BritsinCrete Blog

Do You Get #Nomophobia?

2012-02-18T16:23:00.001+02:00

#Nomophobia - Do You Suffer from it?

Brits coined a new word: "Nomophobia" - the fear of being without their mobile hand phone and therefore being out of contact with others. In Britain the fear is getting worse according to a most recent set of survey results by SecurEnvoy.com in a press release of February 16th. Some 70 per cent of women and 61 per cent of men have nomophobia compared to a 2008 survey that showed that men were worse at 58 per cent and women at 48 per cent.

It was at that UK Post Office survey commissioned through YouGov that the term Nomophobia was coined, as an abbreviation for "no-mobile-phone phobia". According to wikipedia.com, that study found that nearly 53 percent of mobile phone users in Britain tend to be anxious when they "lose their mobile phone, run out of battery or credit, or have no network coverage". The study sampled 2,163 people. Fifty-five percent of those surveyed cited keeping in touch with friends or family as the main reason that they got anxious when they could not use their mobile phones. The study compared stress levels induced by the average case of nomophobia to be on-par with those of "wedding day jitters" and trips to the dentists. Ten percent of those questioned said they needed to be contactable at all times because of work. It is, however, arguable that the word 'phobia' is misused and that in the majority of cases it is only a normal anxiety.

The most recent survey on Nomophobia by SecurEnvoy.com based in Theale (Reading) in Berkshire
says that Nomophobia is increasing sharply in the United Kingdom. The survey of 1,000 people in employment, conducted using OnePoll, discovered two thirds of respondents fear losing or being without their mobile phone. The study reveals that 41% of people interviewed, in an effort to stay connected, have two phones or more.

When asked if they’d be upset if a partner looked at the messages and texts on their phone almost half said that they would.

Younger Women Affected Most
Digging a little deeper, more women worry about losing their phones than men – 70% of the women surveyed compared to 61% of the men, yet it is men that are more likely to have two phones – scoring 47% and 36% respectively, perhaps in an effort to stay connected. When split by age it is the younger age group (18 – 24) that are more nomophobic at 77%, with the 25 – 34 age group second at 68%. Perhaps a little more surprisingly is that the third most nomophobic are the 55 and overs!

“The first study into nomophobia, conducted four years ago, revealed that 53% ofpeople suffered from the condition and our study reveals this has now risen to 66% in the UK and shows no sign of abating. A reversal on the 2008 findings is that, back then, it was men that were more afflicted yet today it’s women. I’d be inclined to draw the conclusion that, perhaps because more men have two phones, they’re less likely to misplace both and therefore be left phone-less,” said Andy Kemshall SecurEnvoy CTO and co founder. “There is another study into mobile phone usethat found people check their phones, on average, 34 times a day so it wouldn’t take long for you to realise if you’d misplaced your device.”

Do You Get Upset if SMS Texts Are Read By A Partner?
Another interesting revelation from this study is that, with 49% of people getting upset if their messages and texts were viewed by a partner, they’re still lax at securing these devices. Forty-six percent do not use any protection at all; 41% use a four pin access code; and just 10% encrypt their device. A security conscious 3% use two factor authentication. Andy suggests, “With 58% of the respondents using at least one device for business use, this lack of security is a worrying trend that needs addressing.”

“What this study does highlight though,” concludes Kemshall “is the extent that people now rely on their mobile phones. At SecurEnvoy we have certainly seen a huge spike in demand from local government and the private sector looking to turn their staff’s phones into security devices, where they can use SMS tokenless®two factor authentication to access data securely and easily whilst on the move.” SecurEnvoy.com developed the Tokenless™ two-factor authentication, mobile security.

I wonder if Brits in Crete share the same traits as Brits back in the UK about being Nomophobic?

#Greece Default Watch. What Historic Greek German Tensions

2012-02-18T14:33:00.000+02:00

#Greece Default Watch. Historic Greek German Tensions?

Greece Default Watch. With a definitive solution to the Greek Euro crisis expected on Monday (February 20th), it makes you wonder what the Germans really seek out of the deal. The Brits have been pretty diplomatic with their comments on Greece but the Germans are being seen to outright hostile.

The German position is extremely ironic in that the German banks and German companies have profited hugely in business dealings with loans to the Greeks over the years. Look how LIDL (headquartered in Germany) has a significant share of the supermarket sector in Greece currently. How much of LIDL's profit is repatriated to head office and not retained in Greece?

The issue of what Asians call "Giving Face" is pointedly taken up in this clip of the Greek president, Karolos Papoulias' reaction to recent comments by Germany's finance minister Wolfgang Schaueble.

CreteDiscover.Com :: The In-Bound Travel Specialists Seek Business

2012-02-09T22:22:00.000+02:00

CreteDiscover.Com Welcomes you to Crete

Crete Travel firms need all the help they can get in this period of austerity. The Brits in Crete blog is pleased therefore to support such in-bound travel companies. Crete Discover is one such.

Crete Discover offers a wide range of in-bound services from renting a car, a jet plane, yacht hire and even a helicopter.

That is Crete Discover. This is a complimentary promotion, courtesy of BritsinCrete blog.

#Brits Living in Greece :: ITV1 Wants You

2012-02-03T15:47:00.001+02:00

#Brit Ex-pats Living in Greece :: ITV1 and WildPictures Wants You

If you are a British ex-pat living in Greece (or, Spain, France or Australia) what have been your trials and tribulations in your new-found life having left the UK? ITV1 wants to know.

So here is yet another ITV1 documentary in the offing on the subject of Brits who move abroad. This will be produced as an ITV1 two part, 60 minute special.

WildPictures is currently researching the project.

Wild Pictures is an independent television production company based in London that specialises in high end access based documentaries for all the major broadcasters (in the UK).

The classified advertisement to the right refers to an "ITV1 UK Documentary series" but the correspondence I have seen refers to just a 2 part TV series.

If there are any Brit expats planning to respond to this or any other TV offer of this kind, I have advice for you: Information is valuable to a researcher. Find out what it is worth if you help them.

These are difficult economic times, ensure you are not doing something for nothing -- unless of course your 15 minutes of fame on ITV1 is more important. Fame does not have to come at a price even if you are just a British ex-pat living in Greece, Spain France or Australia.

#GreeceDefaultWatch. Euro Crisis Improves Exchange Rates for Brits

2012-01-26T14:38:00.001+02:00

#Greece_Default_Watch. We at Brits in Crete received this news flash from one of our friends in foreign exchange, Robin Haynes at Currency Index. As always, Robin has some sound advice for those of us needing to make the conversion between pounds and the euro at the moment.

The recent Eurozone sovereign debt crisis has resulted in the reduction of the value of the single currency, providing overseas property buyers with in fact over 8% more for their money than if they were buying Euros in July last year according to the award-winning experts at Currency Index.

However if the Euro is in so much trouble, is it wise to be buying abroad at the moment?

There has been vast speculation about anything from evacuation plans on the Algarve to contingency plans for banks with Euro exposure, but a lot of this is scaremongering, according to Robin Haynes, managing director of Currency Index who says,

"Many of our clients have been asking whether it is safe to buy and send Euros abroad - and while the situation is far from resolved, the European Central Bank will not allow the Eurozone to collapse."

The forthcoming EU summit on Monday 30th January is likely to see Eurozone leaders agreeing extensions to the single currency stability measures, as well as the new fiscal pact which should ensure that tax and spending are at least put in line to protect debts from growing unsustainably.

"Even if Greece were to default on its debts and leave the Euro, local chaos from a devaluing Greek currency would not be likely to affect the Euro's own future, and in fact with the new measures being put in place we are likely to see Euro strength in the medium term - markets will see the reforms as a step in the right direction.

"Buyers who are worried about any currency devaluing could even consider holding debt (such as a mortgage) as well as assets (such as property) to balance out the perceived risk" says foreign currency specialist, Haynes.

With Euro exchange rates near a 16-month high for Brits sending money abroad, and Eurozone property prices under pressure too, now is in fact one of the cheapest times to buy a place abroad in recent memory. And ignoring the more sensationalist stories in the press, the savvy buyer can now snap up a bargain in the sun.

Currency Index reported a 32% increase in the volume of Euros transferred by clients to Spain in December 2012 compared to December 2011, showing that despite the doom and gloom in the news, Brits are still keen on a second home or retirement home in Europe.

Currency Index has been helping advise British clients moving to, or living in Crete, others parts of Greece and Cyprus, as well as Spain since 2008. It is reassuring to know that in the United Kingdom, Currency Index was one of the first currency brokers to become an Authorised Payment Institution under FSA regulations in 2009.

Living in Crete :: NS&I Cut Deposit Interest Rate

2012-01-26T13:56:00.005+02:00

As if the value of the Pound Sterling versus the Euro was miserable enough these days, National Savings and Investments (NS&I) from January 25, 2012 have dropped the interest rate on Direct Savings deposits in Sterling from 1.75% gross/AER to 1.50% gross/AER.

The NS&I move is just another blow for those Brit ex-pats living in Greece who live off a fixed retirement income. Faced with local cost of living rises on basic food items, it is understandable that a number of Brits across Greece have decided to upsticks and move back to the UK where they can claim benefits that the Greek welfare system is cutting back on, they were not eligible for, in the first place.

For the latest news on cost of living in Crete please visit the Brits in Crete Forum. Join in the discussions there with any advice you may have on how to stretch spending when the £ versus € exchange rate is so low.

Irish State Pension - Same for 2012 as 2011

2011-12-26T09:52:00.009+02:00

Irish State Pension (Contributory)

Wishing you Nollaig shona = Happy Christmas.

This was going to be an interesting tidbit of a blog article on state pension increases in #Ireland for 2012, useful info for Irish ex-pats living in Greece and Cyprus and elsewhere. Sadly, according to the Finance Minister's 2012 budget, the state pension payments look set to stay the same from April 6, 2012 as they do currently.

That means someone who has paid 48 years or more of contributions will continue to receive €230.30 in Irish State Pension (Contributory).

There is a small blessing that some of the contribution amounts are to be reduced for those who are coming up to actual retirement. These and other retirement matters are being presented to the Irish Parliament in Dublin for approval for the amendments.

In 2011, already the pension age was raised from 65 to 66 years for anyone born on or after January 1st, 1948. It will be 67 years for anyone born on or after January 1, 1955 and 68 years for anyone born on or after January 1, 1961.

Two websites are worth a visit if you are eligible for Irish State Pension (Contributory). They are the Irish Government website on Pensions and the Irish Citizens Parliament Group (lobbiests on behalf of Irish Senior Citizens).

The link just below connects to useful Irish Contacts for ex-pats resident in Greece and Cyprus.

A Greek Thank You

2011-12-26T07:21:00.010+02:00

A Greek Thank You

It is that time of year again, if you are part of a team or group anywhere in Greece, Cyprus or in the Greek Diaspora, you have a golden opportunity to express your thanks for their support and contribution.

A simple thank you, is fine.

But how much better if you take that one step further. How about a thank you in Greek. Of course this could be in the Greek areas of London, Melbourne or Crete, Illinois when you visit a Greek owned establishment.

How to write and say "thank you" in Greek. Colloquially it goes like this:

A simple "Thanks" -- Efaristo
Thanks very much -- Efaristo poli
Thanks very very much (highly appreciated) -- Efaristo para poli

Efaristo -- is pronounced eff-are-ee-sto (the "sto" is as in stone, stoke, the Cotswold place name, Stow-on-the-Wold). Actually it is ef(h)aristo, but the h sound is somehow swallowed so the sound is obscured or silent. It is better to say ef-haristo though.

poli -- has the sound of pol-ee

Emphasis is on the ee sound.

Taking it one step further you can emphasize the thank YOU.

You in Greek has singular "se" or plural "sas" .

For the personal - one person - more formal:
A simple "Thank you" -- se efaristo
Thank you very much -- se efaristo poli
Thank you very very much (highly appreciated) -- se efaristo para poli

For the team, or group or more than one person, more formal:
A simple "Thank you" -- sas efaristo
Thank you very much -- sas efaristo poli
Thank you very very much (highly appreciated) -- sas efaristo para poli

So next time you are in the butchers, or at the periptero (street kiosk) or any other Greek owned place, you can say a thank you with emphasis, when you say efaristo para poli for that special service you receive. To do that, hold your hand over your heart when you say it with a slight pat on the chest. That indicates of course, coming from the heart. It means a lot to the receiver of the gesture anywhere in #Greece, #Cyprus or the #Greek_Diaspora. Especially if you are thanking them for their service or support. Se efharisto para poli.

Ex-pat Living :: UK State Pension Up for 2012-2013

2011-12-25T07:00:00.008+02:00

The 2012-2013 UK Basic State Pension Increasing to £107.45

Merry Christmas to our British and Irish ex-pats living in #Greece and #Cyprus. This is a good news blog today. If you have not caught the announcement, in the UK, the Basic State Pension is going to rise by 5.2% or £5.30 to £107.45 from the start of the new financial year, 2012-2013. This means the first Monday in the year should be April 9, 2012 when the increase applies. The same for other allowances and increases.

As you know this current London government is now using the Consumer Price Index (CPI) as the benchmark for inflation-linked increases. This means that the basic state pension increases each April depending on the increase in earnings, CPI or 2.5%, whichever is greater. September 2011, the inflation rate was 5.2 per cent so that is the increase in pension rate.

As for Income Tax allowances, in the year 2012-2013 year, the under 65 allowance is to be set at £8,105 a year.

The same Income Tax personal allowance for the 65 to 74 year old group is to be £10,500 a year.

And the same Income Tax personal allowance for the 75 and over group will be £10,660 a year.

Some other pension related rates for 2012 - 2013:
- Pension Credit for a single person rate increases to £142.70 a week
- Pension Credit for couples increases to £217.90 a week
- the Category B pension grows to £64.40 a week

It looks like the inflation rate is easing as we enter 2012 for the UK. I am not sure the same can be said for Greece or even Cyprus. As British ex-pats will just have to make the UK basic state pension go a little bit further with the increases. Whatever the New Year brings may it be a peaceful one for you and yours.

Greek Mayor vs Spanish Mayor :: What is the Difference?

2011-12-05T09:40:00.004+02:00

Greek Mayor vs Spanish Mayor :: What is the Difference?

#Greek Default Watch. Living on #Crete for the ex-pat community can have its comic relief in the economic story befallen #Greece as this narrative shows:

Some years ago, a small rural town in Spain twinned with a similar town in Greece. The mayor of the Greek town visited the Spanish town. When he saw the palatial mansion belonging to the Spanish mayor, he wondered how he could afford such a house.

The Spaniard said, "You see that bridge over there? The EU gave us a grant to build a two-lane bridge, but by building a single-lane bridge with traffic lights at either end, this house could be built."

The following year, the Spaniard visited the Greek town. He was simply amazed at the Greek mayor's house ... gold taps, marble floors, it was marvellous. How did the Greek Mayor explain himself?

For the answer, follow the link below and you will realise why Brits in Crete is on #Greek Default Watch because while in jest there is a real ring of truth to the tale.

This little bit of tongue-in-cheek humour is courtesy of one of the Brits in Crete Forum Members living on Crete, "limnes".

#Greece Default Watch :: Chania Office Refuses To Accept Tax Payment

2011-11-18T06:07:00.004+02:00

#Greece Default Watch :: Chania Tax Office Refuses Car Tax Payment, Why?

What is going on? You'll Never Believe the Reason

#Greece Default Watch. A resident british ex-pat in #Crete was keen to pay his 2012 Vehicle Road Tax (known as the car tax) with a deadline of end of December 2011 so he took off in his car down to his local #Chania Tax collection office. Cash ready in hand, his offer of payment was refused. The reason? The forms are not yet ready! That was mid November!

While I appreciate Brits sometimes like to clear their debts early and not have to worry any more over getting a payment settled, especially older members of society, it is appalling that with Greece in such a deep financial state of affairs they still cannot get their act together to promptly collect payments to fill state coffers.

Or is there some chicanery at work? Could the Greek government be trying to force people to pay late and therefore pay heavy penalties if the Car Tax is not paid before year end - knowing that Greeks often do things at the last minute and may this time miss the last payment date because the correct forms are not ready? Follow Link at the bottom of the article for more about the steep penalty if the Car Tax is paid late.

One of those early lessons of business life I learned was this. While it is great to have a wizard of a sales team, it is even more important to have a super efficient team in the accounts office to firstly bill clients promptly and secondly to collect all generated income on the due date! Any government is no different in revenue collection. If the Greek Government is being honest and the lack of printed forms is the real issue then why can't the Greek Government understand that if civil servants are working to rule or are being obstructive, bypass them altogether.

Even better, may I suggest the the Government set up a Fast Track payment mechanism on major tax collection matters. This it could do by putting to work those highly educated and motivated young university graduates from Greek universities who are unemployed and really do understand the need for change, and put them in the necessary positions, even temporary to get the revenue collection job done. Whether it means bypassing the "old bureaucratic ways", or not, just do it, otherwise Greece will continue to be a lost cause.

Aren't Greeks in the Diaspora "oh so embarrassed" about their homeland brethren's inability to just get on with getting things done right to get out of this huge economic mess?

The Brits, Living in Crete blog continues to be on Greece Default Watch.

Sitia Airport News :: Schiphol Direct Flights Summer 2012

2011-11-10T15:39:00.007+02:00

Sitia Airport News :: Schiphol Direct Flights Summer 2012

For Brit ex-pats living in Eastern Crete, travel to places such as Sitia, Makrigialos and Ierapetra in Lassithi travel will get a little bit easier in the Summer of 2012. There will be an alternative to taking flights to Heraklion or Chania from UK to get to Lassithi. But, it will need a trip that goes via Holland.

Dutch charter airline ArkeFly, will fly twice a week directly between Amsterdam Schiphol and Sitia Airport using Boeing 737-800 aircraft. ArkeFly will run the charter flights on Thursdays and Sundays between April 26 and October 18, 2012. Fares are not cheap but it's a move in the right direction for Eastern Crete tourism and visitors wanting an easier journey to that end of the island.

Arkefly TUI already fly charter flights between Amsterdam Schiphol and Heraklion.

ArkeFly can be found at http://www.arkefly.nl/ (you'll need to use online translation for English as the web pages are in Dutch).

Getting to Sitia Airport currently is via flights through Athens (Aegean Air) or Heraklion (Sky Express) so it is good news to know that Sitia Airport will have these new Arkefly direct services from Northern Europe in the Summer 2012.

British Ex-Pats Alert :: Act Now Retain 15yr Voting Rule

2011-10-12T16:55:00.016+03:00

LastMinute News Alert. You as a fellow British ex-pat can lose your right to vote in UK Elections. BritsinCrete.Net is Responding to the Call from Other British Ex-pat Groupings. Why? Because the 15 year ex-pat voting rule for you to vote in general elections is to be abolished if you do not stop it. Read on if you wish the rule to stay and retain your rights.

PARLIAMENTARY SELECT COMMITTEE MEETS THURSDAY 13 OCTOBER 2011 – ON POLITICAL/CONSTITUTIONAL REFORM & TV DEBATE!!!

VOTES FOR EX-PATS

Dear Friends, Readers, contacts, Ex-pat Websites, Clubs & Associations, please help – this is an urgent call for your help and co-operation. Clubs & Associations, please circulate to your members. That is what BritsinCrete is doing here.

This communication originated with Anita Rieu-Sicart (Retired British Ex-pat) living in France. Anita writes:

As you know for quite a while a number of people, myself amongst them , have been campaigning to get the 15 year rule abolished by which expatriates living elsewhere other than in the UK, lose their right to vote after 15 years, despite as we have pointed OUT on numerous occasions, many such expatriates, pay taxes in the UK.

A new website came into being recently votes-for-expats.com and people have signed up in hundreds, adding their comments, a majority of them resenting Taxation without Representation, as well as making many other points, particularly ex-servicemen who have fought and served their country.

Now a Parliamentary Select Committee is meeting to debate this subject – however only as part of other matters – Thursday 13 October. The General Public has been invited to make submissions. YOU CAN HELP BY WRITING TO THEM! . And we have only been informed about this Select Committee hearing in the past day or so, we need your help.

I and others, Brian Cave of Pensioners Debout blog and website, Graham Richards, who has campaigned for compensation for investors in the Equity pension scandal, Sylvia Moore of International Labour, Christopher Chantry of the votes-for-expats website. etc. have all made submissions. My submission which is unfortunately rather lengthy, you can find below.

I would urge you please if you value your votes, and want to vote, and look after your pension, and what happens to the future of the UK. Your children, grandchildren and their futures, please support this initiative and write in to the committee.

As one contact pointed out to me, a couple retired from the Met Police, the index linking relating to their pension may well be changed, as far as they can see for the worse, shortly they will lose their right to vote. This might also be the case concerning your pension. WITHOUT A VOTE YOU HAVE NO SAY.

And it is not just pensions that may be affected by present and future legislation - how do you feel about being regarded, as Non Resident, and therefore requiring a special Non-Resident’s pass to enter the UK. Think about it. Without a vote you can do nothing.

The list of the Select Committee is attached herewith, but are also listed below so that you can cut-and-paste them into your email.

Nick Clegg’s address has been added as he seems to have opinions on the subject, possibly not favourable, so perhaps it would be wise to supply him with your comments.

