Season 1, Ep 08

Who Let My Dogs Out

Ah dogs. There's probably gonna be a handful of episodes on dogs as it has been, is and always will be one of my biggest passions. Oh yeah. All the theatre, Musical performing, ballet, choreographing and teaching craze can probably definitely measure up JUST about to how passionate I am about dogs. 
Definitely deprived from them as a child, I grew up in an apartment, and my mother's answer to all my attempts to beg for one was 'and where am I gonna put it, on my head?'. It was a classic. 'On my head'. But in her defence I did always have a love for the bigger breeds and the ultimate dream breed for my taste was a German Shepherd. So FAIR ENOUGH, the woman had a point. 
The grown up version of me realises that having a dog means mum does all the work and I'm just there for the pats. I realise that now. So I settled for a canary. Coolest canary ever by the way. But we'll get to that later. 
Now not to blow on my own trumpet here TOO MUCH, but not only have I always been a dog lover, but I must admit I always had a way with them too. Kinda like a mini-Dr Doolittle type or shall I say, Dr DoGlittle *flaring eyebrows*.
...Anyhoo, 24 years later after all that dreaming of having my own dog, or being around dogs or something, here I am living in London, and I move into a fancy pansy neighbourhood on the same road as a dog 'day care' centre. Oh yeah, it's a thing. A huge thing. You see, the rich and powerful of London own a dog for a whole different reason. To be considered rich in London you must have the house, the car, the maid, the dog and the dog walker. Dog gets treated like a kid, gets picked up and dropped off at day care, gets groomed, fed, trained etc etc. But hey, those who run those businesses end up being richer. Just saying. 
SO, here I am, struggling with auditions etc etc and it felt like a sign. Like a big sign. Dogs? Work? Hell yeah. Life is short. I knocked on the door and next week I started as a part time dog walker. I was in heaven. Walking dogs and getting paid for it? WHAT. Part time became full time and I swear if I hadn't moved away from London it probably would have been a career.
I learn best and I am at my best when I learn on the job. Clearly I never did a course or earned a qualification but here I am 3 years later, able to do behavioural training, basic health checks and in the meantime lets just say at least one of my clients whose dogs I took care of are total crème de la crème. Hashtag celebrity. But still no dog of my own. Let's just say working in London WITH dogs, made realise it is no place to have your own dog if you work unless you can afford your own dog walker. Hashtag irony. 
I have a million stories to tell you about my time at the dog day care centre before I had to quit and move on to a different super amazing agency where I got to work with my own clients, but I realise I rambled on again today so I'll give you a break, you know, leave you wanting more, and fill ya in on all the stories and the experience I have taken away from that job that I will definitely be telling my grand-kids about.That chapter of my life has probably been one of the most significant chapters so far. But I am super professional, no names shall be mentioned during storytelling. For now I'll leave you with the ultimate breed for me, the Lion King of all dog breeds, my Alsatian. 

