Corfu

Post 144 The Euro Crisis When I was a school boy, I thought of European countries as very rich. Tourists from these already developed nations were greatly welcome to the then Malaya. The western countries were rich because of the exploitation of natural resources from the host countries they colonised. Nevertheless they also left behind good administration and education systems when the colonised nations became independent. After that there was no more free supply of natural resources which have to be bought through international trades. The Euro crisis in Greece is affecting its neighbours like Spain and Italy, with Germany trying to save the Euro. In the long term, the whole financial world will also be affected. This crisis invariably brought back my memory of Corfu. It is a very green Greek island in the Ionian Sea. During my Mediterranean cruise of 8D7N in 2006, I was on a one-day tour of Corfu during a stop-over. Corfu is definitely not a boring place to be on. The mild Mediterranean climate, excellent beaches and historical sites and architectures impressed an Asian tourist like me very much. I remember walking past a Square where the Greeks were leisurely having their afternoon tea. The tour guide leading our group told us that by joining the European Union, food had become more expensive than the days of the drachma, the currency used in Greece before it was last replaced by the Euro in 2001. I wonder how the Greeks, who were enjoying their tea on that afternoon, are doing now. I really wish them well. Panic is the word when our money keeps shrinking. – Quote by Ho Nee Yong 22 May 2012