A few misconceptions about Greece

I'm Greek, so who better to put you Brits right about this jewel of the Med than me? Quite.

And let's be honest, there are quite a few bits that need correcting, so here goes:

1. Greece doesn't only consist of islands.
Greece consists of 1400 islands, but only 227 are inhabited. The mainland is the biggest part of the country, having mountains, lakes, fields, beaches, forests (although there aren't many after last summer's big fires).

2. Kebab shops are not Greek, and nor is hummus.
As soon as you get into a kebab shop, you hear Eastern music and notice that the signs are written in Arabic. So they're not Greek, then.

However, there are similar shops in Greece, where they make the famous souvlakia. Unfortunately, I can't find a place like that in Liverpool. (She's not discovered the joys of Eureka on Myrtle Parade yet. Our fault - Editor).

3. When Greek people talk loudly and move their hands at the same time, it doesn't mean they're arguing.
Yes we are loud and use gestures and facial expressions all the time, but don't worry, we don't bite.

4. Not all Greek men have black thick hair everywhere and a moustache.
You can find a few people like that, mostly in Crete (and that's just the women!).

5. The music from the film "Zorba the Greek" is not in today's Greek charts.
Also young people going out on the tiles don't usually dance "sirtaki" and smash dishes. That was long-long time ago.

These were a few things came into my mind. If you have any more questions I could answer or any objections on the above, please let me know. After all, "it's all Greek to me"!

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