DO PLEASE ACT NOW – THIS MIGHT BE THE ONLY CHANCE FOR US TO GET A HEARING, AND MAKE OUR FEELINGS KNOWN.

By all means cut-and paste anything you wish from my submission or from the votes for ex-pats website, or any other information, I will try and include in this mail. I know not everyone is a writer. But do not hesitate to make your feelings known. As ex-serviceman Bosworth on the votes for ex-pats website points out, barely 50% of the electorate voted last time. Isn’t it time they valued the votes of the electorate, and gave us our votes back. You pay taxes and have paid into and worked for the system and country all your life, as most of us have, you are entitled!

I apologise for the length of this missive, but it is important. Please act now.

Best regards

Anita Rieu-Sicart (Retired British Ex-pat)

Editor

VAR VILLAGE VOICE

The Debate is going to be televised, however via the Internet .

(NOT NOTE BBC Parliament!)

So you can watch the proceedings.

The televizing of the Select Committee is:

Thursday 13th

at 10.00 a.m UK TIME -

11.00 a.m. Continental time,

12noon Greek time)

on UK Parliament TV (not BBC Parliament Channel)

The link is:-

http://www.parliamentlive.tv/Main/Live.aspx

You can at about 2 minutes before the broadcast starts link via your PC and go to the TODAY item and then to the bottom right section of the four compartments which appear (COMMITTEES) click on the appropriate

"Political and Constitutional Reform slot at 10.00 a.m. UK time" A live video will appear of the procedures.

Send an e-mail of complaint to:

The Cabinet office at:

electoralregistration@cabinet-office.gsi.gov.uk

and

'harperm@parliament.uk'

The Minister (Mark Harper) for Constitutional Reform, who will be presenting his case to the Select Committee

Send a Complaint e-mail to Select Committee members

allengw@parliament.uk

andrew.griffiths.mp@parliament.uk

chopec@parliament.uk

sheila.gilmore.mp@parliament.uk

hamiltonf@parliament.uk

simon.hart.mp@parliament.uk

tristram.hunt.mp@parliament.uk

lainge@parliament.uk

andrew.turner.mp@parliament.uk

stephenwilliamsmp@parliament.uk

yasmin.qureshi.mp@parliament.uk

nick.clegg.mp@parliament.uk

For your background information.

The Chairman of the Select Committee, wrote this:

Letter from Graham Allen MP,  Chair, Political and Constitutional Reform Committee  

Mr Cave,

Thank you for your letter regarding the time limit on expatriates’ eligibility to vote in UK General Elections. I understand from the number of people who have written to me on this issue that it is an issue of some concern to British citizens living abroad.

The Committee is currently examining the Government’s draft legislation on individual electoral registration, and we are now nearing the end of our inquiry.

The Government has not proposed changing the 15-year time limit on expatriates voting in UK elections. This is something individual Members of the Committee may well want to raise with the Minister when he comes before the Committee on Thursday.

It will be a matter for the Committee as a whole whether to make any recommendation relating to the time limit when we consider our final report later in the year.

I will circulate your submission to the other members of the Committee for consideration on Thursday. Thank you once again for writing to me.

This Submission:

- VOTES FOR EX-PATS

- EX-PATS EQUAL EXPORTS
- WHO AM I? WHO DO I/WE REPRESENT
- DEMOCRACY & THE RIGHT TO VOTE FOR LIBYANS! BUT NOT FOR BRITISH BORN CITIZENS? IS THIS FAIR? IS IT LOGICAL? IS IT DEMOCRATIC ?

- SOLDIERS OF THE QUEEN

- NO TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION

- PARLIAMENTARY REFORM

EX-PATS EQUAL EXPORTS

At a time when the UK finds itself mired in the direst economic straits for several generations - Mervyn King, Governor of the Bank of England, is quoted as saying the worst since the 30’s! - are you really prepared to kick in the teeth the very people who can help the UK climb out of recession?

British Expats, have travelled the world over and brought home the goods, the trade, the connections – they built Empire. From the Nabobs, who travelled to India in the 17c to the computer whizzes/ geeks/ engineers/ agronomists/ bankers/ accountants/ you name it, who since then and still now travel to Dubai, Hong Kong, Brazil and everywhere else, they have worked for their country, and brought home the goods. They not only benefited themselves they benefited their country,

The majority of them spent their lives abroad, they sent their children ‘home’ to be educated, ‘home’ of course being the home country, the UK. They still do, and have done for the past few centuries, and yet now how many thousands are being penalized by losing their right to vote, and vote for their children’s and grand children’s future? Some of them have children serving in the UK armed forces, should they not have a right to vote?

And yet when convenient, who gets called upon to form the Bulwark of support for British Trade Missions, trade initiatives abroad, when the UK is trying to sell its industry, its technology, its know-how – guess who – the resident Ex-pats, who know the territory, know opportunities, who know the potential for exports, and exchanges. They have the local knowledge, the contacts, a great deal of the expertise needed, and yet they are penalized for living abroad by having their right to vote taken away.

In the 60’s I worked for a large petro-chemical engineering company, CJB, as a PRO. I got sent out to Algeria, subsequently Romania, Poland and Russia, on sales initiatives.

In Algeria, the company had secured a very large pipeline contract against severe competition, particularly French and American. As the result of that one contract the American monopoly of overland pipeline construction was broken (they still have the monopoly of underwater pipeline construction, namely the company Brown & Root) and CJB subsequently secured the major share of building North Sea Gas pipelines. CJB then became a viable company for the building of such pipe lines, hence the interest from Poland & Russia. The COI translated the film we made of the Algerian pipeline contract into 26 languages and sent them out worldwide.

On my visits abroad I met with local expats, who tended at that time to scoff at FCO briefings, and the scanty knowledge of local business conditions displayed by FCO officials.

This changed substantially. I later in the 70’s worked for over 5 years in the Press section of the British Embassy in Paris. At the beginning there was this very wide gulf between what was considered genuine and necessary development of benevolent trade links, co-operation, as compared to strictly Commercial links. Commerce even then seemed to be a dirty word. Gradually that changed, and the Commercial Departments of the Embassies widened their links with commerce and industry in every direction.

A forerunner in this was the then Paris Ambassadress, Greek born Lady Henderson who organized a very successful Fashion show at the British Embassy, highlighting the genius of British designers, such as Sandra Rhodes and others – positively coals to Newcastle.. Financial whizzes in the city finally woke up to the fact that Fashion , ie ’ladies frocks’ represented a billion pound/dollar industry.

So when it comes to organizing Trade Missions, and selling UK businesses abroad, it is not just Prince Andrew as the figure head, who helps sells the UK, it is more than likely UK ex-pats on the ground, who are doing the business, getting the contracts, selling UK knowhow , and bringing home the bacon to the UK, and UK manufacturing industries. These are the expats working in Dubai, Brazil, Singapore, Hong Kong, you name it, representing, and working for British banks, Institutions, companies worldwide. One such is Mr. Preston, long time resident in Spain, who is presently petitioning the High Court to get his right to vote restored.

So why on earth are these ex-pats being penalised?

I know many who have retired here in this region of France, they subscribe to the monthly magazine I publish. Having spent all their working lives - more often than not in tropical climates - Hong Kong, Singapore, Kenya, etc, they cannot now face the rigours of the UK climate. But they have savings in the UK, investments, and have supported the UK all their lives.

You can read their increasingly disgruntled and furious comments on the website, Votes-for-Ex-pats.

WHO AM I WHO DO I / WE REPRESENT

I am a UK retiree who settled in the French countryside just over 20 years ago, for economic (I could not afford to live in the UK on a pension!) and climatic reasons, I subsequently started a newsletter called VAR VILLAGE VOICE, which now circulates to hundreds of British expats residing in the Var, the Department next to the Alpes Maritime.

I have written several articles on the subject of Votes for Expats, the latest of which was published by the DAILY TELEGRAPH recently, as a result was circulated worldwide, and helped create a bounce in the sign ups to the Votes-for Expats website.

I know many of my readers, I know where they come from, what they used to do. Thanks now to modern technology, the Internet, we are now in touch with each other constantly. As I am in touch with numerous other Expat websites, and organisations, lobbying groups, such as Brian Cave’s Pensioners Debout Blog (10,000 and more!) and websites, here in France, in Spain, Denmark and elsewhere. Between us we can muster some several thousands of email contacts, virtually world wide.

These readers, their friends, contacts, have all worked and paid in to the UK all their working lives, paid in tax, for health, and everything else. Why should they lose their right to vote, because in their declining years they decide to live elsewhere?

For example, In the next village to where I live one couple are very concerned about their pensions, they are both retired from the Met, both were Royal Protection Officers, they have served their time and retired elsewhere, very likely, like me, for economic reasons. They are now after over ten years here, increasingly concerned as to the rate of tax they are being asked to pay on their pensions. And very shortly they lose their right to vote.

British residents here were civil servants, teachers, they paid their taxes, they educated their children, they paid their dues Is this fair. They paid in? And yet they lose their right to vote on what happens, tax wise and in every other area. How can you possibly justify this?

Actually by leaving the UK, as I did, they and other residents here, liberated much needed housing stock, for an extremely over-populated UK.

DEMOCRACY & THE RIGHT TO VOTE FOR LIBYANS! BUT NOT FOR BRITISH BORN CITIZENS? IS THIS FAIR? IS IT LOGICAL? IS IT DEMOCRATIC?

Don’t you find it utterly hypocritical, and possibly totally cynical, for Prime Minister David Cameron - to nail his colours to the mast at the UN, appealing for UN support for beleaguered peoples in the Arab belt of North Africa and elsewhere, striving to achieve democracy and the right to vote, when at the same time his Government is denying this same right to vote to British citizens, who have done their utmost for their country, and paid in to all the UK systems. Don’t you find this utterly contemptible and repellant?

What next? Will the next section of the population to lose their vote be those who have not exercised their right to vote for example for the past three years, or any other section of the population, for whatever pretext, or manufactured reason, just like in a Banana Republic or any other system of dictatorship.

Right now some twenty-nine of thirty-three council of Europe member states allow non-resident citizens to vote. Globally, more than 110 states grant it, including Botswana, Colombia, Indonesia, Iraq, Mali, Mexico and the United States. But not the UK?

The risible weasel reason supplied by some Sub Committee for limiting the right to vote was “ on each time it considered the issue Parliament has accepted the view that generally, over time, a person's connection with the UK is likely to diminish if they are living permanently abroad.”

A statement directly contradicted, by the FCO, a Government Department far more familiar with UK citizens resident world wide- who stated: ”We recognise the affinity British nationals overseas have with the UK as demonstrated by their strong desire to retain a British passport, either as a mono or dual national.”

Precisely as the UK is holding itself up as a model Democracy, it is at the same time revoking the right to vote to a minority of British born hard working citizens .

Not so long ago, the previous Labour administration made it possible for several thousand Polish citizens, resident and working in the UK, to vote in their home General Election, by setting up 62 polling stations all round the UK.

And yet it cannot make that possible for all its own citizens?

Virtually no other European country strips its citizens of their right to vote, the over 300,000 or so French citizens now living and working in the UK have their own parliamentary representatives. Italy quite often I am told, pays for its citizens to come home to vote. But somehow our government can’t make it possible for all its citizens to vote in UK General Elections, is it parsimony? or just arrogance, and ignorance?

Now Portugal makes it possible for its citizens to vote at their Consulates. Why can’t we vote at our Consulates? Or have postal votes. Too much hard work for over paid Civil Servants, with gold plated pensions paid for in part, by thousands of ex-pat taxpayers?

Yet in this toppsy turvy world, economic migrants with little to offer the UK, are fast tracked to citizenship and the right to vote.

As the recently published report on immigration – commissioned but suppressed by the previous Labour administration revealed, the majority of these economic migrants have low skills and came to the UK to benefit from the Welfare culture, and the UK’s welfare system.

To quote the DAILY TELEGRAPH article on this report – vid The Socio-Economic Integration of Migrants, claimed “Immigrants in the UK exhibit lower employment rates than natives....Immigrants are on average less likely than natives to engage in any form of civic participation.”

And: “”The documents also contain revelations that immigrants from all countries into Britain are more likely to be out of work than the native population”” And yet, contributing nothing to the UK and draining its resources, they are given the right to vote?

SOLDIERS OF THE QUEEN

And to add final insult to injury, a WWII veteran, Harry Shindler, has to petition the European Court to get his right to vote in the UK restored, just because he retired to Italy to be with his grandchildren. How cockeyed is that?

How can you possibly justify it?

Just like J. A. Bosworth, and many others, who served in the UK Armed Forces, but now live elsewhere. Why should he or they lose their right to vote. They served their country. Read the relevant comments on the Votes for Expats website. There are loads there.

NO TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION

And as you read the comments on the Votes for ex-pats website, that keep on rolling in, the majority of them are furious that despite paying their taxes, income tax, you name it, in the UK, they are being deprived of their right to vote.

One can literally note the ever increasing swell of discontent from ex-pats on this website, a furious underbelly of resentment.

Supposing, just supposing, that ex-pats world wide, who could move their pensions, their investments in the UK, decided to do just that. How would the UK Treasury Department react, and regard that flight of funds?

Think about it.

PARLIAMENTARY REFORM

I have spoken to many readers, residents in this area, and unfortunately many of them now express great apathy regarding voting in the UK. They express disgust for what they now regard as an inherently flawed system, a system in which they previously believed, but which they now find corrupt.

How long did it take for MP’s to grasp the nettle and reform the expenses system? Only when forced to by the DAILY TELEGRAPH exposure of the fraudulent practices. Since then it has taken at least two years to bring ex-MP Margaret Moran (Luton South) before the courts. One justice for MPs ,or ex-MPs, and another for everybody else?

The UK Parliamentary system urgently needs to rebuild trust and belief amongst its voters, and disenfranchising one section of its legitimate voters, British citizens who worked for the system and believed in it , can only be regarded as cynicism of the highest order.

You need these voters to try and restore the UK parliament to a truly, transparently democratic system. You need these voters to help you build a stable government not reliant on a makeshift, and not wholly workable coalition.

Anita Rieu-Sicart

Editor

VAR VILLAGE VOICE

Monthly Subscription Print & Internet magazine about the Var

E: anita@varvillagevoice.com

Web: www.varvillagevoice.com

BritsinCrete.Net urges its network of ex-pat British friends to make last minute representation quickly to the Select Committee to keep the 15 year voting rule and even better ask for it to be abolished. Once a British citizen, always a citizen who should have the right to vote in parliamentary elections, wherever the citizen is located in the world. votes for ex-pats.com

Greek Default Watch :: How to Calculate New Property Tax

2011-10-07T08:06:00.006+03:00

Greece Default Watch. Everyone who owns property in Greece whether living in it or using it as a holiday home, is liable to the special property tax imposed by the Greek Parliament on September 27, 2011. The Special Property Duty (but everyone is calling it a property tax) is to be collected through the regular electricity bills issued by D.E.H. the state electricity company. The reason the government is not calling it a "tax" is there is a legal issue that could be challenged in the Supreme Court. Luxury property owners are already levied extra property tax, so a second one would not be constitutional, according to a number of lawyers.

This special property tax applies to the years 2011 and 2012. It will likely be extended to 2013 and 2014.

It is so difficult to find a comprehensive document in English, to explain when to pay and how the tax is calculated. I am pleased to report that BritsinCrete.Net website carries such a detailed document, thanks to Atsalakis and Partners, the accounting firm based in Chania, Crete.

The Greek government is doing its best to bridge the gap in a shortfall in revenue of more than 2 billion euros to avert a default on its loans. The Special Property Tax will raise about that amount.

While the Greek Government says it is a fair tax as it is spread throughout the various income levels, it should not be levied in this manner at all. It still hits the lower income groups. It is at least pleasing to know that property speculators with a number of properties are hit even harder.

If you are renting, beware: the owner may increase your rent to pass on this new tax to you.

Should Greece default on loans it will affect the banks most. Living in Crete we can't do without the banks for ATM transactions. How do we know the banks won't freeze our accounts or lower the daily limit on how much we can withdraw from an ATM. Is it time to put some money under the pillow?

We are still on Greece Default Watch. All the details of how the special property tax will affect you if you own property in Greece, can be found at http://www.britsincrete.net/greece-special-property-duty-2011-2012.htm

Upd - Crete: Woman Hurls Egg Against Deputy Minister (video)

2011-09-26T21:20:00.002+03:00

Upd - Crete: Woman Hurls Egg Against Deputy Minister (video)

Greece Default Watch. There are times when as brits living in Crete we have to tip the hat to a Greek with a bone to pick, and with an egg-in-hand at the ready.

During this economic crisis for #Greece, it is good idea not to challenge any Cretan who has a beef with the Central Government in Athens.

We should never forget living in Crete, that Cretans would like nothing better than to be independent from the rest of Greece. The reason: the Cretans do not like the fact they contribute more in tax revenues to Athens and do not get a fair shake of the national distribution of the proceeds of those same taxes on a regional basis.

The Greek deputy minister in the lady protester's eyes clearly deserved what he got!

Greek Default Watch :: New Property Tax Unfair

2011-09-14T11:47:00.006+03:00

Greek Default Watch. The Greek Government announced on September 11, 2011 that to plug the country's 2011 budget deficit shortfall, it is going to find a more equitable non-descriminatory way to tap the nation's private finances. A Special Property Tax is to cover separately the tax years 2011 and 2012. The Greek Government admits that it can't trust the tax collection system, so they are using a more sneaky and more efficient approach - the billing system of the national electricity company, known as DEH. Sneaky means that there is an obvious link between the possibility of having the electricity service cut if the special tax on a DEH bill goes unpaid. The 2011 levy has to be paid before February 2012. Ouch! For 2012, it is proposed to be spread installments throughout the tax year.

The special "property tax" levy is to be set between .5 to 10 euros per square metre calculated on a property's covered building area, and depending on the location of each property. The information on a building's size is already in the DEH database.

What makes this special "property tax" so galling for the average Greek is a simple fact that fellow blogger, Nikos Tsafos so succinctly writes about. In Fact #4 of his rundown of Ten Surprising Facts about the Greek economy, he states that for the tax officials to collect 40% of tax arrears would eliminate the 2011 budget deficit. In June 2011, the Ministry of Finance reported that tax arrears amounted to €41 bn. Of that number, 90% came from 6,500 people and from 8,200 corporations that owe over €150,000 each. Collecting those arrears would more than cover the projected 2011 budget deficit of less than €17 bn. The link to Nikos Tsafos' article at page bottom.

Everyone who owns a home or business in Greece knows that DEH, the state electricity utility has for many years collected and continues to collect municipal (council) taxes and EPT, the state broadcaster's TV license with each billing. Both fees are calculated on a quarterly, pay-as-you-go basis and billed accordingly.

Having announced the special property tax (it has happened before, as an emergency fund raising exercise on larger properties), it is no wonder the ordinary Greeks (and of course foreigners who own a holiday home or full time residence in the country) are reacting badly.

Ancient Greece developed democratic values in the "City States" concept. Modern Greece is going down the wrong path of governance and taxing the wrong segments of society to plug deficits.

I contend that the Greek authorities need to take two immediate actions to forestall any further, what I term catastrophic and damaging events on Greek society. The state prosecutors need to: 1. start going after the "elite", those who owe huge back taxes, and 2. To start criminal proceedings against the corrupt in high places over the awarding of government contracts.

I am sensing, the ordinary Greeks all over the country have simply had enough of being squeezed financially and are going to react badly this winter when inflation gets even worse and income is reduced further. Is a "Greek Spring" in the making? (A sidebar fact - Tobruk, Libya, part of the "Arab Spring" is about the same distance due south of Crete as the Greek capital is due north).

In a cause and effect scenario, the next thing we will wake up to one morning is to find that a military coup (the impossible turns into the possible) having taken place to preserve the integrity of the nation. Just like a few weeks ago no one dared to speak of a Greek euro default but now it is on the cards. Watch how things develop and pan out in the coming weeks.

View Nikos Tsafos Blog. Very precise analysis of the real Greek situation.

Malaria in Greece Reported This Summer

2011-08-25T19:20:00.006+03:00

More cases of malaria in Greece are reported this summer. Ex-pats Living in Greece and holiday makers should not be concerned but be on their guard.

To be more specific, six cases of the Plasmodium vivax form of malaria have been reported between June 2011 and up to August 18, 2011 in Lakonia (Laconia) in the Peloponnese and Chalkida in the Evoia region. This is the third year running of the Plasmodium vivax occurrences in those places.

Details of the incidence of Malaria in Greece are at the UK's Health Protection Agency website.

According to advice from the UK's Foreign and Commonwealth Office on travel to Greece, the risk of catching malaria while in the Balkan country remains extremely low, so there is no need to take anti-malarial treatments. Holiday makers, like ex-pats should continue to locate themselves in Greece, even the areas of the Peloponnese and Evoia mentioned. They should be vigilant and take measures to prevent being bitten (which will also protect against West Nile Virus, another mosquito-borne disease). They should seek medical advice promptly if they experience symptoms of malaria, typically a fever, headache, muscle pains and sometimes accompanied by night sweats.

Further information is available from the UK's National Travel Health Network Centre.

