NationStates Jolt Archive

Post your opinions about the country, the people, and anything else Greece-related you wish in this space :)

I think it's nice. My friend from Greece just came back from there and brought back something called tzambochas(?). They're just like Mexican churros except that they're shorter and covered in some kind of honey instead of brown sugar and cinnamon. Otherwise they're identical. And they're good too.

I'd say they've been on a bit of a losing streak since Alexander... :D

I'd say they've been on a bit of a losing streak since Alexander... :D

... Alexander was Macedonian. But when a thread comes up about the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia... you'll be ready :p

As to Greece, I've never been. I like Greek gyros though.

I like Greek history, you know the citystates and such, but I don't really have a feel for the modern Greek state.

Post your opinions about the country, the people, and anything else Greece-related you wish in this space :)
I've never been to Greece yet, but I love Greek history. I'm going there as part of an archaelogical dig to Thermopylae (you probably know the story) next summer. :)

been to greece a couple f times as a tourist, great food, great countryside, met only nice people. i'm afraid i on't know too much about the greek society/government/etc to post too much more..but hey don't they always say democracy comes from greece?then you got unlimited sympathy crad with me..;)
oh and p.s. my parents named me erato so i guess i can say i ahve a personal link to your country..;)

Greece, well:

To the Greek people, really. Why were you so lax that terrorists in the 70s used to use the Athens airport as a convenient jumping-off point? And what's all this animosity with the Turks? The United States has pretty much forgiven Germany, the Russian Federation, Japan, China and Vietnam for events recently; and Americans are well known for being easy to anger and slow to chill out.

What's doing? Y'all invented some great food, which I've been pleased to serve as well as eat, and your language is neat enough, but politically (in terms of IR)... I don't get it.

... Alexander was Macedonian. But when a thread comes up about the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia... you'll be ready :p

FYR Macedonia != Historical Macedonia.

I'm 1/4 Greek, do I count as a non-Greek or as a Greek?

(I've never been to Greece, by the way.)

I'm 1/4 Greek, do I count as a non-Greek or as a Greek?

(I've never been to Greece, by the way.)

I'm 1/4 German, but I still count myself an Englishman. I base it more upon birthplace and upbringing.

I'd say they've been on a bit of a losing streak since Alexander... :D

Hey, we won WWII for you :D
The Italians couldn't conquer us, so they had to call in Hitler to help, and even so, we held back the vastly superior force for so long, and Hitler had to divert troops, that it delayed the Russian invasion a few months, and we all know the results of that :)

Greece, well:

To the Greek people, really. Why were you so lax that terrorists in the 70s used to use the Athens airport as a convenient jumping-off point? And what's all this animosity with the Turks? The United States has pretty much forgiven Germany, the Russian Federation, Japan, China and Vietnam for events recently; and Americans are well known for being easy to anger and slow to chill out.

What's doing? Y'all invented some great food, which I've been pleased to serve as well as eat, and your language is neat enough, but politically (in terms of IR)... I don't get it.

That Turk thing, you gatta realise that we Greeks are a very stubborn people. Hell, we still call it Constantinople.

In terms of IR, I suppose the Greek gov has it's own internal worries. Or maby we remember that the West put down a popular rebellion against Nazi officials the Brits had put back into power post-WWII.

You also gatta realise that Greece is culturaly and geographicly both Western and Eastern. It's tecnhnically part of Europe, and they are in the EU but I have met many Middle Easterners (Isrealis and Arabs) that consider Greece part of them and the Greeks a brother race.

...Thermopylae (you probably know the story)...

Hell yes bitch. Like I said, stupporn :p

Hey, we won WWII for you :D
Meh. Home advantage. :P

we Greeks are a very stubborn people.
I think we all know that.
Hell, we still call it Constantinople.
I didn't know that, but it fits.

Hell yes bitch. Like I said, stupporn :p
It's your Agincourt. Speaks volumes of the Spartans, and of the Persians...

I've never been to Greece, but I've met some Greek girls and they were quite nice.

