How "Typically Greek" Are You? | Easy Greek 193

[@aivalistavro]

I was born 50 years ago to Greek parents in Melbourne, a city that has a massive Greek community. I (as many others) grew up speaking Greek, eating traditional Greek food. Family and the Orthodox church were also a big part of our lives. Many of the traditions I grew up with have changed drastically in Greece over the years . However our culture is still Greek, perhaps from a Greece long gone now. The majority of us that grew up in Melbourne have a strong connection to our parents country and culture and traditions that our parents introduced to us. It's still a big part of our culture today and our experiences are quite different to those that are raised in Greece. Some films, like My Big Fat Greek Wedding (and other films with Greek themes) usually portray the Greek culture in their new country and not the culture that is Greece today. If anyone wants to know what Greek life was like in the past, ask a Greek that migrated, because they remember Greece as it was and not how it is today.

[@ΧρυσουλαΤζιουρτζια]

Well said.

[@阳明子]

Marilou saying the Greek diaspora has an older view of what Greece is like and how that plays into Greek stereotypes abroad was very interesting.

[@marilenasala7372]

Thank you ❤ Marilou

[@bassetts1899]

It's true, because most of the perception comes from Greeks who emigrated ~40 years ago. They don't always keep up to date with what Greece is like now. For example my dad, raised in Athens but lives in London, didn't know the Greek word for "broadband internet". Of course the second generation Greeks inherit this Greekness which is a bit dated and different. It is interesting!

It is exactly what I felt as part of the Greek Community Association of Santiago de Chile. But it doesn't only happen to Greeks abroad, but to all foreign communities. I am not Greek, nor do I have Greek origin. I was integrated into the group as a "philhellinas". I am half Colombian, half Chilean, and what I saw in the Greek community was the same that happened in the Colombian community in Chile. When you emigrate, you bring with you the image of the country you left. As you aren't able anymore to live the changes and evolutions of your country, your memories are the only thing which connects you to your country. So, everything becomes more intense. The memories bring to an idealised vision of the country you left, but also more conservative. The Chilean Greeks organise tavernas, they have a traditional folkloric dance group (to which I belonged, and in which I learned to dance sirtaki but also regional folk dances). In the tavernas, people used to throw and crash plates until someone told that people in Greece don't do that anymore, and they throw flowers instead. Some young descendants decided to convert into the greek orthodox church, and some of them learned Greek, although the most part of the Chilean Greek Community doesn't speak the language. When someone travelled to Greece, he/she brought Greek products and handicrafts to sell to the people. I have lived in France for 15 years. Although I don't participe in any community, Chilean, Colombian or Greek, sometimes I go to restaurants to eat traditional food. I don't preserve the most part of my country traditions, although I kept some of them. But, what I feel the most, it is the distance and difference between the Chile I left and the Chile which exists today, in the same way as I realised when I compared the Colombia my mother transmitted me at home and the Colombia I knew the first time I went to the country by my own.

[@dependablewebguy1636]

In relation to My Big Fat Greek Wedding and diasporan stereotypes, it's important to remember that the Greek diaspora itself is not monolithic. A Greek-Canadian is different from a Greek-Australian, who is different from a Greek-German, who is also different from a Greek-Argentinian. Even within each of those communities themselves, there are different waves of immigrants, that came from different parts of Greece at different times. Then in terms of being connected, that differs too. Some, regardless of wave or generation, are in Greece every summer without missing a beat, while others haven't gone in 40 years. The diaspora itself is full of subcultures.

[@pwp8737]

I agree. I'm not Greek, but lived in Athens for 4 years, a long time ago and learned the language and culture. The Greeks from Toronto had parents that were poor mostly illiterate farmers fleeing poverty and civil war, they moved to Toronto worked hard to provide for their families and assimilated very well. The Greeks from Montreal were mostly from parents who were more educated and fled the junta, they were trapped in Quebec's culture/language wars, neither wanted by the French or the English and were left to be themselves. They sent their children to Greek schools and haven't faced the same pressures to assimilate as those from Toronto.

[@irenesupica5571]

I invited some older women from my church to watch My Big Fat Greek Wedding. I was surprised that my koumbara's mother from Crete could not find anything funny about it. The Greek American grandmothers who had lived in the USA were laughing. Μy real Greek friend who was reading the Greek subtitles thought it was ridiculous.

