From the UK to Greece 🇬🇷 - My Journey of Cultural Integration

[@MyGreekLifestyle]

🧿Drop a comment from where you are watching this video 👇

[@DotCostas]

Daniel, don't beat yourself up with the kafeneio. A friend tried to do the same thing with her mother's kafeneio in a similar small town. She lived there all her life and still failed. Old Greek people like their spots and routines. You could turn that place into a guitar shop and the papoudes would still come every morning and ask for Greek coffee and tsipouro :)))) Greetings from Thessaloniki.

[@ElizabethPerez-db1xc]

My mum is British and married in Nafplio in 1970. She swears by Greek TV. She is now an 80 yr old British lsdy with fluent Greek she picked up on TV in the 70's when there were only 2 channels

[@hermonymusofsparta]

I'm currently learning Greek and also using this approach. I've studied Greek grammar for years, but mass listening has taught me much more in a shorter time. As adults we usually learn languages backwards. Adults learn grammar, then speaking, then they immerse and try to learn how to listen. It should be the other way around.

[@konstantinossohos2349]

I agree this worked for me too. Also it's a good excuse to be productively lazy in a good way :p

[@Venizelos.iakovidis]

My friend i believe you have become a lot more Greek than many "actual Greeks" . I wish you and you're family be well

[@Pavlos_Charalambous]

Δέκατη εντολή 😉( 10th commandment) I think the most important thing is learning the language because people in Greece are often have a veryyyy hard time interact and have things like deep Discussions in foreign languages, explain you things, help you out ect

[@muddywaters538]

Thank you, you speak from the heart about your experiences

[@taki2003]

Love the idea of a kafenio series!! I totally agree with you, Daniel; even though Greek is my first language, I almost lost the language by growing up in the US and just not using Greek. I used some of the same Greek TV shows to retrain my brain to hear and appreciate my language! Now I am teaching myself to read and write Greek.

[@MyGreekLifestyle]

Thanks for sharing and all the best with your Greek!

[@giorgiastavropoulou6756]

Like everywhere else, Greece has different subcultures and social classes. It might be easier to fit in one but not the other. Watching from Laconia. Love your channel.

[@ikaros2006]

You moved to Greece during very difficult times for the country. You must love your wife a lot 😊

[@wifedora]

Καλησπέρα! what an amazing view, the beautiful sunshine ,the calm sea, τα τζιτζίκια of the greek summer. I watched your video and I can share something with you. We used to have a traditional καφενείο,γαλακτοπωλειο for almost 25 years .but then it came the crisis. And that is a trauma for me too. Life goes on.

[@angelkf65]

Οικογενειακές ιστορίες τρελέ μου !!! Είσαι πιο θεούλης από ό,τι νόμιζα :-)

[@MC-bu6ez]

Daniel your video makes perfect sense believe me I truly follow what you are saying and identify with your situation, thanks for sharing.

[@panteleon1]

Today Nafplio sun was brutal we went to farmers market it was very hot

[@ΔημήτριοςΓεωργιάδης-ξ7μ]

Εντεκάτη εντολή Eleni is still in the tv business here.... What a woman 😊

[@Pavlos_Charalambous]

Δέκατη δεν ήτανε;

[@ΔημήτριοςΓεωργιάδης-ξ7μ]

@@Pavlos_Charalambous χμμμμ....δεν θυμάμαι... μπορεί!

[@katpis9121]

Excited to hear the full caffineo story

[@angiekostis1072]

Hola Daniel...from an old lady, originally from your hispanic area, my experience has been that when you leave your country and emigrate to different countries...home is where you make it. After so many years on different foreign shores, you become a citizen of the world. Gives you a better understanding to assimilate with other cultures and their habits. I think you are on a good path... going back makes you a foreigner in your own country. Bon nochi y danki pa tur bo dushi videos 😊❤. Guess???

[@gregkolaras1931]

I've enjoyed your videos since I found you on KZbin. I worked at my dad's Kafenio until the age of 13 when my family moved to the USA. We have a lot in common.

[@BlueWaterCleaning]

Hi Daniel, want to say thanks a lot for sharing all your experiences and life in Greece. I genuinely enjoy listening and have learned some great advice from you. I'm making plans to move to Greece one day and hope to follow your in footsteps since I love Greece and the people very much. Keep up the good work and wishing you and your family good health. Yas sas 😊

[@ayhansimsek8506]

Thanks for sharing this video with us

[@Doves778]

I remember talking to a Chinese guy who said he learned to speak English by watching American TV, so apparently, that works!

[@AB-jz9ns]

As a Greek living in the US for decades I second that. Even though I came to the US as a foreign student (I knew some English) my language skills especially listening and conversing improved by watching a lot of tv. I learned every day lingo that would not be taught in a classroom.

