Final Reflections

Typing this post I feel the heaviest weight I've ever had to bear on my heart, but I also feel an overwhelming amount of joy. Studying abroad in Greece was the best decision I've ever made. I never would have been able to do it without the support and encouragement from my family and close friends though. Without them I'd be doing Lord knows what, wasting my life away in Jacksonville for the summer. But instead I'm reflecting on the most influential experience of my life. I find myself making blanket statements that still aren't big enough to encompass just how passionate I feel about this trip. Living and studying in Greece was a dream come true. I learned SO much and experienced SO many things that I can't quantify or put into words. I've made lifelong friendships and grown exponentially as a human being. The weight that I feel is a heavy burden to bear. I realize that this group was special and that this experience was unique and that this chapter in my life is coming to a close. This was my last chance to study abroad. It was my last desperate attempt to expand my horizons toward the end of a college experience that has been dull and one dimensional to date. It was a last ditch effort to feel free from the monotony of my daily routine. And it ended up being everything I expected and so much more. 

I also mentioned that overwhelming amount of joy, didn't I? That's because I've had the time of my life for 6 weeks and been amazed every day. I learned something new every day. I saw something new everyday. I challenged myself every day. And I am so thankful that I did. I feel like I couldn't have gotten any more out of this experience than I already did. I will board my flight in a few short hours with no regrets, even if I will have a heavy heart. Watching the mountainous landscape bleed away as our plane races back to reality, I think the full force of it all will come crashing down. But as sad as it will be to realize it's all over, when one door closes another opens. By challenging myself and taking this trip on, I feel like I have grown in ways that I never imagined could be possible for me. I feel more confident and empowered to change the things that seemed too difficult to change while I was stuck in the daily grind back home. I feel like I can meet new any new challenge and overcome it simply because I lived in another culture for over a month and survived. I took a leap of faith and landed on my own two feet. Shoot, it feels like I hit the ground running! It's hard to contain the enthusiasm that Greece has bestowed upon me. It's even more difficult to temper my expectations for the future. But I think I'll manage. 

And now I will cease my delirious ramblings and bid you all farewell. Thank you to everybody who has continually offered me support and love throughout this process. You all mean the world to me and have kept me afloat when the seas got choppy. And thank you for keeping up with my adventures, I hope you all enjoyed being a part of my Greek experience. Peace, love, and happiness from Nick the Greek! Adio!!!

Kefi

Kefi was something that was introduced to our group before we came to Greece and it has stuck with us since. It's a Greek word and the definition is hard to pin down. How I define kefi comes from both the textbook definition and how it has been explained to me by Greeks. Kefi is joy, fun, passion and good spirits. It can be personal or communal. For example, the times that I have felt down (tired, homesick, etc) I've explained to those who asked that "I don't have any kefi today" or that "I lost my kefi". Or on the other hand if we have gone out as a group and a good vibe has created a kind of happy frenzy we have said that we have good kefi that night. It's an interesting example of how one Greek word can convey so much more than any one word in English. 

How we have looked at kefi has shifted since we have been here though. Before we saw the word kefi as proof that the Greeks were carefree. Through the research we had to do in order to prep for this trip most of us held that belief. Greeks take coffee breaks and nap and dance when the going gets tough (like in the movie Zorba the Greek), how could they possibly have any worries?

But once we got to Greece and were immersed in the culture, we came to realize that kefi doesn't mean no worries. It isn't evidence that the Greeks are carefree. In fact, Greeks generally have the same worries as Americans do. But the key difference is their willingness to let loose. To take a few hours to enjoy coffee. To stop in the middle of whatever they are doing to greet a friend. It isn't that they have nothing to worry about, its just that they choose not to let their worries dictate how they live their life. 

I really admire the Greek way of life. I am amazed by how they can still make time for things that Americans don't value, like sitting in a cafe or taking a nap, despite the fact that they are dealing with a debilitating crisis. Most are unemployed or underemployed. Many struggle to make ends meet. And yet the Greeks still find a way to exude kefi. They have a zeal for life and living life to the fullest that has no parallel in the soul-sucking culture of corporate America. Hopefully kefi is one thing that I can bring back with me to the States.

Cafe Culture

This topic is one that I've kept in my back pocket until I could fully wrap my mind around it. Coffee, the magical bean that keeps the world running, the elixir of boundless energy, the beautiful and delicious beverage handed down to us from our ancestors. Without it the world might actually stop spinning. Civilization as we know it might collapse. And all of those statements are exaggerations. What I'm trying to say is, coffee is very important to both Americans and Greeks. But the cafe or coffee culture here is so much different than in the States. Dunkin Donuts claims that "America runs on Dunkin", but to say that Greece runs on coffee would be an understatement. It is so much more than just energy. It isn't simply a means to an end. It isn't just used to increase productivity. Coffee is cultural. 

Any Greek you talk to will tell you about their coffee culture. As an American it is hard to explain. I've only been immersed in the culture for so long. But sitting in coffee shops here compared to sitting in coffee shops in the States is like comparing apples to oranges. Americans are always on the run. We swoop into Starbucks, tap our feet impatiently if our coffee takes longer than a minute to magically appear, and jet back out the door as soon as the cup slaps against our palm.