Personally I don't actually know much about the current state of Greek politics and I've yet to make it over to Europe, but I have always had a deep interest in ancient Greek History. I've read the Odyssy probably 10 times and I'm currently working in the Illiad, I've read several books on the mythology of the ancient Pantheon of Gods. Everything that I've read, watched, or seen that came out of Ancient Greek is so full of detail and an undying love of life, it's always been quite interesting for me.

Been to Greece on a study trip 14 years ago. I found it lively, beautifull and full of interesting old stuff. But since nearly all federal workers were on strike it was very chaotic, stank (as in: hotel next to the fishmarket without any trashmen working for two weeks), lacked water and electricity and everyone took that as pretty normal.
Most greeks i met were friendly but so laid back they could as well be called lazy. ;) E.g., a hotel we stayed at had a broken aircondition and we asked if it would be repaired, as we planned to stay for four days and it was hot. "Yes, will be repaired in August." "But we already have September." "August '92".
Our bus driver seemed to have family all over the country, which means we got a interesting view on good-natured nepotism and a lot of warm welcomes. One evening we went to a totally unassuming restaurant, which looked liked a mix of wine cellar and bunker, as it was basically a large room of unadorned concrete filled with casks and a large table in the midst. Unsurprisingly it belonged to a cousin of our driver. But we got tons of delicious food, wine as much as we could drink, the owner and his family/personell joined us later and we had a swell time.
In general, Greece is quite fun, but expect a chaotic time if you stay of the usual tourist pathes.

What, no Byzantine Empire yet?

FYR Macedonia != Historical Macedonia.

Please elaborate on this?

---As for the poster who said Alexander the Great was not Greek but Macedonian, well...yes indeed he was Macedonian, but historical records suggest he was from what is today the Greek part of the Macedonia region (the part I come from, with Salonica as its capital). Whether that makes him 100% Greek (as in, would Julius Caesar be considered 100% Italian by today's terms), and whether those who scream out "Macedonia is Greek" are right to do so, I highly doubt it. I just wish extremists from both nations would see logic and give each other their dues, nobody "owns" the entire Macedonia, and the FYR Macedonia is wrongly dubbed "Macedonia" by several media around the world.

---And for the fellow user who doesn't understand the animosity between Greece and Turkey - I think the animosity is mostly a athing of the past now - the forward thinking people in both countries generally tend to point out the similarities (and there are a lot) that we share as nations - you also see a lot of Turkish players playing in Greek football and basketball teams, and the other way around, also many Turkish songs become hits in Greece (we even hand out high points to each other in Eurovision, lol) etc.
As with the "Macedonia" issue, I just wish extremists and backwards-thinkers from both sides would finally see sense.

The truth is somewhere in the middle, you see - I think generally we're not given the amount of respect we deserve from the bigger nations in Europe, even after the success of Olympics 2004, but in many ways I feel we are not really doing enough to promote our country either.

Post your opinions about the country, the people, and anything else Greece-related you wish in this space :)
Nice people, bit backwards.

Greece is nice. Went there a few years back on a tour of various sites of classical historical interest. Liked it, even if you use a silly alphabet ;) Kidding, love it: it's really fun when you spot a word that's similar to an English word but looks completely different because of the script.

My opinion of the Greek people, on the other hand, bastards!

Sorry. Kidding again. I met very few Greeks on the trip, as it was a school trip, and we didn't intersocialise with the locals much. However, those we did have chance to chat to were generally very nice. People everywhere tend to be quite similar. I didn't know you still informally referred to Istanbul as Constantinople, though I can see why: it's just a much nicer name, at least in my humble.

Shame about the Athens smog. I didn't get any good photos of or from the Parthenon because of it. And shame about the (I gather, enormous) heroin problem. Are either being effectively dealt with?

Otherwise, nice place, and advice to all foreign travellers to Hellas: Those little roadside shrines you see are where people have driven off the road and died. Heed them well, for Greece is a very mountainous country.

