Day 74 – Happy Name Day Dad!!!

Well as you are aware (or you may not be) I am Greek. I was born in Australia to Greek parents. My faith is Greek Orthodox, but I am not the “churchie” type and I am not the type of girl that sings, “Praise the Lord, hallelujah, I love Jesus or Koombiya my lord!!!” My faith is just that, my own personal belief and not one that I like to discuss with others or throw my beliefs on to others.

Having said that today is Monday 6th August 2007, which on the Greek Orthodox calendar means that we celebrate St. Sotirios Day, which is my dads name. When my dad first came to this country people couldn’t pronounce his name (which is pronounced Sot-ee-ree-os) so his work mates called him Sam. So Sam it is.

As I was saying, today is my dad’s name day, which is best, described as a celebration (which us Greeks love to do…any excuse for a party) in patronage to the saint that bears the same name. So, in celebration of my a name day the party is usually an open house and we don’t invite anybody everybody who wants to come over for an elaborate meal is happily accepted into our home (and into most Greek’s homes). Lots of food and wine and a lot of chatting and laughter.

So I dodged visiting my parents all weekend as my mother was in “oh fuck mode” I cant handle it when this celebration comes around each and every year as mum turns psycho and I usually cant keep my mouth shut so I bite back and we start screaming each at other and it ends up with me throwing one of my tantrums and walking out.

So tonight was the night and I decided that I would embrace my culture so I sat in the dining room of my parents home listening to all of them chat away and talk about who has died and who is banging who, as in which widower is doing the other widower, and it was simply hilarious to listen to them. I sat and chatted with my Uncle Kon and had a good laugh with him.

I got up and washed all the dishes by HAND. Which took me forever. My mother’s dishwasher is a permanent storage facility and we don’t use the dishwasher at all. GRRRRR!!!! I acted the lovely Greek girl and had the lovely smile permanently placed on my face.

I had another bulimic moment when one of my aunts insisted that I eat one of her Greek dumplings (which is like a doughnut) I politely smiled and thanked her and placed the dessert to the side. Only one aunt (Aunty Georgia) knows I have had this surgery. Aunt Dina kept insisting:

D: “Come onz, I makez themz specialliez (shes trying to say especially) for youz.
R: “ Oh that’s so sweet, thank you so much Aunty Dina, but I am on a pretty strict diet”
D: “nooooz, you dontz needz to be on diets youz bewtivuls the wayz youz arz, youz have bewtivuls breasts, bewtivuls waistz, greeniez eyez, bewtivulz facez”

And I am thinking: YEAH!!!! Right, have you seen the size of my arse lady?

My aunt kept insisting and insisting and then she grabbed the dessert with her fingers and started to literally shove it down my throat. Can you see the resemblance with the movie My Big Fat Greek Wedding? Welcome to my world.

So she shoved the treat down my throat and I slowly chewed and chewed and then BAM it got stuck. I gracefully stood up from the dining table and my mum took one look at me and followed me to her bathroom and watched me spew. And spew, and spew and spew. The piece of dessert was stuck and no matter how much spew was coming out of me I felt like this piece was stuck to the back of my throat. Mum handed me a small glass of coke and I sipped it and the piece of dumpling just went FIZZ POP and I felt instant and I mean instant relief.

After my bulimic moment I was left physically and mentally exhausted and gathered my handbag and Elvis and came home. I love my relatives so please don’t get me wrong but when there are so many of them stuck in one room for long periods of time its very draining. Very. I had to hug and kiss them all goodbye which took for bloody ever.

Thankfully Elvis is allowed to attend the celebrations so my relatives all ohhhed and ahhhed over how big he has gotten and he ran around the house showing off. My Aunt Georgia bought him a huge bag of old stuffed toys.

I’ve had a long day and sadly no exercise. Food has been good, I had a V8 juice for breakfast, then a cup of coffee, for lunch I had a tiny tin of baked beans and dinner was a piece of grilled fish with some spuds and pumpkin. I forgot to eat my protein (fish) first as I was really hungry and dove into the pumpkin. Bad Reney, Bad!

My dad is one of my hero’s and I love him to bits. So Happy Name Day Dad or as the Greeks say: Hronia Pola Dad. I love you heaps!!!

Reney