Daily Archives: September 7, 2014

Σε σένα πατέρα

Μέσα στον εγκέφαλό μου υπάρχει ένα συρταράκι κλειδωμένο, αλλά τώρα ήρθε η ώρα να το ανοίξω μια και μου ‘χει γίνει ενοχλητικό., και θα σας προσφέρω ό,τι έχω κρυμμένο εκεί από τότε που ήμουν 8-9 χρονών.

O πατέρας μου εκείνα τα χρόνια είχε μια δουλίτσα και λίγο πολύ έβγαζε το μεροκάματο για να υπάρχει στο σπίτι ένα πιάτο φαΐ και μια φραντζόλα ψωμί, που ο πατέρας μου κατάφερνε να κόβει 11 φέτες ώστε να μην αδικεί κανέναν. Και η μητέρα μου με τη νοικοκυροσύνη της τα ‘φερνε βόλτα. Η δουλειά του πατέρα μου ήταν να κόβει εισιτήριο όταν έμπαινε και όταν έβγαινε αυτοκίνητο στην πόλη του Αιγίου, έτσι γινόταν τότε, καθώς και σε κάθε πόλη της Ελλάδας.

Εκεί στην άκρη του Αιγίου, προς την Πάτρα, υπήρχε ένα μικρό σπιτάκι σαν παράγκα μπορώ να πω. Εκεί μέσα υπήρχε ένα τραπέζι, κι απάνω στο τραπέζι υπήρχαν όλα τα εισιτήρια (τα διπλότυπα) έτσι τα έλεγε, γιατί το ένα το κράταγε και το άλλο το έδινε στον οδηγό του οχήματος) που έπρεπε να κόβει ο πατέρας μας ανάλογα με το όχημα και με το που πήγαινε το καθένα και να παίρνει τα χρήματα, να κρατάει λογαριασμό και να παραδίδει τα χρήματα στο γραφείο που είχαν ο Μουστής και ο Βάβαλης, που είχαν πάρει τα διόδια με πλειστηριασμό, έτσι μας έλεγε ο πατέρας μας. Ακόμη, θυμάμαι και μια καρέκλα και ένα μονό κρεβάτι. Τώρα γιατί αυτό το κρεβάτι το είχαν ποτέ δεν κατάλαβα και πολλές φορές που ήμουν εκεί ρωτούσα τον πατέρα μου γιατί το είχαν αφού δεν υπήρχε περίπτωση να ξαπλώσουν, τα αυτοκίνητα, λεωφορεία και φορτηγά πηγαινοέρχονταν συνέχεια.

Αλλά εκείνο το κρεβατάκι ήταν η σωτήρια σανίδα για μας και θα σας το πω πιο κάτω. Σ’ εκείνο το μέρος που ήταν το σπιτάκι, ή το φυλάκιο, όπως το ‘λεγε ο πατέρας μας ήταν σε εξαιρετική τοποθεσία, πανέμορφη ζωγραφιά του Αιγίου.

Ήταν δίπλα στη θάλασσα, χάμου ήταν η ακρογιαλιά του Άνθη, έτσι το ‘λεγαν, εκεί πολλοί κατέβαιναν για μπάνια. Αν σήκωνες το βλέμμα έβλεπες την εκκλησία, την Παναγία την Τρυπητή, ήταν σ’ ένα ύψωμα, σωστός βράχος. Εκεί, λεγόταν, πως κάποιος βρήκε την εικόνα της Παναγίας της Ζωοδόχου Πηγής, κι εκεί έχει χτιστεί η εκκλησία, που κάνει χρυσές δουλειές.

Κόσμος από όλη την Ελλάδα έρχονται στη γιορτή της, που εορτάζεται την Παρασκευή μετά το Πάσχα. Έρχεται ο κοσμάκης να προσκυνήσει, να ξενυχτήσει, να προσευχηθεί να γίνει το θαύμα να θεραπευτεί κάποιος δικός του που υποφέρει. Έχει διαδοθεί πως είναι θαυματουργή. Αλλά εγώ, ως τα 22 μου ,που έφυγα για την Αυστραλία, δεν είχε γίνει κανένα θαύμα.

