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by Christopher Deliso
Christopher Deliso, a native of
Massachusetts, received his B.A. in Philosophy and Greek (Hampshire College, 1997), and an
M.Phil with distinction in Byzantine Studies (Oxford University, 1999). Over the past four
years he has lived and worked in Ireland, England, Turkey and Greece. While at Oxford, he
was the recipient of three travel and research grants for Byzantine sites in Italy, Greece
and Turkey.
He speaks Greek, and maintains an
interest in research on topics of Byzantine philosophy and intellectual culture. He was an
English teacher in Istanbul for several months in 1999, and also in Crete, Greece, for the
better part of the year 2000. Based in San Francisco, Christopher currently pursues travel
and fiction writing, and is active in Greek-American affairs. He hopes that with any luck
he will be back in the sunny Mediterranean again before too long!
If you are a teacher by
vocation, chances are you already know that quality of life does not merely involve the
amount of material possessions and luxuries one may have; 'the good life' must also
include a certain amount of learning, access to culture, healthy, nourishing food, a
beautiful natural environment, and a pace of life that is not so fast as to stifle human
relationships. If you are looking for a place to live where all of these needs may be met,
you can't do any better than Greece.
With a widely varied natural environment that includes rugged mountains, fertile
agricultural regions, and thousands of miles of sandy beaches, all set in one of the best
climates in the world, Greece is a paradise for lovers of the sea and the great outdoors
in general. And of course, the Greek history is unparallelled by all but a few countries;
many of the most famous archaeological sites in the world, including the Parthenon, the
Minoan Palace of Knossos, and ancient Olympos are found here. Virtually everywhere you may
go in the Greek countryside, you will find traces of the long and unbroken lines of
civilization in Greece, from ancient Greek temples and Byzantine churches, to Roman
graveyards and Venetian castles. In addition to its natural beauty and culture, Greece
boasts a very delicious and satisfying native cuisine, and is famous for its relaxed pace
of life and its nightlife. In short, it's a perfect place to live- almost a heaven on
earth.
Although Greece's stronger position in Europe over the last decade has led several travel
guides, including Lonely Planet and Rough Guide, to no longer suggest teaching as an
option there, the fact is that Greece still needs just as many English teachers as it did
before- and they do prefer native speakers. True, you can't just walk in without a
teaching certificate, and you won't get the kind of money one is offered in Asia, but for
qualified teachers Greece is still a great place to work. You will not make a fortune, but
by making at least twice as much as you would in a Greek service industry job, you will be
able to live quite well indeed. The following paragraphs are intended to help you identify
where you might like to live in Greece, and how to make it happen.
Where to live: the city or the country?
Since Greece offers such widely different environments, one is
really spoiled for choice as to picking a location. And since it is not a big country, and
well-connected by flights, ferries and busses, you have some freedom to visit other parts
of the country from wherever you're based. Basically, if you love hiking and skiing in the
mountains, The hilly regions of Epiros and the Peloponnese are your best bet. For those
who can't get enough of city life and urban culture, Athens, Thessaloniki, or the Cretan
city of Heraklio are for you. And for those who love nothing more than relaxing on the
beach in summer, the most popular islands include Rhodes, Crete, and Santorini. We can
look at a couple of these in more detail.
If you love the buzz and rush of a hectic urban atmosphere, Athens is hard to beat. Hot,
crowded, filled with honking motorists and motorcycles that weave madly through traffic,
Athens is Europe's most densely-crowded city and a very intense place. It is also the
cultural capital of Greece, boasting the Acropolis and Parthenon, as well as the priceless
National Archaeological Museum, and elegant restaurants and bars serving cuisines from the
world over. It is very much a seasonal city, as during its most unliveably hot summer
months many Athenians head for the islands for vacation or work, and migrate back when
cooler weather arrives.
Thessaloniki, Greece's
second-largest city, is the capital of the northern province of Macedonia. It has a much
more relaxed feel to it, and its Byzantine walls and churches, similar to those of old
Constantinople, hearken back to an earlier age. Life is more simple in Thessaloniki, but
it is still very much a city, and features all of the amenities of urban life. Cooler than
Athens, this cultural capital of Northern Greece is also distinguished by the slight
Slavic influence of its Balkan neighbors to the north.
If you want to get away from it all, and love the outdoors, Greece is full of great spots.
The Peloponnesian town of Kalamata has everything you need to live, and is also close to
the mountain wildernesses of the Mani, very near the well-preserved medieval towns of
Mystras and Monemvasia, real must-sees for any visitor to Greece. Many people don't know
it, but the rugged Peloponnese, snow-covered in the winter, even has ski resorts! Spring
comes to the Peloponnese amidst a burst of wildflowers, and in summer there are many fine
beaches and secluded coves. Further south from the Peloponnese is the island of Crete, the
largest island in Greece and its most environmentally diverse. Crete features snow-capped
mountains, arid and rocky scrublands, forests of eucaplyptus and plane trees, and endless
fields of olive trees. The beaches of Crete are some of the best in the Mediterranean, and
the nightlife in summer is second to none.
