My Greek Olympics: Easter again and more...

Going out with Rick and Tryphon:

One Saturday Rick said he was going out with Tryphon and if I wanted to come, I said OK though I knew what that meant. We had dinner with Tryphon and his wife, but soon Tryphon ditched his wife and we were off to Play Land. This was the club were Rick's stripper worked. We get there around 11:30 and as soon as we sit four African girls come by, do we want a dance is what they ask. We say no and they ask if we don't like African girls, well I wasn't interested but Tryphon gets rid of them. As we sit and drink our expensive beers, the girls slowly come by and ask for a drink or a dance.

Rick's stripper is there and soon he is off in the back with her. Tryphon's wife calls and he says he will have to leave in a while, well we lost track of time and she calls again. Tryphon says he has to go and Rick and I hangout for a while, Rick gets one more with his girl and I am sitting alone. A girl comes by and she is English or Scottish, but I say I will buy a drink for her. I just wanted someone to talk to and I would pay the 10 Euros to have a few minutes of conversation, besides it would keep the other girls away.

After a little while Rick is back and he says he is ready to go. We pay out the bill and we walk out. We open the door and it is bright sun light, the church bells are ringing and we see that it is 8:00 in the morning. We walk to the metro and I go my way and Rick goes his. I am home in 20 minutes and I go straight to bed, I stayed out way to long and I wasn't happy I did that.

Mia Tie:

The Mia Tie was a favorite place to hang out and it only being a block from David's place, he loved it. I would meet him there in the evening and have drinks and dinner. The Mie Tie had a restaurant one door down, but a tea shop was between. We knew the owners of the Mie Tie and the people how worked there. They had some nice girls, not to smart or caring of the job, but they were funny and we got along.

One time Jay and Semos came with us and were going to eat. They had a good steak there and Semos ordered one. In the typical Semos fashion, he raved about it and promptly ordered a second dinner. He would say in an astonished voice, "this is very good" and make each one of us eat a bit of his dinner. He never really ate more than a bit from the two dinners, but he just went totally over board. He ordered a third dinner and just cut the meet up and gave it to the rest of us. He was totally out of control and Jay was upset with him.

Mie Tie would be so busy on Friday nights that the people would be spilling into the streets. There was club across the street that was expensive and a constant line of taxis would come and be dropping off people, but Mie Tie was a more casual place. The women would wear slinky dresses and the guys looked like slobs, but they had money. It was a nice show and there were people from the embassies from down the street there as well. Up the street there were a few other restaurants and they had a crowd as well.

We would sit first in the drinking area on the sidewalk. There was a tea shop that had a set of tables and chairs, but only tea shop customers could sit there. Usually the tables were empty and we had to wait for the tea shop to close, at around 8 pm. Once they closed, the drinkers moved in and we had more space. We tried to get there early since the tables would be full by 8 or 9 pm. We would stay all night and drink lots of beer or at least David would, so we were like the kings of the place.

The girls working at the Grill served only the dinners and ran food to the drinkers. If you wanted to eat, you had to move to the eating tables or go inside. They also had nachos and they weren't bad. They were simpler than most places here, but there it was amazing that they would server such a thing. In the summer it wasn't very nice to be inside as it was hot and they had no AC. In winter it was nice and warm so we would enjoy a good dinner and the warmth. The food was continental and a good mix of pasta, salads, and steaks or chops. They had one of the best steaks in town or at least the ones we tried.

Still dealing with contract:

Winter was cold and rainy, not a lot going on and I just had to deal with all the shit that was happening. I would be called to a meeting here or there and would have to argue a point on the contract with the committee. I knew the contract inside and out and what was meant by the requirements, since I wrote a number of them. In one case no one knew what the requirement was and I had to explain it. Some of the shits talked back, but I just shut them up, it was easy, I would tell them I wrote the requirement and what I said was what it was. This was a regular occurrence when every Fene showed up. Then there was the Lesbos controversy. The Jesus wore a shirt that said, 'No knows I am a Lesbian'. A lot of noise was made about this and an apology was made for insensitivity. The shirt was a common tourist rag that in any other circumstance no one would care.