In Greece in 2010 around 200 cases of the West Nile virus were reported and successfully treated. The disease while unpleasant is not usually life threatening to anyone enjoying the ex-pat life in Greece. Holiday makers planning to go to the Lakonia or Chalkida areas should take sensible precautions against being bitten by mosquitoes - as should anytime, anywhere. These include covering the shoulders, arms and legs particularly in the early evenings and when sleeping.

Brits in Crete Open Letter to Adidas CEO Herbert Hainer

2011-08-24T15:02:00.004+03:00

Brits in Crete ex-pat Open Letter to Herbert Hainer, CEO of Adidas, the sports wear multi-national retailer to pressure the company to detox the sportswear they sell in Crete and across Greece and ex-pat, patronised outlets wherever they are located from Dubai to Hong Kong.

Dear Mr Hainer,

I am writing to you today because I am deeply concerned to learn that your clothing has tested positive for chemicals which prove that you are contributing to toxic water pollution. Other clothing companies are implicated too, but that's no excuse for inaction now.

Adidas should commit to eliminate all toxic chemicals from its supply chain and products. Your company needs to 'come clean' and disclose to the public the hazardous chemicals used and released into the environment during its production processes and -- if Adidas wants to be a real leader -- turn words into action and show us real change on the ground in countries like China, where water pollution is such an urgent problem.

The world needs champions for a toxic-free future. Are you all in, or are you hoping to leave it to Puma, Nike and others to JUST DO IT for you?

I would like to hear back from you as soon as possible when you are ready to take up the Detox Challenge.

Sincerely

Gerald Brown
for and behalf of
Brits in Crete web sites

This open letter is in support of the Greenpeace International campaign to clean up the manufacture of sportswear. I am informed that clothing by leading brands Abercombie & Fitch, Adidas, Calvin Klein, Converse, GAP, G-Star RAW, H&M, Kappa, Lacoste, Li Ning, Nike, Puma, Ralph Lauren, Uniqlo and Youngor is manufactured using nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPEs), which break down to form toxic nonylphenol (NP).

Nonylphenol is a persistent chemical with hormone-disrupting properties that build up in the food chain, and is hazardous even at very low levels. Someone needs to lead the textile industry to quit the chemicals and detox our water. Nike and Puma have been convinced to change to a cleaner environment, but Adidas hasn't yet.

Note to readers of this blog. Please add your voice to this campaign via your favourite social network web site whether you are in Crete, Greece, or beyond, in fact wherever you are. On Facebook please "Like" this Open Letter to Herbert Hainer, CEO of Adidas as a first step in expressing your concern over Adidas' stance. Thank you.

Zorba The Greek Director, Michael Cacoyannis Dies at Age 90

2011-08-14T16:21:00.013+03:00

Michael Cacoyannis, the Greek-Cypriot director, producer and writer of the film classic Zorba The Greek based on Nikos Kazantzakis tale filmed in Crete, died on July 25, 2011 at the age of 90. In recognition of Cacoyannis' contribution to culture in Greece, he was given a state funeral in Athens on July 28th.

Known as Ίδρυμα Μιχάλης Κακογιάννης, Cacoyannis has left a wonderful legacy in his Michael Cacoyannis Foundation (the MCF website in Greek, and in English) which is based in Tavros, Athens.

Cacoyannis set up the non-profit making foundation in 2003. His ambition was the creation of a modern cultural institution with its own distinctive identity, which would engage in the study, support and promotion of the Performing Arts, particularly Theatre and Cinema.

Catch the movie's classic 'Sirtaki' dance scene on the beach here.

Zorba is a continuing firm favourite with British audiences representing the epitome of all things Greek.

Tags: Zorba the Greek, Michael Cacoyannis, Μιχάλης Κακογιάννης, Crete, Greece, foundation, classic, film,

EU Court Ruling Heightens EU Benefits Issue for Mobility

2011-08-05T23:27:00.007+03:00

Free movement of citizens in the EU does not preclude E.U. national governments from treating each person equally should they move around the European Union countries when it comes to social security benefits.

In regards mobility, if someone travels around, let us say on the basis of no fixed abode (or a temporary address) , then which ever country a person finds them self in, a European Court of Justice court ruling in July (2011) means any local government administration will have to treat that EU national equally to those with a local registered address when it comes to social security.

Any benefits should be paid regardless. That person as an #EU national does not have to prove they have contributed to the social welfare system of the country they find themselves in currently.

This is a far reaching judgment that has got lawmakers across the European Union rushing to check how they can handle this matter.

I am referring to a decision of the Court of Justice of the European Union last month in its judgment in Case C-503/09, Lucy Stewart versus the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, (UK Government).

The Court of Justice decision confirmed the fundamental status of EU citizenship and its rights, in particular the freedom to move and reside in another EU country, as well as the right to social security coverage.

This right could not be fully effective if a person would be excluded from claiming a social security benefit on the sole ground that he or she has previously not been present or is not present in the country in which he or she claims the benefit.

EU countries still have the power to organize their social security systems and they may set conditions to establish the entitlement to social security benefits. However, the condition of past presence in order to establish a genuine link between the claimant and that country is contrary to EU law, according to this court's decision.

As stated above, the EU Commission is studying the European Court of Justice ruling carefully, in order to ascertain its implications. In particular, it will need to study the possible effects of this ruling on other infringements against the United Kingdom before taking a position on these related procedures.

This could mean in Greece for example, British, Irish or other EU nationals would no longer have to work three years consecutively in a summer job (and of course, paying IKA contributions - the Greek social security system) before becoming eligible to claim winter unemployment benefit which is currently the case, I believe. Keeping our fingers crossed that it is recognized that free movement in the EU i.e. mobility, does not require a fixed abode address locally to claim appropriate social security benefits.

Main Source of this story.

Brits in Turkey and Greece :: Aegean Flights Gone Bust

2011-08-04T15:29:00.006+03:00

#Brighton-based, #Aegean Flights a.k.a.Holidays 4 UK Ltd has gone bust and ceased trading on August 3, 2011

For Brits Living in Greece and Living in Turkey, if you missed the announcement, Aegean Flights/Holidays 4 UK Ltd based in Brighton, Sussex in the UK ceased trading on August 3. Please pass along the following information if friends or relatives have booked with this company and are therefore affected by its closure.

Note: Aegean Flights is not Aegean Air, the Greek-based and award winning airline.

The UK's Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) said that those already abroad (mostly Turkey) should continue to enjoy their holiday and check in for their return flight as usual. The CAA is ensuring repatriation for all customers in line with the scheduled end of their holiday.

All Aegean Flights and Holidays4U Ltd bookings are protected under the UK's travel protection scheme known as ATOL. Therefore customers who are currently abroad and experiencing any difficulties should contact the CAA for more information on telephone 0044 (0)161 444 5810.

More information on the Aegean Flights/Holidays4U announcement on the CAA website.

Various British news reports state that between 20,000 and 50,000 advanced bookings have been made with Aegean/Holidays 4U. These are now cancelled. Customers are being told not to go to their designated airport for their booked flights. Tickets will not be honoured.

These customers need to claim for compensation through ATOL..

Those with forward bookings requiring general advice about refunds under the ATOL scheme can go to the CAA website or can contact the CAA on +44 (0) 8444 933037.

More information about the claims process is available at Help in Making an ATOL Claim.

Hope this is helpful. And I am sorry to hear if anyone is caught up in this bankruptcy as it seems so unfair on hard working families that just want a peaceful annual vacation and give them a rest from their usual week-in week-out worries and concerns. These are tough times we live in. This is not the first holiday company in the UK to go broke this year, either. Its timing stinks.

Blue Flag Beaches Crete 2011 :: Accessibility Emphasized

2011-06-19T12:53:00.007+03:00

In 2011, some 387 Greek beaches and 9 Marinas have been awarded the Blue Flag Award for excellence. Of these the Island of Crete has the lion's share of 98 beaches (96 in 2010) plus its only yacht marina at Aghios Nikolaos.

A full list of Crete's 98 Blue Flag Beaches can be found at the Blue Flag page of the main BritsinCrete website. The information highlights those beaches in #Crete (most of the beaches) that provide access and special facilities for handicapped people with restricted mobility .

Emphasis by the Greek national NGO in charge of the Blue Flag Project in Greece, the Hellenic Society for the Protection of Nature (HSPN) this year has put accessibility for visitors with restricted mobility as a priority.

The Blue Flag Award, an internationally acclaimed benchmark for the world's best beaches is a voluntary eco-labelling system organised by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) an established NGO based in Copenhagen. FEE covers 41 countries around the world .

Above Photo: The 2011 #Blue_Flag_Beach of Ammos/Marina is located in the heart of Aghios Nikolaos in Lasithi. The 2011 Blue Flag Awarded Marina is seen in the background. © LivinginCrete.gr and BritsinCrete.gr

List Source: Hellenic Society for the Protection of Nature (HSPN)

Living in Greece | #St_Georges_Day 2011 Confusion

2011-04-23T08:54:00.010+03:00

Confusion reigns on #StGeorge'sDay 2011
For those Englishmen and women Living in Greece, should they celebrate St Georges Day on the traditional date of April 23 (set in the 13th Century) or May 2nd?

What on earth is going on?

Well it seems some bright spark in England thought that because April 23, 2011 is Easter Saturday then it would not be appropriate. Perhaps if St George was a pagan or anything like that, it would be understandable to move it from a devout weekend in the Church of England calendar. But the fact is, St George's parents were Christian and he was a Roman soldier fighting for Christian causes. On the other hand Roman soldiers did do things to Christ when he was on the cross to check he was dead. So I guess I answered my own point, if thinking aloud from an "association of ideas" angle.

Anyway, St Georges' Day is "officially" in England on May 2 in the year 2011! If I am correct that is Early May Bank Holiday Monday. I guess May 2nd is more appropriate to the celebrations of that long weekend and more aligned to another English tradition of May pole dancing (no, not that kind of pole dancing) that takes place in May.

So in this confused state over dates, it turns out that a lot of schools in England and other organisations are celebrating St Georges' Day with events on April 23 and the rest on May 2nd.

More of St George can be found on the BBC web page dedicated to St George.

So for any English expat Living in Greece or anywhere else in the world celebrating St Georges Day, you won't go wrong in 2011 if you choose April 23, or May 2, or both!

Living in Crete: Nationwide Forex Changes After Nov 1

2010-10-13T11:33:00.005+03:00

Your Spending Money in Europe and Changes at Nationwide Building Society

For Brits, Nationwide Building Society has always been a popular way of taking small sums of cash to Europe from UK, and of course to our base on the Greek Island of Crete.

Nationwide's no fees and good rates made this a very useful method of converting sterling inexpensively to Euros. However you may know by now, this all changes from November 1st, 2010. Nationwide have axed the benefits of their most popular current account and as from November 1st, charges will be levied each time at the rate of 2% commission and £1 withdrawal fee.

Nationwide, UK's biggest building society is trying to offset the new charges with a new reward of free travel insurance to its loyal customer base. The catch though is that to be entitled to this offer customers must pay in at least £750 a month into their Flex Account.

So what alternatives are open to you when the new system kicks in?

A currency broker can certainly help; it will provide a more competitive service than the bank. Some brokers can put in place monthly transfers that don’t include fees. There are several options and it is best to talk direct to a broker and explain your situation in full. You can take the option of ‘Spot Deals’ on an as and when basis, but again do check with the broker about charges for as in some cases there are fees incurred. A few brokers offer prepaid cards, by where you can pre-load money on the card and withdraw cash from ATM’s or pay as you would with a credit or debit card. Rates are competitive and charges minimal.

Brits in Crete works with foreign currency specialist, Colm Gilhooly at Currencies Direct. What we like about them is their highly personalized approach to their clients. Colm is very knowledgable and helpful to us at BritsinCrete. He is herefore a solid introduction.

More on Currencies Direct and how to reach Colm is found in the section on your money, foreign exchange and banking in Europe in our Brits in Crete forum.

Greece: Have You Registered Your Top Up Mobile Phone

2010-07-14T16:13:00.004+03:00

One of those reminders from BritsinCrete for anyone in Greece! If you have a hand phone - mobile phone - with a Pay-As-You-Go, top up chip issued by one of the Greek telephone providers you have until July 31, 2010 to register it in your name.

Greece, along with other EU countries is banning the use of any phone that is not registered to someone. The move is part of the war against crime, money laundering, drugs and terrorism.

Tie a knot in whatever to remind yourself you need to get yourself to your nearest phone shop or ask your provider's customer service hotline where you can register and what their company's policy is on registering a phone in your name.

You will likely need your passport if you are a foreigner or Identity Card if you are Greek (or if you are from another EU state, your National ID Card).

I was told by the WINDS mobile phone provider that on Crete the only place you can register is at their main Heraklion shop branch not any other branch on the island.

If I were someone in this situation I would not leave registration until the last day (July 31, 2010 is a Saturday, after all) just in case you need to schedule a trip to Heraklion. Just a reminder, mark it in your phone's calender as an urgent thing to do!

In all likelihood any unregistered mobile number in Greece will be cut off at midnight on August 1, 2010. This applies to anyone in Greece who has not registered their mobile top up mobile phone by the deadline of July 31, 2010.

Greece: Notary Publics Face Dilemma Over 23 per cent VAT

2010-06-17T13:01:00.005+03:00

Greece: Notary Publics Challenge the 23 per cent VAT Imposition on Their Services

All across Greece, Notary Publics are challenging the Pasok Government's decision to impose a 23 per cent, value added tax on their Notarial services from July 1, 2010, and want clarification on their constitutional status to justify the VAT tax on top of their fees. The tax is being levied to generate extra revenue to offset Greece's long term debt problems.

This is the first time the Athens Government is levying the fee which will obviously push up costs of using a Notary by a quarter from July 1, 2010. A notable addition when exchanging property contracts - a key service of Notary Publics in Greece.

As with the status of lawyers, those having qualified as Notary Publics are regarded as performing public functions, without which the state cannot operate properly. This status is the same as applied to lawyers in Greece. While the lawyers are on nationwide strike over the imposition of 23 per cent VAT on their services and have closed down all the courts in the country for nearly one month already, the Notaries for the most are still carrying on their work load. In the absence of support from lawyers, as most lawyers are on strike, the Notaries cannot function affectively, limited to simpler tasks such as witnessing signatures on documents etc.

The current Greek economic crisis has brought many issues to a head and the status of lawyers and notary publics is becoming a constitutional matter and cannot easily be resolved. But the bottom line Greece has to balance its budget.

See the separate story on the lawyers strike and its implications.

See also the impact of the EU lawyers directive on Greek legal profession.

Greece :: EU Lawyers Directive Criticized at Local Crete Level

2010-06-17T12:38:00.009+03:00

Greece :: EU Lawyers Directive Criticized by Local Bar Associations

Don't try to transact a property sale or purchase on Crete (or anywhere else in Greece for that matter) within the foreseeable future as Greek lawyers are on strike until at least July 7th, 2010. They have in fact downed tools for two reasons. Firstly they have a big issue on the introduction of value added tax for the first time on their billings to clients. Secondly, faced with full implementation of the EU Lawyers Directive at the local prefecture level will force many lawyers out of business.

(More on the Greek Lawyers VAT issue.)

EU Lawyers’ Establishment Directive
Greece is being pressured by the European Commission to fully implement the Lawyers’ Establishment Directive (EU Directive 98/5/EC 16 February 1998) in Greece. For example, in Scotland the law came into force on 22 May, 2000. The EU Lawyer's Directive is designed to facilitate the passage of lawyers from one Member State to practice permanently in another and was the result of highly involved negotiations over 20 years. Member States were given until 16 March, 2000 to transpose the Directive into each national law.

To understand why lawyers across Greece are so angry at the EU Directive - 98/5/EC in this year - 2010 - is to understand better the way the practicing lawyer system works in the Greek state.

Firstly the EU law was supposed to have been fully adopted in Greece by 16 March 2000. Better late than never, belatedly the country is catching up time to conform to the EU directive fully. Foreign lawyers are allowed to practice in Greece under EU Directive 95/5 but the EU is telling Greece to bring its local laws in line with the EU Lawyers Directive.

The local laws governing how Greece's attorneys date back to 1954. The local bar association takes the university graduate with a degree into an 18 months apprenticeship/internship, then onto taking the local bar association examinations and upon passing be accredited as a member of the local bar association. The tradition, governed by statute, has been that lawyers can (for the most part, there are exceptions) only practice in their local bar association territory. In Crete, territory is delineated as the four prefectures: Chania, Rethymno, Heraklion or Lasithi.

Bringing these local laws in line with EU requirements means that any lawyer in Greece will be able to practice anywhere of his choosing in the country at any time. Local prefectural lawyers are concerned that out of the 36,000 lawyers practicing in Greece, some 24,000 are located in or around Athens - which means the remaining one third of the total are spread across the rest of the country.

In Lasithi Prefecture for example, there are approximately only 100 lawyers.

If the huge numbers of Athens area lawyers are permitted to practice in places on Crete for example the concerns of lawyers in Chania, Rethymno, Heraklion and Lasithi is that they will be likely swamped by big law firms from the capital who will try to take all the traditional local business away from them. Competition is good but not at any price say the local lawyers. One local Cretan lawyer told me that there simply would not be enough work to go around and his livelihood would be at stake. So what is going to happen?

The current strike of the Greece's lawyers is due to end on July 7th, 2010 when the General Assembly of the country's Bar Associations is meeting in Athens to try to find a solution. Until then we have to hold our breath as does the rest of the country.

Greece :: Lawyers Down Tools Over Introduction of VAT on Their Services

2010-06-17T12:27:00.004+03:00

Greek Lawyers Down Tools Over Introduction of VAT on Their Services

Greece's lawyers down tools over the Athens Government decision to impose value added tax (VAT) for the first time, and at the 23 per cent rate on all their invoicing to clients. In effect every time a contract is signed or work undertaken by a lawyer it will now attract a VAT fee at 23 per cent. That of course means all clients will be affectively paying a 23 per cent increase in the cost of engaging a law firm or engage legal services such as notary publics.

The lawyers say this is unfair on constitutional grounds. Why? Lawyers say that they are regarded as public servants under Greece's constitution. If they are public servants they are then on the same footing as any other government person. If I am correct, this means that there is no 23 per cent levied on government transactions signed off by civil servants. Therefore lawyers ay they need also to continue to be exempt. Lawyers say that it may have to take a constitutional amendment to pass through Parliament to affect the change, or the VAT levy on legal fees challenged in the Supreme Court of Greece, or even challenged in the European Human Rights court.

During this dispute with the government over the status of lawyers, the legal profession has downed tools and refusing to handle any legal matters. In some prefectures, some exceptions are being made in drawing up contracts.

In Crete the local Bar Associations of Lasithi and Heraklion Prefectures say it is OK, if you are buying/selling a property it is still possible to move forward to work on preparing property contracts. It is my understanding that in Chania and Rethymnon Prefectures, it is a total strike and the two bar associations have directed that no exceptions will be made with total downing of tools.

Across Greece it is up to the local Bar Association of each prefecture whether to make this exception.

In respect of court proceedings it is calculated that as all court trials and hearings have been stopped for the duration of this dispute - until at least July 7th, it is being calculated that due to heavy work load of the Greek judicial system, no new cases can be scheduled until two years later from now i.e. 2012 - thereby further clogging up the court system with longer lead times to scheduling judges time. This will be particularly true in Crete's Chania, Rethymnon, Lasithi and Heraklion prefectures.

Anyone who has bought or sold property in Greece, or used a lawyer for other reasons, will be aware of the local bar association. Your lawyer adds a local bar association fee to every billing for services rendered. The amount is based on a scale of fees depending on the type of transaction.

The date of July 7th, 2010 is important. That is the day the General Assembly of all the regional Bar Associations of Greece is to meet in Athens to decide on what action to take against the government's ruling.

See also the other reason lawyers are up in arms at the moment and downing tools with legal practices not operating properly throughout Greece.

Living in Crete : Guide to Consulates in Crete Greece

2010-06-14T22:43:00.019+03:00

Countries With Diplomatic Representatives in Crete compiled by livingincrete.gr

How to Contact diplomatic missions in Crete: Austria, Belgium, Britain, Chile, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Korea, Netherlands, Norway, Philippines, Poland, Russia, Spain, Sweden and Ukraine.

Living on Crete : Crete For Life Brings Underprivileged Children from the SOS Village Athens to Crete

2010-06-11T15:03:00.007+03:00

"Brits in Crete" with its members who are living on Crete continue to help publicize the efforts of the Crete For Life charity for the children who suffered from the Chernobyl disaster. This year the charity is spreading its influence a little further.

Crete For Life will for the first time join forces with the international charity SOS Children’s Villages offering a seaside break on the island of Crete to a group of twenty children from the SOS Village in Vari, Athens. The SOS Village is one of the oldest, largest and most reputable international organization committed to promoting children’s rights and their well being.

On Crete, the SOS children, will enjoy a summer break from their difficult lives, a chance to experience a happy, carefree way of living, make new friends, try new things and hopefully take with them some wonderful memories of their time on the island.

How Will the SOS Children Spend Their Time?
Olimpia Theodoli one of the founders of Crete For Life of the SOS Children's Village said of the visit to Crete, "We will host kids by the Cretan sea side where they will enjoy a program of fun activities and entertainment in a safe, homely and friendly environment. Moreover, they will experience Crete’s renown hospitality and its famously healthy and delicious cuisine."

