The dawn of 2021, after a particularly challenging 2020, finds the world of sports hit hard by the pandemic and all the implications covid-19 brought in the industry of sports. The beginning of a new year, filled with hope and promise, is the ideal time for the organization of a unique Sports Industry Conference, the first of its kind in Greece, featuring some of the most prominent industry professionals from around the globe, which aims to educate and address significant topics of sports.

“Front Runners in Sports Management 3.0”, the online sports conference organized by the award-winning Active Media Group along with the Sports Management Society of Deree – The American College of Greece, on Thursday, January 21 and Saturday, January 23, 2021, comes to shed light on the uncertain future of sports management in Greece. Sports continue to have a growing impact on the global economy through investments, public infrastructure, resource mobilization and creation of new professions and job positions, despite the devastating implications Covid-19 brought to world economies.

Throughout both days of the conference, participants will have the opportunity to follow the speeches of remarkable representatives of sports and develop their professional network in the field of sports management.

Among the keynote speakers are representatives from the NBA, the top basketball league in the world. Specifically, Nic Barlage, President of Business Operations of the Cleveland Cavaliers the youngest team president in the NBA and a representative from the Milwaukee Bucks’ marketing department. Additionally, “Front Runners in Sports Management 3.0” will feature the following keynote speakers: Bobby Goldwater, one of the most respected and innovative executives in the sports, entertainment and venue management industry from Georgetown University, Zack Klima Founder & CEO of Wait Time, an innovative technology company having Jeffrey Jordan, the son of Michael Jordan as a co-founder, Nigel Geach, Senior Vice President of Global Motorsport of Nielsen Sports, having worked in sports sponsorships for more than three decades, mainly with clients in the motorsport behemoth Formula 1, the Greek CEO of the Basketball Champions League, Patrick Comninos who managed to develop Basketball Champions League into one of the fastest growing sport properties in Europe and Rick Pitino, Basketball Hall of Fame as coach & basketball coach of the Greek National Team.

The “Front Runners in Sports Management 3.0” webinar will attract the interest of the following sectors: AI, Education, Events, Basketball, Football, Motorsports, Social Media, Sport for Development, Sports Tourism, Sports Marketing & Management. More information on the schedule and the webinar’s speakers will be announced in the upcoming weeks. The conference is produced by the experienced team of Active Media Group, the best Sports Marketing company in Greece within the last years and the leading private educational institution in the country, Deree – The American College of Greece.

The holidays have passed while the coronavirus is well and alive. Do you expect something to change now that the New Year has begun? "Of course not! Things will just continue as always," said Anna, a client of mine with two young daughters. "Every year, I say to myself that something will change. Perhaps this year my husband will recognize how difficult it is to be a working mom. Perhaps my best friend will have fewer expectations of me. Perhaps my mother will not worry so much every time I forget to call her back. Something will finally change."

What do you think? Do people change because you want them to? Or because you keep on bugging them on the same subject all the time? "It's not like I sit still. I repeat the same things over and over again, but nothing happens. What else can I do?" wondered Anna.

However, it's not about how many times you repeat something. It's about changing the way you do it and trying different approaches. Otherwise, you will not get the results you want. Your behavior may influence the behavior of others but not towards your desired direction. The most you may succeed is to get angry, indifferent, or grumpy responses. You cannot change someone unless they want to. The only one who can change - if you desire to - is you!

So think about what changes you can make for yourself. To do so, you need to take some distance from yourself. If the issues that are bothering you, were bothering a friend of yours instead, how would you perceive them? By changing your perspective, you realize how much easier it is to offer advice to someone else than to yourself, no matter how difficult the situation. Yet, the advice we give to others is what we most need for ourselves. So, if you would like to welcome some changes in your life, do not expect others to make the first step - start with yourself.

If there’s a topic you’re interested in and would like to learn more about you may contact me via email. For more information about me and my work check the XpatAthens Directory or visit my website. Because this is your life!

62% of UK adults have found relief from COVID-19 related stress by walking in nature. This information has been revealed by research carried out by the Mental Health Foundation.

Nearly half mentioned that spending time in green spaces helped them cope with the growing stress of the pandemic. Even if the distance traveled was not very long and the walk was only a short one, going outdoors had a positive impact on people's mental well-being.

Although science has not yet determined why nature is so healing, this research supports the findings of many previous studies that indicate a connection between access to green space and a reduced risk of mental health problems. In light of the study, the Mental Health Foundation partnered with WWF to publish a mental health book.

The 'Thriving With Nature' guide explores this relationship between the natural world and our mental well-being. The guide examines how nature can support positive mental well-being, but also how we can help nature in return.

"The benefits are often related to how our senses connect us to the environment," he says. From the natural forms and shapes that we see, the smells of the trees, and the charm that nature can stimulate by helping our mind to rest." Both organizations encourage people to find rest and relief in the green spaces that surround them.

