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Kavala Estiatorio strives to serve the best iteration of classic Greek cuisine in Long Island

Located in Long Island City, Kavala Estiatorio, owned by Joseph Licul and Skinny Lee, has been offering New Yorkers a modern take on classic, authentic Greek cuisine since July 2015.

Executive chef Arthur Robert Saks III, a young American who fell in love with Greek food early on, is behind the restaurant’s five-star menu.
When asked about Kavala’s success, he says “I’m nothing without my team; we are each other’s inspiration.”

“It has taken me years to build the relationships with these people; the people that make Kavala what it is. And without my boss and owner Jo Licoulis I wouldn’t have had the chance to create this restaurant and provide the NY scene with what I consider to be some of the best Greek food.”

Apart from traditional and staple Greek items, Arthur has included several gourmet options of his own interpretation, while staying true to the Hellenic mentality.

The awarded chef realised his love for food at the age of 10 and began working at a restaurant in South Carolina, where he stayed until he turned 12.

“When I was 15, I moved to the Caribbean. I got my start as a cook in St Thomas, in the US Virgin Islands,” he tells Neos Kosmos.
“From there I continued to Atlanta and then to Georgia, where I started working as a chef for a Greek seafood restaurant, Kyma.”

At the time, Kyma was in the top five Greek restaurants in the country and it is where young Arthur gained valuable knowledge of Greek food.

“The menu was phenomenal,” he emphasises. “Modern authentic Greek cuisine – mainly seafood – with a subtle touch of French and American influences.
“Everything was done with such love and executed by professional, well-trained chefs. Since working there, my entire career as a chef for the next eight to 10 years revolved around Greek cuisine from California to Alaska and back to New York.”

Arthur describes all of his experiences with Greek food in the US besides Kyma as “rather dull”. There either seemed to be something missing from the dishes, or the items on the menu would clash.

“While some options were good, as a whole, the meal would be lacking; flavours, textures … it just wasn’t complete,” he says.
“When I got the opportunity to create a Greek restaurant of my own, I took into account what I loved so much about Kyma and what really made me fall in love with Greek food.”

Arthur, who delved into the Hellenic food philosophy, was determined to convey the highest level of service and quality of food without the negatives.
“We have created a full meal experience with appetisers, entrées and desserts that complement one another,” he explains.

“The restaurant offers traditional Greek food, with several items that have a modern twist, my own ideas based on Hellenic spices and flavours that Greece is so famous for, the right combination can upgrade a recipe.”

Among the top-selling traditional dishes is the grilled octopus, braised in a blend of red wine vinegar and the juice of the Kalamata olive at a low heat. Then it is grilled over a wood flame and served with pickled red onions, finished with a touch of red wine vinaigrette and imported oregano. “At the same time if you are going to go modernised, I suggest the lamb neck ravioli,” Arthur says. “You’d never think that a Greek dish with an Italian-influenced ingredient would be such a hit. We won an award with this dish at the New York pasta bowl. I put it on the menu and it sells. Miserably.” The menu also features classics like souvlaki, ouzo and lemon saganaki, spanakopita, crispy zucchini, eggplant chips, fava (chickpeas), eggplant entrées, lamb selections, a different take on Greek salad, and lemon potatoes. All the spreads – tzatziki, tarama, tyrokafteri and hummus – are made in-house from scratch. They also do seafood and are famous for the grilled and crispy calamari, as well as fried and whole fish dishes like the branzino, porgy and sea-bass delivered daily from the Mediterranean.

Kavala, which seats about 50 people but also has a 85 square-metre patio area, holds a full liquor licence and also features a bar and an extensive wine list.

“Hellenic cuisine offers a plethora of mouth-watering recipes which can be complemented immensely with the right glass of wine,” Arthur adds, emphasising the wonderful variety of wines originating from Greece.
“Greek wines are the best match for Greek food. It makes sense when the spices and ingredients explode in your mouth. If you do Greek food, you need to have Greek wines on the menu.”

Meanwhile, Kavala Estiatorio’s wine list features a large selection of Greek wines from the wider Macedonia region and especially Kavala, for which it has received rave reviews.

“I went to Kavala and this whole idea resonated with me,” Arthur says.”The name seemed like the right choice.”
“Keeping it authentic, with a provincial touch. Our menu is influenced from the food history of the area and the flavours of the wine in the region.”

Part of this success is owed to the restaurant’s Greek manager, who is also the sommelier and helped Arthur find the right mix to cater for all different tastes and budgets.

“We hero the food but we strive to make the most of food pairing. An all-rounded and considered wine menu takes the dining experience to a whole new level.”

source: Neos Kosmos

It is hoped that the Coptic contribution to the ANZAC cause becomes more widely known and more broadly studied in years to come.

