Learning a new language is not always easy - especially Greek! When you relocate to a country where you don’t speak the language, it is always a good idea to try and learn the language or at least a few words. Here are some tips to make learning Greek just a bit easier!

1. Learn the alphabet and listen to people speaking. It is important to learn how to pronounce the letters in the alphabet and once you know this, you will have no trouble being understood or pronouncing words.

2. Learn basic grammar. Many language teachers plunge into grammar without teaching the simple basics or teaching a single word. Many people will agree that it is best to initially learn a few of the basic rules such as the ‘to be’ rule and focus on learning words and phrases - grammar will come later.

3. Read road signs. Practice your language skills by reading road signs. It is a great way to familiarize yourself with your surroundings but also to help you remember and recognize letters of the alphabet.

4. Read subtitles. Many tv shows and films on Greek TV are in English with Greek subtitles. Reading the Greek subtitles while listening to the film in English is an excellent way to learn new words.

5. Listen to Greek music. Greece has many genres of music from traditional to modern, listening to Greek music while you work or just having it on while you're at home will help you pick up new phrases, not to mention enjoying great songs!

6. Talk with the locals. Not only is this a great way to integrate and meet people in your local community, but practicing speaking Greek is probably the greatest way to learn the lingo. Spending some of your day interacting with people you meet at shops, on the street or on the bus, will help you learn pronunciation, word order, grammar, and everyday phrases.

Learning Greek can be fun ~ enjoy!!

To read more tips, please visit: GreekReporter

The weather app on my phone tells me daily that Athens will hit 35 degrees or more – while my news apps tell me all about the best beaches and best seaside tavernas. My fitness app tells me I should keep jogging so I am fit for both. And my banking app suggests I should be cutting down on both.

What is life without our apps? They are the little magical assistants that help us do things that seemed simply impossible before. I am a particular fan of all the photo editing apps – and I certainly love the messaging apps like Whatsapp, Viber and so on…

But we are in the middle of Greek Summer, and this calls for some serious digital reinforcements. When the most pressing issue of many Sunday afternoons is ‘Where should we swim?’, which quickly turns into ‘Where will we find a spot on the beach?’ and the closely related ‘Where should we eat?’ – the gods of summer smile down on us and say ‘There’s an app for that…’

Let’s start with getting a spot on the beach… While there is no shortage of beaches to choose from, there is quite often a shortage of beach loungers, beach beds, umbrellas and ‘ksaplostres’. There are 2 slick new apps that promise to rid you of your mid-summer beach lounger stress.

Summerize and Plazz are brand new apps that let you select a beach, view related pricing, select a date, select a particular spot on the beach, and reserve your beach lounger in advance. This is for beaches around Athens, and in fact around the entire country. You can book water sports, too. So simple, and so great. Everyone I’ve told about this so far has had an identical response: ‘I have been saying that forever!’ So clearly this is an app that was long overdue. In both offerings, the interface is totally simple, the details are easy to understand, and the whole process is very smooth – kudos to both! The only drawback is that there aren’t yet a huge number of beaches that are available for booking via the apps. I assume this is because they are both start-ups, and will grow their service base over time. I already used Summerize to book a spot at Akanthus Beach the other day – it worked with no issues at all.

So now you’ve found your beach and reserved your spots. But before you order those fries and toast for lunch (and hit snooze on the fitness app), it could be a good time to think about dinner. But from your sunny perch beside the Mediterranean, who has the mental capacity to make such decision, much less call to book a table?

Enter ‘e-Table,’ a cool new app for selecting, reserving and commenting on more than 1800 restaurants in Athens and around Greece. From tavernas to sushi to Mexican to brunch – they’ve got them all. This award-winning app is the only one in Greece that allows you to make instantly confirmed reservations at popular restaurants directly from your phone. Great interface, easy navigation, tons of choice – and it actually works.

And like many of the smartest apps out there, these solve a problem that I never even knew was a problem, to the point where I can’t imagine what life was like before. So here’s to a fun and app-y summer!

Maybe I’ll turn off notifications on that fitness app...

Until next week,

Jack

One of ancient Greeks’ main diet ingredients was Zea flour or Triticum Dicoccum, known as the scientific name. They wouldn’t eat food containing wheat and they used wheat as animals' food. The grain of Zea is probably the oldest in the world.

Zea is two times richer in dietary fiber than wheat, two times richer in protein with a high amount of vitamins A, B, C and E. It is also high in magnesium and very low in gluten.

Until about 100 years ago, Zea was the most popular grain in Greece. But in 1928, according to Santorini Food Lovers, its cultivation was banned for financial reasons as the imported cereals crops of rice and wheat were more profitable. The revival of the ancient Zea grain has lately been taking place in few areas of Greece’s mainland.

To read this article in full, please visit: Greece by a Greek

Incoming traffic to Greece by road, air and sea is increasingly paving the way for improved figures in 2017, the Greek Tourism Confederation (SETE) said recently.

