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During our travels, our biggest goal is to come back home with a lot of memories and yeah, in a way, also changed. Changed by the experiences, by the different culture and history, by the food, by the people. So, when we decided to become digital nomads, we asked ourselves how we could have given a value and share our experiences with all of you. And the first, obvious answer was “With interviews!”

The interviews are a mix between us and the interviewed person. Our part regards the topic. How do we choose it? Simple. The first week we arrive in a Country, we spend some days walking randomly on the streets. In this way we get a quick idea of the soul of the city and we let ourselves be surprised by something. It can really be a small thing: music, architecture, culture, people, history, arts, literature, music, food, the country political situation. We try to see that city with new eyes, as it was a new world, without reading reviews about it before our trip. The things that catch the most of our attention will be the subjects of our article and interviews.  

When we first arrived in Athens, the Greek capital, we immediately noticed migrants and refugees, street art and a lot of closed shops. We lived in Greece almost two months and we had the chance to get to know its history and its modern culture. When you first arrive as a tourist you’ll see the best things you can see in Athens, like: the ancient acropolis, arts museum, music festival, you’ll do cultural and street food tours, you’ll admire the beautiful urban jungle and the classical architecture. Wow, such a cool city you’ll think. But what about the crisis that is afflicting Greece and especially Athens from 2008? What about the corrupt political situation? What about the life standards Greeks have since the last 10 years compared to the one that they had in the last century? If you want to have a clearer idea of how Athens changed in the last years, check out this cultural guide. We really appreciated its content!

During our stay in Athens we had the chance to meet amazing human beings that are doing something to create a positive impact on the life of Greeks and their Country. Keep on reading to discover who we interviewed!   

Athens Crisis Told by the Architect Timoklia Tsagari

The first interview we made was to the architect Timoklia Tsagari. Athenian from many generations, proud of Greece, with an infinite knowledge about Greek’s history and culture. She knows her city like nobody else and, after working for many years in the Athenian scene, she told us what happened to her beloved Greece when crisis arrived in 2008. Yeah, because the crisis in Greece and in Athens is not ended yet. Due to political and bank corruption, this country’s now an enormous debt and is in the same situation as an after-war Country. Through this interview you’ll not only discover the facts, but especially the reality: we’ll talk about Athenians and how their life standards changed dramatically in this period,  how drugs impacted Athens and what Timoklia, Timmi, did during the crisis and after to help her Country. If you want to discover what’s going on in a European Country touched by the crisis, give a look at our interview here.

Timoklia Tsaggari Interview Athens

“With Timmi During The Interview”

Homeless Athens Greece

“The Signs Of Crisis In Athens”

Discover SNEHTA Art Residency and Augustus Veinoglou

The second thing that impressed us was definitely modern arts and street art. Athens is literally the street art mecca of Balkans, especially the neighborhood of Exarchia. That’s why we wanted to interview someone that knows what both ancient and modern arts are. So, one day, walking randomly in Kypseli, our neighborhood, we found this art residency and gallery with several artists inside working on artworks. Not the classical museum you’ll find close to Acropolis or the average  art festival for tourists. We knew we had to interview the founder of all this. So, two days before leaving Athens, we met with Augustus Veinoglou, Athenians, artist who studied in Scotland but then decided to come back to Athens and create a project he was dreaming of since his adolescence. This project was the art residency (the first one in Athens) SNEHTA: a parallel universe which is Athens in reverse. Through this interview you’ll not only have a vision of modern art vs classical art in Athens and Greece, but you’ll discover more about this must visit foundation and the way Greeks interact with modern art. 

snehta augustus veinoglu

“Modern Art In SNEHTA Art Residency”

Exarchia Athens Neighborhood

“The Neighborhood Of SNEHTA”

How Social Hackers Academy Helps Minorities in Athens

Refugees and Greeks. If we could summarize better this foundation, we wouldn’t be able to do it. Social Hackers Academy is the perfect example of how Greeks and Africans, Afghans, Pakistani, Indians, Syrians live together in 2020. Through this interview you’ll meet Damianos, a man with a golden heart and brave enough to open an ONG in Athens, for Athenians and refugees. Damianos think that the only way for refugees to integrate into society is to find a work in Greece. Only when Greeks and refugees work together, no matter the color of the skin or the native language, there will be a real integration of them in Greek society. Social Hackers Academy coding school is a national example of how integration should work nowadays. In our interview you’ll get to meet Damianos and the way he wants to change public education, what he thinks about the Greek political situation and how he managed to open an ONG in Greece. 

Social Hackers Academy John Interview

“Students Of Social Hackers Academy”

Damianos Vavanos Social Hackers Academy

“Damianos Vavanos, Founder Of Social Hackers Academy”

The Incredible Story of John: The Life of a Refugee in Athens

The last interview we made in Athens was to John, a refugee from Congo. We met him though Social Hackers Academy and we had an intense talk with him. John told us about his story (which is surreal and really impressive), the way he felt when her arrived in Greece, the view he had of the city at the beginning and how Social Hackers Academy changed his life. You should read this interview to understand the past of a refugee in Athens, to be more conscious of their history and of one of the subjects that is characterizing our time. 

SHA Digital Nomad Couple

“Lessons in Social Hackers Academy”

Social Hackers Academy Athens

“Alessia In Front Of Social Hackers Academy”

Through our interviews we hope to bring you a different view of Athens. Hopefully you’ll see the city with a different mindset, more conscious and close to Greeks. So, keep one day free in your agenda while in Athens and just forget about acropolis, fancy hotels and food tours. Instead, walk around in this beautiful city and meet Greeks, listen to their stories and fall in love with the real Athens. 

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Athens Cultural Scene

Comments:

  • Marieke

    July 14, 2020

    Loved this article and your interviews guys! You really helped me knowing better Greek society and culture. Thank you so much for sharing

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