Irene of Eternal Youth!

Irene Argyris, beloved wife of Steve Argyris, left us this week. She was my closest aunt, by marriage, of Ted's family. Stricken by cancer, she left  with head held high as she never accepted to fight the deadly disease with chemotherapy, but, rather, spent her last summer in Lefkada enjoying her family, her beautiful home and the deep blue Ionian sea.

Irene lived an uncompromising end just as she lived an uncompromising life, always displaying a unique youthfulness which you thought would never end, even as the years passed. I first met Irene when she had just turned fifty, the year I was engaged to Ted and entered the Argyris family. I met her in Valaoritou Street, in downtown Athens, and admired her for her elegance, her charm and her laughter.

 She was a Canadian of Greek origin and that made her very proud.  Although she was born in Montreal, she spoke Greek perfectly and adored her country of origin. She returned to Greece every summer, to roam with friends on the islands and to end up, every August, with Steve, in Lefkada, where they would enjoy the beaches and the local food at the tavernas as if there were no tomorrow.

When I came to settle in Montreal, Irene opened her arms and her home to me as I was trying to adapt to the unknown reality of this wintry city. She always invited us for dinner, preparing the table, every time, as if it were a big celebration. She would always set crisp tablecloths and fine porcelain and, of course, serve the most beautiful and delicious dishes.

Those days will remain engraved in my heart and in my memory for the love, the generosity and the welcoming hug that Irene showed me. And I will never forget the evenings that we enjoyed with resounding, carefree laughter while Irene shared family stories that helped add to the understanding of my adopted home.

Every holiday, Irene would invite us to her festive feasts. At Christmas, she would serve roast pig accompanied by many other wonderful delicacies that she would prepare under the expert guidance of her father, Peter Glezos. For Easter, she would offer the best tripe soup that would be followed by the traditional roast lamb, expertly seasoned and decorated by Steve.

Her mother, Mary, and Peter were always present and I never tired of hearing the story, over and over, of how Peter secretly wed the beautiful Mary, who was an unacceptable "foreigner." And it never ceased to amaze me how Peter Glezos, of Naxos, was so proud of his origins that he knew every village and beach on the island even though he had never once visited Greece.

At these gatherings, Irene would display a class and tidiness that she inherited from her grandmother, Irene Glezos(Glezaina) from Naxos. Irene was religiousely devoted to her Greek grandmother, whose name and grace she inherited, but she also cultivated a long and close relationship with the cousins from her father’s family. However, it is that matriarchal figure of Irene Glezos, her gracious grandmother, that remains engraved in my mind as a result of the narratives related to me by my Aunt.

Irene managed to create a perfect balance in her life between Canada and Greece. In Montreal, she was the cosmopolitan teacher of cosmetology who had many friends and entertained in a Canadian way, albeit without forgetting the Greek traditions. In Lefkada, which she frequented much more often after her retirement, she would enjoy her wonderful home, always hosting acquaintances from back home. There, she would transform into the consummate “Lefkaditissa” and enjoy her many local friends.

Irene leaves behind her beloved husband, Steve, who stood heroically by her side until the very end and her daughter, Maria, who, in turn, also inherited the tidiness and the openness of character of her mother.

In Lefkada, she leaves her beloved granddaughter, Stephanie, who grew up spending her summers there with her grandparents. Today, Stephanie is married to Sotiris Kirolivanos and they have a wonderful daughter, Violetta.

Irene, I will always remember your agility, your enthusiasm and your zest for life. I will always remember you “YOUNG” as you never grew old, even while passing the martyrdom of the pains of illness.

Give my warmest greetings to my "butterfly," Konstantina, and to my parents. And kiss Mary and Peter for me.

Til we meet in the heavens,

My love,

Your niece,

Justine Frangouli-Argyris

The Art of Making Spoon Sweets, Marmalades and Jams!

Fruits, their flavors and the recipes of traditional spoon sweets and jams will have a feast day at the culinary event organized by the Lyceum of Greek Women of Montreal in collaboration with the nuns of the convent of Greek Orthodox Monastery of the Virgin Mary Consolation Lachutte, Sunday December 4,  2-5 p.m. at the hall of the Annunciation Church (Evangelismos).

That Sunday the Greek Orthodox nuns under the blessing of Gerontissa Thekla will reveal all the small and big secrets of the manufacture of spoon sweets and jams based on the wonderful fruit produced in Greece and in Quebec.

These sweets, pure and healthy, inextricably linked with the Greek tradition, are suitable for a modern diet with rich flavor and useful calories.

Our nuns with full respect for tradition will teach us how fruit instead of being discarded at the time of their production, can be transformed into preserves and jams, keeping the scent and the flavors live a long time in our cupboard .

In the  event coffee and Greek pastrieswill be offered by the ladies of the Lyceum of Greek Women of  Montreal.

Also, attendees can purchase the wall calendar of Greek Women Lyceum 2017 with recipes for spoon sweets and jams, illustrated by the talented painter Katerina Mertikas.

The original works of the painter will be sold at a silent auction.

They will be sold jars of traditional sweets and jams made from the nuns of the Monastery of Our Virgin Mary of Consolation.

Sunday, December 4 2p.m-5 p.m , Evangelismos Hall,

777 St-Roch Montréal, Québec H3N 2K3.

Tickets $ 20

For information and tickets please contact Mrs Villy Fasoula, tel. 514-261 5504

When Assault Is Not A Fact!

It came as a total shock to hear that Gerry Slavounos, the Member of the National Assembly of Quebec of Greek origin, was forced to resign fροm the Liberal caucus following alleged charges of sexual assault.

Apparently, Alice Paquet, a 21-year old participant at a vigil for victims of sexual abuse at the University of Laval, took the floor and announced, in dramatic fashion to a stunned audience, that she, herself, had been a victim of sexual abuse by a sitting member of  the National Assembly.

