thama
12-02-04, 15:05
http://www.easyjetinflight.com/features/2003/jul/greekSteals.html
Για δείτε πως μας περιγράφει μια αεροπορική εταιρεία στο εξωτερικό
Αντιγράφω, αλλά υπόψιν είναι μεγάλο, και στα αγγλικά
TEN THINGS TO STEAL FROM... THE GREEK
Text by Malika Browne
They are Europe's heaviest smokers (45% of the adult population smokes), they consume more Scotch whisky per person than any other country in the world, they have names like Adonis, they put on tracksuits just to watch sport on television, they have a reputation of agreeing to but ignoring EU regulations and last year their government banned all electronic games across the country including ones on home computers, portable consoles, and mobile phones. We have already stolen democracy, the Olympics, and most of our words from them, but we still think there are a couple of things left that we'd like to get our hands on...
Time.
In Greece, GMT stands for Greek Maybe Time. Nothing is too urgent to require immediate attention. The siesta, which takes place between about 2pm and 5pm, is built into the day, and in many villages, the Sunday volta - or promenade in the French sense of the word - is still the highlight of the week, when villagers have a walk to pass the time of day and boys watch girls go by. The common sight of unfinished houses in Greece, with girders sticking out of the top floor, is a testament to the Greeks' relationship with the future; enough of the house is made ready for the family's present needs; when they need more room, they just build more.
Cinemas.
In summer, most cinemas in Greece are outdoors, and have bars selling whisky, cognac, ouzo and snacks. There is also an intermission halfway through the film so you can replenish your drinks and decide whether you're enjoying the movie. And the projectionist won't have to wait until the intermission for his cigarette - smoking is allowed throughout the show in Greek cinemas. Unlike other European countries, Greece does not dub foreign films into Greek but uses subtitles instead.
Coffee.
Known as Turkish coffee until 1974, when Turkey invaded Northern Cyprus, the coffee you get in Greece is not for the faint-hearted. The young in Greece prefer frappé, instant coffee with milk. In villages, the kafenion, or local café, is the local gossip point, where Greek men go to play tavli, or backgammon. Until the early '80s, there were always at least two kafenions in every village, no matter how small it was. Each one was decorated with different colours, signalling the political leanings of the kafenion owner. This way you avoided political quarrels. In larger towns and cities, local coffee bars still deliver trays of coffee on foot to local businesses.
Eating habits.
Cross-generational dining, with grandma and small children at the same table, is always more entertaining even if it does take longer. But the Greeks aren't in a hurry where food is concerned; late-night dining means sitting down to the evening meal no earlier than 9pm. Even on Sunday nights tavernas are packed until late. Eating alone is unheard of, so the solo diner will find it hard to get served. Meals in restaurants are paid for in cash, not credit cards or cheques, and Greeks always have enough money on them to pay for others.
Island hopping.
Greece has 227 inhabitable islands divided up into seven island groups: the Ionian Islands, the Dodecanese, Crete, the Cyclades, the Saronic, the North Eastern Aegean Islands and the Sporades. An impressively efficient ferry system operates between the island groups, and Greeks island-hop for weekends away. In fact, the islands may be the reason Greeks are so reluctant to holiday abroad, and who can blame them? August is best avoided by those who hate crowds.
Attempts at traffic solutions.
Instead of an administration-heavy congestion charge, Athens instituted a system of alternate driving days a few years ago, whereby motorists can only use their cars every other day, as dictated by the last digit of their number plate. This was aimed at combating both congestion and pollution. Unfortunately, the canny Athenians got round the restriction by buying a second car (often second-hand and therefore more likely to pollute) with the opposite number plate. Nice try though. The Athens metro, another traffic solution, could be seen as the eighth wonder of the world, and not only because it's a wonder they ever finished it at all. Finally opened in January 2000, the new subway system looks like a museum. Check out the station under Syntagma Square for the highest concentration of ancient exhibits.
The luck of being born female.
Most Greek parents build a house for each daughter, but not for their sons as they are supposed to marry a girl who will get a house from her parents. Often it is also the daughter that inherits her parents' or grandparents' house when they die. Do expectant Greek parents pray for sons?
Nectar of the gods.
Wine from the Katogi winery - no wonder Dionysus was devoted to the stuff.
Plate Smashing.
The Greeks love to throw things. They throw carnations to singers and smash glasses and dishes when beautiful girls dance the zeibekiko or the hasapiko on the dance floor. Back in the '30s they used to throw knives - a sign of respect and manhood - at dancers' feet. Due to injuries, that tradition gradually changed to the present-day plate-throwing tradition, which has stuck. Luckily the Greeks take their recycling seriously, so it's not a complete waste!
Wacky beliefs.
Superstitions and strong religious beliefs always make life more interesting. When Greeks move into a new house, the local priest comes over to exorcise and bless it. In Greece, Tuesday the 13th is the unlucky day (not Friday) because it is the day on which Constantinople fell to the Ottoman Turks.
Products worth emigrating for:
Bougatsa - a filo pastry custard pie sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon, which one can buy from the early hours of the morning (very welcome after clubbing) Fresh Taramasalata
Periptera: Incredibly useful street kiosks that stay open late and sell everything from tobacco to cold drinks, maps, newspapers, key rings, ice creams, worry beads, and hundreds of other things. It's always worth asking if they have something as they probably will! There are around 46, 000 of these kiosks in Greece.
