U.S. Democrats Living in Greece Urged to Vote

Americans living abroad now have a way to help decide the 2008 US Presidential Democratic nominee thanks to the first-ever Global Presidential Primary. An open letter addressed to US citizens living in Greece appeared in today's Kathimerini with information about the voting process.

Voting can take place in person, by mail, fax or online.

In person at the Hotel Grande Bretagne - EASIEST!
Friday, February 8th (3-8 p.m.)
Saturday, February 9th (11 a.m. - 7 p.m.)
Bring your current or most recent US passport

By Mail, Fax or Internet
Register TODAY (January 31st) at www.votefromabroad.org
Voting address is the last address for you (or your parents) in the States.
You will receive a voting ballot in the mail

For instructions in Greek, contact John Lewis at 6946.121.241.

Science Behind Athenian Siren

We all know that Greeks age well, but one undying symbol of Hellenic pride has not only managed to grow old gracefully, but also continues to prompt jealous rages between her admirers. Many Greek beauties may come to mind, but I speak of the lady of Athens, the Parthenon.

With her controversial Elgin marbles and new museum, she is a beautiful Greek siren that is enticing from both a cultural and scientific point of view. Today's NY Times featured a PBS documentary that unveiled the level of detail and intricacy involved in erecting the marvel.

For instance, much like other beautiful Greek ladies, the Parthenon...

... is curvy! Despite the famous vertical columns, there’s virtually no straight line to be found.

... is tough to piece together and every part of her is unique! The blocks of marble are not interchangable. Since the lines are not technically straight, every piece is a unique part of jigsaw puzzle.

... is irresistable! And definately a wonder in our books.

NY's Cosmos-FM to Host Kotsiras-Tsaligopoulou Concert in May

2008 is quickly becoming the year of amazing Greek concerts - at least for those near and around the New York metropolitan area.

In addition to the all-star Remos-Rouva tour in March, Cosmos-FM just announced a May concert with Greek vocal powerhouses Yannis Kotsiras and Eleni Tsaligopoulou.

Details are still trickling in, but so far we know:

When: Late May (likely the last week)
Where: Hunter College in NYC

Tickets will be sold in coming months at yet-to-be-determined locations, but you can reserve tickets and get more information now by calling Cosmos-FM at 718/204-8900 (and please tell them you heard it here first!)

Below two of my faves from these stellar artists...

YouTube Solution to Fakelaki Problem

Kathimerini reported today that kickbacks, or the famous "fakelaki", cost Greeks 613 million euros in 2007 . On average, bribes to grease the ridiculous public sector amounted to just over 1,300 euros, while the private sector, such as lawyers and doctors (who should be stripped of their right to practice considering the insult to the "oath") received over 1,500 euros.

While the politicians point fingers for whose at fault (while scurrying to the bank to deposit some money themselves), the reality is that the only way out of this madness is broad scale sting operations to publicly humiliate, fine and even jail offenders. After all, wouldn't it be better to invest over 600 million euros in other ways.... reforestation, public works or employment programs?

Now, since it is likely that many in government (ha! if not all) benefit from this practice, I see the You Tube generation needing to take this into its own hands.

• 1st stop - ALL major TV networks and other media for immediate and frequent airings
• 2nd stop - Greece's treasury dept. to collect fines for the offense (fine should be a multiplier of fakelaki collected to account for amounts received in past 5 years plus taxes that should have been paid on this income).
• 3rd stop - Percentage of fee returned to the sting operative as reward for helping remedy one of the country's most serious ills.
  

After all, if the hand is at risk of being punished, perhaps they'd think twice about putting it in the cookie jar.

Help Save a Little Girl's Life!

Four year old Michaella Tzakas, from Franklin Square, NY, was diagnosed with MDS leukemia 2 months ago. This brave little girl URGENTLY needs a bone marrow transplant.

Since her immediate family is not a match, the family is asking the community to help find a match to save their little girl. Just a quick swab of your mouth and you may be the perfect match!