Season 1, Ep. 07

SLAP

Remember Grey's Anatomy? Yeah, it's still going on so let me rephrase. Do you remember Grey's Anatomy until a couple of years ago, while it was still awesome? That's better.
So the Grey's Anatomy we all knew and loved had those poetic pep talk scenes, the dramatic 'rise to the occasion' scenes and most importantly the big 'slap in our face' scenes. That last one. That big slap in the face that you felt pretty much after every episode is what I'm gonna focus on. It has been my favourite long running TV show after Friends, and even though it could become 'too much happening and all at the same time' at times, if you think about it, individually, the accidents, the illnesses, the drama, the losses, the killings, they can all happen individually, and yes at the same time even, to anyone.
So my point being, slap in the face. Slap in the face to remind us how okay we are. We are okay. Hashtag OK.
Where the hell am I going with all this? Migrants. Thousands of unfortunate families and individuals who absolutely DID NOT chose to but had to leave their homes for a safer place. Not just a better place. No, a better place is what someone like me and you would move somewhere else for, a safer place. A place where they don't have to sleep under the bed with one eye open at night in case their home gets invaded and they get destroyed as a family in a few ways that I don't even want to type about. So basically, this is the wrong term to use about them. Refugees. Not migrants.
Enter media. First we hear on the news that they're 'invading' our countries. We roll our eyes. Then we stop for a second and think. We use our brains, media-free, and realise that they have every right to at least try to illegally enter a safer place. Of course each of these countries has to protect their borders, of course they have to protect their legal tax paying residents, of course, it is after all our patriotic duty. But it is also our human duty to understand that they have no choice, this is what we quite literally call a matter of life or death for them knowing that they can still lose the battle to enter another country and quite fatally. Bureaucracy-Shcmureaucracy, we are all people, we all breathe the same air.
Hashtag shoutout to the wealthy countries that are legally accepting big numbers of refugees in the next few days and providing them their safe land. Bra-vo. I may be twisting some bones here and causing rage to those who don't agree with my opinion but hey, my blog.
Getting right back to my initial point. Did you see the photo of the dead boy who got washed up by the sea? There's your slap in the face. We live in a free country where we are sleeping in our beds and with both eyes shut at night. So keep it humble you little stars, keep it real and be kind to one another. I stole that last one from Ellen DeGeneres...

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Season 1, Ep. 06

Post Holiday Blues

Let's talk about that. Only because I have spent the last 30 hours on planes coming back to base, not so ready for action, but I guess it has to be done, which is also the reason this post was a wee-bit delayed. And so, there isn't much inspiration this week, but more the need to talk about that feeling we get after a massive highlight in our lives comes to an end. Quote Friends, "an end of an era". Ok maybe not so dramatic.
Greece was magical. You can follow the entire journey from here to there and back, including wedding buzz and beach galore on Instagram. Also make sure you have checked out last week's post about the wedding. Some may have sent me the feedback that they felt like they were there while reading it. Some. Hashtag brag.
Family catch up, best friends catch up, watched sister walk down the isle, tanned, tanned, ate like there's no tomorrow, tanned. No wonder, you get the blues after. And then I sit down and feel guilty because I feel unappreciative of my everyday normal life. Why do we live for those holiday moments, why do we hate going back to work? Shouldn't we be leading a life where we all do what we love so we don't feel like we have to have those holiday moments to hang on to? Mmmm, I'm the romantic who always said yes about it, we do have to lead lives where we do what we love for a living, and boy do I serve this preaching, but a holiday is a holiday. As someone very close to me says, on holiday, you eat when you're hungry, you sleep when you're tired.
There's no schedule, there's no dress code, there's no does or don'ts and there is absolutely no stress over spending money, over paying bills, what to eat aka what to cook. Come to think of it this maybe define some people's lives 365 days a year but for the rest of us mortals, we know that all the of above are indeed situations we go through every day when NOT on holiday.
Now I am back having the rudest awakening as it's still winter over here. We got the rainiest, windiest welcome. Oh yeah NZ made sure it reminded us well that our holiday is more than over. But hey, here I am at least rejuvenated, rested, sun-kissed and writing my next post while watching the MTV Video Music Awards, finding out that Kanye West is running for president in 2020 and picturing Kim Kay becoming a First Lady. And it makes me realise that everyday life is not so bad after all. Hashtag preach it. Till next week...

       

Season 1, Ep. 05

The Wedding 

I'm sitting at the balcony of our hotel room thinking what great timing my next blog post has. The Monday after the wedding weekend. It's pretty needless to say that you are about to read all about my big-not fat whatsoever-Greek sister's wedding. 

First of all, I want to share my view right now with you all.

It is 8 in the morning and everything is so peaceful. For Greeks this is still the crack of dawn especially if they are on holiday. For teenage Greeks this hour can mean the "I'm about to brush my teeth to go to bed, man I'm gonna have a hangover tomorrow". 

So first of all, a massive thank you for your wishes on my birthday. 27 found me on the plane as I was on my way here so I shan't complain. It was a long journey so I took my time to watch a total of 7 movies in both flights. Check out my tweets about almost every film I watched on the flight(s) to Greece. Secodly, let me get this straight, this was not a wedding day, it was a wedding weekend. Only way we know how to. 

