A weekend with a bang

Before you get excited or wonder where this is heading – it was a lightning bang, a thunderbolt I guess, hitting the island somewhere within two feet of me. That’s what it felt like at any rate. The photos today don’t go with the story, but the story goes like this…

A Sunday afternoon/evening drink at the Rainbow bar was on the cards, so we shuffled off down there to meet Miss DJ late in the afternoon. Next door at Lefteris’, a rock concert was taking place as Steve and later Georgos did their things with electric guitars and the like. The volume was just right, sitting next door, where we could hear the singing and the music, and yet still hear ourselves – and the basketball on one TV and the football on the other, and then the Travel Channel and Animal Planet when there were breaks in sports. The Rainbow is a bit of a multiplex with its two televisions.

We chatted, and Miss DJ left. We were going to leave too, but another glass arrived along with several village guys coming to watch the football, AEK Vs Panathinaikos, playing in the Greek Superleague on Sunday night. The atmosphere is the thing at these times. The youngsters who are part of the Symi football team, their dads, younger guys and old all gathered together to look at their phones and occasionally look up to the screen when something is about to happen. Rodrigo Moledo scored after 10 minutes (for the opposition – Rainbow is an AEK bar) and halftime came and went. But not before everyone leapt out of their seats as the thunderbolt struck somewhere close by.

Blackout, rain, what the…? One by one, phone torches and others came on, some people went to take a look outside, and the whole village was out, streetlights and all. Ah well, better stay for another glass then. The power was back on in a few minutes, but the score hadn’t changed. We headed home before act two started, but I noticed that it was a draw, in the end, Marko Livaja scored in extra time (impressed? I copied that from a website) and the game ended up one-all. The rain and thunder continued through the night, but not as heavily as last week. It grumbled on until the morning and now, 9.50 yesterday as you read this, it’s a case of showers and sunshine.

The other bang has been the fundraising for the Symi charities who are collecting donations to put the island back together – see previous posts down the page or on the next page back for links and info. Also, on a more personal note, ‘Symi, Stuff & Nonsense’ has launched with a bang. Thank you to everyone who has so far ordered a print copy or a Kindle, all contributing towards the high school here on Symi. I hope you like the book, and if you do, remember to share the news and maybe order copies for friends and family for Christmas.

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Cleaning up

Sunday morning. The sun is trying to come up, and the view is lightening (6.30 a.m.). So far I can see heavy clouds, we’ve had a little rain and some distant thunder, but we are expecting more over the next two days. Hopefully, it will only be enough to wash away the mud and won’t hamper the clean-up operation, or lead to any more mudslides or rockfalls. Today, I wanted to put up some photos so you can see the difference between last week (which is shown in Saturday’s post’s photos) and Friday when I was last in Yialos.

Before I do that, this is just a re-mention of the fact that I’ll be using proceeds from my Symi books (see the links in the righthand column >>) to help replace books and things at the village high school. Scroll down for other posts about other fundraising that you can help with, and check out the link to the fourth and latest ‘Symi’ book (it covers other places as well) which you can find here: Symi, Stuff & Nonsense. That’s the Kindle link, but the paperback version should also show up there in a couple of days if it’s not there already.

Here are some photos from Friday so you can see what a wonderful job everyone has been doing in Yialos.

 

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Symi Disaster: Photos from Rodos Press

For the weekend, I am posting photos taken from Rodos Press. You can see their full gallery here: RodosPress.gr

As you can see… A lot of damage. In some cases, it’s hard to believe that no-one was buried by the mud and rock slide, and that no-one was washed into the sea, though it was thought for a while that someone had been. No casualties. Apart from: Wrecked businesses, wrecked schools, roads, paths, street lighting, boats, houses, possessions, beaches, churches and the football pitch, among many other things. You will see that that the pitch is now completely gone. Apparently, it cost something like €250,000 to build, and it’s going to take the same amount to put it right, I’d imagine. If it ever gets put right. Meanwhile, our rising football teams who were doing so well, have nowhere to play.

That’s just a few examples of what islanders are struggling with. Later will come the longer-term effects on buildings; damp, water penetration, drying out, cracking, replacing electricity systems and drainage, among others. There is also talk that some buildings will have to come down and be rebuilt, as they are no longer safe. We also mustn’t forget the hinterland and the effects of the storm on Pedi, Nimborio, Ksisos and other places, and the farms and homes up in the mountains. With the road closed by rockfalls for a few days, some people were unable to make it down to the town for supplies, or up to their farms to see to their animals, not without walking several miles over the hills.

