I am an aupair and am thinking about moving to Athens, Greece. I know it is a wonderful country with great people-I have previously worked on the island of Crete but wanted to know if there is much of an expat community? And many English speaking people there? Will I find it easy to meet people? Any advice would be much appreciated. Thanx in advance.
Greece - 6 Answers
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1 :
Well, there are ~5 million people living in Athens and the surroundings. Naturally there are many expats coming from all sorts of countries as this city gets increasingly cosmopolitan these days. Living in Athens is very much dependable on your situation really. I could present it in an idyllic way or convince you that this is the place from hell. Think of London, Paris, Rome or any other big city with all the plus and minus that come with it. Have a great time
2 :
In Athens live 5 million people. Most of them speak English fluently. You can do many things there like sightseeing and visit many museums. You can also visit many islands in no time without living in one and have the disadvantages that you would have if you lived in one. I think you will have a great time. http://www.gnto.gr
3 :
Well not everyone speaking English fluently here but we can definitely communicate properly :D Apart from sightseeing thingie, you can go out to clubs, have fun, meet ppl.. We got many students in Athens, and have fun here means "dancing till morning" so i bet you'll have a great time :D ps.: Since you're a girl you will find it extremely easy to meet ppl. greek lovers are not just a myth :P (girl speaking hehe)
4 :
Hi Suzanne There is a considerable expat community in Athens, even Irish pubs etc, but if you limit your social contacts to expats you are likely to just sit around griping about things. Why miss out on an opportunity to learn the Greek language while you're living here? It's very easy to meet people here, and everybody under 50 has learnt English at school, so at least basic communication is possible. Just be sure they are the right people, the 'kamaki' (Greek gigolo) is notorious. And think hard before letting the famous Greek lover turn into a Greek husband, most Greek men still expect women to do all the housework even if they are both working full-time, and the education system (if you eventually have children) leaves much to be desired. Don't get me wrong, there are many wonderful things about Greece, the weather (unless you don't like the heat), long summers, beaches, excellent food, friendly people (provided you look Western) and a busy nightlife. If you are only staying for a few years I'm sure you'll enjoy yourself.
5 :
Athens is a chaotic city, and naturally life is not so easy, because also the distances from one place to the other are longer...The cost of living is high, and it depends on the area.Concerning if you meet people there, you must be careful, it is a city of 5 millions, with everything..Means, you ll find foreigners, immigrants, locals, but be careful, in Athens, you can not trust easily everybody.. The majoru=ity of people speak english and other languages, as everywhere in Greece, and this, because Greece is a touristic country. But i repeat you:Be careful with whom you deal...
6 :
Like any other place Athens has its own idiosyncrasies etc. But give it time. You will have a very good life there. Athens has great shopping, great sight seeing, great nightlife, great food, great beaches wonderful people and all the modern amenities. On the con side, public restrooms are few and far between, many streets and sidewalks are in constant disrepair. You need to watch where you walk because there are a lot of friendly but loose dogs on the street. Plumbing in Greece is less advanced than other Western Countries. On the other hand trash pick up is everyday. Everyday!!! Foreign movies are never dubbed, only subtitled, so you will see films with their original audio. Food and water is clean. No Montezuma's revenge here. English is becoming more and more frequent in public. It seems most billboards are in English these days. There are at least 80,000 expat Americans living permanently in Greece. You will never be sorry to live in this magnificent city. When I'm not in LA, I am most likely to be in Greece. I Cr 13;8a
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