Πρέπει όμως να ομολογήσω πως ήταν ένα κόσμημα για την πόλη του Αιγίου. Κοσμοσυρροή, κόσμος πονεμένος, όλο το χρόνο μάζευαν τις οικονομίες του για να κάνει το ταξίδι ελπίζοντας στο θαύμα. Όταν έβλεπες την εικόνα της Παναγίας, σ’ έπιανε φόβος, συμπόνια και αγανάκτηση για του ανθρώπου τα πιστεύω και την μάταιη ελπίδα. Εκεί έβλεπες, χρυσά χέρια, πόδια, βραχιόλια, σταυρούς, δαχτυλίδια κι ό,τι μπορείς να φανταστείς, όλα χρυσά και αργυρά. Κάθε χρόνο τα μάζευαν και τα πήγαιναν στο χρυσοχοείο, όπως έλεγε ο καντηλανάφτης και πολλοί άλλοι μέσα στην πόλη, μεγάλη επιχείρηση σας λέω. Αλλά και μεγάλη πανήγυρις για την πόλη η μέρα της Ζωοδόχου Πηγής. Όλα τα σχολεία,οι πρόσκοποι, οι οργανισμοί, η φιλαρμονική. Το γυμνάσιο, τα κορίτσια και τ’ αγόρια με τα νιάτα τους και τις ωραίες στολές, ήταν πράγματι πολύ ωραία όλα και η τελετή αξέχαστη. Άντρες του λιμεναρχείου κρατούσαν την εικόνα και την περιέφεραν σε όλη την πόλη. Δεξιά και αριστερά ήσαν κορίτσια του Γυμνασίου, ντυμένα λευκά κρατώντας καλαθάκια με τριαντάφυλλα, άλλες κρατούσαν κρίνο και προχωρούσαν με βήμα που έδινε η φιλαρμονική. Τι να πω με τα νιάτα και τις στολές, τα λουλούδια και τη μουσική ήταν ένα πολύ ωραίο και αλησμόνητο θέαμα. Πράγματι είναι σπουδαίο να είσαι νέα και να παρακολουθείς ένα τέτοιο υπερθέαμα. Ένα τρέμουλο με συνέπαιρνε και δεν ήθελα να τελειώσει αυτή η τελετή.

Εκεί λοιπόν στο φυλάκιο που ο πατέρας μας εν αγωνία έτρεχε έξω να κόψει το εισιτήριο για το φόρο των διοδίων, λέω εν αγωνία, γιατί όπως μας έλεγε, μερικοί μόλις πλησίαζαν ανέπτυσσαν ταχύτητα και προσπερνούσαν χωρίς να πληρώσουν φόρο. Είπα, πιο πάνω πως το φυλάκιο ήταν κοντά στη θάλασσα, οι ψαράδες άφηναν τα κιβώτια γιομάτα ψάρια στον πατέρα μου να τα φυλάει κι αυτοί πήγαιναν απάνω στην ψαραγορά να κανονίσουν για τη μεταφορά και την πώληση. Στην επιστροφή του έδιναν ψάρια, πληρωμή για τη φύλαξη, κι ο πατέρας μας ήταν ενθουσιασμένος όταν είχαν καλή ψαριά, γύριζε στο σπίτι χαρούμενος.

Η μητέρα έπαιρνε το δίχτυ με τα ψάρια κι άρχιζε τη μαγειρική. Εμείς τα παιδιά τριγύρω ήμασταν χαρούμενα που το βράδυ θα είχαμε καλό φαγητό.
Ο πατέρας μας ήταν φιλήσυχος άνθρωπος, συμπαθητικός, ήρεμος, χλωμός. Είμαστε εννέα παιδιά και πότε δεν είχε χτυπήσει κανένα. Ο λόγος του ήταν αρκετός, χρέος μας να τον ακούμε. Ήταν θεοσεβούμενος πάντα έλεγε «έχει ο Θεός», όταν τον ρωτούσαν τα μεγάλα παιδιά τι θα φάμε αύριο. Αλλά έλα που όπως αποδείχτηκε, ο Θεός δεν έχει, δε νοιάζεται για το πώς ο Παναγιώτης θα ταΐσει τη φαμίλια του.

