This could be the last time I visit the neighbourhood where I grew up - unless some new paperwork turns up that needs me to go back (not that unlikely in Greece) I don't have to go there, and in September my sister's moving out of our old house and the new owners are moving in. So I probably should have felt more emotional about this weekend's trip ( Read more... )

I'm off for a couple of days - it's nearly a year since my dad died and there's a memorial on Saturday in Greece. I have to get the 3:30am Gatwick Express so I can check in at 4:20, so I'll probably book the cab for around 2:45. Not much point going to sleep really, it'd just be harder to get up again. Hopefully that means I'll fall asleep on the ( Read more... )

Second post in a row to merit the celebratory doggie avatar - we've sold one of the flats in Greece! Penny's godmother is buying the big flat for one of her daughters (yes, quite well-off, how did you guess?) Typical that after going through all the proper channels, that standard Greek solution, "one of the friends or family will want it," ends up ( Read more... )

I was traipsing across London this morning (that's a good word, traipse, I should use it more often) thanks to some trademark Greek red tape. Back in Greece, my sister's been trying to sell my dad's old car for ages, and has finally found a buyer. All was well until they got to the paperwork, and she was told that she couldn't transfer the ( Read more... )

My sister's a fully-qualified teacher of English as a foreign language, and has been teaching around the world for a few years now. But apparently this isn't good enough for the Greek authorities, oh no. To teach legally in Greece she has to pass her Proficiency exam, and that's all there is to it. This is roughly as hard as an English O'Level, i.e ( Read more... )