I will leave you to look through the rest of these borrowed images (with thanks to Rodos Press) and the others over there on their site. Remember, that there are ways you can help from abroad – financial. Through the registered charities Solidarity Symi and Next Stop Symi (who are helping UK donators by channels donations through to Solidarity Symi), the Repair Symi’s Schools donation page. As I’ve mentioned, a percentage of books sales from my Symi titles will be going directly to the village high school for replacements books.

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Storm Update: Helping

As further storm hit Greece (as you’ve probably seen on the news – terrible) and there is talk of more to come, Symi continues to say, ‘Well, that was that now let’s deal with this. We didn’t lose anyone, and our neighbours and families need us. So, let’s get on with it.’

The emergency services, town hall, local community… Everyone is doing a great job clearing up the mess, that’s mainly in the harbour. There was also damage up in Horio, with at least one house suffering severe damage. The town hall keeps us up to date with what roads are open/closed and other news through the announcement system, Facebook fills us in with photos, and the general message services between individuals keep friends informed about where help is needed and what the rest of us can do. If you are not on Symi, you can still contribute.

Here are three ways you can help from a distance.

Solidarity Symi

Collecting money through the registered charity. Money and other donations will be passed out, by them, to where it is needed most. Check their website for how you can donate.

http://solidaritysymi.org/

 Next Stop Symi

A charity that works with Solidarity Symi to bring aid to refugees and others in need in the Dodecanes, including Symi. Next Stop Symi sent me a message:

“Next Stop Symi has agreed to accept donations on behalf of Solidarity Symi. For UK people it means we can get an extra 25% from the UK government.”

Their site is here: http://www.nextstopsymi.org/

But if you want to donate via the UK use this link: https://www.mydonate.bt.com/charities/nextstopsymi

Anna Panton has started a fundraising campaign specifically for the Symi schools. The nursery school in Yialos was particularly badly hit, and everything inside was ruined. Money from this campaign will assist all schools on the island.

Here is the website with more information: https://www.gofundme.com/storm-repair-for-symi-schools

I’ll share more news as I hear it.

On a personal level, I am donating a percentage of my Symi book sales to the village high school. The new ‘Symi, Stuff and Nonsense’ is now available on Kindle here. The print version should be available in the next couple of days. Donations will also be made from any sales of ‘Symi 85600’, ‘Carry On up the Kali Strata’ and ‘Village View’ which you can find linked from my author page here.

Symi Dream Facebook page for photos: https://www.facebook.com/SymiDream/

 

 

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Storm update: Books

Yesterday morning: Just a couple of quick notes today as I am off to help clear up one of the schools, or go wherever I am needed. Neil has already gone down to join in the clean-up operation, and I’m joining him and many others as soon as I can. It’ll be the first time I have been able to get down there, but I won’t be taking the camera. Not only do I not want to risk ruining it, but there are plenty of photos on Facebook and elsewhere, and I don’t want to feel like I am rubbernecking.

Yesterday afternoon: As it turned out, the emergency services and army are doing such a great job in Yialos that the council didn’t need us – though I am sure individual businesses need help (and please contact us if you do) – but the high school in Horio was also flooded and suffered damage. The children can’t return to school just yet. The science lab, for example, was a wreck, and we did what we could. Whatever the headmistress and teachers commanded – it was like being back at school, except we wanted to be there. We ended up sweeping out water, mopping floors, cleaning the gutters, and, apart from other things, having to throw away damaged books. It occurred to me, as I helped dump the sodden and ruined textbooks that I am just about to release my next Symi book. Ah ha! I thought. The answer is obvious.

I have long wanted to do what I can to help the schools, but what can I do? I was hoping to donate the piano to the music school at some point, but there’s no point doing that now as it’s an ex-piano. One of our godsons attends the high school with the children of many of our friends, and our younger godson and his posse will be there in a couple of years too.
Today I had to throw away their much-needed textbooks…
In the next day or so I will be releasing a frivolous book of my own…
Some of that income should go where it is locally needed…

And it will. Below is the cover of my new book about living on Symi, travel tales, blog posts and… well, nonsense. Now then, this was, as you know, planned for release this weekend – maybe sooner – and I am still going to go ahead with that. But, I’m going to donate a certain percent of book sales towards the high school, particularly for books the government don’t supply. From now until Christmas, a percentage of ‘Symi, Stuff & Nonsense’, ‘Symi 85600’, ‘Carry On up the Kali Strata’ and ‘Village View’ will be donated, by me, to the school.

All you have to do is buy a copy which I was hoping my loyal Symi Dreamers would do anyway, it is, after all, dedicated to you, as you will see. If you do, you’ll also be helping Symi’s high school students.

If that doesn’t appeal, but you still want to help the island and donate towards repairing other community buildings and taking care of those who have lost possessions, head over to Solidarity Symi who are raising funds for whichever part of the island needs it first.

 

 

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