Quiz time

Every now and then I like to test non-Greek readers of The Athenian on their familiarity with the Greek scene. If you are an innocent abroad, try answering the following ten questions.

If you get less than five answers right you· are totally and blissfully unaware of what’s going on and I envy you. If you get between five and ten answers tight, the light has begun to dawn on you and you have my entire sympathy. If you get all ten answers right then you’ve been in Greece too long and should be making plans to move before your addiction to Valium becomes incurable.

1. The President of the Republic is:
a) Constantine Mitsotakis.
b) Christos Sartzetakis.
c) Michael Dukakis.

2. Premier Andreas Papandreou had an historic meeting at Davos with:
a) Turgut Ozal.
b) Yitzak Shamir.
c) The King of Sweden.

3. At this meeting .he:
a) Agreed to allow Turkey to join UNICEF.
b) Complained about the high price of Israeli mangoes.
c) Said he might accept the Nobel Chemistry Prize (or any other prize for that matter) if it was offered to him.

4. The fuss over the American bases in Greece has .been caused by:
a) The Greeks saying they want them to go, but really wanting them to stay.
b) The Americans saying they want to stay, but will have to go if the landlords who rent houses to base personnel put the rents up again.
c) The landlords’ wanting to put the rents up, but wondering who the hell else is going to pay such fancy prices if the Americans go.

5. Marcello Mastroianni is:
a) A Greek actor who made good in Italy.
b) An Italian actor who made good in Greece.
c) Sophia Loren’s son.

6. Among the important projects announced by the government is a bridge:
a) Joining Rion to Antirrion.
b) Too Far.
c) Tournament.

7. The only vehicles allowed in the commercial center of Athens are:
a) Wheelchairs.
b) Supermarket push carts.
c) Pedalos (on rainy days only).

8. DIANA is:
a) A movie-house on Plateia Attikis,
b) The goddess of hunting.
c) A political party.

9. Dionysios Solomos is:
a) A seafood restaurant opposite the Acropolis.
b) Smoked salmon.
c) A national poet.

AWOG is:
a) The acronym for the American Women’s Organization of Greece.
b) The acronym for the Absentee Workers’ Organization of Greece.
c) A Westernized Oriental Gentleman