I heard they passed a law a while back that outlawed videogames in Greece.

Our bus driver seemed to have family all over the country, which means we got a interesting view on good-natured nepotism and a lot of warm welcomes. One evening we went to a totally unassuming restaurant, which looked liked a mix of wine cellar and bunker, as it was basically a large room of unadorned concrete filled with casks and a large table in the midst. Unsurprisingly it belonged to a cousin of our driver. But we got tons of delicious food, wine as much as we could drink, the owner and his family/personell joined us later and we had a swell time.

I experienced this too :D Our bus driver always stopped a little away from where our teachers asked him to, so that the nearest restaurant was owned by a family member or a friend. Not that this was a problem, for the food there tended to be excellent. I wonder if these are food/travel dynasties; half of the family become chefs and cafe owners and the other half provide them with custom?

Also, for the phrase "good-natured nepotism" you win a bowl of tzatziki, for it is sonorous, accurate, and has a nice rhythm to it.

Hey, we won WWII for you :D
The Italians couldn't conquer us, so they had to call in Hitler to help, and even so, we held back the vastly superior force for so long, and Hitler had to divert troops, that it delayed the Russian invasion a few months, and we all know the results of that :)

Won the war? Haha whatever. Far more factual to say that the Italians lost the war for the Germans. Just look at any battle where Italians were involved. Actually the German invasion had already been delayed by their invasion of Yugoslavia.

Anyway the Germans did win the war. The commies and yanks just brainwashed everyone to think that they lost ;)

I never been to Greece, though I would like to go. It looks like a very beautiful place and have been told by people that have visited there that I must go when I have the chance.

As for the Greeks themselves, there were many Greeks at the university that I did my MA at, and I would say they were very enjoyable group of people to be around. Several of them were my friends or friends of my friends so often I would go out to town with some of them.

The thing about Greece, the cities and countryside are *very* different. In many villages, they live like the old days, farming and sheepherding and no electricity and all. If you go out of the cities, beware of children, they surround you, like 20 of them, and mass-pickpocket you.

I plan to go back to the village my family came from, soon. My grandmother was literally born in a cave in the Greek mountainside.

Never underestimate the power of a cliche. If I were to post a thread with the same question regarding my country, nobody would answer (although it is quite near Greece - in pure geographic terms - I doubt more than three people would have anything to say).

Greece is too hot. Plus everyone there is homosexual.

That's what I heard anyway.

Never underestimate the power of a cliche. If I were to post a thread with the same question regarding my country, nobody would answer (although it is quite near Greece - in pure geographic terms - I doubt more than three people would have anything to say).

Turkey? Cyprus? Bulgaria? Albania? Macedonia? Malta? Italy? Serbia? Romania?

Won the war? Haha whatever. Far more factual to say that the Italians lost the war for the Germans. Just look at any battle where Italians were involved. Actually the German invasion had already been delayed by their invasion of Yugoslavia.

Anyway the Germans did win the war. The commies and yanks just brainwashed everyone to think that they lost ;)

...And why do you think they actually attacked Yougoslavia, hmmm? ;)
You can't just jump over it to assault Greece, can you? Anyways, about Greece as a country, I think it is one of the most beautiful and culturally, historically and even geographically one of the richest countries in the world. I have been there only once though, and that happened when I was like 5 years old. Nonetheless, the picture I've got is that Greece is a bit behind in development, comparing to some countries of the Western Europe. Still it is internally strong and culturally stunning, and by those two main factors it will soon catch the rest of the continent :) .

Turkey? Cyprus? Bulgaria? Albania? Macedonia? Malta? Italy? Serbia? Romania?
That's it: the very last one. Share your thoughts - not to take up space on this, but at least tell me if you see it turning into a succesfull thread.

That's it: the very last one. Share your thoughts - not to take up space on this, but at least tell me if you see it turning into a succesfull thread.

Im not the one you asked, but I still take the freedom to assure you that there would certainly be enough people to post, and to make in to a decent conversation.