Greeks do have promotions for "take away" coffee, but the majority of the time they will go to a cafe and sit. Most may only order one coffee, and they may not even finish it. And that's the secret to Greek coffee culture: going to get coffee isn't about the coffee. When you ask somebody to get coffee here, you usually go with the expectation of sitting in that cafe for a minimum of two hours. It isn't about getting coffee, it's about the social interaction. Sit in a cafe here for an hour and you may be the first person to leave. Sit in a cafe in America for an hour and you may be the only one there that long. It's such a difficult concept for us to wrap our minds around. Sitting in one spot for two hours? Only drinking one cup of coffee in TWO hours? Going to get coffee has little to do with coffee?? What is this thing you speak of???

I don't want to totally downplay the significance of coffee here though. Most Greeks are on their second cup before I even get up in the morning. Just about everybody has a cup in their hand in the morning. They need coffee just about as badly as Americans do.

But the main difference lies in their use of cafes as a hub for social interaction. I've taken a liking to it. I think the Greeks are on to something. Sitting with a cappuccino freddo (freddo=cold) and lightly sipping on it while conversing with friends just feels right. It feels natural and relaxed. It's the way coffee should be enjoyed. And it becomes more than just a drink. It becomes an experience. If only I could bring that experience home with me...

Another Rocky Day in Greece

Yesterday was the third and final field trip for my City as Myth class. Our destination: modern day Elefsina, known in ancient Greece as Eleusis. Like our other field trips, Eleusis has a direct connection with the text that we studied in class, this week it was The Homeric Hymn to Demeter. I mentioned some of this in my last post on mortality. The hymn is about the abduction of the goddess Demeter's daughter, Persephone, by the lord of the underworld, Hades. Persephone is Zeus' daughter and Hades is Zeus' brother, so technically Hades is kidnapping his own niece. Ancient Greek myths can get complicated and incestual sometimes, so it's easier to not worry about these kinds of details. Anyways, Eleusis was the site of the Eleusinian Mysteries that I mentioned before that were associated with the cult of Demeter. In the Hymn, Eleusis is explicitly mentioned as the place where Demeter teaches the rituals to mortal men. Some people even believe that it is where the abduction of Persephone took place, the picture below is the supposed spot where Hades emerged from the underworld to grab her.

It's turned sideways and I can't figure out how to fix it. Basically looks like a well opening. 

Experiencing the space after discussing it in class all week has been a unique experience all three times we have done it. This week especially though because this myth piqued my interest enough to become the subject of my final paper. The archaeological site is quite large and parts are very impressive. The temples and buildings are no higher than waist height now, if that, and the parts that are laying around look decorative and intricate. Very neat place to go.

The first thing you see upon entering

Random stack of bits and pieces from the ruined buildings

For once Sarah got to touch the ancient stuff, and nobody yelled at her! She's become notorious for touching things labeled "Do Not Touch" this trip

The site is expansive, it wasn't too hot but it was still a lot of walking!

A pit in the ground that was used to roast sacrificial meat, here the specialty was baby piglets. Yum

The museum at the tail end of the site was small but had some interesting statues, pottery, and utensils that were found on site. 

Elefsina was the last of our adventures outside Athens before we leave for the States. It's bittersweet to consider it in this context. The fact that it is a rich historical site with a fascinating story behind it was the sweet part, the bitter pill to swallow is that we won't be doing any more traveling. There are so many more sites like this gem waiting for us that we don't have the time to explore. Still, I'm glad that we got to have one more rocky day in Greece. 

Mortality

This week in my City as Myth class we have been studying the Homeric Hymn to Demeter. Demeter was a powerful goddess who almost destroyed the world after Hades kidnapped her daughter, Persephone. Hades forces Persephone to eat a pomegranate seed which traps her in the underworld 1/3 of the year and allows her in the world above the rest of the time. We talked a lot about this myth and how it inspired the Eleusinian Mysteries, secretive ceremonies related to the cult of Demeter and Persephone that took place in the ancient Greek city of Eleusis. The mysteries had to do with rites that Demeter passed down to mortal men in the Homeric Hymn. According to the text whoever participated in these rites would gain the goddess' favor and be granted a better lot in the afterlife, actions that offered initiates consolation against mortality.

Studying the Mysteries and the Homeric Hymn to Demeter got me thinking about a different kind of mortality. Not of the flesh or the body, but of experience. Today starts the countdown of our last week in Greece. Seven days from now I will be on a plane back to the States. I realized the mortality of this trip from the start, but in its infancy the six weeks we were going to have here seemed like a lifetime. Now that five weeks have come and gone, the realization that our trip is slowly trickling away is a heavy weight on my mind. It's sad to think that this experience will end soon. It has been the trip of a lifetime. But like the saying goes, "All good things must come to an end". And this 'thing', our trip, hasn't just been good. It's been amazing. It's been awe-inspiring. It's been breath-taking. Even if I travel later on, I'll never have another experience like this. I won't be here at this time in my life with these people ever again. I'm just thankful to have been lucky and stumbled into this opportunity to begin with. Because it's been one heck of a ride so far.

