Posted in Athens forum
Hi everyone
I am moving from UK to Athens in the next 3 months to live with my Greek boyfriend (why else?) and am looking for any advice anyone has for me! And also would like to make some new friends.
I am very excited and scared at the same time about the whole thing but it is better to regret something you have done than have not!
I think having my independence when I am there will be important for me to be able to settle in so that's why I am trying to network and find some friends to meet up with!
I am 21 so would like to meet friends around my age from 20-30. My boyfriend is 30 so I have friends around that age too.
I have just started to learn Greek and it is very difficult and frustrating so I really need people I can relate to and speak English with when I or they need to. I have been to Athens about 5 times now and although I love my boyfriend and his friends I sometimes find myself sat there like I am mute listening to them all chatter on in Greek and end up getting quite bored then anxious and then upset. Obviously I can't expect them to speak English all the time cos they are Greek.
If anyone wants to chat or exchange stories and experiences give me a message! We can look out for each other as foreigners in Athens as from what I gather, reading all these blogs and forums, foreigners are not well received in Athens - especially when they are moving over to live with their boyfriends - they see you as a joke and don't think you'll last - but I hope to prove those presumptuous people wrong.
Over and out!
Jo x
Hi
posted by qinlei cheng in Athens forum
You are lucky，Most Greeks can communicate in English.But communicating in Chinese is too difficult.
Hi Jo we are cool come and hang :)
posted by Alex Bradley in Athens forum
I'm a language teacher/travel agent/party animal, reply to this if feel like it :) my fb is Alé Jandra
Hi
posted by Kelly Napier in Athens forum
Hi, very much like yourself I moved to Athens just recently to live with my boyfriend and I am looking to meet new people and friends. I have been taking Greek lessons too but also find it difficult. Any advice on meeting new people/friends.
welcomeee
posted by maria bra in Athens forum
Hello jo!!! i am from greece- i live in athens 25 years now... i think that you're not gonna have any problem here , first of all you got your bf here,secondly you will meet many people around athens,and thirdly you're gonna learn greek language as good as you can-NO WORRIES- :)
the only advice i could give you is to be have fun as much as you can and don't worry everything's gonna be allright!!
if you want to have some company here just contact me-don't hesitate
:D
<3 maria
GO FOR IT JO!
posted by Lydia Turnbull in Athens forum
HEY jO, MY NAME IS LYDIA AND i LIVE IN aTHENS i AM HALF gREEK HALF sCOTTISH AND SPEAK BOTH LANGUAGES FLUENTLY. ITHINK IT IS FANTASTIC YOU ARE MOVING OVER HERE AND IT DOES NOT REALLY MATTER WHAT OTHER PEOPLE THINK..BUT ONLY YOU!IF YOU EVER NEED ANY HELP OR COMPANY YOU CAN ALWAYS CONTACT ME.
HI
posted by Qudratullah SAQIB in Athens forum
Don't come this advice is out of my heart for you now as you wish ....GOod Luck
hi
posted by Deleted user in Athens forum
hi dear
how u doing,,
nice to read ur personal comment,,it`s given good full expression over u,
hope u got good idea over Greek life style,,,
if u think it`s time to going a head and get ur independence
connect me,,
bye 4 now xwww.facebook.com/zoz100
[...]
Athens
posted by Emma J in Athens forum
Hi Jo
I lived in Athens for 2 years in 2001. I loved every minute of it and I wish one day I could go back but now I'm back in Blighty (sadly). I found it very hard at first to pick up Greek as I'd never heard anything like it when I first moved there and it took me a good 6 months to get the basics down. I found though, that I managed to read it faster than I could speak it, boredom in taxi's you end up reading road signs and in supermarkets, you just seem to figure out the alphabet.
I found the Greek people very welcoming, and were very keen to help me learn Greek, I think the fact I was enthusiastic in making an effort to blend in helped immensly. The only people I didn't like were taxi drivers! (beware they WILL try and put the tariff on double fare if they know you're a foreigner and I had countless arguments over that!)
Just beware that their pace of life is very slow and that can take some getting used to.
I hope you really enjoy yourself in Greece, it will become a part of you.
Welcome
posted by Kostas Kotsialos in Athens forum
Hi and welcome.
Learning the language might have difficulties but i am sure that by just trying you will see that everyone will be helpfull. Well, at least most of them.As for Greeks talking in Greek while you are there i find it really rude. I understand though that sometimes it's easy to forget and start talking in Greek. Maybe pointing out that you are there too can change the use of language?
Finally, i do not think that foreigners are not well received by locals. Especially by people around your age. Of course there are narrow minded, stupid people but i think there are the minority.
In any case, just be cool and i'm sure you will adapt quite easily