Im not the one you asked, but I still take the freedom to assure you that there would certainly be enough people to post, and to make in to a decent conversation.
Hm. I guess I might.

That's it: the very last one. Share your thoughts - not to take up space on this, but at least tell me if you see it turning into a succesfull thread.

I was spiralling out from Greece. I figured it wouldn't be much further than Romania. I can't say it would be a successful thread, sorry. Not too many people know much about Romania, sadly. I could participate as far as I've read about Romania, but I don't imagine too many people here have first-hand experiences to share.

Never been to Greece, but anyway - looks like a nice place, good countryside, ancient civilisations, warm climate.

Not so sure about the olives, goats cheese and retsina though :confused:

I love me some olives.

Greeks are really funny.

If you ever watch "My big fat Greek Wedding", it's quite typical, except for the Windex thing. Greeks are always about big meals, getting married, and having babies, at least my purely Greek relatives were. They also have this thing going on about "finding a nice Greek girl (or boy)." Really funny.

Post your opinions about the country, the people, and anything else Greece-related you wish in this space :)

Corfu is lovely. Well, Corfu town, anyway.

Kavos is a living hellhole, and those responsible for it's despoiling, both tourists and tour operators, should be taken out and shot.

The runway at Athens was much like every runway i have ever seen.

You had a bit of a problem with fascist generals but seem over that. Your cuisine is nice. Nana Mouskori looked like a man. You were the birthplace of western civilization. Greek women are either 21 and incredibly hot or 45 and fatter than the star of Supersize me. Alexander the Great was a bit of a whoopsie. We should give you the Elgin marbles back. Byron died at Missolonghi.

I have now exhausted my facile knowledge of Greek culture.

Romania thread:
http://forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=443875

- you won the euro cup!!!! (old but still good news)

- the stereotypical Greek woman plucks her unibrow :eek:

- modern Greece needs to be in the news more because I can’t remember the last thing Greece did in politics

- ancient Greece though great is pretty boring to me (except Sparta which kicked ass) I mean the plays and literature are some of the best ever but there still yawn! (damm poems :mad: )

I'm going there as part of an archaelogical dig to Thermopylae (you probably know the story) next summer. :)

I'm proud to be descended from the Spartans. :)

Greece is too hot. Plus everyone there is homosexual.

That's what I heard anyway.

:rolleyes:

It's called a 'sterotype'.

it's just plain fucking stupid.

I'm proud to be descended from the Spartans. :)

Bitchin'. You should be proud.

Greeks are really funny.

If you ever watch "My big fat Greek Wedding", it's quite typical, except for the Windex thing. Greeks are always about big meals, getting married, and having babies, at least my purely Greek relatives were. They also have this thing going on about "finding a nice Greek girl (or boy)." Really funny.

They have the movie if Greece, too. Only in Greece, everyone laughs at how funny the Americans are, and all the parts Americans laugh at, Greeks find normal :)

Our neibhor keeps trying to set me up with his daughter, because I am the only Greek boy in the neibhorhood.

My Papou told me that I should marry within my religion (Greek Orthodox). He also never takes fever or headache medicine, if he has a cold or a virus he just takes a shot of Ozo.

I love gyros!

(my fellow americans, it's pronounced "YEAR-ose")
----
also, Stelias Giannicopoulos (sp?) is a competent midfielder.
----

Socrates, Aristotle (sp?) and Plato

Aristophanes, Thucydides, Homer

Minoans, Mycenaeans (sp?), Trojans, Spartans

nice flag (i like blue)

nice beaches, nice coastline (and lots of coastline), nice islands

city-states

ancient Hellenic culture/language served as the basis for Roman culture/language

etc.

Greece has been incredibly important to the history of the world... and to how we live today.

I love gyros :p Greece is a wonderful place, with deep history, powerful stories, great food (yaaaay) and beautiful people ^_^ Yarg

I love gyros!


MEEEEE TOOOOOOOO!!!!!

love the food but I don't know to much about modern greek society

... Alexander was Macedonian. But when a thread comes up about the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia... you'll be ready :p

As to Greece, I've never been. I like Greek gyros though.