Crete For Life told Brits in Crete that it is to continue to expand its Cretan hospitality to include more and more disadvantaged children from different parts of the world with the continuing support from friends and families, both Greek and expats living in Crete. The visit of the SOS Children's Village kids from Vari, Athens is a tribute to the continuing generosity of the supporters of Crete For Life.

It is an honour for BritsinCrete - we include their logo link on every page of our main website - to support the efforts of Crete For Life.

As you may be aware, over the years Crete For Life has been hosting a number of Belorussian children from areas affected by the Chernobyl Catastrophe, for therapeutic breaks and workshops by the sea. Each and every child's time on Crete has been most beneficial. Pictures speak a thousand words. The movie, in Italian, reflects the fact one of the founders is of Italian origin.

Living on Crete: Crete Attempts Guinness World Records For Largest Salad and Longest Dance

2010-06-09T14:41:00.006+03:00

British and Irish and all foreigners, Living on Crete or just visiting the Greek Island are invited on Sat, June 19, 2010 to visit Ierapetra on Crete's South Coast in Lassithi to help make the World's Biggest Tomato Salad. The aim is to get into the Guinness Book of World Records to beat the current record of Israel's 11,200 kilogrammes salad.

The local agricultural cooperative organizing the event say that hundreds of Cretan volunteers will use more than six thousand kilos of tomatoes, three thousand kilos of cucumbers, two thousand kilos of peppers, 800 kilos of onions, 500 kilos of Feta cheese, 500 kgs weight of olive oil, plus oregano and salt to create the world's largest tomato salad weighing well over 12 tonnes.

The long hours of sunshine and warmth year round make Crete's Ierapetra region one of Europe's prime growing areas under greenhouse conditions for tomatoes and cucumbers. Ierapetra is a major supplier of salad produce year round to Germany and Austria.

The Tomato Salad Guinness Book of World Records attempt will be followed on August 7, 2010 by another Cretan attempt at a world record. This time, the whole of Crete wants to create the record for the longest dance in the world between Chania in the western end of Crete to Aghios Nikolaos in the Eastern end of Crete - a distance of some 200 kilometers. Thousands of dancers are expected to participate in the day of celebration in a display of love and fraternity. Cretan residents hope to turn this into an annual fun festivity.
Details at: http://www.200000.gr/including how to participate.

Useful links are found at the BritsinCrete Forum - a great place to learn about expat living on Crete and the lifestyle of locations such as Ierapetra.
http://www.britsincrete.co.uk/cgi-bin/bicforum/YaBB.pl?num=1273337494/

BBC News: Remembering the British 2009 War Casualties

2010-06-08T22:03:00.004+03:00

BBC News: June 5, 2010 - Remembering the British Service Men and Woman at the Armed Forces Memorial Arboretum Near Lichfield Who Died For Our Country in 2009

Hats off to the BBC for its live TV coverage of the Memorial Service at the National Armed Forces Memorial in the Midlands of the remembrance service to honour the 119 service man and women who died for their country in 2009. It was a year of great loss for the British Armed Forces according to the BBC commentary accompanying the solemn pictures of wreath laying by friends and relatives.

Sitting in Crete watching BBC News TV on satellite reminded me of the importance in the BBC's role to ensure we do not forget those who fought and died for the rest of us!

This coverage followed hot on the heels of the 70th anniversary commemorations of the rescue from France in the Battle of Dunkirk of 330,000+ British and French combatants from generals to rank and file service men and women. Those days at the end of May 1940 enabled Britain to fight another day to win World War 2 eventually. BBC News was again on location in Dover and Calais, live, recounting the historic and momentous events of 1940.

The reason I mention all this is there are times when I think that those in today's media scene in Britain all too often forget to give prominent coverage of important and historic events, for which we would not be able to live the lives we do in freedom, if they had not happened.

While it is not necessary to have to fight in a war to be brave or to display our "Britishness" there is no doubt that our national broadcaster, the BBC plays a key role in maintaining awareness and understanding the importance of remembering this kind of event for today's generation, pre-occupied with computer games and other (for the most part) mindless technology. (How did we ever cope and live before computers and mobile phones were invented?)

I am glad the BBC performs its role so well as Britain's state broadcaster so that we are reminded: "lest we forget..."

Let us not lose sight then of the great events that have gotten we Brits to where we are today and the service men and woman who fight and died on our behalf.

In today's fast paced generation where we do not even sit down together as a family to have our main meal of the day, we as fellow citizens overlook and show respect to men and women who come out of the armed services after facing enemy action. In today's context that could be in Iraq, Afghanistan and other disputed hotspots around the world that threaten our very lifestyle from far.

Often all we do is ignore them at a time when they have to re-adjust to being back into an unforgiving civilian world. Let us restore the armed forces to their rightful place in our society and not demote them to being "just another job".

From Crete, Greece, this is a roundabout way of thanking the powers that be at the BBC Trust for ensuring that nationally important events of historical importance continue to be brought to the attention of the mainstream population through radio and TV broadcasts.

One of many BBC links: http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/kent/hi/people_and_places/nature/newsid_8692000/8692901.stm

Living in Greece | Cheaper than Living in Turkey?

2010-04-08T08:23:00.011+03:00

Is the Cost of Your Favourite British Goodies while Living in Greece Cheaper than getting them while Living in Turkey?

Are you looking to know where your hard earned £ pound is in your favour abroad and where it will go farther? Surprises: Greece! Top end. Turkey: Even more expensive. Hungary: It turns out to be the cheapest of the tourist destinations covered, on a country by country basis. What we are saying here is that after the conversion of the £ to a local currency it goes farthest in Hungary in the country list below to buy our favourite British goods while abroad ....

These were the results from UK's The Post Office which recently conducted an investigation as to how much the £ pound will buy for those like-for-like basket of necessities when you travel abroad.

Of course, the purchased items and services are typical of what Brits would choose while on the move around the world. The like-for-like basket of purchases and services were also found in touristy areas. They included supermarket items such as beer, as well as meals eaten out.

The comparison is based on a similar set of purchases in the UK.

Interestingly Brighton, itself a tourist town in Britain was the UK city to be compared with tourist resorts abroad in the countries mentioned. Brighton I am told, being in the South of England can be 10-15% more expensive in comparison to say Leicester for similar supermarket items. I am sure if you come from other places around Britain you will draw your own conclusions in the price differential domestically.

The foreign exchange rates used are typical of current levels, are for the same day and show what the £pound is able to buy in local currencies. The like-for-like basket of items would cost in pounds equivalent, in:

Hungary (£35.72)
Thailand (£38.39)
 Bulgaria (£39.12)
Spain (£44.84)
 Indonesia (£48.06)
 Kenya (£50.17)
Malaysia (£51.97)
Egypt (£60.76)
Croatia (£62.44)
South Africa (£62.56)
Greece (£63.42)
Portugal (£64.21)
Malta (£64.95)
Turkey (£76.08)

For those holidaying or living in Euroland, the comparison between Spain and Greece (two substantially similar places) for overall costs is most striking. The costs in Greece seem to be 25 per cent more expensive than Spain.

I take a detour for a moment -- Not surprisingly then that so many Spanish products and produce are found in Greece's discount supermarkets. such as Dia%, where many products from Spain appear "cheaper" than locally produced Greek items. Why should it be? Back to the main point -- why should British thingy's be that much more expensive in Greece than Spain? Surely the transport costs are not that much different? Must be to do with level in demand?

So, if we are talking about our insisting upon getting hold of our British made, favourites that we must have when we travel, then we have to be prepared to pay through the nose for them in some places.

That is probably the difference between Greece and Turkey. I always thought that in Turkey, the mighty Pound bought a lot of local Lire? Well it does normally. I even recall the days when the great sales pitch "English Breakfast for £1.00 Only" when at the time in Greek holiday resorts, like Malia in Crete it was already English Breakfast for £1.50 - £2.00 or more.

But The Post Office survey was about "like-for-like" items .....

For the current cost of living in Greece, especially for Brits in Crete, where the price of a litre of petrol has soared to around €1.50,the BiC Forum is the place to visit where a lot is being said by resident Brits and Irish.

EHIC, E109/E121 Health Card Changes: Are You Affected

2010-04-06T10:47:00.011+03:00

E109, E121 Changes May 1st, 2010 This is a reminder

The new E109/E121 EU regulations for the European Health Insurance Card come into force across the whole EU on May 1st, 2010. This hubpage is mainly directed at British and Irish citizens but applies to all EU nationals who fit the stated criteria.
If you are Living in Crete/Greece, Cyprus and any other EU country and away from your original country, have you acted upon these changes because depending on your status, your home country may be responsible to issue your European Health Insurance Card instead of the member state where you live.

In broad brush stroke terms:
- The E121 EHIC applies to pensioners who move permanently to another EU country.
- The E109 EHIC applies to dependents living in one EU state but the bread winner is living in another member state.

Here is how the changes may affect you: from May 1 2010 if you are a UK British citizen, or Republic of Ireland if you are an Irish Passport Holder your respective countries may be responsible for the issue of your European Health Insurance Card instead of the member state where you live.

The new EU regulations starting on May 1, 2010 affect you if you are a national of an EU member state and live in an EU member state, and you either:
• receive your state pension or other long-term benefit from the UK and you have registered the form E121 with the health authorities in the member state where you live; or
• you are dependent on a citizen working in the UK or Ireland and have registered the form E109 issued by the UK or Ireland.

If you have not acted yet, then you will need to send your application by post. You can request an application form. With it will come an explanatory letter. This application form is different from the EHIC application form available in the UK, and will be modified to prove your entitlement to the new UK-issued or Irish-issued EHIC card.

In the UK, these cards have been sent out since April 2010 for those already aware of the changes.

Important Notice : If you are not a national of an EU member state, or you live in Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway or Switzerland, then the country where you live will remain responsible for issuing your EHIC card. In these circumstances, please contact the authorities in your country of residence.

For more EHIC information for UK, telephone:

Overseas Healthcare Team on tel: +44 191 218 1999

Full web details for UK citizens from NHS England:

For more EHIC information, in the Irish Republic telephone:

Citizens Information Phone Service, tel: +353 1890 777 121 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 9pm).
(If in Ireland lo-call charges apply).

Full web details for Irish citizens, refer to two pages:

General EHIC Information

EHIC in Detail (It looks like the web pages have not yet been updated for new EU regulation!)

Hope this is useful information for British and Irish expats Living in Crete/Greece and elsewhere in the EU.

Living in Crete :: Why Hackers Love You at Valentines

2010-02-11T15:43:00.006+02:00

If you think living in places off the beaten track such as Crete are "out of sight" and "out of mind" as far as Internet is concerned, think again. Valentine’s Day is coming up and hackers are preparing. They’re betting that consumers get weak in the knees with the mention of the ‘L’ word.

A decade ago, the I LOVE YOU virus (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/736080.stm) spread from one machine to another since few consumers used protection. A decade later, “iloveyou” is the fifth most common password (http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/21/technology/21password.html), “lovely” is number 18 and “loveu” is #23 and “loveme” is #43.

This year, hackers will likely concoct a special Valentine potion that uses the promise of being secretly admired combined with our prevailing addiction to sharing personal information on social networks like Facebook. How will it work?

First, hackers easily get a complete list of friends for many users. Then, hackers send to that certain someone a Valentine messages seemingly coming from a friend. Urged to click a Valentine’s Card to retrieve virtual chocolates or roses, you, uh, end up with a virus and it is not a cold sore, either.

Amichai Shulman, CTO of Imperva, says “The success of such a campaign is in numbers. For this, the hacker adds a key ingredient – automation. Using an automated tool, the hacker scrapes friends list from Facebook as well as turns them into a phishing mail, all in a single click of the mouse, to spread their virus.”

Shulman continues “What can you do? First, look up who sent you the Valentine’s greeting and make sure it’s legitimate. Chances are your 5th grade teacher did not and still does not have a crush on you. Chances are your football coach really isn’t into that mushy-mushy stuff. Chances are your neighbor isn’t suddenly into knowing you intimately.”

Amichai requests to lovers to take to heart these recommendations:

· Do not follow links or download software referencing unsolicited spam.

· Update your computer with the latest patches.

· Ensure your anti-virus is enabled and up-to-date.

· If it seems too good to be true, it probably is. Nothing bad will happen if you simply hit ‘delete.’

So if you are in far flung places, such as Crete don't get all romantic and drop your guard when you are doing things on the Internet during this season of Valentines and "l-o-v-e"! Forget those passwords such as loveyu,loveme and lovely. They are not so cool.

ENDS

Double Celebration: Valentines in Greece Starts Year of Tiger Too

2010-02-06T06:58:00.009+02:00

Be aware of February 14, 2010, not only is it Valentine's Day but it is also the first day in the Lunar New Year calendar in Asia. Living in Crete may be the central theme of this blog, but with growing influence of Chinese business, trade and cultural links no wonder we as Brits and Irish expats are interested in how the Planetary influences affect us too from an Asian perspective. That brings me conveniently to the Year of the Tiger 2010!

Across the Chinese Diaspora, the countdown is on for the start of the lunar new year 2010 - a year of the Tiger in the Chinese Zodiac.

First: Look to see what year you are born in.

Rat 2008, 1996, 1984, 1972, 1960, 1948, 1936, 1924, 1912, 1900
Ox 2009, 1997, 1985, 1973, 1961, 1949, 1937, 1925, 1913, 1901
Tiger 2010, 1998, 1986, 1974, 1962, 1950, 1938, 1926, 1914, 1902
Rabbit 2011, 1999, 1987, 1975, 1963, 1951, 1939, 1927, 1915, 1903
Dragon 2012, 2000, 1988, 1976, 1964, 1952, 1940, 1928, 1916, 1904
Snake 2013, 2001, 1989, 1977, 1965, 1953, 1941, 1929, 1917, 1905
Horse 2014, 2002, 1990, 1978, 1966, 1954, 1942, 1930, 1918, 1906
Goat 2015, 2003, 1991, 1979, 1967, 1955, 1943, 1931, 1919, 1907
Monkey 2016, 2004, 1992, 1980, 1968, 1956, 1944, 1932, 1920, 1908
Rooster 2017, 2005, 1993, 1981, 1969, 1957, 1945, 1933, 1921, 1909
Dog 2018, 2006, 1994, 1982, 1970, 1958, 1946, 1934, 1922, 1910
Pig 2019, 2007, 1995, 1983, 1971, 1959, 1947, 1935, 1923, 1911

Now,thanks to this forecast from Wayang's website see how you may fair in the year of Tiger -- usually very unpredictable years, just like the Tiger's character. By the way, Wayang is a film actress and a former Miss Hong Kong Beauty Contest winner.

The Year of The Tiger begins on February 14th 2010.

Drama, intensity, change and travel will be the keywords for 2010.

Unfortunately, world conflicts and disasters tend to feature during Tiger years also, so it won’t be a dull 12 months for anyone.

The Year of the Tiger will bring far reaching changes for everyone. New inventions and incredible technological advances have a good chance of occurring. For all of the Chinese horoscope signs, this year is one to be active – seizing opportunities and making the most of our personal and very individual talents. Everything happens quickly and dramatically in a Tiger year – blink and you could miss an important chance of a lifetime!

Let’s take a look at each animal, their major personality traits and what the prospects are for 2010, the Year of the Tiger.

The Rat
2008, 1996, 1984, 1972, 1960, 1948, 1936, 1924, 1912, 1900

Rats are charming, elegant and clever. They can be a bit gossipy and prone to being distracted. They’re also thrifty and very good with handling money. Family and close friends are exceptionally important to them. The Rat is charming beyond words and throughout his undoubtedly long life he will always be popular and will have many friends.

The RAT Forecast for 2010 - Rats may be feeling quite tired and deflated after 2009, which saw him keeping his head down, working and staying out of trouble. The Year of the Tiger is going to be fast-paced for the Rat, which in itself does tend to make them slightly uncomfortable. But it is essential that they go with the flow and seize opportunities and take adventures – this year is going to be important for them. A lot of Rats may have dreamt of travel in 2009 but were unable to take trips either due to financial or work commitments. This year will be so different! Travel will feature strongly for many and if there is dream destination in mind, it may become a reality during 2010. February and March can bring interesting work offers, while June to August and December will bring happy social occasions. Romantically, September and October bring tempting offers for single Rats, while those who are attached will find the summer most special. It is essential for all persons born under this sign to be extra thoughtful and caring throughout the year – an inadvertent remark or gesture could lead to discord with loved ones.

Interesting Rat Facts: 

Zodiac Stone: Garnet  

Special Flower: Narcissus 

 Best Hours: 11 pm -1 am  

Season: Winter  

Colors: Black, White, Purple 

The Ox
2009, 1997, 1985, 1973, 1961, 1949, 1937, 1925, 1913, 1901

Sturdy, earthy, no-nonsense – that’s the Ox. Affectionate and easy-going, the Ox can show a fierce temper when agitated. He is neat, tidy, quiet and studious, with a great love of his home. Music can be a great love. Family life and a loving partner are high on the Ox’s priorities. A wonderful loyal friend.

The OX Forecast for 2010 --  The Ox loves methodical planning and everything working out in the correct time. The Year of the Tiger will throw all this to the wind with it’s fast pace and unexpected developments! People born under this sign may find 2010 a challenge but in a good way. The Ox will have to adapt to new routines, delays and obtacles thrown in his way, but he will be well able for any task and may find new hidden talents and personal power he didn’t know existed. Hobbies, relaxing pursuits and friendships will all be beautifully highlighted during the Year of the Tiger and will provide a welcome relief to any stresses he may face. Home improvements and redecorating plans will move forward smoothly with excellent results. Career opportunities will present themselves from April to June, while exciting, intense romantic encounters are likely in July, August and December. An important aspect for those under this sign in 2010 is to be mindful and caring of loved ones. It will be crucial to listen to them and also to accept any help they may offer during this changeable year.

Interesting Ox Facts:  

Zodiac Stone: Aquamarine 

 Special Flower: Carnation 

 Best Hours: 1-3 am  

Season: Winter  

Colors: Green, Yellow, Black  

The Tiger = THIS YEAR! Starting Feb 14, 2010

2010, 1998, 1986, 1974, 1962, 1950, 1938, 1926, 1914, 1902

Magnetic, passionate and grand! When the Tiger does anything, it’s noticed! Indecisiveness and stubbornness can mar the sparkle of the Tiger personality. On the one hand generous, on the other hand a little mean, it’s sometimes hard to know where one stands with the Tiger. Flexible, honest and truly entertaining, one has a friend for life with a Tiger.

The TIGER Forecast for 2010 -  Being the Tiger’s own year, 2010 holds great promise for those born under this sign, with exciting developments happening for them both personally and professionally. Some Tigers may be feeling disappointed and disheartened after 2009 and it will be important to leave the past behind and concentrate on the future, which is looking so bright! Financially, everything improves this year for those born under this sign and money-making thoughts and ideas should be fully explored and investigated. With the fast pace of this year for all signs, the Tiger needs to take extra care in planning and thinking all projects through – no rushing headlong into schemes during 2010! Tigers looking for romance will possibly see a friendship suddenly develop into something more personal with exciting consequences. August, December and January will see a very active and entertaining social calendar, but all of 2010 will see fun activities for the Tiger. The Spring months, March to May, will bring encouraging and interesting job opportunities, but the Tiger will still have to make sure he puts himself forward and gets noticed at work.

Interesting Tiger Facts:  

Zodiac Stone: Sapphire  

Special Flower: Violet 

 Best Hours: 3-5 am 

 Season: Winter 

 Colors: Green, Blue, Yellow 

The Rabbit

2011, 1999, 1987, 1975, 1963, 1951, 1939, 1927, 1915, 1903

Cuddly, warm and affectionate are the attributes of the Rabbit. Mysterious and a great party-giver and host, the Rabbit enjoys being the centre of attention once in a while. The Rabbit is occasionally over cautious and can be a bit boring. He is also one of the luckiest signs in the Chinese Astrology chart.

The RABBIT Forecast for 2010  - The focus will be on the Rabbit’s career and job prospects during the Year of the Tiger, with unexpected promotions and recognition very likely. Travel is also highlighted, with short breaks and spontaneous, fun trips featuring during the late Spring and early Summer. Health wise, the Rabbit could find the speed of the Tiger year exhausting and it’s important he balance work with rest and relaxation. Promotion at work or in the Rabbit’s career will be sure to feature and they need to act quickly – no hanging back to see what happens! Some Rabbits will be dissatisfied with their current living arrangements and the perfect new home may appear most unexpectedly – they must act quickly and not miss out! Friendships will play a big role during 2010 with possibly one or two friends needing extra care and help. May and October to January will bring special and fun social gatherings. February and March will be significant and fortunate for those looking to change jobs while July and August will be most auspicious for single Rabbits looking for love – an unexpected liaison could result from a work related social event.

Interesting Rabbit Facts:  

Zodiac Stone: Pearl 

 Special Flower: Jonquil 

 Best Hours: 5-7 am  

Season: Spring 

 Colors: Grey, White  

The Dragon

2012, 2000, 1988, 1976, 1964, 1952, 1940, 1928, 1916, 1904

Assertive, energetic and talented are all words to describe the Dragon personality. On the other hand, the Dragon has a tendency to be condescending and tactless without realising it. They generally enjoy robust health and tend to be very successful in anything they turn their hand to.