Two N.Y. area churches are hosting bone marrow testing events to aid the family:

Saturday, January 19th, 2008 - 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM
Greek Orthodox Cathedral of Saint Paul (Hellenic Room)

110 Cathedral Avenue in Hempstead, NY
516-483-5700

Tuesday, January 22nd, 2008 - 2:00 PM to 9:00 PM
St. Catherine’s Greek Orthodox Church ( School auditorium)
22-30 33rd Street in Astoria, NY
718 728-1718

For more information, please contact the Greek Children's Fund at 718/777-5GCF.

Reflecting on 07 and Thinking about 08

Hello friends - I hope this message finds you well after a happy Christmas and happy and healthy beginning of a wonderful new year!

With some time to decompress from a very busy last few months, I want to take the time to share with you my thoughts, wishes and hopes.

• A great many THANK YOUs to all of you who have supported us here under the olive tree. Not only do I immensely enjoy your company, but I know your support will help me keep writing regardless of how much piles up in life. Efxaristo for the inspiration. This year, I hope you'll share your thoughts and feedback even more!

• 2008 promises to be an important year for many reasons. For those of us sitting under this tree in the States, we are in the midst of an election that will hopefully decide the leader that will bring a smart way to approach the international and domestic scene. My hope is that you'll take time to identify the issues important to you, identify the candidates' stance and vote in the based on fact not fluff. For topics affecting Greek matters, I invite you to discuss your important topics under the olive tree and to engage each other - that's what it's all about.

• My resolution for Under the Olive Tree this year is to work harder to make sure that I bring you topics of interest that spark conversations - both online, in offices, living rooms and cafes. With your support, I am sure we'll have plenty talk about!

Happy new year to all - let's make it memorable!

NY Singers Join Voices for Greece

NYC's most beloved Greek singers join voices to support GREEK AID!

Thursday, November 1st

at Ammos in Astoria

20-30 Steinway Street (next to Central)

for

TAVERNA NIGHT!

Come eat, sing and dance to raise money for those who need our support to rebuild lives in Greece.

$20 donation goes directly to GREEK AID, Inc.

Want to be EXTRA Greek? Trade in some green for colorful carnation trays that you can purchase to shower your fave singers... again, proceeds go to the organization.

Parties of six or more are encouraged to make reservations at 718-726-7900.

OVELIA Restaurant Hosts GREEK AID Dinner

OVELIA is graciously hosting a GREEK AID dinner this Thursday evening to benefit the organization raising money for the fire victims in Greece. The restaurant is also donating to the organization for every person attending the dinner so please make sure to have an appetite for Greek food this Thursday.

You get a delish meal.

GREEK AID gets money from OVELIA.

Money goes to important cause.

Win-win-win.

OVELIA is located in Astoria, NY on the corner of 30th Avenue and 34th Street.

New Acropolis Museum Speaks Loudest in Effort to Bring Elgin Marbles Home

This past Sunday, the New Acropolis museum opened its doors and seems to have melted some ice in the effort to bring the "Elgin" marbles closer to their right place near the Parthenon. The event was marked with a momentous transfer of nearly 4,500 artifacts into the new museum, which was designed to bridge the artifacts on display to their original location.

Naturally, the most notable transfer was the remaining components of the frieze, 60 percent of which remain in the British Museum. Poignantly, it is hard to determine whether the new space's most moving attribute is the space still awaiting the return of the marbles or the design which allows visitors to bask in the same sunlight and see the same surroundings as others standing only 800 feet away at the Parthenon itself.

For me, the resoundingly positive public opinion that is now supporting the Greek efforts is the biggest accomplishment. Contrary to simplistic demands and statements of years past, many, including British media, now contribute clever diplomacy and sheer demonstration of capability as the variables that prove that the marbles belong in Greece.

Well done fellow Greeks!

Once again, we prove that our actions have the potential to silence critics. Let's take this learning to heart.

CENTRAL Hosts GREEK AID Fundraiser

GREEK AID 07 Kicks Off with Great Success

With a crowd well over 200, yesterday's inaugural GREEK AID event was a tremendous success.

Thanks to the efforts of many – organizers, community allies and attendees - we were able to reach many in our effort to support those affected by the devastating fires in Greece. This success will be our foundation for the great efforts to come to raise awareness and funds to support Greeks in need.

The entire GREEK AID organization is thrilled at the turn out and at how warmly it was embraced. In fact, a number of GREEK AID events will be unveiled in the coming weeks to continue the momentum thanks to our gracious partners.