I like Greek history, you know the citystates and such, but I don't really have a feel for the modern Greek state.

The old Macedon and the F.Y.R.o.M aren't the same. The true (old) Macedon (or macedonia) is now in Greece...

I've never been to Greece, but all the greek food I've had is darn good.

Been to Kos... How comes that all those old, small and tourists-attracting villages only got old folks? Are those villages going to die in another generation??? Where are the young people?

Anyway, Greece... Whatever happened to Sparta?

The old Macedon and the F.Y.R.o.M aren't the same. The true (old) Macedon (or macedonia) is now in Greece...
I think the origin of the Greek rigid stance is that Macedonia is both FYROM and N. Greece (not Ancient Greece, though - the city-states to the south percieved it as something foreign, almost barbaric). Greece thinks that Macedonia is claiming part of its territory - from my own observations in FYROM, this is partly true (the history museum would show maps including Thessaloniki and Thrace). Also, Greek Macedonia has had a large Slavic-speaking population.
Anyway, Greece... Whatever happened to Sparta?
I'm no Greek, but I learned it got wiped out by Thebes and a rebellion of its helots.

Well, Alexander Macedon (Pallas) is in greece, then, Alexander Magnus was Greek or old Macedonian. And Philip II (?) conquered greece for Macedonia, then, Greeks were Macedonians and macedonians were greeks...

Love Greece, Great Country Wish it would Rename its Self the Byzantine Empire just to annoy Johnny Turk

Well, Alexander Macedon (Pallas) is in greece, then, Alexander Magnus was Greek or old Macedonian. And Philip II (?) conquered greece for Macedonia, then, Greeks were Macedonians and macedonians were greeks...
If you had been on the losing side, not really :) . But anyway, after the fall of the cities, "Ancient" Greece more or less ended. And the division of Alexander's realm meant that all between here and Turkmenistan was formed into new and original entities - the "Hellenistic" world (the blending of Greece and whatever). The fact that most of Macedonia is in Greece now is a contribution of Ottoman policy and XIXth century rebellion, more than of Antiquity.

Greece is great. Great food. Great shopping. I love the barter system. I got the coolest chess set in Corfu. :)

Why does greek abstract sculpture so often seem to include an unnaturally large penis? :confuse:

Turkey? Cyprus? Bulgaria? Albania? Macedonia? Malta? Italy? Serbia? Romania?

Macedonia is a seperate country? Since when?

Macedonia is a seperate country? Since when?
There you go... Even if they wouldn't be jealous of Greece or whatever, they would have to call themselves something (and no, "Southern Serbia" and "Western Bulgaria" don't really do the trick - just as we're not calling Greece "Little Eastern Roman Empire" or "Whatever is left of the ideal state planned by the Philloniki Hetairia").

Good country. HElped build the modren world. Shall be visited by His Eminence someday

I really, really wanna travel to Greece, and other nations in the eastern mediterannean. The architecture, the sea, and of course the history! I dont no much about the people though.

Macedonia is a seperate country? Since when?


Macedonia has been a country for a lil while, since 1992 I think. The EU wont let um in, because well the EU is mean and macedonia isnt economically stable. Really wanna visit them too

Good country. HElped build the modren world. Shall be visited by His Eminence someday
Hm. Not gonna happen anytime soon, I guess. The Pope would not enjoy being thrown rotten tomatoes in the face by some resisting, militant and nasty Orthodox priests. Same reason he won't go to Russia, by the way.

Macedonia has been a country for a lil while, since 1992 I think. The EU wont let um in, because well the EU is mean and macedonia isnt economically stable. Really wanna visit them too
I've been there, and it looked quite stable (not "politically stable" for a while in 99 or 2000 - violent troubles with the Albanian minority).
The EU is not to be blamed (I mean, they carry talks with the EU, in order to join - it will happen around 2015, I guess), Greece is: "Macedonia" as a name is claimed to be an intention to question the Greek northern border (it isn't, for the large part - but there are some dissatisfactions in Macedonian society regarding this).