Και να μια ωραία πρωία έχει επίσκεψη από το αφεντικό του και του αναγγέλλει πως απολύεται από τη δουλειά του, αλλιώς θα γίνεται τώρα, οι οδηγοί θα πληρώνουν απάνω στο γραφείο του αφεντικού για τα διόδια.

Όπως μας ομολόγησε ο πατέρας μας στενοχωρήθηκε πολύ, σαν ν’ άνοιξε η γη, σαν να ‘γινε σεισμός στα σωθικά του. Τι να κάνει τώρα; Πώς θα ζήσουν τόσοι άνθρωποι χωρίς μεροκάματο; ούτε ξέρει πώς τα κατάφερε να φτάσει στο σπίτι με τέτοια συμφορά. Εμείς τα παιδιά τα χάσαμε, μας φαινόταν αδύνατον να μην έχει δουλειά ο πατέρας μας.

Μ’ αυτά και μ’ αυτά αποφασίσαμε και ξενιτευτήκαμε. Είμαστε πέντε αδέρφια στην Αυστραλία και τέσσερα στην Ελλάδα. Εμείς ζούμε με τη νοσταλγία και πονάμε για όλα που αφήσαμε στην πατρίδα.
Τώρα τα γράφουμε για να βρίσκουμε παρηγοριά.

Πάντα σκέπτομαι τον πατέρα μου, βασανισμένο, στενοχωρημένο, στερημένο από όλα τα αγαθά της γης. Και να πιει έναν καφέ και να διαβάσει μια εφημερίδα περπάταγε όλο το δρόμο από την αλυκή έως απάνω στην πόλη. Έπρεπε να περάσει το σταθμό, να ανέβει τα σκαλάκια, ή το καλντερίμι, να περάσει την Ερμού για να φτάσει επιτέλους στο καφενείο του Φετά. Όταν τον σκέπτομαι πονάω γιατί εδώ που ήρθαμε τα πρώτα χρόνια ήσαν δύσκολα και δεν καταφέραμε να του προσφέρουμε έναν καφέ, μια εφημερίδα, να χαρεί ο καημένος από τα παιδιά του. Έφυγε νωρίς, πικραμένος, στερημένος. Η Ζωή πολύ πικρή για μερικούς. Πατέρα τα γράφω για σένα. Στη μνήμη του πατέρα μου.

Πηγή: Νέος Κόσμος

George Bozinis.

A mysterious disease won’t stop five-year-old George Bozinis from taking part in this Sunday’s Walk With Me in Melbourne, raising awareness about people with disability.

At the age of only five, George Bozinis’ body can barely produce the energy he needs to eat and swallow – let alone walk or crawl.

Due to the rare genetic mitochondrial disease specialists believe he has – but is yet to be officially diagnosed with – as a five-week newborn, George even struggled to breathe. At the age of two he was finally able to sit on his own.

He had decreased muscle tone, difficulty sucking and limited vision from birth. At two months old he started having regular apneas where he required resuscitation.

“One month later George ended up in ICU where he was intubated as his apneas were getting worse. An MRI then showed lesions which indicated a possible mitochondrial disorder,” George’s mum Cristina Bozinis tells Neos Kosmos.

Doctors said that George was unlikely to live past two years of age.

At the age of five, the always smiling boy keeps defying the odds. Not only that he refuses to fulfil doctors’ predictions about his life span – he also started walking.

With the help of Scope, a Victorian disability service provider and a not-for-profit organisation with a mission to enable each person to live as an equal citizen, since recently George has been able to walk without his parents’ help.

Now, with the Hart Walker provided by Scope, he is enjoying his freedom.

“We didn’t think he would actually ever walk – and I didn’t think he would enjoy it this much.

“It gives him the freedom to actually make the steps and walk. Before, he was able to make the steps when we would hold him. This equipment helps him stand, so he can make the movements to walk. He is doing all the hard work on his own but the Hart Walker provides him the support,” Cristina says.

And without the support of Scope, the Hart Walker would be a hard-to-afford equipment for the young Bozinis family.

“If Scope didn’t exist in Victoria, I don’t think we would have a chance to have such equipment. The Hart Walker costs $7,000 – and it was purely funded through Scope.”

This Sunday, Scope will stage its annual Walk With Me at Birrarung Marr, Melbourne, to raise money and awareness to help those like George.