The Coptic Orthodox Church of Saint Mary in Kensington is holding a public breakfast, open to all members of the community, in honour of Anzac Day. This is a beautiful gesture which shows how a community, of Middle Eastern origin, that has ostensibly at least, no historical ties with one of the most enduring and hallowed of Australian commemorations, can integrate itself within the context of that commemoration, in a respectful and meaningful way, proving that one does not need to be of the same race as those who underwent the severe trials of Gallipoli, in order to pay tribute to the eternal human virtues of courage, loyalty and self-sacrifice. Our community institutions have much to learn from the Coptic approach which, at its heart is truly multi-cultural.

The word ostensibly is used above because the Copts do have a link with the ANZACs, one that like so many others is generally glossed over by an official public narrative that had until recently emphasized the role of certain key participants such as the British, the Australians, New Zealanders and Turk and is only now, gradually coming to acknowledge the role of other minor protagonists. One of these are the Copts, the native, non-Arab people of Egypt.

As a Christian minority that had been relegated to the inferior status of a dhimmi (non-Muslim) people under Islamic rule, the Copts felt a natural affinity towards the ‘Christian’ west and avidly supported Britain’s appropriation of Egypt in the latter part of the nineteenth century. With their western orientation and superior education, they were able to achieve important bureaucratic positions within the British administration.

Thus during World War I, Coptic community of Egypt held many fundraisers in order to assist the Allied war effort. As well, Coptic public servants played a key role in co-ordinating supplies, provisions and accommodation for ANZAC soldiers billeted in Egypt on the way to the front. Such a task was not always easy. Egyptian Nobel prize laureate Naguib Mahfouz describes in several of his works, the difficulty faced in controlling the rowdiness of Australian ANZAC soldiers, with their tendency to get drunk and become overly friendly with the local women, in violation of Egyptian social codes. Furthermore, vocal Coptic support of the Anzacs directly defied the call for jihad against the Allies, issued by the Ottoman sultan, who was also the caliph of Islam. Egypt was still technically a part of the Ottoman Empire and much of the muslim population of Egypt was sympathetic to the Sultan’s call. The fact that a subjugated minority had the temerity to defy this call and actively assist the perceived enemy did not go unforgotten or unpunished and Copts have over the years paid a terrible price for what is perceived to be, their western orientation.

It is hoped that the Coptic contribution to the ANZAC cause becomes more widely known and more broadly studied in years to come. In the meantime, local Greek community activists, including former members of Parliament Lee Tarlamis and John Pandazopoulos, along with the indefatigable military historian and honorary Greek Jim Claven, through the Lemnos Gallipoli Commemorative Committee have, after years of hard work, managed to raise increased awareness the Greek contribution to the ANZAC cause, especially with regards to Lemnos. This is of immense importance, as Lemnos was the major base of ANZAC operations, the place where the Anzacs practiced the landings, where the Australian nurses and medical staff established their hospitals, where the sick and injured soldiers returned for treatment and where the soldiers returned for brief periods of rest. It was also where the war that began at Gallipoli in 1915 ended in 1918, with the Armistice of Mudros, a bay of Lemnos. Joy Damoussi, in her recent book, Memory and Migration in the Shadow of War: Australia’s Greek Immigrants after World War II and the Greek Civil War, writes just how instrumental shared experiences of war were, in forging links between Greeks and Australians.

Furthermore, historians such as Panayiotis Diamandis in Sydney have, through their research, also highlighted the terrible human cost suffered by Greeks as a result of the ANZAC campaign. An estimated 15,000 native Greek inhabitants of the Gallipoli peninsula were forcibly removed and or ethnically cleansed by the Ottoman army, in their bid to secure the gateway to the Dardanelles. As well, he argues convincingly, that the order to intensify the deportation of Greeks and Armenians within the Ottoman Empire, which is considered to have constituted a genocide, was made as direct reaction to the ANZAC landing at Gallipoli. The Greek Australian community is thus inextricably woven into the warp and the weft of the ANZAC legend and we can and must do more to explore and commemorate that involvement and historical presence within the broader context of Australian ANZAC commemorations.

