Pride and joy on Father's Day

This coming Sunday Aussie dads will be wading through various DIY manuals for power tools, CDs of old rock albums, series of Soprano or Seinfeld and bad ties.

Neos Kosmos English Edition (NKEE) decided to ask four Greek Australian dads to reflect on Father's Day.

John Mangos, senior anchorman with Sky News made it clear that being a father is "the best feeling in the world it is total unconditioned love! I can't spend enough minutes in the day with him."

Mangos and his wife named their 14 month old son, Konstantino after his pappou.
"My wife and I are teaching Konstantino Greek, we are committed to making him aware of his Greek heritage," said Mr Mangos.

This is even more pertinent as they became Greek nationals recently. -"Konstantinos is about to get his Greek nationality" says Mangos.

"My parents were Aussie born so was my wife and I want Konstantinos to be proud of his heritage and we want to give him more reasons to feel reason to feel pride and close to roots as we go to Greece annually."

The doting John Mangos points NKEE to Konstantinos' first steps into media, "Have a look at him... on YouTube,
Kosta Zorba he is dancing Zorba with his dog, it's amazing!" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YWt7g2C8vvw)

George Kapiniaris, ex-Acropolis Now, recently presented Rockstar, a one man show about being a new dad.

George is overjoyed with his 10 month old Petraki, "This will be my first father's day it's an amazing experience, you don't start living until you are a dad."

" I am on the highest level, its like a video game of life and being a dad is hitting the highest level, "said George -

"I used to get up every day at 12 noon, now I bet up at 3am and never sleep late, but I don't care how tired I get," added George.

Petrakis may be too young to shop but it seems that "an encyclopaedia of guitars" is what George is craving for Father's Day.

The President of the Australian Macedonian Advisory Council Nick Koukouvitakis has just become a dad for the second time, "My wife Roxane just gave birth to a boy, Stelianos and I have Vasiliki who is three and half years old."

Mr Koukouvitakis, when describing what being a dad is like to NKEE said, "It's a special feeling which one can not explain it's like unlike any other love."

Mr Koukouvitakis, thinks that every day is a reflection on being a father and is keen to maintain tradition and heritage: "Having a child is a gift and I would like to emulate my parents in the way they raised me."

The treasurer of the Greek Orthodox Community of Melbourne, Victoria, Con Dikeos, has two boys between the age of one and three, Yiorgos and Yianni.

He reminds NKEE that he is also a son, and thinking about his late father is an aspect of Fatther's Day for him.

"I think of my late dad on father's day"
Mr Dikeos' son Yianni was born on the last day of the 40th day of his father's death. "We kept it a secret and we announced it on the 40 days, in the hall."

Attempting to describe that day, Mr Dikeos said, "It was one of the most bizarre feelings of my life - as the first person I rang to say that my wife gave birth was my dad but life does go on and new generation is born."

Mr Dikeos said he plans to spend this Sunday with his koumbari at church, and then for lunch, as it is the third Sunday after his Yianni's baptism.

A common thread running through these Australian Greek dads have is their love of their children and their love of their own traditions and fathers.