So far my time in Greece has been filled with experiences that have taken me out of my comfort zone. In fact, some of the things I have done here I would never have done back in the states. I'm not exactly a spontaneous type of person. In the past week I have taken a Greek dance class, jumped off a 20 foot cliff into the ocean, and ridden a donkey (like a boss) on the island of Hydra.
I'm a 20 year-old white male. I seriously can not dance. But learning Greek dances was fun and great exercise. It was also great entertainment for my classmates. I'm uneasy about both heights and the ocean, but I had an incredible time in the water on Hydra-so go figure. If you think I'm going to say I'm afraid of donkeys, shame on you. I'm a full-grown man, that would be ridiculous-what were you thinking? That being said, it was really cool and we got to know the owner of the donkeys pretty well.
I think I would go as far as to say that most of the experiences on this trip have been out of character for me. I don't usually like new things. But since everything is new here I'm sort of SOL. I have to like new things.
The people here look at me funny. I like to think it's because I'm a special brand of hotness that they have never encountered before. It's more likely because I wear tourist sandals and wear a passport carrier (not a purse).
In all honesty it has been really hard to get used to the Greek way of interacting with people. The Greeks are both very open to new people and very exclusive in their social circles. When I encounter a Greek person on their own their own they are usually very welcoming and friendly. When I walk up to a group of Greeks, however, they seem more closed off. I'm not sure why this is. I think it may be due to the fact that community is so important to Greeks, and I'm not a part of their community. They are willing to friendly to me on a personal level (who wouldn't) but they are not willing to make me feel like a part of the community. I usually encounter this at cafes or grocery stores, which shows how businesses in Greece are such an important part of the community.
Today we went to the Acropolis Museum. It was a beautiful building , extremely modern, and it contained amazing artwork. Even so, it was easy to see the emptiness behind the glass and steel. Greece is a beautiful country with an identity crisis. It is trying to find it's identity in the past while simultaneously searching for it's future. The multi-million euro Acropolis Museum is a testament to that. It's a building that is caught in the past, the relics of old, but also trying to make a statement about Greece's future. It's a building designed to establish Greece's position as a modern European country. It's the dichotomy of ancient and modern Greece that makes it such a fascinating country.
To me, an outsider, both aspects of Greece have been amazing. But the tension within the locals is palpable. As I become more acquainted with the situation I will keep you all updated!
I'm a 20 year-old white male. I seriously can not dance. But learning Greek dances was fun and great exercise. It was also great entertainment for my classmates. I'm uneasy about both heights and the ocean, but I had an incredible time in the water on Hydra-so go figure. If you think I'm going to say I'm afraid of donkeys, shame on you. I'm a full-grown man, that would be ridiculous-what were you thinking? That being said, it was really cool and we got to know the owner of the donkeys pretty well.
I think I would go as far as to say that most of the experiences on this trip have been out of character for me. I don't usually like new things. But since everything is new here I'm sort of SOL. I have to like new things.
The people here look at me funny. I like to think it's because I'm a special brand of hotness that they have never encountered before. It's more likely because I wear tourist sandals and wear a passport carrier (not a purse).
In all honesty it has been really hard to get used to the Greek way of interacting with people. The Greeks are both very open to new people and very exclusive in their social circles. When I encounter a Greek person on their own their own they are usually very welcoming and friendly. When I walk up to a group of Greeks, however, they seem more closed off. I'm not sure why this is. I think it may be due to the fact that community is so important to Greeks, and I'm not a part of their community. They are willing to friendly to me on a personal level (who wouldn't) but they are not willing to make me feel like a part of the community. I usually encounter this at cafes or grocery stores, which shows how businesses in Greece are such an important part of the community.
Today we went to the Acropolis Museum. It was a beautiful building , extremely modern, and it contained amazing artwork. Even so, it was easy to see the emptiness behind the glass and steel. Greece is a beautiful country with an identity crisis. It is trying to find it's identity in the past while simultaneously searching for it's future. The multi-million euro Acropolis Museum is a testament to that. It's a building that is caught in the past, the relics of old, but also trying to make a statement about Greece's future. It's a building designed to establish Greece's position as a modern European country. It's the dichotomy of ancient and modern Greece that makes it such a fascinating country.
To me, an outsider, both aspects of Greece have been amazing. But the tension within the locals is palpable. As I become more acquainted with the situation I will keep you all updated!
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