One aspect of Greek involvement in the ANZAC legend is generally overlooked sits in parallel with the Coptic experience. During World War I, a relatively large, wealthy and politically significant Greek community was resident in Egypt, especially around Alexandria and Cairo. The connection of that community with the ANZACs in a fascinating one because its wealthy leaders, industry and property magnates with political interests in Greece, variously aligned themselves with the royalist (anti-war) or Venizelist (pro-Allied) factions within that country, polarizing the Greek-Egyptian community in the process. Works of literature such as Dimitris Stefanakis’ epic ‘Days of Alexandria,’ («Ημέρες Αλεξάνδρειας»), portray just how riven by internecine strife the Greek community was at that period, with one half actively supporting the British, the wives of wealthy Greek businessmen holding fundraisers for the ANZAC troops and seeking to organize entertainment for them, (and indeed, some female members of the Greek-Egyptian community formed attachments of love with ANZAC soldiers) while the other half of the Greek community embroiled themselves in numerous arguments with their compatriots, dissolved friendships and on occasion, found themselves at odds with the British authorities as a result of their opposition to the Allied cause. It would be fascinating to study the considerations which led the Greeks of Egypt to actively support or oppose the ANZACs for in doing so, a microcosm of contemporary Greek society is revealed while contemporaneously providing one more link between our community and the ANZACs. Sadly, no such attempts have been made here in Australia to date and it would be of great benefit if the various Greek-Egyptian-Australian organizations that operate here, could turn their minds to such an important task. In the meantime, we should also do more to raise awareness of and celebrate the contributions of the small Greek-Australian community at the time, to the ANZAC effort.

One doesn’t have to be an Anglo-Australian to honour or appreciate the ANZAC legend. Nor does one have to be an imperialist, colonialist, or nationalist. One cannot help but admire the courage, steadfastness, loyalty and resourcefulness of the young Australian soldiers, who were placed in the most horrific of circumstances but nonetheless remained committed to sacrificing their lives for what they believed to be the greater good. There’s is a very human achievement, that reminds us that even in a place of utmost evil, love and friendship can endure. That the Greek people both within Greece and outside of it, and others, stood beside the ANZACs, cheered them on, tended to their wounds, fed them, provided them with comfort and held their hands as they died is something our community can be inordinately proud of. In all of these ways, ANZAC day is of vital importance to the Greek-Australian community.

It is OUR day, not only as Australians, but as Greeks as well and judging by the large number of Greeks attending my local RSL’s pre-Anzac day commemoration, these are sentiments which laudably, are shared by the majority of the Greek Australian community. On the 25 of April this year, and on every day thereafter, we the Greeks of Australia will remember them, and because we are an old people, with incredibly long memories, we will never forget.

*Dean Kalymniou is a Melbourne-based solicitor and freelance journalist.

source:Neos Kosmos

Australia will continue to use the official UN interim reference

A report published on 15 April by the Macedonian Information Agency quoting Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, who pledged to revisit the FYROM name issue, has caused turmoil among the Greek Australian community.

The aforementioned FYROM news agency reported that the statements were made during a meeting in Perth organised by Liberal MP Luke Simpkins, elected to the seat of Cowan in WA.

Answering a question posed by the Vardar Club’s (local FYROM Australian community) Goce Siljanovski, Mr Turnbull said that he will review the reasons for Australia’s “failure to recognise ‘Macedonia’ under its constitutional name”.

“I’ll take on board your concerns about it, but I don’t want to step on the toes of the foreign minister,” he explained, apologising for not having discussed the issue with Foreign Minister Julie Bishop prior to the meeting.

Meanwhile, in March 2015, Minister Bishop responded to a letter from the Macedonian association in Australia by saying that the government will continue, as a temporary measure, to use the interim reference, pending a resolution of the dispute between FYROM and Greece.

It is worth mentioning that Luke Simpkins is a staunch supporter of the Vardar Club, while a substantial number of citizens who hail from FYROM reside in Perth, and the event was part of his pre-election campaign.

Mr Siljanovski, emphasising the “sizeable” FYROM Australian community, asked the prime minister if he can promise his “fellow ‘Macedonians'” that the Coalition government will not continue to use the United Nation’s interim reference ‘the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia’ after the next election.

“As you know, it’s been a vexed issue but our relations with ‘Macedonia’ are excellent and the ‘Macedonian’ Australian community have played an enormously valuable part in Australia,” Mr Turnbull said, referring to FYROM as ‘Macedonia’.

“We do try as the Australian government to stay out of some of these issues and this is one of the reasons people come to Australia, to avoid these arguments,” he continued jokingly.

The online article, accompanied with video footage on YouTube featuring part of the meeting, caused a strong reaction among Greek communities in Australia.

In a letter sent to the prime minister by the Pan-Macedonian Association of Melbourne, signed by the president of the association Mr Peter Jasonides, members of the Greek community expressed their “great concern” apropos Malcolm Turnbull’s statements.

“Prime Minister, your knowledge of Classical Studies, no doubt, assists you to understand who were and who the Macedonians are. Given that you are also well-versed on the ‘naming dispute’, we find it concerning that you would make such comments about FYROM.

The naming of ‘Macedonia’ is a matter of cultural and historical identity for Greeks, and cannot be negotiated. It is also an issue of heritage that cannot be disputed or spared. The FYROM desires to be called ‘Macedonia’ and by usurping the name, it appropriates the Greek history and many other elements that go with the name such as identity, ancestry, culture, ethnicity, heritage and cohesiveness. As such, any reference to it in the context of which, what seemed to have been coercion from Mr Simpkins and his associated company, is considered to be an encouragement of irredentist territorial claims. Even its use to such ethnic groups is considered to be ‘adding fuel to the fire’.

