Niki Lacatus says:

Hi,

To any who is human and would like to understand and listen to another human.

With the Civil War in Greece 1948, I was 9 months on the exhodus where? in Romania. My brother in Chechoslovakia, my grandmother in Poland, grandfather in jail in Giura, my relative scatering all over the war. My father dies, he was a partisan. Now to the lady keep saying ‘FYROM propaganda’. I grew up in Romania under the Greek control, I grow up in refugee camps for 6 years kids like me: macedonian, greeks, pontus and evrity. So far o.k. My name was Stefo Niki after my ‘father’s name origin Trikala Kalabaca. Now suddenly my name changed to Lazarova and sent to a high school in Bucharest. So I graduated in a Greek language. In scholl I always heard and some of the kids we were call ‘ta makedonopula’. So far ok. no problem. I tried many times to get visa to see my dedo/baba still alive in Andartiko with no success. I was told ‘ you will never step in Greece” Then as kid I thoguht ‘blame it to the war’ nothing else. I spoke only Greek and Romanian. To make the story short coming to Canada 1975 I worked volunteer for the Greek community. ……..but now things change. Each time I mentioned my village the answe was ‘ oh esi ise apo aftonus’ meaning ‘you are those one’ I used to ask them what do you mean ‘those ones’ . I came to Canada thinking I will be far way from war, politicis, ignorance, hate, lies…I was wrong. Was time to found out who I was? Did not take too long, talk to some Greeks also caming from Easter Contries, talk to the most important person ‘my mom’ and I can go on and an and on. Propaganda was when my stepfather was saying to my mom ‘afti tin giftiki glosa then tha tin milisume sto spiti’ but the greek stepfater died in Republic in Macedonia. Before his death 1984 he told horify stories. So, to my person keeping saying ‘propaganda’ my answer is I am Macedonia and today I do speak Macedonia. As a facutly secretary to one of the prestigous university in Toronto I meet many professor. I do not have to explain my self as soon as they hear ” I am Macedonian descent’ they smile and their answer is : roots from the Alexander. Also we have over 40 thousand students, student all over the world. The students coming from Egypt, Afganistan, India, Iran, Irak…..when I mentioned my ethnicity their answer is; We know you are Macedonia and the Greeks stole your history…….thank you

Libertas Greece says:

Sas stelnw to likn pou diavasa moliw twra kai mou epesan ta mallia http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/view/97247