Again, a great many thanks to everybody that contributed to the success!

Below is a glimpse of the energy of GREEK AID.

We hope that you will join us, either in person or in spirit, as this energy spreads for this good cause.

GREEK AID 07 in NY for Greek Fire Victims THIS SUNDAY

I admit to having a one-track mind of late considering the devastation that hit our homeland. So much so that I am now part of a group named GREEK AID, a non-for-profit organization founded in the shadow of these fires to help fire victims and other Greeks who need support.

Come join us THIS SUNDAY at 5 p.m., September 23rd in Athens Square in Astoria, Queens where we will rally to show our support for the fire victims.

In addition to local dance groups, we are honored to announce the following who will be attending and showing their support:

- Peter F. Vallone Jr., City Council Member

- Gus Karalekas, World Council of Hellenes Abroad (SAE)

- James Kalamaras, VP Hellenic Federation of NY

- Eleni Gage, Journalist and author of 'North of Ithaka'

As of today, we know that Assemblyman Michael Gianaris will try to attend.

Following the rally, a number of local businesses have opened their doors to allow GREEK AID to collect donations. Please stop by to support them (and GREEK AID) for their contribution. They include:

• Central 8:30 to 10 p.m.
• Island 8:30 to 10 p.m.
• Cavo 8:30 to 10 p.m.
• Oneiro 9 to 11 p.m.
• Platos 10 p.m. to 1 a.m.
• Caprice 11 p.m. to 1 a.m.

Many thanks to Daily Frappe, who promoted the rally and will be with us in spirit!

GREEK AID is a non-for-profit organization whose mission is to raise money to aid Greeks affected by natural disasters and those needing assistance due to serious medical conditions. Once raised, GREEK AID aims to deliver the maximum support to those in need by securing the method of delivery with the least administrative cost.

Save the Date for GREEK AID's Fire Relief Rally

With more details to come, please set aside Sunday, September 23rd on your calendars to join GREEK AID in the first of many efforts to support Greeks affected by natural disasters and serious health conditions.

The organization's first rally will raise money for the victims of the recent fires in Greece.

WHAT:
GREEK AID '07 Featuring music, performances and guest speakers

WHEN:
Sunday, September 23rd; 5 - 8 p.m.

WHERE:
Athens Square in Astoria, NY (30th Avenue and 30th Street)

WHO:
Everybody! Bring family and friends!
Together we can make a difference!

GREEK AID is seeking contributions for a celebrity auction to be hosted on eBay following the rally. If you know somebody or some way to get items that might raise money, please contact greekaid@gmail.com.

Hope for Un-Sexy Solutions After the Ashes

As an 'Under the Olive Tree' first, I am happy to share with you a guest blogger's insights on the recent happenings in Greece. Many thanks to Professor Andrew Livanis for his contribution to this discussion and look forward to this being the first of many contributions from him and you.

This past Wednesday (8/29/07), in Athens, thousands of people gathered outside the parliament buildings in protest of the government's slow and inadequate response to the fires.

Their protest was interesting in that it was silent, and there were no chants, protest songs, or angry mobs.

Participating in a protest is a sexy process. You’re not required to really do much besides follow whatever the crowds say and do. And, you’re given the illusion, as a participant, that you are actually doing something. But these days, protesting affects little in the way of policy. It’s a great photo-op opportunity. Many view it as a cathartic exercise. I think it’s silly.

(Before I continue, I should make a disclaimer to the disclaimer. I am not a member of any political party in Greece, nor do I hope for any particular party to come up as a victor in the next elections).

This protest was interesting for two respects. First, it was silent: while there were no screams of anger; there were no solutions preferred. Secondly, and most importantly, it protested the lack of a response on the government’s part, but failed to attack the government’s lack of a concerted prevention effort.

Some half-hearted prevention measures were put into place last year (2006), when a forest fire came close to burning down the home of the prime minister, Costas Karamanlis. The event prompted Karamanlis to promise strict measures to dissuade developers from building on land cleared by the blaze; satellite photos and spy planes, for example, would be taken at regular intervals to help enforce Greece’s law banning construction in forest areas.

