Melody
Active member
I don't know what Vic uses to post but my iPad often makes a nonsense of spelling. My English is pretty good but I nearly always have to edit to correct strange things the pad has done.
Max and others have referred to myself and others as 'going native' which I guess is supposed to be an insult.
In most ways I run our business the same as I would in the UK so I don't think I' ve gone native. Those who work for us and suppliers we use understand that we operate like a British company, not a Greek one. We have British standards of time-keeping and book-keeping, we treat our staff differently to the way a Greek employer would, we pay our bills more promptly than a Greek would. But we've got to this point through gradual and friendly persuasion over 12 years not by preaching to the people around us that the way they do things is wrong. People can see that we have grown, that we're successful, that what we do works and so are willing to do things our way.
I don't think our British culture is superior in every way to that of a Southern European. It's easier to make money with a northern culture but I think the quality of life is often better with the southern culture. Human beings and relationships, both with family and friends, are more important than big cars or the latest gadgets to most Greeks. They would prefer to earn less and be able to spend more time with their children than to commute several hours a day, for instance.
I like to think we take the best from both cultures, if that's possible, to earn a living but without a lot of the stress I see our UK customers suffering from.
I am pro-EU but I've been very disappointed and angry about how it has handled this crisis. The Europe I want to be part of is one where there is room for different cultures not one where everyone tries to be like a German.
Greek governments have made major mistakes but tinkering about with pensions, depriving families of electricity and food, and making thousands of young people unemployed when they were in no way responsible for taking on the debt is totally wrong in my opinion. Those who were responsible for the debts aren't being punished - it's ordinary people who are suffering.
Max and others have referred to myself and others as 'going native' which I guess is supposed to be an insult.
In most ways I run our business the same as I would in the UK so I don't think I' ve gone native. Those who work for us and suppliers we use understand that we operate like a British company, not a Greek one. We have British standards of time-keeping and book-keeping, we treat our staff differently to the way a Greek employer would, we pay our bills more promptly than a Greek would. But we've got to this point through gradual and friendly persuasion over 12 years not by preaching to the people around us that the way they do things is wrong. People can see that we have grown, that we're successful, that what we do works and so are willing to do things our way.
I don't think our British culture is superior in every way to that of a Southern European. It's easier to make money with a northern culture but I think the quality of life is often better with the southern culture. Human beings and relationships, both with family and friends, are more important than big cars or the latest gadgets to most Greeks. They would prefer to earn less and be able to spend more time with their children than to commute several hours a day, for instance.
I like to think we take the best from both cultures, if that's possible, to earn a living but without a lot of the stress I see our UK customers suffering from.
I am pro-EU but I've been very disappointed and angry about how it has handled this crisis. The Europe I want to be part of is one where there is room for different cultures not one where everyone tries to be like a German.
Greek governments have made major mistakes but tinkering about with pensions, depriving families of electricity and food, and making thousands of young people unemployed when they were in no way responsible for taking on the debt is totally wrong in my opinion. Those who were responsible for the debts aren't being punished - it's ordinary people who are suffering.