Now in its fifth year, Walk With Me is a national 2 km or 4 km walk that raises awareness that one in four Australians are impacted by disability.

“While it is only a short walk for some, Walk With Me is a real challenge for others. It redefines the traditional notion of an event challenge. It’s not about running faster, swimming further or cycling longer distances. It’s an event challenging us to take the time to walk alongside people of all abilities.

“It is an opportunity to support and celebrate the diversity within our community in an inclusive and festive environment,” Scope CEO Dr Jennifer Fitzgerald tells Neos Kosmos.

George and his parents Bill and Cristina Bozinis will make their way to Birrarung Marr on Sunday. Having nearly lost their son on many occasions in only five years of his life, they take every day as a bonus.

“We don’t know how long he has to live as the doctors still believe George has a mitochondrial disorder, even though he hasn’t been diagnosed yet.”

For now however, George is a bubbly and always smiling toddler, with a fancy walker and always very vocal to express his feelings and opinions.

“George is not able to formulate words, however he communicates to you in his own language – he is very verbal,” Cristina says with a laugh.

“He is so gorgeous – after all, that’s what makes us get through everything.

“While George’s condition remains undiagnosed, we live in hope and we cherish each day with him. The origins of the disease are still unknown. It’s good luck that we still have him.”

For people with a disability

With recent research demonstrating that Australians with a disability experience significantly lower levels of wellbeing compared with the rest of the population, Dr Jennifer Fitzgerald agrees that more awareness needs to be raised about people with disabilities.

“Yes, it’s important to raise awareness and acceptance of people with a disability in our communities. Recent research conducted, the Scope 1 in 4 Poll, suggests that there is still a lot of work needed to increase the wellbeing of people with a disability in Australia to become equal with the rest of the population.

“With the introduction and roll out of the National Disability Insurance Scheme across Victoria and Australia, it will mean that people with a disability have access to the services and supports that they need to achieve their goals.”

As one of the largest providers of services to people with a disability in Victoria, Scope supports the needs of people with physical, intellectual and multiple disabilities and their families.

“At Walk With Me, the whole community comes together to celebrate the diversity within our community in an inclusive and festive environment. There are always lots of families with children who attend the walk as there are kids activities and entertainment on the day. This year, Peppa Pig is performing two live shows at the event,” Dr Fitzgerald tells.

Providing family, friends, colleagues, businesses and members of the general public with the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of people with a disability, Walk With Me is also a fundraiser.

With over 20 Dick Smith Walk With Me events to take place across Australia in September, all funds raised will be distributed to provide vital disability services to children, adults and their families.

Over 700 people are expected to attend Sunday’s event in Melbourne.

“Walk With Me in Victoria raises money for Scope so we can continue to support people with a disability and their families, like George,” Dr Fitzgerald says.

Join the Scope and Dick Smith Walk With Me on Sunday 7 September, at Birrarung Marr, Batman Avenue, Melbourne, from 9.30 am to 2.00 pm. Visit www.scopevic.org.au to register. To donate to George Bozinis’ team, visit https://wwmemelbourne2014.everydayhero.com/au/cristina

source: Neos Kosmos

Prime Minister Tony Abbott arrives back in Sydney after his visit to India and Malaysia. Source: News Corp Australia

FORMER Howard government minister Peter Reith says the Coalition should have been more honest about its plans for budget cuts before the election, one year ago today.

Tony Abbott has returned from a brief trip to India and Malaysia to mark his anniversary in Sydney today, amid scores of assessments about his first year in office.

Mr Abbott’s former ministerial colleague Peter Reith offered his assessment on Sky News’ Australian Agenda today, saying Mr Abbott was likely to win the election but had suffered from mishandling of his first budget and the tough measures it included such as the Medicare co-payment.

“I think they should have been more upfront,” he said.

“Oppositions going into an election are terribly worried that if they tell the Australian public there (were) going to be cuts … obviously they’re worried that they’re not going to get in.

“Oppositions in the past have been more forthright.”

Independent senator Nick Xenophon echoed Mr Reith’s view, accusing the government of “sneaking up on people with quite radical changes” over the past 12 months.

“The government promised no surprises,” Senator Xenophon told the ABC.

“I think some Australians feel more tasered than surprised by some of the changes.”

