I was talking to a co-worker today who just got back from Greece to settle an estate. I always find it fascinating to travel to other countries or to get first-hand accounts of what others have recently experienced when they travel abroad. There’s plenty to criticize here in America, but I’ll tell ya, I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else!
In the case of my co-worker, she’s of Greek descent but has lived in America most of her life. So, she’s American. She works hard, is married to a hard working executive, does all the stuff Americans that I associate with do. She gets it. She says Greeks don’t. She just had to make a quick trip over there to settle an estate from some distant relative who owned some rental properties and she was astounded by how much it has changed since she was there years ago and by just how bad it is there – how bad the people are, really.
A Few Anecdotes.
Entitlements – Pension from 40 for life – So, her aunt has been living off a pension of something like 3,000 Euro/Month for 27 years now. She’s only 67. She retired at 40. That’s right. What was her occupation?……
Find Out Just How Bad it is in Greece.
Interesting on the rent issue….in a collapse, people just take advantage…similar to those living in their foreclosed homes here for free.
Like I’ve said before, immigrants are going to get the blame-and that includes American immigrants who are living outside the country. In many cases there is some grain of truth. I think there is in America with the army of illegals. But even when there isn’t immigrants are an easy out.
Nice article.
“One of the things she couldn’t get her head around was if people are struggling so much with their pension cuts, why aren’t they doing something about it? Like, you know, maybe getting a job?” —- from the article
Minor quibble. I think it’s incredibly self-serving to say “get a job” when there are no fucking jobs to get.
Greeks don’t like Germany / Germans all that much either.
I was stationed in Greece for 18 months back in 1973. They didn’t like Americans back then either. So, I was doubly fucked.
I liked the Greek people. Had lots of locals as friends. But every person in Greece believes in at least one conspiracy. It’s a nation of Truthers.
The situation in Greece is worse than people know. Things I have read on Greek blogger sites recently. People being gunned down in the streets. People starving, literally. Suicide increasing every month. Robberies off the charts. Foreign mercenaries, such as Blackwater, guarding the elite. At least some folks are expecting a brutally bloody and devastating Spring.
“There are no jobs for these people and their generation is truly screwed. How there’s not even more civil unrest with this situation is beyond me – I guess living in their parents’ basement isn’t as bad as it is here.”
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Multiple generations living under one roof was / is not that uncommon in many parts of the world, including Greece. In fact, it’s considered an honor, not a cause of shame.
It’s mostly an American ideal —– to kick your kids out of the house as soon as possible … to put your aging parents in a old age home as soon as possible … to have two people live alone under one roof, freedom from the “burden” of other family members.
I’d stick my head in an oven if I had to live with my parents. It was bad enough the first time.
Stucky, can you recommend a few blogger sites with first-hand commentary of what’s going on there?
I will soon have three of my four kids back at home. I regard it a s a good way to save money…for me…for them. The newest prodigal daughter is saving to buy her own house. She’ll be with us for maybe a year.
Living at my house isn’t all that bad, evidently.
Thinker
The link below is always my starting point. He’s a Brit living in northern Greece. I then follow his other links.
http://teacherdudebbq.blogspot.com/
Thanks, Stuck.
@Thinker-
Greek bloggers generally post in Greek, so that’s a problem for us English speakers.
But I do have some useful sites you might like:
http://greece.greekreporter.com/category/uncategorized/
http://www.tanea.gr/
http://greece.greekreporter.com/category/uncategorized/
http://www.star.gr/Pages/Default.aspx
http://12160.info/page/2-live-stream-greece-protest
http://www.ekathimerini.com/
http://www.keeptalkinggreece.com/
http://www.ansamed.info/ansamed/en/news/nations/greece/greece.shtml
You’re welcome.
I did ask her about the civil unrest and immigrant beatings I’ve read about in the press. She said her and her sister (2 Greek American women) didn’t feel unsafe at all in Athens even at night. She said the only thing was a single anarchist demonstration which the riot police broke up pretty quickly. But aside from that she felt the stories of people starving and crime seemed overblown. But the stats speak for themselves. Maybe different parts of the city and country have different challenges.
I suppose a foreigner in Newark vs San Francisco would report different experiences as well.
Who gets 3000 euros pension per month? IF ,and that’s a huge if, that’s true,it’s an exception to the sad truth that pension have gone down by 40 to 50%. And they weren’t high to begin with. My father ,for example,is a retired airforce general,with 33 years of service and gets 1500 euros.Try to live with that on a very expensive country..
Greeks also sleep a lot! Siesta shuts everything down for at least 4 hours or even the entire day.