The bride, groom, the families and the besties all arrived at the island by the day before the wedding. There was a small fiesta at the beach where she was in white swimwear and with the help of the groom's crae-crae friends, there was a Hawaiian theme and dress attire going on along with a fun choreo moment and lots of pictures. And booze. Oh yeah, booze was very much present all day. But so was my jet lag so we had to retire earlier to our privates while the rest were going strong after sunset at the beach bar. Although I made sure I danced to a couple of summer Greek hits at the bar before I left. 

The day of the wedding, since Greeks make it more of an evening turn into night turn into morning kinda of wedding, we took it easy and did not do much but drink coffees, eat well and lie by the pool until the super amazing make up artist started transforming our newly tanned faces into red carpet swans. Uhuh. Hands down, some of the best make up I've had done. If interested, let me know for her contact dits lol. Hashtag business promotion. 

All in all, the bride had her hair and make up done in her honeymoon suite and as all the close frieds and fam gathered we watched her put on her dress and getting us all nervous too about her special day. And boy was it special. The besties were tearing up, the father was making sure nothing  was gonna go wrong being on the phone to the wedding planner and the mother was between getting teary and making sure we all had our photos taken by a guy who is a beast at his job, the photos he takes are beyond extraordinary. Hashtag another business promotion. Oh and his business is international too. Wink wink.  If you have gotten married or have had a close one get married you are probably nodding along right now remembering how hectic those pre-ceremony moments in the room were for you too. 

35 minutes late, traditionally, my dad walked her down the isle and the rest is history. The priest was reciting his bible rock lyrics, he mistook my sister's name for Anastasia instead of Eleftheria 3 times and I was making sure I explained every single moment of the Greek Orthodox ceremony to my Kiwi partner so he understood every little tradition of a Greek wedding. Pretty sure I was speaking more than the priest during. Hashtag sorry not sorry. 

The party was magical, the newlyweds entered and drew us all to dance with them to their song choice of "Shut Up and Dance" which I LOVE, and next thig you know the party was going stronger than ever with everyone, including my very sober mom 90% of her lifetime, drinking and dancing on tables. So the morning after meant recuperation and laziness at the beach as we all made some serious noise as soon as the happy couple arrived at the beach to join us. 

And now that the buzz is over it is time for us to really get over our jetlag and enjoy this pretty little island of Limnos. See you next episode, TA. 

                          ...Live long and prosper

PS: The bride looked like a Disney princess. And I'm not just saying it because we're related. Ha. 

Season 1, Ep. 04

I Have A Dream. (A Song To Sing)

London. I grew up in Greece but I really GREW up in London. Which is why there probably will be a marathon of 'episodes' on the London chapter. Nevertheless, it was all a moo point. Or was it? 

