The Greek Waiter

Alexis is ten years old and lives in a small village on a beautiful Greek island. Like all children his age, Alexis has just completed Year 4 in primary school. But Alexis is different from other children his age. He doesn’t spend the summer on the beach or playing video games. In the busy summer months Alexis spends his days in his family’s restaurant. In July and August, the restaurant is very popular with tourists from all over the world. Because he is the only person in his family who can speak English, it is his job to look after the tourists when they eat at the restaurant. He explains the menu to tourists and takes their orders.

Where did he learn his English? There is no school in Alexis’s village, and during the school year he travels 12 kilometres every day by bus to nearby village to go to school. Together with his classmates, two evenings a week, he attends English classes at a language school in the same village. There is no bus service when his classes end, so his mother picks him up and brings him home. Alexis doesn’t mind, he enjoys learning English. He wants to be a journalist so he knows languages will be useful. He is very pleased that he can help his family with their business and the tourists are very happy that they can order their meal in English. He’s also learnt a lot about cooking and loves the food at the restaurant!