Greek Tamata

This week I had to present a culture report for my class about Greek tamata, a subject that I knew very little about before I started researching about it. The Greek word tama means "vow" in English, and the plural tamata means "vows". Tama are used in the Eastern Orthodox church as votive offerings, meaning they are items with the sole purpose of being left in a holy place. Usually they are small metal plaques with an image embossed on them made of tin, silver, or gold depending on what you can afford.

A variety of tamata

The process is pretty simple: buy a tama, bring it to a church and hang it by an icon of the saint of your choosing, light a candle, and leave. Their purpose can be simple as well. Usually you purchase a tama in order to ask the saint to help you in some way. Even in Catholic tradition the saints are associated with certain things and are considered "the patron saint of..." The same is true in Greece. Our neighborhood is named after a saint, Saint Paraskevi, who is associated with eyes and sight. If a Greek is having an eye problem they would purchase a tama with an eye embossed on it (like one of the examples above) and hang it next to an icon of St. Paraskevi as a votive offering. Tama can also be given to a saint in thanksgiving for a blessing. That blessing isn't always related to physical ailments. It can be a prayer to find love, asking for a healthy marriage, praying for the ability to afford a house or car, etc. I think that the idea of using tama is very straightforward and fits with the Greek way of doing things. Rather than beat around the bush they are proactive and unafraid to ask for help. In America we tend to shy away from admitting when we are weak or unable to do something. The Greeks have no such reservations. It's refreshing, really.

During my research I came across an incredibly interesting story related to tama. In the late 6th century AD, St. John of Damascus was a Christian serving as vizier to the Muslim caliph in Damascus (modern Syria). He was wrongly accused of treachery relating to his defense of iconography, and the punishment was to lose his hand. After having his hand cut off, he was praying in front of an icon of the Virgin Mary. Miraculously, the Virgin restored his hand. In thanksgiving, he had a silver replica made of his hand which he then left in front of the icon. That icon, called the Tricherousa (translates as "Three-handed") is still housed in a monastery on Mount Athos here in Greece.

The Virgin Mary holding baby Jesus, with the silver hand of St. John of Damascus in the bottom left corner.

I found tamata so interesting because they have ancient roots. The ancient Greeks gave them to the gods in the same way that modern Greeks give them to the saints. Apollo, for example, was traditionally associated with healing and would be given a votive offering in hopes that he would heal the supplicant. The practice has barely changed from ancient to modern times, a testament to the endurance and continuity of Greek culture. Some museums here display clay tama that have been found at ancient excavation sites which look very similar to the modern metal plaques. 

 

I was glad to have blindly picked a subject I knew nothing about and still end up with something fascinating. I learned a lot, a lot more than I can even contain in one blog post. Tama are both ancient and modern, the perfect representation for this trip. We are here immersing ourselves in the culture and learning modern Greek, but at the same time we are visiting ancient ruins and learning about parts of Greek culture that have been preserved for centuries. It's part of the unique experience while studying in Greece and I'm not sure I could find anything quite like it anywhere else in the world. 

The Island of Aegina

Yesterday we spent the day on the island of Aegina, a brisk 40 minute boat ride from the port of Piraeus near Athens. We all zombied our way out of the dorms at 7:15 am and made our way to the Flying Dolphin XXIX, our speedy transport that whisked us away towards our destination. The first order of business upon arrival was to hop on a bus and drive to the Temple of Aphaia, a local goddess whose sanctuary has been partially rebuilt and restored. Unlike some of the sanitized sites we have encountered here, this one actually thoroughly impressed me.

After we walked around the site and attached museum we returned to the town near the port and walked the streets. A few of us found a neat little cafe and got some coffee and cheese pies before the majority of the group made a beeline for the beach. The water was crystal clear and refreshingly cool. Some of us ended up off the beaten path on a small rocky portion of the beach. Small pools of water formed among the clusters of rocks and we spent a few hours either swimming or scouring the shallows for ghost shrimp and crabs.

Our next destination was a seaside taverna for lunch. We had an interesting variation of Greek salad with stringy lettuce and corn tossed in, herby meatballs, feta wrapped in zucchini topped with tomato sauce, moussaka, and watermelon for dessert. Yum! Feeling considerably full of food, we lounged for a few moments. To our great surprise, a small storm rolled in and sprinkled the island with rain. It was the third time this week that we got rain, an epic anomaly this time of year in Attica. After the rain settled we all went our separate ways and spent a few hours exploring the town. I ended up finding a sweet shop and invested in a superb chocolate souffle before sitting down at a cafe for my second coffee of the day, this time a frappe with Bailey's. After what felt like an eternity we met up and boarded our boat back to Athens. We got back to the dorms around 10 pm, wrapping up a tiring but satisfying 15 hour day trip to the island of Aegina.