However, there is no centralized plan to protect Greece’s economic/ecological interests. Notice that I used the slash to separate the two terms – that was done to indicate that they are interchangeable. In the United States, we seem to consider the two quite separate, but in Greece they are one and the same.

Many of the agricultural products that come from Greece are highly dependant on the ecological health of the countryside. And, tourism is largely based on the ecological beauty of the mountains, trees, soil, and water. So, in Greece: ecology à economy – it’s really a simple equation.

The crowds should have asked for some real changes. For example, Greece still lacks a land registry covering the whole country. While the EU has developed programs to rectify this situation, the program in Greece is moving quite slowly. This is important since having a comprehensive land registry would make it more difficult to have burned land reclassified as farmland, which can then be sold for development. Increasing this program could offer job opportunities to hundreds of Greeks throughout the country.

The civil defense department lacks a fire prevention strategy, which could lessen the impact of future fires. In other places prone to burning (i.e., Spain and Portugal) people clear undergrowth from their local forests during the winter and bulldoze firebreaks around villages. In summer round-the-clock fire-watches are maintained. This means more jobs for more Greeks, and the potential for fewer forest fires.

Greeks as a nation also are quite averse to purchasing insurance policies on their homes or land. Laws passed by parliament mandating insurance policies could potentially mitigate the economic impact of such forest fires to people in the future.

In times of anger and outrage, it is easy to simply express these emotions without any examination for change. Let’s hope that Greece as a country will not take the sexy route.

Greek Fire Relief - If You Want to Give DIRECTLY to Those in Need

Understandably, after the mishandling of rescue efforts and recent history's disappointment at how relief agencies distribute funds, many of you might be weary to give without being able to know for certain who your help aided.

Since your good will should not be dampened by red-tape, I have an idea...

If you know somebody that has been directly affected, please e-mail undertheolivetree@gmail.com with the affected person(s) name, village, degree of loss and immediate needs.

If you are looking to donate money or items directly to those affected, also e-mail undertheolivetree@gmail.com with your name, location, donation in mind.

We will then match the needs with the donations and help create a closer link.

Please refer friends and family members with similar concerns to do the same so we can make sure all of our support gets to those in need in whichever way is possible.

Greek Fire Relief - Now is the Time to Help!

The past few days we've all watched in horror as cruel fires have ravaged our homeland. As we anxiously reach out to family and friends in hope that the effects are only material, many questions, frustrations and theories have come forth.

- Who is responsible for these fires?

- Why can't authorities be closer to areas of need?

- How can citizens be better equipped?

- How do we make sure this never happens again?

Now, the most important question to answer is...

How can we help?

1.) Contribute to the national fund created by the National Bank of Greece.

You can do this by directly access the account info or by donating via PayPal, which was quickly mobilized by DailyFrappe.

2.) Contribute to the Greek Red Cross. The Red Cross, or Erithros Stavros, quickly dispatched both volunteer rescuers and medical personnel throughout the country to aid efforts. In addition to monetary donations, click here for a list of specific items they need to provide to their teams on the ground.

3.) Reach out to your local AHEPA chapter, most of which are collecting items and money for care packages to be sent to the affected areas. Most Greek Orthodox churches in the U.S. can help direct you to the local AHEPA efforts, which will likely be aligned with the church.

4.) Join the "Plant Your Roots in Greece" campaign to help mother nature come back in full force. With as little as $10, you can help plant a tree. Of note, it is important re-plantation is done by professionals as only specific types of trees can survive and help the scorched land.

This, thankfully, is only a small sampling of the humanitarian help being organized. Additional fund-raising efforts will be posted here, as well as on DailyFrappe... so please check both sites!

Also, please contact me at undertheolivetree@gmail.com to let me know about any activities you are organizing in support of this effort for more help in getting the word out. In addition to posting on this site, I am happy to extend information to other social networks and media.

And our efforts will not stop at aiding those affected, once that important task is accomplished we will unite again to help prevent this from happening again!

Ridiculously Tasty Greek Yogurt's Smart Ads

Interesting piece about FAGE's (my fave!) new advertising efforts in the New York Times! The brand, which I'd previously seen referred to as the "Aston Martin of yogurts" in a past USA Today, is now placing itself alongside other known luxuries, such as Tourneau watches.