[@sophitsa79]

My Big Fat Greek Wedding would have been much more loved if it had come out about 10 years earilier than it did. By the early 2000s we had all moved on a little from what it was portraying (even in Australia - the 'arse end of the world'. My Greek is not too bad so what I really need is real Greeks speaking naturally, rather than what you get in books. This format is brilliant for 2nd or 3rd generation kids who have the basics from Greek school but not the natural and wider vocabulary of a native Greek. The transcript in Greek and English is really helpful for those occasions when a word I'm unfamiliar with is spoken. Thanks so much for your work

[@ControlledCha0s]

12:55 - Ilias is truly a man after my own heart, as they used to say back in the day! 😎👍

[@evebananas]

I'm Greek American and I totally agree- Greeks in the US believe Greece is this amazing paradise and that the way Greeks do (or did things 40 years ago) is the best way. I love Greece and some Greek traditions, but it can get really out of hand sometimes. I'm getting married this year to an American and my Greek family are making a huge deal about the way we're choosing to do things since it's not the "right" way to them.

[@GinoNearns]

Χρησιμοποίησες το drone! Μπράβο! Ευχαριστώ😍

[@AudiophileTubes]

Just as there were some Italians 'offended' by the mafia stereotypes put forth in 'The Sopranos', there are some Greeks upset at the stereotypes in 'My Big Fat Greek Wedding'. In the final analysis, it's all just harmless entertainment. I'm a Greek-American living in Ohio, by way of New York (born in NYC) and New Jersey, and I consider myself to be more Greek than American. I simply love and am so proud of our long and rich history and heritage, and i've been to Hellas many times. I recently took my then 16 year old daughter to Greece (2 years ago) for her first time in order to show her her 'roots'. We were both thrilled! In fact, my grandmother's original house, built in the early 1900's in a small village above Nafpaktos, is still standing, and in excellent condition! It even has a family crest cornerstone embedded in the foundation, which makes me even prouder! We love Greek food, and Greek music too. So, yes, even though we were born in America, we live and breathe Greece! One of the most beautiful countries in the world!

[@laradiantrr9357]

I relate so much to your comment! A 💙Greek -American (50%, but feel like more!) from the Buckeye state❤🌰! Though unlike you...I have never been to Greece!🙍🏻That's why I love these videos so much...I feel like I am at least connecting with some of my roots in an educational way.😊 Before the internet exposing humanity to each other from all over the world, my way of connecting to Greece was attending every Greek festival I could find!☺💃🏻And I even danced for the Greek church in my city for a great part of my youth. Because of that, the music, dance, food and spirit feels ingrained in me, and I love it! 💃🏻💙 That is so wonderful your grandmother's👵🏼 original village home is still standing🎉🏡. What region of Greece is Nafpaktos in? And what part of Ohio are you living now🌰❤?

[@antoniousai1989]

ROFL, only Italian-Americans would get offended by Sopranos. That series is about goombahs, not about Italians.

[@loraivanova8635]

Αυτό είναι σίγουρα ένα από τα πιο ενδιαφέροντα επεισόδιά σας! 🖤 Μου άρεσε ότι δεν είσαστε τυπικοί. Αν και λατρεύω την ελληνική γλώσσα και μουσική υπάρχουν πράγματα όπως τη θρησκεία για παράδειγμα που δεν τα υποστηρίζω... Χαιρετισμούς απ' τη Βουλγαρία. 👋🏻🇬🇷🇧🇬

[@nishakamrun5275]

Hi, sir. The episode was very nice. I am a student of Greek language and following your channel. It's amazing though to teach the language. Though one of the hardest language in the world is Ελληνικά. Being a permanent residence in Greece , I love the language. Thanks for your dedication.

[@EasyGreekVideos]

You're welcome! Happy to help.

[@mariapapadopoulos3640]

LOL, Re: My Big Fat Greek Wedding - it was suppose to be full of sterotypes. That was the point of the movie. I love my Greek coffee first thing in the morning.