The DRAGON Forecast for 2010  - Dragons will find the quick pace of 2010 very much to their liking and they will be keen to spread their wings and look for new possibilities and opportunities. As with the other signs in the Chinese Zodiac, the Dragon must make use of all the openings and opportunities that present themselves during this year. Teamwork will feature strongly and the Dragon will progress further and faster in his career if he bears this in mind. The Dragon’s financial situation will indeed be rosy during 2010 with a possible increase in income as well as a sum of money coming to them during the year. They must be careful to be disciplined about spending and not make too many impulse buys! May to August will be lovely months for socializing with friends and possible romantic encounters. Dragons do need to remember that love needs attention and if it is taken for granted, problems can arise. May, September and November see the most interesting career changes. Dragons need to take time during the year to have a holiday or getaway with loved ones – with such a busy year, they must not neglect those who matter to them the most.

Interesting Dragon Facts: 

 Zodiac Stone: Amethyst 

 Special Flower: Sweet Pea  

Best Hours: 7-9 am  

Season: Spring  

Colors: Black, Gold

The Snake

Snake 2013, 2001, 1989, 1977, 1965, 1953, 1941, 1929, 1917, 1905

Intelligent and highly intuitive are two of the Snake’s many fine qualities. He makes an amusing and romantic friend with a definite flirtatious streak. When challenged or criticised he can be a sore loser. The Snake is very lucky with money and is fond of the odd bet or two. He is quick-witted and enjoys reading, music and occasionally the paranormal side of life.

The SNAKE Forecast for 2010 -  The Snake likes to make slow and steady progress and the Year of the Tiger will find him swept along with unexpected developments – they need to adapt and keep up the pace. On the career front, the Snake will have quite a bit of competition and needs to stay ahead of the game in order to be in line for any promotions or career advancement opportunities. He needs to seek advice from those who can help and not appear too independent – working with colleagues will pay off handsomely during the year. Money management will be crucial during the Year of the Tiger and with careful planning, they should have little to worry about. Time spent with loved ones, either on a well-earned holiday or at home, will rejuvenate the Snake’s spirit during a busy and intense year. February through April will favor work endeavors and promotion. July through December will offer many opportunities for single Snakes to meet a special romantic partner. Travel looks most likely during March and June through August, with fun and romance well starred. Snakes can be shy and loners, but the Year of the Tiger will ensure they have many happy social events to attend.

Interesting Snake Facts: 

 Zodiac Stone: Opal  

Special Flower: Passion flower  

Best Hours: 9-11 am 

 Season: Spring  

Colors: Brown Gold, Green 

The Horse

Horse 2014, 2002, 1990, 1978, 1966, 1954, 1942, 1930, 1918, 1906

Fun, charming and attractive sums up the Horse’s traits perfectly. They love parties and crowds and being the centre of attention. They can also be egotistical, hotheaded and impatient. The Horse is a considerate and protective friend and partner and when in his company, there will always be excitement around the next corner.

The HORSE Forecast for 2010 -  The Year of the Tiger will be an exciting and lively year for the Horse. On the home and family front, there may be some changes with family members moving in, moving out or relocating to another location altogether. On the social front, the Horse will be in much demand with invitations to parties and gatherings increasing as the year moves on. Health wise, with such a busy year and added pressures, the Horse must ensure that he looks after his diet and gets adequate rest. Otherwise, irritability and heated arguments could arise unnecessarily. Those born under this sign will do exceptionally well career-wise this year. However, they must follow up leads and career openings with vigor in order to take advantage of the fast paced energy of the Tiger year. A word of caution for the Horse – they need to keep a careful eye on their finances as overspending could happen very easily. August through September will bring fantastic opportunities for those looking for love. March through May will be lucky for changing jobs or careers while November and December will bring fun and lively social gatherings.

Interesting Horse Facts:  

Zodiac Stone: Golden Topaz 

 Special Flower: Rose  

Best Hours: 11am-1pm  

Season: Summer 

 Colors: Orange, White, Yellow 

The Goat

Goat 2015, 2003, 1991, 1979, 1967, 1955, 1943, 1931, 1919, 1907

Graceful and optimistic, kind and easy going, would describe a Goat personality. They can also be petulant and discontented, likely to throw the towel in at the beginning of a problem. They can be charming without revealing their true feelings. The Goat is very talented and imaginative and can turn his hand to most creative pursuits.
Forecast for 2010 The Goat likes balance and moderation in all areas of life and the Year of the Tiger will ensure that he discovers new aspects and strengths of himself he didn’t know he had! For the artistic and creative Goat, 2010 will bring offers, opportunities and encouragement, leading to new projects and job offers. If they can remain adaptable, open to change and focused, this year could have long lasting positive implications. Study and developing specialist skills is also highlighted for this year. For those wishing to change jobs or find employment, there may be many frustrating moments and it won’t be easy. But then, out of the blue, a job offer or an opportunity will present itself. Be ready! September to November will bring the best chances for work related success. May to September will have outstanding moments for making new, special friends and enjoying the company of loved ones. All Goats need to be aware that the Year of the Tiger is not the time for taking financial risks. If in doubt or worried, they need to be sure to get the advice of a professional.

Interesting Goat Facts : 

Zodiac Stone: Emerald  

Special Flower: Larkspur 

 Best Hours: 1-3 pm  

Season: Summer 

 Colors: Green, Blue 

The Monkey

Monkey 2016, 2004, 1992, 1980, 1968, 1956, 1944, 1932, 1920, 1908

The Monkey is playful, lively, fun and a quick thinker. They get bored very easily and find it hard to settle down to doing any one thing. The Monkey can also be vain and offhand. They are ambitious and usually very good with investing money. With their quick wit and wonderful sense of humour, they are a great party guest. The Monkey’s life will never be dull and predictable!

The MONKEY Forecast for 2010 -  The Monkey’s energetic nature will resonate well with the energy of 2010 – but he will definitely need to pace himself or he will burn out! Changes on the job front could startle the Monkey near the beginning of the year, but by adapting and staying calm, he should weather any storm. It would be wise to take a well-earned break mid-year as all Monkeys will be feeling the pressure that the Year of the Tiger is putting on them. Family expenses may very well increase this year and the wise Monkey will do a little bit of forward planning and budgeting to ensure a smooth passage through 2010. August to October will shine for romantic encounters and the unattached could possibly find the partner they’ve been searching for. July to November will be the best time to start making moves for anyone who wishes to change their job. All those born under this sign will appreciate the support they receive this year from loved ones and friends. Advice will be well-meaning and helpful; be sure to listen carefully.

Interesting Monkey Facts:  

Zodiac Stone: Peridot 

 Special Flower: Gladiola 

 Best Hours: 3-5 pm  

Season: Summer 

 Colors: White, Violet, Green 

The Rooster

Rooster 2017, 2005, 1993, 1981, 1969, 1957, 1945, 1933, 1921, 1909

The Rooster is always popular, extravagant and creative.. They can be brutally honest and generally like being showered with attention. They are wonderfully loyal friends and also give advice freely – whether they are asked for it or not! Family means the world to the Rooster and they are fiercely loyal to those they care about.

The ROOSTER Forecast for 2010  - The Year of the Tiger will have mixed fortunes for the Rooster, but by staying calm, observant and flexible, the Rooster will glide through 2010 coming out much wiser, stronger and with great success behind him. He will be in much demand for his sage advice and experience and, at work, this will come to the notice of his employer. Many will also decide to go back to college this year or completely change the direction of their career. Travel features quite strongly with the Rooster seeking out adventure, fun and new places to visit. A word of caution: all Roosters must ensure that they don’t overdo things – exhaustion and a depleted immune system will result if proper rest isn’t taken. Home life will bring many joys and will be seen as a cosy sanctuary throughout the year. The Spring months and November and December will be excellent for intimate romantic encounters.. March and July to October will be the optimum time for making career decisions or to change jobs.

Interesting Rooster Facts:  

Zodiac Stone: Citrine  

Special Flower: Aster  

Best Hours: 5-7 pm 

 Season: Autumn 

 Colors: Orange, Green 

The Dog

Dog 2018, 2006, 1994, 1982, 1970, 1958, 1946, 1934, 1922, 1910

The Dog is wonderfully hard worker, a perfectionist and someone who loves the small details. He is also a bit anti-social, pessimistic and stubborn. They are one of the most honest and loyal signs of the Chinese zodiac and will always go to bat for a worthy cause. The Dog is a fantastic listener and his advice is usually very intuitive.
Forecast for 2010 The Year of the Tiger will be an excellent one for all Dogs with a significant improvement in fortune all year long. They must leave the past behind, for the Ox year was a challenging one, and look forward with optimism and determination. There will still be challenges this year for the Dog, as for all the signs, and it is important that he talk over any potential problems and worries rather than bottling them up. Socially, this is the Dog’s year to shine and many new strong friendships and alliances will be formed. The Year of the Tiger will see increased finances for the Dog with many receiving bonuses or even gifts throughout the year. However, it is important that he takes his time regarding financial matters, checking details and ensuring that he has read all the fine print. May to August will be very significant for single Dogs and all invitations should be carefully considered! September through November will have crucial career opportunities – don’t miss them! Recreational activities and hobbies will also feature strongly, with some able to turn their hobby into their career with great success.

Interesting Dog Facts: 

 Zodiac Stone: Diamond  

Special Flower: Marigold  

Best Hours of the day 7-9 pm  

Season: Autumn  

Colors: Silver and Red  

The Pig

Pig 2019, 2007, 1995, 1983, 1971, 1959, 1947, 1935, 1923, 1911

The Pig is an innocent, sweet and lovable personality. They can also be quite melancholy and over-sensitive. The Pig loves the company of others, and adores parties, gossip and chit chat. They are highly intelligent, but prefer to keep this side of their nature under wraps. The Pig does not care that much for money, but is one of the zodiac signs that is very lucky.

The PIG Forecast for 2010  - The Pig loves activity and challenges and the Year of the Tiger will certainly provide this. There may be additional financial pressure on the Pig this year, but with prudent spending and consideration, this need not be a problem. The Pig is an open, friendly soul and very trusting, but this year he must be wary. It’s possible that gossip may prove too tempting or that he may listen to false advice, causing upset and trouble. Be guarded and careful this year! The Pig must ensure that he follows up all correspondence or financial dealings – to delay or overlook details will prove costly. Short, fun, unplanned trips will feature throughout the year and will be excellent for off-setting any stresses and pressure the Year of the Tiger may bring. Interest in spirituality and self-development will be to the fore and any opportunity to study and explore these should be taken. November to January will provide excellent opportunities for changing career direction or to find a new job. August to December will prove particularly social, with many fun occasions and opportunities to make new friends.

Interesting Pig Facts : 

Zodiac Stone: Ruby  

Special Flower: Chrysanthemum  

Best Hours: 9-11 pm  

Season: Autumn  

Colors: Purple, Red, White 

Again thanks to: http://www.wayangtimes.com/2010-year-of-the-tiger-chinese-zodiac-horoscope-forecast.html

Chinese horoscopes have guided the Chinese Emperors in their judgement over 5000 years, so it can't all be baloney. Whether you take it as a bit of fun or seriously I hope you enjoyed this diversion.

So in relationships how did you score?

Photo at Top of Australian Gold Coin - Special Issue 2010 is courtesy of TAVEX.

For more interesting diversions on British and Irish Expats Living in Crete (and therefore abroad), check out the BritsinCrete Forum. Sometimes called Brats in Crete Forum!!
There is a dedicated page on Valentines Day in Greece.

Living in Crete :: Crete's Only Synagogue Torched Valuable Books Lost

2010-01-25T12:38:00.012+02:00

It seems that living in Crete Greece poses the same level of risk for British and Irish Jewish residents as anywhere else in the world. Chania police arrested two Britons and a Greek for breaking into the Etz-Chaim (Etz - Hayyim) Synagogue on January 22 torching and destroying valuable books and other items, and seeking two Americans who are thought to have masterminded the attack. The Chania police cite "hate for Jews" as the reason for the crimes which took place on January 5 and 16, 2010. The attacks have been labelled the worst in Greece against Jewish property in recent years.

The lost books were unique. Much information was lost from the destruction of computer equipment and disks in the synagogue. The anti-Semitic attack comes as a surprise to local Crete authorities where this kind of crime aginst the Jewish community is almost unheard of.

The Etz-Chaim (Etz- Hayyim) Synagogue has a special place in Chania's history. As the synagogue's website states: Until 1999 Etz Hayyim was a desecrated house of prayer that remained the sole Jewish monument on the Island of Crete after the destruction of our Jewish community in 1944. Essentially it stood as a monument to the success of the Nazis in obliterating 2300 years of Jewish life on the Island of Crete. From 1996 until the year of its re-dedication in 1999 the structure has been painstakingly restored.

Story at [url]http://www.theyeshivaworld.com/news/General+News/45879/Two+Britons+&+A+Greek+Arrested+Over+Synagogue+Arson+In+Crete.html[/url]

Two Britons & A Greek Arrested Over Synagogue Arson In Crete
January 25, 2010

The authorities on the Greek island of Crete have arrested two Britons and a Greek after arson attacks on a synagogue, police said Friday.

The 24-year-old Greek confessed, while the Britons, aged 23 and 33, denied any involvement, according to Costas Liotsakis, the island’s deputy police chief.

The attacks on January 5 and 16 seriously damaged the Etz-Chaim synagogue in the town of Hania, northwest of Crete.

The Britons have been living in Crete for three months and all three suspects work as touts for tourist spots in the town.

The Greek suspect said the 33-year-old Briton, from the northwestern city of Manchester, had started the fire on January 16, Liotsakis said.

He also accused two Americans, saying one of them led the January 5 attack, the officer added.

Police are now looking for the two Americans, though they do not have details of their identity.

A police source said the group was motivated by “hostility towards Jews”.
The three arrested are suspected of entering the Etz-Chaim synagogue via an adjacent building and starting fires, destroying archives and equipment including computers and CDs.

The director of the synagogue, Nikos Hanaan Stavroulakis, said 2,500 rare books were destroyed and called on the authorities to take action against the “anti-Semitic and racist” attacks.

Greek Justice Minister Haris Kastanidis publicly condemned the attacks and a human rights group called them the worst anti-Semitic incidents in Greece in recent years.

For more stories on Living in Crete visit our Forum: www.britsincrete.co.uk

Living in Crete | Will Greece's 2010 Austerity Budget Work?

2009-12-27T15:14:00.007+02:00

Greece's 2010 Austerity Budget | Will It Affect Expat Residents?

Expat Living in Crete continues to be exposed to market and economic gyrations. At least on December 24, a clearer direction was announced when the Greek Parliament after a marathon 5 day debate approved Greece's 2010 budget. Austerity is the key word. A two pronged attack will boost tax revenue while cutting spending, salary freezes and a hiring freeze in public sector jobs.

Recently elected to power, socialist Prime Minister George Papandreou blamed the awful state of Greece's finances on corruption, tax evasion and government waste. For once he did not name members of the outgoing government in November of being the sole culprits.

Kickbacks are endemic and are part and parcel of life in Greece for Greeks. For the most part rarely are foreigners directly implicated by corruption at the day-to-day level of government. Several years back I did hear of how a case of whiskey had to found to get a five year residency permit for a Scot. "Your a Scot, You know how good is whiskey". But I suspect with greater transparency in governance those days are passed with the tightening up of government procedures and computerization.

What is in store then for life in Greece in 2010? Greece has had to tell the European Central Bank (which is in charge of the euro) that the country is to cut the budget deficit from 12.7% of gross domestic product in 2009 to below 9.4% next year, aiming to improve even this figure to 8.7% with further schemes.

Greece's national debt in 2010 is expected to reach 325 billion euros against generating income of just 244.2 billion euros in a contracting economy.

There are not many ways that foreign expat residents in Greece or with property in the country are going to feel the pinch further than that experienced in recent months except if they are receiving any Greek social security payments. Selective cuts will be up to 10 per cent. But keep an eye out for any "new" or increased taxes related to your property. Apart from local gossip your first stop should be your accountant to see if there are any changes that affect you. Sometimes local tax offices find an reason to levy taxes which they may have selectively overlooked in the past. Just a thought.

Greece's jobless figures are currently at a high of 9.3 per cent, a four year record. That is behind Spain and Ireland isn't it?

Opponents of the government's latest plan now being carried out, worry that all the cuts in expenditure will create another lost generation of the "euro 700's" - low income workers squeezed at the bottom end of the economic ladder in take home monthly pay. Opponents want real job creation as a key solution. That is a sound objective in my opinion.

So the best advice for expats in Crete and around Greece is that nothing changes very fast and any fresh impact of recession will become slowly evident. Mind you I was amazed at how fast the new government imposed the increased annual car tax to be paid by December 31 when the notification in the mail to pay did not arrive until well into December.

Please add any comments in the BritsinCrete Forum

Greece's Hellenic Air Force F-16s Combat Train Over Crete

2009-11-28T08:26:00.009+02:00

When Greece's Hellenic Air Force smashes the sound barrier in combat training in the skies over the island of Crete, it is doing so with F-16 fighters. For many new EU expat residents in Crete they may not be prepared for such an event.

Now it so happens that Greece is in the final stage of taking delivery of 30 of the latest F-16 fighters from the United States.

Th F-16 pilots fly in a single pair, or sometimes as a trio. The jets zap across the sky at near supersonic speed which creates a deafening boom that rocochets around the Cretan mountain tops and valleys below.

Why is the F-16 pilot training so intense?

Every Greek knows that the exercises are in preparation for possible encounters of a closer kind with Greece's neighbouring country to the east - Turkey. The video below purports to show the pilots' intentions and how they do it when they "lock on" to supposedly Turkish planes. Pride is everything in the Eastern Mediterranean. The Greek Island of Crete is the southeastern flank of outer protection for NATO that Greece guards with firm control - albeit with satellite technology and from the air with its fleet of F-16s.

Living in Crete is never boring for the growing number of expat residents. Let us say that perhaps they are surprised and even a little shaken when they encounter the Hellenic Air Force's F-16's in training for the first time.

Greek Soccer Coach Otto Rehhagel: Get the Gods Sweating, Not Adidas

2009-11-27T09:51:00.007+02:00

Photo: Otto Rehhagel signing an autograph on an Adidas T-Shirt in Greece's National Colours for a Greek fan!

Greece national Soccer Coach Otto Rehhagel:

"We said no road should be too far but before you gain success, you have to get the gods sweating for you.

We will play exciting soccer when we have [Lionel] Messi, Kaka, [Andres] Iniesta and Xavi on the team," Rehhagel said in response to a question about his team's defensive style of play."

Rehhagel was speaking after the Greek national side beat Ukraine 1-0 to secure a place at next year's World Cup finals in South Africa.

This is the second time since 1994 that the Greek national squad qualifies for the World Cup Soccer Finals. Must be good for Adidas!

Add to the sports chatter at the Greek/British Footy Board.

Crete versus Cyprus :: Competition Stiffens for Golf Tourists

2009-11-25T11:10:00.007+02:00

The Republic of Cyprus, water starved is going to give Crete even more tourist competition shortly. Currently Cyprus has three golf courses against Crete's One but the Greek Cypriots have a strategic plan to build up to 14 more golf courses over the coming years.

The first of the locations is planned for Ayia Napa at the eastern end of Cyprus as a bonus attraction in winter to boost Northern European golf visitors. These number around 4 million who play at clubs registered with the European Golf Association.

The Ayia Napa project will focus on a well designed golf course with club house, but without accommodation, nor housing. The Famagusta area tourist bosses seek investor participation with the hope to start construction in 2010, according to reports.

There are no flies on the Greek Cypriots and their efforts will be taking a healthy swing at their Crete compatriots. Both islands are water starved but hey, tourists bring in the money.

For more chatter about happenings in Crete's expat life, swing over here to the BritsinCrete Forum.

Shareholder Perks : Best is Crete :Minoan Group, LSE: MIN

2009-11-25T08:30:00.007+02:00

Spotted! This nice little snippet of shareholder perks information for Brits if you are searching to buy a house on the Greek Island of Crete, courtesy of the revelation on The Motley Fool website and Minoan Group (LSE: MIN).

What I am writing about here is one of the best perks for shareholders in a UK publicly listed company as researched by The Motley Fools web site.

For example how would you like a £175,000 discount off the price of a new Crete holiday villa?

The villa deal is possible if you are a shareholder of the London listed, Minoan Group (LSE: MIN). The company has a sliding scale of discounts, starting at £7,500 off the price of a two-bedroom holiday apartment for people holding a minimum of 5,000 shares for at least a year, up to £175,000 off the price of a four or five-bedroom coastal village villa for those who have held a minimum of 500,000 shares for at least three years.

There are catches of course.

Fancy, it is a resort building project on Crete that offers the best shareholder deal on a UK publicly-listed company!

Original story on the Minoan Group (LSE: MIN) at The Motley Fool website.

For further chatter and gossip about investing in Greek property -- especially on Crete --take a trip on the Internet at the Brits in Crete Community Forum.

