One year in Hellas Pindakaas

“Call me Nikko”. One of the first things Nikko Koulousios said to me, when I contacted him for the first time and asked to meet. We talked for quite long on the phone, and he suggested I drop by the studio to get to know each other.

He also gave me a bit of …”homework”, to help him with the preparation of the next radio show. That way began my presence on “Hellas Pindakaas”, and with the occasion of recently completing a year as a member of the show, I decided to write a few words about my experience.

Every start is…interesting

So, the time arrived for my first broadcast: the parish of St. Nikolaos in Rotterdam. Invited to the show were two very good friends of Hellas Pindakaas, Maria Mitropoulou and Angeliki Papastamatiou. Any stress I had was eradicated at the moment the microphones were turned on, and time went by very pleasantly.

The next show was a bit different, because apart from a collaborator I was also going to be a guest, talking about my first impressions in the Netherlands. Along with me was Giorgos Andronikidis, who explained to us about the nights for the newly arrived in the Netherlands, an initiative to help and inform Greeks who have just arrived here.

And the broadcasts were going on… Artists, entrepreneurs, academics and all sorts of people had their time in the studio, making me realize that not only there are so many Greeks (and philhellenes) in the Netherlands, but that I also made a good choice to come to this country, because here I can find people that share a lot in common with me. I will not forget the shows we did on “Oedipus Rex”, a play based on the ancient Greek tragedy, but with an international cast, and also the show with the band Misirlou that plays rebetiko songs and has an appeal to the Dutch audience.

Exams

While the winter semester was about to end and the university’s heart was beating in the “rhythm” of the exams, I was too going to be… tested. It was the 6^th of February, and Nikko was not in Amsterdam. A few days ago he had asked me if I wanted to host on my own. I accepted, and therefore I was in the studio earlier than usual to prepare for my solo debut. The clock stroke 21:00 and something (local time), and after the usual intro, I started with Polina and her song “Kali Epitichia” (Good Luck). Afterwards, I continued with other tracks, while at the same time announcing news from Greece and the Netherlands. I had a great time, and, just like the first radio show, any stress was eradicated immediately.

So, week after week, I was “swimming” even more deeper in the “waters” of the radio world. Even during the hard times, the radio show was a “breath of fresh air”, a chance to escape. In a period that I would rarely go out, and writing my thesis was my only activity, I knew that every Friday I could finally feel alive and speak my language a bit.

Tot volgende keer…

My Master’s programme was about to finish, and I was preparing to leave Amsterdam in the end of June. I booked a Saturday flight, so I can be one more Friday night on the radio show. While I was bidding farewell to the listeners on the 26^th of June, I knew it was not my last time there. Indeed, when I was back in Amsterdam in late August for my graduation, I made the announcement that I will be returning to Hellas Pindakaas, since I got accepted for a PhD position in the University of Amsterdam. I said my favourite phrase “tot volgende keer” (until next time), and a month later I was once again ready for action.

Now, with us we also had Valia, with whom we found lots of common points of reference, and –thankfully- we have an excellent communication in and out of studio.

Epilogue

Until now, lots have happened: we heard interesting stories by amazing people, we laughed at jokes, we were moved by the will of people who abandoned everything to come to the Netherlands. We also had arguments, anxiety and even last minute technical problems. From all these, I learned a lot, and have only positive things to say for this experience.

I am very positive for the future, and I believe that the best is yet to be seen. Nikko and Valia, thank you.