[@locatina2241]

Το σπάσιμο πιάτων το κατατάσσω στην δεκαετία του 60 και 70 βαριά βαριά αρχές του 80. Η μόνη φορά που είδα «smashing plates» ήταν σε ελληνικό κέντρο στο Λονδίνο. 😂

[@Lina_5_]

Αχ παιδια ειστε τοσο συμπαθητικοι ολοι !!! Μια ιδιαιτερη αγαπη στον κυριο με τα γυαλια γιατι μου φαινεται πολυ cool and chill (να του το πειτε παρακαλω), οσο για την ξανθια κυρια με την ριγε μπλουζα μου θυμισε απο την πρωτη στιγμη την Νατασσα Μποφιλιου. Ευχομαι να σας ξαναδουμε αμεσα ΟΛΟΥΣ ΜΑΖΙ !!!!

[@NICOLE-zc1ez]

This channel is just amazing! It helps me a lot in learning Greek. Thank you so much!

[@angelagrace8265]

I loved that episode.

[@liriotardio]

Πολύ διασκέδασο το επισόδιο, ταξίδεψα από το γραφίο μου στη Χιλή μέχρι την Κίμωλο με την οικογένια σας. Σας ευχαριστώ, και θα προσπαθήσω να γίνω τόσο ελληνικό όσο ο Στέφανος χαχαχα

[@EasyGreekVideos]

Χαχα ευχαριστούμε! 😄

[@ArianaRoach]

My Big Fat Greek Wedding is not the "greek, from greece" experience, it's the greek-american experience. the way people express their culture when they've moved away from all their family to a country half way across the world is a lot different than how people express their culture while they are living IN the country they are from. you touched on it in the video, greek immigrants often get stuck 40 years in the past & assume greece was the same as how they left it. this leads them to acting differently than how greeks in greece would be acting currently. but yeah, this movie was literally my moms experience growing up with greek-canadian parents. she literally was toula. from being the kid who barely spoke english at school wishing she could be a normal blonde kid, to marrying a non-greek and spurring insane controversy.

[@tinanucita5779]

Io bevo espresso italiano a casa mia, ho apprezzato molto il tuo discorso Dimitri circa lo spreco ecologico. Εγο πινω ιταλικό εξπρεσο στο σπιτι μου , πολη μου αρεσε αυτο που είπες Διμητρη για το εκολογικο spreco (δεν ξερω ποσ το λενε στ ελληνικά) πόλι ενδιαφέρουν βιδεο...μας εδιξες οτι η ελλινες δεν εινε standard

[@jasonlucas_]

Love these videos! Thank you for the captions and translations, it's very helpful for trying to learn Greek the way it's spoken by locals! 😁

[@TimMills1-j5f]

What a wonderful family!

[@piersiciu]

Το πρωί είδα το κλιπ και ακουγόταν πιο χαμηλά σε σύγκριση με άλλα βιντεάκια δικό σου. Τώρα το έλεγξα για να βεβαιωθώ και όντως έχεις δίκιο, ακούγεται καλό. Δεν ξέρω τι ήταν σήμερα το πρωί. Ολα καλά. Συγχώρεση.

[@kosdas]

Ευχαριστούμε, και καλά να περνάτε!

[@Xarmutinha]

Χωρις να εχω καποιο bias λογω οτι το καναλι αφορα την γλωσσα μου, και ως subscriber πολλων αλλων easy languages έχω να πω οτι αυτο το καναλι ειναι πολυ πιο προσωπικο, και γινεσαι ´´οικογενεια´´, ενω στα αλλα ειναι ολα πιο τυπικα απο αποψη των υποκειμένων των βιντεο. Δηλαδη ειναι μονο οι ομαδες των καναλιων και ο κοσμος στον δρομο, εδω γνωριζεις τα μελη του καναλιου αλλα καπως τον κοσμο τους.

[@EasyGreekVideos]

Ευχαριστούμε ιδιαιτέρως για το όμορφο σχόλιο!

[@antimimoniakos]

Φανταστείτε ότι αν και είμαι Έλληνας, βλέπω τα βίντεο των παιδιών γιατί είναι πολύ συμπαθητικά.

[@阳明子]

MANY many many thanks to Τζινο from the community for the gifted drone! Those shots are so beautiful.

[@fly-freedomaway3183]

Υπέροχο επεισόδιο παιδιά !!!

