Emigrating implies much more than finding a job, securing housing or learning a new language. Adapting to social codes, understanding gestures and getting used to unfamiliar habits can become one of the main challenges. That is what Lisandro and Horacio, two Argentines living in Athens, experienced.
Although they arrived in Greece at different times — Horacio landed in 2007, before the economic crisis the country would go through, while Lisandro settled there in 2019 — both agree on one thing: to integrate, it is necessary to understand that many everyday situations work differently than in Argentina.
One of the first clashes arose from something as simple as a conversation. Based on their experience, which they recounted to the YouTube channel Todo Atenas, Greeks can express themselves in a way that initially feels overly direct to an Argentine.
"Sometimes they have a way of being a bit rough or blunt. They are serious, they speak in a very curt way or with a tone that sometimes makes it seem like they are in a bad mood, but they are not," they explained.
They added: "Sometimes you take it personally and think: 'Wow, they spoke to me rudely.' No, they did not speak to you rudely. That is just the way they talk."
The cultural clashes they encountered upon arriving in Greece
Lisandro recalled that this difference created particular doubts for him in the workplace. When he received a response he considered too dry, he would consult with Greek female coworkers to find out whether there was actually a problem.
"The way they said that to me — does it come across badly, or is it normal? Would they say it to you the same way?" he would ask. Over time, he came to understand that what he initially interpreted as poor treatment was, in many cases, a common way of communicating.
Differences also appeared in gestures. According to what they shared, a small movement of the lips or simply raising one's eyebrows can be enough to signal "no" without needing to say a word.
Something similar happened to them with farewells. In Argentina, it is customary to arrive at a gathering, greet those present, and greet them again before leaving. In Greece, they explained, a person may leave without saying individual goodbyes, and that does not necessarily imply rudeness.
"In Argentina we are used to the fact that when someone arrives, they greet everyone, and when they leave, they greet everyone," they noted.
The explanation also surprised them: if several people are in the middle of a conversation, some prefer to leave without interrupting them. "They leave so as not to bother the people who are talking," they pointed out. Other times, people simply offer a general farewell.
Why they consider Greece "the Argentina of Europe"
Physical contact was another point of adjustment. One of them recalled that back in Argentina he might run into his mother three times in a single day and greet her with a kiss each time.
In Greece they found a different relationship with that kind of display of affection. As they explained, a kiss may be reserved for closer relationships or specific situations, although greeting with two kisses also exists there.
Despite those initial differences, both found numerous points in common. "Greece is the most South American country in Europe; for me it is the European Argentina," Lisandro said.
Furthermore, they confirm that revealing their nationality usually generates a positive reaction. "Their faces light up when you tell them you're Argentine. They immediately throw at you 'Maradona, Messi, football, mate, Bombonera'. We are very well received," they said.
After years of living outside the country, both agree that constantly comparing new customs with Argentine ones can make adaptation more difficult. For them, emigrating also means learning the codes of the place that welcomed them and understanding that a dry response, a farewell without kisses, or a different gesture does not necessarily carry the meaning that an Argentine would attribute to them.
