Hi all I am back with an interesting post this time. I decided to explore mixed couples with multi-lingual kids. For that reason, I asked for the help of Eva and Olivier who happily shared with me their experiences as a mixed couple by answering some annoying questions about their lives. Let me introduce you to my lovely friends Eva and Olivier and their adorable daughter Elisa. Eva is Greek, Olivier is French and they met in London, where I met them as well! Now they live in France, Bordeaux and no I haven’t visited them yet. Enjoy the interview and hopefully you will get some answers on how couples rock it in the 21st century!  Eva and Olivier thank you so much for this interview!!! 


1.So guys, how did you two meet?
 
At work! Old time classic :-)
 
2.How did you manage to overcome any cultural differences if any?
 
We didn’t have any cultural differences really. Unless you count Olivier’s wine obsession vs my mojito obsession one :-) On a serious note, it was mostly the language barrier that we had to overcome. When I met Olivier, he did notspeak English fluently and since I did not speak any French at the time, there was some frustration from both ends when we could not express ourselves 100%.
 
3.Give me an insight of your relationship journey.

We did everything completely the other way around than the “normal” boy-meets-girl, date, get engaged, get married, have kids. We were friends at first and very quickly our friendship evolved into a long distance relationship (Olivier lived in France and I lived in the UK). However, five months into the relationship Olivier moved to the UK and we actually moved in together from day one. Four months later, he proposed and we had a super engagement party with our friends! But then we decided a house was more important to us than a wedding, so we bought our first house. And after that, a baby was more important than a wedding hence our baby girl came to our lives. And as London was extremely expensive, especially when raising children, we decided to move to France. After we settled in our second house in France, that is when we finally managed to plan our wedding. Still no honeymoon though! We moved and changed jobs so many times that for the moment, we are just enjoying the feeling of being settled in one place.
 
4.Do you think cultural differences can be actually something we can easily overcome nowadays?
 
In my experience, it really depends on the person you are in a relationship with and how important are certain parts of their life to them. For example, religion was never an issue between my husband and I. I am a Greek Orthodox simply because I was baptized as one and not because I have profoundly explored that aspect or because I am religiously going to church every Sunday. And Olivier does not believe in any particular religion, but does enjoy the celebrations during Easter and Christmas that are happening in Greece. He even wanted us to get married in a church, because he was a guest at three Greek weddings and loved the celebrations so much! However, when discussing with friends about this, religion can be a deal breaker for some of them.
 
5.Does your husband like the Greeks, the Greek culture and why?
 
My husband says “I feel more Greek than French” to give you an idea of how much he likes Greece, Greeks and the Greek culture in general. He absolutely loves my family, my country, the language, our way of life when we are there. He would love to live in Greece, he adores Greek people for their generosity and is actually shocked how Greeks, that live in a small country with such financial difficulties, are so generous (not a common concept in France). He feels more at home in Greece than France. We even joke about how we should do an ancestry background check to see if he has any roots we don’t know of, in Greece.

Last year, while we had been living in Athens for 6 months, he was mentioning all the time how he loves Greek people, because they smile and talk to you in the shops, the train, the streets. He would go out with our daughter and come back telling me how many people were talking to her and him and how amazing he finds that even if someone would not speak English, they would still try to communicate with him. I mean, let’s say it like it is…
 
Comparing French people and Greek people in regards to openness, there really is no comparison. No wonder my hubby was shocked. Basically, if we had a job opportunity there, we would have moved back already. For now, we are happily settled in Bordeaux, but we will most definitely return to Greece at some point and stay there for good.
 
6.How do you feel about the French people and the culture yourself since you have moved to France? Has your opinion changed since you have moved there compared to the past?
 
As a teenager I disliked the French language (I know right? Pretty ironic!). My sister on the other hand adored France, the French language, their films, music, you name it! So much so, that I tell my husband, even if he was the biggest ass on the planet, my sister would have loved him as her brother in law just because he is French!
 
I always had a very good opinion of French people because in Greece, at least when I was growing up, all things French were very much loved! And now I can tell you that I love the French culture. The wine, the bread,the desserts! Not to mention the health care in this country and the cultural events happening all year round! I am really enjoying France right now.
 
But I had both dreadful and amazing experiences with the French people. When we first moved to France, in another location (Vendée department), it was one of the worst experiences I’ve ever had. People there are so closed up and I’m such a bubbly person, let’s just say my personality was not compatible to theirs. Like, AT ALL!But, when I moved to Bordeaux, it was like I entered another world. I love it here!
 
7.Knowing that Olivier can’t stand his fellow French people, are you planning to move to another country at some point? Maybe back to Greece? What do you personally prefer?

