Thursday, September 27, 2007

The Greek Paradox

Greece is full of paradoxes (is that the correct plural?) so many in fact that in Germany economics students learn about it. How is it they learn that Greece has the lowest wages but import the most Mercedes Benz per capita in Europe, or the most whisky.
How is it that Greeks enjoy the most holidays but work the most hours. Its a paradox, and i witnessed another one on the boat over.

The boat we had taken was scheduled to dock at Rafina, and from there Blue Star Ferries had organised one bus route to Pireaus and another to Pedion tou Ares, anf they can stop and let people off anywhere along the route. Great i thought, but how to find out? Hearing my predicament a friend of the bride took it upon himself to find out for me what the bus route would be and if it would pass by someplace close to home.

So off we went to ask the concierge. "Excuse me" he asked politely "but can you tell me the bus routes will take?" To which the concierge replied "what, do i look like a bus driver to you"
what follwed was a back and forth, polite questioning answered with the utmost rudeness.
Seeing that there was no way he was going to help us find out, he called his mum who went to the bus station to find out for us.

How is it that Greece has some of the MOST kindest people who will go out of their way to help a stranger and a service provider, who's job it is to provide a service to the customer and not treat them with rudeness and threats, doesn't help?
This is just another example of the Greek paradox. Many thanks friend, and as for Blue Star Ferries, i won't forget!

2 comments:

graffic said...

Why the greek stock market perhaps will pass from developed to emerging market status, but Athens is more expensive than Madrid.

Why do the rumors say that Greece is a quiet place to spend out life, but here the people work without feeling the sunlight in their skin.

Why some muppets are nude but they use pyjama?

photene said...

The Concergie I had at a hotel in Kolonaki was the worst, not only rude but retarded. I learned the trick is to start off nicely and as issues quickly spiral out of control to then let them know in no uncertain terms - in Greek - that they're an idiot and whatever education they received surely didn't help - so - they should return to the village and help their grandmother milk the goats. These words actually came out of my mouth in Athens - not pretty sight - but there was a side of me impressed with myself for being able to quickly articulate - in Greek - exactly what I thought.