new shoes
Only in Greece - Number 1
My sister is a bookseller. The other day a man went in the shop and asked her in the casual manner we reserve to make enquiries about food or clothes: “Do you have anything by Plato?”
My sister answered that yes, there was the Apology, the Republic and the Symposium, and would he like one of these?
“My masters and teachers have told me something I must share with you” he said.
My sister has had her fair share of loonies at work, just like the rest of us, but she couldn’t possibly be prepared for what followed:
“I may be Plato’s reincarnation you know. Our ideas are identical even though I haven’t read anything he wrote”.
Only in Greece - Number 2
I call a taxi to go to work. I need to be there at 5 o’ clock exactly. The taxi driver does not know the address and grimaces at the map I have earlier printed out from the internet to make his life easier. Apparently the map is not helpful enough.
“Do you want me to look it up in your street guide?” I offer –because I am silly and still believe in humans.
“Don’t bother” he mumbles.
“I am only telling you because I need to by there by 5” I tell him whereupon he turns and looks at me and hisses: “You ALWAYS do that. You ALWAYS say you are in a hurry”.
“I say that? I, as in I personally, or I as in all your clients?”
“You personally”.
“But I’ve never seen you in my life before!” I protest.
“But I’ve seen YOU. I remember you. We remember you. You always say that.”
Reader, I am glad to be alive.
Only in Greece - Number 3
Greeks voted for conservatives again. I am flabbergasted.
September 17th, 2007 at 11:35 pm
#1, I think people who work with the general public like shop owners and police must get bombared with people just sane enough to avoid hospitalisation on account of their mental state. Next week your sister will meet Napoleon.
#2, maybe all taxi drivers are aliens that simultaneously occupy human hosts.
#3, the only good thing about having conservatives in is that they enact so many petite laws its envariably fun to break them.
September 17th, 2007 at 11:45 pm
#1 that’s why life will never be boring!!!
#2 sometimes you have to be glad that few stranger people know us before us! Think of it. He spoke to you as he were your father or your husband!
#3 if these were elections , i am an alien.-
September 18th, 2007 at 1:13 am
#1 I used to work in a shop before, and mondays was always the day of the week we knew all the loonies would be out and about making our lives even more difficult - could it be mondays is the day out at the psych ward?
#2 remember robert de niro in taxi driver? are you talking to me, punk?
#3 keeps comedians and cabaretists in work…
love the shoes! xxx
September 18th, 2007 at 3:39 am
And I think my son is the Dalai Lama….;)
I took a taxi on Saturday and had a terribly bizarre conversation with the driver. “I drive a taxi, but I am not a taxi driver” it began…so, you see, it is not only in Greece. Weirdos are everywhere.
September 18th, 2007 at 3:40 am
Oh, and I am ultra jealous of your new shoes.
Now I have two reasons to come to Greece. Chloe and nice shoe shopping!
September 18th, 2007 at 5:01 am
please smile at your sis for me
September 18th, 2007 at 5:03 am
i would think that booksellers have more than their fair share of loonies, mainly because literature seems to bring out the loony in more people than any other medium. think of all the lit professors who are “eccentric” and the crazies who go to the library all the time. your sister probably has five times the loonies than anyone else you meet
September 18th, 2007 at 4:17 pm
cute shoes!
strange people!
for a long time and I am still amazed at how many strange people there are out there.
does it make you wonder about their life story???
September 18th, 2007 at 5:51 pm
At least the shoes look nice.
September 18th, 2007 at 7:25 pm
LOL Your stories kill me
Especially when they involve taxi drivers - what a lunatic - “we remember you” - who is he? King Taxi Driver?
Why don’t I have stories like that to tell? At least they’re amusing, even if a little scary.
I’ve heard about the elections, what a shame. And the extremists were elected too, that’s always allarming, I guess.
September 18th, 2007 at 7:41 pm
…:-) Next time you’ll ride a taxi, make sure you take a picture of the taxi driver and the sign of the car to send it to a friend. You never know…
September 18th, 2007 at 8:16 pm
It’s always good when they employ taxi drivers that have no clue where they are going :).
Hope your week is going okay.
September 19th, 2007 at 6:44 am
Weirdos of Greece. I like it.
Those are some FABULOUS shoes!
September 19th, 2007 at 8:52 am
welcome back
your new shoes are perfect!
September 19th, 2007 at 1:31 pm
Few are those who see with their own eyes and feel with their own hearts.”
- Albert Einstein
I love your photographs, your new shoes, your stories on Greece and YOU!
Love you
Jeanne
Blessings!
September 20th, 2007 at 4:15 am
They elected conservatives? With all those free radicals running around on the streets?? (^_^)
September 20th, 2007 at 7:28 am
It is an adventure out there for sure.
Loving those shoes.
Hugs,
Connie
September 20th, 2007 at 8:24 am
unbelievably funny.
reminds me of the old gerald durrel stories of his early life in greece. this is delightful writing.
September 21st, 2007 at 3:29 am
oh my what a freak that driver was. My daughter has started taking the public bus and she is a little skidish of the idea.
September 21st, 2007 at 4:01 pm
1. i must have those shoes. !! i love them too much
2. why do you always say that to the taxi drivers chloe? sheesh!!! (lol-weird!
September 22nd, 2007 at 2:13 am
#1 - I would answer him in the calming manner usually reserved for people somewhat deficient in the mental faculties and who are also highly delusional: “Really, then you’ve come to the right place. Let me introduce myself…I am Socrates and I have been waiting for you.”
#2 - I’d smile and say, “Ok, I give up. Where’s the paparazzi?”
#3 - Eww…conservatives…isn’t that a bad word?
Love your stories. And I especially LOVE the shoes! It’s all about the shoes!
October 7th, 2007 at 10:16 am
What’s wrong with conservatives. At least with the conservatives, we don’t see them bagging on the American government (Clinton-Bush, whoever). Karamanlis has a great relationship with the US. That’s what Greece needs in this day and age. Stable relationships and not rhetoric.
Also, I think Karamanlis and Dora Bakoyiannis are a breath of fresh air among the circus of Greek politicians paraded daily on the channels. Watch how they answer the journalists. With dignity and calm, unlike the screamers of the other parties.