I was reminded
recently – well, early in May – that I have a blog. It seems I have been more
idle than usual.
I had an intention
to revisit the north of Japan to volunteer once again and see firsthand how the
recovery efforts were progressing. This has not happened. Instead, I found
myself recently idling in Athens, Greece for a brief time.
The inevitable
question arises when this piece of information is offered: “How is Greece?”
I think we will find
out this weekend. For the moment, Greece is in political limbo. The
inconclusive outcome of the last election, in which anti-austerity and
seemingly anti-euro parties did best, but ultimately unable to form a viable
government. The rematch is Sunday. The outcome will tell us how Greece is.
For the moment,
Greece is calm. Fortunate enough to have been in Athens a few times over the
past year, I can say it was much calmer now than eight months ago. In September
last year while I was there, there were demonstrations in Syntagma square,
strikes by bus drivers, train conductors, and taxi drivers. The center of the
city was blocked. The day after I left, Molotov cocktails flew into buildings
around the square.
This month, there
was none of that. This time the square was bustling with tourists, the open air
bars and cafes were packed. To be sure, there was nervousness that this year’s
big shipping exhibition would be lightly attended, but this would appear to not
be the case. The opulent parties that coincide with the biannual exhibition
overflowed. As a Swede at one party said as the second Ferrari and third
top-end Mercedes pulled up to the valet, “What crisis?”
Indeed, even away
from the exhibition and events, bars and restaurants were lively with young
Greeks. The Plaka was again full of tourists. The planes to and from Athens
were full. In short, it was a lot like it was two summers ago – and without the
threat of strikes.
What happens Sunday
will tell us how Greece is. It may lead to a messy default and exit from the
euro. It may bring back to power the parties that attempted to implement the
austerity measures demanded by the EU and IMF, and which sparked the
demonstrations. But for now, Athens is calm.
Posts
