This is not your country.

[MoxisPilot]

You need to find a place that does it fresh. If it's not fresh, then it's rubbery.

I've found a few places that have divine calamari, but most places let it sit too long, or don't cook it right.

^-.-^

Surprisingly, Italians make some kicka** calamari. They really know how to work octopus/squid where I live.

[RayvenQ]

Where abouts are you in Crete? I've been there several times visiting my aunt.

Oh, by the way, if you can, try Kleftiko, it's delicious.

[MoxisPilot]

Where abouts are you in Crete? I've been there several times visiting my aunt.

Oh, by the way, if you can, try Kleftiko, it's delicious.

We're staying at the Royal Sun Hotel in Chania. :} So far, the trip has been absolutely AMAZING. Hoping to get to Knossos, Agia Nikolaos, and Spinalonga before we leave, but we'll see - it's a pretty long drive from here. My husband wants to do some scuba diving, too.

Kleftiko? What is it? I had shrimp saganaki...YUMMY.

[XCashier]

Genuine Greek food has forever replaced Szechuan and Thai at the top of my personal favorite food groups.

Greek cuisine is just divine. There's a restaurant in Phoenix called the Bacchanal that is wonderful (one of the few things I miss about Phoenix). The spanakopita and lamb capama are my favorites.

A friend said that when the waiters shouted "Opa!" when lighting the saganaki, that was Greek for, "Oh shit, the cheese is on fire!"

[Darkforge]

I want to learn Greek since I've been here, but the one person I've expressed it to (the hotel manager) told me, "It's hard. Don't bother."

Which made me want to do it even more. >.> I pick up languages kinda quickly (I speak French and Italian, and will have to learn another one when we move, either Arabic or German). Any advice on getting started? So far I've got "thank you" and "hello" down.

Its not too bad, though starting can be the hardest part as there .

I'd say first off, put off learning to read it for as long as possible as the different alphabet just bogs you down, once you can pronounce some words correctly and hold a basic conversation you realise that the words are spelt exactly as they are pronounced.

as for what to learn, start with simple things like directions, different foods and drinks (enough to order at a cafe or to help you if you get lost).

I'll be honest, we greek mostly like to practice our language skills and enjoy the opportunity to exercise other languages (unlike people wfrom a certain european country who are famed for refusing to speak any language other than their own)

[MoxisPilot]

Its not too bad, though starting can be the hardest part as there .

I'd say first off, put off learning to read it for as long as possible as the different alphabet just bogs you down, once you can pronounce some words correctly and hold a basic conversation you realise that the words are spelt exactly as they are pronounced.

as for what to learn, start with simple things like directions, different foods and drinks (enough to order at a cafe or to help you if you get lost).

I'll be honest, we greek mostly like to practice our language skills and enjoy the opportunity to exercise other languages (unlike people wfrom a certain european country who are famed for refusing to speak any language other than their own)

I told my husband, if we ever wind up stationed here permanently, I'll learn to speak it, but reading it is an entirely different story. Though we think between the two of us, we've figured out how "sigma" works. Point-y "sigma" for the beginning, middle, and plural, curvy sigma for the s at the end of words like "Stavros".

Your language, it has only 24 letters, but it also has like a BAJILLION letter PAIRINGS to make the "e" sound.

All in all though? Greek is a gorgeous language. I love watching Greek tv. :3

So yeah, starting with food.

[JoitheArtist]

Reminds me of the time I was with my youth group (whom I despised by that point) visiting Alberta. We were taking a tour of the Athabaska glacier (I LOVED it!), and the tour guide ended 1 sentence with "eh?" A couple of the girls in my group started giggling. "Oh my gosh, she just said 'eh'!" IDIOTS. You are from TEXAS. You have a very clear accent of your own, and you are in another damn country! STFU!

Siiiiiigh.

(Oh, and let it be known that I loved Canada! Not Calgary, so much, but the outlying areas. Canmore is still the most beautiful town I've been in--the mountains and river are unbelievable!)

[MoxisPilot]

Reminds me of the time I was with my youth group (whom I despised by that point) visiting Alberta. We were taking a tour of the Athabaska glacier (I LOVED it!), and the tour guide ended 1 sentence with "eh?" A couple of the girls in my group started giggling. "Oh my gosh, she just said 'eh'!" IDIOTS. You are from TEXAS. You have a very clear accent of your own, and you are in another damn country! STFU!

Siiiiiigh.

(Oh, and let it be known that I loved Canada! Not Calgary, so much, but the outlying areas. Canmore is still the most beautiful town I've been in--the mountains and river are unbelievable!)

I've never had a good experience travelling with church youth groups. Just saying.

