That was another sunny day in Athens today. Chilly but sunny. I had to go ‘downtown’ of the suburb I live to fix some issues, buy a birthday present for a friend. I walked around and visited several shops. What a miserable ‘festive’ mood! Hardly customers inside, not very modern or good quality staff, frustrated shop-owners. The majority of cloths <Made in China>. Even at international retail chains. “We’re falling apart” I’m thinking as I go around and check at shops where merchandise goods on the shelves are not as much as they used to be. Every fourth shop is closed or has changed owner and retail category. Quite some shops have signs on windows announcing “We are moving”. Moving to escape high rents, closing to escape the inevitable. “Our revenues are down 90%” tells me a friend, owner of an accessoires shop. “I hope, things will get better right before Christmas and until the New Year”.
The new trend among Greece’s new imporeishing middle-classes is “I Don’t Pay and I Don’t buy” in order to save money.
Christmas decoration at shop-windows is very modest. Some do not have at all. There are two shops selling season decorations. Fake Christmas trees and jumping Santas are unable to attrack customers. The staff is standing outside and chats while smoking. No HOHOHO this year it seems, but rather OHOHOH.
At the bank, three customers pay their electricity bill and exclude the payment of “emergency property tax”. They are standing line in front of the ATM waiting patiently and chatting. “I am unable to pay €400 poll-tax and €150 solidarity tax within one month. It’s not possible!” says the one man while he feeds the machine with two 20-euro banknotes. “I can’t pay and I don’t want to pay either” says the woman behind him. And the man behind her adds rather loud “They can ******* me if I pay. Where shall I find the money? I can hardly feed my kids.” The bank employees raise their heads, look at the man with a hidden smile. It takes a single moment and all the other customers start complaining about the tax hikes and the additional taxes. Strangers talk to strangers about their income and their financial situation. They all end up in one single result: “All politicians must go!”
I go to a second bank, a state bank, to pay the natural gas bill. I only learned there was such a bank after I got the natural gas connection. Every time I enter this bank I am the only customer among four employees. I have the feeling that this bank is there for a single reason: That I can pay my bill every two months…
Middle-aged men and women seek the special offer at a well-known Greek fast-food: a coffee and a salty or sweet snack for just €2. “How big is the snack?” asks the hungry client at the register. The woman is properly dressed. But the roots of her once blond-coloured hair have grown prohibitive dark. Some five centimeters long. Her eyes are without hope.
A friend was telling me of the new trend among seniors who suffered cuts in their pensions. Instead of proper lunch, they go buy one souvlaki, pitta bread with a couple of meat cubes, tomatoes and onions. For just €2,20. But hey! Since the VAT increase, you pay the same price a before, however the portion is smaller. The even latest trend among seniors is the a kids-menu from fast-food chains, for some 4 euro. The menu includes a hamburger or chicken nuggets, a small portion of french fries, a beverage. One fast-food chain offer includes also a kids-gift. I can imagine hundreds of Greek seniors households with a collection of tiny teddy bears or kids-heroes made of plastic. A plain yogurt with a slice of toast for dinner. Saving on food and electricity. Supermarket shopping can always be a challenge for the tight budget.
The trend that make the rounds is to spend the winter without heating. Oil prices hikes and income decreases made it a No-No-Trend for this winter. Many multi-stored apartment building refrained form filling up the oil tank. People seek alternatives like a wood or gas burning stove. They roll in blankets in front of the TV. And they wear two pullovers when dining with the family. Those lucky living in modern apartments try to heat their flats with modest fire-places. Modern apartments get heating through natural gas. But hey! Have you looked at its price? The additional ‘whatever-you call-it tax’ on natural gas bills, almost doubled the amount I was paying using gas just for cooking. Instead of €3 per month, now I’m asked to pay €4.5! Can you imagine how high the heating bill will be?
Nobody seems to worry though if kids and grannies will get a cold living through the winter without heating. Home remedies are developing again in a trend. Before mommy calls a doctor for a home visit (average cost €80 without receipt, €120 with VAT), she tries chicken soup, hot tea and a huge warm hug to cure her child from a cold. Or call the doctor and ask if she could give the rest of the medication she gave last year. Simple anti-cold medication are excluded from the prescription list this year. Even a pet owner will try a compress with chamomile to cure a pet’s running eye before go to the vet and pay at least 20 euro.
The Christmas trend this year is to have balcony lights on until midnight. Gone are the times when the cheerful lights were twinkling all through the night. We have to save on electricity.
A cold wind blew and turned our middle-class lives upside down. A cruel wind blew and swept away all our dreams.
As I return home in early evening, I wonder, whether I should turn on the heating now, or wait for one more hour. Or two.
PS Lat year more or less at the same time I had written a similar post “Greeks’ Nightmare before Christmas”. This year is much worse, I can tell you.
