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It looks like our team for Paros is just about full, and it's far bigger than in previous years so we'll have more options for what we get up to I think. We'll make sure news makes its way off the island while we're there so you can follow progress. I think it will be a combination of twitter (@clarksinathens), this blog and the facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/ParosSummerTeam) so if you want to be connected there's plenty of choice.
For some (limited) visual interest the screenshot below shows the place we camp (the northern shore of the eastern bay, just outside the main town - follow the bay around from the port [A] to the broadest sandy beach), plus the even nicer beach where we meet people on the beach volley court and in the bar etc.
If the picture doesn't show up completely you can click it to enlarge, I hope.
The open tabs show what's going on at my desk at the moment.
I don't know the ins and outs of this set up, so these photos could be misleading (a picture can tell a thousand wrong words) but I think they're indicative of a shocking and frustrating thing.
Greek bureaucracy is infamous, and this snapshot is from the police station that deals with immigrants, which I had to visit today to renew my residency permit to complete the ownership documents for a car we've just bought (proper family car that we can all fit into - woohoo and thank you for your support in that project).
This is the room that deals with the EU applicants. There were two people in the room waiting and one official serving them. I have to return tomorrow at 6.30am to complete my process. It will cost 23 cents, if it's the same as last time. A lady will sell me that stamp from a separate window. The official barely gave me the time of day and I had to beg his attention three times simply to find out where I need to be tomorrow morning. (I'm still not totally sure where exactly the 'back door' is.
This is the rooms that seemed to be dealing with the rest of the Balkans (including the wife of our local kiosk owner, a friend of ours, who is to the left of the second picture with a dark cardigan over her shoulders) judging by facial features and accents.
This group outside seemed to be mostly Africans. I'm not sure why they weren't inside the building - could be a totally different process, but probably isn't. You can't see but the line stretches a long way behind the barrier, and the official in the white shirt was pretty agitated. I was expecting to see lots of Asians (from Iran across to Bangladesh) but perhaps today wasn't their day, or they're being dealt with at another station.
It is indescribably chaotic and hopeless for those from non-EU countries. And I probably shouldn't have been taking photos at a police station but I didn't see any signs...
