Goody's is good

Remember the Goody's epsiode? (Click on the link if you don't.)

I wrote a semi-formal email to the headmaster ("I've been doing this job for 28 years," he told me), where I raised my concerns about taking children to a fast-food chain for lunch during an educational trip (it translates quite well on google):

Είμαι η μητέρα του ΥΥΥ και της ΖΖΖ.
Ευχαριστώ για τον χρόνο σας σημερα το πρωι.

Θα ήθελα να σας ρωτησω αν εχετε ριξει μια ματια στου Μουσείου τη σελίδα που περιγραφει το καφε-εστιατοριο: http://www.theacropolismuseum.gr/el/content/kafe-estiatorio
Γραφει οτι: "Ο χώρος προσφέρεται, επίσης, για ένα σύντομο και οικονομικό γεύμα για τα σχολεία που επισκέπτονται το Μουσείο". Σιγουρα θα εχει ISO πιστοποιηση. Επισης, πολλα εχουν ειπωθει για την καλη ποιοτητα των φαγητων που προσφερει, την Ελληνικη τους ταυτοτητα, και τις καλες του τιμες.

Οπως συζητήσατε, μπορούμε να επιλέξουμε να πάμε οπου θελουμε για φαγητό, αλλα μου φαινεται οτι τουτη η λυση θα εξοικονομησει και χρονο και χρηματα. Θα ηθελα να το σκεφτείτε, αφου υπαρχει αντιδραση οχι μονο απο εμενα αλλα και απο την αλλη μητερα που μιλησε ενατιον την επιλογη του GOODY's. Να μην ξεχασουμε οτι τα παιδια της Κρητης λεγεται οτι ειναι τα πιο παχυσαρκα της Ελλαδας, και αυτο ισως οφειλεται στην πιο ανετη ζωη που εχουμε εδω (δηλαδη εχουμε περισσοτερα χρηματα απο αλλα παιδια στην υπολοιπη Ελλαδα, ωστε να μπορουμε να αγοραζουμε ετοιμες τροφες η να βγαινουμε έξω για φαγητό).

Πρεπει να εχετε ακουσει ηδη για το θεμα του αλογισιου κρεατος, και οτι η Ελλαδα μαλλον ειναι και αυτη μπλεγμενη με τα εισαγωμενα ετοιμα φαγητα που περιεχουν αλεσμενα κρεατα (ειτε απο σουπερμαρκετ, ειτε απο φαστφουνταδικο), και τους κινδυνους που κρυβει: http://www.tanea.gr/news/greece/article/5001101/o-efet-elegxei-olh-thn-ellada-gia-proionta-me-kreas-alogoy/ Οποτε το θεμα, για μενα προσωπικα, ειναι επειγον. Πως δεν το ξερουν οι αλλοι γονεις (η απλα το αγνοουν) δεν νομιζω να καθιστει λογος να το αγνοησει το σχολειο, αφου τον περασμενο χρονο ειχαμε συμμετασχει στην ερευνα παχυσαρκιας.

Ζητω συγνωμη αν ακουγομαι υπερβολικη, αλλα εχω κανει μεγαλη προσπαθεια να μαθω στα παιδια μου καποια πραγματα, και θεωρω οτι καποιες αξιες δικες μου θα πρεπει να ειναι κοινες.
Ενα σχολειο, που στα σημερινα μας χρονια επισκεπτεται φαστφουνταδικο - ειτε Ελληνικο, ειτε ξενο - απλα δειχνει οτι εγκρινει αυτο τον τροπο ζωης.

To avoid publishing the headmaster's reply directly, I will provide the googled translation as it was given online: 

"I listened carefully to your views and discussion and to e-mail you sent me.

Bravo for the care and attention you give to your infant. On the other hand, the role of the school is to advise on matters of life and attitudes rather bossy. For this reason our school, leaves absolutely free parents in choosing the place where you eat, but to patronize their food choices are varied, as you know. It has the ability, if someone wants to dine with something handmade that will bring the house so that it is 100% sure of what you eat.

But I share your concerns. I will not repeat the reasons why we chose Goody's. We remind you, however, that fastfount (fast food in Greek), offers fast food does not necessarily mean that it is not qualitative. There are plenty of meal in this not only from meat. I wonder why the ISO certification is valid for your restaurant Acropolis but invalid in the Greek Goody's. Also, I can not arbitrarily without incriminating evidence (or even rumors) a chain store that gives meat from horses! From what I've researched, everyday laboratory tests carried out at all stages of production, ensure excellent quality and safety of meals they offer. To make sure you enter the Goody's website and read the «goody's news» and «Nutritional information;; materials goody's ». Also some testimonials complain about the time serving in the restaurant of the Acropolis.

I respect your opinion and thank you for your concerns. But let's not be cause to worry a meal without good reason. A meal does not determine the overall attitude of anyone, nor throughout the trip. The primary purpose of each trip is to move everyone, combining education with entertainment."

Let's not forget that only two parents (me and one other mother) raised any objection about the fast-food restaurant chain being used as the official lunch setting. Therefore, we are a MINORITY. And like most minorities in Greece, our views must be compromised for the sake of the majority. Let's not rock the boat: I 'must' be wrong on this one, because the majority does not agree with me. So it's an open-and-shut case: Goody's has now been enshrined as the appropriate place for taking children on a school trip. Goody's is good, and other places are not necessarily better.
(Four legs good, two legs bad.)

Club sandwiches at Goody's (above) and the Remezzo cafe by the Venetian harbour (below). There is little to choose between them? One must always bear in mind that if kids are given a choice about what they can eat, this is basically what they'd choose. The difference is in how the issue is regarded by the state: if a UK school were to take a bunch of kids to McDonalds, the Guardian would be treating the issue as a first-page headline if it caught wind of it.

By the way, did you see today's headlines on the BBC and the Guardian?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-21478314
http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2013/feb/18/doctors-soft-drinks-tax-obesity
(Four legs good, two legs better.)
We have to remember that we live in Greece, not the UK, and that's UK, not Greek news.

This communication exchange tells us a lot about the Greek identity. As a nation, we are completely lacking in passion to change anything in our life because we are very used to our ways, and even if we know that our ways are not very good ways, it just seems too much of a bother to change. Better the devil you know, on every count. Apart from fighting for the right to keep a public sector job, a high salary and early retirement, we do not get moved as a nation about anything much, except perhaps for free rights to squat in state-owned property surrounded by molotov-cocktail-making equipment. I can't remember when the last gay-marriage and animal-welfare marches took place on a nation-wide scale; at any rate, it's gay animal marriage where I draw the line. Where would we get our eggs and cheese from?

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