Monday 7 September 2009

Greece's top 10

Top 10 things I hate about Greece
No 10: xenophobia
No 9: lack of collectivism in modern greek psyche
No 8: education system, especially higher education
No 7: 'lamogia' and all relevant attitudes
No 6: tolerating an environment-disrespectful behavior
No 5: public sector
No 4: bourtzovlahia (can not be translated and is unique only in Greece, perhaps some balkan countries as well)
No 3: lack of parks in Athens
No 2: treatment of animals especially outside of Athens/Thessaloniki
No 1: lack of accountability in all aspects of Greek life (which results in allowing morons to become MPs even PMs and stay out of jail, giving thus a role model for bad management and putting the bar too low in general)

Top 10 things I love about Greece
No 10: cheap taxi fare
No 9: weather
No 8: most of my family and friends live in greece
No 7: late dinners
No 6: i get to drive everywhere
No 5: greeks of the diaspora and those who have lived abroad
No 4: history and philosophy of ancient greece
No 3: the Acropolis in Athens, Delos, Delphi, Olympia, Epidaurus, Knossos, Vergina
No 2: the sea
No 1: Greek islands holidays

7 comments:

George Georgitsis said...

Great love-hate Greece top 10 lists. I agree with all.
PS Rudeness would top my hate Greece list, as this character trait makes Greeks "barbarians" as I sometimes call them.

Zeta Zizou said...

I think rudeness is embeded in bourtzovlahia (I love that haha) so did not give it a special status. Plus, I find rudeness is not a greek characteristic per se. Rudeness is spread world wide. I really don't find Greeks more rude than say the French for instance. Or the Spanish

Zeta Zizou said...

I also love your term barbarians. Definitely rudeness there as well. What i love about your barbarians term is that it is actually reversed from what it was originally used. In ancient Greece 'πας μήν Ελλην Βαρβαρος' (everyone who is not Greek is a Barbarian), and was probably the world's first ethnic war excuse.
But the reality is that in modern times, Greeks have lost the sensitivity, grace and beauty for which they became famous and they took the place of their ancient enemies. Unfortunately most of them don't know it 'μακαριοι οι πτωχοί τω πνεύματι'.
Hence the modern bourtzovlahous who think that by driving a cayenne represent civilization

George Georgitsis said...

Yep, I agree. Rudness is a key subset of bourtzovlahia, an excellent concept by the way.
I did not say that Greeks have the monopoly on rudeness far from it. Because I live here it bugs me a lot. It bugs me when I go to a beach and people throw their cigarette butts on the sand. It bugs me when you drive and no one has the courtesy to thank you when you allow them to get out of their parking position etc, or when they throw pieces of paper from their cars or when total strangers address you without any politness etc. It bugs me when the use foul and profane language etc. I can go on for hours, hahaha

Zeta Zizou said...

To be fair on the rudeness part, people in big cities tend to be more rude than others as they are more stressed. Same in France. Parisians are usually more rude than Provencals. If you go to Hania or Nayplio I am sure you will meet with different kind of Greeks. In that, Athenians, keep up the front with their respective counterparts. I would exclude from the big cities that I have been, London, as it is inherent in Brit culture to be reserved and always display a pleasant front.

Manos said...

More things to hate about Greece

http://www.in.gr/news/article.asp?lngEntityID=1050783&lngDtrID=251

http://www.in.gr/news/article.asp?lngEntityID=1050822

George Georgitsis said...

Manos is providing data in support of my theory of barbarians. Good on you as the Aussies would say!

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