Greece and 2019

I returned back to The UK a littlebshaken from the events out in Spain, I had applied for a few job positions back in Manchester in the hope that I would eventually find my place working in sports with kids of disadvantaged backgrounds, This is something which I have been aspiring to accomplish and commit my time and efforts into after moving away from the Competitive Sports scene. I was in a hotel cafe chatting away a week beforehand in the mountains arranging an opening day meeting for a job, The opportunity even though I had no intention of being back in my Hometown did look like a great chance to set my sights on a career position so at the time with no set plans back home and well no home to go back at all it made sense to book the next flight back to See where things go from here. The moment I stepped onto the train platform at Manchester Airport I knew I had made a bit of a big ambitious mistake to return back to the crowded traffic jammed noise polluted and messy streets of the city expecting anything more, The compromise hit hard especially after the scenic and peaceful surroundings of Northern Spain over the past few months, I had crossed a personal line in which I said I would never do again but here I was back but with absolutely no reason other than a promise of an interview which never happened. The one exception and place that still holds heart and true to the city is the Afflecks palace shopping building which has forever held onto the charm and Independence without selling itself out to the ultra cliche of the Northern Quarter, A space now filled to attract the vainest people in the world. I had a few problems this first week back, I started to get a sore tooth the day of my flight back to Manchester, I had a feeling this wasn’t just any old pain which would pass after a few days and sure enough I eventually began to get really ill over the coming weeks. I had not heard further news from the job and with my patience wearing pretty thin due to waiting around days after when we had arranged an interview and my tooth feeling like it was ready to take over my face completely I decided to make an early call and make another pricey flight back to Newquay the town i spent the past 6 months desperate to leave behind. I had no choice but to find work and return to my old job at the surf shop, I don’t even like surfing and most of the guys here also haven’t seen a board in their life but we all have our own things going on and the atmosphere is relaxed so it was actually a great thing at this moment in time to return back to where i started in Cornwall, I owe it to those guys for giving me some time to get myself back on track and also allow me to clear and start thinking ahead again without the stress of work. I fixed my tooth up at the dentists which by this point was giving me some serious pain , I had no choice, I didn’t want to pay for it but it couldn’t stay like that , I have a high tolerance for pain so I know when the time has come. I started looking back and thinking of Spain and where I went wrong, I did get a little naive thinking that my budget would give me time and that Spain would be in a better position and open to opportunity for the rest of Europe but this time I was simply wrong and it was maybe a bad shout to just rely on the few to shape the way of my entire trip, If I wanted to focus on helping others and being a part of an ongoing important Project and mission I had to forget about trying to walk through the door via the indie traveller route and go through the official pathway, yeah that means the paperwork, Beaurocracy and all the social media crap the standard regulation that i usually avoid in real life but these are just the steps I have had to take in order to see the bigger picture. I had played a few cards down now won and lost had fun with travel and got a bit of Snowboarding in right at the end of season, I had fought a personal battle in believing I can still ride to the ability I had built up to and dedicated my life over the past 10 years, I was happy to maybe leave this side of life aside right now to start a new path hopefully inspiring kids of all backgrounds to dream big and reach goals or at least happiness and inclusion within sports, I had ignited something inside of me again to remain strong and stay as focused as ever . I came across quite late an EU project in Greece whilst still looking for voluntary work out in Europe, I was already very much living out of bags and ready to go back here in the UK so this project was very much the right setup and the right time for me to fully get involved and begin that transition without worrying too much about leaving anything behind except my much loved board and bike which are still living in temporary homes. A few weeks later I would be on the way to Athens for our first meeting as a European Voluntary team! During my time in Athens i sadly discovered the real side to Erasmus EU Humanitarian volunteer programs, after all we wouldn't be in the EU without trying to bend and exploit the rules of the system to gain from it and this sadly also is the scene of the NGO sector i have witnessed in Greece during my time, I should've known to not trust it and i let my guard down on this one and give it a chance. I joined up to this Erasmus project with good intentions and made clear my ambitions and strengths and reasons to be involved, At first everything was smooth but i should have been reading between the lines during my time at the APV which was an earlier meeting to find out more about the work involved and meet the team and begin some kind of preparation. We Were walking into a blank canvas with very little thought into our roles, No Backup plan and no importance of the voluntary activities besides a social display of fulfilment. We arrived into immediate troubles trying to establish any kind of working relationship and understanding and respect between us and the refugee communities, Many of the first community reps to show interest backed out of our talks and plans because as suspected from the start this project would be a waste of their time and didn't focus on any of the possible needs. The first few weeks also revealed the strengths and weaknesses of our team and organizers, Our accommodation a Horse ranch just heading out of central Athens was an interesting and unique choice and due to being closer to the mountains in the nature and living alongside all of the animals i felt very happy and fortunate to be within this environment. We had a bunch of horses about to get ready to go on summer vacation, A really cute Garfield cat which was completely lazy and slept the entire day on anything and a few dogs defying their old age and being as fun and playful around the ranch when also not passing out due to the constant heat of the sun. OK it was pretty basic, but it was really something to learn and tolerate and make our own rather than walking straight into a palace with all of our needs catered for, We had our own personal space in a bustling crowded city. I admit the shower could do one, We had a very old busted up shower which also had to be reheated after each use which was a pain the ass but we would manage around the difficulties and accept that well at least we have a place to make our own and it's not every day you get to experience living on a Horse Ranch in the Middle of a huge city. We also had to remember the people we are working to help do not have any luxuries at all and we have been invited to Greece for free all expenses paid, We could maybe attempt this word of compromise but many in our group had other ideas. This is really when it started to break down from the very start, The group had a big debate over it and i think even those who were all for staying in the Ranch eventually gave up the defence in order to keep the peace including myself, Obviously now at this point the mood between us and the organizers had shifted since it had caused so much drama and the blame was really being directed hard at the Organizers which is understandable but still felt very personal in the attack, The final straw for the group was when the area had a power cut and we were without electricity throughout the week restricting us to cold showers and takeaway meals. Athens itself for a week is a nic enough city with