It seems that I'm here to stay. Thus, it would be nice to say a few thinks about me so as to let you know whom you deal with.

As you may guess, my name is Eleftheria Tsiarta, or as written in my mother tongue, greek, Ελευθερία Τσιάρτα. For those who don't speak greek, my first name (Eleftheria) means liberty.

My father's name is Christos (=Christ)Tsiartas and his parents were Eleftheria (my granny) from Siatista and Vasilis (grandpa) from Galatini, both villages of the Region of Kozani, in Macedonia (Northern Greece). Grandpa Vasilis fought during the Second World War but he died just when I started discovering him at my early teens. My mother, on the other side, is Vassilia (=Reigh) and comes from one of the most beautiful and interesting islands of the world, Rhodes (Southern-Eastern Greece). Both her parents, Anastasia and Kyriakos, comes from Kaliethies the village of the famous beach, Falliraki, and they still leave there. Anastasia is the name of my younger (and only) sister, too.

Despite the fact that both my parents come from known and beautiful places of Greece, I was born in Alexandria of Imathia in Macedonia, 30km far from Veria and 50km from Thessaloniki, on July 19 of 1980. Alexandria, despite her famous and glorious name, doesn't have to show much apart from excellent municipality choirs (a children's and an adult's one) and the famous traditional dress called "Katsouli". The region is also known as "Roumlouki" (=Greek's place) since the days of the Turkish occupation. Finally it is the second biggest plain in Greece with major agricultural production in peaches, apples, cherries, cotton, tobacco etc…

In this little town, when I was a kid, and big for the greek standards nowadays, more than 20.000 habitants, I passed the first 19 years of life. In Alexandria, I went to nursery, primary and secondary school. In primary school I met my very best friend Maria, with whom we were irreversibly bounded through our theatre experience in the third grade of secondary school and then we both chose Veria's Multisectoral High School to continue our studies. A great school that offered both of us valuable experience and especially for me was the mean to step on and pass after competition in two of the greatest experiences of my life: Greek Teenager's Parliament (1997) and Euroscola '98, at the European Parliament in Brusseles. Also, because of the type of school I had the chance to study an extra year and take a secretary diploma, discover the university school that was made just for me and enter it. This school is the Marketing School of the Highest Technological Educacation Institute of Thessaloniki. Hopefully, it Marketing did prove to be natural field, I enjoyed my studies despite the difficulties and on 28th of May I took my degree.

Meanwhile, because of my friend at the first grade of secondary school, I met the children's Choir of Alexandria, which turn to be the most important axis of my life. The director, Gregory and Helen – Helen and Gregory proved a lot more than parents and best friends. My parents created the ground for me to become a good, open-minded person with open eyes on everything and Helen and Gregory showed me the way out of the narrow boarders of Alexandria to complete my parents' work. Always next to me, an open window to the modern culture and city life, but an excellent example of morality and kindness combined with an absolutely intense, modern life. A vivid proof that people and life isn't so cruel as the evening news try to convince us it is.

Of the choir, apart from the dream couple offered me a lot more: the chance to learn about the chorus song and express my artistic self through it. I also had the chance to express my organizing talents, as from the very first months I became the "secretary" of the choir organizing the presences' sheet, creating a songs' file system (that still works!), organizing and keeping the material, preparing the room for the rehearsals etc. etc.

But no, the choir had even more to offer me: my male very best friend Costas. Helen discovered him at the National Musical Academy of Thessaloniki and asked him to become our choir's pianist, just a few months he "come home" from Russia, where he was born and grew up. He's kindness!!! He's soul!!! He is music!!! He's an excellent pianist player but he dreams to become a composer. I bet he'll be one of the greatest, but most important everybody, expert or not, that has listened his work believes it, too. I recommend you remember his name: Pantelidis Costas.