Brits and Irish in Crete : Britain's New Internet Law a Disaster

2009-11-24T08:23:00.002+02:00

On www.Facebook.com/BritsinCrete I have posted the following from boingboing: "The British government has brought down its long-awaited Digital Economy Bill, and it's perfectly useless and terrible. It consists almost entirely of penalties for people who do things that upset the entertainment industry (including the "three-strikes" rule that allows your entire family to be cut off from the net if anyone who lives in your house is accused of copyright infringement, without proof or evidence or trial), as well as a plan to beat the hell out of the video-game industry with a new, even dumber rating system (why is it acceptable for the government to declare that some forms of artwork have to be mandatorily labelled as to their suitability for kids? And why is it only some media? Why not paintings? Why not novels? Why not modern dance or ballet or opera?)."

My added comments at www.Facebook.com/BritsinCrete

www.boingboing.net/...britains-new-interne.html

Living in Crete :: Q&A : Did Ancient Greeks Introduce Wine to France?

2009-11-11T08:11:00.010+02:00

The answer to the question: Did the Ancient Greeks Introduce wine to the French? is a resounding MAIS QUI!

We all know of the consummate passion in France for wine as the "l'eau de la vie". It may come as a surprise to know that it is all down to the Ancient Greeks. That is what a recently published Cambridge University study discloses, anyway.

Unrelated to the survey but as you know Crete is the cradle of European civilization and the origins of wine and olive oil, so let us assume the Cretans had a hand in being part of the collective "Ancient Greeks".

The Cambridge University study concludes that original makers of Côtes-du-Rhône are none other than descendants from Greek explorers who settled in southern France around 2500 years ago.

The study's chief supporter, Prof Paul Cartledge, suggests that the world's biggest wine industry might never have developed had it not been for a “band of pioneering Greek explorers” who settled in the South of France around 600 BC.

What is more, the study found that it was following the founding of Massalia by the Ancient Greeks, now known as the port city of Marseilles, wine helped Massalia become a major trading site, where local tribes of Ligurian Celts (.. those Irish were everywhere!) undertook friendly bartering.

The original newspaper article on the Cambridge University study that shows how the ancient Greeks gave the French their l'eau de la vie" is at http://www.telegraph.co.uk

I wonder if the French pride is just a bit dented, perhaps even galled over the revelation that the Ancient Greeks introduced wine to their culture? If I recall correctly, the French along with the rest of Northern Europe favour using the Roman name of the "God Of Wine" which is Bacchus but in Greek he is known as Dionysos or Dionysus or Διόνυσος or Διώνυσος . In view of the latest Cambridge University revelation perhaps we should also use more appropriately the Greek name of Dionysos.

Living in Crete :: Any Offer for a Micro Pig?

2009-10-24T10:50:00.008+03:00

Any Brits with Micro Pigs on Crete or elsewhere in Greece?

I am not talking here of micro pig in pork form for brisola or souvlaki eating.

Get this: Micro Pigs are the UK's Latest Pet Craze! I thought by now we would have a couple lurking somewhere on the wonderful Island of Crete where pigs really are porkies for the pot and barbecue!

But while these micro pigs may be minuscule, their price tag is anything but. These are a Pet with a difference at £700 a time. They are a must-have collector's item for the celebrity elite with dosh to throw around. Yet, these micro pigs are the size of just your average cat!
 
This description sums up the micro pigs: "Sitting on a haystack, I'm gazing into the eyes of either the world's most gorgeous pet - or its most expensive cooked breakfast." A headline spotted somewhere or other. Maybe it was in the LA Times.

Must Know Stuff
This tiny breed of pig is born the size of a teacup and is the hot new pet among British celebrities. The weight of a micro pig is about nine ounces.

How about tea cup piglets?
Just do not call them teacup micro pigs

Micro Pigs are Low Maintenance
"Micro pigs make fantastic pets as they are very low maintenance. You don't have to take them for walks and they have very few health issues ...

It seems the Micro Pigs got a huge boost in publicity from the daily mail and its article "teacup sized pigs".

Got You Hooked? 
More reading for Crete Wannabe Micro Pig owners?

Intrigued about the Micro Pig craze?
Here's more listening/viewing:

I wonder what Crete Animal Welfare groups would say about all this ... Answers please in the Pets and Animal Welfare section of the BritsinCrete Forum!

Honk! Honk!

For our Greek friends reading this: Forget the brisola and souvlaki.

Living in Crete :: BritsinCrete.Net Forum Back

2009-10-23T09:49:00.001+03:00

BritsinCrete Forum was offline for nearly three months. We came back as strong as before in early September but a bit lighter in the online files department due to the web attack on the website. Members kindly came back too.

Of course, some others, jealous of the success of Brits in Crete continue to lambast and lampoon any and everything they can about the Brits in Crete community website hosted at www.britsincrete.co.uk .

There is a very childish group of Brits who happen to live in Crete including a person of Swiss origin who continues to give BiC lengthy online publicity by their copycat Monty Pythonesque behaviour in several forums.

Let them carry on. I am laughing all the way ....

The joke is on me.

Perhaps by mentioning Monty Python though I am doing the authors of that very British creation: Monty Python's Flying Circus a disfavour in their 40th anniversary year as the Cretan version is lame in comparison. (Old Monty Python thingy videos on iTunes)

in reference to: Blogger: Error performing your request (view on Google Sidewiki)

Crete Forum Offline

2009-06-09T13:18:00.004+03:00

To let members and followers of Brits in Crete activities know that BritsinCrete :: Crete Forum as well as www.cretepropertyuncovered.com are currently offline.

The announcement from the webhost states:

8th June 2009 - 15:56
All of the Citruszebra network has been taken offline while we investigate some issues with the software used to control our hosting nodes.

The main website britsincrete.net is working normally as it is located on a different host server company.

Sorry but this is another one of those events to do with strengthening security.

Interestingly in the UK this week, the credit card companies are tightening security on online transactions. If you follow BBC News you will be aware of the publicity surrounding the closure of 150 scam websites related to car sales and other selling activities including removal and haulage companies. How you may notice the tightening of security is the double layering of an extra box to complete while carrying out an online purchase. Be prepared that your credit card company may be giving you a new card and number.

FYI

Living in Crete :: Olympic Airlines Safety First Video

2009-05-14T09:04:00.008+03:00

Living in Crete or just visiting, there is every chance that as a British or Irish expat at some point you will have to take an Olympic Airlines flight getting to Athens. To anyone who has flown from Chania or Heraklion Airports you will know the chaos (a Greek word) of it being rush, rush, rush, a scrum to get through Olympic Airlines check in, x-tra security - that means doubling back to put checked luggage through the x-ray machine after you have checked in, if you understand what I mean .. and then the snaking line going through personal security check at the x-ray screening departure point. You also encounter the throw away bin with a pile of hundreds of discarded plastic PET (not the four legged kind) water bottles and desperate looking guys clutching their belts in one hand, and trousers/jeans in the other. The guys noticeably quake on sighting the burly, dragoness guarding the security gate... and if they are lucky, their e-ticket bits of paper getting soggier by the moment between their teeth as they slowly inch forward to countess dragula.

Suitably adjusted and if no further discussion over the removed gels from the ladies bags there is the wait in the claustrophobic departure area before the fresh air of the tarmac.

After the split second of transit time of being bussed to the aircraft, you climb up the aircraft steps to get on board your flight. For the purposes of this dissertation, it is an "OA" not "OK" designated flight number prefix. The momentary relief at actually having got this far is quickly overtaken by the need to push past a well proportioned Greek mamma mia with facial hair notably in the nostrils and sported above the upper lip.

You clamber into your seat. Next thing you know you are off,wheels rolling but not before the Olympic Airlines Safety Video:

Your Olympic Airlines experience has begun. Do we Brits and Irish fly Olympic ever again in getting to and from Crete? You bet. We are all masochists at heart ..... especially those of us who are living in Crete. After all when we are away, we can't wait to get back to Greece for more of the same. Kalo Taxidi.

Living in Crete :: Have You Packed the Teabags?

2009-05-10T12:08:00.003+03:00

tea for one please
Originally uploaded by r.sakhrani

Britain's biggest home comfort when it comes to travelling is a nice cuppa of "tea", a survey has shown. Did you pack the teabags for Crete?

When it comes to Cups of Tea, if you come from Britain or Ireland or know friends or relatives who do, do any of the following questions apply to them?:

- Do they, particularly the "Mums", pack teabags when they travel?
- Is their PG Tips, English Breakfast, Darjeeling, Yorkshire, Tetley or similar leading Teas a "must have" when they take a trip outside UK or Ireland?
- Do they or do you take your own teabags with you?

If you do all or any of the above you won't be surprised therefore to know that a Holiday Extras survey back in the winter of 2008/9 questioning some 500 Brits found that nearly 70 per cent of those interviewed literally pine for a cup of tea when they travel or take holiday trips abroad.

Other staple British kitchen cupboard consumables such as HP sauce, Heinz baked beans, Marmite and Hobnob biscuits also are a "must" when living abroad or when travelling.

Are the Brits and Irish alone in this tea drinking stuff?

Timely to ask then: "Anyone for a nice cuppa and a biscuit?"

Put the kettle on then.... while that is coming to the boil perhaps you would take part in an informal poll of our own in our Brits in Crete Forum. No matter where you are in the world, please consider to take part in the poll.

If you are a tea nut or not, here in this blog space please leave your comment. It would be nice if you are tea drinker to state your favourite brand - whether its loose tea leaves or teabags; also, whether you take milk or lemon; or whether you drink green tea or other herbal teas; and if you are not British or Irish to state your nationality to show whether you are tea nutters, and can't live without the stuff. Tea is what makes the world go round for many.

The questions posed in the informal Poll on tea drinking habits are straight forward:

"When You travel or stay abroad, how do you ensure your supplies of Tea?:

There are 8 possible answers to choose from: If answers are a mixture or blend, choose the one that is most often the case:

- Have Tea Sent from Home
- Get friends to bring tea from home
- Buy Tea from Local Shops When Abroad
- Buy loose tea or tea bags online
- As a Priority, Pack and Take Tea with Me
- All or some of the above supply methods
- I drink tea but don't pine for it abroad
- I don't drink tea

Tea freak or not, let's share our views on drinking tea the "English" "Irish" or "British way". What is the best cuppa? Is it strong? so much so that a spoon will stand up in it, with two lumps (of sugar) and milk?

Go the poll page here:

Living in Crete :: 2009 Battle of Crete Commemorations

2009-05-10T07:50:00.005+03:00

Battle of Crete Plaque - Round
Originally uploaded by adambernard27

Living in Crete :: 2009 Battle of Crete Commemorations

Lest we Forget :: the role of the ANZAC's alongside the Brits and other Allies

Lest We Forget .... On May 20 1941, the sky over Crete filled with German paratroopers. Thousands of troops from various parachute and mountain divisions were dropped in the air raid. Although most of the allied anti-craft were destroyed the ANZAC’s were undeterred. The ANZAC’s delayed their fire and began shooting at paratroopers as they descended. Many Cretans using older, self - loading guns, attacked the enemy. With limited ammunition and manpower , Cretan villagers and ANZAC troops fought together gallantly , eventually containing the German paratroopers to three main areas of the island.

After seven days of continuous fighting and heavy losses , the Germans deployed more air power and managed to override the island, capturing strategic military positions near Chania, and Rethymno in the west and Heraklio on the eastern flank of the island. The ANZAC troops and Cretans continued fighting even though defeat was inevitable.

Lest We Forget .... By June the 1st 1941, the Battle of Crete was over. However, the eventual occupation of Crete came at a heavy price for both sides. During the ten days of fighting, 945 ANZAC troops were killed and 4794 captured. During the evacuation the Cretan people risked their own lives providing food and shelter for many ANZAC troops who remained on the island, hiding them from Nazi forces. These ANZAC’s continued on fighting with the Cretan Partisans. Germany lost many of its finest troops and precious time to prepare for Russia . Due to this loss the Battle of Crete made a significant contribution to Hitler’s Defeat in Russia.

The courage and friendship between the ANZAC troops and Cretan people must always be remembered. The Cretan Federation of Australia and New Zealand every year calls on all Australians and New Zealanders to participate in the annual Commemorations. Battle Of Crete in May 2009 marks the 68th Anniversary.

http://www.greekcity.com.au/

Living in Crete :: Moscow Eurovision 2009 - Will Greece Win

2009-05-09T17:07:00.005+03:00

Saturday 16 May is the night for Eurovision Song Contest 2009 in Moscow. While the Brits have had their noses wiped in the show too often in recent years, the Greeks are flying high. 2009 is no exception. Leading performer Sakis Rouvas is hoping to win with "This is Our Night" composed by Dimitris Kontopoulos with lyrics by Graig Porteils & Cameron Giles-Webb.

About Sakis -- After twenty top-selling CDs & DVDs, fifteen awards in leading Music Awards categories and two films, Sakis Rouvas is undoubtedly the ultimate pop star in Greece with great international appeal.

The Sakis video was taken from a Moscow Circus performance in Moscow on March 26, 2009 in an earlier Eurovision 2009 promotional tour.

Cheekily entitled, "This is Our Night" - the Sakis Greek entry, but will it win Eurovision Song Contest 2009 in Moscow?

Living in Crete | Good Expat Website Find

2009-05-02T08:36:00.002+03:00

Surfing the Internet on subjects related to Brits in Crete and the Brits or Irish living in Greece, I have recently come across another rather useful expat blog. if you have not found it before, the link is:

Hope you find it useful.

Easyjet EZY8772 Emergency Experienced by a BritsinCrete Member

2009-04-15T20:21:00.005+03:00

The Easyjet flight EZY8772, yesterday (April 14) between Heraklion, Crete (IATA Code HER) and London Gatwick (LGW) and that diverted and made an "emergency landing" in Athens (ATH) due to suspected problems with cabin pressure (go to: a BritsinCrete eyewitness report) ) reminded me of the incident in 2005 when a Cyprus registered, Helios Airways B-737 flew into a mountain near Athens after sudden and complete loss of cabin pressure knocked everyone unconscious.

Aviation experts say that loss of cabin pressure requires an immediate response.
From earlier emergencies it was noted that passengers have 20 to 30 minutes to get the face masks on if the plane is flying at 18,000 feet, while those on a plane flying at 35,000 feet would have 30 seconds to a minute because oxygen is more scarce at higher altitudes, according to Federal Aviation Administration research in the event of a complete failure in cabin pressure.

Airline crews are trained to wear masks immediately when they hear the alarm that alerts the crew to a sudden loss of cabin pressure. Passengers and crew have more time to don their masks if the plane is flying at lower altitudes when decompression occurs.

In the case of the easyjet, EZY8772 incident involving an A320 plane, getting it down to low altitude was clearly the first priority of the captain and as quickly as possible in the event of the problem/fault in the oxygen supply turning serious.

Every Second Counts

So when the flight crew give us the emergency instructions at the commencement of any flight, it is seriously in our interest of survival to know how to carry out those instructions. For instance, many of us passengers do not realize that the instructions we receive about how to put on the mask and tug on the line to get the flow of oxygen going should be FAST, as in a matter of seconds.

If you noticed, several years ago the donning of oxygen masks instruction was changed to emphasize a person travelling with a child should put on their own mask first and then the child's. The reason according to the experts is that as adults we can pass out in a matter of seconds if oxygen supply suddenly drops - then we are no good to any children we may be accompanying.

There is another aspect of loss of oxygen/cabin pressure in an aeroplane - the temperature also rapidly drops along with the quick descent of the aircraft to lower altitude, to where there is more oxygen to draw upon.

I note from expert articles that the typical modern airliner's emergency system should provide passengers with about 10 minutes of an emergency supply of oxygen.

Easyjet Press Announcement

Easyjet were quick to issue an announcement and downplay the matter:

Quote---
easyJet can confirm that flight EZY8772 on 14 April from Heraklion (Crete) to London Gatwick diverted to Athens Airport. The aircraft, an Airbus A320 with 137 passengers and 7 crew members on board, landed safely and uneventfully in Athens at 15.02 local time.

On route from Crete to London, the aircraft made a precautionary decent (sic) descent due to a technical issue with the pressurisation and air conditioning system. There was no requirement to deploy the passenger oxygen masks, and easyJet would like to stress that this was not an emergency landing, but merely a precautionary technical diversion.

Safety is easyJet’s number one priority and at no point of time was there any risk to the safety and well-being of our passengers. The passengers are currently at Athens Airport and as far as easyJet is aware none of them requires any medical assistance.

end quote--

NB: In the United States, aviation regulations require one member of a flight crew to wear an oxygen mask when flying at 25,000 feet or above if the another crew member leaves the cockpit for any reason. I am not sure if this applies in the EU.

The emergency procedure of the easyjet flight EZY 8772 from Heraklion to London Gatwick is a reminder of why you and I should not be so nonchalant over those pre-take off emergency announcements.

Read the first hand experience of a BritsinCrete passenger on the easyjet flight.

Living in Crete :: Earth Hour 2009 Video In Chania

2009-04-14T11:47:00.006+03:00

In Earth Hour 2009, the lights were switched off in many households in Chania, Western Crete on March 28, between the designated hour of 2030hrs to 2130hrs, with citizens both Greeks, Cretans along with British, Irish and other expats who showed their symbolic support to save energy.

The Crete Astronomy Friends Club in Chania documented the event as witnessed by BritsinCrete friends in the area. The CAFC club documented the event using a Sony video camera in two modes. The first using the CMOS of the video camera and the second using the infrared receiver which gave much better detail of the city lights. The club also measured light pollution using an Unihedron, Sky Quality Meter (SQM-L) which recorded a difference of 1 mag (from 18.82 to 20.01 Mag/arcsec2.

The state electricity company known as DEH reported a drop of 10% in kilowatt hour consumption for the hour between 20:30 to 21:30 for the city of Chania. DEH also reported that there was an average 3% drop in kWh consumption cross the the whole island of Crete during that time.

The 5 minute video below by the Crete Astronomy Friends Club has a short introduction in Greek, followed by a panoramic look at the lights across Chania with haunting music.

Watch more YouTube videos on AOL Video

The BritsinCrete Forum through its Events-Calendar page supported Earth Hour with advanced promotion and will be doing so again in 2010. Earth Hour 2010 will be on March 27, the designated date next year.

Brits in Crete Partners Franglo Classifieds Network

2009-04-07T12:09:00.005+03:00

Brits in Crete partners Franglo Classifieds Network in the Greece marketplace to expand the distribution of its services among the expat community across the Greek Diaspora.

On March 27, BritsinCrete.net, released the news that it had joined the rapidly expanding Franglo Classifieds Network as a partner. In the project, Brits in Crete will host a new classified adverts online service, powered by Franglo, allowing users to quickly and easily publish classified ads in dozens of different categories.

Thanks to Franglo’s network model, there are more adverts to browse. These same postings are more effective because they are accessible by users of multiple websites, not just one.

Importantly, users can publish classified ads for free, or can choose to buy a Featured Posting for a small fee. Featured Postings get priority placement, more visibility, and ultimately more hits. Featured Postings can cost as little as €16 per month.

“Brits in Crete will benefit immediately from joining a large expat online classified ads service, where visitors can read and publish postings quickly, easily, and for free,” said Brits in Crete web portal owner Gerald Brown. “Links from Brits in Crete, especially the lifestyle sections in its community forum, instantly offer members and users a much wider Internet audience for their announcements. This will result in a greater flow in visitor traffic to our web sites.”

The new Brits in Crete classifieds are accessible via the Brits in Crete websites – the main site, the forum and Crete Property Uncovered, or directly at http://britsincrete.franglo.com.

“We are very pleased to have Brits in Crete as a partner, and our first partner for Greece,” said Franglo CEO Lorin Kalisky. “Brits in Crete is a great resource for expats and travelers alike, and we are proud to power the expanded Brits in Crete classifieds.”

About Brits in Crete

BritsinCrete was founded in 2004 by a British expatriate on Crete, a specialist in Internet activities. The BritsinCrete Forum has become a busy, natural extension of the main web site. Both sites have now become established as the main resource of finding out solutions to many of the routine questions that crop up for those wanting to settle in Crete, or have done so. BritsinCrete is based in Crete. For more information: http://www.britsincrete.net

About Franglo

Franglo is the leading web classifieds platform for expats, travelers and internationals. Through the Franglo.com website and a growing family of website partners, Franglo a free, easy-to-use way to facilitate connections among the community of expats, travelers and internationals around the world. For more information about Franglo.com and the Franglo Network, visit http://www.franglo.com.

For more information:
Geo tags location: 'L:35.202,25.104'
Visit our website: http://britsincrete.franglo.com/

Crete Property Uncovered Assets Takeover by BritsinCrete

2009-03-26T16:44:00.003+02:00

Crete Property Uncovered Assets Takeover by BritsinCrete

For those moving to Crete intent on building their dream home are to benefit from a revamped Real Estate Reviews Website telling them the realities and credibility of local property professionals. Who to use and who to avoid.

Heraklion, Crete, March 26, 2009 -- BritsinCrete.net, a leading English language portal serving the British and Irish Expat community in Greece has taken over the assets of CretePropertyUncovered.com .

Crete Property Uncovered (CPU) is a unique Reviews, Comments and Feedback website focusing on the evaluation of property/real estate agents, property developers and home builders in Crete through the experiences of their clients and customers. The website was first registered and went online in October 2006.

"Brits in Crete" spokesman, Gerald Brown says the Crete Property Uncovered website complements the subject areas related to "property purchase" in Greece which the other BritsinCrete web sites already cover in depth. The information they contain is directed to those people looking to make a move to Crete/Greece or help those already there.

