What don't you like about Greece

[priggipisa]

Originally Posted by LGK616

Garbage, grafitti, grafitti, and grafitti. My BIGGEST pet peave.

I was disappointed when I saw the grafitti here, I mean I've seen plenty grafitti in the US (though usually not political, as many are here), but I really didn't expect to see any here. When I visited in 1977, I didn't remember seeing any or it was so little that I didn't notice it. Just very disappointing at the grafitti, unless it's artistic.

[qwertyalex]

Originally Posted by Haraki

As an expats I am sure if you are the same as me, once the exitment of moving to Greece has passed and you try and intrigate yourself into the local Greek community, some things just start to anoy you, I laugh at them now but at the time, I just could not get my head round the Greek way of thinking.
I really would like to share these moment with you, and now be able to laugh together.

Just for for example: my first experience of aquiring a greek tradesman to do some work on the apartment, great phone call, the work not a problem will be there the next morning, well three bloody mornings later he showed up as if this is when he said he would arrive, I can laugh at it now

It depends on your area. Ive found some of the Greeks (not all!!) in Attiki very materialistic and selfish. They dont seem to care about anything other than how many houses they have and being first in any queue (including when driving). BUT if you go to Islands or northern Greece they are kind, caring and very different in their thinking. Corruption at ALL levels is a way of life and they have milked every system and every level for too long. Now its catching up with them sadly and the poor and some of the middle class are suffering as a result of this.
Every country has good and bad, I guess you just have to accept them for who they are. Regarding your tradesman ALWAYS go with someone recommended by an expat otherwise forget it they will let you down in some way or another.

[priggipisa]

Originally Posted by robg

How about a list of reasons that people left their Mother Countries for?

Seems to me that some folk perhaps expect to much from the move they made.
Political corruption, a Health service that leaves stroke vicitims laying in their own
body waste for hours, massivley hiked Energy Bills, communities that couldn't give
a damn for the elderly or Mentally infirm.
Steets and whole parts of some Towns, where even men would'nt want to be in
daylight, let alone at night. This is England.
While we are at it, ask yourselves what are you actually contributing to the Greek way of life.

Very well said! I'm Greek-American, so can add road rage to that list, not like in Greece, where people may yell or swear at each other, but where people actually have had a gun or knife pulled out on them. The point is every place has it's good, bad and ugly. Though you made the best point.. what are we actually contributing to the Greek way of life?

I will say due to economic crisis, I've also been tempted with thoughts of moving, but at the same time don't want to give up on my country at it's time of need, so I choose or try to look at what is still good and not only the negative.

[The Grocer]

There is certainly something amusing about Greek mentality. For most things (and especially in the public service), "avrio" is "manyana" without the rush..........EXCEPT when driving !!!!

[Rob Johnson]

It's not really something I dislike about Greece, but the distinct lack of interest in cricket is a tad disappointing. After eight years, I've managed to persuade only half a dozen Greek friends of the joys of cricket, but I'm still well short of fulfilling my ambition to help create a national team.

[Cairokid]

Originally Posted by Rob Johnson

It's not really something I dislike about Greece, but the distinct lack of interest in cricket is a tad disappointing. After eight years, I've managed to persuade only half a dozen Greek friends of the joys of cricket, but I'm still well short of fulfilling my ambition to help create a national team.

I'm not a cricket fan but my husband is. They play in Corfu I believe.

If he wants to discuss cricket here in Greece, he speaks to Pakistanis ... many of them play regularly on suitable pieces of ground.

[Rob Johnson]

Originally Posted by Cairokid

I'm not a cricket fan but my husband is. They play in Corfu I believe.

If he wants to discuss cricket here in Greece, he speaks to Pakistanis ... many of them play regularly on suitable pieces of ground.

Yes, I believe Corfu even has a proper cricket ground, mainly because there are so many Brits on the island.

[wka]

The cricket ground in Corfu is on the Spianada, I think the largest town square in the Balkans (or something like that). It's really lovely but I've never seen anyone actually playing cricket there. Ι think they have a cricket festival in the summers.

ETA: here's a better photo.

[robertm]

Reading through these posts and I dont think anyone has mentioned Greek drivers, people either drive at 20 kph or like complete idiots with no patience and only overtake on blind corners. Also at traffic lights a millisecond after the lights turn to green you get the guy behind tooting his horn before you get the chance to release the handbrake.

My biggest dislike is the expat dodgy builder, shoddy work, not paying the IKA that has been handed to them for paying, taking money and not finishing the job knowing that even if taken to court they know not only will the process take donkeys years but ****** all will happen and they get away with it. And its mainly fellow expats they rip off.

Expat bars come a close second. People who in the UK who didnt go the the pub more than once a week now in there 7 days a week, boredom probably, unfortunately many people come here for a more relaxed, less stressful life and end up with pickled livers.

[Judithjas]

Originally Posted by wka

I think the main thing I don't like is some bureaucratic hassles. Yesterday it took my husband SIX HOURS to do his απογραφή (which is supposed to take 5 minutes) because the system was so poorly designed / overloaded. My one-year residence permit wasn't issued until 12 days before it expired. My husband is a teacher and it's July 18 and we still don't know what part of Greece (not even which prefecture) we'll be living in come September. Getting my health insurance cost us so much money because we had to travel from our island to two different islands plus the mainland to get all the stamps and signatures necessary. They are so unclear about requirements that it doing immigration / taxes / property issues without a lawyer or an accountant is intimidating.

I think if you take away the bureaucracy, I couldn't really complain about anything else.

Hello, I am currently living in Mexico (7 years here), and am thinking about how similar are the countries Greece and Mexico in the cultural thinking. Boy, do things take time. Patience I have found to be key. As a child, I lived in Greece and loved it. I truly hope things economically improve, and soon! Thanks for reading.