I traveled to Athens Greece with Global Business Brigades for my time abroad. After being in Athens Greece for a few days I have noticed a lot of differences in the culture of Greece compared to the U.S. culture. I visited a local square that had multiple shops. One thing that I noticed that was different was that there were many shops underground. They had shops located on the street, however there were shops that you walked downstairs into. This is something that is not very common in the U.S.. A lot of businesses also have tiny storefronts, specifically the restaurants that were located on the square, therefore they had a lot of outdoor seating to help maximize space. Another difference I noticed was personal space is more valued in the U.S. While walking down a busy street people are going to bump into you and they won’t apologize or think anything of it because that’s a common occurrence here. One worry I had was the potential language barrier, however, that has not been an issue. Many people speak multiple languages here, especially in Athens and the more tourist areas shop owners, restaurants and many local people will speak English or enough English to understand each other. Another difference that I noticed was the difference in transportation. The majority of the people here use public transportation. The metro is easily accessible and very efficient. During my time here I have already used the metro multiple times. The metro is very easy to use and is fast. If people don’t use the metro they normally walk rather than using a car. Overall, my initial impressions of Athens have been positive. The city is unique and has many interesting places to visit. The cultural differences have helped me grow my global perspective and knowledge. I am looking forward to learning more about the Greek way of life and more about how business is conducted in Greece during the rest of my time here.
