Greek Life Style: How do you imagine it?

Hi Sunny (no bribes) this is quite amusing, I expected answers about clear blue waters and white sands as it's a major tourist destination in the West but I get these lovely answers relating to the history. You are spot on of course, all those great thinkers were Greek, as was Alexander. My son is the house expert on Greek gods and myths. Again if one had asked me about India before all this mylotting business I would have come up with the Black hole of Calucutta, child labour, issues with Pakistan, Ghandi and the English colony aspect. But now, mainly from the lovely Malpoa I've learnt so many things about Indian culture, bribes in hospitals, living with in laws, the servants. I usually feel I can imagine Malpoa's actual life. If you haven't got her already she's on my Fr. List and I'm sure you'd get on.

it seems that i am getting too old for tourism, that's why i remembered history. i was doubtful about Alexander, but later i realized that the Roman was Caesar. thanks for your interest in India. the part 'bribes in hospitals' did catch my attention. well hospitals are not the only place where bribes work. there is a lot we can learn from each other.....;-)...

Hi Sunny, I'm hoping to put discussions in this interest about how things are here in modern life and then compare to how its done in other cultures so it will be a place to come I hope and learn more about our mutual cultures.

Hi Malpoa, glad you found your responses. The saying I know is "it's all Greek to me" which is how I consider anything technical. Kalamata isn't in fact a Greek island, it's a large town in mainland Greece, and the nearest to me, but a great place with loads of shops and beaches and a marina. In this area of the Southern mainland our style is different to the lovely white and blue houses you see so often in pictures of the islands, instead we have stone tower houses, some are the traditional ones, others newer versions. So yanni is your husbands favourite musician, that's a first name though, the equivalent of John, and there are 1000's of them. Ask for the full name. I only tend to know the older musicians as they are the ones I listen to and that they play the bazouka to. As you might guess I've started this new interest of Greek life style and will put up discussions about how we do things so we can compare with different cultures and you certainly reveal many things about your own, I really feel I'm getting a different picture of India from you.

It's true Malopoa, it's all the olive oil. The place might be full of hypochondriacs but they live to a ripe old age in many instances.

I know another thing related to greece. It is greek mythology. God of this, goddess of that...It was in school that I first heard them. Also I have read articles which say that people in the mediterranian region live longer because of their diet.

Male chauvinists are everywhere THea.But the moment I read it I was just taken to those books.You can try out"A man to be feared"by Anne Hampson, "Night of love" By Roberta Leigh and right now nothing else comes to mind.But they are quaint in their own way.I am a die hard Mills and Boon fan.The descriptions of their style is unique in its own way.For that matter there is a lovely book by Roberta LEIGH"The unwilling bridegroom" but this speaks of a FRENCH aristocrat.THis speaks of their life style and it is charming. This is another favourite of mine. The books that I have suggested do not depict too much of Greek lifestyle but there are many books by Anne Hampson, Margaret Rome, Violet Winspear,Rebecca Startton that have Greek heroes in them.[recalling from 30 year memory bank--so may not be not too accurate/But ANne Hampson is a sure shot.]

But there are no ancient attires here though-that is one positive thing I remember .

Hi kalav, what have I been missing out on here, I know the concept of Mills and Boon books but don't read them as not into romance type things but have they actually got Greek men in them these days, bit more exciting than the Brits most definitely. We don't have any aristocratic Greek men around this area at all, not a one, but we do have plenty of male chauvinists and they are proud of it too. Please do enlighten me further on this advent of Greek heroes in modern Mills and Boon though, I might even have to try and get hole of one.

I liked Geography at school,and would collect maps of places I've visited...I enjoy Travel,but would like to experience some of the culture and Language of the places I visit,too..Going to Spain when Younger on a package holiday,I brought along a phrasebook! It wasn't much use,the place was so touristy...

I understand that, I'm the same, I love to see other cultures and be at least prepared to go by their way of doing things whilst there. I'm sort of between 2 villages, one which becomes touristy and you wouldn't need a phrase book and the other is a beautiful fishing village which is a working village all year round and there's only a smatter of Enlgish spoke there. But the Greeks appreciate it if at least you can greet them and say please and thank you, even though there are some pretty awful renditions of the words as Greek is so hard to pronounce. Anyway the intention in this interest is to put up a few things about Greek life and compare the way things are done to other cultures.

Hi ShepherdSpy, it's pleasing to hear you have an interest in Greece and thank goodness I say that I don't believe we have a single holiday club destination type place on the mainland, they are confined to some islands like Rhodes where the reputation of Brits abroad is a truly horrible image. My area at the south of the mainland is of the traditional village type with olive farming being the main business, and fishing. We have a tourist season for six months of the year but mainly attract couples over 50 as we are renowned for being the real Greece with no flashing light bars or things like that, and usually the same visitors return year after year knowing little will have changed. Our festivals are called Panayias. The scenery here is totally stunning with blue waters and snow topped mountains. We even have civilisation an hours drive away in a large town, just need to drive over a mountain to get there. I'm hoping to add new discussions about the actual Greek lifestyle now into this new interest section.

Hi Kyrios akuler, I think you were referring to kamaki which is great fun and something you would enjoy very much. I mislead you a bit about the young girls but it is seriously true that their every move would be watched and reported back on but they don't actually have to go out chaperoned by brothers and oldies. I think in the cities the cultur is much more laid back and lithe young things are on the beachs bikini clad just as interested in the young men as anywhere else. But they remain always respectful to parents and others and probably still live at home much more than in other countries such as the UK and US until they are older.

