Editorial TrueWind GAINING WORLDWIDE POPULARITY
Our warmest congratulations to the people responsible for spotlighting Greece, those who have managed so successfully and at minimal cost, of course, to make us popular in Europe, America and Asia perhaps even beyond the stratosphere. It is true, the Greeks and Greece have gained worldwide popularity over the last three months. We are on the front page of newspapers with massive readership, we are featured in the most widely acknowledged magazines and we have become the buzz word of summits, political meetings, discussions of chartered accountants, top executives, line executives, everyday people, passers-by, tourists, etc. I’m sure you can feel my enthusiasm when I picture myself sitting in the editorial meeting for the front page of El Periodico. How thrilling to feel the eyes of the person sitting next to me during a Press Conference fall upon me, the great stain, and the fathomless pit I lie in. I’ve spent these last few months mostly abroad due to Boat Shows, major events, but also due to the conditions in general. In business and social get-togethers ranging from morning briefings to the Catalan eateries or the Genovese osterias, my humble presence sets off conversations over financial matters. But then, I don’t have the slightest clue of what to answer. I’m wet behind the ears when it comes to econometrics and any conversation is doomed to plunge in mediocrity; which means that thus it eventually gets the place it deserves. What’s funny is that people are surprised to see that despite being Greek, I admit knowing absolutely nothing about the matter and this sounds rare, strange and unheard of. I see that in similar occasions, my fellow countrymen use complement clauses and pompous mottos, acting under the influence of the Know It All Syndrome. This particular syndrome has been reported to attack people unexpectedly and lead its victims slowly but steadily to mental corruption. What’s more, it seems to be contagious since we have all come to a condition of mental corruption. The Greeks Are Poor is the motto going round European circles and when you walk up to them, they mount guard, afraid of “catching lice” since we are also infamous of our Mediterranean cunningness to add just another extra. Indeed, the Genoa Show was not larger than last year and I was glad to see that it has, at last, realistic dimensions. As a matter of course, it couldn’t go on growing in square metres and participations forever. How big can it possibly get by 2015? Will they build floating marinas all the way to Portofino? The markets are now more disciplined and this is nothing new. It is rather wise and fair. However, I’ve heard that an Italian Group has made an agreement to build 17 superyachts, another group built and delivered a 60-metre motor boat, new models arrive, new designs and ideas, while there is also a lot of ferment based on realistic expectations and clearly more fierce competition. Consumers now look into matters more thoroughly; they face the facts and look into the future, possibly trying to use fewer useless goods. This way we manage to save money but on a different level, namely in terms of resources and energy consumed. How many TV sets does a house, boat or country house have to change within a semester, etc? How many tons of useless polyester do we have to throw away? Finally, I’ve noticed that certain well-off professionals move on, organise exhibitions and export goods. We can do the same; Greece is not a world in itself, even if it is said to be the most beautiful country in the world. For the time being, this beauty is enjoyed by others who arrive as masters riding their own Trojan Horse. The absence of the official Greek tourism delegation from the greatest show for sea leisure activities (Genoa) in the Southern Hemisphere is a sign of severe corruption. Let’s hope that we will soon get back on track and, like the phoenix, be born anew from our own ashes.
Welcome OnDeck
gerasimos@skipperondeck.gr
EN
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