Filaki, Filaki, Filaki

My first job out of college was in retail sales in a computer and electronics store named Altex.  It was not a glamorous job.  I spent eight hours a day on my feet, trying to convince people that they needed things that they had no idea that they needed.  As an introvert, that was one of the hardest jobs I have ever had.  I had to approach complete strangers and start conversations with them, sometimes pretending like I knew more than I actually did.

My fiancé liked to call me at work to check on me during my down times.  It wasn’t uncommon for me to take phone calls from new or returning customers, but it was tricky to mislead my manager.  He was always watching us and timing how long we spent on the phone.  My fiancé wanted to end every phone call by sending me kisses, which I obviously couldn’t return with my manager watching.  She understood, but was also hurt by this.  So I had to improvise, and I took to saying, “filaki, filaki, filaki,” which is Greek for “little kisses.”  Now, whenever we’re in a public situation where blowing kisses at each other wouldn’t be appropriate, we simply say, “filaki, filaki, filaki,” and it’s our own private romantic moment.