemaker this book is also fascinating readingfor the wine drinker interested in the ‘nutsand bolts’ side of modern winemaking. Onthe production side of things Rankine coversvirtually everything from basic viticultureand the processes the grapes are put throughfrom crushing, fermentation, maturation andfiltering through to bottling. From here hebranches out into a discussion of the finerpoints of wine making including variousfaults wine can exhibit (and why this canhappen) - knowledge that’s a must for any-one who wants to know just why it is so(whether ‘it’ is haze or an unpleasant smell inyour wine). Rankine will make you feel quiteat home with your surroundings on your nexttour around a winery.

Cost: around $30

Wine ReviewBy Imogen Coward

JUNE 2004 The Greek Australian VEMA TO BHMA 17/35

Food & Wine

By Imogen Coward

Recently fusion cooking, where ingredi-ents and flavours from different cuisinesare blended in the one dish, has been the‘in’ concept in contemporary Australiancuisine. As a result, we have distinctly Asianflavours migrating to European dishes andnative Australian foodstuffs such as wattleseeds cropping up in ice cream and cheese.While some foodies would have us believefusion cooking is new, it is, rather, probablyone of the oldest phenomena.

Perhaps the most obvious example of culi-nary fusion involves some of the essentialingredients in Middle Eastern cuisine: rosewater, orange water, almonds, pistachios, saf-

fron, cloves and cardamom. AlthoughMedieval Europeans often regarded suchflavourings as distinctly Middle Eastern (or,more commonly, Arabic), nearly all have aplace in the traditional cooking of the countriesfrom the Mediterranean all the way across toIndia, each country having it’s own take onhow the ingredient is to be used. Some ingre-dients, such as saffron, also made the jumpinto European cooking during the MiddleAges when exotic flavourings and heavilyspiced food were all the rage.

Rose water and orange water

Rose water, with its delicate, sweet floralaroma, is distilled from fragrant rose petals

and is used throughout the Middle East forboth sweet and savoury dishes. Orange wateris distilled from orange blossoms and is usedacross the Mediterranean and Middle East in arange of sweets from the almond pears ofHydra (Greece) to the Syrian pistachio bakla-va (baklaw a ‘be’aj’) drenched in orangeflavoured syrup. Around the world rose waterand orange water are perhaps best known asessential ingredients in Loukoumia (Turkishdelight).

Available from many delicatessens and stores specializing in Middle Eastern ingredi-ents, rose and orange water are handy ingredi-ents to keep in the cupboard.

In addition to its many traditional uses, rosewater can make an interesting and delicateaddition to rice pudding in the place of vanillaand other spices. It’s worth noting that,depending on the brand and quality, rose waterand orange water can be anything fromextremely mild or very strong, so taste testing‘as you go’ is the only reliable way to knowjust how much to use.

Saffron

Not to be confused with the extremely poi-sonous ‘meadow saffron’ or ‘autumn crocus’(Colchicum autumnale) grown in Australia asan ornamental flower, true saffron is madefrom the dried, dark-red coloured stigmas ofthe saffron crocus (Crocus stivus), a memberof the lily family.

Colloquially speaking, some things are‘worth their weight in gold’. In the case of saf-fron this would be a gross understatementwhere a mere tenth of a gram of saffron stig-

mas often costs at least $5.Saffron is highly prized for its ability to dye

foods and textiles (the yellow-orange orangerobes of Buddhist monks are traditionallydyed in saffron) and for its distinctive andenticing aroma. It has many culinary usesincluding adding colour and flavour rice andcurries, Spanish paella, risottos, French bouil-labaisse and some sweets such as Cornish saf-fron cakes from Britain.

To get the colour and flavour out of the saf-fron stigmas, they need to be soaked in hotwater or milk for around 10-15 minutes (10stigmas will colour around 2 tablespoons ofliquid). The stigmas and liquid are then used tocolour and flavour the dish.

Saffron is available in many shops includingsupermarkets. However, be wary of cheap saf-fron, especially powdered saffron.

