GAZETTE

Published by My Big Fat Funny Life

Volume I, Number 023 October 18, 2026

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

Showcase Story

You Moved to Greece? Forget the HOA.

This week’s showcase

You Moved to Greece? Forget the HOA.

Every country has neighborhood rules. Greece turns them into family drama.

When we moved from Florida to Greece, I believed I had finally escaped the HOA. For readers outside the United States, an HOA—Homeowners Association—is an organization that governs many residential communities, particularly…

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Trending This Week

The National Instrument of Greece

Reader favorite

The National Instrument of Greece

Every May, Greece wakes the jackhammer and reminds us that civilization is made of cement.

GRRRRRRRRRR You hear it everywhere. At daybreak. At lunchtime. At the exact moment the sun is saying goodnight and you are thinking,…

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The Greek Volume Mystery

Reader favorite

The Greek Volume Mystery

Why is everyone shouting when nobody is fighting?

In Greece, the volume often suggests a family war when in fact people are just discussing coffee, tomatoes, parking, or how thrilled…

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Να Κεράσω; (Na Keraso;)

Reader favorite

Να Κεράσω; (Na Keraso;)

How to run errands in Kalamata and accidentally drink five coffees before lunch

You go to the bank. Not because you particularly want to go to the bank. Nobody wakes up, stretches, looks outside at…

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One Problem Twelve Experts

Reader favorite

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…

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Coming next

New stories are on the way. No need to wait for the next issue.

Six Greek Words. One Encyclopedia.

Tuesday · October 20

Six Greek Words. One Encyclopedia.

A few days ago, I left some Smyrneika koulourakia for Dimitris at our local mini market. I had made them myself. This will become important. Dimitris wasn’t there, so I left them with his wife, Stamatina. Later that afternoon, I spotted him…

The Greek Word That Eats Everything

Thursday · October 22

The Greek Word That Eats Everything

Yesterday, Karen and I took Belle to see Efi, the recommended veterinarian. Belle is our adopted cat. Although, as Karen has already pointed out in a lovely piece of her own, that description gives us far too much credit.

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Reader Voices

A few voices from readers of this issue.

“We actually love the vertical Greece 🇬🇷💙 The uphill walks are an integrated part of our greek holidays. It might be though yes, it might be hot and sweaty yes and it might call for a lot of water. But the reward you get when you reach the top is worth it all. The most stunning views over the sea or the mountains. Don't forget that daily exercise is a part of the greek longevity 😉”

— Susan Blindbæk Vestergård For: The Postcard Lied—Most of Greece Is Uphill

“We have 3 days a week pickup in my neighborhood and weekly street cleaning with steam.”

— Sofia Damianos For: Taking Out the Trash in Greece

“thank you so much for sharing this, I am Greek American...my father was from Mani, I don't know what village, I hope to go there soon, just turned 65, and also want to do the Ancestry, I know my Papou was a Admiral in the Greek Navy. Know this is my sign it's time to go there now!”

— Maria K. Markogiannis For: Mani: Where Greece Gets Real

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