Seeing Athens smile

By Alexia Amvrazi

THERE are certain things that I can guarantee would make many, if not most Athenians smile a whole lot longer and a whole lot more. Being aware of them can be frustrating and dark, because they’re so obvious and simple and yet so challengingly resistant about materializing. On the other hand, mere awareness has the sheer force to make a seed to pop and blossom, and for a dream to continue to unfold into reality. Creative visualization, the art of visualizing your wishes into manifestation, has been proven to work by leading scientists, head doctors, poets and spiritual gurus alike. You can write down or draw your dream, including as many details as possible, and whilst conceptualizing it, repeat to yourself that you’re looking at something that is already happening, not a long-distant fantasy. Smile-worthy Athens is a technicolor reality, and it looks something like this.

1. Something’s missing & it’s nice…There are no cars or motorbikes parked (or moving around!) on the pavement, on the sides of tiny roads or in green spaces. In fact there are very few cars at all, because numerous underground parking spaces have been built around the city and there’s now a London-style congestion charge that gets people off their lazy derriers and onto the metro instead. Drives to the kiosk for crisps are automatically reduced, while taxi fares remain the same while taxi vehicle numbers do not increase.

2. Slicing the tape: Public servants are human-friendly, communicative, very obliging, speedy, fair, efficient and compassionate. There are lots of comfy sofas and chairs and free coffee and cool magazines for those who wait to be served (not longer than 10 minutes). Visits to tax offices, immigration services, etc are now extremely rare because everything can be done easily and accessibly online from the comfort of your desk, and with free wi-fi everywhere in Athens, it’s a piece of cake. Also, the 24 hour public services hotline for even the most cringesomely stupid questions is amazingly top rate.

3. I see trees of green, red roses too…: There is lush greenery everywhere! Huge parks, scenic walkways, flowers and trees lining the streets, all kept in perfect condition by the municipalities, and totally unpolluted. You can practically walk to work on a park-to-park shortcut, and arrive at your desk with a flower or fresh herb in your hand (or hair – peace, brother!). Looking up whilst walking in the city keeps the green vision going; every balcony and rooftop is a small or tiny green haven, overgrown with beautiful Mediterranean flowers and plants.

4. One out of ten: There are no ghettos in Athens. Immigrants and migrants have clean, dignified accommodation and are welcomed to live amongst us as new citizens planning their positive new beginnings after a traumatic past. There is no ‘home’ for sex slavery or in-your-face prostitution, and drug addicts are not thrown onto the streets to rot in a cycle of self-destruction and made to wait for years in case they get onto the methadone list.

5. On the road again: Garbage trucks only appear in the hours when 80% of the city snores, and garbage employees would never consider going on strike to get their demands met. The contents of blue recycle bins are always efficiently gathered and recycled, and every citizen uses them, even those who are decidedly ignorant and/or lazy. Strikes and protests never clog up the city. Public transport (all electric) is always on time and always airy, comfortable and clean. There are bicycle lanes throughout the city (including all the park shortcuts of course) and drivers truly respect the safety and rights of cyclists. Bikes are allowed on the HSAP railway and on the metro. Instead of giving monetary or tax incentives for the public to buy more cars, the government bans petrol-fuelled vehicles and urges and helps drivers to buy green cars and circulate only with those in the city centre.

6. Being able:
All those thousands of disabled individuals who are locked away in their homes, unwilling and unable to circulate freely and safely and happily through their city are out and about doing just that. Full respect and consideration are given to the physically challenged in public and private buildings and places, while paths for the blind don’t lead into kiosks or brick walls.

7. People smile and laugh with each other,

as common practice. When you smile at or receive a smile from someone you’ve bumped into, you are immediately brushing the slightly annoying incident aside, rather than dwelling

on it and consequently setting off on a whole journey of nagging thoughts. I am tired of being faced with people’s suspicion or what looks like disdain when I’m smiley in my look or chat. My smile just wants to be!

8. Women are not portrayed as sex objects W by the media and advertising campaigns. Greek women don’t accept the term that to work on TV they have to flash their never-ending cleavage from morning to night. Young women raised on the post-war principle that in order to ‘go places’ metaphorically and literally they need to snag a wealthy man by playing bimbo or “gatoula” (little cat) with the sealed mouth and giant eye and ear reject such a formula and take their individuality and survival into their own hands. Also, Greek women support each other in the face of the blatant sexism of a overly macho society rather than bitchin and competing. PR women don’t have deep, gravelly, manly voices and walking into a party doesn’t involved being given the head to toe killer look by fellow females alarmed that you’re ready to gorge yourself on their lover.