In addition, to clear any false or misrepresentative figures by certain members of the FYROM community in Australia, it is important to note that there are approximately 140,000 Greek Macedonians living in Australia, in addition to another 550,000 Greeks and Cypriots. The Greeks in Australia do not oppose the right of those from FYROM to exist or to join the international community via diplomacy and legitimate channels, respecting, however, the historical and cultural rights of other nations.

Prime Minister, we note that the FYROM community in Australia has made numerous vexatious and illegitimate claims about our Australian politicians aligning themselves with this group’s agenda, and therefore we question the context in which you stated that you will look into “Australia’s failure to recognise ‘Macedonia’ under its constitutional name”. As one of the largest ethnic communities in Australia, it is our duty to remind you and all our Australian politicians of the Australian Government’s recognition of FYROM in 1994. The Government formally recognised Skopje’s independence with the Australian ambassador to Belgrade being provided with non-residence accreditation to Skopje. It was agreed then and still is to this day that the United Nations and its member states must use the nomenclature former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia; a name that remains an interim measure in order to assist with the United Nations negotiations. As such, this is the policy that is followed by the Australian Government until any further agreements are made between Athens and Skopje.

In light of the above, and given the wider knowledge (and fact) about the levels of falsified claims made by the FYROM media, we respectfully request that you clarify your statements as well as your stance on this very important issue.”

The Pan-Macedonian Association sent the letter of complaint on Monday and has yet to receive a reply from the government.

Neos Kosmos considered necessary a request for further clarification from the Prime Minister’s Office regarding the incident, including the government’s policies on the issue. As the prime minister’s spokesperson stated, the Australian government will continue to use the official UN interim reference.

“The Australian government has been consistent in its use of the name ‘Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia’ since 1994. Australia will continue to observe this practice pending a mutually agreed resolution to the naming dispute.”

Source:Neos Kosmos

Dr Anastasios Panagiotelis and Dr Vasilis Sarafidis from the Australian Institute of Macedonian Studies respond to Alannah MacTiernan

In her recent SBS opinion piece ‘The Business of Greece and Macedonia’, Perth MP Alannah MacTiernan grossly misrepresents the official stance of Greek governments, both past and present.

By propagating a number of falsehoods she unfairly depicts Greece as a recalcitrant aggressor. By responding to her article we provide a more accurate account of this complex issue.

Ms MacTiernan characterises Greece’s diplomatic stance towards its northern neighbour as “trenchant opposition to the very existence of the Republic of Macedonia”. This is patently false, since Greece is the largest investor in FYROM, as Ms MacTiernan herself recognises.

For instance, in 2007, 17 of the 20 most sizeable investments in FYROM were financed with Greek capital, while roughly 20,000 (about 6 per cent of the workforce) were employed in Greek-owned enterprises.

Furthermore, according to statistics published by authorities in FYROM, in 2013 almost 28 per cent of the total foreign direct investment in FYROM came from Greece.

Despite unprecedented economic hardship, Greece continues to invest in FYROM, hardly the act of a nation that opposes the very existence of its neighbour.

Ms MacTiernan’s misrepresentation of Greece’s motives moves into truly absurd territory when she raises an old canard “that there were negotiations between the then-Greek government and Serbian war criminal Slobodan Milosevic to suppress the opportunities for Macedonians to fuel division in the country”.

Although former Greek PM Konstantinos Mitsotakis did claim that Slobodan Milosevic made such overtures towards Greece, the purpose of Mitsotakis’ statement was to declare that his government unequivocally rejected any actions that would destabilise FYROM.

The recent history of the naming issue is and remains controversial, however, Ms MacTiernan once again is guilty of a number of falsehoods here.
Greece did not “impose the absurd name The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia”, nor do Greeks refer to citizens of the country as ‘FYROMians’.

Rather, the name ‘FYROM’ arose from Resolution 817/1993 of the UN Security Council as a mutually agreed but temporary solution to distinguish the former member of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia from three major administrative regions in northern Greece, namely Western Macedonia,
Central Macedonia, and Eastern Macedonia. The latter three regions are part of the geocode standard developed by European Union and by far constitute the largest part of the geographical area of ‘Macedonia’.

There are 2.5 million people living in the Greek region of Macedonia nowadays, and they proudly identify themselves as both Greeks and Macedonians (Macedonian Hellenes).

The intent of the UN resolution was for both parties to negotiate and compromise on a name which respected both sides’ claims to a Macedonian identity.

The ascension of FYROM into NATO and the EU, both organisations of which Greece is a current member, would be contingent upon resolving this naming issue. In contrast to Ms MacTiernan’s claim, the EU does not recognise FYROM as the ‘Republic of Macedonia’.

