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Nothing like writing
this column from
Europe. Somehow when
I jumble tidbits from
various Europapers in
Seattle, there is a
certain charming
distance. But not when
I am in Athens,
Greece. Somehow it
seems I live the
stories, even if they
are distant ones.
In case no one
noticed, it was a
weird summer. It
began with the
break-up with my
girlfriend, which
mercifully did not get
any newspaper
headlines. Then it
continued with
European dis-integration,
followed by flooding
in Central Europe, a
plane crash near
Athens in mid-August
and more recently the
spike of oil prices
that have sent gas
prices all throughout
the Continent to new
highs.
For John Psaropoulos,
editor of the
English-language
Athens News,
summer is
traditionally a slow
time, but not this
year. The
ill-destined Helios
flight from Cyprus
bound for Prague
crashed in mountains
near Athens and gave a
boost to newspaper
sales. Nothing like
the tragedy harvest to
boost the fortunes of
newspapers. I don't
suspect that new
subscribers will be
found amongst the
families of the
victims.
The International
Herald Tribune
loses money in Athens,
but it is kept by its
investors for
sentimental reasons.
For those of us who
buy the paper, now
owned completely by
The New York Times,
which formerly shared
interest in the paper
with the Washington
Post, it is a
crucial way to keep
tabs with world news.
Reading the paper
gives one the feeling
of creeping apathy on
the part of national
governments. Germany
is in disarray waiting
for a new leader,
France is in the midst
of a pathetic power
struggle between old
and new leaders and
Greece seems to hum
along basically like a
silent Greek chorus.
Meanwhile, flooding
turns Austria into a
giant lake and leaves
New Orleans a
disaster. Global
warming anyone? For
many Greeks, they are
too busy working on
their luscious tans to
really care about the
environment.
As for my
ex-girlfriend, well,
trans-Atlantic
relationships don't
really work. Just ask
the French and the
Americans.
I'm so glad I'm in
Europe right now!
May 2006 Europress
April 2006 Europress
February
2005 Europress
September 2005
Europress
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