Greek in Athens: Love for Macedonia flows through my veins
Team from Skopje based daily Dnevnik was sitting at a coffee shop in downtown Athens, discussing their daily tasks for the upcoming news report from Greece, when a man nearby spoke to them "Kaj ste Makedonci" (Hey Macedonians).
Dnevnik reporters are used to running into Macedonians in Greece, however, this time the man who spoke perfect Macedonian was Greek.
He presented himself as Gjorgji (in Macedonian), Gjorgje (in Serbian), Yorgos (In Greek) - whichever you prefer, he said.
In the 60's as a student at the faculty of Electrical Engineering in Belgrade, Yorgos had visited Macedonia countless times, stayed mostly in Skopje, but also in Bitola, Delcevo, Berovo and Kavadarci.
As Yorgos explained, a mixture of Greekness had created him. His father was from Samotraki and mother from the island of Samos.
During the 1960's, he was one of thousands of Greeks who received their education in the former Yugoslavia. He lived in Belgrade for seven years out of which the first year he studied the language, and the remaining six he studied.
The reporters from Dnevnik were pleasantly surprised by Yorgos command of the Macedonian language, not just the mainstream, but his ability to joke using Macedonian dialects. His travelings through Yugoslavia helped him learned Serbian and Macedonian. But he didn't stop there, Yorgos today speaks excellent Romanian, Bulgarian, French, English, Arabic and Albanian.
Yorgos explained his friendship with Macedonian students helped him perfect his command of the language. He became emotional when reflecting on his friendship with g.g. Stefan (current head of the Macedonian Orthodox Church), his friendship with Laze Kitanovski, the Angelovski brothers, Ferid Muhic, Ranko Rangelov, he remembers his meetings with Tito Belicanec, visiting Blaze Chulev in Kavadarci, Vasil Tupurkovski (head of Macedonian Olympic Committee)...
Yorgos had countless questions about Skopje, Kenzo Tange and what he did in Skopje, asked whether the Bazaar was as he remembered it, Debar Maalo, Esma Redzepova, Suto Orizari... where he met his first love.
"She was gorgeous. Redzmija was one of those women that you grab and run. Dear lord, she was so intelligent. I came specifically from Belgrade to visit her. Unfortunately, her brother wouldn't let us get married" Yorgos was nostalgic about his youth.
Hardly anyone knows the name of Alexander's horse
Yorgos says he doesn't like politics very much, however "everyone of us is a little bit of a politician, so whether you like it or not, political overtones reflect on each individual"
Talking about Macedonia, the name dispute is unavoidable. The name is a problem without a problem, says Yorgos adding we need to seat down and talk about it.
"Over here, we'are exploiting the geographical name Macedonia, of your Macedonia. Greeks are historically uneducated. I can ask a Greek right here "where is Skopje", and they will say "above Greece". If I tell them Skopje is the capital of the country we are not recognizing, they will tell me I know nothing while the individual providing the response have never set foot in Macedonia. Many times my friends will start talking about Macedonia, and I stop them and tell them ... lets talk only if you're well read and informed, if you are not, lets not talk. Most Greeks have no idea what is the name Alexander's horse. They don't understand that 'knowledge' is the biggest weapon people can have. You Macedonians are much more informed and knowledgable - says Yorgos.
Yorgos adds that Greeks are egotistical people, believe that Athens is the center of the planet.
A member of Dnevnik's team asked Yorgos why is it that Greece are so afraid from the word "Macedonia".
"They are very afraid that your Macedonia will move to the south. Fear keeps the grapevine, as you Macedonians say. No one knows what the future brings, and what will the Americans and Turks do."
Europe made us Lazy
As any other Greek, Yorgos too is worried for the future of his country, for his own future and his business. After years spent working in a Patras' factory, ant Athens Utility system, he now has a company for electric installations. For now Yorgos says business is good. He has enough to pay his 15 employees, mostly Romanians, Bulgarians and Albanians. He is the happies with the work ethique of the Albanians. Yorgos says he could not say anything good for Bulgarians and Romanians while the Greeks he says are simply not interested, though he doesn't believe they are lazy.
"Greeks are not lazy. Europe made us lazy. They gave money and paid for everything, for a long time. So until five years ago, everyone lived very well, but not one bothered to ask where are this money coming from! Every political party that came to power hired their own people, so for instance a cleaning lady at the Utility company was making 1,300 euros per month. Pensions went as high as 3,000 euros per month while others were given 500,000 euros to retire! Many people used those money to buy state issued bonds which today are worth nothing" explains Yorgos adding most of the people today were living on money they got from ATMs.
Chauvinism towards Vinozito (Ouranio Toxo)
It is a great mistake for Greeks and Greece not to recognize Ouranio Toxo, but to recognize the Golden Eggs (as he calls Golden Dawn). This is chauvinistic fear without reason, says Yorgos.
- Sick society gives birth to snake eggs, just like it happened here. In criminal conditions such as here, when the state cannot offer you protection, they turn to the "eggs", says Yorgos.
