Culture Shock from Living in Greece? (Athens)

We hit the streets of Athens, Greece, to interview locals and expats about the biggest culture shocks they've experienced since moving to Greece. From the Greek mentality to lifestyle differences and everything in between, we dive into what surprises newcomers most about living in Greece.

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Crew:

Cast:
Maria (Australia):

0:00 Intro
0:52 Meet the foreigners
1:37 Expectations vs reality: living in Greece
2:28 Culture shocks of living in Greece
6:49 What do you like about living in Greece?
9:04 What don't you like about living in Greece?
12:03 What is the Greek mentality like?
12:48 What advice would you give for moving to Greece?

Filmed in:
Athens, Greece

[tiusernamenabalw]

The lady complaining that the Parthenon is not in top condition after 2500 years 😂

[Greec]

“The acropolis isn’t what I expected, it’s like…falling apart” HELLO??

[lizelantt]

As a Greek who grew up in a very small town by the sea, I also experienced culture shock when I moved to Athens. So it really depends on the place. For example life on the islands is often romanticised but it tends to be hard especially during winters. Athens is like every big European city but with worse infrastructure as mentioned. If you ask the locals, you'll realise we all have a love-hate relationship with this city. Some parts are ugly, some are wonderful

[skasere]

I love how the Argentinian guy spelled "θερμοσίφωνο" perfectly, latin speaking people can speak very good greek and the opposite.

[bledarhazizaj]

I was born in Albania, raised in Italy and living in Poland since 14 years. And I miss a lot that spontaneity, those spontaneous meetings at midnight or even 1am. Here in Poland all must be planned at least 1 week before 😢
A great hug to my Greek neighbours, I was in Athens twice and I miss those vibes!

[slapshot]

"The Acropolis is falling apart". That right there is why the world has a certain impression of Americans.

[cobrakaitime]

“They love to take their time, THEY LOVE TO BE PRESENT” … that sums it all up perfectly

[pwp]

I lived in Greece for 4 years and all the complaints, and compliments ring true. Happiest memories of my life.

[RaceSmokie]

Best wishes for our brothers and sisters in Greece from Serbia!

[Juan-lymn]

Portugal, Spain, Italy, and Greece have truly figured out the secret to enjoying life. Turkey and parts of the Adriatic coast are fairly there as well. I absolutely love the people, the weather, the food, the culture—everything about these places. While Germany or Canada may be wealthier, the joy of life seems to fade faster in those countries. I've seen seventy- and eighty-year-olds in Spain and Greece sitting in city squares or cafes, and they appear so happy! I want that kind of life for myself too. All countries have problems, but let me have my two-hour table talk, my feta, my supper at nine, my café con leche, my espresso and the Mediterranean Sea and sun. You can keep your gray skies, tall buildings, and all the money in the world; after all, they can't even buy a smile.

[Zaxos]

People forget the negative impact that the financial crisis left to Greek people in terms of depression, stress etc. So I don't think its the traits of the people to be illogical or unstructured, its the aftermath of one of the biggest financial crisis a country has ever faced.

[Aeklypsis]

The Acropolis is falling apart? Were... were we supposed to renovate like it's a resort? It's a monument, it's supposed to be untouched.

[xphstos_]

It’s funny how they perceive Athens as a slow paced city!
Also this thing about Greek time and being late in general.
I mean.. I know we’re not the most punctual people but come on… two hours later?

[ratm]

Το παλικαρι, ο Ελληνας, εχει τοση ελληνικη προφορα, που σου θυμιζει εξετασεις προφορικων Lower, που το παλεύει να αναπτυξει το θεμα.

[DafniKem]

I'm greek and I laughed at the Turkish guy's comment 😂 "my culture shock is not to have a culture shock" it's true, we're so similar!

[nikolasmacedonites]

I thought Greeks smoke a lot until I went to Bosnia and Serbia! It felt like Greece in the 90's!

[agarwaengrc]

This "2hr" thing and people stoping their work according to their schedule and slow service what are they talking about guys? where is this? Not in Greece for sure, at least not in Athens.... Where do these people hang out (and with whom exactly?? maybe 20 yo students or something? or maybe "creatives"/artists of some sort?). I mean, I would/could actually believe the slow service part about rural Germany (I've lived for years in Germany, France and Luxembourg) but definitely not Athens. People are working like they're on cocaine and they all work till late. I mean, who/where is working less than 10hrs per day exactly?? That's actually why most people leave Greece.

[kaanserin]

As a Turk I did not have a cultural shock in Turkey. Most things are very similar. I think West of Turkey and Greece are more similar than West of Turkey and East of Turkey.

[KritiKatsiki-of]

Good culture shock…. The appetizing smell of the restaurants and bakeries wafting out into the street.
The wonderful looking and smelling piles of fresh fruits, herbs and vegetables at the farmers markets

[mariaermides]

You have to embrace the chaos! I moved here from Australia and people are often surprised as to why I would leave that way of life behind. The difference is I came here not with crazy expectations, but just with the idea of wanting to experience something different for myself.