Yes, Olivier can’t stand the French mentality. They have it pretty good in regards to pension, benefits, health care and they still complain. That drives him mad!

We are definitely moving back to Greece at some point. Depending on our businesses (as we are both running our own business), we will move once we can create the circumstances that will allow us to permanently live in Greece without having to worry about work. For now the plan is, that at least until Elisa finishes primary school, we are staying put in Bordeaux. Maybe even further, we’ll see when we reach that point.

If I still lived in Vendée, I would reply that I want to move back to Greece ASAP! However, Bordeaux is an extraordinary place, friendly people from all over the world are here, the architecture is brilliant and the city evolves all the time! French nationals are used to seeing people from other countries living here, opening up businesses and integrating in general. I also find that so many cultural events are organized all over Bordeaux and you find courses for any crazy hobby you may have, that it’s difficult to not be pleased. My crazy hobby for example is flying trapeze and I have a circus school 10 minutes away from my place!

On the other hand, all my family is in Greece and when I step foot at the airport I am immediately at ease and a happy bunny! I love my country, I am an EXTREMELY proud Greek (Olivier can confirm this ;-) and I would love to move there straight, but when you have a family you need to think what is best for everyone. Hence, I’m split between the two. For now, anyway. Give me some more years and maybe I will not have to think for a second about moving back to Greece!
 
8.How does your family- the 3 of you- handle any linguistic differences/obstacles that you may have?
 
Oh this is a funny one! Well, Olivier and I speak in English, my daughter and I speak in Greek, the two of them speak in French. And Elisa speaks all three languages and switches depending on who she is talking to. We were lucky to have a very good English friend that talks to Elisa in her native accent, so luckily she did not take after ours! When we moved to France, I wanted Olivier to speak to me in French so that I practice, however after living in London for 4 years and talking to each other in English, we were used to this and so we stuck with it. This is great in retrospect, because our daughter is now trilingual as a result.
 
9.How both cultures co exist in your family? Is it easy? Does one culture overlap the other one at some point?
 
In regards to food we eat more Greek dishes than French I guess. We celebrate all holidays, both Greek and French. However, and this is totally my fault, I don’t feel I prepare and do things as I should for the national Greek holidays in order to keep up with the Greek culture, especially for my daughter’s sake. Because having grown up in Greece, I remember all the preparations in my house, the community, at the schools and the church and I can’t recreate that 100% for her.
 
10.How is to raise a multi lingual child? How do you feel? How difficult is it? Did you think that though with Olivier before things got serious?

I think our instinct was great on this subject, because some months ago I got my first book on how to raise a multilingual child and it seems we have been doing quite well on that part without investigating in advance.
 
The only challenge for me, occurs when we have a discussion all three of us; I either have to repeat myself (Greek to her, then translate to Oliver) or switch to English so I don’t repeat myself. I don’t prefer the latter, but sometimes English come out of my mouth automatically (10 years in London!). And when this happens, I immediately translate to Greek to Elisa.
 
Other than that, not only I don’t find it difficult, I find it fascinating to see how a child discovers languages so easily at such a young age. And to answer the other part of your question, we never discussed this subject even when I was pregnant. We never really thought so far ahead how to prepare on raising a multilingual child. I think we discussed it for the first time when she was about 1.5 years old when we realized that she understood everything we said in English!

11.How does your daughter understand or differentiate between the Greek and the French culture?
 
At 4 years old I can tell you one phrase that perfectly describes my daughter. She goes with the flow. I don’t know if it is the fact that she has been travelling since she was 3 months old, or that she has lived in 3 countries and already speaks 3 languages, or she is simply too young to understand/differentiate, however I don’t see her behaving differently here or there. When we are in Greece she loves it and when we are in France she says she misses everyone there. But then again her school and friends are here and she is finally settled in one school, so I guess she is just cool with having both the Greek and the French aspect in her life.
 
12.I know your daughter is really young but has she already embraced both her identities? Or she feels more French or more Greek? How she defines herself?

The answer my daughter would give you is that she is both Greek and French. And then she would add that she is also a bit English as she was born there. But from my end, as a mother, I feel the need that she needs to spend much more time in Greece, as I don’t want her to lose her connection with her country as she grows older. I am just hoping that me speaking to her in Greek and giving her Greek lessons at home, plus spending long summer holidays in Greece, will do the trick.
 
13.Tell us how old your daughter is and give us some insights of her first words, the languages she speaks and how her ability to grasp all 3 languages has changed throughout her life and so far.
 
Elisa is 4 years old, her first words were in Greek and she was stronger in Greek at the beginning. I believe this is the outcome of me staying at home with her since she was born and talking to her as an adult even when she was happily living in my belly. Then, as we started socializing with other kids in France, her French started becoming strong as well, until she reached an equal level for both (especially after she went to preschool for a few days a week). The English came later. We realized she understands everything we were saying in English some months before her second birthday, but the spoken English came much later.
 
