For Alexandra Oikonomidou, 33, international negotiator and sports marketing manager, life is literally a tale of two cities. She divides her time between her home in Athens and an apartment at Fortune Plaza in Beijing. Beijing, she recalls, was a much bigger surprise than she had expected when she first came in 2005.
"Before I came to Beijing, I thought language would be the most difficult thing," she explains. "But when I arrived, I realized that language was the last of my difficulties.
"I was served hot water instead of cold water. People looked at me curiously because I am blonde. The summer was particularly a struggle because of the humidity.
"I could overcome the language obstacle but not the living style."
She had her share of "culture shock" in the first few months of her stay here, compounded by the distance from friends and family back home.
Oikonomidou heads Ogilvy Sports, the Sports and Olympic Marketing department of Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide.
Earlier, she was with Ogilvy Athens, where she worked for two years with the Athens 2004 Organizing Committee (ATHOC) in preparation for the Olympic Games.
She grew up in Athens speaking Greek, English, French and Italian. Now that she has been living in Beijing for nearly three years, she can speak a bit of Chinese thanks to private language lessons at home.
Oikonomidou earned a Bachelor's degree in social sciences from the Pantion University of Athens as well as a Master's in Mass Communications from the University of North London.
She joined ATHOC as a Games Promotion Administrator. During the 2004 Olympic and Paralympic Games, she served as a communications manager at the Agios Kosmas Olympic Sailing Center.
Then, in 2005, she re-joined the Ogilvy Group in China as Head of the Olympic and Sports Marketing Practice to leverage her Olympic experience for Ogilvy clients in China in the run-up to the 2008 Games. Currently, she is responsible for Olympic marketing for UPS.
"I am here in Beijing to offer my knowledge and experience about Olympics," she says. "People here have done a great job on the Olympics preparations, it leaves me speechless. Their positive attitude has inspired me."
But her life in Beijing goes beyond work. Everyday routines, though, are similar to those in Athens. A typical day starts with a 7 am wake-up and reading the newspapers while eating breakfast; 9 am, going to work; 2 pm, a quick lunch at the office; working till 8 pm - at the office, at client meetings or even dinner meetings; 9 pm, going to the gym for a quick workout; 10:30 pm, a drink with friends and calling it a day at midnight.
However, the city keeps throwing surprises at her.
"I once bought a DVD player. But when it was delivered to my house I realized that I had got a discount, which I thought was absurd. The delivery man told me that because the delivery date fell within the sales season, I was entitled to the discount. I felt so lucky. Such a thing would never happen back home," she says.
In her three years in Beijing, Oikonomidou has experienced both ups and downs.
"Life is all about sacrifices," she says. Though having to leave behind friends and family, "Living abroad has let me discover my potential. Living in Beijing, in particular, has made me more open and humorous," she says.
The other big gain - "I have begun to love traveling." She has so far been to Qingdao, Hainan and Hong Kong. "I never traveled before, but now I've changed. For me, traveling is one way of escape," she says.
"Beijing is undergoing huge changes. But while offering you a taste of New York City, it retains its history," she says. "Even the thought of leaving makes me sad. My friends here are warm and I want to extend my stay."
According to the Greek Embassy, only 10 Greek nationals are registered with the Embassy's Consular Office, but it is estimated that there are about 100 Greeks living in various cities across China.
Oikonomidou says she knows nearly every Greek in Beijing and they get together during weekends.
"Greek people are lively and open. We enjoy socializing, friendships and have the spirit of learning.
"Living here has enabled me to discover more about this city and its people."
(China Daily March 24, 2008)