Senator Xenophon singled out deregulation of university fees, a $7 GP co-payment and welfare cuts.

He criticised the way the Abbott government went about the planned reforms, highlighting a lack of consultation and a less cautious approach than that adopted by the former Howard government.

“I think a lot of Howard battlers are feeling quite betrayed at the way the government has gone about things,” he said.

source:theaustralian.com.au

Malaysia Airlines planes at Kuala Lumpur International Airport, Malaysia. Associated Press

Prime Minister Najib Razak Reiterates Call for Justice Against Perpetrators.

Malaysia said Saturday intelligence reports on the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 are “pretty conclusive” and investigators are now working on assembling physical evidence that can be presented to court.

“First of all, we do have the intelligence reports [on] what happened to MH17 and the reports are pretty conclusive,” Prime Minister Najib Razak said at a joint news conference with Australia Prime Minister Tony Abbott on his first official visit to Malaysia.

The comments come ahead of Tuesday’s release of a preliminary report by the Dutch Safety Board on Fight 17’s crash. The board plans to conduct further investigations and expects to publish the final report within a year of the crash on July 17.

Investigators have said they believe the plane was brought down by a surface-to-air missile from an area controlled by pro-Russian separatists.

“What we need to do next is to assemble physical evidence that can be brought to court when the time comes so that it can be proven beyond any doubt that the plane was shot down by a missile,” Mr. Najib said.

Mr. Najib added that investigators will need at least a few weeks to search the crash site in the volatile Donetsk region for remains and evidence before those responsible in the “atrocious crime” can be brought to court.

source: wsj.com

KUALA LUMPUR – An intensified underwater search for missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 will start in about two weeks’ time, Australian premier Tony Abbott said Saturday as he visited Malaysia to discuss the issue.

Abbott said the hunt for the jet, which inexplicably veered off its Kuala Lumpur-Beijing route on March 8 with 239 people aboard, would continue for as long as necessary.

Australia has been spearheading the hunt for the plane, which is believed to have crashed in the southern Indian Ocean off western Australia, but the massive air, sea and underwater search has so far failed to find any wreckage.

Speaking after talks with his Malaysian counterpart Najib Razak, Abbot said the new phase of the search would begin “in about a fortnight’s time”, in addition to ongoing mapping through a sonar survey.

“(The underwater search) will utilise the best available technology. It will last as long as it needs to scour the seabed,” he told reporters.

Experts have used technical data to finalise MH370’s most likely resting place deep under the Indian Ocean.

The more intense underwater search will focus on a dauntingly vast stretch of ocean measuring 60,000 square kilometres (23,000 square miles).

Najib’s government and the national flag carrier were widely criticised over what many saw as a disorganised and secretive response to MH370’s disappearance.

– ‘Justice’ for MH17 –

Paying his first official visit to Malaysia, Abbot also discussed with Najib the fate of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17, which exploded over strife-torn eastern Ukraine in July.

The two leaders called for “justice” for the 289 people — among them 38 Australian citizens or residents — who were killed in the disaster.

The West has blamed Russian-backed separatists for shooting down the plane, while Moscow blames Kiev.

Najib said intelligence reports on what happened to the plane were “pretty conclusive” but did not elaborate.

Dutch air crash investigators have announced that they will release a preliminary report on Tuesday into what brought down the flight, travelling from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur.

The Netherlands is leading the probe into the crash, which killed 193 Dutch citizens.

“What we need to do next is to assemble physical evidence that can be brought to court when the time comes so that it will be proven beyond any doubt that the plane was shot down,” Najib said.

He added investigators needed “at least a few weeks” — before winter set in — to search the crash site for human remains and to “assemble physical evidence”.

The search has been suspended since early August due to heavy fighting between Kiev and pro-Moscow rebels in the area and although most human remains have been recovered, some are believed to still be at the site.

“Once that process is completed, we will look at the criminal side, who is responsible for this atrocious crime,” he said.

The two premiers also met with Malaysian personnel involved in the missions to find MH370 and to salvage wreckage and remains from the MH17 crash site.

Later in the day, Abbott will meet business leaders as well as educationalists to present his government’s “New Colombo Plan”, a scholarship programme to encourage more Australians to study across the Indo-Pacific region, officials said.

source: abs-cbnnews.com