I love gyros!

(my fellow americans, it's pronounced "YEAR-ose")

Thank you so fucking much!

Hm. Not gonna happen anytime soon, I guess. The Pope would not enjoy being thrown rotten tomatoes in the face by some resisting, militant and nasty Orthodox priests. Same reason he won't go to Russia, by the way.


The upper echalons of both churches have been talking, trying to improve relations. But yea, last time a Pope visited Athens, there was a fucking riot :(

Post your opinions about the country, the people, and anything else Greece-related you wish in this space :)

My opinion's of Greece mostly are focused on their history unfortunately. I do not really know much of the modern culture or people. However I am facinated by their history regarding particularly of Sparta as well as Athens. Yes its the only aspect of Greece most Americans learn about, but only because they were so unique and had amazing legacies.

For non-Greeks: Your opinions of Greece

I think Greece needs to admit it's guilt in the invasion and destruction of Troy. I think the whole "Helen-Paris" thing was merely a pretense for war siezed on by Agamemnon to gain control of Trojan olive oil reserves.

One word: Ouzo.

I haven't actually visited Greece before, but I would very much like to go - the only thing that puts me off is the heat. It is very rich historically and culturally, and it's people are reputed as some of the friendliest people in the world.

For example, a friend of mine and his family visited Greece one day and was in a small village looking for a restaurant. Eventually they found a place with out door seats, so they sat down. A person came out and explained apologetically that they had little food in stock, but they replied they'd eat anything. After being given a delicious meal, they asked how much it cost. The reply was classic

"No, you don't understand, this is our home"

They'd just sat in someones garden and freely being offered a nice specially prepared meal by very poor people - the equivilent of modern day peasants. I know it's only an anecdote but I think it says something about the Greek people in general - I can't imagine it happening in many other places, in the west at least. Although, maybe it's just because they were very poor, and in general poor people are more generous and nicer than rich? Either way it's a life long ambition to one day see Greece.

In the cities, be careful, Greeks are terrible drivers. They go up on the streets, anything to avoid red lights and stop signs. They'll yell at you for being in their way, even if you're just walking down the sidewalk :)

Greece is pretty dang awesome.

If you had been on the losing side, not really :) . But anyway, after the fall of the cities, "Ancient" Greece more or less ended. And the division of Alexander's realm meant that all between here and Turkmenistan was formed into new and original entities - the "Hellenistic" world (the blending of Greece and whatever). The fact that most of Macedonia is in Greece now is a contribution of Ottoman policy and XIXth century rebellion, more than of Antiquity.

I think I haven't studied the Ottoman Empire yet. I know that part of Greece and Macedonia were in it, but not sure about FYRoM...

... Alexander was Macedonian. But when a thread comes up about the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia... you'll be ready :p

As to Greece, I've never been. I like Greek gyros though.

I like Greek history, you know the citystates and such, but I don't really have a feel for the modern Greek state.
:headbang:

Stop spreading your ignorance to others. Alexander like other ancient Macedonians were hellenes not slavs.
The slavic people in FYROM have nothing do to with ancient Macedonians.
Greeks that live in Macedonia do.

Macedon is part of Greece now. FYRoM is slavic, but the true Macedonia is hellenic...

I think I haven't studied the Ottoman Empire yet. I know that part of Greece and Macedonia were in it, but not sure about FYRoM...
FYROM is the North of ancient Macedonia - what Belgium was to the Netherlands, in a way. Slavs have been around since the Xth century - both in FYROM and (though, considerably fewer) in Northern Greece. The language that people in FYROM speak is, arguably, a dialect of Bulgarian (it's hard to tell: all South Slavic languages resemble each other, and Serbocroatian is quite close to Bulgarian). The name "Macedonia" ("Macedonian") is around because they have noyhing else to use for a proper self-definition.

Yea, they should change the name to Fyrom...