Choir, my whole life, huh? Yes and no! It is a great part of me and my life but not all of it. My university studies claim a big part of it as well. Despite the knowledge and experience the provided me were the mean to meet great people and great friends. I may make a reference to my teachers, Ms Tilikidou of Marketing Research that made sure we go out for work being ready to face tough bosses, Mr Sarmaniotis – the professional, Mr Kargidis – the smart and charmy, Mr Karapistolis – the "crazy" scientist, Mr Nikolaidis – the real passage to Marketing notion, Ms Papadopoulou – the good, Mr Exadaktylos or Mr Sales and his charmy and very professional Ms Malama, Mr Vlachakis – the strict, Ms Georgiadou – the young and pro and many others, each with a mark on recent life. Ah! And of course Mr Chouliaras, the teachers that proves that there are people who love their jobs and university teachers that really love their students as they face them honestly, as young colleagues.

But teachers is only the half of it. Friend is the other one. First of all: Theodora, my flatmate. The hero who stood me for three whole years despite the difficulties and her wonderful family, to whom I practically own my studies. Dimitra, the black beauty, who's always here taking care of all her friends, and her family as well. A million "thank you" cannot describe my gratitude to them and their families. There is also Evi, the crazy, hot "homegirl"Maria from Crete, the sensitive, with her existential queries who helps me keep in better touch with my hidden self and to whom I own my fiance (great story I may tell an other time). And of course! Sakis the pro! The living Marketing Library, my marketing advisor and… the only man who gave me a lift on a road killer running with 200km/hour! (He has a blog too). I also keep in my heart cute Voula from Kiato, crazy Vicky and her husband, Chris, Helen and others whose character and deeds concerned a place in my heart and mind.

But even during my studies, my very best friend "Maria was starring, although we spent much less time than in high school. Always an excellent, hardworking studying (and now a fine scientist) she found the time and strength to become my english teacher and help me pass the Cambridge proficiency exam. Maria was always passionate with theatre, through which we become closest friends during secondary school, lived a different experience with Alexandria's theatre group and its director Stavros during high school and this time the driven by the same passion she took me the theatrical group of the School of Geology of Aristotly University of Thessaloniki.

Art is always a great factor in my life. Through this theatre team, I met great people and friends. From whom shall I start? No that's easy from Maria the director, one of the most "complete" and talented people I've ever met. She definitely made me see theatre from a different point of view. But there is Anna and Anna, Mary, Ntina and Alexis, Panagiotis, Giannis and Alexandra from Alexandria, and last but definitely not least Tassos, my fiance.

Yes, few months ago, on Easter, the same date we started our relationship three years ago, we make his father a social present, we got engaged. You may see our happy families in the picture (Unfortunately Tassos' sister is not in it). Hopefully, we all have great fun as expected with unexpected funny surprises as well and most basic, our couple life still goes on happily ever after without a single change except for the corn at Tassos' finger by the ring. To be honest I am sure, despite what he thinks, that he never truly meant to wear anything at his hands and that's why he managed to create the corn by rubbing the ring all the time. The fact that he doesn't wear not even a watch, I believe that supports my theory.

As you may figured out, the basic axis of life is "people" and mostly "friends". As you may guess Greece may have a lot of great people but I couldn't have been framed by the country borders in my thirst for knowledge and experience and my query for people. The other common passion with my very best friend (Maria) was our pen pals all over the world. During my adolescence I used to correnspond with more than 30 pen pals. Everything started with Laura from Scotland and until now I warmly keep in my heart Fung from Hong Kong, Catherine from Indonesia, Sandrine from France, Patric and Tera from Canada, Jodi-Ann from Jamaica, Indiren and Vega from St. Maurice, with most of them I kept in touch for about four to seven years and stopped mostly because we lost each other after they moved house with their families or left for studies. Hopefully there is still Amparo from Spain and Akiko from Japan. Our letters are not that often as when we were teenagers but we do keep on. And of course there is the exception, Rong from China. To be honest I don't remember who sent the last letter but I day goes better at least once a week when I meet her on line and we exchange our news or just a hurry hello on the busy days.

It took me a while but I think I gave you a pretty clear image of me. If for any reason you want to learn more about my qualifications you may see my greek or english CV in pdf form or take a look at a short list of my basic academic papers. Of course you may ask anything you want. I'll be happy to answer.

I hope you enjoy the story and have a nice day (or night)!