She would say a few words here and there, but not actual phrases. We noticed a huge difference though whenever our English friend was visiting. Within an hour of our friend being with Elisa, her vocabulary was going through the roof! And after some obsession with Paw Patrol cartoon, she now properly speaks English. I guess with minus 30% vocabulary comparing to the other two languages, as she does not speak to someone in English daily. Funny thing is, how when she plays on her own, she uses all 3 languages depending on which game/toy she is playing with. And she is really obsessed with Spanish. She wants to learn Spanish badly (hello Dora the explorer!)
 
14.Since you’ve lived in France for the past 3 years, how difficult is for you to keep the Greek spirit alive in the house and follow any Greek traditions when and if you feel like?
 
I find it quite challenging, especially when it comes to big national holidays since celebrations that are happening at Greek schools or churches is not something Elisa experiences like I did as a child. Of course, there are some common holidays that both countries celebrate, but it doesn’t feel the same when you are away from your country. I even noticed this when I was living in London where the Greek community is very strong. It’s very tough to keep the Greek spirit alive when you live abroad. In regards to the Greek language, for now it’s all good, but maybe as Elisa grows up it will become more of a challenge, who knows?
 
15.How do you balance this multicultural family environment for the sake of both your sanity and most importantly your daughter?
 
Communication is key to this. My husband is absolutely brilliant on this subject as he understands how important it is for our daughter to be aware of both her cultures. He embraces all my ideas and suggestions. For example I want our daughter to spend two months in Greece every summer from now on. It will be very difficult for our family dynamic especially when summer time is also when Olivier’s two boys (from a previous marriage) are visiting for a longer than normal period. And of course, Elisa adores her brothers and wants to see them more often as well. But when we see how happy she is with her cousins and all my family in Greece, it is quite obvious that we need to make everything possible for our daughter to be visiting Greece often. We even want Elisa to be visiting the UK, since we both love the country, we have lots of friends there, not to mention, she was born in the UK and actually the only passport she holds at the moment is British! :-)

16.Does she feel different from other kids at her school? – Not sure if this one stands since France and Bordeaux is a multicultural melting pot as well.
 
Not at all; I think she is very good at adapting to her environment because of our lifestyle. So far she never mentioned anything nor did her teachers. She speaks fluently French so there is no language barrier at school, her friends come both from France and other countries and I think it helps that she meets new people all the time with me, as in other moms with kids from all sorts of backgrounds. Plus, all my lovely friends that are now spread around the world are known to Elisa as her awesome aunties and uncles that live in different countries. So I guess she doesn’t really feel different when this is the norm for our family.
 
17.Please each of you share a cultural – Greek and French - shock related funny story that each of you have experienced while being together.
 
For me the most shocking thing was how different French people are, comparing to Greeks. We are amazingly uplifting people us Greeks, we care about others (of course not every single Greek, but this is the general culture) and we enjoy getting to know people. I once said good morning to someone standing next to me, while we were waiting for the traffic light to cross the street and he replied “Do you know me?” quite angrily…
 
I also met a lovely grandpa at a grocery store that was so different in the way he was talking to me that I said exactly that: “Wow, you are so different from any other person I’ve met in this town!” To which he replied “That’s because I’m not from here”, followed by “good luck my dear” when I briefly explained how I had ended up there!
 
As for Olivier, he is shocked when he sees so many motorcycle bikers in the highway without helmets… And the one thing he will never get used to and just laughs at us every time, is how long it takes my family to decide on anything! And we are not talking about life making decisions here. Like, “Where shall we go for a coffee”? And the conversation can go on for 2 hours before we make a move!



Closing credits:

Eva is an amazing entrepreneur, branding strategist and designer and runs her own business called  Pinch Me Designs - Be in love with your branding .  You can follow her on FB or Insta! 

Olivier runs his own Real Estate company  as well and you can reach him via FB or though his website :
Capifrance 

I was going through some very old emails recently and tears came into my eyes. Don’t ask me why because there was no particular reason.  It has been 3 years since my last post, but those memories made me want to put my thoughts down and share them through my blog.  And I do promise, I will be back blogging as I will be back doing many things that make me happy and I had put them on hold.

So back to my thoughts…

There are some people in our lives that even when you just hear their name you start trembling and you unconsciously look around in the crowd looking for their face and sometimes you think you might have even spotted them somewhere - a familiar face among strangers.  And then, you start feeling the same way like you did last time. Butterflies in your stomach, a faster heartbeat and you can’t even feel your legs.

