From very early childhood, we lead a life composed of either very happy, cheerful, or unpleasant, even dreadful events that remain deeply engraved on our memory until our dying day.
I consider my self extremely fortunate because I had loving parents who offered me the very best in travel and education, and I married the love of my life who put up with me and took care of me for almost sixty very happy and interesting years. We have two wonderful sons and daughters' in-law, six remarkable grandchildren and three beautiful great-granddaughters who are the spice of life.
I was born in India, of Greek parentage, and I went to school and college in India, Greece, Pakistan, Ireland and Switzerland. During World War II and the Italian and German occupation, my parents and I were in Cephalonia. Our house was requisitioned by the enemy, we were undernourished and lived in utter poverty, until the end of this terrible ordeal.
We left for Karachi, which was then in British India and I was sent off to Auckland House School in Simla. During the second year, after mortal battles and deadly slaughters caused by religious discrimination, the subcontinent was partitioned into Hindu India and Muslim Pakistan. I was, therefore, not allowed to return to Simla which I loved, so attended the Karachi Grammar School for one year and received the Senior Cambridge degree. Then I went to Alexandra College Dublin for two years and Irena in Neuchatel, Switzerland for one year. I have very fond and nostalgic memories of my school years, my excellent teachers and all my dear friends who were kind and thoughtful.
Then I returned to Pakistan, worked at the Belgian Embassy, married Aleco and we literally lived happily ever after. We were later transferred to Mombasa, Kenya where to our great delight our son Spyro was born. Afterwards, we were transferred to Kampala, Uganda and then my husband decided to resign from the company due to constant transfers, and we returned to Greece. Needless to say that we were ecstatic when our son Yiannis was born in Athens. We had serious economic difficulties, in the beginning, but with resilience and very hard work, the small commission agents' company that we had started became rather successful.
The boys were growing in leaps and bounds. Spyros studied Chemical Engineering at the Technical Universities of Munich and Berlin and Yiannis studied Economics at the London School of Economics. They married two fantastic girls, Janna and Elpida, and now I am the proud grandmother of five superb boys and an intelligent, beautiful girl. Alex I, Joy, Constantinos, Stephanos, Alex II and Christopher.
Alex I married Tina, an incredibly pleasant girl and they have three lovely daughters, seven-year-old Janna, five-year-old Sophia, and two-year-old Nepheli. Three intelligent and mischievous small beauties.
I must refer to the coronavirus disease which is harassing the world. According to the World Health Organisation, there are 2.557.993 confirmed cases and 177.688 mortalities wold wide. Unfortunately, the number of casualties and deaths resemble those of a major world war.
The severity of this disease is pointed out as people, already, refer to the ante and post coronavirus periods, like before and after World War II. We all hope and pray that medicaments and especially a vaccine will be, soon, discovered so that this terrible plague will be completely eradicated off the face of the earth. Meanwhile, stay at home, wash your hands meticulously many times a day keep 2- metres distance from each other and eat small healthy meals.
I consider my self extremely fortunate because I had loving parents who offered me the very best in travel and education, and I married the love of my life who put up with me and took care of me for almost sixty very happy and interesting years. We have two wonderful sons and daughters' in-law, six remarkable grandchildren and three beautiful great-granddaughters who are the spice of life.
I was born in India, of Greek parentage, and I went to school and college in India, Greece, Pakistan, Ireland and Switzerland. During World War II and the Italian and German occupation, my parents and I were in Cephalonia. Our house was requisitioned by the enemy, we were undernourished and lived in utter poverty, until the end of this terrible ordeal.
We left for Karachi, which was then in British India and I was sent off to Auckland House School in Simla. During the second year, after mortal battles and deadly slaughters caused by religious discrimination, the subcontinent was partitioned into Hindu India and Muslim Pakistan. I was, therefore, not allowed to return to Simla which I loved, so attended the Karachi Grammar School for one year and received the Senior Cambridge degree. Then I went to Alexandra College Dublin for two years and Irena in Neuchatel, Switzerland for one year. I have very fond and nostalgic memories of my school years, my excellent teachers and all my dear friends who were kind and thoughtful.
Then I returned to Pakistan, worked at the Belgian Embassy, married Aleco and we literally lived happily ever after. We were later transferred to Mombasa, Kenya where to our great delight our son Spyro was born. Afterwards, we were transferred to Kampala, Uganda and then my husband decided to resign from the company due to constant transfers, and we returned to Greece. Needless to say that we were ecstatic when our son Yiannis was born in Athens. We had serious economic difficulties, in the beginning, but with resilience and very hard work, the small commission agents' company that we had started became rather successful.
The boys were growing in leaps and bounds. Spyros studied Chemical Engineering at the Technical Universities of Munich and Berlin and Yiannis studied Economics at the London School of Economics. They married two fantastic girls, Janna and Elpida, and now I am the proud grandmother of five superb boys and an intelligent, beautiful girl. Alex I, Joy, Constantinos, Stephanos, Alex II and Christopher.
Alex I married Tina, an incredibly pleasant girl and they have three lovely daughters, seven-year-old Janna, five-year-old Sophia, and two-year-old Nepheli. Three intelligent and mischievous small beauties.
I must refer to the coronavirus disease which is harassing the world. According to the World Health Organisation, there are 2.557.993 confirmed cases and 177.688 mortalities wold wide. Unfortunately, the number of casualties and deaths resemble those of a major world war.
The severity of this disease is pointed out as people, already, refer to the ante and post coronavirus periods, like before and after World War II. We all hope and pray that medicaments and especially a vaccine will be, soon, discovered so that this terrible plague will be completely eradicated off the face of the earth. Meanwhile, stay at home, wash your hands meticulously many times a day keep 2- metres distance from each other and eat small healthy meals.
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| Roses by Sonal Nathwani |
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