[@johnkarras7962]

Yes Daniel.....watching greek tv.......Musiko Kouti, OR Stin Eyia Mas Re Paidia......for 15 years has definitely developed my greek music......plus our family's Greek Kafenio in Atlanta.... you are correct.....ole style kafenio's.....hee hee......as we say, "if something ain't broke, then don't fix it"..... cheers. andreas {atlanta, kiveri, nafplion, koutsopodi, argos}

[@sideriskiratsoudis2641]

“It takes a lifetime to discover Greece, but it only takes an instant to fall in love with her.” - Henry Miller

[@MC-bu6ez]

I came to Britain from Cyprus in 1972 and used to watch TV regularly and like you it was an invaluable tool in getting a grasp of some aspects of Britain, however unlike you I had no intention whatsoever of integrating into British culture I was always going to be Greek, my parents lived in an area of London with a substantial Greek community so up until university I had little exposure to the British public, school was a place to get an education, in my days school was not exactly a place which tolerated foreign students with a language problem, I wouldn't say uncaring but not very understanding. I also found out that it is impossible to achieve within the British institutions unless you fully integrate as a foreign person you are at a definite disadvantage, but that's okay. So I fully understand where you are coming from.

[@passionatesingle]

Reading and texting is what improved my greek after I moved to Greece many years ago but I did know basic greek as my parents are greek. I started off with magazines, then simple books and now I can read the paper and understand most of what is written. My writing improved after I got my first cellphone and a friend of mine taught me how to use it in greek as she didn't know much English so I got used to texting in greek. I only did greek school for a year when I was 12.

[@ΓιάννηςΤσιαγκ-χ5κ]

Καλό μεσημέρι από τη Θεσσαλονίκη, Daniel! Please make a video about Mycenae. One of my most favourite places in Greece.

[@rhondadami517]

Totally agree. Watching TV is a great way to help learn a language. The K-pop band watched 'Friends' and learned English from that!!!❤

[@denacollins352]

We need a video about the emigration process. I'm in the US and have been trying to get information from the embassy in San Francisco. I'm still waiting . Can I start the process in Nafpilo? Thanks

[@artadrians]

I suppose, as far as the Kafeniou is concerned, like EVERYTHING ELSE in business..."If it ain't broke, DON'T fix it." If a formula works, then stick with that formula... changes, if any, should be subtle and introduced slowly and with GREAT caution and constant review..but i am talking as an older and experienced successful businessman..😊

[@m.c.7119]

I have many friends back home who should have abided by that rule. I for one, never understood why they always wanted to expand when things were going perfectly. They all ended up crashing everything they had built up. It is common sense to keep a good thing and not try to turn it into something bigger and better. This is a typical North American approach to business unfortunately.

[@muddywaters538]

I think the καφενιό is a unique part of Greek culture that speaks of something that is truly Greek. I hope they will continue to survive. I remember asking someone when I was in Greece and she said of course they will survive because all the young boys that you see in Greece 🇬🇷 will turn into old men that will go to καφενιός. I also loved μπρουσκω. would watch them for the same reason you do. I'm born and raised in USA but both my parents were Greek, I plan to return permanently in proper time. But my mother before she passed told me even still, Greeks will always see me as a ξένη, she was right 😊

[@Magia0379]

Greeks see as "ξενο" even other Greeks, who come from another place of Greece (even if that place is only 30km away). That doesn't mean that you will have any problem integrating with them. You will make friends and you will be part of the community without any problems.

[@nikosr1594]

The TV series is called 10i entoli (δέκατη εντολή).

[@waytys3667]

Hi, I am considering moving to the Peloponnese in Greece. I wanted to ask if you think it is possible to find a relatively well-paying job there, knowing I speak Greek, French and English. Thanks

[@Pavlos_Charalambous]

For a multilingual person a good idea is the yachting business really well paying and seasonal although I don't know how many opportunities for that job exists in Peloponnese

[@greysea4841]

"For me, every virtuous foreigner is a Greek..." Megas Alexandros

[@BD-gt1fl]

He never said that !

[@c.r.t.]

As a Greek I can say that this man tell the truth, so listen to him. Kafeneio is the last job for a foreigner, did the relatives told you? Maybe they wanted so much to come so they said whatever you want...