Greece has a proven track record of a sincere desire to reach a viable and realistic solution on the naming issue with its neighbouring country.

Greece proposes that the name FYROM be replaced by a compound name with a geographical qualifier before the word ‘Macedonia’ to be recognised by all countries and for all purposes, whether internal or international.

In contrast, the government of FYROM has not budged from a position that it has held since the early 1990s, one that monopolises the use of the name Macedonia.

Ms MacTiernan concludes by asking “have we learnt nothing from Bosnia and Kosovo?”. The lesson that people in the Balkans have learnt from these conflicts is that trouble arises when state actors attempt to monopolise identities in a nationalistic and irredentist fashion. It is only in this context that one can understand the risks inherent in FYROM’s official attempts to claim the name and identity ‘Macedonia’ exclusively for themselves.

For example, during the past few decades, extremists, including the long-serving prime minister of FYROM Mr Nikola Gruevski, have promoted educational policies that attempt to link FYROM and its people to Alexander the Great.

However, the major and important sites during Alexander’s lifetime are part of Greek territory. These include Alexander’s birthplace and site of his father’s tomb Aigai, the city of Mieza where Alexander was tutored by Aristotle, and Dion, where Alexander worshipped the Twelve Gods of the Olympian canon with all other ancient Greeks.

If the modern identity of the citizens of FYROM is so heavily intertwined with Alexander the Great, how long until a demagogue from FYROM makes irredentist claims on these sites within sovereign Greek territory?

Greeks are proud of all of their notable historical figures, including Alexander the Great, whom historians and scholars recognise as having made a tremendous contribution towards advancing humanity, regardless of what Ms MacTiernan may think.

The name Macedonia is and will always be rooted within Greek history. The entire population of 550,000 Australian Hellenes are committed devotees of the Macedonian Hellenic legacies.

They object to the unilateral usage of a name which is well-related to their national identity and attested within their history.

Source: Neos Kosmos

Η Λέστερ βρίσκεται όλο και πιο κοντά στο μεγάλο θαύμα, αφού μετά τη νίκη της την Κυριακή με 4-0 επί της Σουόνσι, είδε τη Δευτέρα τη Τότεναμ να μένει στο 1-1 με την Γουέστ Μπρόμιτς Άλμπιον, στον αγώνα που έριξε την αυλαία της 35ης αγωνιστικής της Premier League.

Στο 33′ τα Σπιρούνια πήραν κεφάλι στο σκορ με αυτογκόλ του Ντόουσον, αλλά ο ίδιος παίκτης τους… άρπαξε τη χαρά αφού χάρισε τον βαθμό της ισοπαλίας στην ομάδα του, αυτή το φορά σκοράροντας στο… σωστό τέρμα στο 73′.

Έτσι, η Λέστερ βρίσκεται στο +7 μόλις τρεις αγωνιστικές πριν από το φινάλε του πρωταθλήματος!

Τα αποτελέσματα και οι σκόρερ:

Μάντσεστερ Σίτι-Στόουκ 4-0
(35΄ Φερνάντο, 43΄ πεν. Αγουέρο, 64΄, 74΄ Ιενάτσο)

Αστον Βίλα-Σαουθάμπτον 2-4
(45΄+1,85΄ Γουέστγουντ – 15΄ Λονγκ, 39΄,71΄ Τάντιτς, 90΄+4 Μανέ)

Μπόρνμουθ-Τσέλσι 1-4
(36΄ Ελφικ – 5΄ Πέδρο, 34΄,90΄+1 Αζάρ, 71΄ Γουίλιαν)

Λίβερπουλ-Νιούκαστλ 2-2
(2΄ Στάριτζ, 30΄ Λαλάνα – 48΄ Σισέ, 66΄ Κόλμπακ)

Σάντερλαντ-Αρσεναλ 0-0

Λέστερ-Σουόνσι 4-0
(10′ Μαχρεζ, 30′, 60′ Ουγιόα, 85′ Ολμπράιτον)

Τότεναμ-Γουέστ Μπρομ 1-1
(33′ αυτ. Ντόουσον – 73′ Ντόουσον)

ΒΑΘΜΟΛΟΓΙΑ B. Aγ
Λέστερ 76 35
Τότεναμ 69 35
Μάντσεστερ Σίτι 64 35
Άρσεναλ 64 35
————————
Μάντσεστερ Γιουν. 59 34
Γουέστ Χαμ 56 34
————————
Λίβερπουλ 55 34
Σαουθάμπτον 54 35
Στόουκ Σίτι 47 35
Τσέλσι 47 34
Έβερτον 41 34
Γουότφορντ 41 34
Μπόρνμουθ 41 35
Γουέστ Μπρομ 41 35
Σουόνσι 40 35
Κρίσταλ Πάλας 39 35
Σάντερλαντ 31 34
————————
Νόριτς 31 34
Νιούκαστλ 30 35
Άστον Βίλα 16 35 –ΥΠΟΒΙΒΑΣΜΟΣ

Πηγή:in.gr

Almost two in three Greeks doubt that the refugees who remain in the country will be able to integrate into local society, according to a new poll by Public Issue published Monday.