Για δείτε πως μας περιγράφει μια αεροπορική εταιρεία στο εξωτερικό
Αντιγράφω, αλλά υπόψιν είναι μεγάλο, και στα αγγλικά
TEN THINGS TO STEAL FROM... THE GREEK
Text by Malika Browne
They are Europe's heaviest smokers (45% of the adult population smokes), they consume more Scotch whisky per person than any other country in the world, they have names like Adonis, they put on tracksuits just to watch sport on television, they have a reputation of agreeing to but ignoring EU regulations and last year their government banned all electronic games across the country including ones on home computers, portable consoles, and mobile phones. We have already stolen democracy, the Olympics, and most of our words from them, but we still think there are a couple of things left that we'd like to get our hands on...
Time.
In Greece, GMT stands for Greek Maybe Time. Nothing is too urgent to require immediate attention. The siesta, which takes place between about 2pm and 5pm, is built into the day, and in many villages, the Sunday volta - or promenade in the French sense of the word - is still the highlight of the week, when villagers have a walk to pass the time of day and boys watch girls go by. The common sight of unfinished houses in Greece, with girders sticking out of the top floor, is a testament to the Greeks' relationship with the future; enough of the house is made ready for the family's present needs; when they need more room, they just build more.
Cinemas.
In summer, most cinemas in Greece are outdoors, and have bars selling whisky, cognac, ouzo and snacks. There is also an intermission halfway through the film so you can replenish your drinks and decide whether you're enjoying the movie. And the projectionist won't have to wait until the intermission for his cigarette - smoking is allowed throughout the show in Greek cinemas. Unlike other European countries, Greece does not dub foreign films into Greek but uses subtitles instead.
Coffee.
Known as Turkish coffee until 1974, when Turkey invaded Northern Cyprus, the coffee you get in Greece is not for the faint-hearted. The young in Greece prefer frappé, instant coffee with milk. In villages, the kafenion, or local café, is the local gossip point, where Greek men go to play tavli, or backgammon. Until the early '80s, there were always at least two kafenions in every village, no matter how small it was. Each one was decorated with different colours, signalling the political leanings of the kafenion owner. This way you avoided political quarrels. In larger towns and cities, local coffee bars still deliver trays of coffee on foot to local businesses.
Eating habits.
Cross-generational dining, with grandma and small children at the same table, is always more entertaining even if it does take longer. But the Greeks aren't in a hurry where food is concerned; late-night dining means sitting down to the evening meal no earlier than 9pm. Even on Sunday nights tavernas are packed until late. Eating alone is unheard of, so the solo diner will find it hard to get served. Meals in restaurants are paid for in cash, not credit cards or cheques, and Greeks always have enough money on them to pay for others.
Island hopping.
Greece has 227 inhabitable islands divided up into seven island groups: the Ionian Islands, the Dodecanese, Crete, the Cyclades, the Saronic, the North Eastern Aegean Islands and the Sporades. An impressively efficient ferry system operates between the island groups, and Greeks island-hop for weekends away. In fact, the islands may be the reason Greeks are so reluctant to holiday abroad, and who can blame them? August is best avoided by those who hate crowds.
Attempts at traffic solutions.
Instead of an administration-heavy congestion charge, Athens instituted a system of alternate driving days a few years ago, whereby motorists can only use their cars every other day, as dictated by the last digit of their number plate. This was aimed at combating both congestion and pollution. Unfortunately, the canny Athenians got round the restriction by buying a second car (often second-hand and therefore more likely to pollute) with the opposite number plate. Nice try though. The Athens metro, another traffic solution, could be seen as the eighth wonder of the world, and not only because it's a wonder they ever finished it at all. Finally opened in January 2000, the new subway system looks like a museum. Check out the station under Syntagma Square for the highest concentration of ancient exhibits.
The luck of being born female.
Most Greek parents build a house for each daughter, but not for their sons as they are supposed to marry a girl who will get a house from her parents. Often it is also the daughter that inherits her parents' or grandparents' house when they die. Do expectant Greek parents pray for sons?
Nectar of the gods.
Wine from the Katogi winery - no wonder Dionysus was devoted to the stuff.
Plate Smashing.
The Greeks love to throw things. They throw carnations to singers and smash glasses and dishes when beautiful girls dance the zeibekiko or the hasapiko on the dance floor. Back in the '30s they used to throw knives - a sign of respect and manhood - at dancers' feet. Due to injuries, that tradition gradually changed to the present-day plate-throwing tradition, which has stuck. Luckily the Greeks take their recycling seriously, so it's not a complete waste!
Wacky beliefs.
Superstitions and strong religious beliefs always make life more interesting. When Greeks move into a new house, the local priest comes over to exorcise and bless it. In Greece, Tuesday the 13th is the unlucky day (not Friday) because it is the day on which Constantinople fell to the Ottoman Turks.
Products worth emigrating for:
Bougatsa - a filo pastry custard pie sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon, which one can buy from the early hours of the morning (very welcome after clubbing) Fresh Taramasalata
Periptera: Incredibly useful street kiosks that stay open late and sell everything from tobacco to cold drinks, maps, newspapers, key rings, ice creams, worry beads, and hundreds of other things. It's always worth asking if they have something as they probably will! There are around 46, 000 of these kiosks in Greece.