The very next day, Quebec Premier Philippe Couillard accepted the resignation of Mr. Sklavounos from his caucus, who is now sitting as an independent MNA, while Ms. Paquet was invited to make the rounds of numerous radio and television programs, telling a story filled with gaps and contradictions.

At first, she claimed that, after the initial incident, which occurred in 2014, she went to the police, who, allegedly, discouraged her from filing a complaint because Sklavounos was a public person and she would not be believed. Shortly afterwards, she altered that story line, saying that it wasn't the police but, rather, her friends and family who discouraged her from proceeding. In the meantime, the police had already issued a statement in which they stated that they had repeatedly tried to reach Paquet, to resume the legal process and confirm the details of her story, but that she never responded to their calls.

Paquet noted that she willingly went to Sklavounos’ room but claimed, although they were kissing, “that foreplay is not a contract for sex.” She also admitted that she could not remember if she had said “no” and that she had returned to have sex with him again two weeks later. “I’m a little masochist,” she said. “I can’t say I said no clearly. I don’t remember. But I know very well I didn’t say yes. If a woman doesn’t feel free to say no, she is being raped. If she feels uneasy, it’s rape.”

Miss Paquet’s interviews are filled with so many gaps, inconsistencies and ambiguities that, taken as testimony, are likely insufficient for the pressing of charges, let alone the conviction, of assault. Regardless, Gerry Sklavounos languishes without a caucus seat and has been pilloried as an

“aggressor” in the media of Quebec and Canada.

As a woman, I fully respect women’s rights and I strongly support those who have been the victims of rape, even verbally, as it is their inalienable right, even their obligation, to denounce all rapists who must be severely punished.

However, when a young girl, such as Alice Paquet, accuses a public persona of sexual assault, the worst form of violence, and proceeds to overturn, one after another, the scenarios of her personal narrative, then I wonder how the media can so effortlessly embrace a story without proof or investigation, socially condemning someone without any regret.

Importantly, Alice Paquet’s claims have the effect of weakening the position of women who have experienced sexual violence. Instead of solidifying the case of women who have actually suffered the horror of male violence, she weakens it, fomenting suspicion in future cases. In fact, such unsubstantiated stories have the effect of ridiculing complaints of sexual violence.

Before the castigation of anyone, there must be a thorough investigation of the events. It is irresponsible of our society, whether it be represented by politicians or the media, to accept, at face value, any unsupported complaint, in effect turning the twisting and falsification of events into an iconic reality .

Silence and shame are unacceptable when it comes to women's violence but lies and unsupported accusations weaken every assaulted woman’s position.

International Press Coverage of the Greek Debt Crisis !!! An open lecture

     

On April 8, 2016, journalist and writer Justine Frangouli-Argyris, a weekly blogger for the Huffington Post and until recently the Athens News Agency correspondent for Canada, will deliver a talk on the international press and its coverage of the Greek debt crisis.

Drawing on her extensive experience in print and digital media, Ms. Frangouli-Argyris will examine the—in her view, decidedly harsh —portrayal of Greece in the international media from 2010 to the present. An open discussion will follow her talk.

The lecture, organized by the Research Institute of Hellenic American University, in cooperation with Hellenic American College, will be held on Friday, April 8th at 19:00 at the Auditorium of the Massalias 22 building.

The lecture will be given in English.

Ms. Frangouli-Argyris, a native of Lefkada and graduate of the University of Athens Law School, is a journalist and writer. She has been living and working in Montreal, Canada since 1989. She is the author of several best-selling novels, including High Heels for Six and For the Love of Others, as well as several works of non-fiction, among which her authorized biography of Spyridon, former Primate of the Greek Orthodox Church of America.

Ms. Frangouli-Argyris is currently a Huffington Post blogger (USA Edition) and a columnist for various Greek-Canadian and Greek newspapers and websites.

Justine Frangouli-Argyris’ Latest Novels Travel to New York !!!!

 

The renowned author of the North American Greek Diaspora,

Justine Frangouli-Argyris, presents her latest novels, “High Heels Forever” and “Barefoot on the Sand”

on Friday, December 18, 2015, from 6-8 p.m. at the Stathakion Cultural Center of New York.

The event will be held under the auspices of the Hellenic Press Office of New York with the generous support of the Lefkadian Association of New York.

 

The works will be introduced by journalist Dimitris Filippides and publisher Demetrios Rhobotis , while the author will be presented by publisher/philanthropist Margo Catsimatides.

 

Excerpts from the books will be performed by the Greek-American actor, Anthoula Katsimatides.

 

The Greek Press Officer, Athanasia Papatriantafyllou, will chair the panel.

 

A cocktail reception will follow during which the author will sign her books.

 

 

Friday, 18 Dec. 2015,  6-8 p.m

Hellenic Societies of Greater New York at:

22-51 29th St, Astoria, NY, 11105. Phone: (718) 204-6500

 

Biographical note:

 

Justine Frangouli-Argyris was born on the Greek island of Lefkada where she completed her primary and secondary education. A graduate of the University of Athens Law School’s Political Science department, Frangouli-Argyris has been a contributor to daily newspapers, radio, television and magazines in Greece and North America since 1983.

 

She is a member of the Union of Journalists of Athens Daily Newspapers (ESIEA), UNEQ (l’Union des Ecrivaines et Ecrivains Quebequois) and the Quebec Writers’ Federation (QWF).

 

Justine Frangouli-Argyris has been living and working in Montreal, Canada since 1989 as a correspondent for the Athens News Agency (ANA). During the same period, she also collaborated with local Greek-Canadian and American radio stations and publications.

She is an author of numerous best-selling works of fiction and biographies and is currently a Huffington Post blogger.