Living in Athens really drives this point home. In the past week, I had no less than three ‘timing errors’, based on my apparent lack of temporal interpretive ability (ahem!).

I had planned to meet a friend for coffee – ‘this afternoon’ – at a place ‘10 minutes away’. This afternoon meant 7:00pm. 10minutes away meant at the speed of sound.
Needless to say, the concept of time varies across cultures, and Greece is one of those places where this actually plays an important role.

- It’s 10 minutes away
- Let’s meet this afternoon
- See you in a few minutes
- Let’s go at 2:00 (or, more usually, ‘around’ 2:00).
- It starts in an hour
- I’ll be there at midday
- I’ll leave around 6:00…

These may have very different meanings to a North American, an Asian or a Mediterranean person. And to those of us who live in a double- or triple-culture headspace – well, it’s a wonder I get anything done…

Of course, the day of the week also matters, and of course the nature of the meeting – is it professional? Is it coffee? Is it dinner?

Telling time seems to be a not-so-simple thing in this world. With all my watches and gadgets and sense of timing – I just never seem to get it right.

So I’ve given up. Let things happen when they are ready to happen. Now or never.

Until next week sometime…

Jack

In this weekly space, keep up with ‘Jack’ as he navigates daily life in Athens… Anecdotes, stories, hits & misses, the good, the bad and, well, the rest…

The Top Ten Things I Love About Living in Greece

1. When I buy vegetables from the market, they have still have dirt on them.
   
   
2. When I take a cab home at night, 9 times out of 10 the cab driver waits until I’m in the door to drive away.
   
   
3. 7:00 pm is still considered afternoon.
   
   
4. At least once a day, I see a motorcycle or scooter driving the wrong way down the street. And no one seems at all concerned.
   
   
5. Something about the way the sunlight hits the landscape here makes the whole place seem magical.
   
   
6. My neighbors have become my friends and know and care about the details of my daily life.
   
   
7. Coffee with a friend lasts two or three hours, and I have never once talked about stock options or liquidity events.
   
   
8. When I walk down the street, I’m greeted with γεια σου κουκλα μου, γεια σου αγαπη, γεια σου ομορφη (hello darling, hello love, hello beautiful) by old men and women.
   
   
9. Shortly after meeting someone, I am invited to their home or apartment.
   
   
10. Greek summer.

Thanks for this!

Until next week,

Jack

Wherever we’ve come from, whatever our social or cultural background, showing up on the doorstep of a new country creates challenges and experiences that are at once difficult and self-affirming. And sharing those challenges – laughing or crying about them – brings people together in unexpected ways.

The other night, at the rooftop party of XpatAthens, I had the pleasure of meeting a bunch of new people – from a surprising range of backgrounds – who all shared this major thing in common. And it was great.

• The American accountant who moved to Greece on a whim, and now never wants to leave.
• The South African consultant who travels around the world but calls Greece home.
• The Greek-Canadian who discovered a passion for writing guidebooks – for children.
• The singer who lives in Las Vegas but can’t wait to return to Athens.
• The young Greek guy, raised in the UK, who now works as a diplomat.
• The Brit who fell in and out of love – and stayed.
• The Australian yoga instructor who chose Athens over Melbourne.
• The young Greek girl who is moving to New York to study English – and who will have the same expat experience over there.

On the surface, these people may have nothing in common. But one step below the surface, we all have so much shared experience. And this is the level that counts – the level where we are all, at the end of the day, more similar than we first assumed…

Until next week,

Jack

Not sure what to believe these days. Not sure if I should believe anything – or maybe everything? I turned on the TV news this week – unusually - and found the same ‘talking heads’, yelling about the same hot issues, shaking their fingers at the same names and throwing around familiar accusations. Even the good news sounds like bad news.

I’m not a TV news watcher - I tend to get my news from a ‘carefully selected’ and ‘broad range’ (or so I like to think) set of online news feeds. I scan the major headlines in the morning, and click on those that are interesting.

What I love the most are those social media sites that share and highlight the good news, the positive stuff, the happy little details of this or that group, or this or that initiative, that are going on everywhere (everywhere!) around Greece. XpatAthens, GoodChannel, ReThink Athens, Startup Greece, Human Grid, The Collective – the list goes on and on...

I imagine I am not alone in admitting that I am decidedly tired of hearing bad news, and have chosen instead to increase my daily dose of good news. After all, if even the ‘good’ mainstream news sounds like bad news, then what difference does it make that I know all about it? As it turns out, there is more than enough really fantastic news out there to keep us occupied for every one of those post-breakfast, pre-workday minutes we spend clicking around for information…

But I do wonder about the rain in the forecast. Maybe I’ll see what my smartphone has to say…

Until next week,

Jack

In this weekly space, keep up with ‘Jack’ as he navigates daily life in Athens… Anecdotes, stories, hits & misses, the good, the bad and, well, the rest…

Between my computer and my phone – and the ever-expanding world of (Greek) apps and online shops – you could really conduct every detail of your day-to-day life from the comfort of your sofa (or bed or balcony or…).

