LOOKING FOR A GREEK ACCOUNTANT Laughter is the best medicine in these times of stress . So here's one to lighten the stress of the day.
To my Greek friends, I apologise if I offend you in any way as that is not my intention.
The current financial crisis began in 2007 but heightened in 2008 with the stock market reaching a bottom in March 2009 with extreme severity in the USA.
The effects in Europe were not as bad as most of the European nations had hired Greek Accountants to manage their books. However, the bottom fell out when Greece was unable to pay a maturing debt and had to turn to the ECB, the IMF and other European natons for support as by then the true status of Greece's debts became known.
Apart from being creative accountants, the Greeks with no manufacturing and natural resources have developed some innovative ways of paying off debts.
The story is told of the German tourist who went to a Greek Hotel and based on previous experience of bad accommodation requested to view the rooms first before making a reservation. The hotel owner agreed to the request but told the German tourist to make a deposit of 500 Euros before he can check the rooms.
The German tourist made the deposit and proceeded up the stairs while the hotel owner took the deposit and ran off to the butcher to pay his debt for the meats he bought. The butcher with the 500 Euros in hand ran off to the Farmer to pay for the cows and pigs he bought. The Farmer then quickly went to the Grocer to settle his debt for groceries bought. To the Grocer it was a God send as his elevated hormones were giving him severe head aches so he ran down the road quickly to the Prostitute and paid her off for the past services. The Prostitute was equally happy as she can now resume her trade so she went straight to the hotel owner and paid a deposit on her account. In the mean time the German tourist had concluded his examination of the rooms and on this return to the Front Desk, he collected his deposit.
That my friends is how the Greeks manage their debts.