The number of international arrivals at major airports across Greece grew by 5.9 percent in August and by 8 percent from the start of the year, with regional airports reporting an increase of 5.4 percent and Athens airport by 8.3 percent in the same month.

Inbound road travel was up by 14.5 percent in August and by 10 percent from the start of 2017. Sea travel, particularly from Italy, grew by 14 percent in June and by 12.4 percent from the beginning of the year.

To read this article in full, please visit: Greek Travel Pages

In the basement of a 150-year-old neoclassical building in the center of Athens, is a traditional Greek taverna. It's called Diporto, although there's no sign, and taverna looks like it could be from 1950. 

There are two doors, which lead to a vintage cellar, no menu, and just a few dishes that remain unchanged. Menu items include a horiatiki, a Greek salad, buttery gigantes or large white beans, vrasto, a boiled goat, pork or beef dish, and a fried fish.

Diporto is near the Varvakeios market, a large fish and meat market. All sorts of people visit the taverna for a good meal, including butchers and fishermen, businessmen, lawyers, artists, migrants, and tourists, often filling the place up. 

Address: Platia Theatrou, Socratous 9

To read this article in full, please visit: Greek Reporter

 

Photo courtesy of TripAdvisor

Renowned coaches from the NBA, NCAA, Euroleague, and the Greek league shared their expertise in the top athletic workshop. “Better our game, better one another!”

On May 4-5, 2019, ACS Athens attracted more than 150 coaches from around the world (Greece, Lebanon, Kuwait, Israel, Switzerland, Egypt, Finland, Ukraine) as it welcomed four elite coaches from the NBA, NCAA, Euroleague, and Greek League level, in order to share their knowledge and expertise with other basketball enthusiasts at the 10th International Basketball Coaches Clinic.

Four experienced coaches, David Blatt (head coach of Olympiacos BC), Rob Fodor (shooting coach of the Miami Heat), Beth O’Boyle (women’s head coach of Virginia Commonwealth University) and Argyris Pedoulakis (head coach of Peristeri BC) contributed to a top-notch basketball clinic, presenting interesting topics and covering broad areas in basketball coaching techniques. Beth O’Boyle shared her knowledge on the principles of the pack-line defense system and building a 4-out-of-1 in motion offense. Argyris Pedoulakis gave an interesting presentation on offensive spacing. Rob Fodor demonstrated techniques on shooting and balance, while David Blatt had an open discussion on the principles of building a successful coaching career.

ACS Athens is dedicated to promoting professional development, expanding its network across the globe through creative projects and events and bringing together leaders in their fields, forming powerful synergies. With the same approach, ACS Athens organized and hosted this major athletic and educational event, inviting prominent basketball coaches to share their knowledge with an enthusiastic audience of fellow coaches.

The two-day workshop inspired, educated and brought together a large community of coaches, leaving all participants in anticipation of the next event!

The experience was equally fulfilling not only for the participants but also for the distinguished presenters. Coach Beth O’Boyle noted: “Being a part of the 10th anniversary of the International Basketball Clinic at ACS was truly an honor. ACS Athens provides a unique experience for passionate coaches from all over the world to learn and grow their knowledge of the game.” Coach Rob Fodor was impressed by how keen the participants were: “ACS Athens and its Director of Athletics, Annie Constantinides, put on a fantastic event! The passion and enthusiasm by all those attending was a pleasure to experience; all the coaches were so well received! Great life experience for me, I hope to be back to Athens soon, and I will enjoy all my new friends and colleagues for years to come.”

The goal of the International Basketball Coaches Clinic is to inspire and help new coaches improve. As Coach Argyris Pedoulakis commented, “I thank ACS Athens for this invitation. It was a wonderful experience participating in the seminar as a speaker in a great environment. I hope we helped and inspired young coaches to become better!” Coach David Blatt also expressed his positive impression of the event, full of basketball and exchange of knowledge: “Always a pleasure to share ideas and knowledge with other coaches. In this way, we better our game and better one another.”

ACS Athens 
129 Aghias Paraskevis & Kazantzaki St.
Halandri, Athens
Tel: +30 210 6070419

The Greek island of Karpathos in the south Aegean Sea is included in National Geographic’s annual list of the world’s 25 most impressive, “breathtaking destinations for 2023.” 

 

Karpathos is the only area in Greece included in National Geographic’s subcategory of preserving local communities. 

 

National Geographic refers to the island of the Dodecanese as an amazing and beautiful place, where businesses owned by women lead the way in sustainable tourism. 

 

“The Greek island of Karpathos, a growing center of ecotourism, features striking landscapes surrounded by the Aegean Sea.The isle is part of the Dodecanese archipelago, one of Nat Geo’s Best of the World destinations for 2023,” it is noted. 

 

In the same subcategory on the extensive National Geographic list are Milwaukee, Alberta in Canada, Laos, and Ghana, while 20 more destinations in Europe, Africa, America, and Asia follow in the categories of nature, adventure, family, and culture.

Originally published on: keeptalkinggreece.com