GAZETTE

Published by My Big Fat Funny Life

Volume I, Number 001 May 18, 2026

A weekly-ish dispatch from Greece, with questionable authority and excellent coffee.

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Ξενιτιά (xenitiá)

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Ξενιτιά (xenitiá)

The place you leave, that never quite leaves you

There are English words for it. Expat. Immigrant. Relocation. Diaspora. They all describe movement. Ξενιτιά (xenitiá) does not. It describes what happens…

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Things Greeks Pretend They Understand

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Things Greeks Pretend They Understand

In Greece, full understanding is optional. Strong opinions are not.

The older I get, the more I admire a very specific Greek talent. Not knowledge. Not expertise. Not even competence, exactly. Confidence.…

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Coming Up Tuesday, May 26

One Problem Twelve Experts

One Problem Twelve Experts

Mention one small problem in Greece and within minutes you will have a doctor, a lawyer, a contractor, and somebody’s cousin on the case.

In Greece, advice is never in short supply. Professional boundaries, on the other hand, are more of a suggestion.

One of the great comforts of living in Greece is that you are never alone with your problems.

One of the great dangers is exactly the same thing.


You made it this far. You may as well do the right thing.

Free, of course. No forms, no stamps, no appointment at KEP.
(If Substack flashes the paid menu first, choose None and carry on.)

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The Kafeneio Spoke

A collection from this week’s table.

“I am pretty sure that for the first few years in our apartment buildings, our Greek neighbors called us something like "the Americans who try to speak Greek". Now I am almost certain I am either "the woman who broke her leg" or "the woman who was in a wheelchair" and my husband is "the husband of..." one of those descriptors of me.”

— Diane B For: You Had A Name. Greece Improved It.

“My παππού was a magician when it came to tailoring. When I was in 6th grade, I had battered my favourite pair of Nike's so much that there was a hole in the leather. Me and my mom took them to several cobblers in Canada and they told us to just throw them away. I brought that pair of sneakers with me to Greece that same summer and asked παππού if he thought he could fix them. He not only repaired them, but you couldn't even TELL there was a hole there to begin with. One of my most cherished…”

— Maria T For: In Greece, Broken Things Still Have a Guy

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