As a repeat traveler I must say when I first arrived in Greece it was love at first sight. I’ve been in plenty of other places in southern Europe but not a single one has clicked like Greece did. I think it’s the people. Even outside of the tourist industry most people you’ll meet are kind, open, friendly and respectful. I also love the (things take their time) aspect of Greek culture. One day I was sitting at bar and the bartender girl asked me what’s the thing that differentiated Greece from my homeland the most. I said, “everything is so slow here”, and she answered “it’s good! Slow is good” 😄
The friendliness is a key part of social life in Greece - some times to a fault. :)
Going slow is great half of the time. It's really tough the other half, when you actually need to get things done. We need to find a way to calibrate that better in Greece.
Yeah I’m following a guy on insta who had recently moved to Greece and it’s pretty much his only complaint about living there :) https://www.instagram.com/reel/C6Ob4wUIafE/
I think if your home is Greece, you are no longer ξένος, no matter what. 25 years of living full-time in Greece not just qualifies for that, it is the definition of a ντόπιος.
We need to embrace more warmly all those people that have embraced our country themselves with such warmth.
Amazing article and analysis as ever Greek analyst.. after living half of my live in Greece and half abroad I see both sides of the debate.. for some reason.. the word ξένος sounds and feels quite aggressive to me.. I wonder whether that was the original intention.. to intimidate foreigners..
Like many other Greek words, "xenos" has different meanings depending on the context.
"The word itself can be interpreted to mean different things based upon context, author and period of writing/speaking, signifying such divergent concepts as 'enemy' or 'stranger', a particular hostile interpretation, all the way to 'guest friend', one of the most hallowed concepts in the cultural rules of Greek hospitality." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xenos_(Greek)
This is why I like the word "filoxenia", because it always has a positive connotation
This was fun to read as someone who moved to Greece four years ago. One negative I would add that I still have a hard time with: it is very, very hard to 100% assimilate. Even if you speak the language, Greeks will look at you as a tourist forever. There are tons of positives, though!
Sad to hear about the assimilation issue, but I have observed similar cases myself. To be fair, I think this is changing for the better (we now have many more foreigners living in Greece full time than in the past). Us Greeks need to do a better job to be inclusive to people who want to make Greece their new home.
Would love to hear some of the positives too, Emma. Any underrated ones?
I think the ease and abundance of travel opportunities outside just the islands. There are so many gems that are only a few hours drive from Athens. Also the fact that people actually talk to each other here—in stores, cafes, etc. Not in New York, where I'm from!
As a repeat traveler I must say when I first arrived in Greece it was love at first sight. I’ve been in plenty of other places in southern Europe but not a single one has clicked like Greece did. I think it’s the people. Even outside of the tourist industry most people you’ll meet are kind, open, friendly and respectful. I also love the (things take their time) aspect of Greek culture. One day I was sitting at bar and the bartender girl asked me what’s the thing that differentiated Greece from my homeland the most. I said, “everything is so slow here”, and she answered “it’s good! Slow is good” 😄
That's a very wholesome message, Tom.
The friendliness is a key part of social life in Greece - some times to a fault. :)
Going slow is great half of the time. It's really tough the other half, when you actually need to get things done. We need to find a way to calibrate that better in Greece.
Yeah I’m following a guy on insta who had recently moved to Greece and it’s pretty much his only complaint about living there :) https://www.instagram.com/reel/C6Ob4wUIafE/
I hope so too.. I hate it when people call my wife of 25 years ξένη.. even though she loves Greece more than the native Greeks..
I think if your home is Greece, you are no longer ξένος, no matter what. 25 years of living full-time in Greece not just qualifies for that, it is the definition of a ντόπιος.
We need to embrace more warmly all those people that have embraced our country themselves with such warmth.
Btw.. στα ξένα ειμαι ελληνας και στην Ελλάδα ξένος 🥲🥲🥲
Many of us have felt like this too often. I hope we can start changing it, especially the latter part.
Amazing article and analysis as ever Greek analyst.. after living half of my live in Greece and half abroad I see both sides of the debate.. for some reason.. the word ξένος sounds and feels quite aggressive to me.. I wonder whether that was the original intention.. to intimidate foreigners..
Like many other Greek words, "xenos" has different meanings depending on the context.
"The word itself can be interpreted to mean different things based upon context, author and period of writing/speaking, signifying such divergent concepts as 'enemy' or 'stranger', a particular hostile interpretation, all the way to 'guest friend', one of the most hallowed concepts in the cultural rules of Greek hospitality." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xenos_(Greek)
This is why I like the word "filoxenia", because it always has a positive connotation
This was fun to read as someone who moved to Greece four years ago. One negative I would add that I still have a hard time with: it is very, very hard to 100% assimilate. Even if you speak the language, Greeks will look at you as a tourist forever. There are tons of positives, though!
Hey Emma - glad you liked it!
Sad to hear about the assimilation issue, but I have observed similar cases myself. To be fair, I think this is changing for the better (we now have many more foreigners living in Greece full time than in the past). Us Greeks need to do a better job to be inclusive to people who want to make Greece their new home.
Would love to hear some of the positives too, Emma. Any underrated ones?
I think the ease and abundance of travel opportunities outside just the islands. There are so many gems that are only a few hours drive from Athens. Also the fact that people actually talk to each other here—in stores, cafes, etc. Not in New York, where I'm from!
Interesting post!
Thanks David!