I suppose most of us do our banking online – transfers and payments and so on. With Paypal, you can pay for all manner of products and services with a couple clicks. And many of the Greek e-tailers are starting to accept Paypal transactions.

Skroutz.gr is a truly useful site for comparing and buying almost every product imaginable – from flower pots to bicycles to toys. The best part is that the site compares prices for the same products across all available online retailers – and 3 clicks later you’ve bought your new flower pot. The Skroutz smartphone app even lets you scan product barcodes for instant price comparisons – but this implies you actually left the house…

Buldoza.gr is one of many (many!) sites for clothes and homewares, with nice styles and a good range of stuff – at great prices, delivered to your front door. A quick scan of the internet revealed tons and tons of Greek e-tailers, who are more than happy to show up at your door with products in-hand. Seriously, from a bar of soap to a wedding gift - someone in Athens will bring it to your door!

Looking for a new apartment? Your first stop should really be Xpatproperty.com. But your second stop should really be Spitogatos.gr - an amalgamator of most of the Athens real estate firms’ listings. The smartphone app is also really cool – and allows you to ‘see’ all available listing based on your current GPS location.

For those of us who dread the trip to the supermarket, my best discovery has been the Carrefour online shop. In under 10 minutes, I selected and paid for all my groceries – many of which I can’t even get at my local supermarket. The site is still only in Greek, but with delivery charges between 3euros and 6euros, the effort is certainly worth it…

The point is this – modern technology is about convenience. And, apparently, never leaving the house. The point for me is to use all this technology wisely, make the most of it, so you have time for that evening walk. Which is where I’m heading right now…

Until next week,

Jack

PayPal
www.paypal.com

Skroutz
www.skroutz.gr

Buldoza
www.buldoza.gr

XpatProperty
www.xpatproperty.com

Spitogatos
www.spitogatos.gr

Carrefour
www.caremarket.gr

In this weekly space, keep up with ‘Jack’ as he navigates daily life in Athens… Anecdotes, stories, hits & misses, the good, the bad and, well, the rest…

This time, she had an entire morning to spare, and we made the most of it. Since she considers herself to be very much a visitor in Athens, and has never really liked it here, I suggested that we take an easy stroll around my ‘hood: Thiseio, Philopappou, Plaka – the places I love and see every day. We walked towards the Asteroskopeion, up the hill and headed for the lookout near the Pnyx monument. (If you’ve never been there, I highly recommend it for the best views of the Acropolis!) We continued down the hill towards Plaka. Instead of heading into Plaka proper, we took a detour away from the crowds and went into the Anafiotika neigbourhood.

(Footnote: I have had many debates about the ‘tell’ or ‘do no tell’ approach to Anafiotika. Do we want everyone to know about it, or do we want it as our little secret? Not sure where I stand on that one…)

Then we descended into Plaka and stopped for a much-needed coffee at a curbside café, watching the crowds pass by.

It was her reaction to all of this that made my day. She said, unprompted, “All those people who say they don’t like Athens – it’s simply because they don’t know Athens!” I couldn’t agree more. After that epiphany, we said our goodbyes…

I went home, jumped on my bike, and rode (yes, all the way) to Marousi for a late lunch with family in my old neighbourhood. On the ride back home, I passed by the Philippino Festival at the Fokiano Gymnasium site near the Zappeion – lots of people, lots of food & music.

Full, exhausted and happy, I returned home later in the evening and spent the last moments of a great day entertaining those terrible thoughts of Monday morning… ☺

Until next week,

Jack

In this weekly space, keep up with ‘Jack’ as he navigates daily life in Athens… Anecdotes, stories, hits & misses, the good, the bad and, well, the rest…

The beautiful spring (summer?!) weather makes us all want to be outside. And that’s exactly where I was for most of the weekend. I decided to jump on my bicycle on Saturday and ‘just go’ – starting from Thiseio and braving the tough road to Piraeus, via Pireos Street, and back again. This took me a couple hours, and if I’m being honest, the roads were far less ‘tough’ than expected. I have the strong impression that Athens drivers have become very familiar and accommodating to cyclists. I can imagine what they’re saying behind their windows – but at least they notice the bikes and swerve around us. I even read that the City of Athens is planning to introduce bike rental stations in a few spots around the city. This may turn into a bike city yet!

Later in the evening I ventured out with some friends to the Museum of Cycladic Art for their (free!) street party. This was an event to promote the museum on the International Museum Day – they had various special events during the day, and closed down the street in the evening – with a DJ, free beer and a great vibe…

On Sunday a couple of us decided to meet for a late lunch. The requirements were ‘cheap & cheerful’ and ‘not a taverna’. We headed to the neighbourhood around Syntagma, towards Plaka, and wandered around with the usual ‘What about here? What about there?’ We settled on a vegetarian restaurant called Avocado. Now, I'm no vegetarian, so I wasn’t convinced at first. But I was certainly convinced afterwards. The food is delicious, the prices are right, the menu is incredibly varied – it never occurred to me that pizza could be classified as vegetarian – and the service was also really good. Refreshing. And lucky for those of us who live in the centre – they deliver.

