Opposition or Adaptation

Anonymous

When thinking about what I’m not willing to adapt to, I have a bit of a hard time. I guess I’m fearful that I would make too quick of a judgment or statement, without really having experienced the culture. One thing I can say that I don’t necessarily want to adapt to permanently is having to wait until 2am to go out. So, going out at 2am (when the last call in Tacoma and Seattle is usually 1:30ish and the bars close at 2am) this is very different than what I’m used to. Don’t get me wrong, I like the nighttime, but I also like to sleep, and I normally have a difficult time sleeping in later than 8 or 9am. At about 1am, I’m usually ready to go home and go to bed. But, I'm optimistic that it’s just a matter of adjusting. Maybe eating dinner later, or taking a little nap, and then going out- that would be a reasonable way to experience Greek nightlife. I think if I lived here I could get used to it, and while I’m on this trip I plan to go out a few times, but I’m not sure if it’s an adjustment I would willingly make in our US American, "pacific northwestern-er" culture.

Something I appreciate about Greek culture is the lack of "space bubbles"- if you will, and the affection with which people greet each other. A hug here, 2 kisses on the cheeks there.  I like feeling close to people- maybe it’s because I’m an extrovert and I thrive off the energy of the people around me. In my experience in Ecuador, I felt a similar feeling of closeness. My host mother would wake me up by knocking on my door, kissing my cheeks and asking how I woke up to the sun rising. She would kiss me and wish me well again as I walked out the door. I always appreciated the affection from she and my host father, Jaime. I appreciate interactions like the one I had with a woman in the grocery store yesterday, who navigated through the lines with me, gently pushing me forward to go ahead of her, and making sure other people didn't cut in front of us in line. She rubbed my arm and was chatting away with me in Greek. Of course, perhaps the fact that I can't understand her adds a level of romanticism- but nonetheless I appreciate the human interaction. I would go so far as to say I have tried to incorporate this into my life back in the states- to not be so personal space-y, but I also try to respect others who like to remain a certain physical distance from others. I like what my compañera, Jessica wrote about the level of connectedness we could gain from eating meals together, as the Greeks do, and I wonder if the same could apply here to the way we greet and interact with people.