Occasionally artificial dyes mixed with a lit-tle saffron are sold as saffron powder and, insome instances, whole saffron stigmas areadulterated with other stigmas and dye to looklike real saffron.

One spice merchant suggested that to test ifsaffron stigmas have been adulterated withartificial dyes, soak a few in alcohol. If the saf-fron contains only pure saffron stigmas thealcohol will not colour since the natural dye insaffron is not soluble in alcohol (only inwater).

If the alcohol does colour it indicates thatartificial dyes have been added to the saffron.As with most spices, saffron needs to be storedin an airtight container in a cool, dry, darkplace (don’t store it in the fridge or freezerthough).

114722

JUNE 200418/36 The Greek Australian VEMATO BHMA

Towards Athens 2004

BY ROBERT BRUCE

US Ambassador to Greece Thomas JMiller has recently been in Washington forconsultations. His visit coincided with thatof Public Order Minister George Voulgar-akis, who is the Greek official responsiblefor Olympic Games security.

Miller took time out to talk with the AthensNews about what visitors to the AthensOlympic Games might expect.

There has been quite a bit written aboutsecurity concerns during the AthensOlympic Games, given the war in Iraq, theMiddle East situation, the recent flareup inBosnia and so forth. Should tourists beconcerned about a terrorist threat duringthe Athens Games?

The world is what it is today. You’ve seenattacks in Madrid, you’ve seen attacks inIstanbul, you’ve seen attacks in Saudi Arabia,Casablanca, Bali, obviously New York andWashington (DC). It’s a more dangerousworld now than it was four years ago whenthey had the Sydney Games. It’s not Athens-specific, it’s just the world.

My sense is that our government is work-ing very closely with the Greek government.The Greek government is making a major,major effort to deal with the terrorism threat.They will tell you they’ve put out over threetimes the amount of money that was spent inSydney. They’ve got over three times thenumber of people dedicated to security. Thereare no guarantees in this world, but coopera-tion with us is very good. It’s moving in theright direction.

It comes down to an individual decision:Some people worry about everything. Thosepeople can make one decision. For peoplewho want to get on with their lives, they canmake another decision. I can tell you there isa tremendous amount of effort and energyand resources being put into trying to preventa terrorist attack here.

Most Americans have never been toGreece. What can they expect? Will lack ofknowledge of the language be a problem?

First, you’ve got a million-and-a-half peo-ple coming to the Games, and most of thosepeople do not speak Greek. It’s a much moreEnglish-friendly city than when I was firstposted here 20 years ago. Signs are usually inGreek and English. Increasingly, when yougo into stores, particularly in tourist areas,people speak English. English is taught in allthe schools now and is definitely the secondlanguage of this country.

Many Americans are concerned aboutsmoking in public. They have heard hor-ror stories about how Greeks all smoke.What is your perspective on public smok-ing?

A lot of Greeks smoke, and they do smokein public. For those of us who’ve gotten usedto not smoking in public buildings and inrestaurants... They do have restrictions onsmoking in some public buildings. What Ihave found when I go to dinners and so forth,people will often ask me, ‘Do you mind if Ilight up?’ I usually say ‘No,’ because I’m try-ing to be polite.

There’s been a great sensitisation that’s goneon in this country over the last 10 years that I

didn’t see when I was first posted here. In themid-1980s, people smoked, and if they blewsmoke in your face it was no big deal. Now, Ithink there is a much greater sensitivity.Greeks are extremely hospitable people, andthey want you to feel comfortable and theywant you to have a good time in their country.

Other than the Games themselves, whatwould you say are likely to be the bestmemories visitors take home?

I’m the American ambassador, so I don’t doadvertising for the Greek national tourismorganisation, but we (my wife and I) keepcoming back. This is our third tour, so obvi-ously there is something in this country thatwe like. It’s a beautiful country. To those whoare coming to Greece for vacation, my onepiece of advice is that Athens is very nice, butget out and see the islands and see the greathistorical sites and things like that.