 It doesn’t make much difference really if it has been a long time, since the last time or even if it is all water under the bridge or if time has healed your "wounds". You can still recall everything and more importantly you can still feel exactly the same way.  That’s because there are some people that we never get over and we always carry them with us.  Those people embody all those things we thought we had made ours, but they have never been ours. All those things we wished, would have happened, but never did or never happened the way they should.

Those people made you experience the strongest feelings in your life. You had seen a version of yourself that you had never seen before or knew that it actually existed.  You had surrendered yourself to them without second thoughts or any doubts, without thinking what’s right or wrong.  Because you fell for them or you simply fancied them a lot.  You had even longed for them more that you could handle and you made fool of yourself or messed it up, because you weren’t thinking straight. They felt the same way back then and also messed it up.  If it was mutual then believe me it was love, if not it was a stupidity and both sides should be blamed for all the mess caused.

Your chemistry was on fire, you completed each other, you could pass electricity to each other by touching your finger tips, you could read each others' minds, you admired them and they admired you back. The moments you had shared together are the most valuable memories well stored in your mind and close to your heart.  There was so much tension, that you’d never managed to experience again ever since, a passion that you’d never known it exists in real life.  No one else, that came along fulfilled you in the same way, even when they tried. Even when you tried your best, it was just to fool yourself that you had moved on.

So if everything was so ideal and mutual what went wrong, you would ask. Do you have an answer? Yes, I do.  So, life came in the way, my dear reader. Sometimes it was bad timing, sometimes weird circumstances complicated things and sometimes one of you got frightened. You two experienced such strong feelings for each other back then, but in the end you never made it to be together. You never had an actual relationship, you never tried to live "it" and to get it out of your system. You never really got to see how things would be like and your brain "mourns" not only a person, but a possibility.  The brain does not know the difference between fantasy and reality.  Nevertheless, one way or another all relationships are subjected to ‘’wear and tear’’. Nothing is forever…

The biggest loves of our lives – as we categorised them so- never end up in a relationship.  In Greek, it’s been said that "this kind of loves never wake up in the same bed". Sometimes, they are just stories at the back of your head that you prefer to keep for yourself, even hide them from yourself.  But there is no unethical love. Sometimes, those loves are the most beautiful thing, we have experienced or we will ever experience, our own madness that could never survive such a conventional life. In any case, these people introduced us to love, to unconditional love, they taught us how to love selflessly without knowing about it and then they chose to leave short after.

These people are inhabited under our skin and never left from there, even when we tried millions of ways to get rid of them, to forget them. That’s the reason why, this kind of loves are the ones that never fade away, never fizzle out.  Because they never actually settled, they never found shelter, they never docked. They were doomed to born and die and in order to survive they "chose" to nest inside our hearts. You never easily forget them, because you grew up thanks to them and you also learnt a lot of things about yourself and life. Because of them, you are the person you are today.

Maybe you don’t talk about them anymore, maybe you change the subject when a conversation is about to go that way and you just turn your head looking the other way pretending that you don’t really care.  But you still feel that familiar numbness, those butterflies messing around in your stomach.  It doesn’t matter how many times you will kiss someone else, you will always seek for their lips instead.  The number of different beds you will sleep in, doesn’t matter because you will always wish that it was them you see next to you when you wake up in the morning. It doesn’t matter how many steps you will take forward, unwittingly you will always end up going back.

Those people that we had fallen head over heels with and we only experienced just a "nearly together" thing, are   the biggest "curse",  but at the same time the greatest redemption. They encapsulate the ifs and the buts that still haunt you, the 3rd or 4th glass of wine, all those sleepless nights, the numerous cigarette butts in your ashtray, the countless tears... If you have never experienced something similar, you will never understand what I am talking about or how painful it can be and you will probably think that I am exaggerating or that you can’t make any sense of what I saying here.

But for those who have experienced a similar story, they already know. Unfortunately, they also know that things won’t change. The ship has sailed... Life has moved forward, everything has its time and everything ends, sometimes even before it starts...

Dating nowadays has become pretty bleak. Actually, it’s so bleak that we are increasingly trying to outsource our love lives to algorithms and spread sheets. Marketing and the film industry present the “planet single” as a barren, isolated wasteland and an escape from this planet is mandatory.
 
The life of a single today actually seems pretty good. Being on the shelf is only a problem when your shelf is boring. In fact, the older you get, the more interesting your self is likely to become and the harder to be coaxed off it. 
 
Our “shelf- life” has a longer life span just because we tend to stay fitter, healthier and more attractive for longer. Women are no longer crying over wine. Single women are more likely to be enjoying life by always doing interesting activities from capoeira to zumba or climbing, doing sports or working out, meeting friends, running blogs, studying etc.
 