Not only is this great exposure for a healthy and tasty product that I've been raving about for nearly a decade, but this is also a great demonstration of the popularity Greek products can obtain when marketed well to a broader public.

Bravo FAGE!

The New York Times ~ August 1, 2007
Advertising: Campaign for a Yogurt Enlists Stylish Partners
By DAN LEVIN

The images are eye-catching, luscious and tactile: on the left-hand page of the magazine is an advertisement for a Tourneau watch, its elaborate silver face shown up-close and in striking detail.

On the mirror page, a bed of white yogurt reflects the grooves and indentations of the timepiece, as if the magazine had been slammed shut with the yogurt and the watch facing each other. At the bottom of the page is an image of an overturned spoon, filled with creamy yogurt, hanging above a container of Fage Total. “Ridiculously Thick Yogurt,” is the tagline.

Readers of magazines like New York, Los Angeles Confidential, and Ocean Drive (of Miami) may have paused at the images and perhaps wondered how the symbiotic campaigns for such disparate products came together. In another spread, an Honora pearl necklace and diamond earrings have left their spiral impression in the Fage yogurt.

As it turns out, the unorthodox Fage (pronounced “fah-yeh”) campaign was dreamed up by Ogilvy New York, part of Ogilvy & Mather Worldwide, a subsidiary of WPP. Ogilvy New York conceived of not only the imagery but also the deal-making with both Honora and Tourneau, which are not Ogilvy clients. The agency approached both brands directly and worked with their in-house marketing departments on media placement and concept development, said Mark Tillinghast, group account director at Ogilvy.

“It was actually very easy,” Arturo Gigante, the senior art director on the campaign, said of persuading the brands to join the campaign. “They immediately recognized that it was a simple and fun way to incorporate their brands with Fage and appeal to a similar viewership, where one wasn’t competing with the other.”

Ralph Orssini, the president of Honora, acknowledged some initial concern about dunking his fine jewelry in yogurt for an ad. “At first I had to really be explained what the concept was,” he said, adding that he soon realized that the creative campaign could speak to a younger generation.

He also said that he saw similarities between the products: Honora pearls have the highest nacre content of pearls on the market, Mr. Orssini said, “so in essence, we sell ridiculously thick cultured pearls, and they sell ridiculously thick cultured yogurt.”

For Tourneau, the pairing seemed to underscore the sybaritic image that the brand tries to project, plus the physical qualities of the product. “In terms of luxury, the shape of the watch in the yogurt lends itself perfectly in ways a handbag or pair of shoes wouldn’t,” said Andrew Block, Tourneau’s executive vice president. “It’s all about making you stop to think,” he said, because “nobody has seen anything like this before.”

Besides the print campaign — which began last month and will run through the end of the year — Ogilvy is also handing out samples of Fage Total this summer on the Hamptons Luxury Liner bus and two Hamptons Citarella stores, in conjunction with Hamptons Magazine, which also features the ads.

Ogilvy is also hoping to sign up more partners for similar treatment with Fage, but it isn’t ready to announce any specific deals.

Antonios Maridakis, the executive vice president of Fage USA, said that the dissonance of the images is what makes them so striking to readers. “They may go back and take a minute to put two and two together, and that is what makes it more impactful and memorable,” he said.
Traditionally, yogurt marketing depicts the product as healthy, creamy and fruity, and usually features a fit young woman indulging in a spoonful or an energetic child grabbing a cup on the go. Luxury goods are conspicuously absent.

“Tourneau and Honora are known for making premium, beautiful products, and we thought that combination would show people we see ourselves up there — upscale and high end,” Mr. Maridakis said.

Since bringing its products to market in America in 2000, Fage, based in Greece, has cultivated a devoted following in urban markets, where Total yogurt is sold in high-end grocery stores like Whole Foods, Wild Oats and Trader Joe’s.

While most yogurt sells for about 89 cents a cup, Fage Total is sold for as much as $2 more. But that seems to only add to its allure.

We saw it take off tremendously,” said Tim Sperry, a retail consultant for natural and organic food manufacturers and a former buyer for Whole Foods. He added that in terms of sales, Fage was one of the top 10 yogurts at the supermarket and remains a dominant player within the specialty foods channel. “They really paved the way for European-style yogurts to break out of the traditional yogurt category,” Mr. Sperry said.

