Hot as hell

, originally uploaded by Teacher Dude's BBQ.

Today I finished off the last of my bureaucratic entanglements. I'm not sure how many pieces of paper I managed to collect or stamps I needed but a conservative estimate puts the number at near 50!!! just to get one job done. I swear you could send a manned mission to Mars with less paperwork.

The worst part of it was running from one end of the centre to another in 40c heat. Still, fingers crossed I won't have to go through this kind of palaver again soon.

The 11th Anti Racist Festival Thessaloniki.

Last weekend I had the chance to go the 11th Anti-Racist festival here in Thessaloniki in which many groups and activists took part. As the organisers, The Anti-Racist Initiative, Thessaloniki say in their press release (click here to read it - Greek only, though)the event was designed to give a voice to those who have no voice and especially to the children of immigrants who often reach adulthood without any official papers and so risk deportation to countries they've never even seen.

"Θέλουμε να ακουστεί η φωνή «αυτών που δεν έχουν φωνή» και πρώτα από όλα των νέων, των παιδιών των μεταναστών. Των παιδιών που, ενώ έχουν μεγαλώσει στην Ελλάδα, η ρατσιστική πολιτική του ελληνικού κράτους τα μεταχειρίζεται ακόμα ως «μετανάστες». Των παιδιών που, μετά την ενηλικίωση τους, κινδυνεύουν να μείνουν «χωρίς χαρτιά», «λαθραίοι» και «λαθραίες» στην ίδια τους τη χώρα και απειλούνται με απέλαση σε μια ξένη χώρα που δεν γνώρισαν ποτέ!"

Nikos

Nikos, originally uploaded by Teacher Dude's BBQ.

I bumped into an ex - student as I was going through the centre. It was great to catch up on news.

Intense argument over our sacred right to park

Intense argument over our sacred right to park, originally uploaded by Teacher Dude's BBQ.

These two guys were arguing with each other in Aristotelous Square. I'm not sure how it started but somehow they managed to keep on shouting at each other, walking off then return for a new bout repeatedly while I was there.

Amusing, I suppose, if you're into boneheaded machismo in 40C heat.

Nikos

Nikos, originally uploaded by Teacher Dude's BBQ.

All in a day's work

What a day! Woke up to a power outage which lasted most of the day and then things went downhill. With no way to cook or even make coffee I decided to head off to the centre to get some bills paid and tie up loss ends, Great in theory but with temperatures in the 30s C and humidity hitting new highs means that you feel like you're trying to operate in a sauna with a wet blanket over your head.

Later me and Lydia ended up in the ER of a local hospital after she banged her foot badly while running around the flat. After four hours of waiting the doctors told us that she had a minor break in her small toe so they bound it and said there was nothing to worry about. She'll be as good as new in a couple of days, which is good news.

Leaving

, originally uploaded by Teacher Dude's BBQ.

Finally got my new passport which means that me and Lydia will be off to England soon. She can't wait to go and has been bugging me all week about the details. I think she's even more excited than I am about the prospect.