A routine:

I saw Ari and Jay once in a while and Vic here and there, they were doing their own thing and I was dealing with my stuff. I would go and hangout with Alex and Stavroula when I could, we would go down to Vouliagmeni or Verkiza for the afternoon or evening. We would go to dinner here or there, maybe a new place by the water or on the hill. I didn't want to get into a rut, but I was getting into a rhythm of burning through days, not to productive.  

I went on a few Ari tours and one in particular when Gous was getting involved. Ari and Semos thought he would be different and change how the project management was going. I was to be there and talk to him about some issues, one being the AVL system. We were on the Acropolis, not many people there as it was cold, windy and rainy. Gous started talking about cruise missiles and what is needed for them to hit there target. He was thinking that the AVL would be like a missile system, what a stupid shit.

I thought this was the guy that they thought would help us, he knew nothing of what we were doing. I just stood and looked out over Kallithea and to the Saronic Gulf and I knew at that point that the program was totally lost. We would never get it to work. Gous was just another idiot that corporate sent, the project was becoming a dumping ground for stupid shit heads and here was another one. Jay and Ari thought he would do some good, I didn't. I didn't know why they wasted their time with him.

All I could do was walk away and ignore this stupid person. Ari was talking about what a great person he was and he would do the right thing. I don't know if Ari was deluding himself or what, but Gous was a shit. I wanted to see Stavroula, but she was off with her family. I didn't want to do anything except go back to my apartment and sleep. I had a projector and would project movies onto the wall, like a movie theater. This was a means of escape. Eventually Ari and Jay can to the same conclusion that Gous was an idiot and he should just go home.

So at this time I spent my days traveling across town every day going to meetings or trying to put out fires that someone started. The government was at a point of giving up on the system and corporate was fighting over every little issue. The company was loyal to the US government, not their customer so what every the embassy wanted they did. The Greek government didn’t trust the company so they become distant and stopped cooperating.

A day in the life:

A standard day would be getting up at 7:30 am, coffee, showering and getting dressed. Out the door by 8:15 and do the 15 minute walk to the MOC. Down Omirou to Akademious, then to Likabettos and finally to Studio, which turns into Amalias. Past the Parliament and maybe stop at one of the shops to grab a spinach pie. To the MOC and up to my office, I would be first to arrive. Marcini would say good morning when she showed up and bring me my coffee and tell me of what ever new happened or who did what. The others if they were there yet would be sitting and drinking coffee and talking.

At 9:00 am we would have our daily telecom and I or someone else would call in. We would sit and listen to the news of the day or any meeting scheduled etc. I would have to listen to the corporate idiots say bad things about the Greeks, even though the Greeks could hear and I am sure some of them talked to the government. If I was lucky the call would be over in 20 minutes and I could then do what I had to do. I would do my morning emails and respond to a bunch of stupid questions by new people or try to put out a fire caused by one of the idiots. Then I would get to my calls, at least one to Dimitris and one to Tryphon or Sissy. They would tell me any news they would hear from their agency.  

By 10:30 I could be free to do my first trip. I would pack up my computer and tell Marcini I was off to the port or the Fire Brigade or DAOA. In most cases I would have to go to at least two places a day and it could mean crossing the city a couple of times. Out the door and down to Syntagma and catch the metro in whichever direction I had to go. This would also entail a short hop in a taxi since the metro didn't get me all the way to my destination. If I really felt like it I would walk some times, in most cases it was about a 15 minute walk to wherever I was going after the metro.

DAOA Complex

If I was at the MMM at the port it would be the hassle of going through the security check and then up to the 7th floor and spend time with Tryphon, which meant a trip to a cafe at some point. If I were going to the Fire Brigade, I would just walk in and wave to the guys on duty, they knew me and there was no problem getting in. I would spend time with the video wall guys or in the server room or talking to the fire guys as to how things would work. Lunch would be at the little taverna down the street.

If it was the police that meant I was actually close to my place. The main station was on a direct line to the other side of Likabettos, but I usually took the metro and then just walk the one block. The police was another place where I would have to go through the security line, but it was nothing, sometimes they waved me around the ropes. Lunch would be either the really cheep food at the station or go to the bakery around the corner and get a small pizza bread, really good and only a couple of Euros.