Once you scratch a little bit beneath the sur-face, not only is the country beautiful, but wehave some really terrific friends here. Onceyou get to know Greeks, you couldn’t ask forbetter friends anywhere in the world.

What advice do you have for American orother English-speaking visitors? What willbe the biggest challenges?

If you are coming to the Olympics, I wouldadvise people to prepare to go with the flow,to not to be excessively demanding. TheGreeks have made a lot of provisions for traf-fic flow and all kinds of things that are sup-posed to ease movement. There are a dozenfloating hotels in the port of Piraeus. They aretrying to anticipate the needs of visitors, butas much as you try, I’m sure there will be cer-tain things that won’t be anticipated. Therewill be a lot of people here, whatever the finalticket sales are.

Come with the right attitude and you’ll have a great time. You’re on vacation andhere to have a good time, so have a goodtime. Don’t aggravate yourself in the process.Look at the big picture and if it’s pretty posi-tive, go with it.

Since this interview will run in the ‘AthensNews’, do you have any more general com-ments that would apply to visitors otherthan Americans?

My charge and my responsibility is Ameri-

cans, but I think things I would say that wouldpertain to Americans would probably pertainto others. They say 80 percent of having asuccessful vacation is what you do yourself,and I think a lot of the commonsense things -be aware of your surroundings, watch out forpickpockets. There will be a lot of people.

It’s going to be hot. August is always hot.Take the necessary precautions in terms ofdrinking water and watching out for the heat.I think [ATHOC] is trying to do schedules ina way where they will avoid the hottest pointsof the day. Come with a good attitude andyou’ll have a good time.

What are your own athletic interests? I try to play sports every day. All kinds of

team sports. Baseball is a big, big interest ofmine. Whenever I’m not playing squash ortennis, I run. I weight-lift. I’ve been involvedwith the Baltimore Orioles and their tremen-dous assistance to the Greek national (base-ball) team. It’s a great story in progress, and Ithink the Greeks will have a very, very goodmen’s team and a good women’s softballteam.

What events do you anticipate attending?I don’t have a clue. I’ll be here to work, and

we’re going to have all kinds of VIPs cominginto town. While the Olympics are a greatevent, my colleagues at the embassy and Iwill be working to help support the US effort.We are going to have a VIP delegation head-ed by former president Bush. We have beenvery involved in the security effort, and that’snot something that stops the day the Gamesstart. It continues throughout. Our day whenwe can let our hair down and rest a little bit isat the end of September, because theOlympics is just the first half of these events.There are the Paralympics in the second halfof September, and those are important aswell.

When you talk about American contribu-tions to the security concerns, what do theyconsist of? What has the United Statesdone to support the security efforts of theGreeks?

I don’t want to get into specifics. We’rehere to assist the Greeks. We’ve provided abit of training. We’ve had some exerciseswe’ve put on. It’s an ongoing endeavour.Wherever we can be helpful, we’ll try to behelpful. I’ll have to leave it at that.

Anything else you would like to add thatwe haven’t talked about?

Just to say that I’ve been focusing verymuch on the security side, because that’s myresponsibility. Other than being an interestedobserver, I haven’t been operationallyinvolved in venue preparation and hotels andtransportation infrastructure. There have beena lot of stories written about that, but mysense from having worked in this country foreight years is it will all get done. We’re alllooking forward to very safe and successfulOlympics.

Ambassador Miller is scheduled to leave his Athens post several months after theOlympic Games. The White House hasannounced its nomination of career diplomatCharles Ries, currently principal deputyassistant secretary at the US State Depart-ment’s Bureau of European and EurasianAffairs. Miller is ‘not at liberty to say’ wherehe will next be posted

ATHENS NEWS , 21/05/2004

Right attitude will get you anywhereIn an interview with the Athens News, US Ambassador Thomas Miller addresses his compatriots’ questions

about visiting the August Games and says, ‘We’re really looking forward to very safe and successful Olympics’

US Ambassador Thomas Miller (left) had fruitful talks with Greece’s Public Order Minister George Voul-garakis following the latter’s meeting with US National Security

Adviser Condoleeza Rice on May 7 in Washington

The service commenced on Monday 29th March 2004and operates

Monday to Friday from 9.00 am to 5.00 p.m.

