Q: What is your favourite thing about the Hellenic Observatory?
Its people- no doubt! The Observatory feels like a family. People are genuinely nice, hardworking, committed, supportive, polite and fun to work with. The environment is extremely welcoming and really makes you want to wake up and go to work!
Q: What do you like most about your work?
The unpredictability of each day! Something new always comes up - be it a challenge, an opportunity to learn, new people to interact with, new events to host- never a dull moment! I think this is a privilege!
Q: What is your favourite place on campus?
During my first day at work I had been given a tour of the campus, including the top of the New Academic Building! I was and still am most impressed by the view! It is great to come to work and be able to look over the London skyline during your lunch break.
Q: What advice would you give to your 22-year-old self?
Don’t get stressed and don’t be afraid! What I’ve come to realise is that every mistake you make or every difficult situation you find yourself into leads to learning something and becoming stronger. The road is bumpy, but there are always people to help you along the way.
Q: If you could have dinner with a famous Greek person, dead or alive, who would it be and why?
I love to read, and often wonder about the writing process of some of my favourite authors and poets. I would really like the opportunity το discuss with a few of them, and get a sense of how they think, how they capture their characters and weave their narratives etc. But if I had to choose one person, that would be Cavafy. Reading his work when a teenager, he taught me some important lessons about life and people. I’d love to be able to explore more of his ideas and thinking! Plus, we were born on the same day- so, I always felt I had a special connection with him!
Q: What are you currently reading?
In my attempt to better understand contemporary British culture I lately choose books capturing parts of the British society, history and identity. I am currently reading ‘Girl, Woman, Other’, by Bernardine Evaristo. It’s a very busy, polyphonic novel, following the lives of 12, mostly black, British women living in London and their struggles for a better future in a multicultural society. The book speaks of the complex themes of race of race, gender, sexuality, equality and independence, justice and equal opportunities, patriarchy and revolution. It is a rough journey through the decades that shaped our modern world and our perceptions.
Q: If you had a time machine, where and to what era would you go?
100 years in the future, for a few reasons…I wonder if humanity will have managed to save itself from itself. If that’s the case, it would be fascinating to experience how AI has impacted on human lives. Will it free up time and money for better life quality, human relationships and an enhanced every-day experience in general?