The telephone survey, conducted on behalf of Sunday’s Avgi newspaper, found that 65 percent think refugees would probably not be able to integrate, while 27 think they probably would. Half of the respondents said they feel that refugees are probably a threat to security in Greece, although 41 percent said that they pose no threat.

Three-quarters of those questioned said they believe that problems would result if refugees were permanently housed in their neighborhoods. Only 22 percent said this would not lead to any problems.

The survey also suggests that most Greeks are skeptical of the role played by nongovernmental organizations, possibly in the wake of volunteers being accused of inciting refugees. Public Issue found that 65 percent of Greeks have a negative view of NGOs, while 27 percent view them positively.

However, the most definitive answer of the poll came when the sample of 1,010 respondents were questioned about whether they thought Turkey would uphold its part of the refugee agreement with the European Union: 85 percent said they thought Ankara would probably not abide by the deal.

source:ekathimerini.com

As the government mulls ways of peacefully clearing a makeshift refugee camp near the village of Idomeni, close to the border with the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, residents in the broader area are running out of patience, with many planning protest action.

A 19-year-old man has survived a crocodile attack in the Douglas Daly region of the Top End, the Northern Territory Health Department says.

Katherine man Peter Rowsell told the ABC he was camping about 15 metres from Dorisvale crossing, southwest of Darwin, when he woke to something “shaking” at his right foot early on Anzac Day.

“I was down at Dorisvale, and at about 4:30 this morning, I was sleeping in a mozzie net, and … I woke up and there was something shaking my foot, and I woke up and had a look and it was three to four metres long,” Mr Rowsell said.

He said the crocodile let go of his foot after he struck the reptile on its head “once or twice” with his hand.

He was not sure whether the reptile had been a saltwater or freshwater crocodile.

Mr Rowsell said his sister and her partner had been sleeping in the tray of a ute when they heard his screams, and the party left the site about 5:00am for Katherine hospital.

He said he had puncture wounds and bruising, and was “still a bit sore”.

Mr Rowsell was being treated with IV antibiotics, which the health department said was standard for crocodile bites.

The man’s parents travelled back to the site to retrieve the camping gear, before returning to Katherine.

Jamie Rowsell, another sister who was not on the trip, said her brother was “bloody lucky” and was able to walk despite his injuries.

Crocodile specialist and Charles Darwin University’s Senior Research Associate Adam Britton said Mr Rowsell was camping too close to the water.

“If he’s camping 15 metres from the water, that is too close. And the official recommendation with croc-wise is 50 metres minimum,” he said.

“People break the 50-metre rule all the time. I mean I’ve done it myself in the past, but I don’t think I’d do it today, that’s for sure.

“Crocodiles are inherently curious animals, they really quite like to check things out. Sometimes that means they’re hungry and they want to check out what the food is, and sometimes they just want to have a stickybeak. Unfortunately that means you’re potentially going to get bitten.”

Source:abc.com.au

 

Police have arrested the partner of Tina Kontozis, who was bashed to death with a cricket bat in her Bundeena home on Sunday.

Stephen Boyd, 51, was arrested and taken into police custody at 4.55pm on Monday in Braidwood after police spotted him driving down the Kings Highway. 

Police were called to the home in Beachcomber Avenue about 3.30pm on Sunday after neighbours heard fighting and screaming. It is believed Ms Kontozis, 51, was bashed to death with a cricket bat.

Police set up checkpoints and conducted an air search of bushland in the surrounding Royal National Park.

Highway patrol officers spotted Mr Boyd’s car, a silver 2002 Holden Commodore sedan with NSW registration plates BZ 53 ZO, travelling along the Kings Highway at roughly 3.40pm. 

Police followed the car and eventually stopped Mr Boyd on Wallace Street, Braidwood.

He was treated by paramedics for minor facial injuries and was taken to Queanbeyan Police Station. 

More than 150 Bundeena locals gathered on Jibbon Beach on Monday evening in a moving candlelit vigil celebrating the life of Ms Kontozis.

“Tonight is Tina’s night and all about love and laughing,” said local Chrissie McCann, one of the organisers of the gathering. “We are bigger than what has happened and we will overcome this.”

As forensic officers gathered evidence from the home on Monday, those affected by Ms Kontozis’s death left bouquets of flowers by the police tape cordoning off the street. “RIP Tina, a beautiful flower cut down too soon”, one card read.