I've been thinking about the blog's episodes. How many per season etc. American TV shows have had huge runs of around 24 episodes per season so far but suddenly the newest trend seems to be the way the British TV has been going on about their shows with a sad 8-12 episodes per season. But now it's a fact that Americans have made cool. Empire, Rush, True Detectice, Ray Donovan, 12 episodes max, make us thirsty for more. LOVE Ray Donovan by the way. So I thought I should keep up with the trend and keep each 'Moo' season to 12 episodes.
Anyhoo, I will be quick on this one, gotta a wedding to catch end of this week. My big -not fat at all- Greek sister's wedding. OH YEAH. Can you hear the bells?
Now, when was the last time you had a dream? Anything? Good. So here I am 16 and thirsty. Thirsty for many things that I wasn't even aware of. I just had an itch to move out and discover. I could not fit in my hometown. I tried. Nah. By 16 I had gone through the whole teaching phase, just like every other little girl (I reckon), where I would line up my stuffed toys at home and pretended I was their teacher. I went through the ballerina phase in my early teens, since my training was becoming more and more hard core, the ballet fever was rising by the minute, then there was the release of the movie 'Centre Stage', which just literally made me want to be like Maureen in the film, and try out at the American Ballet Academy. Jokes. But honestly, I was living and breathing dance for at least a couple of years. No life. Remember the 2004 Summer Olympic games in Athens? One of the biggest events in the history of Greece? People were so keen to go to down to Athens to be part of it and watch? Well I went abroad to do a summer ballet course instead and I ended up watching the games on TV during my sweet 16th. Fact. By the way, since 'Centre Stage' is an uber cult movie now that I think of it, and not many of you may know it, it is the film that established Zoe Saldana's career. Another fact. Yeah, we all love our Avatar girl.
Nevertheless, passion or no passion, I was shoved into competitive environments since a very young-and tender-age lol. Honestly, the whole reason why I chose the high school that I chose was solidly for its Drama Club. It was pretty popular in Thessaloniki. I remember I COULD NOT sleep before the entry exams. Hash-tag, dramatic story. I lost an eyebrow over it because of the stress. Aw, 11 year old stresses. To this day, the right eyebrow is still thinner than the left one. But I passed my entry exams, enrolled at the school and made it my MISSION to audition and get cast in the Drama Club productions by the age of 13 even though it was theoretically supposed to be a club for Seniors and students over 15 years old. Did I lose another eyebrow over it? Nah, but a few pimples later and the use of then popular group Atomic Kitten's  cover 'Eternal Flame' for my audition, I eventually became a young member at 13. Hash-tag bragging, hash-tag, show off.
So what were your biggest worries and your biggest stress when you were 12?And was it worth it? Yes, totes.
I haven't even gotten to the London part yet, meh, we could stay in Greece for few more episodes before we move. I told you I can ramble. This is gonna be one looong season. Apologies. Or not.

Here comes the ballet gallery.

 

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Season 1, Ep. 03

   Keep Calm, Greek Summer Not In Crisis

   I am SO not used to spending August in the middle the friggin' winter and I am certainly not ready to spend Christmas in the heat. Dear Californians and everyone on the south hemisphere, how do you do it. Christmas is supposed to be white, I can't even wear my fat granddad jersey this year. But then again remembering the last 9 'summers' in London that I spent, minus the previous two which somehow turned to be the biggest heatwaves-careful what you wish for-, I certainly recall holding on tight to an umbrella in the middle of July and cracking on that leather jacket. Uh, first world problems. So how are you today?
   Hey, HEY, I am turning 27 in almost a week. No turning back now, one way ticket till the 30s. Yay. 27 years ago today, mom was heavily pregnant during a standard hot summer in Greece. I'll take this opportunity to talk about my time in Greece for all you travellers out there who are keen on visiting. So I was born in Thessaloniki. The co-capital. Funny how Greece is the only country in the world with a co-capital. You don't hear New Yorkers complaining about not being the capital of the  USA. Thessaloniki is awesome. Honestly awesome. Minus the recession effect, where heaps of stores have shut down, and minus the dicks out there who pay no respect and vandalise anything with spray paint. No, not graffiti, not the good, talented graffiti artists, I'm talking about the idiots who will buy a black can and spray their last girlfriend's name, who dumped them because they are idiots, on brand new buildings. Other than that, awesome. No really, the theatres, the cafes, the brand new seaside walkway, the White Tower, the OTE Tower, the Old Castle, the Panorama Hill, the statue of Alexander The Great. But most importantly everything is by the sea. Follow your nose around the city and you'll find the seaside. Mmmm. I grew up in a flat by the seaside. Pas mal. Obviously my 17 year stay in Thessaloniki was my school years so basically all I did was school-homework-ballet-drama club and repeat. And a few teenager flings. Just a few. Our usual Saturday night for us teenagers would turn out to be the cheapest nights ever because somehow all we did was meeting outside this massive church 'Metropolis', which is right at the heart of the city and socialise. That's it. From 8pm to 10.30pm. Curfew. Pretty sure, teenagers are rolling a little different these days.
    But summers for us from Thessaloniki, were just meant to be in Halkidiki. This magical place, that heaps of Europeans know of, especially my fellow Brits. We have to thank our Brits for their love for Greece. Halkidiki is famous for its beaches, that green-blue sea water and the sexy resorts all around. But you probably know more than I do, or for more details just ask an English person. LOL. My summers start at a beautiful place called Siviri and end up at the super beautiful Sani Resort area. Google Map them, I'm not gonna spoonfeed you everything. My early summers involved innocent bicycle rides, swimming lessons, paddle boarding and A LOT of playing Hide and Seek at night with the local kids. Like a lot.Honestly, I'm an expert. Later summers, closer to my teenage years switched from those bicycle rides and Hide and seek games, to laying at the beach bar aaaaaall day, and going to the local disco at nights, dancing to The Pussycat Dolls and mingling with the British tourists. What can I say, Sani was flooded by Brits back then. Probably still is. So yeah, at summers I had more of a life.
    Then, there's Athens. I lived in Greece for 17 years and I visited Athens 17 times as part of my family lives there. Athens being the capital, means Athens is where the stress is. Athens is where the craze with the stress is. Thessaloniki is known for being the city where the craze without the stress is. Maybe not anymore, but that was our notorious nature for years. But I love Athens. I could visit again and again. Amazing streets, artistic cafes and restaurants, the most amazing area of Plaka where they have thankfully kept everything the way it looked 65 years ago, and the sight of the Acropolis and Lycabetus never fail to give you the chills. Now trust me on that. And if you need to look at the sea again, just take a drive down to Glyfada, which has become such a hot area for the same reasons.
     Last but not least, the islands. Can't chose one, can't chose two, every single island is different and equally awesome. AWESOME. From the fancy, Kardashian visiting ones, like Santorini and Myconos to the more alternative and natural beauties like Folegandros, Thasos, and Koufonisia they are all amazing. They all have that hot golden sand and the green-blue water surrounding them. And right now they are buzzing. And for you my loves, yes you Aussies and Kiwis, visiting Lemnos island will give you a chance to see where the brave ANZAC used to rest during their Gallipoli battles. So whether you want a party holiday or a quiet one they have it all. Just stay away from Kavos in Corfu, it's the Magaluf of Corfu. Unless that's what you're after. No judgement. And remember, whatever happens in Kavos, stays in Kavos. Ta.

