Acquainting herself with the Acropolis, the local subway and a startling summer heat, Manjula Sen discovers that it is the Greeks who really steal the show, at Athens

We were in Amsterdam watching the televised football finals of Euro 2004. Poland versus Greece. The unfancied Greeks had made it so far and all that the BBC commentator could moan about was: if Greece won, the Greeks would be celebrating for days and all preparation for the Olympics would come to a standstill. Well, as everyone knows, Greece won.

Shortly after, I was in Athens and discovered, as the international media kept up its carping, that if there was anyone who was sure of Greece being ready in time for the Olympics inauguration, it was the host nation. "Greece will be ready for the Olympics," was a smiling comment repeated by my new Hellenic friends. Incomplete stadia, metro line and signages that are still Greek to the international tourist…even as the countdown began, it was hard to believe that Athens would be ready in time.

And then, came the spectacularly imaginative inaugural of the Games that silenced the critics. That night, back in India, I was on the phone with Theodora. "Wasn't it fascinating?" asked the tourism student from Athens, excitedly. There was never any doubt.

Greece is not what you expect it to be. Athens in particular. It surprises you. More than any place else, it is the people here who make a difference. The sweltering bustle of this Mediterranean capital initially brings a sense of desi déjà vu. Coming from a country that has so much of its own ancient treasures, the monumental splendour of the city named after the goddess, Athena, is not overpowering, even if theirs are far better kept. If Athens reminds me a lot of India, it must be because of its unique position at the geographical cusp of the east (Asia Minor) and the west (Europe). The pollution, the vegetable market on Athinas Street, the crowds, the sound of their language and music, the clothes- plenty of cotton embroidered tops and kitschy chappals - and of course, the summer heat, almost as unbearable as in Delhi or Mumbai.

The similarities end with the attitude and the appearance of the people. It is the way the Greeks dress and enjoy themselves that sets them apart from, say, the Indians. Full-figured women of all ages nonchalantly don form-hugging, skimpy clothes that are both comfortable and fashionable, without being ogled at by Greek men, in a society that still veers towards the patriarchal.

[ Formerly with a leading national daily, regular Verve contributor, Manjula Sen, is a Mumbai-based freelance journalist who specialises in features on social issues and trends.]

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