For those of you who think 'I do not have time to get to the mountains or the great rugged landscape', a walk in a city park next to a canal can be just as refreshing, writes UK TV presenter Julia Bradbury in the guidebook's foreword. And if you work in an urban jungle, it is still worth going out into the light. A single tree can inspire as much joy as a "Great View". 'Thriving With Nature' offers seasonal suggestions for activities such as growing your own food and "green exercise" by cycling or walking in a green area.

Along with practical recommendations, the guide also offers techniques that help fight stress and encourage you to become aware of what you see, hear, feel, taste, and smell.
 
Originally published in Greek on ecozen.gr
Translated by Codico Lab

A recent study attempting to date the Homeric Epics compared the natural phenomena described in the epics with astronomical phenomena and has verified the historical accuracy of the narrative.

"We believe that the myth revolves around real events," says Panagiota Preka-Papadima, a Professor of astrophysics at the University of Athens.

She and a team of scientists have published articles in various international scientific journals and concluded that some of the events described in the Epics are real, while the natural phenomena mentioned, correspond to the time of their narration.

"Odysseus arrived in Ithaca on October 25, 1207 B.C.," they wrote. "Five days later there was a 75% solar eclipse covering the Ionian Sea and then the murder of the suitors happened," they continue.

NASA maps describing natural phenomena from 4500 B.C. to 10,000 A.D. have verified the October 25, 1207 B.C. eclipse.

Furthermore, another eclipse, which took place on October 30, 1207, from 2.30 pm to 5.30 pm, is believed to be reflected in the Odyssey. In Rhapsody Y, just before the murder, Homer describes Theoklymenos saying to the suitors:"... and the sun was gone from the sky, and a heavy darkness spread everywhere!".

"This is a description of the eclipse that covered 3/4 of the sun's disk," says Mrs. Papadima. "The date of the eclipse, October 30, 1207 B.C., is in complete agreement with the Homeric descriptions of the weather, autumnal country life, and the noontime of the murder of the suitors," continues Ms. Papadima.

Researchers have concluded that there is a historical core to the myth of Odysseus and this is a compelling revelation for science and Greek culture alike!

To read this article in full, please visit: greecehighdefinition.com

Sometimes the best-kept secrets are hidden in plain sight. Mount Ymittos forms the natural eastern boundary of Athens. Here, the dense city grid suddenly gives way to a tree-covered slope dotted with monasteries. This is the ‘Aesthetic Forest of Kesariani,’ a protected nature reserve that is a quick 15-20 minute drive or cab ride from central Athens. Just minutes from the urban hustle of Athens the walkable delights of Mount Ymittos offer a heady escape of nature, wildlife, historic monasteries and heavenly honey.

Upon arrival you’ll quickly notice that the lack of development is part of the charm of this route. Despite its proximity to the city, you feel off grid and in discovery mode. Keeping the city as a very visible landmark, it is difficult to get lost here—but easy to feel like it. This hike will have you exploring rich olives groves, a 12th century monastery, the ruins of an old Christian basilica, a Botanical Walk, and a whole lot more!

For complete details and route information visit: thisisathens.org

Photo by: Manos Chatzikonstantis

 

For 92-year-old Manolis and his fellow aqua-addicts of the Poseidon Winter Swimmers Club, the sea is life. Take the plunge, experience the endorphin rush, and get all the amazing health benefits of winter swimming in Athens.

 

Housed in an old German coastal fortification from 1942, the Poseidon Winter Swimmers Club has been open every day throughout the winter (except religious days) since 1982 and boasts a stable 160 members.** Their ages range from 20 to 92. But why do the members chose to put themselves through this pain? “The sea is life,” explains Manolis, when I return to the clubhouse. Manolis is the joint oldest regular at the club—alongside two other 92-year-olds. He comes at least twice a week throughout the winter—only staying out of the water when he’s ill or his wife tells him: ‘No’.

Manolis and the club’s president, Giorgos Argirakis, explain that winter swimming has all manner of benefits for physical and mental well-being. It’s great for a healthy heart, boosts circulation, keeps joints flexible and provides a much-needed winter dose of vitamin D. Manolis is a great advert for its supposed life-prolonging benefits, too. Looking at his lively face, bright eyes and lightly-olive skin, you wouldn’t guess he was much past 65.

 

Poseidon’s members are just a small cross-section section of the hundreds—perhaps thousands—who regularly take to the water throughout winter, all along the Athenian Riviera. While elsewhere in Europe, winter swimming means wetsuits or plunging into frozen lakes for just a few seconds at a time, the climate in Athens means temperatures permit (relatively) pleasurable swimming all year round.

