-
Learning Cretan Lyra in Australia: My Experience
Cretans in the diaspora are faced with many challenges when trying to learn Lyra. This especially applied to 3rd generation Cretans in non-European countries. They often struggle with: These are some of the struggles I have faced here in Australia but I have learnt in my experiences that these struggles can be overcome. Below is…
-
What Football Clubs can tell us about Melbourne Greeks
The Victorian Football preseason was once again graced by the Greek Community Cup, however despite the Greek community’s outsized influenced in Victorian Football, only eight teams entered this year’s edition of the competition. This got me thinking, how can this competition grow further and what do community football clubs tell us about the Greeks in…
-
Rock music & no Oakleigh. Antipodes is a diverse but incomplete snapshot of Melbourne Hellenism
Melbourne has experienced a noticeable change in its Greek music scene as of late. Rebetiko, Greek Rock and Greek Jazz events have been popping up faster than I can keep track of. This year many of these acts were featuring at Antipodes across its three stages. However, as I lacked the ability to be in…
-
Souvlaki Lines at Antipodes
The aroma finds me on the other side of the streetand I am immediately made aware of my stomach’s emptiness.My mouth salivates and my focus narrows. I need something to eat.My options are delicious, but they certainly aren’t the healthiest. I get closer and can see that the street is overflowing.People are laughing and bumping…
-
I’d Rather Not, by Robert Skinner (2023)
‘I’d Rather Not’ presents a series of short stories from the life of Australian writer, Robert Skinner. Covering his time running a short story magazine, how he passed COVID, and everything in between, the book is a light and interesting read. In some ways the book presents a glorification of the life of a Brunswick…
-
The Big Short, by Michael Lewis (2010)
The film adaption of The Big Short was a huge success, managing to take a potentially dry story about the global financial system and turning it into a mainstream hit. Much of the reason for the film’s success if Michael Lewis’s excellently written original text which constructs a comprehensible and entertaining narrative that was able…
-
Another Coburg Church Memorial
Many years have passedSince my grandfathers passedAnd since then every yearMy family gathers here For some its far awayTo visit takes the dayFor us it is quite nearWe’re quite familiar here We arrive at different timesOur sleep schedule will decideAnd as we trickle inOur lateness is met with grins Inside its bright white wallsLies an…
-
Fran Lebowitz in Melbourne
Sunday nights in Melbourne are often a quiet affair, however entering the foyer of Hamer Hall revealed a hive of excitement as a crowd of impatient fans waited to see Fran Lebowitz speak. What immediately surprised me was the mix of people in attendance. There were loner arty patrons, elderly couples and groups of young…
-
The Brunswick Block
The suns warms my pathA path that is well wornKnown inside and outWalked morning dusk and dawn The sky is blue this arvoThe traffic has slowed downThe street is nearly quietAlmost like a small town The quiet only takesA moment to take a breathBearing down upon itA tram wakes from its rest Its been waiting…
-
It’s nice watching South beat the Knights
Despite a big week at work the prospect of watching the opening match of the season, doubling as a potential NST preview, proved too much to deny, so I made the last minute decision to go to Lakeside. Despite the obvious attraction of the match I can’t help but feel the early season kick off…
-
Poems, February 2024
I tried writing μαντινάδεςIn English not in GreekI struggled with the wordsThe metaphors were not neat For English felt too uglyWith lumps in the wrong placesIts flow was unfamiliarIts beauty merely traces I dug through all the wordsAnd wrote them down on paperThey read back technicallyOf man but not of nature English remains usefulSturdy like a…
-
Poems, January 2024
The summer is hotThe days are at their longestTime for us to play The autumn cools downDays shorten the tree leaves fallTime for us to shed The winter is coldThe nights are at their longestTime for us to rest The spring will heat upDays lengthen the trees flowerTime for us to bloom I want to…
-
Australian Football can never die. I am telling you so.
This week saw some bad news hit the A-League after the Australian Professional Leagues (APL) announced that half of its workforce would lose their jobs, and that its media platform KeepUp would be cut. Cue negatively. Mainstream media published negative stories, Bosnich & Slater criticised the APL on radio, and online both old soccer &…
-
Poems, December 2023
Poetry is easyWhen you realise it has no form — I went to Capers last nightand the bar tender wore a soccer top The team was fakebut the sponsors were real The top was newbut it looked second hand It gave the hipsters and the Greeks being serveddifferent things to smile about — Hell is…
-
Revolution, by John Greechan (2023)
‘Revolution’ marks the second major book exploring the career of Ange Postecoglou, and the first written by a non-Australian. Written by John Greechan, an Edenborough based sports writer, ‘Revolution’ ultimately delivers an entertaining (and well timed) analysis of Australia’s ‘greatest ever football coach’ and his exponential rise. Although Postecoglou’s backstory is well known by many…
-
ERTFLIX: Finally a well funded global platform for Greek Language content
About a month ago I downloaded ERTFLIX, the online content platform of Greece’s State Media. The platform had been operating for years in Greece but has only recently been made available globally. So now that I was finally given the chance, I was quick to sign-up and get access to it. I have been searching…
-
Tzitzipongo, by Pavlos Sifakis (2022)
‘Tzitzipongo’ is a modern Greek Short film set on a Greek beach at the end of the Holidays. Niko (Tassos Dimitropoulos) is left with one final afternoon to connect with his grumpy son Simos (Lefteris Chatzimichail) before leaving his family to return to London for work. The film’s premise is a little elementary and the…
-
Pilala, by Theo Papadoulakis (2004)
Although my conversational Greek Language skills prevent me from effortlessly enjoying feature length films, I’ve found that the short film collection on ERTFLIX has been both interesting to explore and easier to engage with to help me improve my Greek. I recently watched ‘Pilala’, a film that initially caught my eye due to its Cretan…
ehhere 