So its all decided in the football - a repeat of the 2005 Champions League final - Liverpool vs Milan! Thought we'd be of assistance to those lucky Liverpool fans who are making the trip to Athens with our top tips of how to behave in Greece: (Alex Ferguson and Jose Mourinho, you can stop reading now as this doesn't concern you)
Taken from Culture Smart! Greece by Constantine Buhayer:
• Never show the palm of your hand with all fingers apart, as if you are indicating "take five". In Greece this means "excrement on your face", or that you are scum.
• The standard greeting is a handshake, both when you arrive and when you leave... However 'Thank You' is not an expression that you will hear frequently.You will find yourself rendering some small service that the receipient wil accept without batting an eyelid.
• Greeks do not smile continuously during conversations - they smile in approval but if you smile continuously it can indicate that you are weak and simpleminded.
• A nonsmoking admirer of Greece was once asked why he visited the place so often. He replied that he had become addicted to passive smoking. Greeks don't simply smoke; they are among the heaviest smokers in the world.
• You'll will rarely see a drunken Greek..The preferred high is to be in good company and build up the mood with conversation...Though beware - this doesnt mean that Greeks don't drink over the limit. It is just that through their social interaction they channel their behaviours well clear of the ugly conduct common in northern cultures.
So no doubt the travelling fans will stick to a shandy or light ale.
(All together now) When you walk through a storm....
Culture Smart! Greece
Format: Trade Paperback, 168 pages
ISBN: 978-1-857-33369-5 (1-857-33369-1)
Price: £6.95
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