Interestingly (and embarassingly) enough, we ran into some American teens yesterday, who were babbling loudly about how dirty Crete is (...it isn't), and how dumb Europeans are (Pfft...compared to whom?), then mocking the language and cackling loudly about it.

We almost started speaking solely in Italian so we wouldn't be lumped in with them. It's humiliating when we're working really hard to cross the cultural gap and these kids are burning the bridge out from under us.

(Disclaimer: I'm not saying all Americans are bad - I'm sure every country has their own little sect of whackjobs.)

[mharbourgirl]

(Disclaimer: I'm not saying all Americans are bad - I'm sure every country has their own little sect of whackjobs.)

So you've been to Canada, huh?

And probably Vancouver, if so. I should know, I grew up there.

[RayvenQ]

I've never had a good experience travelling with church youth groups. Just saying.

Interestingly (and embarassingly) enough, we ran into some American teens yesterday, who were babbling loudly about how dirty Crete is (...it isn't), and how dumb Europeans are (Pfft...compared to whom?), then mocking the language and cackling loudly about it.

We almost started speaking solely in Italian so we wouldn't be lumped in with them. It's humiliating when we're working really hard to cross the cultural gap and these kids are burning the bridge out from under us.

(Disclaimer: I'm not saying all Americans are bad - I'm sure every country has their own little sect of whackjobs.)

If Europeans are so dumb, why is it that the Germans always get first to the poolside deckchairs?

You shouldn't worry though, Greeks, as a people are really friendly, so don't worry about others affecting how you'll be treated.

Hell, my aunt lives over there, and if my family were so inclined, we could have essentially gotten everything we needed during our holidays there for free, food, drink etc etc, but fortunately we're not thusly inclined. It's kinda funny to see my 40 something dad and his 40 something sister argue furiously, one side saying we are getting what we ordered there free, the other insisting we don't

Hell, one bar owner, who didn't even know me orignally, gave me several free shots of vodka anytime I went into his bar, just because I was the nephew of my aunt who he knew and had someone working behind the bar who used to work with my aunt. I'm no freeloader, but the bloke insisted I have the shots when I was there.

just a word of warning, Greek horses DO perform handbreak turns, plus the greeks love to name horses after real people, so if you're lucky enough, you might find yourself riding on cindy Crawford :lol (To my somewhat embarrasment but it was a laugh) Also, what was funny was when an American bloke got lumped with Riding Saddam Hussein

[dalesys]

On learning to speak Greek: I had a coworker 30 years ago who spoke Portuguese. He said that he found it usably close to Greek.

As far as the alphabet, I can remember about 60% from science and math classes eons ago.

[Aethian]

Speaking of languages, what about the Rosetta Stone software?

[MoxisPilot]

So you've been to Canada, huh?

And probably Vancouver, if so. I should know, I grew up there.

Actually, I lived in Ontario...but it wasn't Canadians in particular that I meant.

On the whole, Canadians are decent people (until they run into Gravekeeper - then something happens to their molecular structure to make them savage hosebeasts).

If Europeans are so dumb, why is it that the Germans always get first to the poolside deckchairs?

You shouldn't worry though, Greeks, as a people are really friendly, so don't worry about others affecting how you'll be treated.

Hell, my aunt lives over there, and if my family were so inclined, we could have essentially gotten everything we needed during our holidays there for free, food, drink etc etc, but fortunately we're not thusly inclined. It's kinda funny to see my 40 something dad and his 40 something sister argue furiously, one side saying we are getting what we ordered there free, the other insisting we don't

Hell, one bar owner, who didn't even know me orignally, gave me several free shots of vodka anytime I went into his bar, just because I was the nephew of my aunt who he knew and had someone working behind the bar who used to work with my aunt. I'm no freeloader, but the bloke insisted I have the shots when I was there.

just a word of warning, Greek horses DO perform handbreak turns, plus the greeks love to name horses after real people, so if you're lucky enough, you might find yourself riding on cindy Crawford :lol (To my somewhat embarrasment but it was a laugh) Also, what was funny was when an American bloke got lumped with Riding Saddam Hussein

We've run into that kind of Greek hospitality; there's a guy here named Mike who runs a souvlaki shop which is also a safehouse. If he sees you twice, he remembers you and takes you next door to his bar and gets you liquored up.

Also, thanks for the warning about the horses. We were planning on horseback riding while we were here! LOL.

[RayvenQ]

Another Warning, the greeks that took me served alcohol halfway through, so be wary of that too, not a good combination, especially with those horses XD

[MoxisPilot]

Another Warning, the greeks that took me served alcohol halfway through, so be wary of that too, not a good combination, especially with those horses XD

Was it raki? LOL.