Hydra Meetup in June 2005 !

lizzytysh · Post by **lizzytysh** » Mon Nov 08, 2004 7:41 pm

Aw, c'mon Dar ~ Get Canadian- and British-insignia'd t-shirts and caps like I'm going to, for the trip over and back. Say nothing in public. Sounds underground, doesn't it

? Hey ~ the bottom line will be worth it

.

~ Lizzy

catherine · Post by **catherine** » Mon Nov 08, 2004 9:37 pm

Is anyone going from Germany and do you have an idea where trips can be booked?

Post by **jarkko** » Mon Nov 08, 2004 10:59 pm

Catherine, the best way to do it is to book the cheapest flight
from an airport near you to Athens. There are no package
tours to Hydra. We have to book the ferry or Flying Dolphin on-line
(or at the check-in) and reserve accommodation in advance,
or after arrival. In early June there are a lot of alternatives
available in all price categories.
Jarkko

PS. There will be several Germans coming, I'm sure Henning can give
you more information.

Byron · Post by **Byron** » Tue Nov 09, 2004 10:49 pm

Elizabeth, I would not advise a Brit insignia T-Shirt. Thanks to Tony Blair, we are all lumped together with the Bush war on terror and are indistinguishable when looked on by opponents of the war. We've all been tarred with the same b(r)ush. Wear pale pastel colours, no chequered stripes and keep the colours you do wear co-ordinated.
A walk through our fair city can have US tourists standing out like christmas tree decorations at a funeral. Bright (loud) colours that don't match and trousers or shorts with the most horrible chequered patterns in a garishness, unimaginable.

On Hydra there will be no problems, but at international terminals we will be travelling through, we will be mingling with those who bare us ill will.

For those who think I'm being a tad paranoid, we've travelled through the middle east and far east without any trouble, but we have had some less than friendly stares from a local or two. And that was before 9/11 and the Bush Wars on Terror.

Even the Dutch are starting to get a bit bothered and they have a very liberal attitude to live and let live. See the latest murder of their well known film director, who made a film about the abuse of women in muslim society. He spoke out and got killed. He was a radical right wing thinker but paid the final price.

Anne · Post by **Anne** » Tue Nov 09, 2004 11:02 pm

Only americans plaster the maple leaf all over themselves when travelling. The faux canuk disguise.

lizzytysh · Post by **lizzytysh** » Tue Nov 09, 2004 11:39 pm

Well, Byron ~ you're right

. And, Anne ~ Is this really a trend, that you've been able to so-tightly 'nail'

? As you've traveled abroad, you've taken note of all the Americans pretending to be Canadian ~ those, of course, the ones with the maple leaf plastered all over them? My intent, of course, was to be far more subtle than that ~ and, I believe I'll take my chances, despite your travel warnings

.

Byron · Post by **Byron** » Tue Nov 09, 2004 11:46 pm

I've added to my previous post. See above.

Also, two men were jailed for 15 years and for life, respectively, today, for committing an 'honour' killing in their family in this country. We have a clash of cultures which the media pounce on. 99.99% of Brits feel safe. But the newspapers and TV blow stories out of all proportion.

So wear pastel and smile in a restrained and ladylike way.

lizzytysh · Post by **lizzytysh** » Tue Nov 09, 2004 11:50 pm

Oh dear....Just being a lady isn't good enough? I have to smile like one, too

!?! Restrained smile......geeeeeeez, I'll start practicing now. How do you go about doing that? Shall I pretend to be irritated and patronizing? Pastel.....how about white? Or, does it have to be a colour in pastel? Byron....these are some pretty tall orders here.

What nationality will I look like, wearing pastels and a restrained, ladylike smile? Won't I look British then? [That seemingly won't do me much good

.] Now that I think about it, Byron, are you suggesting that our women aren't ladies? Hey, buster, put up your dukes!

Paula · Post by **Paula** » Wed Nov 10, 2004 1:41 am

Lizzie I am wearing a burka I believe that is normal wear for Brits abroad. I am also learning sign language so my British accent can't be heard and carrying a white flag. You should recognise me at the airport. I will be the divvy woman in a burka carrying a white flag hands flaying in all directions but most of all PANICKING!!!!

linmag · Post by **linmag** » Wed Nov 10, 2004 3:05 am

Have any of you lot got flights booked from the UK yet? When will you be arriving? I still haven't got anything booked yet.

lizzytysh · Post by **lizzytysh** » Wed Nov 10, 2004 3:41 am

Linmag ~

I'm too busy laughing at Paula to think about booking flights

~anywhere, much less from the U.K. I'm tagging along with Margaret and Byron, but they don't have anything booked yet, either.

Paula ~ Honest to G~d, on the way home, I thought about suggesting a burka, but then decided it might be considered really poor taste, so decided against it. So, I come in here ~ only to find you've done it! However, you pulled it all off very well. Perhaps, it was the sign language, which I hadn't even considered! Now, there's an idea worth considering! Get yourself one of those fingerspelling charts and practice. We can fingerspell to each other, at least in the airport area. Once we're on the plane and decide we're reasonably safe, we can speak in whispers.

Now, the white flag. That might be too obvious if we both tote one. I might bring along one in my purse, though, just in case.

Don't forget that there's also going to be the alcohol factor, which could blow our whole disguise

.

~ Lizzie[/code]

Paula · Post by **Paula** » Wed Nov 10, 2004 4:30 pm

Linmag what airport are you going from. I am placing my faith squarely on the shoulders of Byron and Margaret also. I just await the nod as to when to book. I think we are going from either Gatwick or Luton.

linmag · Post by **linmag** » Wed Nov 10, 2004 5:36 pm

Don't know where we're going from yet. I need to pin the other half down to some firm dates first. We probably only have one week, so in order to be there for the full weekend we would have to travel midweek. I'm hoping to get him cornered next week while we're on holiday (again!). Madeira's not much bigger than Hydra - he won't be able to escape me there

painkillersinaction · Post by **painkillersinaction** » Sun Nov 14, 2004 6:26 pm

reading some of the posts in this topic, i can only laugh at how stereotypical views dictate our lives and the way we think about things in general. so italians are hot-lovers, greeks are vulgar and uncivilised, french smell of onion, americans are stupid, english are gay, scandinavian women are easy and so on... stereotyping comes most of the times in handy. why bother think ourselves, when there is an already formed set of common beliefs?
don't get me wrong, i'm not offended by the way many in this forum see greece. i'm only offended by the way ppl easily choose to recycle stupid stereotypical views instead of making their own. and maybe the word im looking for is not offended but horrified...
kisses all

Paula · Post by **Paula** » Sun Nov 14, 2004 8:18 pm

painkillersinaction - is that the image of the English in Greece, gay? That's a better image that the one I thought they had.