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Season 1, Ep. 02

             The "Lost" Phenomenon

   I feel like this blog will be much like the "Lost" series. Hashtag warning, there will be random flashbacks. Like a lot. MINUS the stupid, desperate ending to the story. I hope. It was nice how there were those flashbacks where we finally got to see the characters off that island looking decent. And technically I live on a island *purum pum tsss*.

   Isn't blogging awesome? I always loved writing but I never had the discipline to do it. I wrote a short screen play when this friend motivated me to do it as part of this American Short Film competition. The theme was the Greek recession. We had to write it, film it and submit it within 48 hours and incorporate our Greek flag in the story. Those were the rules. It was fun, and it did do very well I must brag. That's when I realised how much I enjoy writing. But blogging man, the old nanna in me thinks how neat it is to speak your mind about things and share it with people. Marvellous marvellous idea. 

   Since the Greek recession has been super hot in the media again this summer/winter, even here, I'm gonna talk about the short film a bit more. It's been over three years since we filmed it but 'somehow' it is still very current. We had asked two British actors to be in it and share their personal view on the country. What do they think of Greece. Their love for us was obvious. They know of the country as this beautiful, fun, friendly and carefree place on earth with its vast natural beauty. We incorporated their views in the story as well as their views on the recession crisis as much as we could. 

   To this day, no matter how much of a fever the media has caused due to the situation over there, our foreigners think of Greece as the land of Opa, Ouzo, sun, sea, moussaka, loud music and freedom. And if any of you amazing non-Greeks here don't understand any of these words, maybe it's time you booked your holiday to Greece, wink wink. Greek sea and sun not in crisis.

I left Greece almost a decade ago. But more on that next week *wink wink*

Ta, 

Katerina

PS: Feel free to check out the short film. It's pretty good. Check it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDKpmrMbDQo

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