JUNE 2004 19/37The Greek Australian VEMA TO BHMA

Towards Athens 2004IOC chief Rogge sees problem-free

countdown to 2004 GamesVisiting IOC president Jacques Rogge recently

departed from a meeting with prime minister CostasKaramanlis with the certainty of a problem-free count-down to the Athens 2004 Olympic Games, with prepa-rations at a peak.Rogge held a half-four meeting with the prime minis-

er, who has also retained the culture ministry portfolioto stress his government's priority on the OlympicGames. The meeting was also attended by alternateculture minister Fani Palli-Petralia, and Athens 2004Organising Committee (ATHOC) president GiannaAngelopoulos-Daskalaki.

According to sources, Rogge and Karamanlis exam-ined the course of Games preparations, with the IOCchief expressing absolute satisfaction with the devel-opment f the projects.

After the meeting, Rogge, accompanied byAngelopoulos and Petralia, went to the Main OlympicStadium, where they were joined by former IOC pres-ident Juan Antonio Samaranch, for an on-the-spotinspection of the work being done, including the Velo-drome and the Calatrava roof, and a briefing on theprojects by Games secretary general Spyros Capralos

and officials from the construction companies thathave undertaken the projects.

The sources said Rogge and the other members ofhis inspection team expressed satisfaction with theprogress.

Rogge, accompanied by Angelopoulos, was also dueto meet later in the day with main opposition PASOKleader George Papandreou.

Greek troops train for chemical weapons

attack in Greece

Greek army specialists arrived in the CzechRepublic recently to learn how to deal with thedeadly nerve agent sarin and other toxic mate-rials if they were used in attacks at the summerOlympic Games in Athens.

The 24 soldiers were the first of two groupsof Greek chemical and medical specialistswho will attend a week-long course here. Afurther 24 troops were due to arrive on July 7.

The soldiers will work directly with toxicmaterials such as sarin, soman, VX or mustardgas and learn how to detect, identify anddecontaminate dangerous substances.

Their commander, Lieutenant-Colonel Nasos Konstantinov, told journalists that pro-tection of the Olympic Games would be thepriority for his unit, made up of chemical andmedical specialists from the Greek naval, airand ground forces.

Only the Czech Republic and the UnitedStates have equipment enabling other coun-tries' soldiers to train in chemical protection,Konstantinov said.

The Olympic Games may also be protectedfrom terrorist attack by the NATO battalion forbiochemical warfare, the bulk of which areCzech chemical experts.

Negotiations between NATO and Greece onthe issue are ongoing.

Greece is spending 1 billion euro ($A1.7 bil-lion) on security for the August 13-29 games,with 70,000 officers protecting 16,000 athletesand officials and thousands of volunteers,journalists and spectators.

AFP

‘Cost of Olympic Games far greater than expected’

The cost of hosting the Olympic Games washigher than expected and the rewards less thanGreece had hoped for, Greece's new financeminister said in an interview published recent-ly.

Giorgos Alogoskoufis blamed the highercosts on delays incurred by the Socialist gov-ernment that successfully bid for the games in1997, and was defeated by his own conserva-tive party in March elections.

"The Olympic Games are costing us a lotmore than we expected, because issues wereleft for the last minute," Alogoskoufis told theAthens daily Eleftherotypia.He said the cost of the August 13-29 Olympicshad gone up by at least 1 billion euro ($A1.7billion) and that the delays - mostly in con-struction - had failed to project a positiveimage for Greece.

The games were to have cost $US5.5 billion($A7.7 billion), but the security budget alonehas doubled to more than $US1.2 billion($A1.7 billion). Cost overruns because ofdelays also inflated costs.

Alogoskoufis said: "The second mostimportant thing is that we missed the chance topositively exploit the games abroad all these

years."He said if Greece, one of the smallest coun-

tries to host the Olympics, was to bid for thegames today, "I don't think that we would beas excited."

Alogoskoufis was the second minister in aweek to question the cost and rewards of host-ing the Olympic Games.

Public Works Minister Giorgos Soufliasquestioned whether Athens should have beenawarded the Olympics because of the amountof work needed to host them.

"I question if our country should have takenover the organisation of the games, to getinvolved," Souflias told a parliamentary com-mittee on the Olympics.

After Greece won the bidding rights in 1997,it failed to begin any serious work on venues,highways and other infrastructure projectsuntil 2000, when the International OlympicCommittee warned that the games were indanger.

Souflias said he was not worried about thesuccess of the games, just of their cost toGreece.

"I am not concerned about not succeeding,but allow some people to be troubled aboutwhether the games should have happened. Iam working night and day for them to suc-ceed," Souflias said.

AP

Mr Giorgos Alogoskoufis

Australia's National Olympic Committeethis week reiterated that it completely sup-ports Athens and that in no way did itattempt to belittle the upcoming OlympicGames, according to a spokesman for theorganisation during a press conference inSydney. Spokesman Mike Tancred also denied anyattempt at trying to demonstrate that Syd-ney organized better Games than theupcoming ones in Athens, stressing thatAustralian officials are confident of theGreek capital’s success.

Athens 2004 General Manager for GamesSupport Vassilis Neiadas asserted that hotelaccommodations in Athens will be sufficient for

those coming to Greece for the OlympicGames, during a press conference organised bythe Hellenic Association of Travel and TourismAgents (HATTA). Neiadas emphasised that thelack of sufficient accommodation is a "myth"and that there is a wide range of hotels and hotelrates available. As for prices, he said that therumors about prohibitive rates and ridiculousincreases are unfounded, both in Athens as wellas in the rest of the country. He added that it is acommon phenomenon in cities hosting theOlympic Games for the price of services toincrease, but stressed that the increase should bewithin reasonable limits.

The entire collection of Olympic commem-orative coins, which were created by Athens

2004 and the company Efsimon Sylloges,were presented recently at a central Athenshotel. The collection includes six series ofOlympic coins and one series of torch relaycoins. Each series has a gold coin related tothe significant monuments associated withthe course of the Olympics, such as KnossosPalace, Ancient Olympia and the Pana-thenaic Stadium. The silver coins depict var-ious modern and ancient sports events.

World shooting champion Michael Diamondwill represent Australia at the 2004 AthensGames, despite Nathan Castles' request to takehis place. Castles based his court argument oncharges against Diamond for abusing his ex-girlfriend, which resulted in Diamond missingtwo important competitions and being tem-porarily deprived of his weapon. Diamond wasfound innocent. In Athens , Diamond will try towin his third, consecutive gold medal.

In brief…

IOC president Jacques Rogge

ATHENS 2004 Olympic Games andthe Greek flag fly on Mount Everest

As from last month Greek time theflag of the ATHENS 2004 OlympicGames, along with the Greek flag,fly on the top of Mount Everest.

After nine-and-a-half hours ofclimbing on the highest route of theHimalaya, the Greek team carryingthe two flags, which began theExpedition on 16 March, reachedthe top of Mount Everest successful-ly. Giorgos Voutyropoulos was thefirst of the five Greeks (all members

of the Greek Mountaineering Feder-ation) to step on the peak.Ten minutes later the rest of the

team (Panagiotis Kotronaros - head ,Pavlos Tsiantos, Michalis Styllas,Antonis Antonopoulos) stepped onthe peak. Apart from the flags theyalso carried the photo of GreekMountaineer Christos Barouchaswho lost his life in Autumn 2003,when he was preparing his summiton Everest.

SPORTSThe Greek Australian VEMA

Athens Olympic supremo GiannaAngelopoulos-Daskalaki defended theGames' economic impact on Greecesaying that the country stood only togain from organising the four-yearlyevent.

Angelopoulos-Daskalaki said theOlympics had allowed Greece todevelop its infrastructure, notablyroads "which would have otherwisenever been built", and prompted eco-

nomic growth in recent years as wellas helped promote the country world-wide.

"Greece has gained a new place onthe world map," she said.

According to government estimates,the Olympics' bill could exceed 4.6billion euro ($A8.2 billion), nearlydouble the original budget of 2.5 bil-lion euro ($A4.45 billion).

AFP

THE OLYMPIC FLAMEIGNITES AUSTRALIA

Commencing its inspirational journeyaround the world, the first destination ofthe ‘Athens 2004’ Olympic Torch Relayoutside Greece was Sydney, the host cityof the previous Olympic Games in 2000.

Arriving on Australian soil in the earlyhours of Friday, 4th June, the Flame ofOlympia was officially welcomed in a low-key ceremony by the Acting Prime Ministerof Australia, Mr John Anderson, represent-ing the Prime Minister, Mr John Howard.

On the tarmac at Sydney InternationalAirport the specially-designed silver lantern‘housing’ the Flame was proudly saluted byfour students of the Greek OrthodoxArchdiocesan schools, St Spyridon College,St Euphemia College and All SaintsGrammar, bearing the flags of Australia,Greece, the Olympic Games and ‘Athens2004’. Its arrival ignited the irrepressibleOlympic spirit in Sydney as the Torch Relaycommenced its global journey visiting thefive continents for the first time.

The festivities in Sydney commenced atthe Opera House, the landmark of the citywith its white sail-like design on a very crispmorning splashed with perfectly blue skies, afull white moon in the ethereal distance andin the presence of thousands of Sydney-siders who woke up very early for the occa-sion. The atmosphere was electrified withanticipation and a re-kindled Olympic fever. Present were the Hon Bob Carr, Premier ofNew South Wales, His Excellency theAmbassador for Greece in Australia MrPhotios Xydas, His Grace Bishop Seraphimof Apollonia representing the Primate of theGreek Orthodox Church in Australia HisEminence Archbishop Stylianos, the ConsulGeneral for Greece in Sydney Mr IoannisRaptakis, as well as representatives of theAustralian Olympic Committee and the‘Athens 2004’ Organizing Committee.

In a symbolic gesture by the Australianauthorities, the 100-strong ‘MillenniumChoir’ of the Greek Orthodox Archdioceseof Australia that performed at the ‘Sydney2000’ Games commenced proceedings with‘Tis Dikaiosynis Ilie Noite’(‘The IntelligibleSun of Justice’ by Theodorakis-Elytis) andthe Olympic Anthem, under the baton of dis-tinguished Conductor Mr George Ellis.

The ‘Garrabarra’Aboriginal dancing groupaccompanied by singer Emma Donovan,together with six elegantly-poised girls fromSt Spyridon College dressed as Grecian‘priestesses’, and choreographed by culturalluminary Mrs Sophia Haskas, performed amixture of each Nation’s traditional dancingto symbolize the unity of Greece andAustralia. Eycalyptus and olive branchesfurther enhanced the symbolism.

Cathy Freeman, Australia’s indigenous

Olympic Gold Medalist and last Torchbearerof the Sydney Games, lit her torch from thesilver lantern as the first Torchbearer of the‘Athens 2004’ Relay in Australia. So beganthe unforgettable Torch Relay throughoutSydney with hundreds of thousands of resi-dents enjoying the buzz of the occasion.

At Brighton le Sands - a seaside suburbreminiscent of Paleo Faliro in Athens andhub of Sydney’s Greek Australian communi-ty - a huge crowd celebrated the arrival of theFlame and were treated to a rousing commu-nity celebration organized by Rockdale CityCouncil.

The beachside festivities commenced withthe Olympic Anthem sung by MariaYiakouli, the National Anthems of Australiaand Greece presented by The MillenniumChildren’s Choir of the Archdiocese com-prising students from St Spyridon College,St Euphemia College and All SaintsGrammar, and ‘The Aegean’ sung byteenage sensation Sophia Constantopedos,star of the theatrical production ‘Oliver’ andstudent of St Spyridon College.

Following a modern Greek Dancing dis-play the celebration closed with ‘See you inAthens!’ sung by local Afternoon andSaturday Greek School students.

More than 10,000 people attended the fes-tival. Most of them also visited the Church’sGreek Australian Sports Hall of Fame whichwas officially opened by His EminenceArchbishop Stylianos the day before to her-

ald the arrival of the Olympic Flame. The Relay concluded at Olympic Park,

Homebush Bay, where Australia’s cricketingcaptain and legend, Steve Waugh, lit theoriginal cauldron of the Sydney Games asour Greek Orthodox Colleges formed a‘guard of honour’. The huge flame inspireda Greek glendi that included the MillenniumChoir of the Archdiocese once again, theSophia Haskas Dancing School, and talentedsoloists Sandy Constantopedos and MariaYiakouli.

The Olympic Park surrounds gave theGreek community and thousands of Sydney-siders the opportunity to revisit theDiscobolus Olympic Tribute erected throughthe fund-raising efforts of AHEPAin the leadup to the Sydney Games.

All Torchbearers, including 18 Austra-lians of Greek descent, agreed that carryingthe Flame was an indescribable and movingexperience that truly inspires.

Next morning the Olympic Flame depart-ed for Melbourne, the most populous Greekcity outside Greece, where festivities contin-ued in much the same vein with peoplewarming to the spirit of the next OlympicGames that promise to be simply magical.It was Saturday 5th June and Melbourne’sGreeks took to the streets to welcome theAthens Olympic flame, flooding the city in asea of Australian and Greek flags.

Thousands joined in on the celebrationsthat commenced at the Royal Children’s

Hospital where winter Olympian and WorldAerial skier, Lydia Ierodiaconou, was thefirst to light the Athens 2004 Olympic Torchin Melbourne.

The Relay then traveled to the Greekprecinct of Lonsdale Street where thousandslined the streets to catch a glimpse of theOlympic Flame. The large stage made forlarge celebrations and St John’s College ofour Archdiocese was on hand to presentdances in Grecian dress as well as a ceremo-ny re-enacting the lighting of the Flame atOlympia.

On its journey the Torch Relay weaved itsway to Victoria Markets where St John’sCollege juniors also went live on Radio 3XYbefore a major community celebration atAlbert Park.

There, the Sts Anargyroi College singersof the Archdiocese presented three songs inGreek: ‘Macedonia’, ‘Arnysi’ and ‘Athena’before the Torch moved on to the MelbourneCricket Ground where four-time Olympicgold medalist and Australian legend BettyCuthbert brought the flame into the groundat half time in the Hawthorn and EssendonAustralian Rules football match. The largecrowd roared as the flame made an honorarylap of the stadium, home to the 1956Olympics.

After its MCG visit, the flame reached itsfinal destination at Federation Square wherelarge crowds had gathered since early after-noon to welcome the flame. The Greek com-munity put on a spectacular show to honourthe occasion while Andrew Gaze ran the lastleg of the relay through the crowd to light thecauldron.

After completing its 60 kilometre journeyacross Melbourne, with the participation of11 Greek Australian Torchbearers, theOlympic Flame departed from Melbourneon the morning of Sunday 6th June on itsway to Tokyo.

Outside Greece it will visit all five conti-nents and all previous summer OlympicGames host cities around the globe. The‘Athens 2004’ Torch Relay will cover78,000km over 35 days, visiting 33 cities in26 countries with more than 3,600Torchbearers.

As Australia bade farewell to the OlympicFlame the question remained. Will we seethe Olympic Flame in Australia again? TheInternational Olympic Committee wants toabolish the global Relay. What a pity! Forsuch a small flame, it certainly spreads ahuge message of friendship, sportsmanship,peace and truce wherever it goes. It well andtruly ignited Australia’s Olympic spirit.

Well done Australia. See you in Athens forthe most ‘magical’ Games as they return tothe land of their origin!

Olympic committee president defends cost of Games

WITH UNFORGETTABLE TORCH RELAYBroad participation by Church

with its Millennium Choirsand Greek Orthodox Colleges