Yes you'd be able to spend a pleasant time with a Greek girl but as I say it would be reported back, everyone knows everyone and it is their duty to tell all. My own man is a safe distance away so we thought we wouldn't be the local gossip but it's not possible, someone reports back to his mama every single time we meet and we've been at our wits end speculating who is on the phone, is it from his end or my end, but every single time we meet the whole village knows and feels perfectly free to comment on it.

So, I still have chance to go out with some pretty Greek girls without their siblings or parents around? Wow ... that good. But I prefer if they still tied with their culture though. Too much freedom is not very good. They might enjoy it while they are still young but when the time is over I am afraid they will regret it especially where the culture bound are still intact. I still prefer the young shy village girl then the happy go luck city girls.

Maybe tomorrow, sleeping in a few minutes and trying to play catch up but I will do it, promise.

Looks like your greek culture and Indian culture are very much closer... So, you didn't started your discussion that you mentioned yet.. Let me see that soon...

Hi Hatley, spot on with the olive trees, we are indeed the land of the olive and there should be plenty this winter after all last years rains. I'm hoping for a good supply of oil from mine. Peaceful is right for where I live but the cities roar with traffic all night long. I can hear literally nothing except the odd tortoise or something moving around outside and that's my favourite sound. Peace. The school system of course you already know much about. Anyway I've started this new little interest for anyone who wants to know more, maybe about Greek food, local happenings, so there should be a few Greek style discussions coming soon.

Hi dawnald, tell me you didn't do Europe in a week like the American tourists used to do about 20 years ago." We've done England today, tomorrow we'll do France, then off to Spain for the day". I'm sure you didn't but I still remember them. Well I'm going to be putting some nice things in this section about Greece and how it compares with other cultures, you might get a few suprises.

Hi neildc, our weather sounds the same actually, stifling hot summers and very wet winters but I suppose you don't get the cold spells we do. Further north from here they even get heavy snow but we've only had it once in 35 years. It seems incredible really that in the west we only know the basics of countries like yours and of course the same for you. I read a lot and know much of Japanese and Chinese culture but until I started hearing about places such as your country, Indonesia and India I didn't know that much about the cultural aspect but I'm enjoying finding out. If you'd have asked me before I'd have said that the Phillipines was famous for Imelda's shoe collection and the exploitation of female workers from there in the Middle East.

Yassou Aunty, well this year must have been the hottest I've lived through because of the humidity but I wouldn't recommend the August heat. And amazingly it can get really cold sometimes in the winter which is much harder for me than the heat. April, May, September and October are usually the perfect months as it's nice and hot but by no means unbearable and those are the months I'd be outside more. It is indeed a beautiful place. The rain kept up all night and it was fresh this morning and the humidity was gone. It's still raining but we don't mind.

GREAT!! i'M GLAD YOU ARE GETTING ALL THAT NICE RAIN. Y'ALL WERE OVERDUE. It gets real hot here in the summer months but we do have a/c. I don't think i could make it w/out it. Don't see how u do.

Hi Humbug, thank you for giving your impressions which are almost accurate apart from people knowing their boundaries. Well they know exactly where they are where their olive trees are concerned and where they think their land is concerned but usually someone is taking someone to court about the boundary of an olive tree or some such nonsense. If you were referring to people knowing their boundaries then you are way off the mark. Now suprise I 've just set up this new little interest on Greek life style so I'm hoping many local features will soon be filling up the discussion pages and tempting you all with the delights of Greece so you'll get to know plenty more

Hi Jellymonty, Greek cities and Greek rural areas are nothing at all alike and I'm further south than Athens by a 4 hour drive. But Greek people are wonderful. I loved that film too, and the people really are like that when big family groups get together like that, and even though it wasn't set in Greece it really gave a sense of Greekness. In these rural areas we do still have the families with the old grandmas like that and everyone in the family works in the Greek tavernas together and they have this amazing ability to scream at each other in the kitchen, stop mid scream, go outside to see to a customer, and then resume screaming at each other in the kitchen without missing a beat.

Hi jhe, I'm sure there's loads of places we all want to go to and will never actually get to and it's good to hear that Greece is on your list. The film mama mia, yes it really does look like that over here, except in this area in the South of the Mainland we don't go in for those lovely white and blue houses but rather stone tower houses overlook the sea. And we certainly have all those friendly people but they do look stern unless you greet them with a smile which I'm sure is what you'd doThea.

I was thinking it was more relaxed in the little villages and tourist spots but in Athens as well?

Welcome Ms Tickle, the family is indeed a big thing out here but I'd hazard a guess that the first three are slightly different. A typical Greek theatre showing for example would be outdoors in some old Greek audtitorium with the theatre goings taking their own cushions if they remember to sit outdoors on those hard old stones. Work involves at least 3 hours time out in the afternoon to enjoy a leisrurely lunch and a nice sleep before returning to work in the evenings, hence all the shops shutting for half a day. And the school system remains uniquely old fasioned with well behaved childen respecting their teachers. Just a little different to the norm perhaps.

Hi shibham, I am so pleased to see such a positive response to the first discussion in this new interest section. We were indeed the very first civilised country in the entire world. Athens had the first democracy in the world. It wasn't perfect in its initial stages as certain groups were not allowed to vote, these were: Slaves,poor people,women, and people under 30. But everyone else could vote.