Mr Brown adds: "Most expats seek to buy a property rather than rent in Crete. The CPU website provides a useful service for those expat newcomers who intend to build or renovate property in Crete. Those already established and Living in Crete are encouraged to pass along their experiences and dealings with property professionals - whether British, German, Dutch or Greek for the benefit of the newcomers".

Property companies in all four of Crete's prefectures (counties): Chania, Rethymnon, Heraklion and Lassithi are named in the review and feedback responses, completed online.

The BritsinCrete brand has become well established among the English speakers in Greece and is easily found in the Internet search engines. In its latest marketing move in social networking, BritsinCrete has joined the Twitter network (http://www.twitter.com/britsincrete), as has Crete Property Uncovered - http://www.twitter.com/creteproperty .

Crete Property Uncovered is being linked to all the other Brits in Crete online assets but will retain its own name and identity.

About BritsinCrete
BritsinCrete web portal under current ownership since January 2007 is a useful expat community resource for Crete wannabes, be it for buying a home, lengthy holiday destination, a holiday property, a business investment, a place to retire to or just hang out. www.britsincrete.net/contactus.asp

For more information: Contact: Gerald Brown
E-mail: info@britsincrete.net , info@cretepropertyuncovered.com

Living in Crete :: BritsinCrete Twitters to Promote Network

2009-03-21T12:47:00.009+02:00

Brits in Crete is now micro-messaging, or Tweeting as it is commonly known! Along with 6 million other Twitterers in the world, BritsinCrete is tweeting away as part of its connecting people, social network activities.

For instance, the current distressing news for British Expats Living in Crete is the story of Missing Person, a Scot, Jean Hanlon who disappeared in Heraklion, Crete on March 8.

The BritsinCrete team was asked to help get the news out to fellow British residents on the Island of Crete that a search was on. This we gladly did. In addition we were able to "tweet" the story on March 13. Mainstream news broadcasters such as BBC Scotland caught up with the story on March 18. Full details as to the latest developments of the case can be found in the Brits in Crete Forum.

About Twitter. Read more useful online information on what "Twitter" is all about at BritsinCrete.Net
more.....

The useful tweets (aka snippets) on Brits in Crete at Twitter.com cover a whole range of topics of interest to the expat community living in Crete and the Crete wannabes - the expat residents of the future. Follow them here..... If you have a Twitter account already you can "follow" BritsinCrete tweets through the Twitter website.

Living in Crete | AegeanAir 49euros Latest Fare Deal

2009-03-19T09:11:00.004+02:00

Living in Crete gets cheaper. At least by air. Aegean Airways 49euros (incl taxes) between Athens and Chania or Athens and Heraklion is the latest cheap flight deal, in a major sales drive to put more passenger bums in seats between Crete and the Greek capital.

You can book online at www.aegeanair.com until March 23, 2009 to buy e-tickets valid for flights between May 1, 2009 and June 30, 2009 but add a 6 euros Internet Service Fee. You can also book through your local travel agent (who also may charge a booking fee). The fare restrictions include: no cancellation, no change of date or flight and no refund. If you can live with those restrictions, it is a good deal.

The same deal applies on all AegeanAir's domestic scheduled flights that operate to and from Athens.

Listed airports in the fare deal: ATHENS • ΑLEXANDROUPOLIS • CHANIA • CHIOS • CORFU • HERAKLION • ΙOANNINA • KAVALA • KEFALONIA • ΚOS • LEMNOS • ΜYKONOS • MYTILENE • RHODES • SAMOS • SANTORINI • THESSALONIKI .

As a matter of interest, Aegean make a few euros more in their pockets from the 49 euros total when flights originate at all other airports other than Athens, due to the lower fees charged at those airports.

So for all the Brits and Irish Living in Crete and who may wish to take a break in Athens, the Aegean Airways deal is good. But check first if commuter low cost carrier, Athens Airways, still offers their introductory fare of 1 euro plus taxes between Chania-Athens (March 26 start) and Heraklion-Athens (April 2 start). If yes, then AegeanAir will not be such a good fare deal. Swings and roundabouts in the war on domestic airfares in Greece.

Organically cooked: Koutroulis (Ο Κουτρούλης)

2009-03-18T09:35:00.000+02:00

Organically cooked: Koutroulis (Ο Κουτρούλης)

Crete's Middle Aged Backpackers

2009-03-18T09:23:00.003+02:00

Not my usual Living in Crete styled blog, but the thought of middle aged backpackers hitting Crete shores made my Brits in Crete mind boggle at the prospect.

Middle Aged Backpackers Returning to Gap Year Island Destination in Greece
The Greek island of Crete, a popular destination on the hippy trail in the sixties and the backpacking routes of the seventies, is seeing an increasing number of visitors returning for the first time since their college days.
http://www.associatedcontent.comarticle/1201988/middle_aged_backpackers_returning_to.html

The bliss of Living in Crete, we welcome allcomers.

Missing in Crete | Help Find Briton Jean Hanlon

2009-03-13T19:40:00.003+02:00

Help Find Jean Hanlon - Missing in Crete

Brits in Crete has been asked to contact members of the BiC Forum and those connected with BritsinCrete with this urgent message requesting any help you may be able to give to find and locate Jean Hanlon, a British lady, and an expat resident of Kato Gouves, Heraklion Crete who has a Scottish accent.

Jean Hanlon, who went missing on Monday, March 9 2009 is now reported as officially missing by the British consular authorities in Crete and Greece.

Details and a picture of Jean can be found at the BritsinCrete Forum:
http://www.britsincrete.co.uk/cgi-bin/bicforum/YaBB.pl?num=1236954427/

Thanks

BritsinCrete Team

LivinginCrete | Air Athens Crete-Bound

2009-03-11T11:49:00.004+02:00

If you are living in Crete there is a new air connection between Athens and Crete. Athens Airways (IATA Flight Code ZF), new arrival on the aviation scene in Greece, starts flying out of its new base of Athens Eleftherios Venizelos International Airport to Chania (March 26) and Heraklion (April 2) in Crete.

The airline started flying to its first destination Alexandroupoli in January along with Kavala and starts March 12 to Thessaloniki. Other destinations Mykonos, Mytilene, Santorini are being phased in also.

Founded in October 2008 by businessman - Sakis Andrianopoulos, Athens Airways is based in Koropi, Athens. The airline says the focus will be on business passenger traffic using the small 50 seat, Brazilian built, Embraer ERJ-145 jet aircraft. Two of these aircraft are second hand, FlyBE jets.

Industry observers say that the business "business" model for this low cost carrier will be a gamble even with seats starting from a give-away 1 euro plus taxes. In its streamlining of costs, ticket booking is handled online as is check in.

Crete air services: Non flexi fare starts at 1 euro plus taxes
Semi flexi fare starts at 88 euros plus taxes
Premium full flexibility starts at 136 plus taxes

The initial fleet of 4 Embraer ERJ-145 aircraft have been delivered.

Athens - Chania, March 26 onwards
Flies Twice a day
Flt ZF 640 0650 - 0735
Flt ZF 646 1840 - 1925

Chania - Athens, March 26 onwards
Flies Twice a day
Flt ZF 641 0805 - 0850
Flt ZF 647 1955 - 2040

Athens- Heraklion, April 2 onwards
Flies Three times a day
Flt ZF 622 0930 - 1020
Flt ZF 624 1520 - 1610 (nice mid afternoon flight)
Flt ZF 628 2100 - 2150

Heraklion - Athens, April 2 onwards
Flies Three times a day
Flt ZF 623 1050 - 1140
Flt ZF 625 1640 - 1730 (nice late afternoon flight)
Flt ZF 629 2220 - 2310

Details from website: www.athensairways.com

Living in Crete | The WOT Community Wins Over BritsinCrete

2008-11-17T14:30:00.008+02:00

As webmaster of the Brits in Crete websites catering to the Brit and Irish expats who are Living in Crete and across Greece, I decided to become part of the "WOT" online community as a direct outcome of some of the security issues we have faced in the past.

WOT gives an immediate indication on your Internet Explorer or Firefox browser of any and every website you connect to of that website's security. I have found this invaluable as it also shows up in search term results. It has stopped me personally downloading sites that I thought were useful and looked legitimate but WOT deemed them otherwise with a warning red symbol and red wash out all over my browser screen.

So what is WOT?

Web of Trust (WOT) is a community dedicated to making the Internet safer for everyone. Savvy Internet users are aware that the threat from malware, spyware, identity theft and annoying spam is increasing. WOT provides an extra layer of protection that traditional security software can't. Our mission is to make your use of the Internet more secure by giving you an opportunity to share your experiences of websites and the services they offer.

Which Browsers can I add WOT?

The WOT addon for Firefox and Internet Explorer lets you see a site's ratings before you click on it. Our traffic-light style icons indicate, at-a-glance, whether a site can be trusted or not, and the Security scorecard provides you details behind the ratings and a place for you to give a rating of your own.

By joining the WOT community you can protect yourself and help others at the same time.

This is what I recommend you do.

The address of the website: http://www.mywot.com/ - any no, this is not an affiliate or introducer link. I do not benefit from this information.

I promise you this is an amazing tool that all PC users should install on their computers.

Don't take my word for it!

Please do not take my word for it but check out the WOT website. See the endorsements and testimonials for yourself and search for reviews of the WOT product in google, yahoo or msn - live search.

I hope to hear in the forum of your thoughts on this amazing Web 2.0 tool.

Opt for Safe and Productive surfing the Internet. WOT offers peace of mind.

PS - And, by the way, to my utter amazement, the BritsinCrete Forum has reached the "Excellent" rating, something several direct rivals have yet to do. I re-iterate, I have no input, control or influence over how WOT rates websites.

Living in Crete | Brit Expats Save More

2008-11-16T03:48:00.006+02:00

Are Brits in Greece and specifically Brits Living in Crete among Britain’s army of expats who have saved £150 billion between them? It could be if they are lumped in with those living in the oil rich Gulf States. In the Gulf, 10 per cent of expatriates hold a full quarter of all expat savings of Brits abroad - £36 billion worth. Twenty-eight per cent of Brits in the Middle East have been seconded there to work, and on average they have saved up almost £125,000 per household. Not surprisingly outside the Gulf, the richest expats can be found in the regional financial centre of Singapore, each with £101,000.

These facts come out of a survey published on November 7. The survey was conducted by the offshore savings bank, Alliance & Leicester International (ALIL) based in the Isle of Man which is now owned by Spanish Bank group, Santander. ALIL analysed the responses of 1070 expats. This is the latest ALIL global expat survey which was conducted over the Internet in September and October 2008.

Some 5.5 million* British citizens who live around the globe have have salted the equivalent to £54,621 for each household compared to £31,300 per household back home.

Where do British Expatriates Live?
Some 1.1 million Brits are living in Australia - the top destination for UK expats. Another 1.8m) are dispersed across Europe, with most choosing Spain and France. A million live in North America, mostly in the USA. Africa accounts for a further
114,000, Asia 388,000, Middle East 550,000, 200,000 in New Zealand and 275,000 in South and Central America.

Other curious facts about the British Abroad include:

- One in five (19%) of all expats use a UK offshore bank for their savings,

- Almost three fifths (58%) of expats use local banking services,

- Almost two fifths (39%) use UK mainland banking services,

- Almost half (47%) conduct most of their banking over the Internet,

- Some 31% of expat savings are in sterling,

- Some 29% of expat savings are in local currencies,

- Some 40% (the balance) of expat savings are in USD and Euros, with Euros slightly ahead.

Commenting on the survey results, Simon Ripton, Joint Managing Director of Alliance & Leicester International said: “Making the right choices on banking services is especially important for those living overseas. Using offshore UK banks can allow for efficient tax planning while internet access ensures it’s quick and easy to manage finances from anywhere in the world.”

Note* Source Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR)

ALIL analysed the responses of 1070 expats. The latest ALIL global expat
survey was conducted over the Internet in September and October 2008.
The researchers identified where expats were located and how much their
savings were from their survey responses. They grossed up the averages using
the total UK expat population of 5.5million to calculate the total amount of
savings on a regional and global basis.

P.S. If Brits in Crete were lumped into Europe, those Living in Monaco would come out top of the expat bank savings rankings, with savings of £150,000 salted away.

Use Second Hand Classifieds in UK and Crete to Beat the Credit Crunch

2008-11-12T06:42:00.007+02:00

It may not be your usual cup of tea, but when it comes to second hand goods don't feel shy or embarrassed to use the classifieds section of websites such as the "Crete Classifieds" Board to buy, sell, exchange or "recycle".

Why?

Because of the Credit Crunch, you'll be in good company. Regardless of our financial wherewithal, we are all having to make adjustments in lifestyle. Some more than others, depending on the cash flow and available funds. Like for example, people focussing on buying second hand, not new.

I have just been reading research in Britain from the UK+Ireland credit rating company, Experian, of how, regardless of social status, online users are searching like crazy for second hand goods to beat the credit crunch of 2008.

The facts from UK are these: Internet searches for second hand goods have increased by nearly a quarter over the last 12 months, while "Classifieds" websites have experienced a nigh on 50 per cent increase in traffic over the same period.

In other words, Brits are searching for bargains galore online.

"Second hand cars" is the current favoured search term for "second hand". Mind you that is just one of more than 20,000 variations in related search terms to choose from.

If you are a bookworm and looking for a hefty tome to buy at a knock down price you could be in terrific luck as "second hand books" was the next favoured search term, followed by "second hand car prices", "second hand furniture" and "second hand bikes". For the latter it wasn't quite clear whether the reference meant, "push bikes/pedal bikes" or motorised versions - a scooter or moped - whatever.

UK's Top 10 Classified Web Sites

Visits to Freecycle, the environmentally friendly website that enables people to recycle their unwanted goods by passing them on to others, recently increased by 35%. According to Experian, Freecycle is currently most popular in Wales and the West Midlands and is used most by people with families.

If you are interested to know the Top 10 "Classifieds" websites (by market share in UK) , they are:

www.gumtree.com (No 1)

www.vivastreet.co.uk

www.adtrader.co.uk

www.freeads.co.uk

www.preloved.co.uk

www.horsemart.co.uk

www.friday-ad.co.uk

www.etsy.com

http://edinburgh.gumtree.com

www.pets4homes.co.uk

If you are curious to know what second hand goods are being bought, sold or exchanged in our free Crete Classifieds pages by expat Brits and Irish Expats resident in Greece and the Greek Islands, check this link.

I know I am always curious to get a glimpse of how others live, although I am not in the market for a second hand car or bike right now, but may be looking for some second hand balcony furniture, in good condition. How about you?

By the way, our Crete Forum community is completely FREE to join and to post classified announcements.

The resident British and Irish Living on Crete are on the whole a practical and savvy lot of people acting, as they do, as a hub of expat activities on the Island. If you are like them, I hope you too are finding creative ways to cope with the financial pressures and insecurities brought on by the global credit debacle. Think twice before discarding any personal or household belongings.

Three tips on handling second hand goods:

1. If you can sell them, do so.

2. If you can exchange them, do so.

3. If you can recycle ( pass them along) without something in return, do so.

4. If you spot someone or a family in need, then donate to them.

Whatever you do, you'll be helping to better the world we live in.

Brits in Crete Forum | OTEnet.gr Accessing Again

2008-08-03T23:19:00.005+03:00

This is the promised longer response with explanation as to why BiC Forum was not accessible from Greece via OTEnet for nearly two weeks.

So far so good. The BritsinCrete Community Forum is fully accessible from Greece.

After numerous complaints not only from me but also other BiC members, the problem for the BiC Forum was sorted by NOC at OTE Technical Support on July 29 some time before 1144am. Eleni our BiC Forum moderator was one of the first to get back online onto the forum. This is curious as at time of writing, I have not been sent an all-clear e-mail from OTE, as was promised by their customer support team.

I have reviewed the various comments made in our Forum about giving more detailed advice on how to get around the access problem. I noted someone suggested changing DNS in their settings. I have a word of caution.

In my experience in nearly two years of BiC, the computer knowledge of users is at many levels of expertise. Unless you know what you are doing, please do not follow blindly such advice. You never know people's motives. That is the reason I explained only how to find proxy servers through Google Search as one simple and temporary solution.

In hindsight, I am surprised the OTEnet fiasco was solved as quickly as it was. Was it because of the number of complaints from BiC users? Was it because I was in touch with OTEnet customer service on a numerous occasions to push the case. Was it because I suggested to them that they may be in breach of EU regulations in the free flow of goods and services within the EU (they seemingly were agreeing to routing bandwidth usage from Greece to the BiC Forum in the UK via servers outside the EU?) It may have been a combination of these factors and more. But the error was for the OTE management to correct, which they have done.

Oh, yes what was the problem? I can only summize that it was down to "Time Out" delays or other malfunction at external servers caused a break in the chain of links between a user in Greece (including me) and our servers in UK.

It is interesting to note, forums generally can eat up a lot of bandwidth and ISP's try to spread the load around the Internet network. I believe this is in an effort to limit costs and promote efficiency. Let me be clear that I am not stating these are the reasons in this particular case.

Two weeks without access to the forum was bad for members and regular users. How can we complain and get some kind of redress?

I have been advised by OTE if you are an OTEnet.gr customer you can "complain". The form is that you state the problem and ask for some kind of compensation - such as extended service by two weeks at no further cost (my words).

The way it is done is to hand in a written claim at your local OTE office or shop and it will be passed to the "Complaints" Section. (the evidence is stated in the earlier blog with the tracer results provided by traceroute.org). Anyway, OTE's own internal technical support department has the information well documented from my user account and reference to the britsincrete.co.uk name.

Let me wrap this up by saying that in all the years of accessing the Internet this is the first time this DNS website access problem to a respectable website such as BritsinCrete - has happened to me personally. Thank you OTEnet.gr .

Traceroute Proves OTEnet Hiccup for BritsinCrete.Co.Uk

2008-08-03T22:42:00.003+03:00

The traceroute showing the Internet routing to BritsinCrete Forum is back to normal for OTEnet.gr subscribers in Greece. That means the website is fully operational again.

The background to the Internet Failure:

For almost 2 weeks from July 16, 2008, the management of OTE - the national telecoms company in Greece was in effect blocking access to a number of websites in the UK including BritsinCrete's Community Forum.

For the record, here is the routing and the time in milli-seconds taken at each server during the "downtime" of the blocked OTEnet access to connect to www.britsincrete.co.uk:

1. warp-srv (147.102.222.200) 0.332 ms 0.307 ms 0.207 ms

2. backboneRouter.ntua.ilissos.athensMAN.grnet.gr (195.251.24.70) 0.554 ms 0.314 ms 0.215 ms

3. athens3-to-ilissos1.backbone.grnet.gr (195.251.27.117) 0.700 ms 0.694 ms 0.717 ms

4. grnet.rt1.ath.gr.geant2.net (62.40.124.89) 0.950 ms 0.961 ms 54.485 ms

5. 62.40.112.178 (62.40.112.178) 32.276 ms 32.133 ms 32.187 ms

6. mno-b1-link.telia.net (213.248.97.101) 32.276 ms 32.290 ms 32.194 ms

7. prs-bb1-link.telia.net (80.91.250.177) 50.519 ms 50.675 ms 50.559 ms

8. ldn-bb1-pos7-2-0.telia.net (213.248.64.10) 57.884 ms 57.939 ms 57.902 ms

9. ldn-b1-link.telia.net (80.91.248.89) 58.030 ms 57.898 ms 57.915 ms

10. ldn-tch-i1-link.telia.net (80.91.250.210) 58.298 ms 58.109 ms 58.300 ms

11. legend-108411-ldn-tch-i1.c.telia.net (213.248.100.190) 58.257 ms 58.045 ms 58.184 ms

12. 900.gi0-0.rtr2.iph.lon.as5587.net (213.253.141.26) 58.798 ms 59.013 ms 59.559 ms

13. sw1.f1c11.iph.lon.as5587.net (195.13.89.65) 60.780 ms 60.789 ms 60.183 ms

14. steel-44981-001.dsvr.co.uk (212.69.203.35) 59.638 ms 59.045 ms 59.314 ms

If ever you wish to track the Internet routing to connect to any website in the world, I recommend you choose http://www.traceroute.org. Then click on the country in which your Internet Service Provider is located and choose one of the highlighted organizations.

For the selected location country of Greece, the information on the Internet routing from anyone on OTEnet's network to the BritsinCrete Forum was provided by the National Technical University of Athens, whose website is at www.ntu.gr .

Living in Crete | OTEnet.gr Technical Problems Continue

2008-07-25T19:52:00.005+03:00

Brits in Crete Forum Update. We still face unexplained problems to access the community web site hosted in the UK for those in Greece who are clients on otenet.gr network.

I have contacted the Technical department at OTEnet.gr on several occasions this week.

OTEnet have indicated there is a time out problem with a server.

But there is no follow up e-mail or phone call to explain progress to solve the problem.

I have established that OTEnet have solved one connection problem [to www.demon.net (the UK equivalent to Greece's "Technological Educational Institution of Athens (AS9069)" ] both of which are Internet routing hubs.

Alas, BritsinCrete Forum is still unaccessible for OTEnet.gr users.

