Say hi :)

[bobster112]

Hi, My name is Bobbie and im new to the site. Im from London in the UK and living in Perea outside Thessaloniki. I have very much the same story, came here on holidays when i was 16 in Agenia and fell in love with Greece. When i returned to the UK after my holiday i was lucky enough to be travelling to Rome 2 weeks after but could not resist coming back to Greece, so i bought a train ticket from Rome travellled to Brindisi and came back over. Since then i came back many times even left my job in the UK to become a Rep for a few years in Crete, Lesvos and Zante. After thinking i needed to be sensible and move back to the UK for a proper 'job' I met and fell in love with yes you guessed it a Greek! We decided to move back to Greece 3 years ago, first moving to Athens (as i secured a job there) then to Agenia (the Island i first fell in love with and then to Thessaloniki. I liked Thessaloniki very much but the summers too hot so we have just moved outside the City closer to the beach which i love. Would love to get to know some people here possibly from the UK. At the moment i work from home for a UK company. I am male 38 and would love to meet people for coffee etc...

[martinlest]

"Hi". I am happy to introduce myself, as suggested.

I am from the UK and have been teaching English for some 25 years now (I teach music too (western classical), as and when I have pupils). I was teaching for the British Council in Bangkok until just last week (and used to subscribe to the Expat Thai forum), but have given that up in order to move to Greece. Back to Greece, I should say. I lived in Crete for 11 years, but that was in the dim, distant days of the drachma! I shall be in Halkida this time (Evia). I can't wait to get back!!

Have been living abroad since 1990 - several years in India, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, as well as Thailand. It will be good to be in Europe again though, as much as I have enjoyed being in Asia.

Passionate about computers, wine, music - and flying (as pilot), when I can find the cash to pursue this rather expensive hobby! Flight simulators the rest of the time..

Used to speak pretty fluent Greek, but I guess it'll be a bit less than fluent after all these years. It'll all come back as I stay in Greece, I am sure.

Well, maybe that's enough as an introduction. May meet some new people via this site when I am in Evia?

Martin

[Sparkle1]

I am thinking of leaving the UK as I am wanting more from life recently divorced with a 20 year old girl who is also feeling it, any advice from you guys would be great sparkle

Originally Posted by wka

I've noticed very happily increased posting on the Greece forum lately - including some new faces

I thought I'd just start a little intro thread, anyone who wants to say a little about themselves it would be nice to get to know each other a little better. So pitch in if you like. I'll start:

I'm American, married to a Greek (he's a teacher), and we live in Thrace which as you know is in the far northeastern corner of Greece. It's actually one of the most beautiful areas of Greece - which I did not expect when we came here. After living in the Cyclades for about 16 months and before that in Athens for about a year, I thought southern Greece was the "way to go." I've been really pleasantly surprised by the pace of life and the folks up here in northern Greece. The food is amazing, prices are significantly below southern Greece levels, and people are so so nice! When we first moved here, I couldn't believe it: people everywhere laughing and smiling! People we didn't know on city streets talking to us! After Athens and the islands where I didn't get a lot of smiles, it feels very warm and welcoming here.

We were planning to stay here for the long term. Now we're not so sure... with some of the recent changes, it's becoming more difficult to plan for our future. But we have at least a few more years here before we consider if we'll move (either somewhere in Europe, or back to the US). I sincerely hope we stay; it will come down to a financial decision though, in the end.

I think it would be fun if we could get to know each other a little better around here... thanks in advance to anyone who posts

[kefvmr05]

Hi all
Just joined so easing myself in gently, I fell in love with Kefalonia many years ago and eventually built myself a house in 2005 which I have visited many times every year since.
I am now getting nearer to the time when i will spend most of the year there and can't wait.
It is only the financial side of it that has made me wait this long as i wanted to wait untill the time was right.
So i will be dropping into this forum regularly to talk to like minded people.

[weiliya]

Hi everybody
going to introduce myself. I'm a new expat from Italy, moved here a month ago for work and will live and work in Athens for the rest of the school year. I find Greece really pleasant so far: great weather, great monuments, great sites, great people, though I only know some 10 words in Greek. I've just started taking Greek classes, hope to be able to do the shopping without having to answer "Sorry, I don't speak Greek". Apparently I look VERY Greek, which makes people in the streets address me in Greek.
Hope to share doubts, advice, questions and maybe answers on this forum. A great Sunday night to all

[pk5555]

Hi folks. Yet another 'green newbie' looking for assistance in my idea of moving to Greece early next year (2013). Sold my business in Devon, renting out a cple of properties (which will pay for Greece). I feel it for the Greeks - not there fault - but my god, are they paying! I used to holiday on the Greek isles when I was young but haven't been back for 14 yrs because of my business...now taken early retirement and looking to re-locate. Where?? Never been to Crete but nth west does sound idealistic - yet, should I stay on the mainland where it's cheaper infrastructure? Anyone have a firm 'must go' place? I am totally flexible on areas as long as it's not a blackpool in the sun!