These easy weekends seem to be few and far between lately – but what a great treat when one comes your way…

Until next week,

Jack

Museum of Cycladic Art
Neofytou Douka 4
www.cycladic.gr

Avocado
Nikis 30
www.avocadoathens.com

In this weekly space, keep up with ‘Jack’ as he navigates daily life in Athens… Anecdotes, stories, hits & misses, the good, the bad and, well, the rest...

But this baptism was somehow different. Although not a highly religious family, they are lovers of traditions and of the ‘Greek way’ of doing things. The priest was decidedly ‘proper’ in following certain rules – including not letting the crowd of witnesses cram the baptismal basin. But unavoidably, there was a crying baby.

For me, the church itself played a big role in the general tone of the day. Agia Marina in Thiseio – on the hill behind all the cafes – is a special place. Its location, its history and its size make it interesting. The location of the church is affiliated with religious beliefs regarding the birth and health of children, dating back to ancient times. The original church on the site was constructed as far back as the 11-12th century. But it’s the cave within the church, revealing the place of an older place of worship, which really impresses – and which really gives the church a unique and, I would even say, ‘mystical’ feeling. I highly recommend dropping in to take a look…

I’m not a religious person, but I feel there is value in these things - for the sake of a culture and its centuries-old traditions, and for our connection to those things. For the sake of family and friends getting together to celebrate. For the sake of the special bond between the ‘nono’ and the child. And for the sake of writing the first important milestone in the child’s life. The ceremony, the lunch that followed, the dancing and the happy little child that barely knew what was going on – this was a nice day by any count…

Until next week,

Jack

In this weekly space, keep up with ‘Jack’ as he navigates daily life in Athens… Anecdotes, stories, hits & misses, the good, the bad and, well, the rest…

But Easter is also a time of beautiful traditions and a time to spend with loved ones.

For me this meant calmly explaining to the family why I would not be joining them for Easter dinner, and instead opting to spend Easter Sunday with a group of Greek and expat friends. (Easter is also a time of high drama, as it turns out…)

During the evening of Good Friday, I ventured out for a walk, to discover a very unusual side of Athens – ‘silence’. Streets were almost deserted, no music at the cafes, everywhere calm - people young and old were following some unspoken rule, all of them, at the same time. Believers or not, I was impressed by this cross-generational observance of a tradition, which resulted in a common cross-generational behavior.

At the Anastasi service on Saturday night, my local church was packed – overflowing - with at least as many people outside as inside. And again, a cross section of Greek society, at the same place, following the same unspoken rules, calmly and without fuss. Easter in Greece seems to cross generations – young and old following a tradition that is very strong in the national psyche. And it’s not just Easter – this country is one of the few places I’ve been where the dominant culture crosses generations to such a great extent. I’m sure there’s a lesson in there somewhere…

Sunday was a great day. The wine was flowing, the lamb was roasting, the faces were smiling. And I thought that this amazing reward, this ‘payoff’ of the fantastic Easter feast, really made following the rules quite easy. If A + B = ‘really awesome’ C, then surely I’ll endure A & B… hmm…

Xronia polla to all!

Until next week,

Jack

In this weekly space, keep up with ‘Jack’ as he navigates daily life in Athens… Anecdotes, stories, hits & misses, the good, the bad and, well, the rest…

“I am lucky to be able to travel a lot – my work affords me the opportunity to move around all the time. So much so, that I don’t really have a place that I consider ‘home’. I’m a person who can honestly say ‘wherever I lay my hat is home’ – and I mean it. This lifestyle is not about wealth and riches – quite the opposite: this lifestyle is about having different experiences and the richness of meeting interesting people wherever I go.

The last few weeks were particularly special. I spent the first ten days in the Peloponnese, staying in a rural house, looking after the pets for the owners who were away. This was lovely and peaceful, a world away from the urban chaos of London, my previous destination. Then I came to Athens, determined to see the ancient sites that I had learned about during my studies. I wouldn’t say I had many expectations – I take each experience as it comes.

The ruins and rocks I expected. What I didn’t expect was the realization that Athens is more about what you feel than what you see. There are of course some beautiful parts of the city – and there are some not-so-beautiful parts of the city. But this feeling is undeniable, this unique mix of highly charged and yet incredibly relaxed energy – this is how I will think of Athens and its people.

This is a city that one must experience, rather that ‘tour’. And hopefully at the end of your experience, you will say ‘I get it’ – as I did. It is not a city without challenges and troubles and woes – but I believe that even these things add to the particular energy that is Athens. I understand why so many choose to live here – also not because of wealth and riches, but rather about the richness of everyday life. I found myself thinking that my hat might like to stay here for a while…”

Thanks for the inspiration, Kristie!

Until next week,

Jack

In this weekly space, keep up with ‘Jack’ as he navigates daily life in Athens… Anecdotes, stories, hits & misses, the good, the bad and, well, the rest…