If I was off to DAOA it was a ride to Omonia to catch the Green line out to Neo Ionia, then the half mile walk to the complex. Again the security was nothing, you could show them a library card and they would let you in. There I would meet with the committee and have to go over contract points and procedures, lunch would be at the cafeteria at the complex. DAOA was where the main Olympic planning was carried out and it was staffed by a bunch of people from all over the world. The IOC would work out of DAOA.

After lunch it would be more meetings or continued system installs/tests/configuration. This would go on until at least 5:00 at which point most Greeks would leave, unless we were at the Fire Brigade. We would stay on and do anything that needed to be done; it could be an hour or 5 hours depending on the task. The Coast Guard would have a shift change and it mostly was a chance to meet more people as new people would come on duty.

There was a staff meeting at the MOC at 4:00 every day, but I would be gone most of the time and the meetings would be stupid anyway so there was no point in going. The only thing I would get out of it was to hear what the company was planning to do to screw the contractors or government. But since I was on site I didn't bother to rush back for any of those meetings.

Once I was finished on site, I would go out and try to get a taxi into town or at least to the metro. If it was hot and I had to take the Green Line it would mean standing for an hour shoulder to shoulder with sweaty smelly Greeks. I at least was taller and would be above the main arm pit in the face smell. I would make it back to the MOC by 6:00 or so if I were lucky and I would do my end of day emails and check what came in, maybe cruise the web for some news or check the surf report. I would be the last to leave the MOC and as I would go out I would set the alarm. With luck I would be gone by 7.

After work I would need a change of clothes and a shower so I would go home drop my stuff and take a quick rinse. Change clothes and make a call for the dinner plans. Maybe I would meet Jay and Semos, but it would most likely be to find out if David was at Mie Tie yet. Out the apartment by 7:30 or 8:00 and I would make the mile walk to Mie Tie in good time. The standard "beer me" text would go out when I past Kolonaki Square so that as I made the turn I would see my beer arrive to the table.

David would have had at least one before me and we would have a couple half liter Alphas. Dinner would be either at the Grill or we would venture up the hill to Tops. Sometimes David would just drink and I would have to find food later. Drinks went on until 10:00 then dinner was the plan. We would either pay out and take off or move over to the Grill tables and order. The girls loved David since he drank and ate so much, it would mean a nice big tip even though one would be added anyway.

If I was unlucky, I might have to go out with Tryphon. This meant a trip on the train to the port, then a ride out some place for some good food, but after dinner Tryphon would wanted to go out and play. Drinks at some club for hours, trying to understand Tryphon and explain things again and again. If Rick came along it would be better in that Rick would be the focus of Tryphon's conversation. These nights could last to 3 or 4 in the morning, if I were lucky.

Sometimes we would head back to Plaka and meet Jay, Semos, Vic and any others for dinner or just go to Poliathina or if we felt cheep the Souvlaki stands. Dinner went on till 11:30 or so and then a few drinks at the annex or some other watering hole to end the day. David could drink 7 or 8 beers in a night and I would do about 3. With luck I could be home by 12:00 or 1:00am on a good night and do some quick things around the place, then to bed and lights out till morning. A bad night would mean hearing church bells as we leave the strip club at 7 am….

Second Training Center:

The company rented another facility to do more training. It was one of the commercial office rentals and cost a fortune. Instead of buying a building and fixing it up, the company rented office space at a very high rate. For what they spent on rent on one office, they could have purchased a building, built the training facilities in it, plus have office space for all. The government would have seen it as the company putting down roots and staying for the long haul.

All the Greeks thought that SAIC was full of stupid people and they couldn't believe that they spent so much on rent. I would have to go the new place once in a while and this is where George and Chris worked. Stavroula worked out of that office also, so it was nice to get to see her once in a while. Chris was in charge of training, kind of funny since he never really seemed to do anything except go to clubs with Rick.

They had three rooms to do the training in, but they were not laid out well. The rooms all had strange angles and the seating was not good, plus it was hot. The main computers were in a server room that was locked by the building managers. When I needed access, I would have to find someone and have them open the door. Then they would stay and wait for me to do what I had to do then lock up after. No one very seemed interested in the training, they just sat and talked and drank coffee. The timing was bad, the training had to be done for thousands of people and to do in time they had to start early. This meant that if you were trained first, it would be months until you ever saw the system again. We had hoped that the project would have started six months sooner, but with all the delays we were on a tight time schedule.