Handpicked flowers were also left outside the Goanna Patch Kindergarten, where Ms Kontozis cared for a generation of Bundeena’s children.

A neighbour, Michael Vink, said the small community had been shocked by the violence, and saddened by the death of a popular resident.

“I don’t think you would find anybody that had a bad word to say about Tina,” he said. “She was delightful. We have a nine-year-old daughter who was taught by her at the preschool, as were so many children in the town. She always remembered every child by name and always had a kind word and a smile.”

Detective Chief Inspector Terry O’Neill, the Sutherland Local Area Command Crime Manager, said Mr Boyd was known to police, but would not comment on whether there was a history of domestic violence in the case.

Earlier on Monday he urged Mr Boyd to contact police, saying they had concerns for his welfare.”We have made a number of visits to friends and acquaintances of Mr Boyd in an attempt to establish where he is,” he said.

Sutherland police detectives were on their way to speak to Mr Boyd, NSW Police tweeted at 5.30pm. 

Investigations are continuing. 

source:smh.com.au

 

“All is Fate” The script that respects the historical truth about the Battle of Gallipoli, seek producer in Australia and New Zealand.

All is Fate,Script by Michael Kokkinaris

A  film dedicated to ANZACS(Australian and New Zealand Army Corps)

LongLine:With the outbreak of World War One (WWI), the lives of three individuals will be changed forever. Destiny will unite these people in the way that can only be brought about by a war.

Summary 

Three lives, three stories of the turmoil that came about from World War I.

Two men had found themselves in the deadly battle of Gallipoli in 1915, a Turkish Sergeant, Imit Ifetli, a New Zealander, Major Michael Mason, along with a young Armenian woman, who was sold to brothel in Istanbul, Dylan Koç, are the heroes of a story which fate had written. The story which unfolds caused by various events and circumstances during this war, is the fascinating story of friendship, love, hatred and revenge, all which occurred in the East, during World War I

Among our heroes, there lies a demonic figure, that of a German officer, Herbert Neumann, who fate has selected to test the strength of the people in this story.

From this deadliest battle of Gallipoli, within the Turkish hammam and the brothels of Istanbul, Erzurum’s, Aleppo’s and Palestine’s  fate will continue to narrow in on the story, until fate has grated the happiness in which is written to these three individuals towards the end of the battle of WWI.

3. EXT. TURKEY. GALLIPOLI PENINSULA. CAMPA TEPE. SUNRISE.

As dawn begins to break, the grey shadows of battleships are outlined on the horizon approaching the coast.

Camera on battleship.

On deck, soldiers in full kit are in rank formation ready to go to shore. The captain and the officers on the bridge are observing the coast through binoculars.

CAPTAIN

(scanning the shore with binoculars)

As soon as the first bullet is fired, I’ll find you and crush you…

On the ship, whistles are heard and using rope ladders, the soldiers get into dinghies which are lowered on a cableway into the sea.

On the shore, in the Turkish outposts hidden in the rocks, tension prevails as the battleships approach.

The artillerymen on board check and double check the firing range of the cannons while the first dinghies full of soldiers begin to reach the coast.

Close up on the face of an officer on one of the dinghies, his eyes fixed impassively on the coast. The officer is about thirty five, with rugged facial features. On his epaulettes can be distinguished the rank of major.

And as the dinghy is approaching the shore, the camera focuses on his left hand in which he is holding a pendant. With his thumb, the officer discreetly opens the locket and reveals (close up) the face of a beautiful woman.

Flash back.

The major is tenderly holding in both hands the face of the woman in the photograph and is beseeching her.

MICHAEL

Dorothy, look at me one last time… tell me truthfully.

Do you want me to completely disappear from your life?

DOROTHY

Does it really matter what I want?

MICHAEL

That’s not an answer!

DOROTHY

                                                         What answer can I give?

That I’m in love with you?

What’s the point?

The officer closes the locket, puts on his kepi, leans on the gunwale of the dinghy and through his binoculars attempts to locate the positions of the gunmen on the coast.

The first dinghy that reaches the shore is fired upon by gunmen and many soldiers, either killed or wounded, fall into the sea.

While the soldiers are disembarking onto the shore, shots from the ships’ cannons blow up many Turkish outposts.

From the bridge of one of the battleships, the captain, while continuing to monitor the situation on the coast through binoculars, orders

CAPTAIN

Cease fire!

   God help them!

At the same time, the dinghy with the major’s men lands on shore and the major, standing upright, without showing the slightest fear of all the bullets whizzing by him, gives orders to reorganise on the ground and the machineguns that are set up on the shore force the Turks to withdraw into the surrounding highlands

17.INT.IN KERHANE (BROTHEL). EVENING.

