My mind goes back in the day we were taught at school the beginning of the revolution against the Ottoman empire and today I am here celebrating the bicentennial (!) of it like all the rest Hellenes. In a bit of crazy situation though during one of the coldest Marches we ever had and of course the fucking COVID we all still suffer from.
The Ottoman empire was a historic accident and this comment is not triggered by any hard feelings of mine against Turks cause I don't have any. I don't have nice ones either though a couple of my best girlfriends were from Turkey. I prefer to judge people individually based on what they really are and not the tag they might unintentionally carry. Besides Turks don't have enough democracy to bloodlessly kick their bastard of his throne so they have a small excuse. (Not that I bet they would elect a better one to be honest). I just call it accident cause it was a step down in culture, mentality and people's evolution in general. I recall the laughs we had with locals at Montenegro while watching the comparison between the fortress wall built by Ottomans and the one by Venetians at Kotor's castle. One small example speaks for the rest. (And by the way thank you Venetians for all the beautiful stuff you left in Hellas while you colonised her. No idea how nice you guys were but you definitely had a taste.)
Even today unfortunately you can still see the heavy Ottoman mark in the mindset of some Turkish communities, even abroad, though I believe there's a significant amount of progressive people in the Turkish West but Europe's Merkelism is too pathetic to amplify their voice (good luck guys, you'll need it, you deserve it). Biden gave the answer to this problem long ago so good luck to him too.
Today's saturation of Western societies reminds me of the last days of Byzantium empire. The great Hellene poet Kostis Palamas described Constantinople back in those days as "a whore waiting to be had". He had reasons to say that as prior to the aforementioned historic accident the voices in Byzantium's Capital against the West prevailed the ones pro uniting with the West and the rest is literally history. Not that I am full on super pro Byzantium but better than Ottoman on any day.
Hellas survived Persians, Ottomans, Nazis, Merkelism and her own impressive share of civil wars and bankruptcies. If the latter require a self destructive talent, survival definitely demands a constructive one and I am so happy that today my country still attracts wonderful people like this couple. Would be nice with the chance of the bicentennial if people abroad adapt the more spot on and better sounding word "Hellas", which is the actual name of the country anyway, instead of the gross sounding "Greece" which is less relevant.
Have a nice one Hellas, keep walking ;)