[@antimimoniakos]

Δεν χορεύω συρτάκι, κάποτε ήξερα αλλά ξέχασα πώς χορεύεται. Σταμάτησα να πίνω τσίπουρο και ρετσίνα. Δεν ακούω ελληνικά τραγούδια. Αν άκουγα, θα άκουγα ρεμπέτικο που είναι πολιτισμός. Με το βίντεό σας απέκτησα υπαρξιακά προβλήματα, τι είμαι; πού πάω; Φυσικά αστειεύομαι. Ωραίο βίντεο παιδιά.

[@luky46]

Thank you for your useful work, is it possible to have the written text of your interview ?

[@EasyGreekVideos]

You can get it for just 4€ / month + VAT if you become a member, for it and 100s of other episodes.

[@axof.]

Η Εύη πολύ φίλη μου! Οι απαντήσεις τις είναι ακριβώς ίδιες με αυτές που θα απαντούσα και γω!

[@DimitreosIV]

Love these!

[@AndreasStrife77]

Το σουβλάκι είναι street food που δεν σημαίνει απαραίτητα ότι είναι και junk food. 🙂

[@mrawesome1688]

Βασικά, το σουβλάκι είναι συνταγή που κάνουν η Έλληνες απ την εποχή του αρχαίων Ελλήνων. Οπότε σίγουρα δεν είναι junk food, είναι απ τις πιο αρχαίες συνταγές.

[@kaitiscarlett9022]

Great episode! I said yes to about half the questions.

[@dubioussa]

Thanks for the vid - greetings to Iraklio!

[@MariaYakoumaki-fq3cj]

Δημητρη τι ειναι συντακτικως η λεξη στη φραση ;

[@EasyGreekVideos]

Επίθετο άκλιτο

[@Jacob.D.]

Φέτα είναι νόστιμη, μου αρέσει οι φέτες, ολη η ποικιλία Και ρίχνω καυτό νερό στο γιαούρτι να γίνει στην σταλπη πιο πολύ αλλά δεν φτάνει το βαθμό του να είναι σαν φέτα...Δεν ξέρω πως να περιγράψω αυτή την υφή στα Ελληνικά

[@oldergod]

great episode

[@olly31040965]

Θέλω υπότιτλους στα Πορτογαλικά!

[@pwp8737]

stop the presses! Are you telling us that you can call for a frappe to be delivered to your house? po po! what a country!

[@SpartanLeonidas1821]

It’s an amazing time to be alive in ΕΛΛΑΣ !!!! 😅 Also: Freddo 👍🏻

[@paliokatsarida]

Ταυτίζομαι απόλυτα με την ξανθιά κυρία!

[@carminemolamola9986]

Merciiiiiiii!!! 😙😙😙😙💜💜💜💜✅

[@andrewsalomon4534]

Lovely people!

[@Desatkinson]

the blonde woman is hilarious

[@MassiUb]

both worried and glad for the new generation haha

[@porcomalo]

gyros with ketchup?? that is krazy 🤪

[@EasyGreekVideos]

Ketchup + mustard + tzatziki, to be exact!

[@porcomalo]

@@EasyGreekVideos i've heard about mustard with chicken gyros but never ketchup! must be a regional thing. 😛

[@EasyGreekVideos]

@@porcomalo I think if you ask for a pita gyros in Northern Greece with everything, that's what they give you.

[@piersiciu]

Μου φαίνεται ότι πρέπει να ρυθμίσετε την ένταση υψηλότερη κατά την επεξεργασία.

[@EasyGreekVideos]

Την ένταση των ομιλιών;

[@piersiciu]

@@EasyGreekVideos Όλο. Το master.

[@EasyGreekVideos]

@@piersiciu Το Loudness μας είναι σταθερό σε όλα τα επεισόδια γιατί κάθε φορά κάνουμε ένα πέρασμα από το Auphonic και δίνει σταθερή ένταση. Μπορείτε να γίνετε πιο συγκεκριμένος σχετικά με το τι θα θέλατε να είναι πιο δυνατά;

[@Jamesly_fire2]

🙏🏽💯

[@Alex_Pan69]

