Dora Houpis
A “COVID normal” Sunday to remember all saints and Melpomeni, Vaseilia, Antigoni and Evterpi
Fr Emmanuel swung the triple-chain gold thurible with precision. He swung the censer back and forth in equal measure. The movements were just enough for the white puffs of smoke …
Mitropanos sings away every “Cloudy Sunday” during lockdown
“And here again”(1) – we are in lockdown. But this time, every “Cloudy Sunday” (2), “I will close my eyes”(3) and Mitropanos will “Sing me one more song” (4). The …
Aesop’s fairytale advice for a real life pandemic
“Slow and steady wins the race.” (Aesop, “The Hare and the Tortoise” (620-560 BC) Let the clarion calls from Australian corporations, politicians and experts to open our borders faster and harder get louder. We, the citizenry, should stay the course. We should remember Aesop’s words in our battle against COVID-19 and continue with measured and methodical actions. Of course, COVID-19 is not a fairytale and Aesop was an Ancient Greek slave fabulist, not a …
News –
Empty streets: Victoria’s Lockdown is another slap to business
Victoria began the first day of its seven-day lockdown on Friday – the fourth time that Melbourne had been shut down since the COVID-19 pandemic began in March 2020. The …
Big troubles with the small intestine for the Easter soup
The chopstick was to blame. It was too thin for the intricate task: It was no match for the slippery offal. The few grams of small intestine almost didn’t make …
Prostate pangs and tales of Greek men bonding
Did you hear the one about the 87-year-old Greek man who went to hospital emergency for anaemia and came out with a catheter? Did you hear the bit about how …
Hellenic remedies for life’s modern problems
The older I get, the more I return to my Greek heritage to help me deal with life’s great dilemmas and problems. In far-flung Australia, I find myself constantly consulting …
Speak Greek in March and savour Hellenism all year around
Why should I speak Greek in March? What’s so special about speaking Greek? What’s the purpose of speaking Greek in March? How can a little campaign initiated in 2015 by …
Locked down again but free to revel in maternal wisdom
Never let a snap lockdown go to waste. I have used Melbourne’s Lockdown III to learn more about what my 87-year-old Greek mother thinks about life. I was visiting my …
Sinking under love’s heavy burden and needlework on Valentine’s Day
I BELIEVE in romance. Just ask the past four men I dated. They came with me – but not all at the same time – on my life’s journey to …