many sites to see and explore and a lot of independent culture and old historic ancient streets and monuments, A week spent in Athens can be an amazing experience and leave you thinking there wasn't enough time to see it all however i believe a week is enough after my experience of Two months living in the Capital. I spent a lot of my free time playing Basketball at a real good street court in a bit of a ghetto area overlooking the city called Strefi Hill but i managed to meet many locals and played quite a few games with the refugee communities which hang out around there seemingly all day. The weather was hot throughout the entire time and we had Athens almost fully to ourselves to explore as half the city and residents shut down and disappear for the summer holidays and head towards the islands and beaches. I remember probably 2 rainy days in two months which were actually a welcome relief but this also made clear how dirty and polluted the city actually is, The warm weather helps mask much of the pollution problem but just walking around any central metro station in Athens the density of people and vehicles is far too much and i often wondered what everybody was doing besides the tourists. Athens at night especially in our area had an uneasy edge, I didn't feel threatened mainly due to my own presence and my city roots learning to look out for danger but i definitely noticed how easy it would be for things to go wrong taking a bad turn down a street or shortcut in a quiet neighbourhood, The streets were practically a ghost town as soon the sun goes down, We found it fairly easy to navigate around eventually and then walking everywhere became a refreshing break away from taking the Metro to many of the local spots, We also discovered many little bars, Shops and food places along the way. I had my favourite stop off for food this tiny takeaway only selling Homemade Souvlaki and it became my go to place when i just needed some time alone to just chillout grab a beer and get away besides the basketball courts, Also a heavenly doughnut shop which happily reopened again just in time for the final weeks of the program, Probably a good thing they closed during most of summer as i would never look the same again. The group were impressed with all the street tag artwork and independent general rebelliousness of certain areas of the city but it was too much, Almost every single wall and object possible had been tagged and for me it made the city look very tacky and ghetto, The Graffiti wasn't even that good, I've seen far better during my trips in UK, France and Norway but i guess to newcomers to this kind of environment was an interesting thing to see. Also the thing I've learnt over time about fighting hard against the system is that people are people and if possible can find ways to manipulate and abuse their powers and privilege for their own benefit either way on both sides, At the end of the day if we all ran around doing what we want lawless then we wouldn't have many people left to fight for, Whilst i appreciate raising awareness there are different levels of extremes and it's very easy to be biased and prejudice if you follow only one set of ideals instead of following neutrality, Something which the group should know about more given how well educated most of the guys were on our project, But what i believe it comes down to is experience with people and the World not books and rhetoric to make decisions on others. I don't really have much to say about the project itself, I felt from the beginning there were underlying issues and bad organisation and lack of clarity about the actual goals of the project and during the first month of our time in Athens we were pretty much making things up as we went along due to no real aims or previous engagement with our active refugee communities. We had been working alongside an already established EU funded NGO in the City, I found it surprising the lack of real world planning and the weakness of cooperation between the NGO and the refugee hosts, Something just didn't feel right from the start. What we achieved i'm not sure, We managed to create and run group activities but without any long term strategy so it was all just really a summer camp babysitting which ok was fun and brought many good days out and activities for the kids but in reality is this the best way to spend EU money because i think many would contest how important this is over direct aid if we did not plan to continue any more support once the summer is over. I felt bad for the kids knowing the situation of the project and how everything is going to change again after this opportunity to be socially active and enjoy life like a local person, I feel it was irresponsible not to leave at least the means to continue social connection within the local community. The sports were a huge success arguably the most but again i almost felt as if the NGO organisers resented the fact many of the other activities failed to create the same impact and were purposefully holding back from fully giving support into the sports efforts, After all we did manage to get kids and adults making new friendships and enjoying the time together and feeling a part of a local group. I was disappointed in the way the funds were being managed by our NGO as it was obvious how successful the sports had become over the time and also how the community had come together in different workshops but they failed to capitalize and make something long term for the refugee communities at possibly their most united moment together. Towards the final few weeks i tailed off and allowed the kids to just enjoy the time without trying to set up too many structures or rules, The important thing was for the kids to just enjoy themselves now and make their own fun, We are adults and responsible but they are also learning to grow up and act for themselves and this is one of the greatest things i believe you can promote to a younger one, The belief in that they can be strong independently and do things for themselves without the mothering of adults setting the barriers, A few guys in our group tried to put too much emphasis into rules and structure but again without i think understanding youth culture and the ways of people especially kids from street backgrounds. I began to just tick down days, I had experienced many of what Athens had to offer within the first month and ventured further and further out of the city to find green land and peace during weekends by traveling to some of the nearby attractions and towns/cities, The track is well and truly beaten anywhere around Athens but still feels a luxury away from the metropolis streets. I could feel the total difference in tolerances and interests within the group, To be honest my lack of enthusiasm for the direction of the project plus really my boredom of many people in the group and the lack of really any fun things with the group during our spare time meant i just began to lose interest in the entire thing, I was only really there for the kids but with so many hurdles and obstacles i lost the ambition to achieve greater since we were already severely capped by the ideas of our NGO. The group had already made me a marked man in the second month after i didn't turn up to a meeting one day, I still continued to try and contribute whenever possible but i was being largely ignored even for the cause of the project, This moment on i was being treated really as an outsider and i was being shut out, I'm so used by now to operate and get things done independent the effect didn't really work on me however the whole scheme reminded me of being back in school as a kid trying to stay popular and out of sight from bullies, I left this game back in High school and in the end this scene achieved nothing because i actually went on to enjoying my time even more in Greece towards the final few weeks. The future now really is starting to shape for me due to these times in Greece so in many ways what happened in Greece can now stay there for good and bad, I have no reason to look back anymore, I have a clear sight ahead and can begin to focus ahead. I never would have imagined it just yet but i'm totally happy and ready to start this new stage more as an Adult and not just the Snowboarder inside anymore, I have new mountains to conquer.