It’s dark. Nouman and Ifetli are out on the street in front of a large single story building which occupies an entire block. (a ‘Kerhane’ a.k.a. a Brothel) which is near Buyuk Tarci.

They have just arrived.

When they enter the kerchane, Nouman and Chavuz Ifetli, are greeted by a middle-aged ‘kachpe’ (a.k.a. prostitute), who is half naked and whose make up is repulsively done.

From her behavior towards Nouman, Imit realizes that they know one another.

Shortly after, two topless prostitutes appear who then throw themselves into the arms of Neuman who is rejoiced.

Before the German passes the curtain which separates the brothel from its theater, he speaks the middle-aged ‘kachpe’:

NOUMAN

Aishe … Cavuz and protect him like your child…  

The Kachpe takes IMIT’s hand, cresses her face with it and says playfully:

KAHPE

Relax… I know just what you want!

Behind the curtain is a large hallway with many rooms. At the end of the hallway, there is a room with a lock on it. The kahpe stops, unlocks the door and says to Imit.

KAHPE (CONT’D)

Until dawn, she is all yours…

Do what you’d like, there are no boundaries!

And if happens something .., don’t worry, the German boss (effendi) pays us more than is requested.

Just lock the door when you enter…and when you leave.

Imit opens the door and enters the small room.

The room is barely lit by a large candle that is lit in the closet.

In one corner of the room there is a bed and in the other corner there is a naked girl, kneeling, positioning her body as to hide her nudity.

Imit, who has not yet adjusted to the dim light, turns to remove his overcoat when hears a muffled sob.

Puzzled, he locks the door and heads toward the girl, who stands up and begins begging him:

GIRL 

(crying)

Please Boss (Effendi), don’t hurt me!

PLEASE….

Imit, thinking that it’s his uniform which frightens her, quickly takes it off and throws it opposite the bed.

IMIT, now only wearing his undergarments, takes a step forward.

The naked girl slowly approaches him and Imit raises his arms to touch her, as tears are running down her face.

But Imit freezes. As he has now adjusted to the dimly lit room, he can see the scars on the girl’s body from being brutally whipped.

Imit, not wanting to see this, turns his back. The girl comes in front of him and falls to her knees. Sobbing, she murmurs:

GIRL

(CONT’D)

Take me … please!

Have your way with me!…..

If you open the door, I’m as good as dead! They will kill me (before my time). The Kahpe swore to me she would!

Imit, bewildered, looks around the room, while feeling sorrow and pity for the girl.

Flashback

We see Imit fooling around with a chubby shepherdess, who has pinned him up against a tree, pressing her breast against his chest, refusing to release him from her grasp.

Laughing, Imit says.

IMIT

I’ll scream!

SHEPHERDESS

In a bit!

IMIT

If tsompan-basi (the shepherd) suspects anything, he will put / (roast) you on a spit.

SHEPHERDESS

Imit darling, Tsompan-basi is sterile.

As she says this, she throws him down onto the grass, rips off all of his clothing and throws herself on top of him with her naked big breasts pressing against his chest.

END of flashback

Imit helps the girl up and hugs her, delicately and cautiously, trying to avoid her wounds. He then starts kissing her shoulder and asks.

IMIT

Where are you from?

GIRL

Nowhere, Boss (Efendi)!

IMIT

(patiently)

And where is this nowhere?

GIRL

(still sobbing)

It was a small town near Erzurum.

IMIT

How should I call you?

GIRL

Call me ‘ntitsi-kiopek’ (bitch), Boss

Imit grabs her by the shoulders and forces her to look into his eyes. He then says sternly:

IMIT

(in a stern voice)

I want to know your name! …Tell Me!

GIRL

Dylan, Boss (Effendi), which means prostitute in Armenian…

IMIT

And who brought you in the Kerhane, Dylan?

FLASHBACK

We see men in uniforms, identical to that of what Imit was wearing, riding on horseback while whipping women and children out of the village.

THE CAMERA then zooms in on Dylan

A man, dressed up as a civilian points to Dylan. Armed civilians grab Dylan and force her into an oxcart with some other girls who are all crying.

END of Flashback

While Dylan is standing there, Imit’s revolver , which is hanging nest to the closet, catches Dylan’s eye. Suddenly, she rushes over, pulls it out of its holster and gives it to Imit, who is dumbfounded. With conviction in her voice, she says:

DYLAN

(girl)

Kill me please!!!

Don’t you see how I have become?!

Imit takes the gun, throws it on the bed and embraces Dylan affectionately.

Camera follows Imit’s lips as he kisses Dylan’s wounds. She is alleviated by his touch. Shortly after, Dylan seeks Imits lips, where they start kissing passionately.

Scene ends with them being intimate.
source:http://kokkinaris-michael.blogspot.com.au

Δημοσιεύτηκε 25th January 2015 από τον χρήστη Michael Kokkinaris