Which is why dating is such a problem. Why would you want to spend an excruciating hour getting to know a complete stranger when you could be enjoying karaoke with your mates or learning to make cocktails and sushi?
 
So it’s not surprising that people have turned to online dating to speed up the process. According to researches, today in Britain 1 in 5 heterosexual couples met online and an amazing 70% of homosexual couples found their partner via web.
 
But, sadly as it is, online dating circles are shorter, because it is easier to throw in the towel, when you know there are 20 more towels waiting for you. That means there is so much greediness involved in online dating. The digital menus, where people are waiting to be chosen or not, are long and endless.
 
There is a big time convenience included and people get carried away with instant choices, that they don’t give the relationship a real chance to build up and develop gradually. They can’t be bothered or they are scared to commit when the have passed the fun period of getting to know each other and things have started getting a little bit more serious.
 
 The online dating world is a new world full of choices that makes us think that there will be always someone better just a click away.  This tells us that online dating is a way of just recycling partners really fast. Just as fast as our lives have turned to be in the big cities.
 
The US Association of Psychological Science also found that browsing multiple profiles makes people far more judgemental that they would be in a face-to-face meeting, quickly writing off candidates who don’t tick every box.
 
On the other hand, sexual attraction is part of our biology.  Online, we always try to find people that match with us to the dot. In other words, we are looking for a clone, but in biological terms, the most compatible partner genetically would be the one who is the least like us. In other words, in face-to-face meetings, the body is subconsciously picking up clues about suitability of future partners based on their DNA and our own.
 
Sexual desire arises from a combination of our senses reacting to the new encounter and the brain stimulation as a result of a context of memories to which both of the encounters are associated.  And that can’t be recreated by viewing an online profile.  To put it in another way, meeting someone we fancy, sparks a whole cascade of biological triggers.  After all, dating is mating. And mating is governed by millions of years of evolution.  So we should better work with that, than against it.
 
By being lazy and relying on online profiles, we might be missing out dozens of people who would be suitable while wasting time on those who aren’t.  How are you ever going to meet anyone, if you are not actually meeting anyone?
 
Apart from all the above, in real life and from the point of view of numerous women, online dating has turned out to be exhausting. After a certain amount of time wasted and men you have met, you come to the conclusion that you should stop it and instead enjoy your “shelf- life”.
 
Because in the end men have completely changed and online dating with its thousands of choices along with the fast passed life, have turned them into greedy, lazy, noncommittal and selfish creatures, that can’t forget you in a quick right swipe. Because, there are plenty of fish in the sea. Therefore, you are not irreplaceable. I am sorry to put it that way, but it is the truth.
 
Below I have listed some reasons that online dating is actually too bad for our sanity and health:
 
 1.You can easily lose your true self in the quest to be the girl with the perfect profile and whatever that involves. But that’s stressful and insane.
 
 2.There is no spontaneity, fun or butterflies.
 
 3.There is always constant disappointment, especially on the first date. Also, there are always men who prefer to text forever and don’t try to meet up.
 
 4.Everything feels forced. Firstly, you don’t feel that spark that you do when you know you like someone. And then when you meet, you are trying to make it work even when it doesn’t.
 
 5.Chemistry involved or not, men always have sex in mind and for them fishing online is the best hook-up, because it is easy and fast, and when you don’t think alike before or after you meet, they just vanish into thin air, with no regrets. They are pretty good in that just like David Copperfield.
 
 6.It requires a lot more time and energy than you expect. Ultimately, the chances of meeting someone great are small and require a whole lot of effort. Too much swiping, too much texting, too much energy to narrow it down to that one date that ends up to be a disaster. Most of the times.
 
 7.Some are weird, some are wacko, and some are looking for kinky sex like Mr Grey or a third party for a threesome and my favourite category: the guys that their first text includes all their anatomical gifts and other shocking things you don’t normally ask or share with a stranger. Do I look like I care?
 
 8.Outsourcing ends up being so boring: too much swiping and too much texting where there is too little to say.  
 
 9.Men online are crass and crude.
 
 10.Most of the times you have to be a complete drop dead gorgeous show stopper to get anything out of it.
 
 11.Number 10 leads us to point 11 and  shows how shallow men are nowadays.  So shallow that they care more about their bodies and how they look on the pictures, than about normal human relations or your brain. I am sorry but it’s not only perky arses and big boobs that count in life, neither I care if you have six packs and a tight arse yourself.  Can you fuck my mind? No? Next…!
 
 12.There a lot of fake profiles out there. Humour me, but I don’t know what men get out of it, because obviously they will avoid meeting you in person anyway.