I am Greek and maybe I could contribute by answering these questions 1."Feta" is NOT my favourite type of cheese but I eat it, especially with olive oil and oregano.... 2."My Big Fat Greek Weding"...though I find this movie quite entertaining, I also think it's quite disturbing to stereotype greeks using just these features...3. Coffee delivery? No, not so often. Say, once a month (and only when I'm so tired to make one for me)....4 Syrtaki? No way. OK, I can dance "kalamatianos" and some "nisiotika" (dances from the Egean islands) and nothing more. I'm a bad dancer, overall...🙂...5. I hate (I mean HATE) ouzo. No, absolutely no, I never drink (nor tsipouro). 6. I've been living away from my parents since the age of 19. And "away", I mean away, more than 300 km. far from them. I'm 54 now....7. I feel Christian Orthodox, not very religious person though...but still an Orthodox...8. I have never smashed plates anywhere and I think it's just bulls..t, I never understood people who constantly did so....9. I love souvlaki (and gyros) but I don't eat much of them (I know they're not the best kind of food there is)....10. I don't like spicys...11. Ancient greek? Just a few expressions, what almost all greeks know, nothing more...

[@amyshatrick6633]

❤❤❤

[@margaritastrode4752]

💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖

[@阳明子]

I wonder if Greek people have a more friendly view of communists and socialists than their neighbors? Perhaps because of the role the Communists played in the Civil War.

[@Xarmutinha]

If they are on the right, most likely they hate them. As for the rest, it depends... Btw im curious and i wanna know if i guessed correctly, is your name Georgian?

[@阳明子]

@@Xarmutinha Yup! Good guess! It is Josef Stalin's real name - not my own.

[@Xarmutinha]

@@阳明子 ooooooh ok lmao

[@antoniousai1989]

The Communist Party of Greece is still alive and kicking. Though they are old-school Marxists and out of modern times. They lost the civil war, and most of their important figures were ostracized, imprisoned, or in exile.

[@antimimoniakos]

@@antoniousai1989 Actually Greece lost the civil war and the winners were Churchill, George Paoandreou and the Greek collaborators of Germans.

[@Atha_2025]

❤

[@sophiacorpus9769]

It’s very sad… to call yourself a Christian and NOT to practice !! Έχουμε πανέμορφη θρησκεία είσαστε πολύ ευλογημένη να είστε και κοντά κρίμα που δεν το έχετε καταλάβει κάνετε τα παν to be modern sensitive citizens !I just saw a couple episodes out of curiosity! Ελπίζω να βρείτε το δρόμο σας σύντομα 🙏🏻☦️

[@EasyGreekVideos]

We've made two podcasts episodes about Christianity in Greece and how we experience it

[@EasyGreekVideos]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/gZDKkpKiYt-nfqs

[@EasyGreekVideos]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/iKCtn6qQg56ejck

[@Hamzawwyy]

I don’t like the Greek “No” word

[@jaif7327]

i love greek stereotypes

[@mm-gi5mx]

FIRSTTTTT!

[@dairyseven3646]

My big fat greek wedding can be a bit cringe but Marilou's comment about the diaspora was so insulting and out of touch i dont even know where to begin. Also like who do u think you are making these videos for??? Lol

[@marilenasala7372]

You are right ,when I watched the video I felt it was a bit insulting too .. At the other hand when we met Greek people at Toronto gave me that feeling , but it was just a few Greeks we met so it is not right to make such a general comment for a whole community ❤ . Marilou , Easy Greek

[@dairyseven3646]

@@marilenasala7372 i apologize if i came across as mean but thank you for understanding

[@ja-qk4vd]

Just her opinion. And expat communities of any culture often do reinforce cultural traits as a form of collective identity. Can't have it both ways, either enjoy some stereotypes to some degree, or be assimilated into cultural oblivion. Can't really have both ways, though can find one's own happy medium/ balance on the individual/ collective identity continuum. Also bear in mind the American trait/ 'stereotype?' is to emphasise the individual over against the collective. I mean US seems often reduced to empty jingoistic make America great again being painted on baseball caps. Maybe upbeat, progressive, forward looking, individuality and freedom, but also immensely selfish, greed, immensely materialistic, and status conscious, massive class system based on wealth, obesity, both very intelligent and kind of stupid stereotypes we have of US. I personally would add in the merger of state, corporate and military looks pretty extreme form of tyranny, some kind of techno feudal oligarchy totalitarianism? We copy of course in UK.