What should I expect living with people in Greece?

Question

I want to do a summer home stay with a family in Greece for about 6 to 8 weeks! What should I expect when living with them? I am from the U.S. and I want to know the differnt things they do. What they eat, what they do for fun, how they interact with people...ect. Stuff like that! Please tell me what I should expect going into this amazing experience!

Answer 1

I don't know the way that you live in US because I'm french married to a Greek. Greek people sleep very late at night because they sleep in th middle of the day 2 or 3 hours! They eat Greek food.... french fries, meat, salad, fish... but every things is on the table and you take a little bit of all in the dish in front of you. Everybody take from the dish.
For fun , Greeks like to go out and drink "frappé" a cold coffee in the day or they go out at night and drink beer in very loudly bars. Or sometimes at night they go to clubs to see they favorites singers on stage while they are eating typical Greek food!All the girls are dressing well for this occasion!
They are very friendly sometimes too much...
It's a very nice experience to go to Greece you will not forget it!

Answer 2

Well done. Greek people are very hospitable and their friendliness can sometimes be a little overpowering. If you are a reserved sort of person this may not be to your liking. On the other hand if you are ready to 'do in Rome as the Romans do' then you should get along fine. Not everyone sleeps in the afternoons but they do stay up late, It's too hot to sleep early anyway in the summer. It will certainly be an experience. Good luck.

Answer 3

I envy you, it´s soo great to live in Greece. When you go there, go with an open mind. Watch and see, talk to people and soon you will have a lot of friends, you will have fun and I´m sure you will find the food delicious (at least after a while). Greece is amazing, it´s ancient history, it´s very beautiful peninsula, as well as the rest of the country and the nice people.

I´d like to warn you about one fact (hope some Greek won´t hang me now), the Greek can be a little bit "foxy", hope you understand what I mean. They can be quite defencive, suppose they have it in their spines due to their ancient history. They don´t show it, but after you have lived there for a longer period of time, you will notice it. Despite saying this I would go to Greece and meet Greek people this minute, if I had a chance to now.

Hope you will find the summer home of your dreams in Greece!

(Have worked in Greece as a tourist guide for a couple of years, too long ago though.)

Answer 4

It really depends on the people and where they live. For example, the afternoon nap does not happen for working people in cities, where we work like everywhere else 9-5 or later.
It is true that they will be hospitable, they will want to take you to see places, and take you out to eat, have fun etc. It will be a good idea a. to have a list of places you want to visit, so that you can go together to some of them, b. to get them a nice present, because they will want to pay when you go out etc. Now, about this, be careful: you are supposed to let them pay the first time or a couple of times, it will be an insult not to, but it will be rude to let them do it all the time. It will be polite to ask them out one day and state in advance that you are buying dinner or drinks.
Apart from that, they will be hospitable, and they will generally be happy when you appreciate what you see, Greek culture, what they offer you, etc.

Answer 5

Typical mediterranean people, nothing more, nothing less. And about asimenia's comment on being very difficult to get Greeks to say something negative about their "race", well, this couldn't be less true, one of our characteristics is that we LOVE to talk bad and whine about our country and ourselves. Also, family is nowhere as important as it was , say 30 years ago. Asimenia's POV on Greece is pretty outdated actually {nothing strange for an English} and the overall description she game fits best on country life rather that life in a city.

Answer 6

Hi Mandy
We had an aupair last year from Australia - I think she had it good because I'm English so we had great fun!
Greeks like to eat .... eat ....and eat some more! When they are out eating they are talking about better food elsewhere! Family life is extremely important. You don't say what you intend to do or where you'll be so I can't tell you more - area will give a bigger insight to the kind of people. I also did this job - but unfortunately my first family was awful! (children tend to be very spoilt - especailly families that can afford au pairs) But I left and worked for an English woman and we are still friends (17 yrs on) and she's now the god mother of my eldest daughter. What's a summer home stay?
I can't write anything negative or the Greeks on this section would have me hung!
We may need an aupair again!

I take it no one who's answered apart from myself has actually done this job - I've also lived among Greeks for 20yrs. It's very difficult to get Greeks to say anything negative about their race (unlike the Brits). Yes there are some great people - yes there are some great customs traditions (made me stay here 20 yrs) but there's also the 'fear of something/someone different' I think you must realise this before arriving.
Good luck . If you want to ask me anything I will answer you honestly.
I have been an aupair (live in one year) a cleaner - a tourist rep - a bar woman - an English teacher in Theia Tata (Kifissia) a private teacher ... I am now a wife to a Preveza man - a mother to two girls (4 & 8) a clothes shop owner and a builder's yard owner (4 lorries approx 20 employees)
Think I have enough experience to give an honest answer!

Just knew I'd get thumbs down most likely by Greeks - truth hurts
Njordin
Are you actually living in Greece? Do you have a family? Have you done the job? Have you worked as a foreigner?
This is not old fashioned and I was talking about spolit Athenians .. much better to work for a villager! I take it from your standard of English I am not dealing with a 'local' Stop stalking me and making negative comments - these are my opinions - you have yours I have mine! Keep your opinions of me to yourself!

Answer 7

You'll be up for en adventure!:))
Prepare yourself by watching My Big Fat Greek Wedding - that pretty much gets it.
And check out the link below - it's an extract from my book about life in Greece.

Answer 8

Greeks are friendly and warm people. Believe me you will meet some wonderful friends,and yes sometimes they can be clever like "fox"no of fence to Greeks!!
by the way if you know lit bit of Greek language it would be fantastic-then you can understand Greeks and their beautiful country!!!

Answer 9

I did part of my studies in Macedonia and was there for almost a year, so: Expect warmth, kindness and a lot of fun! Oh, yes, prepare to eat a lot, they push you to eat and eat, which is great, because Greek food is delicious! I envy you… (Of course I'm talking about the authentic Macedonia, the northern region of Greece, the birthplace of Alexander the Great. Not to be confused with FYROM -Former Yugoslav Republic Of Macedonia- which is a modern Slavic/Albanian state at the north of Macedonia.)

Answer 10

You will have 6 to 8 beautiful weeks! Just be careful because there are these pathetic filthy creatures around Greece which spit dirt everywhere, sometimes here too! But you are ok if you stay away of the borders, mainly the northern and eastern ones, their dirt wont reach you… : )