Originally Posted by wka

I've noticed very happily increased posting on the Greece forum lately - including some new faces

I thought I'd just start a little intro thread, anyone who wants to say a little about themselves it would be nice to get to know each other a little better. So pitch in if you like. I'll start:

I'm American, married to a Greek (he's a teacher), and we live in Thrace which as you know is in the far northeastern corner of Greece. It's actually one of the most beautiful areas of Greece - which I did not expect when we came here. After living in the Cyclades for about 16 months and before that in Athens for about a year, I thought southern Greece was the "way to go." I've been really pleasantly surprised by the pace of life and the folks up here in northern Greece. The food is amazing, prices are significantly below southern Greece levels, and people are so so nice! When we first moved here, I couldn't believe it: people everywhere laughing and smiling! People we didn't know on city streets talking to us! After Athens and the islands where I didn't get a lot of smiles, it feels very warm and welcoming here.

We were planning to stay here for the long term. Now we're not so sure... with some of the recent changes, it's becoming more difficult to plan for our future. But we have at least a few more years here before we consider if we'll move (either somewhere in Europe, or back to the US). I sincerely hope we stay; it will come down to a financial decision though, in the end.

I think it would be fun if we could get to know each other a little better around here... thanks in advance to anyone who posts

Hi, we are Dave and Donna expat Canadians living in Patras on the Peleponesos. It has been life changing moving here, living a new culture and learning a new language. We are coming into our fourth year and it has been quite a ride dealing with immigration politics as well as the financial crisis, the increase in taxes on the ΔΕΥ bills and the problem of our being viewed as wealthy people from the Americas. We barely make the minimal monthly income required to be here so we are not considered to be well off in our own eyes, lol. At anyrate, we are staying put here in the lower portion of mainland Greece, it is friendly even with the crisis, inexpensive and warm (25C yesterday). We have circles of friends here now and for the first time we are going to participate in Carnivali in the next week or so. I am glad to hear you also are enjoying Greece. Are you missing Kraft Dinner? Lol!

Originally Posted by Rainbow234

Hi everyone!
I' ve recently found this nice forum for Greek expats and welcome the idea of briefly introducing ourselves. I am currently not living in Greece but in Bulgaria where I come from. My husband is non-Greek and has been living in Greece for the past 8 years and I've been visiting him every few months there. I like the culture and architecture of the country, but I'm really worried abt the difficult economic situation it has been in for the past year or so (actually years). This is the main reason I'm still hesitating whether to move to Greece at all. Actually, if I move, it would be to be together with my husband and also because I hope he can get a EU family member card (which I know takes more than 6 months to be issued or may even take a year). I still have a few more months to decide, as I got a job here in Bulgaria and feel it's too risky to quit and go to Greece where I might not find anything (I am a teacher of English). I am trying to study Greek, which I know is vital if I want to stand some chances of getting a job in Greece.
So that's pretty much it. I've been reading all the posts on the forum and have found some useful info for expats-wannabes, so keep up the good work, you're really very helpful!

Hi, we live in Patras Greece, the work situation here is bad, apartments up for sale everywhere and one third of all the businesses on our street and the nearby streets have gone out of business and closed they're doors. Be careful, in this city it is very difficult to find work, and many are working for only 15€ per day.

[Deb50]

Great idea to introduce ourselves, I have recently joined the forum too. I lived in Greece many moons ago when married to a Greek, we later divorced sadly for some pretty horrific reasons BUT I loved the lifestyle. My children have mainly grown up and flown the nest except for one daughter who has a few years to go before she will be off to Uni and I can then decide whether to stay in the UK or spend lots more time back over in Greece. I think I must have been a traveller in a previous life as I find it really difficult to settle here in the UK. Have started practising my Greek again and making avgolemono (I will perfect it one day) which my kids still love and view as a 'comfort' food xx

[concertina]

Originally Posted by Deb50

Great idea to introduce ourselves, I have recently joined the forum too. I lived in Greece many moons ago when married to a Greek, we later divorced sadly for some pretty horrific reasons BUT I loved the lifestyle. My children have mainly grown up and flown the nest except for one daughter who has a few years to go before she will be off to Uni and I can then decide whether to stay in the UK or spend lots more time back over in Greece. I think I must have been a traveller in a previous life as I find it really difficult to settle here in the UK. Have started practising my Greek again and making avgolemono (I will perfect it one day) which my kids still love and view as a 'comfort' food xx

just to say yasoo,lm browsing the forum and saw your message and that you are from East Sussex,lm from worthing,now in Athens,been here a long time with my husband who is Greek.We just built a house about 1 and half hours from Athens,that was all pretty stressfull but we are nearly there,trying to get the electricity now,we have not stopped paying out money somewhere.Im glad you still have fond memories of Greece and if you are over here sometime and near here or need information let me know,best wishes, concertina