Second Easter:

Easter was coming up and all of Greece would shut down for a week. Most people would go back to their village to celebrate. There wasn't much to do and most people who could were going somewhere, I didn't have any plans and would just stay in Athens. I could have flown to Italy or Germany or somewhere. I could have asked David if he wanted to go and I am sure he would have, but I didn't. David could be very lazy if he wanted to be and to make the effort to travel somewhere might be too much for him.

On the road north.

Chris had nothing planned and said we should go drive somewhere, so we decided to take a drive out of town. I hadn't been north much and I suggested to drive up the east side of Attica. We ended up heading towards Volos and just went looking at the country. A few wrong turns and driving around a steel mill, plus stopping at a little town and port were in order. A drink here or there was not out of the question and it was actually hard to find a place open.

We ended up in Agos Konstantinos which is just south of Thermopile on the Eastern coast. It turned out to be where Stellio was from. Since it was Easter, not much was open and we were hard pressed to find a place that was decent to eat. We stopped at a place on the water and had a drink, not many people there and I think the waiters were surprised to see anyone. As we sat, cars would drive by with whole lambs with a spit sticking out of the head would drive by. The smell of BBQ was everywhere and I wish I could stop and get some. It was only about a 2 ½ hour drive and we had no real idea of what to do.

We eventually drove back to Athens and ate at one of the places by the annex, nothing special at all. To bad that we couldn't have had a BBQ ourselves, I should have bought a BBQ and cook something on the balcony of my place. I saw many people cooking in the street so I don't think it would have been an issue. I didn't have time during the week to go to the central market and get some lamb or chicken, could have been fun. After the fact, I thought I could have flown to Italy for a few days, call up a relative and seen them. A wasted opportunity, it is only an hour and a half to Italy and flights were cheep.

In the doldrums:

In February, I spent a lot of time with Rick and the Chris. David was off doing things and I was told that I wasn't supposed to have contact with "those people", namely Jay and Vic. But of course I would see David a lot and I would talk to Vic and Jay all the time. Rick and I would go out with Silvia and Roula, hang out at the clubs or just the annex. It was cold and there wasn't not much else to do so most people would just did the basic daily things and not go out. I am sure we kept many businesses a float that winter.

I would walk around on the weekends, do the Lykabettus climb or walk around the area. Saturday was market day and Sunday was just hangout at the annex in the morning, and then read at my place. Once in a while Alex would call and we would meet for drinks. The IET was coming and the date was always in flux. I took a quick trip to Italy to see my cousin in Milano, just a few days, but at least it was different.

During Carnival, it is kind of like Halloween here. People dress up in costumes and go out and party. I wasn't going to do quite that and I would go out and drink anyway so it wasn't too different. I went to Psiri and found a place to hangout at. Rick and the gang from Metropol came with me. We got a table and ordered lots of drinks and food, the music was loud and people were dancing. This was the first time I saw people on the tables dancing. It was fun and we all had a good time. As I was heading home, I saw some of the people in costume in the street, kind of strange looking.

Mexican with Stavroula and Alex:

One night Rick and I took Stavroula, Alex and Sophia out for Mexican food. There was a place in Glifadha called the Three Amigos. We met and drove down, found the place and went in, not many people. I don't think most Greeks like Mexican food, Greeks don't eat spicy stuff. We got a table and ordered a round of Margaritas and some chips. The drinks were expensive and not very strong. Since they don't use limes, they used lemon juice in the drinks and it makes a difference. We were going to get fajitas, since Stavroula was so excited about them.

They were all right, can't screw them up to bad, but the tortillas and salsa were a bit lacking. The salsa was like catsup. We ate up and Stavroula was so excited, we ordered a second round of drinks, but Alex and Sophia said no, they were to expensive. We said no problem they were on us. The bill was a lot, but we paid for it all. This would have been an extremely expensive dinner for them, but for Rick and I it was a normal thing, spending 100 or so Euros wasn't as big deal to us as to them.