As the Greeks say: "Ti na kanoume"

DNS problems at Greece's Leading ISP | OTEnet.gr

2008-07-18T18:37:00.008+03:00

Brits in Crete faces Internet ISP/DNS challenges again with a failure of OTEnet.gr to keep its technical standards in check. OTEnet is the main ISP in Greece. Whether intentional or by error, the company is blocking access to our BritsinCrete Forum that is hosted on dsvr/Legend web host servers in the UK.

The BritsinCrete community can surf the Internet to access the Forum from anywhere in the world, except from an OTE connection.

As a webmaster how do I explain that yet again we have Internet problems that are completely out of our control. The truth is simple; if you are connecting to Brits in Crete Forum via OTENet adsl broadband or dial up, you are being blocked.

What I find curious, is that Brits in Crete is suffering due to failure of quality control at OTEnet, or bad connections that only OTEnet can find a solution to.

In short, I can surf the Internet via an OTEnet connection to any website, anywhere except to the servers of one of Britain's bigggest IT group of companies, publicly-listed THUS plc that includes demon and dsvr/Legend.

I contacted THUS public relations company, technical support at demon/dsvr and yet none knew of access problems to their whole group from an OTEnet Internet connection.

I do not wish to convey any wrong impression here regarding front line staff at OTEnet.gr - the OTE fault reporting telephone hotline 1242, works. The front line staff were helpful. They recognised that the problem could only be solved by OTEnet.gr customer service on telephone 801-11-35-555.

The hiccup comes whereby e-mails citing Internet connection problems, sent to noc@otenet.gr will only be acknowledged in a 24 or 48 hour time frame, depending on which customer service staff are saying it. Initial response - is a routine standard reply about 12 hours later states that the e-mail has been received. OTEnet by its lack of further communication appears not to operate the "technical ticket" system of logging and tracking service complaints with customers, adopted elsewhere on websites.

The bottom line is the frightening fact this problem would have gone undetected if BritsinCrete Forum moderators Lea and Lou had not picked it up. If, I as webmaster had been outside Greece, it would have created communication problems to explain to OTEnet that it was only they that could rectify the problem.

An OTE problem that started at approximately 1900 hrs on Tuesday July 15 is still not sorted at the time of preparing this blog on Friday late afternoon. I am doing my best to resolve this issue soonest, and keep BiC Forum members informed.

All I can do is yet again extend my apologies to members, this time in Greece faced by this temporary problem (I hope) unable to get their BritsinCrete Forum daily "fix" as I know many drop by to see the latest postings.

Living in Crete | Maukie - Brits in Crete New Pet

2008-06-08T13:36:00.003+03:00

I thought I would share with you the fact that Brits in Crete has a new house mate. It is Maukie. She is fun to live with and enjoys being teased.

Yet, Maukie is the fiercest, cutest cat ever to terrorize your mouse pointer.

While Maukie is fun, the page is serious and does its best to be informative about Crete its animal husbandary, our pets, their transportation, animal shelters and that we treat them with special favour and respect. These values sometimes can conflict with those that some of our Cretan friends and neighbours may hold about keeping, rearing and treating animals as pets and members of a household. The page talks about that aspect of life in Crete too.

So have fun and catch Maukie on our Brits in CreteAnimal Welfare in Crete page. Go on .... you know you want to ...

Living in Crete | Relief at Greek Driver's Strike Over

2008-05-16T08:02:00.004+03:00

So relief all round for everyone living in Crete, as the Greek lorry drivers strike, hugely disrupting deliveries - mainly petrol and diesel, is called off unexpectedly.

The whole thing was getting a bit too serious after some 10 days; ferries and flights interrupted and cancelled; routine usage of the car curtailed. Perhaps the strikers were getting hit over the heads by their families for going too far and causing discomfort too close to home. I wonder how long it will take for deliveries of essential services to normalize?

Mind you tourists will be tourists. They still drive into the mountains with emotional consequences and stress. No wonder this lady travelling on her own did not enjoy Crete.

Then there's the philosophical couple of Brits in Crete, "the Tylers" awaiting their flight back to UK. Nothing like the hours spent relaxing at Heraklion Airport's Departure Terminal awaiting the time of their re-scheduled departure. At least the terminal's floor is carpeted and clean and the huge hall is air conditioned. The Tylers blog is aptly headed "A striking Conclusion". The Tyler's were caught in another aspect of disaffected employees, the traffic controllers opted for a wildcat 4 hour stike.

In the BritsinCrete Forum, the pleas for news of filling stations still open from some members made it clear just how close this strike came to bringing Greece to a standstill if it had continued for much longer.

Yet, having created serious problems and knock on effects in the market, as well as for consumers, the Lorry Drivers Federation that called the strike action stressed that its members suspended its strike with a "feeling of responsibility" and also taking into consideration "social turmoil". Heavy heartedly, the drivers said they were to make every effort possible "to enable even the most remote fuel station to be supplied with fuel". Aha, but when?

Living in Crete | CountryLife Real Estate

2008-05-15T15:47:00.002+03:00

Living in Crete could be even more interesting for Brits and or Irish if they take up the offer advertised in the "CountryLife" website.

I have two questions (that I do not wish to ask the advertiser, JACKSON-STOPS & STAFF, WILMSLOW for obvious reasons):

1. Can anyone tell me where in Crete these plots of land are located?
2. What do you estimate is the asking price. The CountryLife advertisement states up to 8 select locations extending to over 40000sqm?

Living in Crete | Blog for Human Rights Day

2008-05-15T13:09:00.002+03:00

For the Brits and Irish residents, living in Crete and Greece, today, May 15 is a day for all bloggers to promote human rights around the world.

Amnesty International, is linking with BlogCatalog to draw attention to the plight of those in countries whose human rights are being denied. Brits in Crete is member of the BlogCatalog community.

May 15 is the day participating bloggers are asked to write a contribution in their own blog to help make the world a better place!

For us in Greece the country is, for the most part, a civilized place to live and the rule of law is actively practiced. And as foreigners, living abroad in Crete and other parts of Greece we are most fortunate to lenjoy under a free, democratic way of life.

For those less fortunate, in places like Darfur in Sudan, we can help by spreading the word on violations by governments around the world.
A good blogging resource is located on a dedicated page at http://unite.blogcatalog.com#amnesty.

Of course, as a fellow blogger you can write about any human rights topic you want.
You might also be interested to know that Larry Cox, an executive director of Amnesty International in the United States has some some choice words of support: "Amnesty International is thrilled to be a part of Bloggers Unite for Human Rights," he said. "Bloggers Unite for Human Rights is a great way to harness the power of the Internet to fight injustice and make the world a better place."

There are many great human rights organizations all over the world. Here to follow developments at Amnesty International in the UK or the Republic of Ireland, please visit http://www.amnesty.org.uk for more information. Currently, Amnesty International is working to stop the abuse of internationally recognized human rights in over 150 countries and territories. The organization won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1961.

We at Brits in Crete are a free thinking community. Many times members of the Brits in Crete Forum challenge actions of the forum's admin citing censorship and free speech - basically anything should be permitted. That is a small talking point, in my opinion versus fundamental human rights where lives are at stake.

Brits in Crete blog is playing its part to help promote this project. If you are a fellow blogger use this opportunity to support the BlogCatalog team. If you saw this announcement first in the Living in Crete | BritsinCrete Blog, it would be appreciated if you would mention it in your blog article.

Living in Crete :: Life is what YOU make it!

2008-01-20T09:56:00.000+02:00

Every day I receive several e-mails sent from the BritsinCrete.net Contact Page asking for advice and help on Living in Crete. One guy, a 50something Brit, just divorced and sounding pretty miserable for himself wrote asking if he could make it in Crete (the island in Greece) and find a job of work there.

My advice to him: Think positive. "Like" yourself first. Be happy and the rest will fall into place. Believe me, I have been there when life can be at a low ebb and everything seems to work against me. Let past baggage in life be just that. Make your life move on.

I suggested that as a good starting point this guy take a whirl around the BritsinCrete Forum (http://www.britsincrete.co.uk/cgi-bin/bicforum/YaBB.pl).

Check out the jobs section there.

I told him there is a 50 something bloke wanting to start up a business, to be found in the Crete General section (first board in the site).

In the main website: "Did you see the www.britsincrete.net/crete_wannabes.html page ?" I asked him. That is a tongue-in-cheek but a page, one could call a reality check on living, working or retiring to Crete. "How about the "www.britsincrete.net/working.html" page ?".
"Plenty of links on those pages. Do some research, put your free ad you seek work in the forum," I wrote.

Now here is the key statement I told this 50something chap: "Crete is like anywhere else. But if you choose to come, do so in the warmer weather - from May onwards. Be determined to find work. Meet other Brits, and ask question after question. Many will have been there before and can give their own experiences. And, keep an eye on the BritsinCrete Forum I mentioned above where summer job vacancies are posted.

While in the same Forum, use the search button (always put in "one year" as the search period, not just "one week") for key words such as getting job, vacancies, and so on.

And finally, keep off excessive amounts of booze. While money goes farther in Crete than UK, Ireland and other places in Northern Europe, if you do not have deep pockets, then moderate intake. Then living in Crete or anywhere else in Greece can be an attractive proposition on limited income. After all, life is what you make it for a 50 something or of any age!

Gerald, webmaster, BritsinCrete

Brits in Crete | UK-Based Couple Spends £1,500 to Rescue Stray Puppy in Crete.

2007-11-14T16:04:00.000+02:00

Here at Brits in Crete, we ask: Would you pay £1500 ($3120, €2160) to rescue a stray puppy found on holiday in Crete and repatriate it to UK? That is what a young British couple from Haywards Heath, Sussex is doing.

For you, if polled, would your reaction be:

Yes - No question!
No - What's the world coming to?
Even more if necessary, or
Not even a fiver.

The BritsinCrete Forum is reacting, and you can too.
Cast your vote at:
http://www.britsincrete.co.uk/cgi-bin/bicforum/YaBB.pl?num=1194973331

(This is all informal and no catch or inducement, nor any solicitation.)

Thanks
Gerald
britsincrete
PS - The story is courtesy of the Brighton Argus newspaper.

Living in Crete | BritsinCrete Visitors from More Countries

2007-11-10T19:06:00.000+02:00

Web visitors to the BritsinCrete.net website arrive from all over the Internet world.

So we decided to check the stats for the web site.

In the period November 5-9, 2007, of the 2,000 visitors logged, over 60 per cent came from the UK.

Some 26 per cent find the website from within Greece, 4 per cent from the United States, 2 per cent from Canada and 1 per cent from Ireland.

The remainder with less than 1 per cent each surfed in from Belgium, Denmark, Germany, France, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland, then the CIS countries, Israel, Australia, New Zealand and India.

Browser Talk. While on the subject of visits to the BiC website, I wondered what kind of experience you have visiting the site? By that I mean the layout on your computer screen. Does it seem squashed? or extending beyond the right of your browser window, or does it sit comfortably in the middle? The reason for the differences is that each web browser (e.g. Internet Explorer, Firefox, Netscape etc treats the layout just a little bit differently. But more importantly it depends on how your computer screen is set up in terms of resolution.

Computer Screen Resolution. BritsinCrete.net is set up for the size of a resolution quality of 1024 x 768 pixels. This is the best size to choose to view BritsinCrete. It is also the most popular size among visitors. Over 50 per cent set their computers to this screen size for viewing the web. The next best is 1280 x 1024 (33 per cent of visiting net surfers). The remaining possible settings take up the balance. These are the 800 x 600, 1152 x 864 and 1600 x 1200 and others.

Computer Operating Systems. In terms of computer operating systems , half of all visitors to the BritsinCrete.net web site do so with Windows XP installed. The other half is shared fairly equally between Mac OS Linux and other operating systems.

So for the better experience while surfing the web, and visiting us, you could consider adjusting your browser screen size to 1024 x 768.

Gerald

Living in Greece:: BritsinCrete Uses XING To Boost Contacts

2007-10-19T08:06:00.000+03:00

BritsinCrete invites you to expand your contacts through the rapidly expanding XING social network website.

http://www.xing.com/go/invita/8061540

If you do business or wish to build your social network with those Living in Greece, the XING social network is a good way to do it.

XING is an internationally oriented website, based in Germany, and a leading social networking site.

If you wish to target that segment of the community in Greece and Crete, BritsinCrete recommends this would be a good community in which to build your contacts.

Why? Germany has more Internet users that the UK+Eire combined, with more than 11 million users.

Xing is not just in English but targets also a huge and growing contact base in 15 other language markets from Chinese to Portuguese.

BritsinCrete invites you to join. This is a free and a no-strings-attached invitation. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain. Google and Yahoo will index any links you include in your member's information.

http://www.xing.com/go/invita/8061540

(Of particular interest to those in real estate in Greece, planning to relocate to Greece, buying a property in Greece and all the related professional services from Greek lawyers and architects to financial sector and individuals seeking work in Greece.)

http://www.xing.com/go/invita/8061540

BritsinCrete

Living in Crete | Sept 28:: Ask a Stupid Question Day

2007-09-28T02:14:00.000+03:00

"Ask a Stupid Question" Day is today, September 28, a holiday that is a bit like April 1st.

It is the day all you school students to ask your teachers all those dumb questions.

Apparently, the roots of this special day goes back to the 1980's. At the time, there was a movement by teachers to try to get kids to ask more questions in the classroom. Kids sometimes hold back, fearing their question is stupid, and asking it will result in ridicule. Teachers created this day on September 28, If it fell on a weekend, they would celebrate it on the last day of the month.

What is this doing in Living in Crete? Well, apply the same theory to the BritsinCrete Forum and post a stupid question. No one will be offended on this or subsequent days.

<http://www.britsincrete.co.uk/cgi-bin/bicforum/YaBB.pl?num=1190934706>

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ask_a_Stupid_Question_Day

Living in Crete | Asthma in Kids Study

2007-09-14T23:55:00.000+03:00

Brits in Crete Forum has recently had several questions about Asthma and related topics when expatriates are spending their life in Crete. Diet and climate have a major part to play in the better quality of life in the Mediterranean, compared to the damper and colder climes of Northern Europe.

In the interest of the debate, Brits in Crete Blog carries here the September 11th announcement on the contribution of how 'Fruity vegetables' and fish reduce asthma and allergies. The study's results are from a 7-years of research into children just published by Blackwell Publishing. The study's lead author is none other than respected international researcher, Dr Leda Chatzi of the University of Crete who concludes from the study of 460 Spanish kids that giving them a diet, rich in fish and “fruity vegetables” can reduce asthma and allergies. (The results are published in the September issue of Pediatric Allergy and Immunology.)

The findings also reinforce the researchers’ earlier findings that a fish-rich diet in pregnancy can help to protect children from asthma and allergies.

“We believe that this is the first study that has assessed the impact of a child’s diet on asthma and allergies and also taken into account the food their mother ate during pregnancy” says Dr Leda Chatzi from the Department of Social Medicine at the University of Crete, Greece.

“Because we studied the children from pregnancy to childhood, we were able to include a wide range of elements in our analysis, including maternal diet during pregnancy, breastfeeding, smoking, the mother’s health history, parental education and social class.”

Researchers followed the progress of the children, on the Spanish island of Menorca, at regular intervals from before they were born until they were six-and-a-half.

They discovered that children who consumed more than 40 grams of “fruity vegetables” a day – namely tomatoes, eggplants (aubergines), cucumber, green beans and zucchini (courgettes) - were much less likely to suffer from childhood asthma.

And children who consumed more than 60 grams of fish a day also suffered less childhood allergies, echoing the protective effects they experienced when their mothers ate fish during pregnancy.

However the researchers noted that the dietary effects were quite specific and that other fruits and vegetables examined did not provide the same protective effect. Nor did other food groups included in the study, such as dairy products, meat, poultry and bread.

The mothers of 232 boys and 228 girls, who had been recruited during antenatal classes, completed detailed questionnaires on their children’s health, weight, diet and any breathing problems every year until their child was six-and-a-half.

90 per cent of the children also underwent allergy testing – skin prick tests were used to check their response to the six most common allergens, including grass pollen and cats.

The researchers found that just under nine per cent of the children suffered from some degree of wheezing, including six per cent with an allergy-related wheeze. And 17 per cent reacted to at least one of the allergens in the skin prick test.

“After adjusting the results for a wide range of variables, we concluded that the link between symptom-free children and a diet rich in fruity vegetables and fish was statistically significant” says Dr Chatzi.

“The biological mechanisms that underlie the protective affect of these foods is not fully understood, but we believe that the fruity vegetables and fish reduce the inflammation associated with asthma and allergies.

“The interesting thing about this study is that it followed a large number of children from the womb to the age of six-and-a-half and incorporated a wide range of dietary, social and health factors” says the Journal’s Editor, Professor John Warner, Head of the Department of Paediatrics at Imperial College London.

“It provides parents with specific advice about the health promotion benefits of including fish and fruity vegetables as part of a balanced diet for both their children and the rest of the family.”

###

Notes:

* Diet, wheeze and atrophy in school children in Menorca, Spain. Chatzi et al. Pediatric Allergy and Immunology. 18, pages 480 to 485. (September 2007)

* Pediatric Allergy and Immunology publishes original contributions and comprehensive reviews on the understanding and treatment of immune deficiency and allergic inflammatory and infectious diseases in children, the development of specific and accessory immunity and the immunological interaction during pregnancy and lactation between mother and child. It aims to promote communication between scientists engaged in basic research and clinicians working with children and publishes both clinical and experimental work. Edited by Professor John Warner of Imperial College London it is published eight times a year by Wiley-Blackwell. www.blackwell-synergy.com/loi/PAI

* Wiley-Blackwell was formed in February 2007 as a result of the acquisition of Blackwell Publishing Ltd by John Wiley & Sons, Inc, and the merger between Blackwell and Wiley's Scientific, Technical, and Medical business. Together, the companies have created a global publishing business with deep strength in every major academic and professional field. Wiley-Blackwell publishes approximately 1,250 scholarly peer-reviewed journals and an extensive collection of books with global appeal.

Brits in Crete Blog thanks Dr Leda Chatzi and her team from the Department of Social Medicine at the University of Crete, Greece for this invaluable information.

Living in Crete | Quiz No 2 from BritsinCrete

2007-09-08T17:47:00.000+03:00

Hi - Crete General Knowledge, Quiz No 2 from the Brits in Crete team.

Pit your wits and test your knowledge on Crete Flights and Flying in this second "True or False" Quiz from Brits in Crete web portal.

True or False. BiC Quiz No 2.

Questions:

1. True or False? The cost of car parking for 7 days at the official car park at Heraklion International's N.KAZANTZAKIS Airport, Crete for 7 days is currently 36.50 euros.

2. True of False? Heraklion International Airport is the only approved airport on Crete from which you can send pets (dogs, cats and ferrets) on direct flights to the UK?

3. True of False? There is now a £500 processing fee per animal from the UK end when shipping dogs, cats or ferrets by air to UK from Crete.

4. True or False? The checked baggage allowance for domestic flights in Greece is 15kgs.

5. True or False? At Heraklion International Airport its longer of the two runways it operates - Runway 12/30, is longer than Chania International Airport's single runway, Runway 11/29.

Answers are to be found at the main Brits in Crete website:
www.BritsinCrete.net/crete_greece_quiz2.html

Enjoy!

First published September 8, 2007

© Brits in Crete 2007

Meltdown of Crete Candles | Definition of Hot

2007-07-28T06:01:00.000+03:00

So you wish to know how hot the temperatures can get in Crete, Greece? We have had two heatwaves in the past 4 weeks with temperatures soaring to 47 degrees centigrade.

A picture speaks a thousand words.

Dr Charles Morris, while on his recent vacation to Paleochora, Southwest Crete noticed two limp candles in the house he visited, and captured in digital the meaning of "hot" for his friends back home.

Dr Morris gives his kind permission to Brits in Crete to use this picture!

If you think this is whacky, on the Northwest side of Crete in Melissorgiou one of our regular forum members 'kids us' that she finds comfort in her refrigerator during these hot spells!

( "Candles:Paleochora" July 2007 Copyright Dr Charles Morris)

Bring Maddy Home Campaign Reaches Greece

2007-07-26T23:41:00.000+03:00

Brits in Crete Web Portal, approached by the official organization for the "Bring Maddy Home" has added a dedicated page in the Greek language (ελληνικά�) to its website.

The page is intended to heighten awareness among the Greek people interracting with visiting and resident Brits on the island of Crete and across Greece to be aware that the youngster, kidnapped in the Algarve, Portugal may have been brought to Greece. The idea is to target shopkeepers, supermarket and other retail outlets to display the poster of little Madeleine McCann and report anything suspicious or unusual that could be related.

The web page in Greek simply says to keep a look out for anything suspicious that could be linked to this case and has links to its website in English and Greek.

The page starts:

Αγαπητέ φίλε,

Χρειαζόμαστε την βοήθειά σου και την υποστήριξή σου στην προσπάθειά μας να ευαισθητοποιήσουμε τον κόσμο για να βρεθεί το μικρό κορίτσι που απήχθη κατά την διάρκεια των διακοπών που έκανε με τους γονείς της στην Πορτογαλία. Ταυτόχρονα, στέλνουμε το μήνυμα............(για να διαβάσει την πλήρη σελίδα.)�

As I write this there are reports of hate mail against the parents of Maddy McCann originating in the United States saying they were negligent in allowing the abduction of their daughter.

Hope it will not be too long before there is closure to this distressing saga.