In conclusion, women have to follow the trend and adapt into this new way of recycling online dating just to find their mate if they get lucky, having no other option, because rarely men will approach you in person nowadays. But the only thing you get out of it, is adding up more and more men to your love history with no real outcome, just some fun, some sex, some boring repetitive banter. In the end, it feels like HIStory rather than yours.

Countless, emotionless experiences and we women are not not like them. We are sensitive and we want to experience some emotional -ok sexual as well- connection, get butterflies in our stomachs, meet someone who actually cares and why not fall in love. Escape the circle girls, stay on your "shelf", have fun and what the heck if they don't approach you,  you can. Unlike them, we have more balls. Unfortunately, all women have experienced the emasculation of today's MEN! And that's the next post ladies.
 
​
 Thank you for reading
 
La Petite Grecque
Dec 2015
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Oh, well my favourite endless topic : Men... and what is better than talking about French men. They might not be the hottest guys in Europe or the most handsome ones, but they have credentials that other nationalities lack of.
 
I have been living in London for quite long now to have been experienced many encounters with a variety of different nationalities, including the French. And I would say one thing to begin with: “they are the best and the worst ones at the same time” Yes, they are really controversial compared to other nationalities.
 
It’s not their looks, that makes them attractive like the Italians or the Scandinavians/Dutch – according to taste of preferring southern or northern characteristics – it’s their attitude, their culture that runs through their veins, the way they know how to treat a woman (well not all of them). Also there is that magical moment when they open their mouths when you can’t get enough of them. 
 
Their wittiness, articulation, their swaggering sophistication and yes their accent too. Unfortunately, not all of them have an accent in English, which sometimes if it does exist, it gets a bit irritating at some point especially when it’s quite heavy that you want to scream “Could you please switch to French for the love of God?” Other than that, it can be cute most of the times, but also beyond any doubt a huge turn on.
 
Having just the slightest thought that this man standing in front of you speaks the most erotic language in the world as his mother tongue, it is irresistibly and incredibly sexy, if you are asking me. In case you have any doubt of what he is actually saying to you just close your eyes and leave yourself to enjoy this tantalizing moment. Personally, I am so used to it I can even understand and decode any French/English accent, but ladies it takes years of practice!
 
One sad thing that I have to share here, while speaking about the French men that live in the UK is that they have as well been adapted to the Anglo-Saxon system of dating: quite convenient for them really annoying for us who a. hate it in the first place, b. are sick of it, c. don’t like it, it actually worn us off after a certain point. So yes my ladies I am sorry to share this bad news with you, if you are actually looking to live the French romance move to France!
 

The good, the bad and the ugly:

1. They don’t play cool, when they like you they go for it showering you with texts, phone calls, emails you name it and they definitely want to meet you all the time to a point that they end up being clingy.
2. They adore and prefer the company of a woman. They love everything from our banter to our bodily imperfections. They are big feminists and apparently it’s their mom’s fault- Thank you French mom. So don’t be surprised if he dumps his mates or a football game to be with you. OK, there are many exceptions when it comes to football, I am aware of that.
3. They love complementing you a lot and they mean it – so get used to it. It’s genuine and part of their culture so they don’t just do it to impress you, there is no hidden agenda my ladies.
4. The French thrive on jealousy, passionate arguments and bold attestations of love. For those who are loud and expressive as me and speak their minds a French man is what you need because sulking has zero impact and neither does the “silent treatment”.  If you have a point to make about a problem in your relationship then make it as loudly and as passionately you can. Just keep it civilized.  Generally speaking, I have only seen that in French movies or French soil. What the heck, do they actually transform when they cross the borders or what? There must be something in the water.
5. You will definitely know when a French man is interested in you. His body language, his shameless appraisal of your womanly form- and all these before he has even spoken a word. In other words, they don’t like games, they are expressive and straightforward. They do not like to waste time and they do make a quick move. Unless, they are boys in age or in mind, speaking on a personal level.
6. For the French, kissing can signify the beginning of a relationship. It didn’t happen in any of my personal cases but for others did and most certainly it’s in their culture like back home in Greece. But do not think of me as a prevailing example: My first French kiss came on a really really really bad timing and as for the rest I just wanna think that I hadn’t found “the one” myself to embark on a relationship. But I am not losing my hope. (LOL)
7. Sexual compatibility is as important as in any other western culture. It is one of the first deciding factors in whether or not the relationship will work out.  If you don’t sleep with them, they take that to mean that you are not actually interested in them. Waiting for long it has the same effect. On the other hand, sleeping with them on the first date won’t make any difference, neither they will judge you. Apparently, it is common back in France. But I would advice you to do as you feel and be open about it.
8. They have the reputation of the world’s greatest lovers. I don’t really know why and how this one came up. It’s the ultimate cliché if you are asking me because they are not. Unless they can make you scream from the bottom of your lungs “oh la la” and of course I would love to hear about your experience over a glass of wine.  On the other hand, they are owners of the second European average size according to many surveys and researches. I am not quite sure if this is true either, but then again the researches talk about the whole country’s average size.
9. Because they are passionate and expressive they can definitely be the biggest heartbreakers ever. This come as a result of some of my girlfriend’s testimonials. My personal experiences taught me that my Frenchmen were either too young, either too busy, either too womanizers and posers or too scared to live the moment and embrace their new feelings. Instead they had chosen to stay safe in their own protective bubble and observe the world moving around them.
10. They are chauvinists in a good manner and why shouldn’t they? Their culture and all that it represents it’s mesmerizing. Haute cuisine, literature, fashion and art, architecture, history, language, cinema, values such as of equality and tolerance and of course a majestically beautiful country. Cities like Paris, Lyon, Avignon, Lille, Dijon, Toulouse, Bordeaux, Le Provins, and also Cannes and Nice that can take you to a dazzling, jaw-dropping time travel. Museums, galleries, restaurants, theatres, libraries and breathtaking landscapes. Allons! Enfants de la Patrie!!! Sorry, I got carried away! 