The beauty of living in Crete is that, while it is a big island (about seven hours by car
from east to west), you are never too far from the city, country, or sea. Crete's capital
of Heraklio (population 250,000) is a modern yet liveable city on the north-central coast,
close to the most famous archaeological sites on the island (Minoan Knossos and Roman
Gortys), and not far from bucolic, laid-back Cretan villages (like Archanes and Tzermiado)
and frenetic fast-paced summer hotspots (like Chersonissos and Mallia) alike. Another
great place, the elegant city of Chania, on the north-western coast, owes its magical
appeal to its Venetian old town of fading and colorful old houses and tiny, twisting
alleyways. Chania is the gateway to the southwest of Crete, the island's most spectacular
region. Heavily forested and mountainous, southwestern Crete features the majestic Samaria
Gorge, at 16 KM the longest gorge in Europe, and many tranquil beaches set against the
deep blue of the Lybian Sea. In fact, for those who really want to get away from it all,
south Cretan towns like Palaeochora and Chora Sphakion are perfect places to really soak
up the rich and spirited culture of the true local Cretans.
How to get along: the customs in Greece
The first thing you will find is just how different the pace of life is in Greece,
compared to in America. Like in many hot countries, the Greeks like to have a nap during
the afternoon, and the business day includes a two or three hour lunchbreak for this
reason. This affects the rest of the Greek schedule: dinner is not usually eaten until
late in the evening, and it is not uncommon to see people lingering over conversation and
food until midnight. Indeed, Greeks only tend to go out for the night after midnight, and
they tend to stay out late, getting by on very little sleep. This might explain why they
are so crabby at work; for, despite the legendary Greek hospitality and friendliness, when
you put a Greek behind a desk or in an office they become almost impossible to deal with
(you will find this out when you have to wrestle with the beaurocrats in a bank, or for
your teaching permit).
The bottom line is that you
should concentrate on having a good time when in Greece, and avoid dealing with the
beaurocracy as much as possible! This way you will see the best side of the Greek people-
warm, hospitable, and friendly. Don't take offense if it seems that someone is angry with
you for no reason- chances are they are not. Greeks are just naturally argumentative
people (as you will see from all the old men arguing politics in an outdoor cafe), and
their way of speaking may seem to you argumentative and a little impatient- but they don't
mean anything bad by it.
Greeks are very fashion-conscious. Whereas America emphasizes comfort over style, things
like shorts and backpacks are not worn by most Greeks over 18. It is common to see men in
full formal wear, and women dressed in all black, even during a summer heat wave. Like it
or not, what you wear and how you act will affect the way people treat you. On days when I
would wear shorts and go about like a westerner, people in the shops would answer me in
English (even when I spoke Greek); but on my 'Greek days', people would stop me in the
street to ask directions, as if I were a local!
Along these lines, you will
receive a friendlier welcome if you try to speak their language or show an interest in
their culture. This isn't so unfaur- just put yourself in their place. Every year,
millions of tourists come to Greece, the vast majority of whom are only there for the
beaches and bars. In addition to throwing their trash and their fists wherever they like,
such tourists rarely show any interest in the local culture, as can be seen from the
prevalence of places in seaside resorts advertising 'English breakfasts' and other
non-Greek fare. It gets pretty tiring to be a constantly smiling host when dealing with
such people; and so Greeks may not be as friendly to you as you'd expect. But this can be
to your advantage, as well. Since most tourists don't show an interest in the Greek
culture, language or religion those who do are treated very well, and get to see a whole
nother side of the country and its people.
As a teacher, you will want to know a little bit about how the students are. Greek
students are very sharp, naturally inquisitive and outspoken. Exposed to English through
the movies, television and radio, they are usually quick learners. There is a bad side to
this, however; thinking that they know more than they do may make the students a little
bit lazy. Neither shy nor passive, Greek students need to be pushed and challenged to
succeed. Then they show their really excellent potential as language learners (although it
is very rare for any Greek to speak with proper pronunciation; they somehow cannot manage
the short 'e' sound).
Sounds great! ...now what?
If your curiosity has been piqued, and the prospects of some quality time in warm,
welcoming maritime Greece sound good, you need to do some further work to make the dream a
reality. Greek law specifies that teachers need a teaching permit, work permit, and
residency permit. This process takes time, so plan ahead. You need to contact the Greek
embassy or your closest Greek consulate to get more information. There will be lots of
paperwork, and some aggravation, but in the end, when you're relaxing in a shady olive
grove overlooking the Sea of Crete, it will all be worth it.
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