Kalispera from Greece!!

"Kalispera" means "good evening" in Greek! It is honestly the one word that I have consistently been able to remember (along with "kalimera" or "good morning". Even "thank you" is too complicated. We arrived two days ago and I'm still very jetlagged- right now it is almost 7 pm while EST in the States it's 12 pm! I've been napping a lot and still able to sleep through the night, so I think by tomorrow i'll be over it! I haven't written yet because i'm always so tired and we've been so busy every day!

We have been in Athens, the capital, since our arrival on Saturday morning. Tomorrow we leave at 6 am to go take a ferry to the island of Mykonos! Very exciting! Athens is full of so many ruins, as it is the cultural center of Greece. Within walking distance of our hotel is Parliament, The Temple of Zeus the Olympian, the Acropolis, and more! (Pictures are currently uploading...it may take a while). Not only has the trip so far been an amazing touristic experience (complete with Segway tours and getting lost even while staring closely at a map), it has been incredibly reflective for me as well.

Going to the Border and being forced to write reflective pieces has made me rethink the way in which I travel, thanks to the lovely ladies who I was with, and Dr. Goldberg (if any of you are reading- much love!) Also, being an anthropology major and having taken more classes than before, I am constantly people watching and making observations about the similarities and differences between life here compared to the U.S. and other European countries that I have visited.

The first major difference is the way in which Greeks think about money and life. (From personal observation), I have noticed that people here are more concerned with helping you rather than trying to take money from you. Multiple times, people have offered up student discounts and the fact that people 18 and under get in free to attractions without us even questioning it, which has saved us a lot of money. I know that in the US, I have only gotten a student discount at places that I have asked directly, because they have no problem with you paying the full price if you are unaware of discounts. Also, tipping is not as common, and every guide or driver that we have tipped has looked back at the giver wide-eyed and appreciative. Greece, as many of you know, isn't at the best place economically, and they have an unemployment rate of between 25 and 30%. I can only assume that this causes Greeks to focus on enjoying life more than just making money; this is also disproving articles that we read before we arrived, saying that Greeks are generally unfriendly to tourists.

Along with this idea of enjoying life, I think this is a European custom as well. There is definitely a slower pace that I have noticed here as well as other European countries which I have visited. When you finish a meal at a restaurant in the States, the server is eager to clear your plates and bring you your check (I know I am, as a server, because I want the quickest turnover possible in my section in order to make the most money). Here, plates will stay on your table and the check is brought only when you request it, which usually for us is when we realize that they aren't coming to pick everything up anytime soon. The relaxed pace is something which we have to adjust to.

(Sorry i'm writing so extensively- we've done so much in just 3 days!!)

Another part of Athens which i'm loving is the history. Greeks are the basis for so much of what the rest of the world does, and seeing and hearing about the history of this is awesome. Seeing all the ruins of buildings that were built as old as 400 BC is just amazing! You never see anything that old int he United States, and being in the presence of something so ancient is astonishing.

This trip has also made me think about tourism more, something which I will continue thinking about and looking into as my trip continues. I realized this yesterday, when my mom and I were looking for another hotel, because they had a gym that we could use. The front desk at our hotel gave us a map with our current location, circled the other hotel, and gave us brief and simple instructions. Easy enough. It was early in the morning, and so I hadn't put my contacts in, and so I was squinting and holding the map close to my face to read the tiny street names. Someone walked by with his friends and muttered "que turista" as they passed us. Me, a Spanish speaker, understood that this means "what a tourist", and all I could think to respond was yelling "HABLO ESPAÑOL" at their backs as they walked away. I probably could have thought of something more clever, but I'm not very quick on my feet. Something I have always disliked about traveling to other countries is standing out. I'm 6 feet tall, have blonde hair, and speak English. How do I prevent myself from being a tourist, while still seeing what I want to see, generally touristy sites? Why does tourism have such a stigma in my mind? These are questions which I will continue to examine as I continue my trip! (more explanation of what i'm doing and why is in the description box of this blog)

Thanks for reading and sorry for rambling!
-Anna