Humans of Downey - Takis

"My wife and I came to the United States from Greece mainly because I wanted to attend the university here. I had just finished going to the University of Athens. When I came to the US, I attended Cal State Long Beach, then I went to UCLA where I studied economics. Then I taught economics at Cal State Long Beach. When I got tired of teaching, I went into construction. We built water tanks, the ones you see up on the mountains here in California. After I retired from construction, I got involved here at the Opa Cafe because I live here in Downey.

"All four of my children went to Downey High School. My first two children were twins and are on the Downey High School Hall of Fame. My children have had the privilege to go to Berkeley, Harvard, Stanford, and Columbia. One child is a professor at University of Chicago, another is an IP lawyer, another is a computer programmer, another is a manager at the Fountain Valley Costco.

"Food is very important. You are 80% of what you eat so you have to be very careful what you put in your body. And I did that. I'm 72 years old and very healthy and I think it is because I follow the path which was set by Hippocrates. Doctors take the oath of Hippocrates, you know? He started his book by saying to the people, 'Your food must be your medicine and your medicine must be your food for a healthy life, to avoid having the problem. Because once you have the problem then you come to see me, I can manage it but I cannot push it away.' Greek food has this quality. Like olive oil has many vitamins. People that eat it get the side benefits. I say, 'Good life to you.'"
~ Takis