Thursday 11 October 2012

Identity, Acceptance and Belonging

I may have been coming to Corfu for 45 years, but I've never considered myself (or been considered) a  Kerkyraios or Mandoukiotis.

But I'm not exactly a xenos either.

Up in the Zagori, where there are very few Englishmen, I was probably identified as o Anglos.

I've been coming to this mountain village regularly for thirty years. Finally people are starting to call me a Vitsinos.

When I was much younger, and living in a Somerset village, it took about thirty years for someone to be accepted or considered as belonging to the village (rather longer if they came from London).

So thirty years is about par for the course.

Not that it matters. People have always been incredibly hospitable, welcoming and friendly.

Putting things into perspective: the plane tree in the village square has stood here for around 600 years. As long as it lives, there is no danger that it will be turned into firewood. Everyone venerates and cherishes its noble ancient roots.






3 comments:

  1. I go with 30 years. That means for Ano K I must live to 96. It's a goal (:)) Meantime all you write and all you post reminds me of my good fortune in being an anglos who can be so long in dear Greece, physically at intervals, mentally, always. Had a brilliant shared 70th birthday party the other day with my neighbour Lefteris who unlike me still lives in the house where he was born on Democracy Street. http://democracystreet.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/birthdays.html

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  2. Na ekatonisete!

    I'm sure I wished you happy birthday, but with all the packing and other deadlines, I'm losing track. Chronia polla!

    Next year I hope to be better organised (returning to the UK earlier than expected this year).

    Tou Chronou!

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  3. Sorry, I should have written "ekatostissete".

    My computer crashed, and Norton Internet Security, in the middle of correcting the message. Caused by constant power cuts? DEH working here.

    Two day nightmare. In trying to fix Norton (at high risk), with "Power Eraser", I managed to erase Word itself. Managed to reinstall Word last night at computer shop in Ioannina. Only fixed Norton Security just now, courtesy of remote control Norton help service based in India. Thanks to Nikhil Krishna and Raja Gopal.

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