 To sum up, a romance with a Frenchman is the perfect ego boost or an antidote for a broken heart. But take heart. A real French romance –long or short term one it doesn’t matter- will leave a big mark on your life, like a new tattoo on your skin. You will never forget it, the good and the bad.
 
If it happens, embrace it, enjoy it and live it to the fullest. Don’t be afraid to feel and express how you feel. It will be a great experience and you will learn a lot out of it. So open your heart and mind and absorb as much as you can but do not forget to give back. Love must be reciprocal and feelings mutual.
 
May your Frenchman teach you a lot about life, love and passion and be the one who will take you on to your life’s journey. Don’t forget to eat what he feeds you, apparently he knows better than you and listen to his cultural and sophisticated banter, you might emerge a better person even if the relationship doesn’t work out. 
 
Thank you for reading
 
La petite Grecque
Nov 2015

A vegan lifestyle is the ultimate expression of respecting the animals and your coexistence on this planet without harming them in order to please your desires, indulge your vanity or get entertained. Therefore going vegan it is the most ethical and merciful answer to the undeclared war against animals.

Nowadays, animal industrialised farms follow inhumane practices to kill animals in order to obtain their meat, milk or even skin, fur and down for clothing. Also the conditions the animals live under or the way they are treated, are preposterous and morally wrong. By adhering a vegan lifestyle you stop supporting these unacceptable conditions.

 Furthermore, those industries produce high volumes of emissions that are linked to climate change. Other environmental issues due to intensive farming are the large amounts of water that go wasted, the pollution of the ecosystems and lastly the deforestation that is performed to create more pastureland.

Going vegan is a step towards a healthier life for the adherent. It is scientifically proven that a vegan diet can minimise the risks of life threatening diseases. Moreover, the low standards and quality of the meat production have created high scale of dangers for the public health. Given that, it has also been reported that the workers in the slaughterhouses and the meat packing industry work under deplorable conditions while putting their health and life in hazard.

 Lastly, veganism could tackle the problem of world hunger. The animals in factory farms consume large quantities of food that could be fed directly to people not to mention that the pasture land has replaced in great scale the arable one.  

Thank you for reading...

La Petite Grecque 

October 2015

Animals should be treated with respect and as individuals with inherent value. It is morally unacceptable to see animals as property or to exploit them. In particular, animals shouldn’t be used for food, clothing, entertainment or experiments nor should be abused in any way.  

Personally, I can trace my animal rights consciousness back to childhood.  In my teenage years, I fully realised all the cruelty happening every day and my deep passion for animal rights put me on a quest to make the world a better place for all living creatures. Today, I feel that I lead by example. Although I follow a vegan lifestyle in general for now I am just a pesceterian in terms of my diet- which means I still eat fish and sea food but rarely . I have volunteered in shelters and have saved the lives of many abused and homeless animals.

 I have also worked on raising awareness by advocating or protesting for the humane treatment of animals. I believe that I have already made a positive impact on how people around me view animals. Following and supporting PeTA’s work  and other animal rights or welfare charities all these years made me set a lifelong goal; to do all in my power to stand up for equality for all living creatures and to be the voice for the voiceless.

Animal factory farming and clothing trade areas have had a big impact on my personal lifestyle and influenced my life objectives. Personally, I find outrageous the poor conditions the animals live under and the inhumane ways they are treated and killed for their meat or for their milk so that those industries can maximize their profits.

