Working Women #1 - Despina the Florist

I wouldn't want anybody who's been following my journal to think that it's only the men on Symi who work, so with that in mind I'd like you to meet Despina, known affectionately as Despina Flower Shop - for obvious reasons!

Despina didn't always have aspirations to be a florist. Originally she wanted to be a hairdresser but in order to train she'd have needed to leave Symi and so she began working in her mother's café. However, she knew that she wanted to do something creative with her hands and to that end she opened Symi Flower on 8th February 1999.

When she accepted her first booking to do the flower arrangements for a wedding, she had no idea how to do it and went to Rhodes to pick up some tips and ideas on how it should be done. She has been learning 'on the job' ever since and now does the arrangements for all the weddings and baptisims on Symi. Name Days (or Saints Days) bring her a large amount of work as any church or chapel dedicated to the saint in question, will be adorned with decorations of flowers. This afternoon, when I took this shot Despina was working on arrangements for a small church, St Evangalismos, where the name day is celebrated on the 25th of this month. As I passed the shop again on my way home from work, she was still there, working away - it was just after 10pm, so rather a long day.

One thing Despina wanted to show me was a certifcate she has which shows that in 2008 she won the title of 'Trend Florist' for interflora. To be honest, I'm not sure what that means but it's clearly an accolade and a well deserved one.

Symi Flower sells far more than cut flowers and flower arrangements. They also have plants, a selection of pots and about 3 years ago (I think), they branched out and began to sell arrangements of balloons.

Here are a couple of picures of the outside of the shop, including Despina's husband, Filimonas, helping out a bit and a better view of the arrangement she was working on when I so rudely interrupted.

About Despina personally, I don't know very much but I do know one thing. When she gets a rare oppotunity to go out a relax with her friends, she loves to dance. I've seen her, she's very good.