To read this article in full and see what beaches are easily accessible along the riviera visit: thisisathens.org
Photo by: Georgios Makkas

 

One of Athens’ architectural emblems – the old Public Tobacco Factory  –  is to be reborn in 2021 with a new cultural identity and well-timed artistic purpose.

Completed in 1930, the Tobacco Factory, with its distinctive bright façade, was forged in the spirit of modernism to serve the country’s booming cigarette manufacturing industry. Once a symbol of Greece’s industrialisation and progress, the historic venue will now provide a “profoundly resonant” incubator for Greek contemporary art, according to Madeleine Grynsztejn, director of the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, who will co-curate Portals with NEON director Elina Kountouri. The Tobacco Factory exhibition and €1 million conversion project is prompted by the bicentennial celebrations of Greece’s War of Independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1821 which led to the creation of the Modern Greek State. 

The pioneering Greek art foundation NEON, backed by the billionaire Greek art philanthropist Dimitris Daskalopoulos, will renovate one half of the listed monument on Lenorman Street in order to stage an international exhibition called “Portals” from June to December, before giving the landmark space back to the Greek state as a new culture hub. The other half of the sprawling site, which spans an entire block, is home to the Hellenic Parliament Library and Printing House. 

“This particular moment in history takes us through a ‘portal’. When we emerge on the other side, we will need to reaffirm - for the sake of future generations - our commitment to certain values: the rule of law, human rights and democracy.” ~ NEON Director Elina Kountouri

To learn more about this project visit: thisisathens.org
Photo courtesy of: NEON

 

The Acropolis Museum has created a website especially for its little friends. ​The “Acropolis Museum Kids” has been designed for children between six and twelve years old. It invites them to become acquainted with the fascinating world of the Museum while having fun. Inspiring games, amusing videos as well as a series of inventive activities prompt children to think, discover, play, experiment and make their own creations.


Fun Activities At The Acropolis Museum Kids Website

1. Digital Horse Memory Game

 

Find 2 matching photographs of the Museum's horses

2. Cooking Class – Ancient Edition!

Prepare an easy snack that was also eaten by the children in ancient Athens thousands of years ago!

3. Make A Iynx, An Ancient Greek Toy With A Special Sound

Spin it, stretch it, and then let it go! That’s how you play the so called iynx, a kid’s game that was particularly popular in ancient Athens with a really curious history.


For more information and fun activities, please visit: acropolismuseumkids.gr

Given the public's increasing familiarity with digital cultural experiences, the Acropolis Museum’s newly launched virtual edition is a delightful development. Digital visitors will be surprised by the virtual tour that will almost certainly instigate the desire to see the breathtaking collection in person once the museum reopens its doors.

 

“Research carried out by museums has shown that an interesting digital tour only strengthens the visitor’s desire to physically visit the museum and see the pieces depicted in the photographs up close,” says Stamatia Eleftheratou, the director of the Acropolis Museum’s collections and exhibitions.

 

The museum’s meticulously planned digital edition takes internet users around the museum and provides information on its temporary exhibits, special events, educational and family activities, research, conservation, and new technologies. The Acropolis Museum is the first Greek museum to display all of its permanent exhibits online, along with explanatory notes, available in English, German, Italian, French, and Spanish.

“Nothing can replace the experience of a proper museum visit, but the portal is a marvelous substitute, and not just because of the current situation,” says Eleftheratou. “Basically, it complements and/or strengthens a physical visit, while also giving remote audiences a very good idea of the space, its operation, its activities, and its collections.”

 

This remarkable endeavor involves the management of 27,755 digital archives, the digitization of 496 handwritten excavation logs, 110,000 photographs, 18,410 documentation forms for movable finds, and 7,500 conservation logs. The museum's  multifaceted digital archive is a fountain of knowledge waiting to be discovered by experts and amateurs alike.

To read this article in full, please visit: ekathimerini.gr

In case you happen to be in Greece on January 5th and 6th, then here is what you can expect or experience:  In the morning of January 5th, Greek children sing–once again–from door to door. The song they sing is not that known as the Christmas’ or the New Years’ carols, but also beautiful.

Young men will dive or jump in the water and try to catch the holy cross. The person that will catch it, will have a lot of luck this year. Take a look at this video, to get a better idea.

The Epiphany tradition goes back to ancient Greece, and particularly to a feast which was called “Plintiria” (=washing machines). During this feast, the Athenians carried the statue of Athena to the coast of Faliro (close to Piraeus) to wash it in the sea, to make sure it would keep its magic powers.

Don't forget that on January 6th, a lot of people have their Name Day as well: Fotis, Foteini, Theofanis, Theofania, Fani, Ourania, Iordanis. You can wish them: Xronia Polla! Χρόνια Πολλά!

If you want to learn other Greek wishes you can use for Name Days, National Holidays or Social Occasions, you are welcome to download the “Greek Wishes For Social Occasions” FREE eBOOK, including Audio for the correct pronunciation.