[@malpaso4me]

🙏🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

[@Stelios.Posantzis]

It is hard for someone coming from a European country with a Germanic culture influence or more generally from a northern/continental European country to integrate in the Greek life. Partly the reason is the cultural difference but it is mostly the language: Germanic languages have a totally different phoneme system to that of Modern Greek. Modern Greek itself (accent aside) is hard to learn anyway. On the other hand I would not imagine anyone from Spain or Italy or Portugal having any issues. Even for people from Balkan countries which are not land-locked I cannot imagine issues. Yes, having come from a country where it is possible to come in contact with the sea matters even though there are parts of Greece that feel totally like being in a land locked country. The difference between a kafeneio and a cafeteria is that you do not hear the "m" word in every other sentence. Yes, you also get to know personally all the regulars in the former. There are no cafes as such in Greece unless you live in a major city and even there they are quite few and far between. The problem with adapting to a culture is that some people interpret that as being like the locals. This is in the wrong direction in my mind. You just have to know the language, be able to speak it and read it as well as possible and then get to know what really ticks off the locals and what they enjoy the most. While you do not have to partake in the latter, it can help if it's genuine on your part, whereas not being able to respect the former is a perfect way to make your life their complete misery. I'd say it is next to impossible to have grown in one culture and then completely change and be totally part of another - not in the space of half a dozen or a dozen years at any rate. Yes, there are exceptions but, being exceptions, they are special cases which means they cannot be relied on as a rule for adapting. No matter how long you live in a foreign country there will always be tiny details which, no matter how rarely they are encountered, will always elude you but would instantly come as second nature to a local (even if you have never seen a local coming across said details for as long as you have known that person). That is what constitutes the local culture and what makes living in a foreign country far more exciting than living in your own. However, there is a terrible price to pay (for most people - there are exceptions, as mentioned) for the privilege of enjoying this learning experience - not an unjust price by any means but terrible none-the-less.

[@----john----]

TV & radio can help to improve Greek language skills, but I would include it with reading, writing & communicating with others. I watch Greek TV at my parents house, but I don't enjoy most of it. The news just keeps constantly repeating itself. I don't like the drama's. The comedy shows sometimes have humor I like. I think I've probably enjoyed shows where they travel to different villages & eat the locally made foods.

[@Stardust3108]

❤

[@ΤάσοςΚαυσοκαλυβίτης]

I am Greek and I haven't watched TV in the past 10 years. Try radio instead.

[@radicr]

What is a kafenio? Is it some specific kind of coffee place in Greece?

[@anaone7923]

Yes, like a coffee shop for older people , mainly men . Lately the concept is turning into a cult concept though with younger people frequenting . I love a good kafeneio though , they usually have great mezedes , something like tapas

[@radicr]

@@anaone7923 Awesome, thanks for the detailed explanation!

[@Pavlos_Charalambous]

It's very traditional Café style that mostly older men prefer to meet watch football on TV have some drinks or their Coffee 😉 Most of them are old places and pretty much won't exist in few years because younger people don't really appreciate them

[@ElizabethPerez-db1xc]

Endekati endoli is New Testament: love thy neighbour. Yes it is also used ironically as there isn't an eleventh commandment in the old testament.

[@brasni1]

I don’t know, if total integration in the culture of a new country for an adult immigrant is possible, or even desireable. We arrive with our own, earlier experiences. Some of them, perhaps even most of them, make a good ballast to have in life. Why throw all that away just for the sake of total integration ? My earlier experiences are always in my mind as a guide. I don’t talk about them unless somebody should ask. People are mostly the same all over the world. The cultural differences are mostly superficial. You can use what you think is good and just forget about things you don’t care so much about. Live and let live, but also always show respect for the country and people who host you. As a foreigner you always have to tread carefully, no matter how many years you have lived in a new country.

[@MsMinoula]

Tha reminds me, I need to start watching German TV

[@renatobianchi65]

Nice video. It's not clear to me why you talk about the same topic so often.......The OLD People bar......if the guys happen to be there every morning it means they (mostly) don't work........hence they are retired /pensioners of some kind.............we would also like to learn more about the life of those UNDER 68 😅😅😅

[@ikaros2006]

Δέκατη εντολή λεγόταν αλλά δεν πειράζει.

[@ChilliCao]

Chest hair rapidly growing

[@Nevio857]

Man your accent is very good though

[@MC-bu6ez]

Hey Daniel have you figured out what the Greeks are about yet?.

[@cyberdustz]

Ενδεκάτη εντολή. It’s an amendment to the biblical ten commandments, meant to be a joke.

[@Nasosdag]

Dear Lord, you were watching "Οικογενειακές Ιστορίες"; Why, WHY would anyone do that to themselves? Guilty pleasures, I suppose... 😆😆

[@MyGreekLifestyle]

To learn Greek and everyday expressions used by the people.

[@Nasosdag]

@@MyGreekLifestyle Ι know, I'm teasing 😁

[@profmuelli85]

I like your videos. But this time you don’t make a pure point. Talking more about καφενείο and standard thinks but don’t make much advise how to get into the community and how the culture is.

[@pdn9609]

Looks like you watched some of the worst trash of the greek tv. I am surprised your willingness to keep learning about greece survived after that.