 Likewise, the cruel methods that are used by the clothing industry to obtain the skin, fur, down or wool from animals can only be characterised as disgraceful and unacceptable.  Particularly, when the animals are skinned alive and slaughtered in the name of fashion. The fashion industry uses the cruellest and cheapest methods available and the animals, both bred and trapped from the wild, go through tremendous suffering.  

We should consider that in today’s world, we have all the means to go cruelty free. Modern science can offer compassionate alternatives to existing practices used by these industries.

All the issues that Animal Rights address nowadays can be summarised to one fundamental theme; that animals do not belong to us to use in any way or for any reason.  I strongly believe that we can stop all this cruelty by simply and powerfully spreading that message widely. Creating an understanding over the value of animals as subjects of life and not as tradable commodities, can bring hope onto the world.

We can get to a place where people are fully aware about the meat, entertainment and fashion industries and how these rampantly abuse animals. Today, science can offer many alternative answers to pointless testing and experiments or even clothing and food. Definitely, I think we have the means to educate consumers and let them make their own choices for the benefit of animals. 


Thank you for reading...

La Petite Grecque 

October 2015

I have been on Tinder for 2 weeks! What I have learnt so far:

1. Left swipe (not like) right swipe (like), yes I am new, sorry! And it will be my last attempt to online date!

2. It scares the hell out of me: I have already bumped into one of my exes and one of my old fuck buddies and the ex of my best friend – how small is this city?

3. It’s shockingly enough that you bump into people you know even from your home town in Greece and you didn’t even know they had moved in London but what is worst, is when you find unknown guys that you have common friends with on FB. Yes the application has this indication as you connect through FB in the first place.

4. I still haven’t understood how this software works! Meaning  will that cute guy I right swiped definitely have me in his next swiping list so to left or right swipe me or is it all about luck?  

5. The owner of the profile is always the ugly guy in the group pictures or the less handsome and it’s a fact!

6. Some guys have really high self-esteem or should I say they are big posers- never trust a guy that takes better selfies than you!

7. How many gym freaks exist in this city? Too many six packs to the extent that those pictures create a distorting effect and blur my sight, it’s like sea sickness! If I see another shirtless picture with perfect countless six packs I am gonna vomit! Can anyone tell them they need to exercise for health reasons and not for the looks? Plus those chemical pills you consume to look like this are not good for you, didn’t you know?

8. Tinder is addictive! How many hours we people waste on swiping? Too many, but I bet it is as addictive as any other app or game. It’s a game itself. And it’s hard to focus. The game-style of Tinder means it’s really easy to keep playing and forget about that hottie you were messaging yesterday. If you’re serious about finding someone, you’ll need to stay focused.

9. Even if guys match with you they won’t text you. It rarely happens that they will, unless they had accidentally right swiped you and that explains everything!

10. It’s safe in terms of that not everyone can bother you unless you match!  But then again you wish the guy you right swiped to right swipe you back and then to text you! Too much to worry about right? Too much gambling!

11. When you feel bored and you are on tinder accidents happen! People  including myself in these cases tend to swipe fast and in that way to right swipe the wrong person or miss a guy you liked by swiping left! As for the person you accidentally liked, he has most probably liked you back by playing all his cards and luck and texts you first! Next move? Just unmatch him!

12. You can find famous people on it and if you are lucky they might right swipe you but don’t be surprised if they end up being pricks. Friend of a friend not my experience!

13. French are the only guys that go for it! You match? They text straight away! If it goes well you briefly move it to whatsapp and then briefly comes the date! At least they do not run around the bush like the rest! They like you? They act fast! What not to like about them? – I will definitely write a post about the French guys soon.

14. Scandinavians – Kiwis-Aussies are hot, French not so much but as I said they know how to deal with a woman and win over the situation.

15. It is still very casual sex-focused. Many men are only on Tinder for a quick hook-up, so if it's a serious relationship you're after this app might not be for you. But which one is then? All the people use online dating are on it for more casual stuff anyway! I am confused! Maybe the app is called the real world?

I am sick of online dating when this madness is about to stop? When things and human relationships will go back on how they were, like normal? When are we going to meet people in person again? Is anyone else sick of the digital world or is just me? What’s wrong with this city and men? Or is it universal?

I totally hate it but I still have no other option! I can’t actually sit on my arse and wait the next cute guy that ogles/stares/winks at me at the bar/coffee shop/restaurant/gallery/tube/ you name it, to come over and talk to me! Because they normally don’t (let alone to text me on the apps even if they like me back)! And if I take the initiative and do so first they freak out because apparently you scare them off or you pass the wrong impression of being a nympho! 

Single is fun yes but you need a partner sometimes and I don’t think anyone disagrees unless you are a phycho and prefer to be alone forever, you FREAK!