 

Below is a Picture Diary of my time working voluntary in Greece, some of the sights, featured in my blog post.  

Highlight : Sunsets and the Sea

On my flight home, i had a nice early morning stopover to the island of Kefalonia and went for a swim right here!

I could see loads of mini fish, but they were a bit too interested in taking a nibble on me 

Tolo, Beautiful place, great memories, but a time that must stay in the past

Bell Tower, Nafplio Castle

The Steps 1000 to the top but incredible views

As you can see

The beach directly below in the seering sun 

This beach had a really cool bar 

Nafplio Fort

Downtown for a coffee

Overlooking a cactus covered hill, do not fall here! 

The sea was clear but not all that warm 

Parliament building, a debated place 

Athens is a city of creative street art 

This was the strangest picture, i feel like this woman was there especially to feed the birds in her dress and look amazing doing it, well it caught my attention 

Black cat in the usual position 

Hitching in the hills

Great natural views

Then the city views at Sunset in Athens, you can go anywhere high in this city and happily spend the night 

A perfect timed Dove

Athens classic monuments

Where it all began for the Olympics, home of the flame

Amazing sunset hikes down the canal 

Then probably the top 5 sunsets of my life at this beach nearby the City 

The Acropolis

This Art deserves Recognition 

The one thing i noticed the most with Athens is the open minded people and strength to stand up for others

Flying into Bristol at night

Views of the Swiss Alps on the Flight back 

Going hiking around the Old Quarter

They are watching everywhere

For the first two weeks we stayed at this ranch, I did love it but it had a few issues which in the end meant we moved nearer into the centre 

You cannot have the art without the car

Substances were involved in this one 

The grey building on the left was our first rendezvous in Greece to stay and meet the International Voluntarily team, it was also a motorcycle hang out bar underneath with a special love for KTM

Risked it for a viewpoint of a lifetime