While major players like Dannon and Yoplait dominate the $3 billion yogurt industry, according to Nielsen Strategic Planner, denser, creamier Greek, French and other European-style yogurts are growing in popularity, according to Chris Crocker, a spokesman for the National Association for the Specialty Food Trade. And over the last year, yogurts with a “natural” claim on the package label grew more than 10 percent, selling more than $266 million, according to Nielsen.

Fage manufactures its yogurt in Greece, importing it daily into the United States, but it plans to open a manufacturing plant in New York in 2008 because of growing consumer demand here, Mr. Maridakis said. While most yogurts use only one liter of milk, Fage Total yogurt uses about three liters, and employs a patented straining process to give it a dense, creamy texture, he said.

Perhaps that is why the Ogilvy creative team chose to use the yogurt to produce the campaign’s images, rather than rendering them on a computer. “We knew we would get better realism and texture from pressing the jewelry into the actual product,” said Mr. Gigante of Ogilvy, adding, “but the Tourneau watch was not returned, let me tell you that much.”

Greek Army Video Hits Famous Celeb Blog

In months past, you've probably heard about some videos posted on YouTube by our fair fantaroi. Well, in an amusing turn of events, one of sillier of these videos were linked to by celebrity blogger Perez Hilton.

The video itself shows a group of Greek soldiers lining up to goof off and dance to Madonna's "Time Goes By (So Slowly)".

While the dance sure is funny, what made me really laugh was the diversity of the comments, which ranged from:
- Surprised and amused (by those that enjoyed the fact that these guys weren't taking themselves seriously), to
- Bigoted (thanks to those that consider Greek-style something other than infused with oregano, feta and olive oil), and of course
- Belligerent (thanks to the ongoing Greco-Turkish YouTube standoffs).

See for yourself!

Acropolis Snubbed

The results are in and sad to say that the Acropolis was not voted as one of the new seven wonders of the world. While I will get into my thoughts in a moment, following are the "wonders" that were selected by over 90 million voters:

1. Machu Picchu (Peru)
2. Taj Mahal (India)
3. Great Wall of China (China)
4. Chichen Itza (Mexico)
5. Petra (Jordan)
6. Colosseum (Italy)
7. Christ the Redeemer (Brazil)

So now, doing my best to not sound like a sore loser, my "key take-away"?

Selection of new wonders largely biased towards world's largest populations - China, India, Catholics, Muslims. While certain wonders were shoe-ins, I was stunned that a large statue in Brazil was selected over other more impressive feats. Then again, it's Jesus and with the tremendous number of Catholics in the world it really is no wonder Rio's statue made it.

Even without sore losers, this campaign was mired with controversy before the new wonders were unveiled, specifically as UNESCO dismissed the selection as "opinions of those with access to the Internet" and not the entire world in a press release last month.

While some countries, including Egypt and China, expressed concerns regarding the impact such a contest would have on tourism, a large corporate-backed campaign in Brazil was underway to "vote for the Christ". Perhaps explaining a bit of the bias, here telecom companies waived fees for those voting enabling a larger proportion of that country's population to vote.

Back to OUR wonder... well, no contest results or Internet vote could ever sway me to discount the Acropolis' wonder. Perhaps one reason I make an effort to stop by every time I'm in Athens... simply magical!

P.S. UNESCO does recognize the Acropolis as a World Heritage Site.

Hours Left to Vote the Acropolis into New 7 Wonders

If you've ever been there, you know the mystical awe that the Acropolis holds over Athens. Now, we have the power, through the simple click of the mouse, to vote this powerful Greek symbol into history once again as one of the new 7 wonders of the world. In addition to being a matter of Greek pride, this would be an excellent notch in the argument to bring home the Elgin marbles to their "wonder"ous home.

Currently competing against the Colosseum, Machu Pichu, Stonehenge, the Hagia Sofia and Taj Mahal among others, the Acropolis needs our vote. Simply click here to vote online (its super fast) and consider the other voting methodologies that can even earn you a second vote.

But don't put it off, we only have 12 hours left to vote as of 